Kate arrived very early to pick up tickets. She wasn't going to risk not getting seats when she had the opportunity to sit next to Caroline for a couple of hours. She was much more excited about that than she was about the film, which was only to be expected, she told herself with a sly smile.

She'd chosen two seats in the middle, and hoped the cinema wouldn't be too packed. Knowing Caroline was likely to be early, Kate stood outside the front of the Odeon half an hour before the session started, expecting her friend at any moment. She'd realised recently that she could fake being relaxed a bit better if she had warning of her boss' arrival. She shook her head at herself; yes, it had come to this.

Turning up early did, however, give Kate a few minutes to plan her attack. Well, not attack as such; she had no plans to launch herself at Caroline, but Kate was wondering how to get Caroline to make the first real move. She was sure that Caroline found her attractive. The insightful day after the dentist proved that admirably and she'd caught Caroline checking her out several times since then. She smirked quietly to herself at the memory of it. She really was hoping the close proximity of the dark cinema might provoke a response of sorts. She didn't know what was going on under that glorious blonde hair, but she knew what she wanted it to be!

It wasn't long before Kate recognised a tall figure striding along Station Bridge, shopping bags in tow. A flutter in her chest started and Kate tried to subtly walk off her nerves while appearing to wait patiently for her boss. If she was this nervous now, she couldn't imagine how bad she'd be when she was sitting next to Caroline. She couldn't help the big, friendly smile that attached itself to her face and waited for Caroline to cross the road.

"Kate! Hi." Caroline called out as she drew near. "Have you been here long?"

"No. Not long. I did get us tickets though. I thought I'd better, just in case."

Caroline smiled warmly. "That was kind of you. Why don't I get us the drinks and snacks?"

"If you like."

Caroline pointed at her bags, "I'll drop these in the car first, if you don't mind."

At Kate's nod, they set off for the car park before heading into the cafe inside the cinema complex where Caroline ordered coffees and cake to go. As they headed for their seats, Kate was relieved the cinema wasn't busy; Caroline was relieved there was no one she recognised.

They settled into their seats, happy to see no one sitting in front of them. Each was keenly aware of the armrest between them and was leaving it for the other to use. They made small talk while waiting for the movie to begin, chatting primarily about Caroline's shopping spree while Kate fantasised about what those work clothes will look like on that sumptuous form. In particular, she was delighted by the thought of slowly unbuttoning the new blue and white striped shirt, reaching inside to—Caroline's laugh, short and sharp, broke into Kate's daydream. She clutched her coffee tightly, wondering how she was going to manage sitting so close, now she was actually here.

Just as Caroline was about to ask Kate about her day, the lights dimmed and the previews began. It took a few minutes for Caroline's eyes to adjust to the dark and for her ears to adjust to the booming surround sound.

After the opening advertisements, Caroline checked her phone to look up the running time for the movie and instantly regretted the decision to come. Sitting in the dark, hyper aware of how close she was to Kate, she wondered if she could keep her cool for that long. She'd seen the musical on the stage in London years ago, but had largely forgotten the story. All she remembered was the dark gritty tone of it, and worried it wouldn't keep her mind off Kate. She risked a quick glance at her cinema companion, sitting there apparently won over by an ad for face cream.

Caroline chanced a closer look at Kate as the flickering light of the bright, plastic people in fake, white coats promoted some goop fit for the masses. Kate had beautiful skin, sensuous and tempting. Her mouth went suddenly dry as the desire to run her fingers slowly over the hills and valleys of Kate's face landed low in her belly. Shit! She couldn't believe it had struck her so early. How the hell was she going to last another two sodding hours and thirty-eight sodding minutes! Christ on a bike; this was a spectacularly bad idea.

Caroline sat with fists clenched, a smile fixed on her face, as she ran through all the reports she needed on Monday for the budget meeting. She'd managed to mentally tick off all her work preparation for both Monday and Tuesday by the time the movie actually started. She closed her eyes briefly; this was going to be torture.

Not long after the opening credits, Kate took a subtle peek at Caroline. She'd been stiff as a board at the start, but seemed to be settling into the film, which was a relief, because Kate knew a pissed off Caroline was a disaster. She shifted quietly in her seat so she could see Caroline more easily out of the corner of her eye. She smiled as she congratulated herself on a smooth move.

