December 3
Its the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and things have been quiet at work. My caseload is pretty light and I decided to take myself to lunch today. The only thing I had to do this afternoon was meet a new client at the office at 2:00. I went down to Franks and grabbed a small booth and waited for the waitress. The place was half empty and I didn’t think lunch would take too long and I was looking forward to doing a little shopping on my way back to the office if I had time. I looked up and noticed a woman at the bar; she was looking at me and then she looked away. She was quite pretty and I found myself staring back at her long after she’d turned away.
The waitress came over and I ordered my usual; a sesame chicken salad and tall iced tea. She left and I could see the woman at the bar busily stirring her drink as if she were waiting for someone who was very late.. She had long, straight blonde hair down past her shoulder blades and a wonderfully heart-shaped butt. She was wearing a thin, chocolate brown dress that was pulled taught from sitting on the stool and I thought that was an odd choice for winter wear. That was about all I could see from where I was since she mostly had her back to me. She was quite petite, probably not much more than five feet tall, and I remembered her eyes being dark. She must have felt me staring at her because she turned and looked at me again. I was a little embarrassed but managed a smile and then looked at the waitress who was just arriving with my drink.
I thanked her and grabbed the sugar and began pouring it in; one...two...three spoonfuls and then grabbed a spoon and started stirring. I wondered if it was safe to look up yet. I stirred for a moment longer and then glanced up; she was still looking my way. This time she smiled at me but did not turn away. Even from this distance, I could see that she had beautiful brown eyes and her eyebrows were long, thin and very graceful; they framed her eyes very elegantly. I guessed she was in her early thirties. Realizing I was staring, I forced myself to look down at my glass. I could feel the flush rising to my cheeks and I hoped she couldn’t see that I was blushing. I kept stirring my drink and hoped the waitress would come with my salad soon.
After what seemed like an eternity, the waitress returned with my salad and another iced tea. She put the salad on the table and then handed me the glass. I must have given her a funny look because all she said was, “Complements of the lady at the bar.”
I looked up and she was smiling at me. She gave me a brief wave with one hand and then raised her glass in a mock toast with the other. I smiled back and mouthed “Thank you” to her. She turned back toward the bar and continued her silent wait.
I was very self-conscious as I ate and found myself looking up every few bites to watch the mysterious and beautiful blonde. She only stayed for a few more minutes and then reached over and grabbed a heavy overcoat from the stool next to her. As she stood to put it on, I got my first good look at her. She was probably 5’4” in her heels and as she turned in profile to me I could see that she was perfectly proportioned. From the curve of her full breasts I guessed she was a 34C. She turned toward me as she reached back with both hands to pull her hair from beneath her coat and I got an even better look as they rose and fell with the movement of her arms. But it was the serene elegance of her face that held me. She met my gaze and winked at me with a smile. I smiled back and then she brought her lips together in a pouting kiss and waved as she turned and left the restaurant.
I looked up and saw the waitress approaching and I blushed again; she’d seen the whole thing. Since I go to Franks on a regular basis I wasn’t about to make a big deal out of it.
“Got a new member of the Tiana fan club?” the waitress said sarcastically.
I laughed and told her that it was just a big tease and meant nothing. I told her I’d never seen her before and would probably never see her again after today. The waitress snickered and left and I tried to push the image of the mystery woman flipping her hair back from my mind but in all honesty I spent the rest of my lunch thinking about her... her ruby lips, her almond shaped eyes...and her perfect breasts.
I should tell you now that, while I’ve always admired beautiful women, my admiration for women has always ended there - with admiring them. I’ve never been with a woman and though I’ve fantasized about it on many occasions I’ve never really considered it. So the fact that this woman was occupying such a large part of my thoughts surprised me. Her voice, I imagined, was deeper than one would expect and maybe a bit on the breathy side; her long fingers very deliberate and precise in their movements and her full, ruby lips I imagined were firm but gentle. I imagined the feel of the back of her index finger brushing along my cheek, the touch of her fingertip running gently down my thigh, the warmth of her breath against my neck...
I looked up as the haze of my daydream wafted away and noticed that the restaurant was almost empty. The waitress was approaching again and I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 1:30! I’d spent nearly an hour eating a salad that would normally take ten minutes!
“Do you want to take it with you or just pick at it some more!” the waitress asked with a sarcastic smile and I told her no and asked for the check. When she returned I handed her enough for the meal and the tip and grabbed up my things and headed back to the office.
The brisk walk in the cold December air helped clear my head; I had to find my game face before I met with this new client. This was the hardest part of my job for me; I had no problem preparing a case and I enjoyed the tension and anxiety of being in court but the initial interview with the client made me very uncomfortable because I always felt like I was the one on trial. First impressions being what they are, I had only a few minutes to impress and inspire confidence and secure their business. By the time I’d reached the plaza outside my building though, I was feeling better about things.
When I reached my office, I asked my secretary for the profile on this client so that I could get ready. She handed it to me and I walked in and closed my office door. I hung up my coat and tossed my purse under my desk as I scanned through the information in the folder. It seemed to be a simple case of trademark violation and should be pretty straightforward. I began to read through the folder more thoroughly to familiarize myself with the details but was interrupted by the familiar double ring of the intercom. I heard my secretary’s voice telling me my 2:00 was here and I told her to show them in. I heard the door open and, still reading the file, I rose to introduce myself. When I looked up, my heart stopped - it was the beautiful blonde in the chocolate brown dress!
My secretary introduced her as Laura Michaels. She walked toward me and I forced myself into motion around my desk and offered my hand. I was a little shaken and more than a little embarrassed as I introduced myself to her but she took my hand and smiled; her grasp was firm but gentle and her smile was immediately warming. I offered her a chair in front of my desk but she chose to sit on the couch next to the window instead. We began to discuss her case and I could feel her staring intently at me as I looked between her and the file. I found myself walking around and leaning casually against the desk as I spoke. I clutched the folder nervously in my hand and found having it a convenient way to avoid her gaze as I spoke.
“Alright, Miss Michaels,” Tiana began but was quickly interrupted.
“Please, call me Ellie... ‘Miss Michaels’ makes me sound like a teacher, or a librarian and I really don’t have the patience for either.”
“Ok, Ellie,” she continued, “I’ve looked through all the material your firm provided us with...” Tiana stopped short; she could feel the intense stare and she wavered. She looked up at her prospective client and smiled nervously and continued. “...and I’m not sure why you’re here.”
“I watched you at lunch.” Ellie said very matter-of-factly. “You seem like a strong, intelligent woman though I think your self-confidence may be lagging a step behind.”
Tiana was caught offguard by this and she was also a little annoyed. She turned and set the folder she’d been nervously clutching down on the desk. With both hands, she scooted herself up onto the desktop and crossed her ankles letting her legs swing slightly as she rested on the heels of her hands.
“How do you figure?” she replied with a slightly challenging tone.
“That’s better,” Ellie said with a playful smile as she rose and looked out the window at the skyline. “Well, for starters, the tone of your voice and your posture are a dead giveaway.” She turned and leaned on the mahogany window sill facing Tiana and continued. “I make you nervous OR I intimidate you - either way you are uncomfortable and that has shaken your confidence.”
“Ok, and what has that to do with why you’re here?” Tiana fired back quickly.
