When Laura returned to work in the morning, Steve wasn't waiting for her in the parking structure. She was surprised, especially being that he had promised just the night before to never give up on her. He had certainly seemed to have given up on their routine. She didn't mind, though. It only made the break-up easier for her to stomach. She dropped the kids off and went up to the office. She started on her work, but found that she needed Steve's signature before she could continue. She walked into the office, but he wasn't there. She looked around and found that the bathroom door was closed and steam was pouring out of the cracks in the door. He was showering, so she concluded he must have slept there the night before. She glanced over at the couch and saw a blanket and pillow set up like a bed. She walked over to it and folded the blanket. She put the pillow back in its position. She noticed the pile of tissues at her feet. That was a lot of crying. She bent and picked them up. Just as she was tossing the last tissue into the trashcan, he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. She was immediately taken aback by his muscular body, but that excitement quickly faded when she looked at his face. His eyes were red. His nose looked like he had rubbed it raw from blowing into so many tissues. His lips were in a clear, unmoving frown. Poor baby… she thought, and she meant it. Seeing him like that broke her heart all over again.
"Laura," he said softly when he noticed her. His face didn't brighten at all. "Laura, I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet you this morning. I-I had a late start."
She nodded, "That's ok, Steve. You don't have to do that anymore."
He furrowed his brow. "I'm going to do that, Laura. Every day. I'm not giving up on us, Sweetums."
"I'm not having lunch with you anymore, Steve," she blurted out, put off by his evident depression.
"I thought you said we could be friends," he whined
"We can, but lunch is too much. It's too hard for me. I'm eating alone, from now on, unless we have a lunch meeting."
"Fine. Then I'll schedule one every day," he declared.
"Steve…"
"I mean it, Laura. I'm not going to let you do this to us!" he yelled. He moved to where she was standing. "I'm not going to let you throw everything away!"
She flinched when he got close to her.
He pulled back immediately when he saw her reaction. "You're really afraid of me?" he asked, trembling slightly.
"No, I…"
"Laura, Sweetheart. Have you thought about maybe seeing a therapist?"
"I'm not crazy because I don't want to date you, Steve!"
"No, but you clearly haven't processed everything that happened with Stefan. You need someone to help you do that. You held it in for too long, and now it's hurting you."
"I told my parents last night."
"That's a good start, but you have to talk to a professional, Laura."
She grew defensive. "What a way to win me back, Steve! Tell me I'm nuts. Yeah, I'm practically swooning."
"Laura, this isn't about us. This is about you. I'm worried about you," he pressed.
"It's not your job to worry about me."
"Actually, as your boss, it is," he challenged, deciding it was totally fair to out-logic her if she refused to pay attention to his emotional pleas. "If I don't think you can work for me successfully in this state, I can certainly suggest it. We have a psychologist in house. You should make an appointment."
"Shut up, Steve!" she growled. "This is none of your business."
"You don't think this is a problem, Laura? You don't think it's a problem that you're afraid of me? How are you going to do your job if I can't get near you?"
She glared at him. "I'm afraid of you because of what you did yesterday, not because of… my past."
"Fine! Then go process that. You need to go. Haven't there been other symptoms? Isn't there anything else you've done… or not done… that made you question yourself?"
'Or not done'? Did he know I didn't take the pill? She stared at him, and he stared back. His eyes looked like he knew. She moved toward the door. "Look, sign the papers on your desk. I have work to do."
"Laura!" he called, but she was already out the door.
Laura thought a lot about what Steve had said and decided it didn't matter whether he knew or not. Well, it certainly mattered, but it didn't affect her decision. She took a five minute break to make an appointment for the next day. She didn't have very much longer to take the pill. She needed to figure out what she really wanted and fast, or her next trip to the pharmacy would be for a pregnancy test.
Again, when lunch rolled around, things took a turn. Steve came out of his office and walked to Laura's desk. "Ready for our lunch meeting?"
"You don't have a meeting on your schedule," she glared.
"Oh, it was a last minute addition. I need to meet with one of the distributors from Norway."
"Our meeting with him is at two."
"Her, actually," Steve said softly, with a cocky smile, wondering if it was still easy to awaken the green-eyed monster in her.
Her jaw clenched in jealousy because he had a lunch date with another woman, in annoyance because he was deliberately trying to make her jealous, and in self-loathing because it had completely worked.
"I just need to take her out on the town for a while," he said. "Show her Chicago. I guess, you don't really have to go. She and I could go, just the two of us."
Laura pictured him exploring Chicago's most romantic restaurants with a hot Norwegian. Long legs, blonde hair, stick-thin, big breasts. She was practically a Barbie doll in Laura's imagination. Though what she pictured wasn't generally Steve's type, her gut twisted at the thought. "Have fun," she said through gritted teeth.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, stop, Laura. Just come with me."
In that moment, she noticed the return of his looming depression. After they had spoken earlier, he had managed to put on his brave face again, but he didn't have the stamina anymore to hold it up in face of her rejection. Still, nothing had changed. "Nope," she said firmly.
He clenched his jaw back. She was so darn stubborn. "Sweetums, I wish you would–"
Suddenly, the elevator doors dinged and several police officers walked in, including Eddie.
Both LaFura and Steve turned.
Eddie approached them. "Steven Quincy Urkel, you are under arrest for the assault and battery of Stefan Urquelle. You have the right to remain silent," he began as he grabbed Steve gently and pulled his arms behind his back.
