Part 2: Rumours and Visions.
"There is always someone for each of us they say and you'll be my someone forever and a day. I could search the whole world over until my life is through but I know I'll never find another you. It's a long, long journey so stay by my side. When I walk through the storm you'll be my guide, be my guide. If they gave me a fortune my pleasure would be small and I could lose it all tomorrow and never mind at all. But if I should lose your love, dear, I don't know what I'd do for I know I'll never find another you.."
***
Okay. Now this. This is a thing.
Well aware that our little group was the center of attention and an awkward silence had already fallen between myself and the four women standing in front of me, I held up my coffee and snacks. "Early lunch," I said lamely that made Janet purse her lips in amusement as if she was enjoying my discomfort.
She stepped forward and put her hand on my arm. "Well," she smiled, "There's a coincidence. We all had the same idea. Perhaps you'd care to join us. Especially since we rarely see you down here amongst the troops, Mr. Sloane. I'm sure I speak for all the ladies when I say a little male company would be most welcome."
Uh. Shit. I glanced at the others and tried and failed to think of an excuse to get the hell out of Dodge. "Ah, uh, sure. Okay," I mumbled, "Where are you going to sit?" I asked and was about to point to the empty table next to the window when Janet pointed over my shoulder.
"The regular place," she indicated, "With the squad."
I turned and saw a group of about twelve women sat in the far corner of the canteen and every single one of them was watching us. It sure as fuck didn't make things any easier or less awkward when I realized I had known several of them way beyond intimately. Oh boy. This was going to be fun. Talk about out of the frying pan into the fire. I felt Janet's hand move down from where it was resting on my lower back and give my backside an encouraging pat or two. I glanced down at her and saw the mischief dancing in her eyes. Oh, you. Oh, you scheming little bitch.
But it wasn't her or the other two women that were the issue. It was the quiet one just standing there listening to the one-way conversation. There could have been thousands in here and she would still be the only one that mattered. She was the bright light in a dark room and all I wanted to do was look at her.
Trying not to make it too obvious, I glanced over at her and saw she had a faint smile on her lips and had her head tilted slightly forward inquisitively. I had no doubt she knew exactly what was going on.
To think I had sat there and watched as she stripped herself naked in front of me less than 24 hours ago before she wrapped herself around me as I played with her breasts and sucked on her nipples. I blinked at the sudden memory and felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle with electricity as I tried not to stare at her.
Thankfully, Janet was in charge. As usual. "Shall we?" she urged as she stepped to one side, "Mr. Sloane, perhaps you can help Miss. Macallister to find her seat?"
"Uh, sure," I nodded and did a sort of ass first side step with my coffee in one hand and snack in the other.
Janet took Heather's hand and guided her to where I was standing. There was a faint blush on her cheeks and I saw her take a deep breath as she laid her hand on my arm. "Hi, hello," she whispered as Janet grinned broadly at the pair of us standing there together.
"There you go, Heather," the older woman told her, "Do you want your usual?"
Heather licked her lips and nodded. "The usual sounds good. Thank you."
Janet then stepped forward with the two other women and made their way to the food counter at the front of the canteen to get in line to be served. She gave me a wave when she saw me staring daggers at her. That bloody woman. By the time I was finished with her she'd be cleaning toilets.
But right now there were far more important things to deal with.
Heather hadn't said a word and I glanced down to make sure she was alright. She was probably more nervous than I was which was only natural. This thing, these rumors, needed to be nipped in the bud asap. Put out the fire before it got out of hand. That the kiss, THAT kiss, had been nothing more than the mood and beer talking and was totally my fault.
The last thing I wanted was Heather having to deal with whispered innuendo on top of everything else she was already dealing with in her personal life. That was sensible. Smart. Mature thinking. As for what happened over the weekend...
"You okay?" she asked me suddenly.
Huh, what? Surprised, I nodded and mumbled a squeaky "Uh huh," as she gripped my arm tighter. Her face was slightly flushed as she chewed on her lower lip and fiddled with the zipper on her bag with her other hand.
"Good," she said as she glanced quickly up at me, "I thought you might be a little uptight or whatever. I think we should just go sit down and get this over with."
Uh. Okay. Absolutely. Good idea. Thank God you're flying the plane. With that, I led us both over to where all the ladies of the pool were gathered and I could feel eyes following us as we made our way past tables where the other Company employees sat talking amongst themselves.
I glanced up at the clock above the food counter. It had just gone seven-thirty. There was a good hour before the bell rang to start the working day. A whole god damned hour.
"Hello, Mr. Sloane."
I looked up as we approached their table. Here we go. Sexpot Suzie sat back in her chair and smiled knowingly at me with her pussy sucking bosom buddy, Diane, sat grinning at me next to her. Their group was a mixture of veterans and newbies who all gave me the once over as I nodded at them.
A cute nineteen year oldish redhead called Avril jumped up and came over to Heather's side. She put her hand on her shoulder and helped her to her seat. "Here you go, hon," she told Heather as she took her bag, "Let me help you with that. Okay, just a bit further. Turn around. There you go. Now sit right down." Heather gave her a smile and sat down as she tugged her scarf free and undid the buttons on the front of her overcoat.
