Damn, Cole realized he still didn’t know the beautiful brown eyed woman’s name.
Later that evening, Gwen slowly made her way down the stairs to the subway. She leaned against the wall to wait for the subway to arrive. Pulling her ear buds from her bag, she put them in and leaned her head back against the wall. After looking at the ceiling for a moment, she closed her eyes.
She was ready to be home, to take a nice long hot shower, scrub her body clean and clear her head before settling in to get some designs done. As she was flipping through songs on her phone, a familiar voice had her pulling the ear buds and turning her head.
“Running into you twice in one day, must be my lucky day.” Cole’s voice slid over Gwen. Meeting those beautiful green eyes, she slipped the cord and earbuds back into her bag.
“Hmm… What are you doing here?” Gwen pushed off from the wall and pulled down on her sweater in the back. Smiling conspiratorially, she leaned forward and asked in a loud whisper, “Are you sneaking out early from work?”
He gave her a barely detectable nod before letting his eyes trail down her body, taking in her large breasts, full hips, sexy plump ass, and long lean muscular legs. Before he met her eyes again, he spent a second or two to appreciate her heels then slowly dragged his eyes back over her beautiful curvy body. “You caught me.”
“Ooh trouble maker…” Gwen gave him a devilish smile before slipping her phone out to check the time. It was 4:45pm. “Although, it doesn’t seem all that early to me now that I look at the time.”
“I rarely escape the daily grind before 7pm, but I’m glad I got away early today. Otherwise I would have missed your company on the way home.” Cole stepped closer so that he was only an arm’s length away from her now. He caught her delightful scent again when a subway going the opposite direction whooshed by.
“This is not my normal stop. So really you were very lucky to catch me at this station at this time of the day.” Biting her bottom lip, Gwen took half a step towards him. She let her lip slip from between her teeth when she noticed Cole’s eyes fixated on it. His heated gaze stayed on her lips for a moment before jumping back to her eyes. There was something about having those eyes on her that made her do things she normally wouldn’t do. She took another small step towards him, catching his scent. He smelled faintly of soap, sandalwood and the sun. Gwen took a deep breath, it was a wonderful scent that oddly comforted her.
“You know, you’ve never told me your name, you keep slipping off before I can catch it.”
“Gwen. You can call me Gwen.” She said looking down the tracks to see if the subway was coming yet. She hadn’t wanted him to know it, to hear it roll off his tongue. She had been using it as a way to keep him from getting to know her, but something about this man made her want to know more, for him to know more.
“Gwen. Beautiful, just like you. Very fitting. So, Gwen, if we don’t talk about work, what else is there to talk about? What do you do in your free time?” Cole asked leaning next to her, against the wall. She had moved close enough for him to touch her, he didn’t although she could tell he wanted to.
“I’m actually rather boring. I read, I work out, and I obsess over what shoes to wear the next day. You know, all that girly stuff. You?” Gwen smiled and tilted her head to the side a bit.
“I like to travel, see new places, meet new people, you know, try new things. I like to keep in shape so anything that is physical appeals too.” Cole shrugged. “But mostly I work.”
“Ha! I knew you were a workaholic. You have to be when you work all the way to and from work. You probably work when you are at home too, don’t you? Meanwhile, all the good things in life are passing right by you and you won’t even notice until it’s too late.” Gwen frowned at him. “It’s like having the love of your life sitting next to you on the subway but you never strike up a conversation or even realize it’s because you are too busy working on your phone. Or not helping out someone who could use a hand to open the door because you are so focused on work that you just walked right past the person who could have been the best friend you’ve never had. How much work did you really get done in that short time? Wouldn’t missing that one email be worth stepping in between a bully and his victim? You can change people’s lives and people can change your life with simple little interactions that you are missing. Life can change so quickly, you should make sure you enjoy everything while you can, because you never know when things will change.”
“Sounds like you are speaking from personal experience.” Cole asked. He saw a flash of something in her eyes but it was gone as quickly as it’d come. He lowered his voice and in a caring tone he asked, “Did you lose something or someone?”
