Changes Ch. 03

This is a continuation to Changes Chapter 1 and 2. To appreciate the story I suggest you read the first two parts.

Thank you for your feedback and comments on my submissions so far. I look forward to hear what you think of this chapter.

This is a slow moving story. Hope you enjoy it!

*****

Heather sat on her couch replaying the last few hours in her head. She was quite drunk but she was also more at ease than she had been in a long time. She'd had such a wonderful evening with Vanessa.

Vanessa's eyes were sad a lot, but when she laughed, her dark eyes brightened up and lit up her whole face. Heather couldn't help but smile as she thought about how Vanessa's nose crinkled when she laughed. It struck her that Jules did the same thing! The picture on Vanessa's desk showed a crinkly nosed Jules with a wide grin. She also recalled Vanessa fiddling with the delicate Turquoise pendant she always had on. She had beautiful fingers. Her nails were cut short with a coat of transparent lacquer. No nonsense and practical. This immediately led Heather to when Vanessa had held her hand. It was more like she'd placed her hand in Heather's. Her hands were warm and soft and it was such a gentle touch. They hadn't even entwined their fingers, just held hands, comforting each other in some way. It had almost made her cry.

She didn't want to dwell on it or exaggerate it in her head. They were talking about past relationships and being alone. It was normal to comfort someone during such a conversation. Amidst these thoughts Heather dozed off on the couch.

The next morning was a usual Saturday morning for Heather except for a mild hangover. Nothing a glass of warm water with lime couldn't fix. She hit the gym, had a wholesome breakfast and took a long shower. She spent the rest of the morning lounging around, trying to keep her attention on her book. Her mind, however, kept wondering back to last night. Try as she may, the book was not helping her. She decided she needed some fresh air to clear her head and distract her. She walked around the park, got some much needed sun, spoke to her mum at length and grabbed lunch at a cheerful café nearby.

By the time she was heading home it was past 4 in the evening. Heather had planned to cook a delicious seafood broth for dinner but she just wanted to laze around, catch up on some or the other TV show she was watching. She decided to go for it. Dinner could wait.

An hour later Heather was sprawled on her bed, her attention fully on her laptop screen when her phone rang. Quite annoyed, she reached for it. It was a tense moment on the show and she didn't want to be interrupted. It was Vanessa. Heather's heart picked up speed. Why was Vanessa calling her on a Saturday? She didn't bother to pause the TV show as she yanked her earphones off and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Heather, hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."

"Oh, no it's fine. I was just lazing around," Heather replied, still trying to figure out why her boss had called her on a Saturday evening.

"Ah, that sounds like the perfect Saturday evening!" Vanessa was quiet for a second and Heather was close to losing her mind.

Slowly, Vanessa continued, "I, umm, actually called to ask if you were free for dinner. I was planning to make a simple pasta and a salad. Thought I'd ask if you wanted to come over."

Heather's heart was hammering. Vanessa was inviting her over for dinner? And then she remembered what she'd told Vanessa last night. She'd replayed the events of last night in her head so many times. How had she not remembered telling Vanessa to call her if she wanted company?

"It's perfectly alright if you're busy, Heather. I just wanted to.."

Heather was quick to interrupt her boss. "I'd love to join you. I hadn't figured out dinner yet and this would be perfect!"

"I'm glad to hear that! I know your car is in office. I can pick you up around say 7:30 ish?

Heather checked her laptop to check the time. She had almost 2 hours before 7:30. "Sounds good. I could get an Uber though, you needn't come all the way."

"I need to pick up a few things and your house will be on my way. So it's no trouble," Vanessa added.

"Oh, that's cool then. I'll be ready at 7:30." After a pause, Heather added, "Should I bring something?"

"Nah, don't worry. I've got it covered. Maybe you could get a change of clothes if you decide to spend the night. I could drop you back later, but that may not be a good idea if we've had some wine."

Again, Heather's head was reeling. Spend the night at Vanessa's place? Was this really happening?

"Ok, yea I wouldn't want you to drive after wine. I'll carry an overnight bag."

"Alright great! I'll get cracking. Pick you up around 7:30 then."

"Thanks Vanessa, I'll be ready!"

