Chapter 6

Bo threw the papers down on her desk as she sat down angrily. She wasn't sure what exactly happened in there but she knew whatever it was she had not been expecting. At all. Not in the slightest. Grabbing her phone she dialed Lauren's number not really sure what she would say if the blonde picked up.

"You've reached the voicemail for Doctor Lewis—"

Bo hung up and threw the phone against the wall in anger not caring that the screen shattered as the expensive object bounced off the wall and landed at Evony's feet. "Bo, what are you doing?"

The brunette groaned as Evony came into her office and Bo kicked her thousand dollar heels against the floor in frustration as she glared at the attorney. "This is all your fault you know."

Evony laughed as she sauntered into the office and perched herself lightly on the edge of Bo's massive desk. "Sweetie, if this was my fault then why are you the one holding the bag of shit? Besides, it's not like I was fucking myself you know."

Bo rubbed her temples as she looked down at her desk in annoyance. "And that may have been the biggest mistake of my life. No, I take that back. The biggest mistake of my life was standing Lauren up that night because you didn't understand that 'one drink' really meant just one drink."

Evony smirked and shook her head. "What can I say Bo, they do a fabulous martini."

Bo glared at her. "This isn't a goddamn joke Evony, this is my life we're talking about here."

Evony looked taken aback for a second as she quietly watched Bo unravel. True, she knew she was playing with fire from day one but to Evony nothing in life was fun unless it was a challenge and for her, Bo had become that challenge. She never intended to come to Los Angeles and start an affair that would break up the couple of the century but once she saw that there was an inkling of potential there she knew it would be worth it to at least try. For Evony it was the chase not the reward that she sought out and now that she'd finished her little game she wasn't sure what the next logical move was. Stay or go she was undecided but she figured sticking around for her generous salary was the best way to make up her mind, no matter how long that took.

What a bitch.

Bo knew from the moment she met Evony that she would be trouble, she just didn't know how much trouble. Unfortunately for her Evony was the best Corporate Law attorney in North America and the one that would be best suited to head up the legal team at her company. When Bo had first heard about her she was a little skeptical as Evony's background was a bit confusing with her being in private practice prior to joining the Corporate field but every one of Bo's trusted advisors told her Evony was the best and Bo Dennis wanted to make sure she had the best.

Getting her to come to the Enterprise was the easy thing, throw some money and the reigns of the legal department at her and Evony was on the next plane landing in LAX. That should have been a sign to Bo that she would prove to be more than she could handle but the almost predatory nature of the young attorney made Bo comfortable that above all else she would do what she was paid for, and that was to protect Bo and her assets.

"I'm going to pretend for the sake of argument that I actually give a shit about that and say so what? You fucked up Bo you know this. Speaking from a legal perspective I'd say today was a success. You got what you wanted so why not sign the papers and be done with it?"

Bo huffed as she looked up at Evony with complete surprise. "Are you fucking kidding me? How in your right mind could you call today a success?"

Evony laughed as she flipped her hair lightly over her shoulder and looked down at Bo with pity. "You got what you wanted, to keep your connection to Lauren's little foundation. That is a success."

Bo slammed her hand on the desk angrily. "And in the process found out that my wife had been keeping a secret from me that could have…"

Evony looked at her with amusement. "Could have what Bo? Helped fix your failing marriage? Is that what you thought?"

Bo growled as she slowly stood up and squared her shoulders towards Evony. "Do not ever talk about my marriage again. That is none of your fucking business so stay the hell out of it."

Evony laughed and nodded. "Fine, fine. Live in your fantasy world…and hey, at least we know she was putting the money to good use right?"

Bo shook her head. "You are unbelievable Evony, I mean really…do you even have a heart? Soul? Conscience at all?"

Evony slid off the desk slowly and looked at her with a look of both amusement and disgust. "What exactly should I feel bad about here Bo? For the times when I forced you to stay late at the office or the times I coerced you to having drinks or dinner with me? Or maybe I should feel bad about the first time you crawled in bed with me? Is that it? Because the way I remember it you acted on your own free will in all of those scenarios. So don't put your guilt trip on me because we both know I had no part in swaying your decision. I never crossed that line. YOU did Bo. And now you feel bad which is sweet really but in the grand scheme of things it was inevitable that your relationship would meet its demise sooner rather than later. And hey, at least you can say you had fun along the way right?"

