With her day officially over and the various patients alive for a little longer, Bo found herself sitting in her car with her phone in hand instead of actually going anywhere. There were those words just staring back at her. When did a question about her plans for the night ever give her pause before?
Yes they had taken on that pitied quality after she broke things off with Dyson that left her annoyed, but that was solved by a strong drink. Yet now that it actually sounded like a friendly invitation, in text form where no sound could be heard except for the memory of Lauren's voice, it left her like a deer in the headlights.
Closing off the message and finding the name at the top of her contact list the hesitation threatened to overtake her again, but a simple tap on the screen cemented the decision. It was past the reasonable hour most people called someone, let alone someone she was just getting to know, but there was no one else for to really her to talk to who wouldn't freak out when she ordered something with a high percentage of alcohol in it.
The silence in between the rings seemed to last an exceedingly long time, though the wait was over before it could truly begin. With a simple hello from Lauren, someone she kept telling herself she wasn't going to fall for, her night suddenly got a whole lot better.
"Hey, how do you like free drinks?" Bo felt her head hit the steering wheel. That was not how she wanted to start the conversation.
Lauren felt a smile forming on her lips immediately upon seeing Bo McCorrigan displayed on her caller I.D. and she was thrilled that Kenzi wasn't around to see the effects of actually hearing the other woman's voice. "I am doing great Bo, thank you for asking. How was your day?"
"I said hello and I am offering to buy you a drink. That is more than most people get." Bo could hear a small laugh come over the phone and suddenly her head wasn't against the steering wheel. She needed this after the last few days.
"Well since you're doing the buying I would love a drink." However, despite being on what was supposed to be a vacation from the stress, Lauren didn't have a clue as to any of the bars in the area.
"Great. Put some clothes on and bring Kenzi with you. I need to change, but I'll text you the address and see you in an hour." Bo hadn't wanted their first sort-of date thing to be at a bar, but she wanted to see Lauren and Kenzi was clearly someone important to the woman. There were closer places, and ones with less history, but it would be easier to charm the best friend on familiar ground.
Lauren felt herself blush at the comment despite the fact she was well clothed, wearing a sweater and pj shorts, for someone sitting in the room of their own apartment. As the line went silent though, she put the book she had been reading aside and left the room to pry Kenzi away from the TV.
Bo put her phone away after sending off the quick text. A smile on her face appearing for the first time in the last two days. The idea that seeing her grandfather again had kept her from seeing anyone she knew for months, but Lauren was the one person that made everything seem all right and whatever it cost to have that in her life would be worth it.
Starting up her car and thinking up the quickest route there from her apartment was the easy part. The problem came five minutes after she started driving when it occurred to her that she had only the vaguest idea of what they were going to talk about when she got to the bar as she didn't know much about Kenzi and Lauren wasn't just some hookup she took home after shots and a round on the mechanical bull type.
That doubt stayed with her even when over an hour later Bo had found herself in the parking lot of the Dal Riata and five minutes later crossed the threshold of the bar. It was a weird time where it was either too late, or too early, for most people to come to the aging bar, leaving it occupied mostly by empty stools at the bar and plenty of tables with a view.
It took Lauren about five seconds from the door opening to reveal a goddess in leather pants and a v-neck top for her to be out of the booth and taking a few steps towards the brunette, barely noticing Kenzi making whipping noises as she focused on Bo. It wasn't that romantic moment where their eyes lock and her heart flutters before Bo sweeps her into her arms like the movies Kenzi made her watch as revenge for trying to introduce the small Russian into the wonder of Star Trek. In fact Bo reminded her a lot more of some poor soul on an away mission they didn't want to be on with a look like she was going to bolt out the door if there was a loud noise.
For whatever reason Lauren wanted romcom at that moment more than classic scifi and walked across the floor until she was standing in front of Bo. Up close it was clear the anxiety was in control of the woman and Lauren knew complete panic would set in any second followed by hyperventilating and disorientation. Placing a hand on the woman's arm, she offered Bo a smile and made certain Bo was looking at her before pulling her gently into a hug.
They were in clear view of where Kenzi had settled in, and refused to move until drunk off free booze, so she would be hearing about her "groping" Bo for a week from her roommate, but what mattered was a gorgeous brunette had her arms wrapped around her. The contact lasted long enough that the people at the bar were probably assuming they were getting a free show and Lauren was content to let them think that right up until Bo started nuzzling her neck and a pair of hands were definitely not offering spinal support.
