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Sophie wasn't coming. Maybe she was stuck into traffic. Maybe her grandma was dead, thought Dani, gulping. She couldn't go to Hawaii without Sophie, could she?, she wondered in the passengers queue.
Dani's sad eyes were scanning the hall, hoping until the last moment. She was looking back, but still, her body was moving of its own volition.
'M'aam?', said the middle-aged man in charge of the gate.
'Yeah, I'm coming.'
She followed the other passengers to the tarmac, throat tight. She got into the airplane. Once she had found her seat, she tried to call Sophie one more time. No answer.
The seat next to her was empty. It wasn't a big deal, Sophie could take the next plane. She would be late, but she would come. Or she wouldn't, if a funeral was coming... God, Sophie would hate her if she didn't come to the funeral.
'Please fasten your seat belts and turn off all electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones...', the robotic voice of the flight attendant said.
Dani followed the instructions, hands shaking. Well, she was definitely alone now. It had been so long since she had time for herself, excluding her quick runs in the morning.
The airplane took off. Looking by the porthole, Dani realized she just wanted an escape.
She had booked a room in a luxurious five-star hotel. That night, she was laying on the Queen size bed, her duffle bag unpacked at the foot of the bed. It was past midnight, and she was trying to decide whether she should order a cup of champagne or a glass of whiskey.
'Room service, how can I help you?', said the man on the phone.
'Hi, hum. I'd like to order a glass of whiskey please. No ice.'
'Coming in two minutes, miss Nuñez.'
The whiskey tasted sour. She had tried to call Sophie again at her arrival, and during the past hour. Sophie hadn't answered once. It felt awfully like rejection.
The whiskey didn't help her get to sleep. She hoped Sophie would call the next day. She hoped her girlfriend wasn't dead.
At four in the morning, she received a phone call.
'Sophie? Where are you?', she jumped.
Sophie was crying at the end of the line.
'I'm sorry... I'm so sorry', she kept repeating.
'Soph', what happened? Is your grandma okay?'
'Yes, yes, she's okay. It's not—'
'What's going on?'
There was a silence.
'I'm in Kansas City. With Finley.'
'Oh.'
Dani didn't know what to say. Why? What was Sophie doing with Finley? It didn't make sense.
And then it did. She remembered the night she found them intertwined on the couch and—
'Sophie?', she said, throat tight.
'I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you. I was felling lonely and—'
'Did you sleep with her?', interrupted Dani, harsh.
'Dani...'
'Did. You. Sleep with her?'
There was a silence at the end of the line, then a breathy,
Yes.
Dani ended the call and threw her phone against the wall. She took a pillow and screamed into it. When her anger faded, she spent the night crying, and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.
The next day, Dani considered booking a flight back to LA. No one was waiting for her at home, except Micah. Sophie probably wouldn't come back within a few days. She had booked a two days long trip in Hawaii, and it would have been stupid to pay for another ticket when she was supposed to come back so soon.
She considered staying in bed and crying. She didn't have any tears left, and honestly, she didn't want to be such a mess for someone who had just destroyed her life.
Dani went out.
She had been clever enough to take her running clothes with her, so she went for a run on the beach. The quick run transformed into a full day of exercise, she felt like she had enough negative energy inside her to run a marathon. She didn't want to think.
Back to the hotel room, she took a quick shower and emptied the content of her beauty bag into the sink. Her eyelids were still puffed, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She opted for a light smokey eyes and red lipstick.
There was a bar across the hotel. She went in and ordered the strongest drink, yet, she wasn't a big drinker. The lack of control alcohol indulged scared her. She was drunk when she had met Sophie for the first time. But Sophie had left since. So, she supposed she had the right to make exceptions.
She didn't really know what she was attempting with this black dress she was wearing. It wasn't even a gay bar. She would probably make decisions she would regret later. Did she really want to have a conversation with a stranger right now? No.
She emptied her drink and went back to the hotel, alone. Her phone was still on the floor, where she had thrown it the previous night. The screen was shattered, but luckily, the phone was still working.
No message nor calls from Sophie. Nothing. She got to bed and typed:
I'm coming back to LA on Thursday. I will send you your things back when I arrive.
Sent.
Then she turned her phone off, because she wasn't ready to have this conversation with Sophie. Not right now. Never, actually.
She slept ten hours, but the night was restless. When she turned her phone on, in the morning, she had three missed calls from Sophie and had received a text message:
Can we please talk about it?
There she was, pushing to talk things out, even when she was the one who fucked everything up. Acting as if anything could be repaired with simple words. Acting as if Dani wanted to hear her voice after that.
The next evening, Dani was determined to get drunk. She went to the same bar, ordered the same drink, wore the same black dress.
'Hey. I think I saw you there yesterday.'
Dani turned her head. It was a young girl, approximately her age. Average looking.
