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Nicole’s phone’s screen lit up from where it was on the counter top to let her know she had a new message. She and Waverly had texted every day since the brunette gave her her number. The first texts might have been a little bit awkward, since Nicole wasn’t sure she didn’t have a concussion and dreamed the whole thing. Fortunately, Waverly had quickly reassured her. Their encounter had been real, and she also still wanted to get to know her. Since then they had sent each other messages until their fingers were sore.
After a few days, though, the texts didn’t seem enough anymore, and they had developed this habit of calling each other each evening. They would chat until both of them were exhausted and it was time to say goodnight. Texts during the day, calls in the evening. Aside from that, they would mostly still see each other at school and at the donut shop. Waverly had taken Nicole home a few times, on the pretext she needed to go easy on her knee. However, it had been almost two weeks now, and apart from these brief encounters, they hadn’t had time to go on a real date yet because of their respective busy schedules.
Waves: Hey gorgeous, was wondering what you were doing
Nic: Almost finished work
Nic: Just got my new schedule btw. I happen to have next Saturday off, so maybe…
Nic: If you’re available that is…
Nic: Would you like to go on a date with me?
Waves: OMG, Nic, of course I want to go on a date with you!
Waves: Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for that?
Nic: I might get an idea, yes. :wink:
Nic: So is that okay if I pick you up Saturday after lunch?
Waves: Perfect!
Waves: Can’t wait!
Waves: Actually, is it okay if I pick YOU up right now? I’m just outside.
Nicole stretched her neck towards the shop’s window to spot a very familiar red Jeep parked across the street. She smiled, and shook her head. Great Goddess, how did I get so lucky in such a short amount of time?
*************
On Saturday, at precisely 1:30 pm, Nicole showed up on her bike at the McCready’s ranch. Waverly immediately burst out of the house with a coat already on, and a big smile on her face.
“Howdy, cowboy!” She greeted the redhead.
“Hello to you too, little lady!” Nicole responded, taking her toque off, and waving it before her.
“Your bike looks different!”
“Thanks for noticing!” Nicole climbed off the bicycle, and gestured towards the rear wheel. “I put some foam on the luggage rack so it’s like a rear seat, and I also installed foot bars.”
“And you did that because…”
“Well, you told me you never learned to ride a bike so I thought maybe you’d like to know how it’s like to ride on one. “
“You remember that?” Waverly said, surprised. She approached the redhead and took her hand to intertwine their fingers. Nicole looked at their joined hands and gave her best dimpled smile.
“Of course I do.” She stroked the back of Waverly’s hand with her thumb. “It’s just an idea though, don’t feel like you have to do anything. We could still use your jeep, but if you’re game, I’ll do all the pedaling so you can enjoy the view. Thank the Great Goddess it’s really sunny today, probably the last sunny day we’ll have before Purgatory is buried under meters of snow for six months. So what do you think?”
“I think that’s really sweet of you, Nic, but are you sure I’m not going to fall?” Sensing the brunette’s need for reassurance, Nicole moved to envelop her in her arms, and rest her chin on top of the other girl’s head. Damn, her hair smells good! And she’s the perfect size for hugs! Still feeling dizzy from the scent, Nicole pulled away, and declared:
“I won’t go too fast, and I promise I’ll be extra careful. All you’ll have to do is hold onto me, and it’ll be okay.”
Waverly gazed into big brown eyes, and found the courage she needed there. She felt the redhead squeeze the hand she was still holding.
“I think I can do that,” the petite girl said with a timid smile. Nicole grinned contently, and climbed back on the saddle to turn the bike towards the driveway exit. She patted the rear seat, inviting Waverly to sit on it.
“Oh, could you put my backpack on, please? It’s not gonna be super comfortable for you if it’s between us.”
“Yep, no problem,” the brunette said as she took the bag from the taller girl. “Uh, heavy! What do you keep in there, hatchets?”
