An Unexpected Friend

**Note: This is my first story, ever. If the feedback is positive, I'll add more, but for now I have purposefully left the story in a "cliffhanger" state. To Admin- per submission rules, I am requesting that you leave in the italics I have included.

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You know how some people can be comfortable in any sort of social situation? They're naturally charismatic, and have no trouble at all making friends.

I am not one of these people.

I've gotten pretty good at faking confidence over the years, but the truth is that most of the time, I am barely keeping it together. I do ok with one or two people at a time, but anything more than that puts me into such a state of anxiety that I feel like I'm drowning.

I am not the kind of person who makes long-lasting friendships. I'm not sure why; maybe I just grow too attached too quickly, or maybe I come across as too intense. It feels easy to let people into my heart, and I abhor playing games or pretending to be someone I'm not. People always say they don't want drama, that they want straight forward, honest people but I give them what they want, it just ends up driving them away. When I was younger it was heart-breaking because I never saw it coming until it was too late. There were apparently invisible clues that I was supposed to see when people accepted my invitations to go out, or come over for a meal, something that said, "I'm only saying yes to be polite, now kindly fuck off." As the years passed, my heart finally started to harden. I'm still the same easy-talker, but I no longer invite anyone into my life; it's simply better for me that way.

When I met Kay, it was no different. She was a new employee at the factory where I work, and on the facility tour they brought her into my lab. She was going to be producing material that I perform capabilities testing on, so we would be seeing a lot of each other. The tour guide, another machine operator conscripted into the company's new "buddy-system", made brief introductions. "Call me Sandra." I said, and stuck out my hand. First impressions center around the handshake for me. Kay had a comfortably firm grip that didn't linger. Perfect.

She looked like she was in her early 30's, probably the same age as me if not a year or two younger. After we exchanged pleasantries she was whisked away by her buddy, and as they walked out the lab door I noticed Kay's waist-length, strawberry-blonde hair. Ah, I love long hair, I thought to myself. I was growing mine out as well, but had been contemplating cutting it off since the weather was growing warmer. It was just past my shoulders now, and the chestnut brown color was a stark contrast to Kay's magnificent locks.

The next week was a haze for me. I was slammed with material for experimental processes and barely noticed Kay when she came in. A few times a day she would walk through my door, followed by her trainer who would explain where to put samples, how to fill out paperwork, or just observe Kay to make sure she was doing everything per specification. I think I may have actually grunted at her once, but I can't be sure.

One day I went to break, and she was sitting in the breakroom by herself.

"Hey," I said, striding over to the vending machines. My god, this all looks like shit. "How's it going? They let you in here all by yourself?" I flashed her my classic shit-eating grin. You could say this was my own version of research and development; if she could roll with the punches we would probably get along.

"Oh yah, they even let me take off my collar." she replied. This took me by surprise and elicited a short chuckle. I grabbed a Slim Jim and walked toward her. "Mind if I sit?" She gestured towards an open seat and smiled. I sat down across from her and gave her a smirk.

"So, how do you like it so far? Is this place everything you ever dreamed it would be?"

She returned the smirk and replied, "If you're not bothered by mind-numbing work, then sure. Otherwise, I gotta say, I'm not impressed. But hey, a paycheck is a paycheck."

I nodded my agreement. This was familiar factory banter. I asked what I felt were obligatory questions- are you from here, do you have kids, etc. This was her mom's hometown, but she had moved to out of state for college, and eventually got married and had a baby. "My parents ended up divorcing when I was about 13," Kay explained, "We tried to make it work there, but only lasted a couple more years before moving back here. I never really felt like I fit in that well, so I didn't have many friends." I could relate to that sentiment.

I leaned forward in my seat. "Hey, well, I'm not originally from here either, so if you have any questions about the town or interesting places to check out just let me know. This place has an awesome nature center, if you like that kind of thing."

She gave me a genuine smile this time, before looking at the clock. "Oh shit, I gotta get back!" she jumped out of her chair and headed towards the hall. "I'll see ya later!"

"You know where to find me!" I called back.

