Hey folks! Some drinks, some food and some more… Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 9 – Double Encores
The days passed quickly. Bo and Lauren were both busy – Lauren with her studies, and Bo mostly with her job at the café. Although she was starting to get the hang of her chosen subject, too. Initially, the whole student thing had been intended as a pure cover story, but she'd figured, why not take advantage of some free education, while she was here, and found that she actually enjoyed the courses. They were no doubt challenging, and some of the professors were pretty badass, but Bo had never been the type to be easily intimidated. Besides, the lecture rooms filled with horny young people were like a smorgasbord for her succubus. It was a win-win, really.
She'd just arrived back at her apartment after finishing her morning shift at the Cosy Corner and was currently standing in front of the mirror, where she was pondering her options. In her hands, she was holding two hangers with tonight's outfit finalists. She kept swapping them back and forth and finally chose option number one: The same pair of black leather pants she'd worn for her first meeting with Lauren, combined with a deep-cut camo-pattern tank top. Content with herself, she hopped in the shower to get ready for tonight.
As she was standing underneath the spray, her thoughts drifted to Lauren. After her surprise visit at the café, they'd gone back to texting each other daily, and Bo had the feeling that the blonde's messages were getting flirtier… which made her happy and scared at the same time. On the one hand, Bo was glad that re-conquering her wife's heart wouldn't be half as hard as she'd feared. But on the other hand, despite her best efforts, her Queen insisted on being stubborn and getting in the way. Bo was meditating several times a day now to get back in synch with her, but the succubus' only message was always the same: "Need to have sex with Lauren."
And good lord, how much she wanted to! But the urge caused by her Queen was getting overwhelming, and Bo thought it unsafe. Not for her wife – her succubus would never hurt Lauren – but if she really wanted to keep true to her promise of never revealing her powers, she needed to re-learn control in a whole new way. She found herself reminded of that day in the lab, when Lauren had told her, what she was. Combined with the doctor's serums, it had taken Bo months to master her feeding. But back then, the circumstances had been different. She was much more experienced now, which made the fact that she felt like a teenager again all the more frustrating.
"What is happening to me? What's changed?", she'd asked Lauren's mother one evening a couple of days ago. She'd invited her over for advice and was pacing back and forth in her living room, speaking to thin air, as always since they'd arrived in this timeline, as Théa didn't want to risk revealing herself, even if it was in the relative safety of an apartment. "It's not this younger body – everything works normally", she continued. "The group feeding and controlling my eyes around other people. But all of a sudden, my succubus turns batshit crazy as soon as Lauren is near!"
"I'm not entirely sure, but it has got to be connected to your soulmate status", Théa mused.
"But you said she's always been my soulmate. Which sounds reasonable, now that I survived our little trip down memory lane. There must be something else. Something we're missing." She huffed, plopping down on her sofa. "I wish I had more time. I think I'm making progress controlling myself, but it's taking longer than I thought."
"But you have all the time in the world", Théa countered. "Why the rush?"
"I do… and I don't", Bo replied with a sigh. "I can read her aura, remember? And she… well, I know she wants me. Really wants me. She's still hesitant and tries to hide it, which bodes well for me. But if she makes a move first and I back away… what if it throws her off and I lose her forever?"
Théa sighed. She'd been alive for centuries… hundreds of years, that had taught her many things about everyday life and all aspects of faedom, but love seemed to remain an ever-puzzling mystery. Plus, no matter, how much she racked her brain, she couldn't figure out, why Bo's Queen was so adamant about getting back together with Lauren right this instant. Besides… it felt weird, to say the least, discussing the best strategy on how to postpone getting into her daughter's pants with her daughter-in-law.
"Just make sure someone else is always with you when you meet her", Théa offered. "Her friend Emily maybe. And if that's not possible, meet her somewhere public."
In the end, Bo had taken a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm herself. "You're right", she'd said with an exhausted smile. "Guess I have no choice but to keep my distance, until I figure this out."
That night, she and Théa had meditated together, and even though the session progress had been modest, Bo had been grateful for the company and support.
Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and stood in front of the mirror to give her reflection a strict glare. "Enough with the worrying now", she said. "Focus on the good." Slowly, she allowed a grin to spread out on her face. She was going to see Lauren soon. The thought made her giddy, and the new feeling sufficed to drown out the fear at least temporarily.
