Hidden Beauty

"They did all they could, Mrs. Druthers," Jess firmly and coldly interrupted. "And my face is fine compared to what it could have been."

The older woman was flabbergasted. "Well..."

"Come on Judith, we are interrupting their dinner," Harold piped in, and then mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Jess as he ushered his wife away. "We'll catch up with you later Jessica. Maybe come visit you at the shop. You all have a good night."

The two women silently sat as the awkwardness of the past few moments lingered. Finally Kaden said, "So... Jessica..."

"Ugh, don't call me Jessica! Please." The blonde pleaded as an obvious sadness blanketed her features. "I'm sorry I didn't have to respond that way." She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Okay....Jess, how..."

She put her hand up for Kaden to stop. The waitress came to check on them, and Jess asked for another beer and then looked back at the raven haired woman. "I'm just going to lay it out for you because this scar, the letter I received earlier, my crying, and Mrs. Druthers' comments all tie in together. And if I don't just get it out then I most likely won't at all."

"Okay."

She talked first about the very short years she was involved in beauty pageants as a teenager, and then her time in the army. "I really didn't enjoy the two pageants I was in. So much pressure and stress, and for what? Just to be recognized as something of beauty?" Jess took a couple of more bites of sushi before continuing. "The army --- now that was enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, it was hard, especially at first but I stuck it out. I was determined."

Stubborn is more like it, but I kind of like that. Kaden thought inwardly.

"I spent five years serving. I taught Jujutsu. That form of martial art was something my father had enrolled me in at age nine. He always thought it was best for a girl to know how to defend herself. I excelled quickly and was grateful I could teach it in the military. When I wasn't demonstrating how to throw your opponent across the room, I worked as part of a team who tested the government's firewall and virus protection."

"So you were a government paid hacker," Kaden plainly stated.

Jess chuckled. "Yeah I guess you could say that."

"So it was my third year in the military when I met Colin, who happened to be in my Jujutsu class. We became good friends and hit it off. It was nice." She pushed around the last piece of sushi.

Kaden noticed that the young blonde was getting lost in her thoughts, so she tried to bring her back. "What was Colin like?"

Jess smiled softly, holding back the tear that threatened to spill. "He was very laid back. Just an ordinary kind of guy who had a passion for all kinds of music. I swore sometimes he would play music based on his moods, and he had such a vast collection of CDs. He was kind and patient, and had these beautiful hazel brown eyes."

"Is there anything else I can get you ladies this evening?" the waitress chimed in.

"No, I think we're good," Kaden responded.

"I will leave this here whenever you're ready. There's no rush. Please enjoy your night."

As she walked off, Jess leaned forward and softly asked, "Would it be okay with you if we take a walk and continue the conversation?"

"That's fine."

********************

"We dated for almost two years." The blonde resumed as they leisurely walked towards the park. "He was going to ask me to marry him."

"How did you know?"

Jess tucked a lock of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. "He told me in a letter after the accident." She sighed and stepped towards a bench to sit. When the taller woman joined her, she continued. "We were at a party at our favorite bar and grill. Colin only ever drank beer, and if he happened to get drunk, he was normally a rather subdued type of drunk. Somehow his buddies thought it would be a good idea to have him drink whiskey sours, and I never understood why they did that." She looked off in the distance at nothing in particular as her mind replayed the scene. "After three or four of them, Colin grew very quiet, but I could also see that he was somewhat agitated. We started playing pool and another drink had been pushed into his hand. Colin missed the shot on his turn because some tall stranger bumped into him. He threw down the pool cue and just started cussing up a storm. Him and the stranger exchanged threats and Colin's friends tried to diffuse the situation, but it was like he wasn't in his right mind. He suddenly shoved the other guy, who returned with a punch to Colin's jaw. A scuffle broke out that escalated quickly. I apparently had this idea that if I could just knock Colin out, then that would put an end to all of this and I'd apologize later. When I put my hand on his shoulder, swinging him around, it was too late when I saw the broken beer bottle in his hand. In surprise or just utter shock, I didn't expect him to come at me in a blind haze. The next thing I knew I woke up staring at the ceiling from the hospital bed." Jess ran a hand through her shaggy blonde locks, and let out a huge sigh before finishing.

