Disclaimer: All recognizable The Bold Type characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to Freeform. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fan fiction story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This is my first foray into The Bold Type fandom. There is chemistry between Jacqueline and Jane that isn't being explored on screen thus I want to explore here. This tags onto or rewrites numerous season one and two episodes. There are several spoilers for plotlines. I've flipped around the order of when Jane leaves Scarlet. The Ben timeline from the show has been changed up a bit here to suit the plot. I'd like to remove Ben from the timeline altogether, but it had to be done to keep the office scene on Jacqueline's couch. If you aren't into slow burns, this won't be your thing. It is, at times, excruciating in pace. It gets there and I hope you'll find it entirely worth sticking with. Enjoy! -dkc
Chemistry
She had gone from yelling at Jacqueline Carlyle in the bullpen surrounded by her colleagues to feeling something deep and, on some scale, confusing about her boss.
They sat together on the couch in the Carlyle's tasteful loft, the older woman placing a hand on Jane's thigh as she listened to her mentee's story, her heartbreaking experience watching her mother die of breast cancer. When they finished talking and stood, Jacqueline's arms wrapped around Jane. Something in that moment caught Jane by surprise. Her hands found the small of Jacqueline's back, slightly above the waistband of her jeans. She had never seen her boss in jeans. She had on slip-on shoes, velvet with an embroidered snake, too. Both were very appealing. Even dressed down Jacqueline was a fashion statement
The hug lingered. Jane lost herself in the familiar scent of Jacqueline's perfume, perfume she realized would rub off on her clothes and would offer comfort for the remainder of the night.
Walking out of the apartment her mind began reeling.
…
She felt a firm hand on her wrist, that familiar scent permeating the night air. She glanced down to see the jewelry she had admired at the Scarlet party. Kat's hand dropped but the grasp on her own held firm. She quietly offered her own strength to be a pillar on which Jacqueline could lean.
Watching her hold those weights in her hands—Kat and Sutton next to her also in awe of the woman before them—Jane felt tears welling in her eyes. She had no idea when she pitched this story that this was Jacqueline's story. In fact, looking back, she realized she had missed a few cues. The way the editor had protected this story and had insisted on certain perspectives being respected were obvious looking back. Jane hadn't fully processed or appreciated it in the beginning. She now understood.
Jacqueline's eyes filled with tears. Her stoicism was admirable in the face of the traumatic memories she must be playing in her head. Jane begged for her focus and held those blue eyes on her once offered. She was willing her own energy and fortitude to hold up the woman before her.
Jacqueline Carlyle was stalwart.
…
"We can hold this as long as you need," Jane offered, quieting her words as she sat before Jacqueline in her office. "If you need time to talk to Ian."
"He knows, but thank you."
"Oh."
"Until yesterday he was the only one who I had spoken to about this. Now you," this statement took Jane Sloan aback. Why her? Why had she been trusted? An unspoken conversation was taking place in a single look.
They wrapped up their meeting; there was no awkwardness after the prolonged look lifting.
"I can't thank you enough for this," she said as she was leaving the glass-enclosed office. She held the door, still closed to listening ears. "You are…remarkable."
The smile on the other woman's face made Jane's stomach flip. What was that?
"Thank you, Jane."
…
She had a deep v-neck sweater on that attracted Jane's attention despite her best efforts to keep her eyes elsewhere. White with a dark bra beneath, it was barely appropriate for work, even for the editor of an edgy women's magazine. She found herself contemplating whether there was a push-up or balconette underneath.
"Jane?" Alex nudged her and she heard her name, looking up with the realization that it wasn't the first time her name had been spoken. "Your pitch?"
Blushing could be chalked up to embarrassment from not responding the first time; Jane attempted to corral her thoughts as all eyes around the conference table turned to her. She looked again at Jacqueline, this time at eye level, and found the blonde winking at her. The cause of her blushing was obvious to her boss. She was temporarily derailed. Noticing the stumble, Sutton and Kat shared a confused look. What was going on with Jane?
…
When the Incite offer came, her mind turned to her mentor and friend. Telling her she was leaving Scarlet was difficult. She considered reversing her decision. It was when she was fired after a single story at Incite that she finally had acknowledged to herself that she had feelings for her former boss. It was not only that Jacqueline was great to work for, she was; she truly valued her as a friend and was drawn to her. It was a tacit attraction. Confused as she was, she knew that it would be a continual struggle if she went back to work for Scarlet feeling as she did. Maybe freelancing could work.
The night her segment on the local New York station aired—the night she was fired—she received a text. Jacqueline had never before texted. Calls? yes, but there was something about a text that seemed less safe.
You handled the interview with poise. –J
It was late and Jane spent many a waking hour thinking about those words and the reflexive excitement she attached to them.
Maybe she had expected or hoped Jacqueline would jump at the chance to take her back. It wasn't unlike how she thought she might be begged to stay when she had quit. It would have been flattering on a professional level. However, maybe she was testing the waters to see if this was a mutual crush. Was crush really the best way to describe it? Did Jacqueline need her near her the way Jane had herself come to?
And now she was hurt.
Jane Sloan had been on a professional rollercoaster. She had been on a twin rollercoaster of emotions as well. She had accepted that she had feelings. Then she was faced with rejection. The announcement that she had been nominated for a MANDY award came with excitement, pride and a growing amount of trepidation at the thought of interacting with Jacqueline.
When she saw Jacqueline walk into the studio her heart rose in her throat. Small talk was uncomfortable. Icy is how she would describe it. But then the photographer asked the taller of the two to lean in a bit. That was when she felt a gentle hand touch her lower back. She felt a chill run down her spine and was certain Jacqueline noticed because the hand slipped a bit lower.
"Good, that's great," the photographer was done with them and the touch ended too quickly. Jane missed the presence in her physical space. She would have liked to stay in that bubble for a bit longer.
She knew when she turned toward her boss to acknowledge that they would see one another at the award dinner that the peaks of her nipples were showing through her blouse. She felt the steely warmth grace her chest.
Oh, this could get interesting, Jane thought as she tried to catch her breath.
…
She barely avoided crumbling in public when she learned that the man who had assaulted Jacqueline had also assaulted another woman. Five years later meant he could have assaulted other employees in between. The thought of passing this information on made her nauseous. But she felt she had to and that is how she found herself looking into tear-filled eyes. She felt sadness and anger on an equal scale. It broke her heart. How dare he hurt these young, aspiring women and how dare she be the one who had to break that terrible news to Jacqueline.
"I'm so, so sorry," Jane whispered as she watched the unflappable editor walk away from her to their table. She had actually thanked her. I don't deserve to be thanked, Jane thought.
It took all her mettle to not cry as she accepted the award and thanked the subject of her writing for her resolve and for sharing her story. When she looked at Jacqueline she saw her words lifting the weight that had been placed on those shoulders. When that beautiful smile was directed her way she knew that everything would be okay.
Sitting back down at their table she noticed that Ben had left. Having a date for the dinner had been important to her, but it wasn't long after entering the ballroom that evening that she had wished it were only the two women next to each other.
