Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AUDREY
They had settled into an unpacking groove, and with her favourite band on, Audrey was moving much faster than she anticipated. She couldn’t resist singing quietly along a little bit to the songs, and Brianna didn’t seem to have an opinion, so she kept doing so as they unpacked all the boxes.
Figuring out the logistics to shelving everything took some shifting across bookcases, but eventually, Audrey and Brianna had successfully unpacked all of Brianna’s books.
Brianna claimed it wasn’t quite perfect yet, and she may play around with them later, but to Audrey, it looked perfect.
It was much more organized than her large stack on her bedside table, but she didn’t have many books she owned yet.
She was still focused on getting more into a regular reading habit before she picked up the hobby of book buying, but this organization session had left her wanting to build a small bookshelf of her own.
Perhaps she could ask her family for one for her birthday in a few months.
Brianna returned to the kitchen, having left to get them more water, and held out a fresh glass for Audrey. “Maybe I should order us some food?” she asked.
“That’d be nice,” Audrey said.
Brianna grabbed her phone off the TV stand and plopped onto the couch, where Audrey joined her. She sighed in contentment; she hadn’t realized how tired she was until she sat down.
“Times like these really make me wish I was back in Toronto. There are so few options here,” Brianna said, holding up her phone to display the only three restaurants that were open right now on her delivery app.
Audrey laughed. “I know it’s not much, but at least there’s something.”
“Looks like pub food will have to do. Any requests?”
“I could go for some wings.”
“Medium?”
Audrey agreed. It was almost comforting how simple it was to be around Brianna, and in a weird way, it seemed their interests were entirely too compatible.
“Do you want to watch TV or something?”
“How about the New Year’s ball drop?” Audrey suggested.
“Good idea. I didn’t realize it had gotten so late anyway,” Brianna said and turned the TV on to the relevant channel.
As they watched the hosts make drunken fools of themselves, Audrey and Brianna chatted generally about what they were seeing, the actors that they liked and disliked, the people in the audience Brianna was shocked to learn were probably wearing diapers to be so close to the action, the women’s hockey players Audrey had no clue about but Brianna seemed to know too well.
There was no straight explanation for the last one, and Audrey was about to tease her about it when Brianna’s phone rang with the delivery driver.
“One second,” Brianna said and took the call as Audrey stood to follow.
“You don’t need to come with,” Brianna said, “I was just going to get plates ready. Just keep sitting, it’s fine.”
“Okay…can I use the bathroom?” Audrey asked.
Brianna looked at her in horror, likely inflicted on herself. “Oh, my God, of course you can. I’m such a terrible host.”
“No, you’re not. I just wanted to wash my hands. You’re fine.” Audrey hoped she was being reassuring.
Brianna nodded and solemnly walked to the kitchen.
Not sure what else to do to comfort her, Audrey left to use the bathroom.
It was neat and clean, with a bookish-themed towel.
Brianna fit every stereotype of a librarian, and it seemed this trait extended to all parts of her life, which Audrey thought was adorable.
As she washed her hands, she looked in the mirror to see her hair was all askew, and she was dewy with sweat from the moving. She dabbed at her forehead with some tissue paper and tried to smooth down her hair.
When she left the bathroom, Brianna seemed to be unpacking a takeout container on her large kitchen island, which had bar stools underneath it. She didn’t have a formal dining room, so this was clearly the eating area of her apartment.
“Let’s eat,” Brianna said, rubbing her hands together excitedly.
“Sure thing,” Audrey said, trying not to chuckle at Brianna’s adorableness.
They chatted about their New Year’s resolutions (or ‘intentions’, as Brianna insisted on calling them, as she claimed being vague about goals helped her not feel so terrible about them if she didn’t hit them) and what they were looking forward to in the new year.
They were nearing the end of their meal, and Audrey had decided she should try and up the flirting game.
While it was fun to be around Brianna, she wanted to make it clear she was there because she felt something for her, whatever it was.
She wiped her hands with the wet napkins the restaurant provided.
“In addition to reading more next year, I also want to spend more time doing fun things outside of work. I spend too much time on my phone, so it’d be nice to spend time with people special to me instead,” she said.