It hit her nervous system like a jolt of electricity and Lauren literally separated herself from her colleague like the woman was a livewire. Based on the smile and the way her eyes were suddenly studying her though, Lauren felt certain that was exactly what Bo was and the only way she was going to survive was to make sure she was grounded. "Now Doctor McCorrgian, it is unprofessional to take advantage of my courteous nature and I expect better of you in the future." It was a good natured admonishment and Lauren certainly wasn't going to complain too much, though she would have never imagined her reaction to an intimate moment with someone she hadn't been on a date with why a couple dozen strangers watched would have been so calm when she wasn't even fond of holding hands in public.
"But Doctor Lewis I haven't even begin to take advantage of you or your courteous nature." Bo knew was pushing limits, but the way the oh so confident and take charge Lauren blushed and tried not to smile was too tempting to pass up.
"Right, well, umm, we have a booth." She knew what Bo was doing, it was the same thing she had been doing for a while based on Kenzi's take of their strange encounters, but that didn't make it any easier for Lauren to manage the side effects.
"Lead the way." Bo waited until the blonde was a few steps in front of her before following along. Of course it wouldn't have been hard to spot a booth with a small, dark haired, woman sitting alone in it, but she didn't want to pass on a chance for the view directly ahead of her. There was no question Lauren looked amazing when being all professional in a long white coat, or saving lives decked out head to toe in scrubs, but neither was quite as good as the ridiculously tight jeans Bo noticed she was wearing tonight.
"Bo this is-" Before Lauren could finish the introductions suddenly there was a miniature surgeon between her and Bo.
"I'm Kenzi, the third wheel here for the free drinks and with no interest in visiting the island of Lesbos or getting trapped on the inside of the booth when you two turn this night of respectable vodka shots into a scene from The L Word." Kenzi never refused a free drink, especially when it would be followed by several of its friends, but this Bo suddenly offering a night out getting sloshed was highly suspect.
"Well in that case the next time I make travel plans to Greece you are welcome to stay with the jet on the mainland." Bo felt the weight of the hospital slip away as she settled into the padded seat with Lauren directly across from her. The calls and texts had made for a nice transition since their last encounter at the hospital, but it wasn't the same as actually seeing the ER attendant, especially when the woman was wearing a grey button-up top.
"Wait. Seriously? You have your plane? Because if you do that might just put you in the running to be my new bff." Kenzi hadn't met anyone that had a private plane, though a guy she dated for a while told her he did but that turned out to mean he just worked at the airport.
"Well that is good to know Kenzi. For now just drink up and order whatever food sounds good and don't worry about the bill." Bo had been joking about the jet, she was still amazed Trick managed to keep the Dal open, but free drinks she could do.
"Bo that's not necessary." Lauren knew the brunette's general financial situation from observation and Hale mentioning that the brunette had worked two jobs all through college despite her family having a few of them named after them when trying to ease her concerns over hiring someone that had just finished their an internship for an ER position. The job did not pay that well and covering Kenzi's tab for a night could easily cost someone more than a late 19th century version of Gray's Anatomy with a good spine.
"I insist Lauren. I picked the place and made you drive out here, this is the least I could do." For months she couldn't bring herself to visit the Dal and it was oddly calming to return knowing Lauren was there with her. "Besides I'll just clear it with the bartender before we leave so you don't have to worry about your free lunches stopping any time soon."
"Free food and drinks means either really good blackmail sex or really good protection racket, which one is it?" Given on a daily basis how many pairs of eyes at the hospital followed Bo's ass like it was a tray of jello shots anyone else might have taken the safe bet of sex, but Kenzi wasn't foolish enough to pick red just because everyone else did. In fact she had checked around and Lauren seemed to be the only one likely to get her own hands on the jiggly goodness. As such Kenzi had to consider the possibility now that Capo Chesty had some serious mafia ties and was taking the whole mob doctor thing a little too far.
"Kenzi!" Lauren felt truly mortified and immediately regretted not leaving her best friend back at the apartment. "I'm sorry Bo, but she's done talking now. Aren't you Kenzi?"