"Where's Ben?" she asked as she sat down.
"He leaned over in the middle of your speech to tell me to pass on word that there was an emergency at the hospital that he needed to respond to. He asked that I congratulate you 'properly'," that beautiful smile was back as she mocked his word choice. "Congratulations, indeed."
They clinked glasses and each took a sip of champagne, their eyes locked on one another.
"Are you going to be okay?" Jane asked.
"I am."
There was a touch of doubt in her tone that couldn't be hidden. The perceptive writer had noticed and looked at her with concern. The only response Jacqueline had was a nonverbal one—she reached over and placed a hand on Jane's thigh to reassure her.
"There are often arduous things in life that can only be answered by pressing on," she said. "The most difficult things require the support of friends, family, lovers."
Jane's attention stayed on the final word. She didn't know if she was reading into what was being said. She decided to act fearlessly, taking the hand into her lap and lacing their fingers together.
Kat and Sutton approached from the back of the room, clapping and laughing. Hearing as they got closer, Jacqueline moved to pull her hand back despite it being shielded by the tablecloth. Jane stopped her. She refused to let her go.
"Congratulations!" Kat beamed. "Your speech was amazing."
Each leaning down to kiss Jane's cheek, they grabbed two chairs and sat down.
"Where is Ben?" Kat asked.
Jane's eyes went to Jacqueline's as she realized she'd forgotten entirely about him once Jacqueline had touched her. She had a feeling there wouldn't be another work function with Ben in attendance.
"Hospital emergency," she answered without any indication that she was disappointed. In fact, she rubbed the back of the hand in her lap as she said it.
Kat and Sutton exchanged another confused look. What really was going on with Jane?
"We need drinks," Sutton announced.
The two friends stood and Kat held out a hand for Jane to join them. Leaving the table was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew if she declined there would be some discussion of it later. She was also grateful her friends had attended after all. She offered a silent apology to the woman beside her and reluctantly let go of her hand.
"Join us?" she offered.
"I see a few board members that I should say hello to. You go have fun. It's your night."
Standing from the table, Jacqueline grabbed her clutch and smiled at Kat and Sutton.
"Goodnight, girls," she smiled at them before turning to her dinner companion. "Jane."
Jane stood and leaned in to kiss each of Jacqueline's cheeks. A hand grasped the outer part of her hand to hold her there.
"Thank you for telling me," she whispered. "I'm glad it was you."
She pulled back and separated herself from Jane. After walking a few steps she turned back.
"Oh, Jane?" she smiled as she spoke. "You look gorgeous tonight."
Gob smacked, Jane couldn't prevent herself from watching each of the woman's curves as she walked away.
…
Her phone dinged. Turning to her nightstand, she grabbed for it. Surprised, she saw Jacqueline's name appear.
Do you remember what you said to me when you wrote that piece on women who have never had an orgasm?
Jane took a deep breath before responding. Here we go, she thought.
Are you drunk? It's 1 a.m.
I have had a few drinks since returning home from dinner, yes, read the quick response.
Are you okay? Need to talk? Jane made the offer without fully appreciating what that might entail.
The phone startled her when it rang in her hand.
"Jacqueline? Is everything okay?" she answered.
"Everything is fine, Jane. I hope I didn't wake you," she slurred the end of the sentence.
"Can I do anything? Is Ian awake?" she cringed. She asked of Jacqueline's husband without realizing how it might sound. She wanted to be sure that her drunken caller was not alone. However, she knew it might sound as if she wanted to come over or that she wanted to be sure their conversation was private.
"Ian is in Chicago," was all she said about her husband. Both had an aversion to talking about the other half of Jacqueline's marriage or even Jane's male suitors. "The boys are asleep."
"As you should be," Jane chided with a smirk on her face.
"You haven't hung up." This was unequivocally flirting.
"I must admit I'm curious why you're calling me at this hour and after what sounds like several drinks."
"I'm curious as well," came the hardly veiled reply.
"Jacqueline…"
"Jane…"
There was a fine line that Jane felt she had been walking recently where her former boss was concerned. She knew how she felt. She had a deep suspicion of how the elder woman might feel. She didn't know how to walk this fine line. She felt the line getting blurred with each word they spoke.
"You didn't answer my question."
"About the piece? I'm sure I said numerous things to you. Nothing is jumping out at me."
"Oh. You were embarrassed. I'm surprised it didn't stick with you."
There was dead silence on the other end of the line.
"Jane?"
"I told you I wanted to live up to your expectations…sexually."
Laughter came through the phone. She loved that laughter. She would walk through fire to hear that laugh.
"You do remember," Jacqueline's voice was light and continued to be flirtatious.
"It's not exactly something you forget when you say it to—"
"A woman twice your age?" Jane was cut off. She rolled her eyes at the question.
"My boss. I don't believe age is a factor. Actually, I know it isn't."
Now it was Jane's turn to barely veil what she was implying. Silence greeted her on the other end of the line. Her insecurity made her want to take back her words, but she waited it out. Finally she heard a quiet exhale and a hum—it had come from her.
"Is that so?" a sultry tone reverberated in her ears.
"It seems so."
"Jane, what are we doing?" Jacqueline sounded suddenly sober.
"Talking to each other at 1 a.m.?" Jane dodged.
"Tell me something," then came a slight hesitation. "Have I been misreading this? Have I been flattering myself with the notion that you might find me—"
It was Jane's turn to cut her off and she jumped right into the deep end when she did.
"Inspiring? Amazing? Captivating? Sexy as hell?" she was glad the person on the other side couldn't see her covering her eyes with her forearm and biting her lip.
"Here I thought you were looking at my breasts and ass out of indifference," Jacqueline laughed.
"Has it been that evident?" Jane groaned.
"Do Kat and Sutton know?"
"No!" she jumped. "I haven't said a word. To anyone."
"Then I don't think it has been noticed. They would have picked up on it, don't you think?" Jacqueline didn't seem concerned one way or the other. "It doesn't bother me if they know, Jane. As long as they treat me with the same respect that they always have, it isn't an issue for me."
"What about Ian?" the younger woman found herself fearing the answer to the very question she asked.
"It is not an issue for him, either, if that's what you really want to know. You don't need to be concerned."
Jane now had so many questions about Ian and their marriage, but she knew now was not the time. They were having a single flirty phone conversation that included several revelations. There was no telling if this would lead anywhere. The thought that it would, however, made Jane's entire body warm.
"I didn't mean to scare you off," Jacqueline misread the momentary silence.
"You haven't," the reply was calm and mysterious. "Quite the opposite."
"I find you incredibly sexy, too, you know."
Jane smiled broadly.
"I kind of gathered as much when you had your hand on me at the photo shoot."
"Hey, you held my hand at the dinner," the editor fired back. "And wouldn't let go."
"I'd really like to do that again," Jane sighed.
"Mmm…I'd like to do many things."
"Do you think we should have this conversation when you're sober?"
"Probably."
Both women took deep breaths and attempted to regain control.
"My dreams will have to suffice," Jacqueline teased.
"Do me a favor?"
"Anything."
