21 Things I Want In a Lover
By Princess Alexandria
Kate had her notebook out and was checking off the items she had laid out on her bed. Six pair of socks, and with the pair she’d have on her feet that would be seven. Six pair of underwear, jeans, which could take care of a few days as long as she didn’t drop anything on them, a pair of black slacks that went with everything, Kate checked them off and turned to stare at her closet to pick out the other two pair of pants she’d need. A different black pair that would go well with her chosen shirts was added to the pile and a brown that went with half of the shirts.
“You have a checklist for a vacation?” A voice spoke from the doorway and Kate looked up from her shirts while checking off the warm longsleeved one for layering, the short sleeved, and the tshirt. “You could just buy something if you forget it.”
“I will buy something, I plan to
buy a NYPD shirt.” Kate had until
tomorrow to be packed, but if she did it now she could go out and buy something
if it was missing. “You sure you can’t
come? I have Danny’s ticket to the plays
and the hotel room has two beds. You’d
just need airfare.” Kate gave
“I can’t believe he backed out on you.” Syd shook her head and Kate pulled her notepad to her chest with a grimace. “I’m also surprised that you’d go alone.”
“Well the tickets were not refundable.” Kate glanced at the bed to check that she’d remembered to pack them. “I spent a few hundred dollars setting this up, and he gave me his tickets when I told him I was still going.” Kate still felt disappointed in her brother doing this, it was supposed to be a fun thing they could do together, and just like any other time they had plans, something came up. She was really starting to not care anymore, which she knew was worse than being upset. He’d let her down too many times. She wasn’t going to wait, lose her play tickets or sell them on his promise that they’d do it sometime soon. Soon never came.
“I wish I could go. I really want to see a Broadway play.” Syd sighed and moved to step into Kate’s room. When she sat on the bed Kate resisted the urge to tell her to move, because Kate really couldn’t work with the only free spot on her bed covered by Syd. “You really need to relax, do something wild out there. You’re always so uptight, you need this.” Kate glared at Syd a little as she put her pad down and picked up the pants she’d already picked out to put them in the opened luggage to make space for her to put other necessities on the bed. “Go to some artistic bar and pick someone up.” Syd grinned at her as if it were funny.
“I need to pack.” Kate tried to dismiss Syd so she could work, and so they didn’t start another irritating conversation about how Kate needed to get some. Her roommate was practically obsessed with the idea that Kate couldn’t possibly be happy being single.
……………………..
The next day, after all packing was complete and Kate was ready she found out the flight was running late. Kate noticed that as soon as she logged on to check on it in the morning and sighed. Her bags were packed and by the door and her ride could only take her now, so she’d be waiting around for that flight. Oh well, she logged off and moved to grab an extra book to read and her notepad. She could fill her time if she had to.
Syd dropped her off and sped off, on her way to work, leaving Kate on the sidewalk of the SeaTac airport. As Kate was carrying her bags into the building she noticed the long lines and was glad she’d already checked in. She walked past them and towards security, but she did notice a tall black woman with white hair talking to the person at the counter and stared a moment. Now that woman was beautiful, Kate pulled her eyes away and continued on her way. Distractedly she wondered how much bleach it would take to make hair that type of white, or if it was a wig.
Her Ipod in her ears Kate sat down
at the airport restaurant table and pulled out her notepad. Her pencil tapped on the side of it as she
considered what to write. She glanced at
old lists, one of the top ten places she wanted to visit before she died.
“Can I get you anything?” The waitress asked and Kate pulled the earplugs out to order lunch. Once that was done Kate lowered the volume on her Ipod and started to look through her notepad again. A song from Alanis started and Kate grinned as she heard it, remembering Sydney telling her that Alanis must be Kate’s soulmate, to make a list about a potential lover like that. Kate didn’t volunteer that she had made a list about her future lover as well. While Alanis sang about the 21 things she wanted in a lover Kate found a new empty page and grinned as she tapped her pencil against her lip. What would be her 21 things she wanted? That should keep her amused for a little while. Her original list only had fifteen things on it, and she hadn’t updated it in a few months. She turned to the page with that list on it and studied it for a while, evaluating what still applied and what she wanted to add.
While nibbling on French fries, Kate pondered her list. She knew what she wanted, she had to, she just needed to pull it out of her mind and onto the paper. As she ate with one hand she wrote with the other, and when her meal was done she continued while the waitress took her plate away.
Kate finished her list nervously and looked up just to make sure no one was looking. As her eyes scanned the restaurant, she couldn’t miss seeing that white hair facing the same way she did. She watched the woman for a moment and then drew her eyes away and looked at her watch. Well, not quite an hour, but the list was made and it was closer to time to go. Kate closed it, feeling less amused than she thought she’d be and more exposed.
“Oh, excuse me.” A soft and sexy voice from the table in front of her drew Kate’s eyes up to see blue smiling eyes glancing back at her. “My table doesn’t have any ketchup.” The woman said and Kate looked down at her own table and the bottle sitting there. Oh.
“Oh, here.” Kate picked up the bottle and stood a little to hand it to the woman with a small smile.
“Thank you.” The woman smiled and then turned back to her own table. Kate found herself staring at the back of her head for a moment. Those were some pretty eyes. Kate shook her head and pulled her book out to try and read for a little while. She found herself staring blankly at the page as she instead imagined all the cool things she could have said to the woman to start a conversation and hadn’t. Kate sighed unhappily at her lack of courage and tried to focus on her book.
“Wicked?” That smooth voice spoke again and Kate looked up to see a small grin on the woman’s face as she held out the ketchup bottle to her.
“I’m going to see the play. I thought I should read the book.” Kate took the ketchup and put it back on her table. She almost left it at that, but she forced herself to talk more. “It’s about the Wicked witch of the West, before the Wizard of Oz.”
