Coming to Grips Ch. 02

Despite blushing furiously, Suzanne managed to act as if Colby's comment didn't get to her. It helped that Colby did not look her in the face. "I think your legs are right for your body and height, Colby."

"I know. I just wish I was taller at times," Colby replied wistfully. "Anyhow, we met at a bar for a drink and then went to a club. It was fun. God, I danced a lot, not all with her either. She saw friends and disappeared a few times with them."

"Wow, that was kind of rude," Suzanne commented. In her mind, Suzanne thought how if she was ever with someone like Colby, there is no way she'd leave her alone.

"Yeah, it didn't win her points. The first time she did it, I turned down a couple of offers to dance. The second time, I didn't. Fortunately for her, she didn't complain when she came back. She just took me back on the dance floor and thanked me for being okay with talking with her friends," Colby said. After a few moments she added, "It was kind of nice. She won a few of those points back."

This time it was Colby who blushed as she looked over at Suzanne. Her lips had a little naughty looking smile. "Enough that when we made out later, I let it go a little further than just kisses." She giggled. "I mean not much further; it was a first date after all. But yeah, a little." Still blushing, she looked at Suzanne more directly. "I hope it's okay to tell you that. It feels like we are friends too."

Suzanne nodded. "We are. It's fine. What we talk about as friends stays just with us." Her insides didn't match her calm exterior. The jealousy, longing and excitement that were all present warred with each other, making her feel quite confused. Suzanne tried to bring them all under control. If she couldn't let herself be anything more, Suzanne wanted at least to be a good friend. "Are you going to go out with her again?"

"I don't know. I mean she was nice, other than disappearing. And she is cute, if slightly more butch than I typically like," Colby said, slowly trailing off.

"But?" Suzanne asked, sensing there was more.

"It is just I didn't feel a spark with her. I mean, I don't expect to fall in love at first sight, but I want a connection. Like I said, a spark if you know what I mean," Colby said as she looked at Suzanne.

Suzanne nodded. "Yeah, I do," she said in a soft voice.

Before either of them could say anything more, the gate agents announced the beginning of boarding. Suzanne got to her feet, shouldered her laptop bag, and grabbed her roll-on. "Come on, I'm Gold with them. If I tell them we are traveling together, they'll let us board earlier."

Colby stood up with a grin. "Cool! I don't think I've boarded early since I was little and they let families with little kids on early."

As Suzanne predicted, there was no fuss and they were among the first people boarding the plane. Colby went ahead of Suzanne, who found it impossible not to get fixed on watching Colby. Her tunic covered her ass but he way it flicked back and forth was hypnotic. It was only as they entered the plane that Suzanne managed to tear her eyes away. She felt guilty ogling her co-worker. Still, she couldn't help making a little sigh just before they bunched up. That was actually worse. The man behind her crowded Suzanne and she ended up being pressed against Colby. "Fuck," Suzanne thought to herself. On their own, she felt her nipples start to harden. "Thank goodness I have on the jacket. "

Offered the choice, Colby took the window seat. "Sorry," she said looking over at Suzanne after they were settled. "I just don't fly much." Her eyes were full of excitement.

"Don't be sorry! I fly too much. I like being on the aisle better anyhow," Suzanne replied. She liked how animated Colby looked and couldn't help smiling. Slowly though, her smile faded away as thoughts about her father invaded her mind. Despite the fact that she was not even thinking about Colby sexually right then, there was still the underlying attraction. Even that now caused her to feel a little wave of guilt. Reaching into the seat pocket, she pulled out the inflight magazine and listlessly glanced through it.

The transition in her mood did not slip past Colby. The distracted forlorn look was one that now seemed a frequent visitor on Suzanne's face. Colby looked out the window and tried to hide the little sigh she made. Her own mood darkened. "It's only been a couple of weeks since I met her," she thought. "But she is already a friend and I hate to see a friend so unhappy." She glanced back over at Suzanne who tried to give her a little smile. It only made her look sadder.

"What I really want to do is just put my arms around her and hug her," Colby thought as she looked back out the window. An image of holding Suzanne like that passed through her mind. With a tiny start, Colby recognized the beginnings of arousal at that thought. "Fuck, where did that come from?" she asked herself. "The last thing that she needs is to worry that I'm going to hit on her." Closing her eyes, Colby concentrated on erasing the image from her mind and letting the arousal fade.

