Title: Confessions Lead to Strange Bedfellows
Author: Kimberly21570
Fandoms: Guiding Light / All My Children
Pairings: Olivia and Natalia / Lena and Bianca
Disclaimer: The characters of Olivia and Emma Spencer, Natalia Rivera, Doris and Ashlee Wolfe, Phillip Spaulding, Buzz and Frank Cooper, and Jamanda Weeks are owned by CBS/TeleNext and Proctor & Gamble. The characters of Lena Kundera and Bianca Montgomery are owned by All My Children, ABC/Disney and Prospect Park.
No copyright infringement intended with regard to Guiding Light, CBS/TeleNext, Proctor & Gamble, AMC, ABC/Disney, or any other entity. The dialogue, settings, and story content in these scenes are original. Written for fun, not profit. All other standard disclaimers apply.
Thanks to my pal, MoniRod for the edit. You totally Rock, my friend! I appreciate you, and I owe you—BIG TIME!
Rating: Chapter 12 is rated NC-17 overall, though most sections will be either PG or PG-13…
Confessions Lead to Strange Bedfellows
Copyright May 2009
"An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it… An alliance should be hard diplomatic currency, valuable and hard to get…"
— Walter Lippmann
"We cannot always assure the future of our friends; we have a better chance of assuring our future if we remember who are friends are."
— Henry Kissinger
Chapter 12.8 – Old Friends, New Ventures, and Unexpected Alliances:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009… Olivia's Office, the Beacon—11:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time
The following morning, Frank came bursting into Olivia's office, unannounced, as Olivia and Natalia discussed the game plan for training Jen and Tracy in their new positions. The four women had met first thing that morning, and the offer had been graciously accepted. The first thing on the agenda would be deciding which employee to promote into Jen's current position, and then they would work on hiring new front desk clerks. Jen would work with Natalia on those tasks—it would be good experience for both of them, Olivia decided. Natalia had wholeheartedly agreed, and Olivia simply smiled at her, remembering how unsure Natalia had been of herself when she first accepted the position as Olivia's Executive Assistant. She was unbelievably proud of Natalia for taking that leap of faith, and even more proud of the changes she had witnessed in her partner in the weeks and months that followed.
When her office door burst open, Olivia's face took on an expression of annoyance. "Frank," she said, curtly, "How nice of you to drop by." Her tone was anything but welcoming. At least this wasn't another incident of him barging into their home uninvited, she reasoned with an inner sigh. She wondered how often they would be interrupted by his unsolicited visits once the baby was born.
"This isn't a social visit," Frank announced. The more time he spent ruminating on the idea of Olivia Spencer raising his child, the more agitated he became. He hadn't eaten or slept since Natalia gave him the news.
"I didn't imagine that it was," Olivia said, tiredly. She leaned back in her sleek leather executive's chair, casually crossing her legs. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to speak with Natalia," Frank replied.
Olivia gestured toward the other visitor's chair. "Have a seat."
"My business with Natalia really doesn't concern you," he snapped. The glare he was leveling toward Olivia turned into a glance in Natalia's direction. "May I speak with you alone, please?"
Natalia's jaw tensed. She sat up straight, and squared her shoulders. "If it concerns me, it concerns Olivia, Frank." Her tone was firm, unbending. "You would do well to accept that, because it isn't going to change."
Duly chastised, Frank grunted, and suddenly, the pattern in the carpet became quite interesting. He hadn't expected Natalia to be so forthright. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and cleared his throat nervously. "You uh, you really caught me off guard yesterday." He shuffled his feet. "I mean… it was months ago that we were, uh… together. How did you not know you were pregnant? I just… I don't even know how it's possible."
"Just what exactly are you implying, Frank?" Olivia barked, lunging toward the source of her ire. Her chair flew backward, slamming into the wall behind her.
"Liv…" Natalia's tone was soft, yet cautionary, as she glanced at her partner, willing her to settle.
The expression in Natalia's eyes calmed Olivia in a way no one else ever could, and she dropped back into her chair. Her demeanor no longer spoke of calm collectedness, but rather, it warned of vehement vigilance.
Frank looked positively perplexed as Natalia turned her attention back to him. He had never witnessed anyone control Olivia with so little effort. Hell, he had never seen anyone control her at all!
"I'm really sorry for just dropping it on you like that, Frank," Natalia was saying, when his focus returned to her. "There's just… no easy way to say something like that."
