So What Now

Confession

Laughter echoes throughout the small studio apartment. It's 10:45 pm, a quiet evening in Melbourne and it seems like this one isn't going to be like all the other evenings before it or after.

Lisa holds the nearly empty glass of Rosé wine (Rosé for Rosie, she would say) in her hand carelessly, the liquid swishing and sloshing without threat of spilling. The photographer is resting her chin on the palm of her other hand, elbow resting on the table. She's staring at her best friend Rosie sitting across her over now empty plates and used utensils - beautiful and intoxicated and a little bit more carefree.

Inspiration strikes the photographer. She grabs her phone.

"Rosie, don't move." She hold her phone up, waiting for the lens to focus and adjusting her angle. "Stay still."

Her best friend complies, looking straight into the lens of the phone camera right at Lisa. The photographer's breath hitches.

Perfect.

She wastes no time and snaps one, two, three, four photos until Rosie bursts out into laughter, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Are you taking a video of me? Why are you taking so long!"

Lisa chuckles, not letting up on the shutter button, still. Candid after candid of her favorite person laughing slowly filling up her phone's memory.

"No, I'm still taking pictures." Lisa says in a low voice, focus on capturing her muse not wavering.If she could record every moment with her best friend, she would. "You look so beautiful right now."

Rosie blushes hard. She was already red from the wine but Lisa's words sends her blood rushing to her face and tingly sensations all over her body.

She has no idea what's been going on with Lisa lately. The other woman has been noticeably touchier and more affectionate and had also been showering her with compliments.

Rosie smiles and looks down, shyly tucking her hair behind one ear.

Lisa watches the change in expression on her best friend's face brought about by what she said. She feels her heart wilding in her chest, threatening to burst.

Damn.

Rosie snaps back up, hair flying as if with a life of its own, remembering something.

"Oh, I meant to ask you something." The painter leans closer, torso against the edge of their dining table.

"Hmm?" Lisa quirks an eyebrow in question, putting her wine glass to her lips to finish the little bit of wine left.

"What's with the flowers? You've never gotten me flowers before."

Lisa sips the wine too quick and it goes straight down her throat. She sputters and chokes, hitting her chest in an attempt to relieve herself. Rosie is by her side immediately, rubbing soothing circles on her back. She stops coughing eventually, eyes red and throat raw.

"Are you okay?" Rosie asks in concern.

"Y-yeah." Lisa's voice is hoarse but she nods to assure her friend she's fine. "I'm okay."

"Okay."

Lisa expected her best friend to sit back in the chair across from her but instead Rosie pulls the chair around and places it beside Lisa's and sits down on it. Lisa watches her and gulps.

Uh-oh.

Rosie looks straight into Lisa's eyes and waits for an answer. Lisa's mind goes back to the question.