by C. P. Watson
Living in Syracuse, gave her a unique perspective on a semi-normal life. There were so many fascinating adventures to explore through Upstate New York, yet there was nothing that she wanted to explore more than her love for a specific woman. Her heart drowned with insanity, towards the love that she endured, in the past four years of their riveting relationship. A smile crept upon her lips as she looked into the dainty restaurant through the huge, glass wall, and noticed the lack of customers and unoccupied tables that were neatly and elegantly poised.
She moved the strap of her purse onto the top of her shoulder, near her neck, since it was slipping off and tightened her grip on the handle of the small duffle bag that she carried. With a deep inhale of the frigid air, she moved towards the front door of the restaurant, already realizing that the cluster of the normally busy street was uproaring.
Pushing the door open, the full effect of morning baking hit her senses, the smell so heavenly and divine, just like the woman who she called her own.
“Ma’am, we aren’t opening until 9:00.” Rosalie’s eyes wandered over to the woman standing behind the reservation desk, and with the quirk of her brow, she was offered the same, confused look in return. “You can come back when we’re open.”
The woman clearly disapproved of Rosalie’s presence in the, supposedly, closed restaurant. But she was just doing her job, right?
“You must be new.”
Rosalie gave those striking, blue eyes a glance. The flicker of her eyes sending a wave of uncertainty through them both. There was something about the mystery behind Rosalie’s righteous, brown eyes, that could shift an entire room into a daze when she was present.
“I do think that I’m doing my job when I ask you to please leave and come back at opening.”
Jennivine’s reluctant voice spoke, earning a devious smile to stumble onto the tantalizing belle’s lips.
“I clearly am a stubborn intruder,” her eyes fluttered at Jennivine. “Aren’t I?”
With a bite to her luscious, bottom lip, Rosalie raised her brows with confidence. Her smile was unfaltering and genuine, contributing to her undeniable eloquence.
“You are quite the…”
“I’m sure we can come to an agreement. I’ve travelled thousands of miles to be here.”
Their eye contact was alarming, yet unintentional. They both thought nothing of the moment. For the moment, was just that, a moment, without an encrypted message, or so they thought.
“I’m not sure what I can do for you. There…” Jennivine straightened her posture, suddenly becoming irritatingly self-conscious, “isn't much that I can do until we’re open.”
Jennivine felt a tightness invading the cluster of her chest. Her heart stopped for a moment, as Rosalie’s gravitating eyes travelled down the slope of her slender neck, and over the visibility of her firm collarbones. Jennivine, then, studied the strange and authentic, seemingly mysterious woman, who would not leave the restaurant. Her raven-colored tresses and appealing, brown eyes, complimented the light brown shade of her complexion.
“I’ve had a few glasses of wine on the plane ride, so I doubt that I’ll leave without putting up a fight. I find myself fighting for those who mean the most to me...” Lee
A playful smirk landed onto Rosalie’s temptatious lips. She’d mastered the art of seduction, even in the most platonic of ways. Her allure always proceeded to enhance her charm, and the words that flowed through her exotic lips, renowned a specific, endearing accent, that would get anyone’s heart fluttering inside of their chest.
“Jen, can you set a thirty minute alarm for me, I can’t find my… sweetheart!”
Lee shrieked as her grey eyes met those of alluring brown—eyes that she’d been desiring. Her heart raced with ardor. She’d immensely missed Rosalie for the two, dreadful weeks that they’d been apart.
“Someone’s happy to see me.”
Rosalie ran the tips of her fingers along the softness of her tresses with a compassionate smile. She’d missed Lee more than she could describe, but also, enjoyed her time away. There were many adventures to explore, but she fondly appreciated her adventures in bed with Lee.
“Of course, I missed you so much.”
Lee’s body adjusted to the shiver that rattled through her veins. She was excited, to say the least. Her heart pounded vigorously inside of her chest. Their bodies, knowingly, welcomed the other. And as their lips combined, all else faltered. The room became an indistinct background, as though, only their bodies occupied mass and importance.