“I’ve heard about it. I’m sure you’ll love the play, my friend went and said it was wonderful.” The woman spoke and Kate smiled at her while lowering the book to the table.
“I’m going to
“So am I. I live
there.” Kate’s eyebrow rose at
that. This woman had an accent, but it
wasn’t
“I’m sure I will.” Kate felt stupid, like she could have said something better in response, and once the woman wasn’t looking at her it was easier to focus on the book. She didn’t want to be caught looking up.
…………………
“We are now seating for flight 507 to
She was the only person in the row and she wondered if she’d get lucky and her brother’s returned ticket hadn’t sold. Pulling out her book she started to read while she waited for others to board.
“Excuse me.” The voice had Kate looking up from her book, and she saw that woman again, standing in the aisle and motioning to the window seat next to Kate. “Oh hi.” She smiled as she clearly remembered Kate from the restaurant. “I believe that’s my seat.”
Kate quickly put her book on the aisle seat and tugged on her belt so she could get up. Part of her was a little stunned at her incredible luck, her brother’s seat had sold. And this gorgeous woman had it. “Oh sure, no problem.” She said as she moved into the aisle and to the side so that the woman could slip into their row. She had to look up to see the woman’s appreciative nod to her getting out of the way. This woman was rather tall, at least five inches taller than Kate, and Kate wasn’t really a short woman. She waited patiently for the woman to sit and then had to get in to avoid a small line of people heading her way to the back seats.
Rather than pick her book up again, Kate pulled her purse out and popped some gum in her mouth for her ears as the plane went up. “Gum?” She held the package out for the woman and noticed it earned her a small smile.
“No, I’m fine. I don’t have problems with altitude.”
Kate went quiet and picked up her book as they waited to take off, but she only read a few paragraphs before speaking again. “This is only my third flight ever, and I’ve never taken one so long.” She admitted as she looked over and the woman turned away from the window to look at her. “Do you fly a lot?”
The woman grinned a little. “Yes, I do.” The woman answered and she seemed a little amused. Still they were talking and Kate was impressed with herself for starting it. Now she just had to figure out how to keep it going.
Sure, nothing would come of this, but it was practice. Maybe someday she’d actually be able to talk to someone with some potential like this. “I’m Kate.” She turned a little in her chair and held out her hand.
“Ororo.” The woman responded and shook her hand briefly. Kate was about to say more but the voice over the intercom spoke, so she waited for the pilot to announce who was driving this plane and the airline attendants who gave the safety talk. She’d only seen it twice before in person but she could probably give it herself, it wasn’t all that new.
“Somehow I think the placement of the sick bags is more important than the floatation seats.” She murmured almost to herself but Ororo chuckled.
“Don’t worry, we aren’t going to run into very much turbulence.” Ororo told her. “The weather should be smooth the entire way.”
“I hope.” Kate sighed and her fingers fidgeted with her book as her mind raced in an attempt to think of something to say. “So this was your vacation? Or were you working?”
Ororo grimaced just a little. “
“I could never really believe that people chose to vacation
here. It doesn’t seem that special, it’s
no
“I don’t know, for the day and a half I was here I thought it had its own quiet charm.” Ororo smiled just a little.
“The drizzle didn’t run you off did it?” Kate smiled a little. “I swear it does stop once in a while.”
“No, I like the rain. It’s cleansing.” Ororo smiled and Kate was once again struck by the unlikelihood of talking with a woman this stunning. “Drizzle?”
“We are a people with many words for rain.” Kate grinned, starting to feel like she was getting the hang of this. “Downpour, drizzle, sprinkle, misting, the list goes on.”
“I see.” Ororo’s smile was rather attractive, Kate had to work at not staring. “That doesn’t really work with your claim that it stops once in a while.”
“Yeah, well it is fall. That’s not a fair sampling. Our summers are rather nice.” Kate sighed. “But I actually like the rain. My roommate thinks I’m crazy to, but the sound of it gently falling while I sit and read is soothing.”
“Nature at its finest.” Ororo agreed and Kate looked to see if she was being teased, but the woman looked sincere. “I like to walk in the rain at times as well, to listen to it feed the earth, and the how the trees capture the raindrops.”
“Maybe you should move here.” Kate’s smile became a little tense as the plane started to gain speed, and her hand gripped her book more tightly.
“I find I have no shortage of rain wherever I go.
“Oh, I’ll be fine once we’re actually up. The taking off and landing always makes me nervous.” Kate admitted, trying to stop the concerned look in Ororo’s eyes. She heard a child starting to cry and grimaced. Her voice was softer. “I can’t imagine taking someone that young on a plane. That has to be hell.”
“Yes, I imagine it would be.” Ororo spoke and
Kate nodded. “There is one airport in
“So you fly all the time do you?” Kate forced herself to relax and focused partly on chewing her gum, knowing she’d be practically deaf if she didn’t get her ears to pop, and she really didn’t want to struggle with that for hours.
“Work takes me around the world.” Ororo spoke and then glanced out the window for a moment. “There is always someplace that needs me.” She muttered and it sounded weary. Someone needed a new job.
“So what do you do?” Airplane conversations were a little strange, but Kate had heard of other people doing this cross between a date and an interview type of discussions before, so it wouldn’t seem too prying, she hoped.
“A little of this and a little of that.” Ororo dodged with a small smile. It was message enough. “And you?”
