"Marion, have you seen Cosima? Everyone is asking for her and, as usual, she's nowhere to be found."
"Sorry, Aldous, I haven't seen her in quite a while. Did you check the library? She was inquiring about your book collection earlier."
"Ah, yes, that sounds like somewhere Cosima would hide out. l'll check. Thank you," he gives her a kiss on the cheek before continuing his search, making small talk and excuses for Cosima's absence as he bumps into guests on his way through the first floor of his new Hollywood Hills mansion.
Once Aldous reaches the library, he pulls open the door, finding the object of his quest. "Cosima, what are you doing in here? Everybody wants to talk to you."
Cosima is standing with her back to him as she scans the selection of rare books, "I told you, I hate mingling."
"Cosima, we are about to make a $750 million distribution deal on the cancer drug you developed and you can't be bothered to make a little small talk with our investors and board members?"
Finally, Cosima turns towards him, she's wearing a black, form-fitting cocktail dress, her dreads piled in a bun atop her head, a glass of red wine clutched in her left hand, "Nope."
"Cosima, please," he groans in frustration.
"You're the mouthpiece, Leekie, you make the deals, I do the science, that's what's worked for the last seven years, why change now?" Cosima moves through the room, handing him her wine glass as she passes him on her way out the door. "I have a headache, I'm going back to my hotel."
"Please just stay a little while longer," Aldous begs, trailing after her as she walks through the house, offering tiny waves to everyone trying to get her attention. She collects her red coat from the coat check, opens the front door, and walks towards the driveway. "Cosima, your limo is completely blocked in, just stay another hour," he tries to bargain with her.
Cosima turns, looking him dead in the eye, "I'll be at the office tomorrow morning, but, right now, I need to get some sleep."
Leekie takes a deep breath and nods, "Fine, but please don't be late. It's an important meeting."
"I know, I know. I'll try my best to be on time. That's your car, isn't it?" Cosima asks as she points to the sports car at the top of the driveway.
"Yes, that's the fully-restored classic 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE I acquired at auction last month," Leekie answers proudly.
"I'm taking it."
"What? Do you even know how to drive?"
"Kinda." Cosima walks over to the valet, "Keys to the Lotus please." The valet looks to Leekie, who nods begrudgingly. The valet hands her the key. "Later, Leekie," Cosima shouts as she opens the car door and gets in, adjusting the seat way up. She turns the key in the ignition and the car revs to life, then sputters onto the street as she tries to figure out how the hell the clutch works.
Leekie drops his head in his hands as he watches his prized possession bounce up the block, "I'm really going to miss that car."
In an old building in Hollywood, desperately in need of a fresh coat of paint, a dark-haired women around 50-years-old hikes up three flights of stairs and stomps down the dark hallway, stopping at apartment 324. She bangs her fist on the door, "Delphine, if you don't want to be evicted, I strongly advise you to pay your rent ASAP."
"Merde!" Delphine grumbles while standing in the bathroom applying her makeup.
"I know you're in there."
"Sorry, Mrs. S, I'm a bit under the weather," Delphine fake coughs. "Didn't Sarah give you the rent this morning?"
"No, chicken, she didn't."
Delphine lifts the cover to the toilet bowl tank and pulls out a soap box. She pops the top and finds it empty. "Dammit, Sarah," she curses lowly. "She'll be back later tonight, I'm sure she'll drop it off then."
"She better," S responds with disdain before bounding back down the hall.
Delphine looks herself over in the mirror, she's wearing a white tank top with a black bra peeking though, a tight, black mini skirt, and thigh high black leather boots. She throws on a black and white newsboy cap over her brown bob, grabs her purse, and opens the door. She pauses when she hears Mrs. S yelling at her downstairs neighbor. Wanting to avoid a lecture, Delphine closes the door, turns around and goes to the back window, climbing out onto the fire escape and making her way down to the street.
Delphine walks swiftly along Hollywood Boulevard, stopping at Bobby's Bar. "Bobby, have you seen Sarah?" she asks the blonde, bespectacled bartender upon entering the darkly lit establishment.
Bobby points towards the stairs, "She's up there."
"Thanks." Arriving at the upstairs lounge, Delphine quickly zeroes in on her target. She stalks over angrily, "What did you do with our rent money?"
"Hey, Frenchie, calm your tits."
"Don't tell me to calm my tits, you said you'd pay Mrs. S this morning and, yet, she was just at our door threatening to evict us."
"Chill out, I had to loan the money to Vic to pay Pouchy back for the coke he stole. He said he'd give it back soon."
