"Olivier? Are you home?" Delphine called out into the dark condo before she could reach for the light switch. Curious as to why the house was so dark, Delphine proceeded with caution.

"Yes Love, in the bedroom. I have a surprise for you. Come here" He replied, sounding far more pleasant than he usually did.

'A surprise' Delphine thought to herself as she approached the bedroom cautiously. Once she arrived she noticed something that deeply disturbed her on the nightstand.

"Oh merde, Olivier. What is all of this?"

"It's just some party favors babe, Terry knows a guy out here and I figured you'd want to live a little with me. It's not something I do often, but I do like to partake occasionally."

"Oli do you have illegal drugs in our bedroom or am I hallucinating?"

"Lighten up babe it's just Molly, It'll just mellow you out a bit and the sex will be amazing."

He was apparently getting a kick out of this.

Delphine became quiet and remembered something her father had said about Hollywood types when she told him she was moving in with Olivier,

"Ces célébrités sont rien d'autre que coureur de jupons toxicomanes et ils aiment à amener les gens vers le bas avec eux"

At the time she'd insisted that Olivier was different and not like the other men in LA. Of course at the time she was still under the impression Olivier was someone that he was not. Although her father had a knack for being judgmental and small minded, she was beginning to agree with him. Instead of overreacting she decided to offer her boyfriend help. Although she had no interest in that lifestyle, she knew how tempting it could be in this city and how easily one could get sucked into this trend.

"Non, I will not compromise myself to make you happy… but I will offer to help you break this habit if it means you never bring this into our home again"

"Aw baby…you know you're right. I'm sorry I asked, I thought you'd do anything for me but now I know I truly have a problem if I'm trying to influence you."

Delphine couldn't help but sense a tone of sarcasm in his statement but decided to blame it on the nearly half a bottle of cognac he had obviously had to drink that night before she arrived. Ever since he left his television show for film work he had been struggling to find roles. He was a French American actor with an unimpressive resume and terrible faux French accent. He was attempting to play the roles of the handsome foreigner when in reality he was born in Ohio.

Delphine had originally met him at a party she attended with her best friend Thomas while he was dating Olivier's costar Juan Carlos and was invited to their fifth season wrap courtship was pretty standard. Lingering glances led to an introduction. The introduction led to a drink at the bar. By the end of the night Delphine was giving him her phone number and convincing him it would be better if they did not go home together. She honestly didn't think she could contain herself around him since he was the first 'true' Frenchman she'd met in the states. After weeks of dates she finally gave in to his pleas only realizing after they'd slept together he was not from France but had a French father and an American mother. On top of the fictional persona, the Ferrari he had been driving her around in belonged to a friend. She should have known the car was far too expensive for someone who worked in cable television, but he spun a story about having lucrative investments. When she confronted him about these things he begged her not to judge him because she had made the assumptions that led to her being incorrect. She went with this logic and nine months later they were sharing her condo.

Despite his problems Olivier attempted to keep up his façade in front of strangers much to Delphine's disapproval. He had made several bad investments and spent far too much on clothing and shoes. She had never met a man that was so into his appearance. To his credit, he happened to be a very handsome man. His black hair and light brown eyes were exaggerated by his chiseled jawline and perfect teeth. In addition, his tall broad stature made him look far more physically imposing than he actually was. His attire was styled to perfection whenever he left the house, however his expensive tastes caused him to hemorrhage money trying to keep up appearances. After leaving his show he had two film roles lined up but lost one because he had slept with the casting director two years before. Once the director found out about this he fired them both. The director had not been fond of Olivier's overacting and felt he wasn't rugged enough for the role. Curious as to why his colleague lobbied so adamantly for the actor to get the role, he did some investigation. He soon found out from several crew members that the actor had a very intimate relationship with the 55 year old casting director. To say Olivier had his issues would be an understatement, but Delphine felt for him and often thought he was simply misunderstood She saw no reason to abandon him like everyone else in his life.

…

After a long night of arguing and tears Delphine convinced Olivier to enter a treatment program. They agreed on an outpatient counselling program and she made him promise to take it seriously. Even if he said the drug use was occasional the drinking was not. She had grown tired of nursing him back to health after a weekend binge and felt like this was his last chance to make his sobriety stick.

Throughout the day she attempted to calm her nerves and look forward to her lunch with Cosima. It was just about 9AM and she wished she'd heard from Cosima over the weekend to confirm their meeting.

The wheels began to turn in her heard as she wondered if Cosima would be there on time or even at all. Had she remembered? She was a high profile athlete with plenty of obligations...would she be thinking about having lunch with her as much as Delphine seemed to be? Just as her insecurities began to get the better of her she felt her phone vibrate.