"Eddie, what the hell?" Laura asked, standing. "That's not funny."
"It's not a joke, Laura," Eddie said. "There's a video. Even Dad agreed we had to take him in and that means spending way more time with Steve Urkel than he wants to."
"Well, why are you the one doing it?" she demanded.
"Because I knew I would be gentle!" he answered.
"But, Eddie–"
"It's fine, Sweetheart," Steve interjected. "I'll go."
Eddie began to lead him out and continued to list his rights. "Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law."
"Steve!" Laura yelled. "Don't say anything! I'll find you a lawyer." Their eyes met as the doors closed between them. Laura looked back at the interns, her eyes as wide as theirs. "Um. Cancel everything. Don't tell anybody where he really is. I have to go."
Laura ran quickly to Legal and got a recommendation for a defense attorney. She called and insisted they run right out. She met the lawyers at the police station. She ran in, and they followed. She went right to her father. "Daddy," she whimpered, hugging him tightly.
"Hey, Sweetheart," he said, holding her and rubbing her back, hoping to ease some of her tension.
"Where's Steve?" she asked, pulling back. "I brought a lawyer." She looked back at her following. "Well… a team of them."
"It doesn't look like he'll be needing one. He's going to plead guilty," Carl said.
"What?" Laura breathed. "Why would he do that? He could at least try to make a case for 'defense of others'. Even if he lost, the explanation would probably get him lenient sentencing."
"I asked him why, but I think you should let him tell you."
"I can see him?"
"I shouldn't let you, but yeah. You can see him."
She turned back to the lawyers and explained the situation. They agreed to wait, in exchange for their standard and exuberant hourly fee. She followed her father back to the interrogation room Steve was still in. He opened the door to let her in, and he waited just outside. Laura walked into the room, more shocked than anything else, and sat opposite Steve. His face still didn't have the usual glow it used to have when he saw her. He looked very somber. Was that because of what was happening now or what had happened yesterday?
"You didn't have to come down here, Laura," he said softly.
"Of course I did, Steve. What's going on? Why are you pleading guilty?" she asked, the concern radiating off of her.
He sighed, "I asked your father not to tell you that."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't want you to try to talk me out of it."
"Of course, I'm gonna talk you out of it, Steve. It's crazy! You have to at least try to defend yourself. You're a first-time offender. At least, if you explain yourself, you'll probably just get probation."
"And that would be great, Laura. Obviously, I don't want to go to jail, but I'm not going to air all of your dirty laundry to avoid it. If I tried to defend myself, I'd have to admit to my feelings for you. I'd have to tell them what Stefan did to you, or worse, make you tell them. I'd probably have to explain our relationship. Laura, I'm not going to put you through all that. Not to mention, my name carries some weight in this town, and if I mentioned you and how important you are to me, the press would be all over you and all over your whole life story. I'm not going to throw you and your family to the wolves to save my own behind."
Laura gawked at him. "That's stupid," she said, shaking her head. "You're not stupid. Stop being stupid."
"Laura–"
"No, I'm not letting you do that for me. Make your case. I will be there to support you every step of the way."
"Laura, all of that will become public record, and most of it will be on the news," he reminded her.
"I was pre-law, Steve. I know that," she said annoyed. "I don't care. You are not going to jail."
"I might not, even if I plead guilty."
"You were defending me, Steve! You're not guilty."
"No," he said softly, looking down at the table, "I was getting revenge." He looked back up to meet her eyes. "There's a difference, remember?" he echoed.
She shook her head. "This is not happening. I am not letting this happen." She stood and walked over to him. "You listen to me, Steve Urkel. If you love me, you will do this for me. I do not want to see you plead guilty. It will hurt me deeply. You don't want to hurt me, so you just won't do this. End of story. Do you understand me?"
There was her Mom-voice again. "Laura," he began.
"NO. That's final. This is not happening," she barked. "I am going to go out there and send the lawyers in here. I found the best of the best, and you are going to let them help you. This will all be over soon," she promised as she walked back toward the door. "Do not make me come back in here," she warned. She opened the door and left him alone again.
He didn't know what else he could do. He wanted to keep her out of it, but she had already gotten very much in it. How could he protect her if she didn't want to be protected?
Steve met with the lawyers, and they, too, insisted he make the case for 'defense of others'. That evening, they held a session to enter his plea and discuss bail. Laura was there for him the whole time. All of the Winslows were, actually. Well, the adult ones. He was released on a high bail, because they knew he could pay a high bail, and Laura was waiting for him outside the precinct.
"Hi," she said when he approached her.
"Hi," he replied. He stared at her, hoping she had waited for him for a reason.
"Thank you for not pleading guilty."
"I can still change my plea," he shrugged.
"Don't," she said. "Please, don't."
"Why do you care, Laura?" he asked. "You dumped me."
"You know why I care," she said, looking away.
"Tell me anyway," he demanded.
"I love you, Steve," she whispered, facing away from him. "You can't go to prison because I love you."
"Going even just the last few hours without hearing that has been torture, Sweetums," he whispered back as he stepped behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him. He leaned into her ear. "I love you, too, Laura, with all my heart. I'll do whatever you want me to, ok? Don't worry about any of this," he whispered.
She relaxed against him. "I made an appointment with the psychologist for tomorrow."
"You did?" he smiled into her neck. "That's wonderful, Sweetums."
