Monday at noon, English class ended with the shrilling ring of the bell and the students in the classroom quickly gathered their things. Toby was out for a family event today, but Emily still caught herself instinctively turning to tell him to go ahead to the cafeteria without her before she realized his chair was empty.
Everyone soon filed out of the room and Alison was already standing up to close the door, blocking the view from the students who roamed the halls.
The blonde had texted her last night to let her know she had officially told Cece about them. She mostly wrote that she would talk to her about it today, but assured her that it went better than she had expected.
Emily got up from her seat and held her binder to her chest, walking over to the teacher's desk, where Alison settled in her chair.
"Well?" she questioned, her fingers tapping anxiously on the sides of the binder. "How'd it go?"
"Pretty good, overall," Alison admitted, remembering yesterday's events. Cece ended up spending almost the entire day with her, talking about anything and everything. They had some serious catching up to do, after all.
"She was overwhelmed by it in the beginning," the blonde said, "not just by us but by me dating a girl, in general. But the more we talked, the more she slowly started to get it."
"Really?" Emily asked, relief shining in her eyes.
"Yeah," Alison confirmed with a soft smile. "She said she'd be supportive of me no matter what, and she promised she wouldn't tell anyone. Actually, I talked to her a lot about you," she added, watching Emily turn slightly bashful.
"What'd she say?" Emily inquired tentatively, her cheeks coated red.
"Well, she's practically your biggest fan now," Alison chuckled teasingly. "Plus, she thinks you're really hot."
"Oh," Emily blushed even deeper at the words, letting out a shy chuckle as she looked away from mischievous blue eyes.
"Well, I'm glad she didn't freak out," the brunette granted as she felt a big burden being lifted off her chest.
"Yeah, me too," Alison stated calmly. Her eased expression wilted a bit around the edges as she remembered something. "There is one thing, though."
"What thing?" Emily quizzed.
"She... wants to meet you," Alison said slowly, fishing for Emily's reaction.
The brunette's eyes widened slightly. "What?" she stuttered nervously. "I-I don't know about that, Ali."
"I know it's a lot, Em, I'm sorry. She just loves being extra like this," Alison complained, trying to explain to the girl, "I promise she only wants to get to know you. I'll be there right by your side and I'll force her to grow a filter beforehand, I swear."
"Uh," Emily hesitantly emitted, unable to resist Alison's pleading eyes, "yeah, okay."
"Thank you. But seriously, don't even worry about that for now," Alison assured gratefully. A sudden thought made her provide a sharp topic change, "So, you have any plans yet for your birthday?"
"Well, my mom's dead-set on cooking all of my favorite foods the day before, it's something that she does every year," Emily told her with a small smile, and though Alison was glad for Emily, she still felt a pinch in her heart at the fact that neither of parents had ever done something like that for her or her siblings.
"And my friends have been acting really weird, which, if I know them as well as I think I do, means that they're planning a surprise party."
"How can you tell?" Alison asked in amusement.
"Spencer and Hanna have been fighting all morning and won't tell me why, so I think they might've gotten into an argument while organizing," Emily recalled, a humorous smile on her face. "They're both really intense about parties in their own ways, and Aria's usually the mediator but she was already frustrated by the two of them."
"Hmm," Alison hummed playfully, folding her arms on the desk. "Definitely sounds like a surprise party."
"Why are you asking?" Emily inquired, a tiny thrill shooting inside of her at the particular look on Alison's face.
"Well," the blonde piped up, "when I was talking to Cece, I happened to mention your birthday, and I was sad that we couldn't really go out somewhere together. So, she actually had a pretty great idea."
"What was it?" Emily's curiosity sparked.
"Her fiancé's family owns a bunch of lofts in Manhattan that they rent out, but one of them happens to be between tenants right now," Alison elaborated.
"Okay," Emily questioned the mysterious tone of Alison's words, innocently wondering what all that had to do with her.
"How would you feel about going away for the night?" Alison suggested temptingly, an undertone of anticipation in her voice. Emily's jaw dropped slightly as she connected the dots. "We could stay up there this weekend, get out of this small town where everyone knows everyone."
Emily breathed out in awe, all of the incredible possibilities running through her mind. "Ali, that sounds amazing," she gushed and the blonde smiled happily up at her, before Emily's face dimmed a bit, "but... God, what would I tell my mom? She already said something about how I'm spending too much time out of the house." She looked regretfully down at the desk, mumbling, "If we're leaving town, it's a whole different story."
Alison nodded, a sad smile showing on her face. "Yeah, I get it," she uttered softly. She saw the devastation on Emily's face, assuring her, "Em, it was just an offer, it's totally okay if-"
"No, I," Emily interrupted, looking at her insistently, "I want to go." She crossed her arms, tenderly letting out, "I actually want it more than anything."
Alison stared at her in understanding, "I'm sorry you have to constantly lie to your mom."
"Yeah, it's not fun, but... I really want to spend that time with you, somewhere outside of here. It's the best thing I could wish for my birthday," Emily said wistfully, her eyes telling Alison just how much she craved this. The brunette bit her bottom lip pensively before deciding, "I'll come up with something, okay?"
"Emily, are you sure?" Alison asked in concern.
"Yeah," Emily nodded with certainty, leveling her gaze, "we're going."
A fond smile slowly grew on Alison's face. "Okay," she agreed.
After they kept on talking for a minute or two before Emily went off to the cafeteria, Alison wished they were making the right decision with this. This would be their biggest 'operation' yet. Going to New York with Emily sounded like a dream, but dreams sometimes cost you something.
She hoped this wasn't the case.
XXXXX
True to Emily's prediction, her friends began acting even fishier as the week progressed until her birthday finally came around, landing on a Friday. She shook off their weirdness, going along with whatever they were saying so she wouldn't ruin the surprise.
Now, as she sat in the backseat of Spencer's car while the brainiac steered the four of them to what the girls had dubbed a 'really cool new restaurant', Emily was free to think.
She had spent last night with her mom, eating every piece of food the woman had meticulously cooked for her. Emily insisted on it because she feared that her mother might've felt a little neglected lately, and Emily didn't want her secret to put that kind of strain between them. From her experience, she already knew how keeping something this big from her mom could affect their relationship, and she would do whatever she could to prevent that.
So, she and her mom had eaten dinner together, and she had thanked the woman profoundly. Her mother had been about to call it a night, but Emily stopped her, offering that they both go out to the movies instead.
Her mother had been surprised, to say the least. She hadn't taken Emily to a movie since the girl was maybe ten years old, but she was more than pleased to accept.
When the timing had been just right, Emily had casually informed her mother that she was planning to drive down to New York with Hanna for the blonde's college interview this weekend, and they were going to spend the night there to help the bubbly blonde get over her nerves before the interview.
Her mother had been hesitant, but after Emily's pleading, along with the enjoyment of seeing her secret crush, George Clooney, on the screen for two hours - Emily knew she had made the right decision when picking that movie - she ended up reluctantly agreeing.
Emily couldn't believe how well this could actually work out. The reason her excuse was so believable was because Hanna really would be driving down for an interview, it was just happening the following weekend and not this one. And the one who was actually driving with Hanna and spending the night with her there was her step-sister, as ordered by their father.
