Nature vs Nurture

She considered their friendship, the speed it had grown, tried to think of it separately from her physical attraction. Will I be satisfied with that if she finds someone she really wants on one of these dates? The thought stung but the thought of not having Rachael in her life was worse. So that's it, then. It's either faerie tale love or unrequited love and all you can do is smile, be wise, and wait to see what happens. Sighing in resignation, Saoirse removed her hand from her sex, got shakily to her feet and went to get ready for bed.

-

Oh just decide, will you! Rachael was becoming impatient with her own indecision. Three outfits lay on the bed before her as she stood only in her bra and pants. One: Black leggings, very short black dress as a top to go with them, and black peep-toe stiletto pumps. Two: Ankle length ivory cotton dress, buttoned up the front from thigh to neck and flared cuffs on the long sleeves, and coffee stiletto pumps. Three: A coral blue cocktail dress, very short with midnight blue suede stiletto pumps. She considered a fourth option and smiled to herself.

She walked to the wardrobe and removed the dress from the hangar there. It was black satin, oriental style, resplendent with an emerald lotus blossom design on the front and had been hanging there since Saoirse had worn it on Saturday night. Rachael's smile widened as she slid into it, getting a slight thrill from the thought of the red haired angel's body occupying the same dress only a short time ago. Stepping into the same black t-bar stilettos as well, she gave herself the once over in the full length mirror and could almost see Saoirse there in the reflection in place of herself. Too much? The decision was made anyway so she picked up her handbag and jacket from the bed and went down stairs.

Liam was reading and listening to music in the living room and looked up as she entered. "You look great Mum, as always. Isn't that Miss Hennigan's dress?"

Rachael didn't stifle the laugh. "No dear, it's mine; I leant it to her on Saturday night."

He shrugged and smiled. "Looks great anyway. Funny that you're the same size."

Yes, isn't it a lovely coincidence? "Well, this is it; first date. No idea what time I'll be back. I guess it depends on how well this goes. I will be home, though, there won't be any staying over going on."

"Ok, hope it goes well. Be careful, Mum."

She blew him a kiss and shut the living room door, butterflies stirring as a gentle reminder of her nervousness as she went out of the front door.

-

As she walked through the door of the lovely looking little restaurant, her butterflies were in full flight. With as much confidence as she could muster, Rachael walked to the small bar to ask if her date had arrived or if she could be shown to the table Lorna had said she'd reserve. Before she could get anyone's attention to ask, she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She jumped slightly, her preoccupation and circling butterflies exaggerating the surprise at being touched. Turning to face her assailant, her eyes came to rest on a familiar visage.

"S..." she started, faltering as she realised this was not her friend but was, in fact, her date.

"Rachael? Hi, I saw you come in, sorry for startling you." The voice was pleasant, higher pitched than Saoirse's and the accent, which she still expected to be Irish for some reason, was softly Scottish. She held out her hand. "Lorna... and may I say you look absolutely stunning." The blue eyes looked her up and down appraisingly.

Rachael took the proffered hand, squeezed it briefly and formed her first impression. Obviously, the face was already familiar but aside from knowing Lorna liked hiking, so must be in fairly good shape, she had no idea what the rest of her looked like.

She was dressed in a tight fitting ivory cotton top with very short sleeves, laced from the breasts to the low neck line. It ended just above her waist, leaving a narrow band of toned tummy visible between it and the top of her skirt. The skirt was night blue embroidered cotton, light and loose fitting and very short, the hem stopping well above mid thigh, the displayed legs bare and shapely, though she immediately noted they were slimmer and not quite as well toned as Saoirse's. She stood maybe an inch taller than Rachael but she couldn't tell if it was the low platform t-bar stiletto pumps she was wearing, the same night blue as her skirt. The Scottish red head was certainly quite beautiful but she wasn't feeling that inexplicable something that had struck her when she and Saoirse had first met.

Rachael followed Lorna to the table she'd reserved; a small square table for two just round a corner from the bar. Glancing around, she decided the atmosphere in the restaurant was nice. It was tastefully decorated, felt classy and was lit with fairly low ambient mood lighting provided by brass wall sconces placed above the tables around the edge. Part of her mind was already going into flight mode though, constantly questioning the wisdom of this date, seeing negative outcomes that would be difficult to rectify if they came to pass. The girl seemed lovely but right now, she wasn't feeling it; in fact she felt like an utter fraud. They took their seats and looked at each other.