---

That night was a hot one. My A/C was busted, so out of desperation I stripped down and aimed a fan directly at my naked body. Eventually I cooled off, but was still feeling restless. The air caressed my skin and made my nipples hard, and I couldn't resist touching them. Running my fingers lightly along the curve of my breasts, I gently pinched my nipples and wished someone were there sucking on them instead. The image of Kay suckling and swirling her tongue around my nipples popped into my head, and I reached for my vibrator. It's not unusual for me to fantasize about someone I know, as I am an avid fan of masturbation and like to keep things fresh. The vibrator hummed its familiar tune as I stimulated my pussy lips and clit to the thought of Kay's face between my legs. In my mind, my fingers were entangled in that beautiful hair of hers while she licked and sucked me into orgasm. I came, my body spasming gently. It wasn't the real thing, but it would do. I put away my toy and rolled over, drifting off to sleep.

Over the next few months I got to know Kay a little better. We often took breaks together, and would chat when she came by to drop off samples. She was officially done with the training wheels, and could come to the lab on her own. We didn't have much time, but a lot of our conversations centered around music, since I usually had some on while I worked. We had similar taste, in that neither one of us disliked any genre in particular. My playlist included rock, rap, country, electronica, experimental, and anything else you could think of, including musical comedy. I was surprised, delighted, and a bit anxious when Kay started singing along to Flight of the Conchords one Friday afternoon. I could feel myself starting to get attached, but I was scared of messing up a good thing. It was time to put up the wall.

I cleared my throat. "Hey, uh..I won't be at break today, I have to take mine a little later because of some timetable testing I have to do today." This was, of course, complete bullshit, but I hoped she didn't know that.

Kay made a face at me that suggested she disliked the news. "Well, that sucks. Who am I going to talk about Game of Thrones with, Linda??" We both cackled at this, because Linda was, in fact, a huge stick in the mud who liked to watch Lifetime Original movies and crochet doll clothes.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, laughing.

She continued the gag, putting her hands on her hips and giving me a sharp look. "Ok, well then here's what has to happen. I just moved new apartment and I haven't had a single person over to visit yet! Soooo, how about you come over today after work and we can hang out for a bit? We'll get some wine, I'll give you the tour, maybe order chinese?"

My heart leapt into my throat and I nearly choked. I wasn't expecting this at all.

She invited ME over! I can't be misinterpreting this, right?? I desperately wanted this friendship to last, but my body and my mind were apparently not on the same page. "Ok, that sounds really fun!" came tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Shit! I hoped Kay couldn't see my hands shaking from the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

She clapped her hands together in victory. "Alriiiight! Tell you what, how about you come over around five? That'll give me time to grab some wine on the way home and dig out the glasses. " I nodded in agreement, barely registering what she was saying. Keep it together, you psychopath! I smiled at her. "Ok. That'll give me time to go home and freshen up."

She smiled back, then headed for the door. "Cya at five!"

I nearly fainted once she was gone, relief flooding into my body as I doubled over. "Uhhhh, I'm going to vomit." I said to no one in particular. Anxiety has a funny way of affecting me.

A few hours later I found myself driving to Kay's apartment. I had taken a shower because I was sure I smelled like sweat. I nearly gave up and called to cancel as I sat on my bed, tears threatening to stream down my face because I couldn't find the right outfit to wear. "Ugh, come on!" I grumbled to myself. "There's no reason for this to be so hard! Just put on a damn t-shirt and go!" Eventually I did just that.

As I pulled into Kay's driveway she opened the door and walked out to meet me. She was beaming a smile at me that was so infectious I couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey girl! Get your butt in here and help me crack open this bottle, you are not going to believe what Linda told me at break today..."

I laughed and followed her inside. Her apartment was a small but cute one-bedroom, with cream walls and carpet. She had decorated it delicately and I could see that it really "fit" her. She led me to her kitchen area where a bar stool counter separated it from her living room. On the counter were three bottles of wine.

"Jesus! What did she tell you, Kay? That she had an affair with Kennedy??"

