The amount of time had that whizzed by was unknown when Bailey woke up. It may have been in the early hours of the morning. Bailey fluttered open her eyes and took in her surroundings. She realized that she was not in her bedroom but rather in Cody's bedroom in his condo. She looked back behind herself and saw Cody asleep. She then peaked underneath the sheets and was assured that she had indeed given her whole self to Cody the previous night. Bailey then spotted one of Cody's lean arms slung over her body over the sheets. She could feel his calm breath blow onto her neck and could hear the pitter patter of rain outside of the bedroom window. Bailey stayed where she was and took everything in. A few nagging questions of self-doubt and possible regret kicked into her brain. She wondered if she did things right and if she was good enough for Cody. Would he not want to associate with her after what had occurred between the two of them? Would things be difficult and awkward for them back at the office? How would Cody view Bailey after their night of passion and lust? Would he think less of her? There were so many questions buzzing around in Bailey's head that she didn't know where to begin answering them. Bailey had at least two minutes to think to herself before Cody stirred and opened his eyes to see Bailey snuggly encased in his embrace. He happily dug his face into Bailey's soft neck and smooth hair.

"Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?"

Bailey was frozen. She was befuddled. She wasn't expecting such a….positive response. She searched her brain for a moment and then gave Cody an answer that she hoped would satisfy him.

"Good morning, Cody. I slept just fine. What about you?"

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. I slept great because I had you to cuddle with."

Bailey swallowed something down her throat. She didn't know what but she didn't care. It may have been her own spit that went down her throat but she just needed to go through with the action to calm her nerves. She turned her body around to face Cody.

"You mean, you have no regrets of last night?"

"No. Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Well, sometimes people change their minds even after the fact that they may have claimed to not regret anything the previous before because they were caught in the heat of the moment."

"I don't regret a single thing. I'm glad that I made it with you. Did you change your mind about how you feel? Do you regret anything?"

"No. I was just worried about what you may have thought about me."

"Bailey, that's my job as the man to worry about that sort of thing. You shouldn't worry about a thing. Now, do you want something to eat? Do you feel hungry at all?"

"I guess eating a little food couldn't hurt. How about some fruit?"

"Great. I'll get us a small plate of fruit to share."

"You mean, I just wait here in bed?"

"That's right. I'll get us some food."

"But why?"

"You're my guest, Bailey, and I'm the host."

Cody kisses Bailey on the forehead and then slips out of bed. He searches for his boxers and puts them on just to cover himself up and to keep his groin area warm. He walks out of the bedroom and journeys down to the kitchen. As Cody gets a small plate of fruit for Bailey and himself, Bailey sits up in bed and keeps the sheets up to cover herself. She looks around the room and can only find a few clothing items on the floor. Other articles of clothing were discarded out in the living room while some others hung from odd places in the bedroom. Bailey tried to find her bra but she had trouble spotting it. Just then, she saw it hang from the ceiling fan. Before Bailey could attempt to leave the bed to retrieve her bra, Cody walked back into the bedroom and got back into bed with Bailey. He carefully laid the plate of fruit on the bed and picked up a grape and popped it into his mouth. Bailey looked over at Cody.

"Go ahead, Bailey. Help yourself. I can always get more fruit if you like."

"No. This is fine. Thank you though."

Bailey delicately plucked a grape from the plate and popped it into her mouth. Cody grinned at Bailey and ate a piece of sliced apple. Bailey ate two more grapes as he bit into the slice of apple. When Cody had finished his apple slice and then popped a grape in his mouth and swallowed his food. Afterwards, he leaned over and kissed Bailey on the cheek. She was holding an apple slice and in mid-bite when he kissed her on the cheek. She just had to stop what she was doing and turned towards Cody.

"What was that for?"

"Simply because I love you."

"How can you say that with such ease?"

"Because it's true. I wasn't lying when I told you that I have had a happy life with you in my head. I want to have a happy life with you for real. I need to breathe the same air that you do."

"Maybe you're living in a fantasy."

