18:48...18:49

Time seems to be dragging as Laura stares up at the clock above the bar. She and Carmilla have arranged to meet at seven o'clock at Le Fanu. It's the kind of restaurant that requires a reservation a week in advance, but Carmilla has somehow managed to get them a table last minute. Laura is early, as usual, so she's sat at the bar, willing the clock to strike the hour already. She can't help the flutter of excitement that hits her every time a woman walks in alone. She's starting to look like some sort of creeper.

Laura has no idea what Carmilla looks like, which isn't that fair. Laura's face is all over the inside of her books after all. The only advantage that she has is Will. With any luck, Carmilla shares her twin's strong dark features. She glances at her phone for the umpteenth time. The time on the screen shows the same as the clock on the wall. Laura is starting to think that time might actually be going backwards.

"Excuse me?" Laura's head snaps up to find a striking woman smiling down at her. She's a few inches taller than Laura, but some of that is due to her heels. Thick black hair hangs in loose curls, framing a jawline that is downright scandalous. Laura's eyes can't help themselves as they skim over the woman's body. The little black dress that she's wearing has revealing spaghetti straps. It also stops just above the knee, giving Laura ample to look at.

Any hope that this gorgeous stranger might be Carmilla vanishes when she speaks again. Her voice is crisp, and wrapped in a southern English accent. "I'm ever so sorry to bother you, but are you Laura Hollis?" She starts shuffling inside of her purse as soon as Laura confirms that she is. She isn't that surprised when the woman pulls out a copy of her first book. While she's no J.K Rowling, Laura gets her fair share of fans coming up to talk to her. Usually they ask for details of her new book, or for her autograph. "I'm such a huge fan of yours...I'm sure you hear that all the time though." The dark haired beauty sounds flustered. She pushes her bangs back out of her eyes and bites at her bottom lip. "Would you mind signing this for me? I hate to ask, but when I saw you alone over here... Well, I didn't think it would hurt to come over."

"Sure." Laura smiles up at the sheepish fan. No matter how many times people ask for her autograph it still feels like a novelty. She has maybe ten minutes until Carmilla shows up, so she can afford to make time for a reader. "Are you sure you want me to sign this? It's a first edition..." Laura marvels at the immaculate hardback copy of her first novel. Her own copy doesn't even look this pristine. Signing it would more than likely decrease its value. "I paid a pretty penny, but I've no intentions of parting with it." The woman explains as she takes the empty seat beside the author.

18:53...

Carmilla could show up any minute. Laura wants to be polite, but she also wants to get rid of the other woman before her date shows up. She digs in to her own purse, rooking around for a pen. It's a relief when she finally finds one. "Sorry, who should I make it out to?" Laura's head is down, with the tip of the fountain pen pressed against the book.

She's so focused on getting rid of the woman that she fails to notice her leaning in closer. Her lips are almost pressed against Laura's ear when she purrs out. "How about 'your biggest fan', Cupcake?" The once clipped accent gives way to a familiar husky tone. Laura looks up again so fast that she almost headbutts her.
"Carmilla?" She exclaims, throwing her arms around the other girl.
"The one and only, Creampuff." Carmilla grins at her, and the sultry smirk is exactly how Laura pictured it would be.

She blushes as she pulls back. Carmilla looks stunning. Laura feels so plain in comparison. "I can't believe you tricked me like that! And how much did you pay for this book? It's in better condition than mine!" The initial awkwardness wears off right away, and Laura jumps straight in to conversation. It feels just as easy as when they're talking over the phone.

"I have my means." Carmilla keeps her answer elusive. It had taken some time and effort to get her hands on a first edition of Laura's debut novel. A lot more than she would care to admit to Laura herself. The hostess catches her attention from the podium at the front of the restaurant. She's a good friend of her brother's. It's the only reason she got a table at the restaurant at such short notice. She offers her arm out to her date. "I think our table's ready. Shall we?"

The conversation flows like running water as they wait for their food. Carmilla is every bit as charming and sarcastic in real life as she is on the phone. Laura just tries her best not to babble like an idiot. She can't remember the last time she was on a first date. She knocks over her water glass and drops her knife before her nerves start to calm down. "Wound a little tight there, ain't ya, Cupcake? Carmilla teases, though it's pretty tame compared to usual. Laura blushes. She's always been a klutz. It just gets worse whenever she's nervous. Carmilla is someone who makes her very nervous.