"So you like Byron? That bold first message did make me laugh." Lorna broke through her distraction nicely.

"Actually no, not especially, that just seemed appropriate as it occurred to me. It made me laugh and I guessed if it made you laugh too, we were onto something." She relaxed a little and conversation became more casual as they perused their menus.

"Well it worked, good call." She smiled warmly, her blue eyes sparkling as the light from the wall sconce above the table caught them. "If you're vegetarian, by the way, I recommend the lasagne, it's absolutely delicious."

Rachael smiled back and poured them both a glass of water from the jug on the table, regarding her red haired, blue eyed date thoughtfully. Facially, she was so similar to Saoirse, with a bit of make-up one could probably make them look like twins. They could be taken for sisters just bare faced but the similarity was only skin deep, she could already tell. She looked up as a waiter arrived at the table, enquiring if they were ready to order.

"The vegetarian lasagne, please and a glass of fresh apple juice." Rachael smiled and handed the menu to the waiter. She wasn't vegetarian of course but she frequently made meals with no meat or fish at home.

Lorna ordered the same but with a glass of house white wine instead of the juice. As they waited for their food and drinks, Rachael relaxed a little and conversation became more casual as they discussed other poets, then literary tastes. It seemed no time at all until the meals arrived and they continued chatting and laughing easily, moving on to philosophy, then ancient history and ending on a mutual and immutable love of nature.

"So what do you do for a living?" Lorna asked as they were finishing their meals.

"I'm Senior Curator of mammalian fossils at the Natural History Museum," said Rachael with a hint of pride. She'd worked hard to get there and had only been given the position two years ago after 12 years as a researcher.

"Wow, amazing." She sounded genuinely impressed. "You know, I think you're about the most interesting person I've ever met. Beautiful and fascinating in one package." She held Rachael's eye as she spoke, looking slightly flushed, her lips parted a little and it wasn't hard to guess what she was thinking.

"Thank you; at least you don't think I'm a pretentious know-it-all." She maintained eye contact with the almost familiar eyes, adding," Yes, I have actually been called that," in response to Lorna's querying eyebrow.

A few moments silence followed as the two women sat and looked at each other. Who goes first now? I've had a lovely evening but do I want another date to see where this might lead?

"Ok, I'll go." The Scottish girl broke the silence. "I've had a great evening so far, Rachael, thank you so much. So before we go any further, can I ask you for a second date?"

Before she could think of further complications or objections, her mouth intervened. "So have I. You are a lovely girl, gorgeous in fact. I'd love a second date." She smiled broadly, now enjoying her bravery and feeling a sense of anticipation about how this might play out.

She fished her phone out of her handbag, checked the time first. She was surprised to see it was almost 10:30. Two and a half hours? Well, she was good company, no denying that. She gave Lorna her number and received a text immediately as the Scot sent her own.

"So when is good for you? Tomorrow?" She certainly was keen.

"Can't tomorrow but how about Wednesday? Same time different venue?" She didn't want to appear too enthusiastic but she couldn't deny that part of the reason was she didn't want to go two nights in a row without seeing Saoirse.

"It's a date. I could come over to somewhere near you instead. I think there's a nice wine bar not far from you?" The Scottish girl was making no effort to hide her own enthusiasm.

"You're right, Benvenuti and yes, it is very nice. If you can get there, that would be fine with me." Rachael started looking forward to it in spite of herself and her earlier reservations. This was a journey of discovery after all and she resolved to worry less and just enjoy it. She caught the waiter's eye and asked for the bill. "I've got this," she said to her date, waving off the protest before it got started.

"Thank you again, Rachael, you really are something," the red head said, beaming.

The bill paid, they made their way to the door which Lorna held open for Rachael as they stepped out.

"Thank you kindly," said Rachael with a smile. "My car is round the back. How are you getting home?"

The red head waved down the road. "I was going to walk; it's only about a 15-20 minutes."

