CHAPTER 11

Lauren had thankfully woken up partway through the night and, in a surprising moment of lucidity, made her way to the bathroom to down a couple aspirin and a big glass of water. Grabbing the same cocktail for her guest, she padded quietly over to the bed where Bo lay buried under her winter comforter, only her dark curls peeking out. Torn between wanting to let her rest undisturbed, and being the good doctor and preventing her from having a nasty hangover, she chose the latter.

"Bo, honey..." Lauren spoke softly, pulling back on the blanket covering Bo's head. "I need you to take some medicine for me."

"Mmmmmm," Bo grumbled, trying to pull the blanket back up.

"You only have to wake up for a second, come on now," Lauren tried again, pulling the covers down one more time and helping to pull Bo into a sitting position as best she could with a full glass of water and some pills in her hands.

"Ugh, what time is it?" Bo asked, her voice deep and raspy from sleep.

"It's late, but you need to take this or you'll feel worse in the morning."

"Mmm hmmm," came her response through the glass of water she was chugging down. Handing the glass back to Lauren, she flopped back down in bed and rolled on her side to face Lauren.

Lauren had just set Bo's empty glass on the side table when a warm hand grabbed hold of her arm and started to pull her gently closer to the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing, Bo?" Lauren asked a bit warily.

"Stop trying to take care of me," Bo replied, pulling a bit more forcefully on her arm, "and come back to bed before you fall over."

Tensing a bit and trying to pull back her arm from Bo's surprisingly firm grasp, Lauren only succeeded in throwing herself off balance - not a particularly hard thing to do given her current state - and found herself dropping unceremoniously onto the bed next to Bo. She didn't miss the glint of victory in Bo's eye.

Not feeling terribly comfortable perched on the edge of the bed next to Bo's pajama-clad form, Bo sensed her distress and scooted toward the middle of the bed to give Lauren a bit more space. Pulling back the covers beside Bo, Lauren shuffled around just a bit, trying to make herself comfortable before pulling the comforter back over herself. Lauren and Bo were now much closer to each other than they had been earlier in the night. She could feel the heat radiating off of Bo's body. Bo had decided to remain on her side facing Lauren, and her chest was practically pressed along Lauren's arm. How did Bo think she was going to be able to get any sleep with them lying in this position? But before Lauren could get too far down that rabbit hole, Bo surprised her yet again when her hand came up to Lauren's hair and began stroking her fingers softly through the golden locks. Lauren's eyes drifted closed on their own accord and she let out another sigh. "Mmmmm," Lauren hummed, loving the feeling of Bo's fingers in her hair.

"Shhhhh, go to sleep," Bo whispered, soothingly. It was like she understood the struggle Lauren was going through, wanting to be this close to Bo but also being afraid to do anything that might confuse or complicate their friendship even more. Allowing herself to just be in the moment, to not over-think it like she did everything else in her life, Lauren felt herself sink deeper into the bed as the muscles in her body finally relaxed and sleep claimed her once again.

Lauren could feel herself slowly waking up, her senses coming back to her one at a time. Though her eyes were closed, she could tell that the room was filled with sunlight by the warm red glow behind her eyelids. She felt wonderful and was pleasantly surprised to find that her midnight hangover remedy had truly done its job. As her mind slowly cleared from the fog of sleep, she became acutely aware of a hand, not belonging to herself, draped lightly across her abdomen and a warm body pressed snugly against her side. Her heart began to pound so hard that she was certain Bo would hear it and wake up. Lauren finally pried her eyes open to fully assess the situation. She definitely knew how they had gotten themselves into this position, but she had absolutely no clue how to get herself out of it without waking her sleeping, snoring, drooling friend in the process. As much as she hated to admit it, Lauren had, on many occasions, dreamt of the day when she would wake up to the site of this beautiful woman in her bed. But this wasn't how it was supposed to happen, and Lauren didn't want to put herself in such a vulnerable position so soon after their sort-of-talk last night.

