Deciding what to wear was harder than ever for Helena as she lay out several outfits across her bed. Dressing as HG was easy ...She would wear a suit ...waistcoat and put on her disguise. Dressing as Helena was so much harder. How was she supposed to do her hair? ... Makeup?... Should she wear a dress or trousers ?

Helena went to the landing and yelled for her brother Charles.

' You hollered dear sister ? '

'I'm going mad Charles. I don't know what the hell to wear?'

'Must I always dress you sister? 'Charles laughed as he looked at the mess strewn around the author's bedroom.

'Stop mocking and help me! 'Helena scowled.

'I'm not going to choose. Just take my advice and dress yourself. Wear what is comfortable and …well…. you. '

'But what if she doesn't like me?' Helena slumped down onto the bed.

'If she's giving you a chance she must already. Just be you and she will love you just as they all do. 'Charles ruffled his sister's hair earning himself another stern look.

'Get out then if you're not going to help. I'll dress myself.' Helena closed the door on her brother and put her hand out for the outfit for her date. She had been nervous as HG but as Helena the butterflies had tripled. Questions circled around in her mind, what if Myka didn't like her, what if she couldn't be that person Myka wanted or need ? …what if Myka didn't fancy her?

Helena sighed. Looked herself in the mirror and wished to any God out there that was listening to please give her a break on just this one occasion.

...

The author took a breath and looked at her watch. It was 10.55 am. That wasn't too early was it? Surely she could go to Myka's door now. Eager to arrive on time Helena had driven over early and had been waiting in her car for 45minutes willing away the time until 11am.

Helena reached out to the wooden door feeling her stomach muscles tighten. She felt a little sick. What if Myka had changed her mind? Seen the light?

The writer raised her hand and grabbed the door knocker… but before she even had the chance to rap, the door was pulled open and there stood Myka beaming from ear to ear. The pretty teacher looked beautiful. She wore a long green skirt and a blouse tucked in around the waist, a few collar buttons had been left undone leaving a tantalising glimpse of pink skin beneath. Her thick hair had been left to tumble down her back in plentiful ringlets. Most importantly Helena thought, the pretty teacher was smiling. She couldn't be ready to back out quite yet.

'Myka you look absolutely stunning.' Helena took the teacher's hand and kissed the back of it. The smell of Myka's perfume was intoxicating.

' You don't look half bad yourself.' Myka looked the author up and down appreciatively. Helena had chosen to wear grey tapered trousers with brown leather boots tight on her ankles and a pin stripe shirt tucked in loosely with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her hair she had decided to leave down and natural cascading down her back.

'I hope you don't mind that I wore these.' Helena pulled the pockets on her trousers.

'Not at all. I like them. You look very suave.' Myka gathered her nerves and brushed the stray hairs out of the author's eyes. 'I like that I can really see you. You have gorgeous hair, it's a shame it's always tied up.'

Helena blushed and kicked at the gravel beneath her feet.

Suddenly self-conscious the brunette shifted. 'Shall we get moving then? 'Myka pulled away and headed to the shed nearby. Helena watched amused as clanks and bangs emanated from the stone outbuilding.

'Here …this one is for you.' The teacher rolled out a bicycle and handed it to the smiling author.

'We're going for bike ride?'

'Well I don't know what else we would do with them.' The teacher replied blankly.

'Very funny.' Helena cast a sly grin in Myka's direction before hopping onto the tough leather seat. The teacher soon mimicked the writer's actions and lined up next to her friend.

'Shall we?' Myka pointed towards a slightly overgrown path in the distance.

'Lead the way. I am yours to command.' Helena hooked up the peddles and followed Myka onto a nearby cycle path.

'So you do ride frequently?' Helena asked casting her eye over the well cared for bicycles.

'Most weekends actually. I like to take a book and cold lemonade and head out to a secluded spot in the country side. There's nothing better than spending a day engrossed in your favourite book in a hot corn field of beside a babbling brook. I can leave in the morning and only get back when the sun is going down.'

'Do you always go alone?' Helena felt her heart thud. She wondered if Myka had taken any love interests out before like this.

'Yes ...until today of course.' Myka laughed lightly. She could sense Helena's eyes were on her and it sent a flutter to her heart. 'You should keep your eyes on the road you know … there's pot holes all down this track.' Myka grinned as Helena flustered about being caught staring.

' I'm sorry. I just ...'

'Helena it's ok. You're allowed to look. In fact I'd be quite disappointed if you didn't. I took hours deciding what to wear today.'

Helena smiled but did not admit she had done the same. She felt like she paled in comparison to Myka.

'I'll look more often then.' The author concluded. 'I can show my appreciation all day if you like. '

Now it was Myka's turn to blush, her eyes locked with Helena's. Not heeding her own advice suddenly Myka's bicycle wheel hit a gravel pit and soon she found herself flat on the floor.

