Aka. "Destination Anywhere", "The Boy and Girl from County Bavaria"... After a very intense year in Würzburg (Germany), I'm back in Salamanca. I probably won't have that many experiences to write, but there's always an excuse to post a new entry!

7.

"Why do I always have to be the assigned driver?" Zach complained playfully as he and Sharon pulled up at The Rainbow Garden.
"You know how difficult it is to convince Tarja not to drink. Kim's car is being repaired and I... well, I just love the way you drive" she giggled.
"Ha-ha! Come on, admit it! You just want me to drive so you can make the club run out of vodka orange."
"Guilty!"
Zach shook his head jokingly as he stepped out of the car.
"You European girls are dangerous! You're even worse than sponges!"
"Oh my god, this reminds me" Sharon started "The other day, when you disappeared with that blonde guy" she coughed meaningfully "Tarja was already quite tipsy and she looked at me from top to bottom and said ‘God, if I keep drinking, I might end up raping you!' It was so cute!"
But the way Zach stared at her made Sharon's laughter stop. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on.
"What?"
"You find that cute?"
"Yeah... well, I know rape is something horrible that shouldn't be taken as a joke..."
"No, I don't mean that" Zach interrupted "That phrase sounded a lot like flirting to me."
"And what's the problem?"
"What's the problem?" he repeated, frowning "Maybe your lesbian friend hitting on you?"
"It's not such a big deal. Why does everyone have to turn something completely innocent into a scandal?"
"Ha! Something innocent, good one" Zach chuckled sarcastically "Sharon, you've known Tarja longer than I have... and you still haven't realized that she's the opposite of innocent?"
"So what?"
"What part of she's hitting on you do you not understand? That girl is clearly into you!"
"Zach, I'm not stupid" Sharon said calmly "I know that she likes me. And Kim probably too."
"You know?! And you don't mind it?"
"No, not at all, why should I? It's really flattering to think that not one, but two women can be interested in me."
"I thought you were not into women..."
"I'm not. I just feel appreciated and desirable."
"Right..." Zach raised his eyebrows skeptically.
Sharon rolled her eyes. Why was it so hard to understand? She liked having her friends around and was not going to let the fact that they were into women ruin it. Besides, she honestly found the way Kimberly and Tarja flirted with her sweet. She knew she could tell them if they were going too far.
The other two were already waiting for them downstairs at the bar. Tarja had a sip of her drink, her lower back resting against the counter. She and Kim had taken a taxi together, and Zach would be driving them home for the third week in a row. It was going to be a good time, her intuition was telling her. There were not many pretty girls in sight yet, but the night was still young. Besides, if there were no victims for the evening, Sharon was already a gift for her eyes. She could be certain that she wouldn't be bored with her. Sometimes she even had the impression that her new friend didn't exactly mind her constant flirting. Maybe the moment had come. Seeing how much she had loosened up in the past weeks, maybe with a few glasses she'd be ready...
She saw her and Zach coming in and felt her own lips curling into a smile. After a long gulp, she made her way through the crowd to greet them, followed by Kim.
"Sorry for the wait" Sharon excused herself "In the end my shift ended a bit later than it was supposed to..."
"Oh, it's fine. Everything is good now that you're here."
Kimberly rolled her eyes. She would never understand how Tarja always managed to get any girl she wanted with such cheap, stereotypical pick-up lines. At least remembering her conversations with Sharon, she felt that she had more chances with her than the Finn. Together, the four of them went back to the bar. Zach gave Sharon a playful glare as he saw her with a glass of vodka orange in her hand. She responded by putting out her tongue. Tarja had to drown her thoughts in her gintonic at the sight of it. She felt slightly ridiculous; how could her libido be so overactive? She definitely needed to get laid. As usual, the Dutch girl downed her drink a few minutes later, so she saw her chance right away.
"Ever tried tequila, Sharon?" she asked her, placing a hand discreetly on her lower back.
"Actually not" the other woman replied with a grin.
"Then it's your lucky night. I feel generous."
