It Didn't Work Out Ch. 02

This is the second of twelve chapters. To really understand it, you should read the first chapter before reading this one. Once again, I want to thank my editor Terry for his valuable help! I hope you enjoy the story.

Over the next week, Don kept waiting for Bridget to bring the idea of being with a woman up again. But she didn't. She also turned down watching any more of the lesbian movies. Every time he thought about saying something, she seemed to know and gave him a look that forestalled him. He finally decided that he needed to just wait for when she was ready. He just hoped she wasn't going to ignore it.

Far from ignoring it, Bridget found herself thinking more and more about the idea. Even when she was working out at the gym like she was now, she found it hard to not think about it. She was still nervous about how it would affect their relationship. At the same time, there was something seductive about the thought of being with another woman again. It would actually be the first time with another woman. The only other time had been with another high school girl, neither one of them experienced. Certainly this time she would be with someone experienced, Bridget thought.

"This time," she wondered. Had she made up her mind that there would be a "this time?" For a moment she faltered as she ran on the treadmill. Then she picked back up the pace. She still wasn't sure, but she had to acknowledge that she was at least now open to the possibility. Somehow that seemed to ease a little of the pressure. She increased the treadmill speed and began to lengthen her stride while her mind drifted into focusing just on her legs and arms moving backwards and forwards. She was pushing herself hard but it felt good. It was a Saturday morning and she decided to run an extra couple of miles more than normal.

When she finished, Bridget went over to the mats so that she could do her cooling down stretches. As she was seated and stretching out one leg, she looked around the gym. For Bridget, it felt like she had a new set of eyes. As a gym there were all types of people there; older and younger, people trying to get back into shape, others keeping fit, and of course the body builders. Bridget hadn't paid too much attention to people before. If there was someone extremely attractive, male or female, she wasn't blind. She had admired them but without any particular sexual aspect.

Today was different. She barely noticed the men but she saw the other women in a new light. There were ones that didn't hold any interest for her and others that she found very alluring. When she was caught looking by a pretty young woman lifting weights, Bridget blushed a deep red and tried to just focus on her stretches.

"This is awkward," she thought. It had been a long time since she was single and she had never been a player. "Besides," she reminded herself angrily, "I'm not looking to pick someone up!" Even if she agreed to do this, Bridget had no clue about how to actually do it. And she felt completely unwilling to talk to Don about that question. If she did this, it would have to be in a way that was comfortable to her.

Getting up, Bridget headed into the locker room to shower and change. As she stripped off her damp workout clothes, she noticed one of the trainers doing the same. Sian was a long-time trainer at the club. In fact she had taken Bridget around and showed her the equipment on her first day. It was the club's way of introducing trainers in the hopes of getting new members to sign up for them. Despite Bridget not having any interest, Sian had been very helpful; and when Bridget was first getting started Sian had gone out of her way to make sure that things were working out well. Bridget felt like they were friendly but didn't really know each other.

With her new eyes, Bridget stealthily checked Sian out. She was older than Bridget by around ten years, but she was in much better shape. It wasn't that Bridget was out of shape. It was just that Sian was in extremely good shape. She wasn't a body builder though. She was just very athletic. From the few conversations they had since Bridget joined, she knew that Sian ran competitively, kayaked, played softball and skied. Bridget wasn't sure but she thought that Sian probably did a few sports more than that.

Sian was maybe half a foot taller than Bridget and less rounded. Bridget caught a brief glimpse of Sian's breasts as she wrapped a towel around her. She was small breasted but they were a very nice shape and they went very nicely with Sian's lean body. As Sian stretched to reach something in the top of her locker, her muscles tightened up and were very visible. Bridget admired her for a moment but quickly looked down as Sian turned to walk towards the showers. Bridget had always thought that Sian was pretty. She wore her black hair in a short pixy cut and she had dark eyes. When Sian talked to her, Bridget had always found that Sian's dark eyes made her nervous. She could never put her finger on why.

