Note: this is just a quick story to dust off my pen and destress as my life is constantly shifting. This will be a quick story to get me motivated again. Also, do you want alternating POV's or just Lauren's pov? Let me know and stuff! enjoy!


"Are you sure that you want to do this?"

I looked up from the book I was reading, catching a glimpse of the hills of Virginia slip by as the car navigated the curvy roads. I nodded, smiling at my girlfriend Jen, "It's fine. Last minute, but fine."

Jen grinned, patting my thigh as she returned her focus to driving. "This is why I adore you, Lauren. You just always go with the flow." She sighed, her hand leaving my leg to fiddle with the radio. "It will be a quick weekend. My mom practically threatened me to come for my step-sister's graduation."

I placed a bookmark in the spot I was reading, and closed the book. "Like I said, it's fine. I needed the time away from work." I smiled softly, turning back to the trees and rolling scenery outside my window. "I thought you and your sister hated each other? You could've easily made an excuse that work was too much and skip it." Deep down I was mildly irritated about having to take time away from putting the finishing touches on the massive photography projected I had been working on for months. It was something I wanted to get out of the way before my trip to Australia to document the remaining Aboriginal tribes for National Geographic.

Jen chuckled, "Oh I do indeed hate Izzy. Have since we were five years old and my mom married her dad. But, she's family and sometimes you do things you'd rather not for family." She glanced at me. "And both mom and dad wanted to meet my super famous photographer girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not famous." I furrowed my brow, picking at the worn cover of the book. "What did you say Izzy's degree is?"

Jen shrugged, finally placing both hands on the steering wheel. "Masters of art history? Or was it anthropology? Either way, I rarely pay attention to anything regarding my evil step-sister." Jen pushed her sunglasses up, "Be prepared, she can be a royal pain in the ass when she meets whoever I'm dating. It's always some weird competition between her and I."

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. Jen had told me a bit about her step sister over the last five months we had been dating. Painting a picture of a raging child of a grown woman whose sole mission in life was to destroy Jen's. I knew better, in the time I had known Jen, I had known her to be a wee bit on the dramatic side of things. But being an entertainment journalist, her life was built on the foundation of hyping up the drama.

I reached over and patted her arm. "You'll be fine, we'll be fine. If anything, I'll pretend I have an emergency work call and we can escape to a night over in Richmond. See the sights before I leave the country."

Jen frowned, "Don't remind me, Lauren. I'm going to miss the hell out of you. What am I going to do all alone in Baltimore?"

I winked at her. "Start organizing and packing up your things for our move to New York. You know after my three month run in Australia, it's off to the big apple for the both of us."

Jen's big infectious grin reappeared. "Yes, I almost forgot about that." She reached up and pointed at the huge white plantation house off to my left. "Well, here we go. This is home. Welcome to Jamestown Virginia." She pulled my battered Subaru up onto the dirt road, passing an old white sign declaring this home and piece of land as the McCorrigan family plantation, est. 1858.

I craned my neck to look at the massive white house, the loads of cars parked neatly in rows off on the open patches of grass. BMW's, Mercedes, and a variety of expensive cars filled my stomach with self-doubt and nerves.

I suddenly felt Jen's hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. "Don't worry, Lauren. It's all show, money is not a necessity to be a part of this family."

I flinched at the comment. Jen was always about money, status and everything else that came with it. I had thrown it off as a part of her work in the entertainment industry, but now seeing her family's wealth laid out in front of me, I began to think differently. It also made me dread meeting the rest of her family and the evil step sister, who according to Jen, was a thousand times more materialistic about the world.

As Jen parked the car, I started thinking about how to get out of this even as quickly as possible. I was a simple photographer that was starting to gain recognition. I lived out of a backpack for months on end, showering in tiny buckets of water, and living in and out of warzones. Being a photojournalist was not a career that would afford me a BMW or a fancy home on a rolling Virginia hill.

"babe, relax. They're going to love you."

I rolled my eyes, standing up from the car and smoothing out the pale pink linen shirt I had put on. I now felt completely out of place in my nice dark jeans and boots, regardless of Jen telling me that I was perfectly dressed for a family backyard graduation party. "I don't know, Jen." I waved around at the magnanimous display of wealth around me. "This is well out of my league."

Jen rushed over, grabbing my arm and kissing my cheek. "Lauren, if I think you're perfect, everyone else will."

