Fifteen


Tori found her way out to the back balcony, around the back behind the copier room where there was a tiny patio that overlooked the water. She liked to come out here sometimes and just think, in the quiet peace that that altitude afforded. It was a beautiful day out, and she wistfully realized that the current crisis was probably going to take precedence over leaving early, which was kind of depressing.

She'd been looking forward to some quiet time out on the water, where they could just watch the sunset together, and get in some twilight diving in the shallow, warm waters. Jade really relaxed out there, and sometimes almost got a little giddy, and certainly mischievous, which Tori found charming to say the least.

Only a few minutes, she promised, knowing she had to go back inside and resume dealing with the problem. Just a few minutes to lean against the heated metal of the railing, and feel the warm, fresh sea air against her face, and drink in the sunlight.

She wished Jade was beside her, and she wondered what her lover had thought about her request. The stunned look hadn't really indicated if she'd considered it, or if the idea was palatable or not, but Tori had the feeling she'd at least gotten her to think about it. That had to be good, right? With a sigh, she closed her eyes, and turned her face up to the sun, feeling the brightness against her eyelids.

The door opened behind her, and she turned, blinking in surprise as she recognized Steve's slim figure sauntering out towards her. Warily, she leaned against the railing and watched him approach.

"So." He studied her. "Here we have the Queen bitch's little collared pet… is this your private space?" He walked to the railing and leaned on it.

Tori regarded him thoughtfully. "Sorry about your nose." She remarked.

He stared at her. "So, what's it like screwing the boss?"

The brunette felt a deep jolt of anger erupt in her gut. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She responded. "But she wouldn't give your ugly butt a second glance." Inwardly, she sighed. What was that you were saying to Jade, about not liking being hated? Smooth, Tori... very smooth… what is it about this dork that brings out the hyper-bitch from hell in you anyway? "And I take that back… I'm not sorry at all." She added. "Excuse me." She turned and headed for the door.

"I should have guessed it before. "He yelled after her. "But Dick McMasters is a buddy of mine... he told me you didn't put out."

Tori turned, with her hand on the doorknob, and looked back at him, the ugly memories flooding over her.

"Ah... I see you remember him… " Steve's voice took on a savage satisfaction. "Yeah… he told me all about you… the straight-laced, stuck-up aristocrat… he's gonna laugh his ass off when I tell him what a pathetic little loser you turned out to be."

It took several breaths, to force the nausea down, and shove aside the familiar sensation of sickening dread she'd felt for those long, dark months. "You're the one without a life, morals, or integrity. " She told him finally. "So which one of us is the loser?" She paused. "I hope someday you start taking responsibility for what happens to you... and not just blame everyone else. Maybe you'll end up a happier person." She opened the door and got through it, closing it behind her and moving away from it as quickly as she could, blindly finding her way toward the break room. She ducked inside, and leaned against the counter, looking up as a hand touched her arm. "Wh.. oh, hi Rob."

The gentle brown eyes regarded her. "Hello there, Tori… are you doing all right?"

Tori sucked in a breath and released it. "Yeah.. yeah… " She put a hand over her stomach. "I think that meat pastelito I had didn't agree with me." She forced herself to settle down. "Hey… you got a sunburn."

Rob face creased into a wry smile. "Yes… yes, I put on my bathing suit, and went down to the pool for the first time since I moved into that damned place." He told her, releasing her arm and walking over to the coffee pot. He poured a cup, then glanced over his shoulder. "How are you after all the excitement yesterday?"

Tori regarded the floor for a moment. "Doing a lot better today," She admitted. "I've… got to get back to work." She gave Rob a brief smile. "See you later."

The hall seemed wider than normal, and she was glad to get inside her office with the door shut. She stood for a long moment, leaning back against the cool wood, then she shoved away from it and crossed to her desk, settling into the cool leather of her chair and folding her hands on the wooden surface. A soft knock came on the inner door, and she sighed. "Come on in."

Jade entered, her blue eyes holding a touch of concern. "Hey."

Tori gathered herself together and half turned, to gaze up at the other woman. "Hey." She pursed her lips. "How goes it?"