Jane Sloan was about to be braver than she had ever been with Jacqueline Carlyle.
"Your red, caged-front, strappy heels with the zipper on the back? Wear them the next time we see each other. I'd like to daydream myself."
There was an audible gulp in response.
"Was that a yes?" Jane took a turn with the teasing.
"See you soon, Jane."
"Goodnight, Jacqueline."
…
She was thrilled, though apprehensive. Then she looked down at Jacqueline's feet clad in those tempting red heels and reality slammed into her head on.
"Are you hiring me back because you and I are doing whatever we are? And if I say yes will that be the end of whatever it is?"
"Will you turn down the job based on my answer?"
"Maybe."
"Whatever I am to you, whatever you are to me, has no bearing on my decision to hire you back. I am hiring the writer. The board would like Jane Sloan. Do I want the woman in close proximity? Yes. Would I do this if it meant you and I can't continue to explore our…feelings? No. I don't believe I would. I'm not a saint."
Jane's breath caught and she found herself grinning.
"You know that the writer and the woman are one and the same, right," she teased.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I find both invaluable."
Jane's eyes bore into Jacqueline's. She felt a whirlwind of things in that moment including gratitude, anticipation and…desire.
"Mind if I ogle your feet?" Jane teased.
Taking a quick look to assure that no eyes were on them, the boss crossed her ankles seductively while subtlety licking her lips. Jane's face flushed as heat shot to a much lower place.
"I didn't know you had a thing for feet," Jacqueline's voice was low and laced with what Jane interpreted as want.
Chuckling, she shook her head. She put her face in her hands, throwing her hair back.
"I really don't. Can you blame me for wanting to see you in those shoes? Jesus."
"Would you like to get drinks tomorrow night?" Two could jump into the deep end.
"Yes." There was no second-guessing.
"Now go tell your friends—" the boss stopped herself midsentence to clarify, "—that you're back. Not about the drinks." Jane found herself on the receiving end of an infamous Jacqueline Carlyle wink. "Not yet."
Jane closed the glass door and walked to the fashion closet with the broadest smile she had dawned in some time.
…
It was how she felt near her boss that continued to catch her by surprise. It was a dip in her stomach; a lump in her throat; a sudden rise in body temperature, a twinge where a few weeks ago may have scared the hell out of her. Now it hit her every time she set eyes on the beautiful blonde. At times her face would flush uncontrollably. At times she would stammer. And at times it took everything she had to prevent herself from making an overture at work that would put her boss in an uncomfortable and unprofessional position.
She was going through that now common sequence of surging desires as Jacqueline approached her desk, leaning a hip against it while speaking to Jane about an article. It took Jane a moment to get her bearings. Just as she was finally able to focus on what the editor-in-chief was asking of her, she noticed a hint of Jacqueline's tongue touch her bottom lip, a lip darkened with a shade of lipstick that starred in many a fantasy. She was hopelessly distracted once again.
"Jane."
It wasn't a question. It wasn't a demand. Her name wasn't even being spoken as a way to gage the writer's comprehension of what was being addressed. It was an admonition. She was being admonished for her private thoughts, thoughts not spoken aloud, that had resulted in no action whatsoever, but had been transparent enough for the very attractive woman before her. She was being admonished for thinking naughty thoughts—very naughty thoughts.
"I'm sorry," she blushed. "That shade of lipstick is alluring."
Jacqueline chuckled while shaking her head at the brunette.
"You are hopeless, my dear."
A term of endearment so soon? Yes, please.
"Can we get that drink tonight?" Jane found herself whispering as if two colleagues never got drinks together and the others in the bullpen would jump to any other conclusion. As far as everybody in that room knew, Jane is straight and Jacqueline is married.
"Yes, I would like that."
They smiled at one another despite the swarm of butterflies that had invaded their bodies.
"See you then," Jacqueline stood and began walking away. She hasn't yet reached her office door when she waved a paper in her hand. "We aren't done, Jane."
Jane Sloan was smitten.
...
"This is nice," Jane hummed as she took a sip of her drink.
They had met at a small bar not far from Jane and Sutton's apartment where they could have privacy and quality whiskey. The booth in the back corner allowed them to sit privately, their shoulders touching.
"I'm glad you suggested this place. The only other place I know that would afford us this much...intimacy...is my loft."
Jane's hand stopped fidgeting with her straw and she tried in vain to not choke on her own saliva. The thought of being alone in Jacqueline's loft sent Jane's mind to one place and only one place.
"See? This place was a far safer idea." Using her slight height advantage she was able to catch a teasing glimpse of cleavage. "It was probably a good idea."
Brown eyes locked on blue ones.
"Probably?" The question lingered in the small space between them.
"Jane..." she began to say before being stopped by a gentle kiss to her lips.
Jacqueline's eyes fluttered closed involuntarily and remained that way after the soft kiss had ended. When she opened them she groaned at the sight of Jane's darkened eyes and red lips.
"Safer, but not as satisfying," she found herself saying without prior thought. However spontaneous, she did not regret her words. There was nothing but truth in them. Sitting in a bar with Jane meant control was attainable. Yet there were other things she desired and was beginning to think might also be attainable that would require privacy.
"I need you to know something," Jane became nervous and flustered as she prepared herself to reveal her lack of experience. "I've never done this before."
The Jacqueline Carlyle eyebrow raise was a thing of perfection. It was far more effective than any words that might form a question. It was, to quote the way Jane once described the very owner of it, 'sexy as hell.'
"You've never had drinks with your boss before?" she offered some levity with her question.
"I've never had drinks with a boss before. I've never flirted with a boss before. God, I have never been interested in someone who wasn't my own age or..." Jane hesitated, "...wasn't of the opposite sex. I've surely never felt like this before."
A tender and supportive hand came to rest in her lap. It reminded her of the awards dinner. Except tonight she felt an intense arousal that wouldn't have imagined possible when she first held Jacqueline's hand.
"Does it bother you? That I'm a woman? That I'm your boss? That I'm substantially older than you?" her free hand came up to move a wisp of hair out of Jane's eyes.
"It bothers me that I have no experience in this situation and feel I'm in a bit over my head. Who you are does not bother me. Does any of this bother you?"
"I would be lying if I said I didn't worry about our professional relationship or the reputation of Scarlet," she began tracing circles on Jane's thigh. "I worry that I could be taking advantage of the trust you have in me. Does your inexperience bother me? Of course not. Age crosses my mind, but I believe your attraction to be real. That is what matters."
"It is very real," Jane's hand reached for the one in her lap, squeezing it to accentuate her affirmation.
"Can I walk you home?" Jacqueline wasn't ending their conversation; she was simply hoping that what she had said had been well received and that they could continue the conversation tonight and in days to come.
Nodding her approval, the brunette stood, reached for the beautiful and expensive jacket on the hook nearby and helped her boss into it. She took money out of her purse to pay for their drinks and led the striking woman toward the door. She was pleased to find her hand being reached for. There was no self-consciousness on Jacqueline's part. Jane was touched. Perhaps they were far enough away from the office and the usual crowd the editor mingled with that it was not an issue. Perhaps in this moment it didn't matter.