"Steve, I want to go home with you, but–" she began.
"Fine by me," he smiled, pressing his groin into her butt harder.
"But I have to get home to the boys," she said, pulling out of his arms.
"Laura," he whined as she tore herself away from him again.
"I'm sorry, Steve. I'm glad you're probably not going to prison, and that relieved part of me and that scared part of me just want to rip your clothes off and make love to you again and again and again, but… nothing's changed, Steve. I broke up with you for a reason, and I need to stick to it."
"What about my car? Maven could drive us somewhere private, and then he could… go for a walk," he suggested, moving closer to her again.
"Steve, I have to get home," she repeated, backing away.
"They're already in bed, Sweetums. You have to be home before they wake up, but another couple of hours won't make a difference. Please, Laura. Please, Sweetheart, I need you tonight," he whispered.
She shook her head and started to move faster. "I'll see you tomorrow, Steve," she said quickly, practically fleeing from him at a run. To Steve, it looked like she was running from him in fear again, but in reality, she was running from herself. She wanted him, and she knew if she'd stayed a moment longer, she would have gone to his car with him, if not home with him. She broke up with him because she couldn't put herself through an emotional rollercoaster and still be a good mother, and today was quite a roller coaster, anyway. She couldn't sleep with him on top of it.
The next morning, the news had broken that billionaire Steve Urkel had been arrested for assault. Steve and Laura spent the entire morning in with PR trying to figure out how to handle the negative press. Steve's plan was just to ignore it until the trial. Everything would work itself out then. Laura kept trying to suggest that he explain why he had done it now, but every time she opened her mouth, he interrupted. When the meeting came to a close, she stayed behind. When the doors were closed again, she said, "You need to hold a press conference and explain yourself. I can make a statement on your behalf. Tell your side of the story, and you'll look like a hero."
"There's a reason I didn't let you say that in front of them. I'm not doing that, Laura. I'm not a hero," he said. "You didn't want me to intervene on your behalf, but I did anyway. I took away your ability to choose… just like he did."
"Steve, I was mad when I said that stuff. I know you're not like him," she said.
"Then why won't you date me?"
She hesitated.
"See? There is a part of you that thinks I could be like him someday. I'm not the hero, and I'm not willing to hand you this open can of worms until I have to. The trial is only a week and a half away. We'll have enough to deal with then."
She shook her head and got back to work, knowing Steve Urkel could be more stubborn than she was when he got an idea in his head, especially one that had to do with her.
That day at lunch, Steve cancelled the unnecessary meeting he had set up so that she could go to her appointment. She walked in and found no one in the waiting room. That made sense. There weren't very many lunch appointments available, so how many people would she expect to find? She only managed to get an appointment by dropping Steve's name. She was embarrassed to do that, but she had very limited time left to take the Morning After pill if she wanted it be effective. She couldn't wait weeks for an appointment.
When she was allowed to enter the doctor's office, she wasted no time. Before introducing herself, she took the box out of her purse. She sat across from the woman and said, "This is day three. I still can't take this pill. What's wrong with me?"
The doctor raised her eyebrows. "Hm. Let's not start there. You must be Laura," she said, stretching out a hand, "I'm Dr. Watkins."
Laura shook it, "Nice to meet you. I'm sorry for being so direct, but obviously, I have a time limit."
"To take the pill?"
"Yes."
"Why do you want to take it?"
"Because I was with… a guy, and we forgot the condom, and I don't want to have a baby. I already have two kids."
"And you never want any more? Have you considered a more permanent birth control solution?" she asked.
"Well, no. I'm not sure it's never. I'm only 25. I just know it's not now."
Dr. Watkins sat up straighter. "Well, if it's not now, why can't you take the pill?"
"I don't know," Laura said, flustered. "Aren't you supposed to tell me that?"
"I don't know," Dr. Watkins shrugged. "This is the first time someone has come to me with this particular problem."
Laura glared.
"I feel that you may have the wrong idea about this type of therapy. This is a lengthy journey of self-exploration you are beginning. There are no quick fixes for anything you may be feeling, nor are there easy answers. More than that, I probably don't have many of the answers you're looking for. All I can do is help you find the ones you already have."
Laura rolled her eyes. "Great. So, what do I do about my little problem?"
"We'll have to explore it," she replied. "Tell me about the guy."
Laura paused. "This is all confidential, right?"
"By law," she nodded, "unless I think you are planning to hurt yourself or someone else."
"Well, only emotionally," Laura admitted.
Dr. Watkins smiled.
"His name is Steve Urkel," Laura began. She explained their relationship from start to finish, unloading all of the guilt, anger, sadness, and love she had ever felt because of him. When she finished, explaining even their morning, she already felt a little better. She placed a hand on the box, contemplating opening it right there.
"Wow," Dr. Watkins breathed, "most people take way longer to open up."
"Well, I'm on a deadline," Laura quipped.
Dr. Watkins nodded. "How do you feel when you try to take the pill?" she asked.
Laura thought for a moment. "Frustrated," she replied. "I stare at it and stare at it, and I get so mad at myself for not being able to do it."
"No, that's how you feel when you realize you can't do it. How do you feel just before that? What do you think about?"
"Well, I don't know how I feel really. I think about Steve though."
"What do you think about Steve?"
"I guess the first time I was thinking about how much I loved him and the second time, how mad I was at him."
"Tell me about the first time."
"I opened the box, and I put the pill in my hand. I looked at it and looked at it, and then I realized I couldn't do it. I wondered if it was because Steve was right, and I did want to have a baby with him."
"Do you?"
"No, I can't have a baby right now," she answered flatly.
"Why not?"
Laura looked at her, confused. "Because I still live with my parents, because I'm a single mother, and I can barely take care of the two I have, because I just broke up with Steve? Take your pick."
"Why did you break up with Steve?"
Laura realized she had kind of danced around the Stefan issue. She had explained that it was a messy divorce and that Steve had punched him, but she hadn't explained why that made her so nervous. "My ex-husband hit me," she admitted quietly. "Only once. I left him that night. I took the boys, moved in with my parents, divorced him, and got his parental rights terminated."
"Why did you break up with Steve?" she repeated.
"I got scared when he hit Stefan. He was never a violent man, and in the few moments when we were growing up that he stood up for himself, or for me, physically, he was always too… weak to do any damage. He's strong now. He could really hurt someone, and I didn't realize that until he hit Stefan. I don't ever want to be hit again."
"You think Steve would hit you?"
"I don't know anymore. I never thought Stefan would, so how can I say whether or not Steve would?"
"Maybe you can't. So what does that mean for you? You can't be with any guy who could beat you in a fight? I don't know you very well, Laura, but I think that may limit your options."
"Obviously, that's not what I mean," Laura said.
"Steve and Stefan look alike, right? He's the one on the news? Are they twins?"
"Something like that," Laura replied.
Dr. Watkins raised an eyebrow.
"How long have you been at Urkorp?"
"Since they opened the office in Chicago."
"Then you should know by now that 'something like that' is probably the best answer I can give you."
Dr. Watkins nodded, thinking of the more than occasional instances of scientists approaching her with concerns about one of Steve's seemingly impossible inventions. It was good they kept her on retainer. "Do you think you may be projecting a little? Your incidents with Stefan were traumatic. Now, Steve looks like your abuser, and you're supposed to be able to develop a healthy relationship? That's not easy. I'm not sure that's even possible."
"Possible? Of course, it's possible. It has to be possible," Laura said quickly.
"Why's that?"
"Well, because I love him. I don't want to lose him because of Stefan. Stefan doesn't get to take this away from me too."
"You're letting him, aren't you?"
"No, I didn't break up with Steve because of Stefan."
"You said that it was because you were afraid of him, and you're afraid of him because of Stefan."
"But I-I…"
"Take the pill, Laura," Dr. Watkins said. She stood and took a bottle of water from her fridge. She handed it to Laura and returned to her seat.
"What? Now?"
"Yes, if you still want to."
"I do," Laura said weakly. She reached for the pill. She opened the box and placed it in her hand. She opened the bottle of water and held it in her other hand. She moved the pill closer and closer to her mouth. She paused just before it reached her. She placed the pill back in the box and set it and the water bottle down. She re-crossed her legs and faced away slightly.
"Why couldn't you do it?"
"I don't know," she said again.
"Laura, are you a risk taker?"
"No, not really."
"Are you good at making decisions?"
"Yes," she answered.
"All decisions?"
"What do you mean?" Laura asked, turning back to face her.
"Well, this pill issue isn't the only time you've hesitated between two choices until it was almost too late, is it?"
"No, I guess not. I did it with Stefan and Steve, too."
"And when you finally chose, because you were forced to choose, how did that go for you?"
"Terribly. Steve took my virginity and abandoned me."
"So why can't you make a decision now?" she prodded.
"Because I got screwed the last time?" Literally and figuratively.
"Yes. It's not that you don't want to be with Steve. You just can't take the leap and decide to be with him. You've been making excuses to push off the inevitable ultimatum that you faced last time. By not taking the pill, you're not making a choice. You're letting fate decide."
"Well, maybe I should. Maybe fate would have been a better decider last time."
"See, there's where you're wrong. Fate did decide for you last time. You didn't get to keep your choice. The one fate picked for you was wrong for you, wasn't he?"
Laura remained silent, contemplating.
"Maybe you should be the one to decide this time."
Laura still said nothing.
"Your session is up. I expect you'll be back next week at the same time?"
Laura nodded.
"Think about it. Your homework for the week is to decide whether or not you really want to take the pill and then follow through."
Laura stood. "Thank you." She grabbed her stuff and removed herself from the office.
When she got back, she walked into Steve's office. She stared at him for a long moment before either of them said anything.
"Hi there, my lovely," he smiled sweetly. "How was your session?"
"I don't know," she said. "It was weird."
"What kind of weird?" he asked, leaning back on his desk.
"I don't know. Just weird." She walked up to him. "Can we talk for a minute? I should probably tell you something."
"Of course, Pet," he smiled, leading her to the couch they had once made love on. He sat down, and she sat next to him, looking out the window. He watched her stare off into space as her hands fiddled with a loose thread on her blouse.
"I didn't take the pill, Steve."
"You didn't?" he clarified, though he had already guessed that much.
"No," she answered, still looking at the river.
"Why not?"
"I don't know. That's what I talked about in my session today. Dr. Watkins thinks it's because I don't want to have to make a decision about us. She thinks I'm leaving it up to fate."
"That makes sense."
"It does," Laura agreed, turning to him, "but why is that a bad thing?"
Steve stared at her, confused.
"I just mean, why is that a bad idea? Maybe that would be a clear sign. You say that we're meant to be together. Maybe this could prove it."
"Laura, you don't believe in that kind of stuff. You've always been one to take control of your own destiny," he reminded her.
"I've tried, but look where it got me. I tried again and again to make things go my way, and every time, fate threw me a curve ball. I chose you, and you left. I married Stefan, and he hit me. I wanted to go to law school, and I got pregnant. I wanted to date you, and now you've been arrested. Maybe I should just sit back for a minute and wait for fate to tell me what to do. Maybe it would be kinder to me if I waited for its input."
Steve felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He wanted nothing more than to have a baby with this woman, but he felt uncomfortable that the only way that seemed to possibly be happening for him was in the moment she had truly given up. He didn't want to have a baby with her because she had simply decided to go limp. He wanted to have a baby with her because she wanted to have a baby with him, but if he convinced her to make the decision for herself, where would that leave him?
She looked at him, waiting for his response. She didn't expect it to take so long. "Steve?"
He blinked. "I'm sorry, Laura. I got a little lost there."
"What were you thinking?"
"I want to have a baby with you, Laura, but you can't stop being you," he answered eventually. "You can't just give up on that incredible part of you that tries to take control of life. Without that part of you, you wouldn't be half the woman you are. You wouldn't have left Stefan after he hit you. You wouldn't have blossomed in the office the way that you have. You wouldn't be such a wonderful mother. You need that part of you, Laura. I need that part of you." It amazed him how he always found his way out of the brush in his mind to push her to be better, no matter how much it hurt him. He could never take the easy way to her heart, no matter how tempting. He wanted it to win it fair and square.
Lucky for him, it amazed her, too. She leaned forward and put her lips to his. She placed her hands on the back of his head and pulled him closer. She climbed into his waiting lap as her tongue dipped into his mouth again and again. She slipped her blazer off her shoulders and threw it on the floor. She unbuttoned her blouse, revealing her red, lacy bra. She tossed her blouse behind her and untied his tie. He broke their kiss as she slipped it from his neck.
"Laura, what are you doing?"
"Taking control," she whispered in his ear, licking it gently.
"Ooooo…"
She slipped off his suit jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. She pulled it off and sat up to look at him. "I'm not yours, Steve," she said firmly.
"I know that, Laura. Believe me, I know that."
"You're mine," she smiled.
He looked back at her seriously. "I know, Sweetheart. I am. I'm all yours. I've always been yours. I'm here if you want to use me, abuse me, or love me. I will always be yours."
"Today, I want to use you," she admitted.
"Ok," he agreed.
"I'm scared that you might go to prison. I'm scared that I might have a baby. I'm scared that I might give us another chance and I might get hurt again, emotionally or physically. I'm scared that you might get hurt again, but you're going to make all those feelings go away for me, aren't you?"
"Yes," he breathed.
"You're going to fuck me until I ask you to stop, aren't you?"
"I'm going to make love to you," he corrected.
"No, Steve. I need you to fuck me," she whispered. She kissed him again as hard as she could. She reached behind her and unhooked her bra as she grinded against his lap. She threw it across the room and sat up, presenting her breasts to him.
He didn't move.
"God, Steve, touch me," she demanded.
All he needed was her permission. His hands shot right up and grabbed her full breasts. His hands squeezed them and rubbed them as he felt her nipples harden against his palms. He looked up at her face. She looked tense, but his touch seemed to help. He licked his thumbs and fingers and moved to her nipples. He pinched and pulled.
She moaned loudly, "OOOHHHHH, STEEEEVE…"
He leaned forward and took her aching bud into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around it fast as he sucked as hard as he could. He pinched her other nipple rhythmically. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch.
"Oh, yes. Yes, Steve. Yes, Steve. Don't stop. Oh, you know what I like, Baby."
He pulled away, always determined to leave his audience wanting more.
She glared at him. "I said, 'Don't stop.'"
He smirked at her. "After everything you've put me through the past couple of days, Sweetums, you have to earn your right to that kind of pleasure."
"Excuse me?" she glared.
"Get on your knees, Pet."
"You're mine," she repeated, resisting his request.
"I am," he agreed, "but that doesn't mean I don't get a say in any of this. On your knees, Laura, or I'm stopping."
She gaped at him, wanting badly to call his bluff, but wanting his touch more. She got on her knees in front of the couch. She watched as he unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants. She stared, and he unzipped and pulled his huge erection out of its hiding place.
"Please, Laura," he whispered down to her.
It seemed some of his confidence had faded once he had exposed himself to her. She shook her head at him. "You are going to be my sex toy today. No more ordering me around. I'm in charge."
He nodded, "Yes, ok. Just do it, please."
She leaned forward and quickly licked the pre-cum from his tip.
"OHHHHH, LAURAAAAA!"
Then she pulled away. "You're going to eat me as many times as I want. Then you're going to fuck me as many times as I want. If you're good, I'll clean you up."
He was panting heavily. He had never seen this side of her before, and he couldn't tell if he loved it or hated it. What he did know was it was certainly doing something for him for the time being. He nodded in agreement. "Yes, my queen."
She smiled. "Good boy." She stood up, still wearing her skirt and her heels. She unzipped her skirt and dropped it to the floor. She stepped out of her heels. She slipped her thumbs in her thong and pulled it to the ground.
"That red one's my favorite," he reminded her.
She smiled at him. "I remember. Now, lie down."
He did as she asked and lay down on the couch.
She moved closer to him and stole his glasses. She set them on the coffee table. She climbed on the couch, her womanhood hovering over him. "I'm gonna sit on you now, Baby, ok?"
"Yes, my love. Please. I saved you a spot," he grinned, licking his lips.
She lowered herself down, her thighs cradling either side of his head. Her womanhood landed on his hot, big lips, and he kissed her. He kissed all over her, and she rubbed herself against his lips. "Mmmmm, Steve…"
He reached his hands up to grip her curvy hips. "Mmmmmm…" He pushed her up so he could whisper to her, "You taste so sweet." He pulled her back down, shoving his tongue inside of her.
She bounced quickly on his face. "Yesssss… STEVE!" She shifted slightly, removing her tight hole from his mouth and forcing him to taste her clit.
He licked it again and again as she bounced up and down for him.
"Oh, my GOD. OH, GOD. STEVE. STEVE. STEVE."
He sucked on it lightly and slowly began to increase his force. He sucked harder and harder, moaning as he gave her all the pleasure she wanted, "Mmmmmm…"
"STEEEEEEVE… Don't stop!don'tstop!don'tstop!"
He ravaged her until he felt her legs tighten against him. She shoved her womanhood down as hard as she could. For a long moment, he seriously contemplated the possibility that she may smother him. Still, he continued to suck.
She closed her eyes tightly and rested her weight on her arms placed out on the couch in front of her. She shoved her quivering womanhood against him harder. Her body started to shake and tremble. She feared her arms would give out. "Steeeeeeve," she whined. "I'm coming for youuuuuuu…"
He heard her announce her orgasm and felt her juices ooze onto his chin while he continued to suck her clit. Only seconds later, she quickly pulled herself off of him. She sat on the couch beside his head as they both panted heavily. He was happy to have air in his lungs again, but he missed the sounds, smells, tastes, and feeling of her pleasure. He gazed up to watch her recover, still lying down in case she wanted to sit on his face again. He watched her breasts rise and fall as she breathed heavily. He looked at the way the sweat glistened on all of her curves. He couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last time he'd get to taste her. He could never tell with her.
When she had completely calmed down, she turned to look down at him. She reached a hand out and stroked his cheek, then his chest. "That felt so good, Steve. Thank you for making me come like that."
"Whenever you want, Pet. I'm yours, remember?"
She smiled. "I do."
He sat up, turning to face her. "What do you want your slave to do next, my love?"
She closed her eyes. "I want you to fuck me, and I want you to play with my clit while we do it because I want to come on that big cock again."
He moved closer to her ear. "You are such a naughty girl," he purred. "You have such a filthy mouth."
"Get a condom," she ordered, ignoring his comment.
He stood and walked over to his desk. He pulled out the condom and came back to where she was sitting. He handed it to her.
She stood and pulled off his pants and his boxers. He stepped out of them along with his shoes and his socks. She opened the condom and slipped it over his erection.
"LAURAAAA…" he drooled as her hands gripped his raging erection, sliding up and down as she adjusted the condom.
She turned around, presenting her big booty to him. She leaned over the couch. "Fuck me, Steve," she ordered.
He moved closer behind her, taking a moment to play with her butt. He squeezed and shook the cheeks in his big hands. He let his member rub against her gently, but with no guidance, it did very little for her.
"Fuck me, Steve," she repeated, pressing back into him.
He leaned over her. "No," he said firmly.
"What?"
"No, I will never fuck you. I will always be making love to you when we do this. I can't shut off these feelings and use you the way you can. For me, this is making love," he whispered, as he lined his member up with her entrance. "I love you, Laura Lee," he purred as he shoved himself inside as far as he could. "Unnn…"
"Ooooo…"
He moved his hand around to rub her clit. Knowing how aroused she still was, he rubbed her hard and fast. He still wasn't completely inside.
"More, Steve. I need more."
He pressed in further, beginning to thrust in and out.
"Oh, yeah. Give me that big, hard–"
His other hand moved to cover her mouth. "Don't say it. Don't say it, you naughty girl." He released her mouth and rewarded her for her cooperation. He buried himself balls-deep and continued to pump in and out of her. "Lauraaaa… Lauraaaaaaa… Lauraaaaaaaaaaaa…" he growled.
"Ooooo, yessss…" she whimpered. "Harder, Steve. I need to come for you. Harder, please."
"Oh, GOD!" he yelled as he thrust into her harder.
"Mmmm… Yeah, Baby, that's it. That's it. Don't stop," she begged. "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop."
He rubbed her clit faster, despite the cramp in his hand, as he felt his orgasm approaching. She had to come first. She had to come on him. "Come for me, Laura," he growled in her ear. "Come on me."
"Yes! Please! Make me come. Please, give it to me. Make me come!"
"I love you, Pet. Come on it. Come on me."
"I'm so close, Steve. I want to come. I'm so close. Give me that cock, Steve. Make me come on that big, hard cock!" she yelled, trying to push herself over the edge. She reached up to pinch her nipples.
Catching the hint, he batted her hand away and gripped her left breast. He pinched her nipple hard, pulling on it, twisting it.
