Bought a new outfit that you want to show off? Xxx
Rhetta’s reply almost made her drop her phone.
Haha. Nope, but I have a really beautiful girl that I want to show off. ;) Xxx
She brushed it off with a joke
What a coincidence, I do too. ;) Xxx
Rhetta was having none of it.
Dork. Xxx
She couldn’t argue with that.
You love it. Xxx
But instead of carrying on the joke, Rhetta went right back to being serious.
I really, really do. Can I pick you up at 7pm? Xxx
If Rhetta was serious about this date, Caroline knew that she would be banished to another room whilst Rhetta was getting ready. She was always very insistent about them getting ready for things separately. She always said that she didn’t want them ever to lose that ‘wow’ moment when they first saw each other all dressed up. What Rhetta didn’t tell her was that it was because, no matter where they were going, it was always Caroline who Rhetta dressed up for.
Want me to get ready in Sam’s room? Xxx
Yes please! I love you! Xxx
Caroline chuckled. She knew her girl so well.
Love you too. See you soon. I miss you! Xxx
I miss you more! Xxx
By the time she send off her last text, she was grinning like a fool. Tonight’s date was going to be a good one.
CHAPTER THREE
Rhetta hadn’t been this nervous about a date with Caroline since their first. She was always nervous. The anticipation always gave her butterflies. That was the effect that Caroline had on her. But her nerves were always the good kind. Tonight she was scared. Scared of losing the woman she loved and scared that she wasn’t brave enough to try and stop her. Scared that she didn’t have it in her to hold on to a woman she had always known was way out of her league. But with her fear came determination. She was going to do everything in her power to keep Caroline. Even if she had to get down on one knee to prove to her that she was all that Rhetta could ever want and more. To prove that to Rhetta, she was everything.
After her talk with Sam, she had spent the rest of the day planning their date and how she could show Caroline exactly how much she meant to her. That all started with her outfit. Caroline always loved her in black, so that was what she had chosen. A little black dress with lace on the bodice and a skirt that would flare when she danced. To go with it, she opted for low heels. Just high enough to show off her legs, but not so high that she would be as tall as Caroline. She liked it that way. Especially when they danced, and they would be doing plenty of that later.
A knock sounded on the door and her eyes flicked to the clock by the bed. 7.20pm.
“R, come on! Caroline’s hiding in my room because you insisted on picking her up and she keeps complaining that I don’t have a TV in there. She’s liked 20 Instagram posts in the last five minutes!” Sam shouted through the door.
“You can’t rush perfection!” Rhetta called back.
It had been a while since she had taken Caroline on a date. She hadn’t even managed it properly on Caroline's last birthday, what with camp getting in the way. They hadn’t even gotten to sleep in the same bed. Next year, if they were at camp again, she would insist.
“R!”
Rolling her eyes, Rhetta took one last look in the mirror and made for the door. Showtime.
Of course, Caroline had gotten tired of waiting in Sam’s room. Rhetta saw a flash of blonde hair streaking past her as soon as she opened her bedroom door.
“Fuck, don’t look! I just nipped out to pee, I swear!” Caroline cried, sounding so girly in her distress Rhetta had to giggle as she diligently closed her eyes. Only when Caroline called from the safety of Sam’s room that she was ready did Rhetta open them again.
It seemed a little bit silly, especially with Sam looking on, but she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
When she opened the door, Caroline's cheeks were flushed from making her escape. "H-hi. You look... You are beautiful, R."
Rhetta’s heart melted. Any insecurities she’d had when looking in the mirror disappeared the moment Caroline’s eyes lit up at the sight of her. She never felt more beautiful or loved than when Caroline looked at her like that.
"Not as beautiful as you," Rhetta whispered, her voice full to breaking with love. She leant in and rested the palms of her hands on Caroline’s collarbone and tilted up her head to kiss her hello. When they parted, she bit her lip and letting her eyes linger as they took in Caroline's outfit.