Lauren continued to mull over their situation, her hand unconsciously finding its way to Bo's back where it stroked gently along its contours. Bo was in no way a brawny woman, but the physician in Lauren immediately noted the sinewy muscle under her hand and wondered idly if Bo worked out. As her hand moved lower down Bo's back, she almost groaned out loud when her fingertips brushed along the exposed skin just above the waistline of Bo's pajamas where her shirt had ridden up. She continued to run her hand along the warm, soft skin of Bo's back until she felt Bo take a deep breath in, followed by a long stream of moist air across the skin of her chest where Bo's head rested. Maybe a v-neck shirt was not the best idea after all. Or maybe it was the best idea... hard to say. Bo started to stretch a bit, the muscles of her back flexed under Lauren's hand and sent a shiver down her spine. The arm draped across Lauren's mid-section began to move, dragging along her abdomen and almost tickling her in the process. Lauren began to squirm a bit, drawing Bo's attention.

"Mmmm," Bo moaned in that raspy morning voice Lauren was coming to love. "How long have you been awake?" she asked, her hand continuing to rake across Lauren's abdomen as she looked up at Lauren with her beautiful, dark brown eyes. Lauren couldn't believe how close their faces were. Another inch and their lips would... no. Don't go there.

"Not long," Lauren smiled in response. "I was so comfortable, I couldn't convince myself to get up quite yet," she admitted softly, "and I didn't want to disturb you."

Lauren couldn't believe that they were still lying there, snuggled in each other's arms, in Lauren's bed. There was a difference between being close friends and being... well... whatever it was that they were.

Clearing her throat self-consciously, Lauren started to shift a bit, trying to indicate to Bo that she was ready to get up.

Sitting up to let Lauren out from under her, Bo's gaze followed Lauren intently as she shuffled to the edge of the bed where she lingered a moment until she had assured herself that she was, in fact, sans hang-over before attempting to stand up.

"Lauren," Bo said softly, running her hand along Lauren's back from where she sat behind her on the bed. "I... uh..."

"Thank you," Lauren interrupted, cutting Bo off before she could make some excuse about last night - it was a mistake, she had too much to drink and she hadn't meant to say what she did, etc. Lauren wanted to remember those moments untainted, ringing with a sincerity that she knew had existed, rather than a guilt-induced lie about it being the product of some drunken rambling.

Bo's hand stilled on her back. "You're welcome."

"Well!" Lauren exclaimed, slapping the palms of her hands on her legs and pushing herself up and off the bed. "I think some breakfast is in order," she said with a smile, trying to avoid looking directly at Bo. "How about I make us some eggs and toast while you hop in the shower?"

Bo dropped her head down with a chuckle, looking relieved to move past the tense moment. "That sounds amazing," she looked back up at Lauren, eyes sparkling.

"I'll, uh... I'll call the girls to see if they can bring by some clothes for you. I don't think you'll have time to head home before bowling and I don't really have any pants that will fit you. Extra towels are under the sink."

Bo shuffled off the bed and headed toward the bathroom, glancing back only briefly before closing the door behind her.

Whoa, Lauren thought, shaking her head a bit and staring up at the ceiling. This is going to be one interesting day.

Lauren quickly placed a phone call to Angie, asking her for some extra clothes for Bo while stealthily avoiding giving her any details on the events of the previous night. Angie promised Emma would be by with the clothes in the next 10 minutes and that she would bring the car by her apartment in about an hour to pick them up for their afternoon outing. After hanging up with Angie, she made her way down to the kitchen, flipping on the television on her way through the living room so she could catch the weekend weather report while she cooked.

She was in the middle of dishing out the freshly scrambled eggs onto matching white plates when she heard a harsh knock from her front door, followed by the distinct voice of her good friend telling her to 'hurry her ass up and answer the door already'. Giving a little chuckle, Lauren quickly placed the pan of eggs back onto the stovetop, trying to get to the door as quickly as possible before Emma drew anymore unwanted attention from her neighbors. She was just making her way through the living room when Bo descended the stairs, effectively intercepting Lauren's trajectory.

