Sunset ^beta

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Madison tightened her hand around her glass. The cold, moist surface met her grip and sent shockwaves of chill up her arm. That was the reason her heart felt cold, right? Certainly not the two women she watched across the bar.

One of the smiling women was her best friend, Gabriella Papadakis. The other woman was a stranger. A very confident stranger, based on her body language. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she watched as the new woman reached forward and stroked Gabriella's arm. Gabriella threw her head back; her short curls bounced in the air to the tune of her apparent amusement.

For some reason, watching Gabriella sent a spike of hurt into her heart. Going out had been Madison's idea, based on a small rant from Gabriella over lunch earlier. They'd driven to one of Madison's favorite watering holes downtown after practice. No longer in their twenties, neither woman cared much about skimpy outfits or piling makeup on. They were here to drink some alcohol that cost too much, while listening to club music and watching people drunkenly try out tired pickup lines.

A short, stocky woman approached her. "Hey there. You look like you're about to punch someone." She gestured to the vacant chair to Madison's right. "Is this seat taken?"

Madison hesitated. Her alarm bells were going off, but she muted them. What was life without a little risk? She shook her head. As the woman with jet-black hair sat, however, she spoke up. "If you're trying to chat me up, I'll let you know now that I'm happily taken." She tapped the simple metal band on her right hand.

The other woman chuckled. "You can relax, Ms. Hubbell. I'm well aware." She held a hand over the table. It was nicked, but well-maintained and clean otherwise. "Jooyeon Lee, she/her. You may know my cousin, Seojung?"

Madison shook her hand in pleased surprise. What a small world. "Nice to meet you. Are you a journalist, too?"

The other woman shook her head. Her square glasses glinted in the pulsing lights. "Nah, too much writing. I'm a paralegal. But tonight, I'm just enjoying the Shirley Temples of this fine establishment… and I saw you stewing in your jealousy, so I figured I'd pull you out before you drowned in it."

"Jealousy?" Madison frowned. "I'm not jealous." She pulled back and picked up her glass. She was going to need a stiff drink to get through this conversation.

Jooyeon fixed her with an incredulous gaze. "Really? Are you in the middle of an argument with Ms. Papadakis, then?" She tilted her head in Gabriella's direction, who was still engaged in a conversation with that other blonde.

Madison looked in her direction once more. Something cold slipped further down her chest, into her gut. She hated it, so she pulled her attention away, back to the table. "Nope, We're better than ever."

Jooyeon nodded, but said nothing. She sipped at her drink through a red straw.

Madison desperately wanted to change the topic. "Did you say… Shirley Temple?"

"Shirley Temple, sub ginger ale for ginger beer," confirmed the younger woman. "I'm allergic to alcohol, but I love ginger beer something fierce."

Madison filed that information away. She had only ever used ginger beer in a Moscow Mule—non-alcoholic alternatives were always good to have. "Allergic? That sounds fun." Jooyeon grinned at her sarcasm. "Have you always been?"

"Probably. But I only figured it out the hard way in uni—tried to drink my feelings for my best friend away and almost wound up in A&E. So I am totally okay with bowing out of the drinking scene." Jooyeon swept her eyes over all the patrons. "I don't think I'm missing out."

"I can't relate, but that's very interesting. I think you're the first person I've met with an alcohol allergy." Madison cradled her precious gin with both hands. She wasn't an alcoholic by any means, but with a Spanish man for a husband and a French woman as her best friend, alcohol was part of her life.

"Well, you know two now. Seojung has the same gene mutation. I think it runs in the family," Jooyeon laughed. She put her glass down and snapped her head to Madison. "Look alive, Ms. Hubbell. Incoming."

Madison hid her grimace in the bottom of her glass as Gabriella and the other woman came to a stop next to their table.

"Madi!" Gabriella sang. She slammed her empty glass on the sticky surface of the table and waved at the woman by her side. "This is Sandra. We're leaving now." Sandra raised a hand and waved. Her blue eyes were alert and sober. Madison felt her empty hand tighten into a fist under the table. Gabriella's glassy eyes finally fixed on the Asian woman next to Madison. "Oh, hello."

Jooyeon extended her hand and introduced herself. "Not to worry, Ms. Papadakis. I'll keep Ms. Hubbell company."

Gabriella seemed mollified at Jooyeon's calm explanation. She hooked her arm around Sandra's waist and wandered back into the fray. Madison watched her go until she couldn't see Gabriella's head anymore. But all of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain and liquid flowing, followed by a tinkling of glass.

"Oh, no." Jooyeon reached forward, her Shirley Temple forgotten.

Madison looked down. In her hand, the jagged shards of her drinking glass. Blood was starting to seep to the surface. And then, the pain. Madison could only stare as Jooyeon plucked the pieces out of the small lacerations.

When that was done, Jooyeon wrapped Madison's hand in a white handkerchief. "Be right back." She left the table for a few minutes, then returned with her coat. "All right. I've notified the bartender. They'll handle the mess. I think it's time for you to head home, Ms. Hubbell."

Madison had to agree. She cradled her smarting hand close to her body and followed Jooyeon's lead.

"Did you drive here?"

Madison shook her head. She had taken a taxi, and told Jooyeon as much.

"Follow me. Tonight, you'll be riding the Jooyeon Express. Best service in North America." The younger woman led her to an unassuming grey car with the engine already running. Jooyeon helped her into the warm seat, then secured her own seatbelt. Before she put the car into drive, she set some music and handed over the phone for Madison to enter an address.

Madison hesitated. She could enter her house, but she didn't feel like seeing Adrián in her state. He knew that she was having a girls' night with Gabriella and those usually ended with her at Gabriella's flat. She punched in the address to Gabriella's place, then sat back and winced at the stinging, nettling feeling that now spread through her hand. The drive itself was a haze of pain and alcohol; the buzz was starting to set in and the adrenaline had worn off.

