Twenty Nine
"Well, I don't think there's much doubt that we really dropped the ball here," José Gutierrez hammered on the table. "What if that building was severely damaged? How long would it have taken us to ride around it?" He looked right at Jade. "Well?"
The dark-haired woman glanced up from her doodling.
"We couldn't," she said flatly, returning to the paper and drawing a sailboat.
Awkward silence fell. "Excuse me?" José asked.
"We could not," Jade repeated. "What part of that don't you understand? We don't have the secondary resources to replace that facility."
"A single point of failure… Is that what we're talking about?" Another supervisor asked incredulously.
Jade's blue eyes opened in surprise. "I guess it is." She added another stroke. Her eyes shifted around the table. "Jade… This isn't a joke," Cat leaned forward, glancing at her in discomfort.
The CEO let her eyes go around the table. "Of course, it's not a joke… But I'm not going to sit here and pretend to be either shocked or surprised when I told you that this was a possible consequence when you voted to set it up this way," she shrugged, and sketched a seagull.
Another awkward silence. "All right… So… What are we gonna do about it?" Gutierrez asked, sitting back.
"You're going to allow me the budget to run a duplicate location," Jade replied, not looking up. "Or we're going to have more pointless meetings like this one for a few months, until you realize there's no other option and give me the money anyway. You just let me know, okay?"
"Jade…" Robbie leaned close to her. "Feeling all right?"
Jade stared at him, puzzled. "I feel great," she replied, then looked around the table. "Everything's fine – well, other than the fact that I have to spend six hours Saturday night until 5 AM yelling at people until I got the building back up, that is." She paused. "Frankly, that sucked."
They all looked at each other. "Well…" José cleared his throat. "Do you have an estimate on how much we're talking about for a duplicate facility?"
Jade finished her pony's tail. "I sent the full documents to everyone here this morning," she glanced up. "Along with a recap of the Disney deal and the Singapore issue." Her eyes flickered to the startled faces. "Mail server acting up? You didn't receive that?"
"No, I saw it," Cat said hastily. "I think we can table this until everyone's had a chance to look it over, agreed?"
José nodded. "Yeah. Let me take a look… Sounds good." He cleared his throat.
"Disney was good news, Jade."
The pale blue eyes flicked to him. "I hear you were dancing in the hallway." She smiled. "Anyone take pictures?"
A hello round of laughter followed as everyone relaxed a little. "Must've had good weather. You got a sunburn," José retorted. "Let me guess… You were doing research on the property?"
The dark-haired woman chuckled. "Something like that, yeah," she admitted. "It was worth it. I think it was the presentation that really pulled them in… We modeled it on their actual running system and used one of their restaurants as a demo set."
José snorted. "Jade, you could present a garbage bag and sell them," he brushed her off.
"I didn't do the presentation," the executive replied mildly. "My assistant did." She finished off her pony's head and added eyelashes.
"Wait… You left it to some green kid?" The sales executive leaned forward in disbelief. "What kind of irresponsible shit is that?"
All eyes shifted back to Jade, waiting for her outburst.
But Jade shrugged. "I had confidence in the package, and I trusted Tori to present it," she sketched in an ear. "Which was more than your entire goddamn team could do four months ago, José… So I wouldn't knock it, if I were you."
"Well…" Elle crossed her legs and straightened her skirt a little. "She seems capable… And a nice person. I was surprised, Jade." She gave the dark-haired woman a sweet smile. "I was expecting a sour geek or a beautiful airhead… You managed to mix the match quite nicely."
Cat saw the dangerous gleam come up in Jade's eyes, and her sketching stopped dead.
"Elle… I think I said it well enough last time when I put it out that Jade doesn't hire people to be friends or look pretty," she told the woman forcefully. "She makes my job easy… And Miss Vega is extremely well qualified for the position."
Jade put her pencil down. "Are we done here? I've got two more meetings to go to."
"Yeah… I guess we are," José threw down his pen and stood up. "Come on, Elle… Let's go get a coffee." The sales and marketing executives left, leaving Cat, Jade, and Robbie still sitting there.
"So… What's up with you?" Cat asked, leaning on the table and peering at her friend.
Jade looked at her. "With me? Nothing… What is it with you people today?" She tossed the pencil onto the table. "Jesus Christ… What's the problem, did I grow horns or something?"
Robbie patted her arm. "Hey… Hey… Relax, you're just really laid-back, and we're not used to that, my friend. This is what Mickey Mouse does to you?"