I rolled my eyes again, grabbing the small gift bag I had placed on the floor of the car. It was just a simple gift of a journal and a nice pen that I had gotten for Jen's step sister, feeling under pressure to get a gift after the last minute invite landed on my chest in the haze of post sex bliss. I stared at my girlfriend, mumbling out a hesitant agreement.

Jen kissed my cheek again and dragged me towards the large front porch. "I promise, a couple of hours and if it sucks, we can make up an excuse and leave."

I nodded in agreement and moved my gaze to the masses of people mingling with drinks in their hands. My anxiety increasing with every step I took.

This was already sucking.

Two steps away from the porch, I heard Jen's name cast out over the murmuring crowd, a polite southern accent emphasizing every syllable in her name. "Jennifer Katherine McCorrigan!"

Jen groaned and frowned as she looked up at the elegant looking older woman sashaying down the steps toward us. I had to take a small breath in at the beauty of the older woman. I had seen pictures of Jen's mom, Savannah, and always thought her to be a spitting image of her daughter. But in person, she was equally as stunning as Jen. She had the same gorgeous auburn hair Jen had, done up in a stylish ponytail, and had the same big hazel eyes Jen batted my way when she wanted something from me. Tall like Jen was, I smiled at how genetics worked in incredibly strong ways.

Savannah rushed towards her daughter, scooping her up in a strong hug that made Jen groan harder.

"Oh my lord, I'm beyond excited to have both of my girls together this weekend. It has been far too long since the family was whole." Savannah released Jen and looked my way, a sly smirk crawling across her face. "And is this the delightful Lauren Lewis? Girlfriend?"

Jen was now completely and utterly embarrassed as she grabbed my hand. "This is, yes." She looked up at me, turning a brighter shade of red as I laughed. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Lauren, my girlfriend. Lauren, this is mom. Savannah McCorrigan."

I held out my hand, taking the strong handshake Savannah offered me. She ran her eyes over me like all parents did when they first met me, sizing me up and determining in the first thirty seconds if I was a good fit for their child.

"You, my dear, are gorgeous." She winked at me as I blushed. "Oh dear, take it as a compliment, not an embarrassment. Anyone who can handle my wild one deserves all of the compliments one can offer." She turned and waved for us to follow. "Come on, food has just been served and I need to find Izzy. She's been running around all morning trying to hide from the Edward's boy. It's like high school all over again."

Jen grumbled out. "Great, Tommy is here." She sighed and looked at me, "Remember when I told you how Izzy stole my boyfriends? Tommy was one of them. I caught them under the bleachers on senior prom night, making out." Her frown deepened. "She never apologized even when she left for college in Seattle the next day. Izzy has always been selfish and rude."

I grabbed her hand, offering up a comforting squeeze. "It's okay. High school was many years ago and you have me." I leaned over, kissing the corner of Jen's mouth. "I think I spotted an ice chest full of beer over by the porch swing."

Jen laughed, shoving me away. "Grab as many as you can carry and then meet me on the back porch." She leaned closer, her big eyes meeting mine. "If you see a jar of moonshine in there, grab that too. I'm going to need a drink or two to deal with my shitty step sister."

I shook my head laughing. "Deal." I kissed her again and sent her to follow her mother through the house.

When Jen was gone, I let out a slow breath. My nerves were all over the place and I was strangely intimidated by meeting Izzy after hearing all of the horror stories. I had this image of a short, chubby, angry, and evil girl that was a year older than Jen and basically the reincarnation of the devil himself. Determined on ruining the life of Jen every chance she could get.

It didn't help that I was in a strange place with my feelings for Jen. We had been dating for almost six months, and I cared for her, but I was still learning about her. We were polar opposites, and even though opposites attracted, there was a few little things that were becoming bigger things. I was hoping that the trip to Australia would help clear my head and get me to a place where I wanted to finally settled down.

Relationships were something I often failed at due to my nomadic job. Work was my inspiration and often my greatest love, and I had yet to find it's match in another person. Jen was close, but after the great nights in bed we shared, the morning after left me staring at her as she sifted through her phone. Looking at all of the social media sites to stay on top of what the celebrity world was doing. All I wanted was to wake up to her, sit in silence or read a book to her while we ate breakfast, or at least wake up to her still sleeping and not running around the room to find her laptop to start tracking the Kardashians next move.

