6. First Date - Part 2
“Pollo Al Mattone?” The waiter asked holding a steaming plate of cornish hen.
“Right here!” Waverly said enthusiastically as he set the plate down in front of her. She moaned at the sight and smell of the dish.
“And Tagliatelle for you honey.”
“Thank you,” Nicole smiled as he placed her dish in front of her.
“Enjoy,” the waiter kindly said before walking away.
“He called you honey,” Waverly stated. “Should I be jealous?”
“No, because he’s obviously gay.” Nicole chuckled as she refilled Waverly’s and her wine glasses with the bottle of Chianti she had ordered for them to share.
Waverly discretely looked over at the waiter, who was now taking the orders of the customers at another table. “How can you tell?”
“I have eyes,” Nicole said bluntly.
“Oh. I’m not very good at this.”
“Did you know that I was gay before I told you?” Nicole asked nonchalantly before taking a bite of her pasta.
“I didn’t. But I had hoped,” Waverly replied, doing the same with her own food.
“I always just assume it’s obvious from looking at me. Like, everyone can just tell.”
“I think the people in this town expect a lesbian to look like this really butch woman with a shaved head and tattoos. Which you definitely are not,” Waverly chuckled.
Nicole laughed. “No, I’m not butch.”
“But, I can’t say that I’m surprised,” the brunette continued. “Now that I’ve gotten to know you a little bit better, I can’t really imagine you being with a man.”
“Yeah, that would be tragic,” she joked before sipping her wine.
“So, have you ever been with a man?” Waverly blurted out without realizing what exactly she was asking her date.
“Already bringing up exes on the first date?” Nicole raised an eyebrow. “That’s a bold move.”
“Hey, it’s only fair, since you already know about my ex.”
“Unfortunately.” She took a gulp of wine. “Okay, I’ve only ever had one boyfriend.”
“And?”
“And now I’m here with you.” She took a bite of her food.
“So, I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” Waverly let out a soft chuckle. “Is that how you knew that you were gay?”
“Well, after I slept with him, I knew something wasn’t right. I just didn’t enjoy it – at all. I think that was when I knew that I didn’t like boys. But when I had my first lesbian experience the next year, my senior year of high school, that was when I knew that I was gay. Everything just clicked for me, and it was like this moment of clarity. Like, ‘Oh. Everything makes sense now.’ I call it the click moment.”
Waverly smiled at Nicole at if she were telling this epic love story. “That’s so cool!”
“Yeah, I guess it kind of was.” Her eyes crinkled in an honest smile. She looked at Waverly’s plate and noticed that she had barely eaten any of her food. “Is your food okay?”
“Yeah, it’s actually probably the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“Really? Better than the chicken tenders at Shorty’s?” Nicole quipped.
Waverly giggled. “Somehow, even better than those.”
“Then why aren’t you eating it?”
“My stomach just hurts a little. I think I’m nervous.”
“Nervous about what?”
“About messing this up.”
The redhead showed off her dimples. “Waves, you can’t mess this up. It’s not possible.”
Waverly smiled, thankful for the reassurance. “I think the whole thing just kind of scares me. But it’s also extremely exciting. Like being on a rollercoaster.”
“Are you really comparing this to a rollercoaster ride? That’s so cliché!”
“Shut up! It’s just the first analogy I thought of.” Waverly giggled.
“Well, you know what that means.”
“No. What?” Waverly asked, getting a little worried.
“That our next date has to involve a rollercoaster.”
The pair giggled. Suddenly, Waverly felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She winced as she dropped her fork.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Nicole asked worriedly.
“Yeah I’m fine. I’m just going to go to the restroom really quick.” She hastily made her way to the back of the restaurant. When she got to the bathroom, she discovered that the thing that she had hoped wasn’t happening, was actually happening.
“Oh no. No, no, no. Not today,” she groaned as she buried her face in her hands. “Why do you do this to me, tonight of all nights?” For the most part she appreciated the universe, but sometimes she hated it. This wasn’t supposed to happen for another three days. She had a plan, and now it was all ruined. She walked over to the tampon dispenser and pulled a quarter out of her purse…only to realize that she didn’t actually have a quarter.