'Yeah', she admitted, a bit embarrassed. 'I left early.'
'You were alone', said the girl.
It was a simple statement, but somehow, it brought tears to Dani's eyes.
'I still am.'
'And what are you doing in Hawaii by yourself?', asked the girl, a bit flirty, and probably already a bit drunk.
'Business trip.'
The girl didn't ask further questions, and it was a relief. She was very talkative. Her group of friend had already left during the day, so she was alone and determined to have fun before leaving the next day. It was a perfectly convenient situation for both of them. Somehow, they ended up dancing.
'I'm sorry, I just realized I don't even know your name', said Dani, laughing awkwardly. She was officially drunk too.
'It's Bethany!', the girl shouted over the Cuban music.
They ended up at the girl's hotel room. Dani insisted on ordering champagne, but Bethany was worried they would be too drunk to fuck.
Dani attacked her mouth the next second. Once they made it to the bed, Dani slipped her hand under Bethany's dress and removed her panties.
'You're so hot', Bethany whispered.
Dani attacked her mouth again. She wasn't ready to have a dirty talk session. She just wanted to fuck and get away from her thoughts.
It was over pretty quickly. Dani didn't even use her mouth. Bethany was more silent than she had expected, but still, she looked pretty satisfied, judging by the smile she had on her face.
Bethany nuzzled into Dani's neck and started kissing her breasts. It was weird being touched by someone else. Weird and refreshing.
Dani took off her own dress and Bethany removed her panties. The girl was much more enthusiastic than Dani expected. She trailed kisses down Dani's stomach, and the next second she had Dani in her mouth, and fuck, Dani didn't expect it to feel that good.
'Bette', Dani whispered.
'Mmmh?', hummed the girl, still at task. And then, her tongue stopped moving.
'Fuck, sorry', Dani said, rising up on her elbows.
She prayed the girl wouldn't hate her for screwing up her name. Bethany chuckled against Dani's inner thigh.
'Don't worry', she said. 'Everyone calls me Beth... I love it', she added, breathing on Dani's sensitive skin.
It shouldn't have turned Dani on, but it did. 'Yeah, you love it?' Dani said, grabbing the girl's hair, and guiding her where she needed the most.
Dani came, hazily looking at the roof, her hand still gripping Bethany's hair. A few minutes later, they both fell asleep next to each other.
Regret. Head throbbing. Bad taste in her mouth. Where was she? The room was dark, and Bethany was snoring next to her. Oh.
It was 4:58 am. She had slept only three hours, and she had never felt that dehydrated. Still, she didn't want to wake Bethany up.
She managed to find her clothes on the floor and fled to the bathroom. She drank water from the sink. Bethany was still sleeping in the bedroom, judging by the snoring.
Dani needed to be alone, take a shower and sleep, but she couldn't do that here. She couldn't face the girl she had fucked a few hours ago. Bethany was supposed to leave during the day, anyway, Dani remembered.
She returned to the bedroom, fumbled for a pen and paper, and approached the window to get a bit of light.
Hey, it's Dani, she wrote. What an awesome night! Hope you'll travel back home safely. My phone is out of battery, but I wrote my number at the back in case you need anything. XX
She knew Bethany wouldn't call, but she needed to appease her mind before leaving. She made it back to the hotel in ten minutes and immediately took a shower. Bethany didn't call.
Dani felt guilty afterwards, as if she had just cheated on Sophie when she knew, technically, they weren't together anymore. Is that what Sophie felt? Is that why she was crying in bed the night before they were supposed to leave?
She hadn't told her dad yet. What could she say to him? Dad, Sophie cheated on me with Finley and abandoned me the day before our wedding. You were right, dad. You always were.
No. No he wasn't.
She wanted to run naked into the sea and to let the waves drift her body anywhere. Anywhere far, far away. But she had made enough bad decisions for the day, so she went shopping in the city.
She avoided looking at the bar's facade when she walked pass. She feared bumping into Bethany everywhere she wandered. Her own plane was supposed to take off at 6.00 am the next day.
That night, Dani didn't go back to the bar. She didn't order a drink with the room service. Instead, she imagined the conversation she would have with Micah at her arrival, and held back tears.
Dani slept in the airplane and woke up when they landed. She tossed her duffle bag into the trunk of the Audi and drove fast home. Micah was already off to work when she arrived.
She wasn't sure she wanted to live there now. So many memories were to erase. Anyway, Micah couldn't afford a house like that with his teacher's salary, and she couldn't do that to him. Plus, she needed his support right now.
Sophie's family was her family. Sophie's friends were her friends. She didn't have anything for herself, she realized. And she was going to lose all of that.
She grabbed her phone and typed:
Hi, dad. Can you come over when you'll have some spare time? Love you, xx
She received a text message fifteen minutes later.
Cariño, I just rescheduled my last appointment. I'll be there at 5.
