Honeypot (WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 11 - Surfaces

Nicole took Waverly's hand, leading her to the stairs. They entered a bedroom. Waverly guessed it was the spare room, given the glass door opposite through which she could just make out a terrace. Nicole was torn between ripping her clothes off and taking it slow. Waverly wasn't sure what to do either. This was her first time with a woman. Her first date with Nicole. They were only beginning to find out about each other. She should have waited, taken it slower, but there was a new longing, a need, only Nicole could satisfy.

Nicole moved Waverly towards the bed. She wanted to so badly. She stood, unable to decide what to do next. Waverly sensed something was wrong.

"Hey, it's OK. I can go."

"No, no. Stay, I'm sorry. It's just, I haven't been with anyone since Shae. You're the first."

"Nicole, you're my first. Let's not rush. I want this to be right for both of us."

"I'm so sorry Waverly. I need time. I don't want to get this wrong."

"Nicole, honestly, it really is OK. If you have a T-shirt I could borrow I'll sleep here. It's fine."

Nicole pulled Waverly into a kiss. Deeper than their first. Tender. She could so easily take this further. And, yet.

"I'll get you a shirt."

Waverly couldn't sleep. She knew Nicole was in the next room. They would never have met had it not been for her delving into the darker places of the Internet. Had it not been for her coming clean, she would be none the wiser of Nicole's existence. She wondered whether Nicole would take a chance on her. They were only at the start. The surface. A few details shared over dinner. Enough to begin to know someone. Not enough to understand. No depth. Not yet. She wanted to understand Nicole. She fascinated her. This intelligent, beautiful American, who entered her life by accident. She wanted to explore her mind. Her heart. Find out how each ticked. Her likes. Her dislikes. What she loved. What she feared. What she wanted to do with her life.

Nicole couldn't sleep. Why had she stopped? Shae was long gone. They had not been in contact since she moved out, other than to sort out financial matters on the apartment. A short email from Shae with details. She knew she needed to move on. Waverly had entered her life at a time when she needed her the most. She couldn't carry on the way she had been living. Surviving, from one day to the next. Functioning. If she didn't change, she would make herself ill. She needed to care for someone. Have someone care enough about her, love her enough they wouldn't let her exist solely on caffeine.

If she held Waverly? Laid with her. Felt her against her skin. She had always been cautious in matters of the heart. Overthinking everything. Hesitant. Shae making the first move. Shae suggesting they move in together. Shae leaving her for someone else. Her life reduced to drinking coffee, in a foreign country, alone. She needed to act. She might lose Waverly. If Waverly thought she still had feelings for Shae. But, she might scare herself, even worse, scare Waverly away if it was too soon.

She scolded herself. Nicole, you need to make up your fucking mind.

She got up, pacing the room, building up courage. She opened the bedroom door, moving out onto the landing. Waverly's door was closed. Should she knock? Nicole, get a grip here, she counselled. She turned the handle, entering the darkened room. She could see Waverly in bed. She gently pulled the duvet back, slipping in behind. Her heart racing. Waverly moved herself into Nicole.

"I wondered how long you'd take. I would have given you another fifteen minutes. Then..."

"Then..."

"I would have come to you."

Waverly left early next morning. She needed to shower, change her clothes before work. Not look like she had been out all night, making love for hours with an amazing American. Did they know each other a little better? Fuck, yes. Their surfaces at least. Waverly always wondered what it would be like. She no longer needed to imagine. Sensuous. She thought she knew her body. She didn't. Nicole showed her what she had been missing. What Waverly had longed for.

Nicole watched her getting into a taxi from the door of the gallery. She made herself breakfast. The first time in over a year.

Waverly entered the office. Champ was already at his desk. He looked up as she entered, smiling. She couldn't meet his eyes. She knew what she had done. She knew she had to tell him it was over between them. She couldn't. Not yet. There was one more piece of information she wanted.

"You OK? You look really tired."

"I'm fine. Didn't get much sleep, that's all."

"You coming tonight?"

Waverly was so tempted to say that's what she had being doing with Nicole the night before.

"Sure."

"Great. I'll pick you up 7ish."

Waverly decided it would be better to maintain her presence with the gang, to find out whether anyone knew the Serpent. If she broke up with Champ she might lose access. It was his gang, not hers. She hated the deception. She hated the darker side of her actions. This wasn't fair to Champ. She would explain everything once she established whether the Serpent was known. Anyway, what happened between her and Nicole may only have been a one night stand. Something they both wanted to explore, nothing serious.

She stopped herself. She realised she was attempting to justify, excuse the inexcusable. She had cheated on her boyfriend, regardless of how she now felt about him. She also knew in her heart she wanted what she had with Nicole to be more than casual. She could so easily end it with Champ, stop being part of the gang. She knew what was driving her actions. She wanted to impress Nicole. To help her, in whatever way she could, find the Serpent.

Twisted logic. Pure intentions.

The Serpent had been informed of Bobo's arrest. He tapped the keys on his laptop a little harder. The inconvenience. This could set him back days with his plans for London. He needed to find a replacement. There were plenty ready to step into Bobo's shoes. That wasn't the problem. It was having to rearrange the pieces on the chess board that found its way under the Serpent's skin.

Another obsession. Perfection. The perfect piece of code, the perfectly prepared meal, the perfect plan executed. The beauty, the art that came with having everything laid out neatly before him. Perfect and clean. Spotless. Without a care for the dirty work behind. An image of slicing into raw meat entered his mind. Of seeing dark, red blood ooze from the cut making him retch. He brought his hand to his mouth to stop himself from vomiting.

Reaching for his phone, he selected a number. "I want Bobo out of the picture. Take care of it."

Power. Baby.

The sound of her phone ringing made Waverly jump. She glanced at the screen. It was Nicole. She answered.

"Sorry. Can you give me a moment? I'll call you back."

She got up from her desk, moving towards the door. Best not make the call in front of Champ. She stood outside the building. Nicole answered immediately.

"Is everything alright? I wanted to check you got back OK. And, to say thank you for last night."

"Sorry, I needed to step out of the office. My boyfriend sits opposite. Bit awkward."

There was a pause. This was new information to Nicole. Waverly mentioned she worked for a charity. That it was where she met her boyfriend. It never occurred to Nicole to ask where he sat.

"Nicole, are you still there?"

"Yes. Have you told him?"

It was Waverly's turn to be silent. She hoped Nicole would understand her reason for not breaking up with Champ.

"Not yet. Listen, I need to sort something out. A few people I need to talk to. That's all. I promise we're through."

"OK. Your call. Can I see you tonight? If you're free that is."

"Sorry, I'm meeting the people I need to speak to. I'll call you if I find anything out. I better go. Nicole, thank you. It was amazing. You're amazing. Bye."

Nicole sat staring at her phone. She realised she hardly knew Waverly.

She reached for her mug of coffee.