"Seriously, Sarah? We're going to rely on your drug dealing boyfriend to give us back our rent money? We'll be kicked out by the time that happens. What were you thinking?"
"Look, he's good for it, he already has some deals lined up. It'll be fine, I'll talk to S, smooth things over for a few days. You know she's got a soft spot for me."
"I'm pretty sure all her soft spots for you have hardened by now. Are you just going to sit around here drinking all night or are you going to work?"
"I was just taking a little break." Sarah pounds back the glass of bourbon in her hands and slams the glass down on the table, "Let's hit the streets."
Delphine and Sarah leave the bar and head down to the corner of Hollywood and McCadden.
"Excuse me, Rachel, what do you think you're doing here?" Sarah barks at the girl standing on the corner.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm working," the fellow Brit responds bitterly.
"Go work somewhere else. Charlie Chaplin to Milton Berle is our territory," Sarah snarls, pointing to the stars on the sidewalk. "Why don't you make your way down to Dean Martin? I hear blokes there will pay you five bucks if you flash 'em your tits." She glances down at Rachel's chest, "Eh, maybe $2.50 for those."
"Fuck off, Sarah," Rachel gives her the finger and storms off.
"I hate that pretentious bitch," Sarah remarks as Rachel is barely out of earshot. She looks up at Delphine, who is not amused. "Look, Frenchie, I'm sorry, okay? I'll get the money back."
"It's not just that."
"What else has got you so frowny?"
"This," Delphine gestures around, "all of this. This is not how I envisioned my life when I came to America."
"No shit, me either. I thought I'd be a fuckin' rock star by now, but we do what we gotta do to survive. It won't be forever. Chin up, okay?" Delphine nods as a car draws Sarah's attention away from her, "Holy shite, look at that thing."
Delphine follows Sarah's line of sight, "Mon dieu, that's a Lotus Esprit!"
"Uh, yeah, you call it that, I call it rent. I'll let you take this one." Sarah gives her a little push towards the car, which has come to a stop on the side of the road, "Go get 'em, Frenchie."
Delphine adjusts her skirt and prances over to the passenger side window, which rolls down as she approaches. She leans down to look in the window, surprised to find a woman in the driver's seat.
"Hi there," Cosima offers her a little wave, "I'm a little lost, do you happen to know the way to Beverly Hills?"
"Yes."
"Great, can you tell me how to get there?"
"Yes."
Cosima stares at her expectantly, "Okay, so how do I get there?"
Delphine holds out her hand, "Ten dollars."
"What? You can't charge me for directions."
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"Do you make the laws around here?"
"No."
"Then it'll be ten dollars."
"For real?" Delphine doesn't budge. "Ugh, fine." Cosima pulls a bill out of her wallet, "Do you have change for a twenty?"
Delphine grabs the money, "No, but for twenty I'll be your tour guide." She opens the passenger door and gets in.
"Excuse me, what are you doing?"
"I am personally going to direct you to Beverly Hills."
"Um, okay, I don't remember inviting you in my car, but if you're going to guide me to Beverly Hills, how do you expect to get back to wherever the hell we are right now?"
"This is Hollywood and I'll take the bus back." Cosima stares at her. "You know, those really long vehicles that traverse city streets," Delphine clarifies.
"I know what a bus is. You really want to ride to Beverly Hills with me and then take the bus back here for twenty bucks?"
"Well, it'll be about $17.50 after the bus, but, yeah, why not? This car is incroyable!" Delphine looks around the vehicle in awe, running her hands over the soft leather seats.
"Alrighty then," Cosima laughs, "I guess I have a co-pilot."
"Where in Beverly Hills are you headed?" Delphine asks as she fastens her seat belt.
"The Beverly Wilshire Hotel."
"Okay, you're going to want to take a left at the second light," Delphine instructs.
Cosima pulls away from curb, the car sputtering under her poor driving skills once again.
"This isn't your car, is it?"
"Nope," Cosima shakes her head, "I stole it."
"You stole it?" Delphine asks incredulously
"Hold up, are you seriously judging me for stealing a car? That's funny considering your line of work."
"My line of work? What is that supposed to mean?" Delphine asks, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Um, you know, lady of the night."
"Pardon me? I'll have you know that I am a kindergarten teacher," Delphine responds angrily.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I just kinda assumed. I mean the way you walked over to my car and the way you're dressed."
"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?"
"Nothing, it's just, that's a really short skirt, not that there's anything wrong with short skirts, they usually just aren't that short. Fuck, I'm sorry," Cosima hangs her head in shame and Delphine starts laughing. "What's so funny?"