Hanna had complained profusely about that the entire week, which Emily was very sympathetic to. That Kate girl was just straight-up evil, and she hated Hanna just as much as Hanna hated her. The only reason the two girls had agreed to this deal was because Tom Marin had promised them money for shopping in the city and neither of them was willing to pass that up.
Tomorrow at this time, Emily was already going to be in New York with Alison. She couldn't even explain how she felt, but if there was a more excited word than 'excited', that was her. She couldn't believe they were heading there together and that they were going to stay in a fancy apartment all alone. Most of all, she was having trouble grasping the fact that they would finally be able to go out in public.
After all, New York was a very big city, much bigger than Rosewood. And despite her constant paranoia, Emily was highly doubtful that on the one night she and Alison were going to be there, they would run into someone they knew out of the eight million people in town.
Spencer slowly pulled over and Emily snapped out of her thoughts, turning to look out the window curiously. Hanna jumped on her before she managed to see anything, covering her eyes quickly.
"No peeking yet!" she urged.
"Really cool new restaurant, huh?" Emily mumbled, sitting back with Hanna's hand on her face as Spencer and Aria giggled from the front of the car.
A few moments later, the car came to a full stop and she heard the engine shutting off, accompanied by two doors being opened. There was eery silence all around the car but the brief smell of outside reminded her of trees.
What the hell?
"Should I be scared?" she asked Hanna.
"Maybe," Hanna playfully sing-songed in return.
The door on Emily's side opened and Hanna so much as escorted her out, still cupping a hand over her eyes.
They walked for a good minute and Emily could hear twigs cracking under her feet.
"I know you already know what we're doing, but please pretend to be surprised, okay? For me." Hanna whispered to her.
Emily giggled lowly, whispering back, "You got it, Han."
Emily counted five seconds in her head before Hanna lifted her hand and she was suddenly greeted by a sea of familiar people enthusiastically yelling out, "Surprise!"
She acted shocked to the best of her abilities, much to the amusement of Hanna by her side, but upon sight of the scene, she turned genuinely astonished. They were all set up in a big clearing in the woods next to the lake, the main Rosewood dock visible from where she was standing. Many fairy lights hung between the trees, shining above the arrangement of people, folding wooden chairs, and tables of booze and snacks. A large banner declared, 'Happy Birthday, Emily!'. There was even a campfire and beer pong table.
"You guys did all of this?" Emily asked, stunned.
"I did all the heavy lifting," Toby piped up jokingly next to Spencer, earning a nudge from his girlfriend.
"You wish," Caleb called back with a laugh.
Emily was glad to see a crowd of people she knew, including some of the girls and guys from the swim team, friends of hers from other classes, some people from The Brew staff that she had worked with for the past two years, and of course, her best friends.
"Thank you all so much," Emily smiled wide and honest at them all, receiving loving stares in return.
"Happy birthday, Em," Aria walked over, giving her a tight hug.
Spencer hugged her too, uttering, "We love you."
"I love you too," Emily returned easily, feeling thankful for having these girls in her life.
"Come on, let's get this party started!" Hanna shouted by her side and people cheered loudly. Someone pressed play on the music and Beyoncé's 'Crazy In Love' was suddenly booming through the large speakers set up on the ground. Emily laughed as Hanna hugged her, wishing her, "Happy birthday, Em. Have fun."
Emily soon walked through the large group of people, hugging and greeting everyone while thanking them for coming. She was so happy that the girls invited only people she genuinely wanted to celebrate her birthday with and didn't hand out invitations out of necessity. Needless to say, she was relieved to not find Paige in the crowd, considering Spencer had selectively combed through the swim team for girls and guys that Emily was actually friends with.
Shortly into the party, Emily was already being pulled into a beer pong match with Toby on her team against Hanna and Caleb.
She and Toby childishly booed as Caleb prepared to throw the ball. He playfully flipped them off, tossing the ball with ease. It landed a second later in one of the cups, causing them to pout.
"Ha! Suck it," Hanna exclaimed, doing a little victory dance as Emily drank the contents of the cup.
Caleb laughed, stabling his somewhat drunk girlfriend as she stumbled. "Woah, easy there, babe," he warned, plucking the cocktail from her hand and setting it aside.
"Em, has there been any more talk about Texas?" Spencer inquired from where she was sitting with Aria on a log next to the beer pong table. "Because I still propose a PowerPoint. Nothing too fancy, under 50 slides-"
"Spence, my mom won't listen to a PowerPoint," Emily gave her two cents as she watched Hanna aiming her throw, squinting her eyes in concentration. "She'll listen to my dad, and I've talked to him about this. He knows how much I want to stay here, I know he's on my side on this. We're just waiting to get an answer from the army about the house funding."
The blonde threw the ball and it landed between two cups, causing Hanna to groan.
"College is already going to come fast enough, we don't need you leaving even sooner," Aria pointed out sadly.
"I know," Emily mumbled in resignation, having thought about this at great length.
"Speaking of college," Hanna chuckled, getting drunker as she had her cocktail in her hand again, "I bet Em's gonna have so much fun there."
"Why especially me?" Emily wondered naively.
"Because! Freshman year of college is the time when all of the girls want to experiment with other girls," Hanna remarked with a sly grin, suppressing a hiccup. "For a lesbian who looks like you, Em, there's going to be a line of girls waiting outside of your dorm room dying to f-"
"Hanna," Spencer cut in dryly, "I'm pretty sure Sydney Driscoll just had a stroke back there from listening to you."
"I don't know, I kind of see it," Aria uttered around the rim of her cup with a small grin. "You're definitely going to have a good time in California, Em."
Emily was already blushing feverishly, "I haven't even thought about anything like that."
"How?" Hanna spewed, slightly tripping into Caleb's steady arms.
"Han, have you ever considered that maybe Em is just focused on her studies?" Spencer smartly replied. Emily appreciated the girl coming to her help, but in reality, that was hardly the answer.
"I'm more interested to know if you're going to get into an Olympics kind of schedule when you get there," Caleb questioned curiously. "I heard Paige talking about that in the cafeteria line one time. Sounded intense."
"Yeah, I know Paige wants to go the Olympics route, but I don't," Emily shrugged. "I'm leaning more towards Sports Medicine."
"Why that specifically?" Toby pondered.
"I've always found it interesting," Emily noted, throwing the next ball. It landed smoothly in a cup, and Hanna picked it up bitterly, downing it in one go. "Besides, I don't want my whole life to be about swimming. Paige does want that. It's one of the things we constantly argued about when we were together. All she'd ever talk about was swimming."
"I don't know what you ever saw in her," Hanna bluntly stated.
"Hanna," Aria chimed in.
"What?" Hanna asked defensively. "Em is so out of her league. She deserves someone way better."
Emily tried to hide her flaming cheeks behind her red solo cup as she took a sip of cold beer. Her girlfriend was definitely better for her than Paige ever was, not that she could outrightly tell Hanna that.
They started the next round of the game, but Hanna was still curiously looking at Emily. As Toby made his throw, Emily caught Hanna's eye quickly before guiltily looking away.
The night went on still, and by the time they were bringing out the cake for Emily, Hanna had forgotten all about her previous intuition. They were singing Happy Birthday to Emily and cheering encouragingly as she blew out the candles.