Nodding, Frank sighed. "I guess I'm still in a bit of shock," he divulged. "It's just… a lot to wrap my head around right now."
"Believe me, it was a total shock to us, too. And I know I should have told you sooner," Natalia admitted, "but we just didn't have time before..."
Frank took a moment to ponder Natalia's comment, and then his suspicions grew. "How long have you known about this?" he demanded. Clearly there had been time for her and Olivia to discuss the situation, while he knew nothing of it.
"Not quite two weeks," Natalia disclosed.
"And you're just now telling me?" Now he sounded pissed.
"We found out just a few hours before we left on our trip," Natalia explained. "I needed some time to think."
"Think about what?" Frank barked. His tone was rancid with insinuation.
"Not about that," Natalia snapped. She knew exactly what he meant. "The fact that you would even consider such an assumption tells me you never really knew me at all."
"It's not you I question," Frank seethed. His icy glare fell on Olivia, as he let the accusation fall where it belonged.
Immediately, Natalia stood up from her chair. "You know what, Frank," she said with warning in her tone, as she slowly rose from her chair, "I think you should leave before I say something I regret."
Frank shook his head in bewilderment. "What the hell has she done to you?" he muttered under his breath. He felt as though he had been sucked into the Twilight Zone—Olivia was submissive, while Natalia seemed to have grown a pair. He didn't know which end was up anymore.
When Natalia didn't respond, Frank's indignation grew. "You come to me, asking me to let you raise my kid with Olivia Spencer, of all people, and I'm just supposed suck it up and deal?" His tone was rife with incredulity. "Is that the way this works, Natalia?"
"Not exactly, Frank," Natalia said, decisively.
A flicker of hope ignited in Frank's eyes, only to be quashed with her next statement.
"I wasn't there to ask your permission." Natalia emphasized what she was not there to seek.
Stymied, Frank bristled. "So you think you can dictate terms," he challenged.
"I'm not trying to dictate anything, Frank," Natalia said, calmly. She refused to allow him to rile her any further. "I'm simply reminding you that Olivia and I are together, and this child is going to be a part of our family, as well as yours. I have a right to choose my partner, just as you have a right to choose yours."
"Would you still feel that way if I chose someone like Doris Wolfe?" Frank challenged. He knew Natalia was no fan of the Mayor.
Olivia smirked. "You're not exactly her type, Frankie."
Natalia's soft chuckle belied the scowl she attempted to lodge toward the mischievous hotelier. "You shush," she directed with just a touch of amusement in her tone.
Confused, Frank eyed the two of them warily. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing—" Natalia waved her hand dismissively. The expression on her face told Olivia to behave. "Doris is a good mother, Frank. A good person," she defended. Her opinion of the Mayor had shifted significantly in the past several days.
"What?" Frank looked positively baffled. "I thought you couldn't stand her!"
"That's because I didn't know her," Natalia said, forthrightly. "Now that I do, I realize that I've misjudged her."
Olivia couldn't help but smile as she listened to Natalia.
"She isn't perfect, but she has a good heart," Natalia commented.
"I think you've lost your damned mind, Natalia," Frank grumbled.
"No—" Natalia shook her head. "I've just come to realize that we don't live in a black-and-white world, Frank. There are all sorts of colors, and gradations of gray."
"Yeah, well if you continue down the path of Olivia's kind of gray, you're gonna…"
"You know what, Frank," Natalia interrupted. She fought to hold back her temper. "I really don't need your input on my relationship, any more than you'll need mine on yours. When the time comes, I trust that you'll choose your partner wisely—just as I have."
"What you're doing with Olivia isn't right, Natalia," Frank argued.
"How can you say that, Frank?" Natalia snapped. Given his handling of the Diane Martin situation, and the fact that he was so accepting of Tracy's relationship with Jen, she was truly baffled by his comment. "You disappoint me. I thought you were more open-minded than that."
"I'm not homophobic, Natalia." Frank seethed at the unspoken accusation.
"Could've fooled me," Olivia said, sarcastically.
Frank glared at her. "I am no more a homophobe, than Natalia is a lesbian," he said, icily. He was clearly impressed by his own analogy. "I don't know what you've done to her, but I know that eventually she'll regret it." His gaze pivoted toward Natalia then. "You're not a lesbian. That's what makes this wrong."
