Tina

Funny how I'd never noticed her before, but now I thought Tina was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on.  Beautiful in an unimposing sort of way.  Maybe not the type that would turn heads as she walked down the street, but when you get close your breath catches as you notice her stately beauty.  At least, that's the effect she had on me.  1

She and I were both advisors for extra-curricular activities in the school where we taught.  We ran in different circles that would intermingle at things like happy hour, school events, or parties.  We talked, but we were never what you'd call "close."  The first time I really noticed her was on the senior trip this past year.  She was sitting next to me, and as I gazed upon the shape of her face, the length of her eyelashes, the depth of her eyes, I realized she had me spellbound.  At the time, I did little more than notice.  The revelation that she was the most beautiful woman on earth was forgotten when we got back to school and we settled back into our busy daily routines.  We were teachers in a large school, and it was easy to go months without seeing some of our co-workers.  I'm not even sure I saw her but a few times for the rest of the school year.2

That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I saw her this summer.  I was doing an internship in administration, so I was in the administration building every day.  I had the opportunity during my internship to visit one of the many summer programs that my district was running, and when I arrived, I was shocked to see she was the principal of this particular program.  I didn't even realize she had her administrative certification!  I was with two of the assistant superintendents at the time, so, being intimidated by this fact, I merely listened in awe as Tina aptly described the program she had put together and was now in charge of.  As I listened, I looked at her with a whole new regard.  Not only was she absolutely beautiful, but she was obviously very intelligent and ambitious.  I was more than a little intrigued.  I found it funny because before now, it was always the ditzy blonds that attracted me.  Tina was neither ditzy nor blond.  Yet I left that day feeling dizzy with desire.  3

Two weeks went by, and while I was vaguely excited about my new crush, there seemed little opportunity to see her during the summer as we were working in different buildings.  I almost couldn't wait for the summer to end.  4

My internship mentor had a two-week vacation planned, and we made sure before she left that I had other administrators to spend time with each day she was gone.  Unfortunately because it was summer vacation for teachers and students, it made it the slow time of year for administrators, and most of them were taking vacations too.  There was still one day unaccounted for.  5

I spent the first day without my mentor in one of the director's offices.  It just so happened that this director is in charge of Tina's subject area, as well as the area of Tina's summer program.  I didn't give that any thought, as I didn't think Tina would possibly show up to the director's office that day.  She had a program to run.  At the end of the day, I was working at an empty desk of someone I was told "won't be here today," and I heard a familiar voice ask playfully, "Who's that sitting at my desk?"  I almost gasped out loud when I saw Tina smiling over me.  6

We talked about my internship, her summer program, and our administrative goals, for quite a while.  I was thrilled that we had so much in common and more to talk about than I ever realized in the five years we'd known each other.  I hated that the day was ending and our conversation would end long before I was ready to stop staring at her.  Finally, we let each other get to our work.  Reluctantly, I finished up what I had to do in order to end the day.  When I was finished, I sat myself outside the director's office so I could thank him when he was done with his last appointment.  My heart raced as Tina sat down beside me, resuming our earlier conversation.  She seemed as eager to talk with me as I was with her.  I wondered if she could feel me melt each time she touched my arm as she emphasized points in her conversation.  Was it my imagination, or did she linger a bit each time she'd touch me?  I refused to let myself think about it.  It was neither the time nor the place to get excited.7

We went into the director's office together, and she worked as she listened to me discussing with him when I could come back and work with him again.  Tina must have realized I needed a place to go the coming Monday, and she happily volunteered to spend the day with me.  I graciously thanked her and said I would see her Monday.  I tried, unsuccessfully, to not get too excited about it or read too much into it.  I liked her too much at this point, however, NOT to give it just a wee bit more thought than it probably deserved.  I just hoped my words and body language didn't reveal just how excited I was.8

