Bulma took a deep drag on her cigarette, paused, then exhaled with a shaky breath. The smoke unfurled around her face and she didn't even care to wave it away. She glanced down at the kitchen island below, hoping for an instant that the piece of paper lying there would suddenly be gone, whisked away like a bad dream.
But no, it was still there.
The paper had appeared on the dashboard of her car-her car, the one only she drove, which ninety-seven percent of the time was locked in the protective recesses of her underground garage.
So unassuming, this piece of paper. Average white letter paper. It was marked with the plain font of an old typewriter in neat black letters. By now she had the brief message memorized.
WE HAVE LAUNCH. BE PREPARED TO SIGN OVER OWNERSHIP OF CAPSULE CORPS TO US. AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTION.
Bulma had just seen Launch that morning.
And now she had been kidnapped?
Bulma ashed her cigarette and reached for another one. The pack was empty. She had been trying to cut back-and that was the last one she had in the house. She sighed and felt the breath catch in her chest. Swallowing hard, she looked around helplessly at her silent kitchen, at the cold cup of coffee Launch had left there just that morning.
Nearby, her phone dinged. The sound sent her heart leaping. With shaking hands she opened the notification: an alert from her security system that someone had been allowed in and was being escorted up to her suite. It was Vegeta.
Shit. She had completely forgotten about her date. She had planned to take him on her private jet out to a new restaurant in South City.
Another notification dinged. Security had Vegeta at the door to her suite. She opened the app. "Mr. Vegeta is here to see you, ma'am," came the voice through the microphone. In the camera she could see the two men standing by the door.
"Bring him in," she said, not trying to mask her exhaustion.
Within moments Vegeta entered the doorway to the kitchen. He was well-dressed, wearing a navy suit that she had sent him, with no tie and the top button of his shirt unbuttoned and his hands casually in his pockets as always.
"Making me wait tonight, I see," he remarked, looking her up and down.
She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Vegeta. I have to cancel. Something came up."
The cocky smirk on his face remained as he came into the room and stood next to the island. "You'll still have to pay me, you know."
She couldn't help but smile a bit at his joke, but at the same time she rubbed her hands over her face. She probably looked a mess, still wearing a wrinkled pencil skirt and blouse that she'd been running around in all day, with her eyeliner undoubtedly smeared around her eyes by now.
"What's this?"
Much to her horror, Vegeta grabbed the ransom note off the countertop.
"Ugh!" she groaned. "Don't worry about it-"
"Who's Launch?"
Bulma stood up straight, sighed, then went to her wine refrigerator and took out a bottle. Vegeta approached. He rested a hand on her wrist and gently took the bottle from her, then moved to grab a wine glass.
Sighing in acceptance, Bulma took a seat at the counter. "Launch is one of my best friends," she said quietly as Vegeta uncorked the bottle.
"So who is this note from?" He placed the glass in front of her and poured one for himself.
"I have no idea. Some freak who wants the company." She took a swig of the wine and closed her eyes. "Not that I'm worried about that. We get weird notes like this all time. This is amateur hour. But I'm actually pretty worried about Launch."
"What's she look like?"
Bulma looked up. "What, you're gonna go looking for her?"
He swirled the wine in his glass. "You never know who you might run into."
She stared at him for a moment. He didn't look up. She studied his dark, unyielding eyes and wondered what was going on in his head. He never said much about his life; she hardly knew anything about him, and that was fine. Bringing him into her personal problems felt uncomfortable. But they had certainly fucked enough times that she at least trusted him on some basic level.
She opened up her phone and brought up a photo. "Here."
She studied the photo along with him. It was just from a couple of weeks ago when they had gone out to lunch together. Launch's blonde hair was pulled back by her trademark red headband, something she had worn almost as long as Bulma had known her. Her face was lit up with a mischievous smile, another thing about Launch that had never changed.
"She's a good friend, you know?" Bulma swallowed hard. "And sometimes she doesn't know when to shut up. So I'm afraid if someone has her, she's gonna piss them off." She turned away as she blinked away a rogue tear at the corner of her eye. She felt embarrassed. It's pretty awkward to let a male escort see you crying like a little girl. Pull it together!
Vegeta took a sip of wine. "I'll keep an eye out," he said quietly.
"Thank you."
"I guess you'll want to cancel tonight's date." There wasn't any judgment in his voice; Bulma felt relieved.
She sighed. "I can have a car bring you home this time," she said. "Sorry to put you out like this."
"Not at all."
She felt a moment of regret as he left. It was lonely now, and quiet. Bulma went to her room and stripped off the day's clothes, then collapsed onto her bed.