“Whatever this or that you forgot.” Kate teased, but her mind went to why someone wouldn’t tell. Criminal was the first thought she had, and her heart sunk a little, but perhaps the woman had an embarrassing career, or perhaps she was a model and didn’t want the endless questions people probably asked when a beautiful woman admitted to being a model. It seemed more likely that Ororo was a model or maybe an actress, maybe that’s why she seemed familiar. Kate relaxed and spoke again. “I work for Starbucks, in payroll.” She always added that last bit, because most people assumed that she worked in a store if she said Starbucks alone, and Kate couldn’t really make lattes, or discuss them intelligently. Caffeine made her way too jittery, she didn’t even drink the free stuff they had around the office.
“Ah, the new owners of
“Well, they very well might be but I’m just a mere cog in
the machine of corporate
“Air pressure getting to you?” Ororo asked and after a moment Kate’s ears righted themselves.
“I’m okay now. Sorry.” Kate moved to put her book on the empty seat while still focusing on the conversation.
“It’s okay, we were talking about
your role in the take over of
“Yes, I am a minion in the coffee pushers evil empire.” Kate rolled her eyes and glanced out at the now sunny day, they were above the clouds. “It’s really pretty up here.”
“I always thought so.” Ororo agreed they talked a little longer before the stewardess came by with drinks, and that slowly brought the talking to an end, as Ororo pulled out a magazine and Kate pulled her book out to read.
Kate glanced up when her book got to the start of another chapter and looked out the window. The clouds looked soft and tangible. After staring out at them and fantasizing about laying down on one, and imagining how soft it would be if it felt like it looked, Kate glanced at the magazine in Ororo’s hands. Sandra Bullock graced the page. Kate looked a little harder, and noticed a few other actors. This was an old magazine. The movie Crash had come and gone at the theaters.
“I missed the movie when it was out.” Ororo spoke and Kate looked up, realizing she’d been caught reading Ororo’s magazine. “I hear it was very good.”
“Yes it was. They dealt with race very well, it was uncomfortable as hell to watch, but when I walked away I really had to think about it.” Kate answered. “And I never would have guessed it, but Sandra Bullock looks downright scary when she yells. I sure wouldn’t cross her.”
“And she looks like such a nice girl.” Ororo teased as she glanced at the picture. Kate almost asked why Ororo was just now reading that magazine, knowing it had to be old, but she left it be.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that movie won a few awards. All the actors were amazing.” Kate shook her head. “If only everyone was forced to watch it, some movies should just be mandatory.”
“Well, then I will have to make an effort to rent it.” Ororo responded and moved the magazine a little closer to Kate. “I tend to miss many of the good movies, so the Blockbuster employees know me.”
“Shame, some movies are better on a large screen.” Kate gave a little sympathy, but she spent more time wondering why Ororo would miss something that was out for weeks if she really wanted to see it. “Oh, look, I had no idea she’d even had a baby.” Kate pointed out another article. She never read magazines that much so even old this magazine had news for her too. “Or that she was even dating.”
“That man next to her is her husband.” Ororo offered while reading the smaller print and Kate relaxed and smiled as they slowly started to go through the pictures and stories together. The flight was the best one she’d ever had and Kate talked with Ororo about music, movies, actors and actresses for over an hour, before the magazine was finished and it left little to keep the discussion going. Kate hadn’t read enough of her book to talk about it and a book just didn’t lend itself to sharing as well.
Ororo leaned back and closed her eyes after a long silence between them and Kate sighed as she pulled her book out to read some more of it.
Ororo seemed to doze until the flight attendants went through the last minute prep for descent, which woke her up. “I have a two hour wait for my next flight.” Kate looked over at the woman, “Do you have time for lunch?” Kate smiled.
“I have a two hour wait too.” Kate replied, strongly suspecting they had
the same flight out of
As the passengers were slowly filing out of the plane Kate stood up and started to struggle with her stowed luggage, and a strong hand moved to grab the handle from her as Ororo pulled it out with ease and set it down for her. Kate blushed a little. “Thanks.”
……………..
“I need to call home.” Ororo spoke as they stared at the on time message next to their flight number. “My friends don’t realize I’m coming back today.” She explained and Kate nodded as she wondered how a flight she was taking managed to be on time.
Once Ororo stepped away to find one of those strange cell phone booths Kate turned her attention to the shop. “Well, they probably cost twice the going rate.” She muttered as she moved to wheel her carry on with her to glance at magazines. They’d worked well to give them something to talk about before.
Of course, Ororo may not have the seat next to Kate this time around, Kate thought with a little disappointment. She hadn’t asked, not wanting to seem strange, but it would be nice. This had been the best flight she’d ever had and it was all because of the company.
People, Entertainment Weekly, Kate read over the titles available and looked at the covers for ideas of what to get. She picked one up and quickly flipped through it to see if it looked interesting.
She paid for two just as she spotted Ororo standing out near the monitors glancing around. “Thanks.” Kate smiled just a little at the cashier and then stepped out of the shop with her purchases. “Ororo.” Her voice rose a little and Ororo turned to face her with a small smile.
“There you are. I was starting to think you had a better offer.” Ororo teased and Kate did her best to not say something stupid and make it too obvious that she was a bit attracted to the woman. They started off in a direction looking for food without Kate responding to the comment.
In ten minutes they were seated waiting for a waitress to notice them in a rather decent airport bar. The television was on, and as in most bars it was more than loud enough to hear. “Mutants are American’s too, we pay our taxes and we grew up here, vote here…” A redheaded woman spoke out against some politician and Kate sighed as she saw the hostile looks the other politicians aimed at her.
When she turned to face Ororo, she noticed the woman was watching the news clip carefully and Kate couldn’t tell what Ororo was thinking from the expression on her face. She could tell Ororo wasn’t pleased. Kate nibbled on her lip and started to play with the menu, appearing to second guess her order as she waited for the waitress, but what she wanted to do was bring the topic of mutants up.
