It had been a truly crap day. Just about everything had gone wrong, from the moment she had over slept to her desktop crashing and wiping out an hours work, meaning she had to work later than normal. That meant she had missed her normal train and was delayed further.
She finally arrived at her usual Friday evening treat of stopping at a small restaurant around half way between her gym and her apartment. Normally she would have been home by 9pm, but tonight it was nearly that time when she arrived and annoyingly most of the tables were occupied.
The head waiter smiled at her as she entered. "Hi Alex, I thought you had found somewhere else to eat on a Friday."
She returned the smile pleasantly. She had eaten here every Friday for the last six months. It wasn't because the food was good or the service outstanding. It was because of the fascinating dark haired woman that frequented the establishment at the same time every week. Alex was mesmerised by her and had always wanted to actually speak to her, but never really built up the courage. This week, because of the delays, she would have missed the opportunity to watch her enter the restaurant. There was something about the way she walked in to the room, her tall black boots clicked beautifully on the tiled floor, and the long black leather coat she always wore parted slightly at the front with every stride to show a hint of bare flesh that rose tantalisingly up her thigh. Just picturing it made Alex's mouth water and her body begin to react in a sensuous way. There had been more than several nights Alex had walked home fantasising about spending a torrid night entwined in those smooth booted legs.
"Hello Peter." Alex answered bringing her mind back to the here and now. "Yes I got delayed at work and I'm running late. Any chance of a table?"
The waiter glanced around the packed eatery. "I can maybe seat you with someone else if you don't mind sharing."
Alex nodded. She was far too hungry and too tired to care and the real reason for her being her had been missed, so food was priority.
Peter led Alex past where she would normally sit to a side area that was partially screened off by a smoked glass partition.
Alex heard him cough politely. "Excuse me Miss Vitelli." He asked the customer seated behind the smoked glass. "I have a regular customer in need of a setting. Would you mind accommodating?"
The breath caught in Alex's chest as the more than familiar crest of raven black hair appeared around the screen. She tried to smile courteously as the woman she had longed to speak to looked her up and down then nodded.
The floor tilted under Alex's feet like her board used to when she surfed as the waiter ushered her in to the seat opposite the object of her fantasy.
Feeling the need for some Dutch courage she ordered a wine and soda then pretended to read the menu while glancing at the women seated across the table from her and engrossed in a book. Alex estimated her age to be somewhere around the late twenties or early thirties. The glossy black hair was shaved close to the skin on each side of her head leaving a slightly spiked Mohawk running in to a pony tail that disappeared down her back. Both of the woman's ears were punctuated with tiny silver rings from the lobe to the tip and a steel bar pierced the perfectly arched left eyebrow which in turn blended smoothly with tanned olive skin and eyes of golden hazel.
The blossom of a black rose tattooed on her neck peeked over the collar of the black leather coat she always wore. Alex sipped her drink as she let her gaze follow the curve of the woman's neck as it disappeared in to the shadows created by the folds of the coat.
"Do you have a good enough view? Or do you want me to stand up?" The dark hair woman asked without raising her eyes. Her voice was like velvet with a slight trace of an accent.
Alex coughed as she hastily swallowed a mouthful of her drink.
"Sorry." She managed to say. "I was admiring your tattoo."
The book closed and golden eyes pinned Alex to her chair. Her expression neither friendly nor hostile.
"Any why does my tattoo interest you so much when you can walk down Venice Boulevard and see hundreds just like it?"
Alex felt her stomach begin to do handsprings as her inner voice prodded her in to speaking her mind.
"I think you're really pretty." She managed to blurt out. Then mentally kicked herself for saying something so lame.
To her surprise the woman curled her dark painted lips in to a half-smile.
"Is that why you sit by the door every Friday and watch me until it is time for you to leave?"
Heat rose quickly as Alex turned bright red in embarrassment.
The half-smile turned in to a light childish laugh.
"Forgive me. I was teasing. Honestly I am quiet flattered, and it isn't as though you are unattractive yourself."
Although she didn't think it possible, Alex blushed deeper. She certainly didn't think she was that attractive. The fact was she looked exactly like what she was, a plain tomboy. Yes she had an athletic body as she spent a lot of time exercising to keep her fitness levels up. A throwback to when she used to surf every morning. She would have liked it if her breasts were slightly bigger, but at least they were firm and well formed. She didn't have the patience to let her hair grow long so it remained in a short tousled mess most of the time. The one thing she did have that she was really content with were her emerald green eyes, which the few men and women she had been with had said were beautiful.
"Sorry." Alex said again. Feeling quiet brave suddenly she added. "I didn't mean to stare, but you are the most stunning person I have ever seen."
The golden eyes looked deeply at her for a long minute.
"Zabina Vitelli." She said suddenly proffering her well-manicured hand. "But my friends call me Zabi."
Alex broke in to a shy smile as she shook hands. "Alexandria Rowe. But everyone calls me Alex."
Zabi took a swallow of deep red wine from a large glass. "So Alex, when you watch me do you fantasise about sleeping with me?"
For the second time that evening Alex choked on her drink.
Another silky peel of laughter tumbled out of Zabi's lips stirring the emotions inside of Alex.
"Sorry. I couldn't resist the tease. You are quiet an attractive woman Alex you if you dressed a little more to suit your body, you would have any man or woman eating out of your hands."
A slight shrug was all Alex could offer. The magic of finding the right outfit was an ability she never really accomplished.
