The Love Letter (girlxgirl) (lesbian story) gxg

Chapter 4

"Don't say it." Alison said as she cracked open another can of beer, ignoring Olivia's amused expression from across the table at Solé. The cute football player she'd been flirting with had left for practice and Olivia had been watching her with a knowing smile ever since.

"Fine. I won't." Olivia replied. She crossed her legs and took a demure sip of her drink. They had been friends since highschool when they bonded over mutual love for art and cheesy nineties movies.

"Good."

Alison caught the eye of another guy at the other end of the bar and flashed a flirtatious smile, it was dim inside, the sun already down, the music a little bit louder and the menu of various coffee types was replaced by alcoholic beverages. He returned it with a suggestive one of his own. This was what she needed tonight. Alcohol, getting a drink with Olivia at Solé and some harmless flirting. Anything to take her mind off the painting she hasn't been able to complete.

Correction: start. As in there's not a single drop of paint in the canvas. She took a long swig of her beer, trying to forget the fact that she hated herself for that, it was the second beer in less than ten minutes, but fuck it, she'd had a long day. She needed to take the edge off.

"How is it going with Diego?" Olivia said, drawing her back to a conversation she didn't want to have. "That new girl doesn't make the best coffee but she seems nice."

Her face creased into a smile at Alison's long-suffering sigh. "Your lack of subtlety is astonishing, Al."

"I like to have at least one trait that's astonishing."

"So, what's going on with you?"

"My art project."

"I've never seen you so worked up over an art project."

"I've never been worked up over an art project before." Alison switched the subject before Olivia could press further. She had no desire to discuss why she has been struggling lately, not now at least. "My mom finally decided where she wants to go on Christmas break."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You're changing the subject."

"I'm expanding our conversation." It was true, in Alison's mind. Solé was hardly the place to talk about what was bothering her.

Olivia finally gave up trying to pull more information and went along with Alison's deflection. "Okay, I'll bite. Where are you going on Christmas break?"

Alison's grin was real this time. "My grandparent's cabin upstate."

Alison's grandmother had passed away last summer. Ever since she was little people always told her how alike they were. Alison was named after her grandmother, they were both very bad cooks, they both loved their coffee strong, without sugar or any of that stuff people put in their coffee nowadays, they loved rainy days because it meant hot chocolate and a crappy nineties movie and they were both artists. In fact, Alison had started painting when she was about three years old when her grandmother would babysit. Everything Alison loved about herself, she owed to her grandmother, including her only talent. She had been able to say goodbye to her at the hospital, but the space that woman used to fill in her heart is empty now and there's a chill where there used to be warmth. She was, however, glad she could go to her grandparents' old cabin and she could already picture her time there: crisp blue skies, snow-capped mountains, maybe that warmth will come back a little if she went to the cabin her grandmother used to love so much. Maybe she'll find a little piece of her in that place.

"Shut up." Olivia said. "I love that place. Is the whole family going?"

Alison was about to order another beer when a male voice interrupted her.