The Perfect Playlist Lesbian Story

03: Give Me Something (Jarryd James)

Detective Frye looked up from her coffee cup and saw a young lady move with slight hesitation through the front door. Something in her gait caused Frye to track her carefully. She moved like she was anxious, maybe even a little scared. Frye took notice of the woman's beauty and Terry took notice of Frye's stare.

He followed her gaze. "Wow."

"Yes, wow." Frye agreed, "something's off though Banks. She's anxious." Terry looked closer and nodded in agreement.

As she stood in line surveying the cafe Grace was concentrating deeply on the people closest to her and the staff behind the counter. She counted the number of people working, making herself aware of how many men and how many women. The jeans and staff t-shirts as uniform dress caused her to strain in concentration.

This was really turning out to be a great morning for Matt. He recognized the woman at the counter, she stopped in every so often for tea. Matt tried flirting with her a few times but she always seemed aloof and a little odd. Her beauty kept Matt trying. "Hello." He smiled, putting his best foot forward. "What can I get for you today? Tea right?"

Grace looked at him trying to take in his features and listening carefully to his voice. It was familiar and she recognized it as she eliminated the background noise. "Hi, peppermint herbal tea, organic honey please. I'd like to drink one cup here and get one to go. Can I pay for both now, please?"

"Sure thing, just come see me again!" Matt winked, "I'll have it ready for you!" Grace nodded and internally cursed. Three male staff, no name tags, no distinctive features, and he didn't offer up his name. She'd just have to hope he saw her coming.

Frye could see from 20 feet away the woman was frustrated. She rose still gauging the situation. "I'm going to get that free refill to go, would you like one?"

"No, I'm good. I'll meet you at the car. Take your time." Terry smirked at Frye and it earned him a quick glare.

Detective Frye moved and stood just a few feet back from the woman continuing to survey the situation. The woman looked over her shoulder unintentionally staring directly at Frye's face. She made eye contact. Frye felt a small jolt of surprise and awe at the sight of her brownish-hazel eyes and the complexity that washed through them. She smiled softly at the beautiful woman attempting to ease the moment.

Grace was struck by her blue eyes, deep and compassionate. When she smiled Grace felt comforted and in that moment she thought she felt a genuine connection. Grace saw the woman's face clearly for only a moment. The emotion felt alien and she did not want to look away but knew that she must. Grace stepped to the side just as Matt presented her with her first cup of tea.

"There you go." He grinned,"don't forget to come back and see me."

Grace nodded and moved to a nearby table. She sat down feeling unsure and desperately trying to hang on to the woman's face. She remembered feeling comforted, she remembered a connection, she knew it was something in the eyes, she just could not see her face anymore. She looked over her mug and saw the line at the counter was a few people deep. Two of the customers were female. Grace could see the back and partial profile of a stranger speaking with a man behind the counter. Grace could not be sure if it was the same woman. She did not initially see anything but the stranger's eyes and face, no other identifying characteristics.

"How about that refill to go?" Frye smiled jovially, "Thank you again Matt."

"You're leaving me already?" Matt exaggerated a sigh.

"Well it seems like you have no problem getting attractive women to come back to visit you." She grinned, nodding slightly to the young woman.

"Yes, but she'll leave me too. She only wants me for my peppermint tea and honey." Matt leaned slightly over the counter winking, "I'll wait for you."

"Matt, that's the kindest thing I've heard this week. But you'd be waiting a long time." Frye winked back and laughed lightly at her own cryptic comment. She turned from the counter and moved over to the woman sitting alone.

Grace looked up surprised to see the woman from the counter approaching. Her heart quickened with anxiety and the rise of panic. She hated being in public places when friends or acquaintances approached her. She looked up into the approaching face. She saw a beautiful stranger or friend, she wasn't sure yet. The hair was familiar and once her gaze settled on the woman's eyes things clicked. The stranger in the line and the woman with the eyes was the same person. Grace concentrated on maintaining a line of sight without seemingly leering or staring at the woman.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to intrude, I just noticed you looked a little ... unsettled. Can I help you?"

Grace was still locked into the woman's eyes and the emotional memory came flooding back. At the sound of the woman's voice she felt a tightening in her chest. It sounded just like her eyes looked; comforting and rich, thoughtful and layered. Grace was now confident that she would have no problem identifying this woman again.

Frye paused, taking in the woman who had yet to respond. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

Grace blinked but did not look away. "Oh yes, I'm sorry. I was caught up in a memory. I'm fine. Thank you." Grace smiled, diminishing the clouded look in her eyes and revealing her quirky attractive mouth. "I'm just getting my head around my workday before I go in."

"Oh, okay. I totally get that. The struggle is real!" She smiled genuinely relieved and took a step backwards. "Have a great day at work." Frye tilted her head to the side slightly, the woman had not stopped staring at her in an unabashed and thoughtful way.

Grace stumbled through a response,"Um ... thank you for asking ... Ms.?"

Frye smiled and moved forward, extending her hand, "Ashley. Ashley Frye."

Grace took her hand, soft and strong she shook it lightly and continued her unwavering gaze. Grace continued to take in her eyes again trying desperately to commit them to memory. She saw Ashley's lips curl in a curious smile.

"I'm sorry, do I have something in my teeth?" She grinned and chuckled.

Grace grimaced and flushed, her response was again stunted and a little awkward, "Um ... no ... it's just I don't want to ... look away."

Ash's grin widened and there was intrigue in her voice. "Okay."

"Grace. Grace Jansen."

"Okay, Grace Jansen. I'd love to sit and join you but I'm on the job right now so maybe some other time?" Ash reached into her pocket and laid a business card on Grace's table.

Grace's head tilted in curiosity. She did not break the gaze, she did not look down and pick up the card. "On the job?"

"Detective, Ashley Frye," Ash laughed lightly, pulling Grace into the moment with ease, "but please call me Ashley or Ash, unless I'm interrogating you."

Grace took in the sound of Ashley's laugh; she felt goosebumps on the back of her neck, another musical memory. "Okay, Ashley. Some other time. I love the sound of your laugh." Grace flushed at the sight of the grin that broke across Ashley's face. She had the immediate desire to bail on work and hang out at the coffee shop studying Ashley. Again she struggled, desperately trying to force the memory.

"Talk to you soon Grace." Ash grinned and winked, "I hope you call, I don't want to have to put out an APB." Ashley walked out past Matt who seemed to have taken in the interaction between the two women and recognized that he was not the only one flirting that morning in the cafe. Ashley smiled at him and gave him a soft shrug.

"Ready, partner?" Terry was grinning ear to ear.

"Okay, okay." Ash rolled her eyes, "I'm ready. Be nice."