'Myka ! ' Helena ran to her friends side leaping off the bike of her own. 'Are you ok? ' The writer knelt down concerned. She wanted to pull the fallen woman into her arms but she was scared her moves might be misinterpreted and unappreciated.

The teacher rolled onto her back and laughed up at the sky. 'I'm fine... I feel like an idiot but I'm ok.' Myka's breath hitched as realisation hit that Helena was leaning closely over her, concern was etched across her brow and …wow…those lips…they were only inches away. The women fell into silence the tension between them palpable.

'Your eyes are like emeralds. ' Helena looked down on the teacher in slight awe. She would have given anything to be able to close the distance and kiss the teacher again.

Helena broke the stare and held her hand out to Myka. In one swift movement the teacher was hoisted back on to her feet. 'You look in one piece.' Carefully Helena brushed the dust from the brunette's back.

'I can't say the same for my bike. ' Myka held up her bicycle, the front wheel had bent in two and the brakes had completely snapped. 'I guess we should head back. I'm sorry…I've messed up. ' The teacher could have kicked herself for being such a klutz.

'Hey … it's ok… don't worry.' Helena rested her hand on Myka's shoulder. 'Do you mind if I take a look?'

'Be my guest. All it's good for now is scrap I should think.'

Helena examined the bent metal. 'I can fix this if you're feeling ok to keep going?' The writer desperately hoped the teacher was. She would hate to go home already.

'Really? ' Myka looked at raven haired woman suspiciously.

'I should think so just give me a sec.' Helena leant the wheel arch against a nearby rock and began to bend it back into shape.

Myka took a seat on the ground opposite and sat gobsmacked as she watched Helena pull a tool from her pocket and begin to start tightening and unscrewing various nuts and bolts along the bicycle.

'Do you always carry tools with you ? ' Myka asked amused.

'I uhh. Just this one and my pocket knife.' The writer felt embarrassed by her tomboyish ways. 'You never know when they might come in handy.' Helena grinned and wiped an oily hand across her forehead leaving a streak of black.

'You're a very interesting woman Helena. I am now very glad I fell off my bike so I could learn this about you.'

'Please don't try injuring yourself next time darling. You know you can just ask me questions in future ok? 'Helena smiled as she reattached the brakes.

'Hmm good to know. So where did you learn to do this ..boy stuff?'

'It's not boy stuff...not if a woman does it. ' Helena winked. 'I've just always liked taking things apart and fixing them. I wanted to be an inventor once. I wanted to build a rocket to get to the moon or a time machine to visit the ancient Egyptians. '

'How did that work out for you?' Myka laughed lightly.

'Not particularly well so I wrote about it instead.' Helena shrugged and continued cutting and twisting the broken brake wires back together.

'I see. The time machine is one of my favourites after war of the worlds. Your ideas are so fantastic. You have quite the imagination. The kids at school could learn a lot from you .'

Helena was pensive for a second. 'I can come and do a talk for you one day if you like? For the children I mean …that is if you think they would like it?' The writer started to blush again.

'You would do that? 'The teacher imagined the famous writer coming to her school. She would be the talk of the village.

Helena looked at Myka dumbfounded. Didn't Myka understand she would do anything for her? 'It would be a total pleasure.'

'Well. I don't know what to say …. Thank you. That would be beyond amazing.' Myka let her eyes wander over the author's figure, she noticed perspiration began to line her brow. With the hot sun beating down on the beautiful woman's back sweat had started to glisten beneath the hairline of the writer's neck. Myka's eyes honed in on a tantalising damp patch beginning to appear in the centre of the author's pale shirt. Without realising Myka licked her lips as she imagined her soft fingertips running along Helena's hot and sticky skin.

'I think we are fixed.' Helena stood, stretched and scooped her hair up into a lose bun. 'Let me test it first though.' The author climbed onto the bike did a circle and tested the brakes sharply.

'I think it works better than it did before.' Myka stood impressed.

Helena handed the bicycle back their palms grazing against it each other. ' I'm sorry. I'm filthy now.'

'There's a river where we're going you can wash up there if you like.' Myka ran her thumb across the oil mark on Helena's face. 'You look like a chimney sweep.'

' Well that will never do. Not on our first Helena and Myka date.' The writer pulled of her now dirty shirt revealing a navy blue tight vest top beneath. Using the shirt to wipe off her hands and face Helena grinned as she caught Myka checking out her new outfit. 'Is this better? '

'Umm.' Myka gulped. Helena's forearms were toned, slim and glistening in the sunlight. 'You look ... You look... Hot.'

'Thank you ? I think?' Helena could feel the teacher's eyes boring into her.

Myka could have slapped herself for being so utterly inarticulate. Nothing. She could come up with no witty quip. Instead she just completely changed subject. 'Come on. Our picnic must be cooking in that basket.'

The teacher shuddered as she watched Helena's biceps moving now the shirt had been discarded. Yes Myka thought. It definitely was not just HG she was attracted to.