Second Guessing
By: Bekah
Kennedy
Disclaimer: These characters and situations are the products of my own
imagination and experiences. Please don't take 'em without my permission. As
for the brand names (Dodge, Sprite, etc) I don't own 'em, I just like 'em.
Language/Violence: Maybe a few naughty words, nothing too strong.
No violence, there's enough of that in the world already.
Subtext: This story is about a loving relationship between two women,
who may express their love physically. If this ain't your kind of thing or you
aren't old enough to read this, hit the back button now.
Thanx: To my inspiration JD, though she may never see this.
Feedback: Please feed the bard! This is my first real attempt at fic
and I'd love to know what you think. Keep the flames to yourself though. My
e-mail addy is: bekah_babe2002@yahoo.com
"Oh come on Ray, you never
hang out with us anymore. Just come to the Wreck Room with Kasie and me for
a few hours. You'll love it, I promise!” Elena pleaded with Rayna Jacobs
as she perused her best friend's closet. “When's the last time you went
out anyway? I know that you were studying for finals, but they're over now and
you need to get out more. Besides, there are a lot of fine women that hang out
there.” She winked knowingly at Rayna as she pulled an outfit from the
closet. She held the silky white sleeveless shirt and short blue skirt up in
front of Rayna with a grin. “This'll look totally hot on you; perfect for
a night out.”
Rayna suppressed a giggle when
she saw how enthusiastic Elena was and said instead, “All right, you win.
I'll join the happy couple tonight, since you'll never let it go otherwise.”
She snatched the clothes from her triumphant-looking friend. The petite young
woman wriggled out of her khakis and tee to pull on the silky top and skirt.
Turning to the mirror, she eyed herself critically. The top was casually loose
and showed just the right amount of cleavage while the skirt was snug and clung
to her curvy hips. She decided that she did indeed look good in the outfit.
As a finishing touch, she dabbed on some perfume and twisted her shoulder-length
strawberry blonde hair back from her face.
“You look gorgeous hon,
but let's get on over to the club before Kasie gets pissed at me for being late,”
urged Elena as she watched Rayna slip on a pair of heels.
“Okay, let's roll. We certainly
wouldn't want your woman to get mad at us, now would we.”
“Gee, is that a hint of
jealousy I hear?”
“Nope. I'm perfectly happy
being single; it frees me up to look at anyone I want to. I would hate having
to worry about some jealous girlfriend watching my every move. I want to be
ready when I find my perfect match.”
“I hear you. And hey, maybe
you'll find her tonight.”
“Maybe, you never know.”
-------------------------
“What'll you have?”
Zoe asked the lanky redhead who'd just settled into a table in the corner.
“Just a water thanks. I'm
waiting for a couple of friends to get here before I order.”
Zoe just nodded and returned to
the bar to tend to some other customers. She grinned to herself when she noticed
how busy the Wreck Room was becoming. She was always glad for a night of good
tips. She waited on a steady flow of people until she got a free moment to take
the water over to the redhead. Another girl had joined her and was teasing her
in a low voice. Amused, she set the glass down and cleared her throat. “Y'all
ready for some drinks?”
The redhead blushed only slightly
and replied, “Umm… not quite yet. One of us will come to the bar when
we all know what we're having.”
“Okay then,” Zoe said,
turning back towards the bar. She wondered where the red-haired girl's other friends
were for a moment before she focused back on taking orders and mixing drinks.
A few moments later she heard a soft voice behind her.
“Could I get a rum and coke
and two martinis please?”
Zoe turned around and stopped
short when she saw the beautiful girl before her. Nearly a head shorter than herself,
the girl had strawberry blonde hair, full lips, a gorgeous figure, and emerald
eyes that held a warm light. When she finally found her voice she asked, “I'm
sorry but could I please see some ID?” She figured the girl was probably
at least 21 but she was required to ask if she couldn't tell for sure. The blonde
grinned and handed her driver's license over. Zoe immediately scanned the birth
date to find that the girl was 21 and then quickly glanced at the name as she
handed the license back to its owner. “Rayna, huh? That's a pretty name.”
She complimented as she prepared the drinks. “You want some help carrying
these?”
“That'd be great, thanks!
We're over there,” Rayna gestured to the table in the corner. She picked
up her rum and coke and led Zoe to the table. As she slid into her seat she said,
“This is Kasie and Elena,” pointing first at the redhead then her girlfriend.
