by Rose Marini
Allison made no move to remove her hand from Emma’s—her warmth and strength were comforting.
“It was definitely unexpected, but of course I’m okay. That’s the job, right?”
Emma simply looked at her. Neither spoke; the silence roared, long enough to be uncomfortable. Allison could smell the faint citrus notes of Emma’s perfume.
Desire swooped in Allison’s stomach, so intense it was almost painful. Her hands shook with the effort of holding back from reaching out to caress Emma. She had seen a whole other side of her old friend; her calm command of the situation was incredibly sexy. Her breath caught; Emma's bright eyes were much too close. The blonde woman watched heat flare in Ally’s eyes, lightning rolling through her body. They both held perfectly still, frozen by desire.
"Ally," Emma whispered.
"This should've happened a long time ago," Ally replied, leaning towards the blonde woman. She paused, waiting to see if Emma would move away. A heartbeat later, their lips connected. It was as if the earth stopped spinning, symphonies chorused, fireworks exploded in the distance. Allison's mind focused on the sensation of Emma's full lips; they were as soft as she had always imagined they would be. Everything else just… ceased to exist.
Allison’s hands lifted; one caressed Emma’s cheek and the other wrapped around the back of her neck, cradling her head and deepening their kiss. Emma's head spun. Her body reacted in a way that she hadn't expected; heat spread through her body as her hands sought Allison's waist. She touched Ally gently at first, then more firmly, spurred on by Ally's sharp intake of breath. Her fingers dug into the soft flesh of Ally's hips. She pulled the other woman towards her, aching to feel their bodies pressed together. Allison's tongue danced over her lips. Emma was acutely aware of their thighs, stomachs, and breasts pressed together. Need swamped her body—the need to touch every inch of Ally, to kiss her tan skin, to explore every curve and hollow.
Ally's hands caressed Emma's arms and slid down her sides, wrapping around her back to tighten their embrace. Allison nibbled Emma's lower lip, eliciting a quiet moan. Footsteps interrupted their embrace; they sprang apart, panting. Devon stuck his head around the corner, calling, “Allison, the patient in Room Four has a question about his medication.”
He glanced between the two women, noting the flush on Emma’s cheeks and the warning daggers shooting from Allison’s eyes. Smirking, he arched an eyebrow at his friend but mercifully said nothing. Allison muttered something unintelligible, refusing to meet Emma’s gaze, and left to tend to the patient, leaving Emma alone in the workroom. Trembling, she sank into a chair, feeling the ghost of Ally’s lips on hers. No kiss had ever felt like that. She sank into the thought of Ally’s taste, of her gentle hands on Emma’s skin, of how it would feel for those soft lips to explore the rest of her body….
A few rooms away, Allison paced around an exam room as Devon looked on. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I can’t believe I did that. What the hell was I thinking?!”
Devon spun his chair lazily, then stood. “Allison. Chill. Breathe. She likes you—I can see it when she looks at you. She looks at you the same way Princess looks at a steak,” he added slyly.
Allison kicked him gently, admonishing him. “I do not appreciate your attitude at a time like this.” Her voice took on a pleading note as she added, “But, seriously, Dev, she’s not into girls. There’s no way she actually likes me.”
Devon rolled his eyes. “Well, judging by that kiss, she likes one girl a hell of a lot. Stop freaking out and go ask her on a date. She’s never done this before, remember. You’re going to need to be the brave one here, Allison.”
He squeezed her shoulder and left.
Allison took a deep breath and strode purposefully back into the workroom, interrupting Emma’s fantasizing. She spoke quickly, afraid she would lose her nerve if she hesitated.
“There’s a festival downtown on Friday. Come with me. Not as friends, as a date. I like you, Em. I’ve liked you for a long time. Go on a date with me.”
For one long, terrible moment Allison thought Emma would refuse. Her ocean blue eyes stared into Allison’s. Liking what she saw, Emma nodded once.
“Okay.”
Allison let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and flashed a brilliant smile.
“How’s 4pm?”
Emma smiled back; Ally’s grin was infectious enough to cut through the waves of anxiety crashing through her chest.
