Quote:
The New Year is nearly upon you; all around town, people are buzzing with excitement. Sales are aplenty and among some of the better deals is a popular new brand of champagne. The drink’s been getting a lot of attention and very good reviews; it boasts a guarantee for a magical evening. It’s a promise that holds true—sort of. Anyone who imbibes the champagne will be extremely in tune to their more romantic feelings. They may feel more open, more daring, or more flirtatious towards the object of their affections. Or, maybe a glass of it is enough to make them realize they have feelings for someone…Either way, after ingesting the champagne, romance is all you can think about. The effects last for only a few hours, so you’d better use that time well. The bottles are out of stock quickly, so you are lucky to have gotten your hands on one. Lucky, unless you made a fool of yourself in your romantic haze…
Orah pressed her knuckles to her lips, brown eyes wide as she watched an aging golden retriever search frantically in a river for a lost cat, his bulldog friend running along the shore. As often as she had seen Homeward Bound as a child, she still felt the flutter of apprehension this scene gave her, much like the very real tears she got at the end, watching a young boy wait for his beloved dog to come into view.
It had been so long since she'd seen it last... it'd probably still been on VHS, needed rewound before she could watch it again with its card sleeve showing the three brave animals on the cover. It wouldn't have even occurred to her to revisit it, her life was so far removed from the girl who had enjoyed movies like this... laying belly down on the floor of the living room, her head on a pillow she wrapped her arms around. Da had liked watching movies with her and Matthew, an activity he could lose himself in while still spending time with the children he struggled to connect with. When they had decided to stay in rather than go out into the chaos of New Years parties, a movie had seemed like a good way to while away the time until ball drop. And this one had been a special Laney request, something the young brunette was finding she had a weakness for.
Despite her attention on the movie, Orah was still keenly aware of the woman beside her on the couch, shoulders touching, sharing the huge blue and yellow afghan that kept their legs warm. Laney radiated her own warmth, and a soft smell she wouldn't have noticed except she was looking for it, mixing soap with shampoo and the popcorn they'd popped to round out the movie experience. A shapely bundle of everything that simultaneously comforted her and made her so very nervous at the same time. Or maybe excited, since there was enough of that too. Made it hard to concentrate on the movie sometimes, actually... though the surprise bottle behind the counter was probably partly to blame.
She hadn't told Laney she was getting alcohol, but then again, there was no reason why they couldn't have it and every reason why two of-age women should have something bubbly to ring in the New Years with. Its what she told herself when she awkwardly handed over her ID at the store, making an impulse purchase because the champagne had been on sale and made such promises for enhancing one's evening. And told herself again when she pulled it out of the bag and tried to figure out where in the fridge to stash it, if she should try to hide it or if it even mattered.
Wait till the end or...? There is a whole bottle... and no reason not to enjoy it.
"I, um... got something for us." Orah said, dropping her hand away to let the words out now that Sassy was waking up in a warm cabin, very much not as drowned as it had appeared. Her eyes slid over to the pale profile beside her and a flutter of excited pleasure curled her lips. Surprises were usually fun... hopefully this one would be too, even if time with Laney didn't usually tend to include alcohol. She pushed away the blanket, making sure to leave it tucked against Laney's side as she slid off the couch, revealing little pink flowers on her purple pajama pants.
"I just thought we needed something, since we're supposed to be celebrating and didn't go to a party or anything." She swept into the kitchen in her barefeet, trying for a lighter air than she felt. The fluted glasses she pulled from the cupboard were new, never used even, but had been a necessity considering the champagne. They clinked with a sweet sound in one hand when she pulled the bottle from the fridge with the other, swinging a hip to get the door closed behind her. It thunked satisfyingly.
"This is supposed to be really good... but you may need to help me get the cork out since I've never, ah... done it before." Orah said, coming to a stop next to the couch with bottle and glasses in hand as strands of brown slipped free of the tuck behind her ears to fall into her face, her bare toes curling into the carpet.
Shazari
o/