"No, I'm not. I know this for a fact. You may not know this, Bailey, but you probably don't realize how much faster and easier to get to know a person within a matter of six months. I have learned all that I have learned about you from the night that we met to when we work together in the office to the times that we have spent together outside of the office which would include when we have coffee together, had two dinners together, did a little shopping and went to a museum. I know your flaws and your good qualities and yet I crave to know more about you. I embrace all that is you, Bailey. How can you not see that I am right in the head now as I tell you that I love you?"

"Cody, how can you be so sure?"

"My heart tells me that you're the one for me. Don't you listen to your heart sometimes?"

"Not as much I would like to."

"Well, follow your heart. It won't steer you wrong."

Bailey thought for a moment and then realized that Cody was right. She paused, put the slice of apple down on the plate and then hugged Cody. Consequently, the sheets dropped and her chest was exposed but Bailey could care less. Cody held her close and took in her scent. She smelled lovely to him. He gently caressed her naked upper back and rubbed her shoulders blades slowly. In such a tender moment, bare chest was press against bare chest. Cody could feel Bailey's curvaceous chest press against his firm one. After a minute or two, Cody and Bailey drew back. They stared into each other's eyes and then something came to Bailey. She gave Cody a glowing smile, the kind of smile that a woman would give her lover that she was highly pleased with the previous night's amorous activities. Bailey brought her hands to either side of Cody's face and cupped his cheeks into the palms of her hands.

"I love you too, Cody."

Cody smiled but it didn't last long as it was soon covered up by a pair of sweet, moist lips that belonged to a very eager and satisfied Bailey Marie Pickett. Cody leaned into the kiss and Bailey went into the kiss so far that she toppled over Cody and disturbed the fruit plate. A few grapes rolled off the plate but the others stayed on. Bailey didn't bother to cover herself up because she was busy kissing Cody. The bed covers only covered her rear end and her breasts were pressed against Cody's chest. Cody moved his hands down Bailey's back and glided them over the bed covers. He took them off her body and lightly squeezed her butt. Bailey leaned into the kiss enough more so and took off Cody's boxers and flung them to the ground. Cody pushed his tongue out of his mouth and Bailey happily invited his tongue into her mouth by opening it up. Cody accepted the invitation with gusto and allowed his tongue to explore Bailey's sweet mouth. They stayed in the same position just holding and kissing each for quite a while. When they needed air, only then did Cody and Bailey break away from the delectable kiss. They stared at each other with loving eyes as they drew in quick breathes. Cody was the first to ketch his breath.

"Bailey?"

"Yes, Cody?"

"Will you promise to be my side and never ever leave me?"

"I promise. Will you promise me to never ever leave me either?"

"I promise to never leave your side."

"Perfect. With that agreed upon, what do you want to do next?"

"I think that we should get out of bed and stretch out our bodies. We need to get the blood flowing back into certain body parts again and move around a bit."

"That sounds good."

Bailey pecks Cody on the lips and then gets off of him. She sits up and subconsciously folds her arms over her breasts as to keep them warm. Cody gets off the bed and goes his dresser to find a fresh pair of boxers. Once he finds a pair, he slips them on and then turns back to Bailey.

"Aren't you going to cover up?"

"I would if I could but I can't seem to find where my underwear has landed and I need help reaching my bra."

Cody raises an eyebrow at Bailey and then looks up at the ceiling. On one of the blades does Cody spot Bailey's black bra hanging by a strap. He steps up on the bed and reaches for it. He drops it down to Bailey and she takes it. He jumps off the bed and looks for her black underwear as she is busy putting on her bra. Within a minute, Cody found Bailey's underwear underneath the bed. He hands the delicate article of clothing to Bailey. She gladly takes it from him. Cody smiles as he sees Bailey put on the piece of clothing.

"I'll be back soon. I just need to fetch the rest of our clothes from the living room to here. Don't go anywhere, please."

Bailey rolled her eyes at Cody as she slipped on her black underwear. Cody left the bedroom. Bailey laid down on the bed and took a few long breathes. After two minutes, Cody returned to the bedroom with Bailey's skirt and shirt and his shirt. He had laid down the pieces of clothing of the bed and picked up his shirt. He hands it to Bailey and she takes it with confusion written across her face. She sits up again.

"What's this for?"

"Put it on. I'd figure that we could stretch out our bodies out in the living room."

"But why are you giving me your shirt?"