Emma was still panicking when Friday rolled around. What on earth had possessed her to say yes to a date with a woman? And not just any woman; this was Ally. Her thoughts were interrupted by Sarah’s abrupt entrance.
“Emma, there’s a wine tasting at the park tonight, do you want to go?” She paused, eyes narrowing as she took in Emma’s appearance. She wore a navy dress that highlighted her abundant curves, her hair was pulled into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck, and shimmery copper eyeshadow highlighted the bright blue of her eyes. “You look nice. Do you have plans you didn’t tell me about?”
“Yeah, about that… I’d love to go to the wine tasting but I’m going to the art festival downtown.”
Sarah raised one eyebrow and twitched two fingers in a silent command to explain. Emma sighed and said, “Ally asked me on a date. And for some insane reason, I said yes. So I’m going on a date.”
Sarah laughed heartily and flopped onto Emma’s bed. “It’s about damn time! I’ve been telling you to get out there for years. And I knew you were into Allison!”
“I’m not into her, exactly,” Emma mumbled. Desperate for someone else’s opinion, she spilled, “But we might’ve… kissed?”
Sarah bolted up. “You WHAT? When was this? Did you like it? Oh my god, that’s why you’ve been so jumpy this week!”
“Yeah… Wednesday night. We had a shift together and she kissed me in the break room,” Emma responded, deliberately avoiding Sarah’s last question. As expected, Sarah noticed her evasion, twitching her fingers again.
Emma sighed. “Well… yes, I guess? I mean, I can’t stop thinking about it and it was like nothing I’ve ever felt.” The last words escaped her mouth in a rush as blood flooded to her cheeks. Sarah giggled.
“Emma has a crush, Emma has a crush,” she exclaimed jubilantly. “Seriously though, that’s so exciting! So what are the plans for tonight?”
“I don’t really know, she just asked if I wanted to go to a festival and didn’t say anything else, so I have no idea what to wear even though I’ve tried on a million outfits,” Emma wailed. “And I don’t even know why I’m going on a date with a woman, I’m not gay!”
Sarah tugged her arm until she sat on the bed.
“Emma, relax. First issue—I like the white lace tank and pink skirt. Casual, but shows off your chest and muscular legs. The dress you’re wearing is a little too formal for a street festival. Wear your gold sandals and those cute gold giraffe earrings I gave you. Second, it’s just a date! You don’t have to figure out your sexuality today, or even next month. You enjoyed the kiss, yes?”
Emma nodded.
“And you like spending time with Allison, yes?” A second nod. “Then just go have a good time. Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy being with her. And if it sucks, text me and I’ll come get you.”
Emma nodded a third time. Sarah was right—she was overthinking. It was a comforting thought, that this was just one date. It didn’t need to be this huge, groundbreaking, life or death matter that she had built it up to be. She hugged Sarah around the shoulders in gratitude and sprang up to finish getting ready.
“Thank you. You keep me grounded and rational, as always,” she said to Sarah.
“You know me,” Sarah replied, “My feet are so planted on earth that I’m practically dirt.”
“That’s a cute way to describe yourself,” Emma laughed at her.
She was fastening her earrings when her phone buzzed. She snatched it; adrenaline flooded her veins as she saw Allison’s name on the sc
reen.
Do you mind if I bring Sammy? I hate leaving him alone and the festival website said dogs are welcome.
Emma texted back at once. Of course! I can’t wait to meet him.
Allison was relieved—Sammy would be a great distraction if things became tense during the evening.
An hour later, Allison fidgeted next to the cow statue where they had agreed to meet. She wiped her palms on the light blue dress that hugged her figure. She couldn’t believe she had asked Emma on a date—though she was a little proud that she had been so brave after having feelings for her for so long. She spotted Emma before the other woman saw her. She was breathtaking, her short skirt showing off the muscles in her legs and a glimpse of her tan thighs. Her white top, sheer in places, hinted at the curve of her chest underneath. Allison itched to wrap her hands around Emma’s waist as heat pooled in her belly.
