Managed by Chance

by Amy DeMeritt

  “Somewhat, but I was mostly just confused.”

  While trailing her hands down Mel’s back, she said, “I will try not to be so confusing going forward,” then grabbed the hem of her shirt and started pulling up.

  Mel grinned as she sat up on her knees and ripped her shirt off over her head. As she was about to bend down to kiss her, Katie sat up and reached behind Mel’s back to unhook her simple black bra. After tossing it aside, she traced her tongue around Mel’s nipples while she unbuttoned and unzipped her pants. As she slipped her hands in at her hips and started pushing her underwear and pants down, Katie trailed kisses down the center of Mel’s stomach. When she reached her exposed hips, she traced them with her tongue and gripped Mel’s ass in both hands.

  “Oh, shit.”

  Mel laughed as Katie swiftly tugged her down to the bed and rolled over on top of her. As Katie looked down at her, smiling, warmth and relief washed through Mel. Katie was finally looking at her like she wanted her. It wasn’t the look of indifference that she expertly wore all week.

  Katie bent down to give her a brief kiss, then shuffled backwards to strip Mel of her shoes and pants. As she laid down between her thighs, she ran her hands up her stomach, back down over her hips, then wrapped her arms around Mel’s thighs and pulled herself between them.

  Mel’s back arched and she gripped the bedding in her fists as Katie’s mouth bathed her nerves in ecstasy. Her head rolled in pleasure, and as she looked down at Katie, her stomach flipped in joy. Katie was watching her with the corners of her mouth slightly curled upwards while she lapped at her clit. She looked so beautiful with her face buried between her thighs, and it was really sexy that Katie was so anxious to get into that position that she hadn’t even bothered to take her bra and jeans off.

  As she ran her hand over Katie’s head, gliding over her silky smooth dark brown hair, Katie lifted her head to kiss her hand, then traced her knuckles with the tip of her tongue. Mel straightened her fingers, slightly splayed, and as Katie started tracing each finger with her tongue, she used her fingers to trace slow circles around Mel’s clit and entrance.

  “Fuck.”

  Katie grinned as she enveloped Mel’s forefinger and began sucking on it. The nerves in Mel’s clit clenched, causing her hips to buck forward and her body to spasm. As she released her finger with a sucking pop, she latched onto Mel’s clit, causing her head to fall back with a deep moan and her body severely arched, as if someone stuck a pole right in the middle of her back.

  “Fuck.”

  Her body shook, spasmed, and bucked as her orgasm ripped through her, and as the pleasure turned into electrical jolts, she eased Katie up to lay on top of her. Katie ran her fingers through her hair, traced her cheek and lips, then bent down to fully kiss her.

  Still locked in a kiss, Mel rolled her onto her back, then bent into her neck to give her sucking kisses on her way down to her chest. Katie’s breathing increased as her body reacted to every tender touch, kiss, nibble, and caress. She loved the way Mel touched and kissed her. It made her feel beautiful, desirable, and sexy. She felt like Mel really adored her pleasure and she wasn’t in a hurry for it to end.

  Mel leisurely worked her way down her body and when she settled between her thighs, she continued her unhurried adoration. She delivered Katie into fits of pleasure and brought her to climax twice before she succumbed to Katie’s weak attempts to pull her up to lay on her. As Mel’s body melded with hers, Katie released another breathy moan with her eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around her.

  “That was amazing.”

  Mel kissed her lips and closed eyes, then flicked the tip of her nose with her tongue, making Katie smile. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to give Mel a kiss on the lips.

  While tracing the curvature of Mel’s right ear with one hand and the dip of her spine with her other, Katie asked, “Can I take you to dinner one night this week?”

  “Yes. Can I buy you coffee Monday morning?”

  Katie released a small laugh and nodded. “Yes, I’d like to have coffee with you on Monday. I could actually go for some coffee right now. And something sweet.”