It was always clear that Sian wasn't a girly girl. She was the only trainer that Bridget had seen who had a nose ring. It wasn't big but the circular loop through a nostril was noticeable. But today was the first time that Bridget noticed that she had a tattoo. Those weren't unusual, but this one was high on Sian's upper arm so it was normally covered by the workout shirt all the trainers wore. As Sian walked by, Bridget saw that it was a stylized open door with the shadow of a woman projecting through it.

That made sense to Bridget. Sian was also the only gay trainer that Bridget thought worked there. On more than one occasion, Bridget had seen Sian's girlfriend at the gym working out. They didn't really interact at the gym but Sian would always see her out and had no problem with a loving kiss goodbye. It didn't seem to bother anyone and if someone did actually complain, the club would have told them to shut up. Sian was their most popular female trainer. Unfortunately for Sian, something had happened and she broke up with her girlfriend a few months ago. Even not knowing her well, Bridget saw that it had hit Sian hard.

It surprised Bridget when she realized that she could imagine being with Sian. She had never thought of her that way before. Beyond that, she was nothing like Bridget's high school girl friend. Somehow Bridget had thought that she would be most interested in someone who reminded her of Ashlyn. But Bridget found Sian's maturity to be more enticing. Sian knew who she was and was happy with it, that much was clear. Bridget wasn't sure that someone more her own age would have that confidence. She also knew enough about Sian to know that she liked her in a friendly way. She wasn't starting from scratch.

Getting into the shower stall and closing the curtain gave Bridget a tiny feeling of privacy. She knew it wasn't complete but at least someone would have to work at it to see her. As she soaped up, she thought about Sian. She had seen more of her today than any time before. Sian's body was just what she expected. Bridget admitted that she found Sian's body exciting. It wasn't like the porn stars she had been watching, even the more realistic ones. She had a real body, just like Sian was a real person. But she took extremely good care of herself and Bridget appreciated it. She felt her nipples hardening as she washed them. Reaching out to the curtain, Bridget adjusted it a little further closed. She slid her fingers around and over her nipples, pressing them from one side to the other. It felt very nice and she could feel her excitement increase. She really wanted to play with her pussy but she was too nervous about doing it at the gym. "Right now," she thought, "it just looks like I am washing. And if I touch myself, I will never stay quiet." Sighing she raised her hands up to the shower head to rinse them off and let the water sweep over her. It didn't take long before she was heading back to her locker with a towel around her body and another around her hair.

She looked over at Sian's locker and saw that she was there, getting dressed. Bridget wasn't quite as far along and tried to hurry so that they would leave at almost the same time. She was still uncertain if she really wanted to do this but nevertheless she wanted to see if she couldn't get to know Sian better. This was a good chance to do that. Even though she tried, Sian finished up ahead of her and left the locker room. Bridget was still fixing her hair, putting it up in the pretty chignon style she favored. She wanted to just go, but at the same time she wanted to look nice. Finally she was ready and she hurried out of the locker room. Bridget was sure that she had missed Sian.

As it turned out, Sian was still talking at the front desk and was actually just saying goodbye when Bridget approached. Smiling at her, Sian came over to say hi. They hadn't talked in a while and Sian seemed pleased to see her. Bridget felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Hey Bridge, how are you doing?" Sian asked, using the same nickname as always. She wasn't the only person who did, but was one of the few that Bridget enjoyed her using it. Most of the time she tried to get everyone to use her full name. She never once asked Sian to do that.

"Hi Sian! I'm doing pretty well. Got in a great workout this morning!" Bridget smiled back at her.

"I'm glad that not everyone has your discipline! I would be out of a job if they did. But good for you. You are looking great," Sian said as she looked Bridget up and down. It wasn't in a sexual way, but it made Bridget blush.

"Thanks. You look good too. What are you training to do now?" Bridget knew that there was usually something for which Sian was getting ready.

"Ski season of course! Well I'm playing soccer so it helps with that too, but the slopes will be covered soon and I want to be ready!" Sian said with a look of enthusiasm.

It was catching. Bridget enjoyed skiing but didn't get to do it that often as Don had never learned and so far had shown little interest. "Yeah, it won't be long! I hope I can get up some." Without intending to say it, she added "Don doesn't go so it's hard to find someone to go with." Even though she hadn't been fishing for an invitation, Bridget still got one.

