The Seminar Workshops
by Ann Douglas
(ann_douglas@hotmail.com)
Colleen Braddock sat alone at a table on the far end of the hotel's veranda, nursing a drink and watching the setting sun drift below the horizon. The Twenty-six year old had been sitting there waiting for at least half an hour, but she resisted the temptation to check her watch to be sure. She knew that she had come down to the bar at least fifteen minutes early, but not to have done so would've left her with too much of a possibility of not coming at all.
The cute redhead, draped in a simple but flattering green and black cocktail dress, scanned the room, trying not to make eye contact with anyone while she searched for the person she was waiting for. The drink she was now taking her time with, her second of the evening, had been sent over by a gentleman at the bar. When the waiter had put the glass down in front of her, she had turned in the man's direction and made as much of a noncommittal thank you as she could manage.
Under normal circumstances, she being a healthy, single woman and he being a reasonably good-looking man, she might've even invited him to join her. But her reason for being here was hardly what she considered ordinary circumstances, so it was with trepidation that she had watched him come over to join her of his own accord.
It had turned out that, like herself, the man was an employee of Trans- Continental Transport and was in Washington, D.C. for the week long seminar that had concluded on Friday, two days before. He had remembered her from some of the events, which hadn't been hard since she was younger than most of the participants, and wondered if she might like some company.
Colleen had thanked him for his offer but explained that she was waiting for someone, even offering to pay for her own drink. The man, who introduced himself as Bruce Myerson, declined, saying that the drink had come with no strings, but if her friend failed to show, he still be over at the bar for a little while. Watching him walk back to the seat he'd just vacated, Colleen thought that for a guy in his late thirties, Bruce had a pretty tight ass. The rest of him hadn't been that bad either, she added, an observation that reminded her that it had been more months that she liked to think about since she'd been with a man. But she'd made a commitment, one that if she didn't stick to she was sure she would regret later. Maybe not tomorrow or the day after but she was sure eventually.
Idly stirring the swizzle stick in her drink, Colleen brushed back her shoulder length hair and considered how she'd wound up here tonight. She had worked for TCT, as it was more commonly known, ever since she'd graduated from college, working her way up the ladder to assistant manager of shipping at the New York office. Considering that her two predecessors had been her senior by at least a decade, Colleen soon grew used to some people thinking that she'd advanced quickly because she had a pretty face. Some of those even entertained the notion that her rapid advancement was the result of her providing a service not recorded on her resume.
She quickly learned to ignore people who thought that way, secure in the knowledge that there were few, if any, co-workers in her office who shared that belief. Not only did Colleen know her job, proving it on a daily basis, but it was doubtful that her feminine attributes had any effect whatsoever on Jason Parkes, who had been the manager of shipping for over twenty years. The fifty- four year old was, as he often fond of pointing out, queer as the proverbial three dollar bill. Also, even if Colleen had instead been Colin, and of a similar persuasion, Jason had too much personal integrity to promote anyone who didn't do the job to his exacting standards.
In fact, Jason had so much confidence in Colleen that he felt perfectly comfortable in sending her to the seminar in his place. His lover of many years, Matthew, a prominent artist, had an exhibition of his work during the same week and that took precedence in his eye. It had also been Jason's suggestion that she stay in D.C. over the weekend and have a little fun. He didn't expect her, he'd said, back in the office until Tuesday morning.
The seminar had turned out to be as interesting as Colleen had hoped it would, although she realized by the end of the first day that she found it so because unlike most of the other attendees she didn't have an overabundance of practice experience. It was also soon apparent that most people only attended just enough events to justify the trip as a genuine business expense. Colleen was probably the only one who tried to attend every single lecture, even to the point of having been the sole attendee at one of them. During which she'd had a delightful discussion with the shipping manager of Los Angeles County, Linda Marshall, who was giving the talk. It had been Linda's suggestion that they leave the large empty conference room behind and instead go to lunch where she would be happy to answer any questions Colleen might have.
