Page 75 of True Colors

Anouk rolls her eyes.

He softens when he turns to her. “Have fun, Annie.”

She smiles—real, unguarded—and leans in to hug him. When she pulls back, he presses a kiss to the top of her head.

I watch the exchange, understanding something fundamental. They are a family, and I’ve just seen a brother of the girlfriend moment.

Girlfriend?

That thought makes me happy. Fuck yeah! Anouk Starling is my girlfriend.

When we step outside, she squeezes my hand.

“Th-thank you,” she murmurs. “For…th-that.”

“For what?”

“For letting him play big brother.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

We talk as we drive, and it’s easy. Even the silences, as she looks out of the window, are comfortable. If I’ve enjoyed a woman’s company more, I don’t remember.

Anouk can talk about everything, from Bad Bunny to Agentic AI. She’s smart, and as she gets comfortable, she doesn’t stutter at all.

She falls into a light doze as we get closer to Ridgeview Retreat, a secluded craftsman-style cabin tucked into the vineyards.

I wake her gently, feeling very much like she’s a princess from a fairytale. When she opens her eyes, I kiss her lips lightly.

Isn’t that what Prince Charming does?

I carry our bags to the cabin. It’s a beatific space.

Floor-to-ceiling windows. A stone fireplace. A private deck overlooking rolling hills that turn gold in the late afternoon light. Vineyards stretch out below us in endless green patterns.

She looks around in awe. “Wow!”

“Like it?” I ask.

Her smile blooms—soft, bright, undoing me in six different ways. “It’s beautiful.”

She wanders slowly, fingers brushing the back of the armchair, the mantel, the window frame. Like she’s memorizing the space.

I bring our bags upstairs to the loft bedroom, where the ceiling slopes and a massive window frames the valley.

The bed is big. And suddenly my heart is pounding because I want her here, in my arms.

Patience, Luther. It’s her first time.

When I find her again, she’s standing on the deck looking out at the horizon.

“The light. It’s…like honey.”

I step behind her, wrap my arms around her waist, and rest my chin on her shoulder. “Napa sunsets are famous for that.”

She leans into me, and we stand there, soaking in the view and this feeling of us, which is new.

Eventually, the air cools, and hunger sneaks up on us.