After a weekend spent entirely wrapped up in Celeste’s arms, Estelle was finally back at her apartment, feeling both relaxed and, frankly, a little sore after the events of the past few days. But as much as she loved the closeness she and Celeste had shared, she knew it was time to face her real-world responsibilities—and more importantly, her roommate, Mia.
Estelle hadn’t seen Mia in a couple of days, and knowing Mia, she was probably up to something outrageous. The minute Estelle walked through the door, she heard it: the unmistakable sound of Mia’s laughter, followed by a loud crash from the kitchen.
“Mia?” Estelle called out, dropping her bag by the door.
“In here!” Mia shouted, her voice way too chipper for what Estelle had expected.
When Estelle walked into the kitchen, she found Mia in the middle of what appeared to be an experimental cooking adventure. There were pots and pans everywhere, flour dusted on the countertops, and what looked like a blender that had exploded in the corner. Mia stood in the center of the chaos, wearing an apron and holding a whisk, her eyes wide with mischief.
“Please tell me you’re not trying to cook,” Estelle said, eyeing the mess with a mix of amusement and horror.
Mia beamed. “Oh, I’m not trying to cook, babe—I’m succeeding!”
Estelle raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “What exactly are you succeeding at? Blowing up the kitchen?”
Mia huffed dramatically, waving the whisk in the air like a magic wand. “Psh, no! I’m making gourmet pancakes. Fancy, right?”
Estelle stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Mia, those pancakes look like… well, they don’t look like pancakes.”
Mia glanced down at the misshapen lumps on the pan, grimacing. “Okay, so maybe they’re not pancakes in the traditional sense. But hey, I think it’s edible. Probably.”
Estelle shook her head, still laughing as she made her way over to the counter, leaning against it as she watched Mia’s chaotic attempt at breakfast. “You’re a disaster, you know that?”
Mia shrugged, flashing Estelle a grin. “Hey, you know what they say—life’s too short for boring food!”
Estelle couldn’t stop laughing as she watched Mia try to flip one of the “pancakes,” which immediately crumbled into pieces. “Yeah, well, you might want to start with food that’s actually edible.”
Mia tossed the spatula down dramatically, turning to face Estelle with a wide grin. “So, how was your weekend? Or should I say your very special weekend?”
Estelle blushed, trying—and failing—not to let Mia see just how flustered she was. “What are you talking about?”
Mia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “Oh, come on. You disappeared with Miss Thorne for two days. Don’t act like you were doing homework the whole time.”
Estelle bit her lip, trying to suppress a grin. “We weren’t exactly doing homework, no.”
Mia gasped dramatically, putting a hand to her chest like she’d been scandalized. “Oh my god, Estelle! You’re blushing! Spill the tea right now.”
Estelle groaned, knowing there was no escaping Mia’s curiosity. “Fine, but don’t make it weird, okay?”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “Me? Make it weird? Never!”
With a sigh, Estelle launched into a brief—and heavily edited—version of her weekend with Celeste, leaving out most of the steamy details but sharing just enough to satisfy Mia’s insatiable need for gossip. By the time she finished, Mia was grinning like a cat that had caught the canary.
“I knew it!” Mia declared triumphantly. “I knew you two had more going on than just the professor-intern thing! You’re practically glowing, Estelle. I’m calling it right now: you’re officially whipped.”
Estelle groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I am not whipped.”
Mia snorted. “Oh, honey, you are so whipped. I mean, I’d be too if I had someone as hot as Celeste Thorne all over me.”
Estelle peeked at her through her fingers, her cheeks still flushed. “Okay, maybe a little whipped.”
Mia cackled, leaning against the counter as she gave Estelle a once-over. “So, does this mean you’re, like, official now? Are you going to be Celeste Thorne’s girlfriend? Or, you know, her posh intern with benefits?”
Estelle swatted at Mia, laughing despite herself. “I don’t know, Mia! We’re still figuring things out.”
Mia wiggled her eyebrows. “Uh-huh. Sure. Just make sure to tell me the next time you disappear for a long weekend so I don’t think you’ve been kidnapped by some mysterious law firm cult.”
Estelle rolled her eyes, but there was no denying that Mia’s teasing had lightened the mood. It was nice to be back with her best friend, even if Mia had a way of turning every conversation into a comedy routine.
Suddenly, Mia straightened up, her eyes sparkling with a new idea. “Wait, you know what we should do? Celebrate your newfound status with a night out!”
Estelle blinked, caught off guard. “A night out?”
“Yeah!” Mia said, bouncing on her toes. “Let’s hit the town, go dancing, have a few drinks. You’ve been so wrapped up in all this law firm drama and your hot professor that you haven’t let loose in ages!”
Estelle hesitated, glancing at the chaotic mess of the kitchen. “I don’t know, Mia. I’ve got work to catch up on—”
Mia cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her gently. “Nope! No excuses! We’re going out tonight, and that’s final. Besides, I have a feeling you need a little break from all the serious stuff.”
Estelle laughed, unable to resist Mia’s infectious energy. “Fine, fine! But if you drag me into some weird underground club again, I’m out.”
Mia grinned wickedly. “No promises.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur of laughter, bad pancake attempts, and a ridiculous amount of planning for their impromptu night out. By the time evening rolled around, Mia had convinced Estelle to wear something a little more daring than her usual attire—a tight-fitting black dress that made her feel both confident and a little exposed.
“You look hot,” Mia declared, twirling in front of the mirror in her own flashy outfit. “Celeste won’t know what hit her.”
Estelle rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t deny that Mia’s excitement was contagious. “She’s not even coming.”
Mia wiggled her eyebrows. “We’ll see about that.”
The two of them headed out, the night already filled with promises of chaos and fun. As much as Estelle had been wrapped up in her feelings for Celeste, she realized she had missed moments like this with Mia—the easy friendship, the laughter, the sheer ridiculousness of everything they did together.
And as they hit the first club, drinks in hand, and Mia dragged her to the dance floor, Estelle couldn’t stop laughing. Whatever happened next—whether it was more teasing from Mia, embarrassing dance moves, or an unexpected call from Celeste—it didn’t matter. For now, it was just her and Mia, having the kind of fun that reminded Estelle how much she loved her chaotic best friend.
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