Caroline finally gives into going to Hebden Womens disco with Gillian.

Caroline drives over to Gillians so they can get a taxi down to Hebden together. Gillian is singing at the top of her lungs as she pours herself a glass of wine as she waits for Caroline's arrival.

Caroline enters the permanently unlocked front door to an already tipsy Gillian dancing along to "sisters are doin' it for themselves" by the eurythmics.

As gillian spins around she spots caroline in the doorway holding her laugh in. As soon as they make eye contact Caroline bursts out laughing and Gillian runs over to the stereo to turn down the music. "Don't stop on my account " Caroline shouts just as Gillian turns down the volume.

"How long have you been standing there?" "Not long enough" Caroline mutters trying not to laugh.

Caroline makes her way over to the kitchen table and places her bag down. Gillian gets a glass out for Gillian. As Gillian pours her a glass of red, Caroline notices the effort Gillian has put into her appearance for the night. Not a pair of converse in sight.

She noticed Gillian was wearing the necklace she bought her for her birthday. As she hands Caroline the glass of shiraz she gets a whiff of her perfume. It is familiar and comforting.

"I've booked them a table at that lovely hotel in skipton."

"Oh good. That'll be nice for 'em"

"I hope my mother gives Alan a break" "He's happy enough. I don't think we've got anything to worry about"

"She can be a bit of a nightmare at times". Caroline responds.

"Yeah well me dads no angel" Gillian says as she gulps down the last of her wine. Caroline nips to the loo as Gillian books the taxi. "It'll be 10mins caz" gillian calls up the stairs as she gets one last look at herself in the mirror, she ruffles her fringe a bit and straightens her necklace.

The bar is already quite busy. They grab a table and drape their coats over the back of the chairs.

"What you having" Gillian asks

"I fancy something different tonight"

"I've heard they do some nice cocktails" "Oh okay, I'll have a sex on the beach if they do them."

"Alright, shouldn't be long"

Gillian leaves Caroline to scan the room from the safety of their table as she goes to the bar.

Caroline is trying to calm her nerves. She hasnt been in a prominent 'lesbian' environment since she was at college. She did feel safe though. She found comfort in seeing so many women her own age in the space. She did like the younger ladies, but was always open minded.

Gillian kept her eye on Caroline as she waited to be served at the bar. She had been so excited for tonight. She always loved socialising with Caroline. She loved there laughter and banter they had between each other

"Can I help you love?"

"Yeah, are you doing the cocktails tonight?"

"Yeah, we are"

"Oh okay good. Can I have a sex on the beach please."

"Anything else love?"

"And a JD and Coke please"

"Single or double"

"Make it a double please mate"

"Okay no worries"

She glances over to Caroline while she waits for the drinks.

She smiles as she sees Caroline having a little chair dance. Bopping her head to the music. This puts a smile on Gillian's face.

"That's £9 exactly please" Gillian hands the barman a tenner and waits for her change.

She sits the drinks down at the table. Caroline thanks her and says she'll get the next round.

"Seen anything you fancy?" Gillian asks "Well" Caroline responds

"Do you see that woman over there with the white jacket"

Gillian spots the woman Caroline describes

"Oh yeah. So you have got a type."

"What do you mean?"

"Younger?"

Caroline chuckles

"No, don't be silly, that doesn't bother me. It's their energy that draws me in. She seems really confident."

The woman they are talking about is obviously in the middle of a hilarious anecdote. All the women around her are totally compelled. Caroline was fascinated and wanted to know more.

"You should go over"

"Your joking aren't you"

"That's what you're here for, aren't yah? That's what everyone is here for."

Was Gillian counting herself in this observation? She wasn't completely sure.

"C'mon what's your go to line?" Gillian questions Caroline.

"I don't. I haven't."

"You've never chatted a woman up have you?"

"No, yes no well not for a very long time." "Kate just happened out of nowhere, organically.

And Olga. Well Olga was Olga."

"So I've probably chatted a woman up more recently than you have."

"What are you talking about?"

"I suppose this is the perfect time to tell you" Gillian scoffed.