When she opened the door, she could swear he already knew. She fell into his arms, crying, while he stayed silent. Then he made tea for both of them while Dani was sitting at the kitchen table.
'What are you going to do?', he asked.
'I don't know. The great news is that I don't have to divorce.'
'Mmh', he answered, like something was on his mind.
He brought the tea cups by the table, and they both drank in silence. Then, Dani looked at him.
'I still mean what I said. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to create a family with her. I loved her.'
'But she didn't love you', he said.
'I guess she didn't', Dani answered, looking nowhere in particular.
After she told him what had happened, Micah was genuinely disoriented. Dani could see the pain in his eyes. Sophie was his friend. He trusted her.
'I swear I'm telling you the truth, Micah', said Dani.
'And I believe you. Trust me, I do. It's just... I can't believe she hid it from both of us.'
'When do you think she started cheating?' asked Dani, afraid of his potential answer.
'I don't know. A few weeks ago, she was so excited to get married. She told me you were distant recently, but still.'
'I'm going to send her her stuff back. I don't want to see her ever again', stated Dani, resolute.
'I can't promise you that I won't. Like I said, she's my friend—'
'I know. I'm not asking you to stop seeing her. You're free to do what you want.'
There was a silence.
'So... You're staying', said Micah.
'Yes. I'm staying. I have enough money left on my bank account to pay for Sophie's rent for a few months... I still haven't started looking for a job', she admitted.
'You know I'm here if you want to talk.'
'I know', replied Dani, pensive. 'Could you... Could you please ask her what's Finley's address? I don't have the strength to do it myself. Please?'
Micah looked at Dani's puppy eyes face. He sighed.
'Okay.'
Dani packed Sophie's clothing, beauty products, jewels, she even packed her goddamn toothbrush. The extent of her remnents could fit in two suitcases. Dani placed them in the entrance.
What was she going to do with her life?, she wondered, laying on her bed. She couldn't go back to her father's company. She had made a quite serious point, and it would have been a step backwards.
Dani wanted to work for herself. Have her own thing, for once. She wasn't even sure she would have accepted Bette's offer. (Well, maybe she would have.)
Bette did tell her to reach when she would come back from Hawaii. But it was before she informed Bette the job offer was a mere facade... Dani didn't have any reason to see her now.
Did she need an excuse to see Bette? Couldn't they just hang out together outside of work? Dani hoped so, but she was afraid to overstep.
She took her phone and typed before she had time to second-guess.
Hey! I just got back from Hawaii. How are you? I'm free to catch up whenever you want. Xx
She re-read the message three times to make sure it didn't sound weird. Her heart was hammering in her chest like she had just run a marathon. Perhaps Bette would reject her. Worse, ignore her.
And fuck it.
At least Dani would have tried. It was less frightening than the perspective of never seeing Bette again. She fucking sent.
Dani had received no answer. Since the campaign was over, her notifications were dead. As much as she hated the constant beeping, she felt useless now that her phone was silent.
On dinner time, Micah and her ate together at the kitchen table. Micah announced he had managed to get Finley's address. He handed Dani a piece of paper, with a resigned look on his face.
According to him, Sophie and Finley were supposed to come back to LA the next week, so Dani had to hurry up if she wanted to hire a delivery service.
On the table, Dani's phone beeped. Dani's quickly grabbed her phone, her heart missing a beat.
Hi, Dani. I'm fine. Tomorrow at 7 p.m will do? Angie will be at Jordie's.
God.
'What is it?', asked Micah, eyebrow raised.
'Nothing.', replied Dani, replacing her phone on the table. Her hands were shaking.
'Oh, come on!' said Micah. His mischievous smile was back.
'It's personal.'
'And by personal you mean... Bette Porter?'
Dani almost choked. Micah was looking at her with an amused expression.
'I didn't sleep with her. It's nothing like that.', she replied, afraid he would start questioning her version of events.
'I didn't say that.'
Dani took a deep breath and looked at him.
'She invited me at her place tomorrow night. It's going to be a disaster.'
'Say yes.'
Dani knocked on Bette's front door, holding a bottle of white wine. Gripping, really. The whole thing was a bad idea.
The front door opened. Bette was wearing a black pencil dress and a V-Neck blouse. Dani was taken aback for a second.
'Hey', Dani said, when she remembered how to greet. 'I have this', she added, gesturing to the bottle of wine.
'Hey. Come in.', Bette said, an inviting smile on her lips. She closed the door and Dani tried to remove her jacket with the bottle of wine still in one hand.
'Let me take that.', Bette said, taking the bottle away from Dani's grip. Dani removed her jacket and hang it on the coat rack. She could feel Bette's amused eyes on her.
'Follow me?', Bette said, nodding toward the kitchen.
'Yes.'