"I was totally screwing with you. I am, how did you say it? A lady of the night."
"Damn, lady, that wasn't very nice of you. I felt like a total bitch for insulting you like that."
"I know, that was priceless," Delphine giggles.
"Unlike this guided tour," Cosima remarks.
"Touché. It's Delphine, by the way."
"What is?"
"My name."
"Oh, nice, I'm Cosima"
"Cosima," Delphine repeats. "Enchantée"
"Enchantée," Cosima mimics with a grin. "Okay, so confession, maybe stole was the wrong word, it's more like I borrowed this car from a very unhappy man."
"But you don't know how to drive stick, do you?"
"I can barely drive automatic."
"How do you get around then?"
"Trolley mostly. Vespa if I'm feeling adventurous."
"Trolley?"
"I'm from San Francisco."
"I see."
Cosima stops short at a red light and Delphine opens the passenger side door.
"Where are you going? This isn't Beverly Hills, is it?"
Delphine walks around to the driver's side and pulls open the door. "Get out," she orders.
"Are you carjacking me?"
"Yes," Delphine stands expectantly as Cosima stares at her with mouth agape. "No, I'm not carjacking you. Get in the passenger seat, I'll drive. I have a lot of experience with stick."
"I'm sure you do," Cosima remarks as she scoots over the to the passenger seat allowing Delphine to get behind the wheel.
"Wow, you are really short," Delphine observes as she slides the seat back.
"Hey, I'm not short, you're just very leggy."
"You better buckle up," Delphine warns.
Just as Cosima clicks the seatbelt, Delphine shifts and hits the gas, the car peeling through the intersection. Cosima's body slams against the seat and she quickly grabs the handle above the window. "Delphine," Cosima shouts.
"What?" Delphine grins as she takes a sharp turn.
"Nothing," Cosima swallows loudly and tightens her grip on the handle.
Cosima winces as Delphine weaves through traffic, shutting her eyes as Delphine takes a sharp right turn onto Wilshire.
"You can open your eyes now," Delphine smirks.
"My eyes weren't closed, I was just yawning."
"Because my driving is so boring?"
"Yeah, you drive like my grandma."
"Oh really?"
"Yup."
"Is your grandmother Danica Patrick?"
"No, my grandmother isn't Danica Patrick," Cosima mocks. "Who's Danica Patrick?"
"A racecar driver."
"Oh. Okay, fine, you don't drive like my grandma, my grandma drives fifteen miles per hour max. You are a maniac."
"This is a sports car, Cosima, it's meant to be driven fast. This baby has a 2.2 liter, 4 cylinder engine that goes from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds," Delphine marvels.
"You know a lot about cars, I take it?"
"Yes, well, my high school boyfriend was obsessed with them. He actually taught me how to drive."
"Remind me to thank him one day," Cosima says sarcastically.
"You should, otherwise you might still be slowly clattering your way across town."
"Fine, give me his address, I'll send him a postcard."
"If you didn't know where you were going, why didn't you just use the GPS on your phone?"
"There's GPS on phones now?" Cosima asks with surprise. "Why didn't you tell me that $20 ago?"
"Oh, stop it."
"Okay, you're right, that would have been a brilliant idea, except my phone is hiding somewhere in my hotel room. I couldn't find it and was running late for this stupid party, so I gave up, figured I wouldn't need it tonight anyway."
"Ah, well, your loss is my gain."
"Exactly. Just imagine how I might have wasted that twenty otherwise. I probably would have ended up stuffing my face at In-n-Out."
"Mmm, well I wouldn't blame you if you had. Animal style all the way."
"Oh, for sure," Cosima agrees.
"Here we are," Delphine announces as they pull up in front of the hotel.
"That was quick," Cosima marvels.
"Late night driving in LA, only way to avoid traffic."
"That and a girl with a lead foot."
"Yes, that too."
The valet opens the doors for the girls, "Will you be needing the car again tonight?"
"No freakin' way am I getting into that thing again," Cosima responds as she takes the valet ticket. The girls stand on the sidewalk and watch him drive off. "So, um, thanks, Delphine, for getting me back here in one piece… barely."
"It was my pleasure. I haven't driven a car in quite a while. That was fun."
"You know, if you ever want to change careers, I bet you could give Danielle a run for her money."
"Danica," Delphine corrects with a laugh. "I'll consider it."
"Good," Cosima says, fidgeting a bit, not sure what to say next. "Well, I guess this is it then."
"Yes, bonne nuit, Cosima." Delphine leans in and kisses her on each cheek.
