Brenda Leigh was just her friend, Sharon had to remind herself for the millionth time that day. No matter how cozy the booth they were ensconced in was, no matter how many times Brenda laid a hand on her arm or on her thigh, it would not be appropriate for for Sharon to slide an arm around the blonde's narrow shoulders and draw them closer together. Sharon didn't know if it was made better or worse by the fact that Brenda had charmed the pants off Aaron and Marisa, two of Sharon's old college friends, and was carrying the conversation for the two of them, leaving Sharon to focus solely on the maddening brush of Brenda's small hand through the fabric of her light trousers.

The fingers on her thigh stroked once, then tapped out a little tune, like Brenda was playing the piano directly on one of Sharon's erogenous zones. It wasn't so much that she was turned on (not even a little bit) that was frustrating her, but Brenda was a straight woman, newly divorced, making this little exercise in under the table touching a complete and total tease. Biting back a groan, Sharon attempted to gather her wits from wherever Brenda's fingers had chased them; surely Aaron and Marisa thought she'd lost the ticket, as she'd said maybe two words since they'd arrived.

Concentrating on the conversation once more, Sharon heard Marisa say, "So how long have you and Sharon been seeing one another - we can't believe that she didn't tell us!"

Brenda shot Marisa a little moue of disappointment (Sharon was very familiar with that expression). "Unfortunately, the good Captain here has completely failed to take a hint or a thousand and ask me out to dinner. Or back to her place."

Marisa and Aaron laughs. Sharon could only gape, especially in the face of the tiny, apologetic smile turned her way (another expression that Sharon was familiar with).

In retrospect, Sharon should have known; Brenda had been her plus one to everything for the past few months; this dinner, lunch with her son, that interminable party the Mayor threw. They hadn't been dates, but apparently, they could have been.

Her ears went hot with embarrassment and not a little pleasure.

"You could have said something," she hissed, cognizant of her friends' curious stares.

"This is me sayin' something," murmured Brenda, stroking Sharon's thigh again. "Can you be mad at me later, maybe? So we can enjoy your friends' company?"

Sharon couldn't argue with that. She nodded, and was rewarded by Brenda's fingers playing another jaunty little tune; this time sneaking down towards areas that were well in to third base territory. Brenda turned back to Marisa and Aaron, face like by a massive smile. Sharon felt her face stretch into a smile of her own. She wouldn't be mad at Brenda - and she certainly would be inviting her back to her place.