Kindred Spirits

Part 7

So as not to arouse Jake to her need to speak to Joan as quickly as possible, Stevie let him walk her back to her unit and made sure he had left before she hurried to the kitchens.

Joan was wiping off the tables when Stevie came busting through the door, and she immediately put a finger to her lips at the redness on the face of the young woman. She nodded slightly toward the guard in the room to indicate they couldn't speak freely here.

"We need to talk." Stevie whispered, stepping close enough for only Joan to hear. Joan raised an eyebrow and turned around, going into the kitchens. Stevie followed her into the bustling kitchen.

"Miyake, this is Stevie Simmons. I spoke to you about her earlier." Joan said, introducing Stevie to Miyake. Stevie didn't understand exactly why when she needed to talk, but she took the woman's hand and shook it.

"I thought I would introduce her and show her around."

"Sure, Kath." Miyake said with a wide smile.

"No drugs?" Miyake asked Stevie pointedly as she looked her over before letting go of her hand.

"No, I like to be in control of my actions." Stevie said truthfully.

"Good. Then you work here. Kath will teach you. She is best teacher here. Makes things clean and sparkly." Miyake said proudly. Joan smiled thinly at the compliment as Miyake turned back to her own work.

"We'll start here." Joan said, and pointed toward the back of the room, and Stevie obediently followed along. Joan opened the back closet door calmly.

"This is where we keep the appliances and the walk in." Joan said before nodding for Stevie to step in and she closed the door behind her.

"Who is Vera Bennett, and why is she riding my ass so hard she wants to put me in the slot to make me talk about you?" Stevie asked and Joan put up a hand.

"Lower your voice, and calmly tell me what occurred quickly. We can't draw any more attention than we already have, and we can't linger in here forever either." Joan straightened her shoulders. "I have a reputation to uphold."

"Sorry for tarnishing your precious reputation." Stevie spat out, the words venom on her tongue, but she did lower her voice and Joan watched her trying to calm herself but not quickly enough. Joan closed the gap between them and awkwardly put her arms around the young woman's body and drew her into her chest.

"What are you doing?" Stevie asked, but immediately melted into the woman's touch.

"Trying to help you calm down. You said hugs help you feel better." Joan replied as Stevie's arms folded around Joan's waist.

"They do." Stevie nestled her face in the space above Joan's breasts, her nose bumping Joan's exposed collarbone.

"Better?" Joan asked, her breath hitching as she became aware of the sensual curves of the other woman.

"Mhm." Stevie replied, her lips kissing the material of Joan's shirt and wishing it was the older woman's exposed skin, but she'd take what she could get.

"Enough of that." Joan said, feeling the same yearning need from the showers gather between her thighs as she pulled back Stevie's head by the hair, still holding her against her with the other arm. It only made things worse as Joan's face was mere inches from Stevie's.

"Tell me about what was said." Joan said, torturing them both at the closeness of the proximity of their faces.

"First that guard that took me up to the governor's office asked me about us." Stevie said as she yearningly studied Joan's face so closely it hurt.