When it was completely gone, Colby turned to Suzanne and asked her about some of the details for tomorrow. That at least seemed a safe topic and their moods both brightened up as they fell into an animated discussion that continued uninterrupted through takeoff and the start of the flight. As it slowly petered out an hour later, Suzanne decided to get out her laptop and do some work while Colby read a book.

Even though it had not been a particularly early morning for Colby, reading relaxed her and she started to yawn. Finally, she put her book down and closed her eyes. "Just for a moment," she thought. It did not take much more than a moment for her to fall asleep.

With her attention on her laptop, Suzanne didn't notice Colby for a long time. Only when Colby's head fell against her arm did Suzanne realize that Colby had drifted off. From the instant that Colby's head touched her, all of Suzanne's concentration for work vanished. All she was aware of was the feeling of the beautiful woman leaning against her. Her chest got tight and each breath started to feel harder to take than the one before.

It was even worse when Colby murmured in her sleep and her body shifted. Before it was just the side of Colby's head, but now she was pressing the entire side of her body against Suzanne.

A very loud voice inside Suzanne's head told her to "push her off you." A much softer and more seductive voice said the opposite. "It's innocent, and you might as well enjoy it." Feeling weak, Suzanne gave in to the latter voice. Shutting down her laptop, Suzanne leaned back and closed her eyes. Being very careful not to let her thoughts stray into dangerous area, she nevertheless let herself enjoy the feeling of a woman like Colby touching her like this.

"It doesn't mean anything. It's innocent," Suzanne thought to herself. The light perfume that Colby was wearing drifted past her nose, as did the fresh scent of her recently washed hair. After a few minutes, Suzanne realized that she didn't need to force away any sexual thoughts. "It's not that kind of moment," she thought to herself. It was better than that. It reminded her of when she was with Chloe and they were just together. "I loved being able to touch her. The feeling of normalcy." A memory of reading over at Chloe's house on a rainy Sunday afternoon came to her. They were on a little couch; each of them laying back against one end. Chloe had her legs up over Suzanne's while they held hands. Every time they had to turn a page, their hands would part for the briefest second before coming back together.

"That's what life should be like," Suzanne thought. Usually a memory like that would spark a wave of depression. Today, with Colby peacefully sleeping next to her, she could hold it off. It wasn't quite happiness, but it was much better than her normal despair. It took longer than it had for Colby, but eventually Suzanne fell asleep too.

The flight was almost to Boston when Colby stirred. Suzanne was still sleeping with her breath making soft whispers. Raising up her head, Colby realized she must have been lying against Suzanne's arm for a long time. There was a little damp spot on the upper arm where her lips had been. Colby blushed as she figured out that she must have drooled a little bit. Hopefully it would quickly dry.

As she slowly became fully awake, Colby took advantage of the fact that Suzanne still was asleep to look at her. In her efforts to be professional with her new co-worker, and more importantly not make her uncomfortable, Colby had avoided really looking at Suzanne. Now she gave herself permission.

"She's really quite good looking, isn't she," Colby thought to herself. Her face was lightly tan with a few freckles on her slightly upturned nose. While her lips weren't overly plump, they were full enough. When she did smile, it lit up her face. The fact that her smiles were somewhat rare was part of why it was easy not to notice how pretty she was. Even with her eyes closed now, Colby could see them in her mind. Dark and expressive, they were usually the window into her mood. "I can always tell by looking at them. And more often than not, there is pain in them," Colby thought. Her straight hair framed her face, although as was often the case it was now partially covering one side. Colby wanted to reach over and brush it away but she stopped herself.

It took a little bit of effort for Colby to look at Suzanne's body. "I feel a little pervy," she told herself as she did it. Still, it was a chance to look at Suzanne that she wouldn't take any other time. Suzanne's jacket hung loose and the rise of one breast was in full view. It wasn't much of a breast. Suzanne wasn't flat chested but she was certainly small. Colby couldn't help sighing. "Just the type I like," she thought. Maybe it was an opposites thing but a slim body like Suzanne's was what attracted her the most. Although she couldn't see Suzanne's hips and ass, those parts of her body were easy to see normally without being noticed. With as short as she was, Suzanne's height was a little intimidating but Colby meant it when she praised Suzanne's legs earlier. They seemed to go on forever and were perfectly toned.