"Goodnight, Delphine," Cosima offers her a shy smile before walking towards the entrance of the hotel. She stops at the door and glances back towards Delphine, who is now standing at the bus stop. "Don't do it, Cosima, don't fucking do it," Cosima mumbles to herself as she take another look back at Delphine. "Fuck it, when have I ever listened to myself before?" Cosima walks over to her, "Delphine?"
Delphine turns around, "Is something wrong, Cosima?"
"No, I was just wondering, um, how much do you charge?"
"Excuse me?"
"For your services."
"Oh," Delphine's eyes go wide. "$100 an hour."
"Wow! Really?"
"Yes, why, are you looking for a new line of work?"
Cosima laughs, "No, uh, what about for the whole night?"
"Well, I usually don't do more than an hour or two, honestly, but for the whole night, I guess I'd charge $800."
"Okay."
"Okay?" Delphine furrows her brow. "Okay what?"
"Okay, I'll pay you $800 for the night."
Delphine's eyes just about pop out of her head, "Are you messing with me? Is this because I told you I was a kindergarten teacher, now you decided to screw with me, too?"
"No, I want you to stay."
"Stay? With you?"
Cosima nods, "Yes."
"And do what?"
"Me."
"You?" Delphine asks and Cosima nods. "Oh… OH," realization sinks in. "You mean you're…"
"A lesbian," Cosima confirms.
"And you want me to spend the night with you?"
"Is that a problem? Shit, I should have asked if you swung that way first. I shouldn't make assumptions, I'm an idiot, I'm sorry, if you don't want to—"
"No, I didn't say that I don't want to," Delphine cuts her off. "I mean, it's not what I was expecting. Actually, I don't know what I was expecting. And, yes, this is different, but I'm not opposed to trying something different. Especially for $800."
"Really?" Cosima smiles.
Delphine nods, "Yes."
"Cool, shall we?" Cosima extends her arm. Delphine nods as she takes her elbow and they start walking towards the front door. "Wait a sec," Cosima takes off her coat and puts it around Delphine's shoulders. "This hotel is a little on the stuffy side, I don't know if they're ready for you."
Delphine laughs as they enter the hotel. Cosima stops at the front desk, "Can you have a bottle of the 2006 Margaux sent up to my room?"
"Certainly, Ms. Niehaus, will that be all?" Avery, the front desk clerk, asks.
Cosima turns to Delphine, "Are you hungry?"
"Non."
"You sure?"
Delphine thinks for a moment, "Do they have truffles?"
Cosima looks at the clerk expectantly. "We have chocolate," he responds.
"Do you like chocolate?" Cosima asks.
"Very much so," Delphine nods.
"Great, please, send up a dozen of those."
The clerk picks up the phone to ring room service as Cosima and Delphine head to the elevator bay. An older woman, waiting at the elevator with an older gentleman, gawks at Delphine, looking her up and down judgingly, her scrutinizing glare making Delphine visibly uncomfortable as she pulls the jacket around herself tightly.
"Excuse me, sir," Cosima addresses the man beside her, "could you please rein in your lady, this one's mine." She wraps her arm around Delphine's waist and pulls her close as a look of shock washes over the faces of the couple.
Delphine, a little taken aback by Cosima's boldness, leans into her ear, whispering, "Thank you."
The elevator doors open and Colin, the elevator operator, holds the doors open for his passengers. The older couple requests the 7th floor. "Penthouse," Cosima announces as she hands him her key card to access that level. Delphine's looks down at her and mouths, "Penthouse?" to which Cosima simply nods.
They reach the 7th floor and, as the older couple exits, Cosima can't stop herself from one last jab, "Have a good night, you two, though I doubt it will be anywhere near as hot as ours is gonna be."
"You are so bad," Delphine giggles as the couple huffs and hurries away.
Cosima shrugs and takes Delphine's hand as the elevator continues it's ascent. They exit on the 14th floor and Cosima leads them down the hall to her suite, then fumbles a bit with the key card before finally unlocking the door, letting Delphine enter ahead of her.
Delphine looks around in shock, "Oh my goodness, this room is extraordinary!"
"Not what you're used to?"
"Non, can't say I'm taken to a room like this very often. Or at all. Motel 6 is more my clientele's speed. This room must be costing you a fortune, no wonder $800 was nothing to you."
"$800 isn't nothing to me, it's just fair, and this room is being expensed."
"You must have a very good job if your company is paying for this."
"It's alright, I guess. I would never choose this fancy a room myself. The same guy I divested of his car for the night insisted I stay here." Cosima slips out of her heels, "Please, make yourself comfortable."
