The Blind Girl in the Rain Pt. 03

"Radio?" I asked her, "Music?"

She shook her head. "No. This is nice. I like this," She reached across and touched her passenger side window, "Sometimes there is too much noise."

That I could understand. Though not in the same way she did. I would never in a million years be able to understand sound the way she understood it. I glanced at her and could sense she was in a place all of her own.

"What's it like?" I asked her.

She turned to look at me as I concentrated on the road.

"Lonely."

*

The Berkley Institute for the Blind had been many things over its eighty-year history. Previously a fire-station, it was now home to a drop -in and resource center for the visually impaired as well as offering a volunteer service for those living with or coming to terms with the condition. Apparently, Heather had worked there ever since she was fifteen.

Holding onto my arm, she led us both into the reception area where an older lady with a grey flecked with white poodle perm sat behind the counter doing various bits of paperwork.

She smiled as we approached her. "Heather, honey!"

Heather grabbed me tighter and pushed me forward. "Hey, Molly, how goes it?"

"Fine, fine," she said, "Ernie is out back messing with the boiler. Damned thing is getting cranky again. Rattling like a bag of bones but at least the pipes are hot," She turned to me and raised her eyebrows, "And this fine gentleman is.."

"Oh, this is," Heather suddenly stuttered, "This is um.."

I reached out my hand and Molly took it. "Just call me Mike. I work with Heather."

Molly was about to say something when all hell broke loose.

SQUEAK "Ouch!" SQUEAK "Ouch!"

All three of us turned towards the noise as a little round inflatable plastic bubble with a head, arms and legs skidded into view at the bottom of the corridor and barrelled towards us bouncing off the walls like it was in some sort of glorified pinball machine. Every time it bounced off something the ball let out a loud electronic SQUEAK followed by a pained "Ouch!"

The little plastic inflatable ball turned out to be a frizzy blonde haired girl of about six who screeched to a stop in front of us. "Is anybody there?!" she called out, "Because if you are you'd better not pretend you're not!"

Molly stood with her hands on her hips. "Gracey Turner. Just what are you up to?"

The child lifted her face to the sound of her voice and it was then I realized she couldn't see us. She was blind too. I glanced at Heather who stood there laughing.

"Nothing. I swear," said the girl. She gave a grunt of frustration and did a little-annoyed dance on the spot with the plastic ball bobbing up and down around her, "Do I HAVE to wear this thing, Aunt Molly?"

"Yes you do, sweetie," said the woman, "Or else you'd end up black and blue the way you run around this place. This way you can't get hurt and we know where you are!"

Gracey sighed and turned away to walk back where she came from. "Bummer," she muttered as an older boy approached us from the same direction using a stick.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he said brightly as he came into reception, "Is that Heather?"

"Hello Billy," she said as she raised her arms wide. The boy, who looked roughly the same age as her, came up and gave her a big hug, "Billy, this is Mike. He works in the same place as me."

Once he let her go he turned to me. "Pleased to meet you, Mike." He raised a finger to his right eye, "It's okay. You're a smudge. I'm ninety percent dark and ten percent fuzzy. Hence the smudge. You look good though. Seriously. I'm Billy," He paused for dramatic effect, "Heather's boyfriend."

Huh? What? Really?

Beside me, Heather gave a gasp, reached out, and slapped his shoulder. "No, you are not!" she hissed with a laugh as she turned a deep shade of red. She grabbed on to him and gave him a shake.

"EX then," he sighed as he held his hands up, "It only lasted one night," he whispered as he leaned towards me, "But it was one helluva night!" With that, he turned tail and ran back down the corridor to where SQUEAK "Ouch!" was doing her thing.

I looked over at Molly who came around the counter chuckling. "Is it always like this?" I asked smiling.

"Oh, you have no idea," she teased, "Come on, let me show you the common room and meet some of the others. They're sorting out the Christmas decorations and we can have a nice chat over a cup of coffee."

I started to follow the other woman but stopped when I realized Heather was still standing there gently fuming and fiddling with her stick.

"You alright?" I asked her.

She looked up at me. "Welcome to my world," she muttered as she walked past.

"And he isn't my boyfriend!!"

*

The week that followed was pretty much routine bread and butter.

At various times during that week meetings were held and decisions were made with each floor and department putting their best foot forward. I had six meetings all told with my team and support staff where Heather sat in taking care of the audio record which she would transcribe onto disk and log into the database where the information could be easily accessed.

With more experience came more confidence which made her particular skill set important to the overall running of the departments. Suffice to say, Heather became to be regarded as an important member of the pool and once she had done her six-month apprenticeship she would be assigned to a particular team leader. That she had earned the respect and admiration of everyone was something special to see.