Grabbing her towel to remove it with verve, she left the bathroom to get dressed.
XXX
"There, I see him!", Emily informed Lauren, waving at Jo, as soon as they'd entered the Atlantis.
The young man enthusiastically waved back and pointed at the vacant seats next to him, his face showing a wide grin.
They exchanged hellos and welcoming embraces, and the two women settled down on either side of their friend.
"So, where's your mysterious wonder-woman?", he asked Lauren.
"She's not my woman", Lauren protested, returning his grin as she secretly added a 'yet' in her mind, "and she's on her way. Her last text said she'll be here in five."
"Not yet", Jo added, baring his teeth for an even wider smile and earning himself a slap on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm just saying out loud what you were thinking anyway."
Lauren was glad that this place was so dark, because she felt her cheeks burn at getting caught. To cover up her embarrassment, she slapped him again, and harder this time.
"Ow!", he complained, rubbing his maltreated arm. "What's with all the hitting?", he mock-whined, before turning to Emily. "Hitting's new."
The young woman laughed. "Leave her alone", she said. "Lauren's nervous enough as it is."
"I hate you guys", the blonde said, rolling her eyes at her friends' subsequent pretend-flinching.
"Lies. You love us", Jo replied wisely and quickly pecked her cheek.
"Very true", Lauren confirmed with a grin, presenting her other cheek to Emily, so that she could place a kiss there as well. "So, what are we having?", she added, eyeing today's menu.
The Atlantis wasn't a typical bar – something a new visitor wouldn't have guessed, as the interior wasn't all that special. The design was rustic, maybe even a little tacky, with a lot of dark wood furnishing and some fishnets and a real-life anchor serving as decoration. What made it unique was the offered food and drinks. Lauren couldn't think of any other bar with such variety. The menu changed weekly, sometimes even daily, and it offered all kinds of drinks, both local and exotic, with or without alcohol. Plus, nobody here was snobby about taste, nor offended, if you asked for your own drink mix. The atmosphere was chill – which was mostly thanks to the owner, a tough-as-nails woman named Taylor, whose clean-shaven head, pierced nose and ears, and heavily tattooed, muscly arms did its part in intimidating anyone, who as much as thought about causing trouble.
Lauren liked the woman very much, because contrary to what people may have thought, she was both relaxed and kind. A martial-arts-trained badass, too, yes – beyond beneficial for this job – but that side of her only showed when she had to kick out troublemakers. In reality, she was a gentle soul – a fact that Lauren knew about, because she'd been intimate with her. There hadn't been any feelings involved for either of them. They'd both needed someone to let off some steam and found each other attractive, so they'd hooked up a few times. Eventually though, they'd ended their little affair, and by now they'd become something like friends.
"I'll start with Taylor's newest craft beer find", Jo answered. "Can't go wrong with that."
"I want a virgin cocktail, and I'm thinking… hm, Fruity Booty sounds good, right?", Emily added with a giggle. "The name alone is worth a try." She turned her head to face Lauren. "What about you?"
But the blonde's eyes were fixated on the door, a dreamy grin plastered all over her face. Emily followed her gaze.
"Ooh, Bo is here!", Emily cried out, excitedly waving at the newcomer, who was standing in the doorway, searching for them.
Lauren watched her walk towards them. She couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face, but for once, she didn't care that her feelings showed. Bo was just too gorgeous, and it seemed like she was getting more beautiful, the more Lauren looked at her. Mesmerised, she observed how her curves were moving underneath the fabric of her clothes. She felt her mouth water and swallowed. She was still busy wondering what the hell was happening to her, when she was ripped from her trance, as Bo arrived at the table, and Emily eagerly tapped the seat next to her.
"Hey, guys", she greeted them. "Sorry I'm a little late. Wardrobe issues", she explained with a sheepish smile that brought forth her dimple.
It wasn't true, of course, but she couldn't exactly tell them that the real reason had been a last-minute meditation session to calm her nerves – or more like, those of her Queen – before seeing Lauren again. It had been worth it though, because seeing her now, her aura shining bright like the sun, Bo didn't feel the usual pressure from her beast. She was present, no doubt about it, but more like a buzz in the back of her mind, instead of the blazing blue siren from before. Her endless sessions finally seemed to pay off…
"Worth it", Lauren blurted out, coaxing a cheeky grin from Jo and a giggle from Emily. "I mean… you look great, Bo", she added, feeling her ears turn red once more.
