Chapter 36

Tasha was feeling much better on Friday after her talk with Megan the night before. Work passed mostly uneventfully. There was a sense of eagerness in the office as the day progressed. The company holiday party typically wasn’t a lavish affair, but it had an open bar, and the food was generally really good—although it was hard to get a bad meal in Portland.

Anyway, free food and drinks was fun, plus there was usually a well-stocked raffle. Even Kevin was taking a break from being horrible.

Late afternoon, Tasha was notified that a courier had arrived for her, which was unusual. Opening the package, she found stiletto heels and black stockings, along with a note. I suspect that you might have forgotten accessories. Love, Maria. Tasha had been planning on leggings and Doc Martens. She debated whether to stay with her original plan or accept that Maria was meddling and just go along. The leggings and Doc Martens would be comfortable, but the stockings and stilettos did go better with the dress. At quarter after five, Tasha headed for the bathroom to change and make sure that her hair and make-up were in good shape. When she emerged after five thirty, everyone was already on their way to the lounge where the party was being held.

Tasha arrived at the party and said hi to her co-workers. Everyone else was in their work clothes, and Tasha began to feel self-conscious. She made her way to the bar to get a rum and Coke, light on the rum. As she sipped her drink, her anxiety increased. This was a dumb idea. Why did I invite Megan to this? Why did I wear this stupid dress? Oh yeah—Maria. She’s up to something. Well, maybe we can just stay for a few minutes, have a drink, and then go have a girls night like Megan suggested. Oh, great, here comes Kevin.

“Hi Tasha. When do we meet your plus one?”

“Soon, I hope.” What the hell is that on his head?

“Are you having a good time?”

“Yeah, how about you?” Is that a mistletoe hat? At least it’s not a belt buckle.

“I really enjoy these…”

Tasha expected Kevin to go on, but instead he stopped. Actually, everything seemed to stop. The band paused in their setup, the conversations came to a halt, everyone was staring at the door.

Kevin broke the silence, saying, “Who is that?”

Tasha turned and followed everyone else’s gaze to the door. Framed in the entryway was a woman in an emerald gown, inlaid with silver Celtic triskelion patterns. Her purple, lavender-accented hair was done up in an elegant styling, contrasting with the natural red peeking through at the base. She wore silver gloves and had a silver tiara in her hair. Her green eyes locked on to Tasha’s and she smiled.

Tasha answered, her voice barely more than a whisper, “That’s my girlfriend.”

PART TWO: IN YOUR EYES

Across the silent room, Megan heard Tasha’s words. She had been a girlfriend multiple times and then a fiancée and then a wife, but this was different from everything before. This was her best friend, whom she had known for almost half her life. This was the woman that she loved and that loved her back. Tasha had just claimed her in public, and Megan’s heart leapt.

Now, it was her turn to publicly lay claim to Tasha, and with that, she stepped forward.

Stiletto heels are generally considered uncomfortable; however, they lend themselves perfectly to a maneuver that Megan had always thought of as The Strut. It was something that you might see in a movie or a stage show. The Strut required balance, grace, and finesse. Most of all, it required perfect confidence. Too much confidence and it became exaggerated and you could break an ankle. Too little confidence and you were probably going to stumble and break an ankle. This was a move in the realm of actresses, drag queens, courtesans, and models.

Megan would never usually try anything like this, but that vast well of anxiety that had been eating at her for days was gone. With her eyes locked onto Tasha’s, Megan strutted.

Each step brought her closer to her heart’s desire. Megan felt her heart thundering against her ribs. The only sounds were the click of her heels and the swish of her dress. The room felt hot and her breath was ragged in her throat. Megan could see the smile forming on Tasha’s lips as she watched Megan walk towards her. She felt her own lips curve into an answering smile. Megan felt like a goddess.

Megan felt every eye in the room on her, but only two eyes mattered. Her entire world was there before her, and her smile grew with each step forward.

Reaching Tasha, Megan reached out and touched her arm. “Hello… girlfriend,” Megan purred.

“Hello, yourself,” Tasha purred back. She pulled Megan into an embrace. Sound returned to the room as everyone shook off their reverie.

“Holy shit,” Kevin uttered. “If you need some mistletoe?—”

Pulling away from Tasha, Megan’s gaze swiveled toward Kevin. “You must be Kevin.”

“How did you know?”

“Kevin,” she said firmly. “Before I decide to call your company’s HR Monday morning and file a complaint about sexual harassment at a company function, why don’t you take off that stupid hat and leave us the hell alone.”

Kevin blanched and scampered off, pulling off the hat as he went.

The look of surprise and glee on Tasha’s face was priceless as she said, “I’ve wanted to do that for so long. I am so turned on right now.”

Megan answered with a playful, yet sultry grin. “By me telling off your boss, or by this dress?”

“Definitely you telling off my boss, but also this dress. Where did you—Maria. She’s meddling.”

“She is. I feel like I’m okay with it, though. The look on your face…”

“On my face? On everyone’s face! Girl, you could have heard a pin drop in here.”

“I know! I felt so exposed, and then you called me your girlfriend and I just felt powerful. I really like that, by the way. Girlfriend. That word tastes delicious in my mind.”

“Me too! And you called me your girlfriend, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Megan blushed crimson as she acknowledged that, but she smiled as well.

“So, girlfriend,” Tasha drawled. “Maria got you dolled up for me?”

“Tasha, you should have seen it! Maria hired a professional crew from a TV show. They were amazing!”

“Megan, I think you’d look beautiful in a burlap sack, but wow…”

“Thank you, and you look amazing as well! Oh, we’re green and red tonight. Like Christmas!”

“You’re so silly, but you’re right. Also, where did you learn that walk? I’d break an ankle!”

“The Strut? Watching movies and stuff. I can’t believe that I didn’t break anything!”

“You were like a goddess! Growing up with my father, he wanted me to read about ancient cultures and their stories. I never understood why so many cultures had goddesses like Ishtar, the Goddess of Love and War, Kali, the midnight-hued Mother and Destroyer, bright-eyed Athena, Goddess of Crafts, Wisdom, and War, whose father so feared her birth that he swallowed her mother whole, or Freya, Goddess of Love, Sex, and War, whose chariot is pulled by two cats.”

“Two cats? Really?”

“Yes. As I was saying, I never understood that duality ascribed to so many goddesses until you walked across the room. Like life and death hung in the balance.”

“Wow… I mean, in that moment, I felt powerful, but more than anything, I was focused on one thing. The Goddess in front of me.”

“Oh, I like it. I guess that we can be goddesses together.”

“Right now, though, this particular goddess could use a drink and some food.”

“Of course, Megan. Let’s get you some food and a drink, and then I’ll introduce you to my co-workers.”

“As your girlfriend?”

“Definitely!”

The pair made the rounds, chatting with people as they went. Eventually, they found themselves alone at a table where they listened to the band and got caught up on each other’s days.

After a bit, Megan said, “I want to dance with my girlfriend.” She grabbed Tasha’s hand and drew her out onto the dance floor. They danced for a few songs before the band slowed things down. Then they moved close for the slow song, the world falling away as they did. As they swayed to the music, they felt as if there was no one else in the room.

That spell was broken as the band kicked up the tempo. Megan said, “My feet are starting to hurt.”

“Me too.”

“Tasha…”

“Yeah…”

“Let’s get out of here. There’s something that I want to do, and I don’t want a room full of strangers around.”

“What’s that?”

“I want to kiss you.”