Finding Love Pt. 05

* * * *

"I think you should let me drive," Meg signed as they reached the car.

"Hey, I can drive you know," Kate said feigning offense. "And this is not the busy city but my quiet little hometown."

There was no point in trying to argue with Kate as she climbed into the driver's side then leaned over and opened the passenger's door for Meg. Meg just rolled her eyes and entered the car, making a point to buckle up before she closed the door.

"What, you don't trust me?" Kate said with a grin. She backed out of the driveway and coasted down the street. Meg relaxed a little as they made their way into the heart of the small town.

Kate pulled into a small parking lot, turned the ignition off and turned to Meg. "So are you ready for lunch or would you like to see some sights first?"

"Well, what is there to see around here?"

"We can go shopping, see a movie at the old theater or check out the playhouse. There's also a rollerblading rink or we can go to the park, walk around or sit on one of the benches for some peace and quiet." Kate said.

"I haven't been rollerblading since I was a teenager," Meg signed with a smile.

"Well to the rink it is."

The walk to the rink was a short one. Along the way they passed a few people who were out, just milling about it seemed. They either waved or nodded at Kate. It seemed everyone was familiar with each other in some form or fashion.

"Hi Mr. Murphy. Size eight for my friend and eight and a half for me please," Kate said to the ancient looking man behind the counter. He grunted his acknowledgement, handed over the skates and collected the twenty dollar rental charge.

As they sat at the bench putting on their skates, Kate signed, "Old Mr. Murphy has been at that counter forever. As far as I know, he's never said a word to anyone. He just grunts. When I was in high school, my friends and I made a game out of trying to get him to say something. For a while we thought he was mute but seems he's not, just doesn't talk."

"Maybe he just doesn't have anything to say," Meg offered and Kate nodded.

"That was my thought too."

"Kate, how do you know my shoe size?" Meg asked, thinking that she and Kate had never been out shoe shopping together.

"Meg, we've worked together for four years now, you'd be surprise what I know about you," Kate said. She quickly finished lacing up her skates and stood.

"Hurry up slow poke. Last one out there has to buy lunch," Kate called as she stepped onto the skating surface.

Meg would have called 'no fair' but Kate was already gone.

There weren't many people on the floor as it was almost midday on a Sunday ― some teenagers, a couple of love birds.

Kate was already making a lap around the skating ring. Meg watched transfixed at Kate's grace and athleticism as she came around, laughing and whizzing past Meg. Meg slowly made her way out as Kate joined her.

"You okay?" Kate asked as she skated backwards, slightly ahead of Meg.

"Yes," Meg tried to sign and almost lost her balance. Kate's reflexes where lightning quick as she grabbed Meg and kept her from falling.

They skated arm in arm, Kate leading, as they made lap after lap. Neither spoke but each silently enjoyed the closeness of the other.

Kate relished the scent of Meg's perfume, the warmth of her arm where Kate held her, the gentle whipping of Meg's hair in the light breeze. Meg was equally enthralled. Kate's hand on her arm felt divine. It was warm and soft, but also spoke of the underlying strength Meg knew Kate possessed. Kate mostly wore long sleeved tops or shirts but today she was wearing a short sleeve t-shirt. Her arms ― most of her bicep was visible, and Meg could see the play of the muscles there. Kate was feminine but also had a hint of masculinity in her that was very appealing to Meg.

Taking Meg's hand in her own, Kate smiled, then gently twirled Meg around as if they were dancing. As Meg became more comfortable balancing, they became more daring in their dance moves, spinning and moving around, syncing with each other perfectly.

When they finally stopped to catch their breath, Meg heard the scattered applause from the few who had watched their little performance. Meg blushed, thinking what they must have looked like to everyone. She wondered if they thought she and Kate were together. Seeing how close knit everyone seemed to be, they all probably knew about Kate and her preferences.

"What's up?" Kate asked when she saw Meg blush.

"The people, few as they are, were clapping for us for our little performance," Meg signed.

"Oh yeah, they must think we've got some talent. You move very well. For all the time we've talked and been friends, we've never been out clubbing or dancing together. We should go. There's a place in our neighboring town we can go to if you want. We could have a few drinks, dance a little. Could be fun," Kate suggested as they both made their way back out to Mr. Murphy's station, skates in hand.

