The Business Trip

(2) Balls & Loneliness

Four months later 

"Okay so next weekend is all set right?" Lenae said as she paced her office.

Bucky was sitting at her couch typing away. "Yes. I was even able to fix the shellfish problem." He said

She let out a breathe as she made a face. "Okay thank you." She said 

"Len do you need to sit down?" He said 

"No im good. Probably just a cramp. Anyways..next month we have to fly to London right?" She said as the cramp she was feeling was getting worse.

"Yes. We have three more potential clients there. Also we need to discuss the client in Sydney Australia that we have set up in four months. They have sent in their tapes." He said 

"Ok..James..thank you." She said as she doubled over in pain. 

"Lenny come on sit down.." Bucky said as he walked over to her. 

"I'm fine James." She said tears welled. 

Blood began to run down her white pant suit. 

"Lenny.." he whispered as she collapsed in his arms. 

He laid her down on the floor. "Lenny? Lenny!" He said as he tapped her face. 

He called 911 and yelled for Natasha and Yelena. Lenae was out cold when the EMTs arrived Natasha went with her to the hospital. Bucky had the janitorial crew come clean up the blood stains as best as they could. 

At the hospital Natasha left a voicemail for Lenae's husband Weston Hightower. She sat with her till her parents came in. 

"What are they saying?" Olivia Thompson said 

"Another miscarriage. This time with twins." Nat said 

"Baby.." Olivia said as she caressed her daughter's face.

"Is that why they are doing a transfusion." Her dad said 

"Yeah they were concerned with her blood loss. I tried to call Wes but he hasn't been by here or called back." Nat said 

Lenae started to come to. "Wh-what happened?" She whispered 

They told her what had happened and she began to cry. Finally the doctor came in and explained that whole miscarriage to her. He signed her discharge papers and told her take it easy and rest. 

Once she was home at her penthouse. She sat down on the couch and began to cry Weston wasn't home and wouldn't answer his phone. He never came home that night the next morning she texted Bucky. 

"I'll be at the office in 20." 

Bucky looked at his phone as he was about to go into Starbucks. He replied with a simple ok confused as hell. Natasha called him the night before when she got home and told him what happened. 

When Lenae came into the office he sat her coffee down and went over the schedule for the day. 

"What's with the face?" Len said 

"I hope that with the way that our working relationship is Len. That you don't take offense to this or I'm not going to get fired." He said 

She looked at him. 

"You just had a miscarriage Len. Worse than the one you had six months ago. Shouldn't you be at home resting." He said 

"James, I'm resting here. I'm sitting and I'm resting. I don't want to be at home where I'm alone. Cause if I'm alone I'll cry and wonder." She said 

"Where is Wes?" He said 

"I don't know. It was my parents that brought me home. He never came home and he won't answer his phone." She said as she scooted her chair closer to her desk. 

He looked down. 

"But James, thank you for being concerned. But I'm fine." She said 

"Anytime doll. Just holler if you need anything." He said as he opened the office door. 

******************

The following weekend everyone who was everyone was dressed to the nines. It was Lenae's charity ball for Suicide Awareness. Bucky was standing with his family when Lenae came down the stairs alone. He scanned the room for her husband but he was no where to be found.

Two hours into the ball he seen her sitting alone while all the other couples danced. He came over to her. 

"Care to dance?" He said 

She looked up at him and smiled. She took his hand as he helped her up. As they took to the dance floor. 

"Where is husband?" He said 

"Out of town. He said it was a last minute trip to Dallas or something." She said 

"He bailed." He said 

"James.." she said 

"You look gorgeous. If I had a wife as gorgeous as you I wouldn't be leaving her alone. And I wouldn't have left her alone when she needed me last week." Bucky said 

"Well aren't you such a gentlemen." She said as she tapped his nose.

He smiled at her. "You should wear your glasses less often. So all the girls at work see these baby blues." She said 

A tinge of blush crept into his cheeks. "I met Steven's sister. She has an interest in modeling. And your blood siblings are beautiful people too. Especially your sisters.." she said 

"Thank you." He said 

Once their dance was over she kissed his cheek. "Thank you for always taking care of me James. Now I have to go make my speech." She said 

"You're welcome." He said as she walked away. 

Sam and Steve came up behind him. "You trying to get in a fight. She's married.." Sam said 

"I know. Doesn't mean I can't look." He said as he walked away to get a new drink. 

Shortly after she gave her speech he left to head home after he put in his donation. Everyone else started to leave as well. Lenae rode home in her town car as she sat alone in the back seat. Weston had become distant and always on his phone or not home at all.