My Dirty Little Secret

Chapter One

"I don't even wanna go," I protested from behind the door. "They're all your friends. I don't even know half of them."

"You know me," she offered as if it were any consolation.

"That doesn't matter. You'll be hanging out with all of them, and I'll have to meet them and pretend I'm happy to be there so they don't get all upset..."

"You'll have to pretend you're happy to be there so I don't get all upset. This is for my work, Brooke, and you're my girlfriend. Act like it."

"But tomorrow's the first day of school, and I have to get there early." I tried as a different excuse. "My job is important, too."

"Well you can get there as early as you want, Brooke. Tomorrow. After tonight."

"You're being unreasonable," I pouted though she couldn't see me from out in the hallway.

"Well, you do it often enough. Let me have a turn."

"Fine," I sighed, opening the door in a high-low black satin dress with a plunging halter neckline. "Tonight is your night to be unreasonable. How do I look?"

She took me all in, and I admittedly loved having her check me out. "Sexy," she confirmed as she spun me around. "Too sexy. Change."

"Kate!" 

"Brooke!" She imitated, her expression emoting that she didn't know why I would be upset. "I can't go out with you looking like that. I can't worry all night about all my colleagues checking you out."

"What percentage of your colleagues are lesbians?" I questioned incredulously.

"What percentage are straight males with eyes?" she retorted.

"You don't have to worry about me and straight males, Kate," I said slowly and condescendingly, with edge in my voice. "If you haven't realized, I'm not interested."

"It doesn't matter! Look, will you please just put on something a little more conservative? We have to leave in less than an hour."

"Ugh, you are so impossible!"

"It's my night, remember?"

"Ugh!" I repeated as I shut my bedroom door. I heard her walk off to the living room, probably to let me cool off, and so I sat on my bed and gave my attention to my phone, which had been ringing. It was Liliana.

"Hey, Lil," I smiled into the phone, hiding how pissed off I was. "What's up?" 

"Hey," she replied, sounding nonchalant. "I was wondering what you're doing tonight. I feel like going out."

I sighed. "Ugh, I would love to, but Kate--"

"Oh my God," she cut me off. "Why does every conversation start like this?"

I smiled, but wistfully. "She has some party with her work friends, and she's making me go. She said it's important to her, and she wants me to meet them, and blah blah blah."

Kate was a newly licensed paralegal with a fancy firm downtown, and occasionally dragged me along to these black tie events. For me, they were like pulling teeth. I hated making small talk with all of her pretentious coworkers, and I hated how she assimilated into their haughty mannerisms around them. To them, she was Ms. Katelyn Westfall, paralegal, who one day aspired to make partner as a licensed attorney; to me, she was always just Kate, my girl, my best friend. I hated watching her be one of them, when I knew her other side, and knew better than anyone how sweet and charming and genuine that side could be.

"She can't make you do anything, you know."

I sighed. It was getting harder and harder to believe that. "I know."

"So blow her off," Liliana volunteered. 

"I'd feel bad," I regressed. "I think it really means a lot to her."

"But so do you," she argued. "And she should show it once in a while."

"She does," I protested, but I wondered who I was trying to convince.

"Brooke, she has you wrapped around her finger. Don't let her whip you around like that."

I went to speak, but then stopped. I turned around and said what was on my mind. "It's not just that, either. I finally agreed to go, so I got dressed, and she told me I looked 'too sexy' and I had to change."

"Well did you do it?" she asked, sounding angry.

"I was about to," I admitted, "when you called."

"Brooke! Don't let her walk all over you!"

"I'm not," I lied. "I'm just trying to avoid a fight."

"Well that shouldn't be your job!"

"When you're in a relationship, it's both people's job."

"Well it seems to me like she's not doing it."

"Look, I'll call you later. I have to leave soon."

"Brooke," she urged. "Stand up to her, okay?"

"She's not a bully, Lil. She's my girlfriend. I can handle it."

She sighed, clearly not believing me, but actually letting it go. "Okay. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," I said, and hung up.

Liliana was right. I wasn't going to let Kate walk all over me. She always did, and I always let her. I couldn't keep it going. Without so much as opening my closet, I sauntered back into the living room. 

"Honey," Kate said as soon as I walked in, "Wear the dress."  

Well, that was easy enough. "What?" I asked, making sure I'd heard her correctly.  

"If it means that much to you, wear the dress."  

"Good," I said, trying to act powerful.   

She stood up, walking towards me. "You are so cute when you're trying to stay mad," she said, taking me into her arms.  

I didn't say anything. I couldn't think anything, except that I really wanted to kiss her. I was trying to stay mad at her, but God, those lips...  

"Besides," she whispered into my neck. "You do look very, very hot."   I arched my back and craned my neck, trying to resist her, but to no avail. She ran a hand through my hair and pulled me into her, and that's when I gave up. Melting into her touch. She brushed her soft lips against mine once, then once more, a little harder, then introduced the teeth, the tongue, and I was lost...  

"When did you say we have to leave, again?" I asked, smiling devilishly.