by Harper Bliss
“I bet.” Nadia couldn’t help but grin back. “Shall we.” She led the way down the corridor, thinking about the other reasons why she had agreed to meet Inez today. Next weekend, she’d be on holiday. Via Claire, Juliette had let Nadia know that she was ‘welcome’ to go to Barcelona alone, and frankly, Nadia needed to get away. She needed to leave this city where her world consisted of work and Juliette. She needed time to think, to let her mind go blank before conjuring up a miracle. And it was all booked and paid for, anyway. If they cancelled now, they’d just end up losing the money—and they’d lost enough already.
The other reason was walking towards them now. Nadia had given Margot ample warning and they’d both concluded that this would be the best way for her and Inez to meet again—as opposed to running into each other in the middle of an emergency when on the job. Margot had the weekend shift and this way, she’d have Nadia around to coax Inez away after a few minutes.
Margot held her head high as they approached her, looking way above feigning surprise.
Inez stopped in her tracks and let Margot come to her. From out of nowhere, the thought crossed Nadia’s mind that it had somehow always been that way. Inez clasped her hands in front of her mouth for a brief second before throwing her arms wide. “Margot!”
“Don’t act so surprised,” Margot said in a flat voice. “It’s not as if you didn’t know I worked here.”
Undeterred, Inez took a step closer and curved her arms around Margot, who stood motionless in the embrace. “It’s been so long.”
Nadia studied Margot, feeling a bit ill at ease witnessing this moment. Margot wore her mask of steel, hiding any discomfort deeply underneath it.
After releasing Margot from the awkward hug, Inez looked her over and said, “You look good. We should catch up before I start here officially.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Margot eyed her beeper, as if willing it to go off. “I’ll see you on the fifteenth.” A grimace crossed her face. Her armour was all the way up and she had retreated far inside it.
“Sure.” Even Inez, with all her effortless charm, couldn’t keep up the charade in the face of such indifference. “I look forward to it.”
“Okay.” Margot nodded at Nadia and proceeded in the opposite direction.
Nadia didn’t know what to think. This was not the Margot she’d come to know and appreciate so much.
“That went well,” Inez said, giving a nervous chuckle. “You and Margot are friends, right?”
“We are.” Nadia already wasn’t liking where this was headed, but if she had a chance to warn Inez off in any way, she’d gladly take it.
“I don’t mean to pry, but I’m just curious.” Inez seemed to have found her confidence again. “Is she seeing anyone?”
Nadia knew it wasn’t her place to say and, in any other circumstance she would have told her colleague off for asking untoward questions, but, as Margot’s friend, she couldn’t let the opportunity pass. “Yes, she is. A good friend of mine, to be precise.”
“Oh, good for her.” Nadia felt Inez’ eyes on her as they walked side by side. “Is it serious?”
The audacity. “Yes, it is.” Nadia stopped just before they reached the nurses station.
“I’d love to meet her some day. I’m glad Margot found someone.” She shot Nadia one of her camera smiles again. She could see why MSF would have been keen to hire her, such a poster child.
Nadia couldn’t help but doubt the sincerity of her statement, but, if they were all going to be working together, she had to give Inez the benefit of the doubt.
After she had introduced Inez to the ER nurses on duty, her mind drifted to that beach in Barcelona, and how empty it would feel without Juliette.
JULIETTE
Somehow, ever since they’d shared a bottle of wine too many the week before, it had become a habit for Juliette and Sybille to have an early morning chat when Sybille brought in her coffee. Juliette found herself looking forward to it. Sybille was easy to talk to and they worked together so effortlessly. Juliette couldn’t remember ever having such a comfortable relationship with an assistant. Then again, she’d had a whole slew of them after her very first assistant Madame ‘I will absolutely not address you by your first name’ Bouffious had retired three years ago, never seeming to find that perfect match again, until now.
