Sunbeam

33) Clean table

"What have you been told about mouthing off to men with guns?" Beatrice exclaims hours later once the pub was empty. Kez had stayed sat at the end of the bar all night, she knew whenever she'd left she'd probably be trailed by a copper, and there was a fair chance they'd also have someone tail Bea.

"Do it?" Kezia shrugs, taking a drag from her cigarette, in response Bea shakes her head and scoffs, "you irate me."

"He was never going to shoot me," Kezia replies.

"He did, he tried to, he missed but he tried to," Bea says.

"Exactly, he missed and with that aim he'll never shoot anyone," Kezia laughs.

"Why didn't you tell me about Grace? That she was a fucking copper?" Beatrice questions, "is she the one that got Freddie arrested? How long have you known?"

"How long have I known Grace got Freddie arrested or how long have I known she's a cop?" Kezia asks, stubbing out her cigarette, Bea folds her arms over her chest, "both."

"I knew she got Freddie arrested the night it happened, but I didn't know she was a cop, she told me she needed money, and I realised she was a copper when you told me Harry hadn't mentioned the reason for Tommys arrest," Kezia answers, "I'm surprised Ada didn't tell you it was Grace, I told her."

"Why was she still here?" Bea queries.

"She told me needed money, I said she could get this month's pay check then she had to leave," Kezia says.

"Why? Why show her mercy?" Beatrice asks.

"I'm not a monster, I do feel sympathy," Kezia responds, "evidently, I shouldn't have, given it turns out she was in fact a spy, and it wasn't just for a payout."

"Do you actually have a plan to get Freddie out of jail?" Beatrice says, "wait- Grace only knew Freddie was coming to see Ada because she was with you when I told you, that makes it my fault."

"It's not your fault," Kezia states, "she would've found out somehow and the repercussions would've been the same. Nobody is to blame but Grace... and yes, our plan is in action, shan't be too much longer until Freddie is a free man."

"How else would she have found out if not me?" Bea sighs.

"She would've had to come to the pub with the boys, who would've been talking about it," Kezia shrugs, "as I said, it's not your fault. If we're going with that logic it's my fault because I shouldn't have even been with her to begin with."

"You're a free woman, you can do as you wish," Beatrice states, turning away from Kez to wipe down the surface.

"Except I'm not," Kezia replies, "because I see your face whenever Grace is mentioned, or any woman that isn't you for that matter. It hurts you, I don't want to do that, we may not be together, but I'm not free, not by a long shot."

"That's a me problem, that's something I have to deal with, not you," Bea sighs, "I'm fine, and Grace won't even be here anymore so that's not an issue."

"Whether you want to me to deal with it or not, I am," Kezia says, "because I know if I walked in here tomorrow with another woman, I'd have to deal with knowing it's hurting you. Don't act like it wouldn't bother you."

"Irrelevant," Beatrice states.

"No, it's not irrelevant, not to me," Kezia responds.

"We're going in circles, Kez," Bea says, moving around the bar to wipe down a table, "we're having the same conversations over and over and expecting different outcomes, it's lunacy."

"It doesn't have to be lunacy, we could go back to our previous arrangement, you don't have to admit you have any feelings for me, and I'll hide mine for you, I'm okay with being your secret," Kezia states.

"This doesn't seem like understanding 'can't,' Kez," Beatrice responds.

"I've made my peace with 'can't' however, I know you want me, and fucking hell, I want- no, I need you, Bea, there doesn't have to be anything emotional, but why are you denying that what we had didn't work?" Kezia asks.

"I can't do that to you," Bea shakes her head.

"You wouldn't be doing anything to me," Kez jokes, "I'd be doing it to you."

"Kez," Bea scolds.

"There's nothing unfair to me about this, I'm putting myself in this position, I can't blame you for any of it," Kez states, "the only unfair thing is you looking like that and me having to keep my hands to myself. Come on, Bea, let me be your dirty secret."

"Give up, Kez, seriously," Bea says, sharply turning to look at Kezia, who was still sat on the same stool, grinning as she finished her whiskey, "how about this? I promise to tell you if at any point I become uncomfortable with the arrangement."

Kezia could tell she was wearing Bea down, she knew the barmaid was close to throwing away that stupid rag and giving in.

"What we had worked, Bea," Kez states, "it can work again. Nothing has to be different. I understand you're emotionally unavailable to me, I've processed that. You would not be harming my well being in any way."

"You're being completely serious?" Beatrice asks, and Kez nods, reaching for the cloth Bea had been wiping the tables with and using it to pull her closer, "I've never been more serious about anything in my life, let me in, Bea, let me fucking worship you again."

"You're ridiculous," Bea says, as Kez removes the rag from her hands placing it on the counter, and standing from the stool, "how about it, Bea? Our dirty little secret."

"Stop calling it a dirty little secret," Bea scoffs, smiling up at Kez whose hands were resting on her waist, "is that a yes?"

"Yes," Bea whispers, her body tingling when Kez trails a hand up her body, until she was cupping her face, tilting her head up, and leaning down to tenderly brush their lips together.

Kezia wraps an arm around her lower torso, hoisting Bea up, her legs instinctively wrapping around Kez's waist, as Kez walks to the closest table, setting Bea down.

"I've just cleaned this," Bea breathes out, as Kez's lips trail down her neck, "is that seriously what you're focusing on right now?" Kez asks, pulling away.

"No, not at all," Bea laughs, reaching her arms around Kez's neck, pulling her back down to continue kissing her, Kez rests her hands on Bea's upper thigh, her thumbs caressing the inside of her thigh.

Gradually, Bea's hand moves down Kez's torso until she could grab the front of her shirt and tug her closer, whilst Kez hitches Bea's skirt up until it was bundled around her waist, and her hands were left tracing the familiar smoothness of Bea's inner thighs.

"Fuck," Kez mutters against Bea's lips, sinking into her touch as Bea's hand goes beneath her shirt, it felt like heaven. Just kissing Bea was making her weak in the knees.

Enticingly, Kez's hand manoeuvres Bea's underwear to the side, slowly rubbing her clit, smirking as she feels Bea shudder against her, hurriedly unbuttoning Kez's shirt so she could trail her nails down Kez's back, moaning into Kez's mouth when she inserts two fingers curling them slightly whilst still circling her clit.

"Oh Kez," Bea whimpers, her nails scratching Kez's back, as she kisses along the underside of Bea's jaw, "yes, darling?"

"Don't stop, please don't stop," Bea pleads, feeling Kez slow her movements.

"I don't plan on it, we've got a long night ahead, a lot of lost time," Kez responds, removing her fingers, lifting them to her mouth and sucking them clean before lowering herself to her knees, Bea's hands following and tugging at her hair as Kez flicks her tongue against her clit.

Kez knew exactly what to do to get Bea to explode, but she was taking her time, her hands were massaging Bea's waist, and she could hear Bea's breathes get shorter, the grip on her hair getting tighter as Bea began to pant, "fuck, Kez, this feels so good. You feel so good. God, you look beautiful on your knees like this."

That's when Kez continued to finger her beautiful woman whilst sucking on her clit, feeling Bea's legs shaking around her head, as the goddess of a woman cried out her name.

Raising from her knees, Kez places a soft kiss to Bea's forehead, "fuck I've missed you, darling."