Colleen and the forty-six year old brunette hit it off so well at lunch that they wound up also having dinner together for the next three nights. Linda was everything Colleen was striving to be and her personal insight into the business was illuminating to say the least. Having started off at just about the same age as Colleen, Linda faced many if not more of the difficulties in advancing her career. She explained to the younger woman that she had to decide early on just what was going to be important to her and then go for it.
Of course, she also added with a grin, it wasn't like she ignored that old adage about all work and no play. While marriage and kids weren't a goal, there had been lovers, including two whom she had lived with at different points in her life. Colleen was surprised at how easily it was to open up to the older woman, sharing aspects of her personal life in a way she couldn't imagine doing with friends her own age.
It wasn't until Saturday night, after the two of them had come back from a day of sightseeing and went out to a quiet restaurant that Colleen discovered what should've been obvious from the start, that Linda's interest in her company hadn't been entirely platonic. In retrospect, the signs had all been there, but she hadn't recognized them for what they were coming from another woman. Had Linda been a man, Colleen would've recognized them in a minute.
Thankfully, Linda wasn't offended when Colleen told her she really didn't go that way and she hoped she hadn't given any impression that she did. Linda had smiled and said that if she had, it was no doubt unintentional and there was no reason to worry about it. She herself had been unsure, which was why she had finally brought the subject up with an invitation to spend the night together. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
When they had finished the meal and were taking the elevator back to their respective rooms, Linda mentioned that like Colleen, she wasn't going home until Monday, having booked a night flight back to Los Angeles. If Colleen had a change of heart before then, well she had her cell phone number.
Then, just before she exited the elevator, she leaned forward and kissed the younger woman right on the lips. It had been a relatively chaste kiss, but one whose feel lingered long after Colleen exited on her own floor.
-=-=-=-
Lying in bed last night, Colleen couldn't fall asleep, her mind too wrapped up in the thought that perhaps she had been too hasty earlier, her decision made without appropriate consideration. True, she had never been with another woman, but that didn't mean that the idea hadn't ever occurred to her. Back in college, she was well aware that there had been girls who'd "sampled the delights" as some liked to call it. In fact, one of her closest friend, Mamie Brown had gone out of the way to describe her own experience to her, in quite intimate detail. Colleen later wondered if Mamie's sharing had been perhaps an invitation to experience it on her own. If it had been, it was one that also hadn't been repeated.
It was also worth considering, Colleen thought, that after having worked with and enjoying a friendship with both Jason and Matthew, she wasn't put off by the idea of a same sex encounter as she might have been when she was younger. Nor would it being a one-night stand be a hindrance, since it would hardly have been the first one of those she'd ever had.
And if asked, she certainly would describe Linda as pretty, and not in that "good for her age" sort of way. Her dark hair showed no sign of grey, and her body while slightly over what she might've liked it to be, was certainly well proportioned. Slightly taller than Colleen's five foot six, the West Coast manager also had a bust at least a cup size bigger. In many ways, the brunette was more attractive than many girls the redhead's age, and she meant that in much more than a physical way. There was something that just drew you to her. As if all the inanity of youth had been left behind, leaving only a striking maturity.
The more Colleen thought about the possibilities, the more she began to regret her snap decision. Even if she later decided it hadn't been for her, who would ever know? After all she was two hundred miles from home. That had been her final thought before giving in to the sleep she had been resisting.
When she opened her eyes come the morning, her first thought had been to call Linda, apologize once more, and see if they could spend their last day in Washington together. Her heart dropped when Linda, after saying how overjoyed she was to have Colleen call, had to apologize herself as only a half hour before she had made plans to spend the day with friends over in Alexandra. She'd arranged to spend the afternoon catching up with them, and then have an early dinner before going a school play that her friend's daughter was in. She simply couldn't call them back now and cancel.