As the two giggling girls brushed past Kim and Zach to order their shots, the blonde sighed harshly. Even though she and Tarja were friends, the Finn seemed to forget that she existed when there was a beautiful lady in sight. Although she didn't have much in common with Zach, she chose to make some conversation with him, if only to entertain herself.
"What are you looking at so interested?" she wondered.
It took Zach some seconds to get out of the trance.
"Oh! Nothing..."
"Which nothing in that group exactly?"
Zach returned her a sheepish smile.
"Alright, you caught me. Long hair, black t-shirt."
Kimberly followed his gaze. If it was the one she was thinking, she couldn't exactly tell whether it was male or female.
"The one who looks like an anime character?"
"Yeah, that one." Zach nodded.
"He's cute."
"Right. I keep forgetting that you're into guys too. I usually comment these things with Sharon. We have the same taste."
"Well, if you want my opinion, I think he's a bit young for you."
Zach narrowed his grey eyes.
"Are you calling me old? I'm two years younger than you, missy!"
"No, I didn't mean that. But I doubt that boy is even twenty."
"I disagree" Zach retorted "Besides, look at him. Whatever his age, he seems very confident. I find that incredibly sexy."
The blonde bit her lip. Sharon always said that she and Zach were almost always of the same opinion; they were so similar that it was scary, according to her. If he was so much into confident guys, would that mean the brunette was also more attracted to self-assured girls? Did she say the opposite just to cheer her up? That was stupid, though - if Sharon ever seemed to show any interest in her (or any other woman, for that matter), it was purely wishful thinking.
"Alright, if he makes eye contact one more time, I'm going there" Zach brought her back to reality.
Kimberly sighed, praying that the long-haired boy wouldn't look their way. Otherwise, her only support for the night would probably ditch her.
In the meantime, the two Europeans were already having their fourth shot. Anyone who could hear them laugh at all sorts of stupid jokes like two teenagers would swear that the alcohol was already kicking in. However, it took more than four tequila shots and a mixed drink to get those ladies drunk. At the most they were starting to get slightly tipsy.
"One more?" Tarja suggested.
"Yeah. I like this stuff. I never dared to try it before because I thought it'd taste like cologne, but it's nice."
"Ok, then I'm ordering one more shot. But this time, we're doing it the right way."
Sharon wondered what she meant by ‘the right way'. And her confusion grew even more when she saw her friend ask the waitress for a saltshaker and two slices of lemon.
"What's this all for?" she wanted to know.
"That, my friend, is the way Mexicans do it. First you have to lick some salt, then you drink your shot and after that you bite the lemon."
"Oh... sounds like fun!" Sharon smiled.
She took the saltshaker and put some salt on her finger. She was going to lick it off when Tarja stopped her.
"Uh-uh. This brings bad luck" she invented "If you really want to do it properly, someone else has to lick the salt off you."
And with those words, she took the Dutch girl's finger to her mouth and licked it, giving her a sensual look.
"It tickles!" Sharon giggled.
Tarja grinned, keeping the sly expression still on her face as she salted her finger. Then she moved it slowly in front of Sharon's face as she singsonged:
"Your turn!"
With a cute, cheeky smile, Sharon parted her lips and let the finger in. Tarja felt a shiver traveling down her spine as the other woman's tongue made contact with her skin. Even in such a simple, silly gesture, she could already tell that Sharon knew how to use it. And actually, for someone who's not into women, she was playing along in quite a flirtatious way. It was a brief instant, but in her mind it felt eternal - or at least she wished it never ended.
"Ok, now we can drink!" she announced, taking her glass and toasting against Sharon's "Kippis!"
They both downed their shots in one gulp. After catching her breath, the Dutch girl flashed a teasing smirk.
"Is there also some special tradition for the lemon or can I just bite my slice?"
"Actually, there is. It will work better if we cross the slices - I feed you yours and you feed me mine."
"Sounds fair."
This time, it was Sharon who took the slice of lemon to Tarja's mouth. Positively surprise by this sudden confidence, the Finn bit the lemon, her eyes sparkling with desire. Sharon didn't avoid her gaze - in fact, Tarja was certain that if she wasn't flirting back, she surely was enjoying the game.
"What are you guys doing?" Kim asked, shocked to find them with their hands almost in each other's mouth.