"Thank you. So do you", the brunette replied, as she sat down in the offered space, and gave her a smile that melted Lauren's insides.
Jo watched the two for a second and then leaned closer to Emily. "Wow, you didn't exaggerate one bit", he pretend-murmured, loud enough for them to hear. "Can they even see us anymore, what do you think?"
Bo gave him an appraising look, but her twitching mouth gave away her bemusement. "So, you must be Jonas", she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Bo. Nice to meet you."
He grinned and took a little bow. "That is indeed the western name my esteemed parents gave me when I was born. However, I would prefer if you called me Jo."
Bo laughed. "Okay then, Jo it is." They shook hands, and the ice was broken. Jo was an easy-going lad of Chinese descent, as he informed her, after she'd asked about his "western name" comment. He'd been the first in his family born in the US. His grandparents had emigrated back in the sixties, when his mother was still a girl, and after moving around for a while, they'd ended up in a small town in New York state, where she'd met his future father – a white man, and late hippie.
"It wasn't always easy, growing up half-and-half", he joked, referring to his mixed heritage, "but eventually, I learned to live with not really belonging in either culture. Besides, I turned out way smart, so screw the bullies from way back when, right?"
His carefree grin couldn't quite hide the pain behind his words. Emily and Lauren each grabbed one of his hands and squeezed them. They didn't say anything, and Bo sensed an immediate shift in mood. These three had a unique energy between them, and she felt honoured that they let her be a part of it.
"So, now that we're all here, shall we order?", Emily suggested.
"Yes, please, I'm starving, actually", Bo said, and together, they headed for the bar.
Lauren kept her hand on Jo's, but her eyes followed the brunette, as she admired her graceful movements and beautiful shape. A little sigh escaped her.
"You know, Emily reckons you two should be a couple", Jo informed her.
Lauren snorted and looked at him. "I'm sure she does."
"I'm inclined to agree", he added with a warm smile. For once, there was no joke hidden in his words. "I can see the way you look at her, Lo. And the way she looks at you." He watched her grin fade into a half-smile, her mouth creased in a thoughtful pout, as she lowered her eyes. He knew this look on her – distant… aloof. It was the look she reserved for new people entering her life. He knew from experience, as it had taken her weeks to warm up to him. He didn't know what made her so cautious around other people, but felt a strange sense of pride that he'd managed to eventually break through her walls. He appreciated her trust and valued their friendship… which was why he decided to drop the topic and let her be.
Lauren's gaze was back with Bo. She was laughing at something Emily had said and her enchanting dimple showed once more. Jo was right, of course. The brunette was special, and Lauren knew very well that she was already in the process of falling for her. But just like Emily, he didn't know about her past, and she didn't want him to. It was too dangerous, both for herself and for him to know too much. He squeezed her hand, and she returned the gesture. It was all they needed to let it go.
Over at the bar, Emily was waving at Taylor, who gave her a nod and a smile to signal that she'd spotted her, but she was currently busy making drinks for a couple of patrons sitting opposite her at the bar.
Bo used the time to look around the place. "So, how do I know, what to order?", she asked, a little confused. "I don't see any menus."
Emily pointed at three blackboards displayed above the rows of bottles right across the bar. "Up there", she said, and Bo followed her finger. "Taylor doesn't like menus; she reckons they're boring. You can order whatever's listed on those blackboards. The drinks on there change daily, the food weekly, I'd say. But don't worry, I've never had anything that wasn't delicious."
"Good to know", Bo replied, scanning the board labelled "Dish of the Day". She'd just made up her mind, when the barkeeper entered her view.
"Hello there, kiddo", she greeted Emily, who gave her a wide grin. "What can I get you guys today?"
While Emily was listing the orders for herself and her friends, Bo watched Taylor – or rather her aura. Her reaction to the succubus was unusual. She wasn't flaring like people normally did, but she wasn't completely immune to her either, it seemed. It was like her aura was politely asking Bo for permission to find her attractive. It was… nice. Like Taylor had figured out some secret way to not objectify people, like most humans – and fae – did without noticing.
