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Teddy smiled to herself as she drank a little more of the preferred wine at her fingertips. She watched the little ways this woman moved, noting the captivating nature of even the smallest gestures. How it was she found herself alone in hear was a mystery to her.
The smallest lean in her direction seemed to catch her attention. If it had intention, it was simply perfect. If not, it was still good. When asked such a question, she paused long enough to swirl the dark liquid in the glass idly. Universally, didn't all women who came here on their own share the same reason in some denomination? That was a simple assumption, but she didn't think it was wrong.
"Honestly, I've been told I need to get out more." Teddy admitted then. It wasn't hard to remember the conversation that rang heavily in her mind. "When I was thinking about going home after work, I figured there was no time better than the present." And if nothing came of it, then that would have been fine.
"What about you?" She turned the question easily, "Was it just the fact that you've never been here before that brought you in?"
Natalie had to wonder if there were circumstances outside of the obvious that brought the lawyer inside a bar - especially learning that it was only her second time frequenting the establishment. For all the trainer knew, she could have enjoyed time spent at a bar, but if her judgement served her right, it didn't seem like the sort of place she'd see someone like her favoring. Then again, this was a practical stranger she was sitting next to.
Safely, though, her assumption had been a little right. It sounded familiar to her own story, and when the conversation turned towards her she had to find humor in the similarity. "Because I don't go out enough," she confessed. It almost sounded like an opt out, given that it practically mimicked the explanation given to her, so she continued, branching off into the differences. "I've realized that the bubble I've been living isn't what I actually wanted." She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "That sounds depressing. I'm actually quite happy, but it's long overdue for me to come to a bar and talk to a beautiful woman."
Teddy had to laugh a little at the similarity. She didn't fault the trainer for offering a very likely response, because she had used the very same. It rang true, she knew, but it was still funny to think two people who didn't get out enough landed together in a place full of prying eyes.
But she gave a little more than Teddy had, and it was worth paying attention to. She spoke of some kind of revelation, and however it had happened, it had been enough to make her want to go out and meet people. Here, of all places. Teddy could piece two and two together like the best of them, but it wasn't her place to assume. A compliment folded past her armour and earned an easier smile. As her hand left the glass, she reached over and rested the palm of her hand against her forearm lightly. "I wouldn't say depressing. Give yourself more credit." It was a harsh word for such a small admission. She almost wanted to point out how nice she seemed, but it didn't feel right for the moment.
Drawing her hand back again, she settled it against the bar top. "What was your old bubble like? If you don't mind me asking." She asked, her voice dropping a fraction.
It was so strange to think that a week ago, she wouldn't have thought to go out to a bar without being dragged in by a person. Upon first experience, Natalie had no complaints, and it absolutely had to do with the lawyer. As an unfamiliar hand pressed to her forearm, Nat felt the confirmation of heavy thought settle in her mind. Had there been any doubts in the corner of her mind, they dissolved with a spark of contact. No man could do that.
With the right question asked, Nat had no reason not to answer. At the very least, her curiosity seemed genuine. She wanted to explain. "I hadn't questioned things enough," she began, eyebrows lowering as she put in effort to find the best words to describe the way she had lived for so long. "Like why a man would ask me out, or why it never actually worked. For such a long time, I believed it to be a people problem. Now I realize that I was never looking at all, and just hoping the right situation would fall into my lap." Even if it was still fresh, it was amusing to consider, and Natalie let the humor settle into her features. "And now it's just so... obvious how wrong I was."
Teddy didn't know what kind of response to really expect. In any other circumstance, people didn't choose to be open to strangers. But something about this particular setting felt like a safe zone. Maybe it was easier to tell things to someone likely never expected to be seen again. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case.
What unfolded was an example just a little similar to what she was experiencing with a certain paralegal who worked for her. Just her luck to catch another person going through such a righteous journey. At least she seemed to embrace it in a different way.
"I have no idea what you're going through. I've always known." She admitted. It wasn't a bad thing that she couldn't relate to it, "But it might be because when I was nine, a girl kissed me on a dare. By the time it was over, I definitely knew. Not everyone can be lucky enough to get a dare like that." For That, she absolutely counted herself lucky.
Admittedly, it was a little embarrassing to be around the corner from thirty and just realizing such a crucial part of her own life. It seemed as if this woman had never had issue with the realization, and Natalie couldn't help but to be a bit envious of that. She smiled at the idea of knowing since she was nine, and she brought the glass to her lips to take another sip of wine.
And although she had the benefit of knowing for so long, Natalie didn't sense judgement in her voice. It offered a comfort that she hadn't entirely realized she needed - a boost of confidence. "That is lucky. I wish I'd been dared to kiss a girl years ago." She wondered how her life would have turned if that were the case. "I've always thought women were beautiful, but the ones I surrounded myself weren't exactly ideal partners." That much was far more obvious now. "And so - branching out."
Luck clearly had everything to do with it. Teddy had never really thought about it until now, but small instances influenced a lot of things. Perhaps it really was that one moment that provided so much clarity in her later years. One difference and she could have been this woman, who was only just figuring this all out now.