"I'll get it, Lauren", Bo said over her shoulder as she reached for the door handle.

"No, Bo, I've..." Too late. It was like it was all happening in slow motion; Bo yanked the door open, dressed in nothing but a white bath towel that - and not that Lauren was complaining or anything - barely covered her... umm... 'assets'. Emma did her best to hide her surprise, but the rapid blinking and the stuttered "Uh, h-h-hi, Bo," was a dead giveaway that this was not at all what she was expecting.

Lauren couldn't take it and, like any self-respecting individual would do in a similar situation, buried her head in her hands and begged for death to come swiftly. Peering out between the fingers covering her eyes, Lauren saw Bo reach out to take the bag of clothes from Emma while Emma stood like an idiot in the doorway, one hand jammed so far into her pants pocket it was remarkable that her pants stayed on. After the compulsory thank-yous and you're-welcomes, Emma practically bolted down the hallway, shouting as she went that they would be by shortly with the car.

As Bo closed the apartment door, Lauren was finally able to pry her hands away from her face. Bo, seemingly oblivious to what had just transpired, sauntered back up the stairs to try on her new outfit.

The next time Bo came down the stairs, she was fully dressed - not necessarily in her own clothes, but at least in clothes. Lauren's gaze followed Bo as she descended the final few steps, admiring how well her borrowed clothes fit her. The dark blue jeans were a tad long, but still incredibly flattering on her. And though it would likely not have been something Bo would have in her own wardrobe, the soft cotton baseball T looked... well... adorable, for lack of a better word. Lauren couldn't help but smile as she imagined Bo as a 20-year-old college student.

Bo sauntered over to the kitchen, leaning forward on the counter where Lauren had left their plates of food, hot and ready to eat. "Breakfast looks amazing, thank you," Bo said sincerely, mirroring the warm smile that Lauren still had plastered to her face.

"It was nothing," Lauren offered back, modestly.

"Is there something wrong with the outfit? Should I look for something else to wear?" Bo asked suddenly with a frown, looking down at her clothes and pulling at the fabric of her shirt in a self-conscious gesture.

"God, no!" Lauren said a bit loudly, reaching out to pull Bo's hand away. She hadn't realized she was staring. "You look great," she amended shyly. Lauren released Bo's hand and grabbed both of their plates, leading Bo over to the table so they could eat. "What would you like to drink? Orange juice, water, coffee...?"

"Coffee, please," Bo responded emphatically. "I need some liquid energy for whatever Tom has in store for us today."

"You and me, both," Lauren chuckled. She grabbed two large mugs of coffee and returned to the table.

The two women ate breakfast in relative silence, the sound of the television keeping the whole affair from being awkwardly quiet. As they both sat, sipping at their coffee, it occurred to Lauren that Tom had planned to drive Bo and Kenzi to the bowling alley today, which wasn't going to work out well in light of the fact that Bo was now at Lauren's place.

"Ugh, Kenzi!" Bo exclaimed suddenly, as if reading Lauren's mind.

"No worries," Lauren assured her, having already come up with a suitable solution. "We can get all five of us in Angie's car. Kenzi is the size of a small child," Lauren remarked, earning her a smile from Bo, "and you're not that much bigger, so we'll be just fine."

"All right, I'll call Tom and let him know the change of plans before he shows up to an empty apartment." With that decided, Bo got up from the table, grabbing both of their dirty dishes and taking them over to the sink to rinse them off before placing them in the dishwasher. Lauren was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable Bo was in her home. Getting up from the table herself, she walked over to Bo who was in the middle of arranging the dishes in the dishwasher. There was never a single moment since meeting Bo when she didn't feel the constant desire - ache, in fact - to be near her; to see her, talk to her, touch her. Unable to stop herself, Lauren placed a hand gently on Bo's back, causing a slight hitch in Bo's movements.

"You're a guest, Bo, you don't have to do that," Lauren said quietly.

Bo looked briefly up at Lauren with a soft smile before returning to the task at hand.