Delphine takes off her hat and Cosima's coat and hangs them in the closet by the door. She sets her purse down and continues looking around the space in awe.
"Come on," Cosima takes her hand, "I'll give you a tour. So we're in the living room, obvs. When we walked in there was a door on the right that leads to a small half bath. Over there is the media room, it has a 55 inch TV, stereo, big ass couch. Here we've got the dining room."
"Are you planning on entertaining?" Delphine asks as she looks at the table surrounded by 10 chairs.
"Nope, but maybe I'll sit in a different chair everyday so it feels lived in. Then back here is the kitchen."
"Wow."
"Yeah, and before you ask, I don't plan to cook while I'm here either. There's three bedrooms, this one is the master. They've each got a private bathroom, but this one's got the widest, deepest tub."
"Unbelievable," Delphine marvels.
They walk back out into the living room, "And finally, the terrace."
"This really is exquisite."
"Yeah, I guess." Cosima picks up a remote, "Would you like me to put on some music?
"Yes, music would be nice,"
Cosima turns on the stereo and Grimes blasts from the speakers, she quickly lowers the volume. "Sorry, I'm kinda into electronica. If this isn't your thing, feel free to change the station. I'm just going to go use the ladies room," Cosima hands Delphine the remote.
Delphine scans to a specific station and French music fills the room. Cosima smiles as she re-enters the media room a couple minutes later, "I meant to ask about the whole you being French thing."
Delphine raises an eyebrow, "The whole me being French thing?"
"I just mean, how long have you been living in the states, in Los Angeles?"
"Ah, well, I moved here about two years ago."
"What brought you here?"
"My boyfriend, Henri. He came to me one day and said, 'Delphine, I think we should move to Hollywood, we can be famous.' He always dreamt of becoming an action movie star. So, me, being foolish and in love, agreed."
"And where's Henri now?"
"I caught him cheating on me with our neighbor and moved out. I haven't seen him in nearly 15 months. Last I heard, he had run back home to France after being rejected by every talent agency in town."
"If you don't mind me asking, how'd you get into your current line of work?"
"After leaving Henri, I got a job waitressing at a bar where the tips were lousy and the customers were assholes. Anyway, after about 6 months, one of the other waitresses, Sarah, mentioned she was in need of a new roommate. I had been living in a shitty apartment with 3 other girls, so I jumped at it. After living together a week, I slowly realized she was never home late at night. A couple weeks later, she quit her job at the bar. I finally asked her where she goes at night and why she quit her job. She admitted that she'd been working as a prostitute. She's British and said that American guys love girls with accents and that she's sure I'd make a lot of money. I was hesitant, initially, I mean this isn't something I ever aspired to do, but after the first few times, and as I started to make more money than I had been, I guess I got used it. So I stopped working nights at the bar and…" There's a knock at the door, which startles Delphine.
"It's okay, it's just room service," Cosima assures as she goes to answer it. The attendant places the wine and truffles on the dining table, Cosima tips him, and he leaves. "Sorry about that," Cosima says, as she starts to pour the wine, "please continue."
"That's pretty much it, I quit my job and the rest is history." Cosima hands Delphine a glass and she takes a sip, "Mmm, très délicieux!"
"Yeah, it better be pretty damn délicieux for $500 a bottle," Cosima notes, causing Delphine to cough up the contents currently in her mouth. "Hey, you okay there?"
"Yes, I'm fine, I just thought you said that bottle costs $500."
"I did."
"That is crazy. I mean this is very good wine, but that price is insane."
"Yeah and you just spit it out, so there goes at least $75 worth," Cosima laughs.
"That's not funny, Cosima."
"Yeah, it kinda is. Don't worry, I'm expensing the wine."
"Are you going to expense me, too," Delphine inquires as she grabs a truffle and takes a bite.
"No, you I am definitely not going to expense. Can you imagine how that would look on my expense report?"
"Not good, I'd imagine," Delphine laughs.
Cosima pops a truffle in her mouth as they sit down on the couch, "This is delish!"
"Yes, it is," Delphine agrees as she grabs another truffle and sits next to Cosima. She yelps as her tush meets the cushion and reaches her hand beneath her. "I think I found your phone," she holds the device up.
"Oh, awesome," Cosima takes it from her and places it on the end table. "Thank you, Inspector Clouseau."
"At your service," Delphine bows her head playfully.
"In more ways than one," Cosima jokes.
"Cosima, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot," Cosima nods.
"Why'd you bring me back to your room tonight? You weren't in Hollywood looking for a hooker, I just sort of imposed myself on you."
