Chapter 5 (Justine)

Reconciling after the awkward moment, Justine and Yvette agree to go on a date.

After Yvette ran out on me that day, my reaction had been just to sit there. I barely moved as I contemplated everything that had led to now, letting my b***s breathe and my toes turn to prunes as they continued to soak in the pool. Good thing I wasn't the type to wear toe rings around, or else they'd be seven or eight feet under by now. I could see Yvette's swim cap floating at the surface, alongside my discarded bikini top, though I wasn't in too much of a hurry to grab them just yet. I was too busy thinking things over, specifically how much I'd fucked things up. I'd already learned not to come on too strong several times before, and my dumbass had just gone and done it again.

If things were truly over for Yvette and I, then the least I could do was apologize, but I wasn't sure when the right time would be. I didn't have the heart to do it as soon as I made my mistake, knowing it wouldn't be wise to chase after a flustered, buff person who could probably kill me in her sleep with one hand. And I didn't know how long I should give her some space before making my next move.

"Justine?"

Well damn, I must've been mulling outside for a lot longer than I thought. As the shadows had finished moving from one side of the yard to another. I looked up to see Ruby stepping outside, wearing a simple sundress and carrying a tray with two glasses of blended fruit punch. Contrary to what some homophobes might tell you, lesbian women don't instantly latch onto any woman they see, not even if they share the same sexuality. Objectively speaking, yes, Ruby was attractive, but not to the point of turning me on. It also helped that not only was she straight, but a bit too old for my tastes too. There were a lot of women who worked for me, including several lesbians, and I was easily able to work with them without losing my composure.

But ramblings aside, Ruby flinched, averting her eyes as she noticed my naked breasts, but managing not to drop the drinks. I quickly reached for my top, wringing it out as much as I could within two seconds, and tied it back into place. Even while damp, it was still cold, and I already felt like Jennifer Aniston on Friends.

"Ah, many thanks, young lass." she nodded, finishing her trek over to me. "Drink?"

"Don't mind if I do." I accepted one of the glasses, immediately feeling better upon taking a sip of the ice-cold beverage. Ruby sometimes had a tendency to do things for me on her own volition, probably to compensate for the fact that I didn't work her too hard. She'd probably applied for the job expecting to be busy eighteen hours a day, so imagine her surprise at the amount of free time I gave her. She was always welcome to leave, but that didn't seem to be anywhere near the table for her. "Mmm, your drinks are always so good!"

"Really? Because I didn't think those black and tans I made last week were up to snuff."

"Oh, you're too hard on yourself. You just used uneven amounts of the stout and pale ale."

We both shared a smile as she sat down on the beach chair nearest to me, helping herself to the remaining glass. While I didn't harbor any romantic or sexual feelings towards Ruby, she nonetheless still held a special place in my heart. She was like that chill aunt who was always there to hear you out, let you cry into her shoulder, or sometimes even offer better advice than your own parents. Since my dad was an only child, I only had one aunt and she was on my mom's side, but while she was capable of having her heartfelt moments, she often seemed far more concerned with slandering everyone in semi-joke form. Probably a side-effect of being an actress, whose job required her to constantly exude personality.

"You know, I expected Yvette would still be out here with you," Ruby broke the brief silence.

"Yeah, well… we sorta fought," I replied grimly.

"Really? You two seemed to get along so well."

"That's what I thought, but I just had to numb my brain cells at the last second and scare her off with my advances."

"Somehow I knew you had a thing for her," Ruby chuckled a bit. "And maybe it's the pre-menopause in me, but I can tell she likes you too."

"Well that makes me feel a little better." I shrugged, not prepared for her to place a hand on my bare shoulder.

"Look, why not try to take things more slowly? …more slowly than you did this time, I mean. Maybe instead of going straight to the kiss, you could find a way to ease into the flirting, yes?"

"I… guess so…"

"Good to hear." Ruby stood back up, dusting off the back of her dress as she brought her emptied glass inside. "Feel free to drop that off when you're done."

"Alright, thanks!" I replied with a smile.

Finally feeling better, I guzzled down the last of my punch, though this proved to be a huge mistake as the evening summer breeze promptly passed through the yard. And it didn't help that my legs felt frigid from soaking in the pool for so long. Stumbling into my thong sandals, I grabbed everything I'd brought out with me, only to groan as I realized I couldn't carry it all. Of course the one time where Ruby wasn't there to help me out was the one time where I actually needed her to. Regardless, I dropped my load off inside and sprinted back out for my emptied glass, bringing it to the kitchen before taking everything else to my bedroom. As I took a hot ten-minute shower, ridding every last hair and crevasse of chlorine, I got to work in planning out what to do to get back onto Yvette's good side. I had to think up something pragmatic and inviting, while putting my own personal spin on it.