Dani followed Bette's steps, resisting against the urge to eye on Bette's pencil skirt. She had been so depressed the whole previous week, she wasn't sure she could manage Bette's presence right now. The long blue summer dress she was wearing didn't have any pockets, and she didn't know what to do with her hands.
'It's a nice dress.', Bette said, placing the wine bottle on the counter top. The comment made Dani's heart flutter a little.
'Thank you. I bought it in Hawaii, just after Sophie left me.'
Bette froze dead in track. She looked up at Dani, mouth agape.
'Are you okay?', she exclaimed, as if Dani had gone mad.
'I'm sorry.'
Bette slowly walked up to Dani, still a bit shocked, and placed her hand on Dani's shoulder.
'Dani?'
'Yeah, I'm okay. I guess I'm okay now.' Dani said, eyes on the ground. She took a deep breath and looked into Bette's eye, pulling up a smile. 'I don't really want to talk about it. I don't even know what happened, really.'
'It's okay', Bette said, stroking Dani's shoulder.
'Thank you', Dani whispered. Bette was staring at her with a worried expression, and she was so beautiful, even when she was worried.
Dani had an awful flashback of the night she had screwed up Bethany's name. It was so vivid that suddenly, Bette's touch was too much. Dani had to take a step back and pretend to wander into the room.
She would fuck that up too. She would reveal too much and—and...
'Do you want to help me make dinner?', Bette asked, hopeful.
'Yes', Dani answered, without thinking.
'I don't really know how to cook', admitted Dani, with an embarrassed laugh.
They were in the kitchen, standing behind the counter top, and Bette was wearing an apron.
'You never cooked?', asked Bette, already grabbing a potato from the counter top and pealing it off.
'Sophie cooked. She always came home sooner. I suppose I got used to it.'
'Yes, but it's time to learn', replied Bette with a hint of teasing.
'Of course', Dani said, mimicking her tone.
I'm single now, she realized. She washed her hands and started pealing off a potato the way Bette was doing, hoping not to mess it up. At her third one, Dani was quite pleased with herself- until she noticed. The ring. She was still wearing it.
'Excuse me', she said, in the most casual tone she could manage. 'Where's the bathroom?'
'Third door on the left.'
'Thank you.'
'Can you help me cut the rest of the potatoes, please?', asked Bette when she returned.
'Of course', replied Dani, a bit disoriented. She took a knife and tried her best not to cut any finger. 'What are we making?'
'Gratin Dauphinois'.
Just hearing the name made Dani's mouth water.
As Dani went on, the repetitive motion of cutting appeased her mind. She was so concentrated on her task she didn't notice Bette was looking at her.
'You took off your ring', Bette said, in a non-committed tone.
'Yes', Dani replied, breathy.
Thankfully, Bette didn't comment further. She stared at Dani's progress with the potatoes for a quiet moment, and then went back to her own business.
They sat at the table, Bette at the head, Dani on her side. Dani was already feeling better. The atmosphere was so intimate she was in a state of constant nervous excitement, but it felt good. She felt more alive than every day of the whole previous week reunited.
'Wine?'
'Yes', replied Dani.
Bette poured Dani's wine into their glasses. Dani took a bite, and the food was delicious. She was a bit ashamed she had never heard about this receipe before.
'How is your father?', asked Bette.
'I told him the truth. That Sophie had left me before our trip to Hawaii and...' Dani stopped before she could mention the cheating part. '...that she couldn't stand me doing my job. He spared me the I-told-you speech, which is a good thing, I guess.'
'You told me he didn't approve of your relationship.'
Dani did tell her, that night, crying in Bette's arms at the office. The memory made Dani's cheeks go red.
'He never did', she admitted. 'He was calling her my... My friend. He thought she wasn't good enough for me. When I was in Hawaii, I thought maybe—maybe he was right? Maybe I should have listened to him.'
Dani took a sip of her white wine to distract herself from talking. She could feel Bette's eyes on her.
'Well, I wouldn't say he was right', Bette said. 'He still despised your relationship just because Sophie was a woman. Had she been a man...'
'Yeah'
'Still, he was quite spot on...', Bette continued, disposing her cutlery on each side of her plate with light thud.
'What do you mean?'
'Well, if she couldn't understand what your job entailed and the dedication you put into it— the tremendous amount of work you did for me— for the campaign. Then maybe you weren't made for each other.'
Dani fought back tears and looked at Bette. She nodded, unable to speak. Bette gave her an apologetic smile for the inconvenience. She could feel how much Dani battled within herself to keep a facade.
Dani took a bite, in her own thoughts. Bette did the same, waiting for Dani to spill what she had on her mind.
'It's easier with you', Dani said.
'What?'
'To say what I want. To be myself. To not be afraid of disappointing all the damn time.'
Bette gave a dismissive laugh.
'Believe me, you will disappoint the people in your life. It's unavoidable.'