And all this had happened in less than three weeks.

*

Heather looked slightly stunned.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

We were in my office with her standing in front of my desk and me sat behind it watching her. It was a Friday and time to take another small step.

"No," I replied, "I'm asking if you want a burger and fries. There'll be a few others there too including Jimmy and Janet. It's a kind of a works ritual. It's the first of December and a group of us always head off to Bennies Bar and Grill on the first of every month. If you're interested be down in the lobby for about five." I got up from behind my desk and went to open the door for her.

"Oh," she said quietly as she turned to the sound of the door opening and walked carefully over to where I was standing, "Well, I mean, I thought the way you said it," She began to say before she stopped and shook her head, "Never mind. That's okay. Yes, I'd love to go. It sounds fun."

I held the door open for her and as she came close I simply asked her "If I did, would you have a problem with that?"

She froze but didn't look up at me. I could see the tiny pulse at the base of her throat and the way her lips opened slightly as if caught in a surprise. She reached up and took off her spectacles before lifting her face to mine as I stared down at her.

"No, Mr. Sloane," she said carefully, "I don't think I would but I think others may."

*

The Big Bopper was bop bop bopping from the jukebox as Bennies Bar and Grill bounced to the sound of Friday night as we all made our way to the reserved area where we had booked tables and sofas to sit on after we'd eaten.

There were about twenty of us with about fifteen girls from the pool, myself, Jimmy, and three guys from support. The place was packed as it was just off fifth avenue and the hive mind began to unwind at the end of another working week. The sights and sounds of Christmas were all around us as the festive season cranked into commercial gear. A good foot of snow still lay all around adding to the seasonal mood.

Janet, as usual, was directing traffic. She was also Mother Hen and kept her special charge close as she guided Heather over to a window table and helped her get comfortable by removing her coat and hanging it on a nearby rack for her. I unwound my red scarf and watched her as she did her little "find where everything is" routine by running her fingers around the edges of the table.

It was then I felt someone nudge me from behind and I turned to see Hallie, Suzie, and Donna giving me the eye. Oh shit. I gave them a quick smile. "Hey ladies."

Long legged and lithe Suzie reached around me and squeezed my butt. "Hey, Mr. Sloane," she breathed as she came in real close, "Where've you been hiding? Some of us girls have been wondering what the name of the game is. We're starting to pine and miss the good times we had together. Those times when you showed us just how deep you would go to put a smile on our faces," She moved in closer," Or something else if we asked you nicely. You do still have our numbers, don't you, Mr. Sloane?"

The two other women were staring intently at me and a couple of others were glancing in our direction watching the little show being played out. All three of them looked hot to trot and I had no doubt I could bang the lot of them before the sun came up.

But not this night.

As ever, it was Janet to the rescue.

She came up to the four of us and slipped her arm through mine. "Ladies, if you'll excuse us, table number one is served." With that, she pulled me through the crowd to where the tables were and sat me down opposite Heather who looked up at the commotion. I could tell she was trying to work out who was where and doing what.

"Hey, you," I said, sitting forward with relief. I glanced over her shoulder and watched as the three other women made their way to their own table as they looked over to where I sat. Thank fuck for Janet. The woman was a Saint.

"Hey," said Heather looking at me. She wasn't wearing her spectacles and her eyes sparkled in the festive glow. She didn't look away but kept still and silent. It never occurred to me she could hear everything that was said a moment ago.

Burgers and fries were really good to go. Everyone tucked in and it was an education watching Heather eat her meal. I had forgotten anyone else at the table and sat there with elbows propped up, double cheeseburger between two hands, and munched away looking at her do the same - but more diligently. Nibbling around the edges before taking a big bite that had me laughing to myself as she chased loose fries around her tray and slurped on an XXL coke. I shook my head. How the hell had I ended up here becoming rapt and obsessed with someone who was completely out of my social and physical circle.

I honestly felt like I was slowly turning an important page in my book of life.

But the old days and old ways still gave me pause. Hallie, Donna, and long legged Suzie were like ghosts from my Christmas past and they would always be there until I turned that page forever.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge. Compliments of the season to ye.

*

The meal was over.

The whole group sat on various sofa's or lounged on cushions spread across the floor at the rear of the restaurant next to a traditional log fire that snapped and crackled as the conversation and beers flowed. Everyone was in a good mood as the stresses of the day and week slowly faded away. People were sat in groups chatting about this and that.

