Laura's feet ached with fatigue as she reached up to loosen the ridiculously tight bun on top of her head. Light brown locks of hair fell in waves down her back and she released a sigh of relief. It had been yet another long day at work and she was exhausted. The stench of sweat and melted cheese radiated from her clothes and skin. If she had known two years ago that her life would consist of desperately trying to get her art into galleries while simultaneously working two full time jobs, she would have listened to her parents and went to college. Maybe then she wouldn't be stuck taking all of the night shifts at Pizza Hut.
The faucet squeaked as Laura twisted the plastic knob and waited for the water to sputter out. She splashed her face with the icy liquid, doing her best to wash away the grimy kitchen grease. After drying her face with a scratchy paper towel, she swapped her contacts for a set of nerdy looking glasses. All she wanted to do was go home and collapse into her tiny twin sized bed. Maybe if she was lucky, her roommate would have remembered to pay the electrical bill and she could even take a hot shower.
After one last glance in the mirror, Laura left the bathroom and made her way to the front of the restaurant. It was about 11 o'clock and the place was empty except for a young couple flirting in the far corner. Laura let out a longing sigh at the sight. Sometimes it felt like she would be single forever, and that thought made her want to crawl into the fetal position and cry. Romance novels were sort of her thing. The sickeningly sweet cliches and overused tropes never failed to warm her heart. Which is why her story was tragically lame at the moment. Not only was her life boring and tedious, but she was missing the most important part. Love.
Frowning at the depressing thoughts, Laura arrived at the front of the restaurant and glanced out the window. Heavy sheets of rain fell from the dark sky, eliciting a whiny groan from the tired brunette. Her car was at the mechanics (long story), which meant she would be walking home tonight.
Shoulders slumped in defeat, Laura dug into the pocket of her faded jeans and pulled out a five dollar bill. It wasn't enough for a taxi but there was a good chance it could buy her a sandwich. At least then she wouldn't have to be soaking wet and starving when she got home... just soaking wet.
As she made her way to the front counter her worn out sneakers squeaked in a quiet rhythm. Behind the register, a girl about her age twisted lightly on top of a stool, her nose buried in a copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. The raven haired teen was totally immersed in the reading, her face scrunched up in concentration as her lips silently mouthed out the words. It was kind of adorable.
Laura approached the counter and glanced down at the girl's name tag. "Excuse me, Carmilla?" She interrupted with a polite grin, "Hi."
Upon hearing her name, the brunette glanced up and offered a warm smile. "Hi, sorry about that." She laughed softly, putting the book away in her lap. "No matter how many times I read this it never seems to get old." There was a short silence as the girl's eyes roamed over Laura and even bigger smile tugged at her lips. "How can I help you?"
"How much is it for me to get a sandwich?"
"$6.48 but for you I'll make it $5" Carmilla flirted, her smooth voice flowing through the air like warm honey.
"I thought we got a 50% discount?" Laura ignored the pass and crinkled her eyebrows together in confusion. The girl was pretty and seemed nice, but Laura wasn't really up for the banter tonight. Besides, crushes on co-workers never turned out well.
"Just because you're cute doesn't mean you can get it that cheap" Carmilla's chocolatey eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued to hit on Laura as if they were strangers. "But I will make you a deal. If you give me your number, I'll pay for it myself."
How weird. It wasn't like they were on a first name basis or anything, but the two had definitely met several times in passing. Laura specifically remembered running into the girl a couple of weeks ago in the bathroom. Carmilla had mortified her by pointing out a piece of toilet paper stuck to the heel of her shoe.
Maybe she doesn't recognize me with my hair down and glasses on... Or maybe she's just bored and messing around.
"Um, I'm pretty sure you already have my number." Laura replied, knowing that it was required for all of the employees to exchange emails and phone numbers in case they needed a shift covered.
"Not sure how that's possible since I've never seen you before." Carmilla accused, her gaze dropping to Laura's mouth before quickly bouncing back up to her eyes.
"Okay..." Laura dragged out, feeling rather confused and awkward. "I can't tell if you're messing with me or not, but I'm tired and want to go home so..." She trailed off, reaching up on her tippy toes so she could grab a cup from behind the counter.
Carmilla let out a warm laugh. "You know what? I'm not even going to charge you for that since you're so adorable... but you at least have to tell me your name."
Laura gave a long, perplexed look. Why do these things always happen to me? She watched as the brunette waited patiently for a response. No signs of teasing. Oh my god, she's being serious. As soon as Laura realized that Carmilla actually had no idea they were co-workers, a deep burgundy blush filled her cheeks. If only the universe could send a black hole to swallow her up and relieve her from the awkward moment. Seriously, even if she did look a little different in her street clothes, how did Carmilla not recognize her?
