Hey, it's Thursday, isn't it? So there you go...

34. San Francisco - Thursday

"Eli, Eli, wake up!"

Sara had tried smothering her with kisses, then softly shook her. No reaction. Then she'd tickled her under the covers. Eli had just groaned in her sleep and had curled herself up into a fetal position.

Now she shook harder.

"Eli!"

"Not yet, five more minutes." Came Eli's voice, laced with sleepiness.

"Cupid, I'd love to let you sleep, but we barely have five minutes to get dressed. We overslept. And it's raining buckets outside and the guys from the garden plaza will be here any moment. We have to get up."

Eli reached out and without opening her eyes she flung one arm around Sara and heaved her effortlessly onto herself. Opening her eyes just the tiniest bit, she stretched underneath Sara, kissed her throat and she could feel every muscle move in Eli's body.

"Gimme one minute like this and I promise I'll be dressed in no time. Why didn't we hear the alarm?"

Both gazed over to the bedside clock which numbers blinked stoically at 00:00.

"Great, a blackout." Eli nuzzled her face in Sara's hair and nipped at her clavicle before she raised her head again, a little bit more lucid.

"How come you're awake then and know what time it is?"

Sara pointed at her cell.

"Got a text from Cath, something about a case. Okay, your minute is over."

Eli groaned dicontently.

Just as Sara climbed off Eli and got out of the bed, the doorbell chimed.

"Oh, crap."

Jumping up, Eli hastily put on her jeans and slipped into a pair of sneakers without even bothering with socks.

"Just a second!" She yelled down the stairs as she wriggled into a hoodie and slipped out the room.

Sara quickly followed suit and caught up with Eli by the front door, as she was just assuring the men they'd help unload and carry the two dozen plants and various small pots into the garden.

The rain came pouring down on them, the early morning air was cold and within a minute they were soaked to the bone and shivered despite all the pushing heavy pots around. Eli thanked and tipped the equally soaked delivery guys and dripping wet they gladly closed the door and started laughing the second it clicked shut.

"What a wake-up call. Brrr, I need to get out of these clothes, into a hot shower and then I want a whole pot of coffee and something very sweet for breakfast. Join me?"

Eli peeled herself out of her drenched sweater which landed with a wet smack on the tiled floor of the entrance area and struggled to get out of her jeans. Sara did the same and the puddle on the floor largened, she kicked off her muddy shoes and frowned at the thought that someone had to clean this mess away later and then paused as she noticed Eli staring at her, goose bumbs covering the skin of her arms that still were a bit reddened from the amount of sun they'd seen the day before.

"Sweetness, you're staring at me."

Eli grinned trembling and her gaze wandered over Sara's body again, from her feet over her naked legs, her panties and lingered on her white tank top a moment until it finally found her face.

Sara's voice took on a different quality.

"Eli!" She sing-songed warningly.

She didn't like that look. Eli gazed at her like she had at so many of her flings in college. Like she was a trophy and all that counted about her was her body.

"Oh, cut me some slack, Sara. You're just fulfilling one of my oldest fantasies of you. One I haven't thought of in years."

All she got was a blank stare in return. Sara was wearing fairly average panties and there was nothing special about her- oh, of course. Her white tank top, soaked and see-through with everything underneath on highly alert display, due to the cold.

She groaned and crossed her arms in front of her chest. That was just cheap.

"Eli, you're worse than most men I know. So I'm your private wet T-shirt fantasy? Shall I look for a pair of high heels and give you a lap dance? You notice you have seen me naked a good few times before? How old are you, fifteen?"

"Aw, come on, Sara. I'm not allowed to admire you? Just because it's a chliché?"

Eli lowered her glance to the floor. Uh, typical Sara moment. Prowling predator one day, annoyed by her staring at her in a wet white shirt the next.

"Yeah, because it's a cliché. Grab a blanket, because you'll have to wait for your shower, I'm going in alone."

She started to go and pass Eli, but her voice stopped her.

"Wait a sec. I am not 15 right now, I'm about 22, it was a spring day and we got caught in the rain on the way to the dorm. We wanted to learn together, so you came to my room and asked me for something dry to change into. I gave you a pair of sweatpants and a shirt and you started changing with your back towards me while I promised to make some hot tea, you know, the green one with honey you liked so much. But as soon as you were out of your jacket I couldn't look away anymore. You wore a white shirt and nothing underneath, and it clung, wet as it was, to your back. I'd first prayed that you would turn around. Then you took it off and it wasn't about a wet white shirt anymore, it was your back, the arch of it, your muscles, your skin, all I wanted was to touch you, to kiss your shoulder blades, wrap my arms around you and cup your breasts with my hands. I turned around and concentrated so hard on the water in the little pot on the hot plate that I could still swear it started boiling in half the amount of time it usually took. I couldn't look you in the eyes all night."

"Sweetness, are you telling me about the moment you fell in love with me?"

