Love and Lust Among The Bookshelves - TheLadyIsAVamp and Gina In Orange

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella Grace Jackson turned from the whiteboard and looked back at her class, her long blonde hair fluttering across her shoulders as she moved.

Her eyes moved over the faces of her students, skimming across them with the quick precision of a woman who'd done this many times before. When she'd first started working as a teacher she'd found it intimidating having to read the faces of so many different people, but as 32 pairs of eyes met with hers, Bella felt only a calm sense of confidence.

It would have been 34 pairs of eyes, but Jack was staring at his notes with an ever-present frown on his face and Kaitlin was transfixed by something on her phone as usual. Bella wasn't worried. Somehow they both always managed to get passing grades.

"And that's why Piggy's total lack of success in a leadership role suggests that there are significant differences between a 'leader' and a 'thinker'" she said, crossing over to her desk and sitting on the edge of it. ""Ralph has an aura of poise and capability that wins him trust. His authority is rooted in personality rather than innovation—he relies on Piggy for that—and he understands the importance of rhetoric in winning followers. The boys' negative reaction to Piggy's physical unattractiveness emphasizes the role external personas play in establishing command; the boys' don't so much reject Piggy because he is ugly, but because he does not know how to play the role of a leader."

The bell rang and Bella smiled at her class, opting to ignore the admiring looks some of the males were giving her. She hopped off her desk and began sorting out the paperwork peppered across its surface.

"Essays are due next week everyone, please don't forget. Just don't study so hard you burn yourselves out, I don't want you all suing me for emotional distress" she called out as she stowed her copy of Lord of the Flies in her desk drawer. Several people laughed and called out goodbye to her as they filed out. Bella was a relatively young teacher at the age of 28, confident and commanding enough to control her English Literature class but laid back and young enough to still be considered cool and desirable to many of her students. She was popular and well-liked among both her pupils and the faculty, with a few exceptions here and there.

You can't please everyone, after all.

Bella tidied up her room and gathered up the materials she'd be taking home to prepare her future lessons with before locking up the classroom and heading for the college's library. She'd been in there a few times since starting her job here and was always keen to go back to it. She'd loved being around books since she was a child, avidly devouring their contents with a hunger that had remained insatiable even up into adulthood. She was as comfortable sat reading in a library as she was turning moves on the dancefloor, and this college's library was particularly beautiful.

She crossed the small distance between the main college building and the library building, enjoying the late spring breeze on her face and skirt-clad legs before sweeping into the welcoming decor of the world of books. The title she was after was an obscure one, something she knew she'd have trouble finding on her own, so she started looking around in the hope of spotting a librarian nearby who could assist her.

 

[Gina in Orange]

The late morning sun streamed in through large bay windows, filling the library’s first floor atrium with light. A cool, crisp morning was warming its way towards a sunny afternoon. A steady stream of university students began to pass through the front doors, the changing seasonal weather definitely reflected in their wardrobe choices. The annual baring of legs, a Spring tradition amongst the girls on the college campus, was in full effect inside and outside.

Penelope Everlane was no different. Dressed in a blue, v-neck blouse and a yellow, pleated skirt, the young librarian had taken the agreeable forecast as an opportunity to shed her winter wardrobe. The marigold colored garment swished behind her as she hastily strode across the atrium to her desk. Penny began rummaging through her bag, then extracted a quite full keyring. The copper haired woman glanced at her long forgotten coffee, no doubt cold by now, then at the similarly neglected book on her desk, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. She sighed, clutching the keys in hand and setting off in the direction she had come from.

Penny had been afforded little time to stand still that morning, thus the barely touched coffee. With a full work load and a wedding to plan in her free time, she'd had hardly a second to devote to reading as well. She certainly possessed no time for either of them at the moment, seeing as several students were waiting impatiently outside the third floor computer lab which no one had bothered to unlock that morning.

Penelope quickly made her way up the two flights of stairs and across to the lab, sorting out the correct key en route. She unlocked the door, let the students pass inside, paying little mind to some of their lingering glances, then headed back down to the main level to see what would demand her immediate attention next. As the youngest librarian on staff, much of the day-to-day busy work seemed to naturally fall on her lap. With exam season quickly approaching at the school, more and more students sought to salvage their semester within the library's walls.

Before she could reach her desk, one of the women manning the circular information desk called Penelope over. Predictably, the computer had frozen again. With much of the library's staff advanced in years, Penny found that fixing technology had unofficially been written into her job description. The young redhead put on her a genial smile and showed the staff member once again how to restart a computer. As the device worked its way through the startup process, Penelope was standing front and center at the desk when an eye-catching blonde woman approached.

Penny had noticed the woman at the library before, but had never spoken with her. She seemed of a similar age, and did not have the look or manner of a student. 'A TA, or maybe a professor?' she wondered to herself, finding her attention drawn well away from her previous task and the person she was supposed to be helping. A genuine smile lit up Penelope's face. "Hi! What can I help you with?" she asked of the blonde woman.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella's eyes met with those of a redhead who seemed to be about her own age as she approached the library's front desk. She smiled warmly at the other woman, her eyebrows raising ever so slightly. She wasn't used to seeing someone so beautiful working here. All the other library staff she'd come across so far had been elderly or middle-aged and waspish looking. The redhead smiling back at her was the complete opposite - with her porcelain skin, elegant features and wavy auburn hair she looked like she should be working as a model rather than behind the desk in a library.

"Hey!" Bella replied, her voice far happier and enthusiastic than if she'd been speaking to one of the old dears she normally dealt with. "Sorry to bother you but I was hoping to find a specific book and I'm not quite sure where to start looking" she continued, looking and sounding apologetic. "I hate to take up your time but would you mind helping me find it? The book's a little bit of an obscure one. It's called 'Negative Space' by B.R. Yeager. It's a fiction book but it spans a few different genres so it can be hard to pin down sometimes."

Bella silently cursed her choice of words. Now that she'd mentioned pinning something down her mind was trying to conjure images of herself pinning the redhead's hands to the desk as she leaned in for a kiss. Bella had been bisexual for as long as she could remember but after multiple bad experiences with guys her sexual preferences were swinging more and more towards women. The gorgeous redhead stood in front of her was exactly her type, from her hair and looks down to her body and way of dressing.