'Did I disappoint you?', Dani asked, before she could help herself.
Bette put her hand on top of Dani's. The contact was hot and unexpected. Dani battled against the turmoil inside her limbs and looked at Bette.
'You didn't disappoint me', Bette said. 'Quite the contrary.'
And then Bette moved her hand away, the moment was over as soon as it had begun.
'Good', replied Dani. A slight smile appeared at the corner of her lips. 'You weren't the easiest colleague to work with', she added, looking at her plate.
'That's because I wasn't your colleague, I was your boss', replied Bette.
'You're right', Dani laughed. She touched her glass of wine absentmindedly. Bette wasn't her boss anymore, she thought. Right now, Bette was eating with her in her home, as absurd as it was.
'What about you?', Dani said. 'Did you see Felicity again?'
Bette folded her napkin and placed it on the table, then shook her head no.
'I went on a date', she admitted, amused at how incongruous her own statement sounded.
'How did it go?', asked Dani lightly, cautious of not seeming too curious.
'Fine. It went fine', Bette answered, taking her glass of wine to her mouth and not looking into Dani's eye.
Dani struggled to keep her feelings bottled up. Strange, irrational feelings.
'It's good, I suppose, that you... Take care of yourself.'
The statement made Bette laugh.
'What?', said Dani, oblivious.
Bette looked at Dani with sparkling eyes for a few seconds, and then,
'I'm going to do the dishes', she said, standing up and collecting their plates. Her eyes were still sparkling with residual amusement.
Bette was walking up to the kitchen in that black pencil skirt she was wearing, and Dani felt her absence hit harder than it should have. She emptied her glass of wine and stood up, resolute. Adrenaline was kicking into her veins, making it harder to breathe. She clenched fists and walked up to the kitchen.
Bette was standing by the counter top, her back turned. Dani stopped behind her, and Bette turned. She looked stunned for a second, and then curious.
Dani stepped forward, facing her. With a trembling hand, she touched Bette's wrist. Careful, just a touch of her fingertips. Bette's lips parted, but no sound came out of her mouth. Dani caressed her skin up to the elbow, feeling the soft skin. She travelled her hand lower, stopping at Bette's wrist, and then she took Bette's hand.
Bette closed her eyes and inhaled. Dani's world was ready to shatter, expecting rejection. Bette squeezed Dani's hand, her palm hot. The gesture gave Dani courage. She placed her other hand on Bette's hip, not quite gripping, afraid Bette would break at her touch.
Bette opened her eyes. They were so fucking dark.
'Can I—'
'Yes', interrupted Bette.
Dani headed forward and kissed her. Soft, as she intended. Bette kissed her back with a bit of tongue, and it was over. Dani gripped Bette's hip with both hands and went for her tongue, her blood boiling.
Bette allowed Dani's tongue into her mouth. She allowed, but still, Dani felt like at the tinniest mistake, her control could slip and be taken from away her.
She pushed Bette against the counter, not too hard, just enough to keep her in place. She buried her face into Bette's neck, and Bette tilted her head back to give her more access. She put her hand on Dani's nape, encouraging. Dani licked and kissed and smelled, and she could swear if she didn't stop, she could die from it.
Bette grabbed Dani's face in her hands and forced Dani to face her.
'How long has this been going on?', she asked, voice raspy.
This. Whatever that was. An obsession.
'The first time I met you', Dani answered, breathless. She realized the words were true after saying them.
Bette's eyes grew wet. She kissed Dani, deep, hands cupping her face. Dani allowed Bette's tongue into her mouth, her eyes closed, just feeling for a moment. Then she remembered Bette's date, and how Bette avoided looking at her at the dinner table, and her world was ready to shatter again. She broke the kiss.
'Tell me you're not seeing her', she pleaded.
'I'm not. I'm not', whispered Bette.
'Swear it to me', Dani said, hands gripping Bette's hips with intent.
'I swear.'
By looking into Bette's eyes, Dani could tell she wasn't lying.
'I wanted to do that for so long', Dani admitted, voice quivering.
'I know.'
They looked into each other's eyes. Dani wanted more. More than a kiss. She wanted everything Bette could give her. But right now, she was staring at Bette, uncertain. Barely moving her chin toward Bette's face, as if she needed another permission.
'Don't stop', Bette said, confident.
Dani went for Bette's neck again, kissing and licking, resisting against the urge to bite. She trailed her mouth down Bette's cleavage and kissed every inch of unclothed skin in front of her. The way Bette panted encouraged her to go on.
Dani's hand drifted to the side of Bette's thighs, stroking the pencil skirt's fabric. After a few careful attempts, the lifted the skirt until Bette's thighs were out in the open air.
Bette interrupted Dani's kissing again, cupping her face and making Dani face her. It was hard for Dani to look at Bette in the eyes right now, but she did.