"Somehow. It was when I fell in lust with you but also noticed that wasn't all I wanted from you. I wanted all of you. From your stubbornness to your sharp brain, from those endless legs to your sad eyes and everything in between. It was the moment I knew something had changed for me, though I didn't want it to. I liked being that skirt chaser. And all of a sudden I had this mad and deep crush. I wanted dates and coffees and long glances and tentative touches and everything I usually didn't do. I didn't do relationships. I didn't fall in love."

Sara closed her eyes. Okay, she had her again. She let her arms fall down at her sides and knew the shirt would now look even more glued to her body. But it didn't feel like a cheap fantasy anymore.

"Eli, look at me." Eli still averted her eyes, Sara hadn't wanted that kind of stare. Now she looked up again and directly into Sara's eyes.

"No, look at me." Eli's eyes darted heasitantly to her mouth, then her chest and midriff. And like gravitating towards her, she took a small step forwards. Sara turned and slowly lifted the top over her head.

"Touch me, like you wanted to back then."

Now it was her turn to feel the goose bumps rise all over her back and arms as with the softest of touches, Eli ran her fingertips over the exposed length of her back, first one hand, then the other joined it. And it felt like Eli did indeed touch her for the very first time. As gentle kisses were placed all over her shoulder blades, her long sigh turned into a low breathy moan and she felt Eli's hands tremble lightly as they glided around her ribcage and palms teased her nipples until Eli cupped them and pressed flush into her back. Sara gasped and bit her lip as Eli just held her, not moving at all. She felt her heart beat wildly and heat crept into her cheeks. She leaned into Eli, ground her backside into Eli's crotch and covered her girlfriend's hands on her breasts with her own.

"Thank you." Eli whispered in Sara's ear, kissed her neck once more and slowly let go of Sara.

She stood there for a moment, unwilling to move, the feel of Eli's touches and kisses still lingering on her skin. Then she heard the shower running and smiled to herself, climbed up the stairs and followed Eli into the bathroom and joined her under the hot water.

They had put on some comfortable clothes, Eli lit up the fireplace while thunder still roared outside and Sara busied herself preparing breakfast.

"Doesn't look like we're going to get anything done outside today. I really should've watched the news or at least the weather report for today. So, what do you wanna do, stay inside all day, cuddle on the sofa and watch a movie?"

Sara spooned some banana slices into her muesli and gave Eli a strange look.

"Erm, I have no intention to leave the house again in that thunderstorm."

She pointed with her spoon towards the window front, where rivers of raindrops ran down on the glass.

"But I also haven't seen any TV in the whole house. I don't wanna watch a movie in an uncomfortable office chair in front of your computer."

Eli stopped the toast on its way to her mouth and grinned.

"Oh love! You're right, I don't have a TV, but I do have a beamer. You know, one of these things that projects the pictures to a wall."

Sara scowled and threw a corn pop at Eli, but secretly scolded herself for not having thought of that.

"Or-" Eli's stare got dreamy.

"I think I have a much better idea. I gotta make a few quick phone calls." Eli let her half eaten peanut butter toast fall on the plate, jumped off the bar chair and ran up the stairs.

Sara just stared at her retreating back and chuckled to herself.

A few quick phone calls had turned into an hour since Eli had vanished into her office now.

Sara had put the dishes into the washer, checked the fridge and made a small grocery list for the rest of their stay, brewed another pot of coffee and had finally begun skimming through Eli's CD collection and was just listening to an old Fleetwood Mac song she hadn't heard in forever as Eli literally came skipping down the stairs, dressed in street clothes and with a big fat grin on her face.

"I'm afraid you do have to go outside once more today, Sar. So get upstairs, get dressed !"

Sara put the CD she held back on the shelf and peered at Eli with a smile playing on her lips.

"What did you do?"

Eli raised her hands in defense, but wasn't able to wipe the smile off her face.

"Me? Nothing! I just found us something suitable to pass the time on this rainy day."

"As long as it doesn't involve any form of ouside activity apart from getting into the car and out to immediately enter some sort of building again, I have no obligations. In fact I'm curious what you're up to."

She walked past Eli towards the stairs, but not without delivering a short peck to Eli's lips.

"Though your last surprise was so outstanding that I'm afraid you'll never be able to top that."

An hour later Eli stopped the car in front of one of the oldest movie theatres in San Francisco. She'd asked Sara to close her eyes and keep them closed about two blocks away from their destination and now led her by the hand into the huge foyer.

"Mh, I smell popcorn. You could've just told me we're going to the movies. We could've had all that at home, you know, plus more privacy."

Sara laughed and squeezed Eli's hand but still didn't open her eyes, she'd promised she'd only do that when Eli asked her to.

"Love, anyone can just go to the movies on a rainy day. Not everyone owns a movie theatre, can close it for the public and select her and her girlfriends favourites and make the whole crew cater just for them. What do you think, there's a couple's seat in the last row, wanna sit there? Privacy included. Sweet or salty? Butter or not? Coffee, water, soda? Or do you want to get crazy with me and have champagne while watching Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke?"

Sara's expression had gone from amused to utterly stunned.