“Nice to meet y'all, my name
is Zoe. I've got to get back to work, just holler if you need anything.”
Rayna watched as Zoe made her
way back to the bar. She was tall and thin, with broad shoulders and a muscular
build. Short, dusty blonde hair framed her tanned and angular face. Rayna found
her sparkling dark green eyes to be the most striking of the gorgeous woman's
features.
Kasie was amused when she noticed
Ray checking out the bartender's butt and nudged Elena playfully. “Seems
she's finally found something to her liking,” she whispered conspiratorially.
Elena struggled to contain a giggle as Rayna finally returned her attention to
her friends.
All night Zoe was constantly aware
of the little blonde's presence. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to Rayna.
As gorgeous as Rayna was, Zoe knew that her instant affinity towards the girl
was not because of her looks. Ordinarily Zoe never gave customers a second thought
after she had taken care of their orders, yet now she caught herself looking over
at the corner table every so often just to see what Rayna was doing. A few minutes
before last call she noticed the three young women headed for the exit. Zoe wanted
to walk over to Rayna and speak to her, but she chickened out and instead stayed
behind the bar. She cursed herself for her cowardice and hoped that she would
have another chance to get to know the blonde girl.
“Well, Ray, did you have
fun tonight or what?” Elena asked as they stepped out the door of the club.
“Yeah, it was pretty fun.
The music was great!”
“They do have cool dance
tunes, but I've heard that their live music is even better. While I was in the
bathroom I heard some chicks talking about the singer that is gonna be performing
Sunday night. They said she was really good and that we ought to come check it
out. So, what do you say? You up for another night on the town?”
“Sure, I was thinking about
coming back sometime anyhow.” Rayna replied while thinking about how much
she wanted to see the gorgeous bartender again. *Maybe I'll actually get to have
a real conversation with her.*
-------------------------
Sunday evening Rayna found herself
standing in front of her closet trying to find an outfit to wear to the club.
She wanted to look good in case she saw Zoe, but she was having a hard time finding
the right outfit. As she rifled through the hanging clothes she remembered the
new dress that was hanging in the extra bedroom of her apartment waiting to be
ironed. She hurried to the other room and ironed the dress as quickly as she could.
Finally, she returned to her room donning the new dress. The red and black flowery
slip dress clung to her body sensuously and Rayna was very pleased with the way
it looked.
-------------------------
When Rayna arrived at the club
she immediately scanned the room for Elena and Kasie's familiar faces. They were
again sitting in the back corner and had a wonderful view of the small stage.
As Rayna crossed the crowded club she was disappointed to note that Zoe was not
there. She shrugged inwardly and sat down with her friends.
“Oh, girl! You look delicious
in that dress!” exclaimed Elena with a wink. Kasie elbowed her girlfriend
and, with a teasing twinkle in her eye, complained that she never received such
compliments.
Flushed slightly, Rayna queried,
“You really think so?”
“Definitely. With those legs
and that dress, you're gonna have to beat the women away,“ assured Elena.
Kasie nodded her agreement with a smile.
Rayna excused herself to go use
the bathroom before the show started. The introduction began while she was washing
her hands so the voice was muffled and she couldn't make out the singer's name.
Once she turned off the faucet, she was able to hear the opening notes being strummed
on a guitar. Then the club was filled with a deep, sultry voice singing of lost
love. Something within Rayna stirred at the sound of the rich alto voice. She
exited the restroom, curious to see who it was that was singing so passionately.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she recognized the singer as Zoe. Rayna was
so mesmerized that it took her several seconds until she shook her head to clear
it. Then she made her way back to her friends, who were cuddling cozily in the
corner. Rayna settled in her seat and turned her gaze back to the stage. She was
only half listening to the soulful music that Zoe played, instead she concentrated
on her gorgeous emerald eyes. They were filled with such longing and love, though
she seemed not to be seeing what lie before her. A haze covered her eyes that
indicated that her mind was somewhere far away. When Rayna was finally able to
tear her gaze from Zoe's eyes, she allowed it to drift lazily over the length
of Zoe's body. She was dressed very casually in a form-fitting white tank and
some very worn and faded jeans.
Zoe had just launched into her
last song when she glanced up and noticed the cute little blonde from a few nights
before. She smiled to herself and after she finished her set she stepped down
off the stage. Weaving her way around the tables and people, Zoe discreetly eyed
Rayna. The petite young woman was speaking animatedly to her friends about something.
