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Heather tried to hide her smile as she reached for her glass of wine and took another sip.
Well, that changed things.
2
Vanessa’s eyes scanned the dimly lit wine bar, taking in the atmosphere. The soft glow of candles flickered on each table, casting a warm and inviting light over the room. The air was thick with the scent of red wine and rich conversation. She sipped her glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, enjoying the smooth taste as it coated her tongue.
Vanessa leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs as she took another slow sip of wine. She wasn’t in a hurry tonight. Her hotel was just a few blocks away, but she was happy to linger at the bar a little longer.
She was on her second glass of wine, and after a long day of walking around the city, she found herself staying for another drink, enjoying sitting alone and doing some people watching.
Vanessa had gone back to her hotel room to get changed after she’d had some dinner. She knew she’d end up at a gay bar eventually. That was the reason she made these little weekend trips into the city, but for right now, she was quite content to sip her wine and soak up the atmosphere. It wasn’t crowded, but there was sophistication in the air.
Vanessa loved where she was from, a typical rural town in eastern Pennsylvania where just about everyone knew everyone else. She had no intention of ever living anywhere else, but she looked forward to her weekends away in Philadelphia or New York.
Her hometown might be progressive enough, but she had no where like this to go. There was something special about Greenwich Village. The history of this part of New York City always reminded her to be grateful of how far society has come, and it didn’t matter if it was a cafe or a restaurant or a wine bar like this. Everywhere that Vanessa had ever gone to had this welcoming feeling.
It was hard to describe. Her friends and family back home probably thought she always came to the city to meet other gay women, and while that was true, it was about so much more than that.
It was nice to walk around and know she was surrounded by people like her rather than being one of the very few out people in her small town.
It was also really nice to just sit alone. She could never do that at a bar or cafe at home. Someone she knew would wave and come over, assuming that she’d rather have company than sit alone.
Out of the corner of her eye, Vanessa noticed a young woman enter the bar. Even from a distance, she could tell the woman was striking - light brown hair that fell a few inches below her shoulder, sharp cheekbones, full lips. She looked to be in her early thirties. There was an air of sophistication about her, like she’d just left an important board meeting to come here.
Vanessa found herself watching the woman, intrigued by her beauty, silently hoping that this woman would come over and ask to join her.
She quickly shook that thought away. This wasn’t a gay bar. The chances that this woman would even be interested in her were so slim.
The woman turned, slowly looking around the bar, and she noticed Vanessa’s gaze. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, but then she continued to survey the room.
Vanessa’s fingertips tingled, and she took a deep breath, not entirely sure why she was feeling so on edge, giddy almost.
Before Vanessa could look away, the woman’s eyes were on her again, and Vanessa tore her eyes away this time without thinking, embarrassed at having been caught staring, her pulse tripping.
She reached for her drink, completely taken aback by what had just happened.
Nothing. Nothing had really happened.
She’d just met another woman’s eyes across the bar, probably accidentally, and Vanessa couldn’t believe the way her body had reacted.
It hadn’t been that long since she was with someone. And in all the nights she’d spent at gay bars either here or in Philadelphia, she’d never wanted to talk to someone as much as she wanted this woman to slide off her stool and come join her.
Vanessa was used to approaching women. She didn’t need to be chased, but for some reason, possibly because she wasn’t actually at a gay bar, Vanessa couldn’t get her feet to move.
There was also the fact that this woman had to be ten, if not fifteen years younger than her.
Vanessa had never dated anyone more than three or four years younger or older than her, and now that she was forty-seven, she really didn’t want to turn into a cliché.
Then why was she still looking at this woman?
Vanessa pressed her lips together and forced herself to concentrate on the people outside, bundled up against the cold, some strolling, others striding past the window with purpose.
Vanessa sighed and turned her attention back to her wine, swirling the deep red liquid around in her glass. She couldn’t stop thinking about the woman at the bar. Curiosity gnawed at her, and she found her eyes wandering in the woman’s direction again, taking in her well-defined jawline and long brown hair, golden streaks catching under the pendant lights hanging above the bar.
Their eyes met once more, and this time, the woman offered a hint of a smile. Vanessa’s heart fluttered in her chest, and once again, she was the one to break the eye contact.
Maybe this wasn’t as innocent as she’d initially thought. And maybe she could actually trust her gaydar.