 

[Gina in Orange]

Penny was taken back a moment after meeting the woman's alluring blue eyes. The warmth in her voice seemed to course through Penny's body. The librarian recalled in that instant the first time she had noticed the blonde in the library. It was a distinct memory, given how long she had spent admiring the woman's figure at the time. That recollection caused light pink to creep up her cheeks.

Eventually finding her voice again, Penelope responded in a more excitable tone than intended, "Y-yes of course! It's no bother at all. Let's take a look..." Her attention went to the computer screen instinctively, forgetting that the desktop was still undergoing a lengthy reboot. Feeling additionally flustered, she kept looking at the display as she spoke, “The, uh, catalog isn’t working, umm.”

Tongue-tied and blushing, Penny felt like she must resemble one of the freshman students that can never seem to make eye contact with her when asking for help. With her thumb she felt for the metal band of her engagement ring, something she’d found herself doing often lately to center herself. The diamond ring, of course, was absent. Having taken it off to wash some dishes that morning, Penelope had left the proof of her betrothal in the “Mr & Mrs” ring dish by her kitchen sink.

The young librarian took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She straightened up and met the lovely woman’s eyes with some regained composure. “Sorry, I’m just having a day,” she spoke with a slightly embarrassed smile. “I’d be more than happy to help you find it.” Penny stepped out from behind the desk and led the way to the stairs. She walked with an extra looseness in her hips for reasons that she didn’t really know herself. “It’s contemporary, right?” She asked. “We’ll start on the second floor.”

The stairs led up to a sort of extended balcony overlooking the first floor. A long row of double sided bookshelves stretched from end to end. Penelope proceeded to the far right end where Yeager would likely be found. Before descending down the row, the 28 year old redhead stopped and glanced back. With her back to the edge of the bookcase, she spoke in an unusually bubbly voice, “I’m Penny, by the way. Well, Penelope, but you know.” When was the last time she made a point to introduce herself to a library patron? She had no idea.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella noticed the soft flush of colour in the other woman's pale cheeks but thought nothing of it. Despite her good looks and slender figure, Bella had never become the sort of woman who assumed people were attracted to her. She was confident and secure in herself but she was also humble. When the redhead's cheeks developed a faint pink tinge her subconscious simply put it down to her being too warm, or frustrated with some element of the library's system. The university's terrible computer system was a popular talking point in the faculty staff room. Bella had heard more than one tale of short-tempered teachers being driven to enacting physical violence against their own computers, so that was surely what the librarian's soft flush of colour was all about, a suspicion that seemed all but confirmed when the redhead told her the catalog wasn't working.

She gave the other woman time to find her words and gave her an understanding smile when she said she was having 'a day'.

"Hey, don't worry about it! We all know the computer systems here are geriatric" she said reassuringly, suddenly catching the surly look the elderly librarian nearby gave her. Woops. Bad choice of wording. Even English teachers could speak out of turn.

"I don't think your colleague liked me using the word 'geriatric'" she said quietly as she and Penelope walked away, her mischievous smile betraying just how unconcerned about it she was. "If I end up with any suspicious charges on my library account I'll know who's to blame." Bella walked happilly alongside the redhead, her eyes discreetly straying down to the way her new companion's hips swayed side to side. Now that half of the other woman's body wasn't hidden behind a library counter she could get a better sense of just how amazing the redhead's body must be beneath her clothes. "I'm sorry if this is random, but I absolutely love your skirt!" she exclaimed, her voice quiet but filled with enthusiasm. It was true, she did love the other woman's dress sense, but commenting on the skirt also gave her a free pass to admire how it sat on the librarian's body for a few more moments before she looked away.

"Contemporary, yeah. Definitely" she agreed. "If I remember rightly it came out in the last few years, maybe 2019 to 2020."

She followed the librarian up the staircase, smiling at the sight of all the books around her. Libraries had always been a serene and special place for her, ever since she'd started going to the local one in her hometown to avoid being at home as a child. Her focus shifted back to the redhead as the other woman revealed her name.

"Nice to meet you, Penny!" she said happilly. "I'm Bella. I teach English Literature here, although some of the older teachers still mistake me for a student sometimes. I guess that's what comes from being a 28-year-old teacher with good skin" she giggled. They'd only just met but already Bella found Penny incredibly easy to talk to. "You said you were having a bit of a day earlier, what's been going on?" she asked with genuine interest as she began skimming the spines of the nearby books.

 

[Gina in Orange]

Penelope exchanged a knowing smile with her companion at the 'geriatric' comment. It as certainly an apt way to describe both the university's computer systems and a significant portion of their staff.

"Oh, thank you!" The compliment to her skirt compelled Penny to pinch the material between her thumb and fingers. She had always been a tactile person, seeking to know the feel and texture of furniture, walls, fabrics, most surfaces in general. That was one of the things she truly loved about books. Each one brought with it a different weight and feel. Even the pages were comprised of different textures and paper grain from book to book. For her birthday a few years back, Malcolm, her fiancé, gifted her an e-reader, an expensive one. The screen was designed to look like you were reading text from paper so as not to wear out ones eyes. Penny just did not get the same satisfaction curling up with the electronic device as she did with a weighty, real book. Pressing a button also could not hold a candle to physically turning pages. Malcolm seemed to think it would stem her growing collection of tomes. Penny tried it as a replacement for a few weeks, then set it aside the next time he went away for work. She still maintained a novel on the thing most of the time, so as not to seem rude.

"It's a pleasure, Bella!" she responded to the woman's introduction, keeping her voice at a practiced quiet volume. "So you are a teacher. I was wondering. It's so rare to meet any faculty that aren't at least 10 years older than me," she laughed. "I actually studied English Lit here in undergrad. God, I would have loved to have a professor like you. Umm, our age I mean. I'm also 28. Just that I don't think I had a single class with anyone under 50, you know?" She paused for a breath, then added, "I'm sorry, I'm just rambling." Bella's mention of her skin caused Penny to clutch her right hand in a loose fist. It was a reaction the curious woman had when she had a strong desire to touch something but she knew she shouldn't.