Emma was similarly awed by Allison’s appearance; though she was always beautiful, today she was absolutely breathtaking. Curls of brown hair cascaded over her shoulders; red lipstick highlighted her sensual lips. She had never appreciated quite how curvaceous Allison was before. Her dress draped over her chest, hips, and ass perfectly. More than a few heads—belonging to men and women—turned when they passed the brunette, several of them eying her hungrily. A touch of jealousy—not jealousy, just protectiveness, she told herself—clenched Emma’s chest.
“Hi,” Allison said breathlessly when the blonde woman reached her.
“Hi,” Emma responded, fingers clutching her purse for dear life.
“Did you find the place okay?” Allison asked lamely.
“Oh yeah, the directions you sent were great.”
Painfully awkward tension stretched between them. Embarrassed, Emma looked down and was greeted by the smiling face of a curly-haired dog, tongue lolling from his mouth. Allison noticed her glance and quickly commented, “I’m sorry, this is Sammy. Sammy, shake.”
The pup obediently offered a paw to a charmed Emma, who promptly knelt down to reward him with ear scratches. “He’s so sweet,” she gushed, grinning up at Allison. “How old is he?”
“The vet thinks he’s four or five, but they’re not totally sure. I found him on the street in December in Wisconsin a few years ago, curled up next to a vent to stay warm. I posted his picture all over town but no one ever claimed him, not that I wanted to give him up. He was so scrawny and dirty when I found him, I knew he didn’t have an owner or at least had been lost for a long time, so I took him to my apartment, bathed him and watched him scarf down three bowls of chicken and rice. I had no intention of keeping him at first—having a dog during medical school seemed like a crazy idea—but the first night after I brought him home he snuggled up by my side, rested his muzzle on my stomach, sighed, and closed his eyes. It was like he knew he was home.” She winced and continued, “I know how dumb that sounds. And I really did try to look for his family. He was clearly trained—he knew basic obedience commands, never had an accident in the house, things like that. But no one ever claimed him… This probably sounds even more stupid, but he’s honestly one of the best things that has ever happened to me. He’s my buddy. He goes everywhere with me, and coming home to his wagging tail is the best thing I could imagine. He’s been there for me during some really hard times in my life.”
Moved, Emma responded, “That doesn’t sound dumb at all. I got a cat because I wanted the same kind of companionship. And don’t get me wrong, I love Louie—he’s fiercely independent and opinionated and sweet when he wants to be—but there’s something to be said about the unconditional love that a dog gives. I wanted a pet that wasn’t quite so much work, though, since I was in the midst of medical school. How did you manage taking care of him and studying?”
Allison laughed. “Good, for a second I was worried you were going to be one of those cat people who hate dogs!”
Emma shoved her lightly, ignoring the sparks that lit her hand when their skin touched. “Oh come on, you know me better than that!”
Allison grinned at her sheepishly. “I had forgotten how much you love dogs. Anyways,” here she returned to Emma’s question. “Honestly, my classmates were so miserable from studying constantly that they often volunteered to take him on a walk or play fetch at the park. I think they benefited from his antics and affection as much as he did! I also had a roommate who worked nights—she was a nurse at the university hospital—so she was home during the day to keep him company. A couple of my close friends from high school lived nearby and had dogs too, so he got to go on play dates all the time. I think it’s been a little tough on him, moving away from his human and puppy friends, but I found a great doggie daycare where he goes two or three times a week depending on my schedule. I also made friends with another resident, Devon—I’m not sure if you remember meeting him earlier this week? Well, he also has a dog, so we agreed to help each other out. Ben, who Devon lives with, is the head chef at a restaurant downtown—it’s just a few blocks away, actually—meaning that he works late, so I take their dog when Devon has an overnight shift and Devon takes Sammy when I have an overnighter. Hopefully we’ll never be scheduled on the same overnight shift because then we’d have a real problem!”
Becoming aware that she was babbling, Allison blushed. “Sorry, that was probably was more information than you wanted. I try to not to be that dog mom… but I’ll be honest, I usually fail.”
Amused, Emma told her, “Don’t worry about it, I completely understand. I’m the same way—I’m about to pull out my phone to show you pictures of Louie. And if you ever need help taking care of Sammy, just let me know. He’s such a sweetheart, and Louie is fine with dogs, so I’d be happy to take him anytime you need it!”