  Mel quirked an eyebrow, and teased, “Are you saying I’m not sweet?” Katie gave her a slap on the ass, and Mel laughed, and said, “Okay, let’s go see what we have.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  While Mel cut through the pan of freshly baked brownies, Katie wrapped her arms around her from behind and gently kissed the side of her neck before resting her chin on her shoulder.

  “Those smell amazing.”

  Mel smiled as she pinched a piece off and lifted it to Katie’s lips. Katie smiled as she enveloped Mel’s fingers to accept the morsel. As her tongue squashed it against the top of her mouth, she moaned and tightened her arms around Mel.

  “That is the perfect brownie.”

  “I know.”

  Katie laughed as she kissed Mel’s cheek. “Thanks for baking. Do you want a refill on your coffee?”

  “Please.”

  While Katie refilled their coffee mugs, Mel plated a few big brownies, then they took their sweet snack out to the living room. After setting the brownies on the coffee table, Mel pulled Katie’s legs up to drape across her lap, having her turn sideways to lean against the arm of the couch while Mel sat forward facing. After Katie was settled, she accepted one of the mugs of coffee, then offered the plate of brownies to Katie.

  “Thank you.” Mel watched her take a bite and relished in the instant pleasure that spread across her face as she moaned again. “These are so good.” She took a sip of hot coffee to wash it down, then asked, “If I hadn’t shown up tonight and another woman was interested, would you have brought her home or even just exchanged numbers?”

  “No.” Mel shook her head as she quickly chewed so she wasn’t speaking with her mouth full of brownie, which would not only be rude but would be extremely unattractive as well. “I had decided to stop trying to figure out what you wanted and what you were thinking, but I was still too attracted to you. I wasn’t ready to completely move on yet.”

  Katie blushed as her lips spread into a somewhat proud smile, then she grinned, as she asked, “Who was the blonde?”

  With a laugh, Mel asked, “Really? Is that why you pulled that sexy move on the dancefloor? You thought I was dancing with some new woman I was going to bring home?”

  “After Layla pulled her away from you, I figured she was probably a friend. I didn’t plan how I was going to approach you. It just happened that way.”

  “Well, it was really hot.” Katie smiled over the rim of her coffee while taking a sip but didn’t say anything, so Mel answered her previous question. “I was dancing with Alice. She’s one of our best friends and has been for like six years or more. After Justine dumped me, Layla wanted to move so I wasn’t seeing the memory of Justine everywhere. We loved Alice’s apartment, and since some units became available here, we moved in like two months later.”

  “I did the same thing after my ex of six years left me four years ago. We were living in a condo rental, and it was a nice place, but I didn’t want to stay there. I thought about just getting an apartment, but I decided to just go for it and bought a house instead.”

  “That seems like an obvious choice for you since she basically stood in the way of you having a house for so long. Is it everything you wanted?”

  Mel was running her hand up and down her smooth legs, while staring in her eyes with so much affection that it was making Katie feel like she was floating in a pool of warm water.

  “Yes, the house is exactly what I wanted. And it felt really good to make such a big life decision independently. Obviously, it would have been nice to do it with a partner or a wife, but I’m happy I made the decision. If Justine had accepted your proposal, would Layla have continued living with you?”

  Mel laughed, and asked, “Was that your way of asking if Layla and I are a package deal if we get serious?”

  “Well, you were in a
serious relationship for four years and were still roommates.”

  “Okay, that’s a valid point. Layla knew I was proposing to Justine and was already prepared to move out. She was actually going to move in with Alice if Justine accepted, which we all thought she would, so Layla had already started packing. Layla had asked many times before that if she should move out, but Justine liked having her around. Justine liked having a lot of people around pretty much all the time. She was a very social person. Anyway, does that soothe your concern?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it a concern. It was more of a wonderment. Okay, enough about our exes.” She looked up at the ceiling for a moment in thought, then looked at Mel, and asked, “What’s your favorite movie?”

