Simple Complexity

Part 7

'Oh, um Ally, right?' Holtz eventually croaked out.

The waitress nodded, setting down a meal for her and Josh.

'I uhh,' Holtz began, wanting to look at Erin, needing to see the look on her face, but she didn't turn, instead she smiled tightly at Ally.
'I uhh..didn't know you uhh..worked here.'

Ally nodded, raising her eyebrows.

'Yeah, well I didn't think you were listening to me the other night.'

All eyes were on Holtz. Abby and Patty looking over to her, and the blonde dared to look at Erin. The brunette's face was a mix of hurt and pain, as though she'd been given some devastating news and Holtz just looked away, and at the plate of food in front of her.

'Good to see you, Ally.'

The waitress turned away, not responding and returned to the kitchen, thankfully another staff member serving the rest of their meals.

Holtz looked over at Erin again, she was still staring at her, and the engineer wanted to explain, to lean over and tell her, nothing happened, nothing. Nothing happened nothing at all, because, because...Erin I'm in love with you.

Erin was just staring at her, lips parted, her face almost looked flushed but also pale at the same time. Josh turned looking at Erin, and Holtz just looked at her too, shaking her head, silently pleading with her to understand, to understand nothing happened. But Erin looked away.

And then she couldn't help it.

The words were falling from her lips before she could stop them.

'Nothing happened, Erin I didn't....I promise...'

Erin looked at her, so did Josh and then Holtz turned away, not wanting to see the expressions on their faces. And she squeezed her eyes shut briefly, licking her lips as she felt her heart shudder, it skipped a beat.

Erin felt her chest tighten a little and she tried to clear her thoughts, jealousy ripping through her bones, and she opened her mouth to speak, not knowing exactly what she was going to say but she needed to say something, but as she did Abby's phone rang.

Abby answered the call, excusing herself as she stood and then she turned back to them, looking at them all, nodding into the phone and saying a few words.

'Guys,' she said, hanging up, 'we gotta Bust, class two, we gotta go.'

Holtz shot up from her seat, Patty and Erin doing the same, Josh looking at them and he leaned back in his chair as Patty reached across to Erin, tapping her shoulder.

'Stay here Er, enjoy your night. Date night now. We got this.'

Erin shook her head, opening her mouth to protest, but Abby nodded in agreement as the three women began to move from the table. Holtz's hands were already scooping up her hair and twisting it up and into itself.

'Stay Erin, we'll be okay, coolsome threesome,' Patty bellowed with laughter, moving quickly from the table, Abby saying a quick goodbye and moving away too.

Holtz paused before following the others, and she took a slow step towards Erin.

She needed to tell her again, she needed Erin to know. To believe her.

But then it all happened in slow motion, or at least that's what it felt like to Holtz. And she stepped past Josh who was now standing, her fingers touched Erin's shoulder softly, their eyes meeting.

She wanted to grab her face, pull it towards her, dip their foreheads and tell her...tell her it's only her, it's always been only her, that nothing happened. But she didn't and as her fingers grazed down the brunettes arm, she just stared at her.