“Yeah. I lost something.” Gwen said quietly, ducking her head as her eyes filled with tears. Taking a deep breath, blowing it out slowly she said softly, “Let’s just say I had a hard lonely youth. I had years stolen from me. Now I try to help people the way I was never helped. Excuse me.” Gwen turned quickly and walked back towards the stairs that would lead back to ground level. After a moment of surprise, Cole quickly ran after her.
“Hey! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you.” Cole said apologetically. Gwen gave him a sad smile.
“It’s not you. It’s me. It’s my past.” A small sick laugh escaped her lips, “You’d think I’d be able to talk about it. Talk about that time. I can’t. I won’t. Please, just leave it alone.” Gwen turned and walked away as she brushed a tear that had escaped off her cheek.
“Can I take you for a coffee? I promise I won’t bring it up. We don’t even have to talk. I just don’t want you going off alone so upset.” Cole asked loudly as she walked away from him yet again. She stopped and turned to look at him. She considered it for a moment. The look in his eyes made her nod her head.
“Sure.”
Chapter 3
“Come on, follow me, I know the best little place and it’s not far.” He led her up to street level from the subway. Gwen quietly followed beside him, neither of them talking, which she found oddly comfortable. Two blocks away, he opened a door and gestured for her to enter before him. “What would you like?”
“Surprise me.” Gwen wasn’t a big coffee drinker so she doubted she would really like anything. She’d come because something in the way he looked at her made her want to know him better.
“Ok. Go find a seat and I’ll bring you something I think you’ll like.” Cole watched as she found a table on the other side of the little shop that was near a door that exited to the street. Always ready to escape. Cole thought. What are you so afraid of? He brought two travel cups to the table, placing one softly down on the table in front of her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Gwen cupped both hands around it as he sat across from her. He just sat there watching her for a moment. “What?”
“You aren’t going to try it?” He asked, gesturing to the cup.
“Well, I do want to be able to taste food over the next couple days, so it’s probably wise to let it cool off a bit so I don’t burn my entire mouth.” Gwen gave him a goofy smile.
“It’s not that hot. Trust me. Look I’ll drink mine to prove it.” Cole took a sip from his own cup.
“Did you get the same thing I did?” Gwen looked from his cup to hers.
“No, why?” Cole’s eyebrow rose slightly.
“Because they aren’t all the same. Some drinks are made hotter than others.” Gwen shrugged.
“Do you ever just do something? Act without thinking? Throw caution to the wind and just enjoy?” The tone of his voice was gentle as those green eyes gazed at her thoughtfully.
“No. Never. Life is unpredictable enough, I just try to make the decisions that don’t make it more turbulent than it already is.”
“I can see that logic. But Miss Grab-Life-As-It-Passes, isn’t that contradictory?” Cole took another sip as he waited for her answer.
“Not at all. I didn’t say go do wild and crazy things. I said be aware of where y
ou are and what those around you are doing. If you see someone struggling, help them out. How does it hurt you to take two seconds to help someone else? Open a door to a building you aren’t entering just because you see a mother juggling her child and groceries. Help the little old lady in the grocery store who can’t reach an item on the top shelf. It’s little easy things.”
“You really think that makes a difference? How do things like that really help?” Cole asked giving her a skeptical look.
“It just does. Imagine if the mother dropped her groceries and they went spilling everywhere or broke or worse if she dropped her child. You potentially just saved her that trouble.” Gwen shrugged a shoulder. “Call me odd, that’s just how I am.”
“So, you go around helping everyone you see in need? You ride the subway and you have a mysterious job. What else do you do?” Cole smirked at her. “Take in lost puppies and kittens?”
“Oh what, are you going to make fun of me now?” Gwen pushed her chair back from the table.
“Oh come on. No one does nice things for other people anymore.” He said crossing his arms over his chest as he scoffed at her, “You are really that selfless? I highly doubt it.”