"Em, let's take a picture of you with the cake," Spencer said.
"Here, I'll take it," Hanna offered.
"Okay," Emily consented with a chuckle, lifting the plastic cake stand in her hands and angling it to show the camera the special writing on the cake. Hanna pulled out her phone, grumbling when the screen wouldn't turn on.
"Shit, I'm out of battery," she complained.
"Just use mine," Emily suggested nonchalantly, allowing Hanna to pull her own phone from her back pocket.
Hanna aimed the phone and Emily smiled happily at the camera lens as Hanna snapped the picture, nodding when she got it.
Emily placed the cake stand back down before commencing the process of cutting up the cake and handing it out to people around her on paper plates.
When she went back to Hanna a few minutes later, the girl was looking at her suspectingly, holding her phone in her hand.
"What?" Emily asked innocently.
"Who's Alison?" Hanna quizzed, turning Emily's phone to reveal a message that popped on her screen.
Emily's heart dropped, her eyes quickly flying to the message.
From Alison: Pick you up tomorrow at 3? x
She silently let out an alleviated breath as she took the phone back. That message could've been much more incriminating, considering everything.
"She's, uh - she's a family friend," Emily answered deliberately, distracting Hanna by handing her a piece of cake. "She wanted to meet up tomorrow."
Hanna looked puzzled, "I've never heard of her before."
"We haven't really been in contact for a while, but she wanted to get together because she heard that it's my birthday," Emily provided, hoping she sounded believable.
Hanna didn't seem completely placated by her answer, staring at her for a long second before Caleb suddenly called out to her. She took a bite of her cake, walking over to her boyfriend. Emily sagged in relief, wondering what that was about.
Hanna's just drunk, she assured herself. She'll forget all about this.
She walked away to find an empty corner between a few trees, pulling out her phone and typing a positive response to Alison.
To Alison: 3 is good
To Alison: I can't wait to see you x
She waited a few moments, looking around to make sure she was truly alone here before her phone buzzed, causing her to glance down.
From Alison: Me too x
From Alison: Tomorrow you'll tell me all about your non-surprising surprise party
Emily chuckled lightly. Her heart warmed at the thought of Alison in her bed, cuddling up to Pepe while writing her these messages. The woman's house was almost like a second home to her now.
She looked down when her phone vibrated again.
From Alison: Night, birthday girl xx
She found herself once more growing excited at the prospect of taking a road trip with Alison. It was going to be just her and the blonde without any interruptions.
She wished Alison a warm goodnight back before she slid the phone back into her pocket and returned to her party, not aware of Hanna's odd gaze, directed at her from thirty feet away.
XXXXX
At 2:55 PM the next day, Emily was already standing with her overnight duffel bag slung over her shoulder in the corner of a street a few blocks away from her own house. She was full of jitters as she waited for Alison to pick her up.
They needed to get out of town fairly quickly so no one would see them in a car together on the weekend. After that, though, they could finally be themselves. Especially in New York - that was going to be their free escape.
With her friends thinking that she was meeting a family friend, and her mother sure she was going with Hanna to her interview - all while Hanna was actually going out of town for her grandmother's birthday - Emily had a pretty airtight alibi.
She and Alison were going to have to drive a little less than two hours to get to New York City, then head to Greenwich Village, where Robert's family's apartments were located. Emily was eternally grateful for this. They got to stay in an expensive apartment in the city for free, and the blonde had already forbidden her from looking into anything for the night, claiming that she was planning it all.
Emily didn't know what they were going to be doing on their night out, so she packed a few different sorts of outfits but still maintained a relatively light luggage, keeping in mind that it was only one night.
Tomorrow they were set to return to Rosewood so they could both have time to regroup themselves before Monday rolled around. Emily was going to use that spare time to catch up on homework that she wouldn't have had time to do since she was going out of town with her girlfriend, who happened to be a teacher. The logic of it was almost comical to her.
Emily looked down the street, suddenly spotting Alison's BMW heading her way. She couldn't help her enamored grin, which widened as Alison rolled closer until she stopped at the curb next to her.
Emily went around the car to the trunk and opened it. Her eyes stumbled upon Alison's hefty suitcase and she snorted a laugh, because of course Alison would pack her entire house for this one night. She squeezed her own bag in and closed the trunk, heading around the car to the passenger seat and sliding inside.
"Hey," she greeted Alison with a giddy smile.
"Hi," Alison's dimpled smile was just as radiant as hers. "Ready?"
Emily's eyes took in the view of Alison just then. The blonde was simply a vision of beauty. She was wearing blue flare jeans and a vintage Philadelphia Eagles tee, sunglasses resting on the top of her head, her hair even shinier than usual today. The lip gloss on her heart-shaped lips was calling for Emily to taste it with her own lips.
Emily didn't know what it was about Alison that made her body react more than any other woman she ever met, but she just wanted her. The only thing stopping her from ravaging Alison was the fact that she was actively aware of their surroundings.
"Yeah," Emily nodded with a small clearing of her throat, clicking her seat belt. She glanced over her shoulder at the trunk area, laughing, "Could you have packed a bigger bag?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Alison feigned innocence as she started their drive, and the butterflies in Emily's stomach danced animatedly at the thought that they would be in New York quite soon.
"No?" she questioned with a grin and Alison teasingly shook her head, continuing with her act. "Well, as the person who's going to be carrying that suitcase in two hours from now," she bantered, causing Alison to chuckle knowingly, "I think it's a little much for one night."
"Oh, quiet," Alison taunted. "I like to have things, just in case."
"Just in case," Emily mimicked, rolling her eyes jokingly. "Hey, are you sure your sister's fiancé won't mind that we're staying there?" she questioned. "I mean, he didn't find it suspicious that you asked to stay at his family's empty place for the night?"
"No, I just told him I'm using it to see a friend in the city. I dropped Pepe off at their house earlier and Robert just gave me the key, he didn't question anything," Alison shrugged nonchalantly. She glanced at Emily's hesitant face, assuring her, "Don't worry, Em. He's going to be my family soon too, I've known him for years. He doesn't mind at all."
"Okay," Emily relaxed in her chair, sighing. She smiled to herself, turning to look at the side of Alison's face as she navigated through town. "I'm happy we're doing this," she revealed earnestly.
"Me too," Alison nodded, an easy smile on her face. She reached her hand, grabbing Emily's hand softly over the console. The brunette felt joy at the gesture, intertwining their fingers as she sensed tingles running through her palm.
"So, are you finally going to tell me what we're actually doing?" Emily wondered, subconsciously scanning the streets they passed through to make sure there was no one that they knew.
"Nope," Alison breezily replied, then added mysteriously, "you're just going to have to wait and see."
Emily tsked in fake annoyance, and Alison only giggled devilishly by her side, squeezing her hand.
They were soon successfully out of the town limits with luck on their side. Emily looked out just as they passed by the 'You're Leaving Rosewood' sign, feeling her heart pounding heavily in her chest. Not one of the people in her life besides Alison knew what she doing right now, but she figured there was no point spending the whole time in fear of possibly getting caught.
