"Penny for your thoughts?"
Stevie dragged herself from her reverie to look into Christine's concerned face. Her thoughts? Where to start? She could tell her about the fact Don had left to go back on tour that morning and she likely wouldn't see him again until after Christmas - her first Christmas waking up alone since 1969.
She could tell her about the fistfuls of condoms she'd seen barely hidden in his open suitcase, the disappointment in herself that her first thought was 'at least he's not gonna knock anyone up' and the realization that she'd already accepted he was inevitably going to cheat on her only 3 months into their relationship.
She could tell her the thoughts that had obliterated Don from her mind the second she'd waved him off; the thoughts of Derek Taylor, stroking her arm, listening to her ideas, watching her pose...the thoughts of how badly she needed to see him again, that mere minutes after Don had left she was laying on the bed she shared with him, touching herself and fantasizing about Derek making love to her. She cried his name as she reached her orgasm.
"Just tired," she smiled.
They were at the Warner offices in LA, waiting on yet another meeting about Rumours. More people in the company had heard what they agreed now was the final cut of the album, subject to a few engineering tweaks. It was creating quite a buzz, with more and more people wanting a slice of the pie. They'd heard Mo Ostin himself would be at the meeting today. Good, thought Stevie. Better than his obnoxious little jerk of a son.
She hadn't dared hope Derek would be there, although she suspected he was in the building somewhere, and even the thought of that was sending her wild.
Mick, Lindsey and John were huddled and talking in hushed voices at the other end of the enormous, polished oak table. They were a self managed band, which meant in theory the five of them shared executive control. In reality, Mick was the spokesperson, the one who seemed to hold 51% of the band's imaginary shares. They deferred to him with any executive decisions, and in turn, he consulted with John, the Mac to his Fleetwood. They were the ever-present cornerstones of the band, and it was perhaps only down to the fact that Mick was by far the more extroverted of the two that meant he always had the final say.
Lindsey's creative control over the direction of the band was increasing too. Stevie had noticed during the recording of Rumours. She'd always been second place to his love for music, a bitter battle she'd fought the entire time they'd been together. As she'd begun to finally concede defeat and let go of the threads of their relationship, he had become freer to devote himself more and more to every aspect of recording. It broke her heart a little to see how happy it made him.
And so it was he'd gotten into Mick and John's executive inner circle, and the girls once again found themselves on the outside of the conversation.
Stevie's heart skipped for half a beat as she door swung open and several generic middle aged men walked in. Derek was not among them. The boys moved down to sit by her and Christine, a united front of creativity against whatever the suits were going to throw at them.
~
It was well over two hours later that Stevie found herself pacing the hallway by the water cooler. The meeting was still going, like parents battling over the custody of their child; the band the mother who had nurtured and raised it, the executives the absent father who thought he knew what was best. She'd mumbled to Christine she needed some air at the point Lindsey had started to get heated. She wasn't ready be around him like that again yet.
She turned on the heel of her boot and walked slowly back up the hall again, lost in her tangled thoughts. She was gazing at the floor when she saw the polished brogues facing her, the ankles of a perfectly cut gray suit sitting neatly on top of them. Her heart began to beat faster and her mouth watered as her eyes travelled up the legs, to the trademark hand in the pants pocket. She already knew the other would be smoothing out his moustache; it was either that or holding a cigarette and she couldn't smell smoke.
She bit her lip in a futile attempt to fight her smile as her eyes tracked up and finally met his. They stared at each other in silence for a moment. He seemed to be contemplating how to react to finding her here.
After a few seconds he silently closed the gap between them, placing one hand on her waist and one on the back of her head. She found herself so pliant in his arms that it was unnnerving - she barely knew this man and yet she trusted him with her body more completely than anyone else in her life she could think of.
He was looking deep into her eyes. It was as though he was searching for something, some resistance or willpower to fight the inevitable, but none came. Instead her hands moved to link together around his neck, pulling him even closer.
His eyes flicked to her lips, full and waiting for him to finally give into what they had both been craving since the first time they met. Unable to fight it any longer, he gently surrendered, drawing a sigh of relief from Stevie as she felt his warm lips against hers.
At first it was a series of delicate pecks, slightly hesitant to take it too far too fast, wanting to savor each moment. Stevie's mouth opened slightly and she moaned quietly as he sucked at her lower lip, running his tongue along it before opening his own mouth and pushing into hers.
Her hands moved to hold his face as she returned and deepened the kiss, discovering their own rhythm of give and take, so different to the battle for dominance she was used to. It was simultaneously the most gentle yet passionate kiss she'd ever had. She didn't want it to end although she was aching for more, the throbbing between her legs becoming distracting.
As if he read her mind, he steered her gently around the corner and against the wall, using his knee to push her legs apart. He broke the kiss and looked questioningly into her eyes. She wordlessly nodded her consent and he slowly dragged her skirt up her thighs, pushing it over her hips.
Every movement was controlled and deliberate. It seemed to Stevie that he didn't even care that they were in a public place, his place of work no less. He could have dragged her into a cupboard or fucked her in a hurried, frantic fumble, but he wasn't interested in any of that. He wanted to take his time, like she was a special treat he'd been holding out for and was finally able to devour.
He traced a finger over the damp white cotton of her underwear and she groaned into his mouth, her breathing becoming erratic as he stroked back and forth. He broke their kiss and watched her features relax as she gave into her pleasure. She rocked slightly against his hand as their tongues met again, mimicking the motion of his fingers against her core.
She needed to feel him against her bare skin, needed him inside her. Untangling her fingers from where they'd moved into his hair, she hooked her thumbs around her waistband and pushed them down her thighs, her eyes on his as she took his hand and held it directly against her.
Her eyes widened as his fingers slid between the slick folds and she gasped as she felt him enter her, first one finger and then a second, gently opening her up.
He watched the expression on her face change to one of surprise as he curled his fingers and rubbed against a spot she'd never known was there. She bit her lip to stop from crying out as she held his steady gaze, still rolling her hips as an unfamiliar warmth began to radiate through her body.
As he moved his thumb to rub her aching clit, they heard sudden voices around the corner. Stevie recognized them instantly and her pleasure turned to panic.
Derek, as calm as always, smiled serenely and kissed her again before withdrawing his fingers, maintaining eye contact as he lingeringly sucked them clean. He pulled up her underwear for her and straightened her skirt before smiling, kissing the tip of her nose and walking, unseen, in the opposite direction of her bandmates.
Stevie took a shaking breath and gathered herself before turning the corner and joining the band, ready to feign interest in the outcome of the meeting when all she could think about was what had just happened, and how she was increasingly certain that she was falling hard and fast in love with Derek Taylor.
