Chapter 8 - First Cabin Surprise

Aubrey groaned as she crawled into bed after the longest week of her life. She was mentally and emotionally exhausted, so she wasn't surprised when the tears prickled her eyes. She wanted to reach for her phone and call Stacie, but decided against it. She promised to call in the morning and give Stacie a night out with the Bellas without her on the brain. That was the agreement. The two spoke as often as possible all week, but both were miserable. When Aubrey graduated and accepted the job at one of the best firms in Atlanta, she never expected to end up at the Lodge at Fallen Leaves overseeing the property to prove herself to the executives. It all happened so fast. She had been with the firm for two months before the account crossed her desk. It was considered impossible, the resort was in the red and the owners already filed for bankruptcy. The firm took over the property and hours of heated discussions ensued over what to do with it, but it wasn't about the resort at all. It was about impressing the bosses and showing them why she should be in charge of her own accounts.

Aubrey was already up for promotion against the CEO's son. Both came in at the same time and neither had much experience, so she jumped at the chance to take on the account. Little did she know, that didn't just mean trips out to the property from time to time or crunching numbers and projections. The resort was different and the company needed a year assessment to see whether they should cut bait and tear it down or if there was a way to renovate and salvage what was left of it. She was given free rein to do what she wanted with the property for nine months before reporting back about her progress. In many ways, it was a dream job. She got to manage her own property, hire her own staff, and work closely with the numbers while being on site, but there was one massive downside. It took her away from Stacie.

While Stacie had her own bed in the Bella House, she rarely used it. Instead, she and Aubrey had lived together since the summer after Stacie's freshman year. It had only been three weeks since Aubrey left and it was far more of an adjustment than she prepared for. She missed the little things. She missed waking up to Stacie and cuddling for an hour before getting ready for work. She missed the notes to one another left on the nightstand when she had to work late or Stacie stayed late in the lab. She missed Lazy Sundays, the day designated for only them. She even missed tripping over Stacie's shoes by the door when she entered the apartment. She missed her girlfriend dearly and was counting down the days when she could visit her.

Aubrey settled under the blankets and grabbed her phone before turning off her lamp. She promised herself she wouldn't call or text Stacie that night, but that didn't mean she couldn't scroll through pictures of them. She gave a teary smile as she stared at her favorite picture of them in Portland on a clear summer night. They'd spent a month in Portland the summer after Aubrey's senior year and while Aubrey was happy to meet and spend time with Stacie's family, Stacie made it clear that they were also there for Aubrey to experience the Pacific Northwest. The picture was taken during a movie night in Stacie's favorite park. Stacie was holding the camera and smiling sweetly while Aubrey rested her chin on Stacie's shoulder, smiling playfully as they cuddled close. The sound of a knock on the door startled Aubrey out of her memories and she cursed under her breath, assuming it was a member of the staff coming to tell her there was a problem with a client. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself, wiped her eyes, and regained composure before opening the door. Instead of seeing Camron or another member of her team, she saw the woman she could never stop thinking about. She was speechless as Stacie stood in front of her with a wide grin and wearing a long, black coat.

"Surprise," giggled Stacie and she sighed contently when Aubrey jumped into her arms to hug her. Stacie showered her with kisses as she carried her into the cabin and kicked the door closed. Aubrey locked it and kissed her tenderly before hugging her again.

"What are you doing here? What about the first ever Bella Bash?" Stacie shrugged and nuzzled her neck.

"Bella parties are fun. Being with my girl is better. One ends with a hangover. The other ends with orgasms. It was a no-brainer," assured Stacie and Aubrey couldn't stop the tears of happiness streaking down her face.

"I've missed you so much," she cried and Stacie leaned her forehead against Aubrey's.

"I missed you too, baby, so damn much," whispered Stacie.

"How long can you stay?"

"Until Monday afternoon, my lab got cancelled and I already told Beca I am ditching practice."

"Oh I would never let you get away with that," teased Aubrey and Stacie giggled.

"Oh I know. It is a good thing my bestie is a co-captain and I can guilt her by saying not all of us get to stay in the Bella House with our girlfriend. Your bestie has turned mine into a total sap, by the way."

"So I've heard, but enough about them. What is under this coat, Miss Conrad," asked Aubrey as she reached for the sash of the coat. Stacie gave her a seductive smile.

"Find out," she suggested and Aubrey's jaw dropped when she opened the coat to reveal Stacie in nothing but black, lace lingerie that left nothing to the imagination.

"Fuck me," whispered Aubrey in awe and Stacie winked at her.

"Oh trust me, baby, I plan on it," she assured before passionately kissing Aubrey. In that moment, the weeks apart melted away, the doubts she had about the long distance's toll on their relationship dissipated, and all that was left was her love and devotion to Stacie.