"That is easily solved. Let me know when you want to go and we can go up together. Any time you want, Bridge!" Sian didn't need someone to go but she was always happy to have company. She didn't know Bridget well but she seemed nice. Sian looked at her watch.

"I'm sorry," Bridget quickly said. "Am I keeping you from something?"

"Not really. I have to be somewhere in an hour. It's not that far but I wanted to get a smoothie before I left." There was a coffee shop that also catered to the gym crowd with smoothies right next door.

Feeling the butterflies turning even faster in her stomach, Bridget asked "That sounds good. Would you like company?"

"That would be great. Let's go!" Sian smiled. Since she had offered to become ski buddies, she thought it might be good to get to know Bridget a little better.

After they had both gotten their drinks, Sian found a table in the corner by the window and they sat down. For a few moments they just sucked on the straws and enjoyed the taste. Looking over at Sian, Bridget decided to take one more little step. No matter what, it would let Sian know that she also was okay with who Sian was.

"Hey, I wanted to say that I was sorry to see that your girlfriend broke up with you. It seemed like you were happy and I could tell that it hit you pretty hard," Bridget said.

Sian blinked a couple of times. She knew that people were aware of what had happened, but other than a few of the other trainers no one had said a word about it. And Bridget surprised her with the warmth that was in her voice. Her sincerity was very obvious.

"Thanks, Bridge. Yeah." Sian still found it a little hard to talk about the breakup. "It was hard. I'm mostly over it now. I guess I just didn't see it coming so I was kind of blind-sided when she told me."

"That's rough, Sian." Bridge reached over and squeezed her hand for a second and then let go. "I've been there once back in college. I thought everything was great and out of the blue he told me he just didn't see it going anywhere and that was it. So I totally sympathize!"

Sian nodded but didn't trust her voice to answer right then. Mostly over it meant that she wasn't all the way. Some moments were harder than others. She looked away as she tried to get herself under control. Bridget couldn't help it but she reached out again and covered Sian's hand in hers. They sat like that for several minutes. The constant pressure of Bridget's hand was reassuring to Sian.

Finally Sian felt okay to look back and smile. It was a bit wan but it was there. "Thank you," she said. She turned her hand over and squeezed Bridget's back. Then she let go and withdrew her hand. Sian appreciated the sympathy but didn't want Bridget to take it wrong especially when she was being so nice.

"So tell me about your soccer team." Bridget asked. She wanted to give Sian something else to think about than her ex.

Sian laughed a little and took the offer. She started to tell Bridget about the co-ed team on which she played. It was at the highest level of the rec leagues and was often a fairly tough place to play. Not surprisingly, Sian was pretty good although she was very modest in what she said. Bridget wasn't fooled although she didn't completely call Sian on it.

"Maybe I should come and see how good you really are!" Bridget laughed. "I like soccer, although I don't play much or well. But it is fun to watch people I know play it."

"If you want to, that would be cool," Sian smiled as she said it. She was glad that she had run into Bridget. She was as nice as she always seemed. At the moment, she was a bit short on friends since the breakup. She and her girlfriend had been together long enough that many of their friends were mutual. Some took sides and for whatever reason, more people had continued to hang with her ex than did with her. There were others who felt awkward and stayed away from both of them. And of course there were a few who walked the tightrope between the two of them. Still the end result was that Sian didn't have a lot of friends around. She was happy to find a new one.

Bridget took out her cell phone and handed it to Sian. "Put in your number and I will text you so you have mine too. Just let me know when and where!" Bridget smiled. For a moment Sian was struck by how attractive Bridget was, but the moment passed. Sian finished typing and moments later she heard her own phone go off. She pulled it out and created a contact for Bridget.

As she finished, Sian noticed the time. "Damn, I'm sorry Bridge but I have to run. I'm going to be late for meeting my brother to go to the movies. Thanks. Thanks for the shoulder. It is a good one!" She smiled as she got up. Bridget stood as well and leaned over to give Sian a friendly hug. Sian returned it before saying goodbye, and true to her word she ran out the door and to her car.