Jade lifted her hands and let them fall into the chair arms. "What… Because I'm not screaming and yelling like a maniac, there's something wrong?" She looked at the table. "All right, I'll start bitching at someone… Will that make everyone feel better?"
"Jade," Cat gazed at her steadily. "Come on… Level with us. Is everything all right? I heard you had some tests the other day."
Now anger showed. "You know, Cat, I really hate to think someone is reading my medical files."
"Ah ha…" The personnel director held up her hand. "Not me, my friend… Just gossip… But now that you confirm it, is everything OK?" She leaned forward. "Jade, asking as a friend, not because I need to know for the company."
Jade glowered at her, then sighed. "Everything is perfectly fine, as a matter of fact. Dr. Dodie thought he saw something in my EKG during my last physical, but it turned out to be nothing. OK?" She still saw skepticism in both faces. "All right…" She rubbed her jaw. "… What he did find was I needed to back off the stress a little."
Understanding flared in both their eyes.
"So I took the opportunity to just relax while I was up there, and over the weekend… And I decided to try not to let the stuff get to me so much, OK?"
"Oh… Jade, was that so hard?" Cat smiled at her. "You see? We just worried about you." She sat back and gazed at the taller woman. "You look good… You got some rest there, huh?"
Jade gave her a slight smile and nodded. "Are you done analyzing me now?" She stood up and dusted herself off. "Gotta go."
Robbie and Kat watched her leave, then eyed each other. Cat bit at her pen and thought. "Nice sunburn on someone who was supposed to be working all week."
Robbie Shapiro let a faintly sardonic smile twist his lips. "Kitten, leave her be, the woman hasn't had a vacation in 10 years, that I know of." He shook his head. "What I would like to know, though, is how she got convinced to sit still for more than five minutes."
The personnel VP pursed her lips in speculation. "Maybe Miss Vega is more qualified than we thought… If she could talk her into that."
Tori finally got back into her office after a very interesting meeting with the marketing people. It was obvious they didn't like Jade. It was obvious they wanted to be Tori's friend. And it was obvious that they wanted her to give them dirt on her boss.
Her phone rang, and she picked it up. "Yes?"
"Oh… Miss Vega… Glad I caught you in," Elle Anastasio's voice oozed through the receiver. "We were hoping you'd be able to attend a conference call tomorrow… It's with the regional marketing people, and they have some general questions regarding some of the new operations policies."
"Sure…" Tori pulled out her cell phone and opened her calendar. "When?"
"1 PM, but we're gathering for lunch downstairs beforehand, if you'd like to join us."
I'd rather handle electric eels barehanded, Tori thought, but instead said, "I'm sorry… I can make the meeting, but I have things I have to do just before that. Like make sure my boss has lunch, for instance." She had taken peculiar pleasure in selecting items for Jade, and an even bigger kick from the smile she got when she delivered it.
"Well, that's too bad, because we're all dying to just let our hair down with you, but perhaps next time," Elle sighed. "Tomorrow at one, then."
"I'll be there." Tori hung up the phone and made a face at it, then turned her chair around and gazed out over the water. She felt a lot more relaxed than she had earlier, now that the "issue" was out of the way with Jade.
"I don't know if I'm going to last till Wednesday, though," she commented to the window. Last night surfing the Internet had turned up lots of… Interesting… Things. Most had made her blush. She'd been honestly surprised at the range, though… From women's health sites to pages and pages of amateur fiction.
That had certainly been a revelation. She had no idea there was so much creativity out there. She ended up reading some of it until way too late, but it had certainly given her ideas. Maybe that's why she wanted to make sure Jade was for sure wanting to start this… Well, one thing at a time. The thought of waiting another few days though…
She heard a gentle knock on her inside door, and she felt a flutter deep inside her. "Come in."
The door opened, and Jade slipped inside, her jacket off and her shirt sleeves rolled up. "Hey," she sauntered over and collapsed into Tori's visitor chair, letting her hands drop onto the arm and crossing her legs at the ankles. "How did it go?"
"Jade, do you know what a limpet is?" Tori leaned in her chair forward and propped her chin up on both hands.
"Sure," the executive nodded. "It's a mollusk that attaches itself to a flat surface and lives off of it." She paused. "Why?"
"I'm a flat surface," Tori gave her a pained look. "They want to suck me dry of information – chiefly about you," she said. "They paint you in shades of black, black, dark brown, and black."
"How did I rate the dark brown?" Jade smiled sardonically.
