A/N: I have never read the book, and I've only seen the movie a few times so please forgive any inaccuracies, historical and otherwise.
Therese can feel the gentle pressure of someone shaking her awake. The movement is kind but firm, and she'd know those hands anywhere.
"I know you love your sleep, dearest, but it's time to wake up." Carol says lightly to the human lump of downy duvet.
Therese grumbles something intelligible. She blinks in the brightness of the morning and swings an arm over her eyes to block out the light.
Carol leans over her ear and whispers words she knows will pull her companion out of bed, "I've made your favorite," she makes sure to lilt her voice enticingly.
"French toast?" Therese asks, cracking one bleary eye open.
"And coffee." Carol responds.
"Extra cinnamon?" The groggy voice begins to clear.
"Just the way you like it," Carol answers.
At once she sees the life creep back into Therese's veins at the promise of her favorite breakfast.
Carol cannot blame Therese for her reluctance to get up. She has been working nonstop at The Times, doing more and working longer than any of the other men gunning for the same promotion. She loves her work, but sometimes she wakes tired, and sleep doesn't always come easy. Not to mention, the photojournalism position is so close, Therese can almost taste it.
Therese stumbles into the kitchen with brushed teeth and a clean face, eyeing up Carol's apron-covered-nightgown ensemble with a smirk. As she sits, Carol places a hot mug of coffee in front of her on the table and a kiss onto her forehead in a single motion. Therese melts a little at the gesture, thanking her lucky stars for her good fortune. When a plate with steaming French toast and two links of sausage is set down next, Carol delights in Therese's eyes going comically large in excitement.
They dig in eagerly to the hearty breakfast, Carol enjoying the fare just as much as Therese. Normally she'll eat something lighter, fruit and oatmeal perhaps, but today is a special occasion. She lobs her guilt and covers her portion in syrup. A few bites in, and Therese catches sight of the clock by the stove.
"Oh, Carol is that the time?" Therese rises from the table, setting her napkin by her half-eaten plate. "I've got to get going."
"You can be a little late today, darling," Carol says, still nibbling on her breakfast, "A few minutes won't kill you."
"I've got to stop by the dark room this morning to pick up a few things." Therese is already up and heading towards the bedroom, shucking her pajamas before she gets through the door. Carol shakes her head fondly at Therese's eagerness. She's hardly upset when this at least gives her the opportunity to appreciate the view as the brunette steps into stockings and a skirt.
As Therese dresses quickly, Carol wraps the remainder of her breakfast in waxed paper and pours fresh coffee into a thermos. She's grateful Therese does not care as much for syrup and can finish her meal in transit to work. Therese catches the gesture as she grabs her sturdy leather bag and camera and heads for the door.
Her eyes soften as she takes her breakfast from Carol. Carol deserves far more than a kiss, and Therese wishes that this morning she had more time. Her lips are sweet from the syrup and the coffee that Therese can still taste on her way out the door.
She turns over her shoulder just before out of earshot, "I love you."
Carol's eyes speak volumes in return, "Be safe."
Carol wanders the city without a purpose in the late afternoon, taking her time to window shop. She has the day off from work, as she planned a few weeks ago. Originally she thought that she and Therese would celebrate the day together before she had gotten so busy at work. Her moment of melancholy does not last when she thinks of the evening she's planned that will give her plenty of time to spoil her love.
After so many months of cold and snow, the sun feels pleasant and warm on her face. Winter seemed to have overslept this year and the city feels eager for spring. Carol will take what little of warm sunshine she can get as she strolls, knowing that the night will bring a chill soon enough.
In the window of a boutique, a dress catches Carol's attention. She's always had a keen eye for clothes and she knows without a doubt that it would look stunning on Therese. It is a deep jade green and reaches just below the knee, soft and spring-like, but smart enough for Therese to wear to work.
She supposes that it would be alright to stop in, just to see if they have her size in stock. It would be a stroke of uncanny luck if Carol would not have to order the dress from a catalogue and wait weeks for it to arrive.
When she leaves the shop, Carol can't help but smirk at the bare mannequin in the window. She checks her watch and makes her way across town.
When Therese first began her work at The Times, the constant bustle of noise and chatter had unsettled her. Sometimes, she struggled to find enough clarity of thought even to complete her bookkeeping. Frankenberg's had its busy moments, but there was nothing like news and stories constantly floating through the air.
Now, Therese finds that she is in her element amidst the busy newsroom, and takes pride in her work. There is little like the rush of satisfaction she feels when she sets crisp, sharp photos on her colleagues desks hours before a deadline. She will meet to discuss a promotion with her boss on Monday, and the anxious flutter in her stomach will not let her forget.