“Shit,” she hissed to herself. If she were being honest, she probably would’ve just wasted it anyways, since those machines were never actually stocked. Luckily for her, another woman had just walked in. “Oh!” Waverly blurted in excitement.
The other woman jumped as she was startled by the unexpected sound.
“Hi, excuse me, sorry,” Waverly apologized, feeling a little bit guilty. “Um, you wouldn’t happen to have a tampon, would you? I don’t have any quarters.”
“It’s probably a good thing. Those things are never stocked anyways.” The older woman rummaged through her bag and pulled out exactly what Waverly needed. “Here you go my dear.”
“Thank you so much!” Waverly exhaled in relief. She went back into the stall to finish her business before walking over to the sink to wash her hands next to the woman, who was also washing her hands.
“First date?” She asked Waverly as she shook the water off her hands over the sink.
“How can you tell?” Waverly asked, doing the same.
“You seem really nervous. Nobody gets that nervous on anything other than a first date.”
“Yeah, heh, well I hope it doesn’t show too much.”
“I’m sure he can’t even tell,” she said with a reassuring smile. “Men are oblivious sometimes.”
“Oh, uh…” Waverly debated whether or not to correct the stranger, but then remembered that they were 40 minutes outside of town and she would probably never see this woman again in her life. “She, actually.”
The woman paused for just a brief moment before saying, “Oh. Well then I’m sorry, but you’re screwed.” She winked before giving a teasing smile.
Waverly unclenched her muscles at the reaction.
“Look, just relax a little. You’re already on the date, so the hard part is over. She obviously likes you, so just be yourself.”
The brunette nodded and sighed. “You’re right. I just need to get out of my head. Thanks for the advice.”
“With age comes wisdom,” she winked once again before leaving the restroom.
Waverly stared at herself in the mirror, gave herself a quick pep talk, and then walked out of the restroom and back to her seat across from Nicole, who picked up her fork again once Waverly had returned – she didn’t want to eat while Waverly was gone, since she thought it would be rude.
“Hey, is everything okay?” She asked, concerned.
Waverly realized how long she had been gone and blushed with embarrassment. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. I ran into a woman in there and we were talking.”
“A woman, eh? Should I be jealous?” Nicole teased.
“Only if you get jealous of people who are nearly my parents’ age,” she laughed for a moment, but then she thought about what she had just said. Her smile slowly dropped, along with her eyes, as painful memories flooded her mind.
Nicole noticed the sudden drop in her mood and figured she should change the subject. “So, um, I’m assuming you don’t want dessert since you could barely eat your meal.”
“Yeah, I’m not too hungry. But I’m definitely taking this home and devouring it tomorrow during my lunch break. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but,” she leaned over and looked around cautiously, “I actually like food better on the second day.”
She and Nicole both laughed at the joke as the waiter walked over.
“Is everyone doing alright over here?”
“Can we actually get the check please?” Nicole asked politely.
“Of course. Will this all be on one check?”
“Yes. And can we also get two to-go boxes please?”
“Coming right up.” The waiter walked back to get their items before quickly retuning. “Here you are.” Nicole glanced at the bill before handing it back to him, along with her card. As he left to swipe it, Waverly and Nicole emptied their plates into the Styrofoam boxes, finishing just in time for the waiter to return once more.
“Thank you both, and I hope you have a wonderful evening.” He smiled at the women.
“Thank you, you too.” Nicole replied before adding up the tip and signing the check.
“So,” she asked as she set the pen down and leaned back into her chair, “What do you want to do now?”
“I’m okay with anything.” Waverly smiled.
“Well, we could go back to my place,” Nicole smirked suggestively. “I live alone, so we won’t have to worry about any interruptions…well, aside from Calamity Jane, my cat. But she’s usually pretty absent most of the time.”
