Bikinis Are Dangerous Ch. 05

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I met my future bikini, er girlfriend on the beach, naturally. I didn't think I stood a chance. Here is this hot looking babe looking so fine in a bikini with a terrific looking body and I nearly fall on my face.

I had just moved to Florida, there is a beach practically everywhere you go, inland beaches, river beaches, and of course the ocean or gulf beaches. You can't drive too far without running into water and a beach, somewhere. I had gotten a day off of work, so I was going to work on my tan. I'm too white. In fact, you might say I almost glow in the dark. I have to be careful with my red hair and bright white skin, so I planned to do the whole tan thing slowly. I will tan, eventually, but like I said, I have to be careful.

I parked on a pristine white sandy beach, paid the fee (outrageous as it was!) and seriously thought about looking into a parking permit since I was now technically a resident. I wasn't planning on being out too long, it was always a mistake the first time to get a burn, it kind of turns you off from the idea for future outings if you're a lobster. Unattractive too!

I grabbed my sunblock, not too high on the PH scale; I still want a small burn, just not crispy. A towel thrust into my beach bag and I was basically set. My sunglasses perched on my nose; I adjusted my one piece suit, made for those of us without the nice bodies that can show them off with a bikini. I was also wearing a pair of shorts to keep the suit from riding up my backside and showing off the cellulite I was sure to be sporting. No, I definitely didn't have a great body, too many years of inactivity on the bones but I had a nice face, like a fine wine, I've gotten better with age.

Looking out over the beach I had to decide where to sit. It was fairly crowded and I realized how lucky I had been to find a parking spot, I wouldn't be staying very long and now was definitely kicking myself for bothering to pay to park today. I could have parked on the street like the million other beach goers I could see. Oh well, 'newbie in town' I thought as I made my way through the sand. You can really get a workout just crossing the sand as you sink in to your ankles. I wanted to feel how warm the gulf waters were. I'd seen them many times on my trips down here but actually touched, no. I was surprised how warm they actually were, for a large body of water it felt warm to my toes. I watched as children ran in and out of the surf with abandon, totally enjoying the sun and water. Some accompanied by parents but many let off their leash to be watched from afar.

Looking up the beach I decided to make my way back up the beach towards my car before sitting on the sand to work on the tan. Already I thought I could detect the faint warmth of my skin but shrugged it off as being in my head. The sun was hot though and I could tell I was perspiring a little from walking across the sands. I looked around, starting to focus on people, and that was my mistake. Although an avid people watcher, I didn't think that far ahead, that this would be a prime opportunity to check out women in their swimsuits, bikini's, and shorts. I hadn't had a girlfriend in a couple of years, and I was due to find someone. I was kind of picky though but with this body, I couldn't be too picky.

This distraction though proved to almost be my undoing as I watched one buxom blonde nearly topple over with the oversized watermelons she was sporting, they had to be fake. Watching them, er her, I nearly walked across a woman's stretched legs on the sand.

"Oh excuse me!" I apologized profusely as I nearly toppled over myself.

She had been watching me. She had spotted me as soon as I made my way out onto the sands and across them to the water. She admired my white skin and the red hair against it. She had a thing for redheads, a serious Sarah Ferguson (Princess of York) fixation and this chick immediately reminded her of her crush. Even the extra pounds didn't bother her, it added to the illusion that her crush was within touching distance. She couldn't believe it when I began to make my way back, directly towards her or so it seemed. My momentary lapse of attention nearly had me in her lap, not that she would have minded, but that wasn't how she had hoped to meet me. Glancing at my ring finger she hoped, or rather prayed, that I wasn't hetero. I wasn't wearing one, but then that really didn't mean anything in this day and age. Seeing the way I was eyeing the blonde though her heart leapt in hope.

"Hey, that's okay" she smiled with beautiful white teeth that shone brightly against her tan skin.

