Ladies in the Bathroom

We were standing in line together,
waiting for the bathroom.
We started a conversation and
we were mid-sentence, when the door opened.
“Want to come in with me?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m on my period, you don’t mind do you?”
I didn’t mind.
She asked to go first.
We kept talking,
I averted my eyes.
“I wore a tampon and a pad, so I’m good,” she said,
and we laughed.
It was my turn, I peed,
then grimaced and said
“I’m trying not to fart while I talk to you,”
she rolled her eyes, waved away the idea,
said “go ahead, I don’t care.”
So I did. And laughed, said sorry.
I wiped and got up to wash my hands,
apologizing, wide-eyed as I realized
what I’d done.
“Oh my god. I ate kimchi this morning,
I’m so sorry,” I laughed, embarrassed.
She said again that it was fine,
as I would have done in the same situation,
meanwhile trying not to inhale through my nose.
Her casual grace relaxed me,
made me remember that not all women are a bore,
and we walked back to the party.