Irish Eyes

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I look across the small space between us, looking deep into Ciara's beautiful green eyes, and say, "I do!" There is only joy and happiness in my heart as I look at her beautiful face. Framed by her tight golden curls. She is as breathtaking today as the first time I saw her walking into my life.

"Natalia and Ciara, you may kiss your bride!" Pausing for our kiss, he continues, "Ciara and Natalia, may you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more. May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door. Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you, Mrs. and Mrs. Ciara and Natalia Giordano."

And with that simple statement, I am married to the woman I love. The woman that completes me in every sense of the word. But this was not necessarily destined to be. Our path to this moment was complicated. Our life together almost didn't happen...

*****

2 Years Earlier:

June

*****

Monday morning, the beginning of a new week. For me, it is my first day on the new job. Straight out of college. To say I am excited would be an understatement. Technically, it isn't my first day with the company as I had worked an internship with them last summer. But this was my first full-time adult job! Look ma, the training wheels are off! I'm adulting!

The company provides specialized software for medical labs. And, I have landed a job on one of the development teams. It is the same team that I had worked with as an intern, so lucky me, I will go in knowing everyone on the team. Being the newest junior developer on the team, I know I still have a lot to learn beyond what knowledge I'd gained in school and as an intern. The good news is I already know the tools they use, am comfortable with their source management system, get along with the people on my team and understand the process the team uses to define, design, build, test and move code into production.

New town, adult job, and nowhere to go but up! I am on a roll!

I get myself out of bed early, heading out for a light run and then back to my apartment, getting ready so that I can head into the office. 'Head into the office', after four years of hitting the books, it feels good to say that! The office is casual dress unless you have client meetings. I decide on a nice pair of jeans that flatter my long legs, and a green silk blouse that draws out the color of my eyes. Pulling my hair together, I throw it in a ponytail for the day and I'm out the door, taking part of the daily ritual of rush hour.

I pull up to the office about twenty minutes early. Ok, maybe my nerves were a little wound and l might just be a little on edge. Anyhow, I make it into the lobby and take a seat, noticing others doing the same. Seems like there were going to be several of us on-boarding today.

Promptly at 8:30AM, Anna from Human Resources walks into the lobby. Anna was only a few years older than me, and we had become friends over the previous summer. I was thrilled to see she would be the one getting me thru the day. Again, someone I know - this was calming my nerves.

"Good morning, everyone." Anna began the proceedings. "My name is Anna Klien and I'll be working with you today. To get you acclimated to the company. If you'll follow me back this way, we'll get you all setup in one of our training rooms and then we'll start working thru everything. You've made a great decision to join us and I'm thrilled to welcome you today!"

With that she walks thru the door leading away from the lobby with about a dozen people following her. As we get to the conference room, she stands by the door, greeting each of us by name and thanking us for joining the team. As I approach her, she skips the handshake and gives me a quick hug.

"Hey Nat, so glad you made the decision to come back and work with us full-time. It's going to be good to catch up with you."

"Thanks, Anna! I'm pretty excited about my new grown-up job." I give a light laugh and continue on, "Maybe we can catch up over lunch or drinks at the end of the day?"

She replies with a big smile, "We'll work out the details on break. Gotta keep things moving along."

As I walk in, I notice that they have cards with our names written on them, signifying where each of us is to sit. I quickly find my place and settle in for the presentation. In front of each of us is a new laptop, keyboard, mouse, insulated travel coffee mug, a company shirt (in the right size), bone conduction headset and a high-end wireless speaker. During Anna's presentation, I learn that the laptop, keyboard and mouse would be returned to the company if we ever choose to leave, but that the rest of the goodies are ours to keep. Swag on the first day, gotta love that!

The day is filled with presentations on the company benefits, selection of said benefits, a couple of sessions learning about the company history and corporate culture, a session on the tool they use to identify personality and communication types and how to use that to drive successful communications as well as introductions to the CEO and all of the company senior executives. With the CEO talking about his vision for the company over the next five years and each of the execs talking about what their departments do and why it is important to the mission of the company. In between sessions, Anna and I have agreed to head out for drinks after work and catch up on life. I have to admit the on-boarding process is pretty slick. At the end of the day, the manager for each person in the room arrives and greets their new employee/employees and escorts each of us to where we will be working in the building.