Hey you! Are we still on for today? It's Cosima BTW.

She couldn't help but smile at the text from Cosima. It came just before she began to spiral into a self-conscious fit.

D: Oui Cosima, if you are still free. I'll be done with my work before noon.

C: Good! I'm starving. I've never been to the restaurant but I've heard good things. Are we meeting there or did you want me to pick you up?

D: It's not far from where I'm working today so I'll probably just walk there.

C: Oh okay, well I'll be there. I can't wait to see you!

Delphine's heart began to race as she read the last message. She was surprised that Cosima seemed so eager to see her and couldn't help but be flattered by the attention. She was beginning to get nervous and part of her wished she'd spent more time choosing her outfit for the day. She had decided upon a simple pair of blue jeans and a large black button up top. She had worn ballet flats because she planned on walking and her jewelry was simple at best. The one thing she was confident in was her hairstyle, which resembled a bun with loosely pinned curls that framed her face. After the night she'd had with Olivier she didn't have much energy to primp and had to leave quickly in order to make it to her first appointment on time. After looking at herself in her small compact mirror she sighed and resolved to just be excited for the company she would have later with someone that was not her boyfriend.

D: Yeah, me too!

…

"So what did she say?"

"She said 'me too'. Do you think she was just being nice or is she really excited to see me…Why am I so nervous Fe?"

"I don't know Love, she is a straight woman as far as we know so maybe it's just a friendly response."

"Gee thanks for the vote of confidence in my seduction skills Bro." She said, fully aware she was grasping at straws for clues about Delphine's intentions.

"Cos…I am confident in your ability to seduce straight women into shagging you but you seem to really like this one. Not only does she sound as straight as they come, but she has a boyfriend. I'm beginning to worry that you're going after someone unattainable on purpose. Are you trying to focus all of your attention on a woman you know you can't have so you can pursue her without getting your heart broken?"

"Well if she doesn't end up being into me won't I still be heartbroken?"

"Not really because we both know this is a long shot. If you let yourself be shocked if she turns you down you only have yourself to blame Hun."

"Yeah I guess you're right…so should I bring her flowers or…"

"Oh my God!"

"Okay okay no flowers"

…

"Hello, are you finding everything okay?"

"Hey…uh no actually. I'm looking for lilies."

"Oh well we have an assortment over there. Are they for a special occasion?"

"Well yes and no…I mean I'm going to lunch with a friend that I would like to be more than friends with but I don't know if flowers would be too much you know?"

"I see, well it's a shame you're interested in someone already…" The florist gave Cosima a wink and led her to the lilies.

The florist was a petite brunette with a half sleeve of an intricate and beautiful tattoo on one arm. She had silky straight black hair and her make-up looked to be professionally done. Although Cosima more often noticed blondes this woman would otherwise be her type. Today however, she didn't give the woman a second look.

Cosima shrugged shyly as the woman asked her opinion on which colors to add to her bouquet from the display of lilies. She then found herself wondering what Delphine's response would be to her giving them to her. Her mind then began to wander and she thought about what Delphine would be wearing and how her French lilt would sound around those Spanish words. What would they talk about? Would she blush at Cosima's flirtations like she did at the shoot or would she grow tired of their little game? All of these thoughts rushed through her mind as the florist prepared an arrangement for Cosima until finally her phone rang and snapped her out of it.

"Delphine?"

"Allo Cosima, are you already on your way?"

"Checking to make sure I'm there on time?"

"Oui, because I am beginning to walk and I'd hate to arrive and not find you there."

"Oh I see, you can't stand to spend one more minute without me? In that case I'll hurry"

With a sigh Delphine hid her laughter at Cosima's brazen flirtation and replied,

"Alright, J'attendrai"

"Alright"

Cosima must have been smiling the entire time she was speaking with Delphine because the florist had an odd grin on her face as she rang her up.

"Man, you've got it bad girl. That is one lucky lady."

Cosima couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. She knew the woman was right and she was beginning to get worried that her attraction to Delphine was becoming too strong too fast. Rather than dwell on it she paid and headed out the door after thanking the florist.

…

Once she arrived at the restaurant, Delphine began to get nervous. Even during the nearly one mile walk she didn't break a sweat but now her palms were clammy. She began to tap her foot as she waited in line to put her name in.

After being seated she glanced around the restaurant and noticed the patrons were quite young and eccentric much like most of the niche areas of West Hollywood. Just as she was marveling at a haircut she couldn't quite wrap her mind around Cosima entered the restaurant, flowers in hand, looking just as good as she remembered. Good as in a friend with a nice style…right.

