Ann Ch. 01

If it wasn't for the redhead, my life probably wouldn't have turned out to be as good as it is.

My name is Ann. I am an average girl in many ways, but I have always been an introvert. We did not know that fancy word when I was a kid - I was just shy. My dad is not much of a talker too, but I am worse. Of course, I can talk to people, but only if needed. I had a few friends at school - in fact, only one close friend. It was my neighbor Ellie. She lived on the farm next to ours. We were together once in a while, in the beginning mostly because our parents insisted. I was ok with just staying at home, helping my parents. I liked to help my mom in the kitchen, and I helped my dad with the milking and when he needed an extra hand on the farm. My two older brothers are much older than me, and they left home long before I finished elementary school. During my youth, we were just my parents and me on the farm.

When we grew older, we got boobs. Mine got bigger than Ellie's. The boys tried to befriend me, and I had to spend a lot of mental energy to fight them off, but as I was acting very shy and quiet, the guys thought it was the easiest way to get near my boobs by befriending Ellie first. She was of course more outgoing than I was, and she took advantage of the situation and dated the guys. She wasn't ugly herself, with ginger hair and freckles. It was indeed a win-win situation: She had fun with the guys and I was saved from their efforts to get me laid. I did not want a boyfriend, I just wanted to be let alone. Ellie knew that and was by my side every time she sensed that I needed it, no matter how hot a hunk she was dating.

I left school, went through college, and found a job as a bookkeeper. I ended up on the coast in the next state, with a good job and a one-bedroom apartment.

And then I saw the redhead.

I saw her in the street once in a while during my first summer in the city. I couldn't miss it - her hair wasn't chestnut, auburn, or ginger - it was red like a fire engine, clearly from a bottle of hair dye. I envied her because all of my life I had tried to live under the radar: Dressing neutral and not showing anything that might draw attention from the guys. I wasn't afraid of them, but did not want to spend mental energy fighting any strangers off. And she - the redhead - she dared to show the world that she was different! Like a rebel or at least an independent girl with the guts to stand out. And she was cute. A short pixie haircut and a smiling face with bright blue eyes.

Every day on my way home, I looked out for her. I saw her a few times in the local supermarket, and soon I realized that often she was shopping with a friend. Her friend was taller than her, and thinner, I guess that lean is a better word. She had an unusual haircut too; her hair was black and cut in an asymmetric hairstyle - buzz cut on the right side of her head and almost to the shoulder on the left side. I was stunned. How could she wear her hair like that? Now I envied two girls. I would never be self-confident enough to wear my hair much differently from how it always had been: Dark blonde, shoulder length and with bangs, almost a tent to hide myself in. All I could do was dream about a life where I was daring, different, and brave enough to show it.

And more about dreaming: I hadn't been laid, but I surely had discovered sex. I had masturbated for years, and during college, I had found porn on the internet. I thought that I was supposed to watch it and get aroused, but it didn't work every time for me. After I saw the redhead, I realized that I focused on the girls, when I watched porn. And one day I saw those two girls in the street, walking hand in hand. And then they kissed!

I stopped dead in my tracks, giving a second look. Yes, they kissed. And walked away. I wanted to follow them, but I had a bag of groceries in each hand and my bicycle stood around the corner in the opposite direction. After I had gotten my bicycle, the girls were long gone.

That evening I googled 'lesbian porn', and I knew immediately that this was something I really wanted to explore. I usually spent my evenings reading and watching TV, and if the weather was fine (it usually was), I took a walk in the neighborhood a few times a week. On the weekends, I used to take a long ride on my bicycle and I spent Saturday or Sunday afternoons cooking a big pot of dinner, so I could freeze portions of it for an easy dinner on the days I was working. Gradually, I spent more and more time on the internet, watching my latest craze. I had always enjoyed a glass of red wine with my dinner, but now I ended up at Saturday evenings, having more than one glass. In fact, I got half drunk, watched lesbian porn and I was masturbating like a maniac. Sundays I was always a little sore down there.

