Against the Ropes [CrimsonKitten and Sigr]

[Sigr]

The dull thuds of the gloves against the punching bag echoed in the mostly empty gym as Beatrice Morelli went for it, over an over again, sprinkles of sweat flying into the air with every jab, every straight. At her recently reached eighteen years of age, the daughter of Italian immigrants was already a rising promise of boxing, itching for her professional debut having went through all the amateur level competitions. She wasn't training for a match that yet had no date though, as what she was pouring on that punching bag wasn't the result of a training menu, but her more intimate frustrations.

"Not my type. Not my type" she repeated, punch after punch. "I couldn't bear the sight of you getting hit" Beatrice hissed, quick left, right cross, the punching bag suffering her ire. She had managed to gather courage to ask a girl she fancied for once. Her! The inexperienced girl! And what did she get? A couple of awkward dates and a kiss on the cheek. It was embarrassing to think of what she wanted, what she needed that went beyond an intimate touch. She wanted the whole package, the moments that seemed to happen to other people or at the movies. For all her strong figure, her shapely muscles and wide back, all that Beatrice craved at that moment was someone else to share herself with.

"Fuck it" she grunted, stopping her routine, removing and throwing her gloves against a corner. She would focus on the boxing and that was it. The sport had always been her dream after all. Not being a princess on a castle, and of course not a charming prince. Sweat glistened on her muscular form, an engine not made for show of flex her arms, but to put the pain on anyone that dared to face her. A red sports bra kept her bigger than they seemed breasts in place, while training shorts hid a bit of her powerful thighs and posterior. Taking her bottle, she sat down to rest, taking a few short sips of water, cooling down.

Perhaps she should skip some rope and tire herself more? No, with out proper focus the last thing she needed was to trip on her own troubles and fall down. Taking a look at her sports bag, she remembered the tickets for the Saturday boxing match. What was she going to do? She wanted to watch the match, but going alone was going to be depressing and the memory of her fleeting girlfriend would ruin it. Beatrice sighed, resting with her arms leaning on her knees as she rested on a bench.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Sarah Johnson bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. Sweat pouring from her every pore as her thin arms cycled above her head -- working the speed bag with the clumsy proficiency of a rookie. Her short black hair hung about in a wild mess, covering the 20 year old's panting face.

Sarah stopped throwing punches, gasping for breath. She placed her gloved hands on her narrow hips, sucking in breath. "College... really hasn't done me any good." Winter break had just started and the sophomore university student had resolved to come to the gym every day to get in shape.

She doubled over, moving her hands to her knees. "C'mon Sarah... no cute girl's ... gonna look sideways... if you can't even finish a workout." She'd been single for over a year and a half, having broke up with her last girlfriend shortly after their high school graduation. She had decided to come to the gym to look better for the girls back at school... but that didn't stop her from noticing beautiful women when she crossed their path.

Standing up, Sarah spotted Beatrice throwing her gloves into the corner. 'She's pissed... bad breakup?' Sarah bit her lip, casually strolling across the room. 'A girl can hope...' She walked straight past the ring in the room's center to stand by the bench the amazon had come to rest on.

Casually, Sarah chirped. "Hey champ! Mind giving a newbie some pointers?" For a full week Sarah had longed to talk to the muscled brunette. Her toned body and powerful personality made her irresistible in Sarah's eyes. The only thing that had held her back was the knowledge that Beatrice had a high school sweetheart... but, with the possibility of that no longer being so, Sarah couldn't pass up the chance to get to know the gorgeous Italian.

 

[Sigr]

The cheerful and unconcerned tone of the voice that sounded close to Beatrice didn't make any wonders for her mood. She wasn't the kind that mingled much on the gym, her status and focus making her seem unapproachable, not to mention that the few times men had approached her received little more than curt answers and her scorn. She didn't dare to approach girls either, mainly because of her inexperience, but mostly due to the usual gym bunnies not being her type. The idea of her having a type when she barely dated was laughable, or would be if she was in a better mood. Either way, Beatrice looked up from her hands with a look born of her state of mind, showing a face that said that she would bite your head off, but soon relaxed at the sight of the woman standing next to her.