"Who the hell are you to decide that for me?" Natalia hissed. She honestly didn't know what she was—and she wasn't exactly certain that she cared to figure it out. All she knew was that Olivia Spencer was the love of her life, and she would not sacrifice the happiness they had found together; not for anyone.
Startled by Natalia's fierce reaction, Frank bristled. "You can't even see how she's changed you," he said, resignedly. "The Natalia I knew didn't act like this."
"You mean like I have a backbone?" Natalia retorted. She laughed. "I'm certain Olivia can attest to the fact that that's not new," she said, grinning at her partner.
Olivia chuckled. "True, that," she confirmed with a grin. Casually, she leaned back in her chair to enjoy the show. An impassioned display of Natalia's backbone was one of Olivia's favorite visions of the fiery woman who had stolen her heart.
"You've just never seen it because you needed me to be some damsel in distress. Someone who needed to be rescued," Natalia surmised.
It was like déjà vu. Frank could almost hear Buzz's voice in his head, telling him the very same thing. Visibly rattled, he shook his head to clear the fog.
"Well, I can assure you, I'm not that woman, Frank," Natalia was saying. "I'm stronger than you give me credit for, and you'd do well to learn that."
That's my girl, Olivia thought. She loved watching Natalia in action. It was like mental foreplay. The only way this could be better was if that passion was directed at her. Oh, she couldn't wait for the day when they had an argument like they used to, and didn't have to retreat into separate bedrooms to assuage the tension. Make-up sex with Natalia was going to be a sweet, sweet release. The promise of that almost made her want to pick a fight. Almost.
"What does any of this have to do with you playing lesbian and raising my kid with Olivia?" Frank demanded.
Ignoring the insult, Natalia's intent gaze spoke of challenge. "It's simply a warning to you not to underestimate me," she replied forthrightly. "I won't back down on this, and you won't win if you fight me."
"What, are you threatening me with her money now?" Frank spat. His eyes turned dark with anger. "You're a sell-out, Natalia."
Natalia felt the tension in Olivia's body before the hotelier even moved. Raising a single hand, she silenced the impending outburst; but Olivia didn't back down from her recently-acquired position directly behind Natalia.
Instead, Olivia's hands slipped over the curve of Natalia's shoulders, offering a reassuring squeeze.
Bolstered by Olivia's unwavering support, Natalia looked Frank squarely in the eyes. "It wasn't a threat, Frank. It's a fact," she said, firmly. "And just for the record, money has nothing to do with it. It's about love. Plain and simple."
Frank smirked. "Good luck with making that last. Especially with her." He motioned toward Olivia, his tone dripping with rancor.
Natalia sensed the shift in Olivia's demeanor without even looking at her. One comment from him, and Olivia's self-doubt resurfaced. Dark eyes pierced straight through Frank. "I don't have a single doubt about the longevity of my relationship with Olivia," she said, confidently. She tipped her head sideways, making eye contact with her partner. "Not one," she declared firmly.
Olivia responded with a wobbly smile, as she wrapped her arms around Natalia's waist from behind. Pulling her close, she buried her face in Natalia's neck, slowly breathing her in.
The action told Natalia that was exactly what Olivia needed to hear. Shifting her awareness back to Frank, she took a stand. "Now, if I recall correctly, I think I asked you to leave," she reiterated, in a tone that brooked no dispute.
Shaking his head, Frank shoved his hands back into his pockets. "I hope you don't live to regret this," he muttered, before turning and walking out the door.
Natalia didn't respond out loud, but in her heart she knew, the only things I regret are the time I wasted with you when I could have been with Olivia, and the awful memory of allowing you to touch me when my heart belonged to her.
Emotionally spent, she turned into Olivia's body then, wrapping her arms around Olivia's waist, as she burrowed into her partner's neck.
Olivia's arms engulfed her without hesitation, and they lingered together, soaking up the comfort and reassurance they each needed from the other. And as they held one another, there were whispered words of reassurance, bolstered by promises that whatever happened, they would conquer it together. After all, they were a team. A two-person team. Like badminton.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009… Watershed—7:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"Oh, and get this," Doris laughed, as she playfully tapped Olivia's knee. They had been lounging at the bar in Watershed for over an hour, finally sharing that promised drink to celebrate Doris's coming out to her daughter; while Natalia joined Lena, Bianca, and the girls at the Beacon pool. The drinks were flowing freely, and Doris was in quite the mood. "Ashlee offered to find me a woman."