“Oh yes, show me pictures! When you said his name was Louie I automatically pictured a fat gray cat… was I right? And thank you so much for the offer, I might take you up on it sometime. Sammy clearly loves you!”
She grinned down at Emma, who was still kneeling on the sidewalk, scratching Sammy’s stomach as he wriggled with joy. She finally stood, brushing off the tiny stones embedded in her knees. She showed Allison the lock screen on her phone, featuring a gorgeous, green-eyed cat. “You’re half right. Mostly gray, but not fat anymore! The vet had me put him on a diet last year. Apparently, I overfed him…”
“I don’t blame you. Who could resist those eyes?” Allison laughed.
“Right? And he has the most pathetic little meow when he wants more food! But he was at risk for developing diabetes and joint problems, so after a stern scolding from the vet he was put on a diet. He’s at a healthy weight now, though he’s not thrilled about it.”
“Aw, poor starved kitty,” Allison joked. She gestured at the tents lining the street next to them. “Well, shall we?”
“I’m happy to finally be able to make it to this festival,” Emma commented as they ventured among the booths. “They have it every year but I’ve always had to work. I’ve heard it has some really cool stuff.”
“Oh good, I hope so. I need to find a birthday present for my mom—it’s coming up in a couple weeks and I’ve been drawing a blank on what to get her.”
“Hm, well what is she like? I seem to remember that both of your parents were pretty intense when we were in college.”
Allison rolled her eyes. “Intense is definitely the right word for it. They’ve calmed down a bit since I got into residency, but sometimes they’re still a little overbearing. Just little comments. ‘Don’t forget to stay focused on studying’ and ‘Make sure you don’t waste this opportunity,’ things like that. Sometimes it’s like they think I shouldn’t do anything besides study and work. They seem to have forgotten that they met, started dating, and got married during medical school and residency, so obviously they weren’t studying all the time!”
Emma noted the frustration in Allison’s voice. “They must be so proud that you’re following in their footsteps, though. It sounds like they’re really rooting for your success.”
; “They are,” Allison admitted. “And I know I wouldn’t be here without their support. I
just wish they would acknowledge that there are important things outside of work.”
Emma nodded, agreeing. “You have to be balanced. You’ll be miserable if all you do is work. Don’t worry, now you have me to remind you to have fun.” She gave Allison a teasing smile; Allison’s heart thudded in her chest. At that moment, a group of racing kids bumped into Emma. Pressed together by the crowd, their fingers brushed. Allison resisted the urge to hold Emma’s hand, reminding herself to move slowly in order to not scare the other woman away. Still, the electricity that crawled over her skin at Emma’s touch was hard to ignore. Luckily, a drooling Sammy chose that moment to tug her towards a nearby BBQ stand.
“I’m with Sammy—let’s find some food,” Emma announced. They spent a pleasant afternoon wandering among the stalls, sharing treats from vendors. Allison found a gorgeous ceramic bowl with painted flowers for her mom’s birthday, while Emma bought a pair of ocean blue earrings after Allison commented that they perfectly matched her eyes.
As they reached the last of the displays, Allison suggested nervously, “I’m hungry again, and Ben’s restaurant is just a couple minutes away. It’s delicious, mostly new American style food, and they have great artisanal cocktails. And their patio is dog-friendly! What do you think?”
Emma’s answering smile sent warmth through her body. “I’ll never say no to good food and a fancy cocktail.”
They settled into their seats a few minutes later; Sammy flopped underneath Allison’s chair, exhausted by the smells and sounds of the festival. Glancing around the patio, which was lit with strings of lights and surrounded by herbs and vegetable plants, Emma remarked, “This is beautiful. You’d never know it was in the middle of the city!”
“Isn’t it amazing? Ben opened this restaurant a little over two years ago. His and Devon’s house is just as impeccably decorated and covered in plants.”
The waiter introduced himself and after he took their cocktail orders, Allison asked, “Can you let Ben know that Allison Williams is here and would like to say hello if he has a minute? But only if he has time, no pressure if he doesn’t.”