Her soft and somewhat curvy body clearly indicated that she was no superficial gym bunny obsessed over her looks, and no boxing professional either, so she probably was some kind of woman that just wanted to do some exercise, perhaps burn some weight over the holidays given the food excesses of the oncoming days. She looked nice after a brief peek, nothing wrong with her, but if she wanted to be more fit it was her choice. Beatrice's eyes opened more from the menacing slits they were when she reached her face. Her short black hair was a sweaty mess, but it was cute in a casual disheveled kind of way. With a heavy sigh, Beatrice got out of her momentary slump and up from the bench, towering over the smaller girl now that they were next to each other.

"I guess... I'm not in a training mood today anyways..." Beatrice excused herself. "What are you aiming for? Just making sure you are healthy, some kind of college competition..." she guessed her age, the woman in front looking slightly older than her even if not by much. "Oh, I'm Beatrice by the way, although you probably already knew that" she said offering a hand to shake, guessing by how she had called her 'champ'. She didn't want to show it, but it was clear that there was some pride in being recognized, even if she had still lots and lots to prove, so she looked somewhat happier than before.

What would someone with 'game' do in that situation? Use the lessons as an excuse to lessen the space between them? To casually touch her? That sounded stupid and terribly embarrassing to her. Maybe some loaded question? Ugh, just the thought of asking that woman 'Are you getting fit for your boyfriend?' made her slightly sick, as it was something that a dude tried with her while fishing for information. Beatrice had to face it, not only she was terrible at flirting, but also she was making a mountain out of nothing. For all she knew that woman just wanted some exercise pointers, nothing more.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

She answered. She actually answered! And not with a snide comment or dismissive wave. Nervous excitement boiled in Sarah's stomach. She chewed lightly on the inner wall of her right cheek. Fingers fidgeting at her exposed midriff. She quickly folded her hands behind her back, desperately trying to hide her nervousness. 'C'mon, don't spaz...' she chastised herself, her ands growing cold and clammy as she clutched them behind her back. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but mixed with the sweat from her workout, Sarah hoped Beatrice wouldn't notice. Her well practiced social awkwardness and crushing anxiety wrapped their long talons around her consciousness, tying her tongue and clouding her mind. Sarah opened her mouth to speak as Beatrice stood, words coming out silent. 'Stop it!'

The Italian girl offered her strong hand for Sarah to embrace bit the college student faltered, fumbling over her own thoughts as she took Beatrice's hand in a misaligned grip. Shaking her hand, the college student exhaled slightly before saying casually, "Sarah," Her free hand played with the edge of her shorts, "And yeah... but I don't know everything about you." There was an unintentially long pause, "I'd like to know a bit about boxing... trying to get in shape so I'm not single my whole life." Genuine laughter rang from her vocal chords, her wispy soprano singing clear in the quiet of their corner. She'd managed to keep her quirkiness under control... for the most part. Yet still, a slight blush tinted her pale complexion. Her round face tilting towards her feet as she lowered her gaze to Beatrice's pronounced collarbone.

Despite being older than Beatrice, Sarah wasn't much more experienced with flirting and dating than the high schooler. When trying to hide her nervous energy, Sarah found it helped to move around. So she turned her body, throwing two unrefined jabs into empty air. "I just need some help on form..." Sarah winced slightly at hearing her own words. She pulled her left hand back from it's outstretched position, returning it to its position in her sloppy guard stance.

'Just need some help on form? What kinda cheap line is that?' Sarah silently berated herself in the confines of her own mind, cringing at the crudeness of her straight forward pickup attempt. "Hell, it wasn't even a good line!' Sarah's eyes flicking to watch Beatrice out of the corner of her eye. Her messy pixie cut framed her heart shaped face, and the warm smile tugging at the corners of her rosey lips.

 

[Sigr]

Beatrice tilted her head seeing the woman before her fidget and fumble a handshake, wincing a bit. She wouldn't be the first that got intimidated being close to her, as in her experience her somewhat rough character with her physical presence could make girls nervous, react awkwardly even if she meant no ill. It was terribly unfair, as she had seen those same girls melt before a man that more or less matched her prowess, but it seemed that somehow it was bad for a girl to be like that? It made them feel scared? It was awful, it wasn't like she was going to hit anyone, she had never did so outside the ring, or at least since she was very little before starting to train.