The smile on her face took Zoe's breath away. Realizing she was nervous, Zoe took
a deep breath and walked over to the corner table.
“Hey ladies, how's it going?”
she asked as she casually leaned her arms on the back of the empty chair.
“Pretty good,” Elena
answered with a grin. “Your music was excellent.”
“Thanks,” Zoe responded
rather shyly. She smiled at Rayna and asked, “Mind if I sit here?”
“Not at all, you're welcome
to join us,” said Rayna before mentally slapping herself for sounding too
eager. “You have a gorgeous voice, and the songs were amazing! Did you write
them yourself?”
“Um… thanks. Yeah, all
the songs are my own. Most of them are pretty basic, but I like them that way.”
Rayna nodded and, noticing Zoe's
slight embarrassment decided to change the subject. “We were just talking
about our sports abilities, or in my case the total lack thereof. How about you,
any good at sports?”
Zoe chuckled and answered, “I'm
okay at sports, I guess. I just don't really like to have to worry about some
set of rules to follow.”
“I know what you mean, sometimes
you'd rather be able to just do what you want.” Kasie commented.
The four women continued their
talking for nearly three hours until Elena decided it was time for them to go.
Rayna stood and looked at Zoe. Their eyes met and, for a moment, they each felt
like they were the only two people on earth. Zoe started when she realized that
Elena and Kasie were waiting for their friend. “Well,” she said, “I
guess I'll see you later.”
“You bet, I look forward
to it!” Rayna answered with a flirty grin. She hated to end her time with
Zoe but she knew they all needed to leave so she waved goodbye and followed her
friends to the exit.
-------------------------
On the way to her apartment, Rayna
replayed her conversation with Zoe in her mind several times. They had talked
about many different things as the evening progressed, giving each a glimpse of
what the other woman was about. Though they had stuck to the safe topics of small
talk, Ray was able to see that Zoe was a complex, intelligent woman. Rayna felt
as though they had become pretty well acquainted but she wondered if it were really
possible for them to have a relationship. She was usually pretty secure but she
felt kind of intimidated by Zoe. Not only was she drop-dead gorgeous, but she
also possessed intelligence and confidence. Rayna couldn't see why on earth the
sandy-haired beauty would have any interest in her. *Oh, well. I guess I should
just enjoy being around her instead over analyzing everything.*
Across town, Zoe was also engrossed in thoughts of their budding relationship.
She was lying on her bed thinking about the feelings that had coursed through
her when she noticed Rayna at the club. <She was playing the opening riffs
of her last song when she felt a warm, serene feeling wash over her. She glanced
up at the crowd to figure out where the feeling was coming from when she saw Rayna
in the corner of the room listening intently to her singing. The gorgeous emerald
eyes were sparkling with emotion as she swayed gently to the rhythm. Zoe felt
an unexplainable flutter in her stomach as she took in the sight of the sweet
young woman.> She sighed as she remembered the rest of the evening and realized
that she had forgotten to ask Rayna for her phone number. She fell asleep a few
minutes later hoping that she'd have a chance to find out soon.
-------------------------
Late Tuesday night Zoe had her
back to the bar, preparing a mixed drink when she heard a soft voice tell her
hello. Her heart jumped as she recognized the voice and she turned around with
a wide grin. “Hey there, how's it going?” She handed the drink to her
customer before turning all her attention to Rayna. “Hi! I was wondering
when I'd get to see you again.”
“Well, here I am.”
“So I noticed. Where are
Kasie and Elena tonight?”
“I think they went to a movie
or something, not really sure. I just thought I'd come down here and have some
fun before I have to get ready for the new semester.”
“Oh yeah? So you're gonna
be busy, huh?”
“Yeah, senior year is pretty
hectic. It's not too bad, though. I usually find a way to make time for some fun
stuff.”
“That's good. Maybe you and
I could do something fun when you are free?” said Zoe, hoping that Rayna
would be interested.
“ I'd love to do something
with you. It would give us a chance to get to know each other better, instead
of trying to talk in a crowded bar.” Rayna flashed a wry grin as she said
this, nodding towards the person that had just bumped into her.
“Yep, this really isn't the
best place for talking. Speaking of which, could I have your phone number so that
I can call you sometime?”
“Sure, and how about giving
me yours so that I can get a hold of you when I have some free time.”