"Hey, one of us has to be looking out for you and given where your eyes keep drifting it sure as hell isn't going to be you." As the best friend Kenzi had sacrificed many a night of gaming why being epically drunk to solve LoLo's BoBo's problem and all she got out of it was Lauren constantly bringing up that Bo was nice, and pretty, and prone to traffic infractions because of being on the phone too much.
"It's fine Lauren. I can see what the similarities you were talking about." Despite having her character questioned, Bo rather liked that Lauren had a friend that was so worried about her. Between the way Lauren talked about her, and how the mini-surgeon seemed to scare most of the hospital staff, she had actually been looking forward to meeting the best friend and clearing that hurdle.
"Really? I'm surprised LoLo here managed to tell you anything. Since the ring went off her finger she has had a tendency to be the world's most awkward doc around anything with a v down beneath." Kenzi was mainly focused on the waitress completely ignoring them still even as awkward silence took over the booth.
"Go order us some drinks from the bar Kenz." If she was really lucky Lauren figured her small roommate wouldn't return to the table until she had consumed enough alcohol that the woman's future attempts to ruin her life would be done in slurred Russian.
"Why? It's so far and shouldn't we be getting the VIP treatment given Don Corleone here has some in with the owner?" Waiting for an explanation, and waitress, Kenzi wasn't going to be chased off because the two of them wanted to play doctor. It wasn't until after she watched the redhead with menus literally go out of her way to avoid them before vanishing behind a closed door that she noticed the lovebirds were focused on her. "Umm what's up docs?"
"Kenzi, that waitress isn't going to come get our order." Lauren tried to keep her voice even, but fighting the urge to shove napkins in Kenzi's mouth was requiring a great deal of her concentration.
"Yeah, I can see that Lauren. You know I swear sometimes you think those legs and that hair of yours give you super vision, but I to can witness someone that doesn't want a tip not bringing over trays of wonderful free shots." Kenzi kept her head turned towards the bar, envisioning the lovely bottles just sitting there, going to waste, when she had a golden ticket to an all you can drink buffet.
"Kenzi, if you go tell the bartender to everything on the McCorrigan tab, including anything from the family and friends shelf, he'll serve you right there." It took a few seconds, but Bo finally saw the woman give in to a curiosity about free top shelf liquor.
"Fine, but if this is prank you better not even think about stepping into the OR again unless you want to donate a kidney." Kenzi made a slicing motion through the air like she had a scalpel and then headed off to see just how much the woman valued her kidney.
"Bo." Lauren wanted for those brown eyes of the gorgeous brunette to find her own, but the woman seemed intent on staring at the bar. "I was going to tell you eventually. Even if you hadn't called tonight. No matter-" Lauren stopped. She wasn't like the leather clad brunette. Her life history didn't come in an open book. "Kenzi was one of the few people to know and the relationship ended so shortly after that there wasn't even an official announcement."
"Trust me that was not how I wanted to find out you had been engaged." Bo focused on Lauren, trying to understand how she couldn't have mentioned the ex-girlfriend was an ex-fiancé. Of course Lauren's best friend would be a perfect source of information for details about past relationships and it was tempting to go over and load the surgeon up with free shots and find out more about the department head, but Bo wanted to hear it from Lauren herself. To have known she earned that trust. "Can we talk about it?"
Lauren nodded her response to the question. Thanks to Kenzi's impromptu revelation there really wasn't much of a choice as the only alternative was to avoid Bo and that she wasn't willing to do. Not that she could even think of where to start.
"How about I get us some drinks first?" Bo know there were details of her own life she would have to explain, but if she didn't want to do that sober it was a safe Lauren didn't want to drag her own skeletons of the closest without some liquid courage.
"Yes!" Alcohol would help, as would that smile of Bo's at her obviously overly eager response, and Lauren welcomed both. "I'd like that. Thank you."
Bo found Kenzi at the bar with two empty shot glasses already in front of her, but didn't see a need to say anything.
"So she hadn't told you about the near miss with a gold band huh?" Getting only a shake of the head from the new lady in Lauren's life, Kenzi took another shot.