"He was so ridden with guilt over what happened. He couldn't face me, and claimed it wasn't because I looked ugly. In a letter he explained how much he loved me and wanted to marry me and have children. But he kept beating himself up over the incident. He volunteered to be assigned anywhere there was danger. I found out from one of our mutual friends that Colin basically went off the deep end. It was like he sought after death, walking away from what we had. Well, later that year I received the notice of my uncle's passing. So I inherited the comic book shop and decided to just leave the military and everything else behind me." She wiped at her face as a few more tears spilled.

Kaden watched carefully, debating with herself whether she should embrace her new friend to comfort her or not.

"When you found me earlier in the office, I had received a certified letter from the military that Colin was killed in Afghanistan. They included a sealed letter that he apparently requested be delivered to me upon his death. In it, he spoke of love, more apologies, and guilt. He just couldn't forgive himself for disfiguring me. He said that he knew each time he would see the scar, it would be a reminder of the terrible wrong he had caused me." Her hand reached up to cover her mouth as she sobbed openly. All of the pain, heartache, and anger rushed out like a tidal wave.

This time Kaden didn't stop her arms from circling around Jess. She pulled the distraught woman against her chest, holding her tenderly. As night softly fell around them, she wondered how she could help. I guess just be her friend. At least it's a start.

******************

It had been over a week since they last talked. After that one night that Jess opened herself up, neither of them thought to exchange phone numbers. Jess figured she would see the beautiful UPS driver when deliveries were made, but nothing came to the shop, even though she knew there were a couple of packages she had been expecting. As she worked through the shop's financial records, she wondered if Kaden would be interested in going out again. Jess couldn't help but find the woman absolutely intriguing and so comfortable to be around.

One late Wednesday afternoon, Jess was re-stacking the new edition of her all time favorite comic series, Tempest. It was one of the issues that had actually flown off the shelf quicker than she had expected this week since they put it out. She was glad to know sales were actually going very well in general for the store.

The front doorbell suddenly chimed, announcing someone coming in. She couldn't stop the smile which spread across her face when she saw the tall uniformed woman approach the counter with a small box. Sandra was just about to call for her, when she popped out at the end of the aisle. The women exchanged pleasant grins. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Kaden responded with a playful smirk.

"It's been awhile since we've seen you," Jess casually stated.

"Yeah, I was shocked there weren't any deliveries here until now." Kaden commented as she clicked the stylus on the tablet screen. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Just keeping myself busy."

A moment of silence fell between them. Kaden didn't want to leave so quickly, but she wasn't sure of what else to say. Would she find it odd if I asked her out? "Well, I better finish my...."

"Actually would you be interested in getting some coffee or beer or whatever later?" Jess quickly asked.

A small barely noticeable grin graced the tall woman's face. "Sure. Where should I meet you?"

"How about Dressel's Tavern on Cherry Street?"

"Nice place. They have my favorite beer on tap."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"St. Bernardius. It's a very smooth trippel."

******************

Kaden displayed a very satisfied grin after taking a swig of her beer.

"So would you like to tell me about yourself? You pretty much know everything about me from my crying fit, and yet I barely know you. Are you married? Do you have a significant other? Do you have any pets? Do you live alone?"

Kaden chuckled over the barrage of questions. With a mischievous grin, she said, "No. No. No. Yes."

"What?" Jess asked confused, and then she realized Kaden just answered the questions. "Oh come on. You know what I mean."

Kaden laughed. "Okay, okay. Never been married. The last steady girlfriend I had was in college, and after she graduated, she moved overseas to follow her passion for Renaissance architecture. I didn't want to leave the U.S at the time. Dated occasionally but nothing really panned out. I do live by myself. I don't have any pets. I love dogs, and have thought about adopting one, but I've been very busy."

For some unknown reason to Jess, she found the woman fascinating. There was so much she wanted to know, so many things she wanted to ask. Taking a gulp of beer, she continued, "So umm, do you ever take the sunglasses off?" She popped a tempura fried oyster in her mouth.

"Yes." Kaden answered as she also grabbed an oyster and dipped it into the tangy sauce. "Usually when I'm home."

"Do you keep your environment mostly dark?"

"Not dark-dark, per se, just very dimmed."

"Is it painful to be in bright light?"

