Embrace

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Ask for a receipt or something.

"That's stupid."

Paige joined Aly in the kitchen, "Then think of something on your own, dummy. I'm just floating ideas."

"What's for dinner?" Aly changed the subject.

Paige signed, "A salad for me. I had Davidson's fried fish for lunch."

"Greasy," Aly noted.

Paige nodded, "Got to keep this figure up, I guess." She rubbed her flat stomach with her hands. "And damn you for changing the subject. You do what you want, but I think you should give it a shot."

Aly nodded in concession, "Okay, I'll see if I can stop by tomorrow. But promise me you'll leave me alone after that."

Paige smiled as if she had won a battle, "Deal."

"But still," Aly insisted, "You know how nervous I get in these sorts of situations."

"Just be you. That's all you can hope for."

Chapter Four

The next day, it took her the entire morning to gather enough courage to leave the house. At the office, Aly's blood raced through her veins at a million miles per hour. She opened the door to the building, holding in her hand a small note that read: "Aly Johnson," followed by her phone number.

"Good afternoon," the receptionist said, surprised to see Aly. "Is everything alright?"

"There's nothing wrong," Aly noted, her mouth running dry. "Is- Is Brooke here? I need to ask her a question."

The receptionist nodded, still confused. "I'll see if I can find her. She should be eating lunch."

"Thanks," Aly mumbled as the note trembled in her hand. The receptionist disappeared into the back room. It's not too late to leave. No, it is too late to leave. I'm in it now. She did not bother to take off her coat or scarf, and after a few moments of standing in the heated room, she began to sweat.

The receptionist returned to the waiting room, Brooke following behind. Brooke smiled, once again melting Aly's heart.

"What's up?" Brooke asked. She held an expression of concern, assuming something had gone wrong with Aly's tooth.

"Hey," Aly whispered.

Aly moved into a corner away from the receptionist to maintain the privacy of their conversation. Aly whispered, barely able to speak from the dryness of her mouth, "I know this is weird, but— and I don't want you to think I'm weird. I've always been into girls, and I like you. I'm going to give you my number. Take it— call me, don't call me— whatever. But I'd love to see more of you.

Aly smiled and started for the exit. Brooke said nothing, holding the note as she watched Aly rush toward her car. Brooke stood still, seemingly in shock, as Aly drove away.

Aly clenched the steering wheel, her hands sweaty, her mouth dry, her heart thumping like a galloping horse. She exhaled in relief. It was now up to Brooke to make the next move. The remainder of the day was agonizing. Aly kept her phone nearby in case Brooke called. But for hours, nothing. Her confidence wained with every passing hour, and by nightfall, Aly had conceded that Brooke would never call.

Aly forced herself to eat dinner around seven. She knew she needed to eat, but she lacked the stamina to force herself to finish her meal. However, she did have a couple of glasses of red wine, which she poured more abundant than she should have. She pushed her food around with a fork as she rolled through her thoughts. She's going to think I'm crazy. Now I can never have another appointment with her. It'll be too humiliating.

Her thinking was interrupted when she heard the front door open. Aly, not wanting to talk about Brooke, attempted to divert the conversation in a preemptive strike. Paige carried bags of groceries into the kitchen.

Aly asked, "How's the weather?"

Paige replied, "It just started raining, so now some of this snow will hopefully melt."

"I hope so. It was up to about a foot and a half - maybe two feet."

Paige looked at Aly, and before Aly could say anything else, Paige asked, "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Aly questioned.

"You look miserable," Paige observed.

"Well, thanks," Aly replied, forcing a smile.

"I don't mean it negatively," Paige insisted. "You look gloomy."

Aly lied, "It's nothing."

"Is it the girl? The dentist girl?" Paige prodded.

"Don't worry about it," Aly insisted.

"Oh, come now. Is it the dentist girl?"

Aly nodded her head.

"Well, what's wrong? Did you talk to her?"

As much as Aly wanted to avoid the conversation, it was evident that she did not have a choice. Aly answered, "I gave her a note this morning. "I said 'call me.' Then I left."

Paige raised her eyebrows, "And did she?"

Aly shook her head and looked down at her glass of wine. "No, she hasn't."

"You put your number on the paper, right? Not just your name?"

Aly squinted. She tried not to laugh, but let out a chuckle, "What kind of dumbass do you think I am? Yes, I put the number on there."

Paige consoled, "Maybe she'll call later. Or if not, at least you tried."

