"Your mother?" Damon's eyes danced with amusement. "I must have been great tonight."
"Shut up" Bonnie laughed, "You don't want to meet the illustrious Dr. Abby Bennett?"
Pulling himself to a sitting position, he leaned against the foot of the bed and said, "I can't say the thought has crossed my mind."
"Come on, we can do brunch. She's giving a speech at Georgetown this afternoon then she's off to Chicago."
"Wow, you are really selling this." he smiled, brushing a lock of hair off her forehead.
"I bet mothers love you."
"I actually haven't met any. Boys like me don't do mothers, unless I'm actually doing a mother."
"Indulge me" she coaxed, twisting his nipple between her thumb and forefinger.
With a sigh, he relented and lowered his head, muttering against her forehead, "Sold"
..
After they made love in the morning, they took a shower and prepared for their brunch date with Abby.
While Bonnie finalized the meeting place over the phone with her mother, Damon switched on the T.V and watched highlights of the presidential debate. His white shirt hung open, a pair of jeans on one hand and navy suit pants on the other.
David Taylor was addressing the audience, "I will knock the hell out of ISIS. We're going to defeat ISIS. ISIS happened a number of years ago in a vaccum that was left because of bad judgment. And I will tell you, I will take care of ISIS."
"So Mr. Taylor-" Anderson Cooper began before David Taylor cut him off again.
Bonnie brushed past Damon as she made her way to the adjacent bathroom, buttoning her grey satin blouse as she went. She fastened a pair of diamond earrings to her ears and studied her reflection briefly before applying a nude matt lipstick.
Darting back into the room, she asked "French or Italian?"
"What?" he stole a glance at her before his eyes rushed back to the screen. Bonnie shook her head, dissmissing his lack of response before confirming a French restaurant on the phone.
Anderson Cooper reminded the audience not to talk loud or clap after every response. Bonnie pointed to the pair of pants in his hand and nodded, giving them a thumbs up.
Great, Damon thought, the brunch date was starting to feel more like a job interview.
"It's locker room talk. It's just words, folks. It's just words." Taylor responded to the allegations of sexual impropriety stemming from an access Hollywood tape.
At this point Bonnie was hopping on one foot then the other as she slipped on a pair of Gianvito Rossi black patent leather pumps.
"You're not going to make me wear a tie are you?"
"I doubt I could make you do anything but no, no tie required."
"So business casual."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Doesn't it strike you as odd that you're wearing this," -he pointed his finger to her outfit,"to meet your mother?"
She glanced down at her buttoned up blouse, form fitting black-lace pencil skirt and black pumps and then looked back up at him.
Unfastening the top two buttons of her blouse, she smiled "Happy?"
"Ecstatic."he said sarcastically, glancing at the lacy hint of her black bra.
"What do you think, next column?" he jerked his chin toward the screen and cranked up the volume.
"Definitely." she said with a nod and walked out into the lounge.
..
Bonnie saw Abby as soon as they got inside Le Diplomate. The Parisian bistro was already bustling with an early brunch crowd.
She raised a hand in greeting as she approached her mother and Damon hung back, not quite sure what to do. He'd never been a position to meet anyone's parents before this. He buttoned his suit jacket and then swiftly undid the buttons just as quickly. Then he patted his breast pocket for the white pocket square to check if it was still in place. For some reason he was sweating, his cheeks felt flush and warm. The din of the restaurant echoed as if he was in a vacuum and then he came to the realization that Bonnie's hand was resting on his upper arm and that she was saying something.
"This is Damon," she smiled giving him a small pat before introducing Abby.
"Pleasure meeting you." he exchanged handshakes with Abby then opened a chair for Bonnie. He hadn't even realized that there was a waiter present attempting to do the same.
Motioning to her double espresso, Abby announced to the couple "I've already ordered a drink." and looked pointedly at the waiter, anticipating his question and preempting it.
"Can I take your drink orders?" the waiter asked, his eyes darting between Bonnie and Damon, his pen poised over his small writing pad.
"Let's just order everything now. I'm in a rush," Abby interrupted and picked up her menu, quickly scanning through it. "I need to run over a few things before Georgetown."
"Of course." everyone agreed as they did the same.
Bonnie ordered eggs vol-au-vent with a white wine spritzer to drink while Damon asked for the duck sarladaise with a bloody Mary. Abby opted for an omellet and another double espresso.
"And?" she looked at Bonnie expectantly as soon as the waiter departed. Bonnie stole a glance at Damon and he shifted in his chair. Her mother was without a doubt wondering why he had tagged along to this brunch.
"Damon and I work together at Whitmore magazine."
"And what is this, a field trip to D.C?" Abby retorted.
"I hear the Smithsonian is exceptionally pretty this time of year." Damon replied, a smile curling one side of his mouth.
Abby leaned back in her leather banquette, looking at him as though she was trying to figure him out. She was about fifty two years old, Damon judged. She was beautiful, her skin a touch fairer than Bonnie's and her styled hair shorter. Her chic suit was exceptionally tailored and her jewelry, though minimalist, was very expensive.
"Damon and I work on the column together and I am sleeping with him."Bonnie revealed, looking pleased with herself.
Before Abby could say anything, the waiter returned with their drinks and a bread basket.
"I usually have one rule about dating coworkers." Abby said as the waiter left them.
"And what's that?" Bonnie seized her drink, taking a careful sip.
"Don't do it."
"That was my rule too but then-"
"The unicorn came along." Abby drawled dryly and turned to look at him. "How long have you been working at Whitmore, Damon?"
He leaned forward, picked out a bun from the basket and smeared it with butter before he answered.
"Four years."
She tipped her cup, drank and said "That's a long time. And you have no ambition to further your career?"
Cutting in, Bonnie stared at her mother defiantly "My mother doesn't think one is a real journalist unless they work for the Times or CNN and she prefers that I'd gone into law than frilly journalism." she paused to take a breath, "I'm the cautionary tale of what not to do with your law degree. My mother fails to realize that we are not running the same race."
At that, Abby began collecting her things. She was calm, poised, unflinching. Rising from her chair, she shouldered her tote bag and walked away without a word.
"My mother; lawyer, power feminist and human right's activist. The only thing she isn't good at is mothering." Bonnie chuckled, her eyes following her mother out of the restaurant.
Then waiter came and set down their plates in front of them. He put Abby's down in front of her empty seat and left them in private.
Silence stretched between them. Finally, Bonnie exhaled then gave a soft chuckle before. Seizing her glass to polish off her drink. He waited, supporting her in slicence.
Picking up the menu again, she smiled "Hey, should we get you a belated birthday cake or is it too late?"
"I could eat some cake." He reached across the table, took her hand in his and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
..
After brunch, they headed back to the hotel crossing the sun-drenched lobby to the bank of elevators that would lead them to their suite.
They were arm in arm as they stepped inside an elevator and as the doors slid closed, a man elbowed his way in followed by a red-head woman.
"Kai?"
He turned to the sound of Bonnie's voice calling his name.
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise, his eyes darting from Bonnie to Damon "Bonnie… Uhm..hi"
"Hi. How's the conference going?"
"It's going." he replied, his brows furrowed as if he was trying to to figure the situation out.
Reading him, Bonnie offered "This is Damon. The guy I was telling you about last night."
"Aah the lucky man. Lovely meeting you." Kai turned to Damon.
"Same."
"I'm Kai Parker."
They shook hands and Damon could feel Kai assessing him from his hair to the cut of his tailored suit and he followed suit. He looked like a typical ivy league guy in his knit sweater and his untucked dress shirt. The woman accompanying him was also typically preppy in her Nantucket-red Parker jacket and jeans.
"Damon Salvatore." he said.
With an outstretched hand, the redhead chimed in "Hi, Helena McCormack."
"Sorry,where are my manners. This is Doctor Helena McCormack, a colleague of mine."
"Pleasure meeting you." Helena nodded to Bonnie and Damon.
