Citrus Blossom

by Sarah Pond

  Ben had noticed Jasmine watching Olivia, and he went over to talk to Jasmine. Jasmine asked him about the wedding, and Ben asked how she was enjoying Cornwall. Ben said, 'I understand you're Olivia's boss?'

  Jasmine nodded, 'Well, my partner Jason and I own the business, and Olivia is my assistant. She's really good, an amazing colleague. She practically organised a book launch on her own, I was very lucky to find her.'

  Ben looked at Jasmine, 'Yes, I think Livvy could probably do anything she wants to. That's if she wants to do it, of course! She's very strong minded, although most people don't see that side of her. She's a very sweet person, and always wants to help people, she wouldn't hurt a fly.'

  That evening at dinner, Ben was chatting with his sister. Olivia was telling him how much she loved working at the publishing company. Ben said, 'I'm so pleased for you. I was talking to Jasmine earlier, and she thinks the world of you. You're very lucky to have a boss like her.'

  Olivia smiled, 'I know,' and looked over to Jasmine, who caught her eye and smiled back. Olivia's heart flipped.

  Olivia took Jasmine to Becky's gallery. The gallery was a white stone wash building, with cottage windows. There were glass decorations handing in the window which caught the light, and reflected beautiful colours on the walls. They walked in through the open door, and Becky looked up. She said hello, and walked over to hug Olivia and Jasmine. The gallery had two rooms. The first one had the desk with the till, and that room led through to a slightly bigger room. Practically every space on the walls was filled with artwork. Becky accepted artwork from many different artists, so there were all different styles, including drawings, oils and watercolours. Jasmine was drawn to one particular picture. It was of the beach at St Ives, and it had soft colours, and was almost abstract. It captured the essence of St Ives, and reminded Jasmine of their day on the beach, and Olivia twirling around in the sand. 'Becky, I love this painting, I'd like to buy it, please. Who is the artist?'

  Olivia was beaming, 'It's Becky. She's an amazing artist, I'm always telling her so.' Becky blushed, and smiled, delighted.

  Jasmine looked at her, 'You didn't say that you were an artist yourself. With a talent like this, you should be shouting from the rooftops.'

  Becky took the picture down, and said that she would go and wrap it up. After chatting a bit more, and being introduced to Lucy, Jasmine paid for her painting, and they took it back to Olivia's.

  The following day, they were heading for the Eden Project. It was raining, but as a lot of the Eden Project was covered, that wouldn't be a problem. Olivia borrowed her Mum's car. Jasmine didn't realise that she could drive, and Olivia explained that in London, she didn't really want to, or need to with the public transport. In Cornwall, however, having a car was pretty essential. The drive would take the best part of an hour, and on the way Olivia pointed out some of her favourite places, as Jasmine took in the stunning scenery. Even in the rain, the rugged scenery was beautiful. Jasmine was really excited to be visiting the Eden Project. When they arrived, Jasmine's eye was caught by the sculpture of the horse near the entrance. 'It's beautiful,' she exclaimed, walking over to it.

  Olivia watched her, thinking, yes, beautiful is certainly the word. Jasmine turned and smiled, and Olivia took a photo of Jasmine next to the horse. It was busy as usual, and they queued for their tickets. The man at the desk explained that the tickets were valid for a year, so they could come back as much as they liked within the year. They went to the tropical biome first. Olivia loved it here, it was like going on an adventure. They walked past an old truck that had been painted in many bright colours, with birds and flowers. Olivia said that if she got her own car, that's how she would like it painted! Jasmine's favourite area was the Mediterranean biome, as she found it very peaceful. Near the entrance, paella was being cooked in massive pans. The smell was divine, and they decided to eat lunch there, at one of the little round tables. The paella tasted as good as it smelt. After they had eaten, Jasmine looked at Olivia, smiling. 'I'm having such a wonderful time. I adore Cornwall, and your friends and family are wonderful. I'm still not sure why you wanted to come to London, and I can see why Liam found the pace too much.'

