Hi guys! I've had this chapter done for a while, but wasn't really happy with it, so I decided to wait a bit. Plus, as some of you know, I am a freelancer and over the last weeks had to plough through an enormous mountain of work. You'll be happy to hear though, that in spite of that, I've been writing a lot lately, so more content should follow soon(ish). As always, reviews are very much loved and appreciated. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
A few hours before the alarm would go off, Bo woke up because she had to pee. Carefully untangling herself from Lauren, she went to the bathroom. When she returned, the blonde had rolled on her back, exposing her breasts, belly and one leg. Suddenly, Bo was wide awake … and just a tiny bit horny. During dinner, they had discussed how they felt about being woken up with sex, and both liked the idea. This was the perfect opportunity. She had a bit of a bad conscience because they'd be so tired at work tomorrow, but … well, priorities and stuff.
Climbing back on the bed, she removed the blanket – carefully to not wake the blonde too soon. For a while, she just sat there, admiring her lover in the pale moonlight that was creeping in underneath the closed blinds. She looked peaceful and so very beautiful. Bo smiled at herself, once again astonished at how taken she was with Lauren. Her hair was spread out over the pillow they'd shared sleeping entangled in each other; one strand had fallen out of place and was resting on Lauren's face, covering parts of her slightly open mouth. Each exhaling breath moved it a little, seemingly tickling her lips, as they were twitching and a frown was beginning to show on Lauren's forehead. Ever so gently, Bo pushed the hair away, and immediately, Lauren's facial features relaxed. "God, you're beautiful", she whispered to the sleeping blonde, lightly running her fingers over her skin.
Lauren's eyes were shifting underneath closed eyelids. Maybe she was dreaming … Her chest was calmly moving up and down with quiet breaths. Bo's heart ached from watching the flawless beauty in front of her. Her feelings were all over the place – tears were welling up in her eyes, and she shook her head to snap herself out of it. She was still in awe about the fact that the blonde had given herself to Bo so completely. It didn't matter to her that she hadn't uttered the three magic words, because she knew in her heart that Lauren loved her, too. She knew from the way she looked at her. She couldn't explain it, she just … knew.
Lying down next to her, Bo ran her lips along Lauren's arms and moved her left hand to touch her breast. Moaning at the sensation of immaculate softness, she shifted her body to take the blonde's nipple into her mouth. Lauren's breathing intensified, but she didn't wake up. "Mmh …", she hummed instead, when Bo circled her left nipple with her finger while gently sucking on the other one. It suddenly occurred to Bo that while Lauren kept telling her how much she loved the brunette's breasts, she hadn't yet returned the favour. She knew Lauren didn't necessarily need this kind of feedback, but Bo made a promise to herself to verbally praise the blonde's soft mounds a lot more in the future. They were perfect in every way, just like the rest of her heavenly body.
Breathing in deeply while giving Lauren's nipple a last lick, Bo moved further down, raining small kisses all over her stomach. As if she knew what was coming, Lauren spread her legs and lifted her hips, moaning softly. Checking her lover's face, Bo saw that the blonde was still sound asleep. "You are dreaming, aren't you?", she whispered with a smile. "Well, I hope I can live up to it." Positioning herself between Lauren's legs, she closed her eyes, inhaling once again. The blonde smelled of sex, and it turned Bo on beyond belief. Her pussy was wet and waiting, so the brunette wasted no time. Spreading her open, she slowly licked up and down Lauren's slit, coaxing a low humming sound out of her lover's throat, followed by a growl. "Bo …"
"Fuck …", Bo breathed, grinding her own midsection into the mattress. Lauren's taste and the noises she was making made her head spin. It was like a raw hunger had taken possession of the brunette, and she immediately had to satisfy it. Slowly entering Lauren with two fingers, she alternated between circling and sucking the blonde's clit, deeply enjoying the feeling of sliding in and out of her velvety core. Lauren let out a long groan.
She dreamt she was lying naked on an endless white beach, the sounds of crashing waves caressing her ears. A pleasant, warm breeze was blowing, engulfing her in its soft touch, stroking along her shoulders, arms and breasts. It was sensual and arousing, so she moved her hand to her nipple, making herself gasp at the touch. Cupping both breasts, she squeezed the pillowy flesh and moaned quietly.