"No, I wasn't, but, I don't know, I guess I just decided that I didn't want to be alone tonight."
"Have you been with a prostitute before?"
"No," Cosima shyly admits before brightening, "but, hey, there's a first time for everything, right?"
"Yes, for both of us."
"You've really never been with a woman before?"
"No, I haven't."
"Is this gonna be weird for you?"
"Weird?"
"You and me?" Cosima gestures with her hands, making a v shape with each hand and joining them together.
Delphine chuckles at the demonstration, "Well, it'll be different, I suppose, but not weird."
"Okay, because if you want to back out, I'd totally understand. And I'll pay you for your time."
"Cosima," Delphine grabs the hands flying madly in the air, "there's no place else I'd rather be right now."
"Good, good," Cosima grins.
The song changes and Delphine drops Cosima's hands, jumping to her feet, "Oh, I love this song." She sways along to the music.
"It's lovely," Cosima smiles as she watches Delphine move. "What's it about?"
"It's about a woman who is dying, and when she dies, her lover's heart dies with her."
"Wow, that's not very uplifting."
"It is if you think about it as love being eternal, even after death, two hearts forever entwined."
"Well, if you put it that way," Cosima laughs. Her laughter quickly fades as Delphine approaches the couch, extending her hand to Cosima. Cosima takes it and Delphine pulls her to her feet, spinning her around so Cosima's back is to her front. She clutches Cosima's hips and they gently sway to the music. Delphine's lips find their way to Cosima's neck, placing featherlight kisses along the expanse of skin. The little hairs on her neck stand at attention as a chill works its way through Cosima's body. Cosima extends her right arm behind her, wrapping it around Delphine's neck, bringing their bodies even closer together.
They remain like that through the conclusion of the song. When it ends, Delphine twirls Cosima around so they're face to face as the next song plays. Something in the way Cosima's darkened eyes are looking up at her compels Delphine to scoop Cosima up into her arms, Cosima's legs immediately wrapping around Delphine's waist. Delphine carries Cosima into the master bedroom and gently deposits her onto the fluffy king size bed.
Cosima scoots back towards the headboard, her eyes fixed on Delphine. She watches as Delphine removes her tank top, then her skirt, leaving her in just a black bra, g-string, and thigh high boots. Delphine raises her right leg up on the edge of the bed and pulls down the zipper on her boot before peeling it off, repeating the action with the left. She lifts her eyes to find Cosima's eyes trained on her. Delphine stands up on the bed, extending a hand to Cosima and pulling her up.
"Do you want to jump on the bed or something?" Cosima asks with a nervous laugh.
"Turn around," Delphine commands.
Cosima does as told and Delphine reaches for the zipper on Cosima's dress, her fingers ghosting along Cosima's back as she unfastens the dress, letting it fall to the bed around Cosima's feet. Cosima kicks it off onto the floor and turns back towards Delphine, the two women now standing on the bed in their underwear. Cosima's eyes trace Delphine's body from toes to head. Licking her lips, she reaches her arms around Delphine's neck to pull herself near, but, as their mouths inch closer, she feels resistance and Delphine pushes her gently away.
"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" Cosima asks guiltily, though not sure what she's guilty of.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong, it's just, I don't kiss on the lips."
Cosima is taken aback, "You don't kiss on the lips?"
Delphine shakes her head, "No."
"Um, okay, can I ask why? I mean it seems like that's kinda part of the job description."
"I'm a prostitute, Cosima, my job is to give my clients pleasure and let them use my body to attain their release, but just my body. Kissing on the lips, that's true intimacy. In order to do this job, I have to separate my body from my heart, remain detached. If you can't handle that, let me know."
"I can handle it," Cosima asserts, "don't be a bitch."
A thin smile crosses Delphine's lips, "Good." Delphine reaches around Cosima, undoing the clasp on her bra, the undergarment falling down Cosima's arms onto the floor. Delphine takes a moment to appreciate Cosima's ample bosom, reaching out and cupping each breast, her thumbs extending to rub along her nipples, which harden under her touch. Delphine guides Cosima gently down onto the mattress.
Once horizontal, Cosima removes her glasses and places them on the bedside table as Delphine proceeds to replace her hands with her mouth, her teeth and tongue toying with the firm peaks as Cosima arches into her warm mouth. Soon, Delphine moves on, placing tiny kisses along Cosima's chest before tracing a path with her tongue down Cosima's torso, stopping when she reaches her panty line. Cosima expels a stuttering breath as Delphine takes the fabric between her teeth and begins pulling the underwear down Cosima's legs. Once removed, she kisses her way back up Cosima's legs, pausing when she reaches the apex of her thighs. She stares at this unfamiliar sexual territory, breathing in the scent of Cosima's arousal.
