Chapter Text
“Get it together, Swain,” Lisa muttered to herself.
It was Friday night, and she was standing outside her usual bar. It wasn’t anything fancy — tucked away down a narrow alley, the kind of place you’d never know existed unless someone showed you.
The bar was owned by a lesbian couple, Bette and Tina, who were warm, welcoming, and made the place feel safe. It was the one place Lisa could truly be herself. Not the version her parents wanted her to be, but the real Lisa — the one who loved women. Looking at them, being close to them, kissing them… all the things her parents would never accept.
Tonight, the bar was hosting a speed-dating event. Normally, it wasn’t the sort of thing Lisa would ever go to, but after being stood up by her best friend, she decided to bite the bullet.
What was the worst that could happen? She’d chat to a few beautiful women, maybe exchange a couple of numbers, then head home and forget all about it by morning.
After a few more minutes of lingering outside, a brunette woman approached her.
“You going in?” she asked.
“Undecided.”
“Don’t take too long deciding. It’s happy hour until nine, and I’d love to buy you a drink,” the woman said before disappearing inside.
Lisa watched her walk away. Her dark hair fell in loose curls, her makeup subtle except for the perfect shade of red lipstick painted across her lips. She was tall, although maybe it was just the heels, dressed in tight black jeans, a black see through blouse, and a leather jacket. She looked dangerous, like the kind of woman who could ruin your life without even trying.
Exactly the type of woman Lisa should probably stay away from.
Not that she had any experience with older women. Truthfully, she had almost no experience with women at all. She’d kissed a few girls before, made it to first and second base with a couple, but that was it. She was the “baby gay” of her friendship group, a term she hated even if it fit.
Finally, she found the courage to push the door open and step inside. The bar was set up differently than usual. All the tables and chairs were moved to the far end. Sitting on the bar beside a bowl of balls was a silver bell. Lisa had barely stepped further inside before Tina pulled her into a hug.
“Good to see you, love. No Abi?”
“No, she’s on a date.”
“Shame.”
“Just a little, but you know how I feel about sitting in the house on a Friday night, so that’s why I’m here. So, how does it work?” Lisa asked.
“Bette will explain.”
“Bette will explain what?” another voice said from behind them. “Lisa, good to see you. How’s things?”
Bette pulled Lisa into a hug before lowering her voice slightly. “Anyone caught your eye?”
Lisa glanced around the room, but her eyes only landed on the woman she’d spoken to outside. Bette and Tina noticed immediately.
“Best stay away from that one, love,” Bette warned.
“Yeah, and I don’t usually agree with my wife, but I agree with her on this,” Tina added. “There are a few women over by the bar who’d probably be more suited to you.”
“Not a serial killer, is she?”
Before either woman could answer they were signalled over to the bar by the overly camp bartender.
“Duty calls,” Bette sighed dramatically, squeezing Lisa’s shoulder before stepping away with Tina. “Behave yourself, alright?”
“Always,” Lisa called after her.
The room had started to fill up now. Women of every type spread out around the room — femmes in dresses and heels, tattooed masc women in flannels and leather jackets, nervous first-timers.
A few minutes later, Bette climbed onto the small raised platform beside the bar and clapped her hands together loudly.
“Alright ladies, can I steal your attention for a second?”
Conversations slowly died down.
“Welcome to Friday Night Speed Dating,” Bette announced.
“The logistics of speed dating for lesbians turned out to be a little harder than we anticipated, so my beautiful wife came up with an alternative.” Bette gestured toward the bar. “You’ll see a bowl filled with numbered balls. In a minute, everyone’s going to come up and take one. Each ball has a number from one to thirty on it.
“When you take a ball, you’ll give your mobile number to Tina. Don’t worry, she won’t be handing it out to everyone.” A few chuckles rose from the crowd. “At the end of the night, if someone has piqued your interest, just give Tina their ball number and if they're interested too, she will give you their phone number. To keep everyone comfortable, numbers will only be exchanged if both parties are interested.”
“Now, when the bell dings, you’ll have one minute to find someone to talk to. Then you’ll get three minutes to chat and get to know each other. When the bell rings again, you’ll have another minute to find someone new. Simple enough?”
A chorus of nods and murmurs answered her as Bette smiled.
It sounded simple enough in theory. Taking a ball was easy. Actually approaching women and making conversation? That was an entirely different story. Maybe she should just leave before she embarrassed herself.
“If you aren’t up for it, then now’s your opportunity to leave. Five, four, three, two, one.” Bette paused and glanced around the room. “I’m going to assume that, since you’re all still here, you’re ready to get started. Now go grab your balls, ladies.”
