Bo's POV. Enjoy!


Bo was going to be late. Again.

Even she had to admit that it was getting ridiculous, but honestly there wasn't much she could do about it. She'd spent her afternoon in court arguing motions to suppress, and when she got back to her desk there was a stack of phone messages waiting. She grabbed the most urgent ones, made quick calls back, and at 6:30 she was finally headed for the door.

She still needed to get home, shower, and change – overall, it would probably be 7:30 at least before she was ready. And she was supposed to meet up with the group at 7. Shit.

Heading out the office doors, she grabbed her phone and sent a message to everyone in their group text.

Bo: Running late. Meet you at the first bar?

A minute later, the first reply:

Kenzi: You're late. SHOCKER.

Dyson: We're going to start thinking you don't love us, you know

Vex: Unacceptable. This is may be the only third fake twenty-ninth birthday I ever have.

Bo laughed at Vex's text and responded oh, Vex, I doubt that it will be.

Ciara: I think we were starting at O'Connells?

Tamsin: I vote for Spike's. O'Connells is played out.

Vex: What about Rapture?

Dyson: NOT RAPTURE.

Kenzi: NO RAPTURE

Nate: I vote no on Rapture

Tamsin: Wasn't there just a syphilis outbreak with the Rapture bartenders?

Ciara: On that note, I also vote no to Rapture

Vex: Everyone is so uptight. Mulligans it is, then

Bo was about to drop her phone into her bag when it buzzed again.

Lauren: I'm also running late, I'll meet you there, too

Bo's impulsive nature kicked in, and she immediately sent a message to Lauren.

Hey, what time are you thinking you'll be ready? We can split a cab.

Lauren texted back: I have a couple more quick things to do, but I could probably be ready by 8-8:30?

Sounds great, I'll come by.


Bo dressed hastily, feeling amped and jumpy. She mentally berated herself for feeling this way, but there was no point in denying the reason for it. In a short while, she would be sharing a cab with Lauren.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, even though she was alone in the room. This was ridiculous. She was acting like a teenager. Worse, maybe – she was acting like a middle schooler with a first crush. All they were doing was splitting a cab. It really wasn't anything to be excited about.

And, yes, she knew she was acknowledging she had a crush, even though it wasn't being admitted to anyone other than herself. But really, that was okay, right? I mean, Lauren was beautiful, and smart, and funny – a crush was natural. It didn't mean anything.

The truth was, crush or no crush, she liked being around Lauren. She was good company. While a romantic connection as never going to happen, that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy a solid friendship. Lauren was different than a lot of people Bo had known and been close to. Lauren was more – together. Yes, Bo was a lawyer, and yes, Bo was more or less stable, but the fact was she still spent most of her time in bars, her love life was still laughable, she still had a roommate… Not that any of these things were inherently bad – though the love life was less than ideal. But Lauren was just…she had it together. Bo admired that.

Finished getting dressed, Bo looked in the mirror and gave herself a mental pep talk. Okay. You are going to have a good time tonight. You are going to enjoy this. You are going to get to know Lauren. You are going to focus on being friends with Lauren. There is no future in this crush, so tonight you put it behind you and focus on what you can have with her. You are going to be a mature adult.

Resolved, Bo walked out the door, trying to ignore the fact that despite her new focus on friendship, she was giddy at the prospect of seeing Lauren.


Bo knocked on the door as the cab pulled away from the curb. 7:45 – Bo was early, probably for the first time her life. Lauren opened he door and Bo felt her heartrate tick up.

"Hey, Bo, come on in, sorry I'm not quite ready yet," Lauren said, stepping to the side so Bo could enter.

Bo unconsciously took a deep breath – clean cotton. Just like before. Bo smiled.

"No, problem, I'm early," she answered with a wave of her hand.

"Can I get you some wine? No point in putting off celebrating Vex, right?" Lauren asked, walking toward the kitchen. Bo was about to decline when she saw Lauren's glass of wine sitting on the counter.