I am familiar with my boss, John Venner. He has been with the company for around ten years and managed me and another intern on his team last year. I like the guy; he is honest and direct without being an ass. In my book, that counts for something. I always know where I stand with him.

Last summer, he always let me know when I was doing a good job or if he was frustrated with something that I was doing. He didn't hide it, he let me know immediately and would talk me through what I needed to do to address the issue. Never once did he belittle me for making a mistake or for the fact that I was one of the few women that worked in his department. He truly took an interest in me. And he proved it last summer, making sure that I knew I could do this job and that he and the team were there to support me. He helped me understand the difference between coding in school and coding in the real-world.

As we are leaving the conference room, he jokes with me. "So, you've decided to come back for more? Not sure that's a wise move on your part Giordano."

"Well, how could I not come back and work for this team. You guys need me. Admit it! I only accepted the job and came back here because all of you were moping around when I headed back to school. I knew if I didn't agree to come back, you'd all go into depression, and nothing would get done. I couldn't bear to let that happen!" If he could dish it out, I was going to try and serve it back.

"So that's how it's going to be, eh! Ok, we'll see who comes crawling to me for help." He continues, "Are we going to place the standard bet and say you'll be in my cube asking for help before the end of the day tomorrow?" John has a gig going in the department, $1 bets on stupid stuff. It doesn't really matter who wins or looses, as the money all goes into a jar and then its used at some point to offset the tab when the team does a night out together.

"Bet's on, sir!"

We round the corner and I see familiar faces from last summer. They're all waiting for me, gathered up at the end of the set of pods that the team occupies. As I approach the group, carrying all my stuff, they let me thru to set my things down at the end cube and then begin shaking my hand or giving me hugs. It truly feels good to be a permanent part of the team! The rest of the day is pretty-well shot with the team and I chatting about my last year of school and catching up with each other. John had brought in a bunch of treats, so we share cookies, cupcakes and stories with each other.

At the end of the day, I lock up all the stuff in my cabinet and I head out to meet Anna at one of the local sports bars, Danny's. The place is normally about a ten-minute drive from the office. Even with rush hour traffic, I am there in fifteen. Anna and I had been here several times the previous summer. We both liked it because it was a traditional Irish pub and they had an outdoor patio where we could sit in the sun while having a few drinks while relaxing. Since it was a gorgeous day, I find a spot on the patio and settle in while enjoying the weather.

Anna arrives shortly after I'm seated. As she approaches, I stand, giving her a little hug and then drop back into my seat. Anna sits next to me and we began chatting.

"So, you've graduated and are a full-blown adult. How's that feeling for you?"

"Anna last year was tough, but fun. My advanced classes were brutal. To maintain my four-oh required a lot of work. Throw in the fact that I had a part-time job off campus and a research job on campus, there wasn't a lot of room to relax. But in the free moments I did find, I had a lot of fun. Especially second semester when my class load finally lightened up."

Right then, I see our waitress approaching and I literally must catch my breath. She is, in a single word, stunning. She's a few inches shorter than my 5'7" frame, with a thick head of tightly curled blonde hair - ringlets, with light red highlights barely visible throughout. The hair pouring over her shoulders, resting comfortably on her breasts, which are slightly bigger than mine. Not a high bar to cross as I have smallish B cup breasts. Her deep green eyes are filled with laughter, and she has a huge smile that draws you in to her full lips, looking as if they are made of soft clouds. Her little button nose and dimples adding dimension to her face. She's wearing a tight tee, sans bra, that does nothing to hide her firm breasts and the fact that she has very thick nipples that stretch out against the material of her shirt. Her tee stops just short of a pair of frayed jean shorts that both display a small strip of skin above the waistband, below her shirt, and her very firm and well-defined legs. The curves outlining her frame were captivating, her slim figure still gives you the impression of an hourglass figure, absolutely stunning. She has a slight bounce in her step as she approaches the table, smiling at me the whole way.