“That’s a good goal. I should do the same. I really haven’t seen much of my friends either, to be honest, but that’s because they live so far,” Brianna said. She had finished her last piece as well and was now wiping her hands when Audrey made eye contact with her.
“There’s someone you can spend time with who isn’t so far away, y’know,” she said. She was going for casual, but it probably came out all desperate and weird.
“Hmm, Nathan?” Brianna asked, but she had a teasing smile on her lips.
“No, not him. Me,” Audrey said.
“I guess I could be convinced. Your company isn’t too terrible,” Brianna said.
“Wow. Wow!” Audrey stood with a mock anger she didn’t quite feel. “So terrible…after all I did to help you with your shelves.”
Brianna laughed and stood to follow Audrey to the couch. Audrey couldn’t keep up the act and was laughing again by the time Brianna sat next to her.
“Don’t worry, I know what you meant. We will definitely spend time together,” Brianna said.
“Good.” Audrey turned to face the other woman. In her fake anger, she hadn’t noticed how close Brianna had sat to her, and she wasn’t upset about it. In fact, she quite liked this up-close view.
“You’re not wearing make-up today,” Audrey noted. “You’re so pretty. I like all your freckles.”
“You’d be the only one. I was teased my entire childhood for them. I can’t believe it’s become in fashion now over the past few years, same as glasses,” Brianna replied shyly.
“I find that hard to believe,” Audrey said and then clarified, “Not that you were teased about the freckles, but that I’m the only one who admires them.”
Brianna blushed, looking down at her hands. Audrey followed her gaze to where they sat on the couch, their hands close enough to touch if either one of them moved just a little closer. Audrey did so, placing her hand on top of Brianna’s gently.
Brianna cleared her throat, and Audrey looked back to her. They seemed to be closer together now, and Audrey’s heartbeat was practically in her throat as she waited for Brianna to say something.
“Even if there was anyone else, you’d be the only one I care about,” Brianna said, blushing anew.
“I feel the same way,” Audrey said and leaned closer. She had been fighting the urge to kiss Brianna all evening, and she had hoped the librarian felt the same way. She stopped slightly short of Brianna, wanting, needing the other woman to meet her there.
She could vaguely hear the New Year’s countdown in the background, but none of it mattered. Nothing was more important than this.
Brianna looked down at Audrey’s lips and then back to her eyes before she closed the rest of the gap between them.
When their lips met, Audrey swore she was floating.
Brianna’s kiss was hesitant and light, but when Audrey attempted to deepen the kiss, she became putty beneath her hands and parted her lips further.
Audrey moaned and shifted so she could place her hand on Brianna’s hips.
The hand holding Brianna’s was abandoned, flying to Brianna’s neck so she could hold her in place while she kissed her with the desperation she felt.
Audrey was aware she was perhaps being a bit aggressive for their first kiss, but she needed this, needed Brianna as much as she needed air, perhaps more in that moment.
She stopped herself a few minutes later, especially when Brianna’s glasses got in the way, trying to remember to be rational. The cheering on the TV had long faded, the noise replaced by an endless loop of commercials.
“Wow,” Brianna said as Audrey tried to catch her breath.
Audrey swallowed and nodded in agreement. For all her want of flirting, any lines or flattery seemed to have flown out of her head.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” Audrey admitted instead.
“Me too,” Brianna said. She grabbed Audrey’s hand as she continued talking. “I really wanted to kiss you after our date last week. I really regretted not doing that.”
Audrey giggled. Though she had somewhat expected it after that kiss, she was giddy at hearing Brianna felt the same way. “You should’ve done that right when I walked in.”
Brianna shook her head. “Do you know how nervous I was all day?”
“I picked up on it.”
“I’m really bad at hiding my feelings, I guess.
” Brianna slumped into the couch, pulling on Audrey’s arm in a motion that left Audrey hugging her from behind.
In her daydreams, Audrey wasn’t sure whether Brianna would want to be the big or little spoon, but now, she had her confirmation. She could work with that.
“You are, but that’s just one of the many reasons I like you.”
There, Audrey had said it.
Brianna turned to look at her, and it took Audrey a wild amount of self-restraint not to lean down and kiss her again.
“I like you too,” Brianna said simply.
Audrey gave in to her impulses and leaned down to kiss Brianna, gently this time.