I was still looking for those girls on my way home from work. When I saw them, I noticed more and more things that appealed to me. I did not dare to follow them much, but when they were shopping in the same supermarket as me, I spent more time than necessary looking through the aisles, making sure that I got more than a short glimpse of the girls. The redhead was about my age, perhaps a year or two older, and the taller girl was much closer to 30. They usually held hands while they were walking in the street, and I noticed something weird about it: They didn't exactly hold hands; the taller girl held the other girl by the wrist. It was like she had captured her, and it puzzled me. One day I saw them kiss, and this time the taller girl initiated the kiss by gripping the redhead's hair, and then she pulled her head closer to her own. I realized that there was a sort of dominance in their relationship and it turned me on. I was very much turned on by the thought of being treated like the redhead. My internet search changed a bit - now I discovered the big and fascinating world of BDSM.

Another thing I envied was the way they dressed. I always tried to hide my assets with big shirts and baggy jeans. Those two girls were usually in skin-tight jeans and a top showing or accentuating their curves. Not that the tall one had many curves; she had narrow hips and a small tight ass. She had small tits, perhaps an A or B-cup. I don't think she owned a pair of blue jeans - she was always in some sort of black jeans, sitting perfectly as if they were painted on her. My favorite was a pair of black coated jeans with silver rivets down the side seam. Once in a while, I saw her in a skirt, but it still sat tight over her ass and thighs.

The redhead had more curves. An ass to die for and more than a good handful of breasts. They looked about the same size as mine, and they stood out proud. Her tops were usually tight, but sometimes I saw her wear a loose top or shirt. I had seen her in baggy jeans once in a while, but mostly she was wearing jeans or leggings as tight as her friend's. I thought that girlfriend was a better word. Sometimes I saw her in what looked like runner's tights but in a shiny material. In my fantasy, I imagined that I buried my head in her crotch while she was wearing one of those tights.

Their lifestyle was the opposite of mine, almost radiating decadence and depravity. At least that was my impression, as I was brought up in a rural part of Tennessee. And I envied them!

In fact, I was obsessed with them. I discovered that they lived in an apartment building almost next to mine. My evening walks now always began in their direction, and on my way home, I passed their apartment building almost every time too, just to see if I could get a glimpse of them. I had seen them come home one evening and waited to see in which of the dark apartments they switched on the light. In that way, I could read on the door intercom that their names were Jenny and Rosie.

One day in the late fall I was shopping in our local supermarket. As usual, I took my time parking my bicycle and getting my small rucksack ready for my shopping. All this with an obvious reason; if they were on their way to or from the supermarket, I could spot them in time. I did not see them and I entered the shop. This was not the day, I thought, as I couldn't see them anywhere. That was not unusual.

I just needed pasta, milk, and some meat, and I went to the aisle with pasta. A person hurried around a corner and almost knocked me over. I was caught before I hit the floor, and I felt just like Jamie Lee Curtis in the tango with Arnold Schwarzenegger, except that I wasn't wearing a dress and didn't have a rose between my teeth. I looked up into a smiling face and that fire engine red hair.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" she said. I tried to gain my balance again and took a step backward to get my feet under my center of gravity. I rose slowly, supported by her arms around me and my hand on her back. I drank her sweet beauty in. For the first time, I had a closer look at her face. She had a thin ring in the side of her nostril and big hoop earrings. Her mouth moved like she was saying something. I could see her tongue through her smiling lips, and - she had it pierced! Her mouth moved again. I looked into her eyes. They showed concern.

"Are you alright?" This time I heard her. I nodded.

"Yes, I - I think so."

"I am sorry, I didn't watch my steps. By the way, I am Rosie!"

"I - I am Ann. It is ok, I am - fine." I just realized that I held my hand on her lower back, on the upper part of her leggings. They were in a dotted animal pattern and very smooth to the touch. And in fact, very shiny looking too. I couldn't help it; I let my hand slide down her buttock and upper thigh before I let her go. The smooth sensation gave me goosebumps all over. She had an arm around my back, just under my arms, and the other one held my shoulder. She took half a step to close the gap between us. We stood breast to breast and almost nose to nose—just a couple of inches between us.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," she said and hugged me. As a reflex, I hugged back, this time with my hands well up on her back, touching her thin, soft, and tight T-shirt. It came all so suddenly, but now I had time to think and I just froze on the spot. Here I was, hugging one of the two girls that occupied my daydreaming.