Aly responded, "But that's the thing— what have I accomplished other than freaking out a girl I hardly know?"

Paige shook her head, "You have to take chances in life. You can't accomplish anything by sitting around and hoping for the best."

Aly took a large sip of wine. "Well, she would have called by now if she were interested." Aly glanced at her watch, "It's eight o'clock."

At that moment, Aly's phone rang. Her eyes widened with curiosity, and her heart rushed with uneasiness. It was an unknown number with a local area code.

"Answer it!" Paige yelled.

"I am, I am. Go away," Aly waved her hand. "Hello?" She answered quietly.

Paige attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation. Aly mouthed, "Go away," and Paige crept into the living room.

"Hello?" Aly answered again.

A man replied, "Hello, we have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty. This is your final notice."

Aly slammed the phone onto the table and groaned. Paige scurried back into the kitchen, "What happened?

"Fucking scammers," Aly replied. "Motherfucking scammers." She shook her head and drank another swig of wine. "I don't know. It's too hard to find someone who clicks with me. Maybe I'll just be an old cat lady."

Paige noted as she began filling the refrigerator with groceries, "You're just cynical, that's all. You'll find someone."

"Well, so far the only people I can find ones who are willing to put a warranty on a car with 250,000 miles on the odometer."

Paige consoled, "Don't worry about it. I've known you since we were three feet tall. You always come out on top."

"What do you mean?" Aly wondered.

Paige explained, "People like you, you have great friends, you were top of your class, you graduated with no student debt because of all the smart-people scholarships you earned."

"But what does that have to do with dating?" Aly contested.

Paige responded, "Nothing— and everything. It's your character; there is someone who will love you until you die. You will be someone's perfect spouse."

Aly shifted the conversation, "What did you buy?" She had an impulse of changing the subject whenever someone complimented her.

Paige answered, "Normal stuff, I guess. Just some fruits and veg and meat."

"Hmmm," Aly muttered as she swirled the last swallow of wine in her glass. After drinking the final sip, she set the glass on the counter and remarked, "I'm going to take a bath and go to bed."

"At eight-thirty?" Paige questioned.

"Yeah," Aly replied. "I'm tired and I have a headache."

"Well, good night," Paige said.

"See you tomorrow," Aly replied.

Aly climbed the stairs, her phone nestled in her pocket. She was a tad tipsy from the two glasses of over-poured wine she drank on a mostly-empty stomach. As she allowed the bathwater to heat and fill, she disrobed, and just as she was about to climb into the tub, her phone rang again. Siri said, "Unknown caller." Please, God, let this be her. Please don't be another worthless call.

"Hello?" Aly answered, her mouth dry.

"Hey," a woman's soft voice replied.

Aly did not speak for a few seconds, thinking of what to say. "This is Aly," she whispered.

"This is Brooke," the woman replied. "Brooke from the dentist's office."

Aly's heart pounded with fury. She had never felt this way when speaking to another person, but there was something special about Brooke that both antagonized and amazed her.

"Hi," Aly said.

Brooke mentioned, "Nobody has ever said anything like that to me. It was sweet, and I was taken by surprise. That's why I didn't say anything when you left the building."

Aly interjected, "I hope you don't think I'm too strange or too forward. I just thought I'd ask." Aly wrapped herself in a towel and skipped to her bedroom so Brooke wouldn't hear the odd sound of Aly's voice reverberating in the bathroom.

Brooke replied, "I don't think of you as weird at all. Actually, I thought it was exciting." Brooke chuckled softly, and Aly's heart melted.

"Exciting?" Aly repeated, her mood shifting from fear to delight.

"Yeah," Brooke replied. "It's exciting to know that someone has an interest in me."

Aly's confidence grew, but her mouth still ran dry. "Would- would you consider going on a date with a woman?"

Brooke answered, "With you? Yes."

Aly's heart fluttered like a hummingbird. "Seriously?"

Brooke chuckled again, "Yeah! I enjoyed talking to you in the office. You made me laugh a few times."

"Like when I drooled?" Aly joked.

"No, when you were trying to be funny," Brooke laughed again. "I see people drool every day with Novocaine. It's not uncommon."

Aly asked, "What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Brooke said. "How about dinner some place?"

Aly replied with glee, "That sounds great. "Do you like food?" Aly embarrassed herself with that comment. She corrected, "What kind of food do you like?"

"Anything," Brooke replied. "I'm simple." She paused for a moment before adding, "How about tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Aly agreed.