Lisa hung back slightly while woman after woman collected their balls. She had the perfect joke about never seeing so many lesbians handling balls in one place before, but with no one to say it to, she kept it to herself, snorting softly under her breath— just quietly enough not to look like a crazy woman.
She moved closer to the bar, finally there was only one number left.
“Lucky number thirteen,” Tina said, holding it out to her.
Lisa took the ball. At least she didn't have to give Tina her number; the older woman already had it.
“Right, ladies,” Bette said, ringing the bell. “One minute to pick your woman.”
Lisa looked around the room, her stomach twisting with nerves. Before she knew it, a blonde stopped in front of her. She was covered head to toe in tattoos and piercings—most definitely not Lisa's type.
Still, she offered a polite smile and held out her hand.
“Lisa.”
“Nice to meet you. I'm Storm.” The woman grinned, holding out her hand. “I've been watching you since you walked through the door.”
Creepy.
That's what Lisa wanted to say. Instead, she forced her smile a little wider.
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” Storm rocked back on her heels, looking entirely too pleased with herself. “You looked like you were contemplating making a run for the door.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Only to someone who was doing the exact same thing.”
That caught her off guard.
“You were nervous?”
“Terrified,” Storm admitted. “I spent twenty minutes sitting in my car trying to convince myself to come inside.”
“Twenty?”
“Twenty-three, actually,” Storm stated..
“Well, that makes me feel slightly better.”
“Good. That was the goal.”
For the first time since she'd arrived, Lisa felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.
“So,” Storm said, folding her arms across her chest, “apart from almost bolting for the exit, tell me something about yourself.”
“We're starting with the easy questions, are we?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fine. I'm a university student.”
“What are you studying?”
“Psychology” she lied.
She knew she was here to get to know people but she still wanted to keep some things to herself, at least for now.
“So you're analysing me right now?”
“Only a little.”
“That's terrifying.”
“Says the woman who opened a conversation by telling me she'd been watching me.”
“Fair point,” Storm replied.
The bell rang before either of them could say anything else.
“Well, that's rude,” Storm muttered.
“Three minutes goes by pretty quickly.”
“It does when you're having fun.”
Before moving away, Storm pointed at the ball in her hand.
“Don't forget me.”
“That's a lot of confidence for someone who was terrified twenty-three minutes before coming in.”
“Fake it till you make it.”
Lisa barely had time to gather her thoughts before another woman approached.
Brunette. Smartly dressed. Confident.
“Hi,” the woman said, extending her hand. “I’m Claire.”
“Lisa.”
“So, what are you looking for?” she asked.
Lisa blinked.
“Sorry?”
“Out of this.” Claire gestured around the room. “Dating. Relationships. Life. The whole thing.”
Straight in at the deep end then.
“I don't know,” Lisa admitted.
Claire looked unconvinced.
“You must have some idea.”
“Well, I'm still at university.”
“And?” Claire questioned.
“And... I haven't exactly planned the rest of my life yet.”
“I'm not asking for a five-year plan.”
“Okay,” Lisa said carefully. “What about you?”
“Oh, that's easy. I'd like to meet someone, settle down eventually, get married. Maybe have children one day.”
Lisa's stomach tightened. The words shouldn't have affected her; people talked about marriage, settling down and having children every day. But hearing another woman speak so casually about marrying a woman one day made her chest ache in a way she couldn't quite explain. Claire spoke about it as though it were the most natural thing in the world, while Lisa had spent years refusing to let herself picture that future. Whenever the thought surfaced, she'd buried it just as quickly, afraid of what it might mean if she let herself want it.
Claire tilted her head.
“You look uncomfortable.”
“No, I don't.”
“You really do.”
“Sorry. It's just... that's a lot for a first conversation” Lisa muttered.
Claire laughed.
“Fair enough.”
Thankfully, the bell rang before Claire could ask anything else. Lisa had never been so grateful for a sound in her life.
“Good luck, Lisa,” Claire said before moving away.
Lisa walked towards the bar and was just about to place her ball back in the bowl and make a quick escape when the bell dinged. The brunette woman from outside stepped in and headed straight for her.
"You're not leaving already, are you?" she asked. "I was hoping I could buy you a drink."
"I've just saved you some money," Lisa replied, turning away.
“Come on, stay for three minutes. If I bore you, you can leave.”
“And if you don't?”
“Then I get another three.”