Rachael looked at her feet. "In those shoes, are you kidding? Come on, I'll drop you off." She held out her arm and the red head took it as they walked slowly to the car park.

A few minutes later, the white Fiesta pulled up outside an old Victorian town house and Lorna got out then leaned in through the open door.

"Do you want to come in for a coffee before you drive back?" She asked, face hopeful.

Against her better judgement, Rachael agreed and parked the car in the space outside. Part of her mind was in protest now but she had enjoyed the Scottish girl's company so far and curiosity was taking the lead. Her place turned out to be the attic flat and three flights of stairs later, they stood at Lorna's front door.

Her place was lovely though somewhat sparsely furnished. The decor and ornaments were quite bohemian and Rachael could tell that each item in there had been handpicked; this was no themed ideal home advertisement. It was large for a flat and she surmised it must have been an amazing house in its original form as a family home. She followed her host to the kitchen and took a seat on one of the high stools she had next to the breakfast bar.

"Lovely place, Lorna, huge for a flat," she remarked.

"Thank you. Cost me everything I had when I bought it a couple of years ago but getting there now." She scooped freshly ground coffee into a cafetière as she talked.

Rachael had to admit she was quite taken with the Scottish red head after a lovely evening together but she wasn't feeling anything by way of physical attraction, beyond acknowledging that she was quite beautiful. Is a second date a good idea, then? A delicious smelling cup of coffee appeared in front of her on the breakfast bar to interrupt the thought, as Lorna pulled out the adjacent stool and sat herself down.

"Thank you." She took a sip, "Ahh lovely, thank you." She turned to face the red head, lifted one of her feet and hooked her heel around the bar on the stool. It was a high bar and the skirt of her dress was pushed back some revealing much of her thigh. The stools were close together and with her leg so raised her knee was almost touching Lorna. Great spatial awareness, Rach.

The red head looked down at the raised leg and Rachael could see her approval, noting it with some satisfaction. As she sipped her own coffee, the Scottish girl lifted both her feet and hooked her heels around the foot bar. The blue eyes met brown as she quite deliberately sandwiched Rachael's bare leg between her own and an involuntary shiver hit her as she felt their smooth skin firmly kiss. Neither spoke as they sat eye to eye and almost in reflex, Rachael lifted her other foot to the foot bar and squeezed Lorna's leg with her own.

The Scottish girl put down her coffee then reached for Rachael's and took it, placing it next to hers. She put a hand on each of Rachael's knees then ran them softly up her thighs as she leaned towards her. As if in a trance, the dark haired woman reciprocated, copying the action until in seeming slow motion, their lips met in the middle. It was a delicate collision, and for a few moments the two pairs of soft lips just pressed softly together. Rachael saw the blue eyes close, closed her own and abandoned herself to the kiss.

They started slowly, each meeting of lips tender and deliberate. Rachael felt Lorna's pressure increasing, her lips beginning to part as they met her own and she teased them with the tip of her tongue. Gently at first, the red head teased back, the tips of their tongues tasting sensuously between presses of lips. As she began wondering how this would progress, Rachael felt a hand on her cheek and one behind her head, the pressure increased and quite suddenly, they were kissing passionately, their eager mouths opening fully to allow their probing tongues to explore each other deeply.

Rachael felt her need increasing, lust beginning to take hold as the speed and pressure of the kiss increased. She unhooked her heels from the stool, feeling the smooth legs gripping her own do the same and with their silken thighs still scissored, they stood and pushed their bodies together. The red head's hands still holding her face and head, Rachael put her arms around the slim waist and squeezed her tightly, feeling the firm breasts press against her own through the thin cloth. Lorna pushed her thigh further between Rachael's, lifting her foot, pressing the thigh against her crotch. Rachael was hot now, undeniably aroused but.... But? But what?

She slowed the kiss, feeling Lorna react and slow her own momentum, the passionate French kiss dissolving into firm and moist meetings of slightly parted lips. The red head was almost panting as her breath came rapidly between her slightly parted lips.

"What is it?" she asked in a small voice. "Are you ok?"

Rachael stopped kissing and they stood, still holding each other, legs still entwined but uncertainty now taking hold. "I'll level with you, Lorna. This is the first time I've been with a woman. My husband died five years ago and I've been single since then. This is unknown territory for me."

