Simple Complexity

Part 7

Friday night arrived and Erin was nervous about the dinner that was planned and having Josh and her friends spend time together. Erin had selected the restaurant after lengthy discussions with Holtz and it was within walking distance of the Firehouse and Josh had planned on meeting them there.

The four women all got dressed at the Firehouse, Holtz the last to be ready with Abby and Patty sitting on the couch chatting as they waited for the blonde. Erin was leaning on the back of sofa, facing the stairs looking down to her phone. The physicist could hear the blonde walking down the stairs, but she didn't look up, only glancing her eyes away from her phone when she was aware Holtz was walking towards them. She looked up and suddenly she couldn't tear her eyes away from her, she was in her usual creative outfit, tight ripped jeans with a vintage blouse and waistcoat but her hair, her hair was out and long, longer than Erin had noticed on the couch, it's natural curls sitting well past her shoulders.

'Jillian,' Erin breathed, standing up from her lean, Patty and Abby still engrossed in their own conversation.

'I look okay Gilbert?'

Erin licked her lips, not managing to convey anything into words so she just nodded.

'You, okay?' Holtzmann asked with a tilt of her head.

Was it soft? Her hair looked really soft, like really incredibly she-wanted-to-run-her-hands-though-it soft and Erin continued nodding. She'd touched it on the couch, but not enough to actually feel it. Her lips parted as she thought about complimenting her on it again, but she didn't, closing them. Maybe she could ask Holtz to have her hair out next time they danced and the brunette forced the thought away. What was she thinking. She was her best friend, her colleague, her favourite person, her person. Hers. Erin swallowed, the brunette realising she'd not yet answered Holtz, and she told herself that Holtz was in fact not hers. Erin brought her eyes down to her phone. She looked up again, the blonde's mouth tilting up into a smile and Erin looking away and then down to her phone again.

'Er?'

Her face was just so perfect, Erin thought, so ridiculously perfect. Her eyes, her blue, blue eyes, the way her dark lashes framed them. The way her lips were pouty and perfectly formed. Her face was so stupidly beautiful. Her chin was just perfect. God her chin, her jawline, her eyebrows they just sat there, perfectly sculpted. Ughh. She hated it. She hated her perfectly perfect face. Her cute little nose, the way it scrunched up when she talked, when she grinned at her. Erin stared at the woman in front of her, the way her hair fell beside her face, the way it just sat there, utterly perfect. Perfect. Everything about her was perfect. She was too perfect.

'We, uhh should...go,' she said, turning from Holtzmann to the others, touching their shoulders softly.

Erin turned back to the woman, but she had already walked towards the front door and Erin hurried her steps, leaving Patty and Abby behind to lock up and she waited with the blonde outside.

'You, uhh..'Erin said, her eyes on the woman's hair again, 'Umm...'

'Nervous about dinner, are we?' Holtz said in confusion, her brows creasing.

'Umm..no, not nervous...'

Holtzmann continued to look at her, her brows still knitted, and she turned away, Abby and Patty walking ahead chatting and Holtz followed, leaving Erin to trail behind.

As they all sat down at the table, Erin leaned over to the man, kissing him softly, her hand dragging down his chest.

'You look great,' she whispered, complimenting his attire, and he smiled, kissing her again.