Here it is. Another chapter. Took me some time (or was it my beta, who took their time?... We'll never know.) I hope you like it.
Thanks for all the messages , all your thoughts, all the favorites and followers. I love it. Usually I write back, say thanks and stuff, but these days I just can't find the time to do so. Just know I really REALLY appreciate every single one of them.
Chapter 20
"Good morning."
Bo's ears caught her voice through the sea of clouds in her head but her brain was still too foggy to react. It's funny, but she could probably filter this one voice out of even a hundred thousand other sounds. And that was crazy, because Bo once stood in the middle of two kindergarten-groups in an indoor playground. She wasn't even able to listen to her own freaking thoughts in her own fracking head, that's how loud they were. But the brunette seemed to react to this one voice like a moth to a dim light in the darkest night. Maybe it was the vibration in the blonde's words, that stimulated Bo's cochlea just the right way and made it through that whirlwind of her thoughts.
Bo stretched and tried to look around with one eye still closed. The light from the window made it hard for the assistant to keep even that one open. There was one thought that was able to crawl out of the blur of dreamland and into reality of the here and now.
She did.
Keep her promise that is.
The brunette smiled internally. She felt all kinds of happy right now and if she could, she would bottle it up and keep some for later - bad times and stuff - but then she saw, that she was alone in bed. Yet again. So happy ducked its head and turned inside out and became disappointment and Bo really didn't want to start her day like that. Yet again!
I really need to be more specific with what I'm saying.
"Is it though?"
Her own raspy voice broke the silence. Lauren was watching the still pretty sleepy brunette from over the rim of her coffee cup. Trying to wake up fully, Bo covered the yawn that escaped her mouth with one hand, while the other one stretched out over her head.
"I'd say it is."
Bo turned from her back on to her side to face the blonde, who was already dressed, styled and ready for the things to come. With a lopsided grin on her lips, her Boss took a sip of the steamy liquid, sitting with her legs crossed in a chair, feet on the rim of the king size.
"Did you carry that chair in here from the living room?"
Lauren just shrugged and continued looking at the brunette with this smirk on those lips, Bo couldn't get enough of. Oh their taste on her tongue and the feeling of them all over her body.
"Yeah, you did. How long have you been staring at me from over there?"
All of a sudden Bo was pretty aware of her own nakedness.
The sheet, that covered the brunette's body had, slid dangerously low down. The brunette pulled the soft fabric up and squeezed it underneath her armpits.
No one-sided peep show here!
"I didn't figure you to be one to be shy."
"What time is it anyway?"
The blonde took a look at her watch.
"It's shortly past eight."
With that she placed her mug on the night stand, got up and straightened her maroon red blouse before she took her blazer from the backrest. Her Boss looked like Bo's favorite kind of candy and words just failed the brunette to respond, while her mouth was watering up.
"And I have a meeting in… well, it actually already started."
Bo's eyes grew wide, when that thick layer of lust, that was overcoming her just seconds before, was ripped away by the awareness of the situation.
"Wait. It's eight? You have a meeting at eight!"
Lauren chuckled.
"As I just said."
Bo sat up clutching the sheet to her chest. The cold air hit her bare back caused goosebumps to appear on her forearms. It's been weeks since Bo last overslept likes this or at least it had been, before Bo got introduced to Sally and her, well, captivating self. Although it was sad to even be called oversleeping, because eight was still pretty much in the middle of the night.
Bo shook her head in disbelief.
"You're never too late for anything, Lauren."
It was a fact not a question. Her Boss was Miss Punctuality. Like in a Miss Hudson seventh grade English teacher kinda way. Oh, how many locked classroom doors Bo had run into in her life. Blue forehead and all.
Her Boss was also Miss Bendy and Miss Extremely Talented but let's not go there right now.
The blonde moved slowly to the door.
"Well, I had a promise to keep."
Lauren's voice grew soft and Bo's breath got stuck somewhere between her lungs and mouth. If she wasn't the master of body-control – yes, she was. Shut up! – that 'awwww' on her tongue would have slipped. Instead the adoration was most likely shining out of her eyes and shown in that small smile, that grew with every second they looked at each other.
A loud vibration coming out of the blonde's blazer pocket broke the spell. Lauren took her phone out, which was shaking impatiently. Holding up the device the blonde opened the bedroom door.