They walked in silence. It was neither awkward nor uncomfortable. It felt right.
"This is me," Jane stopped and nodded to her door. "Would you like to come in?"
The woman had spoken the words quickly before her courage dissipated. This was all quite a lot for one day. The older woman sensed this. The last thing Jacqueline wanted to do was push. Things would either fall into place or they wouldn't. They had time to find out.
"I think it best I say goodnight. I had a lovely time. Thank you for asking me," she smiled while still holding tight to Jane's hand.
"I did, too."
Their eyes were locked in a battle that was being waged in their own minds at that moment.
"Jane?" came a whisper that caused Jane's heart to race. "I'm going to kiss you now."
For her part, Jane leaned in and opened herself to it. She tasted a hint of whiskey as a wanting tongue darted out to tease her lips apart. She felt the hand find her hip; a vibration grazed her lips when the other woman responded to their bodies pressing together. The kiss deepened until oxygen was desperately needed.
"God," Jane moaned at parting.
Jacqueline's eyelids lifted and her eyes were searching Jane's for assurance. She found what she needed.
"Let's do this again soon," she smiled as she let go and stepped back.
Pleased with herself and content with how the night had transpired, Jacqueline walked toward the street and waved down a cab without ever looking back.
Unbeknownst to Jane as she stood staring at the back of the blonde's head as she disappeared into the cab, Kat and Sutton had come walking up the sidewalk in time to catch what appeared to be the parting of two women who were extremely close. They paused, looking at one another as the realization of why their friend had been behaving so strangely began to unravel, and waited to see the cab drive away before entering the apartment after Jane had already gone inside.
"Oh, Jaaaane," Sutton said in a singsong voice as they entered. "I think you owe us an explanation."
…
They found Jane face down on the couch with her face buried in a pillow.
"Spill," her friends said in unison.
"I'm not sober enough to pretend I didn't just see you watch our boss walk away from our stoop," Sutton said.
"Longingly," Kat added.
Jane groaned, burying her head further.
"Hun, what's going on?" Kat sat down on the edge of the couch and placed a supportive hand on her friend's upper back. "You know we are going to keep asking questions."
As the brunette slowly started sitting up, she saw a mix of shock and curiosity on the two faces looking at her.
"I'll start. Are you sleeping with Jacqueline?" Sutton couldn't restrain herself a second longer.
"Ugh," was the response as hands came to shield an embarrassed face.
"Was that a yes? Jesus, Jane. She's our boss! She's...she's...well now that I think about it, she is smoking hot."
Sutton smirked at Jane peeking out from behind her fingers to glare at Kat.
"Not helping," she said.
"Wait, you didn't answer the question. Are you having sex with our very attractive, very professional, much older and very married boss?" Sutton sat down on the coffee table to consider the answers.
"Oh, how the tables have turned," Kat teased Sutton.
"Shut up. Richard was a board member, not our boss. And he certainly wasn't married. Plus I think the age difference is—" she was cut off.
"Will you two please stop!"
They were silenced and staring.
"I am not sleeping with Jacqueline. We kissed. Twice."
Instead of expected squeals, she was met with dropped jaws and dumbfounded looks.
"Umm...did I miss an announcement about you being into girls?" Kat wondered aloud.
"No," Jane's retort was sharp. "Not girls, not women, Jacqueline."
Kat moves further toward Jane and wrapped her arm around her best friend.
"We love you, you know that. We aren't judging you. We like Jacqueline. This seems—"
"Extreme?" Sutton quipped before offering an apologetic look.
"It wasn't sudden," Jane spoke softly. "There has been something developing."
"Since you returned to Scarlet?"
"I was having feelings before I left. It actually had a small role in that decision."
"What?!" was said simultaneously with Kat's "tha fuck?!"
Tears were welling in Jane's eyes signaling that she needed to be handled with care tonight. They had never seen her like this.
"And Jacqueline?" Kat asked gently. "Obviously she knows you have feelings and something is there. She wouldn't kiss you otherwise. She would never take advantage of how you feel."
"Yes, there's something there."
Nobody said anything for a minute.
"Are we supposed to pretend we don't know?" Sutton inquired.
"No, we talked about it. It's delicate. She appreciates how close the three of us are. It could damage her reputation, I mean, especially after all of the #MeToo attention she has received since the piece. People will assume she is using her position of power to..."
"To what, babe?" Kat urged her to continue.
"I don't know!" an exasperated sigh entered the heavy air.
Sutton stood and squeezed in on the other side of Jane.
"What do you want?" she took the woman's hand.
"I want to see where it goes. I want Jacqueline. What if it all blows up in my face?"
"So you have to leave Scarlet again. You've survived that and you can again."
Sutton and Jane shared a knowing look.
"They'll accuse you of sleeping your way to the top," Kat nodded.
"God, you guys, what am I doing?" her head leaned into Kat's shoulder.
"You're doing what you always do—running into a burning building before first grabbing the extinguisher." Sutton spoke as if it was the only answer.
The other two chuckled.
"What goes on in your head when you've been drinking?" Jane smiled.
"What goes on in your head after kissing the formidable Jacqueline Carlyle?" Sutton smiled back.
"It isn't my head that was the issue..."
Now they squealed at Jane's implication.
...
Prior to that mind-blowing kiss on her stoop, Jane had been having copious amounts of sex with Ben to work out her sexual frustration. It was that frequent sex that had her in the position of needing Plan B and sitting in her gynecologist's office discussing having children. It also made her realize how unfair she was being to Ben. Even if Jacqueline had someone else, a husband even, Jane couldn't do it.
The pitch meeting seemed to go well when she brought up babies as an accessory. There was no indication that anyone, including her boss, had seen a personal angle in her pitch. But when she was called into the glass walled office, she couldn't face what was underneath the story.
There was something else. Two somethings. Toned legs that went on for days were on full display. The satin lapels of her jacket were mesmerizing.
Once she opened up about the real reason behind her pitch, she was able to focus on the matter at hand. She was touched by Jacqueline's concern and it made her emotional to be offered a listening ear, the listening ear of someone who had succeeded in raising children as a career woman. Though she cringed when she was asked if she was pregnant or thought she might be, the overall way they spoke about such a heavy matter was helpful. What it wasn't, if she was honest, was the way an employer and employee interacted. The kind of understanding and support being offered wasn't that of a friend, either. This was something else.
Then Jacqueline touched Jane's face. Her palm against the brunette's cheek, she didn't bother to check whether there were eyes on them. Her forefinger grazed the scar at Jane's temple. The touch making brown eyes flutter closed.
"I don't know what this is," she whispered as her eyes opened. "But I like it."
Jacqueline chuckled. Her hand dropped to graze Jane's knee. She briefly looked at the bright red lipstick on Jane's lips.
"I do, too," she spoke softly. "Can we pick this up later?"
Jane nodded, setting down her cup and standing from the couch.
"Oh, Jacqueline? I also like the skirt." She threw the comment over her shoulder and left with a smirk on her face.
...