The younger woman somehow makes it through dinner without embarrassing herself anymore. Time seems to fly by. Before Laura knows it, dinner is over and Carmilla is asking for the bill. She offers to pay, but Carmilla refuses outright to take anything from her. She catches sight of Laura's crestfallen expression as she's pulling on her jacket. "You know, I have an exquisite bottle of Prossecco back at my apartment. It's only a couple of blocks over." The offer is accompanied by a seductive smile, though Laura doesn't need much convincing.

"This is pretty impressive..." Laura comments as she runs her fingers along the spine of just one of many first editions that Carmilla owns. She has them lined up on a bookshelf in her apartment. It's a loft, which is all open-plan and minimalist. Somehow it's exactly what Laura expected. She sneaks a glance over at Carmilla, who is busy popping the cork on the promised wine. Carmilla is so much more than Laura ever expected. She's already had a million texts from LaF and Kirsch. Both of them are dying for her to send them a picture of her 'date'.

"Sure is..." Laura sneaks another glance her way, and catches Carmilla watching her. She doesn't attempt to hide the way she's looking at the other girl. Not even when she knows Laura has caught her. The younger girl blushes as she tucks her hair back behind her ear.
"These are an immaculate condition. Especially for someone who likes to leave their mark on books. Some of these spines don't even look like they're cracked-"
"For good reason." Laura jumps as Carmilla appears right behind her. Her voice is thick and sultry at her ear as she hands over her wine.

"All of those are first editions. I like things that are rare, or collectible." Carmilla replaces her signed copy of Laura's novel back in its rightful place. They don't seem to be in any particular order, as far as Laura can see. The writer is the kind of person who categorizes and alphabetizes her book collection. "All the real action happens in the bedroom." Laura snorts wine through her nose at the admission. Which only serves to draw out an amused chuckle from Carmilla.

"Excuse me?" Laura is pretty sure her cheeks are now the color of fire hydrants. Carmilla carries on giving her that seductive, soul searching, stare of hers, which doesn't help at all.
"The books that I read – the ones I leave my mark on – I keep them on a bookcase in my room. Would you like to see?"
"Your room?"

"My books." Carmilla laughs again. "Come on, Cupcake. I'll give you the guided tour." Slipping her hand in to Laura's, she tugs the other girl along with her. It not the bookcase in the corner that catches Laura's attention when she follows Carmilla in to her bedroom. It's the well worn copy of her first novel, sitting in pride of place on the bedside table. Laura makes her way over to it, picking the book up for closer inspection. There are creases running along the length of the paperback's spine. The corners of certain pages are folded over, and being used as bookmarks. There's no denying that Carmilla has left her mark on Laura's work.

"Of course you're a corner folder." Laura teases.
"Let me guess, you're a bookmark kind of girl?" Carmilla purrs in her ear. She steps in so close that it would be difficult to slip so much as a sheet of paper between them.

"Only when the batteries on my Kindle die."
"Blasphemy..." Carmilla lets out a huff of air. Her laughter tickles the side of Laura's neck. There's no doubt about what's going to happen. The whole night has been building up to this. Dinner was a mere formality.

Carmilla's hands find their way to Laura's hips. With one gentle tug, she turns the young writer around, so that she is flush against her. "Laura..."
"You said my name-" Laura's shock at finally hearing her name come from Carmilla's lips doesn't last long. Not when Carmilla is putting her mouth to better use. They kiss with a desperate kind of passion. Neither of them stops to second guess what is happening; it's as inevitable as the setting of the sun.
"Your name has been the only thing on my mind for weeks, Cupcake." Carmilla admits with a heavy sigh. Kissing Laura feels like taking that first sip of water after completing a marathon. Carmilla just can't get enough. "But if we stay in here any longer, I'm going to be ripping your clothes off... and dragging my name from your lips."

"I'm good with that..." Laura is breathless as she pulls back. She tugs off her blazer, tossing it aside. It cost a pretty penny, and she'd rather not have it getting ripped.
"Good answer." Carmilla's lips curl in to a smile that is almost predatory. It's the only warning Laura gets before the other woman is pushing her backwards. Her legs hit the edge of Carmilla's mattress. They give out from under her as they start making out again. Carmilla takes full advantage of this by climbing on to Laura's lap. Her deft fingers work at the buttons of her blouse.

