Her mouth indulged in Daphne’s lips. Her Ramone’s t-shirt she had put on pressed against Daphne’s naked chest, and her hands had found their way to her small waist. However, she was waiting for the push, the slap, the words of disgust. And she’d take them. She’d take them and walk away; walk away all the way to dryer with her clothes, to the car to drop her off at home, to bank in a few weeks, and up the airstrip to board the plane to paradise. But, no. There was no hesitation. She instead felt hands, then arms wrap around her neck as Daphne separated her lips wider. Her tongue careened its way into Angela’s mouth.
A combination of relief and rapture washed over Angela. The delight of it all took her off balance for a moment until she could feel the dining table against her backside. She leaned into it, not breaking her lips from Daphne’s. Her hands went up to feel those soft caramel colored curls she had secretly admired all day. The rain and all the humidity had brought them back to life, and they were now as untamed and sumptuous as the woman they crowned. Angela’s hands made their way to the waist of Daphne’s panties and across her round cheeks. She pulled Daphne’s closer to her until her hips were perfectly wedged between hers. A kiss. A lick across the lips.
They were nearly breathing the same air between breaths now; mouth to mouth, and suddenly chest to chest, as Daphne removed Angela’s t-shirt up and over her head. Their movements became rushed and excited. Yes, this was happening. Angela turned Daphne around and urged to remove her lace panties as she kissed up and down her neck. Daphne shimmied them down just below her hips, and before she could make any move to bend over and drop them further, she felt one of Angela’s hands reach around and between.
She let out a slight gasp as fingers searched for her most sensitive spot just atop her valley, and Angela’s free hand cupped her right breasts. Before things to go faster, she wanted to savor all that Angela obviously wanted to show her. She turned back around to face her with a grin, and stepped back just enough to let Angela watch her drop her panties the rest of the way to the floor. They both were breathing heavy, but smiling. She reached out her hand and took Angela by hers.
Taking perfect steps backwards and through the guest room door she was leading Angela right into what would promise to be a night worth remembering. She had to hand it to this new assistant. She had just the right amount of heat and sweet to keep her interested. And it seems like she was going to bring that to guest room bed. She stepped in, and shut gently shut the door. She did plan on pouring herself a glass of “some expensive crap”, but maybe for a change she could start pouring it up for two, starting tonight.
Chapter 4
Three weeks had passed since their rainy day play in Angela’s guest room. Their lunch dates, became regular occurrences, though they both made it a point to try and hide their giddiness about their time away from the office together. Every now and then, Angela would give Daphne some small token of her affections: a signed book by her favorite author, flowers delivered to the office with a card signed “secret admirer”, and a new tablet when her older one finely bit the dust.
It wasn’t long after that Daphne had finally seen the infamous queen suite of Angela’s sprawling house. Even more plush and comforting than the downstairs it was a room that heard more moans, sighs, and giggles in the past three weeks than it had heard in the whole ten years Angela had lived in the house. There was a day however, when Chris noticed Daphne’s car was still parked across the street from the agency.
He asked her the following day had it broke down the day before. “No. Why?”
“Oh I just noticed it was still there this morning in the same spot and you got a ride with Angela. Was gonna let you know I know good bit about cars and could look at it for you.”
Daphne was stunned. She wondered how many other people had paid attention to how often she did or didn’t drive her own vehicle home after hours. Not to mention she no longer met up with them for drinks like she used to, as another coworker, Cara, had pointed out.
“We miss you down at SoWashEbottoms. Karaoke isn’t the same without you, ya know.”
Daphne replied as nonchalantly as she could, considering how uncomfortable she was with anyone even asking about her regular comings-and-goings.
It was nearing October, and Angela had already reprised everyone about the changes that were taking place in order to close the doors on the agency for good. Some people had already talked about leads they had for jobs at other agencies, others were actually switching careers completely. Daphne however, hadn’t shared with anyone her plans. She didn’t really have any, which was a topic that Angela breached one night at Daphne’s apartment over dinner. She had taken the time to hunt down a recipe similar to the red snapper Angela had enjoyed their first lunch date.
Her place wasn’t nearly the size of her lover and newfound friend’s, but it was comfortable and tastefully furnished. These past few weeks had seemed to fly by, and the moments in between like this one were a refuge in the midst of city chaos that they didn’t realize they were missing. Tonight, was her way of showing Angela how much she appreciated not only her giving her a chance as an assistant but being brave enough to let someone into her life and her world. They had many more talks over the weeks they had spent together now to talk about the past, the present, but they both steered far from the future things. Until tonight.
“Daph, this is amazing,” Angela said, tasting the first bite of the red snapper she had before her.
Taking the modest road, Daphne insisted “nah. It’s alright. My first time making it. It could use a little more sea salt.”
Before she could cut down her own cooking any further Angela reassured her it was nothing short of culinary masterpiece.