When all orders were placed, the barkeep made a little show of prepping their drinks, exchanging a few words with Emily while she was working. Her low voice had a warm ring to it, and her laugh was friendly. Bo could tell that Emily really liked this woman, and the feeling was mutual. There was no sexual energy between them whatsoever – it was more like a sisterly connection, which made Bo like her even more. Emily was a good kid, and whoever had her trust must be special in their own way, she figured.
"Here we go, ladies", Taylor said when the drinks were done. "I'll bring your food once it's ready."
"She's nice", Bo told Emily as they returned to their table.
"The best, actually", the young woman corrected. "She helped me out when I was new around here."
"Oh? How so?", Bo inquired, as they were placing the drinks on the table.
"She was the one who told me that Lauren was short a roommate", she explained, looking at the blonde. "I'd just arrived here and was staying with my parents at a motel, because someone in administration had messed up my dorm spot." She shrugged. "It was total coincidence that we ended up eating here. My dad was ready to give the responsible people an earful the next morning, but then Taylor saved the day."
"It was destiny, really", Jo chimed in. "If they hadn't screwed up, we probably wouldn't have met, because our courses are so different. My major's Architecture… whole other campus."
"So, how did the three of you end up together?", Bo asked.
Emily sighed. "Okay, don't judge, but… after I got settled in, my parents had to leave pretty quickly, so I was on my own. And one night, about a week in, I got kind of lost." Bo questioningly lifted her eyebrows, and Emily continued: "In my defence, this campus is enormous. Plus, I didn't have a cell phone at the time, and it was getting dark, and… well, I couldn't find my new apartment." Embarrassed by her own story, she avoided Bo's gaze and hid her face behind the little paper umbrella adorning her drink. She looked so much like Kenzi in that moment that Bo had to smile.
"Hey", she said, gently touching her shoulder. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Exactly", Jo affirmed. "Besides, I was there to rescue you, wasn't I." His chest swelled with pride.
Emily beamed at him. "You sure were." She looked back at Bo. "That day, he was my knight in shining armour. I guess my walking around aimlessly, looking for some kind of indication of where I was tipped him off", she joked. "He asked if he could help and was an all-round gentleman."
"I'd started the year before, so I knew my way around", Jo explained. "And the next day, we went to the shops to get her a cell phone."
Everyone laughed, including Lauren, who had been quietly listening. "I was worried sick that night, actually", she chimed in. "We were supposed to cook dinner together, but she never showed. I was ready to call the police when Jo showed up with her on our doorstep."
Emily grinned at her friends and awkwardly reached her arms over the large drink glasses and Jo's beer bottle to grab their hands. "I'm glad I found you both", she said. "And I'm really glad my parents picked this place to eat on that fateful day."
"Yeah, had it not been for Taylor, we wouldn't know each other today", Jo said. "Like I said… destiny."
"Aw, you guys are so cute", Bo said, looking at Emily, then Jo and finally, Lauren. Out of nowhere, she had a thought. "How did Taylor even know you needed a new roommate?", she asked the blonde.
Lauren shrugged, giving her an enigmatic smile. "I'd told her", she stated simply.
Before Bo could ask, what her expression was all about, Taylor arrived with the food and unwittingly gave the answer. Flabbergasted, the brunette looked back and forth between the barkeep and her own future wife, whose auras had taken on a curious shine. It spoke of intimacy. And trust. Bo instantly knew that they'd had sex before, but to her surprise, the insight didn't make her jealous. Her succubus growled inwardly at the possible competition, but for once, Bo managed to calm her down without much effort.
Taylor was no threat. This much, Bo could tell from the way the two disparate women regarded each other – and once more, Bo wondered, how she'd never known about any of these people, if they'd clearly played such an important role in Lauren's life. Then again, she'd never really pushed her wife to talk about her past, because she'd been afraid to cause her pain. Plus, they'd always been busy somehow – at first, saving the world countless times, and then, after Hades' disappearance, running from the fae and keeping Lauren safe. Bo realised that eventually, amidst all the stress, she'd simply forgotten to inquire any further. A mistake she was now starting to regret. Then again, maybe this was an opportunity – a second chance. Because as devastating as losing her wife had been, destiny had now presented her with a means to make things right.
After Taylor had left, they started eating and chatting. They talked about everything that came to mind, and in the twinkling of an eye, three hours passed. The food was long gone, and they were at their fourth round of drinks. Both Jo and Bo had switched to non-alcoholic beverages after drink number two, while Lauren and Emily had abstained altogether, as per usual.