Caroline was focused on Gillian now, no more scanning the room. Eye contact not broken. "I had a thing with one of the mums at Raffy's school when he were a nipper."

"Wait. What. Wh what are you talking about?

Your the straightest women on the face of this earth."

"C'mon Caroline thought your were open minded"

"Yeah I am but"

"She were gorgeous. Ended too quickly."

Caroline had so many questions but the cocktail had already kicked in and she needed the toilet.

"Wait there, I'll be right back. My pelvic floor isn't what it used to be."

Caroline hopped down off the high stool, then strutted her way to the bathroom walking past the woman in the white jacket.

Glancing over to her as she walked past, making eye contact. After she finishes in the stall she walks over to the sinks where the woman in the white jacket is standing messing with her long curly hair. They look at each other with a smile through the mirror.

"First time?"

"Yeah" Caroline answered

"What do you think?"

"I'm very impressed"

"Oh good. It's nice to get good feedback" "Oh did you organise the night"

"Yeah, well it's my bar."

"Oh right"

"Nice place you've got here"

"Thank You, I try my best. Not much of a scene around here really so it's important I do my bit."

"Well it looks like you do well"

"Yeah, its picked up that last few months" "Oh great"

"C'mon let me get you a drink" Caroline follows the curly haired amazonian out of the bathroom to the bar.

"What you drinking"

"Well I just had sex on the beach"

"Alright for some ay" They both laugh.

"No, the cocktail caroline says embarrassed"

"Two sex on the beaches please Luke"

"So who you here with?"

Caroline points Gillian out "Just a friend. Well, she's actually my step sister"

"Oh right okay, she been here before"

"No no. Well I don't think so"

"You gonna introduce me"

"Yes of course"

"Wait I haven't even asked what your name is"

"Eva"

"Eva, sorry. I'm Caroline"

Eva passes Caroline the tall glass of the pink drink and smiles at Caroline as her fingertips brush Caroline's. All this time Gillian has had a knot in her stomach. Why does she feel like this all of a sudden? Was it jealousy or excitement? She brought Caroline out to wing woman her, not to wing woman herself, and bag caroline.

She had thought about Caroline as more than friends before.

The first time was about 6 years ago when they went to check out a venue for Alan and Celia's wedding. Caroline had taken Kate there not too long before for a mucky weekend.

While they were there Gillian got the impression that the staff at the hotel suspected that Gillian was another one of Caroline's women.

Gillian thought this was hilarious and played up to it. They got pissed together and later that night Gillian told Caroline her most deepest secret.

Gillian trusted Caroline. She didn't quite know why. They hadn't known each other very long and they hadn't spent a lot of time together.

However the time they had spent together, around this time, Gillian found herself wondering what if she was one of Caroline's women? Gillian started to find her attractive and became more and more comfortable around her.

The most recent time Gillian questioned how she was feeling was at their joint birthday gathering at Caroline's. They were clearing up in the kitchen. Caroline was talking about a colleague at work that she had invited round for dinner, but wasn't sure what the context of the evening was or could be. Gillian told Caroline about the Hebden women's disco. She thought it would be a good way to get Caroline out there. And also thought it would be another excuse to spend some alone time with her. She conjures up the courage to tell Caroline how attractive she is, making sure not to make it too obvious how she felt.

Having said this Gillian didn't notice the look Caroline gave her after showering her with compliments. Caroline was having some confusing thoughts of her own. Caroline was so calm as Gillian laid her hands on Caroline's arms.

"Gillian. This is Eva. Eva, Gillian"

"Having a good night?" Eva asked Gillian "Yeah not too bad. Been to worse lezzie bars In my time"

"Have you?" Caroline wondered

"Yeah, this is a palace compared to the clubs I used to go to."

Caroline almost wished she hadn't started talking to Eva so she could find out more about Gillians escapades. But then on the other hand Caroline was chuffed to bits that she had bumped into Eva.

"So Eva, what's to come during the festivities tonight?"

"We have a couple of DJ's who rotate, they are actually a couple. I let them do their own thing.