Brooke asked, "How about we meet somewhere? You pick."

"What about that new steakhouse on Fairmont Avenue? Do you know the one?"

"I do," Brooke responded. "See you at six?"

"See you at six," Aly affirmed.

"Bye," Brooke said.

"Bye," Aly repeated.

Aly rested her phone on her bed as her heart rejoiced with relief. "Finally," she mumbled beneath her breath.

Chapter Five

Aly continually checked her watch, taking large sips of water every few moments. It was still early, but Aly awaited Brooke's arrival with anxiousness. She looked around the restaurant; there were several customers, many of whom seemed to be intimate. Very few tables had more or fewer than two people. Aly rejoiced in knowing that she would not be spending the evening alone. Rather, she would have the company of someone with whom she could share a laugh. A rush of elation overtook Aly when she saw Brook roaming around the restaurant. Aly waved to hook Brooke's attention.

"Hey," Brooke greeted with a smile. Aly lost herself in Brooke's perfection. Brooke, bundled in her winter coal, allowed her brunette hair to flow over her shoulders. Her hair was rich and full, representative of someone who cared for her body. Likewise, her skin was smooth and soft. She removed her coat and laid it on the booth; she wore a black sweater that hugged the curves of her figure, displaying with prominence her medium-sized breasts and athletic frame. She had a light tint of lipstick, hardly enough to notice. And as always, she had an impeccable smile.

"How are you?" Aly replied with a dry mouth.

"Great," Brooke grinned again as she sat across from Aly. "And you?"

"Awesome," Aly responded.

There were a few moments of nervous silence before Aly spoke. "I—I hope I wasn't too forward or weird."

Brooke shook her head, "No worries. I'm here, so don't think that you did anything wrong."

Aly's heart beat with haste and her palms dampened sweat. Aly continued, struggling to overcome the stifling nervousness in her mind, "So, I'm going to be honest. I'm not very good with the whole dating thing. I think of things I should say beforehand, but I'm always nervous during the actual date."

Brooke chuckled, "I know what you mean. I'm probably just as nervous as you are."

Aly teased, "And I'll try not to drool this time."

Brooke laughed, "See? That's what I meant on the phone. You're funny."

Aly blushed and asked, "Have you ever dated a girl before?"

Brooke nodded, "I have."

Aly noted, "Same." She paused, then continued, "I haven't dated anyone in a while beyond the first date. I haven't had much luck lately." Aly scolded herself for her remark, hoping Brooke wouldn't take the statement in the wrong way or assume that Aly was some sort of incorrigible woman.

Brooke agreed, "Me either. I've been too busy with school and work to have time to do anything. And I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to meet women."

"I know, right?" Aly agreed. "Unless you want to start a conversation with a stranger by saying 'Hey, I'm Aly, I'm a school teacher, and I'm a lesbian.'"

Brooke laughed again, "Speaking of school, I know you said you go back on the fourth. Is that a new semester with new students?"

Aly took a sip of her water and rolled her eyes upward as she thought of the date "No, that's not until after Martin Luther King day."

The waiter interrupted their conversation. "Good evening, ladies. Are you ready to order?"

"Oh," Brooke murmured as she opened the menu. Aly looked at the waiter and mentioned, "I think we need a few more minutes."

The waiter nodded, "Can I get you anything to drink, miss?"

Brooke answered, "I'll have a glass of water."

"And another glass for you, miss?"

"Yes, please," Aly answered.

I'll be right back," the waiter assured.

"So, tell me more about your job," Brooke inquired. "I'm curious."

"I love it," Aly replied. "I love my students, and I'm pretty sure they enjoy having me as their teacher— I hope they do, at least. We always have fun in the classroom."

"I'm sure they love you," Brooke complimented. "And you said you teach history, right?"

"Yeah," Aly replied, taking another sip of water. "Mostly history, aside from one current events class."

"That's cool," Brooke noted. "I love history too. I like watching weird videos on YouTube about our past."

Aly continued, "And I always try to make it relevant to the present."

"And how do you do that?" Brooke wondered.

"I just bring their daily lives into the lesson. Like when I introduce propaganda in World War Two— I show the students a Donald Duck cartoon from the 1940s. We discuss how propaganda was important in mobilizing support for the war. Then we talk about some examples of modern propaganda and how the media and celebrities influence the thoughts and ideas of ordinary citizens. Or when I teach human rights during the Age of Enlightenment, I talk about our rights as American citizens and show some clips of people exercising their freedom of speech or gathering at some sort of protest." Aly stopped, fearing she might be talking too much.

