Embrace

I'm excited to share this story with you! It's is a slow-burner lesbian romance, and while there are some down-right raunchy sex scenes, they come later in the story. This is purely a work of fiction, though it draws from some aspects of my life. I would appreciate feedback as I plan to write more stories in the future. I hope you enjoy, and to indulge a curiosity of mine, let me know if you get off to it!

Thanks!

—Abbigail Ray

**All characters are over the age of eighteen.**

Chapter One

A waiter brought a glass of water to Aly's table, "May I get you anything else while you wait?"

Aly shook her head. "No, thanks. She should be here in a few minutes."

"Let me know if you need anything," he replied with a smile.

Aly forced a small grin but did not respond. She sat in the restaurant booth as she waited in nervous anticipation. Conflicting emotions of excitement and resentment battled in her mind. Aly contemplated why she had agreed to a date at eight-thirty in the evening. There were only a few other patrons in the restaurant; most people had sense enough to be home at that hour. The sun had set almost four hours before and the winter air had already dropped well below freezing. When anxious, Aly's throat had a tendency to run dry. She took large gulps of water in an effort to quench her nervous tic.

A woman stopped at Aly's table. "Hello," the woman whispered. "Are you Aly?"

"Yes, Aly affirmed. "And you're Jessie?"

The woman nodded as she sat opposing Aly. Jessie, dressed in professional attire, wore black pants and a white blouse. Aly observed Jessie's beauty immediately: her hair, dark and full; her skin, soft and smooth. She wore a deep tint of red lipstick and a heavy coat of foundation to match her skin tone.

"How are you?" Aly asked.

Jessie smiled, "I'm doing well. And you?"

"I'm great," Aly noted. "Just a bit nervous." She forced another grin while running her fingers through her blond hair.

"I know, me too," Jessie admitted. "I'm never good with these blind dates."

There was a tense silence between the girls until Aly asked, "Have you eaten here before?"

Jessie nodded as she looked at the menu, "A few times. Their salads are pretty good."

Aly had already browsed through the menu before Jessie arrived. Fearing uneasy silence, she continued the conversation. "So, what do you do for a living?"

Jessie responded while continuing to look down at the menu, "I'm an attorney, an associate at the Jackson and Alan law firm downtown."

Aly nodded in admiration, "That sounds pretty interesting."

Jessie added, "I spend my entire day working on banking law, but I enjoy it, and the pay is nice. As a matter of fact, I came straight here from the office." Jessie paused before asking, "And you?"

Aly replied with pride, "I teach high school."

Jessie mocked, "Why on Earth would you want to do that?"

Aly's face reddened with disgust, but she attempted to remain polite. She answered, "Because it's what I want to do. I love it, and it's the best job in the world."

Jessie scoffed, "If you say so."

Before Aly could reply, the waiter interrupted. "Are we ready to order?"

Jessie requested, "I'll have the house salad with grilled chicken and a glass of water." The waiter jotted Jessie's order before turning to Aly. "And you, dear?"

"Pasta fettuccini."

"And would you like another glass of water?" He asked pointing to her empty cup.

"Yes, please," she replied. "And no ice."

"I'll be back shortly," he assured.

"How much do you make on a teacher's salary?" Jessie pried.

Aly hesitated to reply, worried that Jessie would make another derogatory remark. But after a moment, Aly answered, "$52,000 annually."

Jessie groaned, "You're in the wrong profession. I make $95,000 and probably have much less stress than you."

Aly returned, "Well, I enjoy what I do and I'm not in it for the money."

Jessie taunted, "Obviously."

Aly defended, "But I can honestly say that I enjoy waking up and going to work every day. It's not the highest-paying job, but I love it."

The waiter brought two glasses of water to the table. Jessie drank through her straw, leaving a red ring from her lipstick on the plastic. She set her phone on the table, checking it from time to time. Aly took another few gulps of water before attempting to shift the direction of the discussion. "What do you like to do for fun?"

Jessie responded while reading an email, "Hang out with friends, go drinking, exercise...stuff like that."

Aly added, "I'm more of a loner. I like to read and write, and I don't drink much at all. But I do run from time to time."

Jessie noted, "Reading is pretty boring. I was never able to read very often."

Aly squinted, surprised by the comment. She contested, "Don't you have to read a lot in law school?"

Jessie let on a sarcastic smile, "Yeah, but I only did it because I had to."