Delphine was once again surprised by how Cosima could pull off such casual attire and look so trendy. She also couldn't help but notice that although she was more toned than the average woman, she moved with a grace that was similar to that of a dancer. Her body wasn't stocky or wide, but rather lean and sinewy, despite her short stature. Her outfit of a loose gray tank top, black denim and all white converse Chuck Taylor's, was simple and managed to make her look even younger than she was. The brunette's dreads were in a loose bun and she wore a large faced watch on her left wrist with an assortment of knit bracelets on the other. Delphine took this time to ogle the woman as she waited for the hostess to direct her toward their table.

She couldn't help but think it was nice to be out with someone who cared about the way they looked but didn't need to be in designer ensembles. It made Delphine feel like she could be a little more relaxed about the way she was dressed.

Cosima spotted her and began to smile uncontrollably like a child on Christmas day. She eventually walked over to where Delphine was sitting and began to hand her the lilies.

"Hey there... these are for you. I walked by the flower shop and thought you might like them…"

She waited a few seconds to see how Delphine would react. The woman simply took the flowers and smelled them before replying,

"They're beautiful Cosima, thank you. I haven't smelled fresh flowers in so long..."

Relieved that the woman wasn't turned off by the gesture, she sat in the chair across from her and thought of a way to compliment Delphine. She could say she looked beautiful but that was too simple. She could talk about how the sun rays coming through the window made her eyes shine like the constellations in the night sky, but that might be too much. Eventually she settled on something in between.

"You're welcome. I chose the flower that reminded me of the way you sound when you speak French, which is absolutely lovely"

'Nailed it!' She thought as Delphine turned bright red and began to giggle at the comparison.

"Oh so this is how you woo the girls, Flowers and compliments about how lovely they are? You Cosima, are something else entirely."

"No wooing here Delphine just stating facts. You can sound tough...as you displayed with your words when we first met, but you can be quite sweet after someone with my level of charm disarms you" Delphine was in disbelief at how confident Cosima was in her theory.

"I mean you agreed to have lunch with me even though your first instinct was to say no... Soooo in essence, I think I'm wearing you down woman...I'm wearing you doooown." Cosima finished her speech certain that Delphine would not get the reference and began to peruse the menu for something edible at the vegan Mexican restaurant. She was completely surprised to find she was wrong when Delphine responded.

"So I am Laura Winslow and you are Steve Urkel?... Well that makes sense, I mean you already have the glasses and the walk down" Delphine laughed at her own joke and hoped Cosima would find it as funny as she did.

'Delphine knows 90's sitcom references too?' Cosima thought as she began to wonder if she had dreamt the woman into existence.

"Hey you can laugh all you want but hipsters are rocking the Urkel look all over Silver Lake… And I do not walk like him. I'm far more suave... like Stefan."

After more playful banter the two ordered their meals and began to get more insight into the others' life with an ease neither had ever experienced.

"So you have one sister and an adopted sister and brother from the UK?

"Yes"

"Okay and Alison the oldest raised you after you mother passed in your teens?"

"Correct"

"Wow Cosima you have layers. Your life is far more complex than I would've imagined. You've been through so much."

Cosima never really thought of it that way. It had just been the way things were. Their mother Siobhan had been in a fatal car accident when they were younger and Alison being the oldest took over and essentially raised them. It wasn't something she discussed often, but she was comfortable sharing this with Delphine.

"Yeah I suppose, we really had to stick together to survive and we are very close because of it…You know my Mom was the reason I really stuck with soccer. She worked two jobs to pay for my club league dues and made sure I practiced as often as possible. It was her dream to see me play in the World Cup…I like to think she sees me somehow and cheers for me."

Cosima couldn't fathom why she was telling this virtual stranger all of this but she really saw something in Delphine's eyes that made her feel like she truly heard her and understood.

"I'm sure she does Cosima, you have accomplished so much at such a young age and yet you manage to be so humble. You are an inspiration to young athletes everywhere. Thank you so much for sharing this side of yourself with me."

Delphine smiled warmly and put her hands on top of Cosima's across the table without even thinking or worrying about how the other woman would interpret it. She did so for the simple fact that she wanted to comfort her. That, and she was aching to have physical contact with her ever since she saw the brunette walk through the door.

The feeling she felt as soon as their hands met was one she couldn't recall experiencing before. It was a mixture of desire and comfort that she would not have thought possible. The synapses in her brain were firing and while part of her wanted to let go in order to regain her senses, but she couldn't seem to pry herself away. Cosima's hands were soft to the touch but strong as she grabbed Delphine's hands and held them briefly before returning them to their original position under the blonde's. It was obvious Cosima was feeling something too and had to stop her natural inclination to extend their contact.

Cosima was the first to snap out of the trance they were in when the waitress came back with the check. They both reached for it but Cosima grabbed it before handing it back to the waitress with her credit card.