Before Lisa could answer, the woman stepped closer and rested a hand lightly on her shoulder. Lisa turned around. Big green eyes met hers, bright and inviting, and the smile that accompanied them was almost unfair. There was no way she could say no. Even though she could hear Bette and Tina's voices in her head telling her to stay away, there was something about the woman standing in front of her.
Lisa held out her hand. “I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you.”
“Carla. So, what are you drinking?”
“Three minutes goes pretty quickly, so how about you don't spend it on the bartender and we do a quick-fire round to get to know each other?”
“Eager.”
“No, I just spent six minutes talking to two women. One I found out too little about, and the other too much.”
“Fair. Okay, age?”
“Twenty,” Lisa replied.
“Twenty-eight.”
“What’s your most attractive red flag?”
Lisa could thank Abi for that question. Apparently, she asked every guy she went on a date with. Abi swore it was a surefire way to get the important information out of someone before you wasted too much time on them.
Carla leaned closer and whispered in Lisa's ear, “Who says I have any?”
“Everyone has at least one red flag.”
“What's yours, then?” Carla asked.
“I'm extremely competitive,” Lisa admitted.
“I mean, there's nothing wrong with a little competitiveness.”
“Oh no, I'm talking about making my seven-year-old sister cry because I just can't let her win at Monopoly.”
“Well, I'm not on board with making kids cry, but winning Monopoly is a must. Okay, next question.”
“You didn't give me yours.”
“I told you, I don't have any,” Carla husked.
“Hmm. If you say so. Okay, what's something people assume about you that's completely wrong?”
“That I'm a bitch, hard-faced, and don't care about anyone's feelings but my own.”
“Well, I've spent almost three minutes with you, and I don't get that vibe, so I agree—it's completely wrong,” Lisa replied.
“How would you feel about getting out of here? I'm going to be honest—cards on the table. From the moment we met outside, you're the only woman who's even remotely caught my eye. And if you're up for it, I'd like to take you back to my hotel and spend the night with you.”
As Carla spoke, she brushed a strand of hair behind Lisa's ear.
Lisa's mouth went dry. She was completely caught off guard. She never expected to exchange numbers with anyone tonight, let alone be propositioned. Her hands were clammy, her heart was pounding, and her stomach was doing somersaults.
Carla was beautiful, but Lisa wasn't experienced enough. Okay, she wasn't experienced at all. She couldn't do this. She shouldn't do this. Especially not after Bette and Tina's warning.
Carla didn't let her answer.
“It's okay. Not everyone is up for it. I'm going out for a smoke and I'll be outside for a little while if you change your mind. If not, it was nice to meet you, Lisa.”
Carla pressed a lingering kiss to Lisa's cheek before turning away.
Lisa ordered herself a gin and lemonade, quickly downing it before ordering another and doing the same. She scanned the room, her gaze eventually drifting towards the door.
She told herself she wasn't going to follow Carla. No. She was going to find Bette and Tina, say goodbye, then walk outside and head straight home. That was the plan, anyway. Except Bette and Tina were nowhere to be found, and the bartender was already reaching for the bell, ready to ring it again. Taking it as her cue to leave, Lisa slipped through the crowd and out into the courtyard. The moment she stepped outside, she saw her.
Carla was leaning against the brick wall, a cigarette in one hand and her phone in the other. She looked up the moment the door swung shut behind Lisa, and suddenly walking away seemed impossible. Lisa knew she should offer a polite smile and keep going, but something about Carla kept pulling her in. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the brunette, her hands buried deep in her pockets.
“I didn't—” Lisa started, then stopped herself. “I don't know why I came over here.”
Carla took one last drag of her cigarette before stubbing it out against the brick wall and letting it fall to the ground.
Then she held out her hand.
“I do.”
The walk to Carla's hotel was short, five minutes at most. Lisa's heart was pounding so hard she was sure Carla could hear it. They didn't talk much, just walked side by side, their shoulders brushing occasionally as they made their way through the quiet streets.
The silence continued throughout the lift ride, Lisa watching the numbers light up one by one until it finally dinged on the twelfth floor. Carla stepped out first and held out her hand for Lisa, who took it without hesitation. They walked hand in hand down the corridor before stopping outside room 1203. Lisa wasn't entirely sure why, but she found herself making a mental note of everything. She was sure Carla wasn't going to hurt her, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Carla unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped aside to let Lisa enter first. Lisa's eyes immediately swept across the room. It was one of the biggest hotel rooms she had ever seen. A huge king-sized bed dominated the space, and at the far end of the room sat a standalone bathtub that looked as though it belonged in a luxury spa rather than a hotel.