The weekend dragged as I anticipated my upcoming day with her.  I plotted how I would nonchalantly ask her out for a drink after work.  I knew she was a partier.  And we had so much to talk about, how could she not want to go out for drinks?  I didn't dare try to plan more than that and wouldn't let myself think about seducing her.  I decided that if anything was going to happen, I'd figure out how to play it when the time came.  If the time came.  9

But for the first time in my life I didn't question whether I had a chance with another woman.  It was like some instinctive part of me knew our attraction was mutual.  10

I went to work with her that Monday, and I spent the day watching her in awe like I did the day we visited her program.  She made sure she included me in everything she did that day, unlike other administrators I had spent the day with.  It seemed like she wanted to be as close to me as I wanted to be with her.  I lost count of the amount of times she touched me.  Mostly she'd gently touch my arm as she talked to me.  Once, as she slid past me on her way to the fax machine, she slipped her hands around my waist and left them there for what seemed way longer than necessary.  I felt myself go weak under her touch and wondered if she could feel it too.  Feeling bolder than usual, I stood close, almost uncomfortably so, to her at the fax machine, pretending to care about the incoming facsimile.  Our shoulders barely touched until she leaned back into me, her hair cascading down the front of my V- neck shirt.   I could smell the floral aroma of her shampoo, and I leaned forward to drink in her scent.  She turned toward me and smiled, her lips inches away from mine.  She gazed at my lips as she lingered like that for a moment, and I had no doubt as to her intentions.  We were alone in the office, which made it that much more alluring.  11

Abruptly, we were interrupted by the sound of paper jamming in the fax machine, and she groaned out loud.  "Broggggggggggg…"  She called me by my last name as all the teachers did.  My husband would often joke about my co-workers, "Do you guys even know each other's first names?"  12

"Help me!"  she whined, frustrated with the faulty technology.  As I reached in to grab the piece of paper that was stuck in the machine, she reached for it at the same time, her hand landing on top of mine, where she let it stay.  I let a heavy breath escape my mouth, not caring if she knew what I was thinking.  She squeezed my hand, and then instantly went about the business of fixing the fax machine, the moment seemingly forgotten.  13

I was disappointed as the day wore on and there were no other moments like that to make me absolutely positive we were on the same page.  I started to question whether I could still be nonchalant about asking her to go out for a drink, and I decided I wasn't going to chance betraying how I felt, which by this time I concluded was bordering on love.14

At the end of the day, the faculty left one by one, and I was getting anxious to have them all leave so I could once again be alone with Tina. 15

Finally, everyone was gone except for Tina and me.  I was working on a report on the computer for her boss when she came up behind me to see what I was doing.  As I continued to work, she started playing with my hair.  She ran her fingers through the length of my hair, almost like she was combing it with her fingers, and the sensation made me instantly want to fall asleep in relaxation.  I tilted my head back, eager for more.  As I did, she moved her hands down to my shoulders and started to massage them.  "You're tense Brog; I think you and I need to go out for a drink."16

"I was going to ask you the same thing.  Where you wanna go?"17

"I dunno; somewhere where we can play pool.  I'm in the mood to play."18

"Why don't we go back to my house?  My basement just got re-done and now we have a bar and a pool table."19

"Sounds like a plan, Brog."20

She said it so nonchalantly, but I thought I could hear the excitement in her voice.  I reminded myself it was probably my imagination.21

When we got to my house, I showed her the way to my basement and said "I'll be right back; lemme go upstairs and change."  I quickly ran up the stairs.  22

The bluegrass channel was turned up loud on the TV, so I didn't hear Tina come into my bedroom.  Suddenly I saw her reflection in the mirror.  I had just taken off my shirt.  She didn't hide the fact that she was staring at me.23

"Hey…" I said softly as I turned around.24

"Wow, Brog."  Still being nonchalant, betrayed only by the fact that she couldn't take her eyes off me.25

In that instant I changed my mind about what to wear, and pulled a spaghetti strap sundress out of my closet.  One that required no bra.  I dropped it on the bed and then proceeded to unhook the front of my bra, and seductively let it fall to the floor without a word.26