Eleanor was so ready for this. She’d spent days planning, tweaking, and perfecting the perfect picnic. She’d scouted the perfect spot in the Good Place—quiet, secluded, picturesque—basically a Pinterest board brought to life. The food was great (for her standards), the setting was perfect, and Chidi was going to absolutely love it.
Except he wasn’t there.
Not yet, anyway.
Eleanor was just adjusting the blanket for the fifth time when she heard the sound of heels crunching on the grass behind her. Her shoulders tensed, thinking it was Chidi finally arriving (and hopefully not already having forgotten the plans, like he did last time).
But instead, she turned to find Tahani Al-Jamil, looking perfect as always, striding towards her with a look of confusion and, dare she say it, a little distress on her face.
“Eleanor,” Tahani started, glancing at the spread of food with a raised brow. “I thought you said you were having this... picnic for Chidi?” She didn’t wait for an answer before sitting down, as if she belonged here, as if it were all completely normal for her to crash Eleanor’s plan.
Eleanor blinked at her. “What are you doing here?”
Tahani sighed, plopping down gracefully on the blanket, as though she hadn’t just disrupted what was meant to be a super romantic moment. “Well, darling, it turns out I don’t have anyone in my life, even in the afterlife,” she said with a laugh, but there was something raw in her voice that made Eleanor stop mid-sentence. “I thought you might want a little company.”
Eleanor’s heart fluttered uncomfortably at that. She’d seen Tahani have countless admirers, but... the way she’d said it, like there was no one for her, left a pang in Eleanor’s chest.
“Of course,” Eleanor said quickly, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky as it felt. “I’m always down for company.”
So they ate sandwiches. Well, Eleanor ate sandwiches. Tahani picked at hers, only taking small bites when Eleanor looked at her. At some point, Eleanor stopped trying to make conversation and just let the silence fall between them.
And it wasn’t awkward. It was... different. In the silence, Eleanor found herself noticing things. Things she’d never really let herself notice before. Like how Tahani’s skin looked absolutely flawless under the sunlight, like she was made of moonlight and sunlight all at once. Like how the light from the sky played with the contours of her cheekbones, turning them into something almost otherworldly.
And then... and then Eleanor’s eyes couldn’t help but trace the curve of Tahani’s lips, and before she knew it, she was imagining—no, fantasizing—about kissing them. The thought hit Eleanor like a freight train, completely out of nowhere, and her stomach flipped at the thought of what it would feel like to press her lips against Tahani’s. To feel the smoothness of her skin under her fingertips, to finally touch her in a way she’d only ever dreamed of.
Her breath hitched, and her fingers clenched involuntarily.
Tahani, noticing the sudden shift in the air, looked up from the glass of wine she was sipping. Her expression softened, her eyes narrowing just slightly as if she’d felt the change in Eleanor.
“Are you alright?” Tahani asked, her voice suddenly gentler than Eleanor was used to hearing.
Eleanor swallowed hard, her face heating up. She hoped Tahani couldn’t tell how much her thoughts had just betrayed her. She was still stuck in her fantasy, imagining how it might feel to be close to Tahani in a way she never had before.
“I... uh, yeah,” Eleanor stammered, grabbing the wine bottle to refill her glass. “I’m good. Just a... um, just a little hot out here, that’s all.”
Tahani didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. They both knew that wasn’t the reason for the flush on Eleanor’s face.
But neither of them moved. Neither of them dared speak the words hanging between them.
Eleanor’s pulse thudded in her ears, but when she dared to glance back at Tahani, she saw something there—something soft in her gaze, something that made Eleanor’s heart race and her thoughts swirl. Tahani’s lips parted, almost as if she were going to say something... but then, she didn’t. She simply looked at Eleanor with a lingering, quiet intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.
“I—” Eleanor started, unsure of what words to say, but she didn’t need to finish.
Because suddenly, without warning, Tahani leaned in, her fingers brushing the back of Eleanor’s neck as she closed the distance between them. The moment was an electric hum in the air, charged and trembling, and Eleanor’s body reacted before her mind could even process what was happening.
The kiss was soft at first—gentle, almost tentative—like they both needed to be sure this was real. And then, when Eleanor’s hands found their way to Tahani’s waist, pulling her closer, the kiss deepened. Their lips tangled together in a frenzy, the kind of frantic passion neither of them had expected. Their breaths were shallow, punctuated with sharp gasps as Eleanor’s fingers skimmed over the fabric of Tahani’s blouse, moving to her bare skin.
Tahani’s hands threaded through Eleanor’s hair, tugging her in closer, pulling Eleanor’s body flush against her own.
And then, for what felt like an eternity, everything else ceased to matter. The picnic was forgotten, the day forgotten, and the world around them ceased to exist as they tangled in each other’s arms, tasting each other like the sun itself had never shone.
This... this was not in Michael’s diabolical plan. But it was certainly going to change everything.