It Didn't Work Out Ch. 09

For the most part, she had completely forgotten Don's presence. Rather than worry about it, Bridget just let herself have a normal date with Sian. She loved being together with Sian like this, as if they were just another couple. Having Sian's arm around her and holding Sian's hands in hers just felt right. It was an experience that just increased the bonds of love between them.

For a moment, thoughts of Don intruded. Bridget hoped he wasn't too disappointed. Neither one of them was very much into raunchy public displays of affection. Maybe they should have been willing to do more, but it would have felt forced and somehow wrong. Even the biggest thing that happened had been pretty restrained. Bridget smiled as she thought back to when Sian had turned what was supposed to be another kiss on the cheek into a long loving kiss. They forgot where they were for a little bit and just let go. In the end, both of them were a little excited but became aware again where they were. The kisses trailed off, becoming promises of what would come later. But Bridget also felt how strong Sian's love was for her. She hoped that she made Sian feel the same way.

As the lights came up in the theater, Bridget couldn't help herself. She gave Sian another kiss. Sian was a little hesitant in returning it with quite the same enthusiasm. There were times and places, especially as a lesbian couple. Over Bridget's shoulder, she could see the angry man pointing again at them and saying something to his wife. "Time to go," Sian thought.

Disentangling Bridget's arms from around her neck, Sian smiled at her and started to stand. Bridget looked a little surprised but she followed suit. As they stepped out into the aisle, Sian took a position behind Bridget. She hoped that they could quickly get out but someone in front was having a hard time getting out and the line quickly backed up. She felt the hair on the back on her head stand up. Without looking behind her, she was pretty sure that the angry guy was right behind her.

"Couple of perverted dykes," Sian heard him say. "Well God will judge them when they are dead and then they will go to hell where they belong." Sian sighed. With an all too familiar feeling, she locked her head and refused to turn around. While it wasn't right, looking back at him would only make it worse.

Unfortunately Bridget hadn't had to learn the same hard lessons. While she kept quiet, she couldn't help but look back at the angry voice that was saying such hate filled things. As she met his eyes, Bridget shrank back from the disgust she saw on his face.

"What are you looking at, dyke?" he almost spat at her. Sian could feel him jostle against her. They still were not moving yet. Sighing again, she turned around to face the man.

"Sir, we aren't doing anything and I would just ask that you leave us alone," Sian said calmly. She hoped that it wasn't going to get any worse but at some point she felt like she had to take a stand. And someone mouthing off to her girlfriend seemed like one of those times.

"Get away from us, pervert. And don't talk to us. I wasn't talking to you, just about you," he said with his voice rising. Other people were starting to look at him.

"If I could, you can be sure that I would get as far away from you as I could. But as you can see, we are all stuck here. So I would just appreciate it if you could leave us alone," Sian replied. Despite her best efforts, she could hear a little bit of her own anger coming through.

From where Don was, he could hear what was going on between the guy and Sian. Worried about Bridget, he started to move to intervene. He didn't want some bigot getting into a fight around her.

"I told you not to talk to us, bitch. You better stop or I'll make you," the guy said. He began move forward just a little.

"Listen bud, you better think about where you are. You start something and I will have a ton of witnesses to tell the police who is responsible. And in this city, I think in addition to assault you would most likely get charged with a hate crime. So think about it," Sian said as she stood her ground. "I don't want to fight. I just want to leave in peace with my girlfriend." She could feel Bridget pressing against her and reached a hand back to reassure her.

Sian felt someone step up beside her. It was an older man with his wife right behind him. "Just leave the ladies alone, mister. They did nothing to you," he said. Sian heard some voices behind her echo the sentiments.

Bridget looked over at the woman beside her. Her face was full of anger at the jerk facing down Sian. "I will be sure to tell the police how you started it and the slurs you used. So why don't you just shut your homophobic mouth," she yelled at the guy. Bridget smiled at her in appreciation. A little of the anger left the woman's face as she smiled back and reached over to reassuringly touch Bridget on the arm.

