Friday finally came, and Cameron hadn't slept. She couldn't. Not when she was too enthusiastic about meeting up with the woman of her deepest desires. Even though they were supposed to meet at the cafe at noon, Cameron found herself getting ready at six in the morning.
She stared at herself in the mirror, tilting her head from side to side, assessing every detail. Her outfit was androgynous, effortlessly cool—or at least, it was meant to seem effortless. She trimmed her bangs herself, just enough to create a sharp frame around her face. Her makeup was precise but subdued, accentuating her features without making it obvious she had spent nearly an hour perfecting it. She wanted to look like she hadn't tried at all, despite trying harder than she ever had.
By 11:45, she was at the cafe, fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, because planning ahead would make the day go smoothly. That way, there'd be no complications, no chance of Jasmine seeing her as anything less than put-together. She reserved them a table near the window, one with just enough sunlight filtering through to give Jasmine a glow when she arrived. Cameron rehearsed a greeting in her head, debated whether to text Jasmine to let her know she was already there, and ultimately decided against it.
At exactly 12:09, Jasmine walked in.
Cameron had been watching the entrance so intently that she caught the precise moment Jasmine spotted her and smiled. It was effortless, radiant, the kind of expression that could make a stranger feel like they were the center of the universe. Cameron swallowed, suddenly feeling like she had overdressed despite thinking her outfit was perfect an hour ago.
"Hey! Sorry I'm a little late," Jasmine said as she slid into the seat across from her.
Cameron smiled, casual, easy. "You're fine. I just got here."
A harmless lie.
They ordered drinks—Cameron had already planned ahead for this. She knew the cafe's menu by heart, anticipating what Jasmine might like based on the things she had mentioned in passing. Jasmine ended up picking exactly what Cameron had guessed she would. A small, stupid victory, but one that filled Cameron with pride.
As they settled into conversation, Cameron found herself unexpectedly engaged. At first, it was the usual surface-level chatter, but then they started finding similarities in their tastes—music, literature, the small things that made a person feel understood. Not just the ones Cameron pretended to enjoy for the sake of Jasmine's approval, but actual, genuine commonalities.
Then astrology came up.
Cameron knew nothing about astrology beyond the bare minimum, but Jasmine lit up at the topic, and that alone made it worth discussing. Cameron leaned in, playing along, letting Jasmine pull up her birth chart and analyze it with an enthusiasm that was almost childlike.
"You're a Cancer sun?" Jasmine grinned, tapping at her phone screen. "That makes so much sense."
Cameron tilted her head. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you feel things so deeply but try to act like you don't." Jasmine wiggled her fingers at her in a mock-spooky way. "Super emotional. Protective. But also kind of intense."
Cameron smirked. "Intense, huh?"
Jasmine nodded. "And your moon sign is Scorpio. God, that's such a deadly combination."
"Deadly?"
"In a good way," Jasmine assured her. "Scorpio moons are mysterious. Hard to read. But super passionate about the things they care about."
Cameron leaned back in her chair, watching the way Jasmine animatedly explained their placements. Cameron had no real investment in the subject, but there was something captivating about watching Jasmine talk about something she loved. She was effortlessly charming, weaving her words in a way that made even nonsense sound profound.
Then, Cameron started noticing the small things.
Jasmine's attention flickered when someone walked past their table—just a fraction of a second too long. When Cameron spoke, Jasmine maintained eye contact, but there were moments where her focus seemed elsewhere, even as she smiled. The enthusiasm was real, but was it always genuine? Was she just good at making people feel like they were the only ones in the room?
It was a stupid thought. Cameron dismissed it immediately.
But once she noticed it, she kept noticing it.
The way Jasmine would shift the conversation the moment things got too deep. The subtle impatience when she wasn't the one speaking. The way she played interest so perfectly that Cameron couldn't tell if it was real or a well-rehearsed performance.
But it didn't matter. None of it mattered.
Because this was perfect.
Even if it wasn't a date to Jasmine, it was to Cameron.
And in her mind, that was enough for now.