The mood was relaxed, and the blonde was very much enjoying herself. It was unusual, to say the least, how unstressed she felt around Bo, even though she was still a new acquaintance. Then again, when it came to the brunette, things didn't seem to go as they normally did for Lauren. Bo was so disarmingly open and genuine that the blonde had an increasingly hard time keeping up her cautious persona. Any question Jo and Emily fired at the newcomer to their group – and there were a lot, as their curiosity was never-ending – Bo answered, and not once did Lauren detect any deceitfulness or duplicity in her words. There was simply nothing threatening about the brunette, and yet, she remained a mystery to Lauren – maybe because she was a little too perfect.
Up until a second ago, the topic around the table had been Bo's job at the café, so when Emily and Jo excused themselves to the bathroom, Lauren took her chance to ask a question that hadn't left her all week.
"Bo? I was wondering… remember a week ago, when Emily and I came to the Cosy Corner?"
"How could I forget?", she countered with that beautiful, open smile that made Lauren's stomach flutter.
Immediately, the blonde was flustered. Every time Bo looked at her like that, it felt like she knew something about her that Lauren didn't. Like she could read her thoughts. It was both exhilarating and scary.
She swallowed. "So, there were these two patrons…", she continued hastily to cover up her state. "You seemed to be annoyed with them?"
Bo repeated the eye-roll from that day at the café. "You can say that again", she said with a cheeky smirk. "Let's just say they were getting a little too friendly for my liking."
"I thought as much. Which makes me wonder, why they left so suddenly? What did you say to them?" She wasn't just asking out of curiosity, but also for herself. If there was some magical way of getting rid of intrusive people, she definitely wanted in on that intel.
Bo grinned. "Oh, I can be very persuasive", she replied in a low voice that made Lauren blush.
She playfully poked her arm. "C'mon, tell me."
The blonde's insistence amused Bo, even though she could hardly tell her the truth. In reality, she'd thralled the two guys to make them forget about the café and then "reminded" them of an errand – one that was completely made-up, of course, but it was the best way of getting rid of obtrusive patrons. Hastily racking her brain for a fitting excuse, she came up with a wild idea.
"Okay, I'm not proud of this, okay?", she started. "But I lied and told them I was with the police, and that they were disturbing an ongoing undercover operation."
Lauren snorted. "And they believed you?"
Bo shrugged. "I guess they weren't the brightest bulbs." She could tell that the blonde had a hard time believing that anyone could be this dumb… but fact remained that Bo had chased the two guys away, so Lauren accepted her explanation as truth.
"You wouldn't believe the stuff I deal with every day", Bo added to distract from her little white lie. "Wrong milk, coffee too hot, coffee not hot enough, cake too sweet, cake not sweet enough…" She rolled her eyes. "On some days, I wonder, what some people's problem is… I mean, who moans about having fresh fruit in their oven-warm cake, because they wanted the crappy stuff from the can?"
"People do that?", Lauren laughed.
"I'm telling you, it's like they enjoy complaining!"
"Now that you say it, I think you're right. Some people do enjoy complaining."
They continued talking about the many quirks of Bo's patrons, when a beeping sound interrupted them. Lauren took her phone out of her pocket, finding a message from Emily.
Hey! Jo and I took off, so you guys could get some alone time. Drinks are paid for, you get the food. Have fuuuun! ;)
"Oh, that little…", Lauren muttered under her breath.
"What is it?", Bo asked, as she watched the blonde's facial expression turn from surprised to amused.
Wordlessly, Lauren handed her the phone. "It seems they think we need a push."
Bo read the message and tried to cover up her latent shock with a bemused snort. Out of nowhere, they were alone, and her insecurity about her inner beast returned with a bang.
"So, I guess we're paying for the food then?", she asked, inwardly cursing herself for the weird comeback, but right now, it was the best she could come up with while trying to keep her eyes from turning blue.
But Lauren didn't seem to notice. "You aren't paying for anything", she corrected her with a grin, and before Bo could protest, added: "Cakes and drinks back at the café were on the house, remember? Let me take this one, will you?"
