Happenstance

by Tessa Bailey

“What changed your mind, love?” one of the men asks, his accent upper crust British. Deep and polished. “Was it my sheer animal magnetism that drew you back in?”

“Porn,” he says from his elegant lean against the interior wall of the tram. “You know me from pornography, darling,” he drawls, his mouth spreading into a grin. “The good shit.”

“Charisma? It cannot be turned off, unfortunately. Women upon women have performed very thorough searches of my person looking for the switch.” I can’t help it. I’ll probably cringe about this for the rest of my life, but my attention drops to his crotch. “That’s the on switch, love. Not the off one.”

While I’m at it, I’m preemptively turning down whatever you’re going to offer me, too, British. I have a feeling it’s flesh colored and curves slightly to the right.” He belts out a laugh. “I fucking knew you recognized me.”

Tobias riles me up, irritates me. Banks is like looking into an emotional mirror, giving me a strange sense of camaraderie. And Gabe? I’m protective over him. A man twice my size.

“Good girl. Now kiss him,” Tobias rasps, framing my jaw in his hand and turning me toward Banks. “Kiss him while my hand is up your fucking skirt.”

Tobias is the first one to speak. Obviously.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, erection boy. She still would have chosen me eventually.” “She hated your ass,” I say, blithely. “Yes, but she would have loved my cock.”

So I might have overreacted in the genitals department. Technically, I’m still overreacting a little because I haven’t had any alone time since it happened. Deep breath, man.

By the time I reach the men, I’m so irritated that I send the cart sailing straight into Tobias, hoping to knock the wind out of his sails—or perhaps maim him in some such way—but he catches the cart with one hand, his grin only stretching wider. “Ah now,” he says with a sniff. “I can tell she missed me.”

“Tram Fam on the move,”

“Just a brief rundown. You’ve come here to ask for a foursome.” I look each of them in the eye. “In broad daylight. Stone cold sober.” They trade glances and nod.

Then there is Tobias mouthing the words chocolate cake at me. God, I hate him.

Everyone looks at Tobias. He snorts. “I’m not apologizing. I called dibs.” “Why are you the way that you are?” I ask, tilting my head. Something guarded travels through his eyes. “Now, love. Don’t open Pandora’s box.”

But a relationship? No way. Nah. Never.

Am I already in love? Damn. I might be.

Masturbating to the thought of Elise? Twenty seconds. It won’t be like that when and if we have sex. In real life. It won’t. Right?

Me: I needed this. To talk to you.

I told you. You’re capable of more than you think, Gabe. Remember that.

“I met a woman. She loathes me. It’s fabulous.”

Me: I’m here for therapy. Attempting to believe I’m someone worth knowing.

😭😭😭

E: Ughhh. You’re worthy of knowing. E: And obviously dick punches. Bye. I think today might be the best day of my life.

The sunflower mix is from Gabe. His card reads, You’re saving me tonight, I won’t forget it. The card that came with Banks’s roses says, I’ll take everything you’ve got, even the thorns.

“Don’t go planning the wedding.” “Legally, I don’t think we could.” “Thank God.”

“Gabe makes me wish for lazy Sunday mornings in bed with coffee and the smell of cinnamon in the kitchen. Sweet. Tobias is Saturday night. Strobe lights and moaning and…that tipsy feeling, like if you have one more drink, you’ll be sorry.”

“You’re real life. The place where I’m in my pattern and feel safe. You’re not a detour, you’re a path forward.”

My smile stretches before I can stop it. Mayday. Mayday. Please send emergency assistance. I officially like Tobias.

Y E S

“We should go inside.” “Tram Fam is on the move,” Tobias says into a fake headset.

“Gabe…” She bestows an incredible smile on him. “I love your house.” “Move in,” he blurts, his face immediately turning the color of a stoplight.

“I’m fine,” I assure them, slapping numerous hands away. “You should be checking on Tobias’s ego.” “It’s in shambles since meeting you, thank you very much,”

I think I might be in love. I think I might be in love…with us.

Banks drops a fist softly to the table. “How am I supposed to leave now?” “I was thinking the same thing,” Gabe sighs. Tobias plants noisy kisses all over my hair and face. “I’ve never been happier to be rich and unemployed.”

“That’s right,” Gabe says into my neck, his voice husky. “Permanent is possible.” Banks tips up my chin. “It’s not only possible, it’s happening.” “You’re going to be a smash at university, Elise.” Tobias kisses my forehead. “And we’ll be smashing you non-stop along the journey.”

“I think I’ll save it for tonight,” he calls back over his shoulder. We all stare at his retreating back like he’s an alien lifeform. Tobias exhales. “I feel like a proud father—” Gabe comes running back down the hallway coated in sweat. “I lied. I can’t wait that long. Please, Elise. Even a hand job…” “Bloody hell,” Tobias mutters.

I’m in love with her. I want her to be a part of every moment of my life. God help me, I want these two shitheads there, too.

“You’re all my favorite. We are my favorite,”

Especially from Elise’s parents. The weekend we met them for the first time takes up an entire five pages in my scrapbook. The napkin her mother wept into when we broke the news. A transcript of her father’s phone call to the police. The label off the bottle of whiskey he drank when the police informed him no laws were being broken. A picture of their faces when Tobias told Elise’s parents how he made his fortune. A shard of the plate that Elise’s father threw at Tobias’s head.

“What makes you think we would have met no matter what?” “Something this perfect can’t be happenstance,” I say confidently.

“I wouldn’t change a thing.” Tobias shudders. “I could have done without the kidnapping.”