Lizzy Raleigh Listens to the Anne in Her Head (themosthappi) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2012-03-19 00:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | anne boleyn, pepper potts |
Who: Lizzy and Felicia
What: Meeting and drinks and girl bonding
When: Saturday Evening
Where: A small bar downtown
Warnings: None!
She didn’t want to be Pepper anymore. She didn’t even want to be Felicia, if just for one night. There were so many things that she needed to do, so many people she needed to take care of. Pepper had Tony Stark to care for and that involved quite a bit. Thankfully, the garage seemed to run itself most days so she could focus on her public relations firm. She’d begun work on plans for Mr. Bailey’s band and Mr. Roberts’ books. The phone call she’d received from Mr. Beck’s mother also added to her workload. Her preliminary research indicated that he’d be quite the handful if it came to that. Felicia was glad for the work; it distracted her from thinking of Pepper and Tony. Things were complicated, to say the least, and that was the exact reason why she found herself in a bar, nursing her second vodka and sprite of the evening.
Felicia sat at the bar, dressed in a navy knee length skirt and a light blue blouse with the top button undone. She wasn’t there to pick up someone, only there to drink and try to forget about Tony, Silver, Spider-Man, and all her damn clients. She wanted peace and a clear head. What better way than alcohol to gain that clarity. The bar was neither crowded nor empty, with just enough people to create a hum of background noise. She finished off her drink and signaled the bartender for another as she ran a hand through her hair. She was always thinking, always trying to do something. Why couldn’t her brain just stop for a moment?
Lizzy needed a drink, and she needed one badly. Her stepmother, bless her heart, and thought that Lizzy had been alone far too long, and had decided to set her up on a blind date. The date went about as well as to be expected. The gentle man was another lawyer, one who had been a bit more successful than Lizzy and loved to show off his money and prestige. They had gone to an overpriced French bistro, and it had been an agonizing ninety minutes before she could escape, claiming a bad headache.
Instead of going home, Lizzy slipped into the quiet bar and ordered herself a glass of red wine. She had a glass a dinner, but she needed another one just to wash the taste of failure out of her mouth. She looked over the list the bartender handed her and finally settled on a nice Merlot. She smoothed down the skirt of her little black dress and sighed. Perhaps it really was better if she stayed alone.
She glanced over at the girl sitting at the bar beside her and gave her a smile. Still, nothing wrong with a bit of flirting. “Rough night?”
Felicia noticed the young woman who’d taken a seat beside her when she first came in, but otherwise didn’t spare much attention to her. It wasn’t until she was spoken to that she looked back at her. “Something like that,” she replied with a smile. “Sometimes the only sense in the world comes from a bottle.” A simple explanation, maybe, but it was true. Felicia felt like she’d been thrown in the deep end and it was either sink or swim. Some days, she felt like she was drowning. She took another healthy sip from her drink and shrugged.
“What about you?” Felicia looked the girl up and down, noting how she looked. “Looks like you just came from a date and I’m guessing it didn’t end well if you’re here,” she added, her tongue loosened by the alcohol she’d had already. Whoever said diamonds were a girl’s best friend got it wrong. A nice bottle of vodka did wonders.
Lizzy laughed at Felicia’s answer. “I personally think that red wine should be delivered, like they used to deliver milk. It really is the answer to everything.” The bartender brought over her glass and she took a sip, savoring it for a moment. She knew it wasn’t the finest Merlot - it came from a box after all - but it was still comforting.
“I love my stepmother, she’s amazing, and I know my daddy wants grandbabies - but that was in fact the most horrific blind date I’ve ever had.” Lizzy’s voice was tinged with a lilting southern accent that added to her seemingly sweet demeanor. “What about you? You look pretty enough to be on a date, but I bet that’s not it.”
“Tequila’s the way to go, if the stories I’ve heard about it are true. I prefer vodka when things get tough. Wine’s for romance, flowers and chocolates.” Felicia shrugged and turned on the stool to face Lizzy better. She crossed one leg over the other and her skirt rose up ever so slightly. She didn’t even noticed, focused as she was on the girl. “Blind dates usually end horribly. They’re just...cruel and unusual punishment,” Felicia replied with a chuckle, taking another sip of her drink.
“This?” Felicia glanced down at her outfit, complete with the black clutch and high heels. She made a thoughtful face, realizing that it probably was a date outfight to anyone else. “Nah, this is for work actually. Not that anyone sees me, stuck in my office all day,” Felicia explained, frowning a bit at the last part. She had never thought that she’d worked too much before. It was crazy how Pepper changed all of that. She held out her hand to the woman with a smile. “Felicia,” she introduced.