“Well, sir, that’s just something you’ll have to take my word for.” Gwen shrugged and stood up. “I suppose this was interesting. Always good to see another side of people. I’ll be the crazy broad and you can be the typical asshole guy lacking in manners like the rest of the world.”
“Wait, wait. Don’t leave. I’m sorry.” Cole stood and gestured for her to take a seat. She stared at him for a moment before sitting down. “That’s not how I meant it to sound. I do open doors for women and give them my coat if they are cold and hold their umbrella for them. I was raised to be a gentleman. But I’ve never met someone who literally went out of their way to help people do menial tasks. I do somewhat see your point. Plus, if you only knew the type women I normally deal with. They tend to be the type to say one thing, but do the complete opposite. You are a breath of fresh air and sometimes I don’t know how to take you.”
“Yeah, that’s me. One of a kind. I doubt you’ll find anyone like me.” Gwen laughed and shook her head. Stop being so argumentative. Gwen told herself as she tried to push back her natural defenses against men. He seemed to actually be trying to get to know her. “I think you’d run screaming the other direction if you knew everything about me.”
“I doubt it. I’d really like to get to know you more. That is, if you can get over my asshole slip ups.” Cole smiled at her. “I’m glad you agreed to come here.”
“Yes, I kind of like talking to you, even if you challenge me. Plus, you are a strange man. Worried about sending some girl you know nothing about away upset.” Gwen tapped her fingers on the side of her cup. “I suppose that was the gentlemanly thing to do. Do you always do the gentlemanly thing?”
“No. Not at always. There are most definitely times that I’m not a gentle man.” It was Cole’s turn to laugh. She hadn’t heard him laugh very much, if at all. It was a delight to hear. “I too have a few secrets that are best not discussed over coffee. And I do know you more than you think. Your eyes tell me a lot about you. They show me this incredibly intelligent woman that is behind this incredibly beautiful exterior. So, are you ever going to taste the drink I got you? I want to know if you like it.”
“Persistent man.” Gwen grumbled even though she was smiling. She didn’t want to think about the complement he had given her so she brought the cup up to her lips and took a tiny sip. The warm liquid slid over her tongue and she nearly moaned. “What is this?”
“Is it good?”
“Yes. I hate coffee but this… This is heaven.” Gwen took a much larger sip of it. “You have to tell me what it is.”
“Chai Latte.” He smiled at her. As he spoke, he reached across the table to push a stray hair back off her face with his knuckles. “Its coffee but not. The light in your eyes looks like you just opened the best gift on Christmas.”
“It tastes like Christmas. That’s the best word I can come up with how to describe it.” Gwen’s eyes softened and she tilted her head to smile at him. He pegged her drink right on, even better than she could have. “How’d you know I’d like it?”
“I didn’t. You didn’t strike me as a coffee girl or even a tea girl. I thought I’d go with something different. Just a lucky guess.” He smiled and shrugged. Gwen looked up at a clock hanging on the far wall.
“As much as I’m enjoying this, I do have to get going.” She pushed back her chair again and stood to leave. Cole stood as well.
“Do you have far to go?” He asked as they walked towards the door they entered through. Cole tossed his empty cup but Gwen kept her still nearly full one.
“Not really.” She turned and looked at him. His eyes flicked from one of her eyes to the other as he took a step closer to her. His hands gripped her hips gently. His eyes never leaving hers as he slowly lowered his head to tenderly press his lips to hers before stepping back again.
“I had to do that. Your lips drive me crazy.” Cole let his hands slip off of her hips, stepping back another step. Gwen just stood there staring at him. The cup in her hand fell to the ground, pouring out everywhere. It was the only movement she made for a moment before her eyes closed tightly shut.
“Well, uh, thanks for the coffee.” Gwen stuttered before jumping into a cab that someone was just exiting. It quickly pulled away. Cole watched in confusion as it disappeared a few blocks away.
Chapter 4
Gwen tried to calm herself for a moment before slipping out her phone of her bag. She dialed up her girlfriend and best friend, McKayla Harrison.