  Olivia loved seeing Jasmine so relaxed. She said, 'I do love it here, it is a magical place. Also, I knew that there is a lot more life out there. I'd had a longing to go to London since I was quite young, and sometimes you have to follow what feels important. I've always got home to come back to, although London is also home now. If I hadn't made the move, a part of me would have always been wondering whether I had missed something. Now I can know which suits me more. And as I said before, I would never have met you if I hadn't followed my heart.'

  Olivia smiled lovingly at Jasmine, who gave her that look, that look that said Olivia was the only person in the world to her, and her stomach did its familiar flip. They went outside to explore, zipping up their waterproofs in readiness for the weather. There was so much to see, and Jasmine wanted to see all of it. After a very full day, they visited the shop, which was full of lots of interesting things. Jasmine spotted a beautiful necklace made from tagua seeds, which had been dyed an amazing array of bright colours. Jasmine bought some gifts for Laura and Jason, and Olivia bought some of her favourite coffee flavoured organic chocolate. They had a look at the plants, and Jasmine bought a small lemon tree which she was going to put in a pot by a sunny window at home. They chatted away happily on the drive home, and Olivia said that they would stop off to get a meal at one of the local pubs. Olivia knew about this great pub, tucked away along a long, winding road. The food there was home cooked, and fabulous. Arriving inside, the pub was cosy, with lots of nooks and crannies. There were wall lights with little lamp shades on, which created an orangey glow around them. The pub was very busy, but Olivia found a small table in the corner, and they sat down. Over dinner, Olivia passed a gift bag to Jasmine. 'What's this?' she asked, and opened the bag. Inside was the beautiful necklace that Jasmine had admired. 'Thank you, I love it,' and Jasmine held Olivia's hand across the table.

  Jasmine put the necklace on, and against her olive skin and dark hair, it looked stunning. 'Beautiful,' Olivia smiled.

  Becky was thrilled that Jasmine loved her painting, and had bought it. She thought that Jasmine was very nice, and she was glad that Olivia was happy in London. It's just that she felt she was hardly getting any time with Olivia. Usually when Olivia visited, they would get together most days, even if they didn't meet until the evening. She was talking to Dan about it, and he said that as Jasmine had never been here before, Olivia was just showing her around. He said that it was natural that she would be out more than usual. Also, Jasmine didn't know anyone, and it was nice that Olivia wanted to her to have a really good time. Dan looked at her, 'Honey, nothing will change the fact that you grew up together, and are best friends,' and he kissed her.

  Yes, Dan was right, she knew it. But Becky had really missed her friend since she had moved away.

  It was nearing the end of the week, and Olivia was really looking forward to taking Jasmine on her favourite walk. She explained that it was a coastal walk, about five miles, from Looe to Polperro. Olivia parked the car on the road leading up to the start of the walk. Thankfully, the weather had cleared up, and it was a beautiful day. They opened the gate, and walked across the field towards the coastal path. Olivia was right, Jasmine thought that it was beautiful. The path was quite rugged, with hills to climb up and down. The coast was to their left, with the sea stretching for miles. About half way through, Olivia led Jasmine to some rocks that were slightly off of the path, and looked right over the sea. They sat down, looking at the view, and held hands. Then they looked at each other, and drew close. As they kissed, nothing else existed for them, except each other. After resting for a while, they got up and continued to walk to Polperro. As they started the descent, Jasmine exclaimed, 'It's so beautiful, so quaint.'

  Olivia was thrilled that Jasmine loved it, Polperro was very special to her. They walked
along the road, and Olivia took Jasmine to her favourite restaurant, which was run by a local family. It was a quaint restaurant, with cottage windows, and a stream outside. They really enjoyed their lunch, and Jasmine was very glad of the rest. Although she was used to walking a lot around London, she wasn't used to all these hills. chapt, they walked around the village. They stopped to get an ice cream, and there was such a massive selection to choose from. Olivia chose a coconut one, and Jasmine eventually plumped for mango. They went to sit overlooking the harbour to eat them. After spending a couple of hours there, it was time to head back. They walked at a leisurely pace, stopping for rests along the way, and savouring the view. It was getting quite late when they returned, and Olivia suggested a last evening walk on the beach at St Ives before they had to go back to London. There were very few people around, and it was starting to get dark. As they walked back up the beach, along the harbour wall, Olivia pulled Jasmine underneath one of the arches, where it was dark. She pulled Jasmine to her, and kissed her passionately, and Jasmine responded eagerly. Jasmine had been going mad, not being able to touch Olivia, except occasionally holding her hand or the odd stolen kiss. This week they had had hardly any time alone, as they were either with other people, or in public. Now, they had their hands all over one another. They reluctantly pulled back, breathing heavily. 'We can't do this here, it's too risky.'