Shaking her hand, Bonnie smiled "Bonnie Bennett."
"Why don't we all have dinner tonight? There's this place I read about. It's supposed to have this amazing crab." Kai suggested.
Damon opened his mouth, but Bonnie spoke first "Great, sounds really good. Can we call you?"
"Sure, you have my number."
"I do." as she replied, the doors opened at their floor and they stepped out, hands still linked.
"Was that awkward?" she glanced at him then inserted the key card. The door opened with a click and he held it open so she could enter first.
"I should have told you that Kai was in town." she brushed past him, throwing her bag on a nearby table. "I had dinner with him last night but I didn't think it was important enough to mention and-"
"Stop. I don't care about that. I don't care about Kai or dinner or any of that." he paused and closed the small gap between them until his body was almost pressed against hers. Then he wove his hands into her silky hair, pulling her into a warm kiss. He kissed her until she melted into the kiss, until he tasted the wine in her breath, felt the warmth of her fingers on the nape of his neck. His kiss was slow, sure and knowing.
When they finally broke apart, his heart was pounding in his chest. Right there and then, he knew that he loved her. He really didn't care about the Kai issue. He was a non-entity.
"Thank you for inviting me" he said softly, his knuckles brushing along her jaw. His eyes trailed over her face in a tender caress before settling on her eyes.
Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled, smiled and said "I love having you here."
There was a long moment of comfortable silence before she piped up, "How about we order some room service, an obscenely expensive bottle of champagne and strawberries?" she was already shedding her shoes and making her way to the telephone by the grey three seater sofa topped with fabric pillows. She picked up the receiver, dialed room service and ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon and strawberries with chocolate on the side. They could dip the strawberries themselves and make it a fun, sexy exercise.
After hanging up, she looked up at him and her fingers trailed delicately down to the opening of her blouse, undoing a button and then another, another and another until she shrugged out of her blouse and tossed it at him, hitting his face.
Her eyes were moist and dark with need as she unclasped her bra and beckoned him to the sofa. He removed his jacket, tossed it and began to undo his own shirt, mimicking her. When he was close enough, she pushed him down and straddled him. Damon drew her skirt up to her waist and squeezed her buttocks, drawing her forward until she slammed against him, her bare breasts in his face. Giggling into his neck, hair tickling his face, she reached between them and found his zipper.
"How long do you think we have until room service gets here?" she teased, biting his ear lobe and eliciting a groan from him.
Responding between ragged breaths, he said "Give or take ten minutes?"
"You can do a lot in ten minutes."
"Ouch" he chuckled, taking a nipple into his warm mouth.
"Come on, you have the stamina of a horse and the talent of a gigolo. Your skills are undisputed." she laughed and lowered her head to kiss him.
..
"I'm happy." Bonnie smiled dreamily, circling his nipple with her fingernail. An empty bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket on the bedside table along with two flutes.
"I could get used to this. No adult supervision." He traced a finger along the line of her hip and closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
He'd finally figured out why she was the way she was. Her mother was cold, distant and emotionally unavailable with her. That was the relationship she grew up with, a relationship she knew and identified with love. He drew her closer, tightening his arms around her and inhaled the soft scent of her hair. He wanted to protect her. Keep her safe. He was here now, he would take care of her.
"I love you." Damon whispered, kissing the top of her head.
When she didn't respond, he took a peek and saw that she had fallen asleep. Running a hand up and down the length of her back, he closed his eyes and listened to the soft hum of the room. After some time he climbed from the bed, lifting her arm from his midriff and pulled the sheet over her.
He walked across the bedroom, picked up a monogrammed terry robe and put it on as he walked out to the lounge. The room was bathed in half light from the open drapes. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, unscrewed the cap and took a pull. His reflection in the glass showed his nakedness underneath the robe, a day's worth of stubble and unruly hair.
They were several floors up and the gleaming lights of the nation's capital dazzled beyond the wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows of the suite.
Damon smiled, his heart was full. What he had with Bonnie was the real thing, he felt sure of that.
He was at peace. Happy.