Nikki stood in the bathroom doorway, hip cocked against the frame, tumbler in hand, eyes firmly surveying the naked expanse of her lover's back.
"It's not what you think, Nikki," Nora insistently grunted, pulling a T-shirt over her head, blocking Nikki's view of her skin.
Nikki sipped her Bourbon and rolled her eyes, "it's exactly what I think it is. Your father and mother have a nasty habit of trying to set you up with all the available mean in New Orleans." She whisked an errant hair from her cheek and stepped inside the bathroom, her hand ghosting over Nora's shoulder.
Nora shrugged her away and turned to the mirror to check her make-up. It seemed presentable enough because this meeting her father had requested her presence at was not a date.
"Darlin', I do wish you'd just tell them." Nikki sighed and fell in to the chaise lounge in the corner of their homey bathroom.
"Tell them what?" Nora rounded on her partner. "You know I can't say anything to my parents."
"Nor, you do realize we live together. And I'm getting tired of having to high-tail it out of here every time they decide to come by." Nikki sighed in to her drink.
"The system works the way it is. I'm not going to risk what might happen if they found out, all right?" Nora looked tense and angry and all Nikki wanted to do was kiss away the look of fear that crossed her lover's face, but she knew the shorter woman wouldn't let her near her. "And if you think it's such a problem living here with me, then maybe we should consider getting separate places."
Nikki groaned, "Nora, come on. That's not what I meant by it at all."
"I'm going to be late." Nora checked her watch as she reached for her jacket.
"Late for your date." Nikki sarcastically quipped as she downed the rest of her drink. And before Nora could put up some fight about it not being a 'date', Nikki pulled Nora to her and wrapped her arms around her, pressing their lips together in a heated kiss that Nora had no choice but to participate in.
Nikki could feel some of the built up tension drain from her partner's body as she held her in her arms tightly, kissing her passionately, as if she were reminding her that what they had meant the world to the both of them and Nora shouldn't forget it.
Nora pushed at Nikki, removing herself from the brunette. "I've gotta go."
Nikki stood back and watched as the blonde woman moved through their bedroom and disappeared out the door. She didn't like the idea of Nora's father setting her up with some poor, unsuspecting guy. This seemed to be happening a lot recently, and she wondered how much longer Nora could put off telling her parents about them, about her. What if she never told them?
Shaking the thought from her mind, she felt her phone vibrating. Jules was calling.
"Hey Nik, you wanna grab a beer?" Her best friend since college inquired as Nikki answered the phone.
Nikki considered her options. She could sit at home all night, waiting for this "date" to finish, or she could go out with her friend. "Sounds great."
…
Nora's eyes darted around the restaurant in search of her father. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that he would not be in attendance this evening. Her eyes landed on the smiling man across from her. She felt severely underdressed for the occasion and the restaurant, but as she'd already informed Nikki a hundred times that day: this was not a date.
"I don't think he's coming, darlin'." Something about the way Jeffrey said darlin' made Nora's skin crawl. Only one person was allowed to call her that.
"So he set us up?" Nora picked up her tumbler of whiskey and swallowed a burning sip, her eyes turning to meet interested brown eyes.
"It seems like that is the case." Jeffrey nodded, trying to look handsome and smooth and cute. Nora was having none of it, but now she felt obligated to have more than just a glass of whiskey with this guy.
"He told me you were new on the force." Nora sighed, knowing that if she misbehaved on this date it would go right back to her father and to anyone else who perhaps questioned her relationship status already. She couldn't have rumors circulating at work. She just couldn't.
"I am. Just transferred here from Georgia." Jeffrey nodded and sipped on his own beer.
Nora would give anything to get out of this, but she could hardly stand up and announce she had a girlfriend at home who was also her partner on the force. No, this could not be shared. She realized she was spacing out as Jeffrey went in to detail about his decision to come down to New Orleans.
Trying not to be rude, she flagged over a waiter and asked for a refill. She was going to need it to get through this evening.
…
"I warned her she was being set up." Nikki sighed as she leaned in to the bar, her hands cupping the glass of beer before her.
"She just wants to appease her family. She's not like you, Nikki. She's not balls-to-the-walls, I'm-gonna-come-out-to-my-Daddy-after-the-first-nig ht-I-fucked-a-girl like you." Jules nudged Nikki's arm.
Nikki playfully hit her friend and sipped her beer. "She's balls-to-the-walls in every other aspect of her life."
"I know, that's what's so weird about her." Jules downed the rest of her beer. "Wanna go outside for a smoke?"
Nikki nodded and followed her friend out of the bar. She watched the blonde haired woman lean up against the brick exterior and light up a cigarette. "Nikki, I know you love her, but she needs to come to terms with this. You've been together for two years now. Two years! You have a house together. She needs to tell her family." Jules exhaled and passed the cigarette to her friend.
