Giselle tilted her head and frowned, "Why the kiss...?". It had bugged her since that fateful moment it had happened, but Annie just shrugged, "I thought you didn't mind. And it'd make you feel better?". A weak smile appeared on her lips. An expression of faith, of expectancy. The brunette didn't exactly share this idea and so she hissed, "Make me feel better?". The emotions finally surfaced. It was anger and frustration. The lack of sleep didn't help, nor the guilt she had been carrying ever since. Annie's expression suddenly changed as well. She looked sad and shocked.

"Next time you try to make me feel better, offer me hot chocolate or something!", Giselle grumbled and took a deep breath. She didn't come here to yell at her neighbor. It had to be said though.

After along silence, the neighbor girl glanced at her with a confused look, "Didn't you want to get --- uh --- close, at all?". Giselle immediately responded, almost hysterical, "No! I didn't!". "Then why all those messages? We exchanged hundreds in a just a few days. You were so kind and interested...", came a whisper that eventually died. Annie's eyes started to glitter and sparkle. She was tearing up.

Giselle was taken aback. With no idea what to say now. It was true, she had spent her evenings and a considerable time during her days texting. Every new message on her phone made her smile and kept her going. "I thought we'd become friends", she finally admitted softly, "How'd you get the idea we'd become lovers?".

The blonde woman wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. The fabric of the pajamas became tighter and revealed her buttocks, waist and thighs. Giselle caught herself staring and centered herself on the woman's eyes when she realized it. "I don't know? I just hoped ...", but Giselle cut her off, "I'm married, my husband is next door, watching James Bond!". Annie gave a weak shrug and quietly said, "A friend of mine lives in an open relationship, and since I didn't want to steal you away or anything...". She stopped talking when both looked at each other and she realized that Giselle all of a sudden didn't seem so composed and sure anymore. She took a leap of faith and offered her hand, with a smile. An invitation, a challenge perhaps.

To her very own surprise, Giselle took the hand and shuffled closer. Then Annie pulled her into an embrace, taking the head onto her shoulder and the rest of the weight across her torso. Giselle wasn't heavy. She stroked a curl out of the older woman's face and put it behind the ear. "I'm not going to kiss you, I'll just hold you", she promised and ran her hand down the woman's back.

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Before she realized what had happened, Giselle reached behind Annie's neck and pulled her towards her lips. They met in a kiss. An electrifying, long, deep kiss that made both women tremble.

***

When Giselle snuck into the apartment, Ian was already snoring on his side of the bed. As quietly as she could, she changed and crawled under the blanket. The display on her phone turned on and a bling announced a notification. She gestured a "Shhhh" at the phone, took it and opened the text.

Annie: "Fuck, you're good. I'll miss you in bed..."

Giselle didn't respond, her cheeks were glowing bright red, but luckily no one would see that. She had made up her mind to deal with her life and all of that tomorrow, today she'd bask in the afterglow of the evening with Annie. A smile played across her lips when she curled up under the sheets and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding at a deafening volume. And while sleep came to her slowly, today she didn't mind one bit. Especially since the smell of Annie's perfume lingered all over her body.

Next morning, she made breakfast for both of them. Ian yawned as he came into the kitchen. Raindrops hammered against the window. "Another day of rain, great", he sighed and sat down. "So how'd it go with Annie?", he wondered when Giselle served him a bowl of mixed cereals and chocolate. She beamed, "It went great, I think we made up just fine?". The hint of guilt was easily pushed out of her mind, since the memory of the evening prevailed. "Oh? That well, huh? I'm happy. It was about time that you found someone you got along with", he explained with a mouth full of cereals. "Some things just take time and a bit of karma", his wife said and shrugged, the bright smile still all over her face.

An hour later, the bus dropped her off near the pedestrian zone downtown. Sheltered by an umbrella, Giselle walked into Dean's attire for the gentleman through the staff side door and found Laureen Munroe behind the counter, setting up for the day. "Hey Laury", she smiled. "Oh hey Giselle, you look bright today?", Laureen said and stared at the woman intently. "It's been a good day", Giselle responded, trying her best to be casual. "Really? You glow like you had the fuck of your life!", Laury laughed and almost choked when Giselle blushed bright red.