by K M Leach
Once again Bonnie reached up and placed her hand over Lucy's and removed it from her now searing flesh. She gave Lucy a wry smile as she let out a small chuckle at her friends attempt to console her about Ryan, despite the blondes acute dislike of him. "You couldn't stand him, Lucy," she said and laughed when her friend looked sheepishly at her.
"You're right," she responded with a big grin and a roll of her eyes. "I found him childish and obnoxious, but that doesn't mean I'm not sorry that you are hurting, Bonnie."
There it was again, the heat and intensity that seemed to be growing and presenting itself more and more often between them. Lucy looked to be reaching out to console her again, but the door opening and a group of laughing patrons entering the restroom, broke the spell she was falling under. Bonnie was thankful and took the opportunity to motion with her head that they should leave the now crowded bathroom. She wiped her face, getting rid of the tear streaks that surely adorned her cheeks as they weaved their way back towards their regular table.
Bonnie slammed down a shot as soon as she sat down and then took a large pull from the beer that sat beside the now empty shot glass. She looked at Lucy, needing the blonde to know that she wasn't upset that Ryan had broken up with her, but without revealing the storm of feelings that she was unable to keep buried anymore.
"I'm not upset that we broke up, Lucy. He was a douche most of the time. It was what he said that hurt me." Lucy opened her mouth, but Bonnie put up a hand, halting what was sure to be her asking what had been said. "And before you ask what he said, I'd rather just have a few more drinks and forget it all. Let's talk about the trip. I can't wait to get out of the city and soak up some nature."
Lucy agreed and she allowed Bonnie to drink her drinks as well, claiming that she had better drive the first leg of the journey tomorrow seeing as the brunette was beyond her pain now.
CHAPTER THREE
An hour later Lucy helped a very intoxicated Bonnie into the back of a cab before sliding in beside her. She gave the driver Bonnie's address and smiled softly as Bonnie practically lay in her lap, snuggling her face against her stomach, which caused a flutter of butterflies that made her midsection twitch against the brunette's face. Lucy ran her fingers soothingly through her best friend's hair. The blonde smiled softly when Bonnie snuggled closer and murmured that she loved her. She whispered that she loved Bonnie too, and wished that it was the same kind of love that she felt for her.
Lucy roused Bonnie enough so that she was able to get the brunette into her apartment after paying the driver. She helped undress her unsteady and groggy friend and managed to get her into bed. She tucked her in and after a moment of hesitation, she laid a kiss on Bonnie's forehead and whispered, "sweet dreams."
She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her arm. She looked to find a bleary eyed Bonnie looking at her. "Stay? It's late and we have to set off early. We can swing by and pick up your bags on the way through."
Lucy nodded and Bonnie released the hold she had on her hand, already closing her eyes once more. The blonde walked around the bed and slipped out of her leather jacket, placing it on a chair. She removed her bra, leaving just the powder blue tank top and then removed her boots, socks and finally her jeans. She slipped beneath the covers and ensured that there was enough space between her and Bonnie. She wanted to respect her friends personal space. She remembered how Bonnie had tensed the last time they had shared a bed at her request. She had been so emotionally drained and lonely that day and she had sought the warmth and comfort that Bonnie provided. She hadn't been concerned about how Bonnie felt about the intimate way she had held her, not really. She had needed it so badly.
She could almost feel as if Bonnie's gaze caressed her back and she almost hoped that the brunette would shift and press herself against her and hold her just as she had that night. She sighed and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come and the ridiculous fantasies that were filling her mind to stay where they truly belonged... In her dreams...
Lucy woke up to find herself wrapped around Bonnie. The brunette had a small smile on her face as she slumbered, but Lucy was mortified that she looked like she was climbing Bonnie's body with her arm and leg thrown over her, her breasts pushing against Bonnie's ample bosom. God! I'm practically laying on top of her!, the blonde thought, as she forced herself to separate from the thankfully still sleeping Bonnie.
Lucy's heart hammered in her chest as Bonnie mumbled in protest and tried to snuggle into her body as she endeavoured to disentangle herself. She kept moving despite the desire to stay and narrowly missed being pulled back as Bonnie reached out to her. The blonde almost fell off the end of the bed trying to escape and get some space. She grabbed her bra and jeans from the chair and padded into the bathroom. As she relieved herself she noticed that her panties were wet, so she pulled them off before putting on her jeans and then she stuffed her underwear in a pocket. After putting on her bra and washing her face and using one of Bonnie's spare toothbrushes, she re-entered the bedroom and grabbed her jacket.
Lucy tried to ignore the fact that Bonnie kept a box full of toothbrushes because she was not opposed to meeting a guy in a club and taking him home for a night of 'hot sex'. She had heard a lot of people refer to Bonnie as a slut over the years, but she had never thought that about her. She questioned Bonnie's motivations sometimes and never understood why her friend never committed to anyone, but she never thought of her actions in a bad light. Bonnie was a very sexual person and Lucy didn't think there was anything wrong with that. She envied it a bit actually, because she was often shy, awkward and didn't really think of herself as very sexy.