Jade hitched up her pants leg and settled on the edge of Tori's desk. "I tried." A shrug. "I gotta do a little more thinking."

"I know." Tori let a hand rest on Jade's leg, taking comfort in the warmth.

"You're cold," Jade said gasping at the icy fingers on her leg. "You feeling okay?" The pallor under her lover's normally golden skin tone was concerning. "Tor?" She added softly when Tori didn't answer.

"Yeah... I'm fine.. I.. " Tori suddenly had to resist the almost overwhelming urge to simply put her head down on Jade's thigh, and let her lover pet her like a cat. "I bumped into him out on the balcony. He brought up some unpleasant memories… that's all." She looked up, into the soft blue eyes, and let their benign regard settle over her. "He's such a jerk."

Jade chuckled, a little relieved. "Yeah... I know... but he will be gone soon… so let's just focus on the current disaster." She paused a little awkwardly. "Um…you want to share the memories, or..?"

Tori's phone rang, and both of their pagers went off simultaneously. "We can talk later. " The brunette woman gave her a wry grimace. "Wasn't anything big... really." She reached for the phone. "Operations, Vega."

A harried voice answered her. "Tori, this is John Collins… I've got the New York office breathing down my neck, and I can't get ahold of Jade… you gotta give me something to tell them."

"John?" Jade interrupted smoothly. "Hold on a minute." She put the call on hold, then faced her assistant, placing two fingers on her chin and lifting it up so their eyes met. "We can talk now if you need to." She offered, tentatively.

A peaceful silence settled over them, as they merely sat and looked at one another. Tori's lashes finally fluttered closed, and a faint smile twitched the corners of her mouth. "When I first joined Associated, I had a supervisor named Richard McMasters." She stated. "And he didn't quite subscribe to EEOC." That was putting it mildly.

"Ah." Jade's brows contracted, and a gray tone entered her eyes. "Did he mouth off to you?"

Tori exhaled. "Oh yes.. and he took every opportunity to touch me, and to comment on my appearance until I couldn't look at him without my hands shaking, wondering what was coming out of his mouth next." She stopped momentarily. "And then one night he bumped into me at the library, and told me he wanted to… get to know me better… and if I didn't cooperate, he'd fire me."

The hum of the computer was very loud in the silence, a soft blooping noise coming from the screen saver which had sprung into life."Did... " Jade hesitated. "I... I mean, did he… " She was honestly shocked, and a little hurt that Tori hadn't confided in her before.

"He cornered me in the back room two days later, and I told him if he didn't leave me alone, I'd have my Mother sic the IRS on him. " Tori's face tensed into a grim smile. "In a way, that made it worse… he kept after me in other ways, slamming my work, spreading rumors… until one day, some nice person over at Arthur Anderson hired him away." She paused. "He said it was a boss's prerogative to get the most out of his employees... " Her eyes searched Jade's face. "I think you can see why I never mentioned it." She concluded, a little wistfully.

"B… " Jade could hardly articulate the emotions. "I'd… nev…"

Tori curled her hand around the suddenly nerveless fingers still resting against her face. "I know that." She replied warmly. "Believe me, I know that, Jade… it's just… I felt strange talking about it with you." She let out a breath, some of the tension dissipating. "I mean, you are my boss, after all."

Jade was dismayed. She'd never thought to ask Tori if staying in her current position was what she wanted to do… she'd only thought of herself, and how she felt about it. But when she opened her mouth to do just that, nothing came cleared her throat and tried again. "Are you … Tori, if you're not comfortable with this, we could… I mean, there are plenty of places in the company... I just… I.."

Tori felt the tension build under her casually draped arm, resting against Jade's thigh. "You said you needed me where I was." She stated softly.

"I did... I do… Tori.. I.. I mean, of course, I do, but if it's going to make you upset... I.." Jade felt herself stuttering, which hadn't happened to her since the fourth grade. She clamped her jaw shut and swallowed a few times. "We can make arrangements if you're not comfortable with this." That, she managed in a calmer, more even tone. "I survived without an assistant for years... I can manage on my own again."