The only issue with Sybille, as far as Juliette could see, was that she was obviously very ambitious and after a higher-up job at the firm. If she kept proving herself the way she did on a daily basis, it wouldn’t take long, and Juliette would be without an assistant again.
“What’s wrong with your shoulder?” Sybille asked, prompting Juliette out of her reverie.
“Must have slept on it wrong.” Juliette wasn’t aware she’d been massaging it. “Still getting used to sleeping alone, I guess.” Certainly, Juliette would never have had a conversation like this with Madame Bouffious.
“I know an excellent chiropractor. Shall I book you an appointment?” Sybille sat in the chair opposite her desk, impeccably dressed as usual. Maybe they should promote her already, before Juliette got too used to her excellent care, exceeding her job description far and beyond.
“That’s okay. It’ll pass.” Juliette rubbed her shoulder again with one hand while she held her coffee mug in the other. She felt a pang of disappointment when Sybille stood up. Usually, she stayed longer, waiting for Juliette to let her know it was time to get to work.
“Let me see what I can do then.” To Juliette’s surprise, Sybille crossed to her side of the desk and put her hands on Juliette’s shoulders. Her skin broke out in goosebumps at the unexpected contact, her muscles momentarily contracting. “If that’s all right?” Sybille asked, a little too late after the fact. Her thumbs were already driving into the tight muscles in Juliette’s shoulders and the tension they released from Juliette’s body felt so good, she just grunted.
“A little lower,” Juliette instructed, not wanting Sybille’s hands to leave her shoulders all day. The girl clearly had many talents.
Sybille kneaded her flesh and, though it was innocent enough, it felt like such a relief to be touched by another person.
“Just so you know, boss.” Sybille hit a particularly painful spot just next to Juliette’s right shoulder blade. “I’m available for anything you want, any time you want it.” With that, the kneading action seemed to transform into a caress, soft fingers flying across her back, trailing towards the bare skin of Juliette’s neck.
Juliette was stunned and her muscles tensed, instantly undoing the effects of the impromptu massage. A knock on the door startled her further and she blurted out ‘come in’ before she had a chance to consider how this set-up would look to anyone walking in.
“Juliette, I just wanted to—” Steph entered, stopping dead in her tracks when she noticed Sybille’s hand slipping off Juliette’s shoulder just a fraction of a second too late.
“Sorry,” she said, her voice stern and reproaching, “I didn’t know you had company.”
“That’s all right,” Sybille said before Juliette had the chance to say anything. “I was just leaving.” She picked the coffee mug off of Juliette’s desk and swaggered out of Juliette’s office.
“Just a second.” Steph held up a finger and sauntered after Sybille, closing the door behind her.
Jesus Christ. Juliette let the back of her head crash against the leather of her chair. She could have really used that Barcelona getaway, with or without Nadia.
STEPH
“What do you think you’re doing?” Steph tried to keep her voice down, but it was hard while looking into Sybille’s smug face. Did nobody else notice? Really? “You stay the fuck away from Juliette.”
“Or what?” Sybille crossed one leg over the other, looking relaxed and totally in control. “What are you going to do, Stéphanie?” She painted a sly grin on her face. “Maybe it would be better for you to stay away from Juliette.” She picked up her phone and dangled it i
n between them. “Don’t forget what I have and what I can do with it.”
“You,” seething with anger, Steph planted her palms on Sybille’s desk and looked her straight in the eyes, “have nothing and you know nothing. I’m on to you and it’s only a matter of time before Claire and Juliette catch up. They weren’t born yesterday, like you.”
“Having some anger management issues, Stéphanie?” Sybille slanted her torso over her desk until her face was mere inches away from Steph’s. “It mustn’t be easy being a right-wing politician’s secret lesbian lover.”
“That’s enough,” a voice behind them beamed. “You wanted to see me, Steph?”