Jennivine speculated the two, certainly realizing that the enticing stranger was her boss’s girlfriend. She didn’t know that there was a relationship to begin with, else she would have probably acted more accordingly.
“Darling, save it for the bedroom.”
A laugh escaped the temptress’ lips, sending warmth, not only through her lover’s body, but also, the woman who stood behind the reservation desk.
“Is it a crime to desire you, even in the worst of times?”
Rosalie opened her mouth to speak, but no words could answer that question, because she knew that their passion had no time and place. They looked into each other's eyes, the feeling of home enveloping their tensed bodies. Maybe, they needed some alone time to cure the tension that built an increasing hunger in their appetite.
Jennivine, then, cleared her throat, making the lovers look at her in amusement.
“You’re traumatizing her, darling.”
Lee ran the tip of her tongue over the surface of her bottom lip, before sensually letting it slide back in slowly, painfully igniting lust within those dilated, dark brown eyes.
“I’m just glad that you’re home, sweetheart.”
They both smiled, with a gratifying urge overpowering their senses. They needed to be alone. There was no denying that the tension between them was extraordinary, not only sexually, but also, emotionally grasping.
“Me too.”
Rosalie narrowed her eyes on Lee’s tempting lips. A passion burned within her chest. There was an excruciating desire to touch her prey.
“Let’s get you settled.” Lee’s chest rose with anticipation. “Jen, take the croissants out of the oven in twenty minutes.” Her eyes melted into pools of lust, and in return, received the same, creating a meld of their desire. “I’ll be back in a few.”
Jennivine nodded reassuringly, but also, with much disturbing hesitance. They headed to the back of the restaurant, where there was a staircase that led to the loft above—their home.
Rosalie could feel her heart’s pace beat consistently and calmly as she made the final step up the stairs, where the bottom of her heels touched the surface of the hardwood floor of their loft. She exhaled a steady breath that she’d been holding in for the past five seconds as Lee’s long, slender fingers trailed along the surface of her jawline, stopping at the tip of her chin and resting there as the woman looked into her eyes.
Rosalie reciprocated the exact, intense stare, relishing in the warmth and tranquility of her lover’s grey eyes, that held so much compassion and devotion, allowing the young woman to feel Lee’s sincere emotions—emotions of her love.
It was moments like those that made Rosalie completely forget about the world around her—the thoughts that bothered her—the hurt that she felt in the center of her heart. A smile formed on her gorgeous, pink lips, which accentuated her radiant brown eyes—eyes that were held captive by only one woman in the entire world—Lee.
There was something about that moment that felt so significant as they stood in front of the steps, Rosalie’s back to the staircase and Lee standing in front of her. It felt like something had changed—that a struggle had dissolved—or merely irrelevant to what the two shared.
“I love you.”
Those words stabilized the strings that connected Lee’s heart to her entire body. Her body functioned off of those words—such beautiful words that flowed through Rosalie’s lips. A smile crept upon Lee’s face as an i
nvasive warmth spread through the entirety of her body. It was the feeling—the feeling that she craved for—the feeling of want, persistent need and flavorful desire.
“Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart.”
Lee grinned and pulled her lover towards their bedroom. A rigid chuckle escaped Rosalie’s lips as she tried to manage holding her bags and being rushed through the loft in her heels.
“I’m gonna fall down!”
She screamed as her laughter increased. The childlike manner that her girlfriend enthused was always heartwarming and juvenile, but contributed to all the reasons why she was amazing.
“If you’re going to be my wife, you’ll have to keep up with me...”
As soon as those words left Lee’s lips, she sucked in a breath and stopped her movements abruptly, making Rosalie stumble into her. They both fell to the floor. Lee landed on her knees and secured Rosalie’s fall with her back, but the impact of her fall made a shock wave blast from her knees to her ankles.
