Nothing Gold Can Stay ( by Robert Frost)

It didn't take Myka long to notice that something was amiss. She didn't even need to use her eidetic memory because it was so noticeable. She heard the deep sighs that accompanied the renewed decision each time Helena made it. It was more than 72 hours into their honeymoon and Helena had not once used her phone. The object of her desire, that rarely left her hand, was nowhere to be seen. However, Myka had a good idea where it was because of the way Helena longingly looked at the top drawer of the desk in the living room. She caught her, more than once, just running her fingers across it as she passed. It was almost – pitiful. Most of the time, Helena was preoccupied with walking along the beach, swimming in the water or lounging in the sun with Myka. It was only when they were back at the house, and not otherwise engaged, did Helena's mind wander back to one of her favorite pastimes.

"It's wonderful that Eileen is handling everything," Myka said casually one afternoon as they sat on the over-sized couch in the living room area. They had gone for a run on the beach, returned to a sumptuous lunch of avocado and lobster salad, and were now reading the paper as the soft breeze flowed through the opened French doors.

"She's been trained," Helena said, not looking up from the paper. She was too busy trying to check stock prices that ordinarily would have appeared on her phone.

"Still, you would think that she might have a question or two," Myka said, finishing the crossword puzzle.

"God, I hope not," Helena let out and then raised her eyes and smiled, as if trying to erase the words.

"I guess Irene would call you if there were any issues," Myka said, folding the paper over and looking at the next page nonchalantly.

"Yes," Helena said pensively. Myka's line of questioning was making her second guess her decision.

"Helena?" Myka said, reaching over and taking Helena's hand.

"Yes?" the Brit responded.

"When did you decide to put your phone away?" Myka asked gently.

Helena's eyes locked onto Myka as she formulated her answer. Helena was used to giving whatever answer came first, but she knew better than to put Myka off. The skilled lawyer had a way of paring back through Helena's hesitations.

"On the way here. I didn't want to be disturbed whilst on my honeymoon," Helena said.

Myka smiled at Helena's proper speech. "So you're not …," Myka said slowly as she took the paper out of Helena's hands and straddled her lap. "….the least bit curious as to what is going on at Wells Corp?" she said, looking straight into Helena's eyes.

Now the only thing that Helena was curious about was where this would lead them. Helena learned a long time ago, straight answers were boring. "Of course I am, but I would never want anything to distract me whilst I am here with you," Helena said as if she were on the witness stand.

"That's the second time you've used the word 'whilst', Mrs. Bering-Wells," Myka said, almost whispering in Helena's ear. The feel of Myka's weight on her legs and her warm breath in her ear was enough to make Helena confess to anything.

"I …truly decided not to be …distracted here," Helena said smiling at the view before her.

"That's very admirable, given how fond of the device you are," Myka said in a sugary tone and sliding her hands slowly up Helena's sides.

"It was ..(gulp)…that… little voice….(gasp) inside my head," Helena confessed of her decision.

"Oh, you mean …..," Myka started to ask as she allowed her hands to cup Helena's breasts that were free under her white blouse. "…..your conscience?"

Helena wished Myka would stop asking questions that required words. "No…," she said, pulling her torso up and leaning into Myka's warm hands. "…..much more annoying in tone."

Myka pulled back at hearing those words and broke out into a big grin. "Oh my God, Helena. Irene is inside your head, isn't she?"

"No, she is not!" Helena protested.

"Yes, I bet she is," Myka said, grinning. There had to be extreme forces at work for Helena to detach herself from the phone.

Helena was annoyed at both Myka ceasing her caressing and her statement. "Don't be ridiculous," Helena said and pulled Myka's hands back in place. She then proceeded to prove Myka right by blurting out - "That is…. a preposterous statement. Why would you even ….," Helena stammered and heard her own words. There was something awfully familiar about that voice that suggested she do it. "Dammit!" she blurted out, much to Myka's delight.

Myka broke out in a small giggle as she resumed leaning back into Helena. "Do you know how adorable you are when you lose?" she asked, restarting her ministrations and running her tongue along Helena's ear after she spoke.

"I know….. how…. annoying….. that woman is!" Helena tried to bark, but Myka was biting her earlobe now and all the blood was rushing away from her brain to other parts of her body.

"Well, I can think of something to completely take your mind off of …," Myka said slowly, pushing Helena to lie back down on the couch as she continued to sit atop her body. "…..everything," she finished and smothered Helena's body with her light touches. The circular motion of Myka's fingers caused goose bumps to erupt all over Helena's skin. Myka let out a guttural laugh as Helena gasped and her body tightened. Myka reached under Helena's long white blouse and grazed her finger along the bikini bottom's waistband. "Maybe we should get out of …," Myka suggested as she slipped off Helena.

Both of them pulled off what little clothing they had on. Myka gently pushed Helena back on the cushions and placed her own leg between Helena's. Using her hands for support, Myka looked down at Helena's alabaster skin and dark eyes that were filled with smoky lust. Lowering herself to kiss Helena's swollen cherry lips, Myka began to move her lower body in tandem, pressing into Helena's heat with her leg and allowing Helena to do the same. The position wasn't ideal, but it allowed the electricity to build at an achingly slow rate until one final thrust of bodies against each other was enough to cause a simultaneous eruption of pleasure. Moist bodies fell into each other, exhausted and euphoric.

Sarah was learning a great deal as a result of her lapse in judgment and decorum - about herself and about Bridget. She wasn't surprised that Bridget was so forgiving. What she wasn't sure of was the quietude that befell her lover. She was present, but it was obvious she was thinking. Bridget didn't rise to the ranks of Goldman Sachs by not having plans in place. Nothing threw this woman once she understood what she was dealing with. And she was dealing with infidelity.

Meeting Sarah for dinner as they often did on Thursday nights at Chez Josephine; Bridget rose and kissed her girlfriend when she arrived.

"You look wonderful," Bridget said even though she was there when the woman dressed at Bridget's apartment that morning. Since the ill-fated tryst, Bridget had insisted that Sarah stay with her at her apartment – and not the other way around.

"How was work?" Sarah asked because one of Bridget's favorite things to do was to tell her about her day.

"I have several backers waiting for my call, Sarah. You are but a few clicks away from them investing in 'House of Styles', " Bridget said, reaching across the table to take Sarah's hand.

Sarah had talked about leaving her famed employer for some time. Now with the demand for her work as a result of all the hype over the wedding dresses, Bridget renewed her fervor about Sarah opening up her own place.

"I do know at least half a dozen people who would come with me," Sarah mused as she thought over the idea. "Good people. I think," she added as she looked up at Bridget. She hesitated because she would have said the same thing about the thief a week ago.

"Well, I happen to know someone who is top notch in the field of putting the right person in the right job. Maybe she could give us some pointers," Bridget said because she believed in using talent in areas she didn't have aptitude herself.

"Is she good?" Sarah asked, because she wanted to design and not worry about personnel matters.

Bridget smiled as she put down the menu and looked at Sarah. "This woman can get inside anyone's head without detection. She'd know if you were picking the right people."

Meanwhile – somewhere in Queens…..

"I think this has been a most productive week, Mrs. Frederic," Sui said, picking up the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.

"I would say the same thing. After all, when Helena returns, you'll be so busy that you and I may not get to spend time like this together," Irene said.

"And you're certain Ms. Wells is going to need me to do all those things we discussed?" Sui said, because nothing in his Helena program confirmed any of it.

"Oh yes!" Irene said enthusiastically. "She's going to be a new woman when she returns in some ways, Mr. Generis. Who better to teach her the skills she will need to face this new chapter in her life."

Sui's voice analysis of Irene's tone indicated nothing but sincerity. "I do have some excellent programs in yoga and meditation," he confirmed.

"Oh Helena will love that," Irene said convincingly. "With the press hounding her and all the work she will have to catch up on, those are two things I think she could use. Daily."

Sending Sui to annoy Irene was a huge blunder on the Brit's part. It was like littering your enemy's yard with the Trojan horse and not expecting him to be filled with retaliation when he was returned. The android didn't know it, but Irene Frederic was not only inside his head, she was doing a major overhaul on how he viewed the world. His world being Helena.

Each day at work, he tried to run these things past his co-architect, but Claudia was very busy and simply explained to him that if Mrs. Frederic suggested it, then she was okay with it. Each night, he observed Irene demonstrate her prowess by saying the correct answers to the Jeopardy questions before the answers were given. He, of course, knew the answers, but the fact that Irene did seemed to make them kindred spirits.

And if there was any one subject the woman seemed to be an expert on, it was Helena, Sui concluded.

Back in Manhattan, Sarah had just finished the last of her dessert as Bridget enjoyed her coffee.

"You really know what you're talking about when it comes to all this business stuff," Sarah said, waving her hand in the air. Most of what Bridget talked about seemed quite complicated to Sarah. The same was true in reverse when Sarah tried to explain to Bridget the difference between Crepe de Chine and Crepe Georgette fabrics.

"I know what it takes to make relationships work," Bridget said, putting the coffee cup down and reaching for her pocketbook. "I know there must be mutual respect, mutual interests and both parties' needs must be met," she continued as she pulled out a business card.

"Well, that makes sense," Sarah agreed. Investors would want to like her, have faith in her abilities and make money on their investment.

Bridget slid the business card over to Sarah who mistakenly thought they were still talking about investors. Sarah picked up the card and saw the name …and then the title.

"We have an appointment tomorrow at six," Bridget said because she knew Sarah's schedule.

"This is a …therapist? Who wants to invest?" Sarah asked, confused.

"She's a therapist who helps couples who want to invest in their futures," Bridget explained.

"You want us …to go to …therapy?" Sarah asked, suddenly looking around to see if anyone heard. She wasn't sure why it would concern her.

"Yes, I do. I would have asked you first, but I spoke to her and she sounded very nice and she had this opening tomorrow," Bridget explained. "I can cancel it if you want." Bridget took Sarah's hand and looked at her.

"This is…because …you blame me?" Sarah asked, putting the card face down on the table.

"This is because I love you and I want us to work. This is because you didn't think I was giving you what you needed and we need to figure that out before we move forward," the investment banker said calmly.

Sarah would have complained that Bridget's tone sounded so businesslike, but she knew Bridget was doing this because she cared.

"Why not tell me at home?" Sarah wondered out loud.

"I really just thought of it," Bridget confessed. "I will cancel it if you don't want to go," she repeated.

"No," Sarah said slowly. "Maybe we could try it."

"I'm kind of excited about it, I think," Bridget said because she embraced any new adventure.

"You? Are excited about opening up about your feelings?" Sarah asked her reserved lover.

"Oh, well, not that part. I'm excited about the part where she's going to agree with me that you are I make a wonderful team," Bridget laughed as she ran her foot along the back of Sarah's leg.

'That's Sarah Styles,' they overhead people whisper as they passed the table. Bridget watched as Sarah put her head down, embarrassed at the sudden fame.

"God, you are so beautiful," Bridget said across the candlelit table.

Sarah looked over at the light blue eyes that held her in their gaze. She would follow Bridget anywhere – even to the couples counseling therapist.

Many thanks for reading along and posting. I do appreciate your time, thoughts, suggestions and questions.