Catching myself from tripping or trampling her I was startled with how striking she looked. Every square inch of her bikini clad body seemed tanned. It wasn't just the fact that she was obviously Latina with her dark hair and features, she must work out, her body was toned, but her skin looked incredibly tanned, incredibly soft, and my mind being on girls I absentmindedly glanced to see if she was wearing a ring. She wasn't but I wasn't going to put too much on that sign. "I wasn't looking where I was going I guess, I'm sorry."

"That's okay, really, no harm done." Quickly thinking she asked "looking for a spot to sit?"

Nodding stupidly, totally clueless about where this even might lead I looked around, there were plenty of spaces I could take.

"You can sit here" she indicated the open space I had intended to walk through before becoming distracted.

There was no reason I could see to not take the space and I nodded and said "thank you" before digging in my bag for my towel to sit on. She waited until I was all settled before introducing herself. I didn't think twice about returning the courtesy. It never occurred to me that this might be leading anywhere, I just thought of it as her being friendly, not a prelude to being hit on. Although I had imagined this sort of thing, I really had no idea how to hit on someone or when I was being hit on myself. I'm kind of clueless that way.

We started non-challantly chatting. Sharing insights, people watching, enjoying the kids on the beach. I found myself confiding that I had just moved here. She told me she had lived in Florida all her life, her family were Cuban. We compared families. Despite cultural differences, families were families everywhere. We laughed and shared stories. I realized I had been out in the sun a little too long when I stretched for my bottle of water from my bag and could feel that familiar stiffness on my skin. Looking down I couldn't tell through my sun glasses whether I was pink or red. Lifting them slightly I thought I looked a little pink.

"Hey, it looks like I better be going" I mentioned to my new friend.

She was disappointed but hid it well. She had enjoyed getting to know me in the short time we had. She thought quickly about how to get my number or something... "Would you like to get a drink" she indicated one of the many umbrella stands that populated the beach.

Totally clueless I answered without thinking "naw, I'd better be going, I don't want to burn anymore, this could get painful."

Disappointed she let me go with a "see you around." She figured I wasn't interested, not a lesbian, or something like that.

Dummy me, I left and returned to my car, totally without realizing I had delayed my future lover, my relationship, my happily ever after by leaving too soon from the beach.

Living in a new location with a new job, I decided I needed a new attitude, a new hairstyle, a new me. Since I worked pretty much 9-5 I had my evening's free. Not much of a television watcher, I decided to put those hours to use in a useful endeavor. I joined a gym. Not just any gym though, this one promised cardio workouts, dance classes for fitness, and an almost all girl's membership. Nobody wants men gawking when they are sweaty and working out. I wasn't going because I wanted a man, I was going because secretly I hoped to figure out this whole girl/girl relationship thing and meet someone, maybe? A good friend advised me that it was all in the 'look'. I had no idea what the 'look' was and when I practiced on her she advised me to NEVER do that again unless I was on the way to the hospital or giving birth. Not a great thing for the ego when you're trying to figure out how to find a girl to date and eventually have sex with.

You're probably thinking the obvious; I should go to a gay bar. My experience in gay bars though had been traumatic. I may be big with broad shoulders and a bit of a middle aged spread but I don't look like a dyke, I am not hard core, and I like feminine women. There is NOTHING wrong with a woman who looks like that, it just isn't for ME! The few times I had gone, I didn't leave it up to one horrible experience, I experienced it again and again, just for repetitions sake, and to get it slammed into my psyche that the bar scene I had happened upon had a lot of butch women and while I got hit on (even I knew I was being hit on!), it wasn't anyone I was attracted to. Even I, the most naive lesbian that exists, knew I was being hit on, fresh meat and all that. Those experiences, repeated for the learning experience, were not to be repeated again. I'm sure the lesbian bar scene in Florida might be different but I wasn't ready to throw myself to the wolves, yet. My batteries on my toys weren't worn out, my toys weren't crying 'uncle,' and I wasn't willing to admit defeat in the finding of Ms. Right.