Bo said nothing as Evony sauntered out of the spacious office the same way she had strutted in leaving the brunette to think about what she'd just said. True, there as an element of honesty in Evony's words but of course they were laced with the sarcasm and taunting. Bo sighed as she leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers she was looking for.

Where had it gone wrong? Why did she put herself and her relationship in that position? Why Evony? Why now?

These were all questions that had been consuming her thoughts since the first time she'd stepped out on her wife. It wasn't like it was something planned, Bo wasn't out looking for someone to screw around with and the thought honestly hadn't even crossed her mind when she first met Evony. Sure the attorney was beautiful and smart and funny but beyond that Bo didn't pay her any interest at first as things between them were strictly professional.

But, like everything else in her life, things slowly changed and Bo found herself distracted with the thought of Evony, or perhaps the thought of the 'what if' that Evony presented. That is a dangerous thing to consider and up until she'd actually acted on it Bo found these thoughts totally consuming her mind which scared her more than anything. They'd worked together for two years before Bo had even considered anything beyond a professional relationship with the woman. That's not to say that Evony hadn't made it clear that if Bo should so choose she was open to some fun but the brunette always laughed it off as she went home to her wife with a flirtatious promise of 'maybe next time.'

She wasn't sure what exactly changed, or when the tipping point was, but she noticed that the more things got strained at home, the more Evony held her attention, even without her realizing it. Looking back on it she realized she'd confided a lot in Evony, usually during the long nights at the office or when they were having drinks at the end of a long day and she knew the woman had used this information for her own benefit. It wasn't overt, not obvious to Bo that the attorney was playing to her emotions but little by little she found herself opening up to Evony in ways she never would to her closest friends, let alone Lauren herself.

It would be easy to say that Lauren's sometimes standoffish and cold demeanor pushed Bo towards Evony but that really wasn't the case. Sure, Lauren had her moments when she'd stand her ground on certain things or pick a fight over the lack of time they'd spend together while Bo was getting her business off the ground but at the end of the day she was always loving and caring and patient, something Bo wasn't sure she knew how to handle.

Bored.

The more Bo thought about her life the more that word seemed to resonate somewhere in the back of her mind. It's a cruel thing to say but sometimes when we get exactly what we want there comes a stagnant time in the relationship and for Bo, this was probably it. She loved Lauren yes, that was never in question, but to some extent she also missed the excitement she used to feel with the blonde early on in the relationship. Unfortunately for them however their honeymoon period had been cut short by Lauren's long work hours and constantly being tired from always being at work or studying and eventually this took its toll on Bo.

Even after they were married and Lauren opened the foundation, she wasn't sure how to deal with the 'normal' aspect of her relationship. Coming home to her wife every night, falling asleep together almost every night when she'd almost accepted the fact that sleeping next to the blonde was a rare experience. Perhaps she took Lauren for granted, or put too much expectation on their relationship, but it almost seemed that having the extra time together was inadvertently destroying them. It wasn't like they were spending all day and night together, but when they had both gotten used to seeing each other in passing and mostly having one or two days out of the week together it was a change to get used to seeing her every night and adjusting herself to accommodate the woman in her life.

Maybe that was it. Maybe it was all too easy with Lauren. Ridiculous as it sounds sometimes having the things you should want aren't the things that keep you going. Lauren was Bo's safe haven. Her place of solitude and comfort and peace that grounded her when she needed it most. These were the things that Bo loved and hated about Lauren and she had to admit at times she felt like these were the things that made her life so monotonous. It's not fair to say that she was truly bored with Lauren but the more domesticated her life became, the more Bo found herself fighting within to break free and have something challenge her and push her once again.

Selfish.