"What did you say to that?" Olivia laughed, albeit warily. She could only imagine.
"I told her thank you, but that I didn't really need any help finding dates," Doris answered.
A perfectly chiseled eyebrow arched. "Could've fooled me."
"Oh, shut up." Doris feigned grumpiness. "I do just fine for myself. Besides… Ashlee says she doesn't just want me to find a date…"
"Well, don't leave me hangin'!" Olivia whined. "What does she want?"
Glancing down at her scotch, Doris grew quiet. "She wants me to find love—the kind that you and Natalia share."
A soft smile trickled across Olivia's lips. "That's incredibly sweet."
"Yes," Doris agreed. "Yes, it is," she smiled. Tossing aside her melancholy, she replaced it with her faithful defense mechanism: crude humor. "But until then, I'll be more than happy to settle for just getting laid more often."
Laughing heartily, Olivia agreed that held possibilities. She teased Doris about Jamanda again, to which Doris grinned, and said, "The young ones can be real spitfires. Don't knock it until you've tried it."
"I'll take your word for that," Olivia replied. "I'm more than satisfied with Natalia."
"Clearly," Doris smirked. "You've been wearing that 'just fucked' look for days."
Olivia's only response was a roguish grin.
"You look like you haven't slept in weeks." How the woman could look so damned sexy even when she was clearly exhausted, was beyond Doris's comprehension.
"You won't hear me complaining," Olivia crowed, as she lifted her martini glass in toast before taking a sip. She didn't bother to inform Doris that it contained not one drop of alcohol. Natalia had made it clear she didn't expect Olivia to refrain from her favorite libations for the duration of the pregnancy, but Olivia vowed to stand in solidarity all the same.
Doris just shook her head, and chuckled.
Contemplating, Olivia turned quiet for a moment. Her glass made a scraping sound as she twirled it around on the bar. "You should probably, uh… get used to me looking exhausted," she finally said.
"Don't be such a braggart," Doris groused.
Olivia released a hearty laugh. "I'm not talking about sex," she said. "Geez, you have a one-track mind."
"Not gonna deny that," Doris said with a grin. Ice cubes clinked against the glass as she took another sip of her scotch. "What are you talking about?"
A bright smile blanketed Olivia's face. "Natalia and I are having a baby," she divulged.
The Mayor's jaw dropped. "A what?"
"A baby," Olivia beamed.
"When did you decide to have a baby?" Doris asked suspiciously. It seemed rather sudden.
"Well, we didn't exactly decide," Olivia said, looking rather discomfited. "It just sort of happened."
Curiosity piqued, Doris arched an eyebrow. "I've no doubt you're good in bed," she granted, hoping the hotelier's ego wouldn't inflate too much. "But not even you are that good," she teasingly mocked.
Chuckling, Olivia admitted, "You have no idea how much I wish I were."
"So what gives?" Doris pressed. "How did this happen?"
"Frank," Olivia sighed in explanation. "It happened before Natalia and I were together."
"Oh!" Doris sounded almost shocked. She allowed a moment for the news to settle in, and then she breathed a slow, "Fuck…" in commiseration.
"Exactly," Olivia grumbled, as she plunked her martini glass down on the bar. Lips pursed, she distractedly twirled a swizzle stick between them.
Fleetingly, Doris wished that she were that swizzle stick. And then she forced her thoughts back to Olivia and Natalia's predicament. "I didn't realize they were that serious," she remarked.
"They weren't," Olivia said, flatly. "Or at least Natalia wasn't." She emphasized the part about Natalia. "It only happened once, and she was distraught about it for months."
"Trying to prove what she was feeling for you wasn't real?" Doris correctly assumed.
"You got it," Olivia confirmed. She motioned toward her new bartender, Courtney, for another round of drinks. "How'd you know?"
"Happens to the best of us," Doris related. "It was some poor, unsuspecting Poli-Sci major back in undergrad for me. I was running away from a growing attraction to my roommate," she shared. "I thought a roll in the hay with him would cure it."
"I take it that didn't work out so well," Olivia remarked.
Doris barked out a laugh. "The thirty seconds it took him to finish, was all I needed to convince myself otherwise."
Olivia stifled a laugh, as Doris swallowed the last of her drink just in time for the fresh one to arrive. Blue eyes sparkled as Doris accepted the weighted glass from the young blonde behind the bar. "Thank you," she purred.