"They're calling for me."
"Yes, yes sure. You should really go."
A soft nod and her Boss turned to leave.
"Oh, and uh."
Lauren turned halfway back and all the cockiness and confidence from before melted away into that shy and vulnerable woman again Bo had gotten to know over the last few days.
"I, uh, ordered breakfast for you. It's on the table. Take your time. This is the last meeting before we have to head to the airport. So just eat and pack. We see each other on the plane. There will be someone picking you and our luggage up around ten."
Bo had a hard time hearing what the blonde was saying. Her brain got stuck around how sweet her Boss could be. She would blame her sleepiness for that later. That smile on her lips was never fading, while she kept on staring onto the blonde's lips, moving with every word her Boss said.
Bo shook her head softly when the blonde stopped talking and started walking.
"Wait? Did you say plane?"
All Bo heard was another of those damn arousing chuckles and the soft click of the front door falling into the lock again.
As much as Bo wanted to kiss this aphrodisiac of a business woman, she could also taste the flavors in her own mouth and it was anything but pleasant. Morning breath was the little brother of everything turnoff and Bo didn't exactly know the reason why, but she really wanted to impress her Boss. Even more now.
"Damn stupid, freaking, flying metal bird."
Just thinking about those hours without solid ground underneath Bo's boot covered feet made her flinch. Maybe a croissant would help to get over whatever catastrophic mind fart her grey cells came up with.
"Breakfast it is!"
She was the first to enter the private jet some hours later and she felt all kinds of Charlize Theron or Reese Witherspoon or Scarlett Johansson. Private jet! She could get used to that little Hollywood-gimmick. And no! Bo didn't know why only blonde Hollywood actresses made it into her hot-list right now.
The flight went unexpectedly well to Bo's surprise. Maybe it was the nice chat she had with Petra, who - by the way - was hilariously straightforward and caught the brunette off guard quite a couple of times. It could also have been the double shot in her Irish coffee, which Petra made her drink shortly after they flew off. When Bo thought about it now, it could have been the designer's plan to get Bo's tongue loosened and her brain slower. Vixen!
The brunette had sat opposite of the blonde and next to Petra and every time the assistant's eyes made their way over to where her Boss was seated, two bourbon colored orbs were already observing her. The look turned Bo's cheeks into cherries and her chest into a freaking bass drum.
Those lips, the brunette couldn't stop staring at, were carrying this soft and almost unnoticeable smile. One could easily oversee it, but Bo - master of her field - saw it and she couldn't think of anything more beautiful.
Hot and cold and hot and cold. Bo went through a rollercoaster of ups and downs in her body. Flying was just still pretty, let's call it: disenchanting. Even though Bo felt this warm blanket of tipsiness underneath her skin, but still it shook her nervous system in a very unpleasant way.
So, watching the blonde looking at her - with a mix of mischief and raw want in her eyes - let Bo's core sing all kinds of hallelujahs, while these big too freaking Burj Khalifa-sized air-holes cooled the boiling blood in her veins down to ice water temperature. For those ignoramuses out there, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Highest building in the world? No? Anyway.
Hot, cold, hot, cold. It was a mess. When the wheels touched the asphalt, mini Bo - who was basically hanging over the toilet ever since the takeoff – wiped her mouth, went through her hair and did a shaky but happy dance.
When Bo stepped out of the plane the sun on the horizon told her, that it was either late or early. After they said their goodbyes and the brunette had finally opened her apartment door she wasn't even sure, if it was still Friday or already Saturday. All she knew was, she needed to get rid of this big, heavy rock that was laying on her chest, because she had difficulties to breathe and a hard time to swallow.
Bo felt silly. She felt stupid. She felt as if her body had its own mind, which was good in some ways. So at least one of them actually had a mind, because Bo had clearly lost hers.
Why the heck would she react as if she never saw the blonde again? And why in Hades would that effect her so much even if she didn't?
"This is ridiculous, Bo."
Was she in the end actually missing her Boss?
"No, no, no, no."
That was absurd on so many levels. First of all, they literally just said goodbye, secondly Bo would definitely see the blonde on Monday since she intended to go to work and thirdly… Bo Dennis did not miss no one!