"Sounds great." Lauren poured her a glass and she accepted it with a smile. "To fake Vex day!" she said, holding the glassy up in a fake toast motion.

Lauren laughed lightly. "I can't believe he's still doing that. It's like he never grew up."

"How long have you and Vex known each other?"

"Since we were kids. Our parents were friends and we used to take trips together. Then we were sent to the same boarding school for a while, until Vex got kicked out, and after that…I don't know, I've just really always known him, I guess."

"What was Vex like as a kid?" Bo asked, trying to picture it.

"Awkward. Nerdy."

Bo nearly choked. "Really?"

Lauren smiled. "Yeah, he wasn't comfortable with himself. His parents didn't have a good marriage, so I think he always felt a little tense, you know? On edge." She took a sip of wine. "My parents were very similar, and we just sort of bonded over it. Then when he got older, and he realized he was gay, I think that made it even harder for him, you know?"

Bo nodded.

"He started acting out a lot more then. He had come out to me, but not to anyone else. Shortly after that he was kicked out of school. He came out to his parents when he was about 17, and from there he just turned more and more into the Vex you know. He got more comfortable with himself. He was always sort of mischievous, even when we were young. He really just became more of who he was always supposed to be."

"When did the fake birthdays start?"

Lauren laughed. "Vex was always smart. Like, crazy, crazy smart. He just always hid it well. And he was charming, even in his awkward days. So one year, right after school started, he just started telling kids his birthday was that weekend. He said he couldn't have a party for some reason, but a few kids got him cards and gifts, and from there he just kept doing it. He told his mom that he needed cupcakes for a bake sale or something, and we had a party in the classroom. I don't know why the teacher went along with it, but honestly I don't think she paid that much attention to it. I knew, but Vex was my friend and I thought it was funny, so I didn't say anything."

"So you were an accomplice?"

"Yes, madam prosecutor, I guess I was," Lauren said, lightly.

Bo laughed. "Hey, I have another question, what is 'Vex' short for, anyway?"

"Vincent."

"Seriously, what the hell, his name is Vincent?"

"Vincent Edward Xavier. He goes by his initials."

"Kenzi was right, you do have much knowledge," Bo said. Bo sat down on the couch, Lauren sitting down across from her. "So where did you and Vex grow up?"

"London, actually, but I was born here. My dad got a job there when I was a few months old."

"Really? But you don't have an accent."

Lauren shrugged. "My parents weren't English, so the accent never stuck, I guess. Vex's dad and my dad worked for the same company."

"How did you end up here?"

"My parents divorced when I was 16, and when it was time to go to University, I was ready to be away from them both. I came over when I was 18 and just stayed. After University was Med School, then internship, then residency, then a job, and now, here I am. What about you? Are you from here originally?"

"Yeah, a couple hours from here, actually. Kenzi, Dyson, and I moved here together."

"So you three grew up together?"

"Kenzi and I were neighbors and we went to the same school. Dyson joined us when we were in middle school."

Lauren and Bo kept chatting for a while longer, and before long Lauren glanced up at the clock. "Shit, we're late."

"We were already late," Bo laughed. She looked at the clock, too. 8:45. "But, yeah, we're late. Have we really been talking for an hour?"

Lauren stood up from the couch. "Let me just finish getting ready really quickly and we can go."

Bo smiled as Lauren turned away, feeling proud of herself. Yes, the crush was still definitely alive and well, but their conversation had been safely "friendly," in Bo's opinion. This was progress.

Right?


The cab dropped them off at the bar and Bo and Lauren joined the group. Vex immediately approached.

"Happy birthday, Vincent!" Bo said loudly enough for everyone else to hear. Vex went slightly pale.

"Wait, did you just say his name was Vincent?" Tamsin asked.

"Lauren, you right bitch," Vex said. "And I here I was going to forgive you for being late, on today of all days, my birthday, when my parents didn't even call me –"

"Because it isn't your birthday," Lauren added, helpfully.

