Hiya! I know it's been over a week. Writer's slumps blow. Plus, y'all liked the last chapter so much I'm afraid I'll never be able to replicate its awesomeness. Oh, sorry about inflicting sadness upon you, butttt that was kind of the point. I know; I'm mean. :) Speaking of your reactions, reading your compliments is extremely humbling. I just write for fun when I'm not being a computer nerd. So thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your kind words. Hugs all around.
I did want to specifically call attention to something that a guest mentioned. Sorry I can't respond to you personally, but I wanted to thank you for the constructive criticism and for caring so much :) You're completely right. I tend to drive the plot forward too quickly and the characterization and evolution of Emily and Alison's connection has suffered a bit. I'm going to do my best to reel back the intensity and just let Emily and Alison get to know one another. Instead of me blabbing about how I plan on fixing it, I'll let the writing speak for itself. However, if I haven't recovered in a few chapters, be sure to let me know! I'm counting on you, Guest :)
On Wednesday afternoon, three days after the remarkably intense AA meeting, Alison ascended the steps to Emily's office off the main street in Rosewood on her way to her restaurant in Philadelphia. Whether intentionally or coincidentally, the two women hadn't seen each other since that day. The only communication had been spotty texting from which Alison learned of Emily's distaste for emoticons. Alison wasn't paranoid, but she did have something on her mind she'd rather not discuss on the phone. Plus, she missed her. A lot.
When she swung open the door, she was greeted by a small empty waiting room with half a dozen chairs. Although Emily worked primarily in several sports facilities, she preferred to handle consultations in an actual office. Her entry shattered the silence, which quickly caught the attention of the only occupant in the office. "Ali, is that you?" Emily called from a private room a few yards away.
Alison trudged to the open door wearing a look of determination. From her limited experience with Emily, she knew she could derail any conversation with her charm with very little effort. The brunette's head popped up from behind two computer screens and greeted the blonde with a grin. Walking to the edge of her girlfriend's desk to Emily's right, Alison said, "Do you think it's weird that we know incredibly personal things about each other, but not each other's middle names? Like we've skipped a bunch of steps?"
Raising an eyebrow at the abrupt entrance and random question, Emily offered, "I'm so out of the dating loop. I thought this was normal." When Alison's head tilted slightly to the right and the corner of her eyebrow tipped up every so slightly, Emily offered a straight answer, "Yeah. It's unorthodox."
"I mean, I know about Maya and—"
"Ali," the brunette coaxed her girlfriend closer and grabbed her left hand, "I didn't mean to rush this or basically force you into knowing about her." She pushed aside a few paper forms when Alison leaned up against the desk. "I brought you because I'll probably never be able to say some of those things out loud again." She brushed her thumb over the top of the blonde's hand, "You needed to hear it. It was just horrible timing."
Alison cupped her right hand over Emily's and smiled sweetly. She didn't want Emily to think she didn't appreciate the sincerity and transparence, but too much too fast was the perfect way to describe the current situation. Her gaze flitted down to Emily's sleek keyboard. There was something specific that bothered her so she mumbled, "You still have the ring she gave—she was going to give you."
Emily stood pushing her rolling executive chair backward still clinging to her girlfriend's hand. "I have no idea what to do with it." Although the voice was soft, the confidence assured the blonde that keeping the ring in no way meant that Emily's heart was trapped beneath six feet of dirt.
"Isn't it like she's around all the time?" Alison asked wondering how painful it must be to have such an imposing object in her possession.
The brunette pulled her hand from between the blonde's and with both hands on Alison's hips, she twisted her until the back of Alison's legs were flush against the desk. Standing in front of her, Emily shook her head, "You have no idea." Even though her touch rooted her to Alison, Emily seemed a million miles away. The far off look convinced Alison that she truly hadn't the slightest idea. "I'm open to suggestions," Emily offered. When the blonde looked confused, she clarified, "About what to do with the ring."
When the brunette tapped on the sides of her thighs, Alison lifted herself onto the desk as she suggested, "Her family?"
Emily snorted as she opened her girlfriend's legs to squeeze between them. "No way in hell. They hate me and the feeling is mutual." Her fingers tickled the blonde's exposed knees.
Staring at the brunette's fingers teasing her skin, she asked, "Do they hate you because of what happened to Maya?"
"They never liked me." Emily noticed Alison's dress crumpled under her upper thighs and she pulled it down almost to her knees. "They thought I was a slut who seduced their daughter. On top of that," she noted solemnly, "tragedy can turn hatred into something super scary." Her palms turned upward when Alison's fingers dropped down to stroke them soothingly.
"Well," the blonde replied cheerfully. "My parents would like you." Alison was relieved to see the beautiful smile return to her girlfriend's face.
"Oh would they?"
She bounced a finger against the tip of the woman's nose. "My dad would for sure. You might have to work a little with my mom."