When she felt wetness between her legs, it didn't startle her. It must be the ocean waves lapping away at her centre. The feeling was amazing, so she chanced a glimpse down her body. Slowly opening her eyes, she spotted something, or rather, someone … a water being that was slowly taking shape, turning into Bo, equally naked and absolutely gorgeous, but with eyes as blue as the ocean water. Without a word, the brunette lay down on top of her, kissing Lauren deeply while tirelessly running her hands up and down her body. The blonde opened her legs wide, grinding herself against her lover. Bo looked at her hungrily, and for a second, it seemed that her eyes flashed an even brighter blue instead of the warm brown that Lauren knew. It didn't irritate her. On the contrary – it turned her on. "Bo …", she growled, and the brunette answered with a low hum.
Next thing she knew, Bo's head was buried between her legs, and she was pushing two fingers inside Lauren's wet sex. "Fuck, yes …", she goaded her on, eagerly bucking her hips into her lover. The sensations from Bo's tongue and digits slowly but surely carried Lauren towards an intense release. She opened her eyes to look at her lover, and suddenly the sun and the beach were gone.
But Bo was still there. "Oh god … don't stop, please … never ever stop … feels so … good …", Lauren cried, now fully awake and aware that she had only been half-dreaming. Pressing herself into the brunette's face, she felt her orgasm roll in. "Faster … lick me faster …", she demanded, so Bo picked up the pace, flicking her lover's clit with lightning speed and fucking her as deeply as she could. When Lauren's climax hit, she briefly forgot how to breathe. Grabbing fistfuls of sheets, she arched her back and opened her mouth for a scream that got stuck in her throat. Desperately taking in a lungful of air, she found her voice. "Aaaaahhh, yesssss …", was all she managed, crying out her release before letting herself fall back against the mattress.
"Fuck!", she panted, grabbing Bo's shoulders to pull her up and into a deep kiss. "Mmh …", she hummed against her. "That was … Mmh." Bo smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her again. "So, it was really okay I did that?" Sexy wake-up calls weren't for everyone, and she wanted to be absolutely sure that Lauren didn't feel overwhelmed. "It was amazing." Her hand was resting on Bo's face. She was smiling, but her eyes looked tired. "Go back to sleep, baby", Bo said, softly caressing Lauren's cheek. "It's still early." A few seconds later, the blonde drifted off, a wide and satisfied grin on her face. Covering both of them up, Bo snuggled up to her lover before closing her eyes as well.
The next time she woke up, early morning light was trickling through the blinds. Her groggy state left her confused about her whereabouts. Instinctively, she reached for Lauren, but the spot next to her was empty. Propping herself up on her elbows, she made an effort to properly open her eyes. The sound of running water drifted into her sleepy mind. Lauren's in the bathroom. I'm at Lauren's place. Gradually, last night's events came back to Bo, and her face split into a wide grin. She was sprawled out across the bed, stretching her deliciously sore limbs when Lauren stepped out of the bathroom.
"Mmh, good morning, Dr McCorrigan", she purred, shamelessly raking her eyes over the brunette's exposed body. Not that Bo noticed because she was too busy staring at her lover's nakedness. She rolled over to get out of bed. "Good morning to you, Dr Lewis", she said in a low voice, walking towards Lauren, adding a swing to her hips. The blonde's gaze was clouded with desire. Pushing herself off the doorframe, she met Bo halfway to pull her into a hot kiss and press herself against her, greedily squeezing her breasts. Breathing heavily, the brunette fervently returned the kiss and leaned into Lauren's touch. "Care to join me in the shower?", she asked in a titillating tone that made Bo shiver in anticipation.
Having checked the time just a minute ago, Bo knew they had about two hours to spare before leaving for work. "Give me a second", she husked and stepped into the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth. Even though the blonde didn't seem to mind, kissing Lauren's minty fresh lips had made Bo painfully aware of her own morning breath. When she was done, she opened the door, spotting her lover, who was lying on the bed, seductively looking at Bo, one foot resting on the mattress, the other on the floor. For a split second, the brunette felt dizzy. "Fuck, Lauren …", she breathed, holding on to the doorframe, staring at her lover's open pussy.