“Yes, but I can justify half a bottle of wine by saying it is good for me.” Lizzy had never seen wine as something that was for romance, but that might be because her life was significantly lacking in romance. Her life was lacking in most social things, but that was really her own fault. She chose her career over her social life for far too long to expect it to recover.
“I work a lot, too. I’m a lawyer - so yeah, I understand about the nice clothes no one sees, well, except my secretary, and she’s 62, so I don’t think she’s appreciating them.” She gave the other girl a grin and took her hand. “And I’m Lizzy, it’s a pleasure to meet you, darlin’.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the other girl’s comments. “Chocolate’s good for ya too, now that I think about it,” Felicia replied with a wink as she shook the girl’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Lizzy.” She was all for helping her figure out excuses for the finer things. “Lawyer’s nice. I’m in PR,” she explained. “Got my own business, running it out of this garage I run. No one really to interact with ‘cept for the mechanics.” She shrugged and finished off her drink, gesturing for a fourth.
“Boys are nothing but trouble. All they ever do is think about themselves.” Felicia sounded bitter, but it wasn’t as if she’d had any number of relationships. It was usually just casual, a way to release when nothing else would work. “I know a couple lawyers, worked with ‘em back when I was doing press for politics. You seem way less uptight than they were.” Her drink came and she thanked the bartender with a flirtatious smile, which she turned on Lizzy next. “So what’s the scoop with the blind date then?”
“Yes, chocolate. Good chocolate and good wine make life worth living.” She watched the other girl, amused. She had a gorgeous figure that Lizzy wasn’t sure if she should be envious of or attracted to, probably a bit of both. “Public relations? I work with a few of your competitors with some of the businesses the firm represents.” She didn’t think Felicia was much like those backbiting women who were always trying to score dates with the eligible young associates.
She took another sip of her wine and rolled her eyes. “My date was... very into himself. He apparently had already made partner, and liked to lord that over me. He was also very into his things.” She shrugged, “I have nice things, but I don’t let them define my worth. He also, I think, wanted some pretty little girl who would be at his beck and call.” She laughed a bit, “And I am no beck-and-call girl!”
“Want to know a secret?” Felicia asked, grinning ear to ear. She leaned forward just slightly and stage whispered, “I like cheap chocolate.” She bit her lip to hide her smile but it didn’t quite work because she was grinning again a moment later. “You know, like Hershey’s? My mom used to buy us homemade chocolate but I could never eat all of it. My brother used to finish it for me.” Felicia laughed and took another sip of her drink.
The conversation turned to business and she let her free hand fall into her lap. “We’re all the same, honestly. Some of us are better than others.” It was easy for her to slip back in the memories of fourteen hour days and calls at 2am about a crisis on the campaign trail. Her lips turned down into a slight scowl and shook her head. Tonight wasn’t about moping or being sad. “If all he wants is a call girl, all he’s got to do is go to the nearest corner. He could pick up a regular Julia Roberts,” she replied with an eye roll. “You’re better off without him.”
“My mother would probably die if I had eaten Hershey chocolate as a child.” She rolled her eyes, thinking of her mother and her never ceasing desires to make sure they looked so called upper class to the outside world. Not to mention the pressures about appearance and being thin and pretty. “But there is nothing wrong with some good old fashioned milk chocolate from the 7-11.”
She tucked a strand of blond hair that had escaped her up-swept hair behind her ear and nodded. “Far too many men seem to want a girl they can rescue, make depend on them. I believe that it’s called financial domination.” She had taken countless women’s studies classes at Berkley. She was well versed in feminist theory and bought into most of it. “I am more interested in something egalitarian, which is why I tend to not date men.... or I haven’t recently.” That was something her parents never did accept.
“Why’d she care so much about what kind of chocolate you ate? That seems a little...excessive.” Felicia made a face at the thought of someone being so controlling over her. She’d stayed primarily out of the way as a child so no one really bothered with what she did or when she did it. She hadn’t minded the peace and quiet and, surprisingly, she’d turned out fairly well on the social front.
She couldn’t help snorting at the term ‘financial domination’. “Yep, you’re definitely a lawyer.” The vocabulary was usually a dead give away, but it wasn’t a bad thing. “Good for you!” she cheered, lifting her glass to Lizzy when she said she tended to not date men. “They’re quite useless, hiding things and always making you worry.” Felicia, for her part, totally missed the implications of what Lizzy was saying.