“This is Purgatory, Waverly, I carry a lot of shit in my backpack!” Waverly arched an eyebrow. Nicole chuckled.
“Just kidding, it’s the chain and the padlock for the bike. I know it’s kind of ugly, and someone would have to be desperate to want to steal it, but you know,” she shrugged, “I can’t take the risk.”
“Got it,” Waverly said as she put the bag on her shoulders. She sat on the makeshift rear seat.
“Alright. Do you want to wear my gloves, or do you prefer to put your hands in my pockets?” Nicole asked.
“Pockets.”
“As you wish. You ready to take off?” Waverly nodded firmly. Nicole gave a solid kick to the pedal, making the bike spring towards the road. They rapidly gained a decent speed, a light breeze caressing their cheeks. Nicole could feel the pressure of Waverly’s tense fingers on her stomach, and brought her left hand to her own pocket to give Waverly’s a reassuring stroke.
“It’s gonna be alright, babe! It won’t take long.”
Waverly didn’t miss the slip of the pet name, and felt butterflies all over her belly. She leaned to Nicole to rest her cheek against the taller girl’s back. They rode for twenty minutes more before they reached downtown Purgatory, which was literally one main street with a few shops and restaurants. Nicole slowed down the bike, and stopped in front of a coffee shop. They dismounted calmly. Nicole took her bag back from the brunette’s shoulders to grab the chain, and attached the bike to a pole.
“So what’s the plan?” Waverly inquired enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. Nicole stood up as she put the padlock key in the front pocket of her backpack.
“There’s no big plan really,” she shrugged, “just some ideas. I thought maybe we could go see a movie, and grab a coffee, before or after, depending on what movie you want to see. If you want to see one, that is. We could just hang out if that’s what you want.” Eyebrows in a frown, Waverly asked:
“Okay… Is it always gonna be like this?”
“Like what?” Nicole raised an eyebrow.
“Like me choosing what we’re going to do.”
“We haven’t known each other for long, Waves, but one thing I know is that you’re too smart for me to make choices for you. I’m okay with suggesting stuff to do, but I don’t want to impose anything on you. Maybe when I know you better, I might want to surprise you, but right now, rather, we choose together. Is that okay?”
“More than okay, actually. I’m just surprised. Not that I’ve been on a million dates before, but I’ve never been asked as little as my opinion then.”
“I think you’ve been dating too many shitheads,” the taller girl smirked.
“You know what, I kind of agree with that,” she chuckled. She grabbed the redhead’s arm to lock it in hers. “So, what if, first we go to the theater to see what movies are out, and then we decide together?”
“Together,” Nicole acquiesced.
*************
They chose a comedy, but had an hour or so before the beginning. They decided to go and sit in the coffee shop next door to the theater during their spare time. Nicole ordered a cappuccino, and Waverly a peppermint tea. Once they were sitting in front of each other with their mug in front of them, neither could find the perfect way to start the conversation. The redhead, who had kept her eyes fixed on the smaller girl for a couple minutes, shook her head.
“What?” asked Waverly.
“Nothing. I’m still having a hard time believing I’m on a date with you, is all.”
“Why’s that? We’ve been talking about it for a couple weeks now!”
“I don’t know, maybe because you’re amazing, and I’m just… me, Nicole Haught, a girl who lives in a trailer.”
“I don’t think you’re just that, Nic. Never did, and each day passing proves me right. You’re great too, you know. You shouldn’t let your… situation affect your confidence. I believe it’s just temporary, but even if it wasn’t, I don’t see how it would define you.”
“Thank you. You have no idea what a relief it is to hear someone say that. Especially you.” She clicked her tongue. “It’s not that I’m ashamed more like… like sometimes my life doesn’t feel like it’s really mine, more like it’s somebody else’s. I’m sorry, it’s stupid.”
“No, it’s not.” Waverly shook her head.
