"Nothing is coming!" Anna screamed at the computer, tugging on her hair. She'd been staring at the screen for over half an hour and had managed to write and delete a total of twenty words. She had this story totally planned out in her head; why was this one scene so damn difficult? She kicked the desk, narrowly missing her computer tower. "Stupid fucking story. I told my publisher it'd be done next month." She'd been agonizing over this scene for most of the last week.
"I'm sorry, honey. " Her wife kissed the top of her head and handed her a cup of tea. "Why don't you take a break? Maybe it'll come to you."
"I did that yesterday and the day before. It just isn't happening. I can't even skip this scene, it's the backbone of their relationship." She buried her face in her hands. She had never had writer's block this bad before. She was utterly stuck. "What am I gonna do?"
Elsa played with her hair, running her fingers through the loose coppery strands. "Take a break, honey. Yelling at your computer isn't going to solve anything."
"It might." She looked back at her wife, her lower lip protruding in a pout. "I mean it's worth a try. Maybe if I yell at it enough it'll give up and just write the story for me."
"I don't think your computer is anywhere near as good a writer as you are. Besides, you don't believe in ghost writers."
"That's just because they sound scary."
Elsa dropped the hair and glared down at her. "No, it's because you care about your integrity as a writer and aren't willing to take credit for someone else's work."
"Yeah, that, and that ghosts are scary."
Elsa rolled her eyes and turned away. "Try to keep the yelling down, I'll be watching TV if you want to join me."
Anna glared at the computer, stewing in her own frustration. She knew that she could do this. She didn't want to just give up. She knew the characters so well, she knew everything that would happen with them, and their first two dates had gone perfectly, who the hell struggles with writing the big third date? They were finally going to confess their feelings and everything was going to be great if she could just get over this stupid fucking block. She kicked the desk again. The story continued to not magically write itself.
Grumbling, Anna locked the computer and went off to join Elsa. Maybe they could manage to do something that would get her creative juices flowing. Wait, that was it. She knew how to fix this! She'd go on practice dates with her wife until she found the perfect one to give Maria and Laura.
"Elsaaaa," she whined.
"Yes, Anna? Finally giving in to my break idea?"
She climbed onto the couch and leaned against her. "Not exactly. I was thinking maybe I could use you for inspiration. "
"I thought you were avoiding writing erotica." Elsa smirked, the lascivious grin giving Anna some very different ideas from what she was hoping for.
"That is not what I meant! I need to figure out the perfect way to do the last big date before they become a couple. I thought maybe you and I could try to go on the perfect date and I could use it as inspiration for my story." She sat back up, looking hopefully into Elsa's eyes. There was no way she'd refuse, right?
"Are you going to thank me in the foreword?"
"Don't I always?"
"Then sure. Let's go on a date. Give me an hour. I'm going to go do my hair and makeup and pick out something nice. I'll expect you at the door at 7 o'clock." Elsa rose from the couch and headed toward the stairway.
"But I live here."
Elsa sighed. "I am aware of that. Maria, however, doesn't live with Laura."
She had a point. "All right, but I'm not leaving until I'm ready too."
An hour later, Anna knocked on their front door. She felt a bit ridiculous, but it was rather thrilling. She hadn't had to pick anyone up for a date since she graduated college. It reminded her of her first date with Elsa. She had looked amazing in that baby blue cocktail dress, and the dinner had been more than worth starving for the rest of the week and having to beg for money from her parents just to have enough gas to make it to class. Those same butterflies seemed to be returning as she waited for her date to answer the door. Maybe this really would give her the inspiration she needed.
The door opened, revealing Elsa in a slinky red dress with a plummeting neckline that drew Anna's attention to one of her favorite places. She was feeling a little under-dressed in her blouse and skirt. She'd actually tried this time. "You look amazing."
Elsa's eyes traveled down Anna's body. "Well you look good enough to eat."
Anna giggled. She should not feel this nervous for a date with her wife. "Well on that note, let's go get dinner."
"Just let me grab my purse."
Anna opened the passenger door of their black Toyota for Elsa. She was going all out with this date, damn it. They had hoped to go to one of the nicer restaurants in town, but the idea was too impromptu for them to have made a reservation, so they settled on a decent steakhouse. It was livelier, with a comfortable atmosphere, and way more drunk idiots. It was far more likely to have something exciting happen that could influence the novel.
