Guests linger in the foyer, chatting and sipping champagne. Laura remembers the first time she set foot in these halls. Her lips curl into a smirk.
Her jacket pocket vibrates. A text appears on her screen.
Morgan’s here. I just saw her. Waiting for you. I’M SCREAMING. HOW GAY DO YOU LOOK THO????
She bites back a grin and pockets her phone. Her boot falls echo off the walls as she makes her way to the main hall. Hellenistic statues and vases are on display in the massive room. Servers weave in and out of traffic as they balance trays of drinks and food.
Paintings by artists old and new line the walls. A more skilled eye could appreciate the juxtaposition of classical and modern art. Laura is happy just to be invited.
She spots a head of tousled brown hair. “Rosie!” She calls out, avoiding a collision with a server.
Rosie wears a dark grey suit jacket and the same tie she wears to every event they attend. She waves her over.”Looking very gay. I approve.” She fixes Laura’s tie and taps the first button of her vest.
“With this hair, aren’t I always.” She runs her hands across the freshly shaven stubble on the sides of her head. Her ponytail rests on her shoulder. “Where’s your thing?”
Rosie takes her hand and pulls her through a sea of people. A flash of red catches Laura’s eye. Piercing green eyes catch her own. The woman smiles at her before turning her attention to a surrounding group.
“Here it is.” Rosie taps Laura’s arm to gain her attention.
Even an art novice like Laura can see the mix of her best friend’s usual art style and more classical approach. Two stocky women sit on a shore, bare skin kissed by the sun. They hold each other close, not quite kissing but getting there. Even on canvas, she can see the love in their eyes.
“I just wanted to see more people like me, you know?” Rosie says.
Laura puts her arm around her best friend. “I know.” She leans down and plants a kiss on her friend’s head. “You’re amazing. And I will fight anyone who says otherwise.” She notices a brown-skinned hunter with a broad back aiming her arrow at the sun. “Is that supposed to be me?” She points.
“Maybe.”
“Rosie, we have the same hair.”
She shrugs. “Anyway, you gonna tell her today?” She leads her friend away from the painting.
“Tell her what? There’s nothing to tell.”
Rosie takes a handful of tiny croissants from a server’s tray. “Oh, I don’t know. That you’re madly in love with her?”
Laura’s gaze drops, her jaw tightens. “She knows.” She clears her throat. “I think.”
“So, what? Is she your girlfriend now?”
She shrugs. “I mean, we’re more than friends. But has the word girlfriend been used? I can’t confirm.”
Rosie steps out of her best friend’s embrace and stands before her. “Tonta.” She slaps her shoulder. “I can’t believe you.” She shakes her head and takes a bite of her pastry. “You’re gal pals.”
“What does that even mean?”
Her friend’s blank stare is unwavering.
Laura sighs and jams her hands in the pockets of her well-tailored pants. “I love her, okay?”
She sighs. “I know.” She puts her hands on Laura’s shoulders. “You deserve to be happy, Laurinha. And she makes you happy.” She pats her best friend’s cheek before backing away.
“You’re just gonna leave me here?”
“Yup!” She vanishes into the crowd.
Laura is adrift in a sea of strangers. She fixes her tie, adjusts her buttons, checks her phone. Anything to keep her hands busy. She takes a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. She doesn’t drink it, but it gives her something to hold onto.
“When did you start drinking?” Her voice is like a sweet melody.
“I haven’t.” She turns toward the voice. Her breath catches in her throat.
A deep red dress clings to Morgan’s body. Her lips are painted to match. Hair as black as night tumbles over her shoulder, leading the eye to her plunging neckline. The hem of her dress reaches the floor, but a slit up the right side proves to be just as distracting as her cleavage. Her brilliant green eyes always made Laura smile.
She offers her glass to Morgan.
“Thank you.” Her lips brush against Laura’s.
The scent of her perfume is intoxicating.
“Glad you could make it. I know you hate the city.” Morgan smiles at her.
Laura shrugs. “I love some things about it.” She mirrors her smile.
“Why don’t you tell me what those things are so I can get you out here more often. Rita misses you.”
Laura laughs at the mention of Morgan’s gargantuan St. Bernard. “I miss her, too. But,” She leans in close. “I was missing you just a bit more.”