  “You’ll have to make that plural and my answer is the Harry Potter movies. I’m actually a big Potter nerd. I know that can be super controversial because the representation of certain groups is lacking or not done well, and the author has some messed up opinions on stuff, especially with certain letters of the LGBTQ+ community. But I can’t help it. I love the series.”

  “The author may have laid the groundwork, but the fandom and actors are who brought it to life. I think there is a natural separation between the work and the creator that allows some of us to still enjoy it despite the flaws and shortcomings. So, what would you define as being a big Potter nerd, because I might fit that definition as well?”

  “Really?” Mel sat up straighter and turned slightly to face her, making Katie chuckle again. “Have you read the books?”

  “Several times and I’ve seen all of the movies countless times. Can I guess what house you belong to?” Mel released an involuntary moan of arousal. Katie licked her lips with a proud grin and took that as her answer. “I think you could easily fit in Gryffindor, but I think you fit best in Hufflepuff because you are such a hardworking, loyal person, and you’re exceptionally kind, compassionate, patient, and just a really genuine person.”

  “You are such a nerd. That’s so hot.”

  Katie laughed hard, and asked, “Am I correct?”

  “Yes. Can I guess yours?”

  “If you’d like. But if you get it wrong, you’ll really have to work harder to prove you’re a Potter nerd.”

  “Okay, I think you also have duality of which house you could fit into.” Katie smiled in an approving way, so Mel continued. “You have characteristics for Slytherin, in the way that you’re ambitious and want to be as successful as you can possibly be, as proven by your stellar resume. But your drive for success doesn’t seem to be about status. It’s more about challenging yourself and learning as much as you can. Which is why you are in Ravenclaw. You’re a natural leader, but you’re the kind of leader who actually knows the jobs of your staff inside and out.”

  “You’re correct, and I like the way you explained your reasoning. I guess you meant it when you said I’ve been a good trainee.”

  Mel laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I meant that. Even after you dumped me, I still enjoyed training you.”

  “Good, because you still have more you need to teach me. This Ravenclaw wants to know every little facet of the company and what our team handles.”

  “Nerd.” Katie laughed as she reached out to playfully slap her arm. “If you haven’t dumped me again by then, we always have a big Hogwarts themed party the weekend of Harry’s birthday in July. It’s a big feast with a movie marathon and we play games between movies. Everyone dresses up and most people spend the night because it takes two days to get through all of the movies.”

  “Sounds like fun. How do people dress? In school uniforms or as characters?”

  “Usually uniforms or themed tee shirts. Layla and I wear our house uniforms.”

  Katie leaned forward and kissed Mel on the lips. “Thank you for the early invitation. I’m serious about wanting to date you, Mel, so I really do not expect to be dumping you so soon.”

  “Well, that’s over a month away. You might get sick of me or…”

  Katie grabbed the back of Mel’s head and pulled her into a slow, soft kiss. As she pulled away, she said, “I haven’t been able to get enough of you since we met. Unless you end up being like Jekyll and Hyde, I don’t foresee this ending quickly.”

  “That’s pretty cocky of you.” Katie squinted her eyes with her mouth screwed up in a perturbed smile. Mel grinned, and teased, “What if you end up being like Jekyll and Hyde? I mean, why do you just automatically assume I would be the issue if this doesn’t work out?”

  “Now, you know damn well that’s not what I meant. I am well aware of the possibility that the more you know about me the less you could like me. I have my fair share of failed relationships to know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

  “Hey, I thought we were done talking about exes?” Mel leaned forward to give her a kiss, then added, “Just because we were dumped, doesn’t mean it was our fault or that there was something wrong with us. I know that I was a good girlfriend, and I don’t care if that sounds cocky. Your ex was trash and you deserve better.”

  Katie’s eyes glistened from the sincerity in Mel’s words and eyes. She loved how easy it was to talk to Mel about these difficult subjects. She set the plate of brownies and her empty mug on the coffee table, took Mel’s mug, then straddled her lap. As she bent down to kiss her, Mel ran her hands up her thighs, over her ass, and up her back, pulling her body in closer.