That's how most would describe her actions and line of thinking in this situation but Bo knew it was more than that. After one particularly long night with Kenzi drinking and having a typical girls night out it became clear to Bo that what she missed most were all the things that being with Lauren had changed about her. Not to say that she wanted to be single again or that she craved attention, but it occurred to Bo that when she went out nowadays she never noticed anyone else except the blonde by her side. Bo was a people person and it was during that fun night of drinking with her best friend that she realized she kind of missed all of it.

The craziness, the fun, the ability to turn heads as she entered a room. All of it.

Yes, Bo was happy with her wife and content with her home life but at the core of everything she was human and she was a woman which meant it was nice to be appreciated and somehow Evony picked up on that and subtly used this to her advantage. It's a thing of beauty when you can understand how to manipulate someone's thoughts and feelings to your advantage and that's exactly what Evony excelled at. It was one of the reasons she was such a good attorney and something she always prided herself on being able to do if the need arose. It's not to say that Bo was completely innocent in this either as she let Evony's charming ways affect her but she knew the dangerous game she was playing and after fighting it for so long she finally relented and let it run its course.

The first time it happened Bo had been slightly tipsy and not thinking clearly. She'd fought with Lauren the night before and had no intention of being at home while Lauren was there. It was easy to escape, telling Lauren she needed to meet clients for lunch or drinks or attend meetings in various parts of the city as she knew the blonde would never check up on her to confirm this was in fact where she was. That first time had been one of those days when she was 'meeting with clients' meaning she was down the street with Evony at their local watering hole having a stiff drink while Bo recanted the latest thing Lauren had done to piss her off. In actuality it had been a so-so sexual experience for both of them, mostly due to the inebriated state they were both in, but for Bo it was exhilarating.

This was so out of character for her that as she was driving home she didn't even recognize her own reflection in the rear view mirror. When she'd gotten home later that night Lauren had been asleep and Bo slipped into the shower thinking about what she'd just done and internally panicking as she thought about how Lauren would instantaneously know and what the fall out of that would be. In order to absolve herself as much as possible she'd gone out of her way to ensure the blonde didn't have opportunity to witness any potential scars or marks on her body as the details of her night with Evony were slightly hazy.

Three weeks had passed between the first and second time it happened and simply put, during that time Bo was a mess. She was stressed out from the guilt she felt about cheating on Lauren but also she was stressed out about the fact that a part of her was now interested in what else Evony had to offer. It was as if she'd awakened a part of her brain she didn't know existed and she was hooked on the smart mouthed attorney whether she would admit it or not. Perhaps it was the fact that Evony and Lauren were as opposite as could be, or perhaps it was the fact that Evony wasn't as serious as Lauren and could enjoy life for what it was and not give a fuck about the more serious things that she should be caring about but either way, she'd caught Bo's interest and the brunette had found herself unsure of how to make this interest in her attorney go away.

The second and third time it happened Bo found herself almost high off the experience. Perhaps it was the danger in getting caught, or perhaps it was the fact that she was acting for herself for once instead of considering all of the angles and the feelings of everyone involved. Most notably her wife who seemed to be none the wiser to her indiscretions. Whatever the reason was, the more she found herself in Evony's metaphoric bed the more she realized what scared her most is that she wanted to be there. It was different than how it was with Lauren, and she knew it was nothing more than lust for both of them, but this didn't dampen the desire that burned within each time she sat across from Evony at a meeting or discussed something with her in the office.

Thankfully they never had a go of things in the office itself but the last time they'd been together Bo found herself breaking down as she tried to wrestle with her emotions and her feelings and her conscience all at once. Somehow Evony had convinced her to spend the night and she did so in the attorney's multi-million dollar estate up in the Hollywood Hills. That night, as she laid awake and watched Evony sleep she knew she'd completely broken inside and had no idea how to fix this predicament.

Anger.

Perhaps a little displaced, or perhaps it was her own projection of the uncertainty and stress she felt due to her own actions but as she lay there next to the other brunette she had felt the anger creep up for the first time. This wasn't the average blood boiling angry rage type of anger. No. This was a slow burn, a fire fueled by frustration and loneliness and the humiliation she felt knowing she'd thrown away everything she'd wanted in life for a temporary escape that only served to remind her of what she had given up for a few orgasms.

