The storm raged heavily against the glass-enclosed office as the torrential winds blew directly toward the building.  High on the twenty fourth floor, the building swayed from the force of the winds.  Abigail McCarthy looked around the office and realized it had become excessively quiet for a busy Tuesday afternoon.  She had been to engrossed in tabulating this month’s figures to notice that the office staff had all gone home due to the severity of the storm.  She rolled back in her chair and sighed deeply as once again she realized she had tuned out reality and gotten lost in her work.  Abby glanced toward the windows that encircled the room for the first time that day.  Suddenly she realized why the office was empty.             

Heavy winds tore across the city as the force of the storm hurled through the metropolis.  Awnings tore from storefronts and particles of trash flew through the air at sonic speed, whipping past anything that might have stopped their flight.  Abby looked up and out the window as metal slashed against its surface, making a loud screeching noise as it bounced back into the darkening sky.  Night was falling as the storm raged on. 

Abby stood and walked closer to the window to see what was happening below on the sidewalks.  Streets were deserted as the street lights changed automatically although no vehicles moved beneath them.  She could see no one on the streets as rain poured heavier making it harder to see.  It was as if she were the only person left in town.  She shook her head as if to clear out the cobwebs that clouded her mind wondering what in the hell was going on around her.  The silence was deafening as she could hear the single clicking of the clock as the second hand moved slowly around the clock face.  TICK…TICK…TICK…TICK… the only sound inside the enormous building. 

Abby turned to see the time, noting it was close to seven at night as outside the sky darkened even more rapidly as it became pitch dark.  She slowly walked back to her desk and closed down her computer.  She moved over to the couch were she sat down and slipped off the heels she wore while working.  Reaching under the edge of the couch, she pulled out her tennis shoes that she normally wore as she walked back and forth from her apartment to work.  She smiled as she thought of how unprofessional she must look as she strode along swinging her long arms in a brisk hiking walk. 

Suddenly the lights went out and it was plunged into midnight blackness.  Not even light from outside penetrated the room as Abby glanced toward the window, noting no lights were visible over the entire city.  She stood, and then sat back down, not knowing what to do.  More debris crashed against the panes of glass as the storm picked up in volume.  The roar of the wind was deafening as the darkness heightened Abby’s awareness of sound.   Once again, she stood and shuffled slowly toward the window. 

Never had she felt so isolated in her life.  She knew with the power off that she would have to walk down twenty-four flights of stairs to reach ground level.  Once there, she would then have to make her way through the storm several blocks to her apartment.  She didn’t believe she would be able to lean into the storm and make it home safely.  Her only recourse was to stay exactly where she was until the storm passed.  She had water as well as soft drinks and some alcoholic beverages behind her wet bar that she used when she entertained clients.  There was a restroom right off her office if she needed it.  Yes, it would be a much better decision to stay where she was until the storm lessened. 

Abby rested her hand against the cold window as she tried to peer out into the night.  She could see nothing around her, not even her hand in front of her face.  She carefully turned and slowly made her way back toward the couch.  She hit her knee sharply on the coffee table, making her gasp aloud.  She sank down rapidly onto the couch, rubbing her leg as she cringed with the piercing pain.  She scooted around until she was lying down on the couch with her legs stretched out.  As she lay there listening to the silence, she realized how alone she was.  No one was waiting at home, no one expected her.  She had been isolated from her family for years, as they no longer acknowledged her due to her life style and her choice in dating partners.  For as long as she could remember, she had loved women and nothing would change that, not even the loss of her immediate family.  She would live the life she wanted despite the loneliness of not having family. 

She thought of the loneliness of her life, filled only with the hours she spent at work.  She fleetingly pondered that maybe she should get a dog but just as quickly dismissed the idea since she was so seldom at home.  Her dates lately had been few and far between and no one serious loomed on her horizon.  She did recall one of the women she had seen several times in the building.  She thought of how attractive she found her, with her short, sweptback hairstyle and imposing steel gray eyes.  She remembered raking her eyes down her tight body and really liking what she saw.  That was as far as she has gotten, just a few fleeting looks, as she did not even know if the woman worked in the building or was just a visitor. Her musings returned to the present as the wind once more caught her attention. 

She lay quietly listening to the whirl of wind buffeting against the building.  Lying still, she could feel the building moving as it gave into the force of the wind.  Her ears strained for sound, any sound.  Then she heard it, footsteps coming down the tiled floor outside her office.  She sat up wondering who was still here.  As far as she knew from earlier there was no one left in her department but her.  She sat quietly, holding her breath, afraid of whom it could be.   Her heart raced her and she drew in a frightened breath as she could hear the handle on her door turning and the door squeaking as it was pushed inward. 

“Hello, any one here?”  A smooth melodic voice called out as a small beam of light flashed across the room toward her desk.   

Abby let out in a puffing blow, the breath she had been holding.  The light swung in her direction and held, shining directly into her eyes.  She turned her head slightly to keep from being blinded. 