“I bet you could grill a mean mahi mahi or tuna fresh out the bay.” She then sipped her white wine, but stared down the glass across the table to see did Daphne pick up on what she was eluding to. Unfortunately, she got it loud and clear, and stared down blankly at her own plate. Then, a slow frown appeared across her face.
“Have you considered what you are going to do after Briar Homes, Daphne? You haven’t talked about the closure or anything after that.”
Daphne propped an elbow up on the table, and rested her chin in hand. Her soft eyes looked to person she had come to care for, and in even trust. But for some reason in this moment, she was gripped with uncertainty. How do you tell someone you’ve been so wrapped up in them, you didn’t think of yourself anymore?
“No. I haven’t thought about it.”
And she let her answer lie there between them. Flat. Dead. She wanted to leave the floor open for questions, or a kind of scolding, whichever Angela was about to dish out. It was at times like this she was reminded of the gap in their age. Often, she felt reprimanded almost like an insolent child by Angela, and then there were times where she was allowed to feel more woman than she had ever felt in her life, and allowed to spread her wings wide. What this conversation was about to become was unknown. But she felt they might as well get it over with.
“You know, you can always come with me to St. Croi..” she was cut off right then with a quick “why” from Daphne. It was sharp. Abrupt.
Angela was taken aback that this wasn’t going to be a conversation, but the precursor to an interrogation of some sort. Why wouldn’t she want to go? What would be left here for her once I was gone? For a few seconds that felt like eternity, the two women watched one another’s face as if looking for signs of life.
“Why not? Obviously, you don’t have a backup plan otherwise we would’ve discussed it by now.”
“What I’m going to do when I get there with you, Angela? Be your trophy girlfriend you tote around, or am I still going as your lifetime personal assistant to keep track of your sightseeing itinerary?”
Although, Daphne didn’t say it with malice in her voice, the question itself hurt more than Angela could ever admit. She didn’t have to admit, because it showed on her face.
“Wow. So,” she stammered,
“is that what feel I want. That I found the perfect little helper so now I want you to trek behind me while I water ski across the islands? I mean, damn. Do you really sell yourself that short?”
“No, but what are your getting out of me going with you? Maybe, I just want to hear you say it. That this,” as she motioned with her hands back and forth between them,” is ‘us’, and not just another bullet point on your retirement to-do list.”
That statement was the last insult for Angela, and her body language made it perfectly clear as she sat up straight in her seat, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands in front just behind her barely eaten plate.
“Is this about the closing of the agency? Yeah, I’ve been rattling on and crossing ‘t’s and doting ‘I’s and putting you and me and everyone through the ringer, but because I have to. I know I haven’t been the most pleasant person, but when have I ever been that pleasant in the damn office?! Is that what this is about, Daph?”
“NO! It’s about when this, here is done what do we do. Great to know you have it all figured out. You always have it all figured out! I feel like I’m not in this with you, that I’m just…a long for the ride. It’s a great ride, but is it our ride? Is that why you want me to go, or is it you feel like I just came into your life at the right time? Am I convenient or am I…more than to you?”
With that, Angela stood up and so did Daphne. She wasn’t backing down, and she wasn’t going to stay seated like some good little “fetch girl”, not on this topic. She wanted and answer. Looking at Angela, she felt she had finally hit the nail on the head. Maybe, she had finally outed the wolf in sexy sheep’s clothing. For all these years, she didn’t want to believe this woman suddenly had grown soft, sweet on her even.
“Well? Tell me something. Anything, Angela.”
There was that tight lip scowl Daphne was waiting for, but this time she saw something she hadn’t before. It was surrender, and not the good kind.
“I’m leaving in two weeks. I was going to let everyone know when we got back to work on Monday, including you. I didn’t want to press the issue on what you were or weren’t doing because I just thought you might need more time to wrap your mind around everything. And it may sound really pansy assed too, but I didn’t want to get hurt with a downright ‘no’ and then spend the next God knows how long moping in my office and trying to still work with you without being a complete bitch.”
Daphne couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt her fist clench, her jaw tightened and then the tears came.
“Oh,” she said, her voice quivering. “Oh, I see. You wanted to spare you, tell me when you got ready and you could handle it; like with everything else you wanted to have it figured out first.”
“No, it wasn’t like that.”
Daphne grabbed her plate and headed toward the kitchen with Angela quickly in tow. She stepped into the kitchen and put all her force in behind slamming her plate into the sink hard enough for shards of ceramic, rice pilaf, and what was left of the red snapper to fly up in the air.
Angela winced, shielding her face then quickly looked to see were more things about to start flying across the tiny kitchen apartment. Instead of being hit in the soaring cookware or utensils, she was bombarded with every shrill bit of rage, in the form of accusations and broken trust.