The weekend came and went and ever since they went separate ways, Bo's slide projector of an inner eye only showed one picture. Lauren. Or several for that matter, but still just and only Lauren. It was ridiculous and the brunette tried her best to distract herself. Bane wasn't much of a help, since the feline decided to ignore its owner for leaving him behind for so long.
"Oh boy, Bane. I said, I'm sorry."
She even got him tuna, because he loved it. Even though Bo couldn't stand his fishy breath. But what one did to get some kinda lovin', which Bo still didn't get!
Now Bo didn't just have this big dark hole in her chest, that seemed to eat on the brunette's feeling of loneliness, but also a bad conscious for having left her cat at a strangers house for a week. Not that Bob was a stranger to Bo, but he was to Bane and even though he said, the cat had the time of its life – getting attention not just from Bob but also his wife all day long – Bane was stubborn and now the brunette had to deal with his Majesty of Grumpytown.
All weekend, Bo tried to shake it off. The want to just call the blonde. Oh, how she got used to seeing her beautiful face first thing in the morning and hearing her songlike voice as the last thing at night. Not that kind of song. Get the head out of the gutter! Just those normal conversations, that seemed to mean more to Bo than she would have expected.
It's true, Bo was living by herself for some years now but she had never felt so alone. Not even while she still had to share a house with her parents.
The brunette had to slap herself out of daydreaming several times. She seemed to just zoom out, which was quite dangerous in her line of work. Which brought up yet another question-mark in the collection of non-answers.
Would she then go back to being the driver now?
She would definitely miss the outfits. Well, and the closeness to her Boss, that came with being a personal assistant. Although thinking back, the brunette had hardly ever seen Yvonne. Did Lauren treat Bo differently than the other staff members or was it just a coincidence? Or was it because the brunette was a bloody rookie in everything assistant, that the blonde just wanted to make sure she did her freaking job right?
"Stop yourself, Dennis."
By Monday Bo's mood was weird. Weird because it was damn bloody Monday and Bo had barely slept the past nights – overthinking had been Bo's middle-name - but still she felt like singing and effing dancing. Bo Dennis didn't do dancing! Her hips just didn't get the memo. Nor did her butt. Or her feet.
The brunette could hardly keep herself from flying out of the Hummer and around the car after she had parked in front of Godzilla. She was even twenty minutes early.
Bob waved his good morning with a surprised smile on his face. He knew Bo usually wasn't that chipper that time of the day. She just wasn't a morning person in general.
The assistant slash driver was trying to unsuccessfully straighten those closet wrinkles out of her suit pants. She was still busy working on her appearance, when Bob opened the door and the one person that dominated the brunette's very thought came out of the building.
Her blonde hair was bouncing in soft curls around her shoulders and she was wearing a black suit that was fitting her Boss perfectly. The brunette's mouth fell slightly open, when her Boss came to an halt in front of her. Sunglasses were covering those hazel eyes and all Bo saw was her own reflection staring back at her.
"Miss Dennis."
"Uh, g-good morning."
Bo couldn't move, nor talk. All blood was centered in regions further south, when the brunette let her eyes wander over the face in front of her. Soft cheekbones, highlighted in just the right amount of rouge. These sharp outlines of the blonde's jaw, Bo remembered kissing along. The only thing she heard was her own heartbeat and the clearing of one's throat right next to her.
"Miss Lewis would probably like to enter the car, Bo."
Bob.
The man's voice cut through the scene the brunette had started to form in her head. A soft nudge on her elbow shook Bo all the way out of her mind. She stepped aside and opened the door.
"Get your head out of the clouds."
The brunette stared on the dark glass of the backseat window, only to find herself looking back at her. Bo tried to swallow down the want to touch the woman inside the Hummer. A hunger spreading in her core like never before. Bob gave her one of those looks he got, when he wanted to underline the meaning of his words. Bo nodded, not wanting to make a fool of herself. So she hurried back to the front, sat down behind the wheel and started the engine.
It had become a rather disillusioned day. Bo had found out - by the few words her Boss had talked to her – that the blonde had employed a new assistant and wasn't in need of Bo's services anymore. At least in the office kind of way. She had found out as well, that small talk not only wasn't her strong suit, but it also really was not wanted in the little cabin of anti-happiness.