Bette kissed her, wet and slow, determined, and everything felt right. It was the confirmation Dani needed to stoke Bette's naked thigh and to reach for her panties. The fabric was soaked.
'I want you to fuck me', Bette said.
Dani stopped breathing. She looked into Bette's eyes, so fucking dark, and then at her mouth, still shining from the wet kisses. She slipped her hand into Bette's panties, staring at Bette's face, and inserted one finger in. When she added another one, Bette gripped Dani's arm, her nails biting into the skin.
Dani buried her face into Bette's neck, inhaled the unique smell of her skin, and started moving her fingers in a slow pace.
The position wasn't the most comfortable. Dani wrapped her arm around Bette's waist to give her support, and Bette gripped the counter top behind her with both hands. They went like that for a moment, Dani fucking into Bette, both silent except for the sound of their ragged breathing and the sound of Dani's hand rubbing against the fabric.
Dani stared at Bette's face. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted up. Not quite reaching. Dani angled her fingers closer and pressed the heel of her palm against Bette's clit. Bette rewarded her with a moan.
Dani thrusted her fingers faster, and she felt Bette's walls clench. Bette's hips started moving, she fucked herself on Dani's fingers, three or four thrusts, hips pushing against the pressure on her clit. Her mouth opened in a silent plea and her whole body started to spasm.
Dani tightened her grip around Bette's waist, watching Bette's face contort with a mesmerized expression. Bette's walls clenched and unclenched around Dani's fingers, and then she went still. Her muscles started to relax, slowly, but her breathing was still ragged.
Bette opened her eyes, and Dani carefully withdrawn her fingers. She battled against her desire to suck on them, and whipped her hand clean on the outside of Bette's panties instead. Bette moaned at the contact, still sensitive.
Dani loosened her grip around Bette's waist. She stepped back to give her some space. Bette straightened up on wobbly legs, a bit disoriented. She lowered her pencil skirt back in place and arranged her curls.
Bette's silence was making Dani a bit nervous. She was staring at Bette, not knowing what to do. Already making excuses in her head to explain her total loss of control.
When Bette looked composed enough for her own taste, she took a deep breath and looked at Dani.
'Follow me?', she said, eyebrow raised.
'Yes.'
Without another word, Bette led Dani to what Dani imagined was the bedroom. Dani's stomach clenched, her body high on nervous energy and excitement. Bette opened the door, turned on the light, and Dani followed her inside the room.
'Lie on the bed.', Bette said.
Dani had the presence of mind to take her shoes off, then she climbed on the bed and laid down.
Bette was taking off her own clothes, standing by the bed. She took off her blouse and discarded it on the floor, then unzipped her black pencil skirt that had Dani's head spinning. Dani couldn't stop staring at her. The whole room smelled like her, she almost wanted to smell the pillows.
Bette climbed on the bed, wearing a black bra and a matching panties. She got on top of Dani, and they kissed for a few minutes. Dani tried to get used to Bette's naked body on top of her, the feel of her fuller breast againt her, the fine muscles in her back, the shape of her ass.
'Take off your dress', Bette said, in Dani's ear. She went up on her knees to give Dani some space, waiting.
Dani sat up and took off her dress, feeling Bette's hungry eyes on her. She wasn't wearing any bra, and the corner of her mouth raised up imagining Bette's reaction. She discadered the dress on the floor and bounced back on the bed, arms leisurely raised on top of her head, inviting. Bette looked positively enchanted, and a bit amused by the lack of clothing.
'You never wear those', teased Bette, coming back on top of her.
'Nope.'
'Always ready', Bette murmured, before taking Dani's nipple into her mouth.
Bette palmed Dani's other boob, and it was so small it could fit into her hand, perfect. The more Bette explored Dani's boobs, the more she liked them. Her mouth became ravenous, and she had to stop to take a breath, panting on Dani's chest. She licked up the lenght of Dani's neck and spoke to Dani's ear.
'I'm going to eat you out now', she said.
Dani's arm wrapped around Bette's shoulder, pressing her close. Bette nibbled at Dani's neck and broke away, rising on all four. She grabbed both sides of Dani's panties in a haste. Dani quickly lifted her hips and pushed the panties down, helping Bette get rid of the clothing.
Bette parted Dani's legs. She laid face down on the bed, taking a moment to just look, and then she went directly for Dani's clit, licking.
Dani's senses were fucking overloaded. She griped the sheets, closing her yes. She bit her lips. She did everything she could to show some fucking restraint, to let Bette take what she wanted.
Bette slowed down and stopped. She gripped Dani's pelvis hard, pressing Dani closer to her mouth. Dani looked down. She looked at the face buried inside her thighs, she looked at Bette, and Bette was looking at her. Her dark eyes were staring at her with intent, and it was almost enough to make Dani cum.