Heather didn't know what to do after she hung up. She sat there staring at the drama unfold on her laptop screen. Obviously she was too deep in her own thoughts to follow anything. Her heart was beating at a million miles an hour. She'd just agreed to dinner with Vanessa. And that wasn't all, she was going to spend the night at Vanessa's house.

"Get a grip!" She told herself. "It's just dinner. Bet you'll have a good time."

At 7:15 Heather was ready. She'd taken shower, packed her usual clothes for the night, some fresh underwear and a change for the morning. At the last minute she remembered to pack her tooth brush and a can of deodorant. She'd put on a pair of slacks and a long, comfortable shirt. Best to keep it simple, she'd thought.

Soon she was downstairs and in Vanessa's car. She dumped her bag in the back seat before turning her attention to her boss. She was dressed in denim shorts and a black tank top. Heather was struck by how different she looked dressed casually. Vanessa's hair was tied up in a simple pony tail and some loose strands framed her face. She seemed genuinely happy to see Heather.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up!"

"Don't worry about it. I was right around the corner, picking up a batch of wine from a friend's place. He's got family in Italy and they have their own vineyard."

"Oh how lovely!"

"Yep. He keeps me supplied with Prosecco year round. I picked up some from a fresh lot he received. And," Vanessa look at Heather before continuing, "I also got some Chianti, which I think will go beautifully with dinner."

"That sounds nice. I have no idea about wines though. I quite liked the one we had at Plush yesterday."

"Ah yes, that was a good wine. It wasn't European though."

Vanessa knew a lot about wine. She filled Heather in on some wine producing areas of Italy, grape varieties and how they paired with food. Heather was sufficiently impressed by how easily Vanessa pronounced the very Italian names.

"Have you been to Italy? Heather asked.

"Yes! I actually lived is Tuscany for a year after college. With a lovely family who have their own vineyards and olive groves. They make some of the best Chianti in the world. In fact, their son, Massimo is the one who I picked up the wine from today."

"You lived there? Wow. How did you wind up there? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, that's ok. I'd met Massimo during college and we were good friends. After college he was going home for a year. They have a huge farmhouse and own several hundred acres of land. He wanted to make it a part of wine tours in the Chianti region. He asked me to come with him. Help him commercialize and market his family's wine better. All I had to pay for was my airfare."

Heather could see genuine joy on Vanessa's face as she spoke about her time in Italy and how she fell in love with the place.

"When you see the love these families pour into the land just to ensure they grow the perfect grapes and the dedication that goes into producing and bottling the wine they make, your appreciation for it grows. The pride they take in serving their wine or cooking with it. It's their life, their roots."

They were both quiet for a bit. Heather thinking over what Vanessa had said and Vanessa thinking about her time in Tuscany.

"Massimo has been a friend ever since. I've visited his family a few times over the years. I'm planning a trip there this summer with Jules and my sister. I know she's young but I'd love for her to see the place. Let's hope it works out!"

"That sounds incredible. I can't wait to try this wine after hearing all this," Heather said in all seriousness.

"We're almost there. I hope you like a simple tomato sauce pasta with tons of olive oil."

"Oh yum. I'm hungry already!"

Vanessa lived in a beautiful house in a quiet neighborhood. She had a gorgeous Wisteria tree in her front yard and Heather couldn't help but exclaim. It was one of her favorites! Her house was warm and comfortable and she could smell the food as soon as they entered the kitchen.

"Make yourself comfortable. Dinner will be served in five minutes."

"Sure I can't help with anything?"

"I got it," Vanessa smiled.

Heather looked around the house. It was tastefully done up. All the lighting was warm yellow and it felt so homey. She spent some time looking at the photo frames. Many had pictures of Jules at different ages. Some also showed Vanessa, Joe and Jules together. God, Vanessa was beautiful. Heather picked up a frame which showed a much younger Vanessa standing in a sunny field. She looked carefree and so happy. Somewhere along the years her eyes had lost that sparkle. It did show up sometime though and for some reason it thrilled Heather when that happened. She pottered around some more before making her way to the kitchen.

Vanessa's back was to her. Heather immediately notices her calves. Her legs were perfect. She was also wearing an apron! She found it adorable and it brought a big smile to her face. Something must have alerted Vanessa of Heather's presence and she turned back to see her standing there with a goofy grin on her face.

"Oh, hey. Come taste this."