Standing up from the supposedly ergonomic chair, Jane stretched her back and closed her laptop. She had lost track of the time. As she walked into the bullpen she noticed it was dark outside and her colleagues had all left for the night. All of her colleagues save one—Jacqueline.
Walking toward the glass door that always made the butterflies flutter in her stomach, Jane watched for a moment as the lamp created a particular glow against the blonde highlights of the office occupant's hair. She was standing there, staring, really, when her gaze was noticed and a smile was directed at her.
"I didn't realize you hadn't gone. What are you doing here so late?" she said as Jane opened and then closed the door.
"I was sitting closer to the coffee pot. I can't quite work out the kinks in my piece," she approached the desk, but not to the chair across from it, to the space beside it. She stood close enough that her outer leg was touching her boss's knee—her bare knee.
"I thought you had figured out what you were going to say about women in their 20s having children?" Jacqueline put on her overly concerned face. Jane was starting to realize how little that particular look had to do with whether she would turn in her article.
"I have, but I've been distracted," she held her cards close to her vest.
"What is distracting you?" the flirty response told her that her boss knew exactly what it was she wasn't saying aloud.
Rotating her body and pressing forward, effectively parting the long, beautiful legs she fantasized about on the regular, Jane bent forward and without touching the seated woman, brought her lips close enough to her ear that she could feel her breath before she even spoke.
"You are," she breathed.
With only a slight glance behind Jane, Jacqueline's hand was quickly on her neck pulling her into a heated kiss. They lost control and their breath. It was when Jane's hands pushed bare knees apart that one of them came to their senses.
"Jane." It wasn't a command, it wasn't a question and it wasn't specific, but Jane knew precisely what it meant.
"Fashion closet?" she said over the thumping of her heartbeat in her ears.
The raised eyebrow told all. It always meant that Jacqueline Carlyle wanted to know more. This wild version of Jacqueline was someone Jane wanted to know.
"Give me two minutes," she was soon to know whether the wild side was real.
Jane walked out of the office and through the bullpen knowing there were eyes on her ass the entire way.
When she reached the fashion closet she took a deep breath, found her balance and calmed her nerves. This was her sanctuary. This was where she was most confident and in control. She was about to test those truths with her awfully attractive, captivatingly older, boss.
She heard the door behind her and turned to see Jacqueline locking the doorknob as well as the stopper at the top of the door that could only be undone on their side of the door. The door had been installed in place of the curtain to protect the privacy of the models. Now it would protect their privacy. They were at work after all. As soon as Jacqueline turned her back to the door, Jane pounced. Her lips were firmly planted before either had time to say a word. The kiss was passionate from first touch. With her back pressed against the door, the blonde was in a position she never had been—at Jane's command. The tables had turned. And she loved it.
"Mmm…" Jacqueline moaned as a deft hand began unbuttoning what remained of the little that was covering her breasts in the first place. Down to the level of her belly button exposed, the expensive lace was a magnet for the woman touching her. It began with kisses along her chest, quickly covering her collarbone and the tops of her breasts. The lace was being dragged lower with talented teeth when she felt a hand on her hip followed by the sound of her skirt's zipper trailing downward. Demanding fingers pulled the shirt tail from the back of the now accessible skirt and made a path along the waistband of lacy panties slipping into the waistband at the front of a responsive hip, Jane smiled at her innate ability to do this to a woman she had found so intimidating when she first met her. Hell, she still found her intimidating.
"Jane," the tone told her she had to stop, not telling her why. She panicked. Pulling her hand from the spot where she had first encountered hair, she brought her arms to her sides and leaned back.
"I'm sor—" a long, tempting finger effectively silenced her.
Jacqueline's hands gripped the girl's shoulders.
"Nothing is wrong," her voice dropped. "I don't have the patience for that."
Jane's eyes had followed the glance down to the messed up skirt. Before she could even look back up she was being pushed backward to the round ottoman in the middle of the room. Her legs caught her and she was able to sit without tumbling over. Jacqueline slipped out of her heels. She positioned herself on the edge, her legs angled toward Jane.
The writer was kissed in a way that caused every nerve ending to fire at once.
Distracted by the explosive kiss, Jane couldn't concentrate on the hand that was on her knee, slipping under the ruffled skirt and dragging it higher. She was distracted up until the point she felt a hand grasping her inner thigh.
Jane responded to the kiss and hand placement by gripping the bracelet-adorned wrist and pushing it closer to where she most wanted it. She could sense Jacqueline relaxing as Jane encouraged her.
"Please," the statement was neither confident nor pressing. However, it wasn't a question. She didn't need to talk Jacqueline into anything as evidenced by a gasp that escaped her swollen lips.
Lips began roaming her neck, behind her ear and nipping at her jawline. Where the kisses were creating goose bumps, the hand that teased her panties was certainly igniting another part of her. She could feel how wet she was and Jacqueline hadn't even touched her yet.
"Tell me something, Jane," Jacqueline whispered near her ear. "Do you like it fast or slow?"
To that Jane reacted without hesitation. She used her own hands to yank her panties down enough to expose her glistening lips. One hand held tight to the blonde's wrist and directed it to exactly what she wanted. A finger traced her slit causing her eyes to close and her lips to part. Open-mouthed kisses to her neck were like candy—she couldn't get enough.
She knew she caused the attentive woman's lips to vibrate when she spoke. She also knew from the very un-Jacqueline like squeak that she was vibrating in the lowest part of her abdomen.
"I do believe you said you didn't have any patience…"
Where hesitation had resided, anticipation now replaced it. With Jane's words, Jacqueline's finger was suddenly past her folds.
"Ohhh!" this, too, was very un-Jacqueline like. The younger woman could get used to it. It was far more intoxicating than receiving professional praise, something she lived for.
Nibbles marked her collarbone, her head tipped back exposing it all. When their mouths came together she was treated to a manicured nail dragging over her clit. It took a great deal of willpower to not climax right then. She had to experience more. And she did. Another finger slipped inside her and she stifled a laugh when the thought crossed her naughty mind that 'Tiny Jane' wasn't so tiny after all.
"God, this is exhilarating," Jacqueline moaned against a flushed cheek. "I could eat you up."
"Next time."
Jane's boldness threw fuel on a raging fire. Fingers sped up and the thrusting was wildly out of control. Trying desperately not to scream or announce what was about to happen, the only cover she afforded herself was to suck on Jacqueline's tongue. When the end was imminent are her pleasure blatant, Jane didn't tumble over the edge, she took a swan dive. Her orgasm hit her with a force so intense she was shaking.
For her part, Jacqueline pressed her own thighs together to prevent climaxing with her skirt on and without physical touch.
"Christ…" she hummed into the crook of a flushed neck.
Jane remained speechless. Her body trembled.
"For the record, that was far better than I imagined and believe me when I tell you I have a vivid imagination."
Jane groaned as fingers slid out of her. She couldn't believe how sensitive she was. She had never felt this way after having anything inside her.
A phone was heard ringing in the distance. Neither acknowledged it. Then a second ringtone was heard, the boss's cell phone.
