"We are in a relationship, aren't we?" Natasha asked Tamara who was sitting across the table from her. They were in a fancy Thai restaurant. Tamara's hand stopped midway to her mouth. She looked up and Natasha, smiled teasingly, "I wouldn't say that." Natasha smiled back knowingly and a little apologetically. "But we are," she insisted. "We are together all the time." Tamara simply raised her eyebrows and said, "No...and you know it."
Natasha and Tamara worked in the same office. Both were Instructional Designers in a leading e-learning company. While Natasha was at least one year older in the company, Tamara had joined a few months back at a much higher designation. In her brief period there, Tamara had been put in-charge of their biggest name client who was on the verge of leaving. Not only had she succeeded in retaining the client but had turned them around to from being just the biggest name in the company's kitty but also their biggest revenue client. She was considered the rockstar of the organisation now, drawing equal parts of awe and envy. Not that Tamara particularly cared about either – happy to just do what she had to do, to the best of her abilities.
Tamara was regarded as snobbish and unapproachable by most of her colleagues. That didn't bother Tamara either. She got along with all members of the team she worked with – and good working relationships was what was important to her. She wasn't particular about winning popularity contests or making a ton of friends. She knew that there would eventually be some people with whom she'd end up hanging out once in a while.
Then, in a rare training session for Instructional Designers that she attended, Tamara saw Natasha. Petite, at 5'2", Natasha was all curves, laughter and smiles. She looked like Scarlett Johansson, but more beautiful, with full lips. Her large eyes were the colour of the deepest red wine and her shiny hair of the same deep, deep red was cut in a bob. She sparkled the room, open, friendly and surrounded by people. Tamara had a visceral reaction to her. Abandoning her usual policy of keeping to herself, Tamara put herself out to know Natasha.
When Tamara first started seeking her for short breaks within the work day, Natasha didn't know how to handle it. Though she hadn't worked with Tamara directly, she had heard enough about her celebrity status within the organisation and about her standoffishness, to be slightly intimidated. Also, Tamara was older. Nine years older than Tamara's twenty-eight. And she seemed to be really intense. So Natasha ensured that the called a couple of other friends on each break. She started noticing Tamara more and more in these interactions. Tall and lithe, Tamara insisted she was overweight, but it didn't show at all. Tamara walked with a spring in her step with a confidence that made it seem she owned the world. Her dark brown eyes were like molten chocolate and wavy dark hair framed her face ending just under her shoulders. She saw that Tamara didn't particularly care about the other people who were with them, but was always polite. Plus she had quick wit and a wicked sense of humour – sarcastic sometimes and always wildly funny.
********
Coffee? Natasha's message had popped up on Tamara's screen in the intra-office messaging system, one afternoon. While always eager to spend time with Natasha, Tamara didn't want to waste any more time with the groupies that Natasha got along.
Group hug?
No. Just you and me.
See you in five.
And that was how they started spending time by themselves.
Soon Natasha found herself not wanting to be with anyone else on any break. She found herself constantly thinking of Tamara. She'd not enjoyed anyone as much as she did Tamara. Conversation between them flowed and laughter bubbled. They started having lunch together. Confidences came tumbling out. Natasha confided in Tamara about her divorce. Her various affairs. And her current situation where she was involved with one guy but found herself more attracted to another guy who was pursuing her.
Tamara, not one to play games, had already told Natasha that she was gay and wildly attracted to her. Natasha didn't know how to deal with this dimension of her growing friendship with Tamara. It made her uncomfortable because she was as straight as they come. Had always been involved with one (or more) guys since she was sixteen – but she just couldn't keep away from Tamara. She was irresistibly drawn to her. Tamara to her credit, flirted with Natasha, openly spoke about her interest but always laced it all with humour to keep it light.
They began spending more and more time together. They spent at least a couple of evenings after office together. Sleepovers crept into the interaction.
...and that brought them to the current dinner. Tamara was scheduled to leave for an onsite client visit the next day. While it was a given to Natasha that she'd be with Tamara right up to the time she entered the airport, Tamara confessed to having packing angst. It was heart-stoppingly cute to Natasha that someone who personified confidence had this strange Achilles Heel. She knew she just had to pack for Tamara...right after this dinner.