She had, however, since her breakup with Nadine found herself quite jealous of the men that got to go home with Bonnie. The most recent had been Ryan of course. Bonnie had been with him longer than the others and she had feared that he was going to be different, that this one was going to stick. She hadn't liked him and she was happy that something had happened last night and that he was no longer between them.
She's not your girlfriend Lucy and she's never going to be, her inner voice lectured. It's time to move on! If you find another nice woman, the insane attraction you have been feeling towards Bonnie since Nadine will go away again.
But what if I don't want it to go away... What if...
Have you ever seen Bonnie with a woman?
No, Lucy responded internally, she couldn't believe that she was having an argument with herself!
Exactly! You don't have the right equipment to be with her physically, so stop hoping for something that will never happen. She gives you more of her emotional self than she gives anyone else, so just be happy with that!
She shook her head as if to rid herself of the nagging voice and headed to a small dresser in the corner that had a pen and paper. She was writing Bonnie a note to explain that she was catching a cab home to get the rest of her stuff ready when she heard her friend's voice. "What're you doing?" The voice was rough and Bonnie looked adorable as she rubbed her eyes sleepily. She groaned and rested her head in her hands obviously feeling the effects of all the alcohol she had consumed the night before.
Lucy stopped writing her note and sat on the edge of the bed to put on her boots. "I was writing you a note."
"I don't even remember how we got here." Bonnie looked at the clock. "Shit, we overslept! We are usually gone by now!"
Lucy stood up and came around to Bonnie's side of the bed. She gave her a small smile. "You usually don't drink about a gallon of tequila the night before we leave either," she said softly with a chuckle. "You said that we could just stop by my place on the way through, but I thought you may need some extra sleep."
Bonnie tossed the sheet aside and frowned at what she was wearing. "Why am I wearing my gym shorts?"
"It was the first thing I found to put you in when I managed to help you stumble up the stairs as you removed your clothes. Seeing as you started to remove them as soon as you got inside the front door."
"Oh." Bonnie didn't know what else to say as she thought about Lucy dressing her last night. She felt the heat rising and her heart rate increase, which only made her head throb more. "I hope I didn't do anything else inappropriate last night."
"Not really," was Lucy's vague response, but the reddening of the blonde's cheeks had her groaning.
"Oh man, I don't want to know. Whatever I said or did last night, I didn't mean any of it, okay? Now, I'll have a quick shower and be downstairs in ten minutes. I'm sorry for putting us behind schedule," Bonnie said, shuffling towards the bathroom suddenly feeling like she needed a cold shower.
"It's fine Bonnie. You were upset by your fight with Ryan so you drowned your sorrows in tequila and beer, I get it. I'll make you some coffee in your 'to go' cup," Lucy said through the bathroom door before heading downstairs.
CHAPTER FOUR
An hour later, Bonnie was leaning against her car after putting Lucy's luggage into the trunk. She was thankful for the dark sunglasses that shielded her eyes from the bright sun that was beaming down on the courtyard in front of Lucy's town house. Hearing a door close Bonnie opened her eyes and watched as Lucy floated towards her gracefully, freshly showered and smiling wide with excitement. And that is the other reason I love our yearly trip, Bonnie thought as she took in the vision of Lucy in a white sundress, her golden hair flowing freely across her shoulders. Her friend didn't wear dresses that often and usually stuck to jeans and dress pants. But for some reason when it was time for their trip to the cabin Lucy would drive Bonnie wild by wearing dresses and shorts, whenever the weather allowed it.
The blonde came to a stop in front of Bonnie, "What's with the dopey grin? Are you feeling better?"
Bonnie scoffed, "Hardly! It feels like I have a construction crew in my head right now, it's just that I am excited about our trip. Maybe we should make it up to the cabin more than once a year. I love it up there. The Lake. The mountains. The hot tub."
Lucy let out a delighted laugh that was so carefree and joyous that it seemed to soothe her head like a siren song. "Let's go. Give me the keys and I'll drive the first half. We will get you more coffee and you can sleep part of the way if you need to. Oh, and here." Lucy tossed Bonnie a bottle of aspirin with a wink. She took the keys from Bonnie's outstretched hand and went around to the drivers side. Bonnie vaulted over the door to land in the passenger seat. Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "Show off," before opening the door and sitting behind the wheel adjusting the seat and mirrors to her liking before running her hands down her dress, smoothing it out, turning on the ignition and pulling out into traffic.
It was four hours into their ten hour drive when Bonnie woke up from her nap. Lucy looked over at the brunette who had a serious case of bed hair and yet still managed to look positively edible. "Hey there, sleepy head. You've got a bit of drool...." The blonde placed a finger on the side of her own face indicating where Bonnie had drooled and she laughed as Bonnie groaned and wiped at the side of her mouth with her sleeve.
Bonnie flipped down the sun visor and checked herself in the mirror, fixing her hair the best she could by running her fingers through it. "How long was I asleep for?"
"A little over two hours," came Lucy's response. "Are you going to tell me what happened last night with Ryan?"