"Do you need to get that?" there was a hint of disappointment in Jane's voice.
Jacqueline ignored it as well as the question. Then her landline began ringing again.
"Goddammit," she sighed.
Standing and tucking in her shirt, Jacqueline appeared to be switching gears and the blissfully sated Jane hated it.
"Wait…" she wasn't pleading, but she felt needy. "Give me a minute, Jac."
Looking into brown orbs, she saw insecurity there that she couldn't allow to take hold. She wanted nothing less than answering that goddamned phone. Neglecting the zipper on her skirt, she crawled behind Jane on the ottoman and wrapped her arms and legs around her now lover. She nestled her nose behind Jane's left ear.
"I meant it when I said 'next time'," Jane murmured.
There was a not-so-subtle question in her words.
"Honestly?" there was a lack of confidence in her tone, something Jane Sloan the employee certainly had never heard before from this remarkable, formidable
titan of print. "I was afraid you wouldn't. Sometimes reality doesn't live up to the long-held fantasy."
Jane turned her head and pulled back just enough to see a glowing face.
"Seriously? I've never come up with a fantasy as good as that…not even when I was writing my women who haven't had an orgasm article and finally was able to achieve, well, I'm sure you recall.
"Oh, I do. I had to go home and shower that day for the very reason I need to do that once I put out whatever fire is causing my phone to ring incessantly."
Jane placed a sensual, lingering kiss to the red lips that were no longer the deep shade of trademark lipstick.
"God, I've never said this before, I've never thought it before about another woman, but your scent is so fucking arousing."
She wasn't talking about her ubiquitous perfume.
Toned legs twitched, encompassing the smaller woman. Jacqueline knew if she didn't get up now she would embark on round two and the likelihood of someone coming looking for her increased. Jane knew why she was standing.
Once her shirt was buttoned, her skirt zipped and her heels stepped into, she leaned down and offered a kiss that could only be described as loving.
"Until next time," her voice was undeniably huskier.
Jane had the most ridiculous smile on her face when the door closed behind her.
So that happened.
…
Absolutely stunned, Jane stood in her hotel room staring at her phone. She couldn't believe that Jacqueline had published her piece. She knew the pressure the editor-in-chief had been under since the website comment section hoopla. She knew how much the article about whether the Jacqueline Carlyle era at Scarlet should be over, that the "celebrity editor" had lost her touch, had stung. It was difficult, yes, when Jane's article was rejected. But she understood the environment at Stafford.
She typed in a short text and hit send: Thank you, Jac.
You are worth it.
The smile vanished from her facewhen her phone rang. It was Sutton. While Richard had asked her not to speak of the email he had received with potential replacements atop Scarlet, Sutton had to tell Jane. She, too, had seen the alert on her phone with the Jane Sloan byline. Hanging up the phone Jane still saw the alert on her lock screen. She wondered if Jacqueline would regret taking the risk. She also felt nauseous. Would this bring about the end of the Carlyle era? And the potential significance of this on a personal level left Jane swimming in a sea of insecurity.
They arrived on the red carpet with the promise of a night of music, drinks and dancing. The mood was light. Jane looked at Sutton and Richard walking arm in arm through the tunnel of photographers. She was sincerely happy for them.
Her heart nearly stopped. Walking the red carpet with Oliver on her arm was a black-clad Jacqueline. She was a sight of devastating radiance. It was her blonde hair that caused an immediate rush to Jane's sex. It was slicked back. Slightly heightened at the front. Onlookers would notice the edginess tonight. This was a different side of her. The gorgeous editor was saying 'fuck it' to her doubters.
She approached and Jane swallowed hard. She thanked Jacqueline as professionally as she could muster. The surrounding cameras were constraining. She wanted to wrap her arms around this woman. She wanted to look into her eyes and truly thank her. God, she wanted to whisper how provocative she looked.
Taking the safe way out of what Jacqueline knew was a dangerous situation in front of industry bigwigs and a bank of cameras, she wished the girls a good night and walked away. Jane watched her every step.
An hour into the party the writer was standing against a wall watching the dance floor as Sutton and Richard shared an intimate look, enjoying the atmosphere and each other. She smiled.
"That's an interesting development," oh, how that voice affected her.
"They haven't signed any paperwork yet," the defense of Sutton came out as if she was talking to a strict employer who might overreact.
A hand faintly touched her wrist.
"Who am I to judge?"
A smile broke through the defensiveness and Jane relaxed.
They looked toward the dance floor, allowing them a calm, quiet moment in each other's presence.
"If I didn't know better I'd think you chose tonight's look with me in mind," Jane spoke in as hushed a tone as could be deciphered against the backdrop of thumping music.
"If I didn't know better I'd think you found my hair this evening quite stimulating."
Jacqueline definitely had noticed the dark eyes on her hair as she approached earlier.
"You have no idea."
"Follow me," a demanding hand grasped her wrist and led her along the wall to a hallway and then a door with a small vertical window. She realized it was a space for staging and overflow. The only light inside came from four pendants over a bar on the back wall.
"Dance with me," Jacqueline pulled Jane to her.
"This really isn't my jam," Jane joked.
The song came to an end as an arm snaked over her shoulder and a gentle hand found the base of her neck. The other hand took hers, placing them both near Jane's collarbone. Slow notes permeated the space, the melody soft and sexy. The small of Jacqueline's back was grazed before fingers rested on the groove where the separation of cheeks began.
"Did you bribe the dj?" Jane breathed, her lips awfully close to those that she had fallen head over heels for.
"It's funny how someone who relies on you for services rendered will do anything you ask."
Their lips came together.
This was a kiss unlike those they usually shared. It was sensual. It spoke revelations that had been repressed or denied. When it came to an end, the younger woman nuzzled against the tantalizing, freckled skin of the neck she had spent many a meeting gazing.
"All I wanted for tonight was to have an opportunity to dance with you," came the whispered confession.
"All I've done tonight is watch you glide from one person to the next."
"You are equally distracting, darling."
Jane's breath hitched at the affectionate term.
Unable to keep the thought from this moment, the writer remembered what was at stake tonight. The implications behind the piece being published surfaced in her mind and gut.
"I know about the board," she revealed.
Jacqueline sighed. A moment passed before a reply.
"If I am going out, I'm going out on my terms. It's a great article," her head tipped to lean against the brunette's temple.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have pushed. I would never knowingly put you in this position."
Lifting her head and using a finger to tilt Jane's chin upward, her eyes expressed the earnestness with which she spoke: "You wouldn't hurt me. You are also an incredible writer and publishing that piece should not have caused me a second of vacillation."
"Vacillation? Listen to you, Ms. Carlyle," Jane smirked before a fleeting feeling registered on her face.
"What is it?" questioning eyes were quick to catch what had only been fleeting.
"Mrs.," came the weighty response.
No matter how hard she tried, the thought of Ian Carlyle came to her mind at the most inopportune moments.
Jacqueline closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling before offering a look that was more than icy blue, laced with curiosity and intrigue. It was as if she opened a door for the other woman to see deep past the usual barriers around her children and partner.
"It's over."