Zoe grabbed a pen and a small
pad of paper from beside the phone behind her and jotted down her name and number.
She tore it off and handed it to Rayna along with the pad and pen so that she
could write hers down as well.
Rayna wrote her number down and
handed the pad and pen back to Zoe. She noticed somebody approaching the bar and
said, “I guess I'd better let you get back to work.”
“Okay. Have fun.”
“I will, and I'll be calling
you.”
“Alright, looking forward
to it. Bye, Ray!”
“Bye, Zo!” Rayna answered
before drifting off into the crowd.
Zoe stayed busy at the bar for
the rest of the night, but she had noticed Rayna dancing a few times. Once, she
saw Rayna swaying sensuously to a moderately slow song and she stood entranced,
forgetting about what she was supposed to be doing. She finally shook her head
to clear it and returned to her task. Her mind was clearer but there was still
a fire in her lower belly caused by Rayna's movements.
-------------------------
A week passed without Rayna going
to the Wreck Room. She had been very busy with preparations for her last semester.
She was carrying a full course load and had spent a lot of time trying to find
all the books and supplies she'd need. Now she was finally ready for her classes,
and also ready for an evening of fun. She thought about Zoe and wondered if she
was at the club. She wasn't in the mood for dancing but she wanted to see Zoe
so she decided to try calling her. *I hope she's not working tonight,* Rayna thought
as she dialed the number.
The phone rang several times before
Zoe reached it. “Hello?”
“Hi, this is Rayna. I wasn't
sure if you'd be home or if you were working.”
“Actually, this happens to
be my day off this week. What's up?”
“I was calling to see if
you still wanted to do something with me. If you're interested, I thought maybe
we could go up to the foothills to watch the stars come out.”
“I'd love to go with you!
I haven't been to the mountains in a long time and I've heard that it's great
for stargazing. And hey, we could even take a picnic if you haven't already eaten.”
“Oh, I hadn't even thought
about that. No, I haven't eaten dinner. What kind of food should I pack?”
“Don't worry about it, I'll
bring dinner since it was my idea. I'll even drive if that's okay with you.”
“Sounds great! Let me give
you my address.”
Zoe jotted down the address then
said, “Okay, I should be there in about half an hour. Bye Ray!”
“See ya!”
-------------------------
Rayna and Zoe had parked at the
base of the mountains and then hiked a little ways up one of them. The sun was
just beginning to set as they spread out a blanket and settled to the ground.
“Whew, that was a pretty good workout. I think I'm ready for some food,”
Rayna said with a grin.
“So am I. Let's go ahead
and get the stuff out of the basket.”
The women were pulling things
out of the basket and they both reached in at the same time. Rayna felt a tingle
run up her arm when their hands brushed. She looked up to apologize and was startled
to see Zoe blushing. Instead of pulling her hand away, Rayna gently took hold
of Zoe's hand. They looked at one another and just sat silently for a moment enjoying
the touch. A rumble from Rayna's stomach interrupted the moment and they separated
their hands to finish pulling out the food.
“So,” Rayna began as
they ate, “what do your parents think about you being a lesbian?”
Zoe's face clouded over for a
moment before she replied calmly, “They are strict Southern Baptists so they
think that it's a horrible sin. They take every chance they get to attack my lifestyle
and even tried to find a psychologist that would deprogram me when I was a teenager.
They became so controlling and unbearable that I left as soon as I graduated and
I've never been back since.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. As rude as it
sounds, I don't even miss them.”
“I don't think it sounds
that rude. I mean, if they were that cruel, I wouldn't miss them either.”
“So what about your parents,
what do they think?”
“Well… my mom is pretty
understanding and she supports me. My dad, on the other hand, tries to just ignore
the fact that I'm a lesbian and refuses to talk about it.”
“That's too bad. At least
your mom is still there for you.”
“Yeah, it really means a
lot to me that she accepts me for who I am. I really am sorry that you didn't
have someone to support you when you were younger, it must have been really hard.
You deserve so much better.”
Zoe lifted her head to respond
but the words flew out of her mind when she saw the look on Rayna's face. The
expression on the delicate features was one of such compassion, understanding,
and love that Zoe had never seen before. She locked eyes with the smaller woman
and felt an overwhelming pull at her soul, telling her that this was someone she
could not live without. Zoe was frightened at this thought, but the warmth in
Rayna's gaze helped to ease her mind some. Finally Zoe answered quietly, “Thank
you.”