Moving to unzip her sweatshirt, Laura pulled the material aside and revealed her employee name tag. Carmilla's eyes dropped to read the small metal plate and finally a look of acknowledgement graced her face.
"Holy shit, you work here?" The brunette glanced up with a look of genuine surprise.
"Ya," Laura ran a nervous hand through the hair at her scalp. "For like, two years now." She offered a small smile that came out more like a grimace.
"No way!" Carmilla exclaimed, breaking into a beautiful grin. "How is that even possible?"
"Well I work in the kitchen and you work out here so..." Laura offered, trailing off into a short silence before clearing her throat. "Anyway," she gave a polite, closed lip smile, "I better get going before the rain gets any worse or my walk home will really suck." To be honest, she didn't even care about the sandwich anymore, she just wanted to get out of there with whatever dignity she had left.
"Wait," Carmilla spoke up before she could make her getaway, "You're walking home? How far away do you live?"
"Like four miles." Laura replied, talking small steps backward towards the door. "It's really not that far."
"Well good thing my shift gets over in 5 minutes." Carmilla chirped with a bright smile. "I'll give you a ride."
"That's really not necessary."
"Sure it is." Carmilla smiled, her kind eyes melting Laura's defenses. "What kind of co-worker would I be if I let you walk home alone in the rain?" She winked, standing up from the stool with her book in hand.
"Seriously, you don't have to do this." Laura tried one last time to argue, but truth be told a ride home sounded amazing.
"I won't take no for an answer." The gorgeous brunette grinned charmingly as she logged out of the register and made her way around the counter.
"That seems a lot like kidnapping." Laura bit down on her lip to hide a smile as she zipped up her sweatshirt in preparation for the rain.
"No," Carmilla chuckled, "For it to be kidnapping, I would have to take you against your will."
"Isn't that what you're doing?" Laura watched as Carmilla dug into her back pocket and pulled out a small, cylindrical paper tube. It took her a moment to recognize the item, but when she did an amused grin tugged at her lips. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that Carmilla had just pulled out a Chinese finger trap, or the fact that she was totally smitten with the raven haired beauty.
"Seriously?" Laura giggled as the tension from her long day slowly faded.
"What? I like to play with it when I'm bored at work." Carmilla blushed before reaching down to grab Laura's hand. The brunette's fingers were soft and warm, and Laura's heart did a little flip inside her chest.
"Now..." Carmilla offered a charming smirk as she placed her finger in one end and Laura's in the other. "This is most definitely kidnapping."
"I cannot believe you just did that!" Laura laughed as she tried to pull her hand away, only for the contraption to squeeze her finger more firmly.
"Not so fast, the more you struggle the harder it will be to get away." Carmilla teased, "Now let's go, my car is parked out front."
A warm tingling sensation filled Laura's chest as Carmilla led them to the front door. The situation felt crazy and out of character for her, but in the best way. Making friends wasn't always easy for Laura. Since moving out to the city two years ago she had only met a small handful of people. Her life mostly consisted of work and painting, which left little time for socializing. And to be honest, that was the way Laura preferred it. She would always take a quite evening of reading over a wild night out.
As the two girls made it to the front door Carmilla looked over with a sweet smile, "You ready to make a run for it?"
The flirty glance mixed with the girl's raspy tone caused a hot blush to crawl up Laura's neck, "As ready as I'll ever be."
The next second Carmilla was pushing the door open and a happy giggle tumbled from Laura's lips. They took off running into the heavy, cold rain and it pelted against Laura's face, but she was to distracted by the hoard of butterflies in her stomach to notice. By the time they had made it to Carmilla's beat up station wagon they were both drenched.
"Hurry and get this thing off!" Laura laughed as she tried to tug her finger out of the stupid paper trap.
"Stop pulling!" Carmilla giggled, doing her best to shelter the smaller girl from the rain. Water dripped from her forehead and down her cheek, and for a moment Laura found herself transfixed. Carmilla was beautiful. But it wasn't just her physical appearance, it was her spirit. The girl had light about her that took the word stunning to a whole new level.
"Free at last." Carmilla offered a heart-stopping grin before leaning over to open the car door. Once Laura was safely inside she shut the door and hurried around to the other side.