"Oh... Mexican tradition" Sharon laughed embarrassedly.
"Of course..." the blonde gave Tarja a meaningful glare.
A challenging smirk was Tarja's response.
"Weren't you with Zach?"
"I was. Until he ditched me for some teenager" Kimberly sighed.
"That's typically Zach" Sharon chuckled "He has a passion for younger boys."
"Does he also have a passion for leaving his friends in the lurch?"
"Aaaaw, you're not alone!" Sharon wrapped an arm around Kim's shoulders "You still have us!"
Tarja nodded with a soft smile, although deep down she wanted to choke the third friend for interrupting their moment. Timing was one of her strengths for sure. Besides, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when Sharon touched her.
"I'm gonna order something else" she announced "Wanna drink anything, you guys?"
"No, I'm fine" Sharon replied "I'm already kind of dizzy with the tequila shots."
"I'm fine, too."
Once she was giving her back to the other two, the Finn rolled her eyes. Kim would always play the helpless blonde card, and the sad thing is that it appeared to work with Sharon. She was so close! A couple more minutes alone with Sharon and the brunette would have been all hers. No matter what others said, she could feel the chemistry between them two. If only the Dutch girl would loosen up and follow her inner desires... God, she really needed that drink.
"Hey! What's up?" a female voice next to her made her snap back to reality.
Pretty girls hardly ever took the first step, so she was already expecting one of those annoying butches. Ready to get rid of the ‘candidate' with a good dose of bitchiness, she turned around.
"Do I know you?" she responded coldly with another question.
"I think you do" the stranger replied with a big smile "Don't we go to the same gym?"
"Unless by gym you mean that tiny room with a couple exercising machines in the Little Europe building, I'm afraid your crappy pick-up line won't work."
That didn't wipe the smile off the other woman's face. She brushed some blonde locks away from her face.
"Actually, that's exactly what I meant. I think I've seen you there a few times. And you're also in the choir, right?"
Now that truly caught her by surprise. Apparently, the girl was honest when she said that they knew each other; it wasn't just cheap flirting. Seeing her more closely, the newcomer actually looked vaguely familiar. She didn't have many friends in the organization, though, so she probably hadn't noticed her. Maybe she wasn't just a creep; there was no reason for her to take her bad mood out on her. And she wasn't really unattractive.
"Yeah, you're right" Tarja forced a smile "Are you there too?"
"Mhmm. I can't come to most rehearsals though" her new acquaintance explained "By the way, my name is Liv."
"Norwegian?" the other guessed.
Liv nodded.
"Then we're almost neighbours" Tarja commented.
"Denmark?"
"Nope, Finland."
"Oh, never been there, unfortunately. And your name is...?"
"Tarja."
"I like that name" Liv rested her elbow on the counter "So, Tarja... can I get you a drink?"
"Sure" the flirtatious grin returned to the Finn's face "I'm dying for a gintonic..."
Not far away from there, Kim and Sharon were contemplating the scene. They had been chatting amusedly since the blonde's arrival, and now, Tarja being distracted by a different blonde was quite a fun sight.
"Someone just made a friend" Sharon commented with a giggle.
"I know! She's always like this."
"Really?" the Dutch girl exclaimed.
"Oh, you have no idea. She's been quite calm in the past few months... but I see the old Tarja is back."
The brunette stifled a laugh. She knew about the Finn's flirty attitude, but she had never seen her being a player.
"Maybe we should leave them alone?" she suggested.
Realizing what this would mean, Kimberly sensed that her heart was beating faster. Now, with Tarja and Zach out of the picture, Sharon was all her own, and maybe not only in the metaphorical sense. Trying not to let her excitement show, she nodded.
"Let's go" the brunette said, taking her hand.
If she only knew the effects such a simple contact was having on her... Sharon literally dragged her to the dancefloor and began moving opposite her.
"Come on, dance with me!"
But Kim felt incapable of doing it. It was as if every single muscle of her body was frozen. Had she ever been so nervous before? She was usually comfortable around Sharon, especially when they were on their own. Yet that evening there was something different, and she couldn't exactly tell what.