"Very bright sun, yes. Artificial lighting is not so bad for a couple of hours."

"Does it affect your vision?"

"So far I have 20/20."

"Ugh, why does it feel like I'm pulling teeth with you?!"

"Why do I feel like I'm in a dentist office?" Kaden retorted. They both busted out laughing, which helped lighten the mood and made them more comfortable. "I'm sorry, I'm not much of a conversationalist. I really don't mind answering questions; I'm just not very forthcoming with information. I guess I'm not one for talking about myself."

"It's alright. So you've worked at UPS since high school. That's some dedication. I take it you must like it."

"Yeah, it's fine. The hours and pay are good."

"Can I get you two anything else?" the waitress asked as she passed by.

"Yes, another round of beer, and...." Jess looked at her new friend and asked, "Would you want to share a platter of the Bang-Bang shrimp with me?"

"Sure."

She looked back at the waitress, "And the shrimp platter."

"Of course, I'll be right back."

"Thanks," she said turning to Kaden. "I love the sweet spicy sauce that comes with it. So do you work on the weekends?" Jess inquired as she finished the last of her beer.

"Not usually, unless someone is gone on vacation."

Jess toyed with the idea in her mind of asking her new friend to join her at the upcoming convention. "There's a Comic Con this weekend in S-city. I was going to browse through the new comics and make some purchases for the store. Since it's just a two hour drive, would you be interested in hanging out?"

Kaden gulped. She knew she was busy this weekend. In fact, there was no way to get around what she had to do. "I'm sorry. This weekend I already have plans. Going out of town to meet with a friend...."

The waitress was on her way back with the requested appetizer when an inebriated customer in the next booth got up without paying attention. He knocked into the waitress, who lost her footing. The shrimp flew everywhere. Kaden's eyebrows shot up in realization of the waitress' body coming towards, so she leaned out of the way. Arms collided with back of the booth next to Kaden's head and the spicy sauce splattered on her face.

"Oh my god!" Jess yelled. In horror she watched the raven haired woman try to wipe the mess off with the cloth napkin.

"Shit! It's in my eyes."

"Oh hell! Come on let's get you to the washroom." Jess got up, leading Kaden by the arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Oh I'm so sorry." The waitress kept repeating as the two women went into the ladies room.

They got the sink turned on, and Kaden proceeded to quickly wash it all off. Trying to be helpful, Jess handed her a few sheets of paper towels. "My god what a freak accident. Are you okay?"

Kaden, still hunched over, dried her face, and then began drying the glasses she had also washed. "It burns but I think I'll be fine." Not quite standing up yet, she proceeded to slip the frames on.

Jess halted her actions with a gentle hand. "Please," she softly asked, "may I see?"

With a sigh, Kaden slowly stood to full height, looking directly in the mirror. Jess was dumbfounded by what she saw in the reflection. She took a step closer and hesitantly reached out a hand on Kaden's cheek to turn the face towards her. She was beyond captivated by the fascinating orbs. Aside from the area around the eyes being red and a little swollen from the hot, vinegary sauce, they were mesmerizing. The left eye was a very vibrant green with some flecks of brown and the right eye was the brightest blue she ever witnessed on a person. It reminded her of icy ocean waters in winter. She felt like she could get lost in them forever, and there was a part of her that really wanted to. "They're absolutely amazing," she softly stated. Absently her fingertips moved ever so tenderly down the sculptured cheek and then trailed to the side of Kaden's neck. For a moment, Jess mentally swore that the color of the eyes darkened.

"Is she alright?" Came the waitress' voice from the doorway. "We are truly sorry for what happened. Your dinners and drinks are on the house."

The women nodded their thanks as the waitress left. After gazing into those eyes, Jess realized that she was falling for this statuesque goddess. If I tell her and she's not interested, am I going to lose her friendship?

"You know, I've had most people back away when they see my eyes," Kaden softly commented. Is it possible that she could be the one person who truly isn't scared? She is so beautiful. I just want to kiss her endlessly.

"Really?! That's insane. How could they want to distance themselves when I just want to drown in them?" She absently moved closer, their bodies touching in different places, and then she realized what she had said out loud. Jesus, I think I just outed myself. Maybe she wasn't paying attention. She watched as the tall woman softly brushed the back of her fingers down the cheek that sported the scar. The gesture made Jess' stomach flutter.

