Stand In The Rain
My eyes felt heavy and as I pulled my old winter coat over my shoulders. I knew extra errand was pointless. I could have been home by now but I think I just wanted an hour or so to myself.
I liked walking in the city when the night had just fallen and it was cold enough to make a person feel safe, if only for a little while. A hard rain began to fall and I felt a little more safe.
After a few more blocks I stumbled into the warmth of the little Thai restaurant downtown. I took a minute to warm up before scanning the take-out menu and ordering my usual drunken noodles with extra sauce to go.
“15 minutes, Ms. Sofia”, the hostess says once I place my order.
I really did come here to much,but it was only a few blocks from the hospital and the train to Queens. I sat at the bar and started studying. I had begun spending every free moment I had trying to get my nursing bachelor’s as soon as I could. It realized it wasn’t just because of the pay increases. . . though it would help.
I focused on studying , when I was disrupted by the sound of glass hitting the ground followed by a large thud. A few people gasped and I turned on my barstool to see a woman had fallen off her stool landing in a puddle of strong liquor.
No one moved and the woman seemed fine but I still found myself at her side, I don’t know why I helped maybe because I had still had my scrubs on.
“Are you okay ?”, I asked
“Yes”, She said, she kept her head down as I helped her back into the chair.
“Are you sure—“
I stopped midsentence as she turned towards me, she sounded
angry but she had soft practically beautiful facial features.
“Guess I still have to pay for this”, she said the bartender, “and I’ll also have one for the road”
She placed a fifty dollar bill on the counter and waved her hand has the bartender offered her change.
“Thank you”, she said now turning back to me.
“No problem”
“New Yorkers can be so blind all the time.”
“You’re not from here ?”, I asked
“You are?”
“I guess so.”, I said. knowing I still looked small town, “Are you visiting ?”
“Just passing through actually.”
“I’m Sofia”, I offered her my hand , she didn’t take it.
“Clara”, she said taking a sip of what I now recognized as Scotch.
“Nice to meet you”, I offered
“What about you ? where are you headed.”
“Well, home actually to my family”
“That’s. . . nice, do they miss you. . . when you’re gone”, Clara said.
I’m sure it did sound nice and that is why I said it. I loved going home being needed being loved but somehow it was never as comfortable as it should be.
“Well I usually call my husband whenever I can at work but my son is at the babysitter’s so—“
“You’re a mom ?”, her hand left her glass and she took more than a second to glance at me.
“Yes”, I flipped open my phone to show her one of the many pictures of Elijah I had taken.
She took more than a moment to study the screen before looking at me.
“I have a daughter, but we aren’t together right now.”
“I’m sorry”, I said, “What is she like”
“I can’t really describe it. . . I just wish I had a picture of her.”
“Don’t”, I joked, “Your co-workers will just get tired of you showing them every moment in her life.”
Clara, laughed a little bit but it was obvious she was hurting a little. I wondered if she could tell I was hurting inside to. Hell, maybe we all are.
The hostess called my name and we gave each other comforting glances as I grabbed my order. I was halfway through the door when I heard a commotion behind me.
From the door I could once again see that Clara had fallen over, the hostess had come to her side but mostly to berate her. I found myself back at her side helping her up and out of the restaurant.
“You’re drunk”, I said now that I was closer to her.
“I’m fine”, she insisted.
Once we were outside I realized that she didn’t have a winter coat and with the rain beating down on both of us, my thoughts went to hypothermia.
“Let me get you a taxi, where are you going ?”, I yelled through the rain
“301 Park avenue. . . uh 49th and 50th”
I gently placed her into the cab, she had a clumsy grip on her credit card. The driver glared at me daring me to leave him alone with her and I decided to get in with her.
“listen”, I said, “I’m a nurse and I just want to make sure you get back safely”
I mentioned the nurse part to make her feel secure I did not mention that I had only been on the job for a couple of months.
Her eyes were dark and glossed over and I realized it might have been wrong to call her drunk. As we passed lights outside I began to realize she looked more like one of Severin’e friends. She was tastefully thin with layers of styled black hair and make up. The purse she had her arms wrapped around probably cost more than I made in a week the same went for the shoes.
My observation was spot on when we pulled up the Waldorf Astoria, once the taxi driver was paid she stopped at the front doors realizing I was still there.
“I should pay for half the fare”, I said, “Since I made you get in”
“It’s fine.”, she said pensivly
She doesn’t protest as I follow her into the hotel, she is walking slow somewhere in between tired and intoxicated. I tell myself I should be getting home but I worked nights at the hospital I knew what happened to pretty out of towners when they wandered around alone, especially in hotels.