Colleen said that of course she understood, all the while cursing herself silently for having let the opportunity again slip through her hands. There was a momentary pause on the phone, after which Colleen's heart rose again as Linda remarked that the play was expected to be over by eight and it was quite possible that she could make it back to the hotel that long after that. If Colleen wanted, they could meet at the bar downstairs, say about eight-thirty, for a drink.
With as little hesitation as she had shown when saying no only a half day before, Colleen now said yes.
-=-=-=-
Finally giving into temptation, Colleen glanced at her watch and saw that Linda was now a half-hour late. She could call her cell phone she knew, but that wasn't something she was sure she wanted to do yet. Better to give her a little more time than to appear over anxious. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bruce still sitting at the bar, occasionally glancing in her direction.
That was already an avenue that she'd decided she wouldn't be going down, no matter how late it got. She would've been mortified if Linda showed up late, only to find Colleen already snuggled up to some guy she'd met in the bar. Better to go back to her room alone if, for some reason, Linda never showed at all. A possibly she wasn't yet ready to consider.
Only a few minutes alter, just as she finally put away the last of Bruce's drink, Colleen looked up to see Linda walking toward her through the crowd. She was dressed in a simple, but elegant black cocktail dress, making Colleen glad that she had decided to dress for the occasion as well. With one eye still on the approaching brunette, Colleen tilted her head just enough to see if Bruce was watching as well, still curious as to whom she'd been waiting for all this time.
"I hope you haven't been waiting too long," Linda said as she sat down in the empty chair next to Colleen. "By the time I caught a cab back to the hotel, then ran upstairs to shower and change..."
"I only got here a little while myself," Colleen said, trying to mitigate the lateness as she often did when her companion was worth waiting for.
"Liar," Linda said with a smile.
Colleen gave her an "excuse me" look.
"I glanced into the bar when I got back to the hotel a half hour ago to see if you were here," Linda added. "I was going have one of the waiters slip you a note that I was running behind, but then changed my mind."
"Why?" Colleen asked.
"I guess I wanted to see if you considered me worth waiting for," Linda said as she ordered a drink from the waiter who came up to the table, adding that he should bring Colleen another of whatever she'd been drinking.
"Why wouldn't I wait?" Colleen asked, taken slightly aback by the way Linda almost knew what she'd been thinking.
"You might have gotten a better offer," Linda smiled after the waiter had headed back to the bar. "Well, maybe not better, but another offer nevertheless."
"I would never..." Colleen started to say, but was cut off before she could finished her sentence.
"Then I guess I'm just imagining the guy at the bar who hasn't taken his eyes off you since I sat down," Linda grinned as the waiter returned with their drinks.
"That's just some guy who ordered me a drink, that's all," Colleen said defensively, "I told him I was waiting for someone."
"What's his name?"
"Bruce," Colleen said automatically, "Bruce Myerson."
"Well, for someone who just ordered you a drink, you seem to know at least a little about him."
"He came over and introduced himself," Colleen explained.
"And I bet he also said that if your friend didn't show up, he'd be right over there."
"Something like that," Colleen admitted.
"Can't say as I can blame him for that," Linda smiled as she tasted her drink. "If I didn't know you and saw you sitting here all alone in that sexy dress, I'd want to make your acquaintance too."
Linda paused a long moment to let Colleen realize that contrary to the impression she might have been giving, she wasn't angry.
"I only mentioned all of this," she said in a much lighter voice, "because I want you to know that if you'd rather go off and get to know Mr. Myerson better, I'm okay with that. I know he's seen me at a few of the seminar workshops, so as far as he's concerned, we're just two associates having a drink. If we leave together, or even if we leave separately and then you follow me, I think he might get a different impression. Possibly even the right one."
"Given the choice, I'd rather get to know you a little better," Colleen replied without having to think about it.
"Only a little better?" Linda laughed.
"Okay, a lot better," she corrected herself, reaching across the table to place her hand on top of Linda's.