"We're talking about parents," the brunette chuckled. "Speaking of moving too fast."
"How about we do something normal?" Alison plopped her palms behind her as Emily gripped both of her thighs.
"Sure," the brunette shrugged, "Whatever you want."
"I get to pick?" the blonde asked with giddiness.
"Seeing as our last outing was to an AA meeting, you've earned first choice." Emily patted her left thigh with a smile.
"Good." Alison's thoughts immediately began to churn. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, but she had a feeling Emily would hate her for it. Well, not hate, but she would give Alison more than a few glances of annoyance and several minutes of whining.
"You wanna clue me in?" the brunette asked.
"I'll let you know," the blonde pursed her lips not wanting to reveal anything.
Knowing she'd get no more information about their impending outing, Emily said, "Hey, Ali."
"Yeah?" Alison replied a bit hesitantly after seeing a nervousness shoot across her girlfriend's face.
"I really just don't know what to do with it. That's the only reason I still have it."
"Em," the blonde assured, "It's okay. I believe you." She scooted herself closer to the edge and grabbed onto the front of Emily's shirt pulling her forward. She couldn't decide what she liked most about Emily, her ever present brash and sometimes dodgy sarcasm or the brief glimpses of her kindness and vulnerability. The darkness of her past and violent outburst with the phone unsettled her at times. She couldn't deny that, but she hoped their journey into normality would fully color the spectrum of her girlfriend's personality.
Emily mumbled with Alison's face less than a foot from hers, "Oh and this moving too fast thing includes this." She teasingly plucked every one of the blonde's fingers from her shirt.
"Not fair!" Alison pouted letting her rejected hand fall into her lap.
The brunette tossed Alison's hair behind her left shoulder. Two of her fingers traced a faint trail from her ear to the neckline of her dress on her clavicle. "Awww," she poked out her lip before tracing the invisible line with her lips. "Poor Alison," she muttered against her girlfriend's neck. Alison craned her neck to her right offering more skin to Emily's nibbling mouth.
Knowing Emily would refuse to share these sensations with the rest of her body, Alison's neck and shoulder shuddered with a multiplied amount of pleasure. While her nerves fired off waves of heat to the tips of her fingers and toes, Alison commented with a faint pant, "I don't mind if you're a slut, you know."
Sharp streams of air tickled her skin as Emily chuckled, "I'm going to assume you don't mean that as an insult."
"I definitely do not." Alison's right hand pawed around for Emily's left and as she guided it to her side, cursing herself for always wearing dresses. If her girlfriend kept refusing to undress her, only her neck and shoulders would enjoy her touch. Skirts might be a better choice. It also wouldn't kill her to slide on a pair of jeans. They didn't at all detract from her figure. Ironically, a dress provided the most easy access. "Jesus, Emily," she groaned in frustration not realizing she'd muttered it aloud.
Amused again, Emily leaned back and said, "I'd just like to say that I haven't turned down a beautiful woman since high school."
"But you've turned down not beautiful women since high school?"
With a raised eyebrow and a shrug, the brunette admitted, "What? I can be shallow."
With a chuckle, the blonde draped her arms across Emily's shoulders and locked her wrists together behind her neck. "Do I have a superficial girlfriend?"
Sighing sarcastically, Emily admitted, "A slutty, superficial and damaged girlfriend. You've stumbled upon a very odd trifecta."
Alison smirked, "Who is turning down my very enticing advances." Her girlfriend nearly knocked her backward when her hands slithered between Alison's arms locked behind her and forcefully clamped her face between them. Emily dove forward eagerly. The blonde grunted when Emily's lips and nose slammed against hers. In Emily's haste, their teeth clashed sending a somewhat uncomfortable jolt through their gums and to the roof of their mouths.
"Sorry," the brunette mumbled quickly before adjusting her angle and attempting to relay her desire in a much less painful way. When Alison parted her lips to reply with a sarcastic comment, Emily forced them closed with a few sloppy wide kisses before burying her lips firmly into Alison's. While Emily made it beyond clear that she wanted Alison, the blonde reveled in the bubbling realization that Emily wanted to be with her, to know more about her than where to touch to make her moan.
When Emily pulled away, Alison asked with her eyes still closed savoring the ghostly feeling of Emily's lips."Why the hell are you turning down a beautiful woman now?"
"Maybe I want to be more than superficial," the brunette pried her girlfriend's arms from behind her neck. "Maybe you're different."
"How?" Alison queried with her eyes opening and her tongue tasting the remnants of the kiss on her bottom lip.
Smirking at her girlfriend's dramatic attempt to cling to the past few seconds, the brunette replied, "I don't know yet. Oh," she walked her fingers up Alison's forearms. "My middle name is Catherine, by the way."
"Lauren," Alison replied with a smile.
