Outdrawn

by Deanna Grey

This woman could be fun.

I didn’t believe it was flirting, but it was something close enough to make me nervous.

Lots of things made me happy: art, perfectly seasoned rice, bike rides downtown, and now, apparently, making Sage smile because of something silly.

She didn't date women who wore pastel colors and had anxiety problems.

Noah's company in our cubicle started to become my favorite thing about the day.

Doing something with someone for the first time made everything feel more magical.

I didn't want to have to share her attention again.

She could be a siren; I painted her on the water in my mind, her hair splayed across the surface, eyes daring the viewer to jump in.

I'm not this. I'm not this person. Fuck, I was now. I was an anxious person,