Kate looked up at the television again. “She’s really taking her life into her hands.” Kate spoke quietly, while watching the redhead on the television.
“She certainly is.” Ororo turned back as the news clip ended and looked into Kate’s eyes again. “But if no one speaks up, what type of life is it?”
“True.” Kate hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about it, but she knew she was uncomfortable with some of the policies against mutants she’d heard about. Lesbians weren’t loved by America either, so it made her wonder who was next on the hit list, if once the government got away with what they were doing to mutants they’d go after other groups. Kate may be in the closet now, but she didn’t want to always be.
“I’m paying, I invited you.” Ororo said gently as the waitress stepped up, giving Kate no time to object. It felt strange letting someone else pay for her. “Perhaps a glass of wine will make the next takeoff easier on you.” Ororo teased as she turned to the waitress.
Kate felt a strange warm feeling watching Ororo order two glasses of wine, and her own meal before turning to Kate to indicate Kate should order her meal. Kate had mentioned off hand while looking at the menu earlier that the wine was overpriced, so Ororo was just giving her what she thought she wanted. It was rather sweet.
Kate ordered her meal and then just muttered a quiet thank you to Ororo after the waitress left.
“I bought more magazines,” Kate spoke up, before even remembering that they weren’t actually traveling together.
“Oh, well if we ask, perhaps we can get seats together so we can read them.” Ororo said just the right thing, something Kate hadn’t even thought about. They could change seats. Kate smiled, seeing that she wasn’t being a pest and that Ororo wanted to spend a bit more time with her.
Ororo managed somehow to do it too, so they sat down next to each other in the middle of the plane, Kate once again in the middle, but this time they weren’t lucky enough to not have a third person with them. A thirty-something man took the aisle seat. At least he was more interested in his ipod and book than them. Kate glanced at Ororo again and shook her head subtly as she looked away. He must be gay, gay or dead to not even look at the woman.
Kate grinned a little at that thought and pulled her gum out to get ready for take off. She didn’t pull the magazine out until they were airborne, but she found she was less nervous during this takeoff. Maybe she was getting better at this.
They were about halfway through the magazine and Kate was laughing a little about a comment Ororo made about Brad Pitt, when Kate turned the page and she could see Ororo tense before Kate looked down. “Is that you?” Kate asked quietly after staring a moment at a picture that showed a black woman with white hair, but from far enough away there could be some doubt. Well, there would have been if white hair was common. Silence answered her and Kate looked at the heading,
Kate could see her own arms shake a little, because she held the magazine. The article was about dangerous mutants destroying a building. Kate stared at it trying to think fast, to come up with something to say. When she looked up she could see a resigned and slightly nervous expression on Ororo’s face. Kate just stared at her a moment, the words she’d seen in the title, and the first few lines rang in her head as she stared.
“Not everything you see in magazines are true.” Ororo spoke very quietly and when the man next to Kate shifted in his seat Kate quickly turned the page, to keep him from seeing it.
Kate’s voice was tense, even as she tried to not sound it. “I never met a model before.” She said, completely to keep the man from figuring out what was being talked about.
Ororo reached out to rest a hand on Kate’s arm and Kate flinched a little. Ororo pulled away at that. “No, I’m just jumpy.” Kate gave the woman an apologetic look. “Flying.” Kate said while staring into Ororo’s eyes.
“You’ll be okay. You’re perfectly safe.” Ororo stared back as they had their coded conversation.
“Good.” Kate forced her heart to calm down and now that reality was starting to reassert itself, Kate felt embarrassed about her reaction. She believed mutants were getting a raw deal, so why did she panic like that? She had spent hours with Ororo and knew the woman was good, regardless of what the magazine said. “This is a stupid rag.” She muttered about the magazine and tossed it back into her bag, pulling out the other one. “Maybe this one isn’t so stupid.” She felt like an idiot for her words, but she sat back and stared at Ororo for a brief moment, reaching out to gently rest a hand on her arm. “So how many times do you think they’ll talk about Brittany Spears in this one?”
Ororo smiled and seemed to relax. “Let’s find out.”
Kate wanted to ask questions, but any hint that Ororo was a mutant here would put the woman in danger. Kate’s heartbeat didn’t calm quickly as she found herself distracted and obsessed with how much the other people could hear them talk. They talked for just a little while, before Kate excused herself to go to the bathroom. She didn’t really need to go, she just needed a moment alone.
Once she was in the tiny bathroom Kate stared at herself in
the mirror. “Well, it wasn’t like this
was going anywhere.” She muttered
quietly to herself. Even as she said it,
her mind went back to her list and how well Ororo
would have fit so far, if it weren’t for the mutant thing. Kate hadn’t said no
mutants, hadn’t thought it was likely she’d ever meet one, but mutants were
worse than police for being in danger.
Hell that article looked like Ororo could have
been killed easily that day. “I didn’t
lose anything I really had.” She muttered
again, thinking of her own fantasies about Ororo
being willing to show her around
“She’s really nice.” Kate turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face. She was becoming disappointed in herself for thinking of pulling away now that she knew. With a heavy sigh she left the relative privacy and made her way back to her seat. She found she was disappointed to find Ororo just staring out the window, as if they hadn’t been talking, as if she were just another stranger on the plane.
She sat quietly for a moment giving Ororo the silence she seemed to want, but every moment that went by felt wrong. Kate started to fidget as she considered that she needed to be the one to end it, and that Ororo might be worried. “I,” Kate sighed and looked over at the beautiful woman, relaxing as Ororo looked at her. “My brother was supposed to come with me. One of those bonding trips that he always manages to cancel at the last minute for work.” Kate reached out to gently touch Ororo’s arm, not something she did to other people normally, but she wanted Ororo to know she didn’t object to touch, wasn’t too scared or prejudiced for it. “I have his ticket to Wicked. I didn’t think I’d find anyone to offer it to, but,” Kate glanced down. “Would you like to come with me?” She waited and the silence was a little too long, making her feel like a fool.
