Deep in Desire: A Sapphic Age-Gap Romance

Deborah nodded thoughtfully. “I’d be happy to help, Esme. Holly seems like she could have a lot of potential, and an internship would be a great opportunity for her to gain some valuable experience.”

“Do I even get a say in this?” asked Holly, her cheeks turning pink. “I do appreciate the offer, Deborah. I just… I don’t want to feel like I’m being forced into something by my mother, you know?”

Deborah’s eyes softened as she looked at Holly. “I don’t think she’s forcing you, Holly. It’s about giving you a chance to see where your strengths lie. What do you think?”

Esme reached out and squeezed Holly’s hand. “I believe in you, sweetheart. I want to see you find something that makes you happy and fulfilled. Something that isn’t surfing.”

“Do you want to come by my office? We can talk there.”

“I guess so. I came here to talk to you, Mom. But I guess the talk is over with, right?”

“Consider that your pep talk, baby,” Esme laughed.

Holly and Deborah took a cab to the WebFlix headquarters downtown. Once inside Deborah’s office on the top floor, Holly felt the familiar surge of emotions that had accompanied being alone with her every single time they’d met. The office was a sanctuary of calm and order, and Holly couldn’t help but feel intimidated. Deborah gestured for Holly to take a seat on the plush leather chair opposite her mahogany desk. She was acting so professional when all Holly wanted was for Deborah to climb on top of her and rip off every shred of her clothing.

Deborah sat down, gracefully crossing her legs. “So, what’s on your mind, Holly? Things are a bit tense with your mom, are they?”

Holly took a deep breath, fidgeting with her fingernails. “Listen, I think I’m in no place to be taking on this internship. Not here. Not with you. I should be excited at an opportunity handed to me on a plate, but I can’t help feeling like I’d mess everything up.”

Deborah leaned forward, her eyes filled with understanding. “Holly, you’re more capable than you give yourself credit for. This really could be a fantastic opportunity for you to learn and grow. And I’ll be there to support you every step of the way.”

Holly looked up, meeting Deborah’s gaze. “You think I can do this? Come on! What about all that time you needed?”

“I know you can,” Deborah said firmly.

Holly sighed, feeling the weight of Deb’s expectations. “I’ll do the internship. But I want to make sure it’s on my terms, that I’m doing it for me, not just to please my mom and Nora.”

“Of course,” Deborah said gently. “We’ll work together to ensure it’s a meaningful experience for you. Setting all of our moments aside, I still wantto help you, and I obviously care about you so very much.”

The tension in the room eased slightly. Holly felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something positive.

“And maybe I can find you a position in another department? Art design? Accounting? What’s your yum?”

“You’re my yum, Deborah.”

The air between Holly and Deborah seemed to crackle with an electric tension, a barely restrained energy that almost hummed as Holly’s words lingered in the air. Deborah’s eyes widened slightly, her breath audibly catching in her throat. She was clearly trying so hard to remain professional. To be the helpful best friend. To be a responsible adult.

“Holly,” Deborah said softly, her voice a gentle caress in the charged silence. “That’s not what I?—”

“I know,” Holly interrupted, her heart racing as she stood up and moved to Deborah’s side of the desk. The space between them shrank until they were mere inches apart.

Deborah’s gaze dropped to Holly’s lips, then back to her eyes, her breath coming quicker now. “Holly, this is?—”

“Complicated, I know.” Holly’s whisper was barely audible, but it was enough. “But you know I don’t want to be a colleague, Deborah.”

Deborah’s hand reached up to touch Holly’s cheek, her fingers trembling slightly. “I don’t want to make this any harder. I just… I didn’t think?—”

“—that we’d ever feel this way about each other?” Holly finished for her, her voice a mixture of hope and apprehension. “Because I didn’t either.”

As Holly leaned downward, their faces were so close that she could feel Deborah’s warm breath.

“Holly,” Deborah murmured, “I’m not sure if this is the right time or place.”

Holly’s eyes fluttered closed, her lips parting slightly. “Maybe it’s not about the right time or place. Maybe it’s just about us… right now.”

Without another word, Holly closed the remaining gap between them. Her lips met Deborah’s in a soft, hesitant kiss that quickly grew deeper as both women gave in to the undeniable pull of their emotions. Deborah responded with equal enthusiasm, her arms wrapping around in a frenzy of emotion.

When they finally broke apart, both women looked at each other with relief and wonder.