Steph drew a deep breath, hoping Juliette had caught that last remark. She straightened her posture and averted her gaze from Sybille, unable to look at her treacherous face any longer. “Yes.” She followed Juliette into her office and closed the door behind them with a loud thud.
She had no choice but to pipe down in front of Juliette, who had obviously been quite taken with Sybille since she’d brought her ‘the news’, and—especially—after the events of the past week. Steph had to at least show some gratitude for not getting the sack, and openly accusing Sybille now was simply not an option.
She needed evidence, and she needed it fast.
“I understand she’s not your favourite person, Steph. I do.” Juliette looked tired and was unable to hide the sadness oozing from every pore of her skin. “But please, I’m literally begging you here.” She tapped her hand to her chest. “Don’t make me deal with this feud on top of everything else.”
Juliette’s request would have appeared over-the-top in any other circumstance, but not today. Dull despair emanated from every laboured gesture of her hands. She’d lost her sparkle and, clearly, Sybille had picked up on that, preying and waiting for the right moment to make her move.
Steph held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. “It’s forgotten.” As if. “But I care about you deeply, Jules.” She stepped a little closer. “And I wouldn’t want you to make silly mistakes because you’re hurting.”
After what she had done, Steph felt ludicrous launching into a speech like that. Luckily, Juliette didn’t appear to have the energy for further arguments today.
“Whatever you think you saw, it was nothing.” Juliette reached for her shoulder again. “I just have this pain here that won’t go away.”
I’m sure you do. “Have you talked to Nadia?”
“Not since last Wednesday. She’s at Margot’s.” The deflated look Juliette shot her felt more like a blow to the stomach. “It’s going to take time and, well, I don’t know what else. Let’s just say we’re currently at an impasse and neither one of us has any idea how to get out of it.”
Having completely forgotten what she’d come to ask Juliette in the first place, Steph sat down in the chair opposite her. Not that she had any clue what to say. She wasn’t exactly an expert on matters like this. “I know how much Nadia loves you, Jules. I know what she did seems like this insurmountable obstacle right now, but in time, I hope you can see the big picture again.”
Juliette looked away from her and directed her attention to her computer screen. She typed a few words and turned the screen towards Steph. “This is the only picture I see in my head these days.”
A slightly pixelated image of a woman flickered on the screen in front of Steph. She looked in her late forties, distinguished, with high cheekbones, wide lips and pale green eyes. Not bad. Then it registered.
“Is that—”
“Doctor Marie Dievart. Neurosurgeon no less.” Juliette shook her head.
“You really shouldn’t torture yourself like that. It was a one-night-stand. I know it sounds like a cliché, but these things happen all the time. Looking her up online will not make you feel any better.”
“Yeah well,” Juliette turned the screen away from Steph, “it would have made me feel better if she was ugly.”
“That picture is probably photoshopped.” Steph tried a grin.
“Nadia’s going to Barcelona on her own next weekend.” Juliette ignored her remark.
“Well, then you’re coming out with me.” Steph pinned her gaze on Juliette. “I’ll arrange—”
“What? A secret date with you and Dominique Laroche?” A hint of a smile crept along Juliette’s lips. “Not the threesome I had in mind.”
Steph pondered the approaching weekend that she’d probably spend waiting for Dominique again. The kids were off school and their father was taking them on vacation, but Dominique would have work and party obligations because of the national holiday. Steph couldn’t believe this was what her world consisted of now. Children. Waiting. Hiding. She didn’t even have a quip to counter Juliette’s joke with, just drew a blank.
“Shall we get to work.” Juliette straightened her posture in her chair and tried to paint on a professional smile. It almost worked—she was good like that.
“I forgot what I came for.” Steph stood up. “Anything you need. You know where to find me. But just in case you need reminding, I make for an excellent drinking buddy.” She shot Juliette a wink before heading for the door. Once she shut the door of Juliette’s office behind her, she walked past Sybille’s desk as if she wasn’t there.