"Too bad she isn't a dyke," Colby thought to herself. "And a co-worker ... actually a superior. I could really go for her if it weren't for those pesky facts." She made a little sigh again as she looked back to Suzanne's face.

Just then, Suzanne's eyes fluttered open and met Colby's. Her eyes were still full of sleep, but their eyes locked for a few moments. Both of their eyes were unreadable and they each wondered what the other was thinking. Then Suzanne broke the spell with a long stretch.

"Wow, I don't normally sleep on a daytime flight," Suzanne said as she wiped at her eyes. She looked over at Colby with a little grin. "I blame you. You infected me with your sleep! How is someone supposed to resist falling asleep with you snoozing away on their shoulder?"

Her eyes flicking back to the little spot on Suzanne's arm, Colby blushed. "You could have woken me! Or at least pushed me off you. I wouldn't have minded," she told Suzanne.

That made Suzanne's grin get bigger. "You looked too comfortable. I didn't have the heart to disturb you." She laughed when Colby's face turned a deeper red. "Really it's okay. The only issue will be when I want to sleep tonight. I'm not going to be ready to sleep for quite a while."

Without thinking, Colby replied. "I'll just have to keep you occupied until then since it's my fault." As soon as she said it, Colby immediately thought, "Why the hell did I say that and that way. It sounds like I'm flirting." She stuttered for a second. When she finally spoke, her voice was full of chagrin. "I mean we can do something because I am sure I will have the same problem. Hang out or something," she finished lamely. The deep blush in her cheeks showed no signs of disappearing.

Suzanne looked at Colby for a second. "I wonder if she knows how she sounded. I mean she must have because she is trying to correct it," she thought to herself. Aloud, she nodded and said, "Of course we will. I'm not going to abandon you on the first night of your first trip. We'll go out for dinner and then find something to do. There are lots of bars close to the hotel, plus the one in the hotel." She smiled at Colby. "I sound like a lush, knowing all that. I just mean, we just have options."

At the same time, Suzanne couldn't help wish a little that Colby really meant what she said in the way it sounded. It wasn't possible, she realized but the idea that another woman was attracted to her was a nice one. She had not experienced that since she had been an undergraduate. A tiny corner of her brain piped in, "That you know of." Suzanne didn't realize how much her eyes twinkled at that thought.

The flight attendants were starting to make their way through the cabin. Suzanne stored away her laptop while Colby grabbed their trash to throw away. As Suzanne moved her seat upright, she looked over at Colby.

"Anything you would like to do for dinner? There are some great seafood restaurants here. Of course, we are coming from the land of seafood. What do you feel like?"

Colby had to bite off a smartass reply. "Not appropriate," she sternly reminded herself. Aloud she said, "I don't feel like doing something fancy. What about Irish? Boston is like the capital of Irish America. Is there someplace close, like an Irish pub?"

"I know one that is a short cab ride from our hotel. I think it will be what you are hoping for. It is a fun place and we can hang there after eating if we want; or we can go somewhere else," Suzanne replied. Colby got a smile and nodded. As the plane began to descend, Colby looked out the window to watch the landing. The excited look in her eyes was enough to make Suzanne chuckle. She had lost that feeling about flying a long time ago. Now it was just a part of her job. Still, a little bit of Colby's excitement rubbed off and she found herself looking forward to the next few days more than she expected.

Getting off the plane and collecting their luggage took longer than Suzanne guessed. The airport was busy and one of the cases with the materials only came out at baggage claim with the last group. "Oh, thank goodness! There it is," she said with a deep sigh of relief. They would have made it work if it was missing, but she was relieved they didn't need to try.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was almost eight o'clock. With the time change, they were not starving but given what was available on the plane they were both hungry. Suzanne got her key first and then waited for Colby. "What floor are you on?" she asked as Colby walked away from the desk.

"I'm in 709," Colby replied.

