When Daisy asked after the bruises on her wrists, Tara mumbled an excuse about falling over at work and made an attempt to cover up more for the next few days. If her best friend had seen the blotches pressed into her thighs and waist, it would have been far harder to explain away. Tara herself didn’t know for certain the cause of the marks. But she knew what they looked like: hand and finger prints.

Obviously, she was not deluded enough to believe the Ava of her dreams had caused her physical damage. Her top theory so far was that, in the throes of her semi-conscious fantasy she had taken her self-pleasure a step too far and groped her own flesh. Not that she had ever done anything like that before but it seemed Ava had ignited a heightened sexuality inside of her in the last few weeks, so maybe this was all part of her growth into becoming a self-molesting, pillow-humping, sleep-walking, sex-addict like a character out of an erotic comic. There was a fairly large hole in this explanation though: her hands were too small to match the size of those imprinted into her skin.

It was a reach to believe the hand prints matched Ava’s wide palms, but Tara found it hard to put the image from her mind as she watched the bruises fade over the course of the week. Ava did not contact her once for the entire duration. It took every little dribble of willpower and stubbornness within Tara not to go crawling back to her, to beg for forgiveness over text. This was a grown woman sulking, she did not have to stoop to such levels to appease her and pander to her. As much as she wanted to for the sake of her sex life.

Another week passed. She had yet to have another dream of Ava but that didn’t stop her firm body and deliciously dark eyes from wandering through Tara’s mind while awake. She had finally broken down and confessed to Shawn that Ava was avoiding and ignoring her on day ten, and he was irritatingly pleased by this. It was a complete one-eighty from how he should have reacted. He had set her up with this friend and now his friend was being rude and childish! He should be ashamed at her behaviour!

“I don’t mean to seem insensitive but I have a theory about why she’s acting like this and I just really hope I’m right.”

“I don’t suppose you feel like sharing your stupid theory?” Tara huffed childishly.

“Of course, my darling Tara.”

Tara waved her hand to encourage him, curious now.

“You remember me telling you that Ava doesn’t tend to go back to the same woman twice?”

“I vaguely remember an ice-cream analogy.”

“Exactly. So, she has been tied to the same woman for almost two months.”

“You think she got bored of me and has found someone else?” Tara asked, trying to keep her voice from diminishing into a pathetic whisper. Friends with benefits, that’s all they were.

Shawn flicked her forehead gently with a kind smile. “No, I think she’s realising she’s getting attached and trying to back up so that she can cool off a little.” He sounded genuine but Tara wasn’t convinced. This wasn’t how normal people acted when they liked someone.

“I think you are vastly overestimating how much affection she has for me.”

“I think you’re vastly underestimating how cute you are.”

“We’ll see,” Tara sighed, partly wishing she had never raised the topic. She flung a tea towel over her shoulder and headed to the back to check stock.

Shawn called after her, “it’s not just you she’s been acting differently with, you know. Me and Imogen have been bearing the brunt of her bad attitude the last two weeks in person!”

“I’m sure you’ll survive,” Tara snapped. She didn’t mean to be cranky and rude, but she was tired of being left in the dark. It wasn’t Shawn’s fault his friend was treating her like this, but she did secretly wish he would do something, say something to her, anything.

~

A few nights later, as Tara lounged across her sofa with Daisy beside her, wine in their hands, a text flickered onto her phone screen. She glanced over, her eyes moving slowly in her tipsy state.

Ava’s name sat there, awaiting her.

Tara sat up with a jerk and snatched her phone from the coffee table, her wine glass in her other hand. Daisy leant in behind her to read the message over her shoulder.

Ava: Would I get priority over your other friends if we were dating?

Shock paralysed her for a few moments, rendering her unable to type back a response. Was Ava… jealous?

Daisy voiced the same thought loudly into Tara’s ear.

Tara: My girlfriends get equal priority to my friends.

“Ooh, good answer!” Daisy praised before taking another sip of her wine.

Ava: So I could get half your time?

Tara: If we were dating.

“Say ‘But we’re not.’ as well!” Daisy suggested excitedly. Tara sent it.

Ava: And if I were to ask you out?

Daisy reached her hand out, fingers wiggling, to ask for the phone. Tara knew it was probably a bad idea, but she was a little tipsy too and what was the worst Daisy could send?

Tara: I would ask why you left me on read for two weeks.

Tara: I would ask who you’d been seeing the last two weeks.

Tara: I would ask if you only wanted to date me for sex.

Ava: Daisy, give Tara back her phone.

Both women leapt a foot in the air in surprise, Tara spilling a few drops of wine onto the sofa.

“How did she know?!” Daisy stage whispered with wild eyes.

Tara shrugged but took the phone back.

Tara: She’s right, though.

Ava: I stayed away for 2 weeks because I don’t normally let feelings get involved with my relationships, it’s usually all sex. I didn’t like that I was starting to develop feelings for you. I haven’t been seeing anyone and I don’t want to date you for sex. I don’t need a girlfriend to have sex.

Tara: What feelings do you have for me?

Tara felt her face flush hotly as she pressed ‘send’ and Daisy giggled into her glass.

Ava: I find you very cute, funny, interesting. The more time I spent with you, the more I wanted. It felt like that should be a warning sign for me to stop, so I did. But then I found it even harder to stay away. I still don’t know if this is the best idea for you, I don’t think I would make a very good partner. But I have found myself completely addicted and it seems it’s making me irrational.

Tara: You’re not selling yourself very well here.

Ava: Half of me is still trying to push you away.

Tara: Tell that half of you to pipe down.

Ava: Is it normal for alcohol to make you fiesty?

Tara: Are you spying on me?

Ava: Woman’s intuition.

Tara: Are you going to ask me out or what?

Her phone began to ring, jumping in her palms and shocking her still for a moment. It was Ava.

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” Daisy offered with a wink before draining her glass and sauntering off to her room.

Tara pressed the green symbol and put the phone to her ear with shaking fingers and a racing heart.