Faced with a sea of hostile faces, the angry man decided not to push any further. He stepped back a little. The hatred on his face didn't disappear though. "God will judge all," he said to his wife.

The woman who had spoken up was still staring at them. "You better hope not too harshly. If I remember right Jesus said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' I think the Lord will find you a little lacking in that kind of love." She looked at Sian and Bridget. "You two dears go on ahead. We will follow right behind." When she wasn't angry, she had a very sweet voice.

Don watched as Sian and Bridget made their way out of the theater. The older couple who had helped waited a moment with their eyes on the angry couple before starting out too. "I guess Sian doesn't really need my help in defending Bridget," he thought. As they turned to go down the hallway out of the theater, he could see Bridget looking at Sian while holding onto her arm. The admiration was clear to Don, so much that he missed the underlying love. "I guess Sian is going to be her hero for tonight," he thought to himself. If all went according to plan, he was likely to get to see Sian's reward. After checking again to make sure his little wet spot wasn't visible, he started to head out too.

When they had made their plans for the night, Bridget had told Don that she and Bridget might go get a drink before heading home. If so, it would be the bar that she and Sian went to earlier in the evening. Don hurried out of the cinema to see which way they were going. No matter where they were parked, the signal was east if they were going to the bar and west if they were going straight home. As he came out, he looked around. It didn't take him long to see the two of them slowly walking together. They were heading east. While there was a little disappointment that his own gratification would be delayed, he was excited that their date wasn't quite done. Maybe he would catch them doing a little bit more than he had so far.

Following along behind them, Don was careful to keep a consistent distance between them. He didn't want to make them aware that he was there. Obviously they probably guessed but keeping up the polite fiction was important to all of them. When they went into the bar, Don slowed down a little. He needed to give them time to find their spot before he went inside. He didn't know if he would be able to avoid being seen at that point. The plan was for them to get a spot towards the back and he would try and find a place with a view of them closer to the front.

As he entered into the bar, Don felt a wave of noise as well as heat. It was quite chilly outside and the warmth was welcome. He slowly made his way towards the crowded bar, swiveling his head to try and find his wife. As he was almost to the bar, he saw her up against the far wall sitting on Sian's lap. Fortunately someone had just vacated one of the bar stools and when he looked again, Don found that he had a pretty good view there of the two of them. Bridget was facing away from him so it was unlikely that she would see him. Sian might, if she wanted to look. With her attention fully focused on Bridget, Don didn't think that was very probable. He settled down at the bar and waited for the bartender to come over, keeping his eye on the two women.

As he waited to be served, Don could see that they were being much more openly affectionate in the bar. Bridget had an arm around Sian's neck while holding her drink in the other hand. Sian was quietly talking to her. She clearly had Bridget's complete attention. The hand that was on Bridget's thigh was slowly stroking her. Sian's fingertips were dipping down between Bridget's legs. From Don's vantage point, it looked like Bridget had parted her legs to allow Sian better access. He wasn't sure what they were discussing. It was interrupted by a number of hugs and a few kisses. Sometimes the kisses lasted a while. They didn't seem to be aware of the people around them. He couldn't see Bridget's face but Sian's was fairly animated.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked Don, startling him a little bit. His mind had been fully occupied with his wife and her girlfriend.

"Uh, sorry," Don said as he looked at the bartender. Don looked at the taps and finally said, "How about an amber ale?"

"Sounds good! I'll have it for you in a moment," the bartender said with a big smile as he moved over to pour Don's glass. Don watched him fill it up, pouring off a little foam so that he got an almost full glass. When he stepped back, the bartender asked him if he wanted to run a tab.

"I'll just settle up now. I think it will be just this one for me," Don said with a smile. His smile slipped just a little when the bartender winked at him as he rang up Don's beer. While Don was familiar with flirting with women, he had never experienced it with a guy. He wasn't completely sure but he got the feeling that might be what was happening. He remembered Sian telling him that it was a gay friendly bar. He hadn't thought much about it at the time. Now he felt a little bit of discomfort come over him. Rather than getting out his credit card as he probably would have done, Don pulled out a ten dollar bill and put it down on the bar. "Keep it," he said as he picked up his beer and turned away from the bar.

