Jessie sat on her bed, her head pounding as she tried to piece together last night. She hated these mornings after a wild party, especially when the memory gaps felt like black holes.
The shots. The blur of faces. And then... nothing.
"How did I even get back here?" she muttered, running her fingers through her tangled hair.
The sound of the bathroom door creaking open drew her attention. Kathy stepped out, a towel wrapped tightly around her body, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders.
"Hello, sunshine," Kathy said with a wink, then moved toward her dresser, swaying her hips more than usual.
Which was very weird for Jessie.
Because who the hell is she trying to seduce?
Jessie scoffed in disbelief.
Sunshine? What game is this fool playing? she thought.
"Hello, bitch. Did you hit your head or something?" Jessie shot back, not even bothering to look at her.
Kathy chuckled.
"You're in a bad mood this morning. Guess you didn't sleep well after all the attention you gave me last night."
Jessie's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Kathy bent forward to open the bottom drawer. Slowly, her towel rolled up, revealing the smooth curve of her soft butt, and when she leaned lower intentionally so that Jessie could see a whole lot more.
Jessie looked away with an eye roll.
"You don't remember? You were drunk as hell and all over me. Told me I was beautiful, too. It was adorable, really."
Jessie scoffed again, leaning back on her elbows.
"Please. If I called you beautiful, I must have been so far gone I was hallucinating."
"Oh, you were gone, alright," Kathy replied. "But it wasn't a hallucination. You looked me right in the eyes and said it. 'Face of F&F deserved.' It felt nice to hear it from you... of all people."
Jessie let out a sharp laugh, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"Yeah, sure. Next, you'll tell me I proposed to you."
Kathy straightened slowly after pulling a tank top and a pair of shorts from the drawer, holding them loosely in one hand. She smirked and turned to Jessie.
"Not quite. But you did hold my hand and tell me I had the 'prettiest eyes.'"
Jessie's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You're messing with me."
Without a word, Kathy casually dropped her towel, exposing her nakedness. The towel slid off her body, pooling silently at her feet. She made no effort to shield herself.
Done with her seductive performance, Jessie asked with a tight frown, "Okay, what's all this cinematic drama about?"
Kathy shrugged, acting like she had no idea what Jessie meant.
"What?"
"You are naked in front of me, acting weird."
"Oh, please. I'm a woman like you. You were the one acting weird last night. For someone who supposedly hates me, you were awfully touchy."
Jessie sat up straighter, her glare sharpening.
"You're lying. There's no way I said any of that. Or touched you... Wait... you're the one who brought me home?"
Kathy walked closer to her, tossing the shirt and tank top onto the bed.
"Oh, Jessie," Kathy said with a dramatic sigh. "You're so predictable. I mean, you're into me. Just say it. No need to play the denial game. I can eat you up... Never done it before... but I don't mind trying."
Jessie stood abruptly, her cheeks flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
"I'm not into you. Don't flatter yourself. What the hell, are you a lesbian?"
Kathy stepped closer, her smirk turning into a playful grin.
"You're the lesbian here. You like boys' love."
Jessie's eyes widened.
She knows about that? Only Beauty that side of her.
"You went through my stuff? How dare you!" she snapped.
"You gave me permission. I saw lots of dirty men-to-men stuff, so why act like a saint, wild virgin?" Kathy defended.
"I am a fan of it because I love men. You think that means I'm into women?" Jessie retorted sharply.
"Then explain why you couldn't stop staring at me all night. Or why you wouldn't let go of my hand when I walked you home."
Jessie's lips parted, but no words came out. Her memory was a blur, and that infuriated her even more.
"What the heck happened last night?" she said, her voice biting.
Kathy stepped closer, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper.
"Like I said before...you were all over me. Flirting, touching, you even-" She paused for dramatic effect, leaning in. "-called me sexy. That's what happened."Don't tell me you forgot everything. That's kinda disappointing."
Jessie's mind raced. She couldn't remember saying anything like that. She couldn't even remember talking to Kathy at all, let alone-
"No way," Jessie said irritably, shaking her head.
"I wouldn't do that. You're lying."
Kathy feigned a hurt expression.
"Why would I lie? You think I want to admit my roommate was hitting on me all night? It was awkward for me too, you know."
Jessie stared at her, searching for any sign of deceit, but Kathy's face was unreadable.
She should be an actress, not a model.
"You're messing with me, to manipulate me" Jessie replied.
Kathy smirked.
"It's okay. Your secret is safe with me. The truth will set you free."
Jessie crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
"The truth is, I don't like you. Never have, never will."
Kathy, now in front of her, lowered her face, staring at Jessie's lips.
"Well, that's too bad... because I think you're gorgeous when you're mad."
Jessie's jaw dropped.
"What is wrong with you?" she snapped.
Getting impatient, Kathy leaned forward, close enough that their lips were just inches apart.
"We can just experiment... and get over it. Try new things..." she offered.
"Get away from me, bitch. You and who?" Jessie snapped, pushing her back and standing up from the bed.
"Aww... You touched my breasts! Want to play with them?" Kathy cried dramatically, pouting.
But Jessie wasn't in the mood for games.
"If you have a fantasy or whatever to experiment with, sorry, I'm not into that. You're irritating! How can you call me a lesbian? If I were into women, Beauty wouldn't be with Bruno. What nonsense!"
She entered the bathroom, cursing angrily.
Kathy sighed in disappointment.
"Yeah... she's not a lesbian or bisexual. What the hell? How am I going to deal with these feelings?"