Before she knew it, the car had pulled into the parking deck. If Jooyeon noticed the building was an apartment and not a townhouse of a young married couple, she didn't comment on it. She just cut the engine and pushed open her door, and rushed to the other side before Madison even had her seatbelt off.

Madison stumbled out of the car with great difficulty and leaned against the trunk as Jooyeon picked a backpack out of the backseat. "Lead the way."

She punched Gabriella's code into the callbox without a second thought, leading Jooyeon up to the fifth floor. Thankfully, the hallways were empty. When they arrived at the correct door, Madison fished her keychain from her coat pocket and attempted to insert it into the lock. Unfortunately, her left hand was not as dexterous. Jooyeon took over and in one smooth motion got the door open.

Once in, Madison kicked her shoes off near the shoe rack and headed straight for the kitchen. Jooyeon followed close behind. From her backpack, she produced a red zip case with a large cross on it. "Let's see that hand."

Madison watched as Jooyeon unwrapped the handkerchief and cast it aside. "Not bad. You'll be right as rain in a couple days." She started tacking different packages out of the kit. Madison couldn't read them, but she trusted this woman she'd met an hour ago. There was a dependable energy about her. She didn't seem to have an ulterior motive. Her moves were methodical as she wiped away the blood, swabbed the area with rubbing alcohol, and wrapped the whole hand in gauze.

Jooyeon left a few packets out on the counter. "I'll leave some hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl swabs here so you can clean your hand tomorrow. And…" She cut a section of gauze off the roll with a pocketknife. "I'll leave some gauze for tomorrow, too."

As the young paralegal stowed the first aid kit back in her backpack, they heard the tumblers of the front door unlock. Jooyeon continued to put away her things. Madison froze; she had expected Gabriella to stay at Sandra's for the night. How was she going to explain her hand?

Before she could think of an excuse, Gabriella entered the kitchen. Her hand was filled with keys. When she saw the two women, she lowered her hand. "Madi?"

Madison avoided her eyes. Her mind raced. Her hand smarted, still.

Jooyeon hoisted her backpack over her shoulder. "I'll take my leave. You seem to be in good hands. Pun intended." She brushed past Gabriella. At the door, she turned. "I'll let my cousin know that… you're doing well." She flicked her eyes down to Madison's hand. "Keep it dry. Good night." And with that, Madison was left alone with Gabriella.

"What happened?"

"Squeezed my glass too hard and popped it. MY hand's okay."

Gabriella stepped fully into her personal space and wrapped both her hands around Madison's injured one. "When?"

"Not too long after you left with Sandra." Madison paused. "Why aren't you with Sandra?"

Gabriella hummed. "It didn't work out. The entire time she was kissing me, I just wanted to be home, dancing to Doris Day in my pajamas." She stepped back. "Why are you here?"

Madison chewed on her lip. "I didn't want to see him like this," she muttered as she held up her hand. "I'll be out of your hair tomorrow, I promise."

"No, no, it's okay! You can stay here as long as you need. My place is yours."

Madison felt the breath knock out of her lungs. Jooyeon's words echoed in her head. Did Gabriella know the effect of her words? She sighed in reluctant acceptance. Perhaps she was a bit jealous, a tad possessive. But she had no right to be. What was she supposed to do with this information?

Whatever she did, she was going to do it in pajamas. "Can I borrow some joggers?"

Gabriella nodded. They followed their usual girls' night end routine. They cleaned their faces, changed into soft tees and pajamas pants, and brushed their teeth. Madison finished first, even with one hand out of commission. She returned to the kitchen and leaned against the counter with her hip.

She had to tell Gabriella. It felt wrong to keep this recent revelation from her best friend—they had promised long ago to tell each other everything. She searched Doris Day on her music app and selected a random album to shuffle play. At the sound of socked feet, she put her phone down.

"May I have this dance?" Madison held out her bandaged hand. She knew Gabriella would adapt. As she thought, the other woman accepted her hand in a loose hold and stepped close, a smile gracing her lips.

As they settled into a rhythm, Madison broke the contemplative silence. "I'm sorry for being distant at the bar. I didn't know what was going on then, but I've been thinking about it… I was jealous, and I was an ass about it."

"Jealous? Of what?" Gabriella cocked her head. Her left hand tightened imperceptibly on Madison's shoulder.

"Of Sandra. I didn't like that she took you attention away from me. Which is stupid, because I don't want to go out with you and I can't give you what you need in a partner. I'm not romantically into you; I'm married, for God's sake," she said with increasing speed. "And yet, I feel so possessive, watching you spend your time with someone else."

Madison fell silent as she tried to verbalize her confounding feelings. Gabriella didn't interrupt; she just watched and listened, like she always did. Finally, Madison ended her word vomit with, "Adrián is the love of my life. I know I'll spend the rest of my life with him. But you… you're my person. Does that make sense?"

Gabriella threw her head back and let loose a laugh. "Oh, Madison. I feel the same. You don't need to worry. I like to have a little fun and flirt a bit, but no matter where I go, I'll always come back to you. You're my home." She leaned forward and rested her head on Madison's shoulder, where her left hand had been moments earlier. "You can be a little possessive. After all, I'm your Gabriella, aren't I?"

Madison huffed in amusement at the reference to their first Art on Ice together. "Yeah, you are." With the truth out in the open, the weight off her chest was gone. The dulcet voice of Doris Day and the orchestra that backed her wove around them as she led Gabriella around the kitchen.

Their relationship was far from normal, but it was theirs. And that was good enough for her.

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