The hours of the workday tick by, keeping Therese busy enough to not have a moment to pause with the exclusion of her half hour midday meal. She isn't hungry enough to nip out to a lunch counter, so she simply refills her thermos and sips slowly at her coffee in a stairwell, appreciating the silence. The coffee that is brewed a little burnt in the newsroom is no comparison to the blend Carol buys; the distinction is clear.
When her beverage is gone cold and nearly gone, she rises from her perch on the bottom stair, ready once again to get back to work. The rest of her day passes fairly quickly.
Therese gets the chance to sit in on a scrum meeting, eagerly absorbing details of her colleagues' assignments. Usually someone will hand off something small for her to work on, and today is no different. The project thankfully can wait until the following Monday, which will give her a little time to rest tomorrow and Sunday.
With the thought of relaxing at home with Carol heavily on her mind, Therese packs up her things at the end of her work day and punches her time card promptly for the first time in what feels like ages. If she catches a cab home straight from work, she can even surprise Carol with dinner.
But out on the sidewalk the evening has other plans for her. She finds Carol waiting with her back propped against her car, eyes closed in enjoyment of the chilly evening breeze. She's a vision, the kind of woman that people write songs about but otherwise unattainable. Therese's face breaks into a grin, once again grateful for her life's upturn in luck.
As if Carol feels the gaze, her eyes open full of mirth and find Therese. She only looks more amused when Therese asks, "What's the occasion? You didn't have to come all the way across town."
"You mean, you don't know?" Carol responds. Only Therese could forget her own birthday.
Therese worriedly wracks her brain for a missed anniversary of some sort but comes up empty. Her blank look and shrug answer Carol.
"Therese, what's the date?" Carol looks a few seconds from laughing aloud.
Therese thinks for a moment before understanding dawns on her. "Oh."
She blushes, feeling immediately silly. The brunette covers her eyes with a hand as Carol finally lets a laugh break free. Carol pulls the hand down and wraps Therese in a warm hug, not caring about any passersby that witnesses the intimate moment.
"What do you say we celebrate?" She says, holding the younger woman at arms length.
"I was actually on my way home to surprise you with supper," Therese says lightly. There's still plenty of time to eat a nice dinner, they could even stop at the market on the way back to the apartment.
"Wanting to cook for me on your own birthday? You truly are one of a kind." Carol responds.
Therese does her best not to grow pensive at the statement. Birthdays have never been her favorite. While she was in school, the most she would receive each year was a card from her mother, and over time the inscription on the inside grew smaller and smaller. She does not even expect one this year.
Now, she has Carol and sometimes Rindy and a life that is full. She does not dwell on the moment of negativity.
"What did you have in mind?" Therese asks.
" I was hoping to try something a little different tonight. There's a restaurant on 43rd that serves Japanese cuisine," Carol says, "It's most unusual I'll admit, but it really is quite good."
"That certainly sounds exotic," Therese says, contemplating the new adventure,
"Let's go."
Carol gives her arms a squeeze before turning to climb into the driver's side of her car. Therese watches the street for traffic before boarding on the passenger side. In the car and under the cover of semi darkness, they risk a kiss. It is sweet, a little chaste, and the perfect ending to a long workday.
They pull up to the restaurant, noting the dim lights and intricate designs on the building. Therese already feels like she's stepping into another world. Carol hands the keys to the valet, ushering Therese forward into the restaurant with a discreet hand at the small of her back.
Therese takes in the scenery of the restaurant, eyes periscoping around to take in the tea lights and paper lanterns. They are seated by the maître d' at a high backed booth and handed menus by a waiter with smooth sandy skin and slicked black hair.
"Will anyone else be joining you tonight?" he asks, noting the lack of men present in a seemingly romantic eatery.
Carol answers the negative and orders a bottle of fruit sake in the same breath, pouring some for herself and Therese when it arrives. Therese enjoys the bubbly sweet drink immensely and refills her small glass when it is empty. The alcohol flushes her skin pleasantly, flowing through her blood.
She has trouble settling on a dinner option and allows Carol to order a selection of delicacies. When a platter of sushi and small plates is set on the table Carol poises chopsticks in her hand, expertly selecting a roll and placing it on her small dinner plate. Therese watches her, attempting to mimic the movements but ultimately unsuccessful. After a few minutes she chuckles at her own clumsiness.
Carol can't help but laugh as well and reaches over attempting to help. "Like this, darling," she says, positioning Therese's fingers correctly. Therese does not mind the correction in the least. It gives her a reason to let Carol's hands linger on her skin. Carol is not immune to the contact. Desire shines clear in her eyes, especially in the low light of the restaurant. The blue gray tone of them almost glows. Therese gets a little breathless.
Therese has to admit that the cuisine is certainly unusual but tasty nonetheless and she enjoys herself. When the dinner plates are cleared, dessert is presented in a bowl of assorted melon, balled into spheres. Thankfully, the waiter brings them each a fresh fork to make sharing the treat a little easier, as well as dry dessert sake to compliment the fruit.
