I had had meetups with Marianne for a while. She was nice, but extremely reserved. While there was clear sexual tension between us, I never expected anything to come of it. Marianne just wasn't "that type." At least, that's what everyone thought. That's what I thought, too.
Marianne tended to be very reserved. She was quiet. She didn't have a lot of boyfriends, and when she was with men, she was usually not all that engaged with them.
She didn't say much to most people, but she was more inclined to be open with me due to attraction and common interests. She was given to black dresses with long sleeves, so I would occasionally call her "Morticia." It was a little joke between the two of us.
We would get together from time to time for lunch. We had several common interests and Marianne was fun to talk to. After lunch, I would usually walk her back to the bus terminal. I would see her off and head home. This had gotten to be part of the routine, and it allowed us to continue our conversation.
This particular afternoon, we were walking slowly towards the busy bus terminal when I gently took her hand. She grinned.
"Marianne," I said, "I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship, but I have a strong urge to kiss you."
Marianne stopped walking and stared at me for a few seconds. Then she smiled.
"It won't ruin anything," she said sweetly. "I think I might actually enjoy it." She grabbed me and pulled me towards her. Our lips met. She was a very good kisser.
"You should come up and visit me sometime," she said offhandedly as we started walking again. "You could take the bus and I could meet you." After what had just happened, I wasn't about to turn her down.
"I'd enjoy that," I said. We turned the corner to the bus terminal. Marianne got in line to get on the bus.
"Call me," she said as she boarded.
"I will," I said.