"Ohhhh, yessssss…" she cried as she started to shake on his member. "Oh, yessss… Steeeeeeeeeeve…"
"OH, LAURA!" he yelled as he slammed into her as hard as he could. He felt her twitching and pulsing around him, resisting his exit, pulling him deeper. He slammed in and out of her harder, forcing her hard against the couch. "Come for me, Laura. Come on me. I'm coming. I'm coming. I love youuuuuu…"
"Steeeeeve… Yes, Steeeeeeeve… I… Ohhhhhh…"
He was still slamming into her at full force when the door to his office flew open.
"God, Lauraaaaaaaaa..." he groaned collapsing on top of her, still feeling her body convulse in ecstasy below him.
"Steeeeeve… I'm coming… Steeeeeve…"
As Steve came back to his senses, while her orgasm was just finishing, he realized that they weren't alone. He looked up to see all three interns, wide-eyed, crowded around the door. "Oh, God!" he yelled, pulling out of her.
"Steeeeeeve," she whined, as her body started to relax. She opened her eyes to scold him for pulling away so soon. "Why'd you – OH, MY GOD!" she screamed as she made eye contact with Jeremy while she was buck naked. She turned to get her clothes, only to find that Steve had already grabbed the blanket he slept with two nights before and was handing it to her. She wrapped it around herself and turned back to the interns.
Steve slipped on his boxers and stood beside her, feigning confidence.
"Um. Obviously, we need to have some sort of meeting about this," Laura began, "but we need to get dressed first, so why don't you guys go wait at your desks? We'll come get you."
They nodded and slowly walked out.
Laura turned back to Steve. "See what happens when I take control of things?"
"No, Sweetheart," he sighed, "don't think like that. Wasn't that wonderful? Wasn't that worth it?"
She thought for a while and shrugged. "I don't know if it was worth it yet, Steve. It felt amazing, but who knows what kind of repercussions this is going to have with the interns? It took me a long time to earn their respect, and now that's all out the window."
"But, Sweetums, our relationship was going to come out at the trial anyway, right? Maybe it's better if they get a chance to process it all before then."
"Maybe," she agreed. She dropped the blanket and found her clothes. Steve watched her dress, disappointed that she wasn't going to let him keep those panties, too.
When they were both fully clothed, Laura asked the interns to join them at the conference table. Laura and Steve took their usual seats, Steve at the head, Laura at his right hand.
"Ok, so obviously, you know that Laura and I made love today," Steve began.
All three interns and Laura cringed. "God, Steve. Do you have to call it that?" she asked, covering her face.
"You don't mind that phrase," he said, confused.
"I do in this context!"
"What do you want me to say?"
"Sex! We had sex!" she said a little too loudly. She looked back at the interns, embarrassed.
"Ok," Richard began. "Can I just say… Way to go, Man!" He offered a high-five to Steve, who understandably refused. "I been tryin' to tap that since the day she walked in."
"How long have you been 'tappin'… that'?" Kelly asked, visibly upset. "Because I was under the impression that you were actually qualified for this job, Laura. I mean, that first day, I thought that this was exactly what was going on, but after that, I gave you the benefit of the doubt because you really seemed to know your stuff. Do you even actually have a degree?"
Laura took a deep breath, trying to see this from Kelly's perspective. She and Laura had gotten closer since they'd been working together, and Laura understood why she would be upset to find her mentor sleeping with the boss. "Kelly, Steve and I had sex once when we were twenty. Then we had sex after that party on Saturday and several times since. This hasn't been going on very long at all."
"Why should we believe that?" she demanded.
"Because it's the truth and because you guys should know me after all this time."
"We thought we did," Kelly grumbled.
"Guys, I love him," Laura said. "Our relationship is complicated because of our pasts and because of my kids, but I love him. I had sex with him because we're in love. This relationship may not ever be a real option, but I love him, ok?"
The interns stared for a long moment.
"I love her, too, if that hasn't been clear this whole time," Steve added. "I've asked her to marry me several times recently and even more throughout our lives. This isn't some casual office fling. It certainly isn't quid-pro-quo."
The interns sat in silence for a while. Eventually, Jeremy spoke up. "I think it's nice."
Laura, Steve, Richard, and Kelly turned to him. He typically didn't say a whole lot, and they had all assumed he would remain silent for this awkward conversation.
He got nervous under their hot stares. "That guy who was here the other day, the one who looks like you, Dr. Urkel, he wasn't very nice. He didn't treat Laura very well, but you seem to, and you two have known each other since kindergarten, right? You know each other better than most people know their spouses on the day they get married. I think if you're in love, and the timing just isn't working at the moment, it's ok to indulge in a little affection to remind each other you care, even if it has to be in the office."
Laura smiled to herself. Steve really had hired a younger version of himself. Jeremy clearly understood what it was like to have romantic difficulties and to persist through them. "Thank you for being so understanding, Jeremy," Laura said eventually. She looked at each of the interns in turn. "Look, I want you guys to respect me. I really do. From now on, I promise we will keep this stuff far, far away from work, but more than that, I think we need to get some stuff on the table before the trial."
They nodded and waited for her to continue.
"That guy that Steve punched is my ex-husband. He is the father of my kids. I made him give up his paternal rights in the divorce because he hit me. It was only one time, but it really messed me up. Today, I… Uh… Today, I started therapy. I'm hoping that will help me get through some of this stuff because I used to think that I was ok, but I'm not. I'm really not. It's hard being a single mother and all of the stresses on top of it… It's just so much. I don't know if you guys really need to know much more than that at this point. I'm sorry we weren't straightforward about this when it started, but I was scared. I didn't want anybody to find out about us because I wasn't sure if there was an 'us' anymore, and more than that, I didn't want to have to explain to anybody why I'm so unsure and indecisive about this stuff now."