She had on her tight, dark blue jeans, a pale blue shirt with tiny white dots, rolled up at her elbows, a dark blue tie and the expensive tan-coloured tweed waistcoat that Rhetta had had tailored for her for Christmas. To top it off she had donned the barest hint of eye-liner and mascara. It was enough to make Rhetta weak at the knees. "Damn, Caro."
Caroline grinned, Rhetta’s blush giving her the confidence that she hadn’t felt since her talk with Sam on the beach. "Where to, Princess?"
* * *
When their taxi dropped them off by the beach, Caroline was confused. When Rhetta had told her to ‘dress to impress’, this was not on the list of possible destinations that she had had in mind. There was no way that she was ruining her new shoes in the sand. Not even for Rhetta. Well, okay, maybe be for Rhetta.
“Don’t you think we’re a little overdressed for a paddle?” she asked, eyeing the overly large handbag that was perched in the crook of Rhetta’s arm and letting her frown deepen as her confusion soared.
Rhetta just smiled and reached for Caroline’s hand, tugging her along the sidewalk. “We’re not going in the water, dork. Or on the sand. I just thought it would be nice to take a stroll alongside the beach. Our destination is only a minute down the road and I know how much you love the water.”
Caroline was trying to be cool. She didn’t want to draw attention to their clasped hands. If she did that, Rhetta might let go. Except she couldn’t ignore it. Rhetta must have done it without thinking and she would freak out if someone saw them.
“R,” she hissed and tried to pull her hand away.
But Rhetta only clung on to her tighter. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to shout it from the rooftops yet, but she couldn’t keep hiding. Caroline was a very tactile person and Rhetta knew how hard it was for her to keep that in check when they were in public. By the end of the night, Rhetta was going to change that. She was going to make sure that they got through all of their PDA firsts. Starting with holding hands.
“Did I ever tell you where we were when I fell in love with you?” Rhetta asked, slowing their pace and squeezing Caroline’s hand to let her know that the contact was alright.
“Nope, I’m pretty sure that I would remember that,” Caroline said, laughing nervously. What if Rhetta had fallen for her long after Caroline had known that she was head over heels for Rhetta? It couldn’t have been before. That would be impossible. Rhetta squeezed her hand again and her thoughts quietened.
“I spent a lot of time thinking about it over Christmas, when you were all that way away from me in Florida. That moment is really special to me, Caro. When we have to be apart, remembering it makes me feel closer to you. It reminds me that we’re special. That we’ve made it this far because we’re that one in a million. The place we’re going to for dinner reminds me of where we were when it happened,” Rhetta explained. “I thought it was about time that I shared it with you. You deserve to know, because it’s a very important part of our story.”
As they rounded the corner, Rhetta led them towards a small restaurant with whitewashed walls and the sound of a string band floating out from within. She led Caroline through the wide archway entrance into a terracotta tiled terrace that was fragrant with pink blossoms and glowing with the flickering light of the candle-lit tables.
Caroline knew immediately where it reminded Rhetta of. It was almost identical, right down to the sound of waves crashing gently against the shore in the ba
ckground. But that couldn’t be right. If they were thinking of the same place then that would mean…
“Where does it remind you of, Caro?” Rhetta prompted gently, squeezing Caroline’s hand and smiling at her encouragingly.
Caroline was almost too afraid to say it. Afraid that she would make a fool out of herself. Afraid that wishful thinking was making her think of the wrong place.
“The restaurant in the Algarve,” she finally said, her voice wavering. “The one where-”
“We met,” Rhetta finished for her. She turned to face Caroline and held both of her hands. She wanted to tell Caroline her half of this story. “I got to the restaurant late because my flight had been delayed, so I didn’t get to sit by Fenton like I usually did. It was only my second camp, and I didn’t know many people. I was so nervous so I hurried over to the only empty seat and looked down at my empty plate to give myself a moment to calm down, not even looking at who was sat opposite me. Then you said ‘hi’ and I looked up at you and fell in love. It sounds cliché, but it’s true.” She smiled. “It only took one look at you to know that you were the one. My one and only. My forever.”