As she started scanning through the shelves of books, Penny turned her head to regard Bella's question. "Oh, it's nothing really. It's just been a hectic morning. Exam season always is. I came in at 6:30 and I don't think I've stopped moving since." As if on cue, Penelope failed at stifling a yawn. She blinked her eyes several times and gave her head a shake. "It's nothing that a strong dose of caffeine won't fix."

She resumed scanning author's names. Narrowing the position to the bottom of the shelf, the young librarian crouched down low, tapping her index finger on the titles by authors preceding Yeager. "Shoot," she said aloud. "Nothing here. If we have it, it's probably in genre fiction which is on the other side." Penny stood herself up and looked across the gap to the row of bookshelves on the opposite side of the atrium.

"So, sorry if I'm being nosy," she said as they started walking around the perimeter, "but how long have you been teaching?" She followed up by asking, "Where did you go to school?"

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Even with her voice being kept to a low volume there was something about the enthusiasm in Penny's voice that made her deeply endearing. When she said it was a pleasure to meet her, Bella could feel that Penny meant it, and the feeling was mutual. The redhead's presence was like a refreshing breeze after being around students and older academics all day.

She turned her attention from the books back to Penny and smiled knowingly as the other woman bemoaned how rare it was to meet faculty members their own age. "Tell me about it. I didn't take the job here to make friends but even so, it'd be nice to know a few more people my own age. At least I've got you now!" Bella giggled softly, first at Penny's admission that she'd have loved to have her as a teacher and again at her apology for rambling. "Oh, so we're the exact same age! It's like we were meant to meet! And for the record, I'd have loved to have had you in my class - although if I'd been your teacher we wouldn't be here talking like this as equals, so in that sense I'm glad I wasn't your teacher."

Bella looked back to the books and nodded understandingly. She knew exactly what Penny meant. Exam season was a killer for the lecturers but she'd never given much thought to what it was like for the library staff. With all the students desperately searching for books they should have read months ago and cramming in last minute revision sessions in the library, Bella could only imagine how much of a circus the place must become at this time of year.

"Wait, are you saying you've not had a proper break yet?" Bella asked, looking back at Penny with alarm in her eyes. "Oh no no no, that won't do! When our search for this book is over I'm taking you for a coffee, even if I have to smuggle you out of here!" The firmness in her voice made it clear that she was being serious. Her words were spoken not as a suggestion but as an absolute certainty.

With a final look at the books before them, Bella turned and followed her new companion to the other side of the library. She found herself smiling even more than usual and walking closer to Bella than was required, their hands almost brushing at their sides while they moved.

"Oh you're not being nosy at all! I've been teaching for about three years now, so not too long. I was a teaching assistant for a while before that while I trained. And I went to school at St James" she added, cringing a little as she said it. "I hated the place. Some of the teachers were okay and I liked a lot of my classes but...well, you know what teenage girls can be like. I spent most of my time in the library. I wasn't exactly what you could call one of the popular kids." If it hadn't been for her looks, Bella had no doubt that her time in school would have been even worse. "But what about you? How long have you been a librarian?"

 

[Gina in Orange]

Penny flashed her new friend a rosy cheeked smile. She didn't really consider the offer for coffee at first, as much as a tasty latte and respite from the chaotic day tempted her. The promise of continued time spent with the lovely, young professor might easily have swayed her, but the redheaded librarian wasn't ready to admit the attraction she felt just yet. Instead, she answered in denial, "That sounds wonderful, really, but I will have to take a rain check. There is just too much I need to get to this today. I will probably won’t get more than five minutes to wolf down my lunch the way things are looking." In truth, this extended book hunt was itself an indulgence she couldn't really justify, at least not professionally.

Penny continued the conversation by answering Bella's question, "I just finished my master's a year ago last December. I technically started then, but I was already working here throughout grad school anyway.” Her transition from college grad who worked at the library to fully accredited librarian had been rather seamless at work. Penelope was already doing most of the the responsibilities that were supposed to accompany her new role.

Moving down the last aisle in the sci-fi and fantasy section, Penelope efficiently checked the Y's on the shelf, only to come up empty again. "That's a no for romance, historical, and sci-fi. I wonder if... ," the young woman looked over to a tiny section that barely filled half of a one-sided shelf. On the end of the row was posted a sign indicating 'Horror/Occult'. Crossing over to that shelf, Penny hoisted up a book above her head, looking back to Bella with a beaming smile. "Found it!" she exclaimed rather loudly. A couple students looked up from their studies at a nearby round table. Penny guiltily scampered back over to Bella to hand her the book.

"Well I suppose that ends our book hunting adventure, I'd better get back to all of...that," she said, gesturing to the bustling floor below with a sigh. "Can I give you my number? Maybe we can meet up for coffee another time." Penny looked up at Bella, a nervous flutter winding its way through her chest as if she were exchanging contacts with a romantic hopeful.

Before the exchange could take place, a loud alarm resounded throughout the building, accompanied by flashing lights overhead. "Oh you have to be kidding me," she voiced aloud to no one, her bright mood instantly souring. "The fire alarm again!?" The young woman raised her hands and rubbed at her temples, looking and feeling defeated. After a few seconds like this, she turned to Bella. "Please take me away from here," she practically begged, offering the teacher her hand.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment when her offer was turned down. She'd been looking forward to grabbing some one on one time with the pretty redhead without even realising it. She nodded and smiled, seeming to go along with what the other woman said even as she silently considered other ways of asking before the two of them parted ways. Penny was clearly tired and in need of a break. Bella didn't care how busy the library was, Penny deserved time to sit, eat her food, have a coffee and relax.

She skimmed along the spines of books along with the other woman. She was starting to resign herself to not finding the book she waned when Penny suddenly exclaimed that she'd found it. The excitement in her voice took Bella by surprise. She looked over to where Bella had been and giggled to herself as the redhead came scampering over with the book in her arms and an ambaressed look on her face.