"What is it with you and bartenders?" Olivia laughed, as she eyed Doris watching Courtney's firm ass. The younger woman was sauntering toward a group of businessmen who were congregating at the far end of the long, oak bar.
"What?" Doris feigned innocence. "She's legal, or she wouldn't be able to serve liquor."
Rolling her eyes, Olivia shook her head. "One-track mind," she mumbled.
"Oh, please," Doris objected. "Like I'm the only one with sex permanently on the brain."
Olivia's laugh was infectious, and Doris couldn't help but smile. "Something tells me Natalia's experience with Frank was similar to mine," Doris remarked, shifting back to their previous conversation.
"Well, I can tell you from personal experience that Frank Cooper sucks in bed," Olivia ruefully admitted.
If Doris was at all surprised by the confession of a dalliance with the Chief of Detectives, she didn't show it.
"I still haven't figured out how he managed to get Natalia pregnant," Olivia continued, as she lingered over the fresh faux drink in her hand. "He's like a lazy point guard—he dribbles a lot, but he never shoots."
Delivered on a note of wry sarcasm, Olivia's face wore a look of veiled amusement, as Doris burst into laughter, practically snorting her drink. Olivia wanted to tell the Mayor that Natalia's flaccid clit was bigger than Frank's dick when he was fully erect, but she knew that would be going too far. It mattered little, though—Doris was too busy cackling to hear her anyway.
Instead, Olivia's mind drifted back to that morning, when she had spread herself open to Natalia, and Natalia had thrust against her with that gloriously erect clitoris of hers, bringing them to a mutually shattering climax. Good Lord, sex with that woman was satisfying. She was instantly wet, just thinking about it.
Stifling the flush that threatened, Olivia cleared her throat. "Let's just say… we've both thoroughly debunked any notion that Frank, or anyone else for that matter, could ever satisfy us the way we satisfy one another."
"Olivia Spencer!" Natalia barked from behind the hotelier's back.
Startled by the force of Natalia's tone, Olivia's face wore a look of genuine disorientation. And then, as realization dawned, her expression turned sheepish.
Immediately, Doris's cackling ceased, replaced by an expressionless façade.
Good thing for Olivia, she had exercised at least some modicum of restraint. Clearly, Natalia was appalled by what she had overheard. She couldn't imagine how bad it would be if Natalia had heard all the things that were going on in her head just moments prior.
Pokerfaced, like any career politician when caught in the midst of something untoward, Doris sat bolt-upright on the bar stool, hands atop her thighs, as she watched Olivia turn toward her lover.
Clearing her throat nervously, Olivia cast a rueful grin toward Natalia, as she slowly turned around. "Hi, Honey."
The expression on Natalia's face conveyed stern indignation. "Hi, Honey?" she parroted. "That's all you have to say for yourself?" She paused for effect. "Hi, Honey?"
"I, uh… well…," Olivia sputtered. When words failed, she conjured up her most enticing smile.
Amused by the fact that Natalia had rendered the hotelier speechless, Doris had to stifle a smirk. She busied herself with her scotch.
"Don't try to charm me," Natalia warned. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Doris's eyes widened in surprise. Uh-oh, she thought. Natalia cursed. This is bad!
Olivia's gaze shifted toward Doris. "Uh… having a drink with Doris?" she offered in inept explanation.
"Nice try," Natalia snapped.
"I thought you were swimming with the Lena, Bianca, and the girls."
Olivia attempted to divert the subject, but Natalia was having none of that. "We're finished," she said, flatly.
"Oh—" Olivia cowered under Natalia's fiery gaze. "Guess that means Happy Hour is over, huh?"
"Oh, you'd better believe it is, Sweetheart," Natalia said, dourly. "I certainly hope you've enjoyed it, because I think it might be your last for a while."
"Wai—What?" Olivia looked positively stricken.
Doris smirked, and Olivia glowered at her.
"I don't appreciate you chattering about our sex life here at work, Olivia," Natalia censured. "Our employees don't need to overhear things like that! They make up enough stories all on their own."
"Well, you have to admit, they created some pretty juicy tales," Olivia attempted to reason. Thankful that Natalia apparently had not heard what she said about Frank, Olivia breathed a sigh of relief.
Natalia made a face at her. "That is so not the point."
Deflated, Olivia grunted and slumped down on the bar stool.
"How would you feel if I told Bia…" Natalia's mouth snapped shut mid-sentence when she realized that she had done exactly that. Not in such graphic terms, of course, but still, she had talked with her about their sex life. Right there at the Beacon.