“When is it?” Ororo asked and Kate looked back up into amused eyes. Kate managed to erase the tension from Ororo’s face.
“Thursday.” Kate answered a little quickly.
“That sounds lovely. Shall we go out to dinner first?” Ororo expanded their evening and Kate once again felt that warm feeling. She liked spending time with Ororo, and she really liked that it was mutual.
“That would be good.
I have no idea where to go or what to do in
“Can I see your list?”
Ororo asked and Kate took three seconds
imagining Ororo offering to walk her to
“I didn’t think I could do all of this, I was going to see what I wanted to do as I went, and maybe ask the locals what was good.” Kate said as she handed over the notebook, opened to the right page. She’d been working on that list up until the night before the flight.
“And I’m a local, it’s your lucky day.” Ororo teased while taking the notebook and then went quiet as she started to read it.
Kate felt a wave of heat as she remembered that
“This sounds good.” Ororo spoke up and Kate looked over to see a gentle smile. “Perhaps, if nothing comes up at work.” Ororo said work, but Kate could see the message in her eyes that said mutant business, “perhaps I could come to your hotel earlier on Thursday and we could make a day of some of this.”
“That would be great.” Kate smiled big.
“What hotel?” Ororo asked and Kate blinked a little, as she realized that Ororo was making sure to have all the details. Kate told her, while pulling her notebook to her and writing it down as well. She wrote down her cell phone, full name, and the day she was leaving for home, and gave that page to Ororo.
“Perhaps after the play we could have a drink at that bar you mentioned.” Ororo’s smile was a little mischievous. “I’ll ask around and find out where the best one is. I like to dance.”
Kate went quiet for a moment, as the fact that she’d written the bar down was brought up and then she sighed. Perhaps it was vacation courage that let her ask. “If I’d asked for a date?”
“Didn’t you?” Ororo smiled and Kate blushed as she got her answer. Her mind went to the list, and the ways Ororo fit and didn’t fit. She thought about how little time she really had and she smiled as she decided none of it mattered. Ororo was fun, and Kate needed fun. Maybe Ororo could help with a few other things Kate needed. That fantasy made her blush more and Ororo’s smile was a little wicked in return.
……………………..
21 Things I Want In a Lover
Chapter 2
By Princess Alexandria
“Did you hear?” Ororo stared at Jean’s mischievous smile as the woman turned to speak to Rogue. “Ororo managed to pick up a date to the theater on the plane.”
“Well,” Rogue grinned at her and Ororo sighed heavily and pretended irritation. “Ah’d say that’s amazing, if it weren’t for the fact that Ororo manages to pick up villains on every mission.”
“Yes, they all fall in love with her don’t they?” Jean teased and Ororo shook her head at the joke. It was getting a little old, and after that last mission and the woman that had her captive, Ororo wasn’t really as amused by her ability to attract villains as the others.
“She’s taking me to Wicked.” Ororo interrupted and noticed that Rogue choked on her pepsi.
“She? Darlin’ I didn’t realize you played for mah mama’s team.” Rogue wiped at her face with a towel and Ororo just smirked at having gotten the southerner back.
“Ororo plays for both teams.” Jean added with a grin. It was something they’d talked about before, but it wasn’t public knowledge.
“Bisexual Goddess, and Villian magnet.”
Rogue shook her head and winked at her.
“So is this new woman a supervillian you met
in
“Perhaps an alien?” Jean added.
“A clone?” Rogue played on.
“an evil alternate dimension ruler?” Another voice added and Ororo turned to see Betsy’s evil grin as she joined the game.
“She works in payroll at Starbucks.” Ororo finally interrupted them before it got worse. “She’s human and I’m the first mutant she’s ever met.”
“She knows?” Jean’s amusement faded as she asked that and Ororo sat back in the kitchen chair while three women stared at her.
“Well with your face on the television in the airport, and then mine in the magazine she was reading, it was a little hard for the topic of mutants to not come up.” Ororo stared at Jean.
“And how does she feel about that?” Jean asked seriously.
“She was scared.” Ororo glanced at Betsy and Rogue, who were moving to sit at the table with them. “I really thought it was going to become a huge mess, but even afraid she covered for me and didn’t say anything that would cause a panic.”
“Are yah sure you do have a date?” Rogue asked softly, and Ororo sighed.
“Yes, she asked me out after her small panic attack.” Ororo had hated sitting there, knowing her mere presence was scaring the woman. Kate’s asking for a date after that had been a real surprise.
“You want backup in case it’s a trap?” Jean asked and Ororo smiled just a little.
“I won’t need it. Kate is just ignorant of mutants, not bigoted.” Ororo spoke while pulling her own drink closer to her.
“Well, now she’s a human magnet and a villain magnet.” Betsy seemed to wave off the tension in the air. “So tell us, are you dating her just to broaden her horizons or is this Kate hot?”
Jean chuckled and Ororo rolled her eyes, wondering why she told these women anything of her personal life.
“She’s attractive, and innocent in a way the bimbos around here aren’t.” Ororo said before taking a sip.
“Oh, I think I feel insulted.” Betsy teased back.
……………………
“Extra tall latte please.” Kate ordered at the Starbucks in the hotel lobby. East coast time was getting to her a little and she decided to pay for what she normally could have gotten for free and didn’t want, because she wanted to be alert for her day with Ororo.