It's now or never, so get on with it. Kaden thought. "Jess," she cleared her throat trying to find the words, "if you're interested, I would like to see more of you." She ran long fingers through her jet black locks. "Umm, I mean more than...."

Two teenagers walked into the restroom without paying any mind to the couple's somewhat intimate stance. Jess and Kaden backed away from one another. The strawberry blonde returned the sunglasses to her friend and asked, "Would you like to walk for a little bit?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

********************

The friends walked in silence for a while, each one at a loss for words. Damn, I wish we had not been interrupted. Kaden thought to herself.

I wish she didn't have her hands stuffed in her jeans. It would be so nice to reach out and hold one. Jess thought as she sighed. I wish she had finished saying what she planned on back there. Maybe I should just say something. "My answer is yes, I'm interested."

Kaden's eyebrows rose in surprise, but her heart was relieved. They stopped to face one another. Large hands gently reached out to grasp Jess' smaller ones in her own. "So am I," she added with a warm smile. Something suddenly caught Kaden's eye from across the street. With an impish grin, she asked, "Totally off topic.... Do you like Tekken?"

Jess' eyebrows rose in confusion, she shot the taller woman a suspicious smirk. "That is so outdated, but I actually do."

"You want to go toe to toe?"

Her nose scrunched as she chuckled. "Is that a challenge?"

Kaden nodded, pulling the younger woman to follow.

Both of them laughed as they attempted to best the other in a game from their childhood. Their characters fought for six levels before Jess threw her hands up in victory. "Yes!! Ha! I gotcha!"

"A minor slip. Perhaps I let you win," Kaden commented with a Cheshire grin.

"No way, I beat you. Fair and square." They laughed again as they looked to find what else they could play. In the back of the arcade, in an adjacent room, where it was less noisy, they found a Skeet Ball machine. Taking turns, they tested their skill for the highest points.

"So you're okay with being involved in a relationship again? I mean since..." Kaden asked out of the blue causing Jess to miss her intended goal. The ball bounced and landed in the outer ring for only five points.

Shocked and confused, the shorter blonde looked at her momentarily speechless. "Did you just throw that out to screw up my swing?" she inquired sarcastically.

"No." Kaden normally never felt nervous but for some reason she was feeling it now. Maybe I shouldn't have asked such a forward question. I mean hell, she just got the letter of his death and continued love a week ago.

Jess wondered how best to answer. She just wasn't sure how much information to give or not give. Finally she decided she might as well be honest. "When Colin and I parted ways, I still loved him for quite some time. It was a few months when I realized that I needed to move on with my life. In fact, he encouraged it. It was very hard because I still didn't do well with folks staring at me, and the whispers behind my back were worse than the stares." She ran a hand through her golden locks. "A friend of mine at the time tried to encourage me so she took me out to a club because she knew I loved to dance. We were having a good time, and I did my best to ignore people's eyes on me. About halfway through the night this guy approached. He seemed nice. I was stunned by his approach that I didn't notice how he made an effort to stay on my right side. Anyways, at the end of the night, he asked if I'd be interested in coming over to his place. I figured what the hell, why not." She blew out a heavy sigh before continuing. "Well I went to tell my friend, Sandra, I would be leaving, and as I returned, I heard him say to his buddies how he planned on bending me over cause he didn't want to have to look at my face. He didn't even realize I was behind him. When he turned around with a look of shock my knee made solid contact with his groin. I was very hurt by it all." She blinked back a couple of tears that threatened to spill. "That was the end of that. So basically I've been willing to move on, but this," she pointed to the jagged scar, "has made it difficult."

Kaden's heart went out to her. She automatically took her friend's hand, and giving it a squeeze, she proclaimed, "I cannot understand how he could say something like that. He was definitely an ass." She sensed Jess was feeling vulnerable after relaying the story, so the tall woman willingly took off her shades with the hope of conveying that she empathized with Jess. I know what it's like to have people stare and back away. She silently thought as she gazed into the glossy sea green eyes. The knuckles of a free hand gently brushed Jess' cheek. "Obviously he wasn't worth your time. You are absolutely beautiful." She slowly moved forward, closing the gap between them.