Two words and Jane could feel some part of her in complete tumult. There was something rising through the chaos: Guilt.
"Because of this?" she whispered, nodding to their fingers laced together on her collarbone.
"Do not feel guilty about this." It was a statement that brought with it insistence and a degree of reassurance. "We had been living apart. Long before you, babe."
It was a revelation that shook Jane. How did she not know this? They had seemed so happy. Maybe she should have asked about it or about the kids. What was she supposed to do in this situation? She had never been involved with anyone married, certainly not a married boss, male or female.
"I didn't know," she leaned in and pressed her forehead to the transparent material covering Jacqueline's chest.
"I have the boys, it's okay. Really." A kiss was placed on the crown of the resting head.
The thoughts whirling through that very head were far from restful. A few of them must have been particularly loud.
"I never would have…" Jacqueline didn't say the words, but both thought of the fashion closet. "Not if I was still with…I wouldn't be so reckless. I wouldn't do that to you."
Jane let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. A relief washed over her when the words settled and she understood implicitly that the understanding she had always had of Jacqueline—strong, honest, committed to her work and those she loved—was in tact. How she felt about herself shifted. She wasn't the other woman. This mattered. There was another feeling that began to set in—hope.
"I have something for you," fingers untangled and the contact was broken. Walking over to grab her clutch from where she had set it on the bar, she came to stand in front of Jane. Pulling a card out she handed it to Jane. "When you're done enjoying the night with your friends. 708."
Jane's face lit up at the realization of what was being requested.
"I need to be on the stage shortly," she offered up a firm kiss as apology. "Have a nice evening."
And with that the editor walked away, the door closing behind her.
I already have. The thought never formulated into spoken word
…
The handle turned slowly and she let herself quietly into the spacious room with a spectacular view of the city of lights.
"Jane?" she followed the voice into a small hallway, realizing quickly what was ahead.
"Expecting someone else?" she casually leaned against the doorframe while taking in the sight of the blonde in bubbles. Sitting in an oval bathtub, a champagne flute in her hand and the phone so often an appendage played soft music from its place on a dock, Jacqueline looked impeccable. Her hair remained perfectly coiffed.
"I assume there are escorts downstairs in the bar," Jane gave an exaggerated jaw drop at the insinuation.
"You wouldn't," she countered.
"Hmm..." a sip of champagne was taken. "You wouldn't have thought I'd be sitting in a bathtub in Paris with a young and incredibly attractive woman, an employee no less, hoping to catch a peek at a rogue nipple, either, would you have?"
"Six weeks ago, no."
Jane kicked off her heels, tied up her hair and found the zipper of her black dress. She slowly removed each article of clothing and stood before the wet, in more ways than one, sudsy woman with a wicked expression on her face.
"Today? Well, I imagined many things when you handed me a key to your hotel room earlier. I can't say this exact scenario was one of them."
Sliding forward in the bathtub, a place was made for Jane. Blue desirous irises followed every movement until water was displaced and one body leaned back completely against the other. An exhale bordering on a moan touched their ears when short but strong legs wrapped around hips and abdomen, feet meeting but a breath away from Jacqueline's throbbing want.
Reaching for the champagne flute, the brunette took a slow drink, savoring this unbelievable moment. Champagne, Paris and Jacqueline Carlyle? How could this not be among the great moments of her life?
Glass set aside, roaming hands traced enviable, toned arms. Fingertips grazed the outsides of breasts on the way down. Drawing small circles across the flat expanse of Jacqueline's abdomen with one hand and gripping a hip with the other, Jane pressed her body further against this tantalizing woman and found her own sex twitching at the touch.
"Have I mentioned how taken I am with your hair?" Jane hummed as she pressed a kiss to the space below Jacqueline's ear.
"Is that the only thing you are taken with?"
"Do you want the list?" Jacqueline chuckled. Jane was the queen of lists.
"The hair is but the most recent enticement," she kissed her way to the top of the nearest shoulder, her hand now teasing a pert nipple. "In reverse chronological order, there was the insubordination of a total badass who threw caution into the wind with an editorial decision. Before that there was the revelation of the husky quality your voice takes on when you are thoroughly aroused."
Jacqueline released a cry of pleasure when the fingers playing with her nipple gave it a pinch as teeth simultaneously sunk into her shoulder.
"Mmm...the way your eyebrow twitches when you are attempting to be professional in the midst of sexual provocation that can't be addressed in the office."
Jane's hand dipped further south as her tongue soothed the reddening area her teeth had marked. There wouldn't be any off the shoulder attire for a few days.
"Ah, yes, there is this magical way you look into my eyes when I most need reassurance that everything is going to be okay. I have seen it a lot lately without giving it back as much as I should have."
Jacqueline tilted her head, giving Jane access to further explore. She needn't be directed twice. The young woman accepted her mission and began her exploration.
Jacqueline's sigh begged for this matter to be dropped for now. There would be plenty of time for the serious and heavy in days and weeks to come.
"There has always been the Jacqueline Carlyle mystique. Will she or won't she; does she or does she not?" Jane's delicate wrist was encased by a wanting hand, slipping fingers further to slick lips. "Is she looking at me like that...or like that?"
The consistency of her throbbing bundle of nerves made the older woman sigh.
"The answer was yes earlier than I'd like to admit," she lost the ability to speak with the circling motion being put to good use on her body. "Denial was futile. Ignoring it was unbearable. And then something surprising happened—you started looking at me not as an older woman but as the object of your affection."
Jane's forehead rested on a shoulder; she couldn't resist any longer. She moved her feet to allow access and slid inside with a muffled moan.
"Fuck," Jacqueline grunted. That single word shot fire to Jane's core. The buttoned up editor never used such language in the office. Adding more, the sloshing of water joined pants for breath.
"I denied it, too. The attraction was eye-opening. But, Jesus, I have been taken with you."
Climax approached. The opposite nipple was being teased. Jane was in awe of the reactions her hands had on the very personification of sensuality meeting strength.
"Jaaaane!" her deep, primal cry as she crested brought tears to the eyes of the woman behind her. She had never felt this range of emotions. She was experiencing a foreign high. This she could get used to.
Relaxing into arms surrounding her, the blonde said nothing as she attempted to catch her breath.
"If I lose my job tomorrow, this continues." How could words be spoken in a hushed tone and yet carry the weight of an undeniable requirement?
"I would like that," tears welled in her brown eyes once again.
"I..." the inflection exposed an uncertainty unlike her.
"What is it?" Jane put a hand on Jacqueline's chest to portray safety and support.
"If Stafford changes direction, I'm going to announce my divorce. If I remain at Scarlet, it may be a bit until things calm down and the timing won't have my family on Page Six."
It was sinking in how serious this thing between them was. She had wanted to tell Kat and Sutton everything. Clearly, Jacqueline had been thinking about how they might go forward. Jane wasn't anxious or scared. Picking up on her change in breathing, Jacqueline spoke:
"I don't want to throw all of this at you and risk you running."
Pressing her body against the side of the tub, Jane was able to rotate enough to allow direct eye contact with Jacqueline.