Bo's mood had finally dropped to its lowest level when the blonde stepped out of the car without much of a goodbye at the end of their ride together.
"What in heathens was that?"
The brunette drove home with a sick feeling in her stomach. The good vibes she flew on in the morning were smashed and splashed against the windshield of her soul. Just like those little flies that now decorated the front of the car. She was mad. No, she was furious. And she didn't know how to get the anger back into this box where it had escaped from to throw a tantrum somewhere deep down inside of her chest.
Running up the stairs, Bo ripped her clothes off and stripped down to her tank top and underwear. The cut was called 'boyshorts', even though that didn't make any sense in Bo's world. Why calling underwear boyshorts when it was obviously made for women. Anyway. Bo was angry. Like in an angry angry kind of way. So she needed to let out some steam.
Searching through Selly's music app, Bo turned up the volume and started to push-up and plank and sit-up until the sweat was running down her neck and back and her muscles begged her to stop.
"What in the land of everything light and dark were you thinking, Dennis!"
She was panting and sweating and in need of a drink. Her fridge was still not refilled after her trip but the emergency beer in the back would do it for now.
Holding the cold bottle against her forehead and cheeks felt more than welcome on her heated skin.
"Your freaking Boss, Bo? Really? Of everything girl-crush, it had to be her?"
Well, crush didn't describe it right, but there was something to that woman that let Bo's self-control take freaking holidays and her mind playing fracking games with her.
A knock on the door broke through Bo's self-pity party and she groaned out loud. Bo really didn't feel like dealing with people anymore today. Or ever for that matter.
She almost broke the bottle when she placed it on the counter and walked to her front door. So much for letting out some steam.
Her ponytail was messy and some strands of hair were glued to her forehead, neck and back. The white tank top - nearly see-through - showed off her dark purple bra. These black boyshorts had an even darker shade on the inside of her thighs. All in all, Bo looked like her cat had acted the past few days: horrible! But she couldn't be bothered about thinking of her appearance right now.
Preparing the words in her head to tell whoever on the other side of the wood to buzz off, Bo opened the door and froze in tracks. So much for being prepared. The words, that were already sorted and waiting to be said on her tongue swirled around and fell out of her slightly open mouth.
"How, uh, what are you doing here?"
Lauren was standing in the stair case fiddling with a pair of keys in her hands. Was she nervous?
"Hi, uhm, sorry. I guess, I should have called first or texted but, uhm…"
Yes she was.
A slightly shaking hand was running through her blonde locks.
"The door downstairs was open so… But I see you're, uh…"
Lauren's eyes were roaming over Bo from head to naked toes, tying not to linger on specific parts of the brunette's body.
"I really should have called first. I'll better go."
The blonde was avoiding Bo's eyes, her cheeks slightly reddened. She was about to turn around when the chain, she hadn't stopped moving through her fingers, fell down and hit the ground with a loud clank.
The blonde reached down to grab them, but Bo was faster, holding the three keys in the air in between them.
"Thank you."
Her Boss' hand stretched out to get a hold on the chain careful not to touch Bo's fingers. The brunette watched the woman in front of her with interest. This version of Miss Lewis was someone Bo hadn't met before. It wasn't until now that the brunette saw the darker shades underneath the blonde's eyes and the fine lines on her forehead.
"What are you doing here, Lauren?"
Bo's voice was a bit softer than before but still held a sharpness around the edges. The blonde took an unsteady breath and a nervous chuckle escaped her throat. With a shy smile she looked from the keys in her head to Bo and back down again.
"I honestly don't know. I went for a walk and kept on going and before I knew it I knocked on your door."
Bo's eyes widened.
"You walked?"
The blonde nodded. The brunette really wanted to be mad at her. She really wanted to. But seeing her Boss in front of her - seemingly out of character - struggling to find the words to say, just caressed an already forgiving mini Bo and a growl echoed through the hallway. Bo was frustrated about her own softness, when she stepped aside and opened her door wider. It was already dark outside and she wouldn't let the blonde walk back through this part of town at night all alone.
"Come in, I'll drive you home."
Her Boss moved past Bo and into the apartment watching the ground to her feet, mumbling a thank you. The brunette walked to the kitchen, grabbed a glas out of the cabinet and filled it with water from the faucet.
