Lee

I was trying to hold on to my anger instead of focusing on my hurt and sense of utter devastation. This was crazy. I swallowed and asked the hardest question I have ever had to ask anyone.

"Did you fuck her?"

I knew the answer before she tried to bullshit her way out of it. Her eyes gave her away. She had never been much of a liar. Don't get me wrong, when she and I first started dating, she had other women. A decent stud always had other women. But for the last two months, once we started talking about moving in together, I thought I was the onliest one. I thought she would be faithful to me. I thought we were "together", you know? And now this? How fragile was her fucking ego anyway? And how desperate was I?

She never did answer my question and I realized I had to leave in order to make it into the office on time. I figured we would talk about it later. All was not lost. But why would she fuck someone else from the office? It's like she wanted to rub that shit in my face.

I was on automatic pilot for the first half of the day. And I thought I was doing okay until I saw Reese leave for lunch with Pam, her hand at the small of Pam's back. She didn't even look my way. Everyone in the office knew Reese and I had been dating. I ignored their glances and unasked questions. I damned Reese and Pam to hell. I wondered what I thought had been going on between Reese and I considering something so shallow, something so silly, could tear us apart. And it was all because a woman had put her hands on me in a crowded elevator. A woman who was now my supervisor. A woman who was now buzzing the intercom. I swallowed my anger at her (hey, it beat being angry atmy woman) and entered the office.

As usual, Lee did not look up when I entered. I was growing tired of her haughty attitude and it had only been two days!

"Ms. Ashton, could you get me a cup of coffee, black—"

"Six sugars." I finished for her bitterly. I thought I had kept the annoyance out of my tone but I don't think I was too successful. She looked up and removed those annoyingly cute glasses from the bridge of her nose. I ignored the way my heart wanted to do flip flops as those hazel-green eyes settled on me.

"Problem Ms. Ashton?"

"Look, could we quit playing this game? I would prefer to call you Ms. Caldwell and I would appreciate it if you called me Georgia. That's the way they do things around here, okay? I already stick out like a sore thumb, I don't want to be anymore different, okay?"

I watched as Lee settled back into her chair and folded her arms across her chest. She waited silently.

"And I just want to know, will I be getting you coffee regularly now? I never had to get my previous boss coffee and I really want to know if this is going to be a regular new duty. I have a Master's degree, so I never expected to be getting coffee for someone."

Lee simply continued to stare at me in silence. Finally, I turned my back to her, "I'llfetch that coffee for you now, Ms. Caldwell."

I chose that word fetch for a reason. I wanted to make a point. I might as well, right? It's not like I was going to have a job for much longer anyway! I shook my head as I prepared her coffee, my hands trembling. What the fuck was wrong with me? Oh, who was I kidding? I was a mess. Reese's behavior was really upsetting me. I didn't do anything wrong and I didn't understand what the fuck was going on with her. And I felt like I had wasted six months of my life all of a sudden. And now, here I was, thirty-two years old and fetching coffee for my boss. God, I was a fucking loser. Getting paid $40,000 was just not worth it. Maybe I should go back and finish my degree. I would have the free time now considering I would most likely be fired today. Mouthing off to the new boss Georgia? Good move!

My hands were still trembling when I re-entered her office. She ignored me as usual. I placed the coffee before her and turned to make my way to the door, about to escape free and clear, when that husky voice stopped me.

"Wait."

I froze, then turned to face her slowly. She was still reading over some papers on her desk.

"Sit Georgia."

I did, on the plush burgundy sofa with the Kente cloth draped over the back. It was relatively close to the door and a good distance from her desk. She kept me waiting for a few more minutes before she removed her glasses and leaned back in her large, leather swivel chair. She raised a brow.

"Come here Georgia."

My will to resist was non-existent. I knew I was going to lose my job and what was the point in fighting anymore? I approached her desk and stood before her.

"Sit."

I did so again, in the chair across from her desk this time. I looked down at the mahogany wood of her desk. It was hand-crafted, all the VPs had them. It was quite a piece of work...and much easier to look at than those eyes.

"Georgia."

I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to look at her. But I was on the verge of tears and I didn't feel like doing this today. It was Friday for God's sake, I just wanted to crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep. I had lost my girlfriend and my job all in one week. All because ofthis woman. Okay, I knew that wasn't fair but damnit I was in a lousy fucking mood.

I didn't look up, "Ms. Caldwell, I'm sorry. I'm going through something personal right now. I was very disrespectful and I apologize. I will clean out my desk before I leave for the day."

"Ah yes, I heard about your girlfriend dating someone else in the office. That woman from the elevator yesterday, right?"

I looked up and met those hazel-green eyes. How had she found out? A person so new was not typically privy to the office gossip.

"I don't think she's dating her..."

"Two lunches and a fuck? You're deluding yourself. It might not last long but she's making it damn clear she's with this new girl."

My mouth was hanging open. Or maybe it just felt like it was. I'm not sure. I just sat there in silence.

"Look, office romances suck. Why do you think people tell you to avoid them? This woman is dogging you in front of your co-workers. It's fucked up. And I understand you two had been an item for a little while, right?"

"Six months."

"Really? Damn, thