When Maven opened the door, Steve stepped out of his car in the parking structure. He looked up to see Laura's junker pulling in next to him. Maven got back into the driver's seat and headed off to run a few errands.
Steve paused in front of Laura's car, waiting for her. She waved as she slid out. She immediately moved to the backseat to get the kids, and Steve watched her fixedly.
She was wearing a dress that he had sent over the night before. It was a deep purple, and it fit her perfectly. It was low-cut, but in a powerful way, not an unprofessional way. As she bent forward to help the kids out their car seats, Steve got a good look at her deep cleavage. Her chest shook with each movement. She stood back up, and Michael climbed out of the backseat. She turned away from Steve to head to the other door for Eli, and Steve watched her hips sway as she walked. Her dress was tight, but not the way her skirt had been. This dress said that she was beautiful, but also a strong member of the workforce. Plus, her ass looked fantastic in it. Steve bit his lip. He couldn't help but imagine she was also wearing a bra and panty set that he had picked out. He started to imagine what was underneath her dress, but was unfortunately distracted when Michael ran up to him.
Michael wrapped his arms around Steve's legs and said, "Thank you for all the cars, Uncle Steve. There must have been at least eight of them."
Steve snorted. There were far more than eight of them in that collector's edition, but he was glad he liked them. "You are more than welcome, Little Buddy!" he chirped, reaching down to pat his head. Feeling brave as Laura approached them with the baby, the diaper bag, and her purse in hand, he bent to lift Michael into his arms.
Laura paused, afraid that Michael would go into stranger-danger mode, but he didn't. He held on to Steve comfortably. She wondered if that was because he liked Steve or because he looked so much like his dad.
Steve moved forward and took the bags from Laura. With the bags on his strong shoulder and Michael in his other arm, Laura noticed how fatherly it looked. She also noticed how sexy he looked when he played Super Dad.
"Good morning, Sunshine," he said to her. "You look phenomenal this morning."
"Thank you, Steve." She didn't know what to say, but she knew that wasn't enough. She decided to let it go until they were alone.
"And you were even on time!" he teased. "I always knew you rolled outta bed lookin' gorgeous."F
She blushed and started toward the elevator, trying to escape his compliments. She appreciated them, and she certainly didn't receive enough of them anymore, but it was really weird in front of her kids.
He turned to Michael as he followed behind her. "Doesn't your mom look exquisite today?"
"Yeah," Michael agreed. "What does exqu-iz-it mean?"
They climbed into the elevator. "Really, really good," Steve said.
"Yeah," Michael agreed.
"Thank you, Baby," she said, pinching Michael's cheek.
"You're welcome," Steve responded.
"She wasn't talking to you!" Michael laughed a big, little kid laugh.
"She wasn't?" Steve asked, feigning surprise. "Darn!"
Michael giggled again.
Laura could not believe her eyes. Michael never took to people this quickly.
Steve turned suddenly in her direction. "What did you think, Eli?"
Elijah cooed.
"Well, no. I don't think she was talking to the Lindbergh Baby." He paused and Eli burped. He responded to him again, "Well, mainly because he was kidnapped."
Now, it was Laura's turn to laugh. He was so weird.
Michael looked at Steve, perplexed. "Eli doesn't talk."
"He doesn't?" Steve said, shocked again. "Well, then whose voice have I been hearing?" he exclaimed.
Michael shrugged and laughed. They stepped out and walked to the daycare center. When they entered, Jenna was there to meet them.
"Good morning, Doc! I'm surprised to see you here again. You'd think Ms. Winslow would be able to find this place on her own by now."
Laura's mouth dropped. It did not take Jenna long to go from suspicious to catty. Quickly, Laura adjusted her expression, smiling just a little too sweetly.
Steve completely missed the subtleties before him. "Oh, she certainly could. I just like to see the kids."
Laura looked smugly at the woman who was shaping up to be her new rival. Of course, for Steve's heart, there was no close competition, except, Laura suddenly remembered, she was pretty clear about being out of the game. She looked at Steve, concerned she was about to let him slip away again.
They said goodbye to the kids and started to walk toward the elevator. When they got in, she couldn't help but stare at him. He was well-behaved today. He stayed on the other side of the elevator. He didn't push her. He didn't tempt her. She suddenly realized that he was remembering he had to follow boundaries, only she wasn't sure she liked where she put them. She turned to him, "Steve, I –"
The doors opened to his bustling office. All of the interns had beaten them there, and all of them seemed to need something from both of them. Laura forced herself to get out of her head and into her work, reminding herself that the most important thing was to work hard so her sons could have a better life. She wasn't here to flirt or to find a new husband.
She managed to avoid workplace complications in the morning, but at lunchtime, Steve strolled up to her desk. "C'mon, Laura," he beckoned.
"It's lunch, Steve. You don't have a meeting."
"Not a meeting," he replied, waving to her again.
She followed him. He turned to the interns, "We'll be back in about an hour." They stepped into the elevator, and again he was behaving himself.
She turned to him. "Where are we going?"
"Out to lunch," he replied.
"I packed a lunch."
"You did?" He hadn't expected that. "Why?"
"Um, because we didn't have plans for lunch?"
"Sweetums, you can just assume that we have a standing date," he said, a little surprised he had to explain that to her.
What? "I will not assume that, Steve."
"Ok, but then you're going to waste a lot of PB and J's in your lunchbox."
She gawked at him, but she continued to follow as the doors opened. He opened the car door for her, and she slipped inside, noticing the privacy screen that separated them from Maven. "How could you be so presumptuous?" she asked as he sat beside her.
"I thought I was pretty clear."
"You weren't."
"Ok, well, then Laura, would you like to have lunch with me today?" he asked, smiling at her.
"I don't know. I'm already here, I guess," she said frustrated.
"Then let's go!" he chirped.
He switched the conversation back to work while they drove. He could tell she was uncomfortable, so he tried to make their lunch seem more innocent than he really intended it to be. As far as he was concerned, this was a date.
She watched intently out the window, trying to figure out where they were going. He refused to tell her. They eventually pulled up to a marina at the edge of the city. Maven opened the door, and Steve stepped out. He offered his hand to Laura as she pulled herself from the car, but she ignored it.
"Where are we, Steve?"
"At the marina!" he beamed gesturing as Maven drove away from them. Steve started to walk toward the docks, and Laura followed.
"I can see that, but why this marina? And why a marina? And how is this lunch?" she interrogated.
"You are just full of questions today, aren't you, Missy?"
"When quirky billionaires take me to marinas I tend to ask questions to avoid being murdered."
He snorted, "Murdered? If that were my plan, I think I could have hired some guys to do it for me. No point in getting' my hands dirty."
"Not helping, Steve." They reached the dock, and she slipped off her heels. She didn't feel like breaking an ankle today.
"I wasn't trying to help, my pet." He stopped as they reached one of the yachts. He checked the name to be sure. Yup, this was the one. "Here we are, my love."
Laura looked at the yacht in front of her. It wasn't the biggest in the area, but it was still a friggin' yacht. "Is this yours, Steve?"
"Mm-hm," he smiled proudly. "I just called about her last night, and I signed the papers bright and early this morning. They're not delivering until Saturday, but they said I could stop by for a while today."
Laura was so caught up on the fact that he bought a yacht in a day, she almost missed the name. "Laura Lee?" she asked meekly.
"Would you expect me to call her anything else?"
"No," she admitted, though she couldn't say she was comfortable with it. "Why did you buy a boat, Steve?"
"I thought you'd like it," he answered honestly.
"Steve, you can't just buy crazy expensive things because you think I'd like them!"
"You seem comfortable enough in the clothes."
She covered herself protectively and looked away embarrassed. "I needed the clothes, Steve."
Oh, no. "No, Sweetums. I know that. Please, don't feel bad. I didn't mean…"
She looked up at him and saw the compassion in his eyes. He made it so hard to be mad at him. "This is too much, Steve."
"No," he replied. "This doesn't belong to you. It's not a gift. I just wanted to have one and spend time with you on it. I have a great waterfront at home. I thought you and the kids may want to go for a ride by the city or swim out in the lake. I thought it'd be fun."
"I told you we can't come to your house, Steve."
"But maybe someday?"
"No, Steve," she insisted.
He sighed. "Well, tell me that after I give you the tour." He stepped onto the boat and offered her his hand. She reluctantly took it, and he helped her aboard.
Again, he didn't spend an enormous amount on the boat, at least in comparison to what he could have, but it was by far the biggest boat Laura had ever been on. It had a couple of tiny bedrooms, multiple bathrooms. It had indoor and outdoor seating areas. It had a little kitchen. He took her up to the top deck where she saw a picnic he had laid out for them.
She was mostly silent during the tour, not knowing exactly how to react. Who had this kind of disposable income? He could have paid for a kid's tuition several times over instead of buying a boat.
Eventually, sitting down at their picnic, she was forced to speak. "Steve, how much money do you donate every year?" she asked shamelessly.
His eyebrows rose. He was surprised she was so forward. "It varies a little. I could have someone check for you when we get back to the office."
"That's not really necessary," she said. They were both seated on the blanket he laid out, and her legs were folded behind her. She accepted a champagne flute as he offered it to her, assuming correctly that it was again only sparkling juice. She took a sip. "Do you really think this was the best use of your money?"
"Oh, Laura, relax. I have plenty."
"I know, Steve, but you've always been very generous, especially with me. Maybe you didn't really need this. It worries me that you spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a whim just to impress me. Couldn't you have put that money to better use?"
Ha! Hundreds of thousands? That would have been a steal. "Sweetheart, I promise, I am one of the most philanthropic men on the planet. This was definitely a splurge, but I like to spoil you."
That was exactly her point. "I don't need to be spoiled, Steve."
"Do you want me to sell it?" he asked, sad that his idea had been such a failure.
"It's not my boat, Steve."
"But I want it to be someday. If you were my wife, would you want to keep it or sell it?"
"You shouldn't be making decisions that way, Steve!" she pressed. "I'm not your wife. I'm never going to be."
"Oh, don't say never, Laura. We don't know what's going to happen. There was a time that you would have said you could never love me, but you did love me. You would have said that you'd never give me your virginity, but you did."
"You would have said that you'd never leave me, but you did," she countered.
He went silent.
"I just don't want you investing in something that may never happen, Steve," she admitted, meaning it both literally and figuratively.
"It's worth the risk, Laura Lee. You've always been worth the risk."
"Not always."
"Laura," he moved closer to her, "I will do whatever I have to to make it up to you. Just give me a chance."
"No," she said curtly.
"I hope you'll reconsider," he said. They were quiet for a moment as he pulled out the rest of their lunch. "Laura?" he asked.