"A pleasure, Sarah" Beatrice said, trying to sound as harmless and soft as she could, releasing her weird and clumsy handshake, even if it wasn't her expertise to impost her voice like that and soon abandoned the idea, as whispering only made her sound rougher. "Hmm..." Beatrice hummed, mostly making some time while she considered Sarah's words and tried to unknot her frown. It wasn't as much about the boxing thing, since she wasn't a purist that claimed that it could only be done seriously, it was perfectly fine to practice it for exercise or amusement, that wasn't a problem with her. As Sarah avoided her eyes, Beatrice looked all over her again, getting an eyeful that even most men would be embarrassed to get caught on.

"Hey, it's your body" Beatrice finally said, shrugging. "I see nothing wrong with it, their loss. But if you want I can help" she said, looking at the painfully amateurish stance she had. "Hmmm, come here" Beatrice said, making a hand gesture and walking to the full body mirrors on one wall. "Get into guard, please" she instructed, trying to be as soft as possible, given how fidgety the woman was around her. "Hmmmm..." a longer hum, this one sounding a bit harsher. "You need a stance a bit wider..." Beatrice moved Sarah's legs without warning, using her own foot to mark the distance. "The hips are fine, watch the knees... keep your arms higher" she continued, standing behind Sarah and getting close to correctly help with her elbows and shoulders.

"There, remember that position, make it feel yours" she said, her forte was more about practicing boxing than teaching it, specially given her social roughness. "Hold it a while, tell me if anything feels wrong. Then I'll teach you a couple of punches" Beatrice said. Perhaps Sarah could get some useful information by watching a real fight up close, but the idea felt awkward, making Beatrice feel like she just wanted to go to the match she had tickets to with company and any excuse was fine. Perhaps she should ask her if she was interested, even if it was just... part of her lessons yes. Not a date at all, after all Sarah wasn't interested in her scary self after all.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Beatrice's casual reply, the friendly tone and conversational phrasing emboldened Sarah. 'Great... she doesn't think I'm a ditz!' Relief washed her embarrassment away, but nothing would help her general awkwardness save time. She looked up, catching the athletic brunette as her eyes scanned over Sarah's body. The antisocialite smirked, worrying her lower lip. "See anything good?" She teased. Sarah smiled warmly, "I'd love some hands on training." After Beatrice's back had turned, the athletic girl strolling off towards one of the tall mirrors against the wall, Sarah winced. 'Why can't I just be cool like her?'

Sarah sprang forward, catching up to Beatrice as they strode. Beatrice was stunning in Sarah's eyes. Every angle a new picture of her powerful beauty. As she came abreast of Beatrice, Sarah looked over at the boxer's focused countenance, taking a long look at her refined beauty. The set of her jaw, the slope of her nose, the lay of her cheekbones, and curl of her brow. She was stunning... Sarah didn't notice she'd been staring till Beatrice asked her to put up a guard. She blushed, certain the woman had seen her staring in the mirror's reflection.

She turned, facing the mirror as she lifted her head to stare into her own pale eyes. "Like this?" She said, raising her fists and straddling her hips. Butterflies danced in her stomach as Beatrice appraised her, studying her body closely as she looked to adjust the rookie's stance. Sarah watched back, studying each rippling contraction of Beatrice's lean muscles as the pro looked her over, a powerful, sleek carnivore. A lioness looking over a wild gazelle. Sarah longed to see what Beatrice looked like when she was feral, overcome by emotion... She wanted to share in that primal wonder.

Beatrice pushed her foot against Sarah's, breaking her from her thoughts before they turned lewd. Their lower legs pressed together, only for a brief moment as Beatrice adjusted the girl's footing, but still enough for Sarah to feel the heat of her touch. It sent a tingle running down her spine, as if Beatrice had ran a finger along her back. Try as she might to control herself, each comment set Sarah's mind to wander. 'She thinks my hips are fine.' She adjusted her knees and raised her arms, watching Beatrice's reflection move through her raised guard. Her firm hands were warm against the girl's thin frame. As Beatrice adjusted the rookie's stance, Sarah softened, allowing the pro to mold her into position.

Sarah's heart fluttered in her modest chest as it rose and fell. She held the position, even as Beatrice removed her warm touch. Sarah eyed her casually in the mirror's reflection, watching her puzzle through the thoughts in her head. "You're a really good teacher. We just started and I already feel I've learned so much. Do you usually teach rookies like me?" She beamed, smiling warmly. 'Is she thinking of me... or her ex?'