The interns were humbled by her honesty. Jeremy was moved by her story. Rich knew enough not to make dumb joke about her situation. Kelly felt terrible that she had been so hard on her. Laura had clearly been through a lot.
"I'm sorry, Laura," Kelly said. "You just really caught us off guard. I didn't know about any of that, and I didn't mean to be so…"
"Bitchy?" Rich suggested.
She elbowed him. "Insensitive," she said pointedly. "I should have figured out more about your life before I got all judgmental, both when I met you and today."
"That's ok, Kelly," Laura said. "I understand. As much as I hate to admit it, I probably would have acted the same way. Probably worse."
"Definitely worse," Steve interjected.
Laura elbowed him.
Rich cleared his throat. "Ahem. It's possible that I've been a little… unprofessional with you, Laura, so… sorry," he said quickly.
"Thank you, Richard. I appreciate that," she said pointedly.
Kelly and Richard looked to Jeremy. "What?" he asked. "I haven't done anything. I was very understanding."
The other interns rolled their eyes in unison.
"I really hope you don't get sent to jail, Dr. Urkel," Jeremy said.
"Oh, it was worth it," Steve said with a wave of his hand. "That guy deserved it."
"Steve!" Laura scolded. "You can't talk like that, or you really will have to go to prison for a while."
"Relax, Pet. This country's system works well for the wealthy!" he joked with a laugh and a snort.
"But not for Black people!" she reminded him with a quirk of her brow, silencing him immediately.
Steve's face grew serious. She had a point. He turned back to the interns. "Look, whatever happens, this company will need to continue. If I go to prison for a while, the board will appoint a temporary CEO who will likely try to bring in his or her own staff, and I'm gonna let 'im because I'm going to need you guys to continue to work for me. It'll be just like I'm out of town. Lots of phone calls and emails. Your jobs are safe," he promised, looking at Laura as he finished.
She didn't know how much she needed to hear that until he had said it. She felt one of the knots in her neck loosen immediately.
The interns muttered their thanks and waited to see if there was more.
Steve turned to Laura, "Do you have anything else to say?"
She shook her head.
"Well, then I guess we have some more work to do today, huh?" he asked, getting on with business.
At the end of the day, Laura pretended to work until the last intern left. When they were finally alone again, she knocked on Steve's door.
"Come on in, Sweet Pea," he called.
She slipped in the door and closed it behind her. As subtly as she could, she locked it.
Steve smiled at her and stood. "Are you ready to go get the babies, Baby?"
She shook her head.
He cocked her head at her. "What's up, Doc?"
She gestured toward him and went out to the balcony. He followed close behind her, and she stopped at the railing. She leaned over it to look at the river. He leaned over it, too, but his eyes were locked on her.
"Talking to the interns felt really good today, didn't it?"
He smiled and nodded. "It did. You know I don't like secrets."
"I took the pill, Steve," she said, still not looking at him.
His face dropped. He knew it was coming, but he had no idea how much it would hurt him. "Oh," he said as she knocked all the breath from his body.
She heard his tone and turned back to him, her face filled with sympathy. "I know that's not what you wanted, Steve. It's not really what I wanted either, but I need to be in control of my own life again. It felt so amazing to clear the air with the interns. I am so stressed right now. I just needed to take care of something that I could take care of."
"I understand," he said, his voice breaking. He looked away to hide the tears stinging his eyes. He sniffled softly, embarrassed by his reaction.
Laura heard his sniffling but was afraid to embarrass him by trying to comfort him, so she offered up the good news she was saving for last. "That's not the only thing I'm taking care of, though," she said.
"It's not?" he asked nervously, still facing away from her.
"Nope," she smiled. She reached for his chin and turned him toward her.
He rushed to wipe the tears from his face. "What else?" he sniffled, trying to sound like he just had a runny nose.
"I'm going to start dating again," she smiled confidently.
Steve's face contorted in a much more painful expression. "That's great," he lied as his mind flashed back to their previous discussion, that he wasn't going to be her first call anymore.
"Are you Saturday tomorrow night?" she asked with a sexy smirk.
His eyes widened. He pointed at himself. "Are you asking me out?"
"You betcha, Baby," she cooed, moving closer.
Steve's face was split in half by his smile as he grinned ear to ear. He wiped his tears again, though now happy ones were flowing. He pulled her into his arms. "Abso-tutle-utely!" he chirped. "I have big plans for our second first real date!" She shook her head, and he feared she was backing out already.
"Nuh-uh," she said. "I asked you out so I'm planning the date."
"What?!" he cried, "But I've asked you out a hundred times since you came back into my life. None of those count?"
"Nope," she smiled, "because I said, 'No'. You said, 'Yes'. I win!"
He sighed. "Fine. What will we be doing Saturday night?"
"It's a surprise," she teased as she pulled away from him and headed back to the door.
He followed her and opened the door for her. "Well, what time? What should I wear?"
"I'll pick you up at five, and wear jeans," she said as she headed out of his office and toward the elevator.
"You'll pick me up?" he asked in surprise. "JEANS?" he asked as he followed her to get the kids.