The more Bo thought about it the more she also felt the initial signs of resentment towards Lauren and everything she had put them through. It was irrational, but to some extent Bo was frustrated with how things had developed for them and each step along the way had been met with struggle. Initially dating had been easy, but as they progressed to a more serious couple and did all the things that long term couples do together, the real struggle began. Deciding to live together, getting engaged, getting married. It was all a struggle. Not because they didn't love each other or because they didn't want it to work but because they almost wanted it too much. They were too cautious, too careful, too unwilling to fight for the things that perhaps they should have early on to avoid the small things simmering just below the surface growing larger and larger until it was ready to explode.

Thinking back Bo was surprised that Lauren didn't suspect anything was going on. Or, perhaps worse yet maybe she did and she chose to ignore it. Either way, the signs were there. The longer than normal nights at the office, the skipped meals, the lack of free time she had to spend with the blonde…all the signs were there. Maybe Bo wanted to get caught. Maybe her subconscious was telling her to get her shit together and face her demons head on. Maybe Bo should have listened. But, instead, she did what she always did. Acting impulsively her time at home with Lauren had become nothing more than moment of sharing meals, having sex or sleeping.

Yes. Through all this Bo kept up the façade as well as possible and that meant continuing her bedroom life with her wife. If anything the charge she got from sleeping with Evony seemed to spark her desires at home as well and Lauren reaped the rewards as their sex life had picked up, again something Lauren never questioned but just went along with as expected.

And then there was the issue of children.

Bo loved Lauren unconditionally that was a fact. Bo had sacrificed time and time again for her wife and did so without complaint or protest knowing the blonde was always working to better things for them in the future. Bo had given up her whole world for Lauren and when asked she would honestly say there was nothing she regretted about her life with the blonde. Except for children. Or the lack thereof. From early on this was a point of contention and while Lauren never flat out said she would not have children the answer was always 'not now' or 'in a few years when…' and Bo was tired. She was sick of waiting for the blonde to be ready so she pushed those feelings aside and told herself they were just not meant to have children.

Now that she thought about it, asking Lauren to research the possibility of creating a child with their DNA was probably one of the most detrimental things Bo could have done to their relationship. She had basically leveraged her company's finances to help her wife's developing foundation while simultaneously helping her own desire come to fruition. To her credit though Lauren had taken it in stride and plowed ahead with the research however once that started, Bo now realized, the void between them became more and more tangible to the point where Lauren would spend all day and night at the lab citing the genetics research as the reason why instead of being at home with Bo where she should have been.

To say Bo was angry was probably unfair however it was still a valid feeling to the brunette and something that fueled her detachment at times where the blonde was concerned. She tried to not take her frustration out on Lauren but she knew based on their few screaming matches that she was not always able to hold back where she was concerned. So Bo had found herself in the arms of another and each time the growing ball of fire within grew. Bo was angry that she felt like being here was more enjoyable than being with the blonde. Bo was angry that the more she pushed Lauren away the more the blonde seemed oblivious, or chose to ignore it, and continued on as if things between them weren't falling apart at the seams.

Shaking her head slightly Bo shook the thoughts out of her head and she sat up at her desk slowly reaching for her phone. She knew she wasn't in the mood to really deal with anyone right now but she also knew sitting here alone with her demons was going to slowly drive her insane. She knew she didn't have a whole lot of leniency here but nonetheless she knew she needed some form of escape. Bo may have done the deed but it the issue at hand was bigger than that. Her future was on the line and she knew she had no reason to go on without Lauren by her side where she belong. It would be cliché to say she'd take it back if she could, and to some extent Bo wasn't sure if that was a fair statement even taking into consideration all that had happened.

'Fuck it' thought Bo as she reached for the phone on her desk. She paused as she let her fingers linger over the keys for a second. Bo wasn't sure what the next move was and it was killing her. She was used to planning, preparing for her next step, always having the endgame in mind with whatever she did. But this, now, she was completely unsure of what would happen and perhaps this was the best thing all around.

RING RING

"Hi Kate, it's Bo. I want to schedule another meeting…"