The story came back to Caroline in fits and starts as each early plot point jogged her memory. It wasn't a joyful story, but it did have an excellent cast and the production values were top notch. She could see why the reviews had been glowing. She'd taken to watching Kate when the big productions numbers were on, using the distraction to memorise her profile, the shape of her jaw, her hair, her lips. God, those lips. She focused her attention on the screen again. She wasn't going to make it all the way through if she kept letting herself become distracted.

Unbeknownst to Caroline, Kate had been watching her boss out of the corner of her eye since the opening credits ran. Kate knew the score from the French ensemble, so let its familiarity give her the opportunity to study Caroline, although she was trying to be subtle about it. It amazed her, Caroline's beauty. She had a face worth studying, and yet there was nothing specific about it that was patently memorable other than the piercing blue eyes and striking blonde hair. The delightful freckles she knew were under the makeup were a constant temptation to explore, her fingers itching to trace their way along the contours of them on the pale skin. It was the sum of the parts that fascinated, and Kate found herself beguiled again by the uncommon beauty mere inches away from her arm. Her right arm tingled at the thought. She shifted in her seat so she'd be even closer, careful not to actually touch her quarry.

It was during the quiet scenes that Kate was unable to sit in the dark and listen to Caroline's gentle breathing without connecting on some level. Partly she was enchanted by the scent of her, although she sometimes struggled to recognise it over the smell of burnt popcorn from the lobby. Partly she wanted to hear Caroline's thoughts about anything and everything, and she could barely wait for the end of the film. She hedged her bets, and after Anne Hathaway finished the heart wrenching I Dreamed a Dream, Kate leaned over their common armrest and asked Caroline if she wanted to leave for that drink. To Kate's amusement and relief, Caroline wiped a tear from her eye and said how she'd bet her anything Hathaway would win an Oscar based upon that scene alone.

The rest of the film flew by for Kate, the emotions of the film carrying her along despite her intention to forgo the movie and spend the time in the study of a more complex and less transparent character. For Caroline, the film was a salient reminder to look beyond the surface of her expectations. She still managed to devote quite a large chunk of the film surreptitiously watching the gentle Kate, so it was time well spent.

As the credits rolled and the house lights pulled them from their escape, they turned to look at each other, each blinking against the light. A sense of expectation was humming between them, as each had silently turned the excursion into something more.

As they exited the theatre into the waning daylight, Kate was desperate to not have their time together end. "Ready for that drink?" Kate was nervously hopeful Caroline wouldn't have to run off.

"After that story, I think I'll need two," Caroline said as she looked around to see if there was a pub nearby. Not seeing one, she asked, "Where to? I think the Montpellier is close."

After a short walk they settled into a booth near the back of the pub. Caroline smiled as Kate ordered a gin and tonic. She was beginning to know that it was something Kate often ordered and she respected someone who was consistent in their choice of drink. It was a sign Kate knew what she liked and was prepared to have what she wanted. As the waiter dashed away after depositing their drinks, Caroline asked what they should toast to.

"To seeing the face of God," Kate said.

"Pardon?" Caroline squeaked. A sudden vision of Kate in the middle of an orgasm, head thrown back and body on fire, scorched through Caroline's brain. She nearly dropped her drink. While she managed to salvage the glass, Caroline's body responded with a heat she couldn't control, remnants of the image still burning behind her retinas.

"It was a song line in Valjean's final bit. To love another person is to see the face of God is such a great image," Kate replied, watching Caroline react viscerally to some unseen force. She wondered if there was some religious connotation that had sparked the response, although she had to admit, the reaction did seem sexual. She contained the temptation to giggle, knowing it sat on top of a mountain of desire and she couldn't risk unleashing that just yet. She refocused herself on the conversation. "I just might have to make a trivia question out of that one."

Caroline let out a thin laugh, trying to ground herself with pain by digging a fist hard into her thigh. She tried to breathe through it. "The students really seem to love your game but that might be a bridge too far. Doubt anyone would know it unless they've seen this movie. Although parts were stunning, I don't necessarily see it as a teenager's movie."

"So what did you honestly think? Did you really like it?"

"They were able to do so much more with the story than they could on the stage. And it was so very well cast. I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed it much more than I expected."

"If you didn't think you'd like it, why did you agree to come?"

Caroline wondered how to answer that, relieved that her thermostat was returning to normal. At least there was some part of her working properly, but there was no way she was admitting she'd said, 'Yes' so she could sit next to Kate in the dark. She found a slender version of the truth instead. "I thought it would make an interesting comparison between the stage and screen versions."

"But you did like it?"