"At what price?" Tori stood, and laid a hand alongside her neck, feeling the rapidly beating pulse under her fingertips. "You said so yourself the pressure was getting to you." She reminded her lover, whose eyes dropped to the desk. "I'm fine…I love this job, I love working for you, and I don't want to go anywhere, okay?" She leaned forward and touched her forehead to Jade's. "I just had some nasty flashbacks, that's all… he's a jerk, and maybe he reminds me of Dick, the way he gets on my nerves all the time." Now was not the time to tell Jade the rest.

Maybe never was the time for that.

Jesus, when did I get this insecure? Jade wondered as she felt her heartbeat start to calm. What the hell is wrong with me lately, anyway... It's like I'm a kid again, going back to being a damn teenager. "Okay." She managed a smile. "You can tell me more about it later… if it bothers you, all right?" She sensed there was more, but realized it pushing now was a bad idea.

Tori smiled back. "All right." She spared a glance at the phone, still flashing. "Now.. what in blazes do I tell him, Jade?"

"Huh?" Jade's brow creased as she followed Tori's eyes. "Oh… right." She rubbed her temples. "Um… tell him we're sending an executive team to Colorado to take charge and get the systems back up as soon as possible."

Tori reached for the button, then hesitated. "We are?" She asked, curiously.

A sneaky, seductive grin tugged at one side of Jade's mouth. "Yeah... I figure eight hours to get their asses in gear, and a couple of days for us in a little cabin I happen to know about near there." She hesitated, both brows lifting hopefully ."Sounds okay?"

Honey brown eyes blinked. "You mean us?" She pointed at Jade's chest, then at her own. "You and me.. we're going up there?"

Jade simply nodded.

"Awesome," Tori pronounced, then hit the button. "Hello, John?" She muted the mic for a moment. "They don't have any horseback riding up there, do they?" She released the mic. "John, we know it's really bad... you can tell them that Jade's going up there to take charge personally."

Pause. "No shit?" The man replied, clearly impressed. "That'll get them off my ass.. thanks Tori… you're the best."

"It's my pleasure," TheLatina assured him cheerfully, all thoughts of Steve dissolved. She disconnected the line and turned to Jade. "Now.. we were discussing horses, right?"

A chuckle. "Yeah.. they've got some trail riding.. figured we could do a little skiing while we're up there." She offered. "If we leave tonight, we'll have tomorrow and Friday to get the network office back up, then the whole weekend to play." The idea had come to her right before she'd started over, and she'd put the plan into action before she'd left her office. "I've got Mari making reservations."

Tori smiled. "Want me to go home and pick up our bags?" She offered. "When's the flight?"

"When we're ready, I'm testing a new Gulfstream 600 and her crew for this. though that would be a great idea." Jade praised her. "Make sure you pack some warm stuff... it's chilly up there." Her brows lifted seductively. "A little too much for any scanty lingerie, unfortunately."

Tori stood and slid a fingertip down the buttoned closure of Jade's silk shirt. Three buttons were undone and that third button teased her as it strained at Jade's ample bosom. "I don't know... I think you look really sexy in just that old jersey of yours." She whispered.

A soft chuckle. "Oh, you do, do you?"

"Mmhmm… " The brown-haired woman lowered her voice even more. "But then.. you're gorgeous, Jade.. you'd look sexy in a burlap sack." She confided, brushing her lips against her lover's. "I'm going to go get our stuff... I need some fresh air anyway." She patted Jade's leg, then stepped around her desk, pulling her jacket off her chair and swinging it over her shoulders as she headed for the door.

Jade watched her go, then let out a long, slow breath. "Wow." She ran a hand through her hair. "I think I need a little fresh air myself."

The sunlight winked merrily at her feet in cheerful agreement. But at that moment her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at it to see the caller ID. "Ah," she said as she took the call. "Yes?"

"Jade, " Alastair's voice sounded harassed. "What in the hell's going on there? I've got some frantic developers crawling Up my ass about the Colorado facility."

Jade winced at the visual. "Environmental systems blew up at the facility there in Boulder," she said. "It's a mess."