Rayna barely heard the whispered
comment, because she too was lost in the other woman's eyes. She was thinking
about how beautiful and innocent the tall woman looked in the moonlight as they
talked. Her thoughts drifted to what it would feel like to kiss the soft, full
lips before her and she shivered unconsciously.
Rayna's slight movement brought
Zoe out of her daze. “Are you getting cold? Maybe we should get going before
it gets even colder.”
“What? Oh, uh, yeah. I should
probably get back anyhow, since I have an early class tomorrow.”
The woman sat quietly on their
way back to town, each immersed in her own thoughts. When they reached Rayna's
apartment, she was not ready to part with Zoe, so she invited her in for some
tea. Zoe accepted, glad to have a little bit more time with Rayna. Rayna made
them some tea before settling onto the couch beside the other woman. They talked
for a long time, until Rayna realized that it was 1:00 in the morning.
“Oh shit, I need to get some
sleep. I had no idea how late it had gotten.” Rayna walked Zoe to the door,
where there was an awkward pause as each considered what they should do. Gathering
her courage, Rayna stood on her tiptoes and placed a sweet peck on Zoe's lips.
The brief contact sent a warm tingle through both women. “Goodbye my sweet
friend,” Rayna whispered in a breathless voice.
Zoe gently caressed the little
blonde's cheek as she answered, “Bye. I'll call you.”
-------------------------
Rayna woke the next morning in
a wonderful mood. She had not gotten much sleep, yet she felt renewed and inspired
by her growing relationship with Zoe. She dressed quickly, grabbed her book-bag,
and set out for her first Advanced Portraits class. She had already had a class
with Dr. Wiles and was looking forward to another semester with the outgoing and
relaxed woman.
She arrived at the large art studio
with ten minutes to spare. She headed to an easel near the window and pulled out
a sketchbook. She had just added the finishing touches to a recent sketch when
Dr. Wiles walked through the door. “How's it going Doc?” asked Rayna.
“Pretty good, Rayna. I see
you were saving the best class for last,” Dr. Wiles winked and added, “By
the way, I allow my seniors to call me Deby.”
“Okay, Deby it is then.”
Twelve other students filed in
before Deby called the class to order. For the next 90 minutes, Rayna listened
to the professor summarize the various projects that they would be working on
throughout the semester. She glanced at the handout in front of her that listed
the due dates and criteria for each project. The first outside assignment was
to do a classic head-and-shoulders charcoal portrait of someone close to you.
Rayna thought about it briefly before deciding to use Elena as her subject. She
had soft, defined features that would look wonderful drawn in the soft medium.
-------------------------
Rayna went to one other class,
History of Romanticism, before going back to her apartment to study. The afternoon
flew by as she immersed herself in the reading for the history class. It was 6:00
by the time she finished and decided to grab some dinner and then see if Elena
and Kasie wanted to go to the club. She fixed a bowl of soup and a sandwich, then
dialed her best friend's number as she ate.
“Hello?”
“Hey, El. I was calling to
find out if you and Kasie have plans for tonight.”
“Not really, why?”
“I thought maybe we could
go to the Wreck Room.”
“Sure, we'd love to.”
Elena grinned to herself when her friend mentioned the Wreck Room. *Looking for
an excuse to go see Zoe, huh?*
“Great! I'll meet y'all there
at 10:00.”
“Okay, we'll be there. Bye
baby girl!”
“Bye El!” Rayna hung
up the phone before realizing that she'd forgotten to ask Elena about sitting
for her project. She decided she'd just wait and ask when they got together later.
-------------------------
“Hey girl!”
“Hey Kasie, how's it going?
Been a while since I've seen ya.”
“I've been busy,” Kasie
replied with a wink, “C'mon lets see if we can still get a good table.”
The three friends went into the colorful dance club and headed towards the back
corner, where their regular table stood empty. They sat and talked for a while.
Rayna remembered her project and turned to Elena.
“El, would you be willing
to sit for me sometime this week for my new art project?”
“Oh, sweetie, I would love
to but I'm gonna be out of town all week. I have to leave tomorrow morning on
a business trip and I won't be back until next weekend.”
“All right, thanks anyhow.”
Rayna said as she thought about whom else she could ask.
“Hey, maybe you can ask Zoe!”
Elena suggested with a twinkle in her eye.