"Yep. There's a lot to take away from it. I hadn't examined the theme that sometimes keeping secrets is necessary to keep good people from being doomed. That and the line 'love is everlasting'. Guess John proved that one wrong," she said dryly. Looking up from her drink into Kate's chocolate brown eyes she wondered how long she could hide her secret attraction for Kate behind the banter.

"Secrets. Hmmm. Never thought about it that way before."

Kate gave her drink a stir. It was merely her way of avoiding eye contact with Caroline. She wondered if it was an opening to talk about their secrets. She really wanted to ask Caroline if she was in the closet but was afraid she'd scare her off. She was equally afraid to tell Caroline that she was closeted too for the same reason. As she set her drink down, she decided to try a different tack. "We've all got them. Secrets. I remember as a kid loving keeping secrets with my cousins. They were never anything big but they always made us feel closer. Who did you share your secrets with as a kid?"

"The only secret I had was that my parents didn't get along. My dad ran around on her and Mum was terrified her sister Muriel would find out so I wasn't allowed to tell anyone. It might have been nice to have shared it with my cousins. I couldn't discuss it with anyone at school either. Mum fastidiously kept up the appearance that all was well, a real Hyacinth Bucket." Caroline took a large swallow, surprised that she'd revealed that much about her parents.

"Course the secrets of kids are so different from those of adults," Kate said, hoping to go there but instantly regretting speaking so seriously when she saw Caroline's face go paler than usual and realised she'd hit a nerve. She quickly changed tack again, "Sounds like that was an adult-sized secret she pushed on you. I'm sorry you had to carry that. Ours were about snitching sweets from the kitchen when no one was looking," she grinned at the memory, "And reading under the covers with a flash light after bedtime."

Caroline smiled easily at the thought of how cute Kate must have been as a young girl. She leaned forward, swirling her drink, the ice clinking happily against the side of the glass. A sly smile reached her eyes.

"So what other rules do you break?"

Kate almost inhaled her drink, coughing and spluttering as the thought of Caroline catching her being naughty triggered a visceral response.

Caroline, reached across and started patting Kate ineffectively on the back as if to dislodge the coughing fit. She felt guilty for causing such a reaction; she really had no idea how to flirt. As the coughing subsided, Caroline's hand automatically shifted into a circling motion, soothing the remnants of the attack as Kate recovered.

"Sorry about that." One last cough and Kate's lungs were clear. "I don't know what happ—"

"Oh, it's not a bother," Caroline cut in. "My fault for..."

Kate looked up at that moment, gazing directly into Caroline's eyes. It was then that she realised that Caroline was still stroking her back, the skin under her hand sensitised to burning hot. Kate started breathing faster as she drowned in Caroline's eyes, seeing desire openly bloom in front of her.

Caroline was mesmerised, the sight of Kate in distress overriding her caution, and now her hand was caressing the woman who had been invading her thoughts for weeks. She could see Kate's pupils dilate, her lips part, and all she could think about was wanting to touch her. She needed more. She leaned forward slightly, eyes dropping to Kate's lips, wanting to taste, wondering if they were as soft as they looked.

A yell over by the bar snapped them both out of the moment and Caroline jerked her hand back as she sat up, withdrawing into her own space.

Kate was almost crushed by disappointment. She was sure Caroline had been going to kiss her. She was aching for it. She sighed, the moment gone. She looked at her hands for few seconds before plastering a broad smile on her face and steering the conversation onto safer ground while they took stock. There was an anticipation of things to come as they both wondered how they might recapture some of that energy. They had a second round, and then another, the two of them trying to find a way back to that moment.

It was after ten by the time Caroline stood up, careful not to upset the small table littered with empty wine glasses stained with red sediment and lipstick. Kate was a little wobbly too, but the drink had done its job and they were both laughing as they poured out of the bar onto the dimly lit street.

They headed for the high street to find a cab, merry from tales of madness at work and stupidity at home. Shivering in the cool night air, Kate wished she'd had more on than her light shirt and the new waistcoat, despite the appreciative glances Caroline had been giving it all evening. She subtly moved closer to the hot blonde, hoping for vicarious heat as they strolled.

The street was almost empty as they wandered past shop displays filled with millinery and homewares and hand made shoes. As they passed a boutique with a mannequin in a smart navy suit, Kate stopped abruptly and flung out a hand, pulling Caroline to an undignified halt.

"Is that one of yours?" She asked, pointing at the expensively tailored outfit.

Caroline peered at it for a couple of seconds. "Yep. That'd be it."

Kate turned to Caroline, eyes dancing.