********
Tamara's week-long onsite became four weeks. First one week got extended at the client she had gone to consult. Then, she had to go visit another client. The four weeks were torturous to Natasha. True, Tamara called her multiple times every day and they talked for hours across international time zones and at international call rates...but Natasha felt adrift. She felt she'd lost her anchor in life.
But Tamara was coming back tonight...and Natasha was beside herself. She couldn't stay in her skin, as she waited for the day to pass and she could go to the airport and finally see Tamara again.
And then it was time. Natasha stood at the airport practically hopping from one foot to another. At last, she could see Tamara in a distance. She bounced in place as Tamara came closer...finally running the last ten feet to throw her arms around Tamara and squeeze her tight. Tamara hugged her right back placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. Natasha laughed in sheer delight...they were back!
Natasha realised that she had never felt such strong emotion, as she felt for Tamara, ever in her life. But it was an emotion she couldn't name.
********
"Why aren't you coming?" Natasha pouted.
"Please. Spending two days with the whole instructional design team is not my thing," Sasha said.
They were talking about the team picnic planned for the weekend. While it wasn't mandatory, it was a good professional move to make and go for the picnic to bond with the team – and everyone was excited and buzzing about it. Tamara was the only one who'd said "no" without giving any reason, making any excuse or qualifying the refusal in any way.
"I'll be there."
"You'll be bonding with all the others. And anyway you enjoy these gregarious outings. I'm an introvert, you know...this is just not my thing."
"Please...please come."
Tamara couldn't resist the entreaty in Natasha's speaking eyes and added her name to the confirmed list the next day.
********
Long hours of people being hearty and trying to be funny had taken its toll on Tamara. She couldn't stand the facetiousness of it all. Thankfully, Natasha had stuck to her side most of the day making it bearable. But since they were in a group, they had to participate or just be present with the group so there was minimal one-on-one time that they had together.
As the last activity of the day, an outdoor showing of an action flick had been organised. Tamara chose to sit behind the crowd under a tree leaning back against the trunk grateful that her notoriety ensured that no one tried to come and sit with her.
No one but Natasha.
Tamara had left Natasha with a group of her usual crowd when she wandered away from the herd. Fifteen minutes into the movie she saw Natasha walking towards her.
"Hey," she said, settling close beside Tamara, handing her a chilled beer.
"Hey yourself...and thanks," Tamara smiled back.
Natasha leaned into Tamara, "Fun?" she asked her eyes dancing.
Tamara sipped the beer and nodded, "Lots. Cheers to team picnics," she said with irony clinking their pint bottles.
"Tiger," Natasha said teasingly, giggling. She called Tamara a solitary animal and taken to calling her names of various names of known solitary animals. 'Tiger' was her favourite because she found Tamara as strong and graceful as a tiger.
Tamara grinned back and sipped her beer. She felt peaceful – now that Natasha was with her and they were fairly isolated from the other. Natasha took her hand, intertwined their fingers and held their hands in her lap.
Sipping their beers, they watched the world being saved by people with abnormal powers. Beer was not something Tamara chose in the rare times that she drank. She seemed to have dunk it too fast because by the time she reached the last couple of sips of the pint, she started feeling the effects. She looked at Natasha. Natasha felt Tamara's eyes on her, looked back at her, smiled and snuggled a little closer, taking a small sip of her beer and turning back to the movie gently running her thumb on the back of Tamara's hand.
Tamara raised their joined hands and kissed the back of Natasha's hand. Natasha stilled, but didn't take away her hand or move away. She just tightened her fingers around Tamara's.
Tamara couldn't stop herself. She unwound their fingers and slowly kissed each of Natasha's fingertips. Returning to the first to lick each of them softly. Bolts darted through Natasha, starting at her fingertips and ending in a wildly fluttering back and stomach.
Tamara nibbled each fingertip and Natasha felt butterflies dancing in her insides. Nervous and excited butterflies. But she couldn't take her hand away if her life depended on it.