 

[Sigr]

"A good teacher?" Beatrice just echoed in surprise. Was that college woman flirting with her? Nah, it couldn't be, she was just being nice. It was true that she reacted somewhat strangely to her appreciations and instructions, but the last thing Beatrice wanted was to react to something that felt like innuendo and then getting rejected over a misunderstanding. "No, I never do. Not that anyone asked- keep the hands in position" she answered, adding a reminder so Sarah's posture wouldn't falter due to a distraction. She really was a talkative one, not that she minded, but if she wanted advice she would better do more listening than talking.

But just some chatting without any pressure was perhaps what Beatrice needed, as she found herself talking more than usual about a topic she barely touched: herself. "Men never come to a girl for advice, and most women... feel intimidated" she said, pacing in circles around Sarah, making small corrections in posture with her own hands if she wobbled. "I guess that boxing as exercise is more entertaining than running, learning something at the same time that you exercise will keep you at it, instead of bored and prone to stop coming to the gym" she mused, trying to see things from the point of view of someone that said she just wanted to get fit and yet chose something like boxing.

"It's also nice as self defense, I suppose" Beatrice shrugged, having to go with guesswork since luckily she had never seen herself in a situation where she had to depend on what she knew to defend herself. "Remember that posture, don't forget about the elbows, don't open them too much" she instructed. "Come with me to that punching bag, time to learn the basics" she said, slightly less grumpy about herself, entertained by the notion of teaching that woman that seemed so enthusiastic. Perhaps it wouldn't be so weird and so much of an awful idea to invite her to the match? She was showing interest on the sport at least.

"Hey, this is going to sound weird..." Beatrice started, unsure. "But I have an extra ticket to a boxing night in a couple of days and no one to go with" she explained, frowning a bit, the idea sounded better before the words abandoned her mouth. It seemed like an awful excuse of a pickup line, but now she couldn't quite back off from it. "If you like boxing this Saturday night match it's going to be a good one, and if you never seen a match maybe you could... dunno, learn something?" she wondered, desperate for a way out. Beatrice shifted her weight from one feet to another, eager to hear Sarah's answer, be it positive or not, but not knowing was worse than plan rejection.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

The trainee continued to watch Beatrice's reflection as she gave her conversational replies. Seeing her ponder over her responses made Sarah smile. The college student loved the raw intensity that Beatrice applied to everything in her life. It was infectious, inspiring... and distracting when trying to learn a new set of skills. Her hands had lowered ever so slightly, but Beatrice's practiced eye caught her with one quick glance "They should..." Sarah replied, raising her guard to its proper position. Sarah listened intently to Beatrice speak, adding in her own nods or affirmative hums here and there. Several times throughout Beatrice adjusted her stance or guard, forcing Sarah to hold her form. 'I don't feel intimidated...'

Sarah couldn't help but think that Beatrice, as beautiful as she was in Sarah's eyes, was a lonely soul. 'Why are people so stupid?' She replied to Beatrice in stride, keeping her tone light and friendly. "It's a lot more interesting. Especially when you've got a good partner." Sarah nodded in agreement at the thought of using her new skills in self defense. She hoped she'd never have to... but didn't think that a powerful woman like Beatrice would have any problems if push came to shove... or punch. The thought made Beatrice feel like a symbol of strength and protection in Sarah's mind. Steady and strong... warm and passionate. She saw two sides to the trained fighter. She saw both her physical prowess, and her emotional fortitude. She pondered these thoughts as she followed Beatrice to the punching bag.

The rookie's excitement grew as she approached the bag. She wondered what Beatrice would teach her first, and if she'd be able to pick up the new skills fast enough to impress the champ. Maybe she'd even earn a second lesson... She readied herself to throw some punches, going over her stance in her head as she stared down the bag with grim determination. She wasn't expecting Beatrice to spend time with her. Alone. Out of the gym -- in another gym, but whatever. 'Is this a date?' Sarah's face flushed. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out at first, her head was so discombobulated with her awkward anxiety. So she listened to all Beatrice had to say with her mouth shut, worrying her lower lip. Then Beatrice started shifting her feet nervously and Sarah's confidence rose. 'She's just as nervous as me... you can do this...' She took a deep breath to steady herself before blasting through her reply. "I'd love to go to the match with you!" She finished breathlessly, not noticing she'd leaned forward, hands balled at her hips as she fidgeted. "For uh... learning and all..." Her heart sang with joy, sending a bright smile spreading across her round face, "I think it'll be fun!"