"Hey, 720! We're on the same floor," Suzanne said with a smile. As they started moving towards the elevator, Suzanne continued talking. "So what do you want to do? Do you need some time to freshen up?"

"Just enough time to wash my face and then fix it a little. If you need more though, I can wait," Colby told her.

"No, I'm fine too. Why don't we meet down here ten minutes after we get into the rooms?" Suzanne suggested.

"Sounds great!"

They separated when the elevator door open; each one headed in the opposite direction to their rooms. It did not take Suzanne much time before she was ready to head downstairs. She checked her watch, still five more minutes. Pacing around the room, she allowed herself to think about spending the next few nights with Colby. Most of the time up until now, she had tried to ignore it. Especially with them about to go out to dinner, she couldn't avoid it. The professional side of things with Colby was good, she acknowledged. The budding friendship was too, mostly.

"I just have to keep other thoughts from getting in the way," Suzanne said aloud. "Even if I was free," she thought, "I still am a co-worker and a more senior one. So nothing could happen anyhow." She considered that. "Maybe that is the easiest way to handle this. Yes, I'm attracted to her but I just need to get past that because it's not appropriate." Somehow, that seemed to help. She didn't need to let Colby get caught up in her promise to her father. This was way more straightforward. Glancing at her watch, she realized that more than five minutes had passed. Grabbing her jacket, she checked for her key and then headed downstairs.

When she reached the lobby, Suzanne looked around to see if Colby was already there. After a moment, she spotted her standing by the door, looking out at the street. Her hair had been brushed and her outfit straightened, as if it was freshly worn. Colby might complain that she had short legs, but for Suzanne's perspective, they were perfect for her body. The tunic was loose enough to be comfortable, but it clung to Colby in ways that showed off her curves. "Okay," Suzanne thought as she took a deep breath. "I said easier, not easy." Just then, Colby turned and saw her. The way her face lit up made Suzanne groan inside. Still, she couldn't help returning the smile. "I'll make it through this," she told herself.

Dinner actually wasn't difficult. While the pub was fun and authentic, it was not fancy and there was little privacy there. The tables and booths were all exposed and even if intimacy was what they wanted, there was none to be found. It was crowded and occasionally they almost had to shout to be heard. Colby had a great time; and her good mood was infectious. Suzanne's earlier depression was nowhere to be seen. Beginning to get a sense of Suzanne, Colby avoided topics that seemed to be triggers. Instead, they let themselves stay in the moment.

When they got back to the hotel, it still wasn't late according to their west coast body clocks. It may have been almost eleven, but between the time change and their long naps, they were both wide-awake. "You want to get a drink in the bar?" Suzanne asked.

Colby smiled. "Sure. I'm not ready for bed and I'd probably just channel surf."

Making their way into the bar, they found a quiet corner. There were a few others in there, but it was obviously a slow Monday night. The waiters must have already gone home because they only saw a bartender. As soon as they sat down, she came out from behind the bar. She was pretty with red hair in a pixie cut. Although her black skirt was not as short as a cocktail waitress, it was still well above the knee. Her white shirt was a little tight which served to show off her breasts. Colby's enjoyment of watching her approach was apparent. Suzanne kept hers well hidden.

"Hi there! How are you two doing tonight?" the bartender said as she smiled at both of them. The one she gave Suzanne lasted a fraction longer than Colby's. "I'm Sandy. What would you like?"

Colby couldn't help notice that Sandy's eyes met Suzanne's as she said that. Her gaydar was already going off. It wasn't as if she was on the prowl, but still it didn't seem fair. "Well, I'll have a martini," she said which caused the bartender to look at her. Colby saw that her eyes were green. "If I was on the prowl...," she thought to herself with the tiniest sigh.

"Alright, one martini? And you?" Sandy asked as she once again gave Suzanne all her attention.

"I like tequila. What types do you have?" Suzanne asked.

Rather than listing them off, Sandy picked up the little bar menu. "There is a list here," she said as she moved alongside Suzanne. Opening it up to the page, she put it down on the table next to Suzanne and leaned over as she ran her finger down the list. The side of her body brushed against Suzanne. "Here they are. We have some nice ones," she said as she looked over at Suzanne.