"Everything okay?" Camarin asked very pleasantly.
"Yes," Kimberly replied. "I just needed to freshen up a bit and make a quick phone call."
Camarin watched as Kimberly discreetly edged her wineglass toward the middle of the table. Her hands were trembling and she looked a little pale. "Are you certain you're okay?" Camarin asked, the concern in her voice very genuine this time.
Kimberly smiled and made a dismissive gesture with her hand.
"Just tired," she said. "Now where were we?"
"You were explaining to me why you left teaching and took a job in business. I understand that. What I don't understand is how you came into your first job at the level you did. That's awfully unusual, don't you think?"
"Luck of the draw, I suppose," Kimberly replied. "The company was being reorganized when I applied. They were looking for new blood and someone with the skills to put more emphasis on employee development. With the labor shortage and the increased demand for better customer service, the company was starting to lose its edge over the competition. They decided I fit the bill. However," she explained,
"I was offered the position with the express understanding that my continued employment hinged on how well our department performed in beating the competition."
Kimberly paused and reached for her water glass. She'd already taken the first sip before realizing she'd picked up her wine instead.
What the hell, she thought. She'd just broken her date with Mark and she was telling her life story to someone who might very well plaster a negative image of her all over the Internet. She finished the glass and closed her eyes to savor the sweet intoxication. I want to be oblivious, she thought. Totally, thoroughly oblivious for a change.
Camarin was making notes, trying to play a convincing role as a reporter. Although it wasn't part of the script, she found herself wondering about the woman sitting across from her. What made her tick? How did she come to this crossroad in her life? Did she know it was a crossroad? "How does it feel to be in line for a vice-presidency in your company, Kimberly?" she suddenly asked. "Is it frightening?
Exciting? Tell me what it's like."
Kimberly smiled. "That's a good question," she replied. "I can only say I've made a point of getting to know our customers – found out who they are and what they want. If you're out of touch with your customer base, you're losing the only control you have in your market." Kimberly shrugged. "It's really not that complicated," she added.
Camarin reached for a carrot stick, munching it while thoughtfully watching Kimberly's countenance. She wasn't listening to her words so much as she was reading her gestures and expressions. Her green eyes flashed with the intensity of her moods. Camarin decided that Kimberly Justin was a very complex person. Perhaps Taryn had taken on more than she realized. It would be interesting to see how it all fell out in the end.
Meantime, the second bottle of wine was almost empty and it was three o'clock in the afternoon. Everything was going as planned.
"Kimberly, I believe there's a good story here but I have so many more questions I need answered." She closed her hand over Kimberly's. Giving it a tight squeeze, something to indicate their common bond, she continued. "I imagine you must have things you need to finish at work this afternoon. Why don't we end our meeting here, then get together again over dinner tonight? My place," she added. "I love to cook and besides, it'll give us a little more privacy."
Kimberly thought it over. She did have some work to finish and she'd already broken her date with Mark. Why not? "Okay," she said.
"Just tell me when and where." Kimberly took her pen and calendar out of her purse.
Camarin smiled, thrilled at the thought of having Kimberly alone in her house. It made her wet just thinking about the possibilities and where it might lead. There was nothing wrong with a little fantasizing, was there? "Seven o'clock okay?" she asked.
Kimberly agreed and wrote down the directions to Camarin's house.
They gathered their things and left. Each one wondering what the other was thinking, neither realized the parallel course their thoughts were taking. It would be an interesting evening indeed.
When Kimberly got back to her office, she found a note on her desk. Michael reminded her that he had the afternoon off. Deciding to make the most of the quiet, Kimberly started reviewing a contract with a vendor. She jotted notes in the margins and made changes in some of the wording. It was evening before she realized how much time had passed.
The janitor knocked softly on her door. "Do you need me to come back later?" he asked.
Kimberly glanced at her watch. She had a half-hour before she was due at Camarin's house. Fortunately, she kept a change of clothes in her locker downstairs. "No, I'm just leaving," she told him.
Hurriedly, she cleared her desk and powered down her desktop computer.
Fifteen minutes later, Kimberly was showered and towel drying her hair. The locker room was almost empty. She pampered with her make-up and dabbed perfume on her wrists, behind her ears, and in various other intimate places. It was a habit, since most outings these days were with her fiancee. She wondered how Mark was doing, but her thoughts were only transitory. She closed her locker and checked once more to make certain she hadn't forgotten anything. Feeling anxious and a little timid, she left the office and started to Camarin's place.
Promptly at seven o'clock Kimberly rang the doorbell at Camarin's house. When the door opened, Camarin greeted her with a smile and a very appraising look. "Don't you look nice," she said, motioning Kimberly inside. "I don't know if I should be flattered or disappointed."
"What do you mean?" Kimberly asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Laughing, Camarin took Kimberly by the arm and led her into the kitchen. "Either you think highly enough of me to dress so well or you have plans to go out afterward. Which is it?"
Kimberly took the barstool Camarin pulled out for her. That strange giddy feeling came over her again. "I … I don't have plans for later," she stated in a very matter of fact tone.
Camarin smiled at her guest. "Just checking. Wouldn't want to make you late for another engagement," she said. After handing Kimberly a cocktail, Camarin returned to her cooking. She knew
Kimberly was engaged to Mark, a man she'd been dating since college. The prospect of being this woman's first female lover was very enticing. She knew she'd have to watch her step tonight.
"You seem to be one of those women who truly enjoy cooking,"
Kimberly commented as she watched Camarin.
Camarin paused for a moment, surveying the chopped vegetables she had prepared. "Yes, I am," she replied. "This is one of my favorite dishes. It's a vegetable stir-fry with just a hint of diced shrimp and scallops. I hope you're hungry."
Kimberly smiled. "Actually, I'm quite hungry. No time for breakfast and we wound up skipping lunch."
"Good," Camarin said. "In that case I'm going to enlist your help in chopping the rest of the vegetables. While you're doing that, I'll prepare the sauce." Camarin took an apron from behind the bar.
When Kimberly reached for it, she pulled it away. "Let me," she said.
"Wouldn't want you to mess your hair." She turned Kimberly around so she was facing away from her.
Her heart beating uncontrollably fast, Kimberly took a deep breath.
She tried to steady herself against the counter. When she felt Camarin pressing against her from behind, she also felt a very definite tingling sensation between her legs. What is going on with me! she thought to herself. She moved forward as much as possible, her body pressing against the kitchen counter and her back no longer pressed against Camarin.
Laughing, Camarin pulled Kimberly back into place in front of her.
"How can I possible get this over your head if you're so far away from me," she teased. Very gently, she settled the apron over Kimberly's neck and pulled it down over her waist and hips. She reached around her to straighten a loop that had become twisted around her neck.