"What's wrong?" Sharon asked her.
"Nothing, I'm fine. But you... are you drunk?" she stammered.
"Maybe a little..."
She didn't need to swear it. Although cheerful and outgoing by nature, that evening Sharon was particularly flirtatious and forward. She was also goofier than usual, laughing about anything. That made Kimberly more nervous. Maybe that night would be the night... Swallowing hard, she forced herself to dance along.
Her whole body trembled as she felt the Dutch girl's arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer as she swayed her hips sensually. Was she doing it on purpose? How could she be such a tease? With shaky hands, she placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders and tried to dance along to her pace. Sharon giggled satisfied. Had she realized how near they were?
After dancing together, almost every part of their bodies touching each other, Sharon leaned in and whispered in her ear:
"You look really sexy when you dance, did you know that?"
Kimberly returned her an unsure smile. The other responded with another loud giggle and hugged her tightly. In spite of how anxious she was, her embrace felt incredibly soothing and warm.
"Wanna go to a quieter place and just... drink and talk?"
The blonde nodded. By ‘a quieter place', she hoped Sharon meant one of their flats. If possible Kim's; she didn't want to have to deal with the other's roommates. As they headed outside, she could only feel that she was each time one step closer to her goal.
She felt slightly disappointed when she found out that the place her friend was talking about was simply a small, cozy pub around the corner. That, however, was far from a mood killer. In Kimberly's mind, the rest of the evening went by really quickly, almost in a blur. Yet two details stood out.
Holding a bottle of beer between her fingers and wearing that black tank top, Sharon looked really hot and tough. The combination of those tequila shots plus all the other drinks had brought an absent grin to her face. She was sitting with her back against the wall, looking very relaxed.
"Are you tired?" Kim asked, more trying to make conversation than actually meaning it.
"Nah, a bit... but I'm ok. Just wanted to make myself more comfortable."
"Yeah, this is definitely more comfortable than the club..."
"Mmhmmm. And quieter. I loved dancing with you though."
The blonde sensed colour taking over her cheeks. All she could think of whenever she heard the word ‘dance' was how close they had been to each other. At some points, her mouth had almost touched the brunette's neck... or her cheeks... or her lips. But most of all, she couldn't get what she had said off her mind. You look really sexy when you dance. Those words were still running through her brain.
"I loved it too. You're a great dancer."
"I'm not!" Sharon chuckled "I just get really into it. But anyway, I'm glad we're here now. I really like spending time with you alone."
Kimberly's heart skipped a beat. She had just said alone! She told herself to calm down; probably she was reading too much into it. However, later that evening, something else would happen that would confuse her even more. There was a second detail that would make the night hard to forget.
As it was whenever they went for a coffee together, the two women spent hours and hours sitting in the pub and talking about everything, enjoying each other's company. They only considered going home when one of the waiters started sweeping, which indicated that the place would close soon. Without needing to use words, they glanced at each other briefly and started picking up their handbags, ready to get out.
"It's been a great time" Sharon commented with a smile, taking a deep breath of fresh air once outside.
"Sure! I just hope Tarja and Zach didn't feel ditched..."
"Shouldn't we be the ones feeling ditched?" she giggled.
"You're right" the blonde admitted.
She looked around herself in silence. The night was warm and the streets were starting to empty. Most people, just like them, were already heading home, except for some night owls still chatting in front of the bars, probably discussing where to go next.
"What are you thinking?" Sharon asked her.
In her black leather jacket, the Dutch girl looked even more desirable, emphasizing her rockstar image. Kimberly bit the inside of her cheek.
"I was just thinking that if we didn't leave that far away from each other, we could share a taxi... unless you wanna come to my place and have one last drink."
"Oh dear, I think I've already drunk enough for tonight! But thanks a lot for the invitation."
"You're welcome. Then... have a good night and a safe trip home!"
Yet Sharon could see through her friend. Behind her polite response there was quite a disappointment. With a tender smile, she placed her hands on Kimberly's shoulders, pulling her a little closer.
"Hey, don't be so sad! We'll meet again very soon."
And after saying that, she pecked Kim's lips softly.