Page 20 of Christmas Shelter

Chapter 14

"Did you sleep well?" Carlota asks when Patricia finishes stretching.

"Yes, I thought I'd have trouble falling asleep, but I was knocked out. How about you?"

"Perfect," Carlota says, sitting up. "If I wasn't so hungry, I might not have woken up," she admits, blushing.

Patricia looks at her and can't help but smile. She knows Carlota carries a few extra pounds, but she sees nothing wrong with that and doesn't understand how someone could feel intimidated by something so trivial. She finds her very attractive, and she grows fonder of that shy, even bashful air that seems to follow the volunteer everywhere.

"I'm hungry too," Patricia says to help her feel better, despite the fact that thinking about food right after waking up makes her nauseated. "So, if you'd like, we can get dressed and go down for breakfast. We need to load up on energy to explore Gibraltar's markets and streets."

"Great, you go in first," Carlota says, pointing to the bathroom.

Patricia takes her up on the offer and locks herself in to take a shower. She tries to hurry and not linger as she would at home, and as soon as she finishes, she puts on her underwear and exits the bathroom to get dressed outside and leave it free for Carlota.

The naturalness with which Patricia comes out drying her hair and saying she can go in catches Carlota off guard. Her eyes almost pop out of their sockets, and her breath freezes in her throat when she sees Patricia in her bra and panties. To say her pulse has quickened would be an understatement because Carlota feels her heart has moved from its place and pounds against her chest, begging to break free. But what definitively confirms that she likes her former colleague very much is the sudden, uncontrolled pulse she feels between her legs, forcing her to close them to calm the need for contact she has felt at Patricia's near-nakedness.

Carlota's strange movement and her flushed cheeks are like a bright signal for Patricia, who no longer has any doubts about her suspicions regarding Carlota's preferences. As if synchronized, she also feels a jolt between her legs that paralyzes her for a few seconds while Carlota, unaccustomed to feeling this way, devours Patricia's body with her gaze, unable to contain herself, making the canine cardiologist feel fire on her skin as Carlota's eyes trail over her.

"Where are the towels?" Carlota suddenly asks, feeling so stupid she just wants to run away.

Patricia takes a breath and moves her right arm to point at the dresser where the clean towels rest while wondering if this is a good moment to kiss her companion or if it might be too rushed.

"Thanks," Carlota says and manages to tear her gaze away from Patricia to grab a towel.

Patricia steps aside and keeps following her with her eyes until Carlota grabs the clothes she wants to wear and finally locks herself in the bathroom.

"Damn," Patricia whispers, letting out the air she's been holding in her lungs for the last few seconds, those in which she's also been holding back the urge to kiss her.

Surprised by her body's reaction and the strange situation they've just experienced, she takes a couple of deep breaths with the clear intention of calming her heartbeat and focusing, but while getting dressed, Patricia can only think of one thing: kissing Carlota. The matter becomes something like an obsession because minutes pass and that thought remains there, torturing her until Carlota comes out of the shower and smiles at her shyly, wrongly thinking that Patricia has already forgotten about that moment of connection they had earlier.

"Ready?" Carlota asks, eager to leave this room where she feels her desire for Patricia grows like an unstoppable snowball.

"Yes, sure, let's go," Patricia responds, grabbing her coat.

They both leave the room as if it had just caught fire and advance down the hallway toward the stairs as if they had agreed not to use the elevator. Patricia walks ahead, trying to find something to think about that will help her forget these obsessive urges to taste Carlota's lips, but she can't find it even in those abstract landscape paintings decorating the hallway walls. When they reach the stairs, Patricia starts descending with some urgency, and Carlota follows her, panting while her mind tries to piece together all the pieces that don't let her see clearly how far her feelings for Patricia go, but she won't need to because when Patricia reaches the landing, she can't contain herself anymore and lets her body act and take what it needs, so she stops abruptly and turns just as Carlota reaches the last step, passes her hands around her neck with a gentleness that makes the volunteer dizzy, and kisses her.

Carlota feels like she's floating on a cloud that simultaneously makes her dizzy. The kiss gives her an adrenaline rush that mixes with an intense tingling that runs through her body until it paralyzes her and makes her smile absurdly against Patricia's lips, who catches her laughter and stops the kiss. They look at each other without saying anything for a split second, but Carlota doesn't need more for all the pieces to suddenly fit together and conclude that she's falling in love with Patricia.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," Patricia says to ease the tension of the moment.

Carlota shakes her head without losing that silly smile.

"It's okay."

Again, they both remain with their gazes locked, trapped in a silence that isn't uncomfortable, but they don't know how to break either.

"I think we're a bit nervous and overwhelmed," Patricia finally says after clearing her throat a couple of times. "How about we go get breakfast and talk about this later, when we're more relaxed?"

"I think that's a good idea," Carlota agrees.

During breakfast, they both manage to relax, but the topic gets put aside because one of Patricia's friends stops by to greet them and tells them about one of the markets they can't miss. Carlota shows enthusiasm, and Patricia, who feels a tremendous need to please her, looks it up on the map they were given, and they both leave the hostel as soon as they finish breakfast.

The day passes, and neither of them feels the need to talk about it because they want to enjoy everything they visit and feel they have time for everything. Besides, they feel very comfortable walking and sharing this experience together, where they behave like a couple without barely realizing it. Carlota loves stopping at all the Christmas stalls they find along the way, and Patricia loves pressing against her back and wrapping her arms around her waist while looking at the ornaments.

"Are you having a good time?" Patricia asks while they're queuing to enter the restaurant they've chosen for lunch.

Again, she's behind and Carlota in front, between her arms.

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