Chapter One

This is still not smut. I keep writing all this plotty stuff and it's getting in the way! And it's not beta'd. But you should still read.

The lights were off, but it wouldn't have made a difference to Sophie anyway; her eyes were clouding with tears. She threw her back against the door and felt a sob grow in her chest. The woman slid to the ground, pressing her shoulders into the vibrating panel with her knees folding to her chest. Sophie hugged her legs with both arms and buried her face in her lap. Then she cried, out right cried.

After about a minute of this Sophie looked up, gulped a breath, rubbed her eyes (not done crying, just making room for more).heard Nate run into something, break a glass, and curse loudly. She turned her head back to the door and controlled her breathing long enough to grumble "Bloody tosser," and hear Nate trip again. Normally Sophie would be worried and go check on him, but all she could do was laugh angrily. Then she remembered how angry she was and repeated; "Bloody steaming tosser."
"I think 'steaming' is drunk… But the other word, what was it?" A voice came from somewhere in the black room. "He's kinda got a point about the acting, though. You try to hard."

Sophie scanned around in a blind search of her invaded office. "Parker?" Sophie tested, always with a softened British 'r'. "Parker, are you..?"

"Over here." Parker flatly answered.

Sophie stretched her hand above her head and flipped up one of the two light switches. Sophie had to blink against half brightness before she could make out what Parker was doing. The blonde thief was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, with a carry-on suitcase open before her. The gray bag was the 'lost-and-found' bag from the Caymans flight. Sophie looked suspiciously at the trespasser. "Why are you in here?" Sophie was still a little too out of it to be polite.

Parker was pawing casually through the contents of the bag. "I got bored." She'd answered without even looking up. Then, after a breath's pause she gestured to the luggage and asked, "Why'd you keep this after the job?" Parker found a leather whip to idle over, not focusing on the conversation. "Couldn't you have left it at the airport?"
Sophie watched Parker play with whip, bring the end down against her own palm, creating a harsh smack, and almost forgot about the argument with Nate, almost. "Parker… Not- I mean, must you be in here?" Sophie voice was loosing its British class and taking on really thick venom (not that Parker heard that sort of thing). "A must you dig though that stuff!?! Do you have any idea where it's been?!? Honestly!" Sophie huffed, still seated against the door.

"I think I do, actually." Parker said, not yelling back, just responding. "Everything's sealed or got tags on it. I think it was a sales rep's or somethin'." Parker returned the riding crop to the travel case and removed the sealed packaging of a dildo. "See?" Parker said, tossing the packaged package at Sophie who reflexively caught it in the air.

"Parker!" Sophie half-screeched, "Please."

"What?" For the first time Parker actually looked at her distressed co-worker. She looked up, taking inventory of the woman whose space she'd encroached upon. Sophie, a great con actress and liar, was melted on the floor. Her dark brown hair hung stingily across her face. Her Shoulders shuddered with the irregularity of each sob. Cheeks flushed, eyes reddened and rubbed; she just stared for a bit. Sophie Devereaux was falling apart. The Great Sophie Devereaux was too upset to mask her own emotions.

"What the hell happened to you?" Parker asked bluntly. She inspected her coworker again, and then in a short, disapproving tone she remarked "You look like crap."

"I thought you were listening." Sophie spat, standing up from her crouched position.

"Uh-huh. To you. And Nate. Fighting." Parker flipped open a pair of silver hand cuffs and scrutinized the lock, holding it up to the light and peering through with one eye. "Is that why you're blowing snot?" Parker asked, lowering the cuffs and tilting her head to stare at the other woman in confusion.

"Yes!" Sophie exclaimed. She leapt to her feet and went in search of reassurance, in the worst way possible. She settled in next to Parker and tucked her feet beneath her. "I don't like fighting with people. It's rather upsetting to me."

"Hmm." Parker acknowledged, slipping the silver and pink hand cuffs on. "Just try and relax. He'll come around."
Sophie smiled. "Thanks, Parker. Do you really think that?" She was stunned by her teammate's kind remark.

"Eh," The cynicism crept back into Parker's tone. "Who knows? Nate's kinda a drunk."

Sophie's smile faded as Parker's candor restored itself, and with it Sophie's original state of distress. Parker, of course, had no idea she'd said anything wrong. Parker released the cuffs, put them back on, and released them while Sophie sat in silence. Finally, about the time Parker tossed the restrains back on the pile, the silence was broken.

"What do you think I should do?" Sophie asked tentatively, picking up the handcuffs Parker had just put down.

Parker shrugged, and picked up a book entitled "Lesbian Kama Sutra", her eyes shimmering over the glossy photos of the pages. "There's nothing for you to do. You won't be happy with him until he stops drinking but—" Parker flipped the book to face Sophie. "Is that even possible?"
"Parker! Focus!" Sophie redirected, covering up the pornographic novel with her hands. "You were saying?"
"Oh, yeah, you can't make Nathan stop drinking." Parker stated simply, not elaborating.
Sophie sighed and started to toy with the stupid handcuffs again. Parker had gotten them off so, "Why can't I make Nate stop?" She asked as she clicked the left cuff in place.
"He'll have to want it. And he's going to resent you until you accept that and let him make his choice." Parker was still only half paying attention.

Sophie thought about the absurdity of all this for a moment: She was getting relationship advice, good advice, from a thief with no emotional attachments, while going through a stolen box of sex toys. And she had just handcuffed herself.
One problem at a time. "So, this is my fault. Because I want him to stop drinking? This is all my nagging." Sophie said sadly, but trying to sound strong.
"No." Parker shook her head. "It's him. It's his drinking. He's being a baby about it." Parker spoke definitively.
"Oh." Sophie murmured. "You sure?"
Parker finally looked up from the book she'd been reading to roll her eyes at Sophie. But what she saw made her laugh instead. Sophie was sitting on her knees a bit with her hands in her lap, mostly. Sophie's wrists were trapped by the shiny handcuffs they had both played with. Sophie, as was made apparent by the way she twisted her hands and wiggled her fingers, couldn't get out. Parker smiled, "Are you stuck?"
Sophie, always proud, tried to deny this inevitable truth. "No. I-I just, uhm… Just trying them on and I- I can't get the bloody things off!" She was really stressing out. "Could help me? Or give me the fucking key?"

Parker smirked at the brunette. Panicking, Sophie was panicking. "I couldn't find a key." Said Parker slowly, trying to calm the cornered doe. The calming wasn't working but Parker didn't care anymore. She wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this for all the paintings in the Louvre. Parker's tongue flicked out over her lips. It was inadvertent, but Sophie caught it.

Sophie knew that look. The one she was getting from Parker, she knew it. It was something raw, primal. But Sophie was certain that she'd read it wrong because it was, after all, Parker she was looking at. This look of lust driven need was the sort of thing Sophie saw in bars, on jobs, and even from Nate if he was the right kind of sober or the wrong kind of drunk. But always men, and always in some odd vicinity to flirting. She'd never been looked at like she was prey by another woman. And she'd never expected to be so turned on by it.

To be continued, soon…

I hope I can get this next bit up soon. I wanted to give you guys some proof that I was working on it.
Reviews?
Oh, and Did I give too much away about what's gonna happen, like beyond foreshadowing? Let me know, I want to be my best and I can't do that unless you tell me what my worst is.