He finds Vanessa on the stairs.

He finds her at the top of the stairs, standing with someone he vaguely recognizes, deep in conversation, her dark eyes attentive and her expression giving nothing away as usual.

He does not slow down.

He walks straight up to them, excuses himself into the conversation without being invited, and looks at Vanessa directly.

Miles: come with me.

The guy she is talking to blinks. Vanessa looks at Miles for a moment with an unreadable expression. Then something shifts behind her eyes.

She excuses herself and follows him.

He leads her to the balcony at the end of the upstairs hallway, the noise of the party muffled behind the glass door as he slides it shut behind them. The night air is warm, the backyard visible below, music bleeding up faintly from inside.

Vanessa: Something important?

Miles : Very important.

He closes the distance between them and kisses Vanessa. Vanessa responds naturally kissing her back. Gently but passionately.

She turns to face him, arms loosely crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised.

Vanessa: That was bold.

Miles: did it work?

She looks at him for a moment.

Then she steps forward, takes his face in both hands, and kisses him.

It is not a tentative kiss. It is the kind that establishes something. He kisses her back immediately, one hand at her waist pulling her in, the other against the balcony railing behind her. She tastes like whatever she has been drinking and something else underneath it that he cannot name but does not want to stop investigating.

When they break she stays close, her hands still at his jaw, looking up at him.

Vanessa: Confident too.

Miles: you sound surprised.

Vanessa: She tilts her head slightly. Not surprised. Just...

The balcony door slides open behind them.

Two girls step out, stopping short when they see them. He recognizes them from the prom court, Vanessa's friends, both still dressed from the night, both looking between him and Vanessa with identical expressions of delighted surprise.

Even: Vanessa?

Vanessa does not move away from Miles. She looks at her friends calmly.

Vanessa: Yes?

Lin : This doesn't look like the guy you took to the prom as date.

All the girls chuckle.

Vanessa : He's not? Oh well, who care who I came with, I am going with him.

Both girls exchange a look.

Eve: She laughs. okay I like him. But she's difficult to handle you know

Vanessa looks up at Miles. She says it with a quiet directness.

Vanessa: What do you think? Are you really that bold? You think you can handle me?

He looks at her without blinking.

Miles: yes.

A beat. Her friends are watching.

Lin: How about us?

He looks at her. Then at the other one. Then back at Vanessa.

A slow smile.

Vanessa watches his face carefully.

Vanessa: I don't mind. If they don't.

Eve: I don't mind at all. But we came with dates. Doesn't feel right leaving them with nothing to do all night.

Lin. Honestly I'd rather fuck him than the guy I came with anyway.

Eve: Tell you what? You find a girl for my date in the next hour, I will join you and Vanessa.

Lin: Same for me as well

Vanessa smirks naughty at Miles.

Vanessa: You up for it?

He looks at all three of them for a moment. The warm night air, the muffled music from below, three girls on a balcony waiting for his answer.