Lips of an angel

"Want to make out the shapes?" Lola asks looking up at the clouds floating above them lying side by side with Olly. Their fingers are barely centimetres apart on the grass between them as they both fiddle with the grass between them. Not too long ago they spent the entire day questioning why playing with grass was so soothing. Unable to reach a definitive answer they decided it must be because of the colour. For days after that they tried their best to dig out every item of green in their respective cupboards and that was all they wore, until they ran out. "Sure, but I am not really good at it." Olly replies lazily opening her eyes and picking out a cloud as she starts to scrutinize it. Eagerly pointing to the far left Lola breaks her concentration and points out what she claims to be a horse. Olly squints her eyes several times but still sees nothing more than a blob. "Oh do you see it Olly? Isn't it beautifully? Imagine if we could ride off on that wonderful white horse. I think I could do that when I grow up. What do you want to do?" Olly breathes a sigh of relief at the topic change. Her eyes are tired from trying to make out shapes so she closes them again. A smile resting on her lips as she thinks of her answer. This is an easy question. Olly has always known what she wants to do when she grows up. "I want to be a fireman. I want to help people. I don't want to be scared." The confidence in her voice rings clear in Lola's ears as she listens to her best friend. Inspired by Olly's words, she too replies. "I want to be happy. My sister says you lose it as you grow up. I don't want to lose it." Grabbing hold of Olly's hand she gets her attention as they both smile at each other. "I want it to be like it is now. Just like this forever." Eighteen years later Rubbing out the creek in my neck from being hunched over a desk all day I enters the apartment I share with Nicole. Working a regular nine to five as a desk clerk at a pharmaceutical company hadn't been the dream, but it pays the bills. I was lucky to land the job post a disastrous second year at college. My dreams may not have been achieved, but at least I have health benefits. "Nix, please tell me you are nearly ready. Jo has called me fifteen times already." Dropping y bag on the hideous green sofa Nicole had insisted on having I walk over to the kitchen to grab some water. Walking out of our bedroom Nicole appears dressed in a cocktail dress. Hair and makeup perfected due to years of practice and it actually being her profession. "Hey baby, I am ready. But if you like I could do you first." I can't help smiling, enjoying the s****l innuendo shared between Nix and me. After fourteen months of dating we have perfected our rhythm. I had met Nicole through Jo. Jo was one of the first people I met when I set foot on campus over five years ago. The leggy brunette with the cinnamon tan was hard to miss. And she came straight for me. I never stood a chance and for that I will forever be grateful to Jo. Growing up in middle class suburbia had its advantages, but it came with its own individually crafted hardships. Any confusions that arose in my pre-teens about my s****l identity and preferences, magnified in later years, were firmly locked behind the requisite façade set in place by the society I lived in. Jo, not only helped me smash though that façade but also out of the closet I had been confined to for way too long. Stuck in a s*x haze with Jo for the first three months of my brief college career I nearly flunked out before even starting. The grandeur of becoming a firewoman wore off around high school, but the desire to help people never wavered. I enrolled at Green Hill College to become a paramedic, but halfway through my second year a ridiculously drunk right had ruined it all. Finally managing to get a grasp on a balance between the heady high of my s****l explorations and I studies, I didn't see the next disaster coming. Jo and I had called of our exclusivity six months after it started. There had always been this unspoken agreement that what they shared was never meant to be forever. Jo had taken on a tutorial role in my live during those first few months of college. The experience was mutual beneficial to the both of us. And although we soaked up all the other had to offer with zealous greed, it was never mistaken for more than it was. That could easily explain why we so easily shifted from lovers to friends. We continued on our individual paths of searching for that special one, whilst firmly fixating ourselves in the others lives as more than simply a lover. Our friendship continued to peak with time, with no sign of a plateau in sight. Every now and then we would challenge each other when our random conquests around campus started becoming too mundane. The exchange was never intended to be malicious, but one day we unwittingly took things too far. I don't think either one of us thought things would turn out the way they did. "So remind me again what this party is for?" Nicole asks me as we step out of the cab at the restaurant Jo had instructed us to be at. With a confused look I answers Nicole while patting down my pockets. "It's Jo's birthday. Did you pick up her gift?" Nicole offers me an appeasing smile, holding up her handbag. "I know that but why are we here?" Taking Nicole's hand I guide her to the door of the restaurant, pausing briefly to take a deep breath before opening the doors. "Because Jo didn't think her new girl would find our usual hang out quite as charming as we do." The restaurant is definitely a far cry from our usual hangout but it's rare that Jo ever asks for any favours so I figured why not just go with it. Once the maitre'd shows us to their table, we take our seats and wait for the remaining members of the party as instructed by the maitre'd. "Is it just me or does this place feel awkward?" Nicole whispers while continuing to scan the room. With a parched throat I reaches for the water on the table