A chilly gust of autumn wind sent a chill down Laura's spine as Carmilla slipped smoothly into the driver's seat. The girl tossed her wet book on the dash and jammed her key into the ignition. The old station wagon sputtered to a start and Laura tried to hide her smile. Reaching out, she grabbed Carmilla's book from the dash and began to dry it off with the underside of her shirt. It was a bit hopeless considering her top was soaking wet, but she gave it a try anyway.
"Don't worry about that," Carmilla gestured to the book as she shifted the car into drive. "I've got another copy at home... Speaking of which, where exactly do you live?"
Laura repeated her address before asking, "So, you like to read?"
"Love it." The brunette grinned, glancing over before focusing her eyes back on the road. "You?"
"It's my favorite." Laura gave a small smile as she played coyly with the hem of her shirt.
"Let me guess." Carmilla ran a hand through her wet hair, trying to tame the long, dark locks. "You're a romance kinda girl. Favorite book is probably something by Nicolas Sparks?" She snuck a fleeting glance towards the passenger seat and laughed at the girl's guilty lip bite.
Arms crossed over her chest, Laura fought to hold back a smile. "And what's so wrong with that? He happens to be a great author."
An amused laughed spilled from Carmilla's lips, the sound raspy and beautiful. "You're adorable." She looked over as they rolled up to a red light, her chocolate eyes shining with laughter. Laura's heart did the stupid flippy thing again and she bit at the inside of her cheek. A frazzled habit.
Carmilla stared boldly into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't until the car behind them honked that the girl smiled, winked and turned her attention back to the road. A blush filled Laura's cheeks and she shifted her gaze out the window in attempt to escape Carmilla's blatant flirting.
Laura's stomach was tied in knots and her heart felt like a hummingbird inside her chest, all fluttery and frantic. The classic signs of a crush were starting to surface and it made her nervous. For a girl who'd only had a hand full of first kisses, the thought of a relationship was more like a distant fantasy. Anytime it started to feel even remotely probable, her tendency was to panic.
It wasn't inexperience that plagued Laura with anxiety about relationships, but a few unpleasant incidents from her past. There was a boy named Will who had broken her heart in middle school, and of course the whole fiasco of falling for her straight best friend back in high school. To be honest, she was still recovering from the latter.
Ugh. The memories made her shutter.
"Did I offend you?" Carmilla's honey voice flowed softly through the car and Laura startled from her thoughts.
"What? No, why?"
The raven haired beauty studied Laura for a few moments before shifting her eyes out the window. "We've been sitting outside your apartment for like five minutes now." She glanced back with an affectionate smile.
"Oh gosh, sorry." Laura shook her head in embarrassment as her cheeks heated with a familiar blush. "Thanks again for the ride." She released her lower lip to offer a shy smile before reaching for the door handle.
"Of course." Carmilla grinned. She waited for the girl to exit the car before adding, "Have a good night, Laura."
Hearing her name in that raspy, feminine tone stole the air form Laura's lungs as she offered one final wave. She hesitated before shutting the door -it looked as though Carmilla was going to say something more, but in the end never did. Shoving her hands in her pockets, Laura turned and made her way up the steps to her apartment complex. As she reached the doors a wide grin tugged at her lips.
Turns out the day hadn't been so bad after all.
Butterflies danced inside Laura's stomach as she flopped onto her twin sized bed and buried her smiling face into the pillows. She let out a muffled squeal before turning onto her back and releasing her first full breath of air since getting into Carmilla's car. As she laid in bed grinning like an absolute dork, there was a sense of weightlessness in her body. The sensation was new and scary, but in a strangely amazing way.
After several minutes, Laura let out a content sigh and sat up. A glance over at the nightstand revealed that it was 11:32pm and she stood. The floor creaked quietly beneath her feet as she made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Emerging a few minutes later, she changed into a pair of boy shorts and an oversized white tee. As she went about the rest of her nightly routine her thoughts were all over the place. Work, painting, Carmilla... no subject was off limits.
Bending over, Laura flipped her head upside down and wrapped her hair into a loose bun. One of these days she was going to have to cut the long dirty-blonde locks. Straightening back up, she heard her phone buzz with an incoming text. Eyebrows furrowed, she walked over to her night stand. Who would be texting her this late at night?
Laura's heart skipped a beat as she opened her phone and read the message.
I hope this doesn't freak you out too much... but I've been sitting outside your apartment for the last couple of minutes trying to work up the courage to come knock on your door. - Carmilla
Laura read and re-read the text until the words didn't even make sense anymore. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to quiet her thumping heart. When she opened her eyes again and the message was still there, she concluded that it was in fact real.
Fingers trembling, she typed out an entire paragraph before deleting it all and simply replying.
"Why?"
