Emily didn’t know how Bridgette felt about wanting more once you had reached as far as she had but she did understand the need to have a different life, to break out and be who you really are; Emily felt that way every day in Nebraska and then even in New Jersey at college. Emily realized her and Bridgette had more in common than just High Point and butterflies tickled her stomach.
They finished off their pitcher and looked at the clock; it was nearly midnight, and they both had an extremely early morning. Bridgette paid the tab, and they walked back out to her car. Emily looked over at the subway stop and realized she was only two stops from her apartment.
“Thanks for a great time,” Emily said trying to keep her balance. “I can totally take the subway, I’m only two stop from my apartment.”
“No, way!” Bridgette exclaimed, steadying herself on the roof of the car. “Besides I live like a block from here, I am making you come have one last drink with me and then I promise you can go home.” Bridgette flashed a charming smile at Emily and between the alcohol and the city night air, Emily couldn’t refuse her.
They pulled up in front of a brownstone just a block away like Bridgette had said. They climbed clumsily out of the car and as Bridgette searched for her keys Emily stood on the sidewalk looking up at the dark sky. The wind blew through Emily’s hair and before Emily knew what was happening she felt Bridgette’s hand slip around the back of her neck and their lips were touching in a deep but drunkenly kiss.
A rush went through Emily as they stumbled up the stairs of Bridgette’s house and through the front door. The door wasn’t even shut before they began tearing at each other’s clothes. Bridgette pushed Emily up against the wall to slow the confusion a bit and ran her hands down Bridgette's body, grabbing the bottom of her skirt and hiking it up. Emily felt Bridgette’s knee push between her legs and Bridgette’s hands traveled up to Emily’s breasts.
Emily’s hips started to move as she began to grind against Bridgette’s knee. A small moan escaped her lips which made Bridgette’s breath deeper and heavier. Bridgette grabbed Emily by the waist and pushed her into the next room where she fell on top of Emily on the couch. Bridgette pushed Emily’s skirt up around her waist, pulled her panties off and started to lick Emily’s pulsing mound. Emily grabbed on to the edge of the couch and moaned loudly as Bridgette’s tongue moved over her.
Emily grabbed Bridgette’s head and pulled her up her body, moving her leg between Bridgettes’. Without a word they started moving in motion, the wetness of each other warming their skins. The rhythm became heavier and more precise as Bridgette ripped open Emily’s blouse and grabbed on to her breasts, using them as leverage to push harder. Emily breath became heavier in motion with Bridgette’s, and as the heat intensified to its highest point, they exploded simultaneously, their mouths crashing together to muffle the sounds of ecstasy.
Emily fell backward, the spinning of the room beginning again, and Bridgette collapsed on her chest. The exhaustion and the alcohol immediately took Emily and the last thing she felt was Bridgette rolling to the side and wrapping her arms around Emily’s waist. The room was completely dark and sleep overtook both of them.
Chapter Four: A Change For Them Both
The rising sun peeked through the open blinds and Emily began to stir. Her head was pounding, and she rolled over thinking she was in her bed at the apartment. Unfortunately, the couch is smaller than her bed, and Emily rolled off, landing face first on the ground. The thud was a quick wake up, and she turned her head to the side and rested her cheek on the soft shag rug under her face. Emily stared at the side of the couch and Bridgette’s hand which was dangling off the edge. She heard a giggle from above her and the night before came flooding back to her.
She buried her face in her arm and turned over on her back. Bridgette peaked over the edge of the couch, her hair wildly strewn everywhere. Emily followed Bridgette’s eyes down to her blouse and groaned when she realized there were no buttons left, except for the one pressed into her forearm.
“Sorry about that,” Bridgette said as she pounced up out of the bed and walked over to her purse which had been thrown on the floor haphazardly. “I am pretty sure we are going to be late.”
Emily sat up quickly, realizing she had meetings all day, then slowed her heart rate realizing she was with her boss. Emily’s mind ran wild; she couldn’t believe she made the mistake of getting involved with an older woman who was also her boss! Bridgette must have noticed the look of panic on Emily’s face.
“Hey,” she said sweetly. “Don’t freak out. I’m your boss remember. I’ll cover for you, and no one will know anything. I am an extremely private person. I don’t know what this is, but I figure we will figure it out as we go. No pressure.”
Emily immediately felt better. Though she was attracted to Bridgette, she barely knew her, and Emily had so much going on that she wasn’t sure she wanted that kind of distraction. Either way, Emily needed to get ready for work and get there before Eric realized she drank too much the night before. She got up, grabbed her things, kissed Bridgette on the cheek and ran out the front door, not giving her even a moment of time to protest.
Emily made it to her apartment, changed her clothes, brushed her teeth, and was on the subway in record time. She realized she might only be five minutes late, even with checking through security. When Emily reached the building and walked up to Charles, the kind-eyed security guard, she reached down and realized she had left her briefcase in Bridgette’s house. A streak of panic ran down her spine, and she hurried up to the elevator. When Emily reached her desk, a sigh of relief pushed out as her briefcase, a cup of coffee and a muffin was sitting on her desk. Emily looked up as Bridgette passed her desk walking beside Eric; she looked over his shoulder and gave Emily a wink as she passed.
