I caught her eye a couple more times, and she was definitely enjoying my attention, giving me a shy smile each time. She went to the back of the counter to make a couple more cappuccinos, and I kept my gaze fixed on the back of her head, so that when she turned around briefly to look at me, she got immediate eye contact -- and met the headlights full-on. She blushed and fumbled with the cups and saucers, before composing herself, smoothing down her uniform and continuing... I decided it might be on.
***
My night with Mel had been great. I really had enjoyed her company - and her body. Not to mention her wondrous lesbian-themed flat. I thought the fantastic sex with her had carried me past my preoccupation with Frida, but I needed to test the theory.
The very next market day, I headed for her stall, ostensibly to buy fruit and veg, but really to find out if seeing her again would still be an unsettling experience, or if I was truly on the road to 'recovery'.
It was a dingy, rainy day as I walked up to the stall, wearing flat shoes, trousers, an unflattering cagoule and a baseball cap, but she spotted me straight away and gave me a smile as she continued serving an old lady. She was her usual self; friendly, efficient, helpful, and smiley, as she helped the old lady find what she wanted, and the old lady was smiling broadly, as everyone seems to when they encounter Frida. She really is lovely.
When it was my turn she made small talk and helped me to choose things, and she was still her usual bubbly self but there were no suggestive comments now, just a friendly efficiency. I missed the suggestive comments.
'How are you, Frida? You OK?'
'Yes fine' she grinned (a little falsely) 'You?'
'Not bad.'
It seemed a perfectly normal casual conversation, but there was a certain awkwardness about it that perhaps only I could detect. The flirtatious familiarity was missing and that made me sad.
I paid for my purchases, said 'see you' as breezily as I could manage, and walked away, but I had a lump in my throat for at least 15 minutes as I continued my shopping. Oh, God. I wasn't over her at all!
My head and heart were all over the place as I walked back to the car, the drizzly rain perfectly matching my sorrowful mood. More than once I almost turned on my heels and went back to plead with her to take me back, but I didn't. By the time I'd driven home I had convinced myself that more gratuitous sex was what I needed. That would cure me of this mad infatuation.
Friday night saw me back at the Fat Giraffe, on the prowl for that punky barmaid. I knew Mel wouldn't be there, because she'd told me she was heading to her studio in Scotland to do some 'Anja-inspired painting.' I must admit, I found it quite gratifying, not to mention a little arousing, to think of her, using images I'd put in her head to create her latest surreally erotic masterpiece.
The Giraffe was much busier than last time I was there, and there were two behind the bar this time. The new girl (well, new to me anyway) was tall and skinny, with long, lank blonde hair, and multiple piercings. She was wearing a white t-shirt dress with a picture of Siouxsie Sioux on the front, and knee-length boots, and she had rather too many tattoos and too much metalwork on display for my liking. She was quite pretty - underneath her 'embellishments' - but definitely not my type.
The other girl was still looking tasty though, and this time she had on a figure-hugging black mini-dress, almost Coco-style but with multiple zips, and some super-uplift bra underneath, to give her a fantastic-looking cleavage. Her makeup was less goth this time; it was a bit more Barbie, with vermillion lipstick and nail polish to match, and it looked great with her short, spiky black hair and very pale skin.
I stood on tiptoes to look over the bar and see her shoes, which were short-heeled black pixie boots with laces - very witchy. I loved the whole look. She saw me looking and she kicked up her heel and tossed her head, then she looked at the other girl and they exchanged giggles. They both suddenly looked very young.
'Nice outfit,' I said. 'Love the boots.'
'Cheers, I'm glad you approve,' and she fluttered her eyelids in an exaggeratedly affected way. 'You look pretty awesome yourself.'
I had gone a touch more rock chick for this evening, with tight denims and plenty of studs, which decorated the straps of my high-heels, my black leather belt, and even the Alice band in my hair. The look was finished off with a skimpy red vest top, which only just covered my midriff, with a sheer bra under it -- guaranteed to show some nipple. It had definitely got the barmaid's attention.
'So how did it go with Magnetic Mel?' she asked.
'Is that what you call her?'
'Yes, well, she never seems to fail to attract someone whenever she comes here' (chuckles at her own joke) '...but you only get one night with Mel.'
'You mean you've...?'
'Oh yes. Just the once. Bloody worth it though... I've never been so sore -- or so satisfied -- after sex. I know a couple of girls who come in here who've been with her. Always just the once though. Nobody ever gets asked back a second time, and NOBODY has her number.'
'I have.' I grinned. 'I'm hoping for an encore.'
'Whaat?... 'kin 'ell, you must be a hell of a lay. Wow.'
'You can find out, if you fancy it.'
She beamed at me, and blushed slightly. 'We haven't even been introduced.'
I held out my hand. 'I'm Anja.'
'Hi Anja, I'm Beth.'