"She's been through a lot. Not just with Nadia either. She won't talk about it all at once. No matter how much close it seems she gets to spilling every secret after half a bottle of Grey Goose there is something that holds them back, but if your patient she'll tell you about them eventually." Kenzi wasn't sold on Bo being Lauren's one and only, but if the woman who should get paid by the city for stopping traffic at intersections wanted to hang around Kenzi figured she deserved a head's up.
"Thank you for the warning, but I can live with complicated." Bo's words drew a slight, already on the way to drunk, smile from the small surgeon as she raised a filled shot glass to her before drinking it down.
"Just so you know my family owns this place. Has for generations." When the bartender resurfaced, undoubtedly hiding from Kenzi based on the weary look on his face when he noticed the now four empty glasses, Bo managed to get a couple drinks of her own in hand and started heading back towards Lauren, enjoying the sudden sounds of excitement coming from behind her as Kenzi started rambling off an extreme drink order.
When Bo got back to the table there was something almost domestic about Lauren waiting for her, like she was at their home and Bo had come from work and after dumping off an arm full of groceries fixed them drinks to start off their night. Not that she would ever insist Lauren stay home, but for the days that allowed it the two of them could just cuddle on a couch and enjoy a glass of a wine.
It had been years since she thought about a home with a white picket fence, but Lauren seemed to fit into her future perfectly. Not that it was just all sitting around and book clubs. No. She wanted to travel as well and why she didn't know how Lauren felt about suburbia, she knew the woman had done relief work in Asia and Africa.
"Bo, you're supposed to set the drinks down at the customer's table after you bring them over." For the second time that night Lauren watched as Bo slipped into her own world, but this time the woman had a smile on her face instead of a look of sheer panic.
"Sorry. I thought I saw the world renowned Doctor Lewis for a minute and I got a little star struck." Bo did actually set the drinks down though before settling in across from said doctor.
"Anyone ever tell you you're a terrible flirt?" Lauren had heard the phrase 'world renowned' used a few times by her collogues like they were hoping for reward. When Bo said it though she rather liked it.
"Nope. They were too busy expediting my lab tests and getting my patients at the top of the waiting list for the imaging suite." Bo felt no shame in combining a little harmless flirting with patient care and she always made sure to never put anyone that seemed to desperately need results below her own patients. Besides if more doctors treated the support staff with some basic human kindness her efforts wouldn't be so effective.
"Another smartass remark. You're sure you and Kenzi aren't related?" Lauren had watched the brief exchange between the two as best she could, but wasn't sure how it went until seeing Bo's smile and Kenzi leaning halfway over the bar gesturing wildly at the poor bartender.
"So that theory would be awesomeness separated at birth?" Bo understood how Kenzi could grow on a person, much like the way moss grows on a tree the tree might not have asked for it but it becomes impossible to imagine life any other way.
"You left out you both have a pension for tardiness." Lauren was certain they were going to be late by the time she looked as if she had any business sitting across from the brunette and made the drive to the bar. Instead they had enough time to get waters and aggravate the waitress's impatience by declining anything else three times before Bo arrived.
"Well if I had known you would try to get into jeans that tight just on my behalf I might have driven faster." As curious as Bo was about Lauren's past, she was more interested in being a part of the woman's future. The Nadia thing could wait and it wasn't as if a few skeletons from her closest couldn't use a dusting off when they got to the point.
Having settled into the comfortable booth and taken to stirring the drink in front of her, Lauren could feel a burning creeping into her cheeks and remembered just how much she enjoyed the woman's presence. Still, it was several rather unsophisticated gulps from the drink before she had the nerve to respond, which, as like before, Bo seemed perfectly willing to wait for. "They were the only thing I had to wear that Kenzi approved of. I wasn't expecting to have to get dressed up."
Had she caught the great and mighty Lauren lounging? Well, that was too good to pass up. "You didn't need to get dressed on my account." Bo entangled the blonde's fingers in her own, wanting the physical contact she had been desperately missing as she purposely left a word.
Lauren felt the blush sweep through her face as her ears were burning. The quickly vanishing drink did seem to help calm her nerves, but did nothing to remove the smug smirk from Bo's face. Though if that was how it was going to be though, two could play that game.
Swirling the olives around to collect the last remnants of vodka and vermouth Lauren kept her eyes focused on the woman across from her. Lifting the small, skewed, fruit towards her lips, Lauren noticed that the brunette clearly had no idea whom she was messing with. With the stage set, she gave Bo a small smile before licking the mixture off the olives before giving one a small nibble and dropped the fruit back into the glass.