She found herself amazed by the fact that Alison didn't even open a GPS of any kind, as though she simply knew her way there. Alison had told her she had been to New York City many times before, and that she actually knew her way around there pretty well. Emily had only been there twice in her life - once with her parents when she was young and once on a 7th grade field trip. She never truly experienced the city in a way that she remembered, but she had a feeling Alison was about to change that.
Leading up to today, she was genuinely taken aback by how Alison hadn't allowed her to worry about planning anything, and simply took the reigns. Emily came to find out that the blonde could be pretty bossy when planning, but she strangely liked it.
She had never been with an older woman before, and there was just something about Alison. As much as the blonde could sometimes goof off with Emily when they were together, the brunette still viewed her as an educated and worldly woman. She had experienced a lot, and definitely knew some things about this life that Emily didn't. It fascinated her.
Alison had traveled to many countries in her lifetime, as Emily discovered lately. Just the other day, she stumbled upon a framed world map in Alison's upstairs office at her house. When she had asked the blonde what all of the pintacks on it represented, Alison had simply answered that it was all of the countries she had visited before. Emily had been blown away by how many there were, never mind the thought of how expensive it all must've been.
She sometimes found herself wondering how Alison could be so nonchalant about her family's money. Every time Alison brought up Cece's fiancé, Emily couldn't help but think about how Ali's sister was coming from a rich family, but seemingly marrying into a richer one.
Despite living in Rosewood, Emily just never really got into that world of offhanded wealth and lavish vacations. That wasn't her reality. Her parents weren't struggling to make ends meet, but placed next to typical Rosewood families, they appeared less well off.
It was just a little strange for her to get to experience getting to stay at an apartment in the heart of New York for free. She almost felt as though she didn't belong there but she knew that with Alison by her side, she would feel right at home. After all, the blonde made her feel very comfortable, and had little struggle arranging this, so Emily didn't feel guilty for troubling her.
Alison let go of her hand to lower the volume of the music a bit before intertwining their fingers again. "How was last night?" she asked.
"It was really fun," Emily gushed, smiling as she remembered all that her friends had done for her. "They pretty much kidnapped me into the woods-"
"Already sounds promising," Alison joked.
Emily continued with a chuckle, "-And they invited people over there. I mean, they thought of everything, it looked amazing. I'll show you a picture later. Oh, and thank God it was only people that I actually wanted to have there, and not... You know." She drawled, knowing Alison understood the rest.
She chose to leave out the part where Hanna had seen Alison's text and she had excused it as a family friend. At least for now. It would just serve to stress the blonde out and Emily didn't want Alison to be on edge today. Round-the-clock paranoia would definitely destroy their moods.
"Aww, that's great, Em. I'm happy you had fun," Alison smiled peacefully, before casually commenting, "we lucked out with the weather today, you know? It was supposed to rain tonight but I checked an hour ago and it didn't say that anymore."
"Oh, good," Emily nodded in relief. However, even as she thought of a rainy night with Alison, it didn't seem at all bad in her head. Her mind hastily turned to the mischievous route, "Even if it does rain, though, we'd still have at least one indoor thing to do."
Alison smirked at the insinuation, "Very smooth."
Emily chuckled, lifting Alison's hand to her lips and planting a kiss on it as she looked out the window right when they passed by the intersection leading to the next town over, Ravenswood.
Alison's mind was swimming with thoughts. She knew it was a huge risk to bring Emily out here and spend the night with her in the city, but she justified it to herself by saying it was Emily's birthday, and they could both really use this.
Yes, the irony of celebrating her girlfriend's eighteenth birthday wasn't lost on her, but what could she do? Not celebrate her special day?
She just couldn't wait until they were actually there. She had made sure to plan a classic New York night for them.
Her phone already contained tickets to the Broadway show she was taking Emily to, as well as reservations for the rooftop restaurant they were going to have dinner at. She also wanted to squeeze in Times Square sometime tonight, but she had to play that one by ear.
She had no idea what Emily was expecting, but there was no doubt in her mind she was going to blow her out of the water.
As they continued down the road, she was once again surprised by just how easy talking to Emily was. They kept the conversation relaxed as Alison merged into the highway, lowering the sunglasses onto her eyes as she was suddenly bombarded with sunshine.
"Ali," Emily said after a minute of comfortable silence, sounding hesitant.
"Hmm?"
"I'm kind of nervous about meeting your sister," Emily admitted.
"Em, I told you not to worry about that for now," Alison admonished lightly.
"I can't help it!" Emily defended, turning to look at her. "How would you feel if you had to meet my mom?"
Alison's eyes widened behind her shades at the thought, "That is so not the same, Emily! You've heard enough stories about Cece to know that she's hardly anything like your mom."
"I'm just saying, your sister loves you and she'll protect you from anyone you're dating, even if it's a girl," Emily pondered out loud. "I'm scared of stumbling into a cross-examination."
"She already knows all about us, and I've told her stuff about you. She's sold. You just need to be you, okay?" Alison promised softly.
"Okay," Emily agreed with a sigh. "When is it, again?"
"Whenever's comfortable for you," Alison shrugged.
Emily nodded, trying to banish the thoughts of it from her mind right now.
Some time passed on the highway before Alison spotted an exit toward a small diner. She knew it wasn't the safest to stop until they were in the city, but she really wanted something cold right now. The sun was still high in the sky and beating down at them.
Emily agreed to the suggestion and Alison took the exit, driving down the side road until they made it to the diner's parking lot. Emily offered to go get stuff for them and take it out to the car, probably just as full of apprehensive thoughts as Alison was.
Alison was craving a milkshake and told Emily just that, but before she could reach for her purse, the brunette was already rolling her eyes playfully, exiting the car and closing the door behind her.
Alison waited a while, answering her sister's texts and informing her they were on their way, before confirming to the restaurant that they were indeed coming on time. She opened the file of tickets to the show on her phone too, just to be sure there was no issue with them.
There was so much more of New York that she wanted to show Emily, but they didn't have much time.
She eventually raised her sunglasses to the top of her head when she saw Emily walking back to her car with a two-cup tray. Now that she had a full view of the brunette, Alison was immediately entranced.
With the wind blowing through her silky brown hair, her slightly ripped jeans hugging her hips and a white tank top tight on her bronze skin, she was a gorgeous sight to see. Alison didn't think Emily genuinely knew how beautiful she was, because if she did, she wouldn't be blushing every other time Alison gave her a compliment.
In an apartment all theirs for the night in a city where no one knew them, Alison couldn't even fathom the possibilities of what she wanted to do to Emily.
The brunette in question opened the passenger door and entered the car, closing it behind her.
"Here," she handed her a to-go cup with a pink milkshake, and Alison realized she hadn't even told Emily which flavor she wanted.
She took a quick sip through the straw, pleasantly surprised to find a cherry flavor. She licked her lips, savoring the taste.
"How'd you know that's what I would choose?" she asked, astonished.
Emily chuckled, twirling her straw in her own strawberry-banana shake, "Easy." She clinked her finger against the cherry car freshener hung on the rearview mirror, "You have cherry written all over you."
Alison's gaze transferred over Emily's smug look before the brunette's lips enclosed around the straw, taking a sip. Emily made a satisfied sound, indicating that she enjoyed the flavor, but for some reason, it gave Alison a pull from within.