"So. Since we skipped a bunch of steps, should I ask about your favorite color? Or your hobbies? Or what kind of music you like? Or what you want to be when you grow up? Or where you see yourself in ten years?" Emily rattled through a short list of getting-to-know-you questions.
Alison kicked her in the back of her thigh. "Smartass."
Alison prodded Emily into a store in Philadelphia as the woman huffed, "I can think of at least fifty different things more appealing than being here right now."
When she nudged the brunette off the sidewalk and across the threshold, Ali chuckled, "That's a bit dramatic."
Sarcastically, Emily glanced over her shoulder and said, "I think I need to get my oil changed."
With eyes locked on a decorative console table that caught her eye, Alison swept past her girlfriend and noted, "I'd be a terrible girlfriend if I let you live in an unfurnished house." As her fingers glided across the stained wood, she added, "It's sad in there."
Emily scanned the walnut table in front of her Northern girl and replied, "First, that's hideous." She received a glare as a response. "Secondly, it's awesome in there."
"Having shelves installed for your comic books doesn't make it awesome," Alison flashed a smirk as she peeped around a tall cupboard surveying the layout of the furniture store. Four days ago, they decided to engage in a normal activity devoid of deep discussion and shocking revelations. They'd jumped from acquaintances to confidants in less than a month. Before they both collapsed under the weight of their combined burdens, they hopped back to the beginning. A casual outing seemed to be the answer, but Emily wasn't too thrilled with Alison's seemingly random choice. Since they were trying to get to know one another, the blonde jokingly insisted that a person's home reflected a their personality. After some persuasion involving more than words, Emily reluctantly agreed to a trip to Philadelphia that weekend.
Emily flicked the beaded strands dripping from a tall standing lamp and replied, "Umm. Clearly you don't know how rare some of those comics are. Some are even CGC graded." Emily informed Alison as if 'CGC graded' meant something to her.
As Emily seemed determined to protest the shopping trip both verbally and non-verbally, Alison shook her head at the brunette grimacing at a large leopard patterned lamp shade. "You mean the comics in plastic cases?"
"Mhmm," Emily acknowledged equally disgusted by the animal print shade's twin reading lamp. "Don't ever google how much those are worth." She glanced at her girlfriend, "Hanna almost threw up."
Brushing her fingers down Emily's left arm, Alison queried, "Did you inherit more than a car from that 'relative'?"
With a wide, teethy fake smile, Emily shook her head slowly in denial.
Before Alison could pursue the topic further, someone inquired over Emily's shoulder, "Hello ladies." When Emily stepped aside and faced the owner of the voice, the blonde groaned as the young man who couldn't be over eighteen raked each woman in turn from head to toe. "Can I help you two with something?"
Not acknowledging the boy's attention to her chest, Emily said, "Yeah. We're looking for the exit."
With the boy's eyes roaming to Alison's hand snaking its way around Emily's back, the blonde responded, "We're just browsing."
Not deterred by the brunette pulling her girlfriend's hand further around her, the store clerk answered, "If you need my help—"
"We won't." Alison cut him off through clenched teeth. She'd forgotten about some men's blatant disrespect for lesbian relationships. They saw it as more of a tease than a hard stop like a straight relationship. Taking one last long look at the irritated blonde and unfazed brunette, he nodded with a creepy sexual appreciation before swiveling confidently and strutting down a row of end tables. "What a fucking sleaze."
"This place is huge," Emily noted in a thoroughly dejected tone as she accepted the inevitability of the lengthiness of their trip. Before unwrapping herself from her girlfriend's embrace, she pecked her on the cheek.
Grinning at the attention, Alison replied following the other woman who flicked every table she passed as if rejecting each one, "Well, your living room is empty and the only thing in your bedroom is a shitty mattress and a TV tray. You're basically in need of everything."
Alison caught the gleam in Emily's eye conveying the gratitude despite her complaints as the brunette conceded, "Let's start with couches then." She tossed herself into the first one she saw, which happened to be an alarmingly disgusting shade of purple. Rubbing the fabric on the cushions, she added, "Let's get the sitting down and standing up routine over with first." She flung out a hand for Alison's assistance.
While heaving her girlfriend to her feet, the blonde asked, "Do you have a color scheme in mind or…" Her voice trailed off at the jokingly blank look on Emily's face.
"Did you hire an interior decorator for your house?"
"Hell no!" the other woman brushed off the idea. Emily chuckled as Alison clarified, "I did it all myself."
With a shrug, Emily suggested, "Then you do it. Your house is nice."
"Really?" Alison returned with a puzzled expression.
"If there's one thing I don't care much about, it's the color scheme of my house." Playfully poking her girlfriend in the stomach, the brunette said, "You dragged me here, so you do it."
Snorting, the other woman said, "You care about that speaker system."
"I'm sorry," Emily apologized sarcastically dropping down into a hideously upholstered love seat, "A speaker system wired all through the house is a necessity."
