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"Is this for someone special in your life?" Natalie inquired, her attempt at initiating small talk.
"Nah, I don't have anyone special in my life right now," she chuckled.
Natalie nodded in response. "So, having fun at the fair?"
"Oh, yeah. I haven't been here in years, and it has quite a few new attractions," she averred with a toothy grin that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame.
"It sure does," Natalie remarked with a chuckle, feeling a flush creep up her neck while she discerned whether it was a simple statement or flirtation.
"Do you work for the law firm?" the customer asked, indicating to the attached signage above Natalie's head.
"Nope. I'm here to wrangle people over with my art skills so my friend can hassle them into listening to her promote the firm," Natalie said with a smirk and the other woman laughed.
"How long have you been drawing?" the woman asked inquisitively. Her lashes were long, so long they nearly brushed the skin below her eyes when she blinked.
"Since I could hold a crayon," she answered honestly. A stray scream followed by laughter erupted from a game two vendors down.
"Do you just do commission-based work, or do you have your work in a gallery?"
"Believe it or not, this isn't my day job. I teach elementary school science," Natalie commented. The other woman seemed to mull this over for a moment.
"Hm. With this talent, you could have your work displayed in any gallery in Seattle," the stranger said matter-of-factly.
Natalie briefly glanced at the woman and blushed heavily before she continued with the portrait. "Well, that's very kind." she eventually quipped. Despite her dissatisfaction with the eyes in the portrait, Natalie completed it, turning it so the customer could see her work.
"Incredible," she whispered as she marveled at the portrait. Her eyes falling upon Natalie, she placed the portrait on the table between them. "I'm Jude, by the way," she introduced herself, her lips sliding into a crooked charismatic smile.
"Natalie," she responded, shuffling the pile of blank pages on the table.
"How much do I owe you?" Jude asked.
"Last portrait of the day is free," Natalie said, knowing she was flirting.
"Would you be interested in stepping away from your work for a moment? I'd offer to buy you a drink if there were any around. I think the best I could find would be some lemonade," Jude offered.
"That's the best offer I've had all weekend. You're my last customer anyway. I've just got to wait for my cousin to get back from the bathroom to take charge of her stand," she smiled.
The smell of frying oil was heavy in the air and it mingled with the sweetness of funnel cake and cotton candy, coalescing with fresh popcorn.
"Pick your poison," Jude offered with a dramatic flourish of her hand. Natalie looked around at the different items. Various stands were selling lumpia, fried noodles and Asian port on a stick, one selling authentic jambalaya and Cajun shrimp, another advertising greasy gyros and potato pancakes.
"How about pizza?" she asked, pointing to a sign for three-dollar-pizza, figuring it was their safest bet. The line was long and full of chattering people. They stood next to each other and waited as patiently as they could. Natalie glanced up at Jude and Jude flashed her another grin.
"So, I told you what I do for a living. What is it you do?" Natalie asked. Jude's blue eyes darkened at the question and she looked away from Natalie.
"Actually, I own an art gallery in Portland and I'm not sure what I'm doing as far as promoting artists. I guess you could say I'm here scouting for talent," Jude said with a wink at Natalie. Natalie couldn't stifle the laughter that came after Jude's cheesy pick-up line until she saw Jude's deadpan expression.
"Oh, you're serious?" Natalie asked, her smile falling and feeling embarrassed for her flippant response.
"No, I was kidding," Jude said with a smirk.
"You're a jerk," Natalie laughed.
Natalie slid herself into a picnic table across from Jude within the cluster of tables in the densely populated area of the concessions. As they ate, the two debated the differences between the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Scrambler, concluding they would have to ride both in order to come to a decision on which was better. Tossing their food away, Jude led Natalie to the line of the Tilt-a-whirl and she looked at the ride with apprehension.
"Are you sure you want to ride that after eating?" Natalie chuckled. Jude nodded, turning as the line moved, fellow patrons already slipping through the fence to be seated.
"Absolutely," Jude answered. The two were seated together in the tight metal car. Jude flashed a toothy grin as the ride began, the force shoving the women into each other. Natalie laughed loudly as the ride spun them around until they were both dizzy, but, as she looked at Jude, she realized the dizziness and exhilaration she felt had little to do with the amusement ride.