"Well look at that, I made you cry out loud in a library! It's been a while since I made someone do that" she giggled, not realising how flirtatious the look she'd just fixed Penny with had been. She quickly took Penny into her arms and gave her a hug. "Thank you so much, I wouldn't ever have found it without you!"

She stepped back and smiled sadly at Penny, not wanting to say goodbye to her yet. Her expression perked up and her smile became more radiant again as Penny suggested they exchange numbers. Bella was just getting her phone out to write down her new friend's number when the shrill sound of the fire alarm began screeching through the building. Bella winced and looked like she was in genuine pain. She'd always been easily unsettled by sudden loud noises, especially high pitched alarms. When she was younger she'd cried every time a police car went past with its siren on. She wasted no time as Penny begged to be taken away, holding the redhead's hand and leading them quickly back down to the main foyer. A few people were hurrying out but most were taking their time, much to the annoyance of the other library staff. Bella made sure to avoid them as she led Penny out and away from the small crowd gathering impatiently outside the library building.

"That bloody alarm!" she exclaimed as they made their way across campus. "I swear, it makes my teeth vibrate. Come on, let's head to the student union cafe."

The place she had in mind was a good five minutes walk across campus, far enough away that the alarm wouldn't be easily heard but close enough that Penny could get back to the library easily when they were done. At this time of day the cafe was reasonably quiet, something Bella was relieved to see held true as they walked inside.

"What are you drinking?" Bella asked as they walked toward the counter. "You grab us a seat, I'll get these!"

 

[Gina in Orange]

Penny followed Bella outside the library and across campus without question, feeling very content to have the other woman take the lead. Usually very calm and composed, the redhead needed a break from self-direction in life as much as she needed one from her shift at work. When they got to be a fair distance away from the slowly amassing crowd outside the library, she apologized to Bella, "I'm sorry. I'm being so dramatic. It's just, that was the fourth time someone has set off the fire alarm in the last month. It's been such a headache." That applied figuratively and literally, as her head quite ached from the abrupt clamor.

Penelope was grateful to see the coffee shop not overcrowded. Much like the library's first floor, enough students could always what was intended as a quiet venue into a dinful one. "Oh, um, if you don't mind me splurging," she began in answer to Bella's question, "I could go for a vanilla latte." Penny brushed some strands of hair from her face, her expression showing a guilty smile. "With an extra shot," she added, feeling both bold in her new friendship and fatigued in her existing life.

The young woman picked a two-seat table in the windowed corner where she could see out into the courtyard. Instinctively she thought to pull out her phone, then recalled that it and her purse still resided at her desk. 'Probably for the best,' she thought. 'I'd just end up complaining to Malcolm'. That had been a recent trend in her text conversations with her fiancé. Not wanting to turn their nightly phone call into a grievance fest, those frustrations instead made up the bulk of the timeline between them in her message app. He seldom responded in the moment, choosing to ask her later over the phone, where Penny had a hard time doing anything but assuring him that things were fine.

She propped her elbow on the table and rested her head on her palm, idly people watching outside. Such was how Bella would find her when returning with their drinks.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

"After not getting a proper break and helping me find that book you're definitely allowed to splurge!" Bella giggled, flashing Penny a smile that was more flirtatious than she'd intended. She couldn't seem to help herself around the pretty redhead. She was usually good at keeping herself in check and behaving professionally at work but with Penny her more flirtatious and fun-loving side seemed to naturally break out. Maybe it was because they were the same age and she saw Penny as someone similar to her who could be a genuine friend, not just a colleague she ran into around campus every now and then.

She ordered herself a cappucino along with Penny's drink, waiting patiently for them to be ready and casting occasional glances over at the redhead. She seemed tired, even more so than Bella who'd been teaching throughout the day. She couldn't help wondering if there was more than just Penny's job behind it. Maybe there was something else going on. It wasn't really any of her business and she didn't want to pry, but she felt suddenly compelled to try and be there for Penny if the other woman gave away any hints that something was bothering her.

"Here you go, hopefully this will perk you up a bit" she said brightly, placing Penny's drink down in front of her. She sat down opposite the redhead and folded one leg over the other, causing her bare leg to brush against Penny's under the table. A shiver that was far from unpleasant passed over the skin of Bella's leg. The contact had been brief but good God, Penny's leg had felt so soft and smooth against her own. "It's so nice to meet someone else here who's not just my age but shares my love for literature! You absolutely have to tell me about your favourite books!" she gushed, taking a sip of her coffee.

 

[Gina in Orange]

Gazing out the window at the meandering students, Penelope's mind wandered to her own time spent as an undergrad. She could picture the green-suede moto jacket and square framed glasses that defined her style then, before she started wearing contacts full time. Bella's return eased the young woman out of her daydreaming.

"Thank you so much," she said to the blonde, adjusting in her seat to face Bella. "I'll be sure to treat you next time." Penny breathed in the sweet, earthy scent of her latte, already feeling perked up from the scent alone. After briefly admiring the heart-shaped foam pattern resting at the top, she lifted the mug to her lips and sipped at the hot beverage. As warm milk and espresso passed through her throat, she let out a soft sigh. Noticing Bella looking directly at her, a slight blush touched her cheeks, not helped by the passing contact of their legs under the table.

"Dramatic escape aside, this really is such a treat," Penny agreed, her pupils flitting between the window to her left and Bella's warm face. "I honestly can't remember the last time I just sat and talked with anyone over coffee." She continued to drink from her mug, occasionally running her tongue over her upper lip to collect the milk foam. "My favorite books, hmmm" she hummed, considering the request. "How long have we got? Oh gosh, I don't even know where to begin. My dad loves to say it's a wonder I can see more than a foot from my nose with how much I read." Penny struck a pose with her hand out in front of her holding a pretend book. Her eyes squinted with a rye smile.

"Let's see," she began, answering in earnest. "Charlotte Bronte, James Joyce. I feel like I fall into a trance and lose a week every time I read through Finnegan's Wake. Umm, Ursula Le Guin, Octavia Butler...have you read Kindred? I love that book. Neil Gaiman, of course. Oh I'm sorry, you asked for books and I'm just babbling out authors. Umm, "Life of Pi, Good Omens, To the Lighthouse...I'm actually rereading that right now. Umm, gosh you can't want to listen to me go on like this." She waved a hand in front of her face as off to brush herself off the topic.