Tears prickled at Caroline’s eyes and Rhetta reached up to brush them away.
“I’ve been in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you, Caroline Williams, and I don’t regret it for a moment,” she whispered fiercely.
And then she did something that surprised Caroline even more than Rhetta having been in love with her since the moment they met. Rhetta leaned up on her tiptoes, drew Caroline towards her and kissed her softly and soundly. Caroline melted into her, her whole body tingling with bliss. For the first time – save for that briefest, hidden kiss in the airport – Rhetta kissed her where anyone other than their friends and family could see. And damn if it wasn’t the best kiss Caroline had ever had.
When a cough beside them made Caroline pull away, Rhetta pecked her lips once more, smiling broadly and locking her eyes with Caroline’s to let her know that it was okay that they had been caught. Caroline smiled back at her and though they were in a room full of people, Caroline could see no one but Rhetta.
A second cough broke the spell and brought their attention to the smartly dressed man standing before them with a warm smile.
“Ah, Miss Morsten!” He exclaimed when he saw Rhetta. “It’s so nice to see you again. When I saw Morsten on our booking list for tonight, I assumed that the reservation was for you and your brother,” the older Portuguese man said, smiling first to Rhetta and then to Caroline, to whom he held out his hand. “But I see that is not the case. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
“Caro, this is Mike. He owns this beautiful restaurant,” Rhetta filled in for Caroline.
Caroline smiled at him and shook his hand.
“Mike, this is my wonderful girlfriend Caroline. I thought it was about time that I brought her here to taste your delicious food,” Rhetta said, finishing with a giggle.
“It is indeed! It is long overdue,” Mike enthused, taking Caroline’s hand and shaking it enthusiastically. “It is so good to meet you. Please, let me show you to your table.”
For the second time that night, Caroline was confused. Her heart was still beating furiously in her chest and it beat even faster when Mike led them away from the main restaurant and up onto the roof terrace. There she saw a single table, surrounded by candles.
She turned to Rhetta in confusion, and found her giggling. “Okay, so I might have told him that I was bringing you.”
Caroline was speechless, so she did the only think she could and kissed Rhetta with every emotion that she couldn’t voice.
When they parted, Mike was gone.
“This is amazing, R,” Caroline whispered.
“Our lives are going to be so intense in the next few months. I wanted one night that was just for us before we get swept up in the whirlwind.” She grinned and led Caroline over to the table. “Tonight I want to show you that no matter how crazy the next few months – hell, the next couple of years – are going to be, you’re the most important part in my life and I don’t want you to forget that.”
As they sat there on the roof terrace, the ocean on one side of them and the sprawl of LA on the other, Caroline knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to ask Rhetta to marry her. She just had to figure out a way that was more perfect than what Rhetta had already done for her that night. Little did she know, Rhetta was just getting started.
CHAPTER FOUR
After Rhetta’s confession, Caroline’s confidence was soaring. In the past, she was always the one who made the big romantic gestures and speeches. It was their way. Always had been. Not because Rhetta didn’t love her, but because Caroline loved treating Rhetta like the princess and Rhetta thrived under Caroline’s attentions. Now Caroline felt confident enough to tell Rhetta a little secret of her own.
“You know,” she began, taking a sip of the champagne that Rhetta had insisted upon ordering, “you aren’t the only one who fell in love at first sight.”
She was grinning like a fool. She couldn’t help it. Not after what Rhetta had just told her. She was so full of excited energy that she wanted to jump up and down. She couldn’t sit still. It didn’t help that their dinner hadn’t arrived yet, so she didn’t have anything to do with her hands.
Rhetta looked up at her from under her eyelashes. “Really?”
Caroline couldn’t help but laugh at how cute she was. “Really, really.”