"A Mess?" Her chairman repeated. "Jade, we've got the programmers threatening to quit and others having a fit because they were in the middle of a difficult code. It's more than messy, What are we doing about it? What's the Plan?"

"Thanks for assuming I had one," she said. "I don't know what we're going to do about it, Alastair…They won't give access to the facility to find out what we even can do."

He was momentarily silent. "B…"

Jade waited. "You asked."

Alastair made an exasperated sound. "Jade, I have to be able to tell these people something I'm getting roasted here."

Was it her fault? Jade frowned. "Tell them we're looking at options, Alastair," she replied a little testily. "I'm not going to promise to pull something out for thin air. I'm going out there and see what the situation is and-"

"You're going?" Alastair interrupted sharply.

"I've got a flight in a few hours yeah and…" Great… " he said sounding much happier. "I will tell them that. They can't say I didn't send the best resources. But Jade," he hesitated. "If we don't fix this, we'll probably lose that game, and I am going to have to explain such a big loss to the board."

"Shit happens sometimes, Alastair. You know that. we're a technology company and this stuff breaks," Jade said.

"I know," her boss replied. "But shit happening right after there is a major disruption out there gets sticky." He reminded her. "And if people are looking for leverage, it will hand it right to them. Nice and neat."

Jade gazed at her desktop." Yeah," she sighed "I'll do what I can Alastair."

"Keep me advised," Alastair said. "I'll go tap dance for you and break out the mirrors."


"Yeah, that's right, Dre." Tori stretched her legs out and closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath of the sun-warmed air coming in the window of the Mustang. "We're going to Colorado…we've got a big mess there to take care of."

"OH.. right… yeah, I heard about that." Andre advised her. "My boss was screaming… we were working on a collab with them, they were coding our snowboarding animations." He cleared his throat. "No problem, Tor…staying out there isn't any kinda hardship, you know? Breakfast on the ocean…sexy cleaning ladies in the residence staff puttering about… no problem at all."

"Great." The Latina sighed. "I never thought I'd be glad of a disaster.. but I can't say I regret this one." She stifled a yawn. "After we fix things, we're going up to a place Jade knows near there… for a little R and R."

"Oh?" Andre sounded more interested. "Well now... you didn't tell me that…so you and the dark one are finally taking some time off together… That's great." He'd been properly outraged by the events of the past week and startled when Tori had told him of Jade's quitting.

"Yeah." Tori smiled at the convertible's roof. "That'll be a first for us.. even over Christmas we had so much going on, we hardly had time to breathe, much less relax.. I'm really looking forward to a few days alone with her." And wasn't that the truth? Tori found herself impatiently wishing the crisis was well over and solved, freeing them to leave the technical problems behind and concentrate on each other.

She knew instinctively that after the past few days, they needed that. There were too many thornpricks in both of them. Too many tiny, loose ends caused by the trauma and the tension. She felt a little shaky, and she suspected Jade did as well. A weekend hiking up in the quiet of the wilderness was very, very appealing, and it would give Jade time to really recuperate from her bumps and bruises. "You think they'll have a hot tub?" She mused.

Andre laughed. "Well, if it's the kinda place I think Jade likes, I'm sure it will have… you can do some lovely skiing up in the mountains you know." She commented. "Get yourself a nice fireplace, and toast you up some marshmallows, girl."

"Mm." Tori could taste the warm, slightly burned morsels in her imagination. Then she imagined sharing them messily with Jade, and grinned, feeling the skin around her eyes crinkling up in amusement. "Sounds good to me."

"Heh… your eating habits surely have changed." Andre teased. "And then there's the food, as well."

Tori almost swallowed her tongue. "Andre!"

"Ah ah.. don't you be Andreing me, little Miss Connecticut snowballs wouldn't melt in my mouth." Her friend laughed. "I'm just joshing, Tori…honestly, I think Jade's the best thing that ever happened to you."

"Oh yeah.. she's turning me into a pleasure-loving little butterball, that's what." Tori laughed. "But thanks… " She added quietly. "I'm glad you ended up liking her. I'm going to get our stuff packed… talk to you later, Dre.. thanks for staying over again."