Lauren wasn't sure why she'd done it, but she felt adventurous and decided to go with her instincts. She'd woken up a few minutes before the alarm would've gone off and got up to get ready when last night's dream suddenly seeped back into her mind. That, in combination with seeing Bo sprawled out on the bed in all her naked glory, made her libido skyrocket. She wanted her now, and not even the rational part of her brain objected. "Yes, please", she growled.
Seeing the need in Lauren's eyes, Bo figured she had no choice, really. Besides, she'd been beyond horny since their little early-morning adventure, and eating Lauren's delicious pussy sounded like the perfect breakfast starter. With a growl that matched the blonde's, Bo reached her in two steps and dropped to her knees, plunging her tongue deep between her folds. "Aaahhh, fuuuck!", Lauren cried out, throwing her head back. Groaning, Bo inhaled the heady scent of last night's sexathon and pushed two fingers into the blonde's core.
Lauren screamed even louder and held onto the sheets, rocking her pelvis into the brunette's face. She knew she wouldn't last long; Bo's tongue and relentlessly pumping fingers just felt too good. She felt the vibrations of Bo's moans against her throbbing centre, and it drove her absolutely mad. The brunette was alternating between circling, sucking and licking, and before Lauren knew it, her climax was rolling in. "Yes …", she whimpered. "Yes, yes, yes … oh god, Bo, fuck me … lick my pussy, baby … fuck, I'm co- aaahhh … AAAHH!"
She was lying flat on her back, panting heavily, her face lit up by a wide grin. "Oh my god, Bo … fuck, that was good!" Lifting her head, she watched the brunette moving further up, leaving a trail of small kisses along her torso. "I agree wholeheartedly", she purred, straddling Lauren's body and leaning down to kiss her. Tasting herself on her lover's lips, Lauren let out a small groan. "What do you say, we continue this in the shower, hm?", she hummed against Bo's mouth. "I could tell you all about the dream you woke me up from earlier this morning."
The brunette pushed her centre against Lauren and gave her a seductive look. "I'd like that", she breathed and in one swift move pushed herself off the bed, impatiently pulling the chuckling blonde with her.
Lauren turned the shower on, and water started trickling down like soft rain. Awed by the intriguing bathroom feature, Bo absentmindedly held her hand under the spray to test the temperature. She only noticed that Lauren had reached for the shampoo when she felt the blonde's hands on her body, gently embracing her from behind. Closing her eyes, she leaned into her lover's touch, enjoying nimble hands on her yearning skin. Guiding the brunette under the water, Lauren started by gently washing Bo's hair, taking her time to massage her scalp, which earned her a few soft moans. She relished in the sounds, rubbing herself against Bo's back, pressing her breasts into her lover.
Bo was very aware of the blonde's nipples against her skin, but Lauren kept her from turning around and carefully avoided her most sensitive spots. After rinsing the bubbles from her hair, she took the soap from the small dish mounted on the tiled wall and lifted Bo's arms to lather her up from head to toe. Starting with her shoulders, she slowly made her way down her torso, circling her breasts, moving along her stomach and down her legs to her feet. Bo was just short of going mad from the contact overload against her sensitive skin when Lauren put the bar of soap away and started massaging the brunette's breasts from behind.
"Mmh", Lauren husked in the other woman's ear, "I'd say you're a little too clean now, don't you agree?" Bo let out a deep groan, both from the words and what Lauren's hands were doing to her breasts. "Yesss. Make me dirty again." Growling appreciatively, the blonde guided Bo towards the wall to give her some stability and moved one hand over her belly, spreading the soap between her legs, but avoiding her centre. Framing her outer lips with two fingers, Lauren started lazily rubbing up and down … up and down. Anticipating an agonisingly slow yet hard release, Bo pressed her hands against the wall and moved her hips along with the blonde's hand. Lauren had her exactly where she wanted her.
"I was on a beach", she began retelling her dream, savouring each word. "And I was so … hot." She ground her hips into Bo's arse and moaned softly from the feeling of her lover's firm and well-shaped buttock against her clit. "Not from the sun, but because I was thinking of you." She pinched one of Bo's nipples and earned a gasp. "But you weren't there, so I had to touch myself. I squeezed my breasts, and my nipples hardened instantly." Whimpering, the brunette felt Lauren's taut nubs press against her back. "I felt wetness pooling between my legs, and I thought it was the water caressing my throbbing … aching pussy." Lauren started nibbling Bo's neck and shoulder and continued squeezing her soap-slippery breast, grazing her nipple. Her other hand was now running up and down the brunette's slit, going a little deeper with each stroke, framing her clit, slowly driving the woman mad.