 

[Sigr]

With her eyes away as she feigned working on adjusting and steadying the punching bag, Beatrice didn't notice Sarah's red face nor how she looked at her feet moving nervously. Her silence was weighting on her, making her wonder why she took so long answering, daring to look back at Sarah when she took breath in. Sarah was closer than she expected, making Beatrice tense but not move, as the cute curvy woman agreed to go with her. What the hell was she doing? Looking for a date just after she had been dumped? That wasn't typical of her, and yet perhaps that was what she needed? No, it was just a friendly out, for all she knew Sarah was there training to get boys to like her and was just enthused about learning more, about going out with a friend.

"Ah... yes... fun..." Beatrice mumbled, momentarily disarmed when she saw Sarah's bright smile beaming at her, those bright eyes echoing it through her sweaty hair. Her right hand clutched at the punching bag, resisting the sudden temptation to kiss that smile. No, Sarah was just a friend, or perhaps she could be if things went right. That didn't mean she liked girls or more specifically her. Letting her needs govern her acts would not only be a mistake, but also just a poor testimony of her self control, product of a bad breakup and solitude. "We can... talk the specifics later" Beatrice commented, wanting to get that Saturday Night Match Date out of her head. Specially because it wasn't a date. It wasn't. No way.

"It's time to learn the most basic thing" Beatrice resumed her lessons, finding comfort and a safe place in boxing. "Footwork and stamina are of course essential, but that can wait" she continued, keeping a bit of a distance from Sarah until her heart calmed down a bit. "Experts can discuss what is the core of boxing for days without end, but when it comes to it, I see it about punching without getting punched" she said, laughing a bit at her own crude approach. "And the start of that, the perfect key to unlock boxing is the jab" she said, assuming guard in front of the punching bag. Beatrice's stance was compact, slightly lower than her height would suggest, her body flexed as a spring that could bounce at any second. A quick series of jabs lightly tapped the punching bag, Beatrice holding herself back since her practice gloves were still on the corner she had thrown them to.

"Make sure to keep the wrist in the proper position..." Beatrice instructed, getting closer once more, following her instructions with teaching touches and corrections. "No two boxers jab equally, some are to set the distance, others to keep it, others to establish a pace..." she said. "In any case the restrictions are quite simple. It has to be quick, perhaps not too damaging, although they pile up, believe me. And the hand has to return to guard promptly or you could eat some mean right hook" she said with a smile. "Go for it, throw a few ones to our friend the punching bag" Beatrice stepped aside, staring at Sarah to see how she did it.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Beatrice's mumbled reply brought warm laughter to Sarah's already smiling face. Sarah couldn't help but find the boxer's awkwardness cute. She fumbled with the hems of her gloves in the brief moments of silence that followed, holding Beatrice's gaze. She stayed staring through Beatrice's lecture, absorbing each word with ravenous curiosity that shone through the set of her glinting grey eyes. Sarah held that gaze, mesmerized by the beautiful brunette and her candid personality. She was genuine... real. Beatrice didn't fake anything. She was who she was and she was proud of it. In Sarah's eyes, this was one of the most alluring features of the gorgeous woman. Her self-honesty and confidence was infectious; it filled Sarah with a desire to better herself, to put in just as much effort into her well-being as Beatrice. But more than that, it made Sarah long to strip away her self doubt. That crushing weight that tailed her like a metaphorical storm cloud, raining depression and doubt upon her at every turn. Watching Beatrice, she felt as if anything were possible.

Sarah drifted off, picturing the date before even discussing the details with Beatrice. She saw the beautiful woman standing in the doorway of a nondescript apartment, looking as she did in the gym... only less sweaty. Beatrice was stunning, breathtaking. Confident and sweet. She was gorgeous and Sarah found herself wondering how the date had even come to be set up. She couldn't believe that a girl as beautiful as Beatrice would even talk to an introvert like herself. But here she was, standing mere inches away from her charming smile, clear resonating laughter, and comforting hands. Not to mention her lean body. Sarah wanted nothing more than to wrap Beatrice up in a passionate embrace; to savor that feeling of closeness and unfettered intimacy. To wash away all the inhibition; cutting away the awkwardness inherent in such personal matters. She longed for that night, their date... but more than that, she wanted to know how it would pan out. Would they date? Would she get the chance to share her life with Beatrice -- to support her and be supported in turn? Or would it end of flopping? Nervousness began to creep along the fringes of Sarah's thoughts.

