The drive home unfolded easily, the quiet comfort between them settling deeper with every mile. Music played softly in the background while the city lights slowly replaced the open stretch of vineyard roads. Somewhere along the way, their conversation drifted from harmless stories into pieces of themselves they rarely offered so freely.
"Then Grandma started yelling at us because we kept eating the grapes that were supposed to be picked by the farmers," Denisse said, laughing under her breath at the memory.
Lesley glanced at her briefly, one hand loose against the steering wheel. "I'm guessing Drake got the worst of it."
"Oh, no. We both did," Denisse replied with a grin. "We were kids. We didn't know any better. We just liked running around the vineyard and stealing grapes whenever nobody was looking."
A quiet smile tugged at Lesley's lips.
"You really had a nice childhood."
Denisse looked at her then, softer this time. "What about you? Did you?"
Lesley let out a faint breath through her nose, somewhere between amusement and resignation. "Not exactly."
She adjusted her grip on the wheel slightly before continuing.
"My mom was really overprotective. She preferred us staying inside instead of running around with neighborhood kids." A small shake of her head followed. "There were always swimming lessons, sports training, tutors… school came first before anything else."
"And Dad," she added, "wanted my sister and me involved in the company early, so we were constantly tagging along during business visits."
Her expression eased a little at the next thought.
"That's actually how I met Stacy."
Denisse leaned slightly against the seat, listening closely. "Really?"
Lesley nodded. "Our dads were friends. Same with Alexandra's father. The families kept arranging weekend gatherings, so we basically grew up together."
A softer warmth settled into her voice now, subtle but there.
"At some point, it stopped being our parents planning everything. We were already the ones asking for sleepovers and finding excuses to meet up."
Denisse smiled faintly. "That explains why you all feel more like sisters than friends."
Lesley hummed in agreement.
"But what about Athena," Denisse added curiously. "How did she end up in the group?"
That earned a laugh from Lesley—quieter this time, but genuinely amused.
"Oh, Athena?" she said. "We met her when we were in Paris. And the moment we met her in that nightclub, we already knew she was going to become one of us."
Denisse smiled, immediately intrigued. "That sounds like a story."
"It definitely is."
The traffic light ahead turned red, and Lesley eased the car to a smooth stop. Neon reflections from nearby signs slipped across the windshield as she leaned back slightly into her seat.
"We were at this insanely crowded nightclub," she began. "Some spoiled guys started bothering Stacy after losing a round of pool to her. Naturally, Stacy mouthed off, Alexandra nearly threw a drink at someone, and somehow it turned into a challenge."
Denisse laughed softly. "Of course it did."
"A four-versus-four drinking competition," Lesley continued, the corner of her mouth lifting. "And right when we realized we were short one person…"
Her eyes flickered briefly toward Denisse.
"She just appeared."
"Athena?"
Lesley nodded once. "Black dress. Sharp eyeliner. Walked straight to our table like she already belonged there." A quiet chuckle escaped her. "She didn't even ask what was happening. She just took the empty seat beside us and said, 'You ladies look like you need help humiliating someone.'"
Denisse burst out laughing.
"And that was it," Lesley said. "Ten minutes later she was outdrinking half the club and arguing with strangers in three different languages."
"Oh my God."
"We won, obviously," Lesley added with mock arrogance. "And afterward she stayed with us the entire night like we'd known each other for years."
Denisse shook her head, smiling helplessly now. "That honestly sounds exactly like Athena."
"The crazier part?" Lesley continued. "A few weeks later, we found out she was transferring into our university."
"No way."
"Yes way."
Denisse leaned back against her seat, still smiling. "That's actually insane. It's like the universe really wanted you to find each other."
"Yeah…" Lesley murmured softly.
The light shifted green.
She pressed gently on the gas, eyes fixed ahead as the car moved forward again.
"Just like you and me."
The words were spoken so naturally, so casually, that they slipped into the silence before Denisse fully understood them.
Then they settled.
And suddenly the air inside the car felt different.
Denisse turned toward her instinctively, but Lesley remained focused on driving, one hand steady on the wheel, her expression unreadable beneath the shifting glow of passing streetlights.
Denisse's chest tightened faintly.
Because she didn't know what Lesley meant by that.
Whether she was simply talking about the absurd series of accidents and coincidences that kept throwing them together—
or if, somehow, it meant something more.
And the frightening part was that a small part of her hoped it did.
-
After nearly another half hour on the road, they finally arrived at Denisse's apartment building.
The city was quieter now, the night air cooler as they stepped out of the car. Lesley moved around to help Denisse carry the bags filled with food, wine, and grapes her parents had insisted they take home.
A few minutes later, after a quiet elevator ride and a short walk down the hallway, they reached Denisse's apartment.
The moment they stepped inside, the familiar warmth of the space settled around them.
Lesley helped place everything carefully on the dining table while Denisse headed straight for the refrigerator.
"I'll get us water," she said.
She returned a moment later with two glasses and offered one to Lesley.
Lesley took it—but instead of drinking, she simply set the glass down on the table with a soft clink.
Then she stepped closer.
Before Denisse could react properly, Lesley's hands slid around her waist, pulling her in gently.
"I think I'd rather have something else tonight," she murmured.
Her gaze dropped openly to Denisse's lips, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Denisse felt heat rise immediately to her cheeks.
"Oh, I know you do," she replied softly.
Something in Lesley's expression darkened with amusement before she closed the distance between them.
The kiss deepened almost instantly, familiar warmth melting into something hungrier, more difficult to pull away from. Denisse's fingers curled lightly against Lesley's shirt as she kissed her back—
"OH. MY. GOD."
The voice rang through the apartment so suddenly that both of them froze.
Their heads snapped toward the living room.
Gigi stood frozen beside the couch, her bag still hanging from one shoulder, eyes blown wide in complete disbelief. It looked like she had just walked in and stopped the moment she saw them.
Denisse immediately stepped out of Lesley's arms, heat rushing to her face.
Well.
They had very clearly been caught.
"What—" Gigi pointed at the two of them repeatedly, visibly short-circuiting. "What?!"
Lesley, meanwhile, looked far less bothered.
In fact, she looked amused.
A smug little smile tugged at her lips before she turned back to Denisse as though nothing had happened.
"I should get going," she said calmly. "It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow."
Denisse, still mortified, could only nod.
Lesley started toward the door, then paused briefly as she passed Gigi.
"Goodnight, Gigi," she said smoothly, that same knowing smirk still in place. "See you tomorrow at the office."
And with that, she walked out.
The apartment door clicked shut behind her.
Silence.
Denisse slowly turned toward Gigi.
One look at her best friend's expression was enough to tell her exactly what was coming next.