Bo's breathing was irregular, and her eyes were closed, while she pictured the images that Lauren was planting in her mind. The blonde's hands seemed to be everywhere at once, and Bo was completely lost in the fantasy of nude Lauren on a sunny beach.
"But when I looked up", Lauren continued recounting, "it wasn't the water at all. It was you. And you were naked, and you looked so beautiful, and we didn't need any words. You knew where I wanted you, and then I felt your tongue on my clit."
Bo let out a hushed "Fuuuck", and Lauren moaned at the memory of her dream, while focusing her fingertips on her lover's centre, circling, framing and pinching. She was tempted to rub herself against Bo's amazing arse to make herself come, but this wasn't about her. She wanted to focus on the brunette and make her feel as good as Lauren had felt earlier this morning, waking up seconds from orgasm. "Your eyes were filled with desire, and they shone as blue as the ocean when you pushed two fingers inside me." Without another warning, Lauren slipped three of her own digits into Bo, who threw her head back, groaning at the intense feeling. Her knees were growing weaker by the second, so the blonde placed her thigh between her lovers' to steady her as she didn't trust the slippery grip of her arm.
"You fucked me so good, Bo, and your tongue felt amazing." By now, Lauren was pounding into her, each stroke eliciting a loud moan, and grazing Bo's rock-hard clit, carrying her closer and closer to orgasm. "I told you to fuck and lick me faster, and you did, and when I came, my pussy was squeezing your hand so hard." Bo's moans got louder, and Lauren knew she was close. "Remember my taste, Bo", she urged her on, and the brunette began shaking all over, pressing her fists against the wall. "My pussy needs you so badly … Lick me, baby …", Lauren pleaded with dream-Bo. The brunette's tongue darted out, savouring nothing but the soft spray of water, but in her mind, it was Lauren's essence, and the imagined taste pushed her into oblivion. "Come for me …", Lauren growled, moving her hand from the brunette's breast down to her centre to quickly rub her clit.
"Fuck, you taste so good, baby …", Bo whimpered, overwhelmed by the orgasm now rushing through her whole body. "Lauren … oh god, I'm coming … Lauren … Aaaahhhh!", she screamed, wildly rocking her hips against the blonde's hands, holding onto the wall for dear life. Lauren held her with the help of her left arm and thigh and continued stroking her centre, until the last waves had subsided.
Before Bo could collapse, Lauren wrapped both her arms tightly around her lover, additionally steadying her with her leg. Softly nipping on her skin, she held her until she stopped shaking. When she could safely stand again, Bo turned around in Lauren's arms and grabbed her face to crash their lips together. The kiss was deep and slow and sensual and left Lauren wanting more when they broke apart. Smiling seductively, but without a word, Bo pulled the blonde with her under the water to rinse herself off and then proceeded to wash Lauren's hair and body just as thoroughly as she had done with her.
When it came to her intimate areas, she cupped Lauren's breast and sex and paused to give her a questioning look. Sighing, the blonde grabbed her wrists and shook her head. "We'll be late, and you know we really shouldn't be", she said. Smiling, Bo leaned in to kiss the blonde, distracting her before running her slippery hands through Lauren's equally slippery folds, all the way to her arse crack and over her breasts. She moaned into her mouth, melting into her lover's touch. Next thing she knew, Bo's hands and mouth were gone, and she started rinsing the blonde off, an innocent smile plastered on her face. "Oh, you're evil", Lauren growled, turning off the water. But she smiled and added: "You realise, there will be consequences, don't you?" Throwing her a towel, Bo let out an adorable chortle. "Can't wait", she said in a low voice, wrapping herself in a bathrobe and exiting the bathroom with an extra swing in her hips.
Chuckling, Lauren followed her to the kitchen, where she found her standing in front of the open fridge, contemplating their breakfast options. Snaking her arms around the brunette, she pressed her body against her back and started licking her neck and nibbling her earlobe. "Mmh", Bo hummed, leaning against Lauren. "Found anything to eat?", the blonde whispered into her ear, and Bo struggled to answer. "I was thinking … oh … mmh … eggs and some of this … mmmhh … bacon?" Lauren let her hands wander upwards to squeeze Bo's breasts through the thick fabric of the bathrobe. "God, Lauren …", the brunette breathed. "We'll never get to work if you keep doing that."