Emily sucked a bit of milkshake from her thumb and Alison couldn't help herself, leaning forward and planting a small kiss on her lips, which caused Emily to smile at the fruity taste, drawing her back into another kiss, then another, just because she could.
They parted from each other and Alison's contentful grin couldn't be suppressed as she placed her milkshake in the cup holder, waiting until Emily was buckled to start their drive again.
She was faintly aware that she had just kissed Emily in a semi-public place during the daytime. As terrifying as it was, it also made her spirits soar, providing her with a preview of tonight.
XXXXX
They drove through New Jersey and reached New York with no issue on the way, but got quickly trapped in big city traffic. This was something Alison didn't miss from living in Philadelphia. She knew that the preferable way to travel to New York was by train, but she and Emily could hardly take the train with adjacent seats, could they?
So she sat back and waited for the road to clear up a bit. Sounds of honking were heard all around them, but it wasn't enough to wake Emily, who had been napping for the past ten minutes. Alison had seen her eyelids starting to droop since New Jersey, and had assured her that she could fall asleep since Alison knew the way there herself. Emily had been adamant on not succumbing to sleep though, but then a slow Frank Sinatra song came over the radio and Emily's eyes were closing by the second.
Alison glanced at her, a fond look gracing her face. Emily looked so cute when she was sleeping, like an angel. Alison first noticed it the second time Emily had stayed over and she had woken up before the brunette. She had lain there for minutes, just looking at the girl, learning every feature on Emily's peaceful face. She wanted to do that now again, but the car in front of them was finally moving, and Alison shifted her eyes back onto the road, lifting her foot off the brake pedal.
Despite the traffic, they reached the apartment building not long after the time that Alison had calculated they would. The streets around were beautiful, filled with trees on both sides and colorful lights from restaurant signs. Alison always felt so good when she was here.
When she reached the area where the apartment resided, Alison felt victorious as she bypassed many cars helplessly looking for parking on the street, knowing that she could just park in the reserved tenant parking that the apartment provided. She found it according to the directions Robert had given her, and parked parallel to the sidewalk, turning off the engine with a sigh.
The drive hadn't been that long, but it definitely felt longer than two hours. She took in the sight of Emily's light slumber, asserting that they would need a little nap before they could head out to town.
She unhooked her seat belt, leaning over to kiss Emily on the cheek, running her hand up and down her arm and gently waking her.
Emily's eyes slowly opened and she smiled calmly when she saw Alison, rubbing her eyes as she sat up slightly.
"We're here," Alison quietly informed, a gentle grin on her face.
There was still sun out at this time, and when Emily exited the car and looked around, she was amazed at the view of the street. It was so full of character with its short colorful buildings and orange-leaved trees. Their own building, the one they had stopped in front of, was made of off-white bricks with arched windows and a cornice at the very top.
Rosewood was very beautiful too, but this was different. She could already see many people lining the restaurants and bars down the block from them, cars were passing by, chatter was heard nonstop from all around... everything was more alive.
She saw Alison walking to the trunk and opening it, struggling as she pulled out her suitcase and placed it unsteadily on the ground.
Emily rushed over to her when she saw the blonde trying to lift the heavy luggage. "What are you doing?" she frowned, trying to take the suitcase from Alison's hands.
"It's okay, I can take it," Alison persuaded, her voice coming out a bit breathy due to her effort.
Emily rolled her eyes, taking the handle from her. "Ali, give it to me," she insisted, patiently waiting until Alison swallowed her ego and allowed her to carry the big case, which was a lot less of a struggle for her.
"Take this, okay?" Emily commanded softly, picking up her own much lighter bag and placing the strap of it on Alison's shoulder. She closed the trunk and easily fished out the car keys from Alison's back pocket, locking it with a click of a button. She dropped them into Alison's purse, taking the blonde's hand in hers, "Come on."
She didn't notice the way Alison swooned at her actions as she took the luggage up the building steps without difficulty, stopping at the top of the stairs where they had to enter a passcode to get in. Alison followed a step behind her, pressing the four-digit code before they heard a beeping sound welcoming them in.
Emily opened the door, holding it for Alison before they both headed up the stairs. There were only five floors in this building but it was a historical one, and thus, there was no elevator in sight.
Emily kept walking behind Alison, only to discover that they were on the top floor, and Alison pulled out a key out of her purse, unlocking the door for them.
Now, Alison had seen pictures of this apartment on Robert's phone before showing up here, but a knowing smile grew on her face when Emily walked in behind her, mesmerized by the open-concept loft with big windows that overlooked the neighborhood. It was tastefully designed with art pieces covering the walls and a fireplace located in the living room. The brunette nearly dropped the suitcase in her hand as she looked around, as though not grasping that she was standing here.
"Do you like it?" Alison asked hopefully as she locked the door behind them, watching as Emily slowly lowered the suitcase to the ground and took tentative steps around.
"I..." Emily struggled to express what she was thinking as she trekked up the staircase to the loft floor that overlooked the rest of the apartment. Alison followed behind her, taking great pleasure in Emily's reaction.
Emily stopped next to the bed, gazing down from there at the entirety of this red-bricked, hardwood-floored dream apartment.
"So?" Alison teased by her side.
Emily slowly turned to her and a chuckle of pure disbelief came out of her mouth. She saw the smug look on Alison's face and she just couldn't resist herself, bending slightly to hoist Alison in her arms in one swift motion, causing her to squeak in shock as Emily practically threw her onto the bed. Alison gasped as she landed on her back on the white sheets but then giggled happily as a joyful Emily tackled her with kisses, her body covering Alison's on the surface.
Alison knew right then and there that she loved this girl. There was no doubt in her mind.
And it was time for Emily to know that.
XXXXX
After taking a tour around the place, they made use of the comfy bed and cuddled together for a brief nap to gather strength for their night.
Emily awoke first, and delicately shook Alison awake, which led to the woman contemplating in her head just how bad it would be if she canceled all of their plans and stayed here to snuggle with Emily instead.
But as the brunette kissed the top of her head once more, gently persuading her to wake up, Alison remembered who she had planned it for and assembled the energy to rise.
Not too long later, she was in one of the bathrooms, finishing getting ready when she realized Emily still had no idea where they were going. Now that she thought about it, this was their first real date, they truly had no prior expectations for this.
Alison suddenly wondered if she was overdressed as she looked at her own dark blue satin dress in the mirror. She left the bathroom in search of Emily and found her in the living room, offhandedly picking up a book from the floor-to-ceiling bookcase and flicking through it.
Alison's throat dried up in an instant. Under the rustic light fixtures, Emily shined gorgeous in a spaghetti strap backless dress that clung to her body and hugged her curves. Black was definitely one of her best colors, Alison mused. She was stunned at how they had somehow managed to coordinate with each other without even seeing the other's dress.
Emily casually turned around but gaped in wonderment when she found Alison. Her eyes traveled the length of Alison's body, feeling her breath being physically taken away as she lowly uttered, "Woah."
Alison smiled as she walked over to her, noting the thigh-high slit in Emily's dress, where her lean leg was jutting out. She shook her head in astonishment, "Woah yourself."