"This has happened fast. It is exhilarating, yes, but terrifying, too," disappointment entered Jacqueline's expression, but she would be left open-mouthed by the remaining sentiment. "I want to try. I can't let this pass me by. You mean too much to me."
The kiss was raw and vulnerable.
"Let's go to bed," Jacqueline whispered.
Eyes roamed over her, causing her face and neck to flush. She reached a hand out to help Jane out before she reached for two towels. She had never felt as secure in her body as she did in this moment. Maybe forty (plus) was the new twenty after all.
They would lie in bed taking turns holding each other until their naked bodies registered exhaustion from their day as well as jet lag. Jane noticed Jacqueline's breath change and found herself begin to drift off. The last thought she had was that it might not only be Richard and Sutton signing paperwork with HR in the near future.
...
"Jane?" Jacqueline had showered and was doing her makeup at the vanity. For her part, Jane was awaiting a bellhop who had somehow been cajoled into going to Sutton's hotel room to retrieve her clothes so that she wouldn't walk into the lobby this morning to meet her friends for coffee in her party dress. That would be the worst kind of walk of shame. "I want to broach a topic with you that is both sensitive and, I fear, might overwhelm you."
Sitting in a bathrobe on the settee, she prepared herself for a discussion about Jacqueline's broken marriage. It was necessary she know the parameters in order to do whatever was required. She was startled by what it turned out to be.
"Your article said you wanted to be your own Prince Charming. I respect that. However, the climate at Stafford won't be changing soon. It's important you explore the various options available to you, but time is of the essence and if you are going to freeze your eggs, that needs to be facilitated."
Taking a deep breath, thinking about Ryan's offer, she had no idea where this conversation was going. She honestly thought Jacqueline was going to tell her to start looking for jobs with more progressive employers.
"Let me help you. I told you when you revealed your BRCA status that I would be here for you through this even if merely a listening ear. I want to do more."
Her heart swelling, her eyes tearing up, she had no words. While she understood Ryan's belief, however misguided, that she was responsible for his novel and thus deserved his support in turn, she could never accept it.
"Jacqueline, I—" she was cut off by a knock at the door.
"Let me get that," the blonde stood and made her way to the door where she met the bellhop with Jane's bag in hand and tipped him generously.
She approached Jane and placed the bag on the floor before taking a seat beside her, a comforting arm enveloping her.
"If it is too much because of what is happening with us, you can take the personal out of it entirely and think of it as your editor making an investment in your career and future success. This is not a suggestion on which medical option is superior to another. I do not want the possibility of motherhood, whether you ultimately choose to have children or not, to be taken from you because of a financial constraint now."
Jacqueline pulled Jane against her chest. Shoulders trembled and tears fell.
"I became a mother because I wanted nothing more. The notion that women could have it all was being tested in this industry. Hell, it still is. I had support, but it was difficult. Further along in my career, married and financially stable, it may seem we have nothing in common on this. I assure you I do remember how terrifying it was. You and I aren't so different."
Shining eyes and tear-streaked cheeks met the gaze of this amazing woman. There was love there even if it hadn't been spoken or defined.
"Can we discuss this again back in the city?" Jane's voice cracked with emotion. "I would like to think about it. I would also like, with your permission, to talk to Kat and Sutton about it."
"If you weren't going to talk to them, I would have insisted on it," Jacqueline smiled.
Leaning in and offering a tender kiss, Jane had one thing she absolutely needed to say.
"Whatever I decide, I am touched. You are an incredible human being with a heart of gold and I love that about you," Jane said as she pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead.
"Love, huh?" she teased.
"Shut up."
...
Sutton and Kat sat with jaws on the ground as they watched Jane and Jacqueline walk out of the elevator together. Their boss was glowing. They had not seen her so happy in awhile.
Sutton had wondered where Jane was when she returned to their hotel room early that morning. She assumed Jane had gone for coffee or something knowing that she left the party earlier than they had and she was a day behind them in the battle against jet lag. She never considered that Jane might be with someone and definitely not in Jacqueline's bed.
The editor began to part before the two had spotted Sutton and Kat. While there wasn't physical touch, the women shared a meaningful, unchaste look.
"I'm not imaging this am I?" Kat asked.
"We can't both be," Sutton had yet to pick her jaw up off the floor.
Jane made her way to the table, finding her seat and the hot coffee awaiting her. Four eyes remained glued to her. They said nothing.
"What?" Jane innocently asked.
"Umm...that was...I don't even know what to say!" Kat's hands were quite expressive.
"Explain," Sutton demanded.
Jane's face had turned a deep shade of red. She hid behind her coffee cup preparing an explanation.
"Spill!" Kat was impatient.
"I slept with Jacqueline," Jane exhaled.
"Clearly."
"Obviously."
"It wasn't the first time. I spent the night with her, too; I guess that is the technical definition of sleeping."
Ever the wordsmith, Jane couldn't help herself. She had barely made eye contact with her best friends. She was in no way ashamed. Bashful, maybe?
"What?! Why didn't you tell us?" Kat questioned.
"I didn't know what it meant!"
Sutton latched onto the fact that Jane hadn't known what it meant the first time and chose not to tell them, but the second time she was telling them.
"It meant something," she accused, swatting her friend on the shoulder as she did so.
"It did or does," Jane was flustered. "I'm still wrapping my head around it."
"What do you want it to mean?" Sutton wondered.
After several deep breaths steadying her nerves and delaying her answer, the brunette spoke quietly:
"I want it to mean a lot. We're going to see where it goes."
Both girls smiled gleefully at their friend.
"What about...?" Sutton knew how the mere mention of Mr. Jacqueline Carlyle could sting.
"They're separated."
"Because of...?" Kat was afraid to fully ask her question, too.
"No. It happened before me."
"Did you ask her about what Richard learned?" Sutton worried.
"What? What about Richard?"
In the hour before walking the red carpet together and throughout the noisy hubbub of the party, neither Sutton nor Jane had mentioned to Kat the shortlist for Jacqueline's replacement. Sutton's revelation made Kat second-guess whether she had been assertive enough about the comment section in the new website rollout. That surely was a part of the board's calculus.
"Oh my god, that's terrible," Kat's voice cracked. "What did she say?"
"She said she doesn't regret publishing the article. And the party was a success."
"I feel terrible," Kat said. "She doesn't deserve this."
"There's nothing that can be done now. It's in their hands."
"Girls, I need to go do the final press availability and we'll meet up for a tour of the city," Kat stood. She seemed to be taking the absence of Adena in stride. "We'll get you back in time for your romantic date."
Sutton grinned. She couldn't believe she and Richard were in Paris together.
"And you, hun, could have a repeat," she wiggled her eyebrow at Jane before leaving.
Jane shook her head and finished her coffee. She felt Sutton's eyes on her.
"What?" she was experiencing a bit of déjà vu.
"I'm proud of you," she smiled.
"Uhh...okay?" Jane was confused.
"You went after what you wanted and didn't let the circumstances stop you. You, Jane Sloan, are a badass."
They laughed together.
Paris was the city of love.
-finis-