Aly nodded in silence, understanding the date was not going at all as she had hoped. After five minutes of talking with Jessie, she already wanted the waiter to hurry with the food so the date would be over. Just hurry up and bring the food. The waiter returned with the entrees after fifteen more minutes of dull conversation.

Jessie looked at Aly's pasta and criticized, "I can't eat stuff like that. It's too fattening."

Aly, who had a figure most girls would dream of having, again felt ambushed by Jessie's remarks. Obviously, I keep myself in shape. Why would she even say that? Jessie returned to her phone. Aly finished her food and another glass of water before they spoke again.

Jessie asked, "So, are you from this area?"

"Yeah," Aly replied. "Born and raised in Jamestown."

"Me too," Jessie agreed. "But I want to get out of New York state— move down to Washington or Baltimore at some point."

Aly did not reply; she had nothing to say. It was evident that Jessie and Aly were not going to get along, so why bother with the useless conversation? When the meal was over, Aly and Jessie each paid for their own food and left with no intention of scheduling future dates.

After a day at work and an uninspiring date, Aly was ready for bed when she returned home. She climbed the slick steps onto her porch, taking care not to slip on the wet bricks. She had a feeling that Paige, her housemate, would be waiting for Aly when she arrived. Paige had a tendency to be nosy. Aly had even playfully nicknamed Paige the "Nosy Redhead" when they were in grade school. Aly crept open the door and set her bag and coat onto the floor.

"Hey," a soft voice came from the dim living room.

"Hi, Paige," Aly replied.

"How'd it go?" Paige inquired with a devilish grin. Aly smiled knowing that she had figured her friend correctly.

"Horrible," Aly replied, gesturing with her hands.

Paige's expression shifted to one of disappointment. "What happened?"

"She was bad," Aly explained. "Everything I said— she either criticized or derided me in some way."

"What do you mean?" Paige asked.

"So, when I told her that I teach high school for a living, she basically said how it was a dumb choice and that I don't make enough money." Aly raised her voice. "I hate when people react like that when I tell them I'm a teacher. You don't just walk up to a stranger and tell them that they made the wrong decision with their career. It's either disgust or extreme sympathy with most people. Why can't anyone ever say, 'Oh, that's cool.'?"

Aly exhaled in distress.

"What does she do?" Paige asked.

"Lawyer," Aly responded. "You know that big law firm downtown - Jackson and Alvin - or whatever the hell it's called?"

"Geez," Paige breathed. "I hope it goes better next time."

Aly replied, "I don't know if there's going to be a next time. I'm getting too old for dating and these dating apps are not working for me."

Paige laughed, "What? You're twenty-nine. What do you mean 'too old?'"

Aly felt as if her twenties were slipping away from her. "Everybody I went to school with is either getting married or popping out children. And here I am, still single, still alone."

Paige giggled again, "You have plenty of perfectly good years to find someone you love. And you'll live until you're one hundred with your health."

Aly pointed at Paige, "Ah, not according to my date tonight. With the way she talked about the pasta I ordered you'd think I was going to have a stroke right there in the restaurant."

"You're crazy," Paige retorted.

"She was crazy," Aly returned. "She played on her phone and rarely looked at me. All she did was make me waste a perfectly good night and twelve dollars on a plate of food."

"Just keep trying," Paige assured.

"No more dating apps," Aly insisted. Paige shook her head.

"I have to pee," Aly declared. "I drank four glasses of water at dinner." She walked toward the bathroom and shouted at Paige, "What time is it?"

Paige answered, "About 10:00 o'clock." A few moments later, Aly returned to the living room and sat next to Paige on the couch. "I'm tired of people, Paige. Maybe I'd be better off single the rest of my life."

Paige disagreed, "People who have someone to share their life with are happier."

Aly replied, "I don't see you getting married anytime soon."

Paige quipped, "Jacob and I only met a few months ago. And I never said anything about marriage."

"I know," Aly conceded. "It's the excuse I tell myself. But what's the point in trying when this happens every time?"

Paige rolled her eyes and folded her arms, "Jesus, Aly, you sound like Eeyore."

Aly defended, "No, I'm just trying-"

Paige interrupted, "I'm just kidding, dummy. You'll find someone. Plus, statistics show that people who meet later in life are more likely to be happy together."

"Really?" Aly questioned.

Paige shrugged, "I don't know. I just made that up, but it seems right."

Aly dismissed Paige with her hand.

"You know what you could use?" Paige asked.

"What?" Aly wondered.