Emily put the book away before wrapping her arms around Alison's waist, bringing her closer. She only managed to look over every accentuated feature of Alison's, the color of the dress along with her makeup bolding out her deep blue eyes.
The blonde looped her arms around her neck, eliminating the space between them as she leaned up to kiss Emily soundly, finally all alone with no interruptions.
When they pulled away, Emily stared down at her, only affection showing on her face. "I can't believe you're mine," she expressed softly.
The words hit deep in Alison's soul, as though she just realized that herself too. "I can't believe you're mine, either," she uttered back, her hand tenderly grazing the back of Emily's neck. She pecked the girl's lips in finality, asking, "Ready to go?"
Anticipation glimmered in Emily's eyes as she returned, "Yeah, let's go."
They soon gathered their things and Emily slung a leather jacket around her, trying to urge Alison to take a jacket too but the blonde insisted that it didn't match her outfit as she slid on a black shoulder bag. Emily narrowed her eyes, knowing that it was going to be cold later and she was right, but she couldn't be annoyed with Alison when she looked like an actual goddess on this earth, so instead she found herself holding out her hand for Alison to take, intertwining their fingers as they left the apartment.
"Okay," Emily said to her once they were downstairs in the street, "we're in New York, we've seen the apartment. Now, will you tell me where we're going?"
"You'll see soon enough," Alison taunted, enjoying Emily's frustration only because she knew it would be worth the brunette's pleasant surprise at the end.
The Uber driver Alison ordered for them took his sweet time ogling them in the rearview mirror and trying to prod them with questions as he drove, but Alison shut him down one biting remark at a time until he finally got the hint. Emily couldn't help but think she was getting a glimpse of the way Alison must've been like in high school, only now it was coming in handy for them. The brunette only managed to blush deeply as Alison placed her hand on her thigh possessively, her blue eyes dangerously threatening the driver to back off.
Emily instead turned to see the views of New York at night outside the window. So many lights passed over her eyes. It was everlasting beauty that she was shocked that some people deemed this an everyday sight. She was pretty sure that even if she lived here, she still wouldn't ever get used to this.
"Hungry?" Alison asked her gently as her hand faintly squeezed Emily's thigh, not wanting to garner the attention of their weirdo driver again.
Emily could feel Alison's dainty hand burning on her thigh over the dress. She held her gaze, uttering lowly, "Very."
Alison smirked at the intonation, mumbling back, "I meant actually hungry."
"So did I," Emily replied faux-innocently, deliberately patting Alison's hand on her thigh, "very, very hungry."
Alison breathed out slowly to appease the pull she felt between her legs at the raspy tone, knowing they still had a long night before they'd go back to the apartment, where she could finally pin Emily down and have her way with her.
"You will be the death of me, Emily Fields," she whispered, bringing her hand to Emily's face and letting her finger lightly stroke down her jawline.
Emily gave her a small grin, grabbing her hand and laying a kiss on the back of it. Alison loved what that did to her heart and allowed her eyes to pass over Emily's face once more before turning to the front, her hand dropping to the brunette's taut thigh again.
The driver dropped them off at a tall building that appeared otherwise very ordinary, but Emily soon found out that wasn't the case. Alison held onto her hand as the doorman showed them inside and they walked to the elevator.
Emily was a step behind Alison and got a full view of her backside, her eyes glossing over the outline of Alison's body in the luscious dress. They stood and waited for the elevator to come, alone in the marble hallway.
Alison felt Emily's warm hand land on her hip and turned to look at her, greeted by the girl's soft lips in a brief kiss.
"I don't know if I've ever told you this," Emily hushed against her lips, her hand tracing Alison's hip through the dress, "but you're just... the most beautiful person I've ever seen."
Alison's heart swelled in her chest, clenching with love at the utmost simple honesty that echoed through Emily's words.
"And that dress looks perfect on you," Emily added, her gaze roaming the blonde's womanly figure. Emily continued gently kissing her but Alison could feel the brunette's hand moving from her hip to her ass, slowly grazing her hand over the curve, causing Alison to feel heat between her legs.
Alison had a feeling Emily would enjoy this dress when she'd packed it but she had no idea back then what the brunette had in store for her. Emily in this black dress was something straight out of Alison's fantasies.
The elevator dinged when it reached their floor and Emily gave her one last peck, respectfully pulling her hand away as they both stepped inside the empty space, waiting shortly before it closed again.
Their journey up began and they stood next to each other as faint elevator music sounded in the background. While Alison knew they had no less than twenty-five floors to climb, Emily was unaware of when they'd be stopping, which was why she was suddenly surprised when Alison's nimble hands cupped her face, drawing her into a full kiss. A muffled sound of satisfaction emitted from her mouth and she lost all interest in anything other than Alison's soft lips.
Her heartbeat growing in pace, she took a few steps, forcing Alison backward. She felt heat rushing to her core as Alison stood on her toes, teasingly biting on her lip and tugging gently, just the way she loved.
Alison moaned when Emily used her advantage to flatten her against the elevator wall in the spur of the kiss, placing her leg between both of her thighs. Their tongues slowly swirled around one another's and Alison felt herself growing wet as she pushed her fingers into Emily's hair, kissing her harder.
Emily let out a breathy whimper as she pressed impossibly close to her, desperately wanting to lift Alison by the back of her legs and take her right up against this wall. This was doing dangerous things to the libido she had quickly grown since she'd met Alison.
Alison herself was dead close to dry humping Emily when the familiar ding sound was heard and they scrambled to stand straight, each instinctively fixing their hair and calming their breath before the elevator came to a full stop. Alison thought it was a bit amusing how used to it they've gotten by now.
She glanced at Emily, noting her flushed cheeks and pink bruised lips. She imagined she probably looked the same. "You have no idea what you do to me," she mumbled lowly to her just as the doors opened and Emily could only breathe out wantingly as Alison took her hand, walking out.
A hostess greeted them at the entrance, and though from a quick look around, Emily could already see it was a fancy restaurant of some kind, her shock only truly kicked in when Alison gave her name and the lady led them to their table outside.
Alison was satisfied when they were taken to a corner table, just like she had asked them on the phone, for ultimate privacy. She had been here before with her family. Her father had once sold a property to the head chef, which was also how she had managed to book a table in less than a week's notice in a restaurant with months' worth of a waiting list. But seeing Emily's wide eyes taking in the sight of Manhattan at night, tall skyscrapers shining bright around them against the background of dark blue skies, it was like being here for the first time all over again.
Emily was still speechless when the hostess laid menus on the table and left them to their own devices, but when she saw Alison moving towards her chair, her brain snapped back to action just quick enough to draw the blonde's chair back for her, catching the charmed smile she got in return.
Emily took her own seat, laying her jacket on the back of the chair, her fingers tingling as she picked up the menu.
"Ali, what is this?" she was stunned as she looked around.
"I wanted us to go somewhere special," Alison replied softly.
"This is as special as it gets," Emily acknowledged, tenderly taking Alison's hand on the table. "I still can't believe we're actually here."
"In New York?"
"No," she gently shook her head, "I meant on a real date, in a restaurant that isn't your kitchen." Emily saw Alison's small grin, adding, "I've really waited for this."
"Me too, Em," Alison returned earnestly.