As Kate looked at the manager’s nametag she grinned. “Tommy, did you get the new employees W-2’s into the office before you put her on the register?” Kate watched his cautious expression for a moment, as he wondered about her and Kate smiled just a little. “I’m on vacation. It’s nice to finally see someone I work with, I’m Kate Hughes, from payroll.” She ran this east coast division’s payroll.
“Kate?” He grinned at her. “Don’t ring her up.” He told the cashier before the woman started to. “She’s Payroll Kate.”
“Ah, thanks.” Kate took her latte and smiled at him. “I’m staying here for a week.”
“That’s great. Maybe we can talk one of these days.” Tommy smiled at her. The line was long, so Kate didn’t try to chat, she just took her drink and moved to a free table near the window.
Kate stared out at the walking masses past the window and
marveled at how many people walked in
Kate sat and watched the people while drinking for a while and she started to find herself looking for evidence of mutants as she did that. Did that woman in the black coat and hat have pointed ears? Did that blonde man in no coat whatsoever even feel the cold? Was Ororo really the first mutant Kate ever met, she wondered, knowing that now she could tell the white hair was part of Ororo’s mutation, but she’d ignored it before. How many other people had she just assumed were human were actually mutant?
“Deep in thought?” A soft voice startled her and Kate looked up and started to smile as she recognized the woman she’d been looking for had managed to get into the hotel without passing this window.
“You want a latte or something, or should we just head out?” Kate asked, while playing with her nearly empty cup. She’d prefer to leave, the hotel held little mystery to her, and she wanted to be able to act like this was a date, but didn’t feel free to do that with a co-worker that knew her looking on.
Kate shouldn’t have bothered introducing herself to Tommy, but it made her feel more at home knowing people.
“Let’s go. I rarely drink your drug of choice.” Ororo smiled a little and Kate liked that smile, it was part knowing, and flirtatious. Women never looked at her like that, and it was nice.
As they walked along those crazy busy sidewalks, and avoided cars that seemed to be everywhere, Ororo asked, “So what did you do yesterday?”
“Well, I slept in.” Kate grimaced, disappointed in herself.
“Jetlag will do that.” Ororo held out a hand to keep Kate from stepping onto the next street, as some cab ran a red light. Once he’d passed they continued on their way.
“And it’s earlier here.”
Kate added, but she was distracted by how nice it was to have Ororo looking out for her like that. It made Kate think maybe she was a little
more girly than she’d thought, because having a woman do things like that felt
good. “Then I took a walk to
“Did you eat at Julianna’s?” Ororo asked, “Because that’s where we’re going to have lunch.”
“No, but I did see it.” Kate couldn’t even tell where she’d seen it. The streets all looked alike to her.
When they got there Ororo held the door opened for her, and it wasn’t even a conscious thing. Ororo didn’t seem to even notice she did it, but Kate sure did. Her words halted for a moment, before Kate managed to act like normal and asked about the restaurant.
“So, tell me about you.” Ororo after they’d ordered their meal and Kate just stared at her, suddenly very nervous. “What do you do for fun? I know you read when it’s raining, you like movies, and that you work at Starbucks.”
“Oh, well.” Kate suddenly felt like the least interesting woman in the world, as she struggled for something good to say. “I work a lot, so I don’t really…” Kate sighed and her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. “I don’t really do all that much.” There was silence and Kate envisioned a painful and awkward day where Ororo would be grateful to get rid of her at the end. She had to think of something to say, and Kate struggled with it. “I like to read fantasy books, ones with vampires and werewolves, and strong female characters. I collect Laurell Hamilton books because they definitely fit, but I also collect Piers Anthony books because I started that in high school and even though I feel like all his books are the same now, I still buy them.” Kate thought it was a shame she didn’t have any exciting hobbies. “I go to the movies, usually by myself, after work on Fridays to avoid the traffic home.” And that made her sound pathetic, Kate thought with disgust. “I like walking in the city, but I could never live in one. I need the trees, and the animals, the sound of traffic isn’t very soothing.”
“I tend to read trashy romance or crime novels.” Ororo said and Kate started to feel a little better as she listened to who Ororo liked to read and why. Kate had never heard of the authors, but at least her own talk about books wasn’t too boring in comparison. “There is a shelf of books in the mansion where we all put the romance novels we thought were really good and we share them.”
“Mansion?” Kate asked, confused. Ororo talked about a mansion so matter of factly, but Kate was sure she would have remembered hearing about it before.
……………………..
21 Things I Want In a Lover
Chapter 3
By Princess Alexandria
“I guess I haven’t mentioned that yet.” Ororo spoke and there was a small hint of a smile, but Kate noticed the woman looked around at the others in the restaurant. “There is a wealthy man that supports the same causes that I do.” Kate translated that to mutant causes in her mind and just nodded. “Several of us live with him and work for him.”
Kate frowned a little, worried that there was more to working for this older man than what she’d seen in the magazine. Ororo’s clear and musical laughter brought Kate’s eyes back to the woman. “No, he isn’t a dirty old man.” Ororo grinned at her and Kate blushed at her concern being so easy to read.
“Well, you can’t blame me for thinking he might be.” Kate muttered, still embarrassed, but she grinned. “Is everyone in his harem as gorgeous as you are?” It felt natural to say it, but as soon as the flirtatious words left her mouth Kate tensed, worried that it was too corny or too pushy.
Ororo laughed again and Kate found
she really liked the sound of Ororo laughing. “I’ll be sure to tell them you called them a
harem. I’ll bet
Ororo seemed to calm down and her smile was more fond, and it made Kate feel special to receive it. “It started out as a school to help us learn to use our abilities. There were just a few of us. Now all of us older students either teach there or do other work.” Kate again thought of the magazine and was betting Ororo wasn’t a teacher. It was a shame, because teaching was a safer job. “And there are now more students than ever before, but I still just call it the mansion, even though it’s more of a school complex now.”