So, I was trying the subtle way of meeting women in an all girl's atmosphere. The gym had a lot of heterosexual women I realized early on. There were a few obvious lesbian women, some with their tattoo's and heads shaved to prove they didn't care what people thought about them being so obvious. While I appreciated the beauty of some of these women, some of them just plain scared the hell out of me. I wasn't going to make the first move, since I didn't have a clue about making it anyway, and fortunately I didn't have a clue about them making it either. Thank goodness for my naiveté. Instead, I took my classes, worked my body for what it was worth, and began to get into shape, however slowly.

Because of my work schedule I was grateful the gym was open 24 hours, I could go anytime. The classes weren't available all the time unfortunately but one of the instructors had shown me the equipment and how to get the most out of it and I was working towards being toned. I didn't want to bulk up; I already had shoulders built in like a football player, no need to add to that look. One of the nights though that I changed up my schedule I thought I saw that girl from the beach. In fact, I was sure of it but being shy, I made no effort to go over and say hello. Yeah, I know, stupid move. If all else I could claim to know someone in Florida outside of work.

What I didn't know is that she saw me too. She spotted the red hair immediately, noticed I had gotten it layered, and how attractive it was on me. I wasn't wearing my sunglasses of course and that made me look different too. At first she thought I was someone else, when she thought I had noticed her, she thought perhaps I didn't want her bothering me. She had gone back to the beach, in the same exact place repeatedly, hoping to run into me again.

I too had gone to the beach a few times looking for her, hoping to talk with her again, get to know her better, make a friend. We must have just missed each other time and again.

So, we avoided each other, both not sure of the other's interest. She unsure of whether or not I was gay or straight. Me, clueless as to any signs that would tell me of her interest. If I had only known.

She had been thinking a lot about her 'Fergie' look-a-like. She had fantasized all sorts of scenarios where we met, fell into bed, and got our groove on. She also hoped vaguely to make a friend, a lover, a someone to come home to, but those were minor compared to actually meeting and dating me.

Fate is a funny bitch though. If you are meant to meet, you will. Our one meeting on the beach had caused our fates to be intertwined; we just didn't know it at the time. Our second meeting happened at the Gym of course but neither one of us acted on it or acknowledged it. Fate was getting angry and after a full day's work, I wasn't in the mood to be messed with, shopping angrily I just wanted to get a few things for my empty fridge before getting home and making supper. Add in an angry Latina woman with a shopping cart who wasn't watching where she was going (she still claims it was my fault) and the crash was almost inevitable.

"Jeez, watch where you're going" we both said almost simultaneously, although I think her expletive started with an 'f.' Looking up we both realized who the other was almost instantly. Despite wearing regular clothes in the form of a bikini top and cutoff jeans, I recognized her instantly. Actually, it was the lack of clothes that gave her away, the fantastic body that immediately clued me in. I don't think I would have recognized her had she been all dressed up then.

"Oh hi" she recovered first looking at my conservative suit. She liked how clean cut I looked in it. A lot different from the swim suited red head on the beach or the sweaty one from the gym.

"Uh, hi" I answered stupidly, not sure of the protocol but I thought I recovered well. I deal with a lot of people in the course of a day and have to be pleasant to all of them despite their moods. I wasn't attracted to them though.

She figured what the hell and grinned "haven't seen you at the beach in a while."

I smiled remembering how much I had enjoyed chatting with her that day, I also knew I had been back several times since then to look for her but hadn't seen her even once. "I've been there" I answered.

"Really?" she looked me up and down appreciatively "you're not very tan."

"Yeah, I don't get very dark, unfortunately" I answered as I looked down at my arms and glanced at my legs.

"Unfortunately?" she asked.

"Yeah, maybe if I got darker I wouldn't burn so easily" I responded with genuine regret in my voice.

"Did you burn that day?" she asked curious.

Nodding I made a fake wince to stress my point "just one of the joys of having light skin."

"Your skin looks like porcelain" she complimented me.

I thought that was an odd thing to say to another woman and I looked deep into her dark eyes, something about big brown eyes has always melted me and this time I wasn't immune. I was also struck momentarily mute but before it could become embarrassing, I asked "didn't I see you at the gym?"

"Oh the one over on 2nd?" she said casually, but she knew, she knew what gym I meant, we both did. It was just one of those inane conversations we both knew was spoken just so we had something to say.