“Dammit!”
She shrieked and immediately flipped over to sit on her bum, her legs stretched out in front of her and her girlfriend immediately accessing the injury.
“Darling, we should go to the hospital.”
Rosalie, increasingly, became worried as she gently massaged Lee’s knees with the palms of her hands.
“No, I’m fine. Just help me to bed.” Rosalie pressed her lips together and gave Lee a concerned look over. “I’m serious. It’s not that drastic, sweetheart.”
“I’ll keep you in for observation, but if I notice anything out of the ordinary, we are going to see a doctor.”
Lee nodded and stretched out her hands for Rosalie to take, so that she could help her up.
“Fine.”
She mumbled as she was brought to her feet, the pain already subsiding. She loved the great concern that Rosalie always expressed for her well-being. It made her insides tingle with an intimate evaluation of butterflies.
“I’ll recommend no fun, for now.”
Rosalie encouraged with a stiff smile tightening her jaw.
“But… I…”
“No buts, I’m not willing to break you.”
Lee gave her lover a sexy grin.
“What if I want to be broken? Torn in ways I haven’t in a long time?”
Rosalie narrowed her gaze as she helped Lee to bed, their eye contact never breaking. Lee cleared her throat and reached for the bedside table, where a little, red box rested. She picked it up and tightened her palm around it. Rosalie sighed and pursed her lips. Her heart was pounding inside of her chest and the sensations swarming around the organ made anxiety wake her nerves.
The young woman lifted her eyes to meet her lover’s. With all the time that they had spent together, and all the time that they didn’t, Lee knew that she wanted to spend every moment that she could being hers—to spend all the time that they could together.
“Lee…”
Rosalie swallowed. She only used her lover’s name when she was either angry or upset—but that was not the case. It was quite the opposite. One thing for sure was that Rosalie was nervous—more nervous than she’d ever been in her life. She looked at Lee with curious and questioning eyes. And pondered on what was in the little, red box—her chest tightened as she thought of what it might be. It couldn’t be. It could be a pair of earrings—or a keychain—or a ring.
“Sweetheart, I’ve been holding onto this for a while. I was waiting for the right time, but there’s never a right time, and now that you’re back, the timing seems suitable.”
“Lee…”
Rosalie was lost for words as she looked at her girlfriend in front of her. Her pulse raced. The emotions that she was feeling were spiraling and expectant. Her thoughts blurred all constructive consideration. And her heart continuously sprung inside of her chest.
“Rosalie, I know that we’ve talked about this before, and I know you wanted to wait. But I can’t spend one more second without you being mine, and me... being yours. We are meant for each other. We’ve spent four, glorious years together, and it’s been the happiest I’ve, ever, been in my life. I don’t have to remind you of how much I love you, because it’s clear, and you know it. This is the next step in our relationship. This is the beginning of our long lasting future. Rosalie, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Rosalie felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart screamed yes and her brain agreed.
“Yes! Yes! I will!” She squealed as she leaped into Lee’s arms, tackling her lover into a bear hug. “Fuck yes.”
“Damn sweetheart, at least, let me put the ring on your finger.”
Rosalie chuckled as Lee smothered her face with kisses. That’s the passion that resurrected deep emotions within Rosalie’s heart. If all else failed, she knew that her love for Lee was worth the fight—it was worth the compensations—it was worth the compromises that she’d made.
“I love you.”
Lee slid the diamond ring into Rosalie’s designated finger. The beautiful, embedded, silver band fitted her finger perfectly. It made the moment even more perfect.
“It’s so beautiful, darling. Thank you.”
“No, thank you, for accepting my proposal.”
Lee gleamed with excitement as she pulled Rosalie into an intense hug. Happiness rushed through both of their veins. It felt right. Their hearts felt connected. And the passion that burned within their chests intensified their need. Rosalie knew that she did the right thing. It was the next step in their relationship, and even though it was not perfect, their love was beautiful.
