Author's note: Now that you've clicked, let me warn you that the title of this story is pure bait. What you're about to read is not a quick sex scene, but a long and elaborate romantic slow-burn with a lesbian theme. If that's not your jam, feel free to leave -- no hard feelings.
Just like 3 Crushes and a Wedding, the premise of this story started in my head as a short scene with a fun hook (I mean -- "spectacular pair of tits" just speaks for itself, right?). But some characters just want to grow and reveal more of their depth, and I have a duty to write their story.
HOWEVER, as always, I like leaving something to the imagination too. If you've read some of my writing before, you know what to expect. If not, well, let's say that I like writing about the fun, titillating journey, not the final destination.
The story will be divided into 2 chapters only. The next one is already finished, and I hope to post it in a week or two.
A huge thanks to my beta reader, THBGato, for spotting those naughty little typos and all the great feedback!
Disclaimer: Although not stated explicitly, all characters engaging in any sexual activity are above 18.
******
London, Day 1
I verified the baggage belt number once more and continued pacing. My flight had landed 75 minutes earlier and there was no sign of my luggage yet. I had heard horror stories of Heathrow inefficiencies, and this was starting to fall within those statistics. Several nearby passengers from my flight were getting impatient too, so we sighed and shrugged together.
I turned around and walked to the far-end of the baggage pickup area and paused there. I fidgeted with my phone and couldn't stop myself from unlocking it one more time and refreshing the tracking for flight number BA 248 for the millionth time. 10 more minutes to landing. Good. Maybe that'd give me time to calm my jitters before meeting her.
I switched into the selfie mode and checked myself out, once again. If anything, I looked a little worse than a minute ago. My eyes were tired and my face looked dull. 14 hours on a plane plus the grime of airports didn't help my case. I had my bright pink hoodie on, the one she once told me she loved in a private Slack message during a team-wide video call. And my hair was doing, well, whatever my hair wanted to do. At least it looked half-cute.
I fluffed it up with my hand, nervously switched to the flight tracker app once again, and gasped when I saw "LANDED" next to her flight number. I thought I had 10 more minutes to breathe!
I furtively looked all around for her then steeled myself. She wouldn't be here already. In my head, I calculated the time for the plane to taxi to its gate, passengers to disembark, walk to passport check, get the stamp, and then head here. I had 10-15 minutes, easy, if not 20-30, to get my shit together.
I clutched my phone and walked back to baggage belt number 5. If they didn't start delivering these now, I swear! As I was approaching it, the belt whirred into life and I heard the distinct sound of luggage being thrown onto it behind the scenes. Finally.
I didn't count on the wonders of modern technology, though. My phone buzzed and I saw her name -- and face -- pop up next to a message.
"Landed! And heading to passport check. I see your plane landed a while ago. Are you still here or did you get a cab?"
Oh, so I wasn't such a total creep for checking her flight's status. Good. Mutual creepiness was better.
"Woo! I'm
still
waiting for my suitcase. They just started delivering so I'll probably still be here by the time you're done. We'll share the cab."
"Can't wait :)"
Neither could I. The trepidation in my heart was starting to overwhelm me. I raised my head and checked the gliding suitcases. My pink one hadn't popped up yet.
I hadn't thought about how 'Barbie' I looked until I was leaving home. The suitcase and the hoodie were
clearly
too much pink together. But by the time I noticed that, it was too late to change clothes or suitcases. So I convinced myself this'll be a good conversation starter and headed out. Now, a few minutes before meeting her, my conviction was faltering. What the heck was I thinking? I could've thrown on another hoodie!
A pink suitcase popped up on the belt. My pink suitcase. Oh well, no room to escape now. The young boy who sat two seats away from me during the flight looked at it then turned toward me. Even he made the connection.
What was wrong with pink anyway? And why was it such a maligned color? Too girlie? Too soft? Too political? That's the patriarchy speaking! A color is a color, and pink is beautiful!
Good, now assume that and grab the suitcase when it gets to you
.
I bent, picked it up like a champ, then looked up at the boy and smiled. He smiled back. There you go.
Now what? I walked back toward the carousel announcement board. Flight BA 248 was marked on belt number 9.
"Got my suitcase. Yours will be on belt 9. I'll sit in the seats next to it."
"Great. Almost done here."
"Look for the flashiest pink combo. You can't miss me."
Might as well lean into it.
She reacted to the message with a pink heart.
I walked to belt number 9 and plopped down on some nearby seats. Once again, I switched into the selfie camera and checked myself out. This was far from the best first impression I could give, but it'll have to do. She wouldn't look much better after a cross-Atlantic 16-hour flight.
I locked my phone and chastised myself.
Stop getting your hopes up, dammit!
This was nothing. Two colleagues who live halfway across the globe getting a temporary joint project for six months -- that's it. The flirtations, the double-entendre messages, the compliments; those all lived in my own head. She had never made any real indication that she liked me. And neither had I.
Still, I had built an alternate reality in my mind, one where every word hid a different meaning and every heart-eyed emoji reaction said more. But no, out here in the real world, nothing had happened yet. And nothing probably would. Ever.
But how do I tell my body not to feel jittery at the thought of meeting her in person for the first time? How do I convince my heart not to go into a frenzy at the thought of hugging her or sharing an apartment with her (and two other team members, but I was blissfully ignoring that fact) and all that might entail? And how do I force myself to treat this like a normal day at the office?