As a connoisseur of attractive women, and former regular of bars where an lsd, rum and coke was an opener for a long night, Bo had to learn how to deal with seeing things that would cause most people to panic. However, even as a sexual woman, and someone formerly able to breathe, nothing had prepared her for watching as Lauren licked vodka off and take a bite from an olive. Trying to remember something intelligent to say, and failing completely, Bo noticed that the glass was indeed empty after only a few minutes. "You know just because those drinks were sitting here didn't make them free."
"I thought the whole point of drinks at a bar was to actually drink something?" Lauren leaned forward, watching as Bo's eyes faltered to keep her own. She really didn't have many shirts that weren't button down, but Kenzi found a grey one and insisted that with being opened a few buttons lower than Lauren was comfortable with it would be suitable. If the small surgeon wasn't already getting drunk on free alcohol Lauren knew she would owe her several drinks for helping her get ready.
"Right." Bo wanted to keep up their game of cat and mouse, but her brain had oddly stopped working right at the moment she realized a couple more buttons and she would know what Lauren had on under her shirt. Snapping out of the haze, and her eyes away from the pale flesh that had become ever so slightly visible, Bo noticed Lauren smirking at her.
"Right, it is, but I can't afford a high maintenance girlfriend who drinks through fine vodka like its cheap beer right now so I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut you off." Technically she did have a tab going for three of them, just one Bo had no intentions of paying for as her grandfather owed her at least a night of free drinks, and that meant leverage over if Lauren got another drink. Of course if buzzed Lauren was throwing her off her game, she also figured drunk Lauren would probably have her in the stock room before she could process what was happening.
"Is that so? Well I couldn't deal with a control freak that is too much of a cheap skate to show a girl a good time." As she took a drink from the second rather tasty martini that had been on the table, since Bo didn't seem to want it, she glanced the quiet room and noted the warmth of the dark wood, feeling Bo's eyes on her the whole time.
"I'll have you know those drinks you are so casually draining cost thirteen dollars without a tip, and since I doubt you could hide a credit card in those jeans, I don't think you're in any position to be calling me a control freak." Having the blonde sitting across from her overwhelmed any fear with a welcoming feeling of ease that Bo had only found before in the scarce moments after clearing a patient that was going home in better shape than they had arrived at the hospital. When talking to the ER head they could slip into a conversation where they left off, or start on a completely new tangent, at any given time and left her constantly feeling like she needed a cold shower.
"Well then perhaps you should buy thirteen of them and leave a thirteen dollar tip." The words came out a little more slurred, and aggressive, than she had intended, and Lauren doubted her companion was simply going to ignore that given the way the brunette across from her raised an eyebrow and smiled, which in turn made the whole thing even more embarrassing.
"One date and two drinks in and you're already telling me what to do at dinner. What's next you going to insist we go back to your place and I take off all my clothes?" Bo was rather proud of her sarcastic comment until the feline grin that reached Lauren's eyes followed it had her wishing she hadn't let Lauren take the only thing within ten feet of them that was cold.
"Of course not. That's date number three." Not that it wasn't tempting to skip ahead, but Lauren definitely wanted to be sober when they got to that part.
"Okay. You free for dinner and movie tomorrow even if it doesn't include free drinks?" Bo didn't care how desperate she sounded. There was something about Lauren's not only ability, but willingness to challenge her that was exciting. Of course the promise of a third date, and what that could bring, helped. Hopefully Lauren had no plans for the next two nights though because Bo definitely wouldn't survive waiting weeks.
Lauren found herself nodding in agreement before Bo even finished her question and probably for several seconds afterward before finally getting her head to stop. "I'd like that."
"Great. I'll go order us some food and rescue Kenzi from exile." Bo got another nod from Lauren, though not as enthusiastic as the one a moment before but managed to pry herself away from the table all the same. She didn't quite reach the bar before something someone with small arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her waist like a child.
"There's BoBo! I was just telling Chip that you are the best BoBo friend in the world." Kenzi had decided she made two new best friends after sharing enough tequila shots with Chip the bartender. After all what wasn't to like about a guy pouring drinks and a chick that is willing to pay for them. "I doubted that before and for that I think we should have some apology shots."