At the same time, Carmilla's lips make their way to her neck. Her teeth nip at the soft column of Laura's throat. The gentle bites are playful in nature, but have a profound effect on the younger girl. Laura isn't used to the kind of attention that Carmilla is paying to her body. Danny always had a way of touching her like she was as fragile as an ornament made of glass. Carmilla has no such qualms. Her hands slip under Laura's silk blouse as she palms her breasts over her bra. All the while she goes back to kissing her mouth with an insatiable kind of hunger.

"You're wearing too many clothes..." Laura grumbles as Carmilla slips her blouse over her shoulders. The fabric pools around Laura's waist. "It's not exactly fair."
"Life isn't fair, Cutie." Carmilla kisses her way along the other girl's jaw, her hands making light work of her bra.
"Carm..." The way Laura says her name is half whine, half desperate plea. Carmilla doesn't relent though; not yet. Her lips latch back on to Laura's, and she shifts her weight so they're both lying down. She kisses her way down Laura's stomach, trying to memorize every inch of her body.

Carmilla's teeth rake lightly over the smaller girl's hip bone. It's a good thing her hand is pressing down on the other hip. It's the only thing that stops Laura from bolting upright. "Fuck! Carm..."
"I think that's the first time I've heard you swear...I like it. I want to hear more." Carmilla chuckles against the inside of Laura's hip as she pulls down her slacks.

"Well... just keep doing what you're doing." Laura lets out a ragged breath. She's too distracted to care that she's just given the other woman the verbal equivalent of a thumbs up. Carmilla's lips move down the inside of her leg, stopping at the hollow at the back of her knee. She looks up at Laura with the kind of lustful expression that would never get a PG-13 rating.

"Oh, don't worry...I intend to." Stepping back from the bed, Carmilla takes in the full view. Laura, feeling self conscious, goes to cover herself. "Don't... God, you're perfect." Carmilla looks at her like she's some kind of rare, mythical creature. Something precious and collectible. Something to leave her mark on.

Laura watches on as Carmilla reaches back to unzip her dress. It drops to the ground, revealing creamy white flesh and lacy black lingerie. The breath Laura had been in the middle of taking catches in her throat. "Wow..." Despite writing for a living, her words aren't as eloquent as Carmilla's. "Wow, you're...just, wow..."

Carmilla smirks as she slinks back over to the bed, moving with the grace of a wildcat. She climbs back on to Laura's lap, draping her arms around her neck. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Creampuff." Leaning in, she runs her tongue along Laura's bottom lip. When she takes it between her teeth, softly biting down, it's a promise of things to come.

"Hey, Laura. It's me." Carmilla announces to the other girl's answering machine. She's standing in her kitchen, with her phone pressed to her ear while she brews a pot of coffee. "I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed last night. And I'm glad we finally met in person... You're everything I imagined you'd be; and more. I uh...I'm not that good with the whole talking about feelings and stuff..."

Carmilla takes a breath. She holds it while she pours out the coffee and adds creamer and sugar. "But I, uh, I think I fell for you the first time I heard your voice. Then it was your mind, your writing... and then your body. God, it's everything about you, Laura... I think I'm in love with you, and you have no idea how much that terrifies me.."

"Carm?" She hangs up as she hears the telltale squeak of her bedroom door, followed by Laura's voice. The other girl makes an appearance, wearing Carmilla's bathrobe and a sleepy smile. "Hi."
"Hey." Carmilla's own grin is plastered across her face as she hands over one of the mugs of coffee. She steals a kiss while she's at it. "I was about to bring you some breakfast."

"Oh, well in that case, I will be more than happy to go back to bed. I just need my phone out of my purse. I want to check my messages. My publisher said he'd call me when he gets my draft of the new book-"
"Your messages will still be there in an hour...or two." That includes the one Carmilla just left. She hadn't counted on Laura hearing it quite so soon. "Besides, I'm sure between the two of us we could think of something better to do."

"You're right." Laura relents. She's distracted as Carmilla's hands find their way to her hips; and her mouth goes to the side of her neck. "Maybe we could start with skipping breakfast?"

A/N: That's all folks. Thanks for reading and for all of the awesome feedback! If you've enjoyed this, then I've got a couple of other Carmilla projects on the go, along with a few that I'll be posting once I finish some things off.

Trufreak.