Brooke smiled again, melting Aly's heart. Brooke replied, "See, that's the kind of teacher I wish I had in school. We always asked the question: 'Why do we need to know this?' You seem to have that under control."

Aly blushed at the insinuation that she was a good teacher.

Aly conceded, "Well, I'm not too great. I'm still new."

Brooke shook her head, "You can learn just as much from a newbie as someone who's been there for forty years."

Aly loved that Brooke took interest in her job. It was rare that she could have a conversation about the aspects of her career. Not wanting to be a sponge for most of the night's compliments, Aly remarked, "You do a great job with teeth."

Brooke gave her first proper laugh with Aly, more than a simple giggle or chuckle. Brooke returned, "I'm just a hygienist. It's not that hard."

"But you're a great hygienist," Aly responded. "A great hygienist who will one day be a dentist making three times as much as me." Aly raised a glass; Brooke tapped her cup against Aly's and took a swallow of water.

Aly ran her tongue along her teeth. "See? They're still as smooth as ever after you cleaned them."

Brooke laughed again as the waiter returned to the table with a glass of water for Brooke.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Are you ladies ready to order?" The waiter asked.

Realizing that she had paid more attention to Aly than ordering her food, Brooke skimmed through the menu.

"You order first," Brooke instructed.

"I'll have the Caesar salad with chicken," Aly pointed at the menu.

"I'll have the same," Brooke conformed.

"No problem," the waiter replied as he jotted the orders. The waiter collected the menus and noted that the food would not take long to prepare.

Aly asked, "What made you realize you're more interested in women than men?"

Brooke pondered her answer for a moment. "I don't think there was anyone defining moment. I thought I was a bit weird in middle school when I was more curious about my friends than boys. I kissed a girl in high school and— and I never considered dating a guy."

Aly nodded, "I pretty much have the same story. It's more of a continuous thing for me rather than an ah-ha moment."

The girls continued to talk throughout the meal, and all the while, Brooke disarmed Aly with her charm. Aly came to understand that her initial attraction to Brooke was more than a simple infatuation. There was truly something about Brooke that was amazing and special. Despite Aly's objections, Brooke offered to pay for the entire meal. After the waiter had cleared the empty plates from the table, Aly remarked, "I really enjoyed this, and I'm really glad you called me."

Brooke nodded, "Me too."

Aly asked, "Are we going to do it again?"

"Of course," Brooke boasted. "I'd love to."

"And I can pay next time. You didn't have to pay for me tonight," Aly replied.

Brooke said, "Don't worry about it. But I want to ask one thing."

Aly nodded to silently say, "Go ahead."

Brooke continued, "What made you give me your number. Why me?"

Aly blushed, feeling ambushed by the question. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Really?" Brooke said, seemingly surprised.

"Really," Aly confirmed. "You're cute, charming, and the fact that I can talk to you—" Aly paused, collecting her thoughts. "We seem to get each other, you know?" Aly was reminded of Paige's encouragement, but she kept that to herself.

Brooke nodded, "Well, thank you. I'm glad you gave me your number."

Aly asked, "And what did you think of me before I asked you out?"

"Funny, attractive, and charming," Brooke described. "And after you gave me the letter, I was turned on all day." Brooke blushed and covered her mouth. She spoke through her hand, "I'm sorry, that was a weird thing to say."

Aly blushed too but laughed. She felt a shooting sensation of thrill between her legs. "No worries," Aly noted. "When do you think you'll be available for another date?"

Brooke looked at the ceiling as she thought about her schedule. "Hmmm. Tomorrow's the last day the office is open until after New Year's Day, but I'm going to stay with my parents starting tomorrow through the first of January. I'll be back on the second if you want to have our second date then."

Aly smiled, "That sounds great. Where do your parents live?"

"Etobicoke— It's a suburb of Toronto," Brooke answered.

"Wait, you're Canadian?" Aly questioned.

"Nope, and we'll leave that story for another day." Brooke stood up and put on her coat. "Let's walk outside."

* * * * *

Aly sneaked into the house aiming to escape a prying conversation from Paige. She successfully hurried to her bedroom and prepared for bed, dressing into her pajamas and reading from her new book. It was the happiest Aly had been in quite some time, and she was already enthusiastic about a second date with Brooke.