"Why I appreciate all that, how drunk are you right now?" Bo managed to extract the surgeon from her before trying to get the woman to stand without her help and after a minute it was clear that wasn't going to happen. Trying to figure out how the woman really got trashed in such a short time, Bo checked the time on her phone to see it had been over an hour since she had set down with Lauren again. "Shit. I'm sorry Kenzi. I guess we kind of got distracted."
"It's okay. Apology shots will make you feel better. Chippy, a round for my apologizing bobolicious friend." Kenzi went to march back to the bar to celebrate someone's apology, but there was a tractor beam holding her in place like from one of Lauren's terrible tv shows she liked.
"Chip, everything the two of you drank plus the two martinis I got earlier goes on my tab. That's the Ysabeau McCorrigan account. I also need some coffee to go and something to write on. Understand?" Getting a thumb's up from the also clearly intoxicated bartender, Bo more or less dragged Kenzi to the booth, finding Lauren with an oddly amused look on her face.
"It is good to see you two have become friends." Lauren had been expecting Bo to be back with some news about their impending dinner, but a drunk Kenzi was an entertaining surprise.
"Best friends from what I could gather. Apparently that is what happens when we leave her at the bar for over an hour." Letting Lauren's best friend get fall down drunk seemed like a terrible thing to let happen on a first date, but when the blonde started giggling Bo realized she wasn't going to get much help in dealing with the drunk surgeon.
"Guess we got distracted." Lauren knew it must seem like she was being a terrible friend, but she knew Kenzi and Kenzi would have hated being stuck within earshot range of her and Bo tonight. Especially if she was sober and kept away from a well-stocked bar with all she could drink alcohol.
"I've got some coffee coming, since I need one of you awake long enough for an address and hopefully help getting the other one inside once I get the two of you home." That Lauren wasn't bothered by Kenzi's condition and Kenzi was still trying to hug her, Bo figured the rest of damage control would be handled by a bartender not wanting to get fired and the large tip she just put on the able was going to leave for the waitress she hadn't seen.
"I can just call a cab Bo." Lauren wasn't going to impose the woman to take them home, especially after she paid for everything.
"Not tonight. We'll take your car and I guarantee I won't take no for an answer." There was no putting off a conversation with her family anyways so retrieving her car tomorrow would be as good as any time to do it and really Bo wasn't ready to leave Lauren's side if she didn't have to.
Lauren wanted to protest further, but the waitress walked over with coffee and a writing pad, grabbed the bills and left why doing her best to ignore they existed she was rather interested in finding out why instead. Getting only a shake of her head from Bo, and Kenzi randomly hissing at the woman, Lauren picked up the coffee and helped carry their drunk companion out the bar as Bo stayed behind to write something.
Bo wrote out a quick note to make sure Trick knew it was in fact her with two friends that ran up the bill and yes she had left her car behind overnight. If they were going to start talking again it might as well be after he has to live with that someone drank half the top shelf for free. By the time she found a familiar blonde standing next to a car in an almost empty lot, there was no sign of Kenzi until she got close enough to see a small form stretched across the backseat. "If nothing else she can't say I was lying about the free drinks next time someone needs a kidney."
"Don't get your hopes up too high. When she wakes up in the morning she might just start planning to take it using a pocket knife as revenge." Most of the time Kenzi managed to sober up with a silent disdain for the world that lasted through half a box of cereal and a day of cartoons, but on occasion Lauren had found her watching crime dramas, drinking water and swearing in Russian at the TV instead.
"I think you underestimate the bonds of friendship we forged tonight." Bo settled into the driver's seat, making some minor adjustments, and finding the keys already in the ignition as Lauren settled into her role as a passenger.
"Ah-huh. Well if you have to avoid OR for the next month or two you'll have no one to blame except yourself."
"And when you aren't invited to our awesome parties in the longue you'll have no one to blame except yourself." Bo had gotten the car on the main road and knew there was no immediate threat of missing Lauren's address, but she actually didn't know where the woman lived.
"Where does the vengeful surgeon and lightweight administrator call home anyway?" Keeping one eye on the road and one hand on the wheel, Bo pulled up a taxi service contact on her phone to arrange a ride from the mystery house to her apartment.
