PROMISE

Bathbombs!?

Gaga woke up to the sound of the baby talk over the monitor. Her eyes fluttered open and her body stirred away. The ache between her legs sent flashes of what happened the night before. Bradleys hands gripping her thighs, her nails scraping down his chest, the smile that consumed her face as Bradley bit her neck, the explosion that was their release. Gaga smiled over finally getting laid and removing pent up tension her body desired. However, the more she thought about it, the more her mind started to spin; the bed creaking, the baby whimpers, the toys that surrounded their bodies as they used each other in the sacred place that was their friends home. The fact remains that this wasn't her home, she felt off. She felt disillusioned and irresponsible over their actions.

Gaga and Bradley maneuvered around each other getting the twins situated for the day. Both took turns getting themselves ready for their separate schedules. Bradley stood with his coffee, watching her feed the kids. "Why are you being weird?"

"I'm not being weird." She cleaned Jackson up and moved around Bradley to wash the tiny colorful bowls. Bradley moved to stand right behind her, still drinking his coffee. She pushed herself closer into the sink to avoid any contact. He gently ghosted his hand over her ribs and the bowl she held fumbled around her hands and fell to the ground. 

"Uhoh, mama" Jackson giggled while sipping his milk.

"You're being weird." Bradley concluded slurping his coffee. Gaga controlled her breathing and picked up the bowl to rewash. "Rule number one-"

"I know, Bradley! I know. I'm fine, it's just different." She bent down near Jackson in his high chair. "Jackson, listen. It's Stefi, baby, Ste-fi." He worked out a long 'f' sound. "Good enough. Look, I don't regret anything and last night was good, I just I'm not sure we can do that again." Bradley has to admit, it was good for them both, yet incredibly awkward but stop their little arrangement?

Bradley almost spit out his coffee. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You said no regrets and this is what we both wanted. And... ok yes, yesterday's circumstances weren't ideal but..." He got close to her and lowered his voice, "I had a really good time and I'd like to do that again a lot more times." She didn't react while putting the little bowls away and cleaning up. After waking up cheery with an extra kick in his step, he all of a sudden felt defeated. "But I respect and understand if you don't want to." He waited for her to change her mind over his mature response. "Seriously?! You're not even going to talk about it? Or try?" Gaga avoided his gaze. Bradley remembered her hooded, bedroom eyes as she accepted his body into hers. He wished she'd look at him right now. He didn't want to push her. "Ok. I have to run to my office, want me to take one?" She just nodded. "Ok, Ava-girl, let's roll."

Gaga pushed Jackson's stroller into Haus Laboratories and was greeted with applause. She turned her frown upside down and waved to her staff. "Oh, stop!" She looked down and saw Jackson waving to everyone and being a little ham. Sarah eagerly ran over to grab him out of his stroller.

"Welcome back, mama!" Gaga rolled her eyes at her friend teasing her new name. "So, Bo is around here somewhere, she said she'd watch Jackson for a bit. We have models lined up already for our casting, then if you can hang here there are a few creative meetings we seriously need you for." Gaga was happy to be back to work officially but it was overwhelming. Her day was filled with choices and color swatches and meeting after meeting. Around lunch time she was able to breathe and  feed Jackson, quickly eat a salad herself. She checked her phone and saw a short video from Bradley. The video showed Ava looking around saying mama and shrugging. He then turned the camera around towards his face and shrugged, the video cutting shortly after. She let out a frustrated sigh at Ava's new word but had to smile at their cute faces, both of them. She FaceTimed them as she ate.