As quickly as her hands and mouth had appeared, they were gone. Suddenly, Bo was very aware of the cold air wafting from the fridge. Irritated, she looked over her shoulder to find a grinning Lauren, who was pretending to be very busy setting the table. "Oh, you … vicious minx", Bo huffed, playfully slapping the blonde's behind. Lauren laughed out loud. "Vicious minx, eh? That's a first. Besides, I did warn you there'd be consequences." Bo chuckled, taking out the food before closing the fridge door. Then, she put the pan on the stove to get to work, dreamily smiling at the sound of Lauren's laugh.
The blonde silently watched her make breakfast and felt a previously unknown warmth surge through her. Seeing her lover stand in her kitchen, preparing food for the two of them felt good … No, it was more than that … It felt natural. Lauren realised she wanted to have more mornings like this one with Bo. Many more. She got up to put some bread in the toaster, stealing a glance and then another one. Bo was so beautiful … Looking at her made Lauren ache inside, but in a good way. Her mind drifted off, lost in the view of the radiant brunette, who was completely absorbed in the task at hand.
But Bo wasn't just concentrating on the pan with the sizzling eggs and bacon. She was thinking about last night with Lauren, how close they'd felt to each other. And how much she loved this woman. Everything she'd told her was true – she didn't want to be apart from her for even a second, and the mere thought of her made her grin like an idiot. Besides, Lauren Lewis was incredibly sexy. Not just her smoking hot body and her stunning face, but her whole demeanour in bed. Remembering all the dirty things she had whispered into Bo's ears in the throes of passion sped up the brunette's breathing.
But of course, both of them were passionate about their jobs as well, and they both knew that for now, their incredible night was over. They moved around the kitchen in comfortable silence and finally sat down to eat breakfast, just looking at each other, smiling and holding hands whenever they could. After last night's sexathon, they were starving, and Bo moaned happily when she took the first bite of the bacon. "Mmh, this is so good", she gushed, luxuriously chewing the bite of meat, scrambled eggs and bread. "Gotta love the organic stuff", she added.
Lauren was too lost in the view of glistening lips and the sound of moaning Bo to hear what she'd said, so she just hummed and enjoyed the sight, digging into her own portion. "Lauren?", Bo said, waking the blonde from her daydream. "Hm? Sorry, what?" Bo grinned. "I was asking where you got this amazing bacon. I really need to get it for when my brother comes over next, he'll be all over it."
"You have a brother, too?", Lauren asked, frowning in surprise. "I do. Didn't I mention him before?", she asked, frowning. Lauren shook her head. "Well, strictly speaking, he's my half-brother. After my mum left Jack, he got together with another woman, and they had a son. His name is Dyson. He's a cop, and it's always good to have a cop owe you a favour, right?" Bo stopped herself when she saw Lauren's expression change. "What did I say …?", she asked, confused.
"Your brother's name is Dyson? And he's a cop?" Bo just nodded, and Lauren laughed. "Wow, this must be the weirdest coincidence I have ever experienced." In a few words, she recounted what Ciara had told her, and Bo was as surprised as she was. "He hasn't even told me he's seeing someone", she said, pouting. "I may have to withhold the paradise bacon from him. You know, for punishment."
This reminded Lauren of Bo's initial question. "I buy the bacon directly from an organic farm outside of Toronto", she informed her. "The eggs, too. They deliver to the city, but you can visit the place and see how the pigs and chickens live. I don't eat a lot of meat, but when I do, I want it to come from somewhere that I know they treat the animals right." Bo's face lit up at the revelation of yet another lovable fact about her favourite human. The smile put her adorable dimple on full display. It was a good thing that Lauren was sitting down, because she felt her knees grow weak at the sight. "God, your smile …", she breathed, before she could stop the words from coming out.
Bo looked down, suddenly feeling a bit bashful. "People tell me I got it from my grandma Isabeau", she explained. "I never knew her because she died before I was born, but when my gramps speaks of her, his eyes light up. She was a remarkable lady. I think he still loves her after all these years." She took a little pause before adding: "My mum named me after her, but I prefer the short version."
