Worth Waiting For

©2003 Elizabeth L. Clark
 

"Stop it! I -said- NO!" I pulled away from her with a jerk. She had been trying her damnedest to undress me. We had only been seeing each other a scant two weeks. I simply did not work that way. I needed time to get to know someone, to see if I could even trust them enough to let them in that close.

She was beautiful, tall with piercing eyes and a sensual smile. But she was also pushy. She had been trying all night to get me into bed. At first I tried playing off, keeping the tone light. But she was getting more and more insistent and I was becoming angry and a little afraid of her.
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She got up and paced the room, anger and frustration evident. "Why not? Its been almost two weeks! Or are you just a fucking tease?"
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"I'm not a tease. And I'm not ready to take it to that level yet! And I will not be forced!" I got up and grabbed my purse and stalked to the door. I had my cell and would call a cab outside, away from her anger.

She grabbed me and pinned me to the wall, kissing me hard enough to press my lower lip into my teeth. I panicked and shoved her back, groping for the door as blood oozed from my mouth.

"Fuck you! Better yet... UN-fuck you! This is it! Never -ever- come near me again or I will have you busted!"

I darted out the door, calling the cab as I raced out of her yard to the sidewalk. I stood there shaking as she yelled at me from her steps. Calling me a tease, a slut etc.

I was crying when the cab got there. The woman driving hurriedly helped me in and speed off. I sank back into the seat and was barely able to tell her my address before I was crying too hard to speak.

I dabbed at my bleeding mouth with a battered napkin before the driver handed me back a box of tissues. I thanked her and struggled to calm down.

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I watched the girl in my cab from the rearview mirror. She was scared half to death poor thing. And she was beautiful despite the bloody lip and the tear stained face. I drove carefully and waited until her sobs had turned to sniffles before I spoke.

"Do I need to take you to the ER hun? Or the police?"

I was startled when the cabbie spoke. Her voice sounded so gentle, so concerned. "I... I'll be okay. I just want to go home please." I hated how timid I sounded. I was shaken by what had happened, by what -could- have happened.

"Sure thing hun. My name's Brenda by the way." I gave her a reassuring smile when I saw that she was watching my face in the mirror. "If you need to talk...." I handed her one of my cards that included my e-mail addy on it. "Just message me if you need to hun, okay?"

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I took the card in trembling fingers and tucked it away. "I... I'm Janie." The rest of the ride went in silence. When we got to my place I went to hand her the fare and she shook her head, making the silver strands nestled among the dark brunette curls shimmer in the light.

"No charge for rescuing pretty ladies in distress hun." She smiled and waited until I had my door open before driving off. I got inside and locked the place up tight and left a message with a local locksmith asking him to schedule a time to come and change every lock in the house.

I was exhausted. I took a long shower and crawled into bed. The phone began ringing about an hour later. I would pick it up and hear nothing. I knew it was her. I finally took it off the hook and cried myself to sleep again after six calls in a row.
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I finished my shift and made it home about three hours after dropping off Janie. I was worried about her. and dammit all, attracted. I chuckled to myself as I got ready to get some sleep. "Face it Brenda. You want to make her moan, not cry. and maybe even make her feel love as it should be." I dreamed about Janie. Saw her honey blonde hair, felt her soft lips on mine. I woke up one horny woman let me tell you.
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I called the locksmith the next morning along with the police. They suggested I file a restraining order. I did after the locks were changed. A little shopping and I holed up at home to work. I loved working from home. Made me feel safer. I write for a living. Not uber wealthy yet, but getting there. My books sold well and the more I got out there, the more people asked for.

I was taking a break and happened to remember the cabbie, Brenda. I got out her card and before I knew it had e-mailed her. I thanked her for being kind and asked her if she would let me buy her dinner to make it up to her.


"Are you nuts?" I muttered to myself as I hit the send button. "She could be another weirdo!" But deep down, I felt she was a good person. Something about her dark brown eyes spoke of a gentle soul within. And friends were always good right?
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I was stunned when I finally crawled out of bed and sat in front of my pc sipping coffee and checking e-mail. Janie asked me out to dinner! I quickly mailed her back and said yes. We agreed to meet at a local place that served the best Italian food ever. I was excited and almost silly. It had been a while since I had been out with a beautiful woman.

"Okay Brenda... time to be calm. She's been freaked, so no getting frisky or anything. Just let her set the pace." I laughed at myself. It was a sure sign of being alone too long when you talked openly to yourself.
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I was nervous as I drove to meet Brenda. I needed a friend, badly. But would she try anything funny? I hoped not. she was already there when I arrived. She was in a loose fitting pant suit of soft cotton that showed just how tall she was. She smiled at me and waved me over. I was surprised when she held my chair out for me and made sure not to touch me.

"Thanks for coming Brenda. I wanted to thank you for helping me last night. And I needed to get out before I became rooted to my chair." I smiled slightly at her, feeling shy suddenly.
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"I should be thanking you Janie. I was going end up eating leftovers and watching tv all night. Getting out feels much better." I smiled gently at her, thinking she reminded me of a doe, poised for flight at the first sign of danger.
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Dinner went well. We talked, laughed and discovered we had a lot of things in common. We both liked sci-fi, loved rain storms, eating fresh berries still warm from the sun. When we left the Italian place I said yes when Brenda invited me to meet her that Friday at a blues club.

"I'd love to. About seven?"
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"Yeah, and be ready to enjoy some smooth music!"
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It was the first of many get togethers. Lunches, concerts, movies. It was nearly two months before I invited her to my place and that was also the first time we kissed. Brenda was gentle, not groping me or anything. She let me decide how long the kiss would linger.
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When Janie kissed me I nearly cried. In the time we had been getting to know each other I had found out she was shy when it came to sex and that she truly believed that love should come first. It was hard, but I kept things loose and let her decide where we went.

It was another month before we both admitted how we felt. That night was magickal. Making love with her was like coming home. She cried afterwards, cuddled up against me like a kitten. I soothed her and kissed the tears away.

"I love you baby girl... and waiting for you was the smartest thing I ever did."
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I looked up into brown eyes that were filled with love and caring. I touched her cheek and smiled past the remaining tears.

"Thank you for waiting Brenda. I love you too... more than I can ever express."
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I moved into her place a few weeks later. We ended up having to have her ex arrested after we caught her trying to break in. Amazing what a baseball bat will do to deter a fruit bat like her ex. I'm not saying it will ever be perfect... but then again what is. All I know is we love each other and that is enough for us both.