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Home / Stories / Fiction / Katherine and Julie - Part 1 - Where the protagonists meet

Katherine and Julie - Part 1 - Where the protagonists meet

Written by Sean on Wednesday, April 27, 2005

This is the first part of a new story I’m working on. While I have a few plans for the future, it may be a while before I have a chance to work on the next installement. Enjoy this one, let me know what you think. Two women meet, an amputee and a transabled, and things happen from there.

Julie

This day had been a long day for Julie. It was very hot, and despite the sun, very humid. Muggy would be a better description. Since she started removing undesirable trees from a client’s garden, not only was she sweaty, but she was dirty as well. Soil caked under her fingernails, smeared across her face, hair dishevelled, clothes sticking to her, and a definite aroma wafting up from her armpits.

Her back was sore, her arms felt like jelly, and sweat trickled down between her breasts. Her prosthetic leg had become most definitely uncomfortable with all the sweat, and she’d had to change the liner no less than three times already.

To make matters worse, Julie’s truck had given up the ghost, for no apparent reason.

So, while the afternoon was relatively young, and she could have put in another couple of hours, she decided to call it quits, and take the bus home.

After brushing the dirt off them, she put my tools away in the shed, and padlocked it with her own padlock. Somehow, she didn’t trust her client’s kids not to open their own lock and mess with shovels, spades, and more importantly, her secateurs. She didn’t particularly want the two brats… errr, boys, to hurt themselves, but truth be told, she really didn’t want the fine edge to be damaged if they decided to start cutting all and sundry.

She walked the short distance to the bus stop at a brisk pace, although she was not rushing. She was glad that this bus shelter actually had a bench and provided some protection from the sun. An advertisement for Cirque du Soleil was on the side of the shelter, and she was amazed once more at the flexibility of their contortionists. She hoped she’d remember to get in touch with the ticketing office to see about booking a seat.

She didn’t particularly want to go alone, but her last unattached friend had just found a partner. But this was another story, and she didn’t particularly wanted to dwell on it.

After what seemed a fairly long time, the bus finally pulled up at the kerb. Julie let an older man go first, and elbowed a teenager aside. He stuck his tongue out at her, eyes a little glazed, perhaps stoned, but certainly listening to his walkman which was too loud for even her ears.

She paid her fare, said “hello” to the driver, and looked for a seat. There weren’t many available. As she looked, Julie noticed a woman with a radiant smile, and shoulder length blonde hair. Julie walked towards a seat behind her. The woman must have seen her limp some, as she got up and offered Julie her place. She thanked her, asked if she was sure, and when she confirmed it, Julie gladly sat.

The woman didn’t move far away, she stood there and hung on to the poles made for just that purpose. Julie looked up at her, and smiled. The woman looked at Julie and smiled back. As the bus rattled and rolled with the potholes in the road, the woman’s left arm was bouncing back and forth. Julie noticed that the woman was wearing a cast that covered her thumb, and it disappeared under her shirt. She seemed to have trouble balancing the book she was carrying and keeping a hold of her shoulder bag while hanging on with her other hand. As it happens, her bag swung and nearly took Julie’s eye out!

The woman laughed nervously and apologised.

Katherine

After a long day at work, I was finally free to go home. Too many unruly kids. Too many people looking for books they didn’t know the title of, nor the author for that matter. Definitely not one of the better days I’d had as a librarian.

Plus handling books, and the computer keyboard, with this cast was proving to be more of a problem than I thought it would be. At least, in the library, the air conditioning unit kept things relatively cool and bearable. But the moment I stepped outside, it would get really hot. And the hotter it got, the itchier it became inside the cast. I should have known it would be this way, but it couldn’t be avoided.

At least it was a rather bold purple, and relatively lightweight, despite encasing my forearm from just below the elbow joint to just above my first knuckles. Except for the thumb, which was completely casted. Thumb Spica, ideal treatment for scaphoid bone fractures.

The bus stop was right around the corner from the main library entrance. This was good as I didn’t have to walk long before reaching the bus stop. Such an interminable wait, no matter how fast the bus comes. There’s something about standing at a street corner, holding books, in the late afternoon sun that I just couldn’t handle. I loved the city, but sometimes, things just didn’t work right.

It didn’t help the matter that I had been without a partner for what seemed like eons. Neither did it help that there were quite a few apparently happy couples coming through the library this afternoon. Stabbing at my emotions, reminding me that I was alone, and hadn’t been held close by anyone since my lover died, so long ago, yet only just yesterday.

I was taking a new book home, and while I wanted to peruse it while waiting for the bus, I opted not to. The book hadn’t been released to the public yet, and it wouldn’t do to have someone jostle me and damage it before bringing it back. My boss knew I took it home, and while she was ok with that, she had told me that “if anything happens to it, your ass is grass”. Between the uncertainty of the crowd, the oversize book, and my casted clumsiness, I wasn’t about to risk it.