"Thanks, dude," Don heard the bartender say behind him. He turned halfway to raise his glass for a second but didn't make eye contact.

"That isn't a fantasy that I would be looking to explore after we are done with Sian," Don thought to himself. A stray thought passed through his mind. "Hope that isn't a fantasy for Bridget!" He tried to shake it from his mind and looked back over at her.

Bridget and Sian were hugging each other again. When they separated, he didn't need to be a lip reader to know that Sian was saying that she loved Bridget. He watched as Bridget lifted up her hand to stroke Sian's cheek for a moment before she answered. He wished he could see her mouth but when she finished talking she leaned forward and kissed Sian again. This time the kiss was a deep one and lasted longer than any of the others. Don had a pretty good idea the gist of what Bridget had said. Unlike earlier at the restaurant and during the movie, Don didn't get that rush of excitement. Even across the bar, he could tell the depth of the feelings between Sian and his wife.

Once again, there was a sense of discomfort in his gut. Even though Bridget had been open about her feelings for Sian, Don figured that Bridget would be able to step away once they had explored their fantasy enough. All of a sudden he wondered if it would be that easy. How long was this likely to go on? He didn't have an answer. The feeling of discomfort got a little stronger. He tried to ignore it and just focus on watching the two of them as they cuddled. After a few minutes of watching them touch, the feeling of excitement started to come back and his discomfort retreated into the back of his mind.

They had been there a while and Don was starting to wonder how much longer Sian and Bridget were going to stay. Bridget's drink seemed to be almost done and it looked like Sian just had a soda water. Just as he was starting to relax and think that they would be done shortly, a woman came up to them. Bridget looked at her with surprise and delight on her face. Don watched as she jumped up and gave the woman a big hug. As soon as Bridget finished, Sian took her place hugging the woman. She reminded Don of Sian a little bit. They were about the same age but she was even more clearly a lesbian than Sian. He sighed. It probably meant that they were going to hang out here a while longer. Plus with a third party there, it was unlikely that Sian and Bridget were likely to be particularly affectionate. Even if they were, Don's view was now mostly blocked by the other woman. He sighed again as he finished off his ale.

Don thought about ordering another one but he knew he had to drive home. He was fine now but another drink would be too much. For a moment, he considered just asking for some water but that would mean talking with the bartender again. Slowly spinning the empty glass on the bar in his hand, he lost himself in thought. Finally he pushed the glass away and turned to go back to his car. Watching Bridget with one of her new lesbian friends wasn't the same thing as watching her with Sian. He didn't really want to think about Bridget having a whole life and friends separate from what she had with him. It was a little unnerving. He would rather just go home and wait for them to get there. "Hopefully they won't be too long," he thought.

It had been a total surprise to see Kate there. She had to entertain some clients from out of town and had just dropped them off at their hotel which wasn't too far. Since Liesl was visiting her mother for the weekend, she decided to just stop by the bar and have a drink. It had been a couple of weeks since Bridget had seen her so they were catching up.

In the back of Bridget's mind was the awareness that Don was probably watching them. She tried not to look around to see. Despite it being good to see Kate, Bridget had a feeling that after watching her with Sian all night Don was going to be frustrated if they spent too much time with her. Once more, she felt the conflicts that she had created for herself. Even though she tried to just enjoy talking with Kate, she couldn't get the distraction out of her mind. She wasn't sure but she thought that Sian might be having the same problem. Normally Sian chatted freely with Kate but tonight she was quieter.

After a little while, Kate started to pick up the strange vibe that was coming from both Sian and Bridget. They were obviously happy to see her but at the same time they seemed to be ill at ease. There was a degree of awkwardness that she hadn't noticed before any of the times that they were together. It made her wonder if everything was okay between them.