She had two glasses on the counter already, and after opening one of the bottles, she filled them both nearly to the top. She handed a glass to me and with a smirk said, "You know Carla in accounting? Apparently, she got walked out today because she was caught stealing money from petty cash!"

My eyes widened. "No way! Seriously??" Carla was a huge bitch, to me in particular for some reason. Kay nodded, and I raised my glass. "A toast, then!"

We both drank, and speculated about Carla for a bit before turning to more interesting topics. Before we knew it, three hours had gone by and we were both a little tipsy and hungry. We put in an order to the local chinese place and got barked at by the owner for calling so late, but were told we would get it within twenty minutes.

Kay hung up the phone and turned to me with a giggle. She was standing close enough that I could smell her shampoo, and the smell was even more intoxicating than the wine. Something fruity, but also a little spicy? I reached out and twirled a few strands of her hair. I felt like I had a completely dopey smile on my face, but didn't really care thanks to the alcohol.

"Kay, your hair is so pretty. I love the color."

"Nooooo, I love your hair!" She reached with both hands and entangled them in my hair. She was a couple of inches shorter to me, and incredibly close. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. "I love how your hair is wavy and thick. Mine is so straight and boring!"

Her gaze drifted from my hair to my eyes, where they stayed for a few seconds before she gently pulled my face down to hers. Our lips met and I felt what must have been an explosion deep inside me. Her tongue pushed its way into my mouth, and began to dance with mine. My hands found their way to her body; one on her waist, and the other moving from her hair to the back of her neck.

I don't know how long we kissed, but it was the best kiss of my life. Kay tasted like red wine, and smelled even better. Her hands had moved out of my hair and down my body, and one had made its way up my shirt. She slipped it under my bra, pushing it up and exposing my nipple, which had become incredibly hard. She gently tweaked it, while her other arm encircled the arch of my back. I brought both hands up under her shirt and reached behind her to unsnap her bra. We broke the kiss for a second and she took off her shirt. She slipped off her bra and let it fall to the floor.

Standing there for a moment, I took in the sight of her. She had an hourglass figure with what were probably C cup breasts. Her skin was creamy and smooth, and she was lightly freckled all over. I moved back in and started kissing her neck, then made my way down her chest to her breasts.

I love good nipple play, so when I got to Kay's I made sure to give them plenty of attention. They were cute and pink, and perfect for curling my tongue around, which is exactly what I did. Starting with one breast I gently teased the nipple with my tongue, swirling and flicking the small bud before moving to the other. I swirled this one as well, before sucking it into my mouth. I could hear Kay's heavy breathing as I suckled, her hands finding their way into my hair once again. Breaking the seal, I kissed my way back up her chest and neck, and back to her mouth. Our tongues danced once again, greedier than before.

As we kissed, my hands, which had been gently caressing and tweaking Kay's breasts, began to drift down her body. Just as I felt the denim of her jeans, the doorbell rang. I froze, and Kay pulled her tongue out my mouth. I noticed her cheeks were flushed pink before she grabbed her shirt from the floor. She pulled it on quickly as she trotted to the door.

"Just a sec!" she called out. My head was swimming from the wine and the bloodrush. I heard Kay open the door and exchange money with the delivery man, but all I could think about was the feel of her skin on my hands. I wasn't hungry for food anymore, but what would happen when she came back? Would we just eat our food like nothing had happened, or would we pick up where we had left off?

"Ahh, this smells so delicious! I'm starving!" Kay came back into the kitchen and set the bag of food on the counter. She wavered a bit, obviously a little more drunk than I was, as she gathered plates and silverware for us.

I moved in next to her and touched her hand. To my dismay, she pulled it away. Turning to me with a half-smile, she said "I think I might be a little too tipsy, Sandra. Let's go sit and eat in the living room before I fall on my butt."

"Alright." I replied. I tried to swallow my disappointment as I followed her into the living room with the plates.

We sat on the floor at Kay's coffee table, a sturdy oak piece. She flipped on the tv and scanned the channels, eventually settling on an old rerun of Unsolved Mysteries. Normally I love those kinds of shows, but I just couldn't concentrate. I picked at my food while Kay ate zealously, dreading what I was sure would be coming after she was finished.

