At exactly seven, Bo pushed open the door and greeted a very tense yet ever so beautiful Dr. Lauren Lewis. Her hair was a little disheveled and her suit a little less than perfectly pressed, but if she had been crying, Bo couldn't tell. Her eyes always sparkled.
"Hi," Bo smiled and couldn't hide her excitement to see her.
"Hi Bo," Lauren replied, taking in the just showered brunette standing before her. Bo's girls were escaping her tight tank top, and Lauren's eyes settled on them at once. Bo noticed her interest immediately and felt a flutter. She watched Lauren's gaze linger, causing a rush of desire to flood Bo's body. The tension was thick.
Realizing she was staring, Lauren quickly shifted her eyes north. "Um, ahh, yeah, can I come in?"
"Um, sorry. Yes, please, come in." Bo closed the door behind her and ran her eyes up and down Lauren's backside as she walked towards the kitchen. You certainly are Dr. Hotpants, Bo thought. "Can you stay for a drink?" Bo asked, moving to the bottle of wine Kenzi left behind.
"Ah, sure, maybe for just one. I could use a little something to calm my nerves."
Bo poured two glasses of wine and felt Lauren approach, suddenly standing inches behind her. Her breath hitched, overcome by an intense desire to feel Lauren touch her, anywhere, in any way. She craved Lauren's touch, but her own selfish, past indecisions ruined that opportunity long ago. Bo froze in place, fearful of uncertainty but praying for even just a brush of her hand. Lauren placed the keys on the counter next to the full glasses of wine and stepped back. "These are for you."
Bo let out the breath she had been holding before handing her a glass.
"Thanks. I promise to take good care of your plants."
"I know you will. Just don't let Kenzi think they're part of her drinking crew. She'll water them with liquor and they'll all be dead within hours."
They shared an easy laugh. Bo led Lauren to the sofa, hoping to relax her a bit before bringing up the flight in conversation. They shared small talk and comfortable chit chat. Lauren noticeably sunk into her favorite corner of the sofa, finding that familiar space a solace in her current struggle.
Bo sat up a little straighter, physically directing her entire focus on Lauren.
"Lauren, is there anything I can do?" Her words were brief but her tone was clear.
Lauren gulped her wine. She blinked away threatening tears and let out a deep breath.
"I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I did get one of my colleagues to prescribe me a mild sedative for the flight. If anything, that should calm me enough to avoid a major heart attack."
Bo nodded and hoped that sedative was strong enough to knock her out for the duration. Rather than feeding her fear, Bo decided to keep the mood positive and cheerful.
"Well, I know how you're going to do it. You're going to march onto that plane, find your seat, buckle your seat belt, and order a mini bottle of vodka to wash down that sedative. Before you know it, you'll be landing in LA and you, Dr. Lewis, will own that conference." She emphasized her confidence by pointing at Lauren before resting her hand on Lauren's knee.
Lauren smiled. Knowing Bo and her genuine desire to prove herself over and over again, the words were heartfelt and full of encouragement. Since their last attempt at dating had crashed and burned, Bo seemed to be more mature and attentive to the doctor's needs. If it was an attempt to win her over again someday, the efforts were certainly noticed.
Lauren placed her glass on the coffee table and stood up. Bo followed suit, sure that Lauren was panicking and about to leave. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Bo, settling her head on her shoulder. Bo quickly returned the embrace, closing her eyes and taking in the forgotten feelings of holding Lauren so close: the smell of her shampoo, the way her arms molded perfectly around Lauren's body, the way her heart raced when Laurent triggered her raging hormones.
"You are so good to me," Lauren whispered.
Keeping her held close, Bo whispered, "I told you. I will always be good to you. I've made enough mistakes and hurt you enough for a thousand lifetimes. Never again. Ever."
Their embrace lasted a moment longer before Lauren leaned back slightly, keeping her arms loosely around Bo but creating enough space to look her in the eyes. Bo watched Lauren intently, waiting for a response, hoping she didn't come across too strong once again. Lauren's hand found Bo's cheek, gently running her fingertips along her strong jaw line.
Lauren's touch sent waves of want and need through Bo. She forced her eyes to stay open, wanting to drink in every moment of being so close to Lauren again.
"Lauren…" Bo said breathlessly.
Lauren closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to Bo's, softly and slowing pulling Bo into a kiss that ignited a fire deep within. Every ounce of Bo's energy traveled directly to her core. The feeling of Lauren's lips on hers made her mind reel and her knees weak. She tightened her grasp around Lauren, desperate to connect as much of their bodies as possible. Bo's tongue found Lauren's bottom lip and begged for entrance. Lauren granted pass, hastening their kiss as their passion burned just below the surface. Bo restrained from her old behavior, instead allowing Lauren to lead and finish that kiss as she desired. As Lauren pulled away, she rested her forehead to Bo's. Bo took a few moments to catch her breath as she enjoyed the feeling of her arms holding Lauren so close. There was so much to say as Bo's feelings overwhelmed her.
"Wow, Lauren…" Before Bo could finish, Lauren pressed her fingertip to Bo's lips, keeping one arm wrapped around Bo and maintaining their embrace.
"Bo, remember last year when things with us were, well, things were ugly and complicated?"
Bo nodded as Lauren kept that index finger on her lips, fighting every desire to slightly open her mouth, wrap her lips around that digit and draw a moan from Lauren like she knew she could.
"You asked me to drive with you to Niagara, spend the day enjoying some of the finer wine that Canada has to offer, and of course, each other's company."
Bo nodded again. Transfixed in this moment, Bo waited for Lauren's next words.
"And I think I hung up on you because of the hurt I was still feeling at that time."
Bo nodded a third time, remembering the sound of the dial tone all too well.
Lauren dropped her voice down to a whisper. "Bo, when I get back from this trip, hopefully in one piece, I think you should ask me again."
A fourth nod was joined with a smile that could not be controlled. At that moment, Bo wanted to beg for forgiveness, to sweep Lauren off her feet, take her upstairs and rekindle the romance they both felt so long ago. She wanted to clear the air, banish the demons of the past, and move forward with a woman she couldn't live without. Learning from past experience, however, Bo knew that she couldn't steer this forward any more than she could erase the past. It was Lauren's next chapter to start writing and it needed to be done on Lauren's terms. Bo felt elated at the hope Lauren had just given her. Lauren could possibly be ready to give Bo another chance. She removed her finger from Bo's lips, but Bo knew to remain silent and just enjoy the moment. She placed one more additional gentle kiss to Bo's lips before leaving to pack for her unavoidable trip.