"Hey, I'm Ciara, I'll be serving you tonight." She announced. Besides her flat-out beauty, she speaks with a slight Irish accent that I immediately find to be exotic. Along with the accent there was a distinct rolling of the r when she announced her name. "What can I get for you?"

Anna spoke first and ordered her drink, a glass of Chardonnay. I then ordered a Black Cherry White Claw. Sitting there, I had the pleasure of watching Ciara retreat to get our drinks. Her backside was just as enticing. Her legs leading up to a cute little butt. Her hair dropping down to the middle of her back, bouncing with each step. I watched her tiny little ass sway as she walked back into the bar.

"Earth to Nat, you there?" Anna was trying to get my attention.

"Oh, sorry, just had something on my mind."

"Yeah, you did. Wouldn't happen to have been that cute little waitress that just took our order, would it?" She was laughing as she finished her sentence. Anna knew that I was a lesbian, so she didn't have to guess too hard at where my attention had been for the last few minutes.

"Couldn't help it, did you take a look at her. Holy crap, she's gorgeous!"

"Nat, I'm not gay, but yes, I noticed our little waitress was kinda cute." Again, laughing as she answered my question.

"Kinda cute is understating it. By. A. Whole. Lot." I exaggerate with hand movements. "I literally felt my breath taken away when I first saw her approach the table. Wow, that's going to take some getting used to."

"Settle down." She began to tease me. "You just saw this woman and you're already starting to make plans in that pretty little brain of yours. Backup from the ledge and try to act like the adult you actually are! Remember, you're no longer a teenager with hormones dictating your actions."

"Anna, can't help it. That is one very attractive woman, I at least am going to need to try and make a move." I shot back.

Anna just laughed at me. "You can stop looking now."

A few minutes later Ciara appears again, stepping through the door, bringing our drinks to the table. "So, here you go girls. Can I get you anything else right now?" I was mesmerized by her voice, the rolling of the r's. The emphasis on certain words and syllables was different than American English. We both shook our heads and told her that was all we needed at the moment.

Anna and I continue to talk about my last year at college and she fills me in on some of the gossip in the office. Meanwhile, I'm stealing glances at our waitress. Knowing Anna, she is only telling me stuff I would hear from others, as she always does a good job of walling off the HR only stuff in her life. We easily chat for a few hours, with Ciara visiting us regularly, telling us at one point it was a slow night and she was slightly bored.

We find out that Ciara has also just moved into town. She had moved to the States with her parents when she was 11, her dad landing a job at a large investment firm in New York. She has just transferred to the university here in town and was working at the bar to have something to do. Her uncle apparently owns the place. She had originally chosen a smaller college closer to home, because that's where her boyfriend got a scholarship to play football. When the relationship ended last semester, she decided that she needed to get some distance between them and so chose to leave after the semester finished and enrolled at the U here in town. Apparently, her folks never liked the boyfriend, so they were more than supportive when she broke off the relationship and told them she wanted to transfer.

Since we're both new in town, she suggests maybe hanging out sometime and exploring the town together. Ok, I wasn't necessarily new in town because I had been here last summer, but I wasn't going to turn her down. I readily accepted, as I saw Anna rolling her eyes and giving me a wink. We agree to meet up on Sunday for lunch (she was going to need to sleep in after closing the bar) and then to explore some of the parks with trails here in town. She takes my cell phone and plugs in her number so that we can contact each other if something comes up.

Sunday

I lazily lay in bed enjoying the morning sun. As I reflect on my week, it has been awesome. I've settled into the job and I am really enjoying the team. I ended up losing the bet with John, so my first contribution to the bet jar had been made. There is an easy banter that flows within the team as people work thru the day. Intense periods of quiet time while people are cranking out code, occasionally interrupted as someone hits some problem and then intense conversations between two or more of us as we work the problem. Not only am I initiating some of those conversations, but I've been able to help solve some of the issues.