Cosima looks down with concern at the lengthy pause in action, "Delphine, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."
Delphine glances up into the warm, brown eyes staring back at her. "Non, I want to," she insists as she hooks Cosima's legs over her shoulders, placing featherlight kisses along the inside of her thighs and teasing her with little nips. She finally swipes her tongue up Cosima's folds, causing Cosima's hips to buck and a whimper to slip from her lips. As Delphine continues exploring this new territory, Cosima grabs the slats in the headboard to steady herself. Her initial hesitation gone, Delphine grows more and more confident with every thrust of her tongue and responding moan from Cosima. As Cosima's body starts reacting more erratically to Delphine's attention, Delphine wraps her right arm tightly around Cosima's left thigh to hold her in place, while her left hand finds capture on Cosima's ass as she continues her ministrations.
As she coaxes copious evidence of Cosima's pleasure to flow, a sexy, guttural moan from deep within Delphine is all it takes to push Cosima over the edge. Cosima shouts a string of obscenities as she spasms around Delphine's tongue. Delphine smiles as she laps at the fruits of her labor before kissing her way back up Cosima's body and settling next to her.
Delphine braces her head against her hand as she looks down at Cosima's flushed, satisfied face, "Was that okay?"
"Okay?" Cosima asks incredulously. "That was fucking phenomenal! I can't believe you've never done that before."
"I guess I just know what I do and don't like from a partner, so I applied that knowledge to pleasuring you."
"Oh, you definitely pleasured me," Cosima grins as she leans forward, gently pushing Delphine back against the pillows as her hand methodically travels down the length of Delphine's body.
Delphine grabs Cosima's wrist, stilling her movement, "What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm returning the favor."
"That's not necessary," Delphine insists.
"Not necessary?" Cosima repeats. "Is this because I'm a woman?"
"No, you being a woman has nothing to do with it. My job is to get my client off, not myself."
"More of that detachment thing?"
"Yes."
"You must do a lot of faking it then with your johns, huh?"
"Oui," Delphine laughs, "I think I've perfected the art of the fake orgasm."
"You wouldn't be able to fake it with me."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah," Cosima nods. "I'm sure your average client probably isn't very skilled. If I really wanted to, I could make you come in under five minutes with just my hand."
"Five minutes," Delphine scoffs, "is that a fact?"
"Totally. You see these fingers?" Cosima holds up her right hand and wiggles her digits. "Magic! Now don't get me wrong, normally I'd draw it out, but sometimes there's limited time and a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."
"Maybe your magical fingers work on some girls, but I doubt they'd work on me."
"You wanna bet?" Cosima asks mischievously.
"I'm not betting you."
"Why not?"
"What would we even bet?"
"How about a hundred dollars? You win, you get an extra hundred, I win, you're down to 700 for the night."
Delphine mulls the offer, she can definitely use the extra $100 and she's sure she'd win, but does she even want to go there with Cosima? She stares into Cosima's twinkling, eager eyes. "Fine," she ultimately decides.
"Fine? Is that a yes?"
Delphine nods, "Yes."
"Yes!" Cosima pumps her fist into the air and Delphine smiles at her enthusiasm.
"But we have to set some ground rules first."
"Okay, let me hear these ground rules of yours," Cosima waves at her to go ahead.
"Number one, no kissing on the lips."
"Yeah, yeah, I got that one already," Cosima frowns. "Rule number two?"
"Two, you have to accomplish this with just your hand, no mouth below the waist."
"What about above the waist?"
"Above the waist is fine."
"Anything else, princess?"
Delphine thinks for a moment, "No, that's it."
"Great, lay back, babe, this is gonna be an easy win," Cosima cracks her knuckles dramatically.
"Babe?"
"Just humor me."
Delphine lays back against the pillows as Cosima moves to straddle her, resting her weight on Delphine's thighs. Cosima reaches her hands under Delphine's back, finding the clasp of her bra and undoing it, slipping the bra off her arms and tossing it behind her wildly. She then slides down Delphine's legs, her hands pulling Delphine's barely there underwear with her as she goes. Cosima moves off the edge of the bed and drops the garment on the floor. She stands there for a moment, transfixed, as she admires Delphine's naked form.
"Um, Cosima, you have five minutes, are you gonna stand there all night or…"
"Hold that thought," Cosima says, snapping out her haze, "I need to get something." Cosima rushes out of the bedroom, leaving Delphine perplexed. She returns quickly, phone in hand.