"Are you not my lover?"

"I suppose that I am."

"Then what's wrong with you wearing my clothing?"

"I guess that it shouldn't matter."

"Good then."

"But what about you?"

"I'll just throw on a plain white T."

Bailey doesn't say anything. She watches Cody walk over to his dresser and pulls out a plain t-shirt. She looks at his white button up shirt that he took off while caught in the moment of passion and then decided to slip the shirt on. She ran her slender arms through the sleeves and then rolled them up to her elbows. Bailey proceeded with buttoning up the shirt but only got the chance to button up the shirt halfway up until she was interrupted by Cody scooping her up into his arms. Bailey had let out a small yelp as Cody picked her up from the bed. He carries her down the hall and out to the living room. He then walks to a part of the room that Bailey didn't get a chance to explore and lays her down on a black, glossy bench that goes with a piano. Bailey sits up and looks at the magnificent instrument.

"I didn't know that you had a piano. Do you play much?"

"I usually play when I feel lonely or it's raining which means I play quite frequently."

"How good are you?"

"I don't know. I never pay attention what I'm doing. I just try to drown out the silence with music."

"Do you plan to share your gift with me? Is that why you brought me here?"

"Maybe. Do you want me to teach you a few keys? Would you like to learn a song?"

"That would be great."

Cody smiles at Bailey and then sits down next to her. He plays a few keys and tells Bailey to mimic him. She mimics him and she does well. Cody then points to a key and Bailey presses a finger on it. He continues to point at keys for Bailey to play and she follows his instructions well. As time goes by, Cody soon has Bailey remembering a few short patterns and she puts her work into a short song. Cody kisses Bailey on the cheek as a reward.

"Good job. You're a fast learner."

"Thanks."

"Now. I'll teach you a really easy song. We'll have fun playing it together."

"Sure. What do I have to do?"

"Sit on my lap."

"What?"

"Come on. Hop to it. I'm going to guide your hands to play a song and the easiest way for me to do that is if I am behind you."

"Okay."

Bailey moves from her spot and sits on Cody's lap. She moves around in his lap to make herself comfortable. Once she's settled down, Cody holds her hands to the keys of the piano. He rests his chin on her right shoulder and helps her to learn a song on the piano. As they play, a scent of Country Linen candles still linger in the atmosphere. After they are done playing the song, Cody and Bailey both crack a smile and laugh. Their laughter drowned out the sound of the rain from outside even if for just a brief moment. They settle down and Cody kisses Bailey on the neck. Bailey straightens out her back and presses it against Cody's chest. She lifts her head and smells the scent that had pleased her nose the previous day when she came in to spend time with Cody.

"You know something, Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to tell you how I love the smell of the air. It smells like Spring. What is it?"

"It's Country Linen candles."

Bailey searched her brain and something clicked. She turned to Cody.

"What?"

"I lied to you. I didn't purchase a Sun and Sand candle nor did I buy a Fruit Smoothie candle. I bought two Country Linen candles to surprise you. After all, you did say that the smell reminded you of home. I thought that you might have appreciated the gesture."

Bailey was speechless. Cody began to kiss her neck again. As Cody's lips were busy making love with her neck, Bailey was busy thinking of how sweet Cody was to think of her and do something so nice yet so small for her. She could feel his love for her grow as he wrapped his lean arms around her slender waist.

"Cody."

"Hmm?" Cody pulled away to speak. "Yes, darling?"

"I just can't believe that you did that for me."

"It's no big deal. It's just a small, nice thing to do for the person that you love."

Cody went back to tasting Bailey's neck.

"But still…that was really sweet of you, Cody."

Cody began to lick Bailey's neck and slid his hands under his shirt that Bailey was wearing and caressed her firm stomach. Bailey ignored what Cody was doing to her and only focused on what he did for her.

"I mean, you have been so patient with me and all you want to do is make me happy and love me."

"Hmm…"

"Cody?"

Cody pulls away from Bailey's neck and draws his hands away from her stomach and puts them back on her waist.

"Yes, Bailey?"

"Why did you wait to get me where you wanted me to be? You could have waited a month and tackled me without any regards to any consequences that could have happened afterwards."