“Wow,” she muttered.
“Wow indeed,” Carla replied as she kicked off her heels.
Lisa could feel Carla's eyes on her, and she had a feeling she wasn't talking about the room but rather the blonde standing there admiring it. She turned to face Carla and offered a nervous smile before shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“It's okay. Before anything happens,” Carla said, her voice gentle and reassuring, “I need to know—have you done this before? With a woman?”
Was it that obvious? Did she have a glowing sign above her head that screamed virgin?
Heat rushed to Lisa's cheeks, and she quickly shook her head. “Not with anyone,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I've never... I mean, I've wanted to, but I've never—”
“It’s okay.” Carla stepped closer, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Lisa’s ear. Her fingers lingered on Lisa’s cheek. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. We can go as slow as you want.”
“I don’t want slow.” The words came out before Lisa could stop them. She felt her face heat again, but she didn’t take it back. “I want you, Carla. I want this.”
Carla’s eyes darkened. She closed the distance between them, her hand sliding to the back of Lisa’s neck, her thumb brushing along her jaw. “Tell me if you want to stop. At any point. I mean it.”
“Okay,” Lisa breathed.
Carla leaned in and kissed her. It was soft at first, just the press of lips, testing. Carla’s mouth was warm and tasted like red wine. Lisa’s hands came up, fisting in the fabric of Carla’s blouse, Carla deepened the kiss, her tongue sliding against Lisa’s lower lip, asking permission. Lisa opened for her, and the first touch of Carla’s tongue against hers sent a shiver down her spine.
Carla walked her backward until her knees hit the edge of the bed. She broke the kiss just long enough to look at her, to check in, and Lisa nodded, breathless, wanting. Carla unbuttone her blouse slowly, watching Lisa’s face as each button came undone. Lisa’s eyes tracked her hands, tracked the skin being revealed inch by inch. When the blouse fell open, Carla shrugged it off before unhooking her bra and letting that follow. Lisa’s breath caught at the sight of her. Full breasts, dark nipples already hard. A toned stomach. Curves that made Lisa’s mouth go dry.
“Your turn,” Carla murmured.
Lisa’s hands shook as she pulled her own t-shirt over her head. She wasn’t as confident as Carla. She was softer, less sure of herself. But the way Carla looked at her, like she was something beautiful, made her feel brave.
Carla reached behind her and unhooked her bra with practiced ease. The straps slid down Lisa's shoulders and Carla's hands replaced them, cupping her breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples. Lisa gasped, her hips bucking forward involuntarily.
“Lie back,” Carla said softly.
Lisa obeyed, sinking into the mattress, her head hitting the pillow. Carla followed her down, kissing her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breast. When her mouth closed around Lisa's nipple, Lisa cried out, her back arching, her fingers tangling in Carla's hair.
When she left the house that evening, never in a million years had she imagined she would end up half-naked in a hotel bed with a beautiful brunette hovering over her.
Carla worked her breasts with her mouth and hands, alternating between them, licking and sucking and biting gently until Lisa was writhing beneath her, the sound of small gasps and moans spilling from her lips.
Then Lisa felt Carla's hand slide down her stomach, past her belly button, to the waistband of her jeans.
“Okay?” Carla asked, her lips brushing against Lisa's ribcage.
“Please.”
Carla unfastened her jeans and pulled them down, then slipped off her underwear.
Lisa wanted to cover herself. She felt exposed, but the look on Carla’s face wasn’t judgment—it was hunger.
“God, you’re beautiful,” Carla said as she settled between Lisa’s thighs.
She pressed a kiss to the inside of one thigh, then another, working her way upward. Lisa’s breath came in short, sharp gasps.
“I’m going to touch you now. Is that okay?”
Carla was being so considerate, so gentle about Lisa being a virgin, but Lisa just wanted her to touch her before she combusted.
“God, please.”
“Carla is just fine,” she said with a smile. “Wait until after I’ve made you come before you start calling me God.”
Lisa didn't have a chance to respond as Carla's tongue slid through her folds and her entire body seized. The sensation was overwhelming, nothing she had ever imagined. Carla's tongue was soft and wet and knew exactly where to go. She found Lisa's clit instinctively and circled it slowly watching Lisa's reactions, learning her body in real time.