Tori gazed at her boss and found herself talking without quite knowing what she was going to say. "Hey… Listen, are you still open for that dinner and a movie? Tonight, I mean?" She felt her throat go dry as she swallowed, waiting for Jade to answer. "I'll cook."
The soft, low chuckle reassured her. "I was just coming over here to see if you were interested in doing something," Jade admitted. "I… uh…" She shook her head and crossed her arms. "Sure, do you want to see The Marvels?"
"Ooh, yeah… I love Marvel… I really liked Endgame."
Jade laughed. "Yeah, me too."
"Great… We can stop by my place… I'll put something together. Then we can go to the movie from there." Tori mentally went through her food inventory and decided no matter what she had, it was better than frosted flakes and chocolate milk. "OK?"
Pure blue eyes peered back at her from under long dark lashes. "Sounds good to me." Jade hoisted herself out of the chair, patted Tori's desk, and said, "Pack it up… I've had about enough of this place today." She walked through the door, and it closed behind her.
Tori grinned happily and pumped the air with her fist. "Yes!"
Jade chuckled a little as she seated herself behind her desk and started shutting things down. A soft knock followed by a scowl, and she sighed and glared at the door. "Come in."
Mariela entered, giving her boss a smile. "Boss… They have sent over those files you asked for." She handed Jade a folder, then stopped and blinked. "That's so pretty!"
"… Thanks." Jade watched her secretary look at the crystal fish on her desk. "Do you like it? I like the blue and green."
"Yeah…" Mariela picked it up and held it to the light. "So pretty… Where'd you get it?"
Momentary silence. "Actually… Tori picked it up for me for Boss's Day," Jade managed to keep her voice mostly casual. "In Orlando."
"Oh Jade, it's so sweet. She's such a nice person." Mariela set the fish down and smiled at her. "I was wanting to talk to you about that."
Jade felt her eyes widen, a little unconscious alarm setting in. "About what?" Mariela sat down and folded her hands in her lap. "You know how this place is, boss," she lowered her voice. "People talk about everything. There's no privacy, and there are some people in this place who have nothing better to do than to make bad talk about other people."
Blue eyes flickered to her face, then to the door, and back. "Someone's talking about Tori?" Jade asked hesitantly.
"Yeah," Mariela nodded.
"Who?" Jade leaned forward. "And what are they saying? I'll fire their asses. I swear it. I've had about enough of this nonsense." She stood up and paced. "I am not gonna put up with it – not with her, Mariela – she's too nice a kid to have to go through that crap. It's bad enough that I have to listen to that junk all day. What are they saying?" She turned to Mariela, her shoulders squared.
"They're saying she has a crush on her boss," Mariela replied quietly, catching Jade totally flat-footed, despite everything that she knew was true. "That's… Ridiculous," Jade managed to get out as she sat down and folded her hands.
"Of course," the older woman agreed warmly. "That's what I tell them… And I tell them I will tell you if I hear it again." Mariela smiled. "I told them you hate people who talk about your people." After a pause, she added, "Is that good, yes?"
Very slowly, Jade raised her head, meeting Mariela's patient gaze with her own. "Mari…"
"Is it not good? I know this is not true, Jade. That girl does not have a crush on you. It's not right what they say."
The truth, Jade realized, was a fragile thing. "You're right, Mari. She doesn't have a crush on me, and it was absolutely right for you to tell them that." She let a smile cross her face. "Thanks."
"Of course, crushes are what my little one has on what you call… the movie star. Tori is not looking for a movie star, I think." Mariela nodded. "I put all your things through, boss… It's all clean. I'm going to close up the office now. You have a good night, yeah? Go home soon?"
Jade nodded. "I am. I'm leaving now, in fact. Thanks, Mari. I'll see you in the morning." She watched the Brazilian woman leave her inner office.
"Nope," she commented to the empty room. "It's not a crush."
Tori let the door close behind her, her mind already buzzing with prospective dinner possibilities. Jade had followed along after her, saying that she had to make a quick stop. Tori suspected her boss was just being polite and giving her a chance to get her act together, but that was okay… She needed it, and it was okay that she had a minute to settle her thoughts.
Except they weren't getting very settled. They bounced back and forth between the blue eyes, the lacy smile Jade had given her before they left the office, and she knew her hormones were busy dancing the mamba in her bloodstream, which was making it very, very hard to think straight.
Ha, ha…
"OK, Victoria… Let's just calm down now." She put her stuff down and took a deep breath. "First things first… Change out of your work clothes and put something sexy on while she's not here."