"Okay, I have to admit I'd missed that. It's been years since I've gotten on one of those things," Natalie exclaimed after they got off the ride and she scanned the area for their next destination.
"You mean to tell me you've been here all weekend and haven't stopped to get on at least one of the rides? Where is your sense of fun?" Jude turned around to face Natalie, a rakish grin on her lips.
"I was busy making money. Teachers have to eat during the summer too, you know," Natalie reasoned sarcastically. As they approached the Scrambler, a large sign declared the ride was under maintenance and to check back the following day.
"I guess you win that debate," Jude conceded and Natalie beamed. They walked away from the disabled ride and made their way to the game stands.
Jude took Natalie's hand in hers, leading her to a small alcove between the Ferris wheel and the leering dark structure of a haunted house. The blue and red lights from the Ferris wheel just feet from them glimmered in Jude's eyes and the weight of her hand felt unusually natural to Natalie. Her eyes canvassed Natalie's face, a fierce longing clear in the cerulean depths, drawing Natalie closer.
"If you think treating me to greasy carnival food and taking me on a ride is enough to warrant a kiss, think again," Natalie murmured, grasping the wrist of Jude's free hand, unable to pull her eyes from the inscrutable gaze as she raised an eyebrow.
"I admit, I came here because I distinctly remember there always being a cheese sampling stand. Who can pass up free brie?" Jude digressed with a chuckle, the sound throaty and deep.
"I'm not saying I don't want to kiss you, but I think I deserve a bit more wooing," Natalie speculated. Jude brought Natalie's hand to her lips, kissing each knuckle with a tenderness that caused Natalie's heart to flutter beneath her rib cage and nearly lose her resolve.
"Yes, you do deserve much more. Have dinner with me," Jude murmured against Natalie's hand, the heat from her lips absorbing in the soft skin, coursing through her, Natalie's blood turning molten.
"When?" Natalie breathed, the intensity of the eyes watching her own made her oddly compare the situation to a power struggle as she strained to keep herself from kissing Jude.
"Tomorrow," Jude said, reluctantly letting go of Natalie's hand.
"How about lunch? Downtown Seattle. And let me see your phone," Natalie suggested, the loss of Jude's touch noticeable.
Jude gave Natalie a curious look before handing over her phone. Natalie tapped her number in, sending herself a text and handing it back to Jude.
"I'll send you the address in the morning of a place I know." Natalie said, readjusting her bag over her shoulder, Jude staring at her. Natalie leaned forward and placed a conservative kiss on her cheek before turning to leave.
**
Natalie reached her townhouse an hour and a half later, cursing the heavy traffic the whole way home. The neighborhood of Sandpoint was starkly quiet compared to the busy interstate. It was a quaint, well-established, and family friendly community north of downtown Seattle that she was grateful to be a part of.
She tossed her bags on the living room floor, the portfolio spilling its contents across the floor, and Natalie saw Jude's portrait staring back up at her.
"Crap," she muttered to herself when she noticed the portrait among the blank pages scattered on the white carpet. Jude's eyes, darkened by the charcoal, stared back up at her with an obsidian depth. She mentally berated herself for not giving Jude the portrait she'd made. Good thing I'm seeing her tomorrow, she thought with a smile. She slipped the portrait back into the plastic folder before peering around with caution just as her furry companion came bounding down the hall with his gnarled toy. The Labrador mix eagerly threw himself onto Natalie, drool sweeping across her face. Natalie ruffled his ears and sat up.
"Get your leash, Bruce," she commanded. The dog obeyed, running over to the couch, scooping up his red leash, and trotting back to Natalie with the rope in his muzzle.
The evening had grown cool, the summer heat remaining on the breeze that tickled the errant hair hanging loosely at the nape of her neck. The effect the enigmatic woman from the fair had on Natalie was startling to her. It wasn't as though Natalie was opposed to going on a date with a woman, quite the contrary.
It was that Jude seized Natalie's attention so effortlessly, causing her to almost break her own rule of not kissing on the first date. No matter how silly the rule was, it was her rule and she'd had no trouble keeping it before. Natalie shook her head.
There was an eccentricity about the beautiful stranger that struck her the moment she sat down in front of Natalie and she couldn't put her finger on its nature. Whatever it was drew Natalie to Jude rather than deter her, like a moth to a licking flame. Bruce tugged at his leash, yanking Natalie across the street to the park for his nightly escapades. Natalie complied with her four-legged friend as he bounded into the cool evening, her mind still fixated on the woman from the fair.