Emily checked her emails and then headed to the conference room where the team was assembled, but Bridgette wasn’t anywhere to be found. The day went off amazingly like the day before, and Emily didn’t see Bridgette at all except for in passing when she went to retrieve notes from her desk. Bridgette seemed to be in a very in-depth meeting in Eric’s office, and Emily didn’t want to disturb. The next few days went the same way except by Friday there was no coffee left on Emily’s desk and she didn’t see Bridgette at all. Her office was dark, and Eric had been in meeting after meeting all day.
At five on Friday, everyone called it a day and were glad to escape the office for a little R&R over the weekend. Everyone seemed to have big plans except for Emily, but she didn’t mind, sitting in her apartment reading a book sounded perfect for her. She gathered her things and took the elevator down to the lobby where Charles was standing, looking right at Emily holding a card.
“I was asked to give this to you,” Charles said as he handed the card to Emily.
“Thank you, Charles, have an excellent weekend,” Emily said as she walked out the front of the building. She opened the card suspiciously and read the inside.
Emily,
Turn right, go around the block and stop in front of the florist half way down.
:)
There was no signature or name, just a happy face. Though Emily’s parents would have freaked out thinking it was a stalker Emily was curious so she took a couple of steps around the corner and peered out. There was a black car sitting at the curb and standing in front of it was Bridgette, but she looked different. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans, rolled at the bottom, flip-flops, and a black tank top. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she had a black baseball cap pulled down to block the sun. She was smiling, and her eyes were wide with excitement.
Emily walked towards her in relief that she was okay and that there wasn’t an ax murderer waiting to take her to his basement. As Emily approached, Bridgette began walking forward with her arms out. She hugged Emily tightly, and she smelled like suntan lotion and the beach. Emily looked at Bridgette with confusion and got into the car without questioning her. As the car pulled off, Bridgette took
her ball cap off and let her long beautiful hair cascade over her shoulders.
“Emily,” she began. “Sorry it had to be so dramatic, I just wanted to snag you before you got home. I have a surprise for you, and I owe you a thank you.”
“A thank you,” Emily questioned. “What did I do besides go to work.”
Bridgette smiled and looked over at a bottle of wine sitting in a chiller next to her. She opened the wine and poured two glasses, handing one to Emily. They both took a sip and Emily started to fidget.
“I have a surprise for you,” Bridgette said as she looked out the window. “I have needed a change, I have needed motivation. Emily, you are a breath of fresh air and after the other night, I realized exactly what I needed. I needed a change of pace. Eric has been asking me to go to Paris and head up the new international headquarters for High Point. I have turned it down for reasons I can’t understand. But after the other night, I felt like I was alive again like I was a girl right out of college, and your excitement caught on. So, I accepted the position and so you are looking at the new International Vice President of Marketing for High Point Paris.”
Emily’s mouth dropped open, and she clinked her glass with Bridgette.
“Bridgette that is amazing,” Emily gushed. “That is what you have been doing this whole week? Have you been preparing for this position? When do you take over?”
“I leave tomorrow,” she said laughing. “If I was going to do I wanted just to do it! Oh, Emily, I owe it to you. I just am amazed, so I figured what better way to spend my last night in New York than with the girl that inspired my dreams!”
Emily smiled and took another sip of her wine, excited, but disappointed she would be leaving so soon. The car came to a stop, and Emily looked out a park on the water where a blanket was laid out with candles and plates. Emily smiled and took Bridgette's hand as she helped her out of the car. They spent dinner sipping wine and talking excitedly about the future.
Emily opened up about her past relationships, about her goals, and about being happy for Bridgette but feeling their time was too short together. Bridgette felt the same but Emily couldn’t help but see the halo shining from Bridgette as if she was a renewed person. They finished dinner and jumped back into the car right after the sun had set over the New York skyline.
They stopped in front of Emily’s apartment building, and Emily invited Bridgette up for a drink. They slowly walked arm in arm towards the elevator and took it up to Emily’s floor. The night had been warm, and Emily could still feel the wind on her cheeks from the water, and Bridgette’s excitement was contagious. She locked the door and turned towards Bridgette who was standing in the hallway looking at her with darkened eyes.
Emily walked towards Bridgette and took her by the hand, leading her back to her bedroom. Bridgette put her hands on Emily’s face and kissed her softly, pushing her slowly backward onto her bed. They made love to the sound of the wind through Emily’s cracked windows but this time, it was soft and careful. Bridgette's hands moved slowly over Emily’s body as if she were caressing every part of her in thanks.
