Every time I looked up, I could swear she was just looking away. The movement of her hair...the coy smile...she was certainly intriguing. And cute. Sexy cute. And I was going to be stuck sitting next to her in a courtroom for the next five weeks...or longer.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today," the judge intoned. "This case will most likely last until the end of next month. The twelve of you, plus your five alternates..." his voice continued with the opening instructions, all of which I'd heard before. I began looking around at the other members of our panel, realizing that we were evenly matched, gender-wise. My review finally ended on Veronica. Five-foot-nothing and beautiful. After the last few admonishments by the judge, we were excused for the day.
As we walked out of the courthouse, Veronica and I struck up a conversation, and realized we both were headed towards the transit center.
"Are you headed north," I asked, slowing my pace so she could keep up.
"Actually, yes I am," she replied. "Do you have any experience in jury service? This is my first time and I'm a bit nervous that I'll do or say the wrong thing."
"Well, I've been on one or two before. Don't worry - the judge will help you through the process, and you can always ask me for pointers if you really get worried." She reached out and squeezed my hand..."Thanks," she said.
The next few days were full of testimony, tears, objections, and typical "Law and Order" drama. They were also full of long lunch discussions with Veronica, as we shared our meals as well as our backgrounds. We discussed jobs, background, education, and relationship history.
"Boyfriend?" she said between bites of sushi. "Who has time? My last real date was a few months ago, and it ended badly."
"Badly?" I inquired. "That sounds like a juicy tale...do tell!"
One hand stretched upward and began twirling her long, auburn curls. "Well...it was one of those stupid blind dates. You know the kind? Where you best friend sets you up with A Really Nice Guy?" I nodded my agreement. "Well, he interpreted my 'good night' as 'please stick your tongue down my throat.'"
Of course, she said that just as I was taking a drink of water...which I then snorted out my nose. Rather than recoil in horror, she laughed and began helping me blot my shirt dry. I excused myself to use the blow dryers in the bathroom. As I walked back to the table, I noticed her watching me...and saw the first hint of that coy, sexy smile I would come to love.
"Sorry about that," she whispered, and reached out to squeeze my hand. However, unlike the walk back to the trolley, she didn't let go. I looked at our clasped hands, then at her, and cocked my head to the side, raising my eyebrows in a questioning manner. She just smiled...but didn't let go.
The following week, our relationship seemed to change...for the better. We were spending more time together, even getting to the courthouse early. By the end of the week, we were openly holding hands as we walked to and from the courthouse, and - finally - had made plans to get together over the weekend.
As she opened her apartment door, my mouth dropped. My petite Veronica was now wearing a low-cut black dress, which stopped about mid-thigh. My eyes followed her legs down to the bright-red heels, which only enhanced her stature. As I worked my eyes back up her body, she took a deep breath, which caused her breasts to swell. [This night is looking up] I thought to myself as she led me into her apartment. We chatted for a bit, then she grabbed her purse and we were off to dinner.
If our lunches together were wonderful, this evening was amazing. "I can't believe how beautiful you look tonight, Veronica," I commented, as we took our seats at the restaurant. "That dress looks gorgeous on you."
She smiled. "You don't think it's too...revealing?"
"Not at all," I replied. "In fact, I think it presents your, ah...assets...quite nicely." She suddenly looked shocked, then switched to a wicked grin.