Lauren, taking advantage of Bo's split focus, Lauren leaned over until she could whisper in Bo's ear. "Is this the part of the date where you offer to show me yours if I show you mine?"
By the slight jerking of the car and a phone nearly being dropped, Lauren felt satisfied that Bo would remember the night was more than three friends getting a drink together and retreated back to her own space. "It's the condo development that was built about five years ago, about ten minutes from the hospital."
"If we make it there alive." Bo did manage that, even arranging a taxi to pick her up, but by the time they arrived at the upscale community she was officially on edge. After Laruen's little stunt she regularly had to look over at Lauren just to make sure the woman was going to behave and that had her mind on what she would do if they got to Lauren's and she didn't have the safety of needing to operate a car to keep the blonde at bay.
"Do you need any help with Kenzi?" Sure Bo, volunteer to follow the lioness into her den, that's the best way to avoid being eaten.
"It's okay Bo, you can breathe. Just take the keys out and for open the rear door on your side." When Bo did as she asked, Lauren nudged Kenzi until the woman stirred. "Kenzi, your couch awaits."
Bo was surprised when like a drunk zombie Kenzi started moving again, even exiting the car and taking the keys from her hand after whispering something in Russian. She watched as the front door to the building was opened and Kenzi disappeared inside. "Does she always do that?"
"Pretty much. Though one night I found her trying to pick the lock to our place with some hair pins after she forgot her key." Why still drinking Kenzi could be a nightmare to manage, and hung-over Kenzi was moody at best, Lauren had found drunk car ride home Kenzi to be very cooperative over their years together.
"I would like to see that." It would be well worth the price of drinks to see Kenzi attempt to pick a lock after a night out.
"What else would you like?" Lauren had meant it as an innocent question, maybe give her some idea about their date tomorrow, but by the way Bo was looking at her that wasn't how it was interpreted.
Bo licked her lips as she realized Lauren was stand next to her and there was literally nothing keeping them apart. She was done resisting. "You."
"You sure?" Lauren's own self-restraint was gone. Rules and reasons for holding back no longer important as Bo leaned forward. There was an ever so brief pause just before their lips could touch and Lauren seized that chance to capture Bo's lips with her own.
It was everything. They moved against each other with ease and yet Lauren felt the slightest motion. The hand brushing against her neck, the slight exhale and inhale before they were connected again. Satisfying seemed like an odd sensation when it came to Bo, but that's what ti was. For that moment they had all the time in the world and Lauren was quiet content with simply enjoying Bo. At least she was until some sort of honking sound filled her ears and Bo was no longer on her lips.
For Bo, even in the blaring sound of a clearly annoyed cab driver, she struggled to pull back and as her forehead rested against Lauren's she didn't dare to open her eyes because she would see how flushed Lauren was and what followed would be needy with tongue and teeth. Managing to take a few steps back Bo opened her eyes and was glad she had put the distance between them because it was only Lauren being out of arm's reach that kept her from pulling her forward and picking up where they left off.
"Three dates huh?" If Lauren wanted everything tonight Bo was going to make her admit to it, to break the odd rule she had put in place. She wasn't going to push If Lauren still wanted to wait.
"We'll see." Lauren would have like to think that she came off as admonishing Bo for assuming that she had guaranteed anything at the end of a third date, or even that there would be one, but all she could think about was dragging the other woman upstairs and she could tell Bo knew exactly what was going on in her head. Somehow though she didn't and she saw Bo smile as she understood.
"Goodnight Lauren." Bo made the short trip to her cab in silence, not looking back until the door on the vehicle was almost closed and the door to the condo was in a similar state. When Lauren shut the door, Bo closed hers and told the driver her address. Leaning her head back all Bo could think about was what she could do tomorrow that would match tonight.
Hi there...so umm some of you may have noticed this took a year to update instead of a week...sorry about that. It's hard to explain my absence so I'll just say this nearly 7,000+ word update was freshly written only in recent days because the 4,000+ word update I had wrote a year ago was so angsty and dramatic I didn't feel like it fit what I wanted this story to focus on. That being said I will be wrapping this up with one more chapter followed by an epilogue, both of which are mostly complete. After that I'm not sure what is next for my Doccubus writings, but I'm open to suggestions so if you have an idea leave them in a review or send me a message.