  They straightened themselves up, and wandered back onto the beach. Liam had been making his way home, when he recognised Olivia, coming out from under one of the arches. He stopped, seeing Jasmine following her out. It looked like... No, it can't be, he must be imagining things. If he didn't know better, though. He shook his head, and headed on home. A few days later, he mentioned it to Ben, who told him, 'No, Jasmine has a partner, Jason. Look mate, I think you were imagining it, I know you still have feelings for Olivia.'

  It was time to leave, and Olivia and Jasmine put their cases in the car, and also the wrapped painting, which they gently laid on the parcel shelf. Jasmine had already decided that she would hang it in her bedroom, opposite her bed. That way, it would be the last thing that she would see before she went to sleep, and the first thing when she woke up. Ella dropped them at the station, and they said their goodbyes. Jasmine gave Ella a hug, 'Thank you so much for this week, you've made me feel so welcome.'

  Olivia hugged her Mum, and they said goodbye. When Ella returned home, she saw a gift on the kitchen table. It was from Jasmine, an exquisite handmade vase in the most beautiful shades of blue and turquoise. The note read, 'Thank you so much, I felt like one of the family, you made me feel so welcome. Olivia is very lucky to have such a beautiful family. Love from Jasmine.' Ella was very touched, and put the vase in pride of place in the lounge.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Jasmine and Olivia arrived back at Jasmine's house. They left their cases in the hall, and Jasmine put the wrapped painting on the table. Walking over to Olivia, Jasmine kissed her. Through her kisses, Jasmine said, 'I can't wait a minute longer, I have to have you now.'

  Olivia felt the same, she had that familiar twist in her stomach, and a flush of heat between her legs. They went upstairs to the bedroom, discarding their clothes along the way. Olivia fell back onto the bed, and Jasmine leaned over, kissing her forehead, down her face, softly kissing the contours of her neck. Olivia was writhing at the sensation of her touch, as she felt Jasmine's mouth moving down her body. The muscles in her stomach tightened, and she felt Jasmine's mouth between her legs. 'Oh my god, that feels so good, aah, aah...'

  Having waited a week, and been desperate to be with Jasmine, Olivia was so highly aroused, and she came quickly, crying out with pleasure. She ran her hands down Jasmine's back, then rolled over, so she was now on top. Jasmine had the most beautiful soft skin. She kissed Jasmine's breasts, then sucked on them. Jasmine's dark eyes watched her sensuously, then she arched her head back in pleasure. Olivia trailed down, her hands sliding down Jasmine's hips, and then pushing her thighs apart. As her tongue explored Jasmine intimately, Jasmine breathed, 'Yes, oh fucking yes,' and she grabbed hold of the sheets. Olivia could make Jasmine feel like no one else could. She came hard, orgasm following orgasm. Olivia slid up the bed, smiling at Jasmine, and they kissed. Jasmine whispered, 'What are you doing to me, you drive me wild.'

  Olivia laughed, 'I could say the same. I've never felt so free as when I'm with you.'

  Laying in bed, Jasmine said, 'I had the most wonderful week, thank you.'

  Olivia replied, 'Thank you for coming, and sharing it with me. Everyone loved you.'

  'Your family and friends are lovely. Do you think they would like me as much if they knew I was your girlfriend?'

  Olivia giggled, and Jasmine asked her what she was laughing at. 'I hadn't really thought about it like that, I mean that you're my girlfriend. I think that's the first time that you've called me that.'

  Jasmine said, 'Do you think you'll tell them?'

  Olivia thought for a moment, 'Um, I'm not sure. I will tell them at some time, I'm just not sure when. It will probably be a bit of a shock to them. It came as quite a shock to me!'