“What can I say, I am a lawyer who has a minor in gender studies.” She let the topic of her mother drop off, mostly because she didn’t want to dwell on her, especially after the long conversation she had about her not long ago. She wanted to concentrate more on the future, on here and now. She had recently read a book about being present in the moment - and she needed to continue that skill.
She glanced over at Felicia, a bit miffed she didn’t catch her drift. Clearly, the girl was straight. Lizzy should have known, but she had horrible gaydar. It was a shame. “Let’s not forget they never put the toilet seat down, they stink, and they never share the remote.” She raised her glass at Felicia. “To strong, independent women who don’t take crap from anyone.” This other woman was very much like her - something she could appreciate.
Felicia laughed and shook her head. “Oh, goodness. That must’ve been fun. I majored in Business and then went to grad school for politics. My dad worked on campaigns all his life and I just followed in his footsteps. Let me tell you, I’d take lawyers over a politician any day.” She sighed and took another sip of her drink, nearly halfway done with it already. “PR is great though. I can’t tell you how many amazing people I’ve met.” She smiled warmly, obviously very happy with her job, even with the stress it gave her.
“I’ll toast to that. And to not needing some damn hero to swoop in and save you,” she toasted, clinking her glass with Lizzy’s. She smiled before taking a drink. “Lord, who knew moving back to Vegas three years ago would be this much fun.”
“So, are you from Vegas originally?” Lizzy asked curiously. Vegas was a strange place, with folks who were either native born or freshly moved here. Lizzy knew very few people who had moved here and lived here for a very long time. Pretty soon it would have been eight years since she moved here, a fresh graduate from Berkley hellbent on changing the world. How things had changed.
“I moved here eight years ago? Originally from Dallas. My dad’s from here originally, moved back when he retired from football.” She wanted to get away from the awkward topics of men and relationships. She felt slightly humiliated she had barked up the wrong tree. “So I came here for law school. Glad I did. I love it here. So much nicer than Dallas.”
“Nah. I started out on the east coast, worked all over, then ended up in California. My...Well, a guy I knew died and he left me everything he had, which happened to be a garage here in Vegas. I picked up and moved my life here and now it’s three years later,” she replied, her voice catching just slightly when she mentioned Mr. Wallace. The man had been important to her and she’d buried herself in work after the funeral.
“Dallas is nice. Worked there for six months once for a congressional race. It’s a little...religious, no offense,” she was quick to add, wincing at how that might’ve sounded. She finished off her drink and sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Vegas is nice. There’s a fair amount of work and the garage keeps me busy. I’m beginning to realize I need to get out more though.” Felicia shrugged and mustered up a smile for Lizzy.
“Calling Dallas a little religious is like calling water a little wet. Even my mother, who is working on husband number four? She goes to church every Sunday. It’s more of a social event, though they give lip service to the beliefs.” She shrugged. “And the preachers look the other way on their lives if the donations are big enough.” Yet another of Lizzy’s beliefs and behaviors that could be tied back to her mother. She abhorred organized religion because of the hypocrisy of her mother and her church.
“Does your garage work on hybrids? My dad is always on my case about bringing it in and getting it serviced.” She kept meaning to make an appointment at the dealership, but she always forgot, too busy with work. But if she got a chance to check out Felicia again, well, that would certainly be more than enough reasons to bring her car out. There was no shame in a girl looking after all.
Felicia laughed at the comparison. “Too true,” she replied with a warm smile. Lizzy was a lot of fun and Felicia was glad to have met her. She was a sweetheart and she made her little foray into the social scene all the more successful. “Eh, I grew up Catholic. I stopped going to church as soon as I got into college. It just...wasn’t important anymore.”
Conversation turned to her garage and she grinned. “Yea. We’ll take a look at just about anything. I’ve got great guys working there so I’m sure we can service you.” Felicia slipped her hand into her clutch, pulling out her phone. “I’ll just make a note to set something up for you. Just put your contact info in?” she asked, pulling up the ‘New Contact’ screen before holding out her phone.
Lizzy took Felicia’s phone and entered in her information, giving her both her personal cell and her work number. “I bought a Prius two years ago. I love it, but it is so hard to get it worked on. Most mechanics just have no idea how to deal with a hybrid. But I love it - it uses very little fuel. Granted, I only drive it a few days a week. I bought a condo downtown just so I could walk or take the bus.” She could talk about her beloved Prius all night.