They undressed each other slowly, kissing each other’s necks and shoulders as they went, and laid with their legs entangled and their mouths pressed together on the bed. Emily attempted to take control and move downward on Bridgette, but she flipped Emily on her back and put her mouth between her shaking thighs. Her tongue moved in rhythm with Emily’s body over and over until Emily cried out in a climax. Bridgette moved upwards slipping her hand into Emily’s wetness and sliding her fingers inside of her, starting the process over again. When Emily arched her back close to orgasm, Bridgette climbed on top of Emily and began to rub herself against Emily’s wet mound. Bridgette's moans grew louder, and her movements stayed fixed at a deliberately slow pace until Emily grabbed her hips in ecstasy and began to move them faster against her.
Bridgette gripped Emily’s head and screamed out as Emily moved quicker and quicker underneath her. As the wind whipped through the small New York apartment, the sounds of climax could be heard simultaneously from both woman, and the motion continued in a quivering accent on top until Bridgette, breathless, fell beside Emily in the bed. She wrapped her arms around Emily and kissed the back of her neck. The fell quietly asleep, wrapped around one another for one last time.
Chapter Five: The Quality of a Life
Emily woke with the sun and rolled over stretching in her bed. She looked out the window and could see the park filling up already. She realized, suddenly, that she had fallen asleep with Bridgette next to her. She turned to look, but no one was there. Instead, there was an envelope with Emily’s name written on it, a cup of coffee on the side table and a bag with a muffin.
The smell of Bridgette's perfume still lingered in Emily's nose, and it wafted out of the envelope almost as if Emily would find her hiding inside. She knew that as she read the letter, Bridgette would be looking out the window of her plane, daydreaming about what was to come. She wished she had had a chance to say goodbye and wish her luck. But, like Emily, Bridgette wasn't very good with farewells, so this was probably the best for both of them.
Emily smiled and picked up the envelope and coffee and made her way to the living room. She sat down in front of the window and slowly opened the letter. The paper was yellow and covered in small flowers; it reminded Emily of the sundress her mother wore to church during the summertime.
Dearest Emily,
I am sorry I didn’t wake you before leaving, but you looked like an angel sleeping. I had a very early flight so I had to get going. First, I want to tell you to thank you. I know you don’t understand what one night had to do with anything, but it did a lot for me. I needed a change for the better and I guess I was afraid to take those steps.
From the moment you walked into the office, your motivation and excitement were intoxicating to everyone around you. You are so intelligent and strong willed, do not ever lose that. When you feel stuck, remember there are always ways to push through that. For me, it took you to do that.
I am so excited to have you as part of High Point’s team, and I know that you will meet every single one of your goals. Remember, though, goals and accomplishments are nothing if you don’t stop and smell the roses, feel the wind on your cheeks, and take unexpected turns when they show themselves. I will miss your enthusiasm but lucky for me I will see your face every Thursday at our video meetings :)
Eric is going to keep pushing you forward and when a position that is right for you opens here I would love to have you consider a move to Paris. Don't tell Eric I said that, he would kill me for recruiting his people. There are so many opportunities out there at your fingertips, and all you have to do is reach out and grab them.
You are beautiful and amazing, and if I were you I wouldn’t just give up on your ex-girlfriend, she sounds like she loves you. Don’t pass on love because you want a career, if you play it right, you can have both. You deserve both!
Anyways, work hard, stay beautiful, and give me a call anytime you have questions. I hope I have impacted you the way you have me. Good luck in all you do.
Love,
Bridgette
Xoxo
Emily folded the letter up and looked out the window with a smile on her face. She watched as the wind blew through the park and the sun shined brightly. Emily had never had the chance to affect someone in that way and, in turn, it reminded her that there is more than just her career on the table. In a way, Bridgette brought a change to Emily that she didn’t even know she needed.
There were so many things in Emily’s plans, and they all revolved around her career instead of enveloping everything in life. Nowhere on her list did it say visit your parents, see the world, fall in love, read a book in the park on a sunny day, or anything else that makes life so beautiful. Her list was layer after layer of career goals that didn't even include anything other than make it to the top no matter what. She had become ruthless and didn't even realize it.
She ran
the faces of the people on the subway that first morning she went to work, through her mind. All of those people once had dreams and motivation, but they were so absorbed in goals that they forgot to live. Emily had been determined since she was six years old and Bridgette just showed her there was a part of life that she was missing. It might not be something Emily can take hold of like Bridgette just did when she changed her entire life, but baby steps are definitely something she can handle.
As Emily thought about all the things, she never took the time to think about she remembered it was Saturday, and she had heard about an art show in Central Park later. She hadn't gotten a chance to go to the park yet, and she loved seeing everyone's creations so that was going to be her first baby step. Reading the same information on Tilberts over and over wasn't going to change anything for Emily, but a beautiful sunny Saturday in the park would make an impact.
Emily smiled and picked up her phone ready for one more baby-step before she jumped into the shower. She scrolled down through the numbers and pressed send. The phone rang a few times, and Emily’s heart skipped a beat.
“Hi, Rosalie?” Emily said. A smile lit up on her face, and she was determined to have it all, something she never thought she could have.
Jack (Secret Revenge #1) Page 23
