N: this story is what it wants to be. I really don't think too hard about the plot, and it probably shows. But i think one more chapter and this one will be done with and i can move onto other silly stories that don't make sense. So, read on, enjoy.
I sat against the brick wall of the apartment I used as a headboard, looking down at Bo sleeping. She looked beautiful with her hair messy and strewn around the pillow, the blanket tugged over her bare chest, her hand curled possessively around the edge. She had passed out twenty minutes ago after she made her name pass across my lips in pleas of more, as we consummated our love.
Reaching over, I traced her forehead with a gentle fingertip and down to her cheek. I smiled when she let out a soft sigh and snuggled deeper into the pillow. I couldn't resist, and bent over to kiss her lightly.
A huge smile broke out across her face as she opened her eyes. "Did I fall asleep?"
I nodded, running my hand down her cheek to lay over her heart. "You did." I smirked, feeling her heart speed up.
Bo ran her eyes over my face, grinning until she noticed I had put on an old t-shirt. "Dressed already?"
I kissed her again. "It's just a shirt." I motioned to the window, pouring in the late afternoon light. "It's still light out, we wasted the afternoon away, and I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me?"
Bo plucked at the edge of my shirt, lifting it up so she could sneak a hand under it. I sighed when her fingers ran over my skin, leaving a trail of flushed heat. We had made love for a couple of hours, getting to know each other on a physical level. Bo was unlike anyone I'd ever been with, maybe because I was so in love with her, but she was incredible. She made me feel safe and beautiful, allowing her to see parts of me that I kept hidden from everyone I'd dated in the past. She was careful, giving and perfect. Even now, a simple touch from her fingertips, had me melting away. I closed my eyes and relished the way I felt with her next to me, her hand moving further up to rest under my breast.
"Can I take you to dinner?" Bo's voice was soft. "It's only fair that I take you out, try to woo you." She sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest, making me smile at how demure she could be at times.
I chuckled. "I think you've done your fair share of wooing. I recall you taking my breath away a few times in the last couple of hours." I scooted into the bed closer to her, letting her curl up into my side, sighing at the way she felt against me. I had dreamed about this for months, and found the reality to be far better than any fantasy. "I love you Ysabeau."
Bo laid her head on my shoulder, looking out the window across from us. It was quiet for a minute or two, before Bo spoke. "I like the way you say my name."
I looked down at her, the tone in her voice sounded sad. "I like saying it." I ran my hand through her hair. "Are you okay?"
Bo smiled tightly, squeezing me closer. "I was just thinking about how I wished my mom could have met you. She would've loved you, I'm sure she's got a thing or two to say about how we got together." Bo sighed. "She was the one who named me, found the name in one of her favorite old books. After she died, I never wanted anyone to call me by my full name. I wanted to be called Bo, or Izzy." Bo leaned away from me, looking down at her hand wrapped around mine.
"I bet she was an amazing woman." I brushed some hair from her face. "Your dad said you look a lot like her."
Bo nodded. "I do, which made for interesting conversation whenever Savannah had guests over at the house. There are pictures of my mom in the family room, next to the newer ones of the blended family. Followed by pictures of Jen in all of her varying stages of high school glory." She smiled softly. "As much as Jen is a pain in the ass, she's had her good moments." She looked up at me, her brown eyes swimming with sadness. "When I was seven, I had a rough time with Savannah coming into our lives. She wasn't an evil stepmother, she never tried to replace my mom, but at the same time I didn't make it a warm welcome for her." Bo chewed on her bottom lip. "No one knows this story but Jen and I, but I want to tell you something that shows you a good side of my sister. Something to hold onto when she brats out again."
I nodded slowly, letting Bo move away from me and lean against the wall next to me, our shoulders touching. Bo held onto my hand. "I ran away one day after school, planned it out in the morning and packed a bag. Ran right to the cemetery down the street where mom was as soon as I got off the bus. I sat on the family plot, crying and trying to figure out how to get my mom to come back and fix things. I still had no idea how death worked. I knew my mom was sick and slept a lot when I was little, getting worse when I was four, but I didn't understand the concept. I sat for hours with my little pink backpack stuffed with toys. Jen found me. Walked right up next to me and sat down, staring at my moms name with me. She sat for a few minutes until she threw an arm around me and said, "Ysabeau, it's okay. You have me, and you can have my mommy. She might not be as good as yours was, but she gives really good hugs." She then looked at me, smiled a toothless grin and hugged me, whispering that she was so happy that I was her sister and would always keep me safe." She then took me home, telling Savannah and my dad that I missed the bus and had to walk home."
Bo sniffled, wiping at a stray tear. "I believed her because she called me Ysabeau and only my mom called me that. Jen and I became inseparable after that, well, until high school and hormones mixed with the need to be popular." Bo shrugged. "Jen has a good heart, deep down in the middle of her chest. She's just young and stupid like the rest of us. I can't hate her, she's been my sister since that day and will be forever." She glanced at me. "And in a really weird way, she gave me the heart I lost when my mom died, back when she brought you to my party and I fell in love at first sight."