I was sat on the floor with my back to the oak-paneled wall next to the fire watching as Janet, Heather, and a couple of the other older women talked about whatever it was they were talking about. I took a sip of beer and continued to look at her as she laughed and listened to her companions. It's funny how attraction creeps up on you. Discovering that someone who is normally your physical negative becomes, over time, your absolute emotional positive as you get to know them and their true nature. I swirled what was left of my beer and continued to watch the three women talking. Janet glanced at me and whispered something to the other two. Heather shook her head and put her hand over her mouth to hide a laugh as she glanced over to where I was sitting.

Janet gave me another look and I frowned at her. What were they up to?

The older woman nodded towards me and Heather shook her head again. Janet knelt forward and crooked a finger at me as Heather put her hands over her face trying to hide.

"Come closer, Mike," said Janet, "Kneel on this cushion." She turned to Heather who was blushing beetroot and biting her lip, "Show him, Heather."

Bemused, I looked between the three of them. Show me? Show me what?

The other woman, Marge, knelt to my right hand side. "We were just talking with Heather about the way she experiences and interprets the world around her. How things appear to her. She explained she see's colors. When someone speaks to her directly, the sound of our voices also appear to her as flashes of different colors. She can also see someone through touch. Isn't that right?"

Heather was sat there quietly listening and nodded at the question. "I can see people through touching their faces. Um, you know, the way they feel and their shape. I sort of paint a picture in my head when I imagine what they look like. It makes them all different. Which is important to me. I was taught how to do it when I was very young but it's not something I do often these days."

Janet knelt to my left. "We thought it'd be fun for her to do you, Mike."

Really? I looked at Heather who had inched forward and was carefully settling herself on her cushion in front of me. Uh. Okay. That sounds a bit weird. But what harm could it do? I was game which was no doubt helped by the soothing effect of the beer I was drinking.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked her.

Heather nodded. "Um, yes. I just get a little nervous when I do it."

"Are you ready?" asked Janet.

Heather raised her face and I found myself looking into her eyes and the clear green ocean within them. We were facing each other and I watched as the blind girl slowly raised her hands to my face.

*

Her first touch was tentative and gentle.

The light tracing of my features as her fingers came into contact with the bone structure of my face felt strange yet soothing. They traced my forehead, brow, the bridge of my nose, the breadth of my cheeks and the firmness of my jaw. All the while, I stared at her and as each second passed the world around us faded away into nothing. Heather was smiling as she painted me inside her mind. I understood that I was becoming more defined to her and her head tilted this way and that as her fingers caressed my face.

I was staring intently at her now. I could feel the blood beginning to fire through my veins and I sub-consciously found myself moving closer to her as her hands moved to each side of my face and she spread her fingers wide apart. Her lips were slightly open and I suddenly realized that she was moving closer too.

Her eyes were shining and I could see tears shimmering as we stopped mere inches apart and I could feel the soft caress of her breath against my lips. My heart was hammering in my chest as I slowly raised my own hands and took her face in mine as she gasped at my sudden touch.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers and felt her groan and sigh against me as I pressed forward with my right arm slipping down her back to draw her to me so I could hold her close. I knew now it was something I had wanted to do from the moment I had set eyes on her as she had laid on the ground in the pouring rain all those days ago.

There is no greater expression of want and desire than the first kiss. Ours felt like it lasted forever as I held Heather to my chest and felt her arms wrap themselves around my neck as her lips parted and I felt the first touch of her tongue against mine. The kiss deepened and I could feel her trembling against me as I drew her up so that we were standing together before the log fire.

I felt her right hand come down and rest on my chest as she murmured my name. I slowly lifted my lips from hers and opened my eyes to see hers wide with surprise, shock, wonder and desire. Once I'd let her lips go, she dropped her forehead against my chest and took great lungfuls of air as she tried to control her breathing and heart.

I was shook to my marrow. I blinked as the world came back into focus to see everyone staring at us in silence. I took Heather by her shoulders and held her at arms length to make sure she was alright. But she shook her head.

"I," she whispered as she put her fingers to her lips, "I'm fine. But I think I need to go."

It was then Janet and Marge came to her side to support her. They both hugged the shaking girl as Janet stared at me over Heather's shoulder with a satisfied look on her face. "We'll help her get home." she said as they took Heather to get her coat and order a taxi.

I still stood there in disbelief. I didn't even give a damn that everyone was still staring at me with stunned surprise. God knows what the girls from the pool were thinking.

It was Brad who set me straight.

He came over and handed me a beer. "Fuck me, dude," he muttered, "You sure have a way with the ladies. That was pretty fucking spectacular I have to say."

Life had suddenly got really complicated.

End of Part 3.

Story continues in Part 4.