"Eli, can I please open my eyes now?" She brought out.

"Of course my dear."

She blinked and stared first at Eli, then unbelieving at her surroundings. The whole crew was dressed in vintage uniforms that suited the ambience of the location and held trays with everything Eli had advertised. They all grinned and she caught Eli grinning back and winking at them as she pushed Sara gently towards the double doors that led inside the large and beautifully decorated screen.

Still rendered speechless, Sara sank into the overstuffed old deep red brocade chairs. Three seats in the row in front of them had been taken out and replaced by a low table, where they could rest their feet and place their drinks and snacks.

Eli settled in beside her and kissed her cheek.

"Say something, love, you're starting to scare me."

"Champagne will be fine."

"Sara?"

"I've never seen Mary Poppins."

"Waves, snap out of it."

"Eli?"

"Huh?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"You fuckin' own this place?"

A chuckle and a hand entwined with hers.

"Uh-huh! What can I say? I love movies."

Finally Sara's eyes met Eli's and the surprise was still visible in them.

"Right, you are rich. You really own this theatre?"

"Last time I checked, I did own the whole building, yeah!"

"Sweetness, I'm- I don't know what I am right now."

"Sara. Just enjoy your first time watching Mary. And be warned, I know all the lyrics and I will sing along. You'll love it anyway."

Right then, a young men in uniform appeared beside them, two champagne flutes and a huge bag of popcorn on his tray.

"Miss Sidle, boss, erm, Miss Trent, your champagne and buttered and caramelized popcorn."

Eli took the glasses off the tray and handed one to Sara, who instantly emptied it in one large gulp. Trent shook her head and exchanged her own full glass with the empty one in Sara's hand.

"Thank you, Andy. Would you mind bringing us the whole bottle?"

The man gracefully bowed a bit.

"Of course Ma'ams. If you wish for anything else, don't hesitate to call me."

"We will. Now relax and tell me how the Misses is doing. It's still only me, Andy."

Sara watched enthralled as Eli talked to the young employee, who happily announced he had recently become a father to a beautiful baby girl and Eli promised to take a look at the photos before they started the second movie.

By the time Andy had brought the bottle and left again, Sara was sipping on her second glass much slower and looked at Eli in fascination.

"You're incredible. Do you know them all by name?"

Eli smiled and ran her thumb over the back of Sara's hand while the lights dimmed and the heavy curtains slowly opened.

"I do. I'm a kind and friendly boss. They all work here for a reason. Andy dropped out of college two years ago because his mother has Alzheimer's and he wanted to take care of her and needed a job badly. Last year he got married and now he's a father. That guy is only 22. He is great. Liz, the girl behind the counter got tossed on the street by her family because they found out she is gay. She got arrested for stealing a couple of cans of tomato soup and some milk. I couldn't believe there are still families like hers out there. I employed her. Last month she wrote me she has finally gotten her high school diploma and she's applying for university, she wants to become a lawyer, specialized in family and gay rights. She's a smart one, she'll make her way. Greta, she's the manager, lost her job of 30 years because a new management drove the firm bankrupt. She had two boys in college and suddenly she had nothing. She's the best. She organises movie themed parties and special screenings. She keeps this place up and running fairly well despite all the competition from the multiplex cinema's."

Eli crossed her legs and rested her feet on the small table.

"I could tell you a lot about every one of them. I'll tell you all about this place later. But it's time to watch a movie. Forget about the rain outside, forget that in a couple of days we have to go back, stop looking at me like you just found out that I'm not the tin man, woman I mean, and do have a big heart inside this gorgeous body you adore and enjoy. The. Movie."

But Sara didn't take her eyes off Eli as she reached out and gently cupped Eli's cheek and turned her head to face her, capturing her lips in a slow, loving and long kiss.

"Now I can watch the movie."

She rested her head on Eli's shoulder and fixed her eyes on the screen, but she mumbled.

"You'll never cease to amaze me, Rockefeller."

The rain had stopped and the city smelled clean and of autumn drawing nearer and nearer.

They sat in a small Sushi bar downtown and drank Sapporo beer after a huge portion of vegetable and classic rolls.

After Mary Poppins they'd had a chat with the employees and Sara had watched Eli's transformation from Homicide Detective to cinema owner/business woman and boss of a good half dozen employees with fascination. She had seemed years older and the way she had with her crew amazed her. They respected and liked her, she had filled the room with that presence again, nobody could resist her charm.

Then it had been "Wings of desire" and finally "You've got mail", one of Sara's all time favourites, because it managed to stay true to the concept of all the old screwball comedies which she loved to watch, though she'd never admit that to anyone else but Eli, who adored Tom Hanks and would never get over the lines 'legal addictive stimulants' and 'bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils', impressed Sara with her knowledge about the case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and still hummed 'I guess the Lord must be in New York City' while they drove back home.

Yep, fluff. Fluffy fluff on a rainy early spring Thursday in Berlin. Tomorrow, the sun will shine again and on Saturday, this journey will be over.

Thanks for reading.