She went into her bedroom, glad she had a chance to straighten her place up the day before. She chose a pair of skinny black jeans and a lavender open-back shirt, slipping into them and tucking the shirt in before buckling a thin leather belt. Her reflection looked back at her and she smoothed her fingers over her dark, denim surface and watched her breathing as it pulled the cotton of her shirt, taut over her body. "Well… These aren't super sexy, but I guess it looks okay." The jeans fit snuggly around her body, showing off her perfect little butt that had grown a couple of inches since she met Jade. The past few weeks of culinary indulgence hadn't made her body look any worse.
As a matter of fact… Tori blinked at her reflection. Maybe Andre and Jade had been right?… She had taken it a little too far. Both Susie and Ray told her she looked a lot healthier and more relaxed since she started working for Jade, and she supposed that was true… If she looked at herself objectively, that is. She wasn't sure her parents would agree.
She straightened her shoulders and brushed her hair. To hell with them, she suddenly decided, and she turned to look at the open back of her shirt in the mirror, and for the first time in a long time, she saw herself as sexy.
"Let's see… Perfume? Yeah." She pulled open her top drawer and removed the small bottle, taking the top off and sniffing it. She put a bit on her fingertip and touched it behind her ears, then put a playful dab down her cleavage.
"God… I feel like a damn teenager on her first date." She giggled at herself and put the bottle away, then met the steady brown eyes looking back at her in the mirror. "I guess it is, in a way, though, because this is the first person I…" She stopped and took a breath. "The first person I've really cared about." She gave herself a little nod of acknowledgment. "There… I said it." She turned to the smiling bear on her bed. "Right, Pooh?"
The smiling bear held his arms out to her invitingly. "Not now… Maybe later." She shook a finger at him, then went back into the living room and glanced around, making sure she remembered not to have left out her laundry or anything like that. "Looks okay," she told the fish, then went into the kitchen and stood for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest, thinking.
"Oh, she likes Asian food… Let's see… I got fried rice… And, oh… Right… I've got that skirt steak. I can stir-fry that with vegetables, okay.."
She was busy getting things chopped up when the soft knock came to the door and she felt a teasing jolt in her gut. "Come in… It's open," she called out. The lock turned, and she heard someone enter. "I'm in the kitchen."
Soft footfalls crossed the carpet, and then Jade was there in the doorway, filling it. The dark-haired woman had traded her work attire for more suitable date clothing. She had dressed to impress Tori with a short black dress, with a plunging neckline that allowed her ample bosom to cleave deliciously behind it. It was clear to Tori that Jade was not wearing a bra, sending her hormones into overdrive.
Jade was also carrying an amber bottle, which she held up. "Picked up a little something," she advised, her eyes going over Tori's slim form. "You look cute," she complimented the Latina woman with a smile.
"To hell with my parents," Tori thought, "this makes it worth it." Tori smiled back. "Thanks… You look pretty nice yourself… Nice." She peered up at the bottle, trying not to glue her eyes to Jade's assets. "Oh, that was a great idea. If you wanna let it cool down a little…" She motioned with her head toward the refrigerator.
She put the bottle on the shelf, and inside half, turning in a rueful smirk. "You sure have a lot more in here than I have in mine," she remarked, as she closed the door, and wandered closer, peering over Tori's shoulder. "What's that?"
"Uh…" Tori added a bit of flaked red pepper. "It's going to be Szechuan beef when I finish."
"That sounds tasty," Jade responded, her breath tickling Tori's ear.
"Oh, boy."
"Jade?… Has anyone ever told you that you're a really distracting person?"
"Me?" Her boss's blue eyes widened in surprise, innocent. "Well, no, actually. I've been called a lot of things, most of them nasty, but distracting has never been one of them."
Tori blushed and laughed a little. "Well, you are," she told her. "You make it very hard to concentrate."
Jade looked puzzled, but not displeased. "Okay… Well, I don't want you to cut yourself or anything… I'll just sit quietly over there." She moved over to the small table in the kitchen and slid into a seat, resting her elbows on the surface.
Tori's reaction to her was just so… Jade reflected as she watched the other woman return to her task. She had always been so used to people coming on to her… She wasn't shy about doing the same in return, but the combination of sweet affection and barely veiled desire she saw in Tori's eyes was something she had never experienced before.
It was warm… And nice… And she found herself tumbling helplessly under its spell. Distracting? Oh yes, she was finding it very hard to keep her thoughts focused for any length of time, and even when she did concentrate on herself, her mind took a little side trip into wondering what Tori was thinking… Or what she was doing… Or, Jade sighed, like right now, for instance. She found herself perfectly happy to just be sitting here in the other woman's presence, watching her prepare dinner. It was such a strange feeling.