When dinner draws to a close Carol pays the bill discreetly as the waiter walks by. In the car Therese grabs Carol's free hand, kissing it before holding it in her lap for the drive home.
Once inside the door of their apartment, Therese can hardly wait to give Carol a good and proper kiss. She pours strong emotion into it, seemingly releasing love that she's been storing up all day.
"This has been my best birthday, Carol," she says honestly, "All because of you."
Carol smiles lovingly in return, giving Therese's waist a little squeeze. "Wait until you open your gift."
Carol shucks her coat and walks fully into the living room. Hanging it can wait, so she reaches behind the sofa to pull out a wrapped gift. Her eyes sparkle as she hands the prize over to Therese.
Therese looks genuinely surprised, "For me?"
Carol chuckles a little at that, "Well there certainly aren't any others celebrating a birthday in this room. Open it."
Therese sits down gently on the sofa and starts to remove silver tissue paper. Carol watches Therese's face carefully as she unwraps the gift. Where Carol expects Therese's face to hold delight she only finds a growing look of anxiety. As a few seconds tick by, Therese's wide hazel eyes brim with tears that do not quite fall.
"What is it dearest?" Carol asks gently, "What's wrong?"
"Oh Carol I can't accept these," Therese says with breath that is a little shallow. Carol looks down at her offering, noting the jewelry nestled neatly on top of the green fabric of the dress she'd picked out earlier in the day.
Ultimately she'd settled on opals set in gold. Carol had immediately taken a liking to the necklace and earring set, never having seen a color that so closely resembled Therese's eyes: ever changing, but always holding that flash of brilliance. She tried not to think of the pearls Harge had given her on their first anniversary, buried in the back of her vanity gathering dust.
Meanwhile Therese struggles to put her thoughts into words. "They're lovely," she says reverently, touching an earring with the very tip of her finger as if it's made of dust. "But they're too nice."
"Pardon?" Carol says in disbelief, "Too nice?"
"Carol I could never afford to give you gifts like these," Therese explains, "Or at least not for years yet."
Carol's face softens in understanding. "Therese," she says a little sternly, breaking her companion out of her reverie, "Listen to me please." She sets the gift aside on the coffee table and tales Therese's hands into her own.
Therese looks up for a moment with wide eyes. "Nothing in this city, in this country, on this Earth is worth more to me than you." Carol brushes her cheek lightly. "Do you understand?"
Therese looks at her lap once again before answering, "Maybe I will. Someday."
"I'll see to it that you do."
Therese smiles, even though her eyes still look a little wet. "They are gorgeous, Carol," she concedes. She takes a moment to lift the dress out of its wrapping, holding it up to examine it. "This is perfect. I love it." She looks over at Carol and continues, "And I love you."
"As I do you, my dear," Carol says fondly, "Happy Birthday."
Therese smiles a hearty smile laying the dress aside. Carol closes the distance between them then, taking Therese's soft lips with her own, pressing lightly as a thrill rolls through her abdomen. She kisses tenderly until Therese melts into her, opening up and pressing gentle hands into blonde hair.
Carol sighs at the feeling of Therese's hands, loving the feel as they smooth down her neck and over her collarbones. Deft fingers tug at the buttons on the bodice of her dress and she feels her skin heat up. As Therese's fingers meet her soft skin she begins to make soft noises that would form into moans if their lips should separate.
With buttons undone, Therese travels the same path with her lips, biting gently at the tendon in Carol's neck that makes her shiver. She won't last much longer at this rate, and shifts away from Therese's warm mouth to stand. Therese looks a little hurt for a moment before she realizes that Carol only intends to move this encounter to the bedroom.
Their lovemaking is a passionate as ever, as they become as close as two human beings can possibly be. Just like that first night Carol uses her mouth to bring Therese to release, loving the way her lithe body responds. She vows to do whatever it takes to keep Therese with her, to show her each day the reality of her worth.
As her breathing evens out, Therese pulls Carol up to her lips, the thrill of tasting herself on Carol as erotic as it has ever been. The first time, she had been caught off guard to enjoy a sensation that she never really cared for when involved with other lovers. Carol's kisses hold fire and her body hums with excitement in Therese's arms. Therese reaches a hand down and enters her swiftly but with care, and Carol's gasp is satisfying and sensual. Making Carol come undone makes Therese feel powerful and cherished all at once, a combination she would loathe to give up.
After, they bask in the feeling of closeness, their conversation is minimal but soft caresses do not end. For the first time in a long time Carol watches Therese truly relax, her body going heavy as she falls into sleep. Carol pulls a sheet up to cover them and kisses Therese on the shoulder before placing an arm around her waist.
For so long she was lonely, but tonight she feels found.
A/N: I realize that Japanese restaurants were not that popular or present in New York City until around the 1970's but sometimes I just like to have fun. I am more than a little rusty but I hope you liked it!