"I wasn't looking for a lust filled one night stand. I was looking for a night of passion that would eventually lead to something much more meaningful and lasting. I wanted you and I only wanted to be with you. There have been times over the years where women have tried to hook up with me but I would always politely decline their offers because I wanted to save myself for you. And even if it means waiting for more time until we're ready to permanently stay together."

"You mean like pursuing a relationship, getting engaged, getting married and having kids?"

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No. It's just that…I think it would be a waste of time to wait even longer for those things to happen. If we're ready to be together then we should just be together forever."

"Just on the air of caution, I was only offering to you that we take our time to make sure that we want to be together in a committed relationship."

"I guess I can wait if you can wait."

"Perfect."

Cody kisses Bailey on the cheek and she smiles brightly.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"I was thinking that we could have something to drink."

"That sounds nice. What did you have in mind? Milk? Juice? Tea?"

"How about Mimosas? It's champagne and orange juice. It's perfectly acceptable to have that sort of drink in the morning. Plus, I suggest that we have it because I just have enough orange juice and just enough champagne to fill half of our glasses. There' only enough for both of us to have a little bit of orange juice and champagne."

"Okay. You know, I've never had a Mimosa."

"I'm sure that you'll like it. You never had a Gin and Tonic but you liked that."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Great. Now do you want me to bring over the Mimosas or do you want to come with me?"

"I don't care as long as I can drink with you."

"I'll bring you with me."

Bailey hops off Cody's lap and stands up. Cody gets up and laces his fingers with Bailey. They walk together to the kitchen. Cody lifts Bailey up and sits her down on the counter. He gets out two champagne flutes and gives them to Bailey.

"Please, hold these."

"Sure."

Bailey holds the flutes in her hands. Cody takes out some orange juice and goes to the mini bar and gets out the champagne. Bailey took Cody's actions as the cue to set down the flutes on the counter. He poured the champagne in the flutes and then poured in some orange juice. He had then put away the champagne and orange juice. He then turned back to Bailey and took a flute and handed it to her. Once Bailey had a champagne flute in her right hand, Cody took the other flute in his right hand. Bailey took a tentative sip of the drink and then licked her lips.

"It's good."

"I know."

Cody happily took a quick swig of his Mimosa. Bailey drank some more of her Mimosa. They looked at each as they drank their drinks. When they had enough to drink for the time being, they lowered their flutes and stared at each other.

"What happens now?"

"Do you want to relax on the couch or just stay here?"

"Well, if we were on the couch then we could sit close together."

"I'm guessing that you're voting for being on the couch."

Bailey just shrugs and takes another quick sip of her Mimosa.

"You could say that."

"Come on then. I'm sure we would be more comfortable on the couch."

Bailey sets down her flute for a moment and slides off the counter. She grabs her flute and loops her left arm around Cody's right arm. They walk together to the couch in the living room. Cody and Bailey set their flutes down on the coffee table and sit down on the couch. Cody sits in the middle and Bailey sits on the side that is farthest from the door. She leans and retrieves her flute from the coffee table. She then slings her slender legs over Cody's lap. He leans over her legs and lifts his flute. He takes a sip of his Mimosa and keeps his free hand placed on one of Bailey's knees. Bailey sips her drink as well and can feel Cody caress her bare knee. The two of them drink their drinks in peace for quite a while until they are almost completely done. With just an inch of liquid left in their flutes, Cody and Bailey set the glasses down on the coffee table. Cody looks over at Bailey and gives her a playful smile. He pulls himself up to Bailey and lays on top of her body. He begins to kiss her and takes possession of the sides of her thighs and runs his hands up her bare skin. Bailey clutches onto Cody's plain white t-shirt by grabbing onto two fistfuls of cotton material. Cody moves his body up so it is more aligned with Bailey's. Cody pulled his lips away from Bailey.

"Cody…"

"Shh…Bailey."

Cody moved his hands up from Bailey's thighs to her chest. He unbuttoned his shirt to expose Bailey's bra. He planted soft, light kisses in between her breasts. He would also nibble, bite and lick her skin. Bailey leaned her head back on the arm of the couch and allowed Cody to taste her body. Just before things could get any more intense, a knock at the door interrupted Cody and Bailey's moment. They stopped what they were doing and lifted their heads to stare at the door. They sat up and waited. Another knock came. Cody cleared his throat.