"Yeah?"
"I am going to a charity gala next Friday night, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to go as my date."
She looked up at him. "C'mon, Steve. I told you I'm not dating."
"I know, but it doesn't have to be a date date. We can go as friends," he suggested.
"I don't think so, Steve."
"Please, Laura," he begged. "I have to take a date to this thing, and I really want–"
"You should take Jenna," Laura suggested, as if she were trying to get back at herself for considering going with him.
"Jenna? Jenna who?"
"From the daycare center," she said, stubbornly sticking to her guns.
"Why would I take her?"
"Well, you said you have to bring a date, and she obviously likes you." What the heck are you doing, Laura?
"Huh," Steve said, "she does?"
"Mm-hm," Laura nodded, feeling her stomach knotting, and not from the rocking of the boat.
"Well, I guess I could ask," he conceded.
Please, no. "I think you should."
"I did buy a ticket for you, though. As my assistant, I'll need you there."
"You will? Why?" She was suspicious that this was all some ploy to make her jealous, but that didn't make any sense. She had suggested half of it!
"I'll need you to meet some important people and develop working relationships with them. I'll also need you there to help me with my speech."
"You have to give a speech?"
"Yup! So, you'll be there?"
"Is it optional?" she asked.
"Well, it wouldn't be for any other assistant, and it's not for the interns, so… no? Is that ok?"
"Of course, Steve," she answered. "Thank you for treating me like an employee, for a change." Great, now she was going to have to watch him date someone else.
He spent the rest of their lunch talking about the gala and what she should expect. He also dropped a few hints about how important his donations were to the cause. Laura didn't hear a word of it, as her mind was on Jenna, and Steve noticed she was distracted for the rest of the day.
She was even quiet when they picked up the kids. Laura watched as Steve asked Jenna if she'd like to join him at the gala. She also watched as Jenna accepted and took the time to sneer at Laura. Laura felt like she had been stabbed in the gut again, only this time, it was self-inflicted. She had no idea how she was going to get through that night.
On the night of the gala, everyone met in the lobby to wait for the limos. The three interns, several vice presidents, their dates, Jenna, Steve, and Laura were all dressed to the nines. Steve had sent over a gown for Laura the night before. He was not surprised that she looked incredible in it.
Her hair was up, so her slender neck showed. She wore diamond earrings that drew attention to her face. She wore bright red lipstick that made her lips look full and kissable. It also made her smile look even brighter, though Steve noticed she hadn't been doing much of that tonight. The satin gown he had bought for her clung perfectly to her every curve. It was backless and showed her incredible skin. The cut in the front was deep so it displayed her cleavage, and Steve couldn't keep his eyes off of it. The unforgiving fabric showed off her flat stomach and her round butt. There weren't many moms who could rock a dress like that. Steve wasn't sure if his loving eyes were tricking him or if she was really that stunning. Based on some of the perverted stares he picked up from some of his vice presidents, most of whom were over sixty, he guessed he wasn't the only one who saw her that way.
Laura noticed him, too. She hadn't seen him in a tuxedo since prom, and she couldn't peel her eyes away, which was terrible for her because Jenna was hanging all over him. Laura couldn't help but notice the way his glasses brought out his eyes against the dull backdrop of his tux. He filled it out well, too. Every time he turned, her eyes were drawn to his butt. Mm.
As the limos arrived, Steve reluctantly offered his arm to his date. He looked back at Laura, who smiled brightly, but something looked off. He knew she still had feelings for him. Why would she suggest this? It must be killing her.
Laura cringed as Steve offered Jenna his arm, but she smiled politely as she followed them out of the building. Jenna was beautiful, she noticed. She was thin and fit. Her breasts and her butt were kind of small, but they were certainly perky. Her caramel skin looked great against the deep brown of her dress. Her hair looked great. Her makeup was a little trampy for Laura's taste. Still, she had to acknowledge that she was hot. Laura had set Steve up with a hot date who was totally into him, though that may have just been for his money. That's not fair, Laura, she thought to herself. Any other woman who finds Steve attractive must be a gold digger? Who's the one who keeps profiting from his lavish gifts? Her face became serious as she started to realize her hypocrisy. She only wanted Jenna to be a gold digger so she didn't risk losing Steve. That really wasn't fair to either of them.
Laura was surprised to see that Maven was their chauffeur. He waved to her excitedly and held the door for everyone. The vice presidents rode in the second limo, so the interns climbed in first. Then Steve helped Jenna in and got in himself. Laura followed behind him, taking the seat on his other side, a little disappointed he hadn't offered her a hand. He's on a date, Laura. You turned him down. Stop being a brat.
As they drove, Steve sat in silence, pretending to listen to Jenna babble. To be completely honest, he couldn't have gotten a D if she gave him a pop quiz on her story. His eyes focused on Jenna, but his mind revolved completely around Laura. Why did she want him to date Jenna? Why did she refuse to go with him, even as a friend? Why would she accept his gifts but not give him the time of day? Did she only want his help and his money? If that was the case, why did she look at him the way she did?
Steve was a wreck, and Laura was no better. Why won't he look at me? Why is he smiling at her? God, Steve! Just touch me!
When they pulled up to the gala, both Laura and Steve were thrilled to be out of that enclosed space with the jabbering Jenna. Even the interns seemed annoyed by her. They went into the gala and started to mingle. Laura followed closely behind Steve and Jenna, being introduced over and over again as his assistant. Sure, she was his assistant, but she was also the love of his life. He couldn't let that slip once. Laura realized she really had no right to complain, though. She had chosen to come as an employee. Jenna, however, was clearly miffed that Steve referred to her only as his "friend". Laura actually started to feel bad for her.
When Jenna excused herself to run to the restroom, Laura pulled Steve aside.
"Sweetums, as sexy as you look in that dress," he crooned, "I have a date tonight. I can't make out with you… here."
Laura rolled her eyes. "I wasn't offering," she asserted. She sighed, not really wanting to be this nice tonight. "Look, Steve, Jenna is obviously annoyed that you're introducing her as your 'friend', so you should probably switch to 'date'."
Steve furrowed his brow. "But she is only a friend. Sweetheart, you know who my heart belongs to."
"I know, Steve, but she doesn't."
"But, Laura," he whined, "I don't wanna lie to her. I don't want this to be another Myra situation. I don't want to take advantage of anybody's feelings for me."
Wow. He thought she was going to be another Myra. So, he isn't even going to consider the gold digger possibility? Okay. "Steve, you can call your dates whatever you want. I'm just warning you; she's mad."
Well, someone certainly was. He took another step closer to Laura, seeing the fire in her eyes. "Laura Winslow, I told Jenna plain as day that we were only going as friends. If she didn't get the hint, that's on her."
"You did? You used those words?" She didn't remember that, but she realized her pulse was so loud in her ears, that she had never really heard what he'd said.
"Yes, my pet, I promise. This is completely innocent on my end." He took another step toward her and Laura realized he had backed her up against a wall. He reached toward her face and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You are breathtaking, my love," he whispered.
Her heart started pounding, and she felt hot. These were good feelings, though. She was thrilled that her set-up wasn't as successful as she thought it had been. After all, she and Ted set him up with Myra. That lasted for years.
He leaned down to her ear. "I can't stop thinking about you in that dress. I just want–"
Suddenly, someone cleared her throat behind them.
Darn! Steve turned and stepped back from Laura to find Kelly staring at them.
"Your date's at the bar, and she's doing shots."
"Oh, let her!" Steve conceded. "Who can do these things sober, anyway?" he turned back to Laura, who had taken a few steps away from the wall. "Would you like a glass of wine, Ms. Winslow?"
"I'm your assistant, Steve. I should be offering you wine," she rebutted.
"Oh, you're not that kind of assistant. That's what the interns are for," he turned to Kelly, only to discover she had walked away. "Huh. I guess we're on our own." He placed an arm around her waist, and she didn't pull away. She really must have been jealous!
When they got to the bar, Jenna was there. She was a few tequila shots in, so she didn't notice when Steve walked up with an arm around Laura.
"Steve," she slurred, "I missed youuuuuu…"
Laura was pushed to the side, and Jenna started to rub her hands up and down Steve's chest. Laura turned to the bartender. "Two glasses of your house white wine, please."
Steve tried to hold Jenna at arms' length. "This girl cannot hold her liquor," Steve quipped to Laura.
"Neither can you, if I recall," she snickered.
"Oh, and you're one to talk, Miss Quarters?" he asked, referencing the drinking game that had gotten her wasted to kiss him.
"I'm a little better at it now," she assured him, handing him a glass. "One thing a crappy marriage teaches you is how to hold your wine."
He looked at her, clearly concerned.
"It was just a joke, Steve," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Was it?" he asked. Suddenly, he felt Jenna unbuttoning his shirt. "WHOA. Ok, let's get you back to the table, Jenna." He handed his glass back to Laura so he could safely lead Jenna to their table. He handed her several slices of bread, hoping they would soak up some of the booze. Laura took the seat on the other side of him. He wanted to follow up on her Stefan quip earlier, but he didn't know how. "Laura," he began, his brows knitted in deep concern, "will you please tell me what happened between you and Stefan? Not here, not even tonight, just please tell me."
"Nothing happened," Laura lied, looking down at her lap.
"That's not true, Sweetums," he sighed. "I hope you'll feel comfortable telling me, eventually."
A few of the other people at their table appeared as dinner was about to be served. Laura and Steve chatted with a couple of other major company owners in the area. Jenna… ate.
Laura could see that she was mellowing, which was a good thing. She knew what it was like to lose control at a party. Heck, she knew what it was like to lose control at a party because a guy she liked had said something stupid. She also felt like this was her fault. She knew Steve had no interest in seeing anyone, but she had insisted he put some poor girl through it anyway. Now, she was going to at least have to be nice to her.
Steve was completely oblivious to his recovering date. He made sure she ate enough to balance her out and keep her from embarrassing herself and him, but otherwise, he focused on the other guests and on Laura. As dinner ended, he started to feel a little braver, the wine helped, and he slipped his hand under the table and onto Laura's knee. She ignored it, at first, but then he started to caress her thigh.
It felt good to be touched by him again, but she knew that she wasn't his date tonight, and there was no reason to rub his indifference in Jenna's face. Laura stood and excused herself to the restroom.
Steve gave her a couple of minutes, but then he told Jenna he'd be right back and followed her. He waited on a bench outside of the ladies' room, and the moment she stepped back out, he stood.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked.
"Let's go for a walk," he suggested.
"You're giving a speech in fifteen minutes," she reminded him.
"So we won't go far!" he said nonchalantly.