She knew it was odd for her to live as she did - take the bus or walk, but she was genuinely concerned about everything. She was willing to make some sacrifices for the good of the planet so long as it didn’t make her too uncomfortable. She handed Felicia back her phone. “Thank you so much. Where is your shop located? I live downtown, not far from the Wynn. I work not far from there, either.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about. We’ll take good care of your car.” She didn’t comment about how Earth-conscious she was coming across, only because it really wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe they wouldn’t be dealing with global warming if people had started to care about the environment earlier. Ah well. She took her phone back with a smile and texted Lizzy so that she’d have her number as well.
“There you go! That way if you ever need a tow or anything, you’ll know where to reach me,” she replied warmly. Her social outing was certainly a success if she’d managed to drum up business for the garage. Her vision swam for a moment and she took a deep breath. “Oh, seems it took a while for those drinks to really hit me,” she murmured, more to herself than anything.
Felicia turned back to Lizzy. “You ever drink anything besides wine?” she asked. Maybe, the next time she was having a bad day, she could call Lizzy and they could meet, have drinks, and bitch about men. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be a man that would frustrate her. Particularly one, but Felicia flatly refused to even think his name for the time being. Alcohol had magnified the annoyance she felt toward him.
When Felicia seemed to sway a bit, Lizzy immediately reached out and touched her arm, trying to steady her. She had that natural urge in life - to take care of other people. It was ingrained in her from a very young age, that good girls make sure other people are taken care of. But there was also a selfish motive - she enjoyed Felicia’s company, and wanted her to be safe. “I drink harder sometimes, but I have to be somewhere early tomorrow, and my father can spot a hangover a mile away.”
“Are you okay? Do you need a lift home?” Her hand had moved so that she had a light grip on Felicia’s arm, just enough she could catch the girl if she fell. She was only feeling the slightest effects of the alcohol, and she was certainly sober enough to drive.
“Oh, ouch. That’s got to be rough. I used to work for my dad.” Felicia shuddered at the thought, but she was glad for Lizzy’s hand on her arm. She brought her other hand up to cover it, giving Lizzy a smile. “I’m alright, but I certainly wouldn’t mind a ride home. I’m afraid the only person I’d think to call isn’t feeling well,” she admitted, signaling to the bartender that she wanted to close out her tab.
“You’re a real sweetheart, Lizzy,” she murmured, reaching for the pen and receipt from the bartender. She signed easily and then checked to make sure she had all of her things. It was then, when she glanced up, that she realized Lizzy’s glass wasn’t empty yet. “Oh! I’m sorry. You haven’t even finished yours yet,” she replied, sounding a bit disappointed. She honestly hadn’t meant to make things all about her.
Lizzy waived the bartender over to close out her tab and waived Felicia’s concerns away. She would be fine, and it was more important to get Felicia home safe and sound. “I’m fine. Besides, chugging a a glass of wine would probably not be good for me, and look way too much like college.” She grinned, remembering how they used to behave in college, trying to act mature and suave, when they only made themselves look like idiots.
She signed her credit card receipt and then picked up her purse and her wrap. Even though spring was approaching, it was still too cool to wear a sleeveless dress in Vegas this time of year. “I’m right outside. What part of town do you live in?” She was curious about this woman. Wouldn’t it be odd if they were neighbors or some such thing?
“You’re sure?” she asked again, but it was clear when the bartender handed Lizzy her tab that the other woman was done. Felicia smiled at that, a warm, fuzzy feeling filling her at the thought that a stranger genuinely seemed to care about her. Maybe things were starting to bleed between Felicia’s thoughts on Pepper’s relationship with him and her thoughts on her own lack of relationships. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d gotten laid.
“You’re really sweet,” Felicia repeated, sounding a bit like it was a new thought she’d just had. “Uh...” Felicia had to stop and think about where she lived for a second because she’d been spending so much time either through the door or at the garage. “The Red Rock Villas,” she finally replied, proud of herself for remembering. “You’re sure it’s not too far out of your way?” she asked, sliding off her bar stool. To her credit, she didn’t wobble or seem all that unsteady on her feet. If there was one thing she could do while drunk, it was walk in high heels.
“It’s fine,” Lizzy said with a reassuring smile, getting her keys out of her purse and leading her out of the bar and to her little black Prius that was parked near the entrance. She beeped the locks open and watched Felicia to make sure she didn’t have any trouble with the rather uneven parking lot. The trouble with the hot Nevada sun was it was hell on pavement.