"Who is it?"

"It's Zack, Cody. I was wondering if it was okay if we spent the day together. We haven't been connecting well like twin brothers should."

"Go away, Zack."

"Cody, please let me in."

"No."

"Look, Cody, I'm sorry. Just let me in."

"Hold on."

Cody turns to Bailey.

"I'm sorry, Bailey. Zack is pretty persistent. Would you mind that you stay in the bedroom so he doesn't see you like this?"

"Couldn't I just borrow some of your clothes? I want to confront Zack and set things straight with him. He needs to know where you and I stand together."

"Are you sure that you want to confront him?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Well, go back into the bedroom and put some clothes on. I'll meet you later."

"Okay."

Bailey gets up from the couch and goes back to the bedroom. Cody stands up and walks over to the door.

"Zack, are you still there?"

"Yeah…"

"Hold on for a little longer. I need to tidy up the place a little bit."

"Fine. You just have to be clean."

"Well, it's better to be clean and organized than messy and lazy."

"That's what you think….Just get ready."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Cody walks back to the couch and picks up the champagne flutes and puts them away in the sink. He then goes back to the bedroom and finds Bailey putting on a pair of his pants. They are skinny jeans so that it won't be that noticeable that she's wearing a pair of a man's pants. She exchanges his shirt for her shirt from the night before. Cody examines Bailey and thinks that she looks younger with the skinny jeans on her. To him, she looks like a teenager. Cody walks over to his dresser and pulls out a pair of loose fitting classic jeans and pulls them through his legs and up to his waistline. He buttons and zips them up and then finds a brown leather belt to loop through the jeans. Bailey looks through Cody's closet and borrows a pair of slip-on black vans and finds some socks to make the vans fit better on her feet. Cody searches the closet and finds two sweaters: one for Bailey and one for him. He slips on a gray, v-neck sweater and hands Bailey his favorite green sweater.

"What's the sweater for?"

"I'd figure that it might be a little chilly out today."

"Is there a reason why you're giving me this sweater?"

"It' my favorite green sweater and my favorite color is green so I thought that it would be fitting to give it to you. You are my girlfriend, aren't you?"

"I suppose that I am but why would you give me your favorite green sweater?"

"I decided to give it to my favorite girl to make sure that you know what you mean to me and I want to make sure that you stay warm."

Bailey's face warms with embarrassment and love. She stutters a little bit so.

"Th-thank you, Cody."

Cody leans in and kisses Bailey on the forehead. "You're welcome."

He then turns back to the closet to find some socks and a pair of shoes. He finds some white socks with gray on the tip on the heel and toes. He then puts on classic black low-top converse. When he is done, Cody looks over at Bailey. His green sweater looks a little big on her but nonetheless looks good on her. He thinks that she looks precious in his sweater. He realized at that moment that Bailey wasn't just his assistant that he had a love affair with but she was also his sweetheart, his lover, his life partner. Cody was happy with the prospect of Bailey being his life partner. He approaches Bailey and hugged her. She was confused but then hugged him back. Cody pulled back from her after a minute.

"Is there anything else we need to take care of before we see Zack?"

"Actually, maybe we could bother to straighten out our hair."

"You're right, Bailey. We can make a quick stop to the bathroom. I have a brush that you can borrow and I'll just use my comb that I have."

Cody takes Bailey's hand and guides her to the bathroom. He takes out a brush and gives it to her. As she brushes her hair, she looks over at Cody who has a comb run through his golden locks.

"Cody, why do you have both a comb and brush?"

"I just need the comb to straighten out my hair because I have a sensitive scalp. I have a brush because I have had my mother come over to visit me when I first got this place and I figured that it would save her the trouble of searching for a brush when she would come over in case she forgot to bring her own brush. Plus, it never hurts to be prepared for anything that might happen to you in life."

"I guess you're right."

After a short while, Cody puts down his comb and looks over at Bailey who has just recently put down the brush onto the counter. She looks at him with a glowing face.

"Are you ready to see Zack?"

"Yes."

"Great. Just let me find my cell phone, wallet and keys and we can be on our way, Bails."