She was stirring the tomato sauce for the pasta. Vanessa held up a wooden spoon and blew on it to cool it down. She then held it up for Heather to taste.

Heather was standing barely a foot away from Vanessa now. She couldn't stop looking at her as she lowered her head and tasted the sauce off the spoon. The pleasure must have shown on her face because Vanessa chuckled and asked, "Is it really that good?"

"Oh my god. That's the best sauce I've tasted!"

Vanessa smiled and Heather could see it in her eyes. She then reach out and wiped some sauce off the corner of Heather's mouth and instinctively licked it off her finger. It was as if it happened in slow motion. She felt Vanessa's fingers under her lips and watched as it made its way to her mouth. Her lips parted just enough to lick the sauce of her finger. Heather couldn't tear her gaze away from Vanessa's mouth after that. Something about it sent a zing through Heather's gut and her breath hitched. Again, it must have shown on her face because Vanessa seemed to realize.

Oh, I'm sorry. Living with a messy four year old, it's become such a habit." Vanessa laughed at herself as she went back to stirring.

It was all too much for Heather. She excused herself to go get her phone which she'd left in the living room. She took a minute to get a grip. Her reaction was unexpected and confusing. She shook it off before rejoining Vanessa in the kitchen.

They had a delicious meal. Vanessa served the Chianti and it was quite incredible with the bold tomato sauce and spaghetti. Another revelation was the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It was so different from the processed parmesan Heather had eaten. This one, Vanessa informed her was from Modena.

Soon they were several glasses wine down and Vanessa opened another bottle. She suggested they clear up and move to the living room.

"Hey Heather. Why don't you go change? I'm sure you'll be more comfortable in your night clothes."

She led Heather to the guest room and left her there to change. Heather closed the door and looked around. Just like downstairs, this room had the same cozy and comfortable look. The bed looked so inviting! She freshened up, washed her face and used the loo. Heather noticed a tiny damp spot on her panties. She touched her pussy and it was moist. She didn't give it much thought as she rinsed and used a lot of toilet paper.

Soon she made her way down. Dressed in baggy, ridiculously comfortable shorts and a reasonably worn out tank top. She was still wearing her bra but she'd decided to leave her panties off. It was so much more comfortable and Vanessa would never know.

She found Vanessa fiddling near the microwave. She too had changed into a long t shirt and her shorts just about peeked out under it. Heather had an unobstructed view of Vanessa's thighs. Her skin was a milky caramel and her legs looked so smooth.

Again, something must have alerted Vanessa of Heather's presence.

"You look comfortable! I freshened your drink. Maybe you can find something to watch on TV. I'll be out with desert in a minute."

"Desert? Are you serious? I couldn't possibly eat another bite!"

Vanessa chuckled. "Just wait till you taste this." She then looked back and continued, "You'll be begging for more!"

Heather switched on the TV and was switching channels when Vanessa entered with two plates. Each had a chocolate tart on it.

"There you go. Try it." There was a challenge in Vanessa's voice that made her laugh.

The tart was nothing like anything Heather had tasted before. She could taste the olive oil in the bitter chocolate ganache and it was heavenly. She'd polished it off in the next few seconds!

"Ok, you win. This is absolutely delicious!"

Vanessa let out a deep, throaty laugh. "There's one more on the counter, if you're up for it."

"I'm not even sorry," Heather said as she almost hopped to the kitchen for her second tart.

Later into the night, they chatted away watching TV and sipping on wine. At some point Vanessa was cold and she fetched a light blanket from somewhere behind the couch.

"I'm always cold so I have a couple of these all around the house," Vanessa said as she covered herself. "Wanna share? There's enough room!"

Heather was feeling the wine and she let out a giggle as she scooted closer to Vanessa who threw the other end of the blanket over her. Soon they were sitting cross legged on the couch, lights dimmed and watching some late night talk show on TV. Heather's mind was drifting when she felt Vanessa move her legs, trying to get comfortable. It brought her back to reality in an instant. Her thigh was now smooshed against Vanessa's leg. She hadn't realized they were sitting this close. Her heart quickened and her breathing became more pronounced. Not wanting to give herself away she tried to focus on the TV. She must have stiffened for Vanessa look towards her with squinty eyes.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Oh," Heather cleared her throat. "Umm, yea."

