Aahana Swrup
In ‘Am I OK,’ the viewers accompany protagonist Lucy as she undergoes a transitional period of her life after she finally confronts her sexuality and comes out as a lesbian. The reveal arrives on the heels of Jane, her best friend’s announcement that she’s moving to London for work— affirming a drastic change in Lucy’s life that she feels ill-equipped to handle. Although Jane’s news triggers the other woman’s coming out, Lucy’s new co-worker at the Spa, Brittany, also plays an instrumental role in bringing about her awakening.
Consequently, in the coming days, as the two best friends attempt to introduce Lucy to the world of dating women, the woman maintains a will-they-won’t-they romance with Brittany. For the same reason, fans are bound to wonder about the masseuse’s sexuality, which promises to determine her place in Lucy’s orbit. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Brittany and Her Relationship With Lucy
At 32 years old, Lucy finally finds herself prepared to face the idea that she experiences an attraction toward other women. Furthermore, despite dating a few men in her life— or either because of it— she remains confident that she doesn’t experience attraction toward them. Even though she has had good male friendships, she’s never been entirely comfortable and satisfied in a heterosexual relationship. Hence, her perpetual disposition as a single woman with minimal dating experience. As such, once Lucy analyses her sexuality, she realizes she’s a lesbian.
Still, although deducing this process for Lucy remains easy— the same doesn’t prove to be true for Brittany. Brittany, the newest masseuse at Lucy’s workplace, the Cure Spa, continues to be overtly friendly with the other woman during the early days of their acquaintance. Through nicknames, compliments, and innocent— but constant— touches, Brittany sends mixed signals toward Lucy, who can’t help but wonder if the masseuse is attracted to her. For the same reason, Lucy ends up infatuated with Brittany.
In many ways, Brittany becomes Lucy’s sexual awakening since she’s the first woman the latter seriously considers hooking up with and dating. Meanwhile, Brittany continues to remain vague about her preference by talking about ex-boyfriends in the same breath as acknowledging that sexuality is a spectrum for most people. In doing so, she gives Lucy just enough hope to keep hanging on to her every word. Likewise, with time, her displays of physical affection become more and more intimate.
Eventually, Brittany bites the bullet by inviting herself over to Lucy’s house under the thinly veiled excuse of a “closet swap.” Needless to say, the homoerotic idea of Lucy dressing and undressing in front of the other woman ends with the pair hooking up. Nonetheless, the next morning, while Lucy is open to affectionate cuddling and more, Brittany takes a quick and awkward leave. Comparing their reactions post-hook-up, it becomes clear that while Lucy sports a massive crush on the other woman, Brittany doesn’t necessarily reciprocate the same feelings.
Brittany and Her Bi-Curiosity
Despite discussing her sexuality in terms of a spectrum, Brittany previously admits to having only ever dabbled in heterosexuality. Even when she’s eager to hook up with Lucy, her interest lies more in finally hooking up with a woman rather than advancing a romantic relationship with Lucy. She proves the same by constantly avoiding her co-worker and immediately getting back together with an ex-boyfriend. Consequently, her actions remain indicative that her night with the other woman wasn’t nearly as transformative for her as it was for Lucy. Thus, it becomes evident that Brittany’s momentary attraction toward Lucy was mostly just a result of her bi-curiosity.
Bi-curiosity is a term used for individuals who are interested in pursuing a relationship with a gender they aren’t usually attracted to. Commonly, this term— normally a temporary identity— is employed for people who are questioning their sexuality without a definitive answer. Therefore, in Brittany’s case, it seems the woman exists on the heterosexual end of the spectrum with only slight interest in dabbling in a homosexual relationship. Therefore, her brief affair with Lucy ends up becoming much less significant for her than her partner. Even so, Brittany seems apologetic that Lucy became the collateral damage in her exploration of her sexuality. The same showcases that despite the fallout from her actions, the woman never had any ill intentions of ruining her friendship with Lucy. Still, Brittany’s disinterest in pursuing a relationship with Lucy after sleeping with her leads to the end of their friendship.
Read More: Am I OK: Is Jane Gay or Bisexual?