I shook my head to myself as I walked to the massive metal ice chest I had spotted the second I stepped up onto the porch. I needed to figure my life out soon or just say fuck it, and let chance be my guide. Regardless if it meant the only relationship I had would be with my camera and the world.

Setting the gift bag down on the wooden planks, I reached into the ice chest, digging in the bottom for the coldest beers.

"The colder ones are on the top." A smooth voice from behind me, startled me and I spun around.

"I'm sorry." The apology fell out of my mouth out of habit. I shook the icy water off my hand and looked up to smile at the voice.

And I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

The smiling brunette was beyond anything woman I had ever seen in my life. All of the corners of the world I had been to, no one matched her beauty. Her big brown eyes smiled as she smirked at me, a dimple on side of her face peeking out and making my heart skip. Her long brown hair was down and fell perfectly against her bare shoulders.

"You don't need to apologize, I've been to a McCorrigan party or four, and know they always have the caterers keep the coldest beers on the top." The brunette brushed past me, her arm gracing mine ever so slightly, sending a shiver through my body at the contact and forcing me to take a step back.

I cleared my throat, trying not to stare at this incredibly beautiful woman in front of me, wearing a dark blue seersucker dress that landed right at the top of her calves. I blew out a slow breath, cursing the way my body was reacting towards this woman. I felt like a creepy hormonal teenager and tipped my head down. "This is my first one, I mean, my first McCorrigan party." I frowned at how awkward I suddenly had become.

The brunette chuckled, reaching down to grab two brown bottles of beer. After pulling the cap off of one, she handed it to me, grinning. "Hopefully it won't be your last, these parties are always a blast." She took a sip from the bottle in her hand, licking her lips and motioning towards the house. "How do you know the McCorrigans? I don't think I've ever seen you around before."

I shrugged sheepishly. "I'm dating their one daughter, Jen." I sighed, staring at the top of the bottle. "She invited me to her step sister Izzy's graduation party." I looked up, embarrassed that I had not bothered to introduce myself to this beautiful stranger. I wiped my hand on my jeans and held it out. "I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. Lauren Lewis."

The brunette grinned, biting her bottom lip as she took my hand, sending that shiver back up my spine. "Nice to meet you Lauren Lewis, my name is Bo."

I smiled, cocking an eyebrow in curiosity. "Bo? What is Bo short for?"

"Ysabeau. But you can call me Bo, my dad and all of my friends call me that." Her grin grew brighter as she let go of my hand, returning it to clutch the beer bottle with the other. "So, you're Jen's new girlfriend? The photojournalist?"

I gave Bo a look when she rolled her eyes, "Small town, Lauren and Savannah hasn't stopped talking about how her little girl has finally found a substantial mate."

"Mate?" I smiled, "That's a new one."

Bo laughed, motioning for us to walk over to the rail of the porch. "Savannah is a bit different, open minded and accepting, but different." Leaning forward on the porch rail, she sighed. "Every time I come back to this small town, I miss it and cannot wait to be away from it." She glanced over at me, her brown eyes meeting mine. "I envy you and your freedom to travel, Lauren."

I shrugged, feeling the beads of sweat building along the base of my neck, and not from the warmth of the early afternoon. "It can be fun, liberating, but there are times I miss having a small town to come home to." I rested my hip against the rail, facing Bo and subtly taking in her features. Noting again how incredibly beautiful this woman was.

"And where are you from Lauren?" Bo turned quickly, smirking when she caught me staring at her.

Blushing, I turned to look out on the yard. "A small town in Maine that was too small for my ambitions." I sighed, "I grew up and found the world to be a better place. It also helped that it was just my mother and I, and she moved to Florida the second I was in college. Leaving me to find my own path in the world, my own place to eventually call home." I paused, looking over at Bo. Why was I telling this complete stranger, things I still had yet to tell my own girlfriend? I had only told Jen about my college years, glossing over where I was born and raised.

Bo stood up, placing a hand on my forearm. "And have you found a home?"

The intensity in her eyes, made me want to open up to this woman and tell her everything I held deep in my soul. "Not yet, still looking." I paused, when the words just spilled out, "I'm still looking it and the one person who can make anywhere feel like home as long as their standing next to me." I tilted my head down the instant I said it. I knew I was blatantly flirting with Bo, and at the same time, admitting that I had doubts about Jen.