"Fine," Alison accepted the task of furnishing her girlfriend's apartment.
"I'm pretty sure you already have ideas anyway," the brunette patted the floral cushion next to her.
Reluctantly sinking down onto the love seat, the blonde agreed, "Of course I do." She had an opinion about everything and if she was going to be in Emily's house frequently, she'd like to not hate her surroundings.
When Alison quickly hopped to her feet as if the flowers and vines decorating the love seat bit her in the ass, Emily pushed herself up and asked, "So what does my indifference say about my personality?"
"I'll hold out on judgement," Alison smirked, "because it's not looking good for you."
Throwing her head back and groaning, Alison slapped her hands into the cushions on either side of her, "This is the fifteenth couch you've said is 'fucking ugly'. I can't really help you if your only feedback is cussing and then sticking your tongue out like a three year old."
"I don't like them," Emily answered matter-of-factly as she darted her eyes over Alison's shoulder.
"You told me to do this," Alison reminded twisting around to follow her girlfriend's gaze. She'd been periodically glancing in that direction for at least ten minutes. Just like the last time she checked, the only people she saw were an older couple and a sales guy who was probably in college.
"Oh. I didn't tell you about the part where you make suggestions and I veto everything?"
As Emily pulled the blonde to her feet, Alison said, "So much for indifference." She stood beside her girlfriend facing the same direction hoping to figure out what kept distracting her.
"A sectional that's only nine hundred bucks?" Emily's eyes drifted once again. "Too cheap. We're on the wrong side of the store."
Finally identifying the object of Emily's attention, Alison commented on the sales guy in a blue shirt staring back, "Huh. That's weird." When his curious stare shifted to a gaze of less than pure intentions, she said, "Should I be jealous? That guy is eye fucking you and—" her amused tone dissolved when she caught her girlfriend returning the look, "And you're doing it back!"
Ignoring the comment, Emily strolled a few yards away, "Let's try over here."
With narrowed eyes, Alison followed the oblivious woman keeping a close eye on the man as she quickly flipped over a few price tags, "Do you see how much these are? I'm a snob and even I think this is ridiculous."
Locking her knees, Emily leaned downward near a couch for no particular reason, "Oh don't worry. This furniture is much cheaper than you think."
"What are you doing?" Alison hissed as the leering boy admired the sight.
"Bending over."
"To look at what?!" the blonde snapped. "The floor?! That guy is totally checking you out."
Emily straightened up and grinned, "I know. Don't scare him off."
Alison parked herself between the boy and her girlfriend and said, "If you're trying to find a sleazy sales dude, we passed him at the front door."
The brunette didn't touch her girlfriend, but teased verbally, "Oh Alison. You of all people should know what I'm doing. When you want something, you look for hints of confidence, but hesitance when you actually show them attention." She gestured past the blonde, "He's perfect."
"You're going to haggle for furniture with your ass?" Alison crossed her arms not at all happy with what was unfolding.
"With my charm, Ali," she flicked the tip of the pouting woman's nose, "Don't be crude."
"You just bent over right in front of him," the blonde swatted away her girlfriend's hand.
"Ever heard of 'hook, line and sinker'?" the brunette smirked. When the blonde simply scowled in return, she explained, "This is how I furnished my apartment in Philly after college. Do you know how inflated the price of furniture is?"
"Did you have a girlfriend with you last time you tried to seduce a store clerk with your eyes?"
"I brought Hanna. She's a pretty kick ass wingman. The guy thought I walked on water after she was through with him."
"Can I help you?"
Alison gritted her teeth at the sound. When Emily sidestepped to her right and smiled broadly, she knew it could only be one person.
"Hi… Sean," the brunette greeted after glancing down at the name tag. "I was hoping that you'd come over here." The blonde's hands clenched at her sides. She felt Emily intentionally brush two fingers down the back of her hand. "This is Alison, my interior decorator." The blonde plastered on the least disgusted smile she could muster and turned around as Emily continued, "She has a some ideas, but I'd really like it if you helped us."
"Because someone in my profession definitely needs your help," the blonde growled.
Keeping the man focused on her, Emily added, "You look like you know what you're doing."
"You just have that intuitive look about you," Alison claimed. "I'm sure you can find something that she likes." She whispered into her girlfriend's ear, "This is disgusting. If he looks at your boobs one more time I'm going to rip his throat out."
Emily smiled at the man before replying softly, "There's no need for throat ripping. He's not the one who will be fucking me on the furniture." The blonde cleared her throat at the unexpected reminder. Satisfied with the shocked look, Emily pulled back and said, "Ali, why don't you tell Sean what you had in mind. Oh, and I'm looking for a u-shaped leather sectional with a chaise and I'd like to stick to espresso colored wood for end tables, a coffee table and a media center." Alison rolled her eyes at Emily's first acknowledgement of what she actually wanted. She'd been too busy canvasing for a target to bother expressing interest in the furniture Alison had suggested.