Her room is on the third floor, she leans halfway in the door and invites me in. I feel out of place as it is in my scrubs and coat clutching a bag of greasy thai food but I decide to follow her in.
“You don’t seem impressed”, she said dropping her bag on the floor and kicking off her shoes.
A flash of lighting causes us both to jump.
“I grew up around people with money.”
“Trust me being around it is better than having it.”
“Easy for you to say”
“Sorry”, she says and I can tell she means it.
“So”, I attempt to relive the tension, “What do you do ?”
“I teach music”
“I used to know a musician”
“Now you know two”
I looked around the relatively untouched hotel room, there was a neat stack of luggage in the corner and I realized how much she reminded me of Severine.
She was alone.
“Do you maybe want to share dinner ?”, I said holding up the Thai food bag.
“Sure. . . If that is okay.”
I nodded and she invited me to join her on the bed, I shrugged off my coat revealing my worn but very clean scrubs. She turned the news on and it was the most strangely uncomfortable comfortable thing I had ever done.
“Shit”, I looked down as I had spilled a large helping of extra sauce onto my scrubs, but more importantly on the expensive sheets.
“It’s fine you can borrow something of mine.”
She rummaged around in the closet and pulled out a warm looking track suit.
“This might fit”, she said measuring it against me, “Take this off”
She tugged lightly at the scrub top, I was nervous and hesitated after a while she realized I hadn’t moved.
“Is something wrong ?”, Clara asked
“Uh, I have terrible stretch mark”
The moment I said it I regretted it remembering the scars on
her face, instead she just laughed.
“My daughter’s four and I’m still healing”, she said
To prove her point she tugged the soft sweater dress over her head tossing it to the side and running her hands over the skin below a very intricate and complimentary lace bra. It made me feel a little less self conscious and I pulled off the sauce-ridden top.
She moved behind me with the jacket still in hand, I felt the tips of her fingers graze my shoulder. My skin seemed to heat up as she began to run her finger over my shoulder and down my back. She stopped pressing a finger over my bra clasp.
My body stiffened but I didn’t want her to stop as the worn clasp gave and the black fabric fell to the carpet. She stepped away and moved in front of me.
She opened her mouth to say something but I didn’t give her the chance, I kissed her reaching to press my warm lips to her slowly taking her tongue into my mouth. Soon the only sounds were out quiet and soft moans as she tugged off her tights and my scrub bottoms.
We had fallen back onto the warm bed, I moved myself up her slim body kissing her forehead, lips and neck. Finally I reached her collarbone my eyes settled on her perfectly lifted breast nestled in the fragile fabric.
She ran her hands up and down my body, willing us both to remove the final layers of clothing we were wearing. There was strange warmth and comfort as our similar bodies were pressed together.
Kissing was easy, we began to silently fumble as her small and slim hand found it’s way to the more sensitive parts of my body. She was slim with soft curves where I felt thin and small but I couldn’t bring myself to feel inferior.
She finally turned me on my back; my body reacted instantly to the way she looked at me, little judgment but simple admiration. . . Possibly.
“You’re beautiful”, she said
“So are you”, I kissed her to prove my point.
“Don’t “, she protested
“Why ?”
“Because “
There was a calm vibration as a flash of light appeared at the window, a loud roar followed and I opened my eyes to the dark reality of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel suite.
The lightning struck again.
I sat up in the lush bed the sound of the news still mumbling in the background. I looked over at the fully-dressed sleeping woman next to me. My scrubs though covered in sauce were still intact. Our hands were entwined and as I pulled it away she opened her eyes.
We didn’t break eye contact as we both sat up, me reeling from my dream her reeling from something else.
“I-“
“you-“
“We-“
“Um, I should go”, I finally said tossing on my coat.
She sat up and watched me collect myself.
“Thank you, Sofia. You’ve been so kind. . . I hope you get back to your family safely.”
“You too”, I said
She broke out her comfortable smile again and walked me to the door, slipping some money in my hand
“Take a taxi home. . . on me”
“Thanks”
We hugged each other a strange act for two lonely women who had met only a few hours ago. I didn’t want to think of the similarities that had lead us to trust one another or the children we loved and both needed to get back to.
Our embraced loosened and I kissed her very quickly on the lips, there was a brief and confusing understanding as she waved good bye to me as I boarded the elevator.
The doors came together showing me my reflection, I checked my phone it was almost midnight and not a single missed call.
+++
A/n
Yes, I know it was a dream but I had to keep it somewhat in cannon. Sure we could go into Clara and Sofia not being intimate with their partners and how the distance in those relationships would drive them together.
There was a line in there about his but it got to . . . real
This was a lot of fun, very empowering writing about two women.