Embrace

Aly tried to read, but her mind was clouded; she could not follow the written words. After reading half a chapter, she recognized that she could not remember what she had read. Instead, she only thought of Brooke. She set the book on the nightstand and turned out the lights.

The date with Brooke had been so exhilarating that Aly had paid little attention to her horniness. She slipped her hand between her legs, and she was wetter than she expected. Nestled beneath the warmth of her covers, she slid her pajama bottoms to her ankles and spread her legs. She teased herself, mentally undressing Brooke, and imagining her beauty in the nude. A trivial sense of foolishness encouraged Aly to be hesitant about thinking such raunchy thoughts about Brooke. After all, they had only shared one date. But she was unable to control her thoughts. She yielded to her lustful imagination as she teased her womanhood.

She fingered herself with more vigor, moving her fingers in a circular motion. The tingling feeling that began between her legs had grown into a righteous and captivating sensation, spreading into every niche of her body. As the pleasure developed, she felt herself becoming wetter. She rocked her hips subtly beneath the mounting wave of ecstasy. She quickened her fingers, faster and faster, continuing to replay imaginary pictures of Brooke in her mind. Her wetness grew so that the sounds of her sopping echoed in the bedroom, and her chest rose and fell with every draw of her ever-increasing breathing. She developed a faint sweat; she tossed aside the covers as it became too warm, exposing her womanhood to the chilly room.

Her heart pounded with fury as her fingers sloshed in her excitement. She subdued any vocalization so her roommate would not hear her dirty deed. Faster and faster, she moved her fingers until the orgasm struck her with such power and authority that she lost control of her actions. She squeezed the bedsheets with her open hand and thrashed her legs and knees. She tightened every muscle in her face and opened her mouth wide. She breathed with violence as she came, attempting to refrain from making too much noise. After a final exhale, she lay in comfort as she reveled in her post-orgasmic bliss. She wiped herself and her fingers clean with a tissue before pulling the covers over herself and falling asleep.

Chapter Six

Aly woke up at nearly nine o'clock the next morning. She looked at the clock: Damn! Aly stared at the ceiling, already overwhelmed by the anticipation of meeting Brooke for a second date. But she would have to wait a few days before they could see each other again. As she climbed out of bed and started for the door, she noticed the cum-stained tissue on the floor. A tiny grin slid across her face as she remembered the night she had to herself.

The next several days of loneness were perpetual. Aly wondered if she was strange for feeling so strongly for a girl with whom she had only had a few interactions. Nevertheless, she could not control her thoughts. Aly lay restless many nights thinking of Brooke, and several times she pleasured herself to thoughts of Brooke in the nude. But at last, the new year came, and Brooke had returned. They had agreed to meet at a different restaurant, and similar to the first date, they hoped to talk and get to know one another better.

When Aly arrived at the restaurant, Brooke sat alone in the booth, twirling the paper from the plastic straw between her fingers. Brooke smiled when she noticed Aly approaching her table, and to Aly's surprise, Brooke stood up and hugged her.

"It's good to see you," Brooke said.

"You too," Aly replied, her mouth already running dry.

They sat across from one another. Brooke admitted, "I've been looking forward to this."

Aly wiggled out of her coat. "Me too," she replied. "How was Canada?"

"Cold," she replied, "But not much colder than here, and less snowy too."

The waiter arrived and took their orders.

Brooke queried, "I've been thinking about what it must be like to be a teacher. What's the hardest part about teaching in your opinion?"

Aly looked at the ceiling for a moment as she considered her answer. "I guess— I guess it's the fact that you can't solve all the problems."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked.

"Well," Aly continued, "You can only do your best. I still have students who come from families where the dad is a drunk, or they recently had a grandparent die, or maybe their house burnt down. I've had students who have been the victims of stalking, physical abuse, or sexual abuse...What kid wants to be in school when that's on their mind?"

Brooke's countenance turned somber. Aly added, "But I try my best."

Brooke noted, "And you never know, you might be the only person who has ever done anything for them or believed in them."

Aly nodded, "You're right."

"You sound like a superhero," Brooke grinned.

Aly's face became a deep shade of red. She shook her head and drank her water.

"I'm serious," Brooke affirmed. "I'm not just saying that to make you feel good. It's true."

Aly maintained her modesty, "I'm just trying my best, but I'm nowhere near a hero."

Brooke disagreed, "Come on, what's the best thing I've done? Fixed a tooth? Flossed a six-day-old crumb from someone's mouth?"