"Do you really need to make a phone call right now?" Delphine asks, motioning to her naked body.
"No, I don't need to make a phone call," Cosima mocks. "I just wanna make this fair." Cosima sets the timer on her iPhone for 5 minutes, places the phone on the dresser, and quickly jumps onto the bed.
"Wow, you really know how to make a sexy entrance."
"Hey, time constraint here," Cosima reminds.
Cosima lays down beside Delphine and begins nibbling along her collarbone with a combination of teeth, lips, and tongue, while her right hand traces a gentle path down her chest, sliding between her breasts and straight to her navel, dipping a finger playfully in and out of her bellybutton before continuing to run her hand down the silky smooth stomach. Cosima stills her hand atop Delphine's pelvis, the tip of her middle finger toying with Delphine's clit as she lowers her mouth to Delphine's chest. She runs her tongue along the underside of her breasts before capturing a nipple between her lips. Cosima glances up at Delphine, who raises a hand to her mouth in a mock yawn. Just then Cosima bites down on the sensitive bud while her hand slips into position, one finger entering Delphine. Delphine gasps, causing Cosima to quickly add another finger. Cosima works swiftly and precisely and, before long, she has Delphine whimpering and on edge, her hips bucking as Cosima slides her fingers in and out, up and down, making sure to rub against her increasingly sensitive nub. Cosima reaches for Delphine's right hand with her left, tightly entwining their fingers. She can feel Delphine close to combustion, so she turns up the heat, her fingers pumping in and out of Delphine at just the right angle and with just the right amount of pressure to drive her wild. Delphine's breath hitches and Cosima releases the nipple from between her teeth, raising her head to stare right into wide, golden orbs as she curls her fingers and Delphine explodes, clamping down around Cosima's digits, an almost animalistic roar escaping her lips as her body convulses in waves.
Suddenly, the room fills with noise,
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill
"Oh shit," Cosima gasps, releasing Delphine as she pulls her hand free and jumps off the bed.
Bill Nye the Science Guy
(Science rules)
Bill Nye the Science Guy
(Inertia is a property of matter)
Cosima rushes to her phone, hitting stop to shut off the intrusive sound. She glances sheepishly back at a laughing Delphine.
"Really?"
"Shut up, that means I won," Cosima sticks her tongue out.
"Yes, you did," Delphine concedes, sitting up and extending her arm. Cosima walks over to the edge of the bed and shakes Delphine's hand. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you," Cosima winks.
"So cheeky," Delphine responds as Cosima crawls back up the bed.
They lie, side by side, their heads resting on their respective pillows, staring up at the ceiling as their breathing normalizes.
Delphine turns her head to look at Cosima, "That was amazing."
Cosima turns her head and grins, "Yeah, it was."
"You were right, you really do have magic fingers."
"I guess I do."
"What do you mean you guess?"
"Well, I've never timed it before, but I doubt I've actually ever gotten a girl to come that hard in under five minutes."
"What?" Delphine yelps. "But you said—"
"I lied."
"Excuse me?"
"Hey, you wouldn't let me reciprocate and I figured you probably wouldn't turn down a challenge. Either way, I couldn't lose. And if I ended up giving you an extra $100, so be it. Damn, did that work out, though. I got you off in under five minutes and I get to take $100 off the bill."
"You are such a brat," Delphine smacks her arm.
Cosima's tongue pokes through her teeth gleefully, "Yes, but a talented brat, right?"
"Oui, very talented," Delphine admits.
Cosima smiles proudly before her eyes slowly start to close.
Just as she nears unconsciousness, Delphine mumbles, "Bill Nye?"
"I'll explain later," Cosima replies drowsily and soon they're both sound asleep.
Delphine is awaken, an hour or so later, by the body pressed tightly against her own. She opens her eyes and can just barely see the outline of Cosima's shoulders and head, her back pressed against Delphine's chest. Realizing she has no room left on her side of the bed to move over to in order to escape this surprising closeness, she whispers, "Cosima." Getting no response other than sleepy little puffs of breath, she tries to gently push Cosima back to her side of the bed. She places one hand on her shoulder and another on the small of her back and tries to inch her forward. Instead of moving, Cosima unconsciously grabs the hand on her shoulder and pulls it around her body. Finding herself cuddling a very unconscious Cosima, and unable to delicately extricate her arm from Cosima's tight grip on it, against her better judgement and preferred bedroom boundaries, an exhausted Delphine surrenders to her predicament, allowing herself to spoon her unexpected, but surprisingly welcome, sapphic companion.