Watching Beatrice in all her physical glory filled Sarah with a lighthearted resolve. If she was to follow through, if she was to be more than just some clueless girl fawning over her crush, Sarah knew she'd have to dedicate herself. She watched carefully as Beatrice made her calculated strikes, taking meticulous mental note of every minute detail. Her breath, measured inhalation followed by controlled expulsion as she punched. Rounded shoulders -- curled not hunched. Torso rotation assisted by hip flexion. Strong foot planting though. Snapping extension of her rotating arms... and like that her time for watching was up. Beatrice was finished with her demonstration. It was time for the rookie to put her limited knowledge to physical practice.

Sarah stepped up to the bag, heart racing. A steadying breath loosened her posture as she raised her guard in a rough imitation of what Beatrice had shown. The boxer's gentle guiding hand made its first correction, bringing Sarah into the proper guard stance as she rounded her shoulders. She was compact and focused; ready to spring into a strike. At least mentally. Beatrice's instructive words and guiding hand filled the rookie with confidence... even if she'd never executed the movements herself... correctly. Sarah lashed out with two measured jabs, connecting with the heavy bag lightly. She paused, correcting her guard with Beatrice's corrections before continuing. The rhythmic thuds of her leather gloves marked the pace of her breathing as she worked the bag, adjusting and tweaking as Beatrice suggested or tweaked her style. Her heart raced, a light sheen of sweat building, but her breathing was steady and her face was smiling. She felt great. Learning not only how to throw a basic punch but also the first lessons on self confidence from Beatrice. Sarah couldn't think of a better teacher for either subject as she smiled through the training set.

 

[Sigr]

It seemed that Beatrice's lessons were effective, or so she hoped judging by how Sarah focused on her every word, staying silent for the longest time since they met. "Yes, that's it" Beatrice nodded, seeing that the eager student had no trouble grasping the basics. Of course, her form was sloppy, and she probably wouldn't be able to keep it long, flaking if she moved... but it was a nice start. "Again. Watch the elbows" Beatrice instructed. "Again, recover the guard faster" insisted after another repetition. "Hey, not bad, not bad, it seems that you have good eyes for learning, let me..." she mumbled, going to the corner where her training gloves had ended, recovering then and putting them back on.

"Look, you can always change the tempo, throw a couple fast, play with the timing" Beatrice assumed her fighting stance, landing thunderous jabs at the bag now that she was gloved. "Now for the second and last lesson today so you have time to properly get the basics" she announced. "The straight" she voiced, nailing a shattering right into the bag. "It's not some kind of weird power punch, no wide and risky hook, not something that winds up and seems out of a cartoon" Beatrice continued. "Just your dominant hand going for it in the shortest way possible. If the jab is an exercise on restraint, the straight is more of a full bodied blow, and as such more complicated" she added, throwing a few of them.

"Combinations of jabs and straights with a good footwork are what makes it work at a ground level" Beatrice loosened her fighting stance, back at her normal self, close to Sarah. "But first you need to have a good grasp of those things separately, so practice your punching and be careful to not injure yourself" she instructed. Beatrice's eyes went to a wall clock, the time making her frown. She had to sort out school stuff before dinner and sleep. Graduation was so close that she could almost taste it, and that way she could stop wasting time with that and dedicate herself fully to boxing and perhaps... a couple?

Beatrice sighed, not foreseeing a proper relationship in her immediate future. "Look, I've to go and tomorrow Friday I'll be busy" she confessed, as it was the day for resting and sorting out as much homework and studies as she could cram to free her schedule along the week. "But we have the fight the next day. How do we..." she mumbled, slowly removing her practice gloves. "I mean, the stadium is downtown, so both of us taking our cars there would be a waste" she reasoned. Picking up an older woman was somewhat weird for her, as much as she was accustomed to having the initiative, so perhaps she should entrust the transportation to Sarah. "So..." she ended up wordless, as anything that crossed her mind about being picked up made it sound awfully close to it being a date.