Vanessa turned towards her and this meant their legs were not touching anymore. This also meant that the blanket was pulled off Heather, bringing into view her legs. Her shorts has ridden up quite a bit.

Vanessa put down her wine glass on the coffee table. "Heather, thank you for coming over today." She was quiet for a second, possibly evaluating what to say. "I've had such a good time." As she said this, Vanessa placed her hand on Heather's knee. It was a light touch but it did nothing to calm Heather down.

Heather's heart was pounding as she looked into Vanessa's face. Hoping to not let Vanessa get a glimpse of her inner turmoil, she averted her eyes which made Vanessa chuckle.

"You have beautiful eyes. You know that?" And after a pause she added, "They are so expressive. Don't hide them."

Despite the near panic she was feeling she managed to look back up at Vanessa. "Thank you. You're sweet. And thank you for dinner and the wine. Oh and the tart! She instinctively patted her tummy as she said this and Vanessa let out another throaty laugh.

"Are you sleepy? We can turn in whenever."

"I think I need to lie down. I'm not sleepy though."

"Oh you can do that right here. Just put your head there and put your legs on my lap. That way we'll both fit and we can be here for some more time."

Heather rested her head on the cushions as she lay down and just scooted her legs close to her bums to avoid having to rest them on Vanessa. "This is comfortable enough," she started to say and was promptly interrupted by her boss.

"Oh don't be ridiculous Heather!" Vanessa wrapped her hand around Heather's left leg and pulled it onto her lap and then she did the same with her right leg. "There, that's much better," she said proceeding to cover them up with the blanket.

Heather's senses were in overdrive. Her calves were resting on Vanessa's thighs and she could feel the night t-shirt Vanessa was wearing against the side of her leg. Everything was warm and soft and it was driving her crazy. Just then Vanessa finished adjusting the blanket and since she wasn't holding a glass of wine anymore, she moved her hands under the blanket too.

Heather felt one of Vanessa's hand rest on her knee and the other closer to her ankle. Her hands felt cool against her skin.

"Oh it's so nice and warm in here!" Vanessa exclaimed and rubbed her hands up and down Heather's legs.

Heather was in hell. All this sort of intimate contact was getting to her. Her heart was hammering and her breathing was becoming very obviously labored. She realized that her pussy was wet and the fact that she was wearing no panties didn't bode well for her. Vanessa continued to run her fingers over Heather's legs absentmindedly, laughing occasionally at something funny on the TV. Heather on the other hand had no idea what was happening. Her complete attention was on the random patterns being traced on her legs. She was tense but could not get herself to move.

After what must have been a couple of minutes, Vanessa shifted her attention to Heather and her fingers stopped moving. "Heather," she said softly. "You seem, tense. Are you okay?"

Vanessa's forthrightness took her by surprise. She sat up. Extricating her legs from Vanessa's. The dampness in her shorts very obvious to her. She hoped Vanessa couldn't smell it. Luckily her legs were still under the blanket.

She took her time before the replied. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not used to this kind of physical proximity with people. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with it, it's just a little out there for me."

Vanessa didn't say anything, sensing that she wasn't done.

"Also, sitting here like this with you is just so unreal. I really respect you and we've always been very professional in our interactions. I'm still wrapping my head around this new equation we are developing, I think."

Heather looked up at Vanessa, to gauge her reaction to what she has said. Her eyes were kind and she had a soft smile on her face. She reached out and took both of Heather's hands in her own.

"I understand. I've been in a place where physical contact is difficult to deal with. You've spent so long building your defenses against people that any intimacy feels threatening." She looked into Heather's eyes before adding, "I'm not going to hurt you." She then moved in and planted a soft kiss on Heather's cheek.

"And about us always having been professional, yes, I agree. I thought hard before giving you a call today." Vanessa stopped and took a deep breath. "I had a good time with you yesterday, Heather. Better than I have in a long time. It felt like meeting someone and hitting it off right away and knowing you can become really good friends. And, I think today just confirmed that for me."

Heather nodded in agreement.

Vanessa continued, "Everyone needs a friend, Heather. And I want you to know I consider you a friend." She let go of Heather's left hand and lifted Heather's chin up, forcing her to meet her eyes. "You hear me?"