"Not the point! And, anyway, what do you lot have to say for yourselves, turning up so late? Bit of hanky panky on the way over, are you still –"

Lauren's expression darkened almost imperceptibly as she cut him off. "Vex…"

He put his hands up. "Alright, alright, no need to get feisty, love, just a friendly reminder that we all have our secrets," he said with a wink. "Who wants a drink? Vexy's buying!"


Following their drinks at Mulligans, the group proceeded to bar hop. Vex had rented a limo, so no one had to drive, and even though Bo and Lauren were behind everyone else, it didn't take them long to catch a buzz.

The more she drank, the more Bo found that she was spending the bulk of her time with Lauren, either by sitting beside her, talking to her, ordering drinks with her…and the more she drank, the less she cared. Bo liked being with Lauren. There was nothing wrong with that.

During one trip to the bar, the two women were laughing over something, though neither could have likely articulated what, when Vex walked up.

"Lo, darling, your phone is ringing," Vex said, handing the device to Lauren. "Nadia."

Lauren accepted the phone, and Bo pretended not to listen, though she eavesdropped the entire conversation, or at least Lauren's side of it.

"Hey, babe."

Babe?

"Yeah, we're out for Vex's fake birthday…yeah…oh, that's okay. No, I understand. We'll find a time that works better. Okay…sorry, yeah, it's really loud…okay. Love you, too."

Love you too?

Lauren ended the call and slid the phone into the pocket of her jeans, giving Bo an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Bo waived her hand. "No problem. Everything alright?" Bo tried to act nonchalant, even as her brain was screaming.

"Yeah, yeah," Lauren said, looking at the glass that had just been place in front of her. "It was just…my girlfriend."

"Oh. I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Bo said, still trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, she didn't move with me here, so…"

"How long have you guys been together?"

"About five years."

Bo's heart dropped to her feet. "Wow, five years, that's…wow."

"Yeah, we met during our internship. We worked at the same hospital until I moved."

Bo took a sip of her drink. So this woman had been dating Lauren for five years, and she was a doctor. She was probably gorgeous, too. Shit.

"That's great," Bo said, trying to sound genuine. "Is she going to move out here?"

Lauren cleared her throat. "Uh, I don't know. Maybe. I don't know."

Bo nodded. Whoever Nadia was, she couldn't be that brilliant. If she was, there was no way she would have let Lauren move away from her.

"Well, that's great," Bo said. Where are you going with this, Bo? her brain asked. "I mean, for you to be together that long, and her to be okay with you moving so far away…you guys must be really solid together. That's great." Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP.

Lauren nodded. "Yeah, she's a great person." Lauren cleared her throat again. "So how are things with Rainer?"

Reality came back to Bo, and she mentally thanked Lauren. She had no right to be affected by the news that Lauren wasn't single; she wasn't single, either.

Bo shrugged. "He's, you know…Rainer."

Lauren smiled. "I still think you could do better."

Bo laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I think you've been talking to Kenzi too much."

Lauren gave another chuckle. "Okay, fair enough, I don't know him really. Why didn't he come tonight?"

Bo took another sip of her drink. "He had other plans."

Lauren nodded. "Well, listen, I don't really know him. But for what it's worth, if you think he's good enough, then so do I. I know everyone is hard on him, but if he makes you happy, I think that's great, too."

Bo smiled at her. "Thanks," she said.

When it came time to leave, the gang piled in the back of the limo still laughing and talking. Bo ended up wedged in a seat beside Lauren. Not that she was complaining.

The whole ride home Bo continued to make jokes and conversation with her friends, trying desperately to ignore the fact that she could smell Lauren's shampoo, that Lauren was warm on her side, that she could feel the vibrations on her skin when Lauren moved and laughed. When Lauren was dropped off at her house, Bo's eyes locked with hers and held for a second too long. She couldn't tell if Lauren had noticed.

Part of her hoped she had.

But they were just friends, right?

Right.


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