Their meeting had been coincidental. Her girlfriends had wanted a night out, bar hopping in order to relive their younger years after a hellish week, and reluctantly she had agreed. The bar where Nick worked had been their second one, and the last one Emily visited for the night. Her friends had insisted on dragging her along for the rest of their night, but she had been comfortable talking to him. He had been comfortable too, judging by how easily their conversation flowed, and before they knew it it became a tradition. Emily would visit Nick, sometimes during the weekends and other times during the week after work, and they would talk. About their past, about their lives, and everything else in between. As time passed the chemistry between each other was becoming harder and harder to ignore, but Nick always seemed to find a way to do so even if Emily was sure that there was something there. Because as much as he wanted to kiss her, as much as he seemed to be attracted to her, something always held him back without fail.
It had been on a particularly slow night, three years later, that Nick had finally leaned across the bar while Emily sat on a stool and kissed her. Slow, gentle kisses, but ones that quickly grew into hungry ones because no matter how much they kissed they couldn't satiate the need to feel the other closer. That night the bar had been closed early, and instead of leaving Nick took her to the small room that served as an office. It was far from romantic, and far from what he would have wanted on their first night together, but to Emily it hadn't mattered. She wanted to continue kissing him. She wanted to keep discovering him in every way imaginable, and by the way his hands roamed along her body once the door was carelessly shut behind them it seemed as if he wanted the same thing.
By the time the morning came, they were nestled together on the couch and a spare blanket was draped around both of them. Neither of them had slept much, but neither one seemed to mind much. Soon Emily would have to get up and leave so she could go to work, and Nick would have to get up to set the office back in order.
But for now neither one of them moved. She simply continued to rest her head on his shoulder, passing her fingers slowly against his side while he continued to make invisible designs along her back.
"This is going to change everything, isn't it?" she finally said quietly as the sun continued to rise, reminding them that as comfortable as they were they couldn't simply stay there all day. "Sleeping together. This, and our friendship..."
Nick took a long time to answer, and Emily was oddly grateful for the fact that he couldn't see her expression. Instead of letting it show, though, she continued to move her fingers along his skin. And, when he turned to look at her, she simply turned to look at him as well. "I don't want it to," he answered carefully, brow furrowing slightly. "Believe it or not, you're one of my closest friends. I don't... I mean, I just..."
Before he could continue, Emily's lips tugged at the corners into a small smile and she shook her head. "Hey, it's alright." Leaning forward, she kissed his lips once more before beginning to sit up. "Let's not make this complicated."
"Emily..."
"It's fine, Nick." She turned to smile at him, as if to reassure him. "Neither one of us needs anything complicated in our lives. I have to head over to work, though. I'll see you later, yeah?"
When Nick nodded she smiled again, and without wasting more time she got dressed as quickly as possible before leaving. It would be fine, she thought to herself as she walked back to her car. Things didn't have to change so drastically. They could do casual. They could continue being friends.
"Yeah," she said to herself as the engine of her car came to life, and she caught sight of herself in the rearview mirror. "Easy. Not complicated."
She just wished she could find a way to convince herself as easily as she seemed to have convinced Nick just minutes ago.
It had been on a particularly slow night, three years later, that Nick had finally leaned across the bar while Emily sat on a stool and kissed her. Slow, gentle kisses, but ones that quickly grew into hungry ones because no matter how much they kissed they couldn't satiate the need to feel the other closer. That night the bar had been closed early, and instead of leaving Nick took her to the small room that served as an office. It was far from romantic, and far from what he would have wanted on their first night together, but to Emily it hadn't mattered. She wanted to continue kissing him. She wanted to keep discovering him in every way imaginable, and by the way his hands roamed along her body once the door was carelessly shut behind them it seemed as if he wanted the same thing.
By the time the morning came, they were nestled together on the couch and a spare blanket was draped around both of them. Neither of them had slept much, but neither one seemed to mind much. Soon Emily would have to get up and leave so she could go to work, and Nick would have to get up to set the office back in order.
But for now neither one of them moved. She simply continued to rest her head on his shoulder, passing her fingers slowly against his side while he continued to make invisible designs along her back.
"This is going to change everything, isn't it?" she finally said quietly as the sun continued to rise, reminding them that as comfortable as they were they couldn't simply stay there all day. "Sleeping together. This, and our friendship..."
Nick took a long time to answer, and Emily was oddly grateful for the fact that he couldn't see her expression. Instead of letting it show, though, she continued to move her fingers along his skin. And, when he turned to look at her, she simply turned to look at him as well. "I don't want it to," he answered carefully, brow furrowing slightly. "Believe it or not, you're one of my closest friends. I don't... I mean, I just..."
Before he could continue, Emily's lips tugged at the corners into a small smile and she shook her head. "Hey, it's alright." Leaning forward, she kissed his lips once more before beginning to sit up. "Let's not make this complicated."
"Emily..."
"It's fine, Nick." She turned to smile at him, as if to reassure him. "Neither one of us needs anything complicated in our lives. I have to head over to work, though. I'll see you later, yeah?"
When Nick nodded she smiled again, and without wasting more time she got dressed as quickly as possible before leaving. It would be fine, she thought to herself as she walked back to her car. Things didn't have to change so drastically. They could do casual. They could continue being friends.
"Yeah," she said to herself as the engine of her car came to life, and she caught sight of herself in the rearview mirror. "Easy. Not complicated."
She just wished she could find a way to convince herself as easily as she seemed to have convinced Nick just minutes ago.