"That sounds like a great idea. Oh damn it, I didn't pack anything I can wear to go dancing," Meg remembered.

"No problem. Let's go get lunch, which you have to buy, and then we can go shop for something."

"Sounds like a great idea."

Chapter 29

The Blue Star restaurant was new. It had only opened in the last year or so and Kate had never been there, as her last visit home had been quite some time ago. The place was nicely done with warm colors and a very inviting atmosphere.

They were seated at a quiet corner. They browsed the lunch menu, both deciding on sandwiches and sodas. Meg had the club sandwich with coleslaw while Kate had a steak with a side of fries.

They were both ravenous after their skating adventure and dug in heartily and mostly in silence. They were about half way through lunch when a tall and very lovely woman appeared at their table.

She was about Kate's age, with luscious dark hair that fell midway down her back. She wore a dark skirt that fell to just above her knees and a halter back bright red top. Her nails and lips matched the color of the top as did her heels. Her face was classically beautiful with high cheek bones, a small nose and alluring green eyes. Her body was slim with gentle yet sexy curves.

She smiled brightly at both of them but turned her attention to Kate.

"Kate, my god, it's been years, how are you?" She asked. Kate smiled warmly in recognition.

"Hello Patricia. It has been a long time. I'm well thanks, and you?"

"Doing good as you can see. This is my little niche," Patricia said and waved her hand to indicate the restaurant.

"Oh, congrats Pat. It's a really nice place. Where are my manners! This is Megan, a really good friend," Kate said.

"Nice to meet you, Megan," Patricia said and offered her hand.

"Same here," Meg answered as they shook briefly.

"So are you home for a while Kate?"

"A little bit yeah."

"That's good, maybe we could get together, catch up, if your friend doesn't mind?" Patricia asked.

"I'll have to see how my time goes, but sure, that sounds like fun," Kate said.

"I'm sure it will be, just like old times perhaps," Patricia said, her words dripping with innuendo. Kate missed the tone but Meg didn't and she wondered just who this Patricia was to Kate.

A part of her felt jealous but her rational mind told her to cool it; after all she had no claim to Kate, not yet anyway. If she ever had the courage to say what was in her heart then perhaps she would not have to feel threatened by this woman.

Patricia said her goodbyes and left. The rest of the meal was finished quickly and they left to go shop for something for Meg to wear tonight.

It turned out that for a small town, there were many delightful shops and Meg found herself forgetting about Patricia or what she may have meant to Kate as they moved from shop to shop.

Meg had no idea what she was doing to Kate as she tried on outfit after outfit and basically modeled for Kate. She looked so beautiful, so sexy and Kate had to control herself from feeling too much lest she blurt out what was in her heart to Meg.

After dropping Meg off at the inn, Kate headed home. Her mom was waiting for her as she came through the door.

"Where's Meg and why did you two sneak off today?" Sabrina signed quickly.

"I just wanted to show her around Mom, that's all. She's at the Highlight, we're going out later for dinner and then to a club."

"You two could have had dinner here; I'd like to get to know her better."

"Mom, you've already got her asking why you and dad were acting so strange today. You have to cool it. She's only here to see how I am and then she'll head back home," Kate said seriously.

"Katie, I know you're blind to your own heart but you can't be blind to hers," Sabrina signed and shook her head.

"Mom, I love Meg but she doesn't feel the same way about me. She made it very clear that she's straight and not into women. As much as I would love for her to want me and for us to be together, it's just not going to happen."

"Sweetheart, you may not want to believe it, but she is into you. Why else would she come all the way out here just to check on you? Just give me half an hour with her and I'll find out."

"NO! Mom no, you are not going to interrogate her. You will leave this alone; please Mom. She's a good friend and I don't want anything to mess that up."

"But Katie ..." Sabrina began.

"Mother please, for me, don't say anything to her. I'll die if she finds out how much I'm in love with her. I'm begging you Mom, I can't live with her knowing how much of a fool I am, falling for her when I knew from the start that there wasn't anything between us beyond friendship," Kate pleaded.

"Alright, I won't say anything, but I want you to do something for me."

"Okay."

"When you go out with her tonight, watch her closely. Try to be objective and see her reactions to you. You might be surprised what you notice. Also, have a talk with Logan before you go out if you can."