I grab my phone and notice that Ciara had left me a message around 3AM. Letting me know that she was still on to meet up today. A smile crosses my face as I see her message. I had genuinely enjoyed the conversation with her on Monday. One, it seems like we have some things in common. Two, I enjoyed listening to her voice and the way that she spoke. Three, she's hot. The only negative in the equation right now for me is that she had mentioned her ex-boyfriend. That means she's playing for the other team, so I'm going to need to settle for friendship. I'm happy with friend, I think. Outside of work, I really don't know anyone here, so no time like the present to start changing that, if something works out beyond that, bonus!

I decide a run is in order to start the day, so I roll out of bed and do my minimal morning routine and head on out. It's gorgeous and I'm out for a little over an hour running. Running is my 'me time'. It truly allows me to clear my head, loosen up and get myself ready for whatever is coming my way. I solve some of my biggest problems and make many of my biggest decisions while placing the miles behind me. Today there are no big issues challenging me, so the run is purely gratifying, enjoying the feel of the sun on my body as I wind my way thru the city.

I arrive back at my place and get myself cleaned up and figure out what to wear for the day. Based on the chats I've had with Ciara thru the week, it's going to be a relaxed day, the plans somewhat changed from our original discussion. Lunch and then spending time in one of the trendy shopping districts just off the downtown area. It will give us a chance to get to know each other better and for each of us to see if there is enough there to build a friendship.

I decide to head out a little early. Note to all those listening, my pet peeve is people not showing up on time. I arrive at the agreed upon restaurant about 10 minutes early, find a table outside and text Ciara to let her know where to look for me when she arrives. Also asking if I can get her drink ordered. I immediately get a text back stating that she's five minutes out and that I should order her an iced tea.

Flagging down the waitress as she is coming out on the patio, I order a couple of iced teas and then begin scrolling thru the latest news on my phone. I find an interesting article on Flutter and am deep into said article when I see that someone is approaching the table. Ciara has arrived and she looks just as delicious today as when I first met her on Monday.

Ciara is dressed in a pair of skintight black short shorts with a loose no sleeves white knit top. Her hair bounces around with her every step and her eyes are shielded behind round sunglasses with dark lenses that frame her face perfectly. She is wearing a gold necklace with several gold bracelets on each arm. She also has a pair of white flats coordinating with her top. As she arrives at the table, she takes the seat next to me so that she also gets the sun on her front instead of her back.

"Hey, thanks for meeting up for lunch," she opens the conversation.

"Happy to. Gotta build up the friend pool." I say with a slight smirk. "How'd things go at the bar last night?"

"The usual Saturday night, nothing too terrible. A few folks that we had to call ride shares for at the end of the night. Some people simply don't know when to stop." Ciara emphasized that last sentence and continued. "The worst part of the evening was a bridal party that showed up. You know they can be worse than the guys. Not a one of them could hold their liquor. Several of them ended up sick in the bathroom, making a right mess and they were more grabby than any of the guys in the bar. I don't need all that shite, but it's no worse than any other bar and helping my Uncle Danny out makes my dad happy."

"How'd your uncle end up over here? I know you said your dad got a job out in New York, what possessed your uncle to leave Ireland and move to the Midwest?"

"To make a long story short, Danny was here in the States visiting my family. He ended up meeting a woman, fell in love, married her, sold his bar in Ireland, moved here and purchased the bar here in town and turned it into his sports bar. Andrea was on vacation in New York when they met. According to my dad, when Danny met Andrea, he was done. He apparently had been quite the player until she walked into his life. Dad said Danny has never looked at another woman since. And Andrea is a wonderful woman. She wears her heart on her sleeve and genuinely cares for everyone in her life. You'll meet her sometime, if you spend any amount of time at Danny's. The two of them spoil me. They've never had kids, so they put all of that focus on me - to quote them, 'I'm the daughter they never had'. To say they're thrilled that I'm here would be an understatement."