The company organised an annual team building opportunity for both key and junior staff members, held somewhere in North Wales, normally in late October. The event was a great diversion from the day to day workload pressures. Most of the staff enjoyed what could be a real fun break, especially if the participants enjoyed the physical aspects and were reasonably fit. Wendy fell quite happily into both of these areas. It could however be a bit daunting for people who have not experienced some of the aspects of the Outward Bound regime especially when the weather is not so good.
This was the second time she had been selected for the team building week, the first had been four years ago when she first joined the company. Being aware now of what would be required of her, she was looking forward to a week in the mountainous countryside, climbing and abseiling, with probably a bit of canoeing or raft building thrown in for good measure.
Wendy was twenty six, with fair hair and a well kept body. The sort of woman that would always get a second look, her bright blue eyes ensured that eye contact was maintained just a little longer than normal when both men and women looked into them. She had no ties at home living alone in a small two bed apartment close to her work base as she had done for the past two years. The death of her parents in a flying accident had left her enough to buy the apartment outright. For a while she had shared it with a like friend, Gillian, but she had moved on almost a year ago. The relationship with Gillian however was not that strong but at the time it satisfied a need in both of them.
When the participants arrived on the Sunday, the meet place was in the village where the cars were left for the duration. Along with those that came by public transport, they were picked up by minibuses and ferried up to the professionally run lodge. Rooms were pre-allocated, the girls sharing two to a bunkroom, the lads kept nicely apart from them in a communal dormitory, probably for fear of extra-curricular activities as a result of the invigorating exercise and fresh air.
At first, she hadn't given her cabin sharer much attention, she was an administration assistant from somewhere in the Northern office and was probably about nineteen but looked younger, almost like a schoolgirl. Wendy had already unpacked and was sitting downstairs in the lounge so she had seen her arrive on the second transport. She saw her looking at the room allocation before making off with her travel bag. At the time, Wendy had no idea that she was to be her room mate but after she got up and looked again at the listings, the penny dropped.
That afternoon there was a social get together, with the team leaders explaining, as they always did, the do's and don'ts, where the boots and the cleaning gear was kept. Finally, in turn, each of them had to stand and introduce themselves but were not allowed to say what their position was in the company. Not that that mattered because they all knew what department each of them worked in anyway but it was just a reminder that they were all equal for the duration.
Her roommate was a shy Linda from Durham, unmarried, no boyfriend and living with Mum and Dad, an only child and with a local accent that had a nice lilting tone. Wendy watched her as she reeled off her personal introduction. It struck her then that she really was very attractive with dark hair tied back in a pony-tail, quite a sweet boyish, slim figure and a most appealing pert bottom and tiny breasts that Wendy could almost die to get her hands on. It crossed her mind that at least she might get a look at her without the confines of the tracksuit and tee shirt she was wearing at the moment.
During the final team session, after they had eaten, the trainer was showing them how to tie various safety knots, Wendy noticed Linda looking in her direction several times. A couple of times they made eye contact, just for a brief moment. Finally, the group adjourned to the lounge and sat around in three or four groups chatting, a log fire crackling in the hearth adding to the general ambience. Wendy joined a couple of the guys who like her were in engineering so she didn't get any time with Linda who was sitting with a group of young people, but once again, she noticed her keep looking towards her. This she thought was a little strange but let it pass although she did on one occasion, make eye contact with the girl holding it for just a little longer than might be normal. The girl blushed as if she had been caught out in something but Wendy smiled at her and she returned the smile and then quickly turned away.
At this moment, Wendy wasn't sure what had happened between them but she was intrigued as it was something a little different than would be expected between two people who were at the time no more than casual acquaintances. She hoped that the continued eye contact suggested an almost intimate contact but felt perhaps that she was reading too much into it but nevertheless, hoped that she may have had some interest other than Linda seeing her as a roommate.
At a reasonable time, Wendy made her excuses to the men that she was with and headed off to the room for a fairly early night, ready to face the next day's rigours. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Linda getting up and following along behind her so she turned and waited for her, holding out her hand as she approached.
"Hello, I'm Wendy, you must be Linda." as she shook her hand and made a physical connection.
"Yes, that's right," she more or less whispered, "This is my first time at this sort of thing."
Wendy gave her a little reassuring smile as they walked side by side, "Don't worry, it's a fun thing really and if you get stuck, I can give you a hand, we're on the same team so it won't be cheating."
As Linda stood aside for her to go before her into the room, she looked at her and said "After you." and stepped back for Wendy to go into the room before her.
