Back upstairs, Emily headed to the bathroom, insisting she looked hideous with her cheeks red and splotchy from crying. Paige thought she looked stunning; she always did.
Paige served dinner portions onto two plates, lit some candles and queued up an old record in the background. Emily walked back into the room, her face fresh and glowing as she smiled at Paige from across the room. Paige pulled out a chair for Emily but the girl walked right past her seat and right into Paige's arms.
"Hands down: best first date ever," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige. She kissed her gently on the neck, sending a strong chill up and down Paige's spine. This was a brand new tingle inside, something she couldn't quite describe. Shaking her head in disbelief of her good fortune, Paige sat down across from Emily at the table.
"Were your parents cool with you spending the night? I can give you a ride home if not. My dad's car is parked in the garage and I know where he keeps the keys," Paige said between bites.
Emily groaned, closing her eyes as she savoured the flavours in her food. "Mhmm."
"Mhmm they were cool with it, or mhmm you'll need a ride?" Paige said with a laugh.
"My mom was fine with it. My dad is in the military so I barely see him. I just have to call my mom before bed to let her know I'm okay." Emily rolled her eyes at her mother's protective behaviour. She resented it but knew it was just her way of keeping Emily safe. Besides, her suspicious behaviour lately thanks to A was at the root of it all. She was lucky her mother had even let her out of the house, let alone spend the night at a friend's house she had never met.
Paige nodded and took the last bite of her food. Emily finished before her and began to collect the plates from the table. "No, no. I'll clean up. You just go put your feet up." Paige steered Emily out of the kitchen, holding the girl's waist from behind her. Before leaving her to rest on the couch in the living room, Paige planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Butterflies invaded her stomach. She could get used to feeling this way.
Cheating her way through clean-up, Paige rinsed a few dishes before putting them all in the dish-washer - even those that weren't dish-washer safe. She would take care of them in the morning but for now, she had great company to entertain.
Emily sat on the couch with her legs bent, knees to her chest and arms held loosely around them. When Paige entered the room, she relaxed her body, patting the cushion beside her as an invitation. Nervously, Paige sat down beside her and opens her arms, resting one behind Emily's back. Slowly, her fingertips found their way to the skin on Emily's shoulder. Paige traced soft circles on her skin, her glance bouncing back and forth between Emily's sweet face and the arm of the couch behind her.
"Thank you for everything tonight," Emily said. She leaned in closer, the side of her chest brushing against Paige's.
"My pleasure," Paige said, taking a deep breath in. Without thought, she licked her lips slowly as she watched Emily bite down on her lip.
Emily reached her hand up and placed it on Paige's cheek as she leaned forward to kiss her. Their lips crashed together in the centre as Paige met her half-way. The tip of Emily's tongue teased its way between Paige's lips and slid into her mouth, twisting and brushing against the girl's. Paige placed one hand on Emily's lap and the other entangled itself in her hair to pull her head closer. Their bodies pressed together fit like perfect puzzle pieces, as if this moment - the two of them, intertwined and connected - were exactly as it was meant to be.
Emily pulled away from the kiss for a second and eagerly reached beneath Paige's shirt, her hands traveling up the girl's toned stomach. Paige giggled at first because it tickled but as she realized what was about to happen, she panicked. Her heartbeat quickened and her brain nearly turned to mush. She put her hand on top of Emily's through her shirt, stopping her as her palm sat just beneath the wire of Paige's bra.
"I... uh...I'm. Em, I'm sorry."
Emily kept her hand where it was and looked Paige in the eye. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice betraying concern.
"Totally. Totally okay. I'm just... I'm nervous I guess. I've never done this." Paige's admission made her blush and look down, feeling ashamed. Should she have said something to Emily before things had gotten this far? Her body screamed for Emily to touch it, but her mind struggled to come to terms with what was about to happen. She wanted to be ready but she wasn't.
"You've never been with a girl before? Paige, it's okay." Emily removed her hand now, able to gauge the girl's discomfort.
Paige shrugged and turned her body away from Emily. She stared at her feet. "I've never been with... anyone. Girl or guy."
Emily looked at Paige seriously before her lips turned up and into a smile. "I've never been with a guy either." Emily remembered her first time, with Maya, and remembered most of all how long it had taken her to give in to the feeling. She remembered how nervous she felt and how terrified she was that she wouldn't know what to do. She looked at Paige, her face sympathetic as she leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
"If you really want to, though, we can..." Paige said, unexpected jealousy surfacing as Emily's words confirmed for her that she had been with another girl, most likely her ex, Maya.
Emily took Paige's hands in her own and smiled sweetly, a dimple forming just to the right of her mouth. Paige swooned and sighed. She was a lucky girl. "I can wait until you're ready. I want to."
Paige smiled and leaned towards Emily, their foreheads resting gently against one another. "Movie? Popcorn?" she asked. Emily nodded.
"Something scary? But you might have to hold me."
Paige wrapped her arms tightly around Emily, her face burrowed deep in the girl's hair as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I was hoping you would say that."