"Do you have a budget?" Sean asked trying to decide which furniture to focus on.
"Well, I have an entire living room picked out a couple blocks away for five thousand, but I was hoping I could do better somewhere else." Emily's voice was dripping with a repulsive amount of sweetness. Alison preferred her snark to this heavy coating of charm. "They were going to charge me for delivery and assembly."
Rejecting the idea with a hand wave, the boy assured, "I'll be sure to waive that."
"And I'm paying in cash."
"Oh," Sean's face lit up, "I can definitely help you out then."
Still wearing the adoring look, Emily said, "I knew I was glad that I came here."
"Me too," Alison offered. "I'm so glad I had this idea."
"Do you want to stay in this area?" Sean asked referring to the higher end sectionals.
"If you think I can come out better than five thousand."
Confidently, he replied clasping his hands together, "The markup here is almost criminal, but most people just pay the sticker price."
Pleased with the opportunity, Alison noted, "It's crazy how many gullible idiots there are in the world." Emily snorted.
Oblivious, Sean directed toward Emily, "And you're not one of them."
Both Alison and Emily inwardly gagged at the compliment. The blonde said, "No, but she can spot them from a mile away. It's a gift." The brunette lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
After clearing her throat, Emily suggested, "Why don't we go over there?" She pointed over the man's shoulder. When he turned, she quickly planted a kiss on her irritated girlfriend's lips. "Behave." She followed with a peck on her nose.
"It's fucking gross," Alison whined.
Following Sean, Emily asked, "Isn't it something you would do?"
"I just scare people."
"Good thing we're doing it my way," Emily replied knowing Alison's method would get them nowhere fast in this scenario.
"Your gross way," Alison reiterated.
Emily smiled broadly, "Your jealousy is adorable."
"I'm so glad I came here," Emily said for what seemed like the millionth time. She, Alison and Sean sat at a table in the back of the store where they had negotiated the final price for a very nice bedroom and living room set. Not wishing to torture Alison for too long, Emily chose quickly so the ordeal ended in about half an hour. Thanks to her flirting and negotiation skills, Emily paid only seven thousand for all of it. Even Alison was impressed. "Before I sign, let me call the other store and give them the bad news."
When Emily walked away, Sean asked the blonde hesitantly, "Do you think I could get her number?"
"No you can't get her number!" Alison barked no longer able to contain her annoyance.
Alison felt a hand on her shoulder when Emily returned to sign. "Alright. Is that everything?"
"Uh yeah," Sean replied conflicted as to whether to heed or ignore the blonde's advice. "That's everything."
After quickly signing her name and helping Alison to her feet, Emily said, "Thank you so much for your help." She pulled Alison to her side, tilted up her chin with a finger and placed a kiss on her lips. "Wasn't he helpful, babe?" she said not taking her eyes off the blonde struggling with both giddiness and anger.
"Wait. You two?"
"Yeah," Alison snapped. "My girlfriend just played you to get a discount on some fucking furniture."
"What?" the now very embarrassed young man croaked.
Somewhat apologetically, Emily said, "Sorry about that. You're super nice and everything."
"Told you she could spot gullible idiots," Alison smirked seeing him cower. "So you can stop staring at her. It pissed me off thirty minutes ago and it's really pissing me off now."
"I—I've got—gotta go," Sean stuttered as he backed away from the couple tripping over a chair in the process.
Commenting on the terror on the retreating man's face, Emily's said, "You're right. You do scare people."
Still not amused by the last half hour, Alison tucked her arms across her chest and stalked toward the exit. When Emily caught up to her, she said, "You should have warned me."
"And missed out on your slew of angry faces? Not a chance."
After they stepped outside, Alison turned and said sternly, "Warn me next time. Watching that man undress you with his eyes was just—just—."
"I had no idea you were so protective," Emily grinned at the frowning face.
"Well, I am," the blonde shrugged off her girlfriend's attempts to pry open her arms.
"Stop pouting, Ali." Emily said as Alison finally dropped her arms. "I don't like guys." She guided the limp arms around her waist. "I like you."
The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at the childish statement, "Do you?"
With a wink and a firm kiss on the cheek, Emily declared, "Now I need a mattress."
Alison yanked the woman close and narrowed her eyes, "I draw the line at you crawling into bed with a sales person."
"Fine," Emily huffed. "I'll have to think of another way."
"Emily," Spencer glanced up at the woman standing to the side of the booth she and her piles of class notes occupied.
"Spencer," the brunette replied with a smile. "Do you always bring school with you to dinner?" she asked as she slid into the other side of the booth.
"Do you always wear workout style clothes to a nice restaurant?" Spencer nodded at Emily's attire as she closed her laptop and collected her notes into a single pile.