“Fuck,” Lisa gasped, her hands gripping the sheets. “Oh god, Carla—”
Carla hummed against her, and the vibration made stars burst behind Lisa's eyes. She worked Lisa up slowly, building the pressure, feeling her get wetter, hearing her moans get louder. When she slid one finger inside Lisa, she felt resistance, the tightness, and she stopped.
Lisa wanted to ask why she’d stopped, but Carla moved her free hand and grabbed hold of Lisa’s.
“Deep breath,” she said softly. “Relax for me.”
Lisa breathed.
Carla pushed deeper, her finger sliding inside, and Lisa gasped at the unfamiliar fullness, at the stretch. It didn’t hurt the way she’d expected it to. Instead, it felt like becoming whole. When Carla was sure she could take more, she pushed in a second finger.
Carla moved her fingers slowly, her tongue still working Lisa's clit, combining the sensations until Lisa was trembling, her hips rocking against Carla's face, her breath coming in desperate sobs.
Lisa had orgasms before—at her own hands, or at least she thought she had—but this was different. The pressure building, coiling tight in her belly, was something she had never experienced before, and she didn’t know what to do with it.
“I'm—somethings—” Lisa couldn't finish the sentence, she was too overwhelmed by the feeling.
“It’s okay,” Carla murmured against her. “Just let your body feel it.”
And Lisa did.
The orgasm hit her like a wave, crashing through her body, pulling her under. She cried out, her thighs clamping around Carla's head, her body shuddering through it. Carla stayed with her, gentling her strokes, drawing it out until Lisa collapsed against the mattress, gasping, shaking.
Finally, Carla crawled up beside her, pulling her close and kissing her forehead.
“That was—” Lisa started, then laughed, breathless.
No words felt like enough.
“That was everything.”
Carla smiled, brushing Lisa’s hair back from her sweaty face. “The night’s not over yet. We’re just getting started.”
Lisa turned her head, looking at Carla through heavy-lidded eyes. Her body was humming, sensitive, already wanting more. Wanting to touch Carla.
“Show me,” Lisa whispered. “Show me everything.”
The next morning, a completely exhausted Lisa stretched, discovering that muscles she hadn’t even known existed were aching. She wasn’t sure how long she and Carla had been having sex, but by the time they finally stopped, she was sure she could hear the birds outside.
Lisa rolled over, expecting to find a sleeping brunette beside her. Instead, the pillow next to her was empty. She reached out, and the side of the bed was cold.
What had she expected? This was nothing more than a one-night stand. She wasn’t about to ask Carla to marry her, but she would have liked the chance to thank her for being so amazing the night before.
She shuffled up the bed and leaned against the headboard. That was when she noticed a note resting on the pillow.
Lisa,
Last night was great. Really great.
I’m sorry I’ve had to rush off, but the hotel room is paid for until midday, so please make the most of it. Take a bath, have a nap.
I’ve ordered breakfast to the room, so make sure you eat it. You definitely worked up an appetite.
Thanks again,
Carla x
Next to her name was a lipstick kiss.
Just as Lisa found herself thinking about Carla again—the sounds she made, the way she dug her nails into her shoulders as she came, the praise she’d given her throughout the night—there was a knock at the door.
Lisa wrapped the sheet around herself a few times, making sure it wasn’t see-through, and made her way across the room. She opened the door to find a man standing there with a breakfast tray.
“Morning, Miss. Room service.”
“Thank you. Could you put it over there, please?” she asked, gesturing towards the small table in front of the window.
“Of course, Miss.”
“Thank you.”
She gave the man a polite smile as he left the room before moving over to the table. Sitting down, she looked out at the view. She had never seen Manchester from so high up before.
Then she turned her attention to the trays in front of her.
She lifted the lids one by one. The first revealed a full English breakfast. The second held a stack of pancakes. The third and final dish was a plate of fresh fruit alongside a yogurt. Resting on top of the yogurt was another note, written in the same familiar handwriting.
Lisa,
I don’t usually do this.
I mean, the sex part isn't new to me. Neither is the leaving. The breakfast part, though, that's new.
I stay at this hotel a lot, so they were more than happy to bring your breakfast up, and Danny promised not to read the note.
I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I asked them to give you a bit of everything. I don’t usually eat here myself, so I can’t tell you whether any of it is good. Enjoy it anyway, and if we ever run into each other again, you’ll have to tell me how the food was.
P.S. Make sure you eat the fruit. It’s good for you.
Carla x
Lisa smiled, running her thumb over the bottom of the note. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she woke up alone, but she certainly hadn’t expected breakfast, let alone a second note.
For someone who claimed she didn’t usually do this, Carla seemed surprisingly good at it.