Aly giggled, "But you are fabulous at your job. You cleaned my teeth with dignity."

Brooke smiled and replied sarcastically, "Okay, but you can't argue that you impact fewer people than I do."

Aly shrugged, 'Well, thank you. I do appreciate it. It's refreshing to hear someone compliment my profession."

Brooke wrinkled her nose in confusion, "Do people typically refuse to compliment teachers?"

"No, they do compliment teachers," Aly leveled, "But they're obnoxious in how they do it."

"How so?"

"Usually, people have unrealistic pity for me. They act as if I made a foolish choice, like a gambler who loses all of his money. If not, they say how they would never be able to do it because they would murder a child and that I have angelic patience. I think people think they're being polite, but it's annoying to hear the same two things every time. Rarely does someone like you ever want to know more and have a decent conversation about my profession."

Brooke nodded, "I never thought about it like that. And I think the last thing that teachers need is to be discouraged."

"Exactly," Aly agreed. She continued, "There are days where it's hard— days when I want to go home and cry. It is stressful, but I maintain that it's the best job in the world. The great things that happen far outweigh the negative."

"That's good," Brooke responded. "I can't say my job is too stressful. As long as you know what you're doing, it's fine. I'm more worried about my future."

"And how's that coming along?" Aly asked.

"I'm starting the last semester of my undergraduate next week," Brooke sighed. "After that, it's on to medical school. My stress comes in having to take out loans and save money." Brooke admitted, "I'm not good at saving money."

"But once you get a dental office up and running, you should make a lot of money, right?"

Brooke chuckled, "That's the goal anyway."

Aly raised her glass, "Here's to great futures and money." Brooke tapped her glass against Aly's and they both took a drink.

Aly stuck her finger inside of her mouth to rub her faux tooth. How's that crown doing?" Brooke asked.

"It feels fine, but just a little rough."

"That'll go away when we put the real thing on," Brooke assured. "You're not eating hard or sticky food, right?"

Aly shook her head, "And I'm doing most of my chewing on the opposite side, just like you said."

Brooke smiled, and Aly took delight in seeing her nose wrinkle and her dimples appear.

The waiter arrived with the food. "May I get you ladies anything else?" He asked. Aly eyed Brooke, who replied, "No, thanks."

"Enjoy," he said as he walked away.

Aly took a bite of her spaghetti before asking, "So, you said you're parents are in Toronto. Last time, you said that would be a conversation for another day. What did you mean?"

Brooke answered, "Maybe we'll talk about that after the twentieth date."

Aly widened her eyes, surprised by the response, "The twentieth? This is only the second."

Brooke affirmed, "I know, you want to keep going, right?"

"Yes," Aly replied, refraining from overstepping her bounds and confounded by the oddity of the statement. She was perplexed, but she was also excited to hear that more dates were on the calendar.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" Brooke asked.

"I'm working," Aly replied.

"I mean after work," Brooke clarified.

Aly shook her head. Brooke asked, "Do you want to work out tomorrow night? I can bring one guest for free at Planet Fitness."

"Sure," Aly responded, enthusiastic to spend more time with Brooke. "Does that count as one of the twenty?"

Brooke grinned, "No, and don't think that the story about my parents is interesting or exciting. It's more disheartening than anything."

Aly nodded and Brooke continued, "It's the one at Chautauqua Mall. Want to meet at 8:00 p.m. or is that too late?"

"That's great," Aly remarked, taking another bite of spaghetti.

Brooke noted, "I usually do my workouts in the evening. It helps me sleep better."

"Me too," Aly agreed.

"What have you done since our last date?" Brooke asked.

Aly remembered that she had fingered herself several times to mental images of Brooke. She replied, "Not much, just enjoying myself and the rest of my break." For Aly, her response had a double meaning.

Brooke finished her last bite, "Yeah, I hung out with my parents. We played games, went shopping, and chilled out."

Aly added, "I'm glad you're back."

Brooke smiled, "Me too."

The girls wrapped up their dinner; Aly paid this time. Afterward, they walked outside, and just before Brooke climbed into her car, Aly kissed her on the cheek. The kiss was soft and short, though filled with emotion. Brooke blushed and smiled, and Aly's heart pounded with fury. "I'm sorry," Aly apologized. "I'm moving too fast."