After they were both in the car, Lizzy started the engine and let it run for a moment, entering in the Red Rock Inn into her GPS, and gave it a chance to find satellites. She put the car in reverse and then looked over at Felicia again. “You doing alright, darlin’?” She didn’t want the girl to get sick or anything. “Want a cup of coffee on the way home?”
Felicia walked happily to the car, grateful for the ride. She hoped she wasn’t too much of a burden because she had a feeling Lizzy would be a fun person to go out with. She felt bad for being nearly three drinks in by the time they met. She slipped into the car easily, a slight giggle escaping her as she situated herself in the passenger seat. Her seat belt went on next and then she leaned her head back against the head rest, smiling at Lizzy.
“Oh, I’m alright. I’ll have some water when I get home. Nothing like curling up in bed to sleep off a few drinks,” Felicia assured her. “Thanks for offering to take me home. I would’ve just caught a cab, but that would’ve meant another night at the garage. It must be like a week since the last time I was back at my place,” she prattled on, turning her gaze out the window.
Lizzy’s car was quiet, which was part of the charm of a hybrid, and that also made conversations quite easy. She could tell that the alcohol was hitting Felicia a bit harder, so she made an effort to make the drive smooth, with no sudden stops or starts. She looked over at Felicia occasionally, still enjoying the conversation. “Is your garage close to the bar?”
She came to a stop at a red light and glanced over at the GPS. “I live over in Turnberry Towers. It’s not bad, especially on the upper floors. I’ve got a nice terrace and I like the view at night.” There had been plenty of nights that Lizzy had sat by herself on the terrace, glass of wine, and contemplated life and her future.
“It is, yea. It’s just five blocks down, but I don’t go out a lot so when I really want a drink, it’s worth the walk,” Felicia explained, turning her gaze back to Lizzy. She noticed how quiet the car was, but there was a hum in the back of her mind that kept her from feeling like the silence was closing in around her. Usually, she was okay with it, but after a few drinks, she wasn’t in the mood for silence.
“That sounds really nice,” Felicia agreed. “I’ve been up to the top of the Eiffel Tower over there and it’s amazing how bright all the lights are. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if no one was out there and the strip was just quiet.” She turned back to the window, gazing out into the inky sky, past the bright lights and signs. It sounded a little lonely but sometimes Felicia struggled with feelings of loneliness.
“That’s not bad at all... and really, your shop’s not far from my place.” That would be rather convenient for Lizzy to drop off her car to get it serviced, which would mean even less excuses for her to not do it. She turned briefly and gave the girl another smile, seeing her face illuminated by the various colors of the signs along the road. It made her look ethereal, and even more attractive.
“I am jealous. I’ve never been to Paris - or really anywhere outside the Bahamas. That’s where we always went on vacation. Usually some horribly commercialized resort. But one day, when I make partner, I’m going to spend some time in Paris, London... everywhere I can go.” She grinned at the idea. She really wanted to broaden her horizons and give herself a more global perspective. “Sometimes, when it is raining, I go out and walk down Freemont Street. It’s almost like there is no one there - like the tourists think the rain might melt them. It’s pretty amazing. And I don’t mind the rain.”
Felicia was only half paying attention, fiddling with her phone in her lap. Texting or calling anyone would be such a horrible idea. Thankfully, 90% of her contacts were from her professional circle which ensured that she would need to be far drunker to get to that point. Lizzy distracted her as well, talking about being jealous about going to Paris. A look of confusion crossed her face.
“I’ve never been to Paris, or anywhere outside of the US. I meant the hotel,” she clarified, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She didn’t want to laugh at Lizzy, but it was rather funny, at least to her. “I’d love to go to Europe. I think, if I could go only one place, it would be Rome. There’s so much history there. Plus, I’ve always wanted to go to the Trevi Fountain. I’ve heard that it’s absolutely beautiful.” She started to sound a bit wishful, thinking of all the things she wanted to do and the places she wanted to go. She didn’t particularly want to go by herself though. “I can’t help but think of Singing in the Rain. How odd is that?”
Lizzy laughed, thinking the misunderstanding was hilarious, “See? I forget that place exists most of the time because it’s just a bit too kitchy for my tastes. That and we don’t represent them. So when I hear Paris, I think France....” She nodded when Felicia started talking about Rome. “Rome would be magnificent, too.. and I also want to see Egypt. I was like an addict last year, watching the Egypt protests? It was amazing what those people did. Plus I want to see the art and architecture.” She liked that Felicia was interested in travel, too.