Linda responded by turning her hand upward and closing her fingers around Colleen's. Heartbeats passed as unsaid volumes passed between them.
"My room or yours?" Colleen finally asked, the strength of her voice saying that was the only question on the table.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
"My room then," Linda smiled. "It has a double bed, among other things."
As they left the table, no longer physically linked but obviously together, they walked right past Bruce Myerson. As they did, Colleen tried to look straight ahead, but Linda couldn't help but turn in his direction just long enough to give him a glance that said, "Sorry, better luck next time."
This time, as the elevator doors closed behind them, the kiss that Linda gave Colleen was anything but innocent.
-=-=-=-
Thankfully, the corridor leading from the elevator to Linda's room was empty, as the two women raced down the hall, eager to find the privacy a locked door would bring. Linda anxiously swiped her keycard through the electronic lock, stepping inside with Colleen only a half step behind her. The redhead turned to lock the door, even as Linda brought her body closer to press against the back of Colleen's. Strong, yet soft hands closed around her waist as the younger woman turned in those arms.
Hungry lips met once more as Linda pressed Colleen back against the wall. Eager tongues slipped in and out of each other's mouth as roving hands moved up and down their bodies. Colleen's right hand glided up Linda's leg, lifting her dress to expose the smooth flesh beneath. Linda in turn cupped the redhead's breast, fingers massaging the equally smooth skin beneath the thin material.
Their attention moved to each other's shoulders, a trail of wet kisses to mark their passage. Then they reversed course and again their mouths met. Neither seemed willing to relinquish their embrace of the other, until Linda paused just long enough to whisper something into Colleen's ear. Then she took the other woman by the hand and led her over to the large double bed.
Linda sat on the bottom edge of the bed, parting her legs wide enough for Colleen to stand between them. Her hands slid up and down the body before her as Colleen ran hers though Linda's locks, and then down across her bare back. Linda cupped both of the standing woman's breasts, then moved her hands down her back to her legs, sliding them back up to the cheeks of her ass.
Colleen brought her hands around and took hold of the straps of Linda's dress, moving them across and down the brunette's arms, until the dress fell free down around her waist. The younger woman paused for a moment to look down at the breasts so much like her own, just slightly larger with thick, dark nipples. She brought her hands across them, feeling the warmth of the flesh and the excitement of their hardness. It was the first time she had ever touched another woman in this way and Colleen thought it impossible to find the words to describe it. Fortunately, words weren't needed and the soft sigh from Linda that her simple touch had produced proved more than enough.
Lind leaned forward and kissed Colleen's breast though her dress. She replied by undoing the straps, letting the outfit drop until the charms beneath were fully exposed. Linda just as quickly repeated her actions, this time on bare flesh. Starting at her belly, she kissed her way up to the rounded mounds above, running her tongue across each until, in turn, she took each hard nipple into her mouth. The wetness of the kisses sent tiny ripples of delight cascading across Colleen, who sighed with an appreciation that echoed Linda's.
Linda worked her way back up the bed, shifting her bottom just a bit at a time. With each pause, Colleen followed suit so that they were never further apart than they had been at the start. A quick kiss filled each interval, until Linda came to rest at the head of the bed, with Colleen coming to a stop practically on top of her. Then came multiple kisses, long and hard, interlaced with ones brief and soft, as Linda took hold of Colleen face and held it against her own. All the while, an eager Colleen worked to undo the straps that still held the rest of Linda's dress around her body.
"Let me help you with that," Linda smile as she also reached down.
Between the two of them, the dress lasted only a few moments more, dropping to the floor beside the bed as Colleen tossed it aside. She paused to look down at the body beneath her, now totally nude as Linda had not bothered with any undergarments at all. The brief observation passed and her mouth again sought out Linda's, her hands moving across the naked body.