She hung up the phone, and steered carefully onto the island, pausing for the spraydown before she turned onto the perimeter road and headed to the house. The sprinklers were on as she pulled into her driveway, making an interesting chatter, and sending a whiff of mineral-laden moist air to Tori's nose. She pulled into her spot and then paused, She got out of the car and looked at the mailbox near the gate. "Awww…" she said looking at the 'T. Vega' right under the J. West printed there for the Mailman. It was such a tiny, insignificant thing, but it touched something deep inside Tori, reinforcing her sense that this was, indeed, home. She gave the Volvo next to her car a little pat, then shouldered her briefcase and headed up the stairs, plucking the mail from the mailbox before keying in the lock code. Chino started whining the minute the door opened, and she dropped her case on the loveseat as she headed toward the kitchen. "Okay.. okay honey.. I hear you." She ambled across the tile floor and opened the gate, letting the puppy out to attack her feet fiercely. "Hey… hey.. careful… " She put the mail down and crouched, petting Chino's soft fur. "Okay… okay… I know... I'm glad to see you too."

Chino whined ecstatically, her whole body wriggling with joy as she chewed on Tori's fingers. Then she cocked her head and looked past the brunette woman expectantly. Tori laughed. "Sorry, kiddo… she's not with me." She scratched the puppy's ears. "I know she's your buddy, huh?"

Chino blinked, then apparently gave up on Jade, and concentrated on attacking Tori's shoes. "Raowr." The puppy tugged on a lace, dropping it and barking in outrage when the thing persisted in remaining attached to Tori, and all the animal's pulling couldn't budge her.

"Okay… why don't you go out while I get some stuff done, huh?" Tori opened the back door, allowing the puppy to scamper down into the tiny, walled garden. It was safe for her there, since Jade had spent most of one weekend puppy-proofing it, which included making sure there were no gaps under the fence, and taking out the tiny pebbles the animal would surely try to consume. She watched Chino sniff around for a minute, then she went inside and started getting together two bags, starting with Jade's.

Which was not at all easy. Though sticking with black for her was simple enough, the woman was a fashion plate, and Tori always felt just a little frumpy next to her. She stood in front of Jade's closet figuring she should probably stick to casual. Jeans, and a couple of t-shirts, Jade was likely to get down and dirty while they worked. two sweaters and two hoodies. Keeping it simple, Tori figured was best here. and her one flannel shirt, because… ownership. She wanted everyone to know Jade was gay and some nice warm socks. And underwear, of course. Tori had fun picking out her favorite ones of those, including the really cute ones with tiny pictures of Wonder Woman on them. Oh, and the baseball jersey and shorts, and her bathroom kit, which held shampoo, soap, her toothbrush, and the small bottle of interestingly spicy-smelling talc powder Tori loved to sprinkle over her. She sniffed it and closed her eyes, a tiny humming noise erupting from her throat that almost startled her.

"Jesus." She clapped a hand on her forehead. "I'm turning into such a hedonist." She muttered, putting the bag away and zipping up the carry-on duffel Jade always used. But that's how Jade made her feel, she reflected.. all sexy and sensual like she was taking a bath in pheromones most of the time. Everything seemed more intense.. the smell of her.. the deep, rich color of her eyes…

"Oh boy." Tori stopped and took several breaths. "Okay… I think I need a drink of water." She carried the bag to the couch and let it drop, then continued on into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of peach-flavored ice tea, which slid down her throat in a cool, nicely sweetened wave. She leaned against the counter and sipped it, thinking about TCP/IP routing tables until her body had settled down again, and she could head upstairs to her own room.

Her bag was a little tougher, mostly because she had more winter clothes to choose from. She threw in a few pairs of jeans, though, since they were more comfortable than the heavy corduroy that was her other choice, Jade's having informed her she really liked the way Tori looked in jeans having nothing to do with the decision of course.