"I don't need you to give me special treatment just because we fuck sometimes, Bulma," Launch had said, just that morning, as she sipped her coffee with a steely look in her eyes.
"What makes you think that has anything to do with it?" Bulma leaned over the kitchen island and grinned. "You're a good employee, that's all."
Launch huffed and turned her back to look out the window.
"That's a nice view." Bulma reached out and pinched the blonde-haired woman's ass.
"I'm going to work." Launch had already dressed for the day in goldenrod-colored skinny-leg slacks and a bright green blazer-Bulma always had envied her unique style and eye for color. "I actually have to go in on time, unlike some people."
"Being the president does have its perks." Bulma grabbed Launch around the waist as she tried to hustle out of there. "It's always a pain in the ass to get you to stick around in the morning," she said, more softly.
Launch always seemed to be on edge. Ever since they met when they were teenagers, it had been a cat-and-mouse game between them, Bulma always chasing and Launch evading. "Even after a great night of sex you still want to book it out of here," Bulma went on, nuzzling her nose against Launch's cheek.
The blonde woman sighed, some of the tension draining from her body. "Fine. It was a good night of sex."
"Just good?" Bulma kept her firm grasp around Launch's waist as she trailed a hand down to linger between her legs.
Launch wriggled out of her grasp, but Bulma spotted the smile on her face. "Seriously! I gotta go to work." But she hesitated there, her face already flushed.
Bulma grinned and took the opportunity, pressing the other woman up against the fridge. "You won't be too late. I promise." She dropped to her knees and ran her hands over Launch's hips, then quickly undid the buttons and zipper on her slacks.
"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Launch gasped as Bulma's tongue found the sweet spot between her legs.
She paused long enough to retort. "I've been told that many more times than I can count."
"Hmm, I didn't tell you to stop." Launch arched her hips forward as Bulma again rolled her tongue over the blonde woman's clit.
"Mmm," Bulma murmured, closing her eyes to enjoy Launch's taste. She pursed her lips around Launch's clit and sucked, gently, tongue flickering playfully.
Launch's breath caught in her throat. "B…" Her hands found their way into Bulma's disheveled hair, still uncombed from the night before.
Bulma remained there for a few moments, languidly tasting and sucking until she could hear Launch's breath growing more desperate and needful. For Bulma, there were few things more pleasurable than winning Launch over-especially for a quickie first thing in the morning.
Abruptly now she stood up, still pushing Launch roughly against the fridge, as the fingers of her left hand made their way between Launch's legs.
Expertly Bulma slid her fingers inside her lover; meanwhile her mouth nipped at Launch's neck and ears, and her other hand grasped at Launch's breasts. Bulma could feel the other woman trembling at her touch.
"You're just teasing me now," Launch muttered, eyes closed and breath coming rapidly.
"I could drag this out all day, but you have to go to work." WIth that Bulma dropped to her knees again, fingers now dripping with Launch's wetness. Her tongue met Launch's clit and she began the familiar rhythm that would push the blonde woman over the edge.
"Fuck, B! Goddamnit!" Launch rarely cried out or moaned, but the intensity of her language usually scaled with that of her orgasm. Bulma looked up, seeing the way Launch's hands had splayed against the stainless steel of the fridge, her head tossed back and mouth agape. Bulma felt liquid beginning to drip down her wrist. She felt her own clit throbbing as she drew Launch closer.
"Shit! Fuck, Bulma!" Bulma couldn't stop herself from moaning as Launch came hard, her insides tightening around Bulma's fingers. She let her tongue linger, drawing out every last tremble that Launch's spent body could muster.
"Goddamnit," Launch said again, coming back to reality as Bulma rose to kiss her. "How am I supposed to go to work now?"
Bulma winked. "You tell me. You're the one who was in a big hurry."
Launch had tried to get Bulma back into the bedroom, but she insisted that Launch would be late. Finally, after a final fevered makeout session, Bulma sent her on her way.
"You want to resume this again later? Say, tomorrow?"
As Launch shouldered her purse and made her way out the door, she looked back with a smirk. "We'll see. Oh, and thanks for the promotion." With that, she turned the corner and was gone.
It was strange, Bulma thought as she laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She and Launch had not hooked up in ages-almost a year, probably. Now, all of a sudden, Launch was kidnapped and held for ransom the same day? An uncomfortable chill ran through her blood as she wondered who the fuck was spying on her.
For a moment she regretted sending Vegeta away. It would have been nice to have some company. I wonder if he knows something, she thought. Or maybe someone.
