Simple Complexity

Part 1

'What are you doing Holtz,' Erin whispered with a soft laugh, and Holtzmann slipped her cheek next to Erin's, her hands sitting gingerly on her waist.

'Showing you that sappy, silly romance does actually exist.'

Erin snorted, closing her eyes as she relaxed into the woman's arms, pushing her arms forward, resting them delicately at Holtzmann's shoulders and she moved them again, slipping them around her neck, leaning further in.

'It doesn't exist Jill.'

'It does Erin,' Holtzmann whispered, ' You just haven't found it yet.'

'I've looked, I promise.'

'Not hard enough.'

'I think I'll just end up....settling.'

'Er,' Holtz began, 'no, no don't settle. You need to find the one that makes your heartbeat, the one that you can't live without.'

'I'm in my forties Jill.'

Holtzmann pulled away, bringing her hands to Erin's face, cupping it in her palms, and Erin looked away. The blonde moved her face to Erin's getting her to meet her eyes and Erin focused on her, sliding her hands down her ribs, and settling them on her waist.

'And that has nothing to do with anything. Please promise me you won't settle. You'll find the love of your life. Promise me Er. Someone that will do silly romance with you.'

Erin looked down, sighing and then she looked back to the blue eyes in front of her.

'I promise.'

'I mean it Er.'

'I promise.'

Holtz smiled and Erin moved her arms back up to the woman's neck, Holtz returning her hands to Erin's waist. They were close, bodies pressed together, cheeks touching, and Erin inhaled softly, their eyes closed.

'Cinnamon.'

'Harvest Moon.'

Erin chuckled, her eyes still closed, swaying with the blonde, even though the music from the film had stopped and the gentle conversation was being murmured.

'How's the finger?'

'Better.'

'Tell me about your book?'

Erin smiled, tilting her head down with a laugh, and the blonde's skin pricked with goose bumps at the puff of air.

'A woman is in love with someone she can't have, so he secretly meets her, sends her gifts, visits her in the middle of the night, they're in love but have to stay in hiding.'

'Sounds a little Romeo and Juliet to me,' Holtzmann said, as they moved together slowly.

'I guess,' Erin said, tightening her arms.

'What sort of romantic things does he do?'

Holtzmann stroked Erin's waist with her thumbs and the blonde felt Erin's face slide to her jawline and her heartbeat began to increase.

They moved together slowly, in the centre of the small lounge area, Erin's forehead moving slightly to the blonde's temple, her eyes closed, lips parted, her breath brushing Holtzmann.

'He brings her flowers, daisies are her favourite,' Erin whispered, not knowing why she was whispering, but it felt like she needed to in the moment,' he takes her on midnight picnics, they dance in the moonlight.' Erin moved her cheek next to the blondes, 'they kiss in the pouring rain, they talk about a future one where they can be together, they star gaze, sometimes they do nothing but be close to one another knowing they can't be in love, even though they are.'

Holtzmann smiled, taking note of how breathy Erin's voice was as she spoke, and how her body relaxed, and she turned her head more into Erin's her fingers still stroking her waist.

'Why are you so interested Jill?'

'Because, I want to know, just want to know more about you.'

'About me?'

Holtzmann nodded, her cheek brushing Erin's.

'Yeah.'

Erin pulled her face away, looking at the smiling blonde, their eyes locked briefly.

'What about you Jill?'

'About me?'

'Tell me something about you? Something I don't know.'

Holtzmann thought for a moment, her brain almost a fog as she held Erin, they were so close, so close. The blonde registered that Erin was really in her arms, they were holding each other, and Erin seemed to be embracing it, literally.

'I've never been in love.'

Erin pulled her face away, her eyes studying the woman.

'What?'

'I haven't.'

Erin tilted her head down a little, and the engineer's cheek moved against her temple.

'Never?'

'No, not real love, you know. Where you can't imagine a life without them. Love where you lose your breath just at the sight of them.'

Erin nodded softly, 'That sounds very silly romantic.'

Holtz blushed.

'You'll find that,' Erin murmured.

'I hope so.'

'You will, you are amazing, you are beautiful and clever, you're fun and generous. And you're so sweet, I mean we're dancing together, it's so silly, but I love it.'

'You think I'm beautiful?' Holtzmann mused and Erin looked up at her, their faces so close and all the blonde could think of was leaning in a little, kissing the lips she had dreamt about kissing for so long.

'I'm not the only one that thinks you are,' Erin said with a small laugh as they stopped swaying, arms still around the other and Erin felt the woman's arms tighten at her waist. 'I've seen how women look at you, they practically have those cartoon heart eyes.'

Holtz snorted with laughter, Erin joining in. And then they were suddenly silent, dipping their foreheads against each other, eyes closed. Holtzmann could feel her heart in her throat, her entire being suddenly filling with heat, she felt dizzy, faint. Erin sighed softly, her breath against Holtz's lips and all the blonde wanted to do was kiss her. Kiss her softly. Kiss her and never stop.

Erin reached a hand up, her fingers softly sliding some of Holtz's hair behind her ear and the blonde was sure she felt the woman's hand shake a little, her thumb brushing her cheek a little. The brunette turned her head a little more into the woman's cheek, her body feeling like it was igniting, igniting with something...there was something almost burning inside her and all she could do was smile. A smile that was not just soft and lit up her face but a smile that lit up her entire being.

'Are you smiling Gilbert?'

Erin didn't say anything, she just nodded softly, almost as an excuse to feel her skin brush along the blonde's.

'Maybe.'

'Maybe?'

'Yeah...maybe,' Erin said, her voice breathy, realising how it sounded and she cleared her throat a little.

'C'mon,' Erin said with a grin, pulling away, 'we're missing the movie,' the woman pointed at the screen and sat back on the couch, pulling the blanket from the floor, and Holtz sat down next to her, letting Erin cover them both with the woven material.

'Thank you for the dance,' Erin said, eyes glued to the screen.

'Anytime Miss Gilbert.'