Glancing down at her light blue raw cut tank top revealing a black sports bra and tight low-rise nylon and spandex pants, Emily said, "I like to be comfortable when I'm visiting my girlfriend."
Spencer chuckled, "At her newly opened high end Italian restaurant?"
Emily looked to her left and snorted when she spotted a man in a suit and his date in a far too flashy dress raise their eyebrows in disdain. Since they were only one table away, she asked, "Really? My clothes distract you?" The well dressed woman pursed her lips and shook her head judgmentally. "Cuz I can always take them off if that would help." The brunette snickered at her own suggestion as the couple tossed their noses in the air before returning to their meals.
"You're something else," Spencer commented. "No wonder Ali likes you."
"She likes my disregard for dress codes?"
"Em!" Alison gasped at the sight of her girlfriend, "What the hell are you wearing?"
"Maybe I spoke prematurely," Spencer noted.
Emily scooted to the edge of the booth and pulled the appalled blonde toward her, "It's nice to see you too."
The brunette's hands pressed into her lower back and playful smile melted Alison's irritation. Cupping Emily's face in her hands, she replied, "Hi there."
Emily felt her insides flutter and a heat shoot through her face to her ears. Her hands nearly slipped from her girlfriend's body as her muscles turned to jello. As a thumb caressed her left cheek, her skin tingled and mind fogged. What the hell was this woman doing to her? Although no stranger to a barrage of feelings attacking her senses, Emily rarely experienced anything other than lust. She hadn't felt this playful giddiness since she first met Maya.
In Emily's mind, the sarcastic Emily Fields skipped through a dense field of sunflowers. The sun peeked over the horizon and light fanned its way across the blue sky tinting the spotty white clouds with shades of grey. With every brush of Alison's thumb, a frisbee sized leaf kissed her cheek as she streaked past. Although completely lost, she blissfully sprinted toward the rising sun as she smelled the earth smiling after the rain and felt the soggy ground caking itself between her toes. She didn't even like sunflowers; she didn't like feeling vulnerable. However, as her lungs and legs powered through the waves of unfamiliarity, she smiled. She could get used to this. "I missed you," the words slipped out accidentally.
Pleasantly surprised, Alison pressed her lips to Emily's. They held the chaste tender kiss for a few seconds. The sound of their lips parting stretched a smile across Alison's face. "It hasn't even been twenty four hours," she joked releasing her hold and stood upright.
The brunette's hands clasped Alison's in her own. She glanced down sheepishly, "I know. I'm that pathetic clinging girlfriend."
"I might forgive you for tramping into my restaurant dressed like that," Alison tucked a lock of hair behind Emily's ear.
"I just needed to see your face," the brunette looked up and muttered.
Smiling widely, the blonde commented, "Ms. Fields. I think you're quite infatuated with me."
Although there was no denying that, Emily's initial attraction to her girlfriend evolved little by little every time they saw one another. Because of the unusually intense circumstances surrounding their first few encounters, inflated feelings of emotional attachment hitched a ride on Emily's snowballing high school crush. Day by day, the previously heightened reality settled into a comfortable normality. She stopped dunking Alison into the bog of her past and just focused on getting to know her. At first, her seventeen year old self offered many high fives for landing the girl she liked in high school. She was beautiful, to be sure, but little things she did or said dotted her appearance and glazed her physical features with pieces of her personality. Just like any woman falling in like, she was completely smitten with Alison and she was loving it.
"Do you know how happy I am right now," the brunette said.
Alison blushed, "Almost as happy as me."
"I don't get it," Spencer shattered the trance and said to Emily. "Two seconds ago, you unnecessarily offended the couple at that table and now you're literally melting into my friend's arms."
"What did you do?" Alison asked playfully as if preparing to scold a child. She waved Emily further into the booth and slid in next to her.
"I told them I could take of my clothes if they didn't like them."
"I wouldn't mind if you took them off," Alison teased holding Emily's left hand between hers.
"I was here first," Spencer said spreading her arms over her papers. "I cannot possibly be productive with you two mooning over each other."
"Did you just use the phrase 'mooning over'?" Emily chuckled. She rarely heard the term used in that context.
"Sometimes I think she's a fifty year old trapped in a twenty four year old body." Alison smirked at her friend.
"At least I don't dissolve at the sight of my boyfriend."
"Oh please," Alison waved off the comment, "You dissolve. Our love life interactions are just graded on a sliding scale because of Aria."
"Oh, Aria," Emily plopped her chin into her right hand. "Her once illegal relationship still flourishes."
"It is astonishing," Spencer agreed as she stretched over to grab her glass of water on the far end of the table tucked behind small bottles of olive oil, salt and pepper.
"Well," Emily noted thoughtfully and nodded toward Spencer, "You're still with your boyfriend from high school and so is Hanna. You're all nuts."
"You're so polite," the amused blonde commented.