"You look so hot in that suit. I watch you... holy cow, you can carry off that outfit!" She laughed, low and sultry, a vision coming back to her of Caroline strutting down the corridors at work, mesmerising her with an erotic sway of hips.

Caroline laughed brightly, pleasure at the compliment evident. She turned to Kate and her breath caught. Kate was looking at her with open desire.

They froze, entranced for what felt like hours, both hesitant to move lest it break the spell.

Kate watched the play of light from the shop wash over Caroline's pale face, freckles only now appearing from under the makeup worn translucent at the end of the day. After her frustrating dream this morning, followed by torturous hours sitting close to Caroline and breathing in her seductive scent, Kate could no longer help herself; she had to touch. She raised her hand, ever so slowly, until she could feel the delicate skin under her fingers. She didn't think she'd ever felt skin so smooth.

Caroline's breathing quickened and she leaned into the feather light touch. Kate's eyes dropped to Caroline's mouth, watching Caroline unconsciously wet her lips. Compelled to act, Kate stepped closer, and when their lips met, she closed her eyes, the rest of the world disappearing as her awareness narrowed to the softness of Caroline's lips, the taste of them, the heat of her breath.

Caroline pulled Kate to her, needing to feel her body. After weeks of frustration and confusion she at last had clarity. The only thing she wanted was the feel of Kate's mouth on hers, and Kate's lean body pressed up against her.

The kiss, tentative at first, grew into a hungry exploration, messy with desperation and alcohol, desire unleashed for the first time between them. Eventually they stopped, gasping for air as they held each other in the pale beams of light thrown from the storefront.

Kate's fingers slid into the tousled glory of Caroline's hair as she kissed her way down Caroline's neck, tasting the freckles she'd been dreaming about, moaning at the pleasure of it.

Caroline arched her neck into Kate's mouth, lost in the sensual snowstorm that was blinding her. She couldn't remember being this lost in a kiss, not for decades and she clung onto Kate, the only thread keeping her connected to the earth. When teeth grazed her throat a moan was pulled from the depths of her being as raw and savage lust flooded her body.

Panic gripped Caroline's chest and she pushed Kate away from her, lurching towards the shop window, desperate for something to hang on to.

They stood there, breathless, each wanting more, and knowing this wasn't the place for it.

"Jesus. Kate," Caroline whispered hoarsely.

Kate looked at Caroline with longing, trying to catch her breath. She took a step towards Caroline who held up a shaky hand.

"Don't. Not..." Lust was written all over Caroline's face, but desire was losing the conflict she had with fear. "What was that?" She knew what it was, but she couldn't quite believe it. She needed Kate to tell her what it was. She needed to hear it.

"Caroline, I..." Kate started, not knowing what to say. How could she explain the hold this woman had over her, how she dominated her every waking moment? How honest could she be? Flushed with the success of her first approach she took another leap. "Caroline, I have a... crush... on you. Well, more than a crush actually."

Caroline looked intently at Kate and for the first time, saw it. Saw the signs that she'd missed of the yearning that underscored so many of her interactions with Kate. Saw for the first time the opportunity that lay in front of her. And the obligations. Caroline's mind raced ahead, skipping past the present into the future, cataloguing all the possibilities.

Before Caroline could say anything more, a cab rattled around the corner and headed towards them. In that instant, the urge to flee overwhelmed her. She flagged down the cab.

As the driver stopped, Caroline turned to Kate. There was so much going on in her head she struggled to get anything out. She reached for Kate's hand as Kate stood dumbstruck, shock and grief at Caroline's reaction apparent on her face.

"I need to think. I've got to go."

Caroline gave Kate's hand a gentle squeeze and with a watery smile, she turned for the cab.

She stepped into the cab and closed the door quietly behind her, leaving Kate breathless at the curb.

Kate's mind whirled at a million miles an hour, retracing every moment of the evening with Caroline. Fortunately a second cab appeared. As she settled into its back seat, a sense of panic overtook her again. Was it too much too soon? Would Caroline sack her first thing Monday? Did she get it all wrong? She had a reprieve from her runaway emotions as a text message from Caroline pinged on her phone.

Sorry I left you standing there like that. Text to let me know you get home safely.

It was then that Kate realised Caroline was probably panicking too. Perhaps Caroline's concern for her safety was her taciturn way of admitting she liked her too. Perhaps she just needed more time and a less public place. Kate ran her fingers over her lips, savouring the memory of the bruising pressure of Caroline's lips on them. She knew that for the promise of more kisses to come, she'd wait as long as she needed for Caroline to be ready.