**
Jude glanced down at her phone, reconfirming the address Natalie had sent her via text message. She was in the right place, but it didn't appear to be a restaurant.
The address led Jude to an urban park a few blocks from Pike Place Market. A fountain stood erected in the middle of the concrete area, water spilling down into a round pond filled with sparkling coins, shimmering mystically beneath. Jude sat at its edge, relishing the sound and the cool air the flow of water emitted.
Jude never met a woman for a second date let alone a lunch date, but Natalie was different for reasons Jude couldn't rationalize. The brief time spent together at the fair had been riveting and Jude found herself eager to know more about the alluring woman. Jude found her usual confidence lacking, an uncharacteristic sense of nervousness pervading her as she waited for her arrival. She glanced down at her watch, noting it was nearly ten minutes later than Natalie had said she'd be there.
A small black bird fluttered to the ground, regarding Jude with a slight tilt of its head, and then it pecked its beak amongst the grass. Jude wished she had something to throw its way but hadn't even a crumb.
As a self-proclaimed solitudinarian, Jude's seeking out the quiet safe harbor of her apartment and occasional social engagements with her sister were the extent of her life. Her various encounters with women all ended as soon as they began and she never actively sought the emotional comfort expected in relationships. Occasionally, a mild sense of loneliness pierced her fleetingly, although noticeable only when she allowed the unwanted emotion to surface without repression.
Until now, when waiting for the captivating woman stirred the discomfort associated with having a true romantic interest in another human being. Looking down at her watch again, she wondered if she was being stood up.
"Hey! I'm sorry, there was an accident on the interstate that stopped traffic for way too long." Jude lifted her head and saw Natalie walking up to her, emerald eyes catching the afternoon sunlight that filtered through the trees. Jude felt her heart rate quicken, her palms grew sweaty, and she felt like a teenager again. She stood and hid her relief with a confident smile.
"That's okay. What did you have in mind for lunch?" Jude asked and laughed when Natalie indicated to the food trucks parked on the curb beside the park.
"You want to buy food from a roach coach?"
"Don't knock it 'til you try it!" Natalie said as they headed to the vehicles.
As they got their food, Natalie suggested they sit in the grassy area beneath the trees and Jude obliged, following her to the serene spot. The grass was cool and fresh, and they spread out their food under the shade of a couple oak trees. Jude relaxed with a sigh as she sat, grateful for the relief from the late summer sun. While they were in line, Natalie had explained to Jude that her mother used to bring her and her siblings to that very park when she was small.
"This is awesome," Jude conceded, savoring the bite of an authentic Korean wrap. Natalie nodded, her mouth full.
"So, do you and your mom still come here?" Jude asked with sincere curiosity.
Natalie shook her head and her face darkened. "No. I don't talk much to her much these days," Natalie confided, taking another bite of food.
"I hope it isn't too bold of me to ask, but why not?" Jude's tone was full of hesitation.
"My mom wasn't very happy when I came out and stopped talking to me after I refused to see her pastor to 'cure' me of my 'sexual deviance.' I still talk to my father though and he loves me just the same," Natalie said with a slight smile. Jude's face fell at the confession and she wanted to take Natalie into her arms to ease her family's rejection. She couldn't begin to imagine the isolation.
"I'm sorry, Natalie. That's awful," she said instead. Natalie shrugged, clearly unperturbed.
"It's okay. I'm fortunate to have my cousin Jamie, the one from the fair. She's my best friend and her parents treat me like another daughter rather than a niece. How about your family? How did they react when you came out? Or, have you?" Natalie asked.
Jude stared at her for a moment, considering the question. Natalie's eyes widened.
"God, I'm so rude. You don't have to answer that," Natalie stressed. Jude laughed at Natalie and this time couldn't repress the urge to touch her, leaning forward to take her hand in her own. Natalie's hand was warm, her skin silky. Jude rubbed her thumb over her palm.
"It's fine, you weren't being rude by asking. My sister knows, but she came out first anyway. I'm not sure my father would take much notice even if I formally came out to him, although he is aware of my preferences. He's a bit preoccupied with the family business," Jude said evenly, but continued more softly, "I never knew my mother but, from what I've heard of her, I'm sure she would have been more than accepting."