I felt my eyes fill up, smiling at Bo. "Bo." I paused, not knowing what to say, I was so filled with love for this woman. I smiled, leaning forward to kiss her gently, whispering against her mouth, "Your heart will always be safe with me." I understood why Bo told me the story, it was her way of acknowledging the elephant in the room we didn't necessarily had to acknowledge, but should. The fact that her sister was the reason why we had found each other. All the anger and disgust I had felt towards Jen for cheating on me, and acting like a brat when I ended things, disappeared. She was truly just a vessel to bring me to the one I was meant to be with. Bo.
And for Bo it was her way of feeling at peace in the awkward situation that started one warm afternoon on a white porch, letting go of her fears that she had maybe betrayed a sister who did really love her. We both knew the truth, but acknowledging things and moving past them, was the first step in creating our life together.
Bo whispered a quiet thank you back, before kissing me hard.
I held onto her cheek, looking deep in those brown eyes that made my stomach wiggle. "Tell me more about your mom, and possibly future father in law." I smirked at the last part, watching Bo roll her eyes and playfully slap me. I wanted to break the intense moment.
"Twenty dates, remember that." She scooted over to sit in my lap, the blanket falling away to reveal the incredible beauty Bo was. She held my face in both of her hands, taking a quick look at the clock on the wall across from the bed. "By my calculations, we still have about an hour before it's dinner time." She bent down, kissing me deeply. "Let's work up an appetite, shall we?"
I grinned, wrapping my arm around her flipping her over to hover over her. "We shall." I kissed her hard as her eager hands lifted my shirt over my head.
Two weeks later.
I ran across the terminal, dragging my stupid luggage behind me. My flight had been long and extremely late landing in New York. I was tired, jet lagged, and irritated. I wanted nothing more than to take a long hot shower and collapse in my own bed and sleep for a week.
It was three in the morning and I was pissed that I wouldn't be able to see Bo tonight. It had been a week and a half since I kissed her goodbye, sending her off on a plane back home with promises I would be quick to follow. I pulled out my phone, still hustling through the empty airport, trying to get a cab, or a car to pick me up. I smiled when I saw the cute text message from Bo with a picture of her frowning in her bed, sent fifteen minutes ago while I was getting sorted out in customs.
I wanted to call her, message her, or race over to her apartment and wake her up. But I couldn't. She had to be up in four hours for work and I would see her after. I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and drifted back to when we were in Sydney together. We had our second and third date in the city, and spent as much time as we could together in the few days she had before her vacation time was up and she had to go home. We spend most of that time together walking around the city, when we weren't in bed together, working up an appetite as we sated ours for the need to be naked, and tangled up, talking about the future, what was waiting for us at the end of the twenty dates. I knew I wanted to marry her and had bought a ring three days ago in a Sydney vintage jewelry shop. I was working on the proposal, trying to get ideas from her dad and Savannah. Both of them suggesting I take her up to the family cabin in the mountains and ask her there, one of Bo's favorite places to be in the world.
Rushing out onto the street, I snagged a car and threw my luggage in the back, telling the driver my address and to make it quick. I was exhausted and more than ready to get to sleep, knowing the faster I fell asleep, the quicker I would get to see Bo.
Leaning my head against the leather headrest, I sifted through the text messages Bo had sent while I was still in the air from Los Angeles to New York. She rambled on about a project she was working on, interjecting at times how pissed she was that my flights kept getting delayed by weather. She confessed she had planned to meet with a bouquet of flowers and balloons, trying her best to embarrass me, telling me she loved it when I blushed and tried to hide my face.
I laughed as I scrolled through more messages, reading the silliness that was my girlfriend. I loved Bo more and more every day she revealed more of her personality. I sighed when the driver pulled up to my apartment and got out. After tipping the guy for helping me get my luggage into the elevator, I trudged sleepily into the painfully empty apartment. I left my things by the door, stripped out of my clothes as I walked to the bathroom and took the quickest, hottest shower I could, before I threw on a baggy shirt and collapsed into my big empty bed.
I fell asleep in two breaths, frowning at how cold the bed was without Bo in it next to me.
The smell of fresh coffee, made me open very heavy eyelids. I thought I was dreaming, until I saw the large coffee cup with the MOMA logo, sitting on the bedside table. I blinked a few times, rolling over to sit up. I yawned and ran my hands through crazy messy hair, looking through my bedroom door to figure out if someone had broken in to make me coffee. It was then that I noticed my luggage was neatly tucked away in my closet. I chewed on my lip, before swinging my legs out of the bed and grabbing the cup of hot coffee.
I took a sip and sighed with content at how good it tasted. I walked out of my bedroom, catching the time on the stove clock. It was almost five in the afternoon, I had managed to sleep the entire day away. I took another sip and looked around the living area, not finding anyone in my apartment that raised suspicions. I squinted, trying to remember if I had cancelled the cleaning lady before I left Australia or not. I continued to walk across towards the large windows with the blinds open, giving me an amazing view of the alley and the apartment building across the street. A far cry from the three million dollar view I had in Sydney. I yawned a few more times and smiled when it clicked that I could call Bo, she would be almost out of work. I could call her and tell her to come over.