I think she sensed that something wasn't as it should be. She stepped one step back and held my shoulders, looking into my eyes:

"You are sure? Are you ok?"

"Ye - Yes, just a bit overwhelmed. But thanks." I looked away from her face. That made it just worse because I found myself staring at her boobs. Her nipples protruded clearly under the thin T-shirt. And I could see that she had a ring in both. I just had to look away again and didn't want to look further down, so I ended up looking her in the eyes again. This time these bright blue eyes showed concern.

"Oh please. Relax. I didn't do it to harm you. I am so sorry!"

"Never mind. I am ok in a minute or two. Please don't worry."

"I believe you. Sorry again. See Ya." And then she bent forward and gave me a peck on the nose. I just stood dumbfounded and watched her turn around and walk down the aisle. Those pants! And I had touched them! I noticed that I got wet down there.

After a minute or two, I pulled myself together and turned to search for my favorite pasta. The mincemeat was cheap today, so I bought enough to make some pasta sauce for the freezer. I found the milk and headed for the checkout line. I hadn't been looking either right or left, occupied by my thoughts as I was. And who were in front of me? I was number three to get to the cashier, and Jenny and Rosie had just paid and were putting their groceries in a bag. The girl, who had to be Jenny, looked angry - something wasn't right between them. With a concerned expression on her face, Jenny looked out into the shop, and when she saw me, she sent me a big smile. Her eyebrows raised like in a question. I knew she was asking me how I was. I smiled and nodded. She held her hands together like in a 'thank God'-gesture. She winked with an eye and turned around, dragging Rosie with her, holding her wrist tight.

I finished my shopping and went home - more shaken than I had realized. She had approached me! I was pretty certain that it wasn't an accident because if she was searching for groceries, she'd been resuming her search after the accident. And I had touched her pants! I could still recall the pleasant feeling of my fingers sliding over that shiny and smooth fabric. If only I dared to wear things like that. And she had hugged me - and kissed my nose! I wondered what it would be like to kiss her lips. Perhaps I should raise my head next time - if a next time would ever occur.

Later that evening I intentionally forgot that it wasn't Saturday, and I had a few glasses of wine. My Google search that night contained words like shiny and satin, and I learned about latex, PU, and bubble butts. I think that my inner fetishist was born that day. My masturbation was hectic and wet, and I went to work the next day with a slightly sore pussy.

Our apartment buildings were much alike. There were three buildings in the complex; I lived in the one in the back, and Jenny and Rosie lived in the front building near the street. When I counted the windows, I could see that they had a bigger apartment than I had. In the basement at the other end of their building was a laundry room, shared by all the apartments in the three buildings. It wasn't big and fancy, just a few machines, meant for those without their own. We had a system - we booked timeslots, so when it was your turn, you could use all the machines, and there was time enough to do a washing cycle and dry the clothes in the tumble dryer if needed.

One day, a few weeks after my rendezvous with Rosie, Jenny had almost finished folding her laundry when I came to fill the machines with my clothes. She looked up and sent me a wide smile.

"Hi there! You must be Ann. I am sorry that Rosie knocked you over. She is sometimes clumsy. You looked shocked that day - are you ok?"

I took a deep breath. Mostly because I had forgotten to breathe, and I needed time to adapt. And think.

"Yes, I am fine, thank you. I wasn't hurt in any way, she caught me before I hit the floor."

"I am glad to hear that. She fancies you a lot, but lacks patience." She finished folding her clothes and turned towards me:

"We would like to get to know you better if you want. In fact, much better. Feel free to come for a cup of coffee or whatever you drink. It doesn't have to be tomorrow, next week, or even next month. Just when you are ready. I sense that you are a bit shy and that is ok with us. Just take your time. To be honest, I have a soft spot for introverts. But when you are ready, let's keep in touch, ok?"

"Ok", I answered and sent her a nervous smile. She lifted her laundry bag, and as she passed me, she reached out with a hand and held my shoulder for just a few seconds.

"See Ya, Honey!".

I nodded to her. This was more like my cup of tea. She kind of knew how to approach me without letting me feel the slightest discomfort. I already loved her for that.