“It wasn’t always like that, you know. My life I mean. I used to live in a real house with my grandparents. They’re the ones who raised me. You could say they were more like parents than grandparents to me. I never knew my father, and my mother never cared about me so…”
“Then what happened?”
“What happens to old people, I guess. They got old, and eventually they got sick…”
“You don’t have to tell me-”
“It’s okay, Waves, I was the one bringing it up, right?” She sighed painfully, and passed a nervous hand through her hair. “I kind of wanted to tell you earlier, but you know, not on the phone” The brunette slid her hand on the table to grasp Nicole’s, remaining silent to give her enough time to share what she wanted.
“Grandpa Ed died six years ago. It was… unexpected. I don’t remember that well, I just know that one day he fell, and a couple days after he was gone. Just like that. He had an aneurysm. We spent endless hours at the hospital, just waiting for things to get better, but he never recovered from the surgery.”
“I’m sorry, Nicole.”
“Thanks. After that it was just my grandmother and I, which was weird because until then my grandfather had always been the rock of the family. Then, less than a year later she started to lose things, to forget things….”
“Alzheimer's?”
“You named it.”
“God, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you, babe. I tried to ignore it at first, blaming it on the grief. When it became obvious something was wrong, I tried to hide it the best I could. I realize now that wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I was just a kid at the time, and I didn’t want people to take her away from me. She was all I had left, you know. It worked for a few years until one day she couldn’t recognize me, and she called me Eva.”
“Eva?”
“That’s my mother’s name. We don’t even look like each other that much, except for the red hair. It’s just, my grandmother could remember raising her, not me.” Waverly took her hand in both hers, and guided her knuckles against her cheek. The gesture took Nicole by surprise, but the softness of the Earp girl’s skin calmed her nerves immediately.
“That’s when you ended up in Purgatory?” Waverly questioned.
“Yep. My mother was clean at the time. Must have made a damn good impression on the social services for them to send me to live in that trailer park, right? Or maybe they knew I could take care of myself anyway. Either way, here I am, living with my estranged addict of a mother in the shittiest place Purgatory has to offer… And I’m sorry I spoiled the mood,” she grimaced.
“You didn’t. I’m here to get to know you, remember? And you’re right, these are not the kind of things we could have discussed on the phone.”
“Yeah, but hey, don’t get me wrong, I really like our evening chats! It actually feels nice to have someone to talk to about small nothings, or even just listen.”
“True. You’re a great listener,” Waverly grinned. “But also, thanks for sharing more about you, Nicole.”
Nicole nodded, dropping her gaze on their still joined hands. If someone had told her even three weeks ago she would be here today, on a date with Waverly frickin Earp, holding her hand, and opening up to her like she never opened up to anyone, she would have called them mad. But obviously, life was funny like that.
*************
After the movie and a detour through the park, the ride back to the ranch was uneventful. The sun was beginning to set, and Waverly used the newly raised chilly wind as an excuse to tighten her grip on Nicole’s waist. She buried her head deep between the redhead’s shoulder blades. Nicole was comfy she had decided. Truth is, it was the closest she had ever been to the other girl, and she didn’t want to miss a thing. If she mostly had focused on the sensation of riding on the bike on their way to downtown Purgatory, now Nicole’s body had her whole attention. When they finally arrived at the ranch, both were quiet, neither of them wanting the day to be over yet. They climbed off the bike, and headed onto the porch as slowly as possible, dragging their feet to make this moment together last a bit more.
“I had a great time today,” Nicole said as they were standing on the threshold, facing each other.
“Me too,” Waverly added, grabbing the redhead’s hands to play with her fingers. “Texting and talking on the phone is nice, but to have you in person, even for a few hours, is so much better.”
“I couldn’t have said it better. I really liked hanging out with you.” The taller girl closed the distance between them.
“Same. I wish we could do that again, soon.”
“The sooner, the better,” Nicole responded, licking her lips.
“I feel like I’m going to miss you as soon as I go through that door,” Waverly almost whispered.