She noticed she still held Natalie's hand in her own and didn't want to release it. What Jude hadn't noticed in their previous encounter was the delicate splash of freckles that adorned Natalie's nose and cheeks, even stretching down her neck in spots. They were just faint specks of color making her eyes vibrant, especially in the natural lighting sifting through the swaying trees.
Jude felt a flutter in her chest as unbridled affection burst through her, causing her to blush and turn her head. They sat in a comfortable silence while they finished their food.
"Are you free next weekend?" Jude inquired as they deposited their garbage in the trash can and meandered closer to the edge of the park, avoiding their departure from one another.
"I am. What did you have in mind?"
"There's a gallery down the street from here doing an exhibit for emerging artists. Do you want to go with me?" Jude asked.
"I'd love to."
"I'll send you the address," Jude said, her hands tucked in the back pockets of her jeans as she leaned in closer to Natalie, watching her pupils widen as she grew closer.
"Do I get a kiss this time?" Jude breathed, her lips inches from Natalie's. Natalie teasingly shook her head.
"Just a peck," she whispered, pressing her lips against Jude's daintily. Jude's eyes were still closed when Natalie pulled back, beaming at her. This woman is going to drive me insane, Jude thought as she watched Natalie walk away.
**
"Jude has a date? Not only date number one, but number three? I've been transported to another universe," Roland said obnoxiously. Her hand was draped above her sunglasses to shield away the remorseless sun as she stretched out on the chaise, sunbathing in near nudity. The penthouse balcony was directly beneath the beating rays of heat and Jude fanned herself. She decided to catch up with her sister after her and Natalie's lunch, having missed her at the coffee shop in the morning.
Roland sat up and glared at her sister. "You'd rather go on a date with some girl you met at the state fair than go to the club with me on a Friday night?" she asked.
Jude stared at her sister, Roland's eyes unreadable beneath the sunglasses.
"I don't even like going to the club with you when I'm sans date," Jude responded.
Roland rested back in the chaise with a giggle, stretching her legs out and sighing. "You don't like going with me because you're boring."
Jude scoffed and stood, retreating to the shade of the awning hanging above the balcony. "No, I don't like going with you because you find the most attractive woman there and convince her to go to bed with you. It's embarrassing." Jude said, shuffling her feet.
Roland sat up again, pulling her sunglasses down, her eyes piercing. "There's no convincing needed. It's not my fault you're chronically unable to indulge in the fruits of life. And what happened to you not judging me for how I live my life?" Roland had a fierceness in her eyes that startled Jude.
"You're right. I'm sorry," Jude apologized sincerely to her twin.
Roland smirked and lay back in chaise, the wine glass to her lips. After a generous pull of the red liquid, she shook her head. "That's your problem, sister. You take everything so seriously. One of these days you're going to have to lighten up."
Jude sensed an uncouth comment from her sister on the horizon.
Roland tilted her head toward Jude, a finger tugging at her sunglasses so her eyes were on Jude again. "Please tell me the fair girl is attractive, at the very least."
Jude sneered playfully at Roland before nodding. "Are you trying to tell me my taste in women is questionable? She's a school teacher and a talented artist from what I've seen. And, yes, she's beautiful, gorgeous green eyes, adorable freckles, perfect curves."
"Oh, I love the artsy type," Roland remarked, her lips curling into a devilish smile, clearly projecting her thoughts at Jude.
Jude cleared her throat. "Don't even think about it," she growled.
Roland howled with laughter.
**
The gallery was at the top of the building, and it was enormous, with windows stretching floor to ceiling, which Natalie surmised would be ideal for its irreplaceable natural lighting during the day. However, it was night, and the loft was illuminated by recessed lights in the ceiling.
Laughter drifted through the doorway where she stood observing. Her eyes wandered through the people, noticing their affluent apparel and feeling under dressed in her simple pale blue V-neck blouse, white jeans, and converse sneakers.
They had texted frequently throughout the week, Jude reassuring her that very morning that the exhibition would be a casual affair and she needn't worry about dressing in anything fancy. Natalie shook her head at the memory as she watched a woman walk past in a black shimmering evening gown. She felt mildly better when another person walked by in ripped blue jeans and a tattered shawl.
