Simple Complexity

Part 6

Erin laughed, leaning more on her hands.

'Is it like a VR thing?'

'Erin, it's a secret cinema....seeecret.'

'Hmmm,' Erin said, standing upright and squinting at the blonde.

'You don't have to wait much longer, promise,' Holtz said as the woman wandered back to her desk, her eyes still squinting at her.

'I just need it to be a little darker.'

'Oh, darker....so we are going out.'

'Ughhh,' said Holtzmann rolling her eyes, deciding to give in, because of course it was Erin, and she could never say no, 'okay, go, go change, dress warm okay?'

Erin nodded at Holtzmann, a huge beaming smile on her face and she looked down to her clothes, walking down the hall from the lab and heading into her bedroom.

'Just wait downstairs when you're done,' Holtz called out from the lab.

Erin nodded in response, calling out a soft, 'Okay.'

After she was done changing, she trotted down the stairs, calling out to Holtz to let her know she was down there and she walked over to the couch, dropping down into it, picking up a book Patty had left on the coffee table, flicking through its pages.

The brunette couldn't hear much noise form the second floor and after about thirty minutes the blonde came bounding down the stairs, and she leaned over the back of the couch, sliding her arms around Erin.

'Ready?'

Erin nodded, turning her head as the engineer let go of her, 'Yeah.'

Holtz walked to meet Erin at the other side of the couch, pulling a piece of cloth out from the back of her loose jeans.

'May I?'

'Holtz what? I have to be blindfolded?'

'Well yes Erin, it's a secret cinema.'

Erin laughed shaking her head as she turned around, the woman covering her eyes with the cloth and tying it up.

'Not too tight?'

Erin shook her head, turning around, her hands automatically reaching out and the woman clasped them, leading her slowly towards the stairs. and Erin paused at the bottom, Holtz stepping backwards to look at her, hands still in hers.

'Er?'

'Why do I need the blindfold on to go up the stairs?'

'Erin, for someone so smart, sometimes....you're not.'

'Jillian!'

'It's a secret cinema, I can't exactly let you know where it is.'

The blonde tugged on her hands and Erin laughed, taking the steps slowly, and Holtz led her down the corridor, and Erin could feel cool air, and she knew the woman was leading her out into the roof and she paused, anticipating the threshold, and Holtz helped her step outside.

'Stand here for a sec.'

Holtzmann let go of Erin's hands and the physicist wrapped her arms around herself, glad she'd put on extra layers and her soft slipper boots.

She heard Holtz's boots against the gravel that covered some of the roof and she held her hand out, the woman taking it, asking her to bend down slowly, and Erin put her hand in front of herself, touching the ground.

'Can I take this off Holtz,' Erin asked, touching the blindfold.

'Nope,' the woman replied, as she helped Erin move forward to her knees and Erin hesitated until she landed softly on something warm and fluffy, and she heard a zip and then a click, aware there was light around her.