***
Walking into the restaurant eased the tension that Blair had been strolling along the sidewalk with. The smell of freshly baked bread filled her nostrils with nostalgia, and made her stomach rumble with urgency. It was a small, gorgeous restaurant that she’d become fond spending her time at since she noticed it a couple of weeks ago. For a privileged woman as herself, it was the right mixture of fine and casual dining.
At the reservation desk stood the blonde-haired beauty that Blair had unsubtly flirted with since the first day she’d noticed her. The redhead had a fascination for blondes, as stereotypical as it was. There was just something about blond-ies that made her weak in the knees.
The restaurant had one set of customers other than her, and it seemed as though there would not be any more for a while. It was peaceful and welcoming. Blair never enjoyed getting lost in a crowd, and always found it gratifying to be able to look around and see more chairs than people. She was, indeed, a reserved person. It was rare for her to ever open up to anyone, and it was shocking when she did.
She strutted towards the blonde, who seemed deep in thought, her pen in one hand tapping against her cheek. But as soon as Blair neared, she snapped out of the trance that she was in and looked at the redhead with light blue, widened eyes.
Clearing her throat, Jennivine gripped onto the edge of the notepad in front of her and brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes as she recognized the face—a recently, regular customer.
“Good Morning, ma’am, how can I help you this morning?”
Blair flashed the woman a charming smile and tilted her head to the side.
“I was wondering if you’d finally get that drink with me.”
Jennivine swallowed and inhaled deeply, her chest rising with a sudden furrow to her brows. Those brown eyes held no resemblance to the ones that she’d enjoyed staring into—she felt nowhere close to how she’d felt for Rosalie.
“Is there anything else that I can help you with?”
The redhead pressed her lips together and sighed. She gave Jennivine a look over, admiring the dimple in between her brow and the ones at the sides of her lips.
“So, no drinks?”
She persisted in hopes of finally being able to snag the hot waitress’s company for a night. Those blue eyes were always too tempting not to indulge in. And Blair would’ve loved to spend more time getting lost in
them, if Jennivine would agree to it.
“Let’s find you a seat, shall we?”
Jennivine ignored the redhead’s advances like she had been doing for the past couple of weeks and slid from behind the reservation desk.
She led Blair to a two-seater at the end of the room, where there was an elegant laid, white table cloth, with cutlery nicely organized and a lovely, single, red rose in a small vase on the center of the table.
Blair accepted, once again, that she was not going to get the number that she wanted, probably because the waitress was straight.
“Here’s your menu.” Jennivine placed the menu on the table and pressed her lips together. “Or would you like your usual?”
“My usual, hmm. Maybe I’ll try something different today. What do you recommend?”
Jennivine shifted onto her left side and thought for a few seconds before deciding.
“The Rosalie Breakfast Special is probably something you might like. It’s a combination of maple glazed bacon, caramelized onions…”
“You had me at bacon. I’ll have that and a Chai Tea with skim milk and no foam.”
“Got it. The Rosalie Breakfast Special, Chai with skim, no foam. Will that be it?”
“Yes, Jenny. That will be it.”
Blair wagged her eyebrows and bit down on her bottom lip as she watched the blonde walk away. Light curves and long legs looked perfect on the waitress, along with those big, blue eyes to die for. Blair inhaled a deep breath and grabbed her phone from her purse.
She had an event to attend later that day to support Breast Cancer Awareness. It was a fundraiser organized by her mother, and she was dreading to attend. There were definitely going to be some of her ex-lovers in attendance. A few were in heterosexual marriages and had a kid or two, most were lying to themselves about their sexuality and pretending to be straight, or maybe they did realize that they were into men. It wasn’t Blair’s place to judge. She just knew what she knew, and when those women went down on her, they seemed gayer than a lesbian at a Pride Parade. But maybe she was wrong. People aren’t always what they seem to be, and everyone had to live their lives to suit themselves, just like she was trying to do.