Simple Complexity

Part 7

'We could tell...the other night. Anyone would think the two of you were a couple. And look, I don't know what she's doing either,' Patty exhaled. 'The way she had her arms around you, her face all snuggled into you. I mean she was drinking...but still.'

Holtzmann nodded.

'Fuck I wanted to kiss her so bad. She was so close, her lips weren't against me, but they as well have been, she was that close.' Holtz sighed, 'Am I tempting her, am I making her want to cheat.'

Patty shrugged, 'You're both grown women. You can both do the right thing, or both make the same mistake. I'm not getting involved in that, but I am looking out for you, for her too.'

'Have you talked to her, has she spoken to you?'

'Holtz, she's dating someone, Abs and I aren't going to get involved with that.'

'But you're getting involved with me!'

'Yeah, and that's because she's dating someone. She's dating someone Holtz.'

'I know...Patty, God I know, and I keep doing these stupid things for her...but she wants them, she even instigates them. But what am I doing?' Holtz exhaled, shaking her head as she spoke, 'Like why? Do I really think she's suddenly going to break up with him because I danced with her, because we watched a movie together. '

'Do you want her to break up with him?'

'No, that sounds awful. I guess...I guess I just don't want her to be with him,' she inhaled, feeling tears beginning to form and she hurriedly blinked them away, 'I'm just being so fucking selfish, I just don't want her with anyone but me.'

'Holtzy honey.'

'God I hate her.'

'No you don't,' Patty said, reaching a hand to the woman's leg, 'You hate that you're in love with her.'

'Do I wait? Patty I would wait as many lifetimes as it takes to be with her.'

'Wow,' Patty said, her eyes wide, 'you're damn good at this romance shit.'

'What do I do?'

'Either something or nothing,' Patty replied.

Holtz shook her head, 'Easier said than done.'

Erin sat further back in her seat, looking over to the bar, Patty and Holtzmann seemed to be in deep conversation, Patty doing a lot of nodding and Holtz doing a lot of head shaking. Erin creased her brow, moving again in her seat to get a better look, smiling as the blonde looked over to her and their eyes met. Erin continued to smile, holding her gaze, the engineer doing the same, her face softening.

Josh looked up at Erin, saying something to her but the woman didn't respond, and he followed her gaze as it connected with the woman at the bar and he turned back to her. Erin's face was soft, there was a smile on her lips that he'd not seen before. Her eyes were almost in a dreamy daze, her top teeth gently tugged at her bottom lip and he watched as they curled into a smile. It was pure happiness; he could see it on her face. As though she'd been given the most unbelievably incredible compliment and he could see a flush of pink on her cheeks.

'Babe?'

'Sor..sorry?' Erin stuttered, pulling her eyes away, Josh was staring at her.

'Sorry? Um what?' Erin said, her voice quivering.

'Abby was just talking about how the two of you wrote a book?'

Erin looked at over to Abby, but her seat was empty, Erin assuming she had gone to the bathroom, and she looked back to the man.