"What about you?" she redirected the prompt back to Bella. "Who do you love? Authors I mean! Are you reading anything interesting?" Penny crossed her arms, elbows on the table, and leaned her chest forward, getting into the conversation. "Oh! and before I forget, let me see your phone, I'll put my number in."

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

"Hey, don't mention it! I can't go leaving my hero all tired and stressed, not after she helped me find the book I wanted! I swear, they should pay you babysitting rates on top of what you earn. I don't envy you having to look after the old dears and teach them how to use the computers day after day. Honestly, you must have the patience of a saint. I nearly lost the will to live trying to teach my gran how her new TV works, and that was just one old person" she giggled, giving Penelope a playful look. It was the sort of borderline flirtatious gaze she only used with people she was attracted to, and in Penny's case she didn't even realise she was doing it. Like so many things, it seemed to just come naturally with the other woman. Even just sitting here chatting and sipping coffee made her feel lighter and made her day feel brighter.

She sat and listened with genuine interest as her new friend talked about favourite books, smiling and nodding enthusiastically with each author Penny mentioned. Her eyes flicked down briefly to the redhead's chest as the other woman leaned forward before she caught herself doing it and forced her eyes back up.

For God's sake Bella, you're acting like a teenager! Stop looking at her breasts! Just because they're so pert and pale and perfect doesn't mean you can - WAIT NO don't think like that!

"Me? Who I love?" she echoed, speaking just a little too quickly. "Authors! Yes! James Joyce definitely, Octavia Butler too, Phillip Pullman and the Dark Materials trilogy, Kathe Koja, Mark Edwards, I have so many!"

As she spoke she took her phone from her pocket and created a new contact entry, then slid it over to Penny.

"God, it's so GOOD to talk books with someone! Most of the other teachers don't read novels unless someone's holding a gun to their head and believe me, at this point I've considered it" she giggled, taking a sip of her coffee. "We definitely need to meet up more, I already feel like I can't get enough of your company!"

 

[Gina in Orange]

"Oh, excellent choices," Penny said in in approval of the authors Bella mentioned, adjusting the woman's phone in front of her to tap in her information. She included her cell phone number along with both her work and personal email. "We should start our own book club," she added as her fingers finished up their data entry.

"There," she said with finality, saving the profile. As she was about to hand the phone back, Penelope looked at the large 'P' that served as her contact's default image. "Oh wait!" she said, retracting her arm. The redhead quickly flipped to the photo app, put it in selfie mode, and snapped a picture of herself smiling over her coffee mug. She made a few more swipes, then slid the phone back across the table. "Ok, now whenever you get a call from me you'll remember that I owe you a coffee, not to mention salvaging my train wreck of a morning."

Penny continued chatting and sipping at her coffee. Since Bella had sat across from her, the weight of her burdens seemed to have completely evaporated. The thoughtful conversation certainly contributed to that. Though simply having the lovely and intelligent blonde's attention focused on her pushed Penny's worries frustrations from earlier far enough out of focus as to be practically forgotten.

Penelope nursed the last remnants of her beverage, identifying an empty mug as a sign that she should return to work. The two of them had sat together and talked for nearly an hour. Penny could certainly have stood to double or triple that time in her new friend's company, but it was time to get back. "This has been wonderful. Tell me we can do it again soon!" she said as she rose from her seat. She made to grab her back from the back of the chair where she would normally have slung it, only to remember that it had never followed her to the coffee shop. With one last pink blush, she clasped Bella's hand and said her farewells, then set off towards the library again with a noticeable spring in her step.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

"Thank you!" Bella said brightly, feeling strangely proud that Penny liked her choice of authors. Somehow the redhead's approval seemed to matter to her, and the more she looked at Penny the more she realised why.

She was undeniably attracted to the other woman. She'd not taken time to think about it until now, but as she watched Penny typing her details into her phone and caught herself thinking that the redhead had really pretty hands, Bella knew she was drawn Penny in a way that went beyond friendship. It wasn't just her looks or her slender body, either - Bella was attracted to Penny's energy, her passion for books, her personality; everything that made her who she was.

She watched with an almost loving smile on her face as Penny snapped a selfie and added it to her profile. She giggled as the phone was slid back to her and gave Penny a mischievous smile. "As if I could ever forget having coffee with you, and not because you think you owe me one...but I do like the idea of your face lighting up my phone" She said playfully.

Their time together seemed to fly past all too quickly. Bella listened enraptured to Penny as they chatted, smiling and laughing with a genuine sense of lightness that she hadn't felt in a long time. It reminded her of when she'd spent time around her crush back in college, that same sense of everything being wonderful seeping into her the more time they spent together.

Bella didn't want their coffee time to end, nor did she want Penny to stop being in her company, but she knew they both still had work to do. Penny was needed back at the library, and Bella had lesson plans to prepare. So it was with a heavy heart that she nodded when Penny said she had to go. "We'll definitely do this again soon. Very soon. I've not had nearly enough of your company yet!" She grinned, standing up along with Penny. An excited shiver passed over her skin as Penny's hand found hers and had the redhead not stepped away when she did, Bella's fingers would have interlaced with hers without the blonde even realising.

She watched the redhead leave, her eyes moving down the other woman's body to take in her back, her rear, her long slender legs. Her heart was beating faster than it should have. She couldn't stop smiling. She felt as if a blast of sunlight had just entered her life, chasing away shadows she'd never known were there.

Bella was still thinking about Penny hours layer. The redhead kept slipping back into her thoughts, and already she found herself wanting to see her again. She didn't even know if Penny was single, or interested in women, but she just wanted to be in the other woman's presence again.

It was late evening when she picked up her phone and typed out a message to Penny.

"Hey you! It's Bella, your competition for biggest bookworm on campus Thanks again for today, I loved spending time with you and it was just what I needed. I can't wait to do it again!"

