Suzanne lay against me, her back beside my chest, my arms around her, in the dimly-lit den. We each held a cold beer (drinking beer was a common passion of ours, and something I had not been used to in previous relationships). I took a swig of mine, closed my eyes and felt her warmth on my body, thinking of her beauty, so understated yet stunning. There was no doubt I was falling for her; I had suspected the same was true from her standpoint, but couldn't be 100 percent sure-not yet.
As is often the case in today's society, we had met at work. At first, Suzanne didn't want anything to do with me. It seemed she somehow found me downright offensive, and was quite rude to me in those early days. I didn't find her anywhere near as repulsive; from the start, I found her to be quite gorgeous with her brown hair, slightly tanned skin, dark eyes, and full lips, but at the time, she didn't exactly light my fire either. Maybe it was the cold shoulder she gave me-I don't know.
As weeks and months passed, our paths crossed more and more frequently in the office. Our positions required us to spend increasing amounts of time with each other, and unwittingly we began a process of getting acquainted. As we did, we found we had a great number of things in common. We were within a year of the same age, and had attended the same college during the same years; we had a natural shared interest in sports (something else I wasn't used to in previous relationships); we both had two daughters, also of similar ages, from a previous marriage; we both were divorced, and had experienced that indescribable excruciating pain of failed matrimony. It was remarkable how we had been thrown together and how well we had meshed. Suzanne showed a marked turn in her attitude towards me (perhaps her discovery that I wasn't the typical screw-up our company often employs played a role as well).
On a Friday afternoon, seven months after I began my employment, I went over to ask a work-related question. She looked up at me from her desk, and that's when it hit me. Never had I seen such a beautiful pair of brown eyes. I didn't see them as just brown, as I had up until now; they were so deep, so beautiful, so full of life, and beyond description. At that moment, I knew I had developed a strong crush on her, without even realizing it. This was troubling, as workplace romances can be a real issue.
I asked my question and went on my way, but I wondered what I was going to do about this strange new feeling.
Weeks passed, and when summer came, we started getting our kids together. There were hitting it off well, and so were Suzanne and I. We had become the best of friends, going to lunch once or twice a week, talking for longer periods away from work, having to watch it at the office so no one would get wise. Eventually, I got the nerve to ask her out. Dinner, a movie, nothing earth-shaking. We did cross into physical love that night, slightly. I had reached over to her on the way home and taken her hand, and our fingers had wrapped together. I began to realize that we were feeling many of the same things. When we arrived at her house, I didn't go in but leaned over and softly pressed my lips against hers before she got out of the car. She didn't pull away.
The next week, Suzanne invited me to dinner at her place. Her children had gone to stay at Grandma's out-of-state for a month, so we would be alone. I of course was eager to see how well she cooked; neither have I been known as one that turns down a free meal. But I'd be lying if I said that I didn't go over there with the idea in my head that we might get the chance to raise our intimacy level-significantly.
Dinner had been spectacular, even better than I had dreamed, and now we found ourselves on the futon in her den, her leaning back against me, relaxing with a drink, almost drowsy in the low light.
Suzanne took my beer from her, placed it and hers on the coffee table, turned her face to me and asked, "Lucas?"
"Mmm?"
"Can I tell you something?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"I didn't like you much at first when you started work. I thought you were a little stuck-up and to be honest, a bit of a jerk."
"That's no secret, hon."
"And I'm sorry for that. That wasn't fair for me to judge you, not even having given you a chance."
"That's OK."
"Anyway...in these last few months, I've really started to get close to you, and I think..."
"Mmm?"