"Alright Mom, I'll go see if he's available and I'll try. Thanks Mom, for understanding," Kate said and hugged Sabrina.

"I'm trying, baby girl. You know I only want you to be happy," Sabrina said when the hug ended. Kate nodded and went upstairs.

* * * *

Kate was able to connect with Logan online. She told him about what their Mother had said. He agreed that it was prudent to observe Meg and if there was even the slightest hint of interest, then she should talk to Meg about it. Kate wasn't very optimistic about there being any but agreed to keep an open mind about everything.

After her shower and a nice orgasm to take the edge off of her lustful feelings, Kate dressed in white fitted jeans, a black, collared, three quarter sleeve, eyelet shirt and white, low heeled sandals.

Kate borrowed her dad's car again but would have Meg drive them to the neighboring town. Driving while deaf in her quiet town was okay but it was better to not take the chance where she wasn't known.

She had seen the dress when Meg had tried it on at the store, but Kate was blown away when Meg stepped from the door of the inn.

The bright blue, twisted halter wrap dress looked especially good on Meg with her creamy white skin tone. It left her shoulders bare, hugged her body and fell to mid thigh, showing off Meg's gorgeous legs and feet that were in strappy, black, heeled sandals.

Her makeup was lightly done and highlighted her eyes perfectly. She left her hair loose so that it fell around her shoulders. She looked sexy ― not that she didn't always look that way in Kate's eyes, but somehow it was more so at this moment.

Kate stood speechless for a moment, her knees literally going weak. Meg blushed under Kate's gaze and smiled shyly at her as Kate's eyes roamed up and down Meg's body.

"You look fantastic," Kate managed to say.

"Thanks. So do you," Meg replied. Kate smiled and opened the driver's side door. She was almost floored seeing Meg's legs as the dress rode up on Meg as she entered the car.

Kate closed the door and took a moment to pull herself together before she entered the passenger side and gave Meg directions to where they were going.

As they drove, Kate couldn't help glancing at Meg's legs in the dim light the street lamps provided. She had to stop herself; otherwise she was going to make a fool of herself. 'How in the world am I going to survive being at the club with Meg?'

In Meg's case, she was feeling good. She saw the way Kate looked at he; the hunger in Kate's eyes. Kate still wanted her and that gave Meg hope and confidence. She still didn't know how she was going to tell Kate about her own feelings, but somehow she felt it was not going to be as hard as she thought.

Chapter 30

Kate had made a seven thirty reservation at Casa Luca, a quaint little Italian place she had visited a few times in her past. She had enjoyed their selection of penne pasta dishes and wanted to share that experience with Meg.

They were seated at a quiet corner with soft lighting. The place was buzzing, with many couples enjoying the soft piano music. It was beautiful and much more romantic than Kate had intended it to be, but it was still welcomed by both women.

"This is really nice Kate," Meg signed as the server appeared and placed menus in front of them.

"It is, yes. I came here a few times before I lost my hearing. The food is amazing, the prices are really reasonable and the atmosphere is great. Are they still playing piano music over the speakers?"

"Yes, a slow tune; it's quite lovely."

"I'm glad you can enjoy it," Kate said with a smile. "Have I told you how beautiful you look?"

"Not in words but I could tell from the look in your eyes that you liked this dress on me," Meg answered.

"Yes, I certainly do."

"You look great too, not that you don't always," Meg said and blushed.

"Thank you, Meg," Kate said. She was a little surprised that Meg had noticed how she looked, not only tonight but on a regular basis. That thought made her feel good inside and hopeful too.

They both had the same appetizers ― bruschetta with shallots. At Kate's recommendation, Meg ordered the penne with salmon puttanesca, a savory dish with olives, capers and tomatoes mixed together with the salmon in a delightful sauce.

Kate had the penne rigate with spicy braised swordfish; the flaked swordfish with the sliced jalapeno peppers in tomato sauce was heavenly. Both dishes were accompanied by a Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, a dark red wine that added a special flavor to their meal.

For dessert they shared a plate of Cherry Almond Biscotti with espressos. The sweet cherries and almonds had their taste buds singing.

It was a dinner they would both remember for a long time.