Unfortunately, the date was absolutely perfect. The two were as comfortable as if they were made for each other, and it prevented any of the chaos that fuels drama. Instead of uncovering uncomfortable secrets about each other, having major disagreements, or learning just why they would or wouldn't work as a couple, they enjoyed a quiet evening of affectionate and delightful conversation, delicious food, and a few glasses of wine. It was hardly the stuff that good stories were made of.
As they walked back to their car, Anna tried to keep her spirits up. "Let's do something more. Something romantic. Maybe a walk in the park? A horse-drawn carriage also in the park?"
Elsa smiled back at her, her icy blue eyes awash with love for Anna. The sight remedied her melancholy, but only partially. "Well if you're so insistent that we go to the park, then how about we grab some ice cream from the place around the corner and go for a walk?"
That was romantic, sweet, and could totally lead to interesting conversations and one of them offering their coat to keep the other warm in the Fall Chicago weather. "Sure, that sounds perfect."
They ordered their dessert and walked the rest of the way to the little park nearby. There were a few people playing with a dog and one person sleeping on a bench, but it was surprisingly quiet and empty. Elsa shivered. Maybe a skimpy dress and ice cream weren't the best idea when it was forty degrees outside.
Anna realized that she hadn't brought her jacket. She hadn't thought any of this through. "I could go run back to the car and grab my jacket for you, if you want?"
Shaking her head, Elsa replied "No, let's just go back to the car. We can finish our ice cream with the heater on."
Anna needed to think of some way to save the evening. She and Elsa just had too perfect of a relationship. No one wants to read about a happy couple. They want the new and exciting beginning of a relationship or the old troubled couple finally learning to really appreciate each other. She needed to inject some conflict into the night or else nothing useful would ever come out of it. "All right," she agreed, as her mind ran over every possible option.
Elsa finished off the last few bites of her ice cream as the car began to warm. "It was still really good." She leaned back in her seat, stretching her legs. "I'm starting to get kinda tired. Have we given you enough ideas yet? Just send them on this date, it was perfect." She kissed Anna's cheek. "Delicious food and wonderful company, what more could a date need?"
Anna chewed on her spoon as she studied Elsa. She was having a great time, but it just wasn't worth writing about. "The night's not over yet," she insisted as she dropped the spoon into her empty bowl. "I have an idea for something crazy we could do."
"I'm not going to a sex club."
"You know I don't write porn," she grumbled. "Let's go play paintball."
Elsa stared at her like she'd gone insane. That was fair, she probably sounded like she had. "It's almost midnight."
"That doesn't sound exciting?" Anna smiled the most adorable smile she could manage, hoping that Elsa would give in without much of a fight. She could save the fight for when they were shooting at people.
"I have work in the morning, and where the hell can you even play paintball at midnight?"
That was a fair question. Anna pulled out her phone and began searching for an answer. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be anyplace that would cater to that specific need. There was however a bar/laser tag arena that was open until three AM. "Okay, there's no paintball, how about laser tag?"
Elsa glared at her. "This better inspire your story."
Anna nodded. She could barely believe Elsa was still going along with her. "Of course it will. This is perfect. It has action, romance, a common enemy, this will help Laura and Maria realize just how much they care about each other as they bond by working together to stay alive – or at least earn a bunch of points."
"Fine."
The place was surprisingly nice. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but a fancy bar and a massive playground to shoot people in hadn't been it. She paid for a game for each of them, and they donned their gear and guns and entered the arena. Unfortunately, neither of them were terribly good at laser tag, and the drunk college kids made sure they didn't have any dramatic moments of sacrificing themselves for the other, instead spending most of the game being shot and unable to do anything.
When it was finally over, they didn't even have the energy to grab drinks at the bar. They just drove back home and collapsed onto the couch.
Elsa pulled Anna close as she browsed Netflix's library. "I'm still pretty wound up, want to just watch a movie before we go to bed? I'll make sure I drink enough coffee to get through tomorrow."
Anna nodded. Nothing had grabbed her and she was starting to fear that she'd never finish this novel. Her agent was going to kill her.
She laid her head on Elsa's shoulder, half paying attention to whatever Elsa had put on the TV as her mind wandered. Nothing was coming to her. Elsa kissed the top of her head and played with her hair. She supposed she may as well just relax for the night and attack the story with a fresh mind tomorrow.
Halfway through the movie, she was starting to get into it. It really had been a good day; sulking seemed silly. She nuzzled against Elsa and kissed her neck.
Elsa looked down at her, affection and warmth radiating from her. "Did you manage to figure out what to do with your story?"
It finally hit her. Of course Elsa had been right in the first place. "Yeah. This." She stretched out on the couch, laying her head in her wife's lap. "This is perfect."