"A beer and a bath," Paige answered.

"Hmmm," Aly hummed. "I'll skip the beer, but a bath sounds nice. Then I'm going to bed." Aly stood up and added, "I'll see you tomorrow. It'll probably be a long day because I have that dentist appointment after work."

"Good night," Paige said. "And be careful tomorrow."

Aly wrinkled her nose, "Why?"

"Lots of lake-effect snow coming through. I think they said between six and twelve inches during the day."

"I haven't been paying attention to the weather lately," Aly noted. "But I'll be careful. Thanks."

Aly and Paige had been friends for years. They live across the street from one another when they were young. They graduated high-school and college alongside one another, and though they entered different career paths, they rented a house together. The house, rented from Paige's father, had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Her father agreed to charge the girls without profit. Divided between them, Aly and Paige paid $400 per month, well cheaper than most renters.

Chapter Two

It was the final day of school in December before winter break. Just after students were released, Aly prepared to leave her classroom, hastily packing and tidying her things lest she be late for her appointment. She was interrupted by Niyah, a tall, caramel-skinned woman who had been a teacher only a few more years than Aly.

"Are you heading out already?" Niyah questioned.

"Yeah," Aly replied as she zipped up her coat. "I have a dentist appointment."

"Oh," she mumbled. "I just wanted to chat."

Aly looked at her watch. "Normally, I would have time, but with the snow the way it is—"

"No problem," she replied. "Just stay warm. It's windy too."

Aly fastened her scarf and hat to her head. "I'll try," she smiled. "You doing anything special for the break?"

"I'm going to meet my boyfriend's parents for the first time," Niyah noted. "Can't say I'm too excited."

"Good luck," Aly replied, reminded of yesterday's terrible date.

"I don't want to hold you up," Niyah said. She waved and added, "Be safe and have a great holiday."

"You too," Aly smiled.

Aly braved the cold as she walked across the parking lot. The ice crunched beneath her feet as she walked, and the roar of snow piling onto the ground was almost deafening. She opened her car door, inadvertently causing snow to fall inside. Dammit. She reached for her snow brush and began the task of clearing six inches before she could drive. The snow fell so heavily that it landed on her hat and coat, but it was cold enough that it did not melt for a few moments.

She turned the heater to its highest setting and drove with caution, taking care not to loose control or cause a collision. She passed many people who had tried to drive too fast and had landed themselves in a ditch. Though only a few miles away, it took her thirty minutes to arrive at the office. She scurried inside the building, attempting to shield her face from the blistering wind.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Johnson," the receptionist greeted. Aly was grateful that this dentist and his employees remembered her name; it provided an uncommon friendly atmosphere. The receptionist continued as she pointed to the coat hanger, "You can hang your coat and have a seat until we're ready."

Aly took off her coat, hat, and scarf, damp with melted snow. She sat on an expensive couch, ostentatious for a waiting room, and looked out the window. This lake-effect snow was nothing unusual for the area of southwestern New York, though still annoying.

"Ms. Johnson?" A woman said with a smile, standing in the doorway that led to the back of the building. Aly observed that this unfamiliar hygienist must have been a new employee; she had never seen this woman before. "Are you ready?" The hygienist added.

Aly walked toward the woman and followed her into a small room. "You may have a seat," the hygienist motioned with her hand. Aly climbed onto the dental chair. "I'm Brooke," the woman said politely as she put on a pair of latex gloves.

"Hi," Aly replied.

"Do you prefer mint, bubblegum, or cinnamon?" Brooke asked, shuffling through a drawer.

"Mint," Aly answered.

Brooke replied, "Great! Is it still snowing pretty hard?"

"Very hard," Aly acknowledged.

Aly's eyes fixed on Brooke's entrancing smile. Given the nature of Brooke's profession, she had pristine white teeth that gleamed when she grinned. She had an appealing figure too; her dark-blue scrubs followed her curves and highlighted her womanly features. She held her brunette hair in a bun behind her head lest it get in the way of her dental work.

Brooke hid her face with a mask. She warned, "I'm going to lower you down now, okay?"

Aly nodded and the chair descended backward. Brook placed a paper bib around Aly's neck before prodding through her mouth with a metal pick. She remarked, "You have nice teeth. They're well-kept." She poked around a few moments more. "Did you have braces?"

"No," Aly mumbled around Brooke's fingers.

"Wow," Brooke replied. "Then you just have perfect teeth."