  Neither of them had ever dated someone they were working with, let alone in a boss and subordinate dynamic. And even though they could guess at the risks in doing so, they felt completely safe and comfortable with each other. Being together just felt right and it felt so damn good. The happiness they felt in each other’s company was worth the risk.

  Chapter Sixteen

  As Katie walked into her office, her face spread into a huge smile and she quickened her pace to her desk. After setting her laptop bag and purse on the long side-piece, she sat in her chair to read the black permanent marker on the two coffee cups. One read Ravenclaw and the other read Hufflepuff. She opened the brown paper box and released a quiet moan. The box contained two giant gooey cinnamon rolls. As she was about to close the lid to go get Mel, she lifted it again and read a note taped to the inside of the lid. It read, “You’re supposed to suck sweet glaze from your fingers, not wash them. Also, I’m more of a cinnamon bun – not a basic doughnut.”

  Katie laughed as her cheeks blushed. She quickly pulled her laptop out of her bag and set it in its docking station and impatiently waited for it to load. As soon as she was signed in, she brought up the instant messaging application and sent a message to Mel.

  Katie: Good morning. Can you come to my office, please?

  Mel: Good morning. Be right over.

  In just under a minute, Mel was standing in the doorway of her office looking sexy in a medium gray slim cut suit with a hunter green shirt underneath that really made the green pop in her hazel eyes. She licked her lips to moisten them as she scanned her from head to toe, making Mel’s smile widen.

  “You needed to see me?”

  “Yes, please come in and close the door.”

  As Mel turned to obey her request, Katie stood and walked out from behind her desk. She gently pressed Mel against the closed door, and as her body melded with hers, their lips met in a warm, minty embrace. After only a few moments, and much sooner than they wanted, they pulled apart in case someone came looking for them.

  After taking a seat across from each other at her desk, Katie said, “Thank you for the coffee and cinnamon bun. I presume you’re going to eat one of these with me?”

  Quietly, even though the door was still closed, Mel said, “I’d love to get gooey with you.”

  Katie laughed as her cheeks blushed. “The note and houses on the cups were cute. Did you get these at the café downstairs?”

  “Oh, come on, give me more credit than that.”

  Katie just smiled as she used a plastic fork and knife to pull a bun from the box, which teetered precariou
sly before she safely lowered it onto a paper plate.

  “I stopped at Minnie’s Bakery. It’s my favorite place for baked goods.”

  “Minnie’s is amazing. Wait, isn’t Minnie’s in the opposite direction of work?”

  “Yes, and even though we’re at work, this is still a coffee date, so I had to prepare accordingly.”

  As she slid a plate over to Mel, and with happiness bubbling in her voice and visage, Katie said, “Thank you for going out of your way this morning. They look and smell incredible. Since you arrived before me, is there anything immediately pressing that I need to know about before we have our coffee date?”

  Mel reached a hand out on the desk and stroked Katie’s fingers. “The most pressing matter that I have to tell you is that you look really nice today.”

  “Thank you.” Katie laced her fingers with Mel on her desktop. “I’m loving your look today. After we finish our coffee date, I want to discuss task delegations. I’d like to start taking some of the work off of your plate so I can get more immersed while we’re still training.”

  “Okay. After I get to watch you suck your fingers clean, I’ll go get my laptop and a notebook.”

  Katie released a loud, surprised laugh and quickly covered her mouth, still laughing and blushing bright red.

  “You are going to get us in trouble.”

  “With who?” Mel pointed between Katie and herself, and boldly stated, “We’re the bosses.” Katie lifted an incredulous eyebrow, so Mel laughed and amended herself. “Okay, I’m just joking. I wouldn’t use my position or our relationship to get sloppy on the job or anything.”

  “Get sloppy on the job? So, are you saying I shouldn’t eat this cinnamon bun with my fingers? Should I be a proper lady and use this fork and knife instead?”

  “I would be highly offended if you did such a thing.”