As Emily looked over the menu, Alison took a subtle sweep over the other people in the outdoor part of the restaurant. They were all nicely dressed strangers that she would probably never see again, which was just what she had wanted. She hoped she could let go of all worries and just relax tonight, but she wondered what would help her reach that kind of state.
"Can I interest you in one of our signature cocktails?" a poised waiter asked, holding two small menus that looked different than the ones they already had.
Alison caught the hesitant look on Emily's face as though she didn't know how to respond. She couldn't exactly read what Emily was thinking so she turned to the waiter, smiling politely, "We'll decide in a minute."
The waiter nodded, leaving the extra menus with them.
Alison turned patiently to Emily, who merely huffed frustratedly at herself, "I want to, but I don't have my ID here."
"Your ID?" Alison asked in confusion.
"My... Fake ID," Emily corrected quietly.
"You have a fake ID?" Alison questioned. She didn't know why it was such a surprise to her. She definitely had one when she was in high school. Maybe it was just the thought that Emily was more innocent than that, but that clearly wasn't the case. She didn't know what she was thinking, anyway. Emily was anything but innocent when they were together.
"Yeah," Emily shrugged aloofly. "Everyone has one."
"Who'd you get it from?" Alison asked pensively, taking a sip from her water.
"My friend, Caleb. He knows a guy," Emily explained. "He's a hacker, and just all around fixer for things. He practically has a guy for anything."
"Hmm," Alison nodded in acknowledgment. "Well, you don't need your fake ID, because I can just order it."
Emily blinked as though she hadn't thought of that and Alison wondered if Emily forgot about their age gap as often as Alison did.
"But it's totally up to you, Em. We don't need to drink tonight if you don't want to. I mean it." Alison assuaged her caringly. "I wouldn't care either way."
"I want to," Emily nodded surely.
She didn't know why she suddenly felt adamant about this. It was a cross between her feeling very comfortable around Alison, as well as her underlying urge to... Impress Alison. Maybe 'impress' wasn't the right word, she thought. She knew it was silly but she didn't want the blonde to think of her as someone younger. She shook her head lightly, clearing the thought from her mind.
To hell with it, she mused. She was already eighteen, a woman, and Alison was twenty-three. Their ages correlated well. The only actual problem now was who they were to each other during work hours.
"Okay," Alison agreed nonchalantly, making sure Emily knew that it didn't matter to her.
They both looked over the drink menu, debating the cocktails. They ended up on an Italian Paloma, to match their restaurant's cuisine.
By the time the waiter came back, they gave him both the drink orders and food choices, and he nodded agreeably, taking the menus from them.
They were once again left alone, and Alison didn't stop her eyes from roaming over Emily. Cece had been absolutely right. Emily really did look like a model.
She softly laced their fingers on the table next to the candle holder between them, delighted to get to do this in the midst of a busy restaurant.
"What are you thinking about?" Emily asked her, gazing up from their jointed hands.
Alison let out a chuckle of incredulity, "Just that... If someone had told me before this year started that this is where I'd be, I never would've believed them."
Emily nodded in empathy, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She looked at her curiously, "Would high school Alison have believed that you're here right now?"
Alison let out a slightly bitter laugh, shaking her head, "Never. I really wasn't ready to admit any sort of attraction towards a girl back then."
She searched Emily's face, realizing she never actually asked her about her experience with this. "What was it like for you?" she inquired tenderly.
"What? Coming out?" Emily questioned and Alison nodded. The brunette gave her a sad smile, "Let's just say, I didn't really get to come out, I was more pushed out of the closet, if anything."
"What happened?" Alison's interest was piqued.
Emily looked away, reminiscing back to that regrettable time for a moment. "Remember how I told you I used to date someone in secret before I came out?"
Alison nodded, "Yeah?"
"Well, her name was Maya, and at the time, it was hard enough for me to admit that I liked her, never mind that I liked girls in general, even though I always knew it deep down. Then one night, we went to a Noel Kahn party and got too drunk. Somebody saw us kissing and by the next day, everyone in school already knew," Emily recalled, a frown settling on her features. It happened long ago and so much has gone down since then, but she never truly let go of the icky feeling she got from it. It was just so wrong.
"That sounds like a nightmare," Alison sympathetically stated, supporting her head in her elbow as she stared at her worriedly.
"It was. It drove us apart for a little bit, because she didn't mind that people knew, and I was the exact opposite," Emily admitted. "But in another way, I was also really lucky, because the next day, Hanna was the first to show up on my doorstep and force me out of bed. Then, Aria and Spencer came too, and I just... I spilled everything to them. And I was so relieved that none of them thought of me any differently."
Alison smiled warmly at the thought, glad that the brunette had such a good support system.
"But then I realized I had to tell my parents before anyone else told them," Emily told cautiously, "and my mom... She didn't take it so well."
Alison had guessed this, but she was fascinated at how that panned out, because it seemed to her that these days, Emily's mother completely accepted her for who she was.
"She forced me and Maya apart and it took a while of my dad convincing her before she finally came to terms with my sexuality," Emily told her the gist. She no longer held a grudge against her mother. The woman had really come around since then. She even let out a small chuckle, remembering how her mother and Samara had bonded over scrapbooking. "By the time my next girlfriend came around, my mom was practically her best friend."
The brunette shrugged as if to say, 'That's pretty much it'. She saw Alison's features slowly relaxing and a thought came to her mind. "What would your parents think about this?"
Alison wondered the same thing herself not too long ago. Her parents didn't have a clue about her current escapades or any sort of attraction she'd ever harbored toward a girl. She had never told them, and she'd only ever brought over boys to the house, so they couldn't have guessed either.
Something inside of her told her they wouldn't mind about it one bit as long as she kept it to herself and didn't spew it out to all of their snotty high society friends. It was all about the image for them. What happened behind closed doors stayed behind closed doors - that was their motto.
"I honestly don't think they'd care enough to notice," Alison said bittersweetly. "I'm a lot better without them in my life, Em," she assured the brunette, who had turned concerned, "we talk on the phone every now and then and it's much easier. They don't need to know everything."
Emily nodded slowly, though she could never truly understand what Alison was saying. She couldn't imagine a life where her parents didn't care what she did and she wasn't staying in close contact with them. She was glad Alison had Cece. It seemed that the both of them served as any type of family the other one needed, and were a lot happier that way.
"And Cece," Emily inquired, "you told her when you first noticed that you were attracted to a girl?"
"Yeah, of course. I think I actually told her right away because it really freaked me out," Alison said with a light laugh, now looking back at it in humor. "Pretty sure I even cried."
"Ali," Emily looked at her comfortingly.
"It doesn't matter, I barely remember it," Alison shook her head, squeezing her hand. "I mean, look at me now."
When their food and drinks arrived, Alison steered their conversation in a much lighter direction.
"Small sips, babe," she joked when the brunette first tasted her drink. "We both know you're a lightweight."
Emily gave her a dry look at the quip, nudging her foot under the table, "Shut up. You are so annoying."
Alison laughed goadingly, "I'm just saying, we still have things to do tonight. I don't want you stumbling out of here."
"Are you ever going to stop teasing me about that?"