Aly looked into Brooke's eyes, a deep shade of brown that complemented her brunette hair. Her eyes and brows were enhanced by a light dusting of makeup, so simple that it was unnoticeable without a close examination. That's how makeup should be worn. Brooke leaned her flat tummy against Aly's cheek, sending an unusual thrill down Aly's spine.

Brooke asked, "So, what do you do for a living?"

Aly responded, though she could hardly speak with Brooke's hands in her mouth, "I teach high school."

Brooke withdrew her hands and clarified, "Did you say you teach high school?"

"Yes," Aly replied.

"That's great!" Brooke replied as she returned her hands to Aly's mouth. "That sounds like a really interesting thing to do." Aly delighted in Brooke's reaction. "And what grade do you teach?" Brooke inquired before removing her hands to allow Aly to speak.

"Mostly ninth grade freshmen," Aly answered.

"Cool," Brooke replied as she graduated from a metal pick to a mint-flavored cleaning tool.

A feeling of excitement grew in Aly's mind as Brooke leaned over her and cleaned her teeth.

"My brother is a teacher," Brooke noted. "He teaches elementary school in Buffalo." Aly, unable to speak, did not reply. Brooke continued, "And with the way he talks about it, he seems to love it."

There were a few moments of silence before Brooke asked another question. "Are you from Jamestown?"

"Yeah," Aly mumbled.

Brooke noted, "I lived all over New York and Pennsylvania. I moved here my senior year of high school and stayed after graduation."

Brooke removed the cleaning tool from Aly's mouth when she tried to speak. "Where all have you lived?"

Brooke chuckled with sarcasm. "Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, Waymart, West Nyack, Scranton, and Rochester—not in that order. And Jamestown, of course." Brooke added, knowing Aly couldn't reply, "My parents moved and I followed them." Aly was curious, but she didn't ask why they moved so many times.

Brooke rinsed Aly's mouth with water. "You have wonderful teeth," Brook complimented again. "Straight, white, and clean. However-"

Aly's stomach sank at the word "however."

Brooke continued, "This tooth looks like it's starting to crack." She tapped the tooth with the metal pick.

Aly asked, "Is that bad?"

Brooke replied as she took off her gloves, "It's not bad if you take care of it. But if you don't handle it and it breaks, it's not replaceable. Not comfortably, anyway."

Aly remarked with sarcasm, "Great. That sounds expensive."

Brooke's eyebrows shifted, an indication that she was smiling behind her mask, "I'll bring the doctor in here and let him tell you the details." Brooke tapped Aly on the shoulder, sending another buzzing wave of energy through her body. "I'll be back in just a minute."

Aly looked around the room while Brooke was out. Brooke had a few personal belongings: a few pictures of family, a Syracuse sports flag, and a coffee mug that read "world's greatest dentist." She had a few pictures of her family, including one of her with a young man. There was a framed certificate on the wall behind the computer, which included her name and the year she was certified as a dental hygienist. That's this year! She's brand new.

Brooke returned to the room and sat at her computer. She removed her mask and began typing. "The doctor will be here in just a moment. Do you want to go ahead and schedule another appointment six months from now?"

Aly sighed, "Sure, whatever six months from now is. Put me down for the latest time in the afternoon."

"Is June 17th at 4:00 p.m. good?" Brooke asked.

"That's fine...I think" Aly replied.

Brooke giggled, "I know, I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow, much less in six months."

Aly inquired, "So, I notice your license says you were certified a few months ago. Are you new?"

"I am," Brooke smiled. "You're very astute."

Aly blushed. Why am I blushing? I've never blushed for a simple comment like that. Aly continued, "Did you just graduate?"

Brooke answered, "I am a senior in college. I will have my bachelor's degree in six months. My goal is to go into medical school afterward and become a real dentist. I'm a hygienist now to get some experience."

"Awesome," Aly remarked. "Do you plan to open your own practice?"

Brooke nodded, "I do someday. It's challenging and expensive at first, but if I can make it, it'll be rewarding."

The doctor entered the room and interrupted, "Hey, Ms. Johnson, how are you?" The dentist was a tall, white-haired man.

Aly answered, "I was fine until Brooke told me my tooth is cracked." Aly looked at Brooke and waited for her to smile. She did - and her smile was as attractive as one could imagine: the way her nose wrinkled, the dimples that appeared on either side, and her pearly teeth. Aly's heart fluttered with emotion until the doctor brought her back to reality.