It was then Janet returned with the two other women and a tray full of steaming hot drinks and various snacks, toasts, and buns which were quickly handed around. Nothing like a freezing ass to increase the appetite.
Okay, where the hell do I sit? I sure as fuck didn't want to sit next to eighteen and nineteen. That would be like banging your Aunt in front of your Mother. That situation I definitely wanted to give a miss. I'd probably drown in the innuendo knowing those two.
It was Janet, surprise, who arranged the chairs on the Titanic. "Betty," she pointed, "You sit there. Vera, that one. Ellie, there," She turned and gave me that smile I'd seen many times lately. The one where whatever scheme she was dreaming up was about to take its next step.
She put a hand on my back and pushed me around the table. "And you, Mr. Sloane, can sit riiiiiiiight here," she ordered, "Beside Miss. Macallister." She forced me down into the seat and patted me on the shoulders. "Good boy," she said, sounding satisfied as she went and sat opposite the pair of us. I frowned at her and she stared back at me as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth as she took a plastic spoon and began to stir her coffee.
Heather sat bolt upright as she listened to the drama going on around her. When she realized what had happened and that I was sat next to her, she wriggled so far to the right she was practically falling off her chair.
I took a deep breath. Alright. This is great. This is just terrific.
***
The conversation was as stilted and awkward as I had imagined it would be.
Janet went around the table making introductions and I smiled and nodded to each new and sort of familiar woman in turn. Familiar as in "I've slept with you, right?" familiar as I tried to put names to faces. And faces to tits, an ass or well-stuffed pussy. The ship may have docked many a time but I never was one to stamp the passport. There we go. Lesson learned.
I shook my head. "Sorry ladies, I'm terrible with names," I apologized. Which, hand on heart, was true enough.
Across from me, Sexpot Suzie piped up. "Maybe you should give us all a number. I hear you're real good with numbers," she said, staring at me as she chewed on her buttered toast. Beside her, takes it up the pooper Diane raised her eyebrows in amusement.
Ha Ha. Funny. True. But funny. I took a sip of my coffee noticing that individual conversations between various girls had drifted away with their attention turning to the interplay between myself and loose-limbed screamer Suzie. I gave her a wry smile and a nod at her initial poke to my supposed reputation. "Probably," I smiled at her, "I guess it takes more than a pretty face to grab my attention these days."
Suzie laughed and put both hands over her heart. Touche. There was a brief murmur amongst the group and our little verbal spat seemed to ease the tension. Talk turned back to work. The new girls asking me various things about what went on upstairs and what my responsibilities were as head chief of the tenth floor as the others listened.
I glanced to my right at Heather who was the only one to have a tray in front of her and she was idly tracing her fingers around the edge as she sipped on her hot drink. She hadn't said a word and seemed content to simply listen to the gossip going on around her as she relaxed enough to sit properly in her chair. I think we were both relieved that our little encounter at Bennie's Bar and Grill wasn't such a big deal after all and was something that just happened in the heat of the moment.
That moment, of course, had meant something entirely different to the both of us.
I sat back and pretended to be interested in the small talk but no matter how hard I tried, the blind girl sat next to me was the only thing on my radar. To be this close and be able to feel the physicality of her was the most unnerving thing. I could smell her sweet perfume that was as unassuming as she was. Just a hint but not a fuss. I glanced at her in profile and admired the classical way her features flowed into one another. My gaze dropped to her mouth and the way her soft lips were parted as she sipped her drink. Hand on heart, I could sit here and look at her all day. Her attention seemed elsewhere with her face turned away from me as she listened to the women on her right talking. All the while, I knew Janet was staring at the pair of us like a Mother Hen.
It was then I felt the first tentative touches of a hand on my right thigh.
What the heck? I gave a short grunt of surprise as I glanced at the women sitting opposite me as I took another sip of my coffee and frowned through the steam rising from the cup. But they seemed completely oblivious to what had happened. Then my gaze was drawn to the girl to my right who was sat there with a pink nose and her lips furiously pressed together.
I had to bite my own to keep from laughing at the look on her face. It had definitely been deliberate then. Her face was turned to the side as if she was listening to the other girls talking but I knew her whole attention was elsewhere.
I just stared at her. Wondering what she was going to do next.
Then her left hand touched me hesitantly again with her fingers spreading out on the top of my thigh as she became bolder. After a moment, she began to rub and caress me as I sat there completely still and let her do whatever it was she wanted to do. All the while, to the others, everything seemed normal with the girl sat next to me smiling and nodding as people made conversation with her.
Heather sat there sipping her drink before munching on her toasted jam bun as if she didn't have a care in the world. Her hand rested on me mid-thigh and I saw her take a deep breath before she began to move her hand higher. Towards my crotch. The closer it got the more her nose turned pink.
"So then, Miss. Macallister," I said suddenly as I reached under the table and placed my right hand over hers, "What's it like swimming with the sharks in the pool?"
Several women rolled their eyes at me and Janet balled a tissue and tossed it at me. "Hey, enough of that!" she laughed as all eyes turned to Heather who was sat there with me holding on to her hand.
Realising the question was aimed at her, Heather froze. She sat up straight in her chair and tried to pull her hand free but I held on to it tightly. I gave it a quick squeeze that made her blush even more as she turned slightly towards me.