“I’ll bet it makes my college seem boring.” Kate spoke, trying to find something in common in their lives. She didn’t think University was a good comparison though.
“Where did you go to college?” Ororo asked and even though by now it was extremely clear that Ororo had the more interesting life, Kate felt like Ororo really was interested.
“
“Perfect for a woman that loves the rain.” Ororo spoke so gently and Kate felt the soft touch to her hand that made it clear this wasn’t two friends going out for a day, something she had done with friends. No, that soft touch to her hand that lingered made Kate nervous and excited, because it was clearly datelike.
Kate took as subtle a deep breath as she could and tried to continue the conversation about school. While she thought of what to say she stared at Ororo’s hands, and thought they were attractive as well, tapered fingers, and feminine. This woman was a fighter, but every part of her that Kate saw looked more like a model.
“I majored in business and minored in dance.” Kate watched Ororo’s eyes widen a little and the small growing grin as Kate admitted that.
“Dance?” Ororo’s voice was pitched a little lower with that half a question. Kate smiled. Most people were surprised a Business major picked that minor, but Kate had loved to dance and it wasn’t yet more essays for her to do. Dance also gave her something to do with her time, practice was time consuming. Now she rarely danced anywhere but in her living room. “I am really looking forward to this evening then. You’ll have to show me what you can do.” That almost sounded seductive and Kate blushed at that thought.
“I’m a little rusty.” Kate admitted quietly. She could club dance, but that wasn’t really the type of dance she’d learned in school.
The waiter was back with their drinks and Kate nodded to him, but he was gone quickly and Ororo picked up the conversation quickly. “Oh I’m sure you’ll be just fine. I love to go dancing, but I don’t get to go as often as I’d like.” Kate decided that she’d do her best to make sure Ororo had fun then.
“So what did you study in school?” Kate asked, consciously thinking of keeping the conversation going. While she did want to know more about Ororo, she just wasn’t practiced in this sort of talking and it felt awkward to her. It was a special type of communication that came with dating, a level of trying to share that she just didn’t do anywhere else.
It had felt more comfortable talking to Ororo on the plane, Kate thought as she watched Ororo seem to think about the question. They could talk comfortably, they had before. Kate struggled with what was wrong and realized it was all in her head. Ororo didn’t seem different, but Kate was busy analyzing everything, even how Ororo sat. Kate was going for perfect, and maybe she just needed to focus on fun.
“Well, other than the classes to work on my abilities, I did manage to get a Bachelors in English.” Ororo spoke and Kate smiled.
“English?” Kate hadn’t expected that, she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but somehow she thought English majors would be stuffier and talk about the great novels and not romance books they liked to read. “Tell me, did they have Romance Novels of the 20th Century as a class?”
Kate was a little surprised when her hand was lightly slapped, but Ororo grinned at her. “With our schedule we had to pick majors that we could do as correspondence courses. I didn’t get to take the renowned Romance Novels 101”
“Oh, that’s a shame.” Kate teased. “I can just see the panting study groups now.” She envisioned a pile of romance novels and several flushed women reading them and discussing the steamy sex scene.
“Yes, I was very disappointed to miss it.” Ororo spoke flatly but the hint of a grin was reassuring that she was amused. Kate felt something that had been tense inside of her relax as she saw they could just talk like they had in the plane. “So since I missed the university experience, tell me, what crazy things did you do in college?”
Kate went quiet as she considered the question. She really hadn’t gotten into a lot. “I went through a bit of a hippy chick phase, but I drew the line at becoming a vegetarian. I loved my hamburgers too much.” Kate remembered the flowing flower child dresses she’d worn and the long hair that was now much shorter.
“Ah, and I became very fond of leather.” Ororo spoke and Kate’s eyes widened as she stared at Ororo, trying to imagine that. “After something that ruined my hair I just gave up and ended up with a Mohawk.”
“Oh my god.” Kate stared at Ororo’s long flowing white hair, trying to imagine that. “That easily trumps my tie dye dress. I can’t even imagine you with a Mohawk.”
“Maybe I’ll find a picture to prove it.” Ororo sat back and that’s how Kate realized the waiter was back with their meals. “Still, I can’t see you as a flower child.”
“It wasn’t easy. I hung out with the dance and drama crowd and the business crowd. There really wasn’t a way for me to fit in.” Kate smiled just a little, but she did remember the tension that was always there. People from both crowds questioned her judgment. “Once I became a senior I had to retire my hippie clothes and buy more professional clothes. I was hired by Starbucks three months after graduating.”
They moved part of their attention to eating lunch, but Kate found Ororo fascinating. They talked about college, as well as the idealism of youth. Kate could still see that Idealism alive in Ororo and the work she did, and it was a hopeful and hard work Ororo did. Kate really hoped that work would prove successful for them all, and was happy to know someone was doing something.
……………………………………
21 Things I Want In a Lover
Chapter 4
By Princess Alexandria
They left the restaurant and slowly started down the sidewalk. “So Central Park or Statue of Liberty?” Ororo asked as they stood on a street corner and Kate stared at the woman playing her tour guide for a moment, trying to figure out which one would be best with company.
“Central Park?” Kate offered, thinking of how confident Ororo walked and how she’d heard stories of crime in Central Park. She should probably not go there alone, because Kate was well aware that anyone should be able to tell she was a tourist. That could make her a target, but the idea of Central Park was great and she’d love to see it. Flying in, it had looked impressive from the air.