Bo's gaze had grown distant while she was telling Lauren this snippet of her past, and the blonde felt a twinge of sadness for her. Seeing Bo melancholic like this made Lauren want to comfort her. Reaching out across the table, she gently touched her face and ran her thumb over Bo's cheek. "It's a beautiful name, either way", she assured her, and Bo smiled. There it is. Much better. It was strange how attached she had grown to the brunette in these last few weeks. Her genius brain still had to figure out what was going on inside her, but that was okay. With Bo, she didn't feel the need to rush anything. All was going at exactly the right pace, and knowing this gave Lauren a kind of inner peace she hadn't felt in a long time.
"I want to tell you about my dad", she said on a whim, which made the brunette's smile widen. "And I would love to hear about him", Bo answered softly. Lauren watched as she took her hand to kiss her palm. Warmth flooded her from the inside. "Let's have dinner at Giovanni's", she suggested impulsively. "When are you free?"
"How about tonight?", Bo asked, smiling mischievously at Lauren's lifted eyebrow. "I'm off tomorrow. They're revealing the new rotation stations to all residents on Monday, so I thought I'd take a day off to relax from the ER craze", she explained. "Then tonight it is", Lauren answered, determined to do everything in her power to convince Warren and Evony that it would be a good idea to give her the following day off as well. The things Bo and Lauren could do to each other over the course of a whole night and the following day made her shiver inside.
Eyeing the clock above the kitchen entrance, Bo sighed. "We have to get ready, babe." Lauren nodded and got up from her seat, taking the dirty dishes to the washer, her face split in a wide grin. She loved it when Bo called her babe, or any kind of term of endearment for that matter. It made her giddy.
In complete harmony, the two women dried their hair and got dressed, sharing small kisses whenever their paths crossed, entering and exiting the bathroom as if they'd practiced their morning routine for years. When they left the building hand in hand, Lauren exchanged a few words with the concierge, whom Bo didn't know. Manuel's shift had ended a few hours ago, but that was okay, she thought, grinning to herself. She would tell him in due time that she indeed got her woman just like he'd told her to.
When they arrived at the hospital, Bo spotted the chunky wooden table that Kenzi had branded on their very first day. "Hey, do you know what this is all about?", she asked her lover. "It doesn't seem to fit in this fancy park." Lauren nodded with a small smile. "The park wasn't always this fancy", she explained. "It used to be pretty run-down and nothing but overgrown shrubberies. But when Warren Ash bought TMC, he had the entire thing renovated along with the hospital. I guess he figured a fancy hospital needed a fancy view." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, there were actually a bunch of these tables and benches all over the old park, but this one was special. For some reason, it was the only one people had singled out to carve their names into. I thought it was beautiful in its own clunky way, so I asked him to keep it." She shrugged and pointed to the middle of the large green expanse. "He had it moved from its original spot in the centre of the park over there. That way, I can see it from my office window." Lauren pointed to where her office was situated in the large glass building.
Bo stared at her, flabbergasted. "What do you mean, you asked him to keep it and he had it moved so you can see it? Were you two … a couple?" She looked at her incredulously and with a hint of jealousy, which Lauren found adorable. She laughed. "God, no! He was friends with my folks, and he kind of picked me off the street when I was about to … lose myself." Bo wanted to ask what she meant by that, but she could tell this wasn't the time nor place to talk about it, so she just smiled and squeezed her hand.
They walked to the main entrance where they halted in a little private corner to say goodbye. Bo leaned in and stopped barely an inch from Lauren's mouth. "Can't wait for tonight", she husked, darting out her tongue to lick the blonde's lower lip. In a heartbeat, Lauren closed the gap and caught Bo in a deep kiss, savouring every bit of her, relishing in the taste and the feeling of having her pressed against her body. When they parted, she'd left Bo breathless. "I just wanted to make sure you don't forget about me today", Lauren whispered with a smirk, leaning her forehead against the brunette's and gently running her thumb across her cheek. "Text me when your shift is over. I'll be waiting for you at my place."
Purring like Vex on an especially cuddly day, Bo kissed the other woman again; she couldn't help it – Lauren's lips were addictive. "I will text you whenever I get the chance", she answered in a promising tone and then, with a sigh, let go of her to get to work.