Eraser Crimson by Megan Keith, Renee Kubisch

door, coffee in hand.  Ever since Simon had dropped her off that morning she had ummed and ahhed about going to see her neighbor.  They weren’t close, but Andrea was still the closest thing Mackenzie had to a girlfriend.  She was about to walk back to her apartment when the door swung open.
    “Mack!  Hey!  Come on in.”  Andrea held the door wide and Mackenzie walked through.  “Sorry, I was just getting dressed.  How’ve you been?”
    Mackenzie watched Andrea walk back toward her bedroom.
    “Is this a bad time?”
    “No, not at all.  I don’t have anything going on today.  Hence the late morning shower,” she said with a smile, pointing to the towel on her head.  “Just give me a sec.”  She disappeared into her room.
    Andrea was a freelance photographer.  She was very talented.  Her apartment walls were covered in some of the most beautiful pictures Mackenzie had ever seen.  She often had her work in the Chicago Times and she’d recently had a show at a local art gallery which had been a huge success.  Andrea appeared a few moments later, her hair damp and freshly brushed.  Mackenzie’s eyes flitted about the room.  Though she really wanted to talk about Nate, she suddenly lost her bravado.
    “So what’s up, Mack?” Andrea asked, taking a seat at the breakfast bar.
    Mackenzie took a seat opposite.  “Nothing really.  What about you?  Had that talk with Henry yet?” 
    “Not yet.  I’m thinking maybe tonight.  I’m going to lay it all on the line, you know?  See what he says.”  She grabbed the coffee jug from the counter and poured herself one.  “Top up?” she asked, waving it over Mackenzie’s mug.
    “Ta.”  Mackenzie watched the black liquid fill her mug and then took a sip followed by a deep breath.  Here goes.  “Andrea, you know how you always complain that I’m not the girlfriend you want me to be?”  Andrea nodded with a smile.  “Well, I need it now.  Please.  I need your advice.”
    “Really?” the girl practically screamed, “I’m all ears!”
    “I’ve started seeing someone.  He’s … I’ve never felt like this before.  God!  I just have to be near him to be physically aching.  I want sex like all the time.  I’ve become obsessive.  And now I think I could, no … I think I am falling for him.  What do I do?”
    “Go with it.  Sounds perfect to me.”  She grinned over her coffee.  “Tell me more.”
    Mackenzie was astounded to find that once she started talking about Nate, she couldn’t stop.  She told Andrea how they’d met at the bar and that she’d originally thought it would only be a one night stand.  Without going into detail, Mackenzie told her how Nate challenged her physically and that she’d been exploring some of her deepest desires with him.  She told Andrea about his player past and the fears that brought.  She also told her a little about her lack of relationship experience.
    Andrea was a really good listener.  She had no idea how comforting it could be to have someone to talk to.  She didn’t judge Mackenzie’s naïvety when it came to relationships and offered sound advice, telling her to stop being so afraid and to stop thinking about his past.  Andrea also spoke a little more about Henry and her own insecurities.  It put Mackenzie at ease to know that they faced some similar fears.
    It turned into quite the conversation and more than an hour had passed by the time Mackenzie got ready to leave Andrea’s apartment.  She opened the door, empty mug in hand and turned back to look at her new friend.  A real kinship had been formed today and Mackenzie’s heart felt enlarged because of it.  She gave Andrea a big grin.
    “Thank you for opening up to me,” Andrea said, giving her a hug.  “See?  It wasn’t so bad!  I told you we could be besties!”
    Mackenzie’s arms wrapped around the woman and she laughed.  “Thank you so much for not giving up on me.”
    She turned into the hallway and