Lauren sat staring at the computer screen, eyes glazed. The distraction tactic of throwing herself into research to find some solitude and keep her mind off of Bo clearly wasn't working. Everything was a fucking reminder. No matter how sciency her work was, her brain would find a way to process the thoughts right back to her favorite brunette. That would be okay if the trail of reflections didn't ultimately wind up at the end, the last painful conversation between them. The break. She couldn't forget the look etched on Bo's face, the pain in her eyes as she walked out the door.
The memory was still too fresh. It still cut too deep. She knew she had wanted things to turn out differently. Tears burned Lauren's eyes. Damp streaks trickled down her cheeks. Goddammit, this has to stop, she thought to herself. She was exhausted. She didn't want to think anymore.
Don't think. Just breathe.
As a scientist, thinking was what she did best. Categorize. Process. Reason. Decipher every last detail. When it came to her personal life, however, she wished there was a way to switch that part of herself off. Maybe there weren't any definitive answers this time. Maybe keeping the heart intact after loving a Succubus was to remain shelved as an inconclusive experiment.
She shut the computer down, turned the table lamp beside her off and sat in the encompassing darkness figuring out her next move. She was much too logical and rational to remain strapped on this endless emotional merry-go-round, constantly questioning herself and her decisions. She was way past midnight on the tired-as-fuck clock. It was time to find some happy.
Don't think. Just do something.
She grabbed her keys and locked the door, remembering how Bo used to tease about how her front door was always left open. Bo. Always present in her thoughts. God, how hard she missed her.
Don't think. Keep moving.
Lauren felt like she had been driving aimlessly for hours, but the clock on the dash argued it had only been 17 minutes or 1,020 seconds. She knew better than to go to the Dal. Too many fae there. Too many people who knew her. She couldn't deal with the questions right now. How are you doing? What have you been up to? No, not tonight. Tamsin once told her about a place just outside of town, where the women are hot and the beer is cold. That would do.
The building didn't look at all appealing on the outside; she nearly drove right past it and talked herself into going back home, but tonight she knew she had to do something different to rid herself of the thoughts that plagued her. Something uncharacteristically Lauren. She parked, and walked inside like she had done this a thousand times before, on a thousand other lonely nights.
Inside the atmosphere was thick with heat and sweat. A sea of bodies were grinding to music thumping so hard you could feel it vibrating in your lungs, drowning out your thoughts. You would have to practically scream to communicate with anyone in here.
It was perfect.
Lauren wasted no time downing a few shots at the bar before winding into the crowd on the dance floor. Maneuvering her way through, she tried not to think about how strobe lights can cause seizures in people with PSE, photosensitivity epilepsy, triggered by visual stimuli or regular moving light patterns. The likelihood of any sufferers in a room this size was probably between 7 and 9%…thankfully the quick shots of tequila kicked in and swept those thoughts out of her head. She tried to just feel the music and the heat of all the bodies crowded around her.
Don't think. Just feel.
Letting go, Lauren felt awake for the first time in weeks. The sensual beat of the music pulsed through her body. Her mind was fantastically empty and completely void of thought. She didn't know what the music was, it all sounded the same, and she didn't care. The air was electric. There were no lab experiments, no research, no monstery, murdery bad guys. No heartbreak. That was all that mattered. She danced with her eyes closed, allowing herself to just feel the energy surrounding her. A small reprieve from the weight of the past years melting away on the dance floor, even if only temporary, felt really fucking good.
Lauren's eyes flashed open as she felt the weight of two arms wrap loosely around her waist. Her eyes colliding with a beautiful redhead, pressing her hips against her own, moving in time with the beat. Another body pressed up against the length of her back. It was a brunette, only slightly taller than herself. She could feel her breath on the back of her neck. Holy shit. She had to admit that having the attention of not one, but two beautiful women focused on her was rather exhilarating. Her pulse quickened as the strangers hands leisurely wandered their way around her body.