 

[Gina in Orange]

After surviving the remainder of her workday, Penelope treated herself to sushi, making an extra bus stop to pick up a couple rolls from her favorite place. At home, she settled down to eat at what had become her 'wedding office', a chaotic mess of magazines, invitation samples, and to-do lists all scattered about her laptop which itself maintained nearly 70 open tabs spread across several browser windows, along with a bloated guest list spreadsheet that was in desperate need of pairing down. Her nightly ritual was to sit amongst the mayhem, stressfully knocking out a handful of the roughly 18,047 decisions that went into planning her wedding. What she wouldn't give for an over-involved sister to relieve some of the burden.

Sticking a bite of eel & avocado roll in her mouth, she scanned over the pile, looking for inspiration on where to start when her phone buzzed. Checking the message, she reflexively smiled seeing that it came from Bella. Penny leaned back in her chair and plucked her phone from the desk. "I had such a wonderful time. Thank you again for coming to my rescue. We definitely need to have coffee again soon. Maybe drinks? I can't wait!" she typed out in response.

In the instant after hitting send, Penny clamped her laptop shut. She gathered up her plastic sushi tray, her water, and her phone, then relocated to the couch. There she bundled up in a blanket and opted to spend the evening reading Virginia Woolf like the champion bookworm she was. When her nightly call from Malcolm came, she kept the conversation short, mentioning the fire alarm and her coffee break with Bella.

"You'll have to invite her over for dinner in a couple weeks when I'm back in town," her fiancé had said.

"Yeah. Umm, definitely." Something about that prospect felt off to Penny. She was happy to share her excitement over having a new friend to her husband-to-be, but had a difficult time envisioning the three of them interacting together for reasons she couldn't place.

---

A week passed with Penelope continuing on her normal routine of quick breakfast, an exhaustive day of work, get home late, muddle through some wedding planning, then read a handful of pages until she couldn't make sense of the words anymore, sleep. Even her weekend offered little change, with needing to go back to the library to coordinate some programs. The joys of salaried work.

The redhead exchanged more than a few text messages with Bella, who's friendship offered a welcome respite from wedding talk, as every other relationship in her life seemed to share a tight revolution around that very subject. She largely shared other books, authors, and quotes that she enjoyed, as well as anecdotes from a life working with college students. Every new message from her friend seemed to brighten her mood and bring up the internal question, 'How soon is too soon to suggest meeting up again?' Come lunchtime on Friday, she decided enough time had passed.

"Hey, this is out of the blue," she texted Bella, "but are you doing anything tonight? I'm in the mood to go out for a drink."

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella had a hard time keeping her eyes off her phone as she waited to hear back from Penny and when the screen finally lit up with the redhead's name and photo, the blonde quickly picked it up and found herself smiling. Penny sounded exactly like she did in person. Some people could sound completely different by text but Penny's voice and personality shone through even in written form. Bella was so happy to hear back from the other woman that she read and re-read the message several times. She felt like she was a teenager again getting a reply from a boy she'd been into, only nowadays her interests lay much more with females than males. She closed the message down and loaded up the photo Penny had taken of herself with her phone, smiling happilly as she looked at the redhead's beautiful face.

Bella was crushing hard on the stunning librarian and she knew it. Penny had breathed some fresh new semblence of life into her existence and she couldn't wait to see her again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days seemed to fly past at an alarming speed. Bella's weekend felt like it was over before it had even begun, the time she'd spent with her friends racing by only to be replaced with another early Monday start. She'd spent her Sunday preparing lessons for the week ahead and was glad she'd done so - the loss of a day off was worth it for the feeling of being prepared it gave her going into the start of a new week. She loved her work and enjoyed keeping busy, but in amongst the flurry of her usual life there was something new and exciting that lifted her mood even further. She and Penny had been texting regularly ever since their coffee session, talking about everything from books and authors to their hopes and dreams. Every time Penny's face and photo lit up her screen Bella's spirits soared, and when the beautiful redhead suggested they meet up for a drink Bella felt her heart skip a beat.

"Hey you!" she texted back. "That sounds incredible, I could definitely use a drink tonight! Luckily for you I've got nothing planned! "

She bit her lower lip softly as she wondered where they should go. Somewhere not too loud, where they could actually talk, but that had the option for dancing, or was near somewhere that did. She knew of a few places but she didn't want to go anywhere the students frequented. Normally she wouldn't mind too much if she saw students on a night out but for some reason tonight she didn't want any of the students seeing her with Penny. It wasn't because she was ashamed to be seen with her, far from it. No, if anything she wanted Penny to herself without any interruptions.

"How about Bailey's bar on third street?"

 

[Gina in Orange]

"Wonderful! Meet you there at 8?" Penny texted back, elated that Bella accepted. A twist in her chest that formed when she asked for her friend's company eased itself loose. She tapped out a second message, "I'm paying by the way." She added one last note, "assuming you don't drink like Hemmingway," feeling proudly dorky. If she left a little early, that ought to give her enough time to eat something, shower, dry her hair and get ready. With all the extra hours she'd put in recently, the young librarian felt fairly deserving of an early Friday departure.

Penny spent the rest of her afternoon with her head in the clouds. A good deal of her brain was occupied with mentally digging through her closet at home while conversing with itself about what to wear. She couldn't quite remember what kind of place Bailey's was, considering the number of years since she last set foot in there. Not that it mattered. Her inner conflict wasn't in the least concerned with living up to the standards of the bar, so much as those of the woman she was set to meet. When 4:15 came around, she hastily bounced from her desk, offering the slightest of goodbyes to her colleagues as she dashed out the door.

Freshly out of the shower with one towel wrapped around her body and another around her hair, Penelope dug through her closet and dropped a collection of outfits on her queen sized bed. Her deliberations had led her to three options: a plain white tank-top with jeans - the casual, sensible look, a yellow, button-up blouse with a full length skirt to match - the librarian look, or a lacey burgundy dress that ended mid-thigh. She gave each of them, then cast the middle choice to the floor. It was literally something she would wear to work. Checking the clock, Penny realized that she either needed to get dressed now, or pick option four, stay home wrapped in pjs and shame. After a quick blow-dry, she threw on some underwear and the dress.

