She lifted the lapel of her black blazer and ran around the car in a hurry.

Carmen stared at her, smiling.

Shane knocked on the driver’s window.

“What?”, Carmen chuckled, from inside the cabin. She was observing an already sopping Shane and she was extremely amused by the whole ensemble.

“Open the door!”, Shane exclaimed narrowing her eyes in the rain.

Carmen cupped her hand around her ear.

“What? I didn’t hear you!”, she laughed.

Shane couldn’t help but smile back.

“I said open the… Oh, fuck it!”, she mumbled, opening the driver’s door by herself.

Carmen shrugged.

“See? It was already open”, she said innocently, flapping her long eyelashes.

Shane tried to hide a smile.

“Alright, alright. Move away, I’m already dripping wet”.

“I can see that”, Carmen laughed, shifting rapidly on the passenger seat.

Shane sat on the driver’s seat and slammed the door with a grunt, and Carmen repressed another giggle.

“Stop giggling”, Shane said, turning on the engine.

“I’m not giggling”, Carmen replied waving her hand in the air, casually.

“You’re a tease”, Shane mumbled, frowning and pushing the gas pedal.

“And you look good in those wet clothes”, Carmen said, out of the blue.

Shane pursed her lips and didn’t look at her. She just pushed the gas pedal deeper.

The Nissan rumbled and a thunder echoed in the sky. Carmen jerked and closed her eyes, instinctively. She was terrified of thunderstorms. A child fear, surely, but she couldn’t help it.

Shane threw her a look and, slowly, stretched out her arm. She grabbed Carmen’s hand in hers and Carmen didn’t pull away. Shane sighed.

“I like to be near you”, she murmured, gently.

Carmen opened her eyes slowly, and watched their entwined fingers.

“I feel safe with you”, she admitted under her breath.

”You make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel love…”

They drove listening to the rain. It was like every raindrop was murmuring whispered words – those words that weren’t saying to each other – and it was somehow haunting, and provoking, and sensual.

After a few minutes, Carmen let go of Shane’s hand and started raking her fingers through her wet hair. Shane didn’t move, but her breath became immediately uneven. Carmen stared at her attentively, thoughtfully. She hadn’t told Shane about Melissa, yet. And, honestly, she didn’t know why. She didn’t want to give her a free access pass to her body and heart. She didn’t want to give her a solid reason to tear off her clothes.