Waverly’s face dropped. “Oh, um. I sort of can’t.”
“You can’t go back to my place?” Nicole chuckled.
“No, I mean I can’t…do that, with you.”
Nicole slumped back into her chair. She really just meant to talk or maybe make out a little at most, but the rejection still stung. “Oh.” She was studying Waverly’s face, trying to decipher what she meant. Was the date not going as well as she had previously thought? She was pretty sure Waverly had been giving her subtle hints all night about wanting her tonight, but maybe she had read her wrong.
Waverly noticed the worry that had begun to develop on Nicole’s face. “I mean, not because I don’t want to!” She reassured, “But because, well, I kind of unexpectedly got my period just now. So, you know…” She trailed off as she looked down at her lap, unable to make eye contact. She braced herself for yelling, or for Nicole to storm off in frustration.
“Oh.” Nicole was relieved to hear that it wasn’t because of her. “Hey, it’s okay. We can just go back to my place and watch a movie or something.” She gave the brunette a reassuring smile.
Waverly was relieved that Nicole hadn’t gotten mad at her, but she still felt guilty. “I’m sorry,” she said softly in shame.
“Sorry for what?”
“For ruining the plans.”
“Waves, you didn’t ruin anything. And you definitely shouldn’t apologize for something that’s out of your control. I’m having fun with you, and I’m still going to have fun with you later when we’re cuddling on the couch watching a movie.”
Waverly smiled. All of that sounded amazing, especially since all she wanted to do right now was get out of her dress and heels and into some oversized pajamas. “Are you sure you’re okay with that? I mean, I can still do you or something, if you want.”
Nicole was baffled. “Waverly, no. No way. I’m not having you ‘do me’ while you’re feeling all crampy and bloated. Plus, sex is a two-person sport. And that’s not how I want the first time to be.”
“Really?” Waverly asked, surprised.
The redhead was taken aback. “Yes, of course. Why are you so surprised by that?”
Waverly shrugged. “I guess I’m just used to the way Champ and I did things.”
Nicole clenched her jaw. “And how did you and Champ do things?” She could already tell that the answer was going to be incorrect.
“Well, whenever I got my period and he wanted to have sex, he would just make me give him a–” Waverly paused. Was it okay to be talking about her sex life with her ex-boyfriend on a date with her (hopefully) soon-to-be girlfriend?
“Give him a what?” Nicole asked bluntly, urging the brunette to finish her statement.
“Um, a blow job. Or a hand job, depending on what he wanted.”
Nicole squeezed her right hand into a fist and took a gulp of her wine to calm herself down before slamming the glass back down onto the table. “Uh huh. And define made you,” she replied angrily.
“No, not like made me made me. He just encouraged me to, and I did.”
“And did you want to?” Nicole knew that she was entering inappropriate territory, but she didn’t care.
“Well, not really.”
“Then why didn’t you tell him that?”
“Because I had to do it. It was my fault for getting him all worked up by flirting and stuff without letting him know beforehand that I wouldn’t be able to have sex. So, I had to finish him off somehow.”
Nicole stared at Waverly and observed her. How could this sweet and kind woman have been treated so wrong? “Waverly, you know that sex isn’t just about getting off, right?”
“It’s not?” Waverly asked, genuinely surprised.
Nicole smacked her forehead with her palm and cursed Champ’s name before straightening herself back up. “It’s about two people connecting on a very deep and intimate level. Or at least that’s what it means to me. And I hope that someday I can make you feel the same way.”
A soft smile swept across Waverly’s face. Nicole was already way better than Champ. “I’d love that.”
“But not tonight. Tonight is about being in oversized pajamas and watching a rom-com.”
“Oh my god, you read my mind.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Nicole stood up from her chair and held a hand out for Waverly to take as she guided her up.
---
When Nicole and Waverly stepped inside Nicole’s house, Waverly toed off her heels and instantly dropped down on the couch to massage her feet. “Oh sweet baby Jesus that feels good,” she sighed in ecstasy.