She was just drunk, that's all this is...this is going to make things too weird at work... The worst part was I had never even thought of getting into a relationship with Kay. I was just happy to have someone to talk to at work that was so compatible with me.

I noticed Kay was watching me not eat my food, so I took a few big bites to try to make it seem like everything was fine. "This is great, thanks for dinner!" I faked a smile, and I think she could tell. She set down her fork, and turned to me.

"Sandra...I...I really like you." Her eyes were cast down, and I could see the flush coming back to her face. I swallowed hard and willed myself not to cry.

"I really like you, but I think I made a mistake." she continued. "Please don't feel bad, or think this is because of you. It's really not. I shouldn't have kissed you. This is totally my fault."

I felt completely deflated. I could feel the tears threatening to spill, and while I was crushed, I was also starting to feel a little pissed. I rocked back on my heels and stood up.

"You know..." I began, searching for the words. "You know, I am so tired of this bullshit." I could see the surprise in Kay's face, and I gave her a wry smile.

"This always happens Kay. This always fucking happens to me. I let people in, I think things are going great, and then they pull the rug out from under me. I don't even know what to think anymore. I just...I just don't get what's so wrong about me that I can't even have a friend, let alone anything more than that."

She jumped up and grabbed me by the shoulders. "Sandra, no! There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. I promise you that. Those other people are idiots, and...and so am I. You're amazing. You're funny and smart, you're interesting, not to mention beautiful." Despite my efforts to stay pissed, I felt my face flush at that. I avoided her gaze, but she moved in closer so that I couldn't. "Sandra, you're sexy as hell. I see that body you've got, even though you try to hide it under loose-fitting clothes. And even if I wasn't attracted to you, I would be lucky to be able to call you my friend. I want us to stay friends. I've never met anyone that I've gotten along with so well."

I sighed heavily and looked her in the eyes. "Then what's the problem? You say you're attracted to me. YOU kissed ME. I know you liked what we were doing, and if the doorbell hadn't rang, we would probably still be doing it right now."

She swallowed hard, and let go of me, backing up a couple steps until she dropped on the couch.

"There's something wrong with me Sandra, and it wouldn't be fair to you for me to get involved romantically."

I shook my head. "That's not good enough. I need to know why, from you. Right now."

I waited for what felt like an eternity with no response. I was about to give up and just leave, but she spoke.

"I have a penis." she said, quietly.

She was looking down into her lap, so I thought I had misheard her. Of course I had misheard her. I cleared my throat. "Um...what?"

Kay looked up at me and I saw tears rolling down her face. I knew then, I hadn't misheard.

"I have a penis, Sandra. When I was born, my parents named me Kevin because they thought I was a boy."

Now I was confused. The anger that I had been clinging to suddenly drained right out of me, and all I could do in my stupefied state was drop down on the couch next to Kay. I opened my mouth to speak, but didn't have the necessary words.

Kay took my silence as a sign to continue.

"Everything was normal for my childhood. I was always kind of scrawny, but my mom told me once I hit puberty I'd shoot up like a weed. But puberty came, and instead of getting bigger I grew breasts. The shape of my body changed, became more womanly. My dad was pissed. I remember once when I was younger he caught me walking around in my mom's high heels and he slapped the hell out of me for it. Said he'd be damned if his son would turn out to be a faggot."

She sniffled loudly. "I told my mom I felt more like myself than I ever had before, so she supported my decision to live as a girl. My dad disowned us both and left. I haven't seen him since."

Kay fell silent and I mulled this information over in my head. Finally, I found right the words to say.

"I don't care, Kay."

She looked at me in shock. "...what? What do you mean, you don't care?"

I reached out and took her hand in mine. "I mean, I don't care, Kay. I don't care if you have a penis. I didn't come here wanting anything other than your friendship, but when you kissed me something deep inside me woke up. I want you. I want every part of you."

I leaned forward and kissed her, hard. For a second she didn't respond, but quickly gave in. She opened her mouth to me and our tongues entwined as we embraced.