Always on The Same Page

A photograph of Thomas Michaels had been uploaded to social media. He stood inside the bedroom he shared with Kobra, wearing a black sleeveless T-shirt and jeans. He smiled broadly at the camera, holding up his hands for all to see. The caption read:

*When your wife talks you into streaking your hair green and painting your nails dark green. She’s weird, and I’m weird for letting myself be talked into it. But you know what? It’s fun. We’re having a great time, and I love her. To my beautifully odd wife, Kobra—this isn’t opposites attract. It’s two people who were always on the same page; we just needed to find each other to bring out the hidden sides of ourselves.*

*Love you, Baby K.*

On that same social media site, Kobra uploaded a photo of herself wearing a black, off-the-shoulder dress shirt with long lace sleeves. The front of the top featured a vivid design in blue, pink, red, gold, green, and orange. She paired it with black leggings accented by zigzag patterns along the sides.

Her caption read:

*When your husband knows you so well that he buys you clothes he knows you’ll love—and wants to see you wear them. Doesn’t hurt that there’s a touch of sexiness, too. Weird, slightly kinky, and very much in love. As you said… it’s not opposites attract. We’ve always been on the same page—we just needed to find one another to bring out the best in each other… along with a few “naughty” things. Wink.*

*Love you, Chevalier.*

◾◾◾◾

“Tom, are you out of your mind posting that?” Derek shouted over the phone.

Thomas sighed. “I’m not taking it down. And if clients get offended by what my wife and I do together because it doesn’t fit their image of who I’m supposed to be, then fine—I’ll resign. It’s not like I can’t find another accounting firm to work for. Actually, I’ve already been offered a position elsewhere. I think I’ll take it.”

He hung up the phone. Kobra stood nearby, watching as Thomas took a few deep breaths before sitting down on the couch. He turned and saw the concern on her face, then held out his hand. She took it and sat beside him.

“You did nothing wrong,” he said. “I chose to take that picture and upload it. Honestly, it shouldn’t be a big deal how I look. It’s just a picture—it’s not like I was planning to walk into the office Monday morning with green streaks in my hair and painted nails.”

“Well,” Kobra said dryly, “it clearly gave Derek something to panic about.”

“Derek panics over losing fifty dollars in a bet,” Thomas replied. “He’s a high-strung a-hole who balked at the idea of me falling in love.”

Kobra smirked. “Forgive me for what I’m about to say, but considering he’s the one who gave you Mandy’s email address, that tells me everything I need to know. He’s a commitment-phobic, oversexed bastard with financial smarts—and nothing else remotely interesting, except that he drives a Mercedes.”

Thomas laughed. “Baby, I’m not mad at you. If anything, I agree.”

Kobra smiled. “So… is it true another accounting firm offered you a position?”

“Yes—and I’m going to take it,” Thomas said. “Visionary Accounting and Investments was good for a while, but it’s time to move on. I did my homework on Dynamic Financing and Accounting. Their offer is generous, and for the first time, I feel like I’d actually be *seen*. At Visionary, I’m just another CPA with a finance degree. They’ve completely overlooked the fact that I started out in banking—it’s how I paid for my education.”

He exhaled slowly, then looked at Kobra.

“And now,” he added softly, “I get to build a life that actually fits who I am… with you.”

Kobra leaned into him, smiling.

“I love you, baby. And by the way, I’m going to take your advice and apply at the local bookstore that just opened. The manager is cool, and the whole staff seems relaxed,” she said.

Thomas smiled.

“Things are changing, baby—and for the better,” he said. “Also, my mom saw the picture and giggled. She said I looked handsome. My sisters agreed, and my younger brother thought it was so cool he asked for the name of the temporary hair dye and the nail polish I used.”

Kobra giggled. “I’ll text it to him.”

◾◾◾◾

Thomas’s first day at Dynamic Financing and Accounting went well. No one mentioned the social media photo. He later learned that the firm’s leadership didn’t believe it was their place to police what employees did in their personal time. As long as it wasn’t illegal, physically dangerous, or sexually explicit, an employee’s off-hours were their own.

Kobra’s first day at Imaginarium Books and Music also went smoothly. She quickly became friends with three of her coworkers—one of whom had already seen and loved the photos Thomas and Kobra had posted online. When Kobra mentioned Thomas’s former coworker having a meltdown over them, they rolled their eyes.

“Sounds like you brought out a side of your husband he didn’t even know he had,” one of them said. “And because he chose to own it, his so-called friend freaked out.”

Kobra scoffed softly. “I don’t think Tom ever considered him a friend. He was just someone he worked with—nothing more, nothing less.”

She smiled to herself, feeling certain of one thing.

They were exactly where they were meant to be.
Later that night, Thomas and Kobra made dinner together—a casserole of beef- and cheese-stuffed ravioli tossed in pesto sauce. It looked a little odd, but it tasted amazing.

“Let’s put this one on the rotation list,” Thomas suggested.

“I was thinking the same thing!” Kobra said.

After dinner, they made an equally strange milkshake—Neapolitan ice cream blended with powdered peanut butter. Somehow, it worked, and they both enjoyed it.

Once dessert was finished and the kitchen was cleaned, Thomas and Kobra settled onto the couch. They turned on the television and watched a movie, snuggled together beneath a blanket decorated with celestial designs.

Kobra rested her head on his shoulder while Thomas wrapped an arm around her.

“What’s on your mind, Koko?” Thomas asked. He knew her well—well enough to recognize when she was lost in thought.

“A customer came into the bookstore today,” Kobra said. “She turned her nose up at everything. While she was checking out, she told one of the cashiers that the store was too weird—and that some of the staff were, too. She went on and on about how unsettling it was that things like purple hair, tattoos, and nose or lip piercings are so normalized. She expects people to be more conforming and less…out there.”

“How was she dressed?” Thomas asked.

“A classic tailored suit, a perfectly pressed blouse, and pumps. Simple gold earrings. She was carrying a designer handbag that probably cost more than all the books she bought combined,” Kobra replied.

Thomas scoffed.

“Baby, you helped me realize that being ‘odd’ is just another kind of normal. It sounds like she lives in a world of Sunday luncheons at the country club, high-end parties where everyone wears overpriced dresses and tuxedos they’ll only wear once, and hors d’oeuvres topped with caviar—which, by the way, is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten. Tried it once, threw up, never again.”

Kobra giggled as Thomas smiled.

“That world is normal to her,” he continued. “So of course anything outside it feels strange. But there’s nothing wrong with being different. You opened my eyes to that—and honestly, I like it.”

Hearing that made Kobra smile.

“Thanks, babe,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said softly, “for opening my eyes and for giving me a chance. Because of you, I’ve discovered things about myself that I didn’t even know were there—and I like what I’ve found. It’s made me a better person, and it’s even helped me place more trust in God.”

He paused, then continued. “I have a confession. After you blocked me—because I was being a complete jerk—I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by you. So intrigued, in fact, that I asked God to bring us together. And after our first date, I realized I wanted to spend more time with you. I knew it was going to be a wild ride, so I asked God to help me hold on.”

Thomas said this with a smile. Kobra smiled back.

“I have a confession too,” she said. “I asked God that if you were the one I was meant to spend the rest of my life with, He would give me the confidence to move forward.”

“And He answered our prayers,” Thomas said.

They kissed, whispered a short prayer together, and then settled back in, resuming the movie.