She watched Tori's shoulder blades moving under the soft cotton of her shirt, and she let her eyes wander down the open back of that shirt, and, following the slim form and appreciating the curves she found there.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Tori spoke without turning around.
Jade burst into helpless laughter. "Uh… You don't want to know…" She felt herself slightly tongue-tied, and she realized Tori was having the same effect on her that she was having on the other woman. It was getting out of control. "So… Where did you learn to cook?"
Tori heard that hesitant confusion in Jade's voice and smiled quietly to herself, glad it's not just me.
"Well… It's expected in my family. My mother didn't work when we were younger; she always stayed home to take care of us, even though she was a lawyer herself," she explained, adding some chopped vegetables to her fried rice and stirred it. "I didn't really start cooking until I got to college. Everyonce in a while we would get together. A bunch of us would take turns cooking," she glanced behind her and smiled. "When you have a group of critics like that, you learn fast."
Jade nodded and rested her chin on her fist. "My mom was a good cook," she said. "I learned with her I could be better… I was probably overly involved with sports and things of that sort when I was growing up. We spent a lot of time on the military base, too," she shrugged. "And in the mill, you don't think housekeeping."
Tori heated up her wok and poured a little oil in it. "Did you ever want to be in the military?"
Long silence. "Unfortunately, my father raised me to believe there wasn't anything I couldn't do," Jade finally answered in a reflective voice. "But in the military, there are qualified fires to that." Another long pause. "I wanted to do what he did."
Tori nodded a little. "They wouldn't let you." That was a statement, not a question.
"I'm a girl… A girly one, sometimes," she answered, with faintly sarcastic emphasis. "Hell, I know they have a point… I know they can't put mixed groups in the field – at least not yet– but…" She shrugged. "Water under the bridge. At any rate, to answer your question…, I thought about it. I took the ASVAB when I was a junior in high school, I got a lot of offers," she shared, tapping the salt shaker on the table reflexively. "I didn't think I had the self-discipline to commit to that… And do whatever everyone told me I had to do, rather than what I thought I should do." She paused. "And I was right."
Tori stirred thinly sliced beef into the wok expertly. "Were your parents upset?"
The blue eyes took on a far-off look. "My father was disappointed," she stated quietly. "I think my mother was relieved." She shook her head. "She's an artist… I never could figure out how those two hooked up."
"An artist?" Tori tossed in the sauce and stirred it. "Now I know where you get that doodling style from." She laughed. "But I love that picture you made of the dog."
"I don't…" Jade stopped and thought about it. "I guess I do," she admitted a little sheepishly. "I never thought about that."
Tori set a bowl of fragrant fried rice down, and put another of the stir-fried beef next to it, then Jade's plate. She turned and retrieved the plum wine and a couple of glasses and brought them back to the table with her. "Well, the only talent in my family seems to be politics," she handed Jade a serving spoon. "And law, neither of which really sparked my imagination growing up."
The dark-haired woman piled two plates with steaming rice and beef and handed one to Tori. "What did spark your imagination?"
Tori took a mouthful before she answered. "Books, mostly," she exhaled. "I did the usual things growing up. My mother enrolled me in piano lessons, gymnastics… One to give me culture, the other to give me what she called grace." Her lips twisted. "I don't think either did much. I never took to the piano, and I was at best a mediocre gymnast."
She chewed up. "I can play chopsticks."
Jade chuckled. "So can I… If I use both hands and both feet, and you don't listen too closely." She smiled. "This is great by the way." She held up a fork, folded, and paused to pour them both a glass of wine.
"What kind of books do you like?"
Tori looked up at Jade from her plate, she took a sip of wine to wash her bite down. "You'll laugh… But mostly science-fiction… And some historical novels."
They gave her a puzzled look. "Why would I laugh? That's what most geeks like to read… Myself included," she told her in a mild voice. "Not that I have time anymore," she added, with a sigh. "So what led to coding?"
"I didn't want to end up an English teacher," Tori replied. "And I… Well, I always had a liking for machinery. I used to take things apart, you know – like phones and stuff." She laughed a bit. "When I got to college, I realized it was the computer science track that was pretty close to the general English track that I was already on… So I double-majored." She paused and took another sip of wine.
They chatted amiably for several minutes as they ate.
"What about you?" Tori asked then. It was, she suddenly realized, the first time they just sat down and talked about personal things, and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt.