She shook her head and pulled him around a corner, knowing there were more than enough of her coworkers around. "I'm not your date tonight, Steve. You need to go back in there and be nice to Jenna."
"I've been plenty nice!" he argued.
"You've been ignoring her."
"She got wasted, Laura, and she wasn't exactly a riveting conversationalist to begin with."
"She got drunk because you were ignoring her. The food's helping. She's coming out of it, now. I mean it, Steve. Go do your best impression of a good date for the rest of the evening. You can tell her it won't work tomorrow. There's no reason to be a jerk now."
He pursed his lips and sighed through his nose. "You're right, Sweetums, but won't that be hard for you to watch? It'll definitely be hard for me to do."
"I'm a big girl, Steve. I can handle it." Of course, she intended to handle it much in the fashion that Jenna had handled the first part of the evening.
He nodded and let her head back. He waited a while and went to the restroom, so it didn't seem like they were off together somewhere. When he returned, he noticed that Laura had finished her wine and his. He meant to comment, but suddenly, he was introduced and pulled on stage.
Laura only vaguely knew what this gala was for. As she listened to Steve speak, she realized why the cause was so important to him. This organization worked to combat bullying in schools. It trained teachers to catch it and deal with it properly. It trained students to stand up to bullies, and it provided counseling for victims of bullying. As Steve spoke of his own experiences with bullies, she felt a familiar surge of guilt. He danced around her own part in his pain, or at least he did, until he stopped.
He looked at her, making very direct eye contact. "I knew a girl when I was growing up who I thought was the most spectacular person on the planet. She was beautiful, strong, smart, kind, and she always did the right thing… eventually. She was a bully. Admittedly, I harassed her relentlessly, so there was some mutual fault, but I'm sure she would agree that there were times that she bullied me, plain and simple."
Wow, even when they were dating, they had never had a moment like this. They never had a moment where he acknowledged how she used to treat him. She had tried to bring it up to him a few times. She had tried to apologize, but he always dismissed it. Now, he was telling the whole world how cruel she was to him when they were kids. She noticed the video cameras on him, and she blushed deeply, shrinking into her seat, though she never broke eye contact. If he was finally ready to have that conversation, she had to be ready to hear him, even if he insisted on it being publicized.
"She said some really horrible things to me. She told me that she not only wasn't interested, but she never could be because I was a nerdy, nasally, unattractive loser. Well, she said it in so many words, anyway. You know, words like 'worm', 'scum', and 'drop dead.'"
Laura felt humiliated, but they continued to make eye contact.
"Again, I really didn't leave her alone. If I had, I'm sure she would have left me alone. She never went out of her way to hurt people. She hurt me because it was her only line of defense. However, over time, she and I became friends. Eventually, she did date me. We came close to marriage, in fact. The thing about bullies is that they are just reacting however they can to whatever situation they're in. The girl in my story isn't a villain. She's not even a villain to me. She grew and matured, and I know that she would never treat anyone the way she used to treat me, but there are some nerds who aren't quite so lucky. Not every bully is redeemed. Not every nerd gets the girl. I hope that with these funds, we can work harder in schools to help more kids, both the bullies and the victims, because they are all in pain. That's why tonight Urkorp is making a large donation to fund a new program in Chicago Public Schools that will focus on providing counseling to students with frequent citations for mistreating their peers. If you help the bully, you can save the victims. Thank you for your time. Please, have a wonderful evening."
He stepped off the stage to a room full of applause. Laura was probably the only person in the room not clapping, and he noticed. When the applause began, she lowered her head. He went back to his seat and looked down at her. "Laura?" He was terrified she was mad at him. When she looked up at him, he saw that her cheeks were covered in tears.
"Steve…"
He grabbed her hand and led her quickly out to the lobby. He sat her down on a couch a good distance from other attendees and held both her hands in his. Her eyes stared at their hands. "Laura, my love, I am so sorry. I know I completely blindsided you. I never meant to hurt your feelings. I thought–"
"You didn't hurt my feelings, Steve," she sniffled.
"Then why are you crying?"
She sniffled again and tried to wipe her tears, but they just kept coming, "Because I am so sorry, Steve. I know that I used to–"
"Oh, no, Laura, no. Please, don't worry about any of that. That's all in the past. I promise," he assured her, waving dismissively.
"No, Steve. Please, let me apologize. You deserve to hear it," she pleaded.
"It's really not a big deal, my love. I'm fine. We're fine."
"Steve! Please!" she said a little too loudly, making other patrons turn.
Steve looked at her face and saw how much pain she was in. Maybe he was doing her a disservice by downplaying it. He decided she really did need to apologize for her own peace of mind. He squeezed her hands and whispered, "Ok, Sweetums, I'm all ears." He smiled brightly.
She looked at him and saw the look in his eyes. He had forgiven her long ago, and she knew that, but he still deserved an apology. It wasn't going to change anything between them. It wouldn't change what had happened between them after, and it wouldn't change where they were now, but he deserved to hear how sorry she really was. "I'm so sorry for the way I treated you, Steve. I know there is nothing I could say that could erase all of the pain you felt, but if there were, I would say it. You were an incredible friend to me, and yes, you were annoying, and you kind of stalked me, but that's no reason to say the things that I did or use you the way that I did. You deserved better than that. I know, too, that part of the reason you always chased me, and my family, is that your home life wasn't great. I should have been able to see that, Steve, and I should have given you a little more slack because of it. Thank you for being such an incredible friend to me when we were growing up. You are a huge part of the person I've become, and I am so grateful to have had you there. You have made me a kinder, stronger, more compassionate, and more loving person. I hope you can forgive me someday."
