ᴋɪꜱꜱᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴏɪꜱꜱᴀɴᴛ | 𝘓𝘰𝘶 𝘹 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘦

chapitre neuf | k&c

𝕂𝕀𝕊𝕊𝔼𝕊 𝔸ℕ𝔻 ℂℝ𝕆𝕀𝕊𝕊𝔸ℕ𝕋

—

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴇʙʙɪᴇ opened the door of the bistro, the familiar scent welcomed her. Her eyes automatically searched for Lou, who was sitting nicely in her usual spot with a magazine in hand. She looks hot with her glasses on and her white casual dress. A smile graced Debbie's lips. Such a fashionista. She didn't wait a second to finally start walking towards the woman.

"You seem so engrossed," Debbie said. Lou looked up to her, meeting her eyes, as she smiled and put the magazine back down, giving her full attention to the lady. She stood up and pulled out the seat for Debbie.

Damn, a gentlewoman. Debbie could swear she can clearly envision herself smiling, her cheeks turning rose. She's dated women before, and all of them did nothing different from how Lou is treating her now, but there was something about the gentleness of the blonde that just struck her. Lou makes her feel a different tier of tenderness. It's the little, obvious affection Lou was never afraid to show her. Sweet.

"Thanks for coming," Lou said. Debbie observed her intently as she gracefully returned to her seat. Lou definitely has this elegance in her that makes her every move seem so salient. It was probably the short hair, not everyone could rock that hair length.

"Couldn't decline an offer from a belle femme." She winked, and her heart flattered when it earned a smile from Lou.

"Ah, new French word! Glad you're learning," Lou remarked with a smile, expressing fondness for Debbie's attempts at speaking French despite the lingering American accent, endearing herself with each effort.

"Oh, please tell me I said that right."

"Oh, parfaitement!" Oh, perfectly!

Debbie laughed; she's thought of Lou's deep, sultry voice and how it always sounded extremely attractive especially with her French accent, which it makes her awfully conscious of even trying to fake her own. Tammy, her friend, kept telling her that while she might excel at speaking German, but her French was the most dreadful thing she had ever heard. She could practically hear Tammy's squeaky voice echoing in her head.

Lou gazed at her, as if she were a masterpiece showcased in a museum. Paris is a beautiful city, but nothing compared to the woman in front of her. Too much praise. She was glad the blonde could not read what was on her mind because it would be too embarrassing. She was literally like a teenager, love-struck over her campus crush.

Debbie couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes. "Well, I have an excellent teacher."

Lou's laughter echoed through the bistro, drawing attention from nearby tables. Two good looking women sitting across each other at one table. It screams powerhouse. "Flattery will get you everywhere, you know."

Debbie leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Anywhere in particular you have in mind?"

Lou's cheeks tinged with a subtle blush, and she smoothly changed the subject. "So, what's new in your world, other than perfecting your French?"

That's a good question to begin with, right? Lou doesn't know why her confidence slowly wanes when she's with Debbie. She should've answered her with a more playful response. Last night was horrible. Well, it wasn't; it was magical, but the horrible part was saying goodbye. The usual rhythm where she always ends up kissing her date on post-first-date was the Lou Miller everyone knows. Yet, with Debbie, the melody struck a different chord. There was a certain reverence, an admiration that tethered her from taking the initiative. It wasn't merely about restraint; it was a deep-seated respect that held her back. Perhaps she's willing to wait for the brunette to take the lead, giving her the freedom to do whatever she wants to do. But really, she was confused as to why a friendly goodbye wave ended that night when she could've given her a hug instead.