Jade bit into a piece of beef and chewed thoughtfully. "What about me? Well, I was always interested in programming. That's what I studied in school… But somewhere along the way, all those lines of code just wouldn't hold my interest alone," she reflected for a moment. "It wasn't enough of a challenge, so I went into graphic design and modeling, then I wanted to understand the systems that would run the game, so then I started to explore systems analysis and design… And from there into engineering and operations. Not to mention all the hacking I did that was fun."
"Luckily for us," Tori smiled.
"Opinions on that may vary," Jade replied dryly, as she drained her glass and poured a second. "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it," she told her, leaning back. "I've spent a lot of time ignoring the cuts and digs, but it gets old sometimes."
Tori got up and took their empty plates, placing them in the sink, and returning to put her hands on Jade's shoulders. "I kind of got that feeling."
She tried, but couldn't keep herself from leaning forward, and only barely kept herself from gently kissing Jade's head. "So if you start getting complaints that your assistant is whacking people for saying nasty things about you, don't be surprised."
Jade was touched, and she leaned back, pressing her body against Tori's, with a slight smile. "That's sweet of you, Tori… But I don't think it'll do much good," she said, covering one of Tori's hands with hers, squeezing it gently. "I appreciate the thought though."
Tori leaned in closer. "It'll make me feel better," she objected softly. "Really." She looked down into Jade's pale blue eyes and saw a softening there, making her give in to her craving and bend her head, finding Jade's waiting lips with unerring accuracy. A gentle touch traveled up her arm, softly stroking, and Tori felt her body respond, closing her eyes, and letting the gentle probing and teasing continue.
It felt so good. She could feel Jade's fingers slipping up past her elbow and brushing against her side, making her breath hitch. She felt short of breath, her heart started to pound as she eased her own hands lower, touching their skin.
Everything shifted then, as Jade unexpectedly slid an arm around her waist and tugged her down. Tori found herself in the dark-haired woman's lap, with those strong arms wrapping around her, and every inch of her body tingling and reacting. Her own arm slid up around Jade's neck, then traveled down, moving across the slope of her neck, onto her shoulder.
Jade knew she should slow down and take it easy, but her body wouldn't stop. It was gentle contact, and her hands moved of their own accord, stroking, and exploring the warm curves of the body tucked into her arms with insatiable curiosity. She could feel Tori breathing deep and ragged. And she wasn't doing much better.
"Easy… Easy, not yet," she whispered, lightening up on the intensity, until they broke off, and Tori buried her face against Jade's shoulder.
"Whoa," Tori wrapped her arms around the Latina, and Jade held her, rubbing her back gently. "Easy."
"That was intense," Tori decided being embarrassed at this point would be kind of ridiculous, so she lifted her head and just looked at Jade. "This is not going according to plan."
Both eyebrows lifted teasingly. "It's not?" Jade protested, mildly. "I thought it was working out pretty well." She still had her arms around Tori, but now she loosened her grasp, and she backed off a little.
"No… That's not what I…" Tori gave up. "We're supposed to go to the movie first, remember?" She said, reaching out and pushing back a lock of dark hair.
"Oh… Oh… Right." Jade nodded understanding. "But other than that?"
"You know… I've done a lot of reading lately. They forgot to mention the fireworks going off," Tori ran her fingers down Jade's cheek. "It's kind of scary." Her breath caught as Jade captured her hand and nibbled her palm. "Nice."
"Okay." Jade considered. "This is making you uncomfortable?"
Tori smiled. "No." She shook her head. "But I bet it's making you uncomfortable… I must be squishing you."
Jade squeezed her. And patted her hip. "Had noticed," she confessed. "Don't worry about squashing me… I'm a big girl… I can take it." She let her hand move down Tori's thigh. "You want to see the movie?"
It was scary. Tori was nervous, but she appreciated the fact that Jade was willing to let her go at her own pace, and wasn't pushing… Wasn't… Forcing. A grim memory filled her
mind, and she had to take a moment to force it out before she considered further.
"Well… I am… I think we need to chill so bring up Netflix and we can pop some popcorn here?"
Jade grinned, a smile that crinkled her little blue eyes. "Oh… I definitely like that idea," she agreed. "And dinner was great by the way. Thank you."
Tori gazed at her. "Glad you liked it," she responded, not taking her eyes from Jade. They sat quietly like that for a moment, and Tori cleared her throat. "I guess I have to get up to get Netflix started, huh?"