At last, the bus came. It couldn’t have taken it more than a century to arrive, likely no more than 5 minutes. It was one of the old ones, grotty and smelly, and noisy, huffing and puffing, like the infamous dragon.

This stop was close to the depot, and there never were that many people on. Getting a seat for the longish journey was generally not a problem. As expected, I found a seat quickly. I picked one of those where one sits by oneself, rather than having to be bounced against a neighbour. Sometimes the neighbour was cute and attractive, but sometimes, the neighbour was just like the bus, grotty and smelly, and noisy. I wasn’t in the mood to take that risk that day.

I turned my head and looked out the dirty window as the bus started on its route. I didn’t really see anything, as I wasn’t focusing on the sights, losing myself in thoughts instead. I’d found this was a good way to arrive faster, or at least make it seem like we’d arrived faster at our destination.

Once in a while, I’d look at the throngs of people in the bus. That is when I saw her. She had the reddest flaming hair I’d ever seen. And to think I was a sucker for redheads. She was wearing worn jeans that looked as fatigued as she did, and a sturdy shirt that gave her an outdoorsy look I found quite attractive. She also had a significant limp, and looked rather hot. She obviously was looking for a place to sit, and as she came closer to me, I didn’t hesitate to relinquish my seat to her. She did hesitate to take the space, but I insisted, and she appeared grateful to be able to sit.

This gallantry on my part left me standing, and having to keep my balance during the bus ride. Not so easy to hold the book with my casted hand while I held on to the pole with my other hand. Wouldn’t you know it, my purse was swinging wildly and hit the redhead in the head!

I was very embarrassed and giggled a little bit. This was certainly not the best way to make a good impression…

Julie

She felt keenly attracted by that woman. She wasn’t sure just what it was, but she certainly could feel positive vibrations. Julie wasn’t sure she’d be able to work up the nerve to actually speak to her though. While she was outgoing and loved a good laugh with friends, when it came time to chat up some pretty and attractive stranger, with “ulterior motives” in mind, she always felt shy and her self-confidence ebbed away. There was of course always the possibility that her intuition led her astray and that the woman was actually heterosexual.

But whatever she’d do, it had to be done fast. Her stop was coming soon, and the woman could leave at any time.

Gathering her courage, and picking herself by the proverbial bootstraps, she jumped ahead and introduced herself. “I’m really not usually this forward,” she said, “but it’s been a long day, I’m going to go for a quick drink at a local pub, and I’d love if you could join me”.

She was pleasantly surprised when the stranger accepted her invitation, saying that she was in no rush and that all things considered, she could also use a tall glass of something cold and wet.

As Julie’s stop approached, she got up and made her way to the back door of the bus, followed closely by the woman. As usual, reaching the door involved jostling and shoving, but they managed. Stepping out of the bus proved to be a relief. It was hot outside, but not as hot as in the bus, surrounded by the added heat of countless bodies packed like sardines. And thinking of sardines made her hungry, on top of thirsty. Good thing the little pub had decent snack food.

Julie turned around and introduced herself to her new acquaintance. “Hi, now that we’re out of that rolling hell, I should introduce myself. I’m Julie.”

Katherine

I was wondering how I should say hello to this fantastic redhead, plotting the best, and safest, approach, when she looked at me, got my attention and offered to go for a quick drink at a drinking hole she knew. I was surprised, but it was a good surprise. Of course, I agreed.

It wasn’t long before she stood up and headed for the exit. I followed eagerly, not wanting to get separated and risk losing sight of her. It wasn’t everyday that you bumped into gorgeous redheads that wanted to pick you up!

With all the people around, we ended up pressed tight against one another for a few moment. I enjoyed the moment, but could feel myself blush like a tomato. The doors opened, and we stepped out of the bus, into fresh air.

At that, she told me her name was Julie, and I introduced myself back to her.

Julie and Katherine

They walked towards a pub that had a patio and wide open sliding glass doors. One of the tables was free, and they hurried to take possession of it before someone else could lay they claim to it.

“This place has decent drinks, and really good snacks”, Julie said, “and I think I’m going to have something to eat before I pass out. Should we share a couple small appetizers?”

Katherine didn’t hesitate. She answered that she was famished after all, and asked what was good.

They opted for a bread platter with various dips (humus, aioli, sweet preserved onions, and honey-butter), and some calamari. Katherine went for a glass of white wine, while Julie opted for a pint of India Pale Ale. They both asked at the same time for the waiter to hurry up, they were both suddenly hungry.

Perhaps it’s the excitement of meeting someone new, Katherine thought.

And as they settled to wait for the food and drinks, they started talking a bit more about what they were doing as a day job.