Whoa. She must have been holding that in for a long time. He was tearing up a little. He scooted closer to her on the couch so he could press his forehead up against hers. "Laura Winslow, I am harboring no grudges. Honestly, I wouldn't change a thing about our past. Well," he paused, remembering the way they ended, "I would only change that one day. All the stuff that got us there, I wouldn't risk changing for the world. You did hurt me a few times, Laura, but you also loved me. I wouldn't risk that to save myself a little heartbreak as a kid. Plus, I think you're being a little too hard on yourself. For every moment you were mean to me, there were other moments that you were very kind."
"I'm not sure the ratio works out that well for me, Steve."
"Well, guess which moments I remember best, my love."
She smiled at him. This time it was her big beautiful smile, completely unimpeded by the drama of the evening. She felt so much better having gotten some of that off of her chest. She almost felt good enough to–
Seeing a rare opportunity, Steve took a chance and pressed his lips to hers. He heard her gasp in surprise but she didn't pull away. In fact, that gasp gave him the opportunity to lock their lips together, and he started to suck on her bottom lip. He remembered how much she used to love that, and it seemed like she still did. He moved his hands up to her hips, and she moved hers up to grip his biceps. Soon, he felt her tongue venture out of her mouth to trace his lips. He happily opened wide so their tongues could meet. He hadn't had a French kiss in five years.
Laura hadn't had one since she left Stefan, either. She had forgotten how good it felt to be so close to someone she cared about. Her eyes were shut tightly, enjoying the heat of his soft lips.
His eyes remained open, refusing to miss a moment of her affection. He wanted so badly to kiss her neck or nibble her ear lobe, but he knew that she would pull away the second he tried. He held on as long as he could, but then he started to quickly trail kisses down her neck, until he landed in her favorite spot.
God! He never forgot a thing. When he reached that spot and started to suck gently, Laura placed one hand on the back of his head, pulling him closer, stroking gently. She let out a soft moan, "Ooooo." Upon hearing her own voice, she suddenly snapped out of it. She pushed him away forcefully and put a foot of space between them. "I'm sorry, Steve," she said, standing abruptly.
"But, Laura," he whined.
"Before you come back to the table, stop at the restroom and wipe the lipstick off your face, please." She turned and left, feeling her guilt return. She was still being cruel to him. Sure the reasons were different this time, but mean was mean.
He sat on that couch for a few minutes, but he eventually decided he had to return. He wasn't mad at Laura for kissing him or for stopping, but he was hurt. He was hurt for both of them. He was sure she still loved him, and he knew how hard it was keep someone you love at a distance for various reasons. He wished his kiss could make all of her worries go away, but it just didn't work like that. He had to earn her trust back, and to do so, he had to clean up and get back in there. He stopped at the bathroom like she had suggested and disappointedly wiped her lipstick from his lips.
Laura stopped in the restroom as well, hoping to find a moment to calm down and to fix the lipstick he had smeared. Their passionate kiss had smeared her lipstick on her lips, her cheek, her chin, and all the way down her neck. Red was arguably too bright a color for an intense make-out session like that, but she wasn't supposed to make out with him! Why can't I control myself anymore? Though, she realized as she was cleaning up, she was never able to control herself well with Steve. Since the moment she had started to develop feelings for him at that stupid bachelor auction, she'd been unexpectedly falling into kiss after kiss with him. She surprised herself by accepting his proposal. Even their first time totally caught her off guard. As she fixed her lips, she concluded that if she let herself be alone with him anymore, he was going to win her back somehow. She vowed to herself then and there that she was never going to be alone with him again, but that didn't last long.
She managed to avoid him for the rest of the evening, while he pretended to be fascinated by his actual date. To do so, though, they had both indulged in just a little more wine then they had planned to. When they finally got back into the limo, Laura and Steve didn't even sit next to each other.
Laura watched, trying to appear discrete, as Jenna continuously ran her hands all over Steve. She tried not to be bitter or mad about it, but whatever jealous nerve she was hitting was way past logic at this point.
As they dropped each of the interns off at their dorms, and the limo began to empty, Jenna became more and more forward.
"You look so good in your tux," she purred as she ran her finger down the line of his buttons.
Steve gulped, feeling incredibly uncomfortable as this near stranger caressed him in front of his glaring ex-fiancée. "Uh, yeah. Thanks," he mumbled back.
"Hey," she whispered loudly in his ear, clearly wanting Laura to hear it, "why don't you come back to my place? I have been dying to get you alone all night."
Steve's eyes widened, and he looked to Laura for help. She had already looked away pretending not to care where Steve spent the night. He said a silent prayer that she would at least play along to help him out. "Oh, um… That sounds really great, but I can't tonight, right, Laura?" he asked, his pleading eyes meeting hers again as she turned.
She raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.
"I can't be-because we, Laura and I, we-we have to work on that thing at the office, right?"
Jenna glared back at Laura, just a little too tipsy to figure out if he was lying. She laid her charms on thicker. "Oh, but Steve," she cooed, "I'm sure it could wait until tomorrow. Though, if you spend the night with me, I promise you will be exhausted tomorrow."
She started to suck on his earlobe, and Steve was distracted for a moment. It had been so long since anyone had kissed him there. "Ohh," he whimpered.