With the sky partly clouded and threatening rain, Penny donned a spring coat and sprung for an Uber. A cool gust of wind caught her just as the young redhead stepped out of car. Her mostly exposed legs felt a chill, and she hurried to the door. A quick glance didn't locate Bella, so Penny proceeded to the entrance, flashing the bouncer her ID as she stepped inside.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella grinned happilly as she read Penny's reply. She was still in her classroom, leaning back against the wall casually with one leg crossed over the other. All the students had gone for now and she was in her own little world, one that increasingly included no-one else except herself and Penny. She was about to type out a reply when the follow up message arrived. She giggled softly to herself, a response that would never have come if she'd been talking to a man. From her experience, when a male said they were paying, that mean they expected sex in return. It was like an unwritten rule that had quickly led her to decline every meal, drink and freebie offered to her by someone of the opposite sex. In Penny's case, however, she'd have been glad to enter into that transaction. After a week of having the sexy redhead stuck in her thoughts she would have likely jumped Penny before they even finished their first drinks.

And yet she still knew nothing about her new friend's relationship status. She thought she'd felt a spark between them, but was that just wishful thinking? And even if it wasn't, an intelligent and beautiful woman like Penny couldn't possibly be single. On the unlikely off-chance that she was, she might not even be attracted to women. The whole thought process put Bella's head into a spiral, so she pushed her own attraction to Penny aside and tried to focus on just being a friend to her.

"We'll see about that! I can be sneaky when I want to, don't be surprised if I manage to sneak a round or two in! And don't worry, I'm much more of a Jean Rhys See you at 8!"

Once she was home Bella quickly ate a salad and jumped in the shower, taking time to prepare for the night ahead. As she sat on the edge of her bed blow drying her hair her thoughts turned to her outfit for the night. She'd collected way too many dresses over the last two years and now had far too many things to choose from. She pulled her wardrobe open and took out various options, placing them on the bed before holding them up against herself in her full length mirror one by one. She wanted to look good for Penny. Classy. Elegant. Beautiful. Confident, but not slutty. Finally she opted for a black mini dress that felt like a good mixture of elegant, sexy and informal without showing off too much. She slipped on her heels and was out of the door only a few minutes later than she'd hoped to be.

As her uber pulled up outside the bar she saw the unmistakable sight of Penny flashing her ID at the bouncer and heading inside. Relieved that she hadn't left her friend waiting for too long, Bella hurried after her and flashed her own ID at the bouncer, quickly catching up with Penny and placing a hand on the small of her back.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you'd seen a beautiful redhead?" she asked playfully. "I'm supposed to be meeting her here and - oh look, I found her!" she giggled.

 

[Gina in Orange]

Just as Penny began looking around the bar for Bella, the unexpected touch to her back caught her by surprise. Trying to process the question, she stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I don't know who..." She turned to the questioner and quickly jumped in surprise. "Oh god, Bella. You scared the heck out of me!" Penelope placed her left hand on her chest, exhaling a deep breath and willing her heart to slow down. Plainly visible on her rising and falling chest was the diamond ring that Malcolm had given her when he proposed. Having forgotten to wear it a number of times at work lately, Penny made a point to put it on after her shower that night. It felt like the sort of thing she ought to wear when going out.

She embraced the other woman, then stepped back to admire her outfit. "Wow! You look stunning! Is there a hot guy that you're meeting after me?" Being in Bella's presence again injected a buzzing feeling in her chest. When they met before, Penny could tell the blonde carried an exceptional figure. Seeing her wrapped up in that sexy, black number caused her insides to all jump in unison. She felt a strong urge to engage in any and all physical contact with the the gorgeous woman, especially in places where the dress's black fabric wasn't.

Penny touched Bella's shoulder and said, "We should get a table." She glanced over the venue and picked out a high, round table with two chairs. "There's an open one. Let me just hang up my coat." Penny slipped off her olive-colored spring coat and hung it on one of the hooks near the door. "What are you drinking?" she asked when she returned. "I'll start a tab...and warn the bartender not to take any money from you," she pointed an accusing finger at Bella, a flirtatious grin spread across her pink glossed lips. Penny set her clutch down on the table and pulled out a credit card. She held it up in a meaningful way. "Don't try to get sneaky with me. I've read enough Agatha Christie to spot any monetary shenanigans."

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella grinned happilly at Penny's reaction, loving how temporarily flustered the beautiful redhead had become. Her eyes shifted down to Penny's hand as it rested on her chest, taking the chance to look at both her companion's breasts and her hand The first thing she noticed was how pretty her companion's hands were - it was something she'd always noticed about other women, and an attractive pair of hands with nice slender fingers were something she found massively appealing. The second thing she noticed was the ring. She was about to comment on how gorgeous it was until something clicked in her mind and she realised which finger it was on.

Penny was engaged to be married.

Something unpleasant fluttered in her stomach. Disappointment? Sadness? Jealousy? Perhaps a bit of all three. It was silly - she'd known a woman as amazing as Penny couldn't possibly be single, yet the idea of some man claiming her for life filled her with a sense of loss.

Being a teacher had made Bella adept at keeping a straight face when she needed to, and despite the inner turmoil that briefly swirled within her, the blonde bombshell's face showed little of her thoughts.

"Hot guy? Oh no, no way! I'm only interested in meeting with a certain hot redhead" she giggled, placing a hand gently on Penny's arm. She let her eyes wander freely down and back up Penny's slender figure before adding, "And besides, you're one to talk! I'm going to spend the whole night fending guys off you with a broom! You look incredible!"

She watched Penny take off her coat and hang it up, stealing a look a her companion's rear as she did so. Now more than ever she could appreciate how beautiful Penny's body was. An image of the two of them naked and in each other's arms slid into her mind, the two of them laying with legs entwined on her bed, kissing as their fingers explored one another's skin...