I spun around on my bare feet and went to run for my phone, when I came face to face with the woman of my dreams standing right inside the front door, holding a large brown bag dotted with grease. Bo grinned when she saw me. "Hey beautiful."
I bit my bottom lip, blushing with excitement. I hesitated running after her, opting to take in the sight of her. It had been not even two weeks since I last saw her, but it was far too long. Bo was gorgeous standing before me in loose jeans, an old pink button down shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal the white v-neck underneath. Her hair was up in a ponytail, giving me perfect access to her neck. A neck I was about to kiss. I finally took a few steps towards her, setting down the half empty cup. "Hey yourself." I didn't bother to wait for her to put the bag down, grabbing her face, pulling in her for a kiss.
Bo responded, moving closer and crushing the bag between us, moaning delicately like she always did when I kissed her this hard. I smiled against her mouth, parting to look at her. "I've missed you, and don't even care how you got in my apartment without a key." The idle thought popped into my brain, questioning past a hyper libido to inquire how she got in. I didn't give her a key yet and my landlord lived over in Manhattan.
"Jen gave it to me this afternoon. Dropped it off at work when I called her last night." Bo stepped back, setting the brown paper bag on the counter by the kitchen. "We talked for a long time and I think things will be okay between her and I." She looked up at me, digging in her back pocket and pulling something out that she kept balled up in her palm. "I hope I didn't creep you out. You were still sleeping when I got here. I couldn't wait and made coffee while I went to get you something to eat."
I laughed, reaching for her. "You should have woken me up the minute you walked in. I've missed you so much, Bo." I smiled, wanting to wrap her in my arms and hold her. I looked at her, noticing that she seemed to be a little nervous. I took a step closer. "Is everything okay, Bo?" I now wondered if Jen had caused more problems.
Bo nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath, looking down at the hand curled up in a ball. "I've never been an impulsive person." She looked up at me, her eyes glassy with tears. "I can't believe I'm about to do this."
I felt my smile fade. "What did Jen do? What did she say to you? Was she a brat about giving you the key?"
Bo shook her head. "The exact opposite actually." Bo blew out a shaky breath and grabbed my left hand. "When I told her about everything, she was the one who pushed me to go back to my dad's and get a few things." She raised her balled up hand, shaking as she opened it to reveal a simple diamond ring that was wound in intricate twists and knotted around the diamond. "He gave me this to give to you, it was my moms engagement ring. He said that it needed to find a home on the finger of true, honest, love again. Both him and Jen said if I loved you as much as they can see it on my face, there's no point in waiting twenty dates." Bo picked up the ring and held it up, her big brown eyes meeting mine. She cleared her throat, "Will you marry me?"
I blinked a few times. Startled and shocked at the impromptu proposal and the look of utter fear in Bo's eyes. Fear that I was about to turn her down, her hand shaking more and more as each second passed.
She licked her lips. "I love you so much, I don't want to wait. I don't want to spend another second without you next to me. I don't want to go to bed without you next to me, and when you are out of town, I want to sneak away at work. Telling my coworkers that I need to call my beautiful wife and tell her how much I love her and miss her." Bo paused, swallowing hard as she went to lower her hand holding the ring.
I acted quickly, grabbing her hand and stilling her movements. I waited until her eyes met mine again. I grinned as tears filled my eyes, and rasped out, "Yes. I will marry you."
Bo's face exploded into a huge grin, a tear escaping as she grabbed my left hand and slid the ring on, sighing contently as it was a perfect fit. When it was on, she grabbed my face and kissed me gently. Parting after a few seconds to look in my eyes. "Before you show me how much you missed me." She gave me a smirk when I played dumb. "I can see it in your eyes, Lauren, you've been undressing me from the second I walked in that door."
I rolled my eyes and pulled her into my arms. "Maybe, but it's been almost two weeks. Phone calls and text messages don't do having you in my arms justice." I kissed her dimple, hearing her sigh.
She nodded. "I know, but my dad and Savannah will be here in an hour to celebrate our engagement." She smiled at me softly. "I may have texted them right as I walked in that I was going to ask you to marry me. Savannah wants to plan the wedding, saying something that I'm her only hope for a proper wedding where I can actually wear a white dress and not taint it."
I chuckled, kissing Bo and grabbing her hand to lead her towards the bedroom. "If she only knew the things we did in Sydney, and will do in the next forty five minutes." I looked over my shoulder at a blushing Bo. "What? I want to make love to my fiancee for the first time."
Bo sighed, squeezing my hand. "I'll tell my dad we will meet them at the restaurant." She cocked an eyebrow my way. "You and I both know forty five minutes is not enough time to properly welcome you home." She rushed past me, running her hand down my ass and giving it a firm squeeze, throwing me a mischievous smirk.
I shook my head, watching her unbutton and pull her jeans down to give me a view that no three million dollar apartment could ever replace. I then grinned when I caught the ring on my finger as I went to pull the bedroom door closed, idly adding the sight of the ring on my finger to the views I would never tire of.