“I thought for sure that I was the only one,” Rhetta said shyly. “I followed you around like a puppy that first camp we had together. It felt so natural between us. We went from being strangers to best friends in just a couple of weeks. I wanted to be with you every moment of every day. At first I thought you were flirting with me and that I might have a chance, but then-”
“I was!” Caroline interrupted, giddy with the absurdity of it all. She couldn’t believe that they had never talked about this before. “Fenton gave me such a hard time about it and I figured that you were way out of my league, so I resigned to just being your friend.”
“Y-you thought that you were out of my league?” Rhetta asked incredulously, a furious blush creeping up her cheeks. How Caroline could have ever thought that was beyond her. Caroline had been such a stud, even back then. Everywhere they went girls would throw themselves at her and Rhetta’s jealousy would flare.
Caroline’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?! R, you were and still are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!”
“You really think that?” Rhetta asked. She had felt it or at least thought she had. When Caroline would lie beside her in bed and just look into her eyes and smile, holding her tight and smiling contentedly.
“Are you kidding? Of course I do! Have you not looked in a mirror lately?” Caroline laughed. She thought that she had been pretty obvious. More than one of their teammates had teased her that she was practically a walking embodiment of the heart eyes emoticon whenever Rhetta was around. “What was it that they said about Helen of Troy? That she had a face that had launched a thousand ships. Well, you have a smile that could launch a billion. And don’t even get me started on that body of yours. Damn, R…”
“Caro!” Rhetta giggled. Their waiter was coming towards them with their meals and Rhetta was blushing redder than ever.
“Thank you,” Caroline said politely to the waiter as he set their plates down. “It looks delicious.”
He nodded. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
When he had gone, Rhetta said, “I love how polite you are with everyone. I’ve never met anyone who treats everyone they meet as wonderfully as you do.”
“It costs nothing to be nice. That’s what Grandma always says.” Caroline smiled as she thought of her grandma. She missed her already. Her trips to Florida were never as long as she wanted them to be and already longer than she could stand without Rhetta.
“We should go and visit them as soon as we g
et a break,” Rhetta said, reading her mind as always. “I miss her too.”
“Really?” Caroline asked excitedly. “I thought that you might want to go home to DC for a little while.”
“I have my home right here,” Rhetta smiled as she reached out and took Caroline’s hand. “There’s nowhere I want to be but with you.”
It was Caroline’s turn to blush. “You’re amazing, R, you know that?”
Rhetta just laughed and picked up her knife and fork. “Eat up stud, you have a long night ahead of you.” She winked. “You’re gonna to need the energy.”
If she was reading the twinkle in Rhetta’s eye right, then Caroline sure hoped that the walls of Sam’s apartment were soundproof.
* * *
They took a taxi from the restaurant to one of their favourite clubs in LA. It wasn’t exactly a gay bar, but it was close enough to West Hollywood that they wouldn’t have to fend off too many drunk, handsy guys on the dance floor. Not that Rhetta didn’t like it just the tiniest bit when Caroline got jealous. Or maybe a lot.
“I’m freezing!” Caroline chattered as they waited in line to get into the club.
“Caro, we’re in Los Angeles!” Rhetta giggled. “How can you be cold?”
She was always amazed at Caroline’s inability to handle the cold. Amazed and delighted. Especially with how much snuggling it always ended up in.
“Because it’s still way too far from the equator,” Caroline reasoned. “And besides, it’s breezy and night-time and you like it when I get cold. You told me it was cute.”
She nodded, pleased with her logic.
As Rhetta giggled, she had an idea. She might not have a jacket to wrap around Caroline’s shoulders, but she could do something even better. Biting her lip to ward off her nervousness, she manoeuvred in front of Caroline, pulled her arms around her waist and leant back into her. The moment she did, her heartbeat quickened and her whole body began to tingle. Being like this with Caroline wasn’t scaring her. It was the best feeling in the world.
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