While she was talking, she reached over and patted the other girl’s hand. She really didn’t even think about it, it just was the kind of natural thing someone who was touchy feely like Lizzy did. She suddenly realized what she did and pulled back, not wanting to make the other girl uncomfortable. The wine had just loosened her up enough that she was going to act out before thinking.
“That makes sense. I doubt it’s anything like the original,” Felicia mused. It was refreshing to hear how passionate Lizzy was about the protests and politics, even if it wasn’t something that she was all that interested in. She was a little surprised when the other woman patted her hand, but it was a pleasant surprise. It was yet another example of how sweet Lizzy was and Felicia found herself wanting that contact again.
It took Felicia all of a moment to reach for her hand, which had gone to the gearshift. She just rested her hand atop Lizzy’s, looking hopefully from their hands up to the other woman. “There’s art and architecture everywhere,” Felicia replied warmly, her tone just a touch fonder. It was comforting, just touching Lizzy’s hand.
Lizzy was surprised when she felt Felicia’s hand on her own. Maybe she was wrong - maybe she had just misread Felicia. She turned her hand over so her fingers were laced with the other woman’s. Her brain was trying to over analyze the situation, and she willed it to stop, to just enjoy the closeness with another person who clearly wanted that same touch. Perhaps, the world needed more touch.
“There is beauty everywhere. I remember going out to the Hoover Dam the first time, and being overwhelmed by the size and the beauty...” She glanced over at the other girl, “But sometimes beauty can be found in surprising places, like a bar near the strip.” She inwardly cringed on how lame that sounded. Maybe Felicia would be drunk enough not to notice? She could only hope.
Felicia’s entire face lit up when Lizzy turned her hand over and laced their fingers together. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze, as if to say ‘Thank you’. In a way, that was exactly what it was. Felicia was thankful for everything Lizzy had done thus far, from sitting down beside her to not shying away from her hand. She didn’t mean anything romantic by it, but Felicia didn’t realize how affectionate she was coming across.
“The Hoover Dam is amazing. I’m also fond of the Grand Canyon. It’s just crazy to see what one river could do over such a long time,” she replied, completely oblivious to what Lizzy meant by her second comment. She did smile though, and squeezed Lizzy’s hand again. “Las Vegas is such a great place to meet people. I’m really glad you walked into that bar,” she added softly.
Lizzy’s smile got even wider at Felicia’s comment. “Well, I am glad I had such a horrible blind date that I needed to walk into that bar.” She squeezed the other girl’s hand back and glanced over at her again. It was so nice to have someone that she felt so comfortable with, and even though she frequently kicked herself inside for feeling like she was saying something stupid, Felicia didn’t seem to mind.
It wasn’t long until Lizzy was pulling to Felicia’s place. She reluctantly let go of her hand to put her car into park and then glanced at Felicia. “It was really great meeting you tonight... and I hope you have a great night’s sleep given all the booze you drank.” She cracked another smile at her, trying to resist the urge to kiss Felicia, knowing that it wasn’t the time or the place for it - not when the other girl had been drinking so much. That would just be taking advantage of her.
Felicia noticed Lizzy’s smile and that made her happy. It seemed she could still succeed socially, even if it had been a while. Maybe next time she decided to drink at a bar, she’d be able to meet a decent guys. “Maybe next time we start drinking at the same time?” She was hoping they’d be able to hang out again, but she hadn’t planned on broaching that subject so quickly. The car pulled up in front of the villas and Felicia was sad to see Lizzy’s hand leave her’s.
“Thank you so much for the ride, Lizzy,” Felicia replied sincerely. She unbuckled herself but, instead of getting out of the car, she leaned over and wrapped one arm around Lizzy’s neck, giving her a tight hug. “I really appreciate everything,” she added softly, pressing her lips against Lizzy’s cheek. Her kiss lingered for a few moments longer than it probably should have, but again, Felicia barely noticed.
To say Lizzy was surprised by the kiss and the the embrace, even more than the holding of her hand by Felicia. She returned the hug, rubbing the other girl’s back. However, the hug ended, and before Lizzy knew it, Felicia was out of her car. She could feel an emptiness when the other girl left. She enjoyed the light that Felicia seemed to bring to the enclosed space.
She put her car in reverse and headed back downtown to her own apartment. Once she was home, she went upstairs, pouring herself a glass of wine and heading out onto the terrace to look over the city lights and think about tonight. It had been a good night, and she really could not wait to see Felicia again.