“Yeah, that would be good.
I never even thought about that. It would be nice to spend time with her again.”
When Kasie and Elena learned that their friend had already gone out with Zoe they
begged her for details excitedly.
Rayna flushed slightly before
saying, “There really isn't that much to tell, you guys. We went to the foothills,
had a moonlight picnic, then went to her apartment and talked for a couple hours.”
“Uh, huh. I'm sure talking
isn't the only thing you did. Come on, tell your best friend Elena the truth.”
The sassy woman pleaded with a sad puppy dog look.
“I'm serious, we just talked.
The only thing that happened was a tiny little kiss when I left, that's all.”
“Oooh, who made the first
move?”
“Actually, I did. I almost
chickened out, but I'm glad I didn't, it was really nice.”
Elena put on a straight face before
exclaiming in a high voice, “Oh, our little girl is becoming a woman!”
“Very funny.” Rayna
said as she slapped Elena in the arm and glared playfully at Kasie, who was still
giggling.
“What's so funny?” Zoe's
arrival at the table prompted another fit of giggles.
“Oh, we're just teasing Ray
a little bit,” Kasie managed to get out between giggles.
Zoe just nodded, and asked the
women what they'd like to drink. After waiting a few seconds for them to make
up their minds, she headed to the bar to fix their drinks. A rush of customers
appeared at the bar just as she set the last drink down in front of Rayna. “I
guess I'll talk to y'all later.”
Zoe spent the next three hours
at the bar waiting on a steady flow of customers. When she glanced over at Rayna
she noticed that the other two women were no longer with her. She wiped off the
counter before heading over to see Rayna. “Your friends left already?”
“Yeah, I think they wanted
some time alone.” Rayna answered with a knowing grin as she motioned for
Zoe to take the seat across from her.
“Ohhhh… I get ya. So
what are you up to?”
“Not much, gotta get busy
on this school work. I spent all afternoon reading for one of my classes. Speaking
of which, I wondered if I could ask you a favor?”
“Sure, I'll do what I can
to help.”
“Would you mind sitting for
me?”
“Sitting?” Asked Zoe
with a confused look.
“For a portrait. I need a
subject for a charcoal project in Advanced Portraits.
“Advanced Portraits?”
Zoe raised an eyebrow, “You never told me that you're an artist.”
“Yep, in fact, I'm a fine
arts major. So what do you say?”
“I'd love to. No one has
ever drawn me before, it ought to be fun. When do you need me?”
*forever* immediately popped into
Rayna's head. She wondered where that thought had come from as she answered, “umm…
How about Thursday afternoon, 3:00, is that okay for you?”
“Yeah, that's fine.”
-------------------------
The days dragged by for both women
until Thursday finally arrived. Zoe eagerly drove to Rayna's apartment building
on the edge of the campus. She climbed the two flights of stairs thinking about
Rayna and what a fascinating person she was. No real artist had ever drawn Zoe
before, at least not to her knowledge. She was looking forward to seeing what
Rayna would create.
Rayna was also excited, along
with being somewhat nervous. She wondered if she would possibly be able to do
justice to the dark women's beauty. She set her easel near the window and stood
for a moment, trying to decide where Zoe should sit for the best lighting. Her
thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She opened the door with a grin
for her new friend. They exchanged hellos and a small hug before Rayna directed
Zoe to grab a chair and pull it over near the window.
“Oh, that's perfect!”
Rayna exclaimed as she studied the way the light played over Zoe's features.
“Okay, so what do you want
me to do? Smile, just stay natural, or something else?”
“Umm… natural would
be best. All you have to do is sit still for a while. I promise not to make you
sit there too long in one position.” Rayna teased lightly.
“Okay, I guess I'm ready
then,” said Zoe after she got settled in the comfy stuffed chair.
The room was quiet for several
minutes as Rayna drew and Zoe did her best to stay still. Since she couldn't talk,
Zoe occupied herself by watching Ray as she worked. She studied each expression
that showed on the cute face intently. The way her face would look very serious
as she inspected her work, the way her eyes lit up when she finally got something
perfect, and the confused expression when she tried to decide how to do something.
Zoe was lost in thought as she wondered what other looks she might see grace her
face. When she again focused her attention on Rayna, she saw the tip of her tongue
stuck out in deep concentration. Zoe couldn't help grinning at how cute she looked.