and try to offer Nicole a confident smile. Pouring a glass for Nicole as well, I pass her the glass and take Nicole's free hand, bringing it up to my lips and plant a soft kiss there. "Tell you what, why not just focus on the fact that me and you get a few quiet minutes alone before this crazy party starts." With a shy smile she looks up at me and takes a sip of her water.We spend the time waiting exchanging information about our day at the office and laugh at the various antics of our colleagues. we are so wrapped up in our conversation with our fingers easily interwine on the table that we don't notice that more people have joined us. Only once the two brunettes take their seats at the table, do Nicole and I break eye contact. "Oh, hi." I awkwardly stumble looking over at them. Both girls smile in response. "I am Olivia and this is Nicole." The brunette on the left introduces herself as Mia and her girlfriend as Lola. With a friendly smile both of us say hi. We all exchange a few more pleasantries explaining how we are linked to the birthday girl. Turns out Mia and Lola are friends of Jo's new flavour. Deciding to order something to drink while waiting for Jo and break the tension turns out to be a good idea as Jo and her lady friend show up more than an hour late and they both appear to be rather tipsy and a bit loud. Fifteen minutes after sitting down, they both decide that this place is too stuffy and we head over to Blush. Nix doesn't hide her excitement of heading over to our usual spot. "Babe, I am starving." She whispers in my ear as we walk into Blush. "Me too." I reply scouring the room for an empty booth. Before I can find one Tally, one of the waitress, come over to me and wrap arms around me and plants a big fat kiss smack on my lips regardless of Nix's disapproving glare. "Hey there honey. You need a table?" she asks standing next to me with her arm still draped around me waist completely ignoring Nicole. "Yeah, for the six of us." I reply trying my best to ignore the pissing contest happening right in front of me. "Just give me a sec, I have some assholes I have been wanting to toss out for a while." And just like that Tally disappears. Pulling Nicole closer, I wrap my arms around her and reach down to whisper in her ear over the band that is just starting up. "Tada, anything else I can get you." I say feeling rather chuffed with myself thinking that I had handled that entire situation rather well. But my smile is short lived as I take in Nicole's pout. "What just happened?" I ask taking Nix's face in my hands. Nicole has always been quick to tears and true to form a tear makes its way down her cheek. "Baby? What’s wrong?" I asks again pulling her close. The crying thing is not my favourite trait of Nicole's, but for the most part I put up with it as it doesn’t happen very often. "She completely ignored me and practically f****d you right here." Nicole says through her pout. The curse comes out so soft, that I nearly missed it. "Baby, please don't let Tally upset you. You know that is just how she is. Besides the only person I want to f**k, is you." I say leaning while pushing her up against me and whispering the curse just as quietly as Nicole did. This gets her to smile as she blushes vividly. Nicole relaxes into my hold just as I feel a slap on y shoulder. Turning around I see Jo behind me.. "If you are done dry humping Bambi can we get this f*****g party started?" Jo says now shaking my shoulders and dislodging Nicole from my hold. "I am going to freshen up." Nicole says smiling and shaking her head at Jo. "Meet you at the table?" I say as I see Tally shooing some people away from a booth. "Mind if I join you?" Mia says to Nicole asI watch them head to the bathroom stalls. Taking our seats at the booth, I don't waste any time ordering a burger each for Nicole and me. By the time I return my attention to the table, Jo and her new puppy are sucking face. With a knowing smile I shake my head and look over at the band. "The two of you are cute together." Looking over at the petite brunette who has moved a little closer to me in order to make talking easier, I can’t help but remind myself not to panic. I have never really been good at small talk. Thats usually Nicole's area of expertise. I don’t even remember her name, again Nix is better at these things. With a smile and a nod, I returns my attention back to the band. But the tiny brunette doesnt seem to get the message. "So how long have you guys been together?" She asks just as Tally drops the drinks order on the table. Relieved I reach out for my G&T and take a sip hoping to buy some more time and perhaps it will help me be a bit more sociable until Nicole returns. Knowing how ridiculous the waiting time can be at the bathrooms in this place I sigh realising it could be a while. "A few months.' I reply focusing on answering the simple question as I finally look at the girl to my right. With soft brown eyes and brown curls framing her face, that also look incredibly soft I try really hard to remember her name, but can't. I have always been terrible with names, Jo teases me endlessly about it. It is actually why I ended up calling most of the girls I dated Baby. Up until about a month of seeing Nicole did I actually remember her name, but I will never admit that to her of course. The bubbly brunette continues firing questions at me about my relationship with Nicole. It feels weird, so in an attempt to deflect I start asking her the same questions. Turns out she doesn't mind answering questions about herself. Within five minutes I learn that Mia and the brunette have been seeing each other for about three months. They are discussing moving in together, but aren't quite there yet. I also find out that the brunettes name is Lola. Just as Lola finishes off Mia and Nicole return to the table. "Miss me?" Nicole asks as she slips into the booth next to me at the same time Tally brings our food. I have never been so grateful to see Nicole or food.