"Bails?"

"Oh, sorry. That must have slipped out. It was a nickname that I developed for you when I was living with you in my mind. It's like a pet name. Do you not like it? Because I don't have to say it if you're not comfortable with me using it."

"No. It's okay. I like it."

"That's great. I'll just be a minute."

"Okay."

Cody went to back to the bedroom to kind his keys, wallet and cell phone. Bailey followed behind Cody in case he would need help. While Cody was busy searching for his keys, wallet and cell phone, Bailey did some tidying up herself. First, she picked up and folded her skirt and placed it on the bed. Then she took the plate of fruit off the bed and threw away the food in the trash can and placed the plate in the sink which added to the total of four items in the sink. She then went out to the living room and picked up her high heels, Cody's shoes and his belt. Bailey brought the rest of the clothing articles and laid them nicely down on the bed. And in the process of sorting out clothing items, she found her own cell phone and keys. When Cody found his keys, wallet and cell phone, Bailey was ready to go. Cody smiled at Bailey, laced his fingers with his and led them out of the bedroom and into the living room where they would come to the door. Cody opened the door and revealed a perturbed Zack. He didn't even notice Bailey on Cody's side not until later.

"Cody, what the fuck?! What took you so long?"

Cody sighed at Zack and rolled his eyes at him. Zack was about to have another fit in front of his brother but stopped himself when he noticed that something was different about the atmosphere. Zack looked toward Cody's right and saw Bailey. To say the least, Zack was shocked to see her.

"Bailey?! What are you doing here?"

"I'm with your brother, Zack. Don't you know anything? I'm his girlfriend so deal with it."

Zack's mouth hung open.

"Huh?"

"Zack, how hard is it for you to comprehend what Bailey just said? We're a couple now. You act like you weren't expecting this. Is the world going to end for you now since we're holding hands?"

"Uh…..Drff. Buh, buh, buh…..What?!"

"Speak English, Zachary Martin! Bailey and I don't have all day waiting for you to stop speaking gibberish."

"What's going on?!"

"Bailey and I are dating. Period. End of story."

"But why?"

"Why not?"

"Why?"

"Zack, please stop wasting mine and Cody's time. We want to go out so unless you have something to say, you may as well say it now."

"Oh, right! Cody, would you…..and Bailey go bowling or to the movies with me? This is kind of awkward to ask you since I wasn't expecting to see Bailey today."

"That's okay, Zack. I wasn't expecting to be here either but here I am and here you are too."

"Right….So, Cody, what do you guys say?"

"I don't know. Bailey, what do you say?"

"Well, these plans seem so sudden but I would like to go bowling. Would it be okay with you, Cody?"

"Sure."

Cody turns back to Zack. "I guess we'll go bowling with you."

"Okay then. Do you two want to eat first?"

"What time is it?"

"It's eleven thirty."

"I guess we could wait to have lunch later."

"Great."

"But seriously, Zack, why would you be surprised to see me and Bailey together? I thought that you thought that we were already together."

"No. I thought that you two were…well together but not in a romantic way nor in a committed way. I thought that it was a lust thing."

"Well, it wasn't! You should think better of us, Zack. I don't care if you thought that I had issues with my sexual appetite but you should never accuse Bailey of having a lustful nature. I don't care if you accuse me of anything because we're brother but never taint Bailey's name as a woman and as a member of the Pickett family."

"Okay, okay…I'm sorry. It's just that before Bailey came around, you were tightly wound up and needed to get some….badly."

"Well, you won't to worry about that anymore, Zack."

"I can see that. Are we going to go now?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hold onto your horses."

Cody led Bailey out of his condo and locked the door. She stayed close to him as he locked up his place. Zack stayed back away from Cody and Bailey. When Cody was done locking up his place, he and Bailey turned back to Zack.

"Okay, we're ready."

"Fabulous. Now let's go."

Zack walks up to the elevator door and presses the down button. Within a few minutes, the elevator comes up and the doors open. Zack goes in first and then Cody lets Bailey go ahead of him. She thanks him and he trails behind her. Zack rolls his eyes in disgust as he knew that he would barely be able to survive if Cody and Bailey continued to act all lovey dovey around him.

To Be Continued…