No, Bonnie thought to herself. When she saw the outline of a person up ahead with their arm out, Bonnie thanked her luck and said, "Hey look a hitchhiker. Can we pick them up? I've always wanted to pick up a hitchhiker."
Lucy looked at the person that was getting closer and closer by the second. "Seriously? Have you not seen all those horror movies where the hitchhiker is a serial killer and hacks up the unsuspecting people that pick them up!?"
Bonnie let out a snort, "Oh please! Look at the size of her. She's tiny. I'm sure she's perfectly normal." The brunette finished her statement by thrusting out her lip at Lucy in a pout.
"Pouting really?" Bonnie just grinned at her. Lucy rolled her eyes and slowed down as they came up to the petite woman with bright blue hair and boots that no sane person would walk in. The girl did a little hop and a fist pump as they came to a complete stop beside her. "Where you headed?" Lucy asked, as the girl leaned on the car door and popped her gum.
"As far as you'll take me. Thanks so much for stopping. The sun is really starting to warm up and the last person that stopped looked like a serial killer and that was like an hour ago!"
"No problem. My name's Bonnie and this is Lucy."
"Hey," Lucy said, forcing a smile. She didn't want to share her time with Bonnie. She was sick of sharing Bonnie, with Ryan and all those other losers that she hooked up with. Get a grip Lucy, came her inner voice again. She suspected that Bonnie saw this new addition as a way of avoiding talking about last night. If you had just kept your mouth shut we probably would have driven right on by. "Get in if you're getting in," She said keeping her tone light and friendly despite her real feelings of discontent.
"Thanks. The name's Lexi by the way," she said, throwing her small duffle bag into the back seat and then sort of diving in after it.
CHAPTER FIVE
It hadn't been that bad after all and Lucy felt a little guilty for her initial attitude towards the young woman who had kept them amused and entertained for a couple of hours before falling asleep using her bag as a pillow.
"See! Not a serial killer," Bonnie said with a smile as she reached out and patted Lucy's leg.
"I had nothing against her, Bonnie......," Lucy said, keeping her eyes on the road. The sun was going down and she was itching to get to the next town where they had decided to find a place to get something to eat and drink.
"But?" Bonnie urged. Lucy hadn't talked a lot since picking up Lexi and she had thought that perhaps the blonde was mad at her for pushing her to pick the hitchhiker up. She watched as Lucy's jaw twitched and that was usually a signal that the blonde was holding something back from her. Bonnie looked over her seat to make sure Lexi wasn't awake. She appeared to be fast asleep if the soft snoring was anything to go by. "Are you mad?"
This time Lucy did turn to look at her friend briefly before putting her eyes back on the road. "No. I'm not mad."
"But?" Bonnie prompted again.
The blonde sighed. She's stubborn and like a dog with a bone she will just keep prodding. "I don't like sharing you when we are on our trip, that's all." There you said it. That wasn't so hard.
I didn't like sharing you for three years with Nadine, but I did it, Bonnie thought bitterly, but she didn't say it. It wasn't Lucy's fault that she had been pining for the woman for so long, it was hers. She should have either walked away or told Lucy how she felt sooner. Simple. Yeah, right!
"I'm sorry. You are right, we haven't really had a lot of alone time with just the two of us hanging out lately. And I was avoiding talking about last night."
"I know."
Bonnie sat up straighter wishing she could look into Lucy's eyes. "You did?"
"Yeah. It's okay, though. I shouldn't have pushed. Especially after how upset you were. Do you want to call him when we stop? Do you want to try to fix your relationship with him?"
"WHAT! NO!," Bonnie lowered her voice when she heard their companion in the back seat stir and mumble something about a zombie apocalypse. "I don't want him back, Lucy. I wasn't upset because we broke up. I told you that. He said some things that hurt me and hit me very hard because most of what he said was true."
"Like what?" They were now driving into a town that was lively as the weekend began. She saw a bar that seemed to be quite popular, so Lucy pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop. She turned off the ignition and turned to face her friend. She found Bonnie looking at her hands and biting her lip.
Lucy reached out and put a hand on Bonnie's jean clad thigh. The brunette jumped at the contact obviously totally absorbed in her thoughts. She removed her hand from Bonnie's thigh and took a gentle hold of her chin and pushed up, making her friend look at her.
"Whatever it was.
Whatever he said that made you feel bad about yourself, it wasn't true, okay. You are an amazing woman, Bonnie Thompson. You are beautiful, loving, funny, fearless and so much more. The list goes on and anyone would be lucky to have you. It's his loss and he didn't deserve you."
Bonnie nodded and she fought against the swelling of emotion growing in her chest. Bonnie held her breath at the fierce love she saw in Lucy's eyes, thankful that she had parked beneath one of the few lights that lit the parking lot.
But it's just the love of a friend right? Bonnie felt herself leaning forward, getting lost in the depth of those expressive eyes. Her gaze flicked down to see Lucy lick her lips. Closer. Closer. Lucy seemed uncertain as if she was confused by Bonnie's intentions. God. I want to kiss her so badly, Bonnie thought as their faces moved ever closer.