“Hello?” McKayla’s voice carried through the phone.
“Mick, you home?” Gwen questioned. She had already given the cab driver her address so she hoped McKayla was home. She just had to get away from Cole. He was entirely too confusing for her. He made her feel things that she didn’t expect. Then he had kissed her and it took everything in her to not kiss him again. She never had feelings like this for a man. She didn't think she was even capable of having feelings for a man. “Can I come over?”
“Baby, what’s going on? Yes, come over.” McKayla, always the best friend Gwen could ever imagine always knew what she needed without Gwen even having to ask. They had been friends for years and becoming more than friends had just sort of happened. McKayla had been a lesbian for as long as she could remember but Gwen hadn’t ever been in a serious relationship before and what she had with McKayla just seemed right.
The cab finally made its way through traffic to McKayla’s tiny apartment. Gwen paid and quickly made her way up the stairs.
“Mick, I’m here.” Gwen shut the door behind her and put her clutch on the small table by the door.
“Baby, how are you?” McKayla walked around the corner from the kitchen. She was a very high paid stripper in an exclusive club called Queen of Hearts so she kept her body tight. She dieted constantly and worked out every single day. Today over her small perky breasts, she had a zip up front sports bra. A pair of low riding tight black yoga capris showed off her flat stomach that barely had the outline of a 6 pack. She had her long blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail. McKayla was a size 4 while Gwen was curvier, fitting into a size 10. “I just got back from working out.”
“Mick… I need a shower” Gwen started to walk around McKayla, but McKayla stepped in front of her, stopping her. McKayla stepped close pressing her body flush against Gwen’s, pulling her hips close.
“Need some help relaxing?” McKayla’s dark blue eyes searched Gwen’s. Seeing what she needed in their depths, she smashed her lips to Gwen’s.
Gwen’s hands slid up the soft skin of McKayla’s back, until one hand was clutching the back of her neck, the other pressed to her lower back, pulling her closer. Gwen slipped her tongue between McKayla's plush lips as McKayla pressed one of her legs between Gwen’s, grinding her thigh against Gwen’s pussy earning her a soft
moan. Gwen slipped a hand down to grab McKayla’s tight ass and pull her closer causing McKayla to groan.
“Let’s get you in the shower.” McKayla said pulling back, breathing hard. She turned to lead Gwen to the bathroom. McKayla turned the water on in the shower before turning back to Gwen, who was standing just in front of the now closed bathroom door. “Come here.”
Gwen stepped closer and let McKayla slip off her little sweater before stepping out of her shoes. Gwen rested her face in McKayla's neck, breathing in her scent before whispering, "Help me forget."
McKayla wrapped her arms around Gwen’s shoulders so their breasts were pressed together as she reached for the zipper at the back of Gwen’s dress. “Mmm, with pleasure.”
McKayla softly molded her lips to Gwen's while she pushed the straps from Gwen’s shoulders, only their tightly pressed together bodies keeping the dress from falling to the ground. McKayla tilted her head to take the kiss deeper, letting their tongues wrestle, she gently massaged Gwen’s neck with a hand before stepping back and letting the dress fall around Gwen’s ankles. McKayla looked down to see Gwen was completely naked. Gwen's beautiful full breasts with dark pink erect nipples were begging for attention and her hairless pussy had been only covered by the dress. While McKayla loved the view, she still asked, "Where are your panties? You never work without them."
“I had a client get a little out of hand. Let’s just say my underwear and bra didn't survive,” Gwen sighed stepping out of her embrace, softly shaking her head before entering the shower.
“Ass." McKayla hissed. She asked, "You ok though?” as she stripped and entered the shower behind Gwen. Gwen gave her a quick nod before turning to let the water run through her hair. She hated what Gwen did but it was a topic they’d gone round and round about. In the end, Gwen needed to do what made her happy. Instead of starting a fight, McKayla grabbed the shampoo from the shelf. She poured some in her hand and started to lather it up, “Let me wash your hair.”