Equally eager, Linda used her hands to tug down on Colleen's dress, now wrapped around her midsection. The redhead shifted position so that she was now on the bottom and with Linda's help, slid the bundled cloth down her legs until it was free. The simple black panties beneath followed with equal ease and both were soon au natural.
Lying side by side, their bodies interlocked, they kissed and caressed each other's nakedness, exploring the hidden recesses of the other. Extended fingers stroked excited mounds, both above and below their waists, the wetness of the latter attesting to their excitement.
Linda worked her fingers across the curved flesh of Colleen's ass, even as the younger woman slipped her hands between her elder's legs, fingers dancing first across her dampness and then skillfully inside. A mutual exclamation filled the air, Linda crying out at the pleasure of Colleen's entry, and she with her excitement at the feel of a sex not her own.
"Yes, just like that," Linda whispered between kisses, "just like you enjoy being touched yourself."
Their bodies continued to press tighter together, their breasts rubbing against their counterparts with the touch of sensitive tip against sensitive tip adding to the pleasure. Linda's fingers now mirrored Colleen's as they too found their way along the folds of paradise. The effect on the woman in her arms was instantaneous as the levels of delight coursing through her trebled.
The resounding waves of passion continued to grow in both of them as their bodies began to respond as if they were one. Until finally, a feeling all too familiar to both of them began to take hold and they shared an orgasm that was mutual as it was satisfying.
Bodies pressed tightly together, they rocked back and forth across the wide bed. Sweat ran down their backs as short, breathless pants spilled from their lips. Each tried to delay their climax until they were sure of the other, a task made ever the more difficult by actions not their own. Neither was in control of her body, and neither wanted to give in until the other had enjoyed all the pleasures she could give.
Nevertheless, give in someone finally had to do, and it was to their shared credit that neither could tell who it had been. Instead each shared the eruption of the other's body as if it had been her own.
"Oh God!" Colleen managed to say as her body finally began to stop quaking, "that was amazing, simply amazing. I can't believe how great that felt."
"I'm glad you feel that way," Linda replied as she pulled Colleen closer to kiss her once more. "I have a few other things I want to show you that I think you'll like even better."
-=-=-=-
Telling Colleen to just lay back and relax, Linda kissed her softly on the lips, then her neck, followed by successive kisses down to the valley between her breasts. She cupped a hand under each soft mound, squeezing them gently as her thumbs rubbed against the pink circles around each nipple. Tilting her head, Linda gave each nipple a kiss, twirling her tongue around and over each, washing away some of the sweat of their shared orgasm.
Colleen was content to rest her head on the pillow with her eyes closed, thinking how different Linda's approach was from that of most men, at those in her own experience. Not that there had been all that many of them, but most usually viewed foreplay as something to hurtle past as quickly as possible in order to get to the main event. Oh, they liked to play with her breasts well enough, but only one or two had ever taken the time to really treat them with the care they deserved. Moreover, certainly none had paid them the attention Linda now gave.
Soft, pleasurable moans filled the night as Linda continued to run her tongue in circles around Colleen's tips, alternating their caress with quick, sudden bites. The mix of moderate pain and gentler pleasure provided an intoxicating combination as the dark haired woman divided her attention between each mound, taking care not to ignore the equally sweet area between them. Her hands also massaged the supple flesh, continuing to play with both her mounds and the equally inviting areas around them, taking longer strides down her sides as she did so.
It didn't take longer for her to again reach the still wet core of Colleen's sex, the fingers of her left hand dancing across it. The sudden tough brought an instant reaction from the younger woman as her body jerked as if an electrical current had raced through it.
Linda continued her downward passage, leading the way with a bevy of kisses, hard and soft, along with the plying pressures of both hands. As she neared her objective, she took the time to savor the pleasant scent of womanhood drifting upward, an aroma more appealing than the most expensive perfume. As her face came even with the tightly trimmed hair, she kissed the center of the mounds, slipping her tongue out between her lips just enough to taste the sweetness of its nectar.
