didn’t let on.
Her pale yellow T-shirt left little to the imagination.
“Dare.” Dana gave in to a rush of true courage.
“I dare you to give me a hug,” Laurel said. “Both arms, at least thirty seconds long.”
The dare knocked the wind out of Dana. A hug? She felt an embarrassing wetness between her legs. “A hug?”
Laurel nodded, getting up onto her knees. “I’ve been wanting to give you a hug. Now’s my chance and I’m taking it.”
“Playing dirty, huh?” Numb, Dana rose.
“Oh, you don’t even know how dirty I can play.” Laurel spread her arms in invitation. The motion caused her breasts to jut out against her T-shirt, throwing her erect nipples into stark relief beneath the thin cotton. “Come on.”
It had been six months since Dana had hugged anyone, and then it had been her father. She was full of stiff uncertainty as she wrapped her arms around Laurel, holding her as if she were made of fine china. She felt clumsy, oafish, and self-conscious about the relative softness of her body pressed against the firm leanness of Laurel’s.
“Relax,” Laurel murmured into her ear. She brought a hand down to press against the small of Dana’s back, holding her close, and moved the other up to cradle her neck and stroke her thumb over the nape.
“This is nice, right?”
Dana shifted slightly, afraid of the way her heart was thundering against Laurel’s chest. She tried to remember the count. Thirty seconds was taking a long time.
“Stop wishing it over,” Laurel chided. She drew back, but kept her arms around Dana in a loose circle. “I hope it was okay. You just… looked like you needed a hug.”
Pulling back with a nod, Dana wished she could have just stopped thinking and enjoyed it. Emotions close to the surface, she chose to plunge straight back into their game. Truth this time, she took the opportunity to hear about Laurel’s first time with her debate partner. In return, she told Laurel about Jason. For the first time, she admitted how awful it was, and awkward.
Now Laurel truly knew more about her than anyone else.
Dana wanted to keep this going. “How many serious relationships have you had?”
“Only one,” Laurel said. “Ash. I met her in school and we were together for about two and a half years. She just wasn’t ready to commit, and it got to be too much for her to deal with. I was spending a lot of time taking care of Mom, driving her back and forth to the hospital for chemo…” She shrugged. “I wasn’t ready to focus on a relationship, either. But I loved Ash, a lot. I was pretty devastated when it ended.”
“I’m sorry,” Dana said. Though she’d be lying if she pretended to regret that Laurel was single now. Giving herself a mental slap, Dana invited another truth.
Laurel’s mouth took on an affectionate smile. “If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?”
Dana barely had to think before answering. “To be less afraid.”
She looked down after she said the words, aware of how she sounded.
“Afraid of what?” Laurel kept her hands folded in her lap, but the compassion in her eyes reached out and wrapped Dana in a feeling of calm safety.
Dana shrugged, though she already knew the answer. “Being myself, I guess.”
Laurel contended with that for a moment. Dana could see her mind working as they stared at one another. Neither said anything for a beat.
“Are you being yourself right now?” Laurel finally murmured.
“Right this second?” Dana hadn’t felt normal since they’d gotten trapped in the elevator. I might just tell you anything you ask right now.
“I guess so.”
“Earlier?” Laurel asked.
Dana shook her head. “Not entirely.”
Laurel reached out to rest her fingertips on Dana’s knee. “Why do I get the feeling that those parts of you that I really like are the ones I’ve seen when you’re being yourself?”
Heat flooded Dana’s face. I must look like the most awkward, blushing,
Her pale yellow T-shirt left little to the imagination.
“Dare.” Dana gave in to a rush of true courage.
“I dare you to give me a hug,” Laurel said. “Both arms, at least thirty seconds long.”
The dare knocked the wind out of Dana. A hug? She felt an embarrassing wetness between her legs. “A hug?”
Laurel nodded, getting up onto her knees. “I’ve been wanting to give you a hug. Now’s my chance and I’m taking it.”
“Playing dirty, huh?” Numb, Dana rose.
“Oh, you don’t even know how dirty I can play.” Laurel spread her arms in invitation. The motion caused her breasts to jut out against her T-shirt, throwing her erect nipples into stark relief beneath the thin cotton. “Come on.”
It had been six months since Dana had hugged anyone, and then it had been her father. She was full of stiff uncertainty as she wrapped her arms around Laurel, holding her as if she were made of fine china. She felt clumsy, oafish, and self-conscious about the relative softness of her body pressed against the firm leanness of Laurel’s.
“Relax,” Laurel murmured into her ear. She brought a hand down to press against the small of Dana’s back, holding her close, and moved the other up to cradle her neck and stroke her thumb over the nape.
“This is nice, right?”
Dana shifted slightly, afraid of the way her heart was thundering against Laurel’s chest. She tried to remember the count. Thirty seconds was taking a long time.
“Stop wishing it over,” Laurel chided. She drew back, but kept her arms around Dana in a loose circle. “I hope it was okay. You just… looked like you needed a hug.”
Pulling back with a nod, Dana wished she could have just stopped thinking and enjoyed it. Emotions close to the surface, she chose to plunge straight back into their game. Truth this time, she took the opportunity to hear about Laurel’s first time with her debate partner. In return, she told Laurel about Jason. For the first time, she admitted how awful it was, and awkward.
Now Laurel truly knew more about her than anyone else.
Dana wanted to keep this going. “How many serious relationships have you had?”
“Only one,” Laurel said. “Ash. I met her in school and we were together for about two and a half years. She just wasn’t ready to commit, and it got to be too much for her to deal with. I was spending a lot of time taking care of Mom, driving her back and forth to the hospital for chemo…” She shrugged. “I wasn’t ready to focus on a relationship, either. But I loved Ash, a lot. I was pretty devastated when it ended.”
“I’m sorry,” Dana said. Though she’d be lying if she pretended to regret that Laurel was single now. Giving herself a mental slap, Dana invited another truth.
Laurel’s mouth took on an affectionate smile. “If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?”
Dana barely had to think before answering. “To be less afraid.”
She looked down after she said the words, aware of how she sounded.
“Afraid of what?” Laurel kept her hands folded in her lap, but the compassion in her eyes reached out and wrapped Dana in a feeling of calm safety.
Dana shrugged, though she already knew the answer. “Being myself, I guess.”
Laurel contended with that for a moment. Dana could see her mind working as they stared at one another. Neither said anything for a beat.
“Are you being yourself right now?” Laurel finally murmured.
“Right this second?” Dana hadn’t felt normal since they’d gotten trapped in the elevator. I might just tell you anything you ask right now.
“I guess so.”
“Earlier?” Laurel asked.
Dana shook her head. “Not entirely.”
Laurel reached out to rest her fingertips on Dana’s knee. “Why do I get the feeling that those parts of you that I really like are the ones I’ve seen when you’re being yourself?”
Heat flooded Dana’s face. I must look like the most awkward, blushing,
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