Nikki inhaled and sighed, "It's a big deal to her." She passed the cigarette back to her friend, knowing that Nora would disapprove of her partaking in her old habit.
"It's a big deal that she's excluding you from her life." Jules' hip jutted out in exaggeration of her point.
"Jules, it's not like dating a guy. She can't just bring me home and expect her big, Roman Catholic family to just accept me and embrace me in to their lives. Coming out is hard." Nikki let her head fall against the cool brick. It was getting late. She was tired of defending Nora to her old friend.
Jules shook her head. "You're a great catch, Nikki. You deserve someone who wants you to be a part of her life."
Nikki rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall. "I'm gonna head on home. Nora will be back soon."
"From her date?" Jules half-laughed.
"Yeah from her not-date date." Nikki leaned in and pressed her lips to her friend's cheek. "Thank you for your advice, but I love Nora and I don't want to be the cause of any more drama between her and her parents."
Jules held up her hands in mock surrender. "You two are lovely together; I'm just looking out for you, honey."
"I know it, Jules. Good night." Nikki strolled down the street, feeling the buzz from her drink quickly wearing off.
Thoughts raced through her mind as she considered what her friend was implying. What Jules didn't know was that she loved Nora too much to care whether or not she told her family about the two of them. Of course it bothered her, but if the opportunity never presented it…well Nikki wanted Nora to be able to go to a Sunday night dinner with her family if she so chose to do so without ridicule and distain for her "lifestyle".
…
Nora was out the restaurant door first, distractedly searching for her car keys in the purse she'd stolen from Nikki's closet. It was too big and full of unnecessary odds and ends that Nikki had left inside. Finally reaching the car keys she'd been looking for, she felt a hand at the small of her back, causing her to jump and turn to meet Jeffrey's wide grin.
"I didn't mean to scare you." He playfully grinned. Clearly he had not read the glazed over expression Nora had sported throughout their entire meal together. He actually was blind enough to think he still stood some kind of chance with her.
"You didn't," Nora insisted.
"Good. I had a lovely time, Nora Delaney. I hope we can do it again some time." He cordially began to follow her towards her car. She really wished he would turn around and leave her alone.
She forced a smile. "Yes, it was nice." She made no promise of ever doing this again.
"I'll be seeing you around work a lot, I bet." He shoved his hand in to his pocket.
Nora approached her El Camino and paused. "Yeah." She mindlessly nodded.
"Is this your car? Awesome ride." Jeffrey distractedly checked it out. Nora rolled her eyes.
"It is. Thanks." Nora ran a hand through her hair. "Listen, I have some work to catch up on at home so I'd better be…"
Jeffrey wrapped his big arm around her, pulling her close. Before she had a moment to even think, he pressed his lips to hers. As soon as her brain caught up to what he was doing, her arms flung to his chest, pushing him forcefully away. "What are you doing?!" She cried, wiping at her lips where his had just touched.
Jeffrey looked rather horrified that his plan to kiss her had backfired so horribly. "I was just trying to kiss you."
"Well, I don't think that's a good idea. Okay?" Nora unlocked her car door and stepped inside, her heart pounding a mile a minute, tears threatening to fall out of nowhere. She was going to cry because some guy tried to kiss her? She felt humiliated. "Sorry." She called quickly, shut the door, started up the ignition, and drove away from the still stunned man on the curb.
…
Nikki reclined on the couch, a cup of tea in hand, and the night news on the television. She checked her watch. It was getting late.
She sipped her Chamomile and honey concoction, waiting for any signs of the El Camino out front. Just as that sexy weather woman stepped on the screen, Nikki heard the car peel around their street corner. Nora was home.
It took several minutes for the blonde to emerge in the living room. Nikki could see through the dim lighting of the room that Nora was upset.
Instead of saying "I told you so", Nikki sat her tea cup on the coffee table and stood, making her way to the visibly shaken woman. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, pressing kisses to her cheek. "What happened?"
Nora wrapped her arms tightly around her partner and let her soothe her with warm, welcome kisses. "He tried to kiss me."
Nikki shook her head and pulled Nora back to the couch. "I'll slap him if he ever tries it again." She half-jokingly responded, allowing Nora to sit in front of her, cuddling her from behind.
Nora turned in their embrace and pressed her lips wantonly against Nikki's. The brunette let her fingers trail over Nora's taut mid-section, her fingers skirting beneath the fabric of her favorite T-shirt. It was her T-shirt after all, but Nora had stolen it.
Nikki dipped her head, pulling back Nora's hair so that she could kiss her neck.
Nora relaxed in her lover's embrace, happy to be home with the woman she loved.
Maybe Nikki was right. Maybe she needed to let this secret out because she couldn't imagine spending another evening on another blind date with some guy who thought he could kiss her like Nikki could.