"I hope so," Kate thought. She really liked Bridget. More importantly she seemed like exactly what Sian needed. Kate worried about her friend. It wasn't easy for her to find someone with whom she could really connect. While Kate hated Sian's last ex-girlfriend, she had never found any of the women that Sian dated truly good enough for her best friend. When it came to Sian, Kate had high standards. So far Bridget met those standards better than anyone else; exceeded really. She would be very sad if things were not as good as Kate had thought.

If there was an opportunity to talk to Sian alone, Kate would have asked what was up. With Bridget there, Kate just didn't feel comfortable with digging. Even when Sian went to the women's room and left Bridget alone with her, Kate didn't ask anything to try find out what was going on. They just made some small talk while they wanted for Sian's return.

When Sian was back, she didn't take the chair back from Bridget. She looked down at Bridget and smiled. "We were just about to head out when you showed up, but I think we still need to get going. We've got some ... plans," Sian said giving it a meaningful pause. She laughed as Kate practically snorted her drink up her nose. "It's so easy to get you," Sian chortled.

"Yeah, well someday I'll get you back," Kate glared at Sian. Bridget got up and gave her a long hug that she returned.

"It was so nice to run into you, Kate. When you talk to Liesl, tell her that I missed seeing her too!" Bridget said with a smile.

"I will," Kate told her before turning to give Sian a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you, Sian. We haven't had enough time to talk lately. Let's get together," she said.

Sian's face was unreadable when she first looked back at Kate. After a few seconds it softened and she nodded. "I'd like that. I don't spend every waking moment with Bridget so I'm sure we can find a time. I'm around tomorrow."

"Hmmm, unfortunately these clients of mine are sticking around for the weekend and I got stuck with entertaining them and showing them around. I'll call when I have a little time tomorrow and we can pick a time and place," Kate told her friend. She still didn't know what it was, but Kate was even surer that her best friend needed to talk.

Sian reached out and squeezed Kate's hand. "Love you," she said with a smile.

"Love you too. Talk to you soon," Kate said a bit more seriously. Sian met Kate's eyes and nodded slightly before turning away to put her arm around Bridget as they walked out.

The first part of the ride back to Bridget's house was quiet. Sian was focused on driving and Bridget was thinking as she held Sian's hand. The silence was broken by Bridget as she looked over at Sian.

"You haven't told her about me being married, have you?" Bridget said in a quiet and calm voice. She felt Sian's hand tighten.

"No, Bridge. I haven't told anyone that. It isn't their business," Sian replied in a similar voice. Perhaps it was a little firmer. "It's our business, especially yours."

Bridget shifted so that she could lean over and kiss Sian on the cheek. "I love you, my darling Sian. I know you are trying to protect me, but I think you should tell Kate. You need to be able to talk to someone, Sian; someone who will look out for you. I try to, but how can I separate what I want from what is best for you? I love Kate and I hope she likes me, but she will just worry about you. My needs won't be her first priority. You need her, Sian." Bridget felt her eyes tear up just a little. She was sincere but at the same time the possible consequences terrified her.

Sian didn't say anything. Bridget knew her well enough not to be bothered by that. Sian often needed to think about something before speaking. It was one of her strengths that Bridget admired. Bridget leaned over and rested against Sian. The constant touch of their hands reassured Bridget.

Finally Sian spoke. "She'll hate it, Bridge. It's why I haven't talked to her. She won't hate you but she will hate the situation."

"I know," was Bridget's only answer.

It was a cold but clear night with the stars shining as they drove through the neighborhood. As they went by the park close to Bridget's house, Sian pulled over. It was their spot when they wanted a little privacy beforehand.

Once they were parked, Sian turned so that she could put her arms around Bridget, who turned to rest her back against Sian. It was an almost comfortable position in the front seat. The feeling of Sian resting her chin on the top of Bridget's head was reassuring for both of them.

"You know, I don't know if Don got what he was hoping for tonight," Sian said quietly after a moment. "I don't feel like we were particularly affectionate and certainly we never got playful." She paused and then quickly added, "Don't get me wrong! It was great. It was a wonderful date where I got to spend time with the woman I love. We kissed, held hands and snuggled, but I don't know if that was what he wanted. We just did what was natural for us."