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The itch to work wasn't easy to ignore some days. Thankfully, I had the best accountability partner, one who happened to be texting me to clock out.
"Speaking of vacation." I shot a quick text back to Sage before turning off my computer. "I love you, too, Tyson. And you, Seline. And you, Harry!"
He hummed his acknowledgment, too deep in work to pull away yet.
"Which is why I'm so thrilled to be working with you guys again," I said. "When I get back from vacation."
"Of course." Tyson nodded, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He didn't press; he'd never press. Even more reason to love him.
"Guess I'll work on my other assignments…which are also a part of my job," he said, mostly under his breath and to himself, no enthusiasm in his voice. Seline and I laughed.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." I patted his shoulder before leaving the cubicle.
"Can I keep your seat warm?" Seline called after me. "It's so much more comfortable than Sage's old one."
"Knock yourself out." I turned around, walking backward as I spoke to them. "When I get back, we're killing season two. You guys better be ready."
"We stay ready," Seline assured as she fell into my seat.
"We'll be here." Tyson smiled. "Ready for whatever you have in store."
"Love you too, Noah," Harry added. His delayed response made us all laugh.
Sage's face lit up the second she saw me. She didn't try to hide it, and I didn’t hide my excitement either. As soon as I saw her, my pace turned into a light jog.
"Hey, Pastel." She laughed when I jumped into her arms. It was a little awkward hugging her while she straddled the bike, and I pulled back a little so she could swing her leg over to give me a proper hug.
"Did you see?" I asked while still squeezing her against me.
"I did." Her voice was muffled from burying her face into my neck. "Congratulations, Miss Best New Artist."
I laughed. "It's our win. We brought her back."
Sage nodded and pulled me in for a kiss—she tasted of mint and smelled like spring. "We should celebrate. What do you think about burgers and the beach?"
"You mean the actual beach this time, not an abandoned parking garage overlooking it? We get to touch the water and everything?"
Sage laughed. "Hey, stop acting like I never take you anywhere nice. That abandoned parking garage is a perfectly respectable place. They repainted the parking lines last week."
"In that case, there's probably going to be a line to get in from now on."
She snorted. "You driving?"
"If you insist." I exaggerated a sigh before pulling on the helmet she offered me. After a few months of practice, I'd gotten better at riding the bike. I never went more than a few miles over the speed limit, though, my fear of crashing lingering anytime I grabbed the handlebars. Still, I enjoyed the freedom of it, and the way Sage's arms wrapped around me. She'd often spread her arms wide behind me, enjoying the opportunity to let go for a moment and not worry about where she was going.
I liked being able to do that for her. After she left Harpy, I was determined to make sure she'd get every chance to enjoy life without having to steer all the time.
"Your bags all packed for the trip?" I asked. "I've got the whole itinerary planned, with plenty of time blocked out for naps. My folks are going to be a few days late, so we'll have the place to ourselves."
"All packed and ready." Sage wrapped her arms around my waist, squeezing me tight against her. "You still cool with my family crashing?"
"If you want me to say no, I'll say no." The light changed, and I started forward. Sage didn't respond until we got closer to the beach. The sun was low, the waves too lazy to get higher than a few feet.
"I don't want you to say no," Sage said.
I wasn’t entirely convinced. At a stop sign, I placed my hand over hers.
"We're…still getting used to things."