"Don't be sorry," Brooke reacted. "There's no such thing as too fast. I'll see you tomorrow," A fire burned between Aly's legs, this one greater than the night before. She watched as Brooke drove away, already longing to reunite with her tomorrow.

The girls spent almost every night together for the coming weeks, either at dinner, a movie, or at the gym. Aly lost herself in Brooke's company; Aly neither cared for nor worried about the world when she was with Brooke. All of the issues and stress Aly might have endured from day to day, spending time with Brooke made her forget about her problems.

Chapter Seven

At work, Aly often ate lunch in her classroom. She preferred to eat alone as it was one of the few times she could find solitude during the day. One afternoon, she read through a seemingly endless dump of emails as she ate a salad. Most emails were pointless — a waste of time.

Niyah entered the classroom, and though Aly tried to enjoy her solitude, it was nice to speak to someone her own age. Niyah, Aly's tall coworker with caramel-colored skin, greeted, "What's up?" as she closed the door behind her.

"Hey," Aly replied before swallowing her mouthful of lettuce.

"Are you busy?" Niyah asked, sitting at a student desk.

Aly joked, "Would you leave if I said yes?"

"Nope," Niyah jested.

"What's up?" Aly asked.

"Not much," Niyah replied.

"Listen to this email I received from a parent this morning," Aly said. She read: "My daughter said that you said your father doesn't have a job because he is retarded. Why use this inappropriate language in the classroom?"

Niyah squinted her eyes, "You didn't say that, right?"

"Of course, not!" Aly threw her hands in the air. "I said that my father doesn't work because he's retired."

Niyah laughed and Aly took another bite of her salad. Niyah added, "If I had a dollar for every time a student said I said something that I didn't."

"I know, right?" Aly replied.

"I have a question for you," Niyah suggested.

Aly tilted her head, "Yeah?"

Niyah asked, "Are you dating someone new?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Aly replied.

Niyah lowered her voice, "There've been rumors."

"What do you mean?" Aly panicked.

"Apparently, someone saw you at a restaurant with some girl and they said you were falling all over her."

Aly's face turned a deep shade of red. She put her hand on her forehead, "People are talking about me?"

"Jenna and Abby were talking about in the faculty lounge this morning," Niyah confirmed.

"Holy crap," Aly mumbled.

Niyah nodded, "But I was the only other person in there."

"What do they mean I was falling over this girl?" Aly asked, partially covering her mouth.

Niyah answered, "Laughing, giddy, blind to the world. Everyone talks about someone. How many people have we talked about before?"

Aly contested, "But it's different when it's me."

Niyah continued, "I guess that means the rumors are true?"

Aly nodded, "We've been dating, but that's it. Why are people talking about my dating life?"

Niyah shrugged, "They're women. What do you expect?"

Aly rolled her eyes, "Jesus Christ."

"Do you like her?" Niyah inquired.

"Of course," Aly bragged. "She's the most amazing person I've ever met. We've been hanging out just about every night."

Niyah nodded shallowly, "I wish I could say the same about my dates. Also, you seem happier than you were before winter break."

"Really?" Aly asked.

Niyah nodded, "You seem like you're more giddy than usual." Niyah repeated, "I wish I could say the same about myself. I broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago."

Aly added, "Oh, I'm sorry. You're still young. Don't worry." Damn, I'm starting to sound like Paige.

Niyah asked, "And you met her through the dating app you were trying out, right?"

Aly shook her head, "No, I tried the app, but it crashed and burned. I just happened to meet Brooke at a dental appointment. She's a hygienist. I actually have another appointment with her tomorrow to get a permanent crown put on my tooth."

Niyah nodded again, "Seems nice."

Aly returned to the previous subject, "But I still can't believe Jenna and Abby are discussing this up front where people can overhear."

Niyah returned, "Think about who you're talking about. There's no way you're surprised."

Aly agreed, "Yeah, you're right. But so far I've only told you, Jenna, Abby, and one other person in this building that I'm a lesbian. I trust that information won't spread, right?"

Niyah stood up, "Who knows, Aly?" She walked toward the door and added, "I'm sure it won't spread. I thought I'd just stop by and see how you were doing."

"Thanks," Aly replied. "I'll see you around."

Aly looked at her phone and saw she had a message from Brooke. Her body filled with warmth: "How about I cook dinner tomorrow night instead of meeting at another restaurant. 6:30 at my place?"

Of course, Aly agreed to the invitation.