“Miss McCarthy, what are you still doing here?”  The unknown voice asked in surprise. 

Abby didn’t recognize the person except for the fact that she was a female.  She hesitated in saying anything as she tried to peer into the darkness to see if she could tell who it was.   

“Please, can you turn the light out of my eyes?  It’s blinding me.” Abby replied as she lifted her hand to shield the light from her eyes. 

“Sorry.” the voice answered as the light was shut off.  “Are you OK?” 

“I think I banged up my knee pretty bad as I moved over here to the couch.  It seems to be swelling and throbbing constantly.” 

“Let me see if I can feel anything.  It is so damned dark in here I can barely see where you are.” 

“Watch out for the corner of the table.  That’s what I hit on my way over here.  If you don’t mind my asking, who are you?”  No sooner was the words out of Abby’s mouth than the storm increased in volume as more debris crashed against the glass, surrounding them with an ear bursting blast.   

Abby screamed as the noise startled her.  The other woman quickly made her way to the couch as sat down beside Abby’s hips on the couch.   

“Shuuu…don’t be afraid of the storm.  As long as we’re on this side of the room, even if the glass should shatter, it should not spray on us.  It is safety glass.”  She could feel Abby trembling under her hand as she ran her fingers along Abby’s hand up onto Abby’s arm. 

“I’m frightened,” Abby whispered in a shaky voice. 

“Don’t be, I‘m here with you.  I’ll not let anything happen to you while I am here.”  The honey-toned voice continued. 

It remained pitch black in the room although Abby strained trying to see the woman beside her.  She tentatively reached up her arms, sliding her hands slowly over the woman’s body, up to her face.  With trembling fingers, Abby slowly touched the woman’s face, feeling her high cheekbones, her straight aquiline nose, and her full lips that curved in a soft smile.  Her fingers trailed over the cleft in her chin before moving higher to run across the stranger’s brow.  She felt higher until her hands touched the short hair that was warm and curled around her fingertips as she lightly touched it.  She could smell the earthiness of the woman seated beside her, the rich odor untrammeled by artificial scent. 

Abby’s breath caught in her throat as her fear turned to awareness.  She knew this woman.  Well, she didn’t really know her.  She had watched this woman several times, as they rode the elevators to work.  It was the woman she had been watching and wondering about, trying to decide if she should make her acquaintance. 

“What is your name?”  Abby said in a quiet, low voice. 

“Samantha Grayson.  Most just call me Sam.”  She replied as she sat without moving allowing Abby to feel who she was.  She had wanted to meet Abby McCarthy for a long time but couldn’t get up the courage to make the introduction.  This could not be a better time.  Her nights were filled with fantasies of this beautiful woman and now her dreams seemed to be coming to life. 

“I’m one of the security guards assigned to this building.  My coverage is from the twentieth to the twenty fourth floors.  I was making sure everyone was out of the building when I heard some sounds coming from your office.”   

“My lucky night,” Abby replied, “Please continue.” 

“I know your habit of working late as I have been watching your activity for some time.” 

“You’ve been watching me?” Abby tensed up as she thought about those words. 

“Not watching as in stalking, but in…interest,” Sam replied as she reassuringly ran her warm hand along Abby’s arm. 

“Oh…okay.”  Abby said tentatively. 

“I have to confess that I have been interested in you for some time and have been trying to figure out a way to meet you,” Sam said into the blackened room. 

Abby smiled as she heard the words spoken out of the darkness.  “I must confess too.  I’ve been watching you as we ride the elevator together.  You intrigue me.  I was just thinking earlier this evening about you.”   

“OH!  You did, did you?  I hope it was good thoughts,” Sam replied. 

“Oh yes….very much so.”   

“I’ve thought a lot about you too.” 

“And just what were those thoughts?”  Abby asked in a seductive tone of voice. 

“This….” Sam leaned down and slowly brushed her lips across Abby’s closed mouth.  Sam hummed as she felt Abby’s softness against hers.  Liking the warmth beneath her mouth, Sam leaned in harder and deepened her kiss, pressing firmly against Abby’s lips. 

Abby reached up again and circled her arms around Sam’s shoulders as she gave into her passion and the anonymity associated with the impenetrable darkness of the night.  She pulled Sam tightly, not wanting to let her move away from her lips.  She opened her mouth and drew Sam’s tongue deeper as she lifted her upper body to meet Sam’s body. 

Sam felt the change in Abby and realized she wanted more than a simple kiss.  She lifted her hands and slid them along side of Abby’s head holding it snuggly in place.  She slanted her mouth against Abby’s and began to make love with her tongue and lips.  Parry and thrust, they dueled with one another as the kisses became more frequent and hotter.  The storm outside dulled as the roar of passion rose in volume between the two of them. 