Dani released her grip on the sheets and reached for the top of Bette's head, not quite grasping, not quite stroking. Bette broke eye contact and travelled down lower. She pushed her tongue against Dani's entrance.
Dani gasped and gripped Bette's curls hard, enough to provoke a muffled sound out of Bette. Dani quickly released her grip in Bette's hair, grasping the sheets back instead, worried she had hurt her.
Bette stopped. She grabbed Dani's hand, and put it back in her hair. Then, she moved her tongue again, travelling up until she reached for Dani's clit, licking.
'Fuck', Dani panted.
Dani squeezed her thighs around Bette's face. Bette made a muffled sound again, almost pleased, and Dani fucking lost it. She grabbed Bette's hair and fucked herself on her face. Her thighs clenched, and she came in a single loud plea, back arched, hand gripping Bette's hair.
When she came to her senses, Bette was looking in between her thighs, her dark eyes piercing. Dani unclenched her thighs, legs quivering. She released her fist in Bette's curls, hoping she hadn't pulled too hard. Bette was breathing heavily, trying to collect herself. Once her breathing evened, she placed a wet kiss on Dani's inner thigh, and then rose up to kiss Dani on the lips.
They looked into each other's eyes. Dani stroked the sides of Bette's face with disbelief, mouth slightly ajar. Bette's eye grew wet. She put a wet kiss on Dani's lips and laid down on her back.
'You're being surprisingly quiet', teased Bette, after a moment.
'I don't know what to say...', admitted Dani. 'Thank you?'
They both laughed, and Dani pressed her body against Bette's side, facing her. They were silent for a moment.
'So, what happened during the date?', Dani asked, head full of thoughts.
'Well, it was fine as I said. Her name is Maya, she's a journalist I met at the election party.'
'Oh. Did you two—Did you two fuck?'
There was a silence, then the sound of Bette exhaling through her nose.
'We did. And it was okay, I guess. I have her number, but I didn't feel any spark between us.'
'She took it well?'
'What?'
'When you told her you just wanted a fuck.'
Bette laughed, staring at the roof. Busted.
'Hum... Yeah. She actually did.'
'Because I'll kill you if you tell me that right now', said Dani, matter-of-factly.
Bette turned her head and looked at Dani with a deadpan expression.
'Oh, you think you can?'
'I'm sure of it.', Dani replied. 'And for your information... I actually slept with a girl I had barely talked to less than a week ago. Her name was Beth.'
'Are you kidding me?' Bette exclaimed.
'I wish I was. But it wasn't premeditated.'
'You're scaring me right now, Dani', Bette said, cradling Dani's body into her arm.
'Good. Keep being scared', Dani replied, with quick peck on Bette's shoulder.
Bette smiled and stroked Dani's hair softly. She stared at the outline of her Dani's face, lost in thoughts, her hand stroking Dani's hair in a repetitive motion. After a few minutes, she turned off the light, and they both fell asleep.
Bette woke up first, the daylight filtering through the curtains. It was 9 a.m, but it didn't feel like they had slept that much. Next to her, Dani was still in a peaceful slumber, her mouth agape. Bette stared at her for a quiet moment, so young, so beautiful. Bette was hoping Dani would wake up at one point, not wanting to do it herself, but Dani didn't. Bette decided to use that free time to take a shower and try to look decent. She got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
She took off her clothes, and looked at her herself into the mirror. Her skin was bruised from where she had pressed against the counter, the previous night. Where she was pressed, she thought, and she couldn't blame the hormones for her body's reaction just thinking about it.
After her shower, Bette took a towel and dried up her hair in fast motions, until they were dry enough not to drip. She put on a thin-layered sweater and a silk trousers, going for a more casual look. A bit deadly, she examined her face into the mirror, and opened the beauty cabinet. What she saw inside made her froze.
She sighed, looking up.
'Dani?', she shouted, in what she thought was loud enough to be heard from the bedroom.
She heard footstep coming in the corridor. Dani knocked and came in. Her hair were messy, and she was wearing the same blue dress she was wearing the previous night.
'Yes?', Dani said, confused.
Bette held Dani's wedding ring in front of her, eyebrows raised.
'Already invading my bathroom?'
'You found it.', replied Dani, dumbfounded.
Bette raised her eyebrows higher, waiting.
'I was supposed to take it back before leaving', Dani explained. 'My dress didn't have any pockets, and— I considered throwing it into the toilets but— it's her grandma's.'
'Take that ring back', Bette said, with an unmistakable eyeroll.
'Thanks', said Dani, repressing a smile.
She took the ring from Bette hands, but didn't leave. She stayed still, her head titling to the side, watching Bette with a fascinated expression.
'You're beautiful, like that', she said, having made up her mind.
Bette scoffed, not believing any of this. Her hair were still wet, collecting in a messy nest of curls. She wasn't wearing any make up. She turned to reply with a witty comeback, but her eyes made contact with Dani's ones, and the pure admiration she saw in them made it hard to believe Dani was lying.