"Sit down, drink. I need a minute to freshen up."
Pointing at the couch, Bo handed the glass to her Boss, who just nodded, before the brunette walked into the bathroom.
About fifteen minutes later the brunette was showered and wearing a pair of loose blue jogging pants and a grey sweater. The logo on the chest almost faded away from washing it one too many times, but it was Bo's favorite and most comfortable and it just felt like home.
Her hair was still slightly wet, but she didn't want to keep her Boss waiting any longer. Her hairdryer was a little fucker, who turned off when not held in a specific way and Bo just didn't feel like playing its games tonight.
Walking out of the bathroom, she stopped at the sight of Lauren sitting on the far end of the couch with a little orange fur-ball on her lap. Bane's head was laying on the blonde's right forearm, his one eye closed while he obviously enjoyed the soft massage singing his purrs like a song in the air.
"Traitor."
Bo's voice was quiet. She didn't want to disturb the two. Lauren held a soft smile on her lips and the first time after they had parted at the airport the other day, the brunette saw her Boss relaxed. It stirred something inside the brunette and her heart felt heavy. Bo had to shift her weight onto the other food -as if that would have changed anything - and the creak of one of the wooden panels made the blonde's gaze turn towards Bo. The tension was back all over her Boss' features and the brunette received an angry glare from Bane to top it all.
"Hey."
Bo felt like she wanted to start over. The anger was still very much present in her head but like so many times before her body wasn't agreeing to what her brain was saying. Another traitor.
"Hey."
The blonde's voice was soft and quiet. Bo made her way over and sat down on the other end of the couch. Bane hopped down and strolled away not deigning to look at the brunette while passing.
"Don't forget who feeds you."
The blonde looked surprised at her driver.
"He's acting weird ever since I picked him up after… Paris."
Bo had to look away. Memories of their time together popping up and the brunette tried the hardest to smash them back like playing 'Whac-a-mole'. She wasn't good at that. Never had been. Good at the game that was. Obviously. Her ears felt warm and she knew her struggles had to be shown all over her face, too.
"I see."
Silence surrounded them. Bo just couldn't stop the pictures in her head and with those pictures there were those feelings coming up and with those feelings there were even more body reactions. She could really use a cold shower right now. Again!
"Okay."
Clapping her hands on her knees Bo jumped up and off the couch. Looking over the brunette saw, that her Boss was already standing. Those bourbon eyes, Bo wanted to look into all day were staring at her and now all she wanted was for them to look away. The brunette just couldn't stand their intensity and their unspoken questions.
"Let's get you home."
Bo stepped forward and moved passed the blonde, careful to keep her distance, when she felt a hand around her wrist and heard a voice calling her name ever so lightly. The brunette took a sharp breath, stopped and looked down to where their skin touched. Her eyes darted up when that voice started talking again. Lauren's eyes stayed gentle but her hand left Bo's heated flesh as fast as it had come.
"Can we talk?"
"Talk?"
Bo's face must have shown her emotions like a theater play. That anger in Bo's head was now in her expression and it slowly traveled down to rest in her chest again.
"Now you wanna talk, when all day it seemed as if you couldn't get away from me fast enough."
The blonde looked down. Back at her hands. The keys she had been playing with were now laying on Bo's coffee table.
"I understand that you're mad."
"No, Lauren. You don't understand."
Bo had to take a step back. She didn't want to snap and scream at her Boss. She didn't want to make a big thing out of it, because then she had to admit that it was - in fact - a big thing to her. She wouldn't do that. She wouldn't. She just… no.
"It's getting late and I have to be up early tomorrow."
That was the worst excuse she could have come up with by a mile but Bo needed to keep the wall that was built around her secured, because with every look into those sad light brown orbs another brick fell to the ground.
"I know your schedule, Bo and my first meeting is at ten tomorrow."
"Yeah, well, maybe I have an appointment."
The blonde sighed.
"Please, Bo."
Another piece of rock crumbled down with a thud. And the brunette really didn't like the feelings flooding in.
"Don't Bo me here."
And snap.