An eyebrow arched. "Told Bianca what?"
"Never mind." Natalia attempted to brush it off.
Olivia's grin was full-force now. She knew she had the upper hand. "Oh, n-n-n-n-no, you're not getting off that easily," she insisted, wagging a teasing finger. A transitory thought flashed through her mind about how she would have responded to such a comment. She stifled a smirk, and then her focus was on Natalia again.
"I… uh, I'm not?" Dimples teased, as the corners of Natalia's mouth twitched upward.
Stealthily, Olivia slipped off of the bar stool. Shaking her head, "Uh-uh," she purred, slowly advancing toward Natalia. "What did you tell her?"
The expression on Olivia's face told Natalia she was had, but with a little quick thinking, she figured out a way to use that to her own advantage. When Olivia's arms slipped around her waist, as she implored Natalia one more time to admit to what she had said to Bianca, Natalia offered her most seductive grin in response. Casually, she draped her arms around Olivia's neck, and leaned close, whispering her confession for only her lover to hear.
Olivia's response was marked by an audible gulp, to which Natalia grinned. She had shocked even herself when she heard the admission exiting her lips while talking with Bianca earlier that afternoon.
Pulling back slightly, Olivia caught Natalia's gaze. "Really?" she questioned, sounding quite proud of herself. "I did that for you?"
"Oh, yeah," Natalia whispered in affirmation. Her insides quivered just thinking about it. "You definitely did that for me." She paused for a beat. "Twice."
"Fuck, I am a Rock Star," Olivia arrogantly declared.
Natalia laughed. "Oh, you're a Rock Star all right," she agreed. "A Rock Star who owes the swear jar another five bucks," she smirked.
Chuckling, Olivia leaned in for a kiss. "I'll gladly pay that one, Sweetheart," she declared. "It was worth every penny."
"I'm sure it was," Natalia placated, with the patting of her hand against Olivia's chest. "Now can we go collect the rest of the family and go home? It's well past time for dinner, and our baby is starving."
"Blaming it on the baby, huh?" Olivia teased.
"Every chance I get," Natalia grinned.
"Buzz Burgers and fries?" Olivia asked, hopefully. "Lena and Bianca have to experience Buzz Burgers at least once while they're here."
"I'll call in the order," Natalia smiled. She turned her attention toward the Mayor, glancing at her around the edge of Olivia's shoulder. "Would you like to join us for dinner at the farmhouse, Doris? We're getting take-out from Company."
Doris beamed. "Thank you, Natalia. I'd love to," she accepted. "Why don't I run by to pick up the order, and I'll meet you all out there."
"Sounds like a plan, Doris. Thank you," Natalia said with a smile. "We'll see you there."
Wednesday, May 6, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—11:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"You okay?" Olivia's voice was soft, her tone, concerned, as she soothingly glided her hands across Natalia's shoulders, and down her arms. Gently, she pulled Natalia against her body, holding her from behind. They had just entered their bedroom after sharing a lovely evening with friends. But Natalia had been quiet since putting Emma to bed and wishing their guests goodnight. It was the first time they had been completely alone since before the incident in Watershed, and despite Natalia's seeming forgiveness, Olivia worried that her partner was still upset with her for what she had said to Doris.
Leaning willingly into Olivia's embrace, Natalia allowed herself to be held for a moment. And then she turned in Olivia's arms, finding those eyes that always held her with such tenderness. "I'm…" She searched for a word to accurately describe how she was feeling—One that didn't lend itself to one of those cliché women's responses, such as a "fine" that meant anything but. "I… It's just that…" Frustrated with herself, she sighed.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Olivia's concern was growing.
Natalia bit her lower lip. "I never knew you and Frank had been lovers," she finally admitted.
"Oh, God," Olivia's eyes slid closed as she released a discontented sigh. "You heard what I said to Doris about him."
"Yeah—" Eyes downcast, Natalia nodded. "It doesn't bother me that you were with him… It's just that I didn't know."
"And I thought everyone in this town knew my sordid history," Olivia said, ruefully.
"Not everyone," Natalia admitted. "I'm a late-comer, remember?"
The hint of teasing in Natalia's tone brought the flicker of a smile to Olivia's lips. She knew Natalia was trying to make her feel better, but she wondered if her lover even recognized the double-entendre embedded within her statement. "Better late than never."