“You know, if those heels hurt you that badly, you didn’t have to wear them,” Nicole stated.
“Of course I did! These are my sexy heels.”
Nicole raised her hands in mock surrender. “Okay. I’m just saying, your comfort is important too,” she stated before disappearing up the stairs.
A minute later she came back down with a plain white t-shirt and some cotton shorts. “These might be a little big on you, but we’re going for oversized here anyways, right?” She asked as she handed the pile of clothes to the smaller woman.
Waverly’s face lit up. “You’re literally the best, you know that?” She graciously took the clothes from the redhead.
“I know,” Nicole replied happily as she turned to go back upstairs to change into her own pajamas.
God, that ass, Waverly thought to herself as she drooled.
“Pardon?” Nicole asked as she turned around.
“Oh, uh…did I say that out loud?” She faltered.
Nicole let out a light chuckle. “You did, but it’s okay. Glad to know you like my ass.” She winked before continuing up the stairs.
After internally scolding herself, Waverly took out her phone to check the time, but noticed a text from Wynonna.
Wynonna: Hey Baby Girl. How was the date?
Waverly typed out her reply.
Waverly: It was good. Dinner was amazing. We just got back to her place and are going to watch a movie.
Wynonna: Oh “watch a movie” huh? ;)
Waverly: It’s not happening tonight.
Wynonna: Why not? I thought you wanted to
Waverly: I do, but I got my period
Wynonna: Son of a bitch
Waverly: Yeah :/ I’ll let you know when I’m on my way home
Waverly set her phone down on the coffee table and took off her dress. She picked up the t-shirt to change, but was interrupted by Nicole in a blue shirt and flannel pants coming down the stairs.
“So, I have these to choose from-“ Her jaw dropped when she noticed a half-naked Waverly standing frozen in her living room. She couldn’t help but stare, which caused Waverly to immediately bring the t-shirt up to her chest over her bra in an attempt to cover herself. “Oh, gosh,” Nicole closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I honestly thought you would be done changing by now.”
“Yeah, um sorry. I got distracted texting Wynonna,” she said nervously.
“My fault. I’m just gonna…” Nicole struggled to set the DVD boxes down on the coffee table with her eyes closed. “…Let you finish.” She turned around and walked into the kitchen.
Waverly quickly threw on the clothes and sat down on the couch, tensely holding her posture with her hands in her lap.
“Do you want water?” Nicole yelled from the kitchen.
“Yes please,” Waverly yelled back.
Nicole filled two glasses with water and began to walk back towards the living room. Before she turned the corner, she asked, “Is it okay for me to come in?”
“Oh, um, yeah,” Waverly replied.
Nicole sat down on the couch and handed Waverly her glass, who gulped down half of the water.
“Do you want any medicine or a heating pad or anything?” Nicole asked, wanting to make sure that Waverly was completely comfortable.
Waverly grinned as she realized the benefits of being with a woman. Champ would never in a million years think to make such an offer. “I’m okay for now. Thank you.”
Nicole nodded before picking up the DVDs. “So, which one?”
Waverly studied the boxes. “Honestly, I’ve never heard of any of these.”
“Well, that’s probably because they’re all lesbian movies,” Nicole grinned. “I figured I should start submerging you in gay culture now.”
Waverly giggled. “Okay, then how about you pick. What’s the best one?”
“Hmm…” Nicole looked between the boxes. “This one is definitely my favorite.” She placed the other movies down on the table and handed the box to Waverly, who read the summary on the back.
“Looks good to me!”
Nicole hopped off the couch and popped the DVD into the player before grabbing a blanket, turning off the lights, and sitting down next to Waverly. She draped the blanket over the two of them, making sure they were comfortable, before picking up the remote. “Ready?” She asked.
“Wait.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s arm and wrapped it around her own shoulders as she nuzzled into the woman’s side and hugged her torso. “Now I’m ready.”
The redhead grinned at the act, taking in the sight of how perfect Waverly looked, before hitting play.