“Maybe I’m gonna miss you more,” the redhead replied with a defiant grin.
Just as Waverly leaned to kiss that stupid grin away, the door flung open, and Gus’ figure appeared in the door frame. Both girls jumped apart.
“Nicole, I thought I recognized your voice!” she said enthusiastically.
“Mrs McCready, hi!” Nicole squealed, face all flushed with a sheepish smile plastered on it.
“Would you stop with this Mrs McCready nonsense, I told you a hundred times to call me Gus. Come in, kiddo!”
“Well, it’s very nice of you to offer, Mrs Mc-… Gus, but it’s getting late, maybe I should get back-”
“Waverly will drive you back home if it’s too dark. Come inside, Curtis will never forgive you or me if he learns you were on our porch and didn’t get inside to say hi!” Nicole heard Waverly chuckle behind her back. She was trapped, there was no way she could escape the McCready’s ranch now without seeming rude.
“Of course,” she surrendered.
“Good girl!” Gus said as she laid her hand on Nicole’s shoulder, and pushed her inside the house.
*************
The brief salutation to Curtis McCready turned into an invitation to supper. Again, Nicole tried to decline politely, but had to yield before Gus’ determination to feed her. Only once she was full to the rim and the sun was long set, the McCreadys agreed to let her go home. Not before she had promised to come back for dinner soon, though. Waverly then offered to drive her back home, which Nicole accepted, not ready to leave the petite girl just yet.
*************
The ride went fast as the roads were deserted. The ranch wasn’t that far from the trailer park either. Nicole barely had the time to whine: “Too much tryptophan!” while patting her full belly that the jeep was already parked next to the trailer park’s entrance.
“And here we are! I’m sorry you got trapped by Gus and Curtis,” Waverly turned to face Nicole.
“Don’t be, that was the best meal I had in months. I didn’t realize how much I missed your aunt’s cooking before tonight,” she giggled. “I’m so full, though…”
“She thinks you’re too skinny. But then, she thinks everybody’s too skinny.”
“And here I thought I was special,” she said, lifting her doggy bag full of lukewarm lasagna.
“You are special. But don’t ever forget to bring her the tupperware back if you want to stay in her good graces.”
Nicole chuckled. Banter was easy with Waverly, as was small talk, and also serious talk… Everything seemed so easy now with the girl she couldn’t say more than three words to a few weeks before. Gosh, she’s so beautiful, and I like her so much!
Waverly leaned in, and quickly dropped a kiss on her lips. Even with the brevity of the contact, a sensation of warmth enveloped Nicole. Her eyelids fluttered for a few seconds as Waverly pulled away.
“Was that okay?” the brunette asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, totally. Is that okay if I do it too?” She asked. As soon as Waverly nodded she abandoned the box full of lasagna at her feet, and leaned towards the other girl to capture her lips in a confident move. She slid her hand around Waverly’s waist in an instinctual gesture as their lips danced in a perfectly synchronized choreography. A light moan escaped Waverly’s lips, and Nicole’s grip on her hip tightened subtly. Wow, this is so good. How can it be so good? Nicole pulled away without a warning, and gazed into Waverly’s glassy eyes. Both girls were slightly panting.
“That was…”
“Yeah!”
They smiled lovingly at each other, both trying to process what just happened. And just like that, they were leaning to each other again, and kissing fiercely. Waverly slid her hand along Nicole’s shoulder to finally tug the hair at the base of her neck. Nicole never thought she could be so turned on by a kiss, and all of a sudden felt embarrassed about the throbbing sensation between her legs. Fuck, I’m so addicted to this girl already!
Nicole pulled away.
“I- I should probably go now,” she stuttered, suddenly in a panicked state. Waverly frowned.
“Uh, okay? Did I…”
“Hey, I had a great time today,” the redhead said casually, already opening the passenger’s door. She grabbed the bag of food at her feet, while avoiding the brunette’s gaze.