Natalia ran her fingers through Olivia's hair. "I owe you an apology, Liv," she declared.
Olivia's brow furrowed. "Apology?" She sounded confused. "For what?"
"My reaction in Watershed was more about being caught off guard about your involvement with Frank, than it was about what you were saying to Doris," Natalia admitted. "I had no right to be angry with you, Liv, and I'm sorry."
Affectionately, Olivia brushed raven locks from Natalia's face. "You had every right to be angry, Natalia," she disagreed. "It's one thing to talk with Doris about something like that in my office, or here at home, but Watershed isn't the place for that. I realize now that I was out of line, and I'm the one who's sorry." She didn't even have alcohol to blame for her faux pas this time.
Slipping her arms around Olivia's neck, Natalia smiled. "Why don't we just call it a lesson learned on both our parts, and get back to focusing happy things—like us…" She pressed a light kiss to Olivia's lips. "And the fact that we have a warm bed waiting for us right over there…" She gestured toward their bed.
Grinning, Olivia brushed her lips against Natalia's. "Now, that's a plan I can totally get into," she declared.
Natalia offered a roguish grin in response. "I was hoping you'd get into far more than that."
A hearty laugh fell from Olivia's lips. Natalia never ceased to surprise her with the things she said and did. "I'll see what I can do about that," she flirted. And then she was kissing Natalia passionately, and slowly peeling away her clothing, as she skillfully maneuvered her toward the warmth of their waiting bed.
Saturday, May 9, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
The remainder of the week flew by, and before they even realized, it was Saturday afternoon—the last full day of Lena and Bianca's first visit to Springfield. The necessary decisions had been made, and the required paperwork filed in the appropriate venues. BGRC was on the verge of existence. And more importantly, thanks to Lena's prowess for lining up financing, Preston Morgan was on the verge of losing his hold over Jen and Tracy.
Business aside, the four of them had shared another wonderful week together—this one filled with even more memory-making moments. Their girls had grown closer, as had the four women, and they were all looking forward to more opportunities to visit in the future. And the bonding hadn't stopped there. Jen and Tracy had joined them for lunch on Thursday, and would be arriving with the boys for another shared dinner in an hour or so; as would Doris and Ashlee. It promised to be another wonderful evening, filled with friends who had unwittingly become family—much to the delight of each and every one of them. It had truly been a week filled to the brim with old friends, new ventures, and some truly unexpected alliances.
And now, as she watched Lena working side-by-side with the loves of their lives, the four of them making dinner together, Olivia found that she was deeply thankful for a friend who cared enough about her to speak the truth, even when it wasn't flattering. Lena had never been one to mince words, or hold back on calling her on her crap, but something had changed in the dynamic of their relationship over the years. And while they were still a formidable team when it came to business—as Preston Morgan was soon to learn—they were no longer simply like-minded professionals who regarded one another's business prowess. Now, they were close friends, who could talk openly and honestly with one another about their feelings. Olivia knew that the transformation of her friendship with Lena had started when Lena fell in love with Bianca—that was when Lena first began opening up to her on a deeper personal level. But Olivia hadn't reciprocated, not even when she was running from Phillip. Yes, she ran to Lena for shelter, but she had never opened up to her about her feelings, never shared with Lena who or what she was running from, or why. Natalia had been Olivia's first true friend in that regard, just as Olivia had been for Natalia, and they would treasure that part of their relationship forever—much like Lena did with Bianca.
The transformation of Olivia's friendship with Lena, which began in the early days of Lena's relationship with Bianca, drew to completion when Olivia found happiness with Natalia. And now, life had come full circle, and as Olivia silently reflected on the totality of her blessings, she realized that she could not have been happier if she tried.
Smiling to herself, Olivia playfully shooed Lena away from the raw onion she was currently mangling, insisting that she could dice it more efficiently. And then she heard Natalia's voice, cautioning her to be careful with that knife. She balked at her partner's fussiness, telling her that she worried too much, as usual, even as she reveled in the fact that Natalia loved her so completely. Natalia shook her head, and smiled, and kissed Olivia on the cheek before turning her attention back to the carrots she was peeling.
The carefree sounds of children playing drifted down the hall from the family room into the kitchen, mingling with the familiar din of chopping and peeling, accompanied by friendly chatter. And Olivia smiled to herself again. Yeah, life didn't get any better than this.
TBC… in Chapter 13: A Month of Sundays…