---

I ended up waiting a couple more days, just to be on the safe side. Yvette and I didn't say too much to each other during that span of time, but at least we didn't fight, so that was a good sign. But on the third day, I finally made my move, heading downstairs to the finished basement, where sure enough I found Yvette. In the weeks we'd spent together, one thing I'd learned about her was that for someone so obsessed with fitness, her sense of fashion was actually quite varied, ranging from bohemian, to leisurewear, to even business casual. But no matter the outfit, she would often hide her textured leggings, athletic mini-shorts, and longline sports bras underneath, so that way if she managed to find time for a workout, she could just strip down. If I was lucky, I'd be able to sneak downstairs behind her and watch her do it.

But today, it seemed working out was at the top of her list. There was no pile of clothes lying beside her, and the outfit she did have on didn't look like it would be easy to hide under something else. Not that I'd want her to hide it, because it looked so good. I panned my gaze up along her figure, sighting her sneakers and track pants, both from Adidas, and noticing how the latter perfectly complimented her a*s. Her curled hair that normally fell to her waist was now contained in a high side ponytail, with a scrunchy in the same shade of khaki as her ribbed tank top, creeping up along her midriff.

I would be close to losing it, had I not gone through the trouble of quelling my hormones beforehand. The day of our awkward confrontation, I'd trudged back to my room, taking Yvette's used towel with me; I'd laid it across my lower face, inhaling the distinctive scent of her pheromones as I watched yet another workout video. The video was at least a couple of decades old, and the instructor was in her sixties and a mother of two at the time (in case it wasn't clear, I have a thing for milfs), yet she still looked so young and fit and was still able and willing to rock bikinis and crop tops. I had no clue what had become of that instructor since, but she was incredibly hot. Enough to where I could get off while Yvette failed to escape my brain or my nose.

For now, I chose not to say anything, instead casually strutting right by and stepping onto the treadmill, turning the speed up to four and the incline up to two. I adjusted my own workout set�"robin's egg blue with tie-dyed accents and both garments meeting right around my navel�"as I looked to my left, pleased with the view of Yvette's behind and the way her muscles pulsated as she did bicep curls. For a while, we both continued to exercise in silence, save for the ambience of the machinery and our panting. Each of us switched between exercises, but we ultimately remained in the same spot. To my surprise, Yvette was actually the one to break the quiet, sitting back on the workout bench and pulling her shirt down as she gulped from an oversized water bottle.

"So, uh, what's up?" she asked. It really was a shame she didn't talk much, because her speaking voice was so soothing. When combined with her shy nature, it sounded extra adorable.

"Oh, not much. I just like to get in a workout at least once a week," I replied, the treadmill beneath me raising up and down. "That, and I wanted to apologize. I-I feel like I came on a little too strong…"

"It's cool… I mean, one of us had to do it. Like, I have a thing for you too, and um… oh god, this is awkward."

"No, no, it's alright. The feeling's mutual. But for the sake of making things a little more comfortable between us, why don't we do something tonight to help ease us into this relationship?"

"Ummmm…"

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. I meant a date," I chuckled a bit at her flushed face. I knew I should've felt bad for making her feel awkward, but it was for her own good. You can't break out of your shell if you can't leave your comfort zone.

"Oh, okay. Er… what time? A-And where should we go?"

"I'll figure that last part out, but what say we go at about seven?"

"Sounds good." Yvette nodded. "So, uh, I guess we should get ready?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." I smirked as I walked by, lightly slapping her a*s. It was so brief, but it felt so right in my hand.

I didn't bother to look back as I walked away, showing off my own a*s as I finally ascended the stairs out of her sight.

---

It didn't take long for me to decide on a restaurant. All I had to do was pick from all the nearby fancy ones, eventually landing on the one I hadn't tried yet. I was also pleased to see that it had open reservations on such short notice, so I quickly booked one, before immediately heading into my walk-in closet. I didn't bother to count, but something told me I had enough clothing items to where I could go over a year without doing my laundry and still be able to wear a completely new outfit every day. There were any number of things I could wear to this semi-formal place, but I decided to pick something simple but also flirty. Eventually coming across the rack with all my between-summer-and-fall clothes on it, I felt a seductive smile elasticizing my lips.