Lauren just shook her head, letting her hand drop back to her side. She might have lost that battle, but she could hardly muster the energy to care because the warm fuzzy feeling she had when she watched Bo putter around her kitchen made Lauren feel that if anyone had won anything, it was her.

"I should go hop in the shower myself," Lauren said, running a hand through the tangles in her long blond hair. "Make yourself at home," she added somewhat redundantly, as she was certain Bo already felt at home.

Lauren came traipsing down the stairs 20 minutes later, showered and dressed - as a time saver, she had left her hair straight today instead of in its usual gentle curls, and had dressed in her favorite pair of light blue jeans and a long-sleeve v-neck shirt. As if on cue, her cell phone vibrated against her butt cheek. Pulling it out of her pants pocket, she saw the message from Emma letting her know they were out front of the building waiting for them.

"Hey Bo," Lauren called over to her. Bo had found her way to the couch and was currently enjoying some Saturday morning cartoons while finishing off another cup of coffee.

"Mmmm, yeah?" she called back, sounding surprisingly engrossed in whatever she was watching.

"The girls are out front."

"On it." With that, Bo flipped off the television, quickly returned to the kitchen to place her mug in the dishwasher, and joined Lauren by the front door where Lauren stood holding out Bo's jacket for her.

"My my, aren't we quite the gentlewoman," Bo teased, turning around to allow Lauren to help her into her coat.

"What can I say, my momma done trained me well," Lauren drawled in a fake southern accent. Bo laughed lightly, bringing a smile to Lauren's face.

"That she did," Bo agreed as they left the apartment.

Emma and Angie waved at the girls as they approached the car. It was never hard to spot their vehicle since it was a disgustingly cheerful sunshine yellow color. Angie had acquired the small four-door from her dad a few years back when his cataracts prevented him from being able to drive, and the girls were willing to look past the conspicuous color because they were just so thankful to have a car - which Lauren was, by proxy, also grateful for. After settling themselves in the back seat and had completed the initial round of greetings, they were on their way. Bo had called Thomas while Lauren was getting dressed to let him know the new carpool arrangements, so for the first part of the trip, she was busy giving Angie directions to Kenzi's place. Lauren was content just to sit back and gaze out the window. They were definitely heading to a part of town she wasn't familiar with and, to be honest, she wasn't sure she wanted to be familiar with. 'What is the story with this girl?' Lauren wondered to herself as she looked around the neighborhood. Bo continued to provide instructions as Angie carefully made her way through street after street of run-down houses, dogs barking from behind chain-link fences, cars parked on what was left of front lawns. After a couple more turns, they pulled up in front of a two-story house that, thankfully, looked a little less sketchy than most of the other houses they had passed. Angie honked the horn twice and out ran Kenzi in her usual state of dress - hair in ponytails, and sporting 3-inch above-the-knee black leather boots. It wasn't exactly what Lauren envisioned when she heard the word 'bowling'... but hey, what did she know? Maybe that's standard bowling attire now. She had been out of the game for a while.

As Kenzi approached, Bo scooted herself over to the middle of the back seat to make room for the extra passenger. Lauren was a bit surprised when Bo closed the gap completely between them, leaving their sides pressed tightly against one another's. Kenzi was a tiny person and Bo and Lauren hardly took up much space themselves. It wasn't really necessary to make that much room, and based on the look she was getting from Angie who was watching them in the rearview mirror with a raised eyebrow, she didn't think so either. But her discomfort was soon interrupted by Kenzi's appearance in the vehicle.

"What's up, docs?" Kenzi greeted, cheerfully. After a quick set of introductions, they set out for their final destination. The final 10 minutes of their car ride was filled with lively discussion from all five of the women. Though Kenzi should have, on all accounts, been the odd-man out of the group, she had such an easy-going, infectious personality and her quick wit and quirky sayings had everyone laughing. Lauren was having a wonderful time and the real event hadn't even started yet. Before she knew it, Angie was pulling the car into the parking lot of Wagner's Lanes.