While the machines were working with my laundry, I took a walk in the neighborhood. Sometimes I went downtown and enjoyed some of the parks down there, but I had to be back soon to put my clothes in the tumble dryer. My mind was busy with what Jenny had said. Was I caught too many times spying on them? I promised myself to be more careful. I would meet them at least every second week if I didn't plan to stalk them. But would I end up sitting with them and saying nothing? Jenny had been so nice to me, and I think she understood my situation. What should I say to them? Could I just walk up to them, saying: 'You promised me a cup of coffee'? No, I couldn't do that. If only they would catch me in the street, tie me up, and carry me back home.

Though I was an introvert, I wasn't indecisive. At work, I was fine keeping the books (silly expression, it is all software now), handling invoices, etc. If I needed to talk to people, I could do it if it had a purpose like asking for information, discussing problems, and planning stock-taking.

I was even capable of doing a short briefing at staff meetings if I focused enough on the facts. But in the small talk during the coffee break or discussing make-up, clothes, or men during lunch, I couldn't participate. Mostly due to being an introvert, but also due to my lack of interest and experience in the topics. If only they discussed farming, cow diseases, and how to start a diesel engine after you have changed the fuel filters.

I could talk to my parents (mostly mom), my brothers, Ellie, and a little with one of the girls in the office. That's pretty much it. If I forced myself into a conversation with a person, it became easier and easier each time. Well, that was a solution to my problem, more about that later, I think.

My mind was busy with those two girls. Why did they want to talk to little Miss Plain Jane? I have always been a little chubby. Not fat, but - you know - good and plenty of food after a day on the farm. I had tried to eat less and with less fat after I moved away from home, and I bought a bicycle instead of riding the bus. I had lost some weight, but still, I was Plain Jane in baggy clothes.

Did they just want to be social with me? Having coffee once in a while because I looked lonely standing somewhere, just watching? Or did they want me as a friend? A close friend? I got a hug AND a kiss from Rosie. Did that kiss mean something sexual? Jenny had talked about a soft spot and she had called me honey. But they were a couple. They had each other. I couldn't date the two of them. I guessed that they wanted a close friendship. I knew that I had to take my time to get used to that idea.

The next week it was December, and everyone was busy with preparations for Xmas. For my part, I just had to finish some projects at work before the holidays. I was going back home to spend a week and a half with my parents. My brothers wouldn't be there, they had both settled on the West Coast with wives and kids.

In January we had our stock-taking. A wall-to-wall-counting. We are the HQ and main stock, so it was easy to plan, but it meant late evenings a week or two. We couldn't freeze the stock for days, so we counted in sections, and the following weekend, we were all out, helping our retailers count. I had no family life, so I always volunteered for projects giving overtime. That gave me both plenty of comp time and some overtime pay.

After mid-January, I surfaced again, and the first day I went home at normal time, I saw Jenny in the street, heading home. She was alone, but I didn't find it unusual. A few days later, she was paying at the cashier when I entered the shop, so she just smiled and waved. I did the same. The next week, I had one of my walks in the neighborhood, and as I passed their building, Jenny came rushing out. She passed me with a hello, how are you, Hon? and as I replied that everything was ok, she told me that she had to hurry, a nurse on the late shift had slipped and fallen, so they needed a replacement immediately. She rushed to her little red car and drove away, waving at me.

Aha, she was a nurse. I tried to imagine her in a nurse's uniform. That made me want her even more. I looked up at their windows; they were dark. Rosie was asleep or not at home.

I had reached the point where I really wanted to meet them. The next week, I saw only Jenny, and always at a distance, so we didn't meet. I realized that I hadn't seen Rosie for almost a month now. Did they part?

If they had parted, I needed to act before Jenny found another girlfriend. I wanted to show my dedication. In fact - I had focused a lot on BDSM on the internet, and it turned me on. I might fit better with Jenny as the dominant part, as I over the last few months had realized that I most likely was submissive. I had spent some late winter nights surfing the web, not for porn, but for people's personal experiences, blogs, and discussion boards, facts about communities, do's and don'ts, rules and good advice, Gorean stuff, bondage 'learning the ropes' (sic!), etc., etc.