Of course. Tori smiled, as she flipped through her collection of soft wool sweaters, selecting two that were favorites of hers, and one whose color reminded her of Jade's eyes. That one was a gift from her sister Shelby, and it hugged her curves, bringing out an appreciative smile on Jade's face the last time she'd had the occasion to wear it. She tucked inside her tan leather bag, alongside a couple of long-sleeved shirts she could wear under them. She also added a pair of mittens, and her own warm socks and bath kit, glad she wasn't due for her period until late the week after.

Once she had everything packed, she started to go down, then stopped, setting the bag on her bed and going to the dresser where she tugged the drawer open, and pulled out a small, velvet case. Pensively she opened it, her eyes tracing the now familiar outlines of the beautifully made, filigree ring inside. Was it time?

Tori sighed and closed the case, putting it back in the drawer. Part of her wanted to just push through the insecurities, and go ahead with the gift… but another part of her hesitated, caught between the fear that Jade wouldn't want that kind of commitment, and the inner knowledge that she, Tori… needed it in some deep, almost uncomfortable way.

Maybe… She chewed her lip. Maybe on Valentine's day? It was only two weeks… a nervous ball formed in her stomach. Maybe she could sort of feel Jade out this weekend.. just to make sure she wasn't going to make a total fool out of herself when she did it.

Oh, come on, Tori… you know she loves you. She chastised herself. Jesus…she's not going to laugh or anything.

Right?

Tori drummed her fingers on one thigh, then snatched the case up and tucked it into her bag, zipping it up and hitching the strap up onto her shoulder. Maybe she'd practice, she decided, going downstairs and putting her bag on the couch next to Jade's, then sitting down and leafing through the mail. "Oh." She pulled out the three or four pieces that were hers, forwarded from the Palo Alto address. Two were bills, a third was an offer to beta test the new applications suite, and the fourth… "Haven't heard from her in a while." Tori turned the letter from her great aunt over in her fingers before she lifted the flap and pulled out the creamy, soft stationary, faintly scented with the smell of dust and memories. She opened it, and spread the paper out on her knees, studying the thin, spidery script.

Dear Victoria,

My dear, word has come to me that you are estranged from your parents - and this troubles me greatly. Not for their sake, as you know well that I never did get on with your father, but for your sake, as I know how much family means to you.

Your sister tells me you are well, and living there in San Francisco, with a person she tells me you are quite fond of. With her usual feckless nattering, she managed to talk all around the subject, but I am going to assume this person is another woman, and while you think my aged nerves can't take this, I will gladly inform you that this is not the case.

Splendid for you, my dear. I would love to meet this person, and I want to assure you that regardless of what your parents seem to think, your extended family is not cut off from you in any way. You are welcome in my home, and I know Mitchell would love to see you. Please do call me, when you get a chance, since I also would like to get the real story, as opposed to the bowdlerized version your sister saw fit to grace my supposedly tender ears with.

With great affection,

Aunt Penny.

Tori grinned, as she reread the letter. "Good old Aunt Penny. " She shook her head, remembering the old, but sharp woman who she'd last seen before she'd moved to San Francisco.

When she'd given her the ring, and laughed, making Tori turn around in the light, watching her with twinkling eyes the same shade as Tori's own.

Who had been one of the only people in Tori's life who had told her, point blank, that she was pretty, displacing years of her mother's continual harping on her looks? Tori would have cherished her for that alone, but she'd always gotten a sense of warm affection from her aunt and she was glad even this latest disaster hadn't broken that tie. She made a mental note to call her aunt after the weekend, and, on a whim, went back up to her room and got a small box of writing paper, tucking it inside her bag along with a couple of her favorite pens. "That's what I'll do, Chino.. I'll write her a note.. she'd like that." She told the puppy, who had curled up contentedly at her feet. "I bet she'd like you… she had Scottish terror. I mean, the terrier who used to eat my shoes when I went over there."

Chino looked up, then settled her chin on Tori's foot, and sighed.

Tori sighed too, and leaned back against the couch's soft leather, drinking in the peace of the place. She picked up Chino and cuddled her, smiling when the puppy sprawled across her chest, the warm breath sneaking between the buttons on her shirt.

She'd just relax here for a minute, then head on back to the office.