Oh God. I should have just invited her to come up. Laura stressed fervently over the text as she waited for Carmilla to reply. Time dragged on, the seconds turning to minutes. I am such an idiot. With each passing moment Laura grew more and more insecure. After a while she began to consider smashing her phone into a million pieces. The anticipation was simply too much to handle.
Finally, after what felt like hours of torture, Laura's phone buzzed in her lap.
Carmilla: Promise not to freak out?
Laura: Yes.
Carmilla: Okay. I sort of can't stop thinking about you. Can I come up?
The breath rushed from Laura's lungs and her heart did the stupid flippy thing inside her chest, only this time it was so intense she nearly fell off the bed. Mind racing she contemplated the different options. Then, afraid she'd lose courage, Laura quickly texted back.
Laura: Apartment 114 C, just knock and I'll let you in.
The second Laura hit send, she raced into the bathroom to check her appearance. Of course, her hair was a mess and the bags under her eyes made it look like she hadn't gotten a goodnight sleep in weeks. Reaching for her makeup bag she quickly applied a little mascara before there was a quiet knock at the door. Oh god. Laura took a deep breath and walked quickly across her apartment. After taking a moment to pull herself together she opened the door with a nervous smile.
Standing there with her hands buried in her pockets, Carmilla glanced up and offered a shy grin of her own. A brief silence settled between them as Laura drank in the sexiness of Carmilla's dark, messy hair and wet clothes. She'd slipped on a black leather jacket since Laura had last seen her, which somehow managed to make her look dangerous and more attractive... If that was even possible.
"Sorry." Carmilla bit at her lip before clearing her throat, "I uh, realize how weird this is now... maybe I should just g-"
"No!" Laura blurted, a hot blush filling her cheeks, "I don't think its weird." She added in a soft, apprehensive voice, her eyes dropping to the floor.
When there was no response, she peered up to find Carmilla watching her with an amused twinkle in her eyes. The silent staring stretched on for another couple of seconds before Carmilla's husky voice admitted, "I couldn't stop thinking about how I should have kissed you earlier."
Time came to a screeching halt as Laura's jaw fell open in surprise. She scrambled through her mind in search of a response but nothing came up. Hurry, say something! This was so not a good time to be blanking. Licking her lips, she opened up her mouth hoping that the words would just come tumbling out. When they didn't she slammed her lips closed in frustration.
"You're adorable when your frazzled, you know that?" Carmilla chuckled warmly before taking a hesitant step forward. The tangy spice of her earthy perfume tickled Laura's nose and successfully shattered her frozen form. She followed the girl's lead and took a small step forward until they were nearly standing chest to chest.
A wistful sigh fell from Carmilla's lips as she whispered. "You're gorgeous. I feel like an idiot for not noticing sooner."
The words wrapped around Laura's heart and spread warmth throughout her body. It was a nice thing to say, but what really got her was the vulnerability and authenticity in Carmilla's tone.
"Do you want to come in?" Laura asked softly, staring deep into the girl's gorgeous eyes. "I would offer you something to drink but all I have is cold, left over coffee from this morning."
Carmilla broke out into a heart-stopping grin as she followed the smaller brunette inside. "That's funny," she paused, waiting for Laura to turn around and meet her stare. When she did, Carmilla took a step forward and placed a gentle hand on the girl's hip.
Pattering rain echoed throughout the apartment as Laura's breath hitched in her throat. She stood frozen, unable to focus on anything other than Carmilla's slightly parted lips. Suddenly they were close, inches apart at most.
Then, moving in slow motion, Carmilla reached up to trail a fingertip along her cheek. The touch was soft and warm, sending chills down Laura's spine. As the girl moved to trace her upper lip something shifted inside Laura's chest and a quite sigh escaped from her throat. She never wanted the moment to end.
Taking her time, Carmilla slipped her hand to the back of Laura's neck and leaned in to press their lips together. The kiss was soft and fleeting as she quickly pulled back to look into Laura's amber irises. Carmilla's stare spoke volumes of affection as she offered one last stunning smile before leaning back in for another kiss.
It started slowly at first, tentative and sweet. A rhythmic parting and meeting of lips as they each gently explored the other. Laura shivered as Carmilla's hand slowly traced down her back before coming to rest gently on her hip. Feeling brave, she reached up to cup Carmilla's cheek and ran her thumb back and forth across the soft skin.
After a few more seconds of bliss they broke apart, their foreheads resting together as they caught their breath. A huge grin tugged at Carmilla's lips as she leaned in to placed another quick kiss against Laura's lips. Drawing back, she whispered, "Cold coffee is my favorite."