"You only say that because it didn't work out with your high school girlfriend," Spencer replied taking a sip of her water.
"It definitely did not."
"So that date didn't go well?" Spencer inquired.
"Pfffftt not really," Emily sighed. "I didn't really care but my ego was a bit bruised when she left my apartme—the restaurant," Alison raised an eyebrow at the correction, "and told me she didn't think we would work out. Second time she's done that to me. I was actually going to say the same thing, but she beat me to the punch." Emily slid her hand from between her girlfriend's and threaded her arm between the back of the booth and Alison's back.
"Ouch," Spencer winced with commiseration but followed quickly, "Sorry you didn't get the chance to do the rejecting."
"Well…" Emily hesitated before she cleared her throat and said confidently, "When I saw Alison in the restaurant after seeing her in the meeting, Samara didn't really have a chance in hell."
"So that's why she left 'the restaurant'?" Alison asked knowingly.
"Once again, you're cute when you're jealous," Emily smirked and pecked her girlfriend on the cheek. "And you totally blew off my compliment. You better savor them now because after the infatuation wears off I'll—"
"Who says it will wear off?"
"Me!" Spencer chimed in, "Like right now. I need to study."
"You're at a restaurant," Emily laughed sinking down into the booth.
"Yeah," Spencer agreed. "I get free food and it's quiet."
"How do you afford your house?" Emily wondered aloud. "You're still in school."
"She's a Hastings," the blonde reminded. Spencer rolled her eyes obviously accustomed to her name being thrown around for special privileges.
"Are you arguing with me?" a shrill voice rang out from the booth behind Alison and Emily.
"No ma'am," replied a subdued male voice. "I just—"
"I know what I ordered and this isn't it," the voice grated on Emily's nerves and she shot her girlfriend a sympathetic glance. With a groan, Alison rolled out of the booth and Emily's embrace to face what sounded like an incredibly irrational customer.
Alison stepped just out of Emily's line of sight and the brunette heard her ask politely, "Ma'am is there a problem?"
Unable to see the complaining customer, Emily imagined a bean pole thin, uptight bleached blonde with too much makeup, a hooked nose, diamonds dripping from around her neck and an obnoxiously large diamond on her left ring finger. "This young man is incompetent. I said I wanted chicken parmesan, not this. It should be a red sauce, not a white."
Alison replied calmly, "I'm sure it was a mistake in the kitchen, not at all in his control. I can—"
"What are you? A hostess?" the skinny, hooked nose woman accused. Spencer's mouth dropped open.
"No." Alison snipped before continuing cautiously, "I'm not a hostess."
"I'd like to speak to a manager."
While Spencer laughed into her hand, both she and Emily scooted to the edge of the booth so they could witness Alison's reactions to the shrew of a woman.
Alison's hands were clasped together in front of her with her nails digging into her skin. "I'm afraid that he's busy."
"Well," the woman demanded, "I want to speak with someone in charge. Not one of you two."
The look of frustration on Alison's face swelled into pride as she answered, "I own this restaurant so you're more than welcome to discuss this with me, but not in that tone."
"You? But you're—"
"What can I do for you?" Alison cut off the woman's response that she had no desire to hear.
"My chicken is supposed to be—"
"Is that what you wrote down?" the blonde glanced at the nervous waiter who nodded. "There must have been a mix up in the kitchen, as I said before, that's not his fault."
"If he took my order correctly, why would they—"
Alison interrupted, "In case you don't know how a restaurant works, the chef and the kitchen staff cook the food. Not him."
Spencer was overcome by constant sputters of laughter while Emily managed to restrict herself to small chuckles as she enjoyed every second of her girlfriend's verbal annihilation.
The woman gasped and sneered, "Don't talk down to me."
Alison smirked, "I'm just trying to make things simple for you."
The sharped tongued woman slammed her fist onto the table, "Say something!" Emily assumed she must be addressing a companion.
"Sorry, lady," Alison's eyes darted from the spot across the table and back to the steaming woman, "Your date thinks that you're bat shit crazy. Just fyi."
"You know what? Screw you!" Emily heard shuffling and the woman saying, "This is no way to treat a customer."
As the woman slid off the bench, Alison offered with a shrug, "Only I can treat my employees like crap."
When the woman finally stepped out of the booth, Emily accidentally muttered, "Holy shit." Her image couldn't have been more wrong. Beautiful auburn hair flowed down her shoulders to her perfectly sized breasts. They were actually too perfect and too high so they must have been fake. Her dark blue dress hugged every curve and clung to her thighs just long enough down to accentuated her legs. After completely sizing up the distasteful, yet extremely attractive customer, Emily's eyes returned to her girlfriend's face. "Dammit," she sighed with guilt when Alison flashed her a look of amused annoyance. The brunette had been caught red handed. She plastered on the most adorable smile with matching apologetic eyes to which the blonde simply rolled her eyes in return.
