“With the lady protesting so much, and if it’s true that she’s managed to keep her panties on thus far, I’m willing to bet she’s been having sex dreams about our Tiler, at the very least!” Rachel, again.

“WTF, Rachel?!” Jia finally exploded, embarrassed, discomfited that Rachel had scored a bulls-eye, and everyone looking at Jia could tell that, yes, Rachel had guessed right.

Rachel? Rachel is asking about sex dreams my angel may (or may not) be having? I am so going to fuck up that note for William that she’s asked me to draft for her!

“Sounds crazy AF, but, I’m with our straight girl, here. Because when I was being extra careful with Jade when we were at that stage …” Rian, with some glee. Where is she going with this?

“That “stage?”” Jia — curiously. Like the Cheshire cat. Uh, stay away honey. Don’t play!

“Yeah, that stage when nothing’s going on, technically, but the air’s thick with tension?”

“Uh huh … like the stage you and Tiler are in!” Jules. “Admit it, hun, the air is soooo thick between you girls right now that I am this close to grabbing a hotel room for you both so that you can just get it over with! Maybe tonight?”

The others howled in an eruption of teasing that drowned out Jia’s protests.

“OK, wait. Wait a sec … I want to go back to Rian and Jade’s story. And?” Tina prompted.

“And Jade and I had gotten back together, and by then our relationship had already gone through an unbelievable arc, as you know. (Pause. Tiler imagined nods all around.) But despite both of us really wanting it, and although it was clear to both of us that things had gotten really hot between us, it remained …um…awkward, you know? Like, um, as if Jade wanted to, but was shy about initiating things, for some reason, because of things that she’d said, and that she was really, really sorry for. So Jade was acting all chivalrous, like a- a … um … gallant gentlewoman. Although she hadn’t been shy about touching me or holding my hand constantly, and unconsciously, at that, whenever we were physically close to each other, she was really scrupulous about her boundaries.  She would stare at my lips, and then she’d looked up, transfixing me with this deep, deep look, questioning me. As if she wanted to ask me if I would be comfortable about her kissing me, or having sex with her. I wanted to simply scream “Yessss, you sexy beast!” or grab her, at one point, to just lay a good long one on her, maybe to jolt her enough to get her freak out, you know what I mean?!”