  Jasmine looked at Olivia, 'So what changed for you? I mean, after I had kissed you and freaked you out, when I turned up at your door a few days later, it was you who kissed me first.'

  Olivia smiled at Jasmine, 'I was completely freaked out. I was also incredibly turned on, which freaked me out even more.'

  Jasmine laughed, and Olivia continued, 'I had experienced this amazing connection with you, and I'd never felt anything like it in my life. I tried to convince myself that you had caught me off guard, that it was a romantic gesture. I tried to distract myself, not think about it. But whenever I did think of it, I couldn't shake the feeling, and when you appeared at my door, saying those lovely things, my instincts just took over.' She paused, 'Now we've got to talking about it, why did you make a move in the first place, didn't you think I was straight?'

  Jasmine paused, 'Well, you can never be completely sure. I was immediately attracted to you, that's for sure. I've never fallen for someone so quickly. I did try sending you signals, and sometimes the way you looked at me, and the things you said, I thought that you may be attracted to me. Then, when we were working together on the book launch, we were spending so much time together. I felt very close to you, and you talked a lot about Becky and Emma. Also, you had that photo of you and Becky on the beach together. I don't know, personally, I think that you don't fall in love with someone because of their gender, I think that you fall in love with the person as an individual.'

  Olivia thought about that for a moment, 'Well, I've never been attracted to a woman before, but I know that I'm crazy about you,' and kissed Jasmine.

  Back at work on Monday, Laura greeted Jasmine and Olivia, asking if they had had a good time in Cornwall. Jasmine replied, 'It was wonderful, and such a different pace to London, although Olivia kept us very busy sight seeing and walking. Have we missed much here?'

  'Not really, I think Jason and I held the fort very well.'

  Jason arrived, and they all chatted about the holiday. Later that day, Jason and Laura commented on how happy and relaxed Olivia and Jasmine were. Being in Cornwall, Jasmine had felt a freedom that she hadn't experienced here in London. Although she and Olivia had been careful around others, that day on the beach when she had watched Olivia spinning around, face up to the sky, and they had danced and then lay on the sand together, she had felt so free. Jasmine hoped that soon Olivia would tell her parents about them. At least in London, it was so much easier now that Laura, Jason, Emma and Matt knew.

  After work, Olivia and Jasmine were heading home. Jasmine said that she wanted Olivia to meet her mother at the weekend, and would it be okay if she booked a table for them. 'Yes, of course. Will you invite your Dad?'

  Jasmine sighed, 'Not this time. I don't think I could stand the tension, and I wouldn't want to put you through it. I'm sure that you'll meet him eventually.'

  Olivia turned to look at Jas
mine, and felt for her. She took Jasmine's hand in hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze as they walked along. Jasmine looked up, surprised. Olivia smiled, 'Is this okay? You are my girlfriend!' and they both laughed.

  This small gesture was a big step for both of them. Olivia wanted to be able to be relaxed with Jasmine in public. Having had the week together in Cornwall, she realised how desperately she wanted it. Being in London was easier as she didn't know many people, and their friends now knew about them. For Olivia, this was a part of building up to being more open with other people, although she was still very worried about how her friends and family back home would be. For Jasmine's part, she loved the freedom that she had experienced in Cornwall, and holding Olivia's hand now, walking along the road, felt so good. Ever since Olivia had made that comment about not changing who you are, it had really struck a nerve.

  Jasmine arrived at Olivia's on Saturday evening to pick her up for the meal with her Mum. Olivia opened the door, and Jasmine was standing there smiling. She was wearing a black tailored trouser suit, with a short jacket, which accentuated her long legs. Under the jacket she wore a fine cream camisole. As she walked inside, Olivia said, 'You look gorgeous,' and kissed her.

  Whilst they were embracing, Emma walked across the lounge, and laughed. 'Hey, you two, how about closing the door!'

  Olivia and Jasmine pulled apart, laughing. Olivia closed the door, and Emma said, 'I see you're becoming exhibitionists now then!'

  Emma looked at the two of them, grinning like idiots. She said, 'You know, you make such a gorgeous couple, you both look stunning.'