"She regretfully untangled herself from Jade's grip, taking a deep breath as she moved away from the seductive warmth. Jade followed her into the living room, and Tori gave her a little tour, mostly to settle down her nerves.
"This is Scully and Moulder… And their little friends, the Lone Gunmen." Tori sprinkled a little food in the tank.
"Let me guess… Moulder and Scully are the gouramis," Jade laughed. "Kissing gouramis if I'm not mistaken."
"Uh huh." Tori grinned, watching their antics. "What can I tell you? I'm a sucker for a good romance. Silly, I guess."
Jade rubbed her back. "I think they're cute. I thought they copped out in the movie though," she chuckled. "And I tell you… When Daddy cracked up when they said that FEMA was behind the government conspiracy."
"That wasn't a funny part," Tori protested in puzzlement.
"If you went through Hurricane Katrina down in Louisiana and had to watch them work, my dad was stationed at NSA then. He sent us off to Norfolk when he heard the urricaine was coming." Jade informed her. "Trust me… If they were in charge of the conspiracy, those damn aliens would've gotten home in a gust waiting for freshwater to be delivered."
Tori laughed and bumped her with an elbow. "I have that movie, too, if you're interested," she said, getting out the videotape and turning the television on, then tossing Jade the remote. "I'll go get some popcorn."
Jade was left momentarily alone, and she took the time to study the apartment. It was bright, very unlike her house. There were personal knickknacks everywhere, including several stuffed animals, and a set of diplomas on the wall – one from college, and the other one was her certification affidavit. A small trophy testified to Tori's debating skills, and there was a bookshelf against the wall, with an assortment of paperback and hardback books – a mixture of fiction and computer manuals. It was a cheerful place. The comfortable couch was a nice shade of light salmon, and the rug was a pale cream, adding a sense of lightness to the interior that Jade found very soothing. A door to the left obviously led to the bedroom, and there was a small bathroom on the other side of the kitchen. There was a sense of cleanliness and order that Jade found very characteristic of Tori, and she decided she felt comfortable being here.
The scent of freshly popped popcorn caught her attention, and she turned to re-enter the room, carrying a large bowl and a pitcher. She set both down on the coffee table and got two glasses.
"Okay… I think we're set," she glanced at Jade, who was seated comfortably on the couch, and hesitated. With a smile, Jade patted the cushion next to her and waited for Tori to settle herself before she reached over and turned the lights down a little and started the movie.
Tori held out for all of the time it took for the opening credits before she snuggled closer to Jade, leaning against her body as the taller woman put an arm around her shoulders. With a sigh of contentment, she pulled the popcorn over and set it half on her lap and half on Jade's as they shared the contents.
"Much nicer than the theater," she decided, popping a kernel into her mouth, then snagging another and glancing up. Jade chose that moment to look down, and Tori smiled and held the popcorn up to Jade's lips, stifling a giggle when the dark-haired woman snapped her teeth down on it and caught her fingers as well.
"Yum!"
Jade slowly released her hold, giving a little wiggle of her eyebrows, and chewed the popcorn. She got another piece, which she held between her teeth and then paused as she looked questioningly at the brunette woman.
Oh. Again. Tori pulled herself up and took half the piece, letting their lips brush. That tasted so good, she decided to try again and Jade obliged by reciprocating. They went back-and-forth a few times until Tori forgot to take a piece and just went for Jade's lips instead.
Curled up on her own couch in her own apartment, she felt very safe – safe enough to forget the movie and concentrate on the soft body under her fingertips instead. As she allowed her hands to step down Jade's neck, while the other woman's free hand curled around her side.
This time she wasn't afraid, or embarrassed… Or… She felt adventurous. That was what it was like, something new and exciting, and she found herself more intrigued than anxious. Jade was a good kisser, she decided as they gently explored each other. She stroked her side, and she shifted a little as her fingers brushed gently against her breast. That was an interesting sensation. Her body liked that. She felt a slow building of tension and her skin became very sensitive. When Jade's fingertips touched the bare flesh at the neck of her shirt, she made a soft sound of encouragement.
Jade's lips nibbled hers, then moved away a little. "You doing all right?" She murmured in Tori's ear, brushing the soft lobe with her tongue.
"Great," Tori managed to respond.
"You want to keep going?" Jade inquired, running a finger down her cleavage.
Tori had a moment of fear, of uncertainty. "Could I… I don't know if I… know what to do," she replied softly, as she found herself drawn to the smooth skin of Jade's neck and nibbled it gently.
