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Kate traced Hollis’s jawline with her fingertips. “I know,” she whispered. “As much as I love spending time with you in bed,” she started to say with a hint of a smile on her lips, “I’d like to go on a real date with you.”
Hollis smiled, a soft laugh bubbling up from her throat. “I’d love that.” She leaned in to kiss her once more, and Kate didn’t think she could ever get tired of kissing this woman. “And do you know what else I’d love?”
“What?”
“To fall asleep in your arms.” Hollis said those words with such tenderness and honesty, that Kate’s heart melted.
Kate reached for the covers that had fallen away. Hollis kissed her before whispering ‘goodnight,’ and then she turned away from her. Kate snuggled up against her back, wrapping her arm around her stomach, nuzzling into her neck and inhaling the sweet scent of Hollis’s shampoo.
Kate’s heart swelled as she felt Hollis’s breathing deepen. How had she gotten this lucky? Yes, they still had a lot to work out, but Kate couldn’t deny the fact that she was falling so hard for this woman.
26
Hollis followed Kate along the dirt trail on their way up to Griffith Observatory, the sunlight disappearing with each step. In the fading light as they climbed higher, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe as she looked out at the city skyline. The sunset painted the sky with vibrant pinks and oranges as they reached the lookout.
“Have you been up here before?” Kate asked as they found a secluded spot away from other visitors to sit down.
“Never at sunset.” Hollis wrapped her arm around Kate’s waist as they took in the view.
The last two weeks had been as perfect as they could possibly be considering the circumstances. Hollis had almost been surprised when Dave knocked on her bedroom door last night to let her know that he’d booked his flights to spend Christmas with his family in Chicago. She’d hardly seen him these last few weeks. He’d been sleeping in the guest room since she filed for divorce, and they kept missing each other with their busy schedules.
Hollis was also spending as much time as possible with Kate. Any evening Kate wasn’t working and she didn’t have a meeting with a client, they were at her apartment or out having dinner. Hollis hadn’t stayed over since that first night, but when Dave said he’d be gone for a week, Hollis already knew she’d ask Kate to stay.
Below them the city’s lights twinkled as the sky grew darker, the pinks fading into purples, and Hollis asked Kate something she’d been meaning to for a while now. “Why social work?” Her heart beat a little faster as she heard Kate inhale sharply beside her. Hollis couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened in her past to motivate her to make that career choice.
“I’ve always felt really lucky,” Kate said softly. “That I didn’t lose myself to my surroundings. Looking back, I don’t know how I didn’t. And I know there’s plenty of other people, in all kinds of different situations, who can’t get beyond their environment.” Kate exhaled. “I’m probably not making sense, but the short version is my family is really religious. I grew up in Bakersfield. My dad’s a pastor.”
Hollis felt a lump form in her throat as Kate’s words hung in the air. She could sense where this conversation was heading.
“I knew I couldn’t come out,” Kate continued. “I’d known from an early age that I was into women, but I had enough sense to keep it from my parents. When I was eighteen, my parents booked a vacation for themselves. But their flight was canceled, and when they got home a few hours later, I already had my girlfriend over. There were clothes thrown across the hallway floor, my bedroom… And we were in the shower, so we didn’t even hear the car pull up. There was no time to try and cover up what was going on. So, my dad threw the two of us out.”
Hollis pulled Kate closer, wrapping her arm tightly around her waist and placing a tender kiss on her head. “I’m sorry that happened to you,” she whispered.
“I lived with her for a few weeks, and then I came down here.” She went quiet for a few seconds. “I haven’t spoken to them since.” Kate took a deep breath. “I always knew it wasn’t going to end well, but I thought I’d have a few more years. And I guess, I’d always hoped that while they wouldn’t approve, they wouldn’t disown me either.”
Hollis couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like.
“So, I guess,” Kate said, leaning further into Hollis, “I just liked the idea of helping people. I’m not even sure what that’ll look like yet, but the last few years in New York I felt like I was stuck in a rut, and it wasn’t just the relationship I was in. It was that I wasn’t giving back. I was just trying to pay the rent and survive. I want to do something that will help somebody.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Hollis said, resting her head against Kate’s.
They sat together in silence for a while, watching the stars begin to twinkle as the city lights grew brighter. Hollis suppressed a shiver. “How about we head back?”
“Sure,” Kate agreed, standing up and offering Hollis her hand, turning on the flashlights on their phones as they made their way back to her car.
As Hollis drove them back to Kate’s apartment, she was glad that she hadn’t asked Kate about her plans for Christmas before now.
“Thanks for this evening,” Kate said as Hollis parked outside Kate’s building. “I know you’ve got a dinner to get to.”
Hollis glanced at the time. She’d have to rush home to get changed and be at the hotel on time, but she didn’t want to leave the lookout before they were ready. “Thanks for suggesting it. I didn’t think I’d get to see you today,” Hollis said, reaching over to find Kate’s hand. “I wish I could come up, but I have to get going.”
“I know.” Kate leaned over, lightly caressing Hollis’s cheek as she kissed her.
“Hey,” Hollis said as she pulled away. “Do you want to spend Christmas with me?”
Kate couldn’t hide her surprise. “I uh… I didn’t think that was?—”
“I have the house to myself for a week. You can stay for as little or as much of that time as you want.” Hollis watched Kate’s smile spread. “We can talk about it again. But I just wanted to put it out there.”