* * * *

The Eclipse was a large dance club and bar that catered to everyone ― gay, straight or transgendered. They were very strict with their policies of 'no means no' and trouble makers were quickly removed.

The line wasn't too long and Kate and Meg only had to wait a short ten minutes before they were through the front door. Kate paid the ten dollar cover charge to the cute young woman behind the square glass window and they entered the main room.

The lights were bright and the music loud. The floor was littered with people of all ages. There were small tables that lined the walls and a huge wooden bar. Kate led Meg to the bar and ordered a mint julep for her and chose a beer for herself.

They found an empty table and sat. Meg didn't comment on Kate knowing what her favorite drink was, remembering their earlier conversation. It seemed that there really was a lot that Kate knew about Meg.

As they sipped their drinks, two young men appeared. Both were reasonably handsome but seemed to be quite young, possibly just past twenty.

"Hi ladies, I'm Paul and this is Dean, we were wondering if you ladies would be interested in dancing with us," One said. The other looked a bit unsure.

"Thanks for asking but my friend and I are just here for a girls night out, sorry," Meg said.

The one named Paul smiled and nodded then they both left. No sooner had they gone than another man walked up to them and asked Meg to dance. She kindly but firmly refused. By the time the fourth guy had been by, Meg was already fed up.

"There is one way to solve this problem but it might cause a whole other one," Kate offered.

"What's that?"

"We could dance together, which would show the men that we're together, but that might lead to some of the ladies wanting to dance with you," Kate said.

"Same goes for you. If we do, we better make it clear that we're together to avoid that ... unless you're looking to pick up someone?" Meg finished, her face showing how much she didn't like that idea.

"No, I'm here with you and I won't abandon you for someone else," Kate signed, her face serious, showing that she meant it.

"Okay, how exactly does this work then, you dancing with me?" Meg inquired, wondering for the first time how Kate would dance to music she couldn't hear.

"I'll dance according to your lead. I'll adjust my movements to how you move."

"Okay, shall we, because I see another group of guys looking to head this way."

They emptied their glasses and moved to the dance floor. A nice, moderately fast beat was playing so Meg began to move to it. Kate watched for about a minute then joined in, her movements almost mirroring Meg's.

Kate was amazed at how Meg moved, her body was so fluid, her dancing so sensual. When Meg moved, everything got into the act. Her hips gyrated, her shoulders rotated, she did a perfect bump and grind, driving Kate wild and enticing her to no end.

When the song changed to a slower number they adjusted. Kate held on to Meg's waist and Meg rested her hands on Kate's shoulders. They moved slowly, holding each other close but not too close.

Meg looked into Kate's eyes and saw such warmth there and something else; love perhaps? Meg wasn't sure.

Her eyes drifted across the rest of Kate's face and then to her lips. They were soft looking and very sexy. Meg felt a sudden urge to kiss them.

Then there was a tap on Kate's shoulder. Kate turned to find Patricia standing there, a huge grin on her face.

"Kate, small world," Patricia said as the song changed.

"Hi Pat, seems it is," Kate said, though not loud enough to be heard over the music.

"What was that?" Patricia said and stepped close to Kate, too close in Meg's opinion.

"I said it is a small world," Kate said.

"Yeah. How about a dance?" Patricia asked her face close enough to Kate's so that Kate could smell the sweet scent of the fruit drink she had been drinking. "I'm sure your friend wouldn't mind. Do you?" she asked, putting Meg on the spot. Not wanting to sound like a bitch, Meg smiled and said she didn't.

Meg needed a drink so she moved to the bar and ordered another mint julep then went back to the table that was still vacant. She watched, fuming, as Kate and Patricia danced. They started off much as she and Kate had, but then Patricia became bolder with her dancing.

She pushed closer to Kate, her hands roaming over Kate's body, her hips moving wildly, bucking her ass against Kate, then turning and trying to ground her pussy against Kate's leg. Meg could tell that Kate wasn't very comfortable with Patricia's wanton display. There was confusion and even some embarrassment on Kate's face about how Patricia was moving.

Kate was not happy with Patricia. She was having a great time with Meg and then out of nowhere Patricia came and spoiled it. Now her ridiculous display was getting on Kate's last nerve.

They had gone to high school together. When Kate came out, a lot of the students shunned her but not Patricia. They had become close and Patricia eventually became Kate's first lover.