"What are you?" Spencer chuckled after witnessing the short exchange, "a horny thirteen year old boy?"
"I just appreciate beauty and—"
"Oh please. You are horny." Emily glared at the other brunette's smirking face. "I know you two haven't had sex yet."
"What?!" Emily gasped. "She told you that?" The topic of sex never bothered her, but the mention of the lack of it embarrassed her.
"Did you tell Hanna?"
"…yeah." Emily admitted. She bit her tongue at the reminder of her and Alison's avoidance of intimacy. Although she stood by her decision to wait, not an hour passed without her thoughts straying to a very naked Alison panting and writhing beneath her.
"In the interim, I recommend you to not appreciate beauty right in front of her. She can't be held accountable for her actions," Spencer chuckled at Emily's raised eyebrow and sigh of defeat.
"Yeah, I've gotten a taste of that," Emily muttered as she fought off a picture of Alison's face between her legs.
"Oh my god!" Spencer noted leaning forward, "You're thinking about her right now."
"Jesus!" Emily jerked throwing one of her legs over the other. "Are you always this creepy insightful?"
The woman replied, "I know what lust looks like." Gesturing to her notes and law books, she added, "I would be a shoddy lawyer if I couldn't read body language and facial expressions, Em."
Emily smiled slyly, "Well Spence, I could just tell you what I'm thinking about if that would make it easier for you."
With a finger pointed at Emily's head, Spencer declared, "No. No. No way. I'm begging you to keep that to yourself."
"You're lucky you're not Hanna."
Spencer nodded gratefully, "I'm assuming you wouldn't leave much to the imagination with her."
"I told her something once and she avoided me and couldn't look me in the eye for a week," Emily declared triumphantly. Hanna totally had it coming, but even Emily felt a little guilty when Hanna twitched at the sound of her voice. Granted, she did sneak up behind the blonde and moan softly in her ear more than once. She was such a terrible friend.
"Speaking of appreciating beauty," Spencer nodded at what Emily assumed to be a now empty booth behind her.
She peeked around the edge and immediately cringed at the sight of a happily abandoned man in a red button up shirt with a meticulously trimmed beard, whose date had bolted, standing way too close to Alison. Emily recognized the leering gaze and threw herself out of the booth. "Whoa there tiger!" She hopped to Alison's side and nodded to the man's jacket on the table. "Your jacket is right there and the door is over there."
Not deterred by Emily's sudden interruption, the man replied evenly, "Thanks for pointing that out." He smiled at the blonde smirking at her girlfriend's outburst. "I'd really like to—"
"Jacket," Emily shoved the black sports coat into the man's arms. "Door. Now." When the brown haired man didn't budge, she snipped, "This is me politely telling you to leave."
Draping his jacket over one arm, the man glared and retorted, "What is your problem?" His eyes darted back to Alison and he was equally confused by her lips tucking between her teeth in amusement.
"I'm not blind," the angry brunette replied. "I recognize all the signs. Don't ask for my girlfriend's number." She refrained from shoving the man backward, "And don't stare at her boobs! Seriously?!"
"You're lucky," the man smiled at Emily as he shrugged into his jacket graciously accepting defeat.
Scowling, Emily returned, "I would take that as a compliment if you had more than her body in mind."
"Jacket. Door." The man suggestively winked at Emily before strutting to the exit.
"Dick," the brunette said to no one in particular as she stepped back into the booth across from Spencer with her girlfriend at her side.
While Emily grunted profanities to herself, Alison patted her thigh and commented lightly, "Well that's a double standard if I've ever seen one."
As the brunette glared at her girlfriend, Spencer stated, "Wow, Emily. Possessive much?"
Accepting the sarcastic praise, Emily smirked as Alison poked her relentlessly in the side. "Thanks, Spence. And hey now!" she snagged Alison's hand. "Don't pretend you didn't like that."
"What's this about a double standard?" Spencer queried.
Emily pinned Alison's hand to the table and the blonde replied, "She let some guy hit on her to get cheap furniture." She smiled at her girlfriend, "Now you know how it feels."
"Again. Wow." Spencer said watching the two women across from her tease each other like children. "What would you do for a car?"
After pressing the back of Alison's hand to her lips, Emily joked, "I'd be sure to keep on my pants."
"There will be none of that, not anymore," the blonde jerked Emily by the chin. Over the past two weeks after the AA meeting, the two women had spent several days together and each time they teased each other more than the time before.
"Nope. Not anymore."
"Has anyone told you how gross it is to watch you?" Spencer asked with her entire face scrunched with distaste.
"See," Alison smiled broadly. "I told you we'd gross people out."
I need to use Spencer more often. I like that chick. I hope I started to back away from the crazy amount of angst Emily and Alison were sinking into. Let me know if y'all liked the fluff!