You are Mine

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7th January, 2020, 3:45 AM

Lou returned back home after sending off her staff. Finally she was able to rest. Her club was closed for the next week. She could afford to close it and let her staff enjoy belated holidays. She already provided their bonus and holiday gifts. She is a generous boss (as long as they stay faithful).

It was almost 4 in the morning when she reached back home. She however had to shower to get rid of club's environment. Debbie wasn't back home. She had taken early exit from the club when she found the flavour-of-the-month. A handsome man. Probably in late 30s/early 40s. Lou didn't pay attention – she purposely ignored – the interaction between Debbie Ocean, the alleged love-of-her-life, her best friend, mentor and partner-in-crime and that man. Alleged love-of-her-life because it is still a debate and an inside joke to her teammates. Can you say someone as love-of-your-life if that person has no clue about your feelings and oblivious to the obvious?

When she saw Debbie walking out of the club with him she knew what Debbie was up to. Somewhere deep down Lou felt a pang but other than that, she didn't mind. She even tossed a packet of condoms, just in case that guy wasn't equipped with one.

"To avoid any miracle baby, grandma", Lou had joked only for Debbie to flip her off.

Right now in bed, after shower, she wasn't able to fall asleep. She wanted Debbie by her side to fall asleep. She knew Debbie would be back soon. No matter how great the man or woman was, Debbie never spent whole night with them. She had stopped doing once she and Lou lived in a same apartment.

The apartment Lou lived when she first came to NYC, before meeting Debbie had been under constant attack from burglars and trespassers. Few attacks on tenants had resulted in deaths too. Lou was shit-scared but had no choice. She had paid for that apartment to live there for a year and she wouldn't get her money back if she left. Her financial instability, thanks to the college expenses, coerced her into living in that shit place. But once she met Debbie, her financial stability raised. Within a month Debbie asked her to stay in her one-bedroom apartment and Lou gladly agreed. She wanted to get the shit out of her old apartment.

Although she moved to Debbie's apartment, her fear of getting attacked or robbed or worst, murdered stayed. Debbie didn't realise at first Lou was scared to be alone and would spend days not returning back, showing up at random times and then disappearing again. She had no idea Lou was startled or anxious every time she unlocked the main door past midnight. Lou didn't speak about it either. She was too grateful to Debbie for letting her live there, she wasn't going to complain about her discomfort.

One day, when Debbie returned home late at night and accidentally broke a vase in the dark, Lou almost attacked her with a hockey stick thinking she was a burglar. That was enough for Debbie to know how scared Lou was and decided to never let her stay alone at night past midnight. She no longer stayed out whole night. Also, she helped Lou in overcoming her fear.

Lou outgrew her fear in coming months but Debbie continued being her knight in the shiny armour. Lou assured her she was now brave and able to defend if anything happened but Debbie was Debbie. She continued to return back home everyday. No matter what, she never stayed out past 2 am. Even when she was with Claude, she always returned back home at 1 am and would leave at 6, back to his place. An arrangement. Lou was touched by her gesture although she would've preferred Debbie stayed with her and not with him. Lou saw the red flag clearly compared to Debbie.

Anyway, Claude was an arse and Debbie ended up in jail. It stopped Debbie from being with Lou for a long time. But the minute she was out, she was back to her duty. Lou didn't need her protection but it was a muscle memory now. Debbie couldn't get rid of that habit. Debbie always returned back to Lou, every night. Since release from prison they spent most of their hours with each other, either working at the club or staying home doing nothing but cuddling, bantering and bickering. Only when they had dates they would go out. For some reason Debbie never brought anyone home. She always went to her fling's place. Lou on the other hand was flexible.