Bo nodded and breathed an inward sigh of relief. Lauren was obviously relaxed about Emily's little stunt, and it rubbed off on the brunette. From one second to the next, she calmed down, and the threatening panic from a moment ago simmered down. What was she so scared of anyway? This was Lauren, after all – her wife, who she knew better than most people. Plus, she could see her aura, which at the moment, was glowing in beautiful colours, signalling contentment and comfort.
Lauren was indeed relaxed. And even though Bo's quick moment of panic hadn't escaped her notice, she wasn't worried about it. In another situation, it might've made her insecure about the brunette's stance towards her, but she did remember that it had been her, who requested Bo to go slowly, so she figured, she was just being the good guy here. It showed that Bo respected Lauren's wishes, which she appreciated – and which possibly made her like her even more.
But it also caused her to question her own caution. If she was honest with herself, Lauren missed true closeness to another human being – someone, who was more to her than a friend or a fling. She craved the touch of a lover, and for the first time in years, she felt that she might've found someone to fill that void. And now, after Emily's friendly nudge, she started to consider taking the risk of letting someone in.
In a weird way, the young woman's actions had made it easy for Lauren to make this decision. After all, she could always blame Emily, if things ended up going sideways – a completely ridiculous notion, of course, because if this blew up in her face, it would still… well, blow up in her face. But for Bo – and for her own sake – maybe, Lauren was willing to finally take her chances.
Because for Bo, Lauren found, she was beginning to take anything as an excuse to deviate from her usual reservedness.
Returning the brunette's smile, Lauren took her phone from her hands, brushing alongside her fingers in the process, to signal that she was now ready to go further. Physical contact was a big step for the blonde, and Bo seemed to sense this, as for a moment, she stared down at the spot, where Lauren had touched her.
Casually checking the clock on her phone, Lauren spoke. "It's getting late, and I have an important date with a pile of books early tomorrow morning", she said with an ironic wink. "Shall we?"
Bo was grateful that Lauren had offered her such an easy way out of a potentially awkward situation and nodded again.
Without any additional words, Bo walked her home. The late spring night was chilly, so they'd both zipped up their jackets and buried their hands in their pockets. Chatting away about work, studying and life, they arrived at Lauren's in the blink of an eye.
"I had a great time tonight", Bo said, after they'd stopped on the narrow path leading to the apartment.
"Me too", Lauren said, looking into the other woman's eyes. They seemed even darker than usual, and the streetlights were giving them a beautiful glint. "We should do it again… soon", she added with a bit of a sheepish grin.
"I'd love that. Emily and Jo are great."
Lauren had to force herself to not let her gaze wander down to Bo's lips.
Bo sensed her indecisive state, as the blonde's aura kept lighting up and dimming down in quick intervals, so she let her instincts take over and made a move.
Lauren was so surprised by the other woman leaning closer that she couldn't react. But before preparing for the feeling of Bo's lips on hers for the first time, she realised that she didn't intend to kiss her mouth. Instead, she came even closer and placed a light kiss on Lauren's cheek.
The decision had been made on a whim, but Bo hadn't taken account of just how close even a small peck would get her lips to Lauren's. Her mouth was right there, and it was so hard to resist the urge to throw all caution to the wind and give in. But then, her split-second of potential weakness was over, the danger of revealing her Queen passed, and she leaned back, re-opening her eyes.
Lauren's aura was flaring.
She swallowed and stared. The feeling of Bo's lips burned on her skin, like she'd given her a mark of some kind. She didn't trust her voice, so she remained silent, focussing all her energy on recovering from this magical moment. Go slow, she reminded herself, forcing herself to calm down. She felt like she'd been standing here gaping at the other woman for minutes, when it had only been seconds. Taking an inconspicuous breath, she pulled herself together.
"Can't wait", she said. She'd meant for it to sound casual, but the words came out so breathy that it sounded anything but. Clearing her throat, she straightened her back and gave Bo her warmest smile. "Good night", she added in a normal voice.
"Good night", Bo replied, relieved at the blonde's changed aura. She'd taken a big risk, kissing Lauren like that, but luckily, and even though, it had gone down smoothly this time, she vowed to not make the same mistake again. From now on, she would meditate three times a day, instead of twice, in order to get her Queen under control.
With a wave, they parted, Lauren turning around to enter her building, and Bo watching her disappear. She huffed out a breath. Bullet dodged. But she couldn't help a smirk… Now that the scare from a minute ago had waned, she found it'd been well worth it.