Laura's jaw clenched, and she crossed her arms across her chest.
Steve glanced over to her and remembered why he had to turn this girl down, even though she was clearly easier than Laura. "No," he said curtly, pushing her away. He turned to Jenna, suddenly filled with confidence, and he sweetly grabbed her hands and started to stroke them. "I've had a lovely time with you tonight, Jenna, but this thing we need to do at the office is very urgent. Really, I shouldn't have gone to this gala tonight, but it was for such an important cause, I couldn't say no."
Laura rolled her eyes, angry that he seemed to be almost flirting with her.
"Laura and I need to go back to the office for a while tonight. I'm so sorry. Right, Laura?"
Why did he have to drag her into this again? They both turned to look at her for confirmation. Well, this was her one chance. If she wanted to avoid him, she could send them off together. Surely, if they slept together, he would feel guilty enough to date her for a while, and then he would be forced to give Laura the space she needed to keep their relationship off the table. All she had to do was say that the thing could wait until tomorrow or that she could handle the thing by herself. She opened her mouth to send him packing and was surprised by her own words as she said, "Oh! That thing! Of course, Steve! I completely forgot. We better get a move on. We have a lot of work to do together tonight." Uh-oh.
Finally, woman! What? Do you want me to sleep with Jenna? Steve turned his attention back to Jenna as the limo came to a stop outside of her apartment. "I'll see you tomorrow!" he said, full of cheer as she stepped out of the door Maven held for.
Completely shamelessly, she leaned back in, her small breasts practically hanging out of her dress. "You won't even walk me to the door?"
"Sorry, no time! Bye!" he said as he leaned out to quickly shut the door. As they watched her sulk up to her entry and get safely inside, they sat in silence. When Maven began to pull away, Steve turned his attention to Laura. "Well, that was a close one!"
Laura looked at him, still annoyed. "You could have gone up with her, you know. You would definitely have gotten lucky."
"Laura," he replied, sliding to the other side of the limo so he could sit next to her, "there is nothing lucky about sleeping with some girl I don't care about. Now, I haven't completely ruled out the possibility that I might get lucky tonight, but that's not for me to decide." He put a hand on her thigh and started to caress.
She looked at him, "No, Steve. That's not going to happen."
He leaned in close, still caressing, noticing that she didn't actually move away from him. He whispered in her ear, his lips so close that his soft skin tickled her ear, "How long has it been for you, my pet? Five years without being touched has been torture for me."
Her eyes drifted shut, involuntarily, and she whispered back, suddenly compelled to answer, "Over a year."
"Oh, nooooo," he cooed. "A woman with a bodacious bod like yours can't go that long without being… pleasured."
Laura realized that the wine was getting to both of them. She was supposed to resist him, and he was supposed to be shy and polite. Still, she didn't move.
He stuck his tongue out and licked around her ear. "My love, if you want, I would be happy to spend the rest of the night ravishing you."
"Ohhh," she moaned as his tongue slipped just into her ear canal.
"We could make tonight all about you," he whispered. "You wouldn't even have to touch me."
The hand on her thigh moved up to caress her cheek. "Let me do this for you, my love." His hand started to trail down her body until his gentle touch grazed her left breast. He cupped it gently and started to massage it. His thumb stroked the portion that was exposed by the cut of her dress, and she got goose bumps. "Your breast feels incredible, Sweetums. Your skin is so smooth, and you fit so perfectly in my hand." He kissed her neck between compliments. His other hand moved to hold hers. When their hands met, she squeezed his tightly, silently encouraging him. He gave her breast a gentle shake to feel it bounce for him. "You're not wearing a bra, are you, my pet?" He looked at her face, she was biting her lip.
She shook her head no.
He smiled and squeezed her breast more forcefully, encouraged that there was so little fabric between their skin. He had a naughty thought. "What about panties?" he whispered. "Are you wearing any panties?"
She nodded.
"Where did you get those panties, Laura?"
She swallowed hard. "You," she answered breathlessly.
He grinned wickedly. "Which ones are you wearing?" She didn't answer so he moved his hand to play with her hard nipple. Asking again, he pinched her nipple, "Which ones, Pet?"
"Oh!" she gasped. No one had touched her breasts since she had stopped breast feeding, and that was a very different feeling. She hadn't felt her breasts were really sexy since before she had had Michael. Stefan never did enough to help her feel comfortable with the changes that took place in her body during her first pregnancy. The second pregnancy only made her more self-conscious. Really, she knew she had been pretty lucky. Though they weren't as perky as they used to be, they were still perky. They returned to their normal size. She got off easy, but she noticed every subtle change, no matter how small, and having always been a little vain, she felt terrible about it all.
Now, as Steve held her breast, she felt like herself for the first time since she had kids. She felt sexy. She felt like the goddess he saw her as. Feeling so grateful for the way he made her feel, she finally answered him, "The lacy, red thong."
"Mmmm…" he moaned. "That one's my favorite." He removed his hand from her nipple for just a second, and she pouted. He turned her face toward his, and he kissed her, happily picking up where they had left off earlier. His hand slipped back down to her breast, and he courageously slipped his hand inside her dress to feel her bare bosom. He felt her nipple get even harder, and she moaned in his mouth.
"Mmmmmm…"
He pulled and pinched her nipple, wanting to suck it, but he wanted to get her back to his house first. He just wasn't sure how to do that. He knew Maven was driving closer and closer to Casa de Winslow. He moved his other hand, cupped her other breast, and did the same to that nipple.