“Woman after my own heart.” Ororo smiled and turned while taking Kate’s hand, as they started to cross the street. Ororo let go halfway across, but Kate still walked beside her, her mind on the feel of a hand in her own. She couldn’t say she’d walked around holding hands with anyone in a very long time, and that might have been her mother.
The subway was great, and Kate noticed how amused Ororo looked at her as Kate looked around. “I wish Seattle had this, it’s a pain to get around without a car there.” The other people on the subway looked tired and bored, so Kate could tell it was only fun because it was different.
“Here it’s a pain to have a car in the city.” Ororo shifted in the seat next to Kate and Kate was very aware of how their thighs were touching. Kate didn’t move, just so that it continued, as her mind analyzed the nice warm feeling and the nervousness as well.
After a while of the slight rocking and stops of the subway, Kate felt Ororo’s hand on her knee. “The next stop is ours.” Ororo informed her and gently squeezed Kate’s knee. Kate blushed when she looked up to see a teasing smile on Ororo’s face, a sexy teasing smile that came with one more squeeze, before the subway slowed down, Once it stopped Ororo stood up and took Kate’s hand to lead her out.
“You aren’t used to holding hands are you?” Ororo asked as they made their way through the crowds and Kate blushed. “Do you mind? I just don’t want to lose you in the crowds and I know you aren’t used to them.” Ororo’s voice was softer and Kate was just even more impressed with the woman for asking.
“It’s okay.” Kate smiled shyly as they made it to the stairs leading up to the street, and her hand was squeezed gently. It was actually really okay, she thought, taking in the warm hands and glancing at how her hand looked in Ororo’s. Ororo’s hand was so very feminine, it gave Kate a bit of a thrill to see it in her own. Ororo’s comment about the crowds might be true, but it wasn’t like it wouldn’t be incredibly easy to spot Ororo in a crowd, so Kate wondered if Ororo just liked leading her around.
They made it to the street and Kate glanced around to find the green of the park across from them. It was beautiful, full of trees and paths, with a man selling tshirts next to the path into it. That reminded her she wanted one.
It was a warm enough day, but when Kate looked up at the grey skies she wondered if Central Park was the right idea. “I hope it doesn’t rain.” She spoke and looked back down at Ororo.
Ororo smiled slyly, “I’m sure it won’t.” Then she teased, “I thought you liked the rain?”
They stood there, at the side of the sidewalk as Kate sighed. “Not today.” She really didn’t want their fun cut short today. She couldn’t see walking around in the rain when she had plans for that night. She didn’t want to have to return to the hotel to clean up, and she’d worked hard on her hair, harder than normal.
“You don’t have to worry.” Ororo leaned in, her voice quieter and closer. It gave Kate tingles when she felt Ororo’s breath on her neck. “I control the weather, and I can keep it from raining.”
Kate’s eyes widened and Ororo’s hand moved to her upper arm to hold her there as Kate turned to stare into Ororo’s eyes. “Really?” She was stunned, her mind trying to grasp a power like that. “So you can stop rain?”
“I can do much more than that.” Ororo answered, her eyes searching Kate’s for something, but Kate just blinked and looked away, trying to think of what all that could do. Her back tensed and her eyes turned back to Ororo’s her stunned expression clear. “Yes, I’m very powerful.”
“I just thought you could fly.” Kate admitted to having thought about it at all. When someone walked by closer, Kate tensed up and looked over at the park. “Well, good, no rain.” She still felt awkward and intimidated at that moment, but she thought they really should move.
“Are you frightened?” Ororo’s question was asked casually and Kate nibbled on her lower lip as she considered it.
“No, just,” Her words trailed off. She glanced at Ororo and didn’t want to make her feel bad. “Impressed.” That earned her a small smile, so she kept to herself how ordinary and plain it made her feel, how intimidated and nervous.
Her mind thought of all the things that were considered part of the weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and wondered if Ororo really had that much power over nature, and if that made her a god.
And if she really was that powerful, what the hell was Ororo doing walking Central Park with a payroll clerk with no powers and a job many people had told her was boring? She liked her job just fine, but few people wanted to hear about it.
Kate stood a little taller as she told herself she was here now, and she’d just have to do the best she could. She honestly liked spending time with Ororo, and she was hoping Ororo was liking spending time with her. Ororo still had her hand after all, as she had put her arm out to make sure Kate didn’t walk into traffic and then took it again. “Big City?” Ororo teased her about almost stepping into the road and Kate blushed. Her mind was too busy for walking it appeared.
“I want a souvenir tshirt, can we look?” Kate asked as they finally had the right of way and were walking toward the table full of mostly white tshirts.
“I’m sure you’ll get more than a few souvenirs.” Ororo spoke with a smile and Kate’s hand was sadly let go once they’d crossed the street. They stood in front of the table and Kate frowned just a little at the shirts there.
“Looking for anything in particular? Lady Liberty?” Ororo pointed to a cartoon statue of liberty on one shirt, that looked far too blah for Kate.
“No,”
Kate spoke slowly, looking over the shirts, and then found a grey
NYPD shirt. She picked it up, not
completely happy with it, to study it.
That got the vendors attention and she was there talking about a sale,
and pointing at the other shirts. Kate
managed to leave without a shirt, but she swore she’d have to fight her way
out, and her guide, who was a superhero, just laughed at her when Kate gave her
a mock irritated look. “Didn’t feel
inclined to save me?”
Ororo grinned. “Should I have rained on her tshirts? Left her to sell soggy goods?”
Somehow that made Kate smile. The image in her mind almost made her laugh. “I guess that wasn’t really necessary.”
They walked along the paths, and Kate found herself laughing more than normal as Ororo told stories about her friends. They seemed like they’d be a good group of people. They walked slowly and Kate was finding that they stopped often to talk, so it took a long time to make their way around the park.
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