A hint of red colors Morgan’s cheeks. She tightens her grip on her clutch. “Hey, I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately. All this,” She looks over the showroom, “was such a hassle to put together. I hated not being with you.”
Laura takes a deep breath. She needed it, for it feels like her heart might burst from her chest. “Don’t worry about it.” She puts a comforting hand on Morgan’s back. “You did an amazing job. Thanks for inviting Rosie.”
“She deserved it.” Morgan looks up to meet her eyes. “I’d ask where she is, but I’m kind of glad we’re alone.”
“I don’t know how you even found me all the way back here.”
“Maybe I’m just always looking for you.” Morgan bites down on her bottom lip. She opens her mouth to speak, but a male voice calls out her name. Her face changes. Whatever affection her eyes held for Laura vanishes. She puts on her business smile. Emotionless eyes look up to acknowledge the man. She nods at him before turning her attention back to Laura. “Sorry. Seems like I’ve been saying that a lot lately.”
Laura shakes her head. “Don’t worry. Go. You can make it up to me later.” She nudges her forward.
Morgan pulls her into an embrace. “There’s a restroom on the third floor, to the left of the main staircase, at the very end of the hall.” She whispers into Laura’s ear. She pulls away. “In case you might have to use the restroom in about ten minutes?”
Laura bites back a smile and nods. “Noted.”
Morgan winks and walks toward the guest calling her name. “Looks like we’re blessed tonight.” Her gaze briefly lands on something behind her.
Laura’s brow furrows in confusion. She turns to find a marble bust of a woman, clearly Hellenic in origin. She moves closer to read the placard.
Poetess, Sappho 7th Century BC
Laura makes her way up the stairs to the third floor. Her footsteps seem so loud now that she’s alone. The sound of chattering guests fades away. The lights are dimmer here. Fewer paintings line the walls. Soft lighting illuminates smaller statues and bronze busts. She finds the restroom at the end of the hall. Laura runs her hands along the quartz countertop.
A grey slate floor accents the marble walls. The soft white light is calming. She turns on the silver faucet and washes her hands with soap that feels like it cost an absurd amount of money. She dries her hands and leans against the counter. Even the bathrooms here are works of art.
Her phone rings. Laura knows it’s her best friend. She silences her phone without looking at the message. She takes a deep breath.
As soon as she exhales, the door flies open. Morgan wastes no time closing the distance between them. She takes her by the tie and kisses her like tomorrow might never come.
Laura takes her by the waist and pulls her closer. She hates the taste of champagne, but on the lips of her lover, she can think of nothing sweeter.
Morgan breaks their kiss, her hand still clutching Laura’s tie. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Laura exhales.
Morgan smiles. Her hand runs down the length of Laura’s tie and down her stomach. She grabs her by the belt buckle and pulls her into the nearest stall.
They lose themselves in another kiss. Morgan drops her clutch, wrapping her hands around Laura’s neck.
Laura pins her against the stall wall, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. “Won’t they look for you?”
Morgan lets out a little laugh between her moans. “I don’t care.” She presses her body into Laura’s. “I gave them what they want. It’s my turn to get what I want.”
Laura runs her hands up Morgan’s back, giving her lips quick teasing kisses. “And what do you want?” Her hand slides up the slit in her dress as she positions her thigh between Morgan’s legs.
Her lover lets out a groan. Morgan grinds into her thigh. Laura matches her rhythm. Her body catches fire. Everything feels much too hot. The pressure builds. Her body begs for her lover’s touch. Morgan moans in her mouth, the sound of her voice fuels her desire. Pushing, pulling, grabbing, more is never enough.
“You.” Morgan finally manages to say through labored breaths.
Even though the fabric of their clothes, Laura can feel just how much Morgan wants her.
“I want you.” She guides Laura’s hand up her thigh and between her legs.
The satin fabric of her underwear is soaked through.
Morgan’s breath catches in her throat. She moans once Laura slips past the silken garment. She moves against her hand.
Her moans fill Laura’s ears. She’s hypnotized, lost in a cloud of love and lust. She never did understand why they had to be separate. Could she not lust after the woman she loves? With heaven on her fingers, she longs to taste her.
“Don’t stop.” She moans into Laura’s ear. “I love it when you touch me.” Morgan claws at her back, her nails drag against the fabric. She bites down on Laura’s shoulder, her body stiffens. With a sharp inhale, Morgan lets out a cry.
