Emma is doing it on purpose.
I'm at my friend's house for a sleepover with the rest of my friendship group from school and we're all currently sat around the dinner table in her massive dining room. There's six of us; everyone is laughing and chatting away as we share gossip that each of us has collected since we last all saw each other properly. The pizza boxes are empty but no one is ready to move away.
But she's looking at me. Every single time I look up from my empty plate, Emma has that demanding gaze, so subtle yet so obvious. It's directed right at me, her girlfriend.
Emma and I started dating about five months ago but we still haven't really managed to tell the rest of our friendship group because I wasn't sure how it would affect our dynamic. So we are keeping it secret, as best as we can.
My eyes quickly glance over her dark brown hair, pulled back in a single braid that shows off the paleness of her soft skin, the stark greenness of her eyes, the red of her lips. She's wearing one of her typical outfits: grey cargos and an oversized black t-shirt. My heart beats a little faster and my breathing gets a little shallower.
"Florence." One of my friends, Amber, snaps her fingers in front of my face.
I realise I've been staring at my girlfriend and she's been staring at me, but she manages to look away at the exact moment I'm caught out. I blush, pushing my soft, dark red hair out of my face as I check my phone for the time just to make it look like I'm doing something. It only makes me look more stupid.
"Sorry," I mumble, rubbing my eyes without smudging my mascara, "you guys have exhausted me, I can't lie."
Everyone scoffs, especially Emma. She knows exactly what I was doing with my eyes fixed on one thing in the room. When we were playing snap earlier, we turned off the lamp in the dining room so now it's only lit up by various candles which makes everything feel more intense. The flames lick up Emma's gorgeous face and I have to make a conscious effort not to look. I feel the slightest burn of desire in the pit of my stomach so I just try to chill myself out by drinking more of my vodka and coke.
"Let's play a game." Someone shouts from around the table and Emma pulls out her iconic box of Uno.
Everyone groans in anticipation. We're a naturally competitive group of people and any time we try to play a game, we end up falling out for half the night. This game is no exception. Emma, Amber and I have an ongoing rivalry when it comes to Uno. The game starts with all of us steadily getting rid of cards, until there comes a point where Amber makes me pick up four and I get mad. I always have a problem with getting angry during games, so I play very aggressively and eventually I'm raising my voice and accusing everyone of teaming up against me. I end up winning, obviously. But now things are ever so slightly tense around the table and Emma is giving me a look as if to say 'whatever you just did was seriously hot.'
As much as I'd like to throw myself at her, there's four other girls in the room that would most likely be very shocked if this happens. So, instead, I sit and re-join the conversation as we all ease our grudges from the game.
-
I'm laying with my eyes closed, my head in one of my friends' laps and my feet up on my original chair when I decide that perhaps I need to get ready for bed and take off my makeup.
"Right, I'm gonna get ready for bed." I say dozily, sitting up and standing only to stumble over my own feet as soon as I move. I didn't drink a lot, but I've been sick recently so my tolerance isn't up to the strength it usually is. Amber catches me before I fall and she puts me upright again and then I see Emma get up from her chair too.
"I'll come with you." She says evenly, taking my hand as she grins at Amber and the rest of them all stay seated. I don't feel unwell at all, but I also won't pass up an opportunity at being alone with my girlfriend.