"You wanna talk? Great let's talk. How about we talk about you taking me on that business trip. About flirting with me, telling me all these little somethings of yourself, making me… making me like you. How about we talk about that you slept with me. Twice."
Bo held two fingers in the air. For emphasis.
"How about we talk about the way you looked at me, the way you talked to me, the way you touched me."
The brunette took a step forward and was leaning in closer. Her voice grew quieter in the end and even though Bo tried her hardest to not let her emotions take over, she couldn't stop her eyes from welling up. She wasn't crying, she wouldn't cry but this feeling of being pushed away like that just hurt and she couldn't do anything about it. And here people say talking would help, when all it did was opening even more locked chambers.
"I was wondering all weekend what I should do, or how to act when we finally meet again and I was overthinking everything that I said or did and I just couldn't get my stupid brain to stop thinking about you…"
Bo was on a roll and she didn't even realize what she was saying before she was actually saying it. She had to practically listen to herself talking and she was not happy with what she heard.
You have to stop! Stop it, Bo!
"… and today I was so excited, I was so damn excited just to be able to see you again. It's… I don't even recognize myself… And you wouldn't as much as give me ten words all day and now you come here, knocking on my door, invading even more of my time, my space than you already do… and now you want to talk?"
Bo finally stopped. Her eyes started to sting like fire and it wasn't because she was burning on the inside. She was glaring at the blonde, who just stood in front of her, staring back.
"Well, then? Talk!"
Nothing.
A heavy sigh escaped the brunette. With one hand Bo wiped away the wetness that was dangerously close to dripping out of her eyes. By the end of her little monologue the only feelings left were sadness and disappointment and she didn't want to go there. Not now, not ever again.
"Come on. Let's just get you home already."
Bo turned as to leave, when an arm shot out and around her hip to her lower back, pushing her into the blonde. One of the blonde's hands had found the back of Bo's head, that guided her forward to meet with two slightly trembling lips crashing against Bo's mouth.
A surprised screech sneaked out of the brunette's throat, that sounded a lot like Bane's squeaky toy, which Bo obviously must have swallowed unnoticed, because Bo Dennis didn't squeak!
Her Boss pressed her body tightly against Bo's and the force she put into that kiss took Bo's breath away. Perplexed the brunette didn't know what to do with her hands still lingering in midair. Wide eyed, she watched the blonde up close for a second before mini Bo took over, not able to stand normal sized Bo's inertia anymore.
The brunette closed her eyes, while both of her hands moved to either side of her Boss' face, pulling the other woman even closer. Bo started to move her lips vigorously and while either one of them fought for dominance, the fire in the brunette's center spread out until she was blazing fiercely.
Hands grabbed clothes and roamed over skin and went through hair. Somehow the brunette must have been pushed backwards, as her back collided with the cold wall behind her. All the air in her lungs was puffed out and Bo was in need to breath.
One hand against Lauren's cheek, the other one on the blonde's shoulder pushed the other woman gently but determined back. Both of them were panting heavily when Bo felt the blonde's forehead against her own. Afraid of what she would see in her Boss' face, Bo kept her eyes closed.
She felt Lauren move her head and their noses brushed against each other. A warm breath fell on Bo's swollen lips before Lauren placed her mouth against them again. This time they barely touched. The blonde ghosted her lips over Bo's in such a delicate and sensual way, that made Bo's knees weak and her heart forgot a beat or two.
A quite moan left Bo's chest, when her Boss' tongue slid over her upper lip. Bo had never been kissed like that and she had tried a lot of kissing. Never had she felt as if she could loose control over her senses like this. Never was her head spinning like that. Never had she wanted to stay like this. Just kissing. Feeling the other person close. Breathing the other person's breath. Letting her hands slide over the other person's body fully clothed.
She had to be in heaven, or hell. Bo wasn't sure if being kissed the way she got was appropriate for heaven. But then again, she didn't really believe in neither of them. So heaven or hell or a cave under a waterfall in a laguna Bo felt absolutely amazing.
But then there was this nagging thought in the back of her head.
This is wrong, Bo!
Mini Bo must have tuned out there for a moment, too distracted by everything Lauren, that this very thought made it's way from the back to the front and down Bo's spine into her mouth when she heard her own voice calling out into the silence of her apartment.
"Lauren stop!"
AN: Don't hate me...