She made women sound perfectly whimsical. Teddy could wax lyrical about how adoringly stunning women were all night; it was a dangerous path to wander down, especially with a little wine in the system.
Branching out. Teddy nodded at the muse provided, letting small silence fill the air before she continued on.
"I could dare you to kiss a girl, if you like." She pointed out simply, shrugging her shoulders.
Though it hadn't been long at all since this had all happened, it was strange to think she hadn't said any of it out loud. There were several listening ears in her home, but for once she felt relief in opening up to a person. She was an exceptional listener. It put her at ease, or quite possibly it was with the aid of a dwindling second glass in front of her.
She let silence fall upon them, but when it was broken Nat immediately felt the heat return to her features. Her eyebrows shot upward, and a humored smile took to her lips. Because she had to admit that it was clever of the lawyer. For a moment, her voice was lost, and when she found it again she let her voice drop a little. "Only if she drinks wine."
Comfortable silence was hard to find, especially in the company of a stranger. Often, there was the pull to break it for fear that someone would get bored. But Teddy found an odd eagerness in the way it settled between them. It added a special kind of weight to her open-ended offer. It could have been a joke, if she didn't take it, and that would have been fine. Teddy had a monstrous confidence that wouldn't allow a bruised ego over a little rejection.
She didn't get it, though. A splash of colour on the trainer's cheeks said she was considering the words before she even answered. Tweaked eyebrows and a funny, cute smile caught her lips; the very ones she was insinuating she wanted to catch, too. When she finally let them speak, the response given was perfect in its nature.
"Dare." Teddy offered then, inching closer in a lean. It was, after all, completely hers to complete.
Briefly, Natalie had to wonder if it was a joke, but the confidence this woman carried just by breathing made her think otherwise. It did well to work, and the trainer was all too aware of the way she leaned a little closer. A single word dropped from her lips and although Natalie couldn't recall the last time she had completed a dare, she had little intention of ignoring this one.
She eased herself to the edge of her seat, breaching what distance was left between them to press her lips gently against the lawyers, letting her remain in the proximity for a little longer than she should have before withdrawing a few inches to catch a set of bright blue eyes.
Letting the control sit in someone else's hands was otherwise foreign for the powerhouse lawyer who took pride in being in charge for a majority of her life. But here, she let it all go in a small moment for someone who looked like they needed it, new as she seemed to be to all this.
With the minimal distance between them finally crossed, an unfamiliar set of lips pressed themselves against her own. Lingering seconds offered gentle connotations to the drawn out contact; she didn't know this woman all that well, but it seemed so like her. She opened her eyes slowly, seconds after they parted ways, and she could feel proximity still at its minimum. She caught a set of eyes looking back at her, and in the seconds she had to spare, she had to wonder what they were looking for.
For good measure - to cement a thought and wear off any doubt - she let herself breach the small gap between them to kiss her again.
It seemed physically impossible to pull herself away any further than she had, at least in that moment. When a set of blue eyes opened, she wondered what thoughts were crossing through her mind. She seemed so attentive, even in the way she looked back at her for those few seconds. Yet those thoughts weren't something she could dwell on, because after another moment, she felt the pressure of an unfamiliar set of lips against her own again.
This time, she shifted slowly, only as if to not interrupt the connection between them. A hand rose upwards, fingertips tracing lightly along her jaw before a palm settled against the lawyers cheek. Lighter connotations still felt heated as she felt her heart rate pick up in pace.
When she drew away again, her hand lingered against the lawyer's cheek. A small breath gave way to the smile that spread across her lips. "I definitely would say that's an effective approach." She joked lightly.
The second time around, it was increasingly obvious how something so intimate could express personality. A hand gently pressed to the side of her face, and it worked to block out the very real fact that there was nothing private about their location. But it provided it's own level of comfort, and it was something Teddy didn't know she was looking for.
When her eyes drew open as distance was made, she immediately looked at the smile that crept onto her face. It seemed a little different; great victories came from small actions. "Anything to give you clarity, Natalie." She offered with a smile, grateful it gave her anything at all.
When she couldn't meet her gaze, the trainer's eyes settled down a little further, catching sight of the lips that she had just kissed. Twice. And there was every desire in her to make it a third, especially as they spread into their own smile. Her fingertips trailed lower, tracing along the line of her neck and shoulder before finally drawing away to settle on the bar top.
She let out a small laugh, because it seemed like a lot more than just clarity. The thought of anything coursed through her mind, but she let her voice carry another thought. "Never will I doubt anything about this again." She confirmed, if it wasn't already clear enough from her own actions. "But I wouldn't stop a dare again if it came up."
Fingertips could have left a mark because they trailed like they burned, touching her neck and drifting towards her collar before delving back to her shoulder instead. It was important to pay attention to the fact that she was refusing to let go, like she really wanted to keep that connection.
Thankfully, she was admitting she didn't have any doubts. That was refreshing, considering everything she might have been preparing to put herself through for the sake of someone else. Suggestion followed. At least, Teddy was sure it was as suggestive as this woman was going to get with someone she barely knew. She was willing to run with it.
"Dare," She started then, her voice light and low, "Come home with me."