They do switch it up though at the end of the night. They do a good old fashioned slow dance section."

"Oh good, something to prepare for then" Gillian smiled.

"Yeah, carry on getting them drinks down you."

"I will, don't you worry about that Eva."

Gillian knocked back the rest of her Jack and Coke and told Caroline she was off to the bar.

"Okay love I'll be right here" Gillian makes her way outside and bums a cigarette of one of the older women from the disco. Meanwhile inside. Caroline offers Eva Gillian's seat so they can get more comfortable. Caroline is over the moon she came out tonight. Eva is just her type and feels really secure talking to her.

"So what do you do?"

"I'm a head teacher"

"Oh wow, sexy"

Caroline blushes

"I had a massive crush on my head teacher when I was at school. Oh my god she was stunning."

"Oh really, that's good to know"

Caroline almost cringed at herself.

Eva placed her hand on Caroline's thigh as they laughed together.

Gillian walked back in at this point. Caroline was glad to see Gillian's face. She smiled as soon as she saw her. Caroline was a little bit embarrassed at how forward Eva was being. She liked Eva but was looking for someone with more substance. Beauty wasn't everything to Caroline.

"Have you been smoking?"

"Yeah just had a cheeky fag" Gillian replied "Think I fancy one"

"C'mon I'll take you out for a cigarette"

Eva got the message but was polite and smiled her way out of the situation.

Caroline followed Gillian outside after saying her goodbyes to Eva.

Couldn't have another one of them off you could I love? Gillian asked the same woman as earlier for a cigarette. She hands the cigarette to Caroline. She lit the cigarette. She was glad it was a menthol cigarette.

Gillian loved to see Caroline being a bit rebellious and having a cheeky cigarette after a few cocktails.

She found it so sexy to watch Caroline wrap her lips gently around the cigarette as she gently sucked. Gillian had to look away for a second.

"So are you having a good time Gillian?" Caroline asked as she handed the cigarette to Gillian.

Gillian answered vaguely.

"Yeah it's alright."

Gillian spotted Caroline's lipstick on the end of the cigarette and pursed her lips the same place Caroline had moments earlier. This made Gillian feel intense feelings.

"We can leave if you'd prefer." Gillian suggested

"Bollocks to that I wanna have a dance before I go."

Caroline had the last couple of drags of the cigarette and tossed it to the floor, Sandy from grease style. The DJ spoke on the microphone "here we go ladies, thankyou for a brilliant night as usual. Here's to love. Here's to lesbians. Here's to life."

'Will you still love me tomorrow' by Roberta Flack started to play.

Caroline immediately felt melancholy as the song held a special place in her heart. This song played at Alan and Celia's wedding when Kate came back and asked Caroline to dance. Gillian knew this and said

"We can leave if you like." Caroline said "bollocks to that. I wanna dance."

Without hesitation Caroline pulled Gillian to the dancefloor. Gillian was shocked at the confidence of Caroline. Caroline places Gillians hands on her shoulders and Caroline places her hands on Gillian's hips

"Is this okay" Caroline asked

"Sure. I remember this song at Dad's wedding"

"Yeah, it's one of my favourites"

"Kate would have wanted you to find love again you know"

"Yes well"

"Well what"

"I don't know Gillian, I'm just trying to live in the moment as much as I can. You said yourself last week, lifes too short."

"Yeah it is."

"Tonight with words unspoken" Caroline sings along.

"You say that I'm the only one" Gillian continues Gillian brings her eyes up to Caroline.

Caroline sweeps a stray hair out of Gillian's face. Gillian makes a line up carolines back with her finger. They can both feel the tension building. They're eyes don't part until the song changes.

Walk on by, by Isaac Hayes starts to play.

"I'm gonna go and call a taxi okay.

"Sure"

Caroline goes to grab the coats and drinks the remainder of her drink she meets Gillian outside.

"5 mins Caz"

Caroline hands Gillian her coat They stand in silence until the taxi pulls up

"For Gillian"

Taxi driver nods.

They both climb into the back of the taxi.

"Good night ladies?"

"Could say that yeah"