Before they got dressed for dinner, Amber dipped into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. 

Was it better or worse for Krystal to think she wasn’t being serious? 

It was enough for her to know Amber was bi, right? And Krystal was only into guys, so her response to Amber’s feelings would be a foregone conclusion, right? 

“Ugh.” She ran a hand through her short hair, brushed her teeth, then exited the bathroom. “Got my clothes picked out yet?” She asked Krystal who was rifling through her closet. “If we don’t head out soon, we’ll miss the movie. You know how this traffic is.” 

“Let’s just Uber so we won’t have to find somewhere to park,” Krystal suggested, holding up a shirt, shaking her head, then picking out another one. She tossed it on the bed next to a pair of black jeans. 

“Kay.” She went to Krystal’s suitcase to see what she had brought with her. She spotted a few t-shirts, jeans, shorts, skirts, and one dress pressed down into the bottom. She pulled it out. It looked almost like an oversized t-shirt, but belted at the waist. She grinned and tossed it to Krystal. 

They both took turns in the bathroom, pulling on the outfit the other had chosen for them, then Krystal approached where Amber was sitting on the edge of her bed. She grabbed a brush and some hair gel from Amber’s vanity. 

“You’re still modeling hair for this company?” She asked, looking at the gel container she’d picked up.

Amber laughed. “No new pictures, but my photos are still part of the Redken campaign. Did you see them?” 

Krystal nodded and opened the jar. She ran the brush lightly over Amber’s hair, then sparingly coated her fingers with gel and started running them through Amber’s platinum strands. 

Amber couldn’t help but close her eyes at the pleasure of it and felt Krystal pause for a moment before continuing with slightly slower motions. 

She felt Krystal’s fingers on her chin, tilting her face side to side before she heard something else open. A brush flashed gently over her eyelids, then she felt a moist cream against her lips and Krystal’s finger lightly patting it in. 

She opened her eyes while Krystal stood in front of her, causing the younger girl to freeze when their eyes met. 

Krystal glanced down at , then shifted away. “I think I want seafood.” 

Amber stood, the close proximity and the few extra inches of her height causing Krystal to tilt her head back to look up at her. She hesitantly reached up to touch Krystal’s cheek, giving her ample time to move away, but Krystal didn’t take the opportunity. So Amber brushed her cheek lightly, then let the tip of her thumb brush the bottom of Krystal’s lower lip, the other girl just staring at her. 

“Your lipstick went outside the lines a bit.” She cleared . “Seafood sounds fine. Nothing too stinky since we’ll be in each other’s breathing space in the theater.” 

Krystal nodded wordlessly and followed her out to the Uber when it told them they’d arrived. Amber felt her darting glances at her but decided to pretend she didn’t notice. 

They got a table in the back of one of the first seafood restaurants they saw. Krystal ordered a glass of wine and Amber settled for a soda. They both studiously read each item on the menu until the server came. Amber let Krystal order first, then placed her order. 

They sipped on their drinks, the silence an unusually uncomfortable one between them. 

She looked up at one point to find Krystal blinking owlishly at her, her arms folded on the tabletop. 

“Dinner…movie…”

Amber raised a brow and Krystal blushed, her brows lowering. 

“Is this a date?” 

“We’ve gone to dinner and movies before,” Amber said nonchalantly. 

“That was before.” 

“I thought you said-“

“Yeah well, a lot of things are starting to look a lot different now, Amber. I can’t help what I’m thinking and you can’t blame me for that.  Just say it straight out. Do you like me or not and is this a date?!” 

Amber took in her angry, yet determined expression and ran a hand over the shaved sides of her head. 

“When I saw that you were in Vegas with your sister, I couldn’t stop staring at your picture, thinking about how close you were to me after so many months. Emily caught me staring and…I know you said I looked good with blonde…” 

Krystal’s eyes widened and her lips pinched together. 

“I shouldn’t have played it off earlier. I’ve been a coward.” 

Krystal shook her head and was about to stand, but the server appeared with their food. Her shoulders slumped and she leaned back in her seat. 

The rest of the meal was silent. Amber hoped she would say something, shout at her, question her, anything. But nothing. 

“Are we still going to the movie,” she finally asked Krystal quietly. 

Krystal glared up at her, but nodded. They paid their check then contacted their next Uber. 

Once they reached the theater, they picked a random movie that was starting as soon as possible, grabbed some popcorn and some large sodas and found the emptiest spot they could in the back of the theater. 

Krystal stayed on her phone until the trailers started and didn’t join in on any of Amber’s commentary through the weird commercials. 

Amber sighed. “What are you thinking?” 

She got a shrug for her efforts. 

“I didn’t fall for you on purpose and I’ve tried not to…”

Krystal sipped on her drink extra loud.

“Don’t be petty, Krys.” 

“Maybe if you weren’t a liar-“ 

“Hey!” She folded her arms and sat back in her seat and stared at the screen, not even sure what was going on. She couldn’t even remember what movie they picked. “What ever you need me to apologize for, I’m sorry,” she finally murmured. 

“Jesus, Amber,” Krystal grumbled. 

Amber scrubbed her hands over eyes, forgetting Krystal had put eye shadow there and winched when she felt some great against her eyes. “!” She sniffled and darted past Krystal, racing toward the bathroom. She splashed water into her eyes then grabbed a paper towel to press over them, sniffling harder when she accidentally shoved the rough material against her sensitive skin. “The is that made out of?!” 

She ducked into a bathroom stall to grab a wad of some of the weakest tissue paper she’d ever felt in her life and lifted it against her leaking eyes. 

“Amber!” Krystal burst into the bathroom and paused. She heard quiet footsteps, then a gentle hand pressed against her back. “Oh, Amber.” Thin arms slid around her waist and she felt Krystal press her face against the back of her neck. 

“Wh-“ 

“I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just don’t know what to do. About us, about you, your feelings…I always forget how sensitive you are under your humor.” 

Amber rubbed at her still watering eyes and just listened. 

“We’ll figure this out,” Krystal said, pressing a light kiss against the back of her neck, causing Amber to tense in her arms. “Let’s get back to the theater and finish the movie, huh?” 

Amber nodded and extricated herself from Krystal’s gentle hug. “Just uh…just give me a minute okay?” 

She felt Krystal squeeze her arm, then disappear from the bathroom. 

Amber shook her head and went back to the sinks, rinsing her eyes until the irritating eyeshadow was no longer in them, then went back to the theater.