Bette broke eye contact.
'Too bad I already took a shower...', she mumbled, closing the beauty cabinet.
Dani laughed. 'Yeah...' She looked at the ground, took a small intake of breath. 'Can I use the shower?' she said, hopeful, as if she had just asked for the moon.
'Yes.' Bette replied. She eyed that blue dress Dani had put back on to cover herself. 'I'll get you a change of clothes.', she added.
The fact she was going to lend Dani out her own clothes was left unsaid.
'Okay', Dani said, and Bette went for the door to leave. 'Oh, can you choose something with pockets on, please?' Dani added, before the door shut.
When she got out of the shower, Dani realized the change of clothes Bette had promised was not in the bathroom. She wrapped a white towel around herself, grabbed her dirty clothes in one hand, and walked tentatively into the corridor. She made it to the bedroom without slipping.
A pile of clothes was placed on the bed. Dani tried not to think about the black lace panties on top of the pile being Bette's one, and she started to dress up. She put on the high-waisted navy trousers Bette had chosen for her, and unsurprisingly, the cut fitted perfectly. She reached for the white bright shirt remaining on the bed, and stopped dead in track. Realizing.
There was no bra.
Bette gave a quick appreciative look at Dani's appearance when she entered the kitchen.
'Smells delicious', Dani commented.
'You're hungry?, Bette asked, flipping a pancake behind the stove.
'Yes.'
Dani watched her cook for a moment and felt a bit useless, so she decided to offer her help. Bette indicated in which storage were placed the sirup and the sugar with a tilt of her head, still focused on her cooking. Dani got some milk in the fridge for herself. She placed the ingredients on the table, and decided to make coffee for both of them. Dani could feel Bette's eyes on her from time to time, and the nervous energy she felt the previous night was back. She disposed the two hot coffee cups on the table and sat down, adding milk in her cup, sugar in Bette's one.
Bette came up with a plate full of pancakes. She wasn't wearing make up, Dani noted, and her stomach flipped at the thought her comment had made an impact. Bette sat down and slowly took a sip on her coffee. Long, dark, with a bit of sugar. Perfect.
'Maybe you can cook next time, and I can sleep in.', Bette said, not looking Dani into the eyes.
Next time, Dani registered, heart racing.
'Oh, certainly', Dani replied. 'I actually enjoyed our cooking session last night.'
'Among other things...', Bette mumbled, sipping on her coffee.
Dani chuckled. 'Yes.'
Bette and Dani were standing at Bette's entrance, ready to part. Dani took her coat back from the coat rack and dressed it on, the feeling of Bette's eyes watching her. She smiled to herself, remembering how awkward she was when she first came in, not knowing the night's events would take that particular turn.
Bette didn't comment on Dani's sudden beaming, but she certainly looked amused.
'So, I'm leaving', Dani said, in front of the closed front door. Not quite ready to go.
'Mm-Mmm', hummed Bette, anticipating another one of her outbursts.
'Remind me to give you your clothes back.', continued Dani.
'I will.'
'Okay', Dani said, nodding. 'I'll text you when I'll have them washed', she added, with a quick smile, turning to the door.
'Come here', Bette said, barely above a whisper.
Dani's went still. She turned and slowly walked up to Bette, three or four steps, until she was fully facing her.
Bette kissed Dani's lips with a small hint of tongue. Enough to make both their bodies light up, too quick to fuel the fire.
Dani opened her eyes, frustrated at first, and then truly relieved, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
'Okay, I'm really leaving, now', she said, before she could change her mind. She turned her back to Bette and went for the door.
Bette hurried to open it for her. 'Let me.'
Dani turned and offered a smile, her eyes gleaming.
'Bye, Bette.'
'Bye.'
When Dani left, Bette was standing by the front door, watching her Audi drive away.
When Dani came home, around eleven, Micah was at work. He had left a note on the kitchen's table.
You didn't come back last night so I assume your date went fine
Can't wait for you to spill all the details! I want a complete résumé.
See you tonight.
Love
Dani walked to the bedroom and took the ring out of her high-waisted trousers' pocket. Out of Bette's trousers pocket. She looked at the turquoise stone shining, pensive. She found the box of the diamond ring she had bought a few months ago. Resolved, she placed Sophie's turquoise ring in it, and closed the tiny black box.
'Bye', she whispered for herself.
The box was discarded in Sophie's luggage, still waiting in the entrance. Dani called the quickest delivery service, and a truck came by her house during the day. She stared at the truck driving away. When the motor sound disappeared, Dani smiled to herself, remembering how Bette had done the same for her in the morning. She was also glad she hadn't drowned herself in the Hawaiian sea, as stupid as it was.
Her life was full of possibilities, she realized. For a new job. For new friends.
For a next time.