A particular excitement filled Linda, one that always did when she knew she was going where no woman had gone before. It filled her with a desire to make sure that everything she did was perfect, so then when this woman thought back to this night, then memory of it would be as fresh as it was now.
A second kiss followed as Linda parted the folds of Colleen's pussy with outstretched fingers. It only took a brief moment to expose her clit from beneath its hood, gently massaging it with, first the tip of her fingers, then that of her tongue.
"Sweet mother of God!" Colleen exclaimed as she touched her, falling back on the words taught to her by the Nuns back at Holy Rosary.
Linda hadn't known that Colleen had been a Catholic school girl, but didn't find it surprising. She'd never met one that didn't take to the naughty like it was second nature. Something to do with all those years of being told that everything about sex was bad; it made you want to make up for lost time. In most cases, alumni of parochial schools tended to be like virgins who held it all in waiting for the wedding night, then unexpectedly found themselves throwing caution to the wind, ring on their finger or not. All it took was that certain someone.
Her tongue now buried deep, her lips caressing the moist, pink walls, Linda fell into a well practiced rhythm. One that sent frequent and intense ripple of passion flowing outward across Colleen's body. Each wave stronger than the last, it took little time to once more bring her to the precipice of a second orgasm.
Back and forth her tongue darted as she used her hands to lift Colleen's legs higher and further apart. Her body quivering with the waves passing over her, Colleen reached down and grabbed her legs, holding them in place to allow Linda to devote her full attention to her charms. An attention she made the most of.
Linda brought her hands back, slipping them now beneath Colleen's ass, lifting her slightly off the bed. Then she grabbed one of the pillows and pressed it beneath her. All the while, never relenting in the constant thrusts of her tongue.
Hands now totally free, Linda slipped three fingers inside Colleen, adding their motion to the amalgam of myriad delights. Quickly the moved, soon matching the pace of her tongue, driving Colleen closer and closer to the edge.
"Oh God, Linda, fuck me!" Colleen heard herself cry out, not considering that these were words she could've never imagined ever saying to another woman before tonight. "Fuck me with your fingers and your tongue!"
And fuck her she did, for three more furious, frantic, minutes until once again her body exploded with uncontrolled abandonment. This time her orgasm lasted longer than the last, nearly twice as long in fact, with an even more protracted recovery. Giving her the most wonderful and exhausting feeling she had ever had.
-=-=-=-
"No regrets?" Linda asked a while later as they laid there in each other's arms, enjoying the warmth of their bodies.
"Absolutely not," Colleen said without hesitation.
"I ask because if you do have any, we could stop right here and now," Linda added.
"Wouldn't that make me just like a guy?" Colleen asked. "You know the old attitude of "I got mine and who the hell cares if you get yours."
"Honey, first of all, no one could ever mistake you for a guy," Linda laughed as she stroked back Colleen's hair when it had fallen across her face. "And secondly, it's not about anyone getting theirs, it's all about giving pleasure for pleasure's sake."
"Well, in that case," Colleen said as she pulled Linda close enough to kiss her, "it's going to give me great pleasure to do the same for you."
Slipping out of Linda's embrace, Colleen moved down the bed until her head was parallel with the treasure between the brunette's legs. A gentle touch of her hands caused a parting of Linda's thighs, giving her a clearer view of the prize.
Taking a moment to fully appreciate a sight so familiar yet so different, Colleen found herself filled with a momentary hesitation. It wasn't the thought of what she was about to do that gave her pause, rather the idea that she might now be able to do it well. Still, she hadn't gotten to where she was in life by being faint hearted. So, with determination in her heart, the redhead slipped her tongue past the folds of Venus and was rewarded with her first taste of delightful ambrosia.
Following the golden rule that what feels good to you will generally feel just as good to someone else, Colleen used Linda's technique as a guide, duplicating almost exactly what she had done to her. Almost exactly was the key, however, as neophyte that she was, she was still sensitive enough to the responses of the older woman's body to adjust her attentions in turn.
