Page 56 of Game Over

“Oh, Cookies and Cream? Gimmie,” I said as I climbed into the bed and got situated under the covers.

“I knew you’d want some, that's why I got two spoons.” She passed me the other and flipped through videos for us to watch. We landed on one of our favorite vloggers and decided to catch up on their videos while we looked at ways to style my hair for tomorrow.

“Okay, what about this one?” I handed her the phone and showed her a half-up style with a hair clip decorated in pearls. My hair was a little past my shoulders now, so we had some more to work with.

“I think we could make this work. I have a smaller clip that I think would fit, and then we can do looser curls too with some texture spray to help it hold.”

“And then what about this makeup look?” I tipped my phone toward her, showing the look I had saved.

“Oooh, that subtle smoky glam and bold lip would be perfect. The color would look gorgeous against the dress.” Her thoughts perfectly mirrored mine. I thought it would be simple yet bold, and everything would pull together perfectly.

“ It’s very Hollywood glamour. The only thing I’m worried about is my shoes, because they have that heel, and what if I’m taller than him?”

“What if? I’ve seen the way that man looks at you. He’d probably just try to climb you. There’s also nothing wrong with a girl being a little taller than the man.” Emma said as she tipped her spoon in my direction.

“Hmm, I guess you’re right. Either way, they make my legs look hella good.” I laughed and reached for the tub of Cookies and Cream. Seriously, the best flavor ever made.

“I can’t wait to see the entire outfit together. I know you’re going to look smokin’ hot. Spencer is gonna be all caveman all night, I bet with anyone who even looks at you.”

“Ya know, you’d think it would be annoying, but I kinda like it. Like yes, sir, I am yours.” There was something about him being a little bossy to me that I loved.

“Girl. You could tell me you’re into lizard play, and I would say alright, girl, get on with ya bad self. Zero kink judgment here.”

“Emma, what the fuck does that even mean? Why lizards?” I stared at her, slack-jawed, because while I loved the support that was… oddly specific?

“Look, I’m just saying I’m not going to judge! You’re missing the point here.” She dug her spoon into the ice cream, taking a massive bite. “It’s the ‘quiet nerd in the streets but a freak in the sheets’ vibe he has. I love it for you.” Both of us busted out laughing, but she was right on the nose with that statement. Emma shot up, almost spilling the ice cream as she did. “Oh my gosh, I almost forgot! I made you something.” I took the tub from her as she climbed out of bed and bounced over to her bag on the floor. Emma whirled around with her hands behind her back and a mischievous grin on her face. “Okay, eyes closed and hands out.”

“Emma, what did you do?” I closed my eyes and laughed at her shenanigans. This was either going to be something sweet or disturbing, knowing her. That was one thing I loved about the woman she was embracing. She was her weird, authentic self and didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought. That was one trait I was envious of. Even after all the work I put in, some days, everyone else's thoughts mattered more to me than my own. Emma’s sing-song voice brought me back to focus.

“Nooothing.” A second later, I felt something soft placed in my hands. I opened my eyes, and a white shirt with “Gamer Pillows” across the chest in red font sat folded. I barked out a laugh at the absurd shirt that I couldn’t wait to wear around Spencer next. Emma was bouncing from foot to foot with excitement. “Well? Do you love it?”

“It’s hilariously insane, yes, I love it. Oh, he’s going to get a kick out of this.” Emma took the shirt back and placed it on the dresser, so I could put it away tomorrow, and climbed back into bed.

We continued to share the ice cream and watch videos till we were sickly full and could barely keep our eyes open.

The next morning, we woke up, made breakfast, and sat and chatted till I needed to start getting ready. I texted Spence and sipped on an energy drink while Emma curled my hair and then styled it like the image we found. When it had cooled and she finished, I started on my makeup, taking my time to make sure it was as flawless as possible. Whenever I did my makeup, it was such a calming experience for me. It was another version of art and creating that I loved so much.

“Ugh, why are men so gross?” She flipped her phone around to show me a message someone had sent her on a dating app.

“Ew, I didn’t want to see that!” I swatted the phone away. It was another unsolicited picture of someone’s nasty junk. Shocker. I still don’t understand why any man would think we want to see that. She had recently decided to give them a try and wasn’t having much luck.

“It feels impossible to find anyone even remotely decent. I’m starting to think it may be me and my toys for the rest of my life.”

“Oh my god, you’re not going to die all alone with your vibrator, I promise. You’ll find someone.” She reared back in mock anger.

“That’s easy for you to say. You basically had Clark Kent swoop into your life to save the day. Has he even shown a red flag yet?” I rolled my eyes at her.

“First off, he did not swoop in. Secondly, not yet, no. You will find someone, Em. Seriously, anyone would be lucky to be with you. Hey, maybe he has a friend we could hook you up with?”

“I think I’ll pass on that one. Carson being a friend is enough for me to stay away from anyone else he could know, but thank you. I’ll continue my luck with swiping.”

Finishing up, I gently took the dress off its hanger and shimmied into it, and had Emma help lace it up.

“Girl, I knew you’d look good in this. I don’t even have the right words.”

Smiling to myself, I slowly twirled around to look at all angles of myself in the mirror. I truly did look beautiful and felt confident, even with my curves and stomach on prominent display like they were. Embracing my body as it was had always been hard for me, but over the last few months, it had gotten easier. Spencer made it easier. He cherished and adored every inch of me. His eyes always seemed to be filled with awe when he looked at me. The feeling of adoration, acceptance, and want was a heady concoction that I was quickly becoming addicted to.

I trailed my fingers over the fabric, thoughts of anticipation to see Spencer swirling in my mind, shifting to clouds of anxiety and what-ifs.