That night Bridget was particularly quiet. Don carried most of the conversation, with Bridget's contribution usually limited to a word or two at a time. After dinner, she went into the living room and sat down in an easy chair and curled up with her legs under her. When Don finished with the dishes, he followed her in and sat down on the couch. There was the end table between them so it wasn't really possible for him to touch her. Don suspected she chose her spot for that reason. It made him nervous. At the same time, he couldn't help but want to know where Bridget was with all this.

"Are you okay tonight, Honey?" he finally asked. Lost in her own thoughts, he had to repeat himself before Bridget looked over at him.

"I'm fine," she said. He was relieved that her voice was normal. The overlay of frost that it had most of the time recently wasn't there.

"Okay, I was just wondering. You seemed out of it at dinner and then you came in here. I wanted to check," Don said nervously.

She sighed just a little. It wasn't an angry or sad sigh. It was really one that meant she was ready and probably needed to get this over. She looked at Don. "So I'm still not sure, Don. I'm not saying I'm going to do this. But I'm willing to at least explore the idea."

As she spoke, Don's eyes lit up. He felt a flash of excitement run over him. "Wow, that's great Honey! It will be okay; you'll see. It will really bring excitement to our sex life! Do you know..."

Bridget cut him off. "I'm not done, Don. There are some ground rules. I need your agreement to them."

"Of course, I'll agree! I'm sure ..." Don started before Bridget cut him off again by raising her palm.

"Would you just let me finish before I decide that this is a mistake? Jeez!" Bridget's voice was full of irritation. Don didn't notice that her other hand was balled up into a fist.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Go ahead." Don was subdued as he said it.

"The first ground rule is that I am going to do this at my own pace. I can't just find someone and bring them home. I need to feel something. The second ground rule is that I need to feel something, Don. I want you to really think about that. I'm going to find someone and enter into a relationship with her that is strong enough that I will want to make love to her. And she will want to make love to me. So you just think about that.

"The third is that I will take whatever time I need to develop the relationship. That means that I will do things with her. I'll be gone. And once we start down this path, you aren't allowed to get mad if I'm not around as much. And the fourth ground rule is that I do it by myself. You don't get to come along on my ... my dates. For one thing, if you are there I just don't think I can do it. I'm going to flirt and do the things you do to start a relationship and I can't do that in front of my husband. I'm not sure I can in any case, but definitely not with you there.

"The fifth is that I will tell you if and when I am ready to go on to the next step and you don't get to ask me when I will be ready. Pressure from you isn't going to help. It will just hurt. It will hurt us, Don. I want you to understand that too. This will be hard enough on our relationship. Don't add that to it."

Bridget paused and looked at Don. He could sense she wasn't done and he was smart enough to just wait. Inside she could already tell that their relationship had changed. It wasn't as strong. She knew that if he really thought about it, Don must know deep down the same thing. He didn't seem to care. "Another little blow to the foundation of our love," she thought. "Well, I had the chance to just stop it and I didn't so I'm to blame too."

Out loud she continued. "Okay those were the ones that really were on you. The sixth ground rule is that I will tell you what is going on with me. I will tell you where I'm going; what I'm doing; who I'm seeing; and what happens. I'm going to be open with you. I hope it ends up being what you want.

"The next one is that before the relationship turns romantic, I will tell her what is going on. I am not going to lure some woman into a threesome without her being fully aware. And if she can't go there, I will understand and let her go. And maybe that will be the end of it. I really don't know. But I can't do this if I feel deceitful.

"The eighth ground rule is that I won't make love to her without you present. I may kiss her or pet her alone, but there is a line that I won't cross without you there. I'm not looking to cheat, Don. Anything that happens, anything real, I'm doing it in front of you." Bridget's voice was a little harder as she said it.

"The last two are for both of us. The ninth one is that she gets to decide what part you play. You're being there is a given but beyond that nothing is. If she wants to involve you, she can. But if she wants you to do nothing but watch, she can decide that too. And Don, this needs to be really understood because I think it is unlikely that she will be bisexual. If I'm going to do this, I want it to be with a lesbian and she isn't going to want you. I doubt she will want you to be there, but that isn't an option either.