A few moments later, Rayna looked
up at Zoe to determine how the shape of her mouth should look. She noticed the
grin on her face and said, “Hey! I can't draw you if you don't keep the same
expression.” Zoe then broke into laughter at the way Rayna was pouting.
“I'm sorry,” Zoe said
between laughter, “you just looked so cute with your tongue stuck out like
that.”
Rayna blushed and said, “I
can't help it. That's just something I do when I'm concentrating really hard.”
Zoe finally stopped laughing just as Rayna decided that it was time for them to
take a break anyway. She moved away from the easel and motioned for Zoe to follow
her to the kitchen area. Rayna pulled out some sodas then backed away from the
fridge, accidentally bumping into Zoe. The collision knocked her off balance,
and she felt Zoe grab her before she could fall. Zoe kept her hands on Rayna as
she turned her so they were facing one another. She looked down into the bright
emerald eyes and asked if she was all right.
“Wonderful,” replied
Rayna, thinking about how it felt to be standing so close to Zoe. She stared back
into darker green pools that reflected warmth and caring. She could feel herself
moving closer as Zoe lowered her head. When their lips met, each woman felt electricity
course through their bodies as warmth and comfort settled over them. Zoe's lips
were even softer than Rayna had imagined, and the taste of her lips was intoxicating.
She felt a surge of passion as she ran her tongue lightly over full lips, silently
asking permission to enter.
Zoe moaned at the feel of the
warm tongue on her lips and gladly opened herself to it. She slowly moved her
own tongue in a gentle exploration of Rayna's velvety mouth. As their tongues
performed a soft and sensual dance, Zoe ran her hands down Rayna's sides until
she reached her gently flaring hips and pulled the smaller woman closer. They
stayed locked in the loving embrace for several moments before finally pulling
back slightly.
“Wow!” breathed Rayna
in wonder.
Zoe raised her hand and caressed
the sweet face before her as she answered, “Yeah, wow! I've never had a kiss
that made me feel this way before.”
Suddenly uncertain, Rayna asked
cautiously, “How do you feel?”
“Warm, loved, excited, and
very, very happy. I feel so at home in your arms, so comfortable.”
“Me too. I feel like nothing
can touch me when I'm in your arms.”
“Good, I'm glad you feel
safe with me. Especially since I want to be around you as much as possible. That
is, if you want. I wouldn't want to impose or anything.”
“I would love to spend more
time with you, I can't think of anything better.” The two women smiled at
each other softly at the admissions. Rayna pulled Zoe to her for another hug before
saying, “Okay, I guess we'd better get back to work.”
-------------------------
“Finished!” Rayna exclaimed
with a flourish.
“Oh, good,” said Zoe,
relieved to be able to stand up and stretch. “May I see?”
“Of course.”
Zoe walked over to the easel.
She had figured that Rayna must be a good artist, but she was amazed at the picture
that sat before her. The drawing looked exactly like her and the shading was incredible.
Even the eyes looked amazingly lifelike, with a mischievous glint to them. It
almost seemed as though the woman in the drawing was radiant with a heavenly glow.
“Wow! Is that really how you see me? That is so amazing.”
“Yes, that's exactly how
I see you. And it is only amazing because of the woman in it.” Rayna winked
at the taller woman and watched as her cheeks colored shyly.
“Um… Thanks. I should
probably get going now, I have some things I need to do before work.” Zoe
glanced at the clock, which read 6:30.
“Oh, well, all right then.
Thank you so much for sitting for me. I don't know what I would've done if you'd
have refused.” The two women slowly drifted to the door as they talked.
A wry grin crossed Zoe's face
as she admitted, “I don't think I could ever refuse to do something for you.
And anyway, I was glad to do it. I had fun talking to you and being able to see
your amazing artistic talents at work.”
Zoe looked at the petite woman wondering if it would be presumptuous to kiss her
again. She decided to throw caution to the wind and do it. She wrapped her long
arms around Rayna and lowered her head to meet the other woman's full lips. The
kiss was soft and sweet, only lasting a few seconds but each woman felt it all
the way down to her toes.
Zoe didn't want to leave her friend, but she knew she had to get going. “Will
I see you at the club?”
“I have a class tonight but
I'll be there tomorrow night, okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to make
sure I'd see you soon.”
“Definitely! I would be there
tonight if it were possible. Bye Zoe.”
“Bye Ray.”
Part 2
original
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