Bella forced the image aside as Penny turned and came back to her. She walked close beside her companion as they headed to the empty table, feeling energised just from being beside her. She raised her eyebrows and feigned a look of shock as Penny pointed a finger at her, laying a hand on her chest as if she was deeply wounded. "Sneaky? Me? I don't know what you mean!" she said, unable to contain her own flirtatious smile. She was already searching for loopholes in Penny's logic. Working with students who'd do anything they could to get out of doing assignments had prepared her for this moment. "And what are you going to do if, hypothetically, I was to try anyway, hmm? Sit on me and keep me pinned down?" she asked, her flirtatious smile deepening. "But until then...I'd love a vodka tonic!"

 

[Gina in Orange]

"If that's what it takes!" Penny retorted. Her attempt at a stern look was thwarted by the upturned corners of her lips. Tucking some loose strands of red hair behind her ear, the woman made the short trip from their table to the bar.

The venue hadn't fully filled up yet, which left enough space for Penny to slip right up to the counter. Never a fan of being jostled about amongst a crowd of bar goers, Penny was glad for that. Behind the glossy wooden bar, a tall black woman with shortly trimmed hair and purple lipstick leaned forward over the counter across from her. "What can I get ya, hun?"

"Hi!" Penny started. "Can I get a vodka tonic, and umm, a lemon spritz." It was a drink she had fallen in love with on a trip to Italy one summer during college. Though the place had yet to reach peak volume for the night, the music speakers flanking the bar made it necessary for the redhead to lean forward on the counter and speak directly into the bartender's ear.

"Sure thing," the woman replied as she busied herself with preparing the drinks. While waiting, Penny glanced back over her shoulder to the table. Even in heels, she could just barely catch a glimpse of Bella, though even that left her feeling a touch of excitement at the night ahead of them. When the bartender returned, Penelope handed her credit card over with her left hand.

"Oh! One more thing." The woman raised her eyebrow and leaned in again. Pointing back in the direction of Bella, Penny explained, "Can you see the woman at the table there? Blonde with a black dress?" Standing a few inches taller than the redhead, the bartender could clearly see her. She nodded. "If she tries to buy, can you please put it in my tab instead?"

Such requests were common but couldn't be guaranteed. It was easy to miss a particular patron in the crowd, especially as the night went on. The bartender grinned, saying, "Shouldn't be too hard with her. Can do". A moment ago, she had noticed the ring on Penny's finger. "You two engaged?" she asked.

The music had chosen that moment to swell, and Penny only caught part of the question. "Oh, um, yeah."

"Well congrats to you two. Have fun tonight." The bartender winked at her.

Penny stood dumbfounded for a moment as she processed that. "W-we're not, I mean...," she stuttered a correction, but the bartender was no longer there to hear it. The young librarian’s face flushed a beet red. With a heavy swallow, she walked the drinks back to their table. When her eyes settled on Bella once again, she realized how fiercely her heart was beating. When had that started? And why did she feel so affected by the simple misunderstanding?

Penny took her seat, sliding the vodka tonic Bella's way and trying to push the sudden awkwardness out of mind. Looking sideways from the attractive blonde, she tried to laugh it off. "The strangest thing just happened. She, um, they thought..." Penelope hid her face in her drink for a moment. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." She fidgeted with the metal band on her finger.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella couldn't help stealing another look at her companion's rear as the redhead walked off to the bar. A sense of yearning mixed with frustration bubbled inside her - yearning fir the beautiful woman she clicked with so utterly flawlessly, and frustration at the knowledge that she couldn't have her. Penny was everything she could have desired in a partner, but she was engaged to someone else. A man, at that.

She sighed and looked down at her phone, catching a glimpse of her sorrowful expression in the distorted reflection of her screen. What was wrong with her? She was on a fun night out, yet a sudden onset of the miseries had set in as if she was some lovesick teenage girl pining after someone she couldn't have. She needed to snap out of it.

By the time Penny returned she had pushed her sadness aside and was the bright, bubbly version of herself that Penny knew.

"Thanks!" She exclaimed happily, picking up the drink as it came her way and sipping at it. She gave Penny a confused look and put her drink back down. "Who thought what? Did someone say something hurtful to you?" She asked, looking over at the bar with an expression thar made it clear she was ready to smack heads together.

 

[Gina in Orange]

"Oh, no!" she responded. Bella's strong reaction caught her by surprise. Penelope hadn't expected her new friend to take it that way, nor be so quick to leap to her defense. The copper-haired librarian was not the type to ask that anyone fight on her behalf, but she would later come to find delight in the beautiful teacher's protectiveness. "Far from it!" Penny added.

"The bartender actually, well, she saw my ring." She raised her left hand up, using her thumb to wiggle the band for emphasis. She continued, "And when I tried to warn her about you, she kind of thought we were engaged." Penny sipped at her drink, feeling a flush of embarrassment work its way up her cheeks. For a brief period after their engagement, Penny had enjoyed being the bride-to-be in public, appreciating the attention as friends and coworkers gushed over the sizable diamond Malcom had bought for her. Lately though, the never-ending drudgery of wedding planning and her frequently absent betrothed had stripped away much of that luster. It hadn't even occurred to her to share that part of her life with Bella yet. If anything, she found it refreshing that their friendship was separately her own.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Bella relaxed again as Penny reassured her that no-one had upset her. It was unusual for the blonde to get so protective over someone she hadn't known for long, but with Penny it just seemed to happen naturally.

She looked back at the redhead, her eyes fixing on the wedding ring as that pang of sadness and frustration threatened to rear its head within her again. She stamped it back down before it had a chance to surface, and moments later it was replaced by a blossoming feeling of happiness at the idea of her and Penny being engaged. An image of the two of them in wedding dresses sharing a kiss slipped into her mind followed by a thought of them sitting together on a sofa in their own home, Penny's legs stretched across Bella's lap as the two of them read their books and sipped coffee. The sense of yearning it stirred in her was almost unbearable.

"Would being married to me be so bad?" she asked, smiling mischievously at Penny. She picked her drink up and took a sip, giving her companion a cheeky look over the rim. "If you proposed to me I'd absolutely say yes. A beautiful, intelligent redhead with a wicked sense of humour and a passion for books? How could I ever say no..."