"Ohh." The blue eyes showed understanding but were still showing her arousal clearly. "Well, let me just say you are an amazing kisser. I don't want to stop here but if you do, that's fine. If you want to carry on....?"

The mischievous and curious part of Rachael's mind, couple with her undeniable arousal, wanted to abandon caution and see where this led. Something held her back, the dissenting voice in her mind asking one crucial question; Who did you really think you were kissing?

"I'm sorry, I really am. I should've been honest about my position. That said, you are a great kisser and I have had a lovely evening with you. I'm just not ready. I thought I might be but I'm not." She released her hold on Lorna and sat down on the stool again. "Is it ok if I finish my coffee?"

Lorna laughed lightly. "Of course it is, I'm not going to rage and throw you out because I'm frustrated; I shouldn't have pushed on a first date anyway. You still want to meet Wednesday?" She also sat down and picked up her coffee.

"I think so, yes. I mean, I feel like an idiot now. Thanks for being so understanding." She pressed her knee against Lorna's, felt her push back.

"It's a date then." The blue eyes were smiling as they regarded her over the coffee cup.

-

It was almost midnight when Rachael quietly opened the front door at home, unsure if Liam would be asleep or not. The living room light was still on but it was silent and she gingerly pushed the door open to peek. Her son was dozing on the arm chair, a paperback novel held loosely on his lap.

"I'm home," she said softly, touching his shoulder.

He jerked awake, blinked,, focused on her face. "What time do you call this?" he asked, unable to stifle a smile.

"Sorry, wasn't my intention but I did have a lovely night and time just seemed to get away from me." She replayed the passionate clinch in Lorna's kitchen in her mind, still musing on her feelings about that. "Anyway, come on, bed time."

Liam was already on his feet and gave his Mum a brief hug. "Glad it was good. Night Mum."

She kissed his head and watched him leave the room, then stood for a moment, her mind unable yet to encompass this new reality she was creating. So you still don't know what you're feeling? Sleep on it and see what tomorrow brings...

-

Saoirse was just sorting out what she needed to take home from school when her phone started ringing from her handbag. She answered without looking, still rooting around in one of her desk drawers.

"Hello? Saoirse Hennigan speaking."

"Well hello Dr. Hennigan, how would you like chickpea dahl and homemade naan's for tea this evening?" Rachael sounded cheery and bright, honeyhoney's 'Thin line' audible in the background.

Saoirse chuckled happily. They hadn't spoken at all the previous day and it left a void she didn't like. "Sounds delicious. I'll nip home and change first..."

"No rush, I'm still at work for another hour anyway, just wanted to catch you before you made other plans."

What other plans would I make more important than a family dinner? "I'd have cancelled them anyway. Ok, Genie, I'll see you in a couple of hours. Mwah." The call ended and Saoirse's smile remained in place as she finished sorting her stuff.

-

Rachael answered the door just as Saoirse was about to ring the bell for the third time. Laughing as she opened it, she apologised for making her friend wait, the reason being evident as Deb Talan's Rocks and Water had been clearly audible from outside. The red head laughed, Rachael's clearly buoyant mood immediately making her feel cheerful. As she stepped in, she hit a wall of delicious cooking smells; fresh coriander, ground cumin and baking bread assaulted her senses mercilessly, making her mouth water.

"Oh my, I think I'm about to drool all over your carpet." It really did smell that good; she already knew Rachael was a good cook but as was becoming evident, she was quite the connoisseur chef.

"Hold it in if you can, I'll serve now you're here," she said over her shoulder as she walked back towards the kitchen.

The meal was as delicious as Saoirse had expected and as she mopped up the last bit of sauce with her remaining naan and Liam started to clear the table, she turned the conversation to Rachael's date. "So, how did it go then? You've given no hint yet."

Dark eyes met blue and for an instant, she said nothing, playing over the evening in her mind's eye. She looks so much like you, it's almost scary. "It was good, actually, I had a lovely evening. Nothing Earth shattering, relaxed, easy..." The memory of a silken thigh pushing between her own as soft lips collided, forced its way in.