“You already said that.”
“It was true then, and it still is. It’s just… It’s late, and I need to re-read my notes for my chemistry test tomorrow,” she continued, still without looking Waverly in the eyes. “You don’t need to get out of the car, I’m gonna get my bike quickly. Thanks for the ride!”
“Oh. Okay.” The smaller girl replied, staring at the passenger door closing. She checked the rear-view mirror to see Nicole unload her bicycle in record time, before she closed the trunk, and waved goodbye awkwardly. As she passed the trailer park’s entrance with her bike in hand, Waverly turned the engine on. She shook her head in disbelief.
“What the fudge just happened?!” she asked herself out loud.
*************
A couple hours passed. Waverly was now tucked in her bed, tossing and turning under a mountain of blankets, still agitated by the memory of Nicole running away. Her phone vibrated on the bedside table, and the redhead’s goofy face appeared on the screen. She grabbed the device to pick up the call.
“Hi, it’s me,” a small voice declared.
“I know, Nicole. Do you think I’d pick up the phone for anyone at this hour?”
“Is it too late? If it’s too late I can-”
“No! No, it’s okay. I couldn’t sleep yet, I was thinking about you.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“No.” She bit the inside of her cheek, then sighed. “Okay, maybe just a little.”
“I’m sorry I was being weird earlier, in the car. I don’t know what got into me… It’s kind of hard to explain.“
“Would you at least try for me?”
“Yeah, of course.” Nicole took a long breath to try and sort her thoughts out. “I really meant it, you know, I had a great time today. The best. Riding with you, and talking to you. Holding your hand in the theater… It feels like a dream come true. Like all these things I had imagined I would do if I ever had the chance to go on a date with you. It felt surreal, but in the meantime it felt natural too, like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Even at dinner, with your aunt and uncle, I kind of felt like… like I belonged. And then when we kissed… Gosh, it was so amazing!” Waverly couldn’t stop the smile that immediately appeared on her face at the memory of them making out.
“I think I got scared.”
“Scared?”
“Yeah. Because I was so happy today, Waves. I really was. It was the best day of my life, just so fucking perfect! And it’s not just today. Since you took me home that day after the fight, it’s like I have hope again.” She marked a pause, and Waverly waited for a minute to see if she was done.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yes, but what if I don’t deserve to be happy like this? What if I screw up everything? Now that I know what it’s like to feel that, I’m afraid to get back where I was. My life was so shitty before you were in it, Waves.”
“Nicole, just take a deep breath, okay? I know it’s a lot to process, but I feel like that too, you know. Nic, today wasn’t perfect because of me, it was perfect because you made it this way!”
“No, I-”
“Yes, you! You were the one so caring, so attentive and so charming. And… Really, Nicole, if you don’t deserve to be happy, I don’t know who does!”
“Thank you. You aren’t just saying that because you like me?”
“I do like you. Gosh, I do! But that’s not why. Also, I really like kissing you.” Nicole could hear her smile through the phone.
“Me too. Can we do it again eventually?”
“Preferably very soon and very often, thank you!” the brunette chuckled. “Hey, I know it’s kind of scary to get attached to someone so quickly. It’s never happened to me before, and yeah, sometimes I get anxious thinking about it. But then I remember we’re in this together. If you ever get scared like this, just talk to me, okay?”
“Okay, babe.”
“You said babe,” Waverly giggled.
“What? Oh Great Goddess, I’m sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear!”
“Take a chill pill, Haught, I like it! Like I liked it the two times you said it earlier today.”
“No, I didn’t?”
“Oh yes you did. I think that’s why I wanted to kiss so bad in the car.”
“Yeah? I’m glad you did.”
They both sighed dreamily.
“So… are we okay?” the redhead asked.
“Yeah, I think we are. But don’t let me down again, okay?”
“Promised.”
Good night, Nic!”
“’Night, babe. Sweet dreams!”