But, I answered, playing the game "yeah, I go there now and then."

She frowned, faking it "yeah, I've been there occasionally." She didn't tell me she had been in a long dry spell of course, and took her sexual frustration out on her body, toning it, almost sculpting it.

We chatted the inane conversation for a while, ignoring the glares of others who had to go around us as we conversed, both of us prolonging the conversation because we just wanted to.

Somehow, I'm still not sure how, she manipulated it so that we would meet up and work out together, someday, soon. I was very happy about this turn of events, looking forward to seeing her again, and to perhaps making a friend.

She on the other hand was a bundle of nerves after carefully engineering the conversation into a future meeting, almost a date. It was a start. She still couldn't read the woman though, she was sure she needed to get her gaydar fixed, it certainly wasn't telling her something she really wanted to know about her 'Fergie.'

Casually, almost as if neither one of us had made the meeting; we began to work out together. She took it easy on me and for that, me and my muscles were grateful. I however, began to envy her, that exquisite body; the melon sized breasts, the firm stomach and legs. Her perfect tan. She did have a leg up with her Latina skin. My broad shoulders, average sized breasts, flabby stomach, legs, and a hint of a second chin all annoyed the hell out of me. Working out together, I soon realized how competitive I could become. Admiring her, enjoying our conversations, our camaraderie, I began to realize I wanted to look as svelte as she did. If she did 10 of something, I did 15. Not only to prove I could, but to prove I was stronger (I was), but also secretly to prove I was somehow better. This silent competition was only in my head.

She on the other hand, pushed me, to see if I could do more, not faster, but better. She saw something in me that even I didn't see. The broad shoulders, the more than a handful of breast, the butt that was becoming tight, the porcelain skin, all made her drool as it began to come together, as we worked it together. She longed to run her fingers through my hair. Despite hints, partial conversations, she couldn't bluntly ask if I was interested in women, and more particularly in her. Something held her back; something made her afraid that if she was blunt, I would run off and she would lose what we had, what was becoming a very important friendship for her.

"We should go out" she commented after one particularly sweaty work out.

"Yeah right, me in my sweats, you in something outrageous" I teased sincerely, reminding her of our conversations about the beach. We had gone a couple of times, her in various bikini's that I couldn't help but admire, her breasts barely contained, threatening to spill out of the bonds that held them. I wished somehow I could tell her that I admired them, that I wanted to touch them. I blushed at my thoughts for my friend who had only been kind and generous to me and here I was lusting after her beautiful body.

She wondered at my blush but my response had angered her "why do you do that?"

Startled I looked up, my hand froze with the towel that was wiping the sweat from my face, "do what?"

"Why do you continually put yourself down like that?" she began angrily, but controlled herself with an effort. Anyone who knows the Latina temperament knows what she had to put under wraps. "You've been working out, you shouldn't be so self-conscious about your size, you're a big girl, but you're pretty." She softened her angry tone and continued "let's go out and party."

I was surprised, my friend had never been this angry with me before. She had warned me about the Latina temperament but I had never been on the receiving end of it. Although it wasn't full blown, I sensed the passions that were below the surface of this kind woman. "I don't have anything to wear besides my suits.,." I began hesitantly and at a look from her I quickly amended what I had been about to say to continue with "but I suppose I could go shopping. Shall we go out Friday after work?"

Her demeanor changed immediately to one of hearty approval. "Friday it is!"

I had never really thought about what I would wear to go out in. I had all my conservative suits. I enjoyed looking professional, but that was like my uniform. I had never really bought something with the intention of looking sexy. I didn't think sexy could be pulled off, but for some reason, for this woman, I wanted to look sexy, be sexy, and perhaps surprise her a little.

"I need help" I begged a saleswoman in an exclusive little shop in the mall. I never shopped in these but thought perhaps they could help more than going it alone. "I need to find something a little sexy." I knew with my red hair that the red on my cheeks as I blushed was unattractive, I was a little uncomfortable, but I was being brave.