Tori heard the TV click off, and she felt her way down Jade's body, smoothing her fingers across the curve of her breast.
"Show me," she breathed, surrendering, as if she felt a pull against her. And she found herself stretching out on her side on the couch with Jade gently supporting her.
Jade settled next to her and captured her lips again, letting one hand travel down her body and tug the shirt free from her belt. Tori felt a sudden electricity thrill. The warm fingers touched her skin and traced a teasing line up her midsection from her belly to the button of her bra. Her muscles contracted in sheer reaction, and she found herself plucking at the buttons on Jade's shirt, getting two of them undone, which gave her access to smooth flesh. She wanted nothing more than to touch, and stroke, and… She felt a trickle of cool air as her shirt was raised. Then it was replaced as Jade's lips found their way down her throat, and her body arched under the touch. A need was building in her stronger than ever before. The pressure of her clothing seemed unbearable, and she almost cried out as Jade loosened her belt. She felt chilled for an instant after her jeans were slipped off, but then a rapid heat consumed her as her legs tangled with the other woman's and long fingers stroked up the inside of her bare thigh.
It was like an explosion inside her. She lost track of where she was. She only knew that a pressure was building, a pressure that centered itself around Jade's touch and the caress of her lips and steady, knowing, coaxing movements. It brought her closer and closer, and finally sent her crashing over the top in a shudder of sensation, so powerful that every muscle in her body clenched and quivered.
She could hardly breathe as her body convulsed again and again until it slowly relaxed, joined by Jade's gentle, easy motions. Tori was shaking, and her hands clutched feebly at Jade, who wrapped long arms and legs around her and whispered quiet reassurances.
"Shh… easy." Jade stroked her hair, a little startled at the responsiveness of the smaller woman. "Easy… I've got you."
A physical relationship was usually awkward for a while, Jade knew, until people got used to each other. But Tori had… Damn, it was like she just knew all the right spots to…
Wow.
She glanced at the Latina's head, nestled against her shoulder, and wrapped her arms a little tighter, bringing their mostly bare bodies together.
"You all right?"
Brown eyes drifted open a moment, gazed half-lit at her as Tori nodded faintly. Her hand moved up and down Jade's side, sending tingles up and down her spine. They lay there for a few minutes as Tori recovered.
"Fulfill your expectations?" the executive inquired finally, moving the disheveled hair out of her companion's face.
Tori moved her touch in a series of circles across Jade's abdomen and shook her head a little. "I had no… I didn't know what to expect… But… you know, Jade… I… That was incredible." She darted a nip at the skin on Jade's breast, watching her body react.
"Now, I wonder…" She slid a little closer, wanting the contact and feeling the taller woman's breathing catch. "Let's see if I can…" She nibbled across the surface of Jade's breast, exploring the shape and curves of her and letting her imagination take over.
Jade was so much more experienced than she was, it was hard to get. But she managed, pulling a tortured groan out when she used her teeth to good effect, tasting Jade's skin in place after place, starting with touches, first tentative, then more confident until she felt Jade's body react erratically, and the dark-haired woman grabbed hold of her with almost painful strength. She could hear the heartbeat thundering against her ear, and she gently stroked as they snuggled into each other's arms and just rested. It was peaceful.
It was familiar, in a way that Tori really didn't understand. But she knew that right here, safe in Jade's arms, she found something very special.
Tori felt a delighted surprise. She didn't really have a clue. She took a long breath of Jade's scent and exhaled in deep content. She learned to stop smiling in response to the smile on the dark-haired woman's face as they gazed back at each other peacefully.
Something was nibbling at the back of her tongue, wanting to be said, but she just couldn't nudge it forward. It was something she felt when she looked at Jade, something that came from deep within her – a truth of the heart her mind just wasn't ready to look at yet. Oh well, it would come to her.
"Thanks… That was pretty awesome."
Jade gave her a little puzzled, incredulous smile. "Likewise," she murmured.
Boy… Did she ever have my number. When was the last time that ever happened? Who cares? She examined Tori, her dreamy expression, almost getting lost in it. Whatever. She kissed the Latina's forehead, sighing contentedly.
Guess, I did OK. Tori, mused giddily. Wow. It felt wonderful. She glanced up at the angular face and saw blue eyes blinking back at her. A warm feeling reignited in her guts.
"hey." She nuzzled a bit of soft skin. "That bathroom over there has a whirlpool in it. You interested?" One finger idly traced a rib and moved upward.
Jade chuckled, low and deep in her chest, capturing the finger with white teeth and sucking the tip of it. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.