Bo squeezed my arm, leaning forward to whisper. "Your secrets safe with me Lauren." She then met my eyes again. "You're definitely the incredible woman they all say you are. The quiet photojournalist with a heart that can't be caged." Bo grinned, "Savannah's words. Seems she's a bit hesitant about Jen's intentions with you, her wild child daughter has never been able to settled down and understand what love really is. A figment of reality that doesn't exist in her world of celebrities, fame, and flashing cameras." Bo's smile faded as she turned back to the yard. "A figment of reality that I also seem to struggle with." She mumbled the last few words.

I felt the tension in the air immediately, and attempted to break it up with humor. "Please don't tell me that a woman as beautiful as you, Bo, haven't had a million suitors falling at your feet, starting wars, or naming cruise ships in your honor."

Bo's grin reappeared and she rolled her eyes. "Quantity is no match for quality, Lauren." She looked my way, "But I can see Jen has won the lottery by meeting you. Beauty, heart, and kindness."

I felt my face turn a bright red color as Bo continued to stare at me. Her grin fading again when she whispered so only the two of us could hear, "You're the first person to tell me I was beautiful and made me actually believe it, Lauren."

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat down and focused on the cooling beer in my hand. Her words struck a familiar chord deep in my heart. I kept my eyes on the bottle and whispered back, "You should, because it's the truth."

I had no idea what the hell was happening between this woman and I. I was never ever this bold and open with anyone, even women I had dated for years. But there was something about this Bo, that drew me in and begged me to be open, real and true. It was as if the universe and the weird energies it held, dared me, forced me to speak and decided Bo would be that rarity in the world that would allow me to do as such. I looked up, finding Bo still looking at me, and a strange foreign feeling washed over me. One that felt like I had known Bo my entire life and regardless of the fact she was a stranger, I felt safe around her. Safe enough to be open and honest.

Bo smiled softly. "Lauren, you're staring."

I chuckled, giving her a dirty look. "So are you." I grinned seeing her smile and blush, nodding in agreement.

"It appears so, but you are also very beautiful, Lauren. If I can be so bold to say it aloud."

I took a step closer to the brunette, reaching out to place my hand on her bare arm, when I heard Jen's voice bellow from the side. "IZZY!"

Bo spun around, whispering a curse word as Jen came rushing forth with a shitty smirk on her face. "I see you've met my amazing girlfriend, Lauren."

Bo had a tight smile on her face, clutching her beer bottle as Jen rushed over to me, throwing an arm around my waist.

I knew my mouth was hanging open in shock, staring at Bo.

Jen tugged me closer to her. "Lauren, this is Izzy, my step sister."

Bo caught my eyes, a slight sadness falling over them as she cringed. "Jen, I hate that name. Call me Ysabeau, please." Bo's eyes never left mine, silently trying to communicate something to me.

But I was too taken aback and angry at what just happened. Bo knew who I was, knew that I was dating her step sister, and yet she flirted up a storm with me. Jen laughed, "You've been Izzy since we were five and knowing you hate it, makes me want to say it more." Jen turned to look at me. "Mom is looking for us, wants you to meet my dad."

Bo grumbled. "You mean, my dad."

Jen rolled her eyes. "Just because I don't like you, doesn't mean I don't see him as my father. He raised me since I was five, Izzy." She sighed heavily and grabbed my hand.

I took a few stuttered steps before Jen let go and pointed at the ice chest. "Grab me a beer?"

I nodded and reached down, trying to desperately swallow down my anger. "Sure."

Jen trotted around the corner as I grabbed two new beers. Standing up I caught Bo looking at me. I cleared my throat, "Nice to meet you." I turned to follow Jen when Bo grabbed my wrist.

"Lauren, I…" She paused. "I should've introduced myself before…things went the way they did."

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. "It's okay, I just flirted with my girlfriend's sister and she let me." I met Bo's eyes, "I really never believed all of Jen's stories about you, but now I'm wondering. What kind of person lets what just happened, happen? If you knew who I was…"

Bo cut me off. "I knew of you, I didn't expect you to be so beautiful and so different than what they all told me about you." She turned away from me, dropping her hand from my wrist. "I got caught up in a moment."

I blew out a breath, wanting to be away from this woman and the way she made me feel. "Well, happy graduation Bo." I didn't look back and walked towards where Jen was standing with Savannah and another man.

I wasn't going to look back, angry that Bo had played me, but my heart tugged on the strings and I found myself looking over my shoulder. Catching Bo leaning over the rail and wiping a tear from her cheek, and in that moment, I knew this wasn't the last time I'd see Bo.