“Two weeks! Just like that. You know what, I knew it. You’ve almost been keeping me distracted like a little pet the past few days, being extra loving and trying to buy me things and I definitely picked up on it when you weren’t asking me to do as much for you at the office. Like some little caged up parrot who you talk to and I squawk back every now and then, but you shut me up with sex and gifts and expensive lunches! You were planning flights, and crossing off the things you didn’t want any of us to know yet. Weren’t you?!”
Angela stood there like a statue. What could she say? It was true, mostly. But, not entirely. It had been a long time since she had cared about anyone, and especially be able to confide in anyone. To have that was something she was afraid to reach for years, out of fear of neglecting it, or even destroying it. So, to hear that despite her affection or attention, her caring and her time spent, she had left Daphne feeling neglected and pacified was painful on so many levels.
Yes, she should have told her about the timeline being moved up quite a bit. Or even more so, let her know that it wasn’t just her leaving it in Daphne’s hands to make the choice to leave with her, but how deeply she wanted her to make that choice. Failure hadn’t been an option for her for the past twenty or more years, and now it was it all she could feel.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way, Daph. I was looking out for my feelings, but yours too.” Her heart was in her throat now, and everything in Angela wanted to run. She also hadn’t cried in front of anyone in over twenty years. But, this conversation was going to happen either now, or two weeks from now.
“I just…I just wanted more time, with you, with myself. I still want that time, but I just didn’t know how to say it.”
Daphne now leaned on the edge of kitchen sink, facing away from someone she now considered a betrayer. Had Angela of listened closely, she could have heard every single tear fall from Daphne’s face to the sink. Every plunk of every drop was like a weight on her chest, pulling her lower and lower the longer she stood there. Suddenly, she realized this was beginning to sound more and more like a goodbye.
For Angela, the words were all just coming out wrong, and although she could tell, she couldn’t find the way to undo what they both were feeling. The fell silent as she watched the first person she had felt anything for in so long turn around to face her.
“Angela, I just wanted you to tell me I was not some new thing you had earned in your career. And here I am feeling like just another stepping stone, someone or something that was expendable. The fact you even want to leave all that you’ve built up is still amazing to me. It’s like you just want to get out while you can, and I’m not like that. Maybe, it’s a difference in our ages. Maybe, it’s the fact I’m still trying to find my path to blaze through life. But, I…”.
The pause. The inevitable pause of rejection, Angela thought to herself. It was the pause she had hope for three weeks ago in the dining room after that first kiss. The ‘no’ that doesn’t hurt so bad, because it didn’t have time to grow roots and thorns. It was coming now. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“I’m done, Angela. I’m done. No more flying high on love and pipe dreams and wild nights rolling covers, or throwing caution to wind that we may get found out by this person or that one. I’m done.”
Angela didn’t show it, but as she stood there amidst food and plate fragments strode all over the floor, her heart crumbled at her feet as well. Nonetheless, she was determined not to cry. Not now. Not after Daphne clipped her wings like that. She didn’t just end things between them, but nearly mocked it all at once. This was the first time in a long time she felt like a fool. Flying high on love and pipe dreams, indeed. Alright. Ok. Back to the status quo, we go Angela had decided. She didn’t ran finger across her bangs, and cleared her throat.
“You can start getting your things out the office first thing Monday. I’ll be sure to have your stuff sectioned off to one side as I get my things boxed up.” And with that said, she was all out of words. What was there left to say after all.
The two watched the others eyes from across the kitchen. Daphne was now leaned up against the sink, her arms folded across her chest, her cheeks red and tear dampened. Angela on the other hand had composed herself enough to simply take a deep breath, exhale, turn and go to get her purse off the couch. Then, as Daphne stood there looking toward her living room, she heard the door shut, and slid down to the floor.
There she sat, her knees curled into her chest crying harder than she could recall in years. This purging of heartache and loss always left her in this very siting position, turned inward, and withholding all her light from the cold outside world.
It had been since she had found herself here, and like before she could only hope her neighbors couldn’t hear her.
Chapter 5
The following week everyone down at the agency were gathering up their things, and having the occasional time to reminisce amongst themselves on all the good and bad experiences they’d had working there. Who started when; nights out at the bar that left everything hungover at work the next day; nightmare properties and dream clients. Even Angela in those few days got in on conversations.
She let told several of them what it truly meant to her over the years to have them alongside her. Two agents had been with her almost from the time the doors opened, and she went out of her way to give them a parting gift besides the bonus that would be on everyone’s last check. Of course, many of them asked about Daphne, since they haven’t seen her. Angela simply stated that she hadn’t been feeling well, but would go by to check on her at the end of the week.
What she didn’t tell them was she had every intention of packing up Daphne’s things in the office for her, and taking them by her apartment. That is, if she didn’t come to get them herself. Monday went by. Then, Wednesday.
Jack (Secret Revenge #1) Page 30