“Towels are under the sink,” I say.

I fall asleep again. I don’t have to be at work for almost six hours. The sheets are warm and they smell like Shane and I. It’s my birthday. The twitching aftermath of ***** is richocheting happily through my body. I feel good.

Something cold and wet falls on my face and I groan and rub it away. Shane is standing there, grinning, drops of water falling from her jaggedly messy hair. She’s wearing Jenny’s dress.

“You’re not actually going to work in a dress.”

“God, no. What’s the big deal, anyway?”

“No big deal. You look beautiful either way, just in that you look like you’re about to crawl out of your skin.”

She laughs. “Pretty much.”

“Well, go change into something butch before your head explodes,” I am grinning like an idiot.

“Okay.”

“Okay.” She says, leaning over me with that lopsided grin of hers. “Bye.” She kisses me. “Happy birthday. I’ll lock my door on the way out.”

“Kay. Um, what’s up for tonight?”

“I’ll pick you up at work.”

“Okay.”

I grin like a moron all the way to work. I’m stupid with joy. Time and experience have told me that this feeling goeth before a fall, but I can’t quite seem to ground myself. It’s exhilirating and scary.

As I’m turning on to Sepulveda my cell phone rings. Mom.

“Hello?”

“Hello, birthday woman,” she says in that sing-songy way of hers.

I laugh. “Hi, Mommy.”

“How are you?”

I sigh. “I’m great.”

“Good. I miss you.”

“Me too. I wish you didn’t have to leave so soon.”

“I know. We’ll come back soon, I promise.”

“Cool.”

“I called you when we got in, like you asked, but you didn’t answer, ‘Bibi.”

I grin. I can’t help it. “I was a little busy.”

“Oh?”

“Ma!”

“Busy with one Miss Skinny Britches?”

“Mother!”

“I thought so. Good for you.”

Mommy, I’m scared, I want to say. What does it feel like to be in love? Because I didn’t think it would feel this scary. Mom, help, because I feel like my soul is going to explode. But I don’t say any of those things.

“How did Navi’s meeting go?”

“He’s not back yet. Don’t forget the time difference.”