Her hands felt his chest, and she confirmed how much more muscular he was than he used to be. She scratched her nails up and down it. She wanted to undo his shirt, but she was afraid to take things further. She wanted him, but she knew she couldn't have him.
He felt the limo coming to a stop. He broke their kiss, still playing with her chest. He looked her in the eye as hers finally fluttered open. "Spend the night with me, Laura. Please. I'll do anything."
She looked at him sadly and pulled his hands out of her dress. She adjusted herself before answering, "I'm sorry, Steve. I have to go." She slid to the door just as Maven opened it and left Steve alone in the limo.
Though Steve had expected nothing less, he was still heartbroken. So much so, in fact, that his erection faded quickly as she left, and he lay down in the back of the limo with no urge to take care of himself.
When he got home that night, he went to bed and cried himself to sleep.
When Laura left for work Monday morning, she was afraid that things were going to be different and awkward. Steve had every right to be mad at her. She was really just teasing him now. This is exactly why she had wanted him to promise to be professional. Now they were in this awkward situation, and their work day was going to be miserable.
When she arrived, however, Steve greeted her in the parking structure as if nothing had happened. He chatted to her brightly and talked to the kids. Everything was as if the other night hadn't hurt him at all. Of course, his normalcy hurt Laura's feelings. She had that little effect on him now?
Steve, though he hid it well, was still hurt by what had happened. However, he knew Laura well. He knew what she was like when she was falling for him the first time. She resisted him with every bone in her body, and she left him hanging more than a few times, though in admittedly less intimate positions. As difficult as the weekend had been for him, he knew that what had happened on Friday night was really a good sign, so he picked his face up off the floor and went back to wooing her with a bounce in his step.
The only truly awkward part of their day was when they reached the door to the daycare center. Steve stopped in front of it. He turned to her, handing her the diaper bag but holding onto her purse. "You go ahead. I'll be right out here."
He turned to Michael and gave him a high-five. "See you later, Little Guy!"
Laura still didn't enter. "You'll have to talk to her eventually, Steve."
"I know, Laura. I called her. She's meeting me in my office at the end of the day, so I can give her the ol' heave-ho." His face filled with guilt. "I just don't want to have to see her before that."
Laura nodded and went into the daycare center alone. Jenna's face fell when she saw her walk in without him. Laura tried her best to conceal the news on her face, but she didn't do very well. Jenna was rude and ignored her, but the kids happily went off with two other women in the center. Laura paused before leaving, trying to think of something to say, but there really wasn't anything she could say, so she left.
Steve turned to her when she got back out. "Well?" he prompted.
She didn't really want to be the one to explain his relationships with other women to him. "I don't know, Steve," she said, frustrated. "Handle your own dates."
She turned sharply to head for the elevator, and he could tell that he wasn't the only one who had had a terrible weekend. They rode the elevator in silence but switched comfortably into their work once they reached the office.
They even had lunch together, like they always did, and it went well. They talked about Michael starting school in only a year and a half. Focusing their conversation on the kids prevented any unfortunate slip-ups that might have brought Laura away from her priorities.
At the end of the day, Steve had his meeting with Jenna, so Laura walked down to daycare to get the kids by herself. As she passed Jenna, she smiled politely, which only appeared to make Jenna feel worse. Laura got all the way to the door of the daycare center before she realized she had forgotten her purse. She wasn't used to carrying it anymore. Frustrated, she decided to run back to get it before she got the kids to avoid hauling them all the way up there. As she rode the elevator back up to the office, she caught a part of herself hoping Jenna and Steve would be done so that he could tell her how it went. The doors opened, and she saw that everyone had left. She approached Steve's door and went to knock. She stopped right in her tracks as his voice rang through the door.
"OOOOOOHHHHH. OH, YES!"
Laura's eyes widened, and her stomach fell out of her body. She swallowed hard and pressed her ear to the door to hear better.
"That's it, Baby!" he encouraged, "Swallow my big–"
Laura stepped away from the door quickly, embarrassed and deeply hurt. How could he do that? After we almost… After all that, he sleeps with Jenna anyway?
Laura tried to hold back her tears as she grabbed her purse and went to the elevator, but when she got in, she spent the ninety-floor ride sobbing. She knew that she didn't get to be mad about this. They weren't an item, but she still felt like he had betrayed her. He had promised her he'd do anything to make his mistake up to her. He had promised her he was still all-in. Then, some random skank threw herself at him and he lost all control?
As the elevator doors opened, she composed herself to meet her kids. They didn't need to see her like this. She didn't need Steve, anyway. She only needed her boys.
When Steve got to work the next day, he waited for Laura in the parking structure like he always did, only this time, she didn't show up. Two hours later, he decided to head upstairs to call her. Maybe she wasn't feeling well. When he got to the office, he checked with the interns, and they said she hadn't called. He slipped into his office and picked-up the phone. He dialed the house phone, which he still knew by heart, but then he noticed an envelope on his desk. He read the name on the front, "Dr. Urkel", in her handwriting.
He hung up the phone and ripped open the envelope. He took out the letter inside and skimmed it quickly:
"Dr. Urkel,
Thank you for giving me this opportunity… I have greatly enjoyed working with you… Your company does great work… For personal reasons… I will not need a recommendation from you… I hereby resign…
Laura Lee Winslow
Head Administrative Assistant"