Delighting in Linda's reactions, Colleen noted how easily she took to orally satisfying the woman between whose legs she now rested. Certainly there had been more reluctance when she'd first taken a man in that way. But that was then, she reminded herself, and this was now, and she was a grown woman, not an awkward teenager.
The chorus of soft cries that echoed from Linda's lips was the most satisfying music that Colleen had ever heard. The energetic movement of her fingers and tongue was reflected in the brunette's form as it responded to her thrusts with increasing vigor.
"Oh yes, baby," Linda said as she rested her hands on the back of Colleen's head, helping her to stay focused on her most sensitive spots. "You're doing fine, real fine."
Still overly worried about her lack of experience, Colleen was sure that she was just being kind. Because of such, she was almost overwhelmed when the body beneath her suddenly went into convulsions as Linda abruptly climaxed.
A climax that was as forceful as it was unanticipated, sending a splattering of orgasmic joy across Colleen's face. Yet, not even that eruption was enough to deter her from her task until she was positive that she had brought Linda as much pleasure as was possible.
"Was that okay?" Colleen asked as she lifted her face from between Linda's legs, the after-effect of orgasm glistening on her skin like a badge of honor.
"Much more than okay," Linda said as she pulled Colleen up to her and kissed her deeply, running her tongue across her cheeks to wash away the sticky residue. "In fact, for a first time, I'd say that was damn well spectacular."
"But not exactly memorable," Colleen stated as their lips parted, her belief that she should've done better tempering the praise that Linda had given her.
"What was memorable was who was with me," Linda answered, wiping a small smudge from Colleen's chin, "but if you are asking if it had a place in my top ten orgasms, well, then I'm afraid the answer would be no."
"Oh," Colleen said softly.
"Honey, you can't expect to hit it out of the park your first time at bat," Linda smiled. "I know I didn't, or on my second, third or even fourth."
"I guess so, but..."
"Do you know the best thing about not being the best right off?" Linda interrupted.
Colleen didn't have an answer, so she just looked at Linda and waited for hers.
"It gives you a reason to practice, practice, practice," she laughed.
-=-=-=-
"Well, the prodigal daughter returns," Jason said, looking up from the pile of paperwork on his desk as Colleen walked into the office, "and only three days late. I hope you had a good time down there in D.C., seeing how you left me in the lurch like that."
"Yes, I'm fine, nice of you to ask, and how did Matthew's exhibition go?" Colleen replied as she dropped her bag on her small desk.
"It went fine, and don't change the subject," Jason answered in a gruff tone. "You were due back Tuesday morning, this is Friday!"
"It's not like I didn't call and say I was taking some of my vacation days," Colleen countered, unable to erase the smile from her face.
"No, you did call," the older man agreed as he lifted up the small post-it note that he'd left by his phone. "I have the message right here, all five words of it that the midnight clerk copied down. Taking vacation days, back Friday."
"What can I say," Colleen shrugged, "something came up unexpectedly. And while we're on the point, aren't you the one who's always telling me I should learn to relax more?"
"Ah, so now you're saying it's my own fault," Jason said, the grin on his face belittling his stern tone. "Still, whatever it was that you were doing that was so important, it does seem to have had a positive effect on you," he added in a softer voice. "I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed since you came to work here."
"Well, the seminar was both informative and relaxing," Colleen offered, trying unsuccessfully not to grin too much.
"That's funny, I don't remember them as being all that entertaining," he said, dropping any further attempt at feigning anger at her unexpected absence. "If anything, I always found them somewhat boring and repetitive, going over the same things over and over."
"Well, you know me, Jason," Colleen replied as she sat down at her desk, eager to tackle her own pile of papers that had accumulated while she'd been gone. "I'm just one of those people who loves to keep at something until they're sure they've got it right."
End
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(c) Ann Douglas 2008
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