Laura holds her close, allowing her to ride through the surges of passion. She does as she’s told, she doesn’t stop. Morgan’s labored breathing drives her mad.
Morgan takes her lover’s face in her hands, forehead to forehead, her breath dries the wetness on Laura’s lips. “I love you.” She exhales. “I feel like I’ve never told you that.”
Laura peppers her face with kisses. Her body feels so full of love, she thinks she might burst. “Show me.” She whispers in Morgan’s ear.
Her lover laughs. Hands on Laura’s chest, she pushes her back until she’s seated. Morgan hikes up her dress and straddles her lap. She bites her lip in anticipation.
Morgan pulls into her a kiss before skillfully unbuckling her belt. Laura can’t suppress her groans.
“Baby, you’re soaked,” Morgan mutters in her ear.
Laura slides her hands up her lover’s back. Her kisses start on her chest, up her neck, and land on her lips. “My body misses you, too.” She moans. “See what you do to me when I think of you at night.”
Morgan can only moan in response.
Her body moves to Morgan’s rhythm. Hot, molten love spreads through her stomach, filling her lungs, and building in her throat. She throws her head back and lets out a cry. The woman she adores has literally taken her breath away.
“I didn’t realize how much these walls echo.” Laura jests as she tries to steady her breathing.
Morgan giggles. “Well, I love hearing you moan.” She punctuates her sentence with a kiss.
For the moment, the lovers lose themselves in their embrace. Nothing exists outside these marble walls.
–
The lovers do their best to clean up knowing they’ll have to return to the party downstairs.
Morgan rests her arms on Laura’s shoulders. “Spend the night with me?”
Laura leans against the counter and places her hands on Morgan’s hips. “I wanna spend every night with you.” Her mind is still fuzzy from Morgan’s touch. The words leave her mouth before she can think. She feels blood rushing to her face.
Morgan bites back a grin. “Big softie. I’m gonna hold you to that.” She opens her clutch behind Laura’s head before slipping keys into her jacket pocket. “Your phone’s vibrating.”
“Leave it.”
“What if it’s important?” Morgan doesn’t need to ask. She takes her phone from the inside pocket of her jacket. “You have thirteen texts and four missed calls from Rosie.”
Laura laughs and buries her face in Morgan’s shoulder. Her body still wants more.
“She won’t be mad?” Morgan unlocks her phone.
Laura trusted her enough to tell her the passcode. She laughs to herself knowing Morgan will see her embarrassing texts. “What did she say?”
“Lots of screaming emojis.”
They share a laugh.
“Tell her I’m fine.”
Morgan plays with her hair as she writes out her text. Laura inhales the scent of her perfume. She would give anything to wake up to that every morning.
“You have a lot of pictures of me, but not a single picture of us. I’m kind of mad about that.”
“You’re looking through my pictures now?” Laura tickles Morgan’s sides.
“You need to take more selfies.” She opens the camera app and wraps one arm around Laura’s neck, the other extends to take their photo. She takes several in succession.
“I’m using this as my profile picture.” She shows Laura the phone. In the photo, she smiles, but her eyes are on Morgan.
“Won’t people ask about it?” She pauses, remembering her earlier conversation with Rosie. “About me?”
“What would they say? ‘Wow, Morgan, is that your girlfriend? She’s so hot.’ And I’ll be like, yeah she is.”
Laura tries to hide her blushing face.
“I know I’m always busy, but it’s hard not to talk about you when I’m thinking about you all the time.” She kisses Laura’s forehead. “Also, I told Rosie you aren’t just my gal pal.” She puts Laura’s phone back into her jacket pocket. “Meet me at the hotel in an hour and a half?”
Laura nods.
Morgan starts to leave, but Laura pulls her back. “Hey, I love you.” She kisses her.
Morgan bites Laura’s lower lip. “Hey, I love you too.” She makes her exit.
Laura watches her disappear through the door before retrieving her phone. She pauses for a beat.
Missing you already.
She hits send and smiles to herself. Her phone doesn’t have time to hit the bottom of her pocket. She hears the clack, clack, clack of heels rushing over a marble floor. Morgan bursts through the door. Laura is ready to catch her with open arms and a full heart. They fall into a kiss.
“What happened to an hour and a half?” Laura teases.
“I’ve waited so long for you. But, ninety more minutes is just too much.”
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