CLAIRE
“I’ll take that key,” Margot said. She’d granted Claire the rare pleasure of visiting her at the Barbier & Cyr office, bringing her lunch.
“Oh really.” Just from staring into her dark eyes—and remembering what shone in them every time Margot tied her to the bed—made Claire’s clit throb wildly beneath her stiff office attire. “For someone who likes to take things slowly, you’re suddenly moving fast.”
“Are you calling me fickle?” Margot was dressed in running tights and a black tank top. “Because you could just choose to call me adaptable instead.”
“Just wondering what changed your mind.” Claire didn’t really care that much, she just wanted Margot to have that key.
“You were right. With Nadia staying with me, I will probably end up spending more time at your place.” Margot rested her eyes on Claire. “And with my irregular shifts I just thought it would be advantageous for both of us.”
Usually, Claire hung on every word Margot said, but today she was terribly distracted by her outfit and how it enhanced all her best features. “Great.”
“I was expecting a little more enthusiasm.” Margot drew her lips into a pout, but they both knew she was hardly the pouting type.
“Why are you dressed like that?” Claire narrowed her eyes, focusing on the swell of Margot’s chest just above the hem of her tank top.
“Because it’s my day off, the sun is shining and I’m going for a run after this.”
“Oh really. A run.” Claire leaned back in her chair, well aware that she was leering at her girlfriend—were they girlfriends yet? “Are you sure you will have the energy for that?”
“Why would I not?” Margot pretended not to catch her drift.
Claire reached for her phone, wanting to tell Fred to hold all calls and not let in any unexpected visitors.
“He’s gone to lunch,” Margot said, reading her mind. “Besides, it will be more fun like this.”
The words alone were enough to send a bolt of lightning up Claire’s spine. She’d never done anything like that in her office before. “At least let me lock the door.”
“No.” Margot crossed one leg over the other. “Let’s live dangerously for five minutes.”
“But—” Claire protested.
“It’s okay. No one will see. I won’t be touching you.” Margot’s voice dropped a little, the darkness Claire was just thinking about reappearing in her eyes. “Hike up your skirt.”
Without giving it any second thought, because that was what Margot’s stare did to her, Claire complied. She hoisted up her skirt as high as it would go given the position she was sitting in.
“You’ll be doing all the touching.” Margot’s eyes started blazing fire. “A
nd don’t worry, from where I’m sitting, I can’t see anything. The desk covers you. Okay?”
Claire nodded.
“Put your hand in your panties and touch yourself the way you do when you masturbate.”
Claire didn’t know what was more exciting. The instructions Margot was giving her or the complete contradiction between the stern, emotionless expression on her face and the desire glinting in her eyes. She spread her legs as far as she could and slid her fingers under the waistband of her knickers.
“I’ll talk you through it,” Margot said. “Try to keep your eyes on me.”
It was difficult to focus her gaze on Margot when her fingers met the wetness in her panties. Her clit was already so engorged Claire was convinced she wouldn’t even last a minute.
“Imagine that’s my tongue on your clit,” Margot continued, her voice breathy when she said the word ‘clit’. “And imagine that the waistband of your panties pushing against your wrist is a tank top I tied around it.”
Claire’s eyes wandered to the tank top Margot was presently wearing, to the complete stillness of her muscles and how that stood in stark contrast to how they twitched when she moved in her.
A muffled noise outside the door startled Claire. It only seemed to transport more blood to her throbbing pussy lips.
“Ignore that,” Margot said, her voice an oasis of calm. “Focus on me.” She brought her left hand behind her neck and leaned back a bit, while her other hand slowly pulled up her tank top.
Claire couldn’t suppress a whimper at the sight of Margot’s abs and how her biceps flexed above her head. I was never like this before, she thought. Never this easy.
But it wasn’t just the sight of Margot’s abs that had her rapidly approaching orgasm, it was the whole of Margot, sitting in front of her, telling her to do it.