"Obviously not," Alison smiled cheekily, holding out her cup and Emily gave her a playful eye roll before clinking it, keeping eye contact with her as they both brought the cups to their lips and took a slow sip.
Alison felt whole inside when they started eating and Emily made a pleased sound at the taste of her carbonara, offering her a bite, which led to them sharing their dishes the whole meal long. It was intimate and romantic, and the longer Alison talked to Emily, getting a feel of what she was like on dates, the more she just got it. She finally understood how, for a girl who lived in a small town, Emily has had a plethora of relationships, and why her insistent ex wouldn't stop trying to chase her, because she wouldn't have wanted to let Emily go either.
The only thing that was mildly bothering Alison was how one of the waiters was making eyes at Emily every time he passed by their table. In her mind, it was very clear to see they were on a date, but then again, with two girls, it was quite complicated to guess that they were together if they weren't directly kissing, she supposed. Two girls could go out to dinner and it wouldn't mean they were together. They could even hold hands in public and it wouldn't necessarily account for them being more than two friends.
She didn't know if he was backing down or not, but it stayed in her mind as the dinner progressed. Last thing she wanted was for him to try and slip his number to Emily on their bill. She wasn't sure her girlfriend even noticed that herself, because she was still talking casually and her eyes hadn't strayed from Alison all night.
Brewing up a plan in her mind while they waited for dessert, she simply waited for him to walk by them again, his eyes once more lavishing over her striking girlfriend. She stood up under the guise of going to the bathroom. Still feeling his eyes on them, she leaned down and raised Emily's chin with her finger, laying a tender, satisfying kiss on her lips. When they parted, Emily smiled up at her affectionately, and Alison simply ran her hand down the brunette's arm flirtatiously before letting go.
She was confident in her move when leaving for the bathroom, since she caught a glimpse of the man with his cheeks tinted red, looking away when they suddenly locked eyes.
Piece of cake, she mused humorously, bypassing tables on her way to the bathroom.
XXXXX
Emily was blown away.
She looked around the large theater where they were seated for Moulin Rouge, one of the most praised musicals on Broadway.
Even though she was pleased to be here, she was still a little annoyed, sighing forcibly as she flipped through the playbook in her hands.
Alison wasn't letting her pay for a single thing. When the bill came at the restaurant earlier, Alison had snatched it before Emily managed to even blink, putting her card inside and returning it to the waiter with a self-assured grin.
Now, they were in this Broadway show that Alison had gotten tickets to, knowing Emily would like it since they had watched the movie version of it not too long ago at her house. All of these things were expensive, and Alison was casually sliding off any attempt of Emily to pay for a thing.
Emily knew some girls would be very glad but she's always felt uncomfortable with people paying for her. It was the way she'd been raised, she couldn't control it.
"Don't be mad at me," Alison turned to her with a pout, "it's our first real date."
"Exactly. On a date, I can pay for stuff too, Ali," Emily insisted quietly.
"And you will," Alison assured calmingly, "just not on your birthday."
Emily still scowled but didn't move away when Alison took her hand gently.
"How bout this? I'll pay tonight, and you'll cover tomorrow, for whatever we do," Alison offered.
Emily finally turned to look at her, "Promise?"
"Promise," Alison solemnly nodded back.
"Okay," Emily finally cracked a small smile, relaxing a bit. She leaned over, capturing Alison's lips softly. "Thank you for bringing me here. And the restaurant too, it was amazing."
"Of course," Alison smiled joyfully, shortly planting her lips on Emily's once more.
Emily loved that nobody even batted an eye at them. This was New York, and all were welcome here. Just out in the street fifteen minutes ago, she'd already counted at least three same-sex couples. They were definitely not in Rosewood anymore.
Two hours and forty minutes later, they were full of raw emotion, stepping out of the theater. The show had been incredible and lavish, with a bright extensive set and amazing actors. Emily was having the absolute best night, she found it hard to think anything could top this.
As Alison led them through crowded streets to yet another destination that Emily didn't know, the brunette glanced at her when they turned a corner to a new block. She saw that Alison was starting to sense the cold air that landed on their skins from the way she rubbed her hands back and forth on her arms in order to create friction.
Emily looked around to abruptly find that they were reaching Times Square in a matter of a couple of minutes from the theater, and her eyes took in the huge illuminating screens of advertisements and the mixture of neon lights as the tall buildings loomed over the people. The vibrant billboards alongside the mass of people were enough to put in her a state of awe.
She looked to Alison, who was staring around just like her as they came to a slow stop. She subtly removed her leather jacket and gently laid it around the blonde's shoulders, watching as her face transformed to tenderness in a moment.
Alison wrapped the jacket around herself warmly, looking at Emily in adoration. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Emily grinned, turning mischievous, "and I didn't even say 'I told you so'."
Alison chuckled, nudging her mildly. Emily was being extremely charming tonight. It wasn't anything new, but Alison couldn't help but pay special attention to it.
Every time they had crossed the road, Emily had put her hand on Alison's back, she had hugged her close when she was chilly in the line to the show, she had gazed at her with the utmost familiarity and endearment, and still blushed at any semi-dirty comment Alison said to her while five minutes later saying something twice as brazen out of nowhere that would take Alison by surprise.
They were standing on a strip of sidewalk that was more private, and Emily inched closer to her, pulling her by the sides of the jacket until their lips were connected in perfect synchronization. Alison smiled against her lips as she returned the soft kiss, the butterflies fluttering rapidly in her stomach.
They gently parted and Alison's arms found their place around Emily's neck, embracing her tenderly. She lay her head on Emily's shoulder, feeling safe in her hold as the brunette pressed her body to hers.
A busker was playing a saxophone nearby and Alison found that to be strangely relaxing. She was so soothed that she could've been mellowed to sleep right then and there.
Emily could sense her comfort as she kissed her forehead, unknowingly summoning warmth that circled around Alison's heart and squeezed. They were in the busiest place in New York City and there was chatter all around along with sounds of cars in the adjacent street, but in their little bubble, Alison could only see Emily.
She just couldn't hold it in anymore.
She backed away a bit to see Emily's face, keeping her arms in the same position. The brunette tucked some hair behind Alison's ear so she could see her more clearly, acknowledging the dazed look in her eyes with a questioning smile of her own, "What?"
Alison's eyes moved between Emily's brown orbs, washing over each sharp feature on her face. Her heart hammered heavily against her ribcage, and a delicate uttering was all she could emit, "I love you."
She watched Emily's pupils dilate slightly in realization, and the brunette breathed faintly at the sentiment, a barely-there smile pulling at her lips. Alison felt like a million different emotions flashed through Emily's eyes.
"I love you too," Emily hushed back, nearly exploding from the fire that the words had lit inside her. She had never felt a more exhilarating feeling in her life than this right here. To know that the woman she loved so deeply felt the same way, especially after their share of turmoil - it made her feel like there was nothing she couldn't do.
Alison felt a wide smile slowly spreading on her lips, and at the sight of it, Emily couldn't help but chuckle happily, pulling her until their lips merged fully. Alison could fall to her knees right there from how weak they felt, but she was held sturdily in the brunette's embrace.
There were no other thoughts in Emily's mind besides the woman in her arms. Alison had just given her the best birthday gift she could've ever asked for.