Fumbling in the darkness, Abby moved one hand to the front of Sam’s chest and slowly ran it over her breasts, feeling the material beneath her palm.  She felt the buttons that kept Sam’s skin away from her touch.  As they continued kissing, Abby slowly unbuttoned Sam’s shirt pushing the material back, allowing her to run her hands over the soft cotton material of the sports bra Abby could feel beneath her fingers.   She stopped as she felt Sam’s nipples hardening beneath her hand.  She held her palms firmly in place over Sam’s tips as Sam groaned even deeper and began to rain heavier kisses on her mouth and throat.   

Sam pressed hard against Abby’s lips, working her tongue in and out of Abby’s mouth, making love to her as much as she could while Abby’s hands teased her breasts.  Sam’s body flamed in the darkness with a rush of excitement.  She could only imagine how Abby looked, as she still could not see anything.  She had dropped her flashlight earlier and didn’t know where it now rested.   

Sam lifted up while Abby’s hands held onto her breasts.  She said, “Lie flat, Abby.”   

Abby shifted until she was flat on the couch.  She felt Sam reach down and pull her legs slightly apart as Sam climbed up and over to lie down between them.  Sam’s body settled firmly against hers within seconds.  Abby moved her hands down until they rested against Sam’s hips, pulling her tighter against her body.   Sam once again, reached up and held Abby’s face tilted upward as she savagely sank back upon her mouth, crushing her lips in a hot, wet kiss.   

Several minutes passed, as all that was heard was the wet, sucking sounds of Sam and Abby kissing one another.  Their moans filled the midnight black room with as much storm and fierceness as the wind blowing against the building.   

“Oh…gods….so good,” Sam murmured against Abby’s mouth as she once again made love with her tongue and lips.  She pressed her chest against Abby’s as she slowly rocked back and forth, rubbing their nipples against one another.   

Abby moaned into Sam’s mouth as she became hotter and hotter.  She was burning up and they were still fully clothed.  Never had she been this turned on by another woman.

As quickly as it began, they stopped as suddenly the lights in the room flashed on.  It was so brilliant it momentarily blinded them as Sam sank slowly against Abby’s body.  She lay there as her breathing calmed.  She could hear Abby’s heart racing beneath her ear before pushing up and moving out from between Abby’s legs.  Sam slowly stood, fastening her shirt as she turned slightly away from Abby.  Abby struggled to sit up and swung her legs over the edge of the couch, nearly forgetting the tenderness in her knee but reminded of it as soon as she bent her leg.  She gasped and reached down but never said a word. 

Sam heard the gasp and turned back with a slight flush still on her features showing just how turned on she had been.  She sank back onto the couch, watching Abby as Abby settled against the corner of the couch.   

“Maybe we can start over again,” Sam said as she stared at the lovely vision before her eyes. 

“I would like that,” Abby said shyly.  “Very much.” 

Sam grinned at her and held out her hand.  “Hello, my name is Sam Grayson.  I work in the Security department of this building and I have been watching you for some time.” 

Abby smiled back as she realized she did not want to lose Sam now that she was coming to know her.  “I’m Abigail McCarthy, Abby to my good friends.  It is my pleasure to meet you.  I, too, have been watching you and wondering if you were attached to anyone.” 

“No, I’m single and available.”  Sam replied as she reached out and lifted Abby’s hand in hers.  “How about you?” 

“Single, available and looking.”  Abby said with a laugh.  “I think I have found what I was looking for.” 

“I feel the same, Abby.” Sam replied as she held Abby’s hand tighter.  “Would you have dinner with me?  I want to see if what we felt a few minutes ago is more than a grope in the dark.” 

“I would love to except I think my knee is going to keep me out of commission for a few days.”  Abby replied as she rubbed the offending knee. 

“Let me take you home.  I am sure we can whip up something there and take the time to get to know one another better.”  Sam stood and held her hand out to Abby. 

Abby reached up, allowing Sam to help pull her into a standing position.  As Abby stood quietly making sure she was stable on her legs, she looked toward the window.  The night was calm and stars were beginning to peek between the few remaining dark clouds in the sky.  Other building lights twinkled in the distance giving the town a surreal appearance.   

Abby turned to Sam who still held her hand.  Abby squeezed Sam’s hand as she said, “I never expected the storm to blow such a prize into my life.  Thank you Sam, for coming to look after me.” 

“It has been all my pleasure.”  Sam replied as she leaned toward Abby and gently kissed her on the lips.  “Are you ready to go home?” 

“You bet I am.”  Abby replied as she stepped next to Sam.  

Together, with Sam supporting Abby, they left her office, both realizing this was the start of a new time for them.  Just as the storm washed away the dust and rubble, and left the night clean and bright, this was a new beginning for two women that needed each other.  Time alone would tell where the relationship would go, but both were more than willing to try it.  If they were to base it on the short time spent together in the dark, they realized, their relationship would burn hot and bright and both could finally find what they were looking for in each other. 

The End