* * * * *

That night, Aly and Paige talked in their kitchen. "I'm going to her house for dinner tomorrow," Aly remarked.

"Oh, wow, you're finally going to her house? Is she cooking?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," Aly replied. "She said she enjoys cooking and she's good at it."

"I guess you'll see if she's full of shit tomorrow night," Paige responded.

Aly grinned, "It wouldn't matter. She's already perfect."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Now you're getting all mushy and lovey-dovey on me."

Aly pointed at Paige, raising her voice, "You were the one who encouraged me to ask her out in the first place. Don't be pissed that I actually like her."

Paige nodded, "I remember! I was pretty sure you were going to ask the cat on a date if you hadn't met Brooke."

"I was not," Aly defended, placing her hands on her hips.

Paige persisted, "But I'm happy for you, and I'm glad you found someone."

"Thanks," Aly noted.

Paige pretended to be dramatic, "I just feel like I'm losing you."

"Shut up, Paige."

Paige continued, "I think I've gained weight too. I eat more when I eat by myself."

Aly crossed her arms, "What about Jacob?"

"He works at night, remember? Most of our interactions are in the mornings before I go to work. And you're out every night with Brooke having fun. Seriously, I get bored in the evenings."

Paige widened her eyes and as that familiar evil countenance grew on her face. "Have you two— you know— done it yet?"

"Good night," Paige.

"Really?" Paige cried.

"You're so nasty, Paige," Aly chuckled.

"We're friends! We tell each other about our business. It's what friends do!"

"Are you sure? I've never had this conversation with anyone before— besides your dumbass, anyway."

"Yes, because I'm your only friend," Paige mocked.

"You are not," Aly returned.

Paige persisted, "Have you and Brooke—you know?"

"No," Aly replied, squinted her eyes.

"You're lying," Paige responded. "I had sex with Jacob yesterday morning while you were at work."

"What the fuck, Paige? I didn't need to know that."

"I told you, now you tell me," Paige said.

"We haven't had sex," Aly continued. "And that's not how it works."

"You're lying," Paige went on.

"I'm not!" Aly contested.

"But you want to," Paige assumed.

Aly turned bright red, "Paige, I— I think." She stumbled over her words.

Paige laughed, "Yeah, you totally want to fuck her. If I were into girls, I would want to fuck her too. She's hot as hell."

"Paige!" Aly yelped. "We— we're moving at an appropriate pace. We'll get to that eventually."

"To the fucking?" Paige giggled.

"Yes, the fucking," Aly sighed.

"So, you want to fuck her, right?" Paige pursued.

"Oh, my God, Paige. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You didn't answer my question," Paige prodded.

"I do— I do want to fuck her. Now leave me alone, you bastard."

"See you tomorrow."

"Good night," Aly waved dismissively.

Chapter Eight

"Good afternoon, Ms. Johnson," the receptionist greeted. "Are you having a good day today?"

"I am," Aly replied with a wide smile. "And you?"

"I can't complain," the receptionist replied. "You may have a seat. We'll be with you in a few moments."

"Thanks," Aly said. She sat on the couch in the waiting room, her heart burgeoning with elation. The last time Aly had sat on this couch, she reeked of nervousness as she considered giving Brooke her phone number. Now, the only agony she experienced was in waiting to see Brooke again. Aly considered what Brooke might have planned for the night. Was she planning to cook for the sake of cooking? Or would there be some additional activities throughout the night? The mystery wrangled Aly's thoughts.

"Ms. Johnson?" Brooke called from the doorway. Aly's face ignited with enchantment. Aly walked toward Brooke, and when they were out of view from the receptionist, Aly gave Brooke a short kiss on the lips.

"How are you, sweetie," Brooke whispered.

"Fantastic," Aly replied.

Brooke led Aly into the same dental room where she had drooled on herself— the same room where the thought of asking Brooke on a date had torn her mind into pieces.

"Remember, we have to remain professional," Brooke reminded.

"Of, course," Aly replied. "I won't do anything stupid."

Brooke applied the topical inside of Aly's mouth to prepare for the Novocaine shot. "So how was your day?" Brooke asked.

"Great, and yours?" Aly asked.

"It was slow at first, but it's gotten much better," Brooke jested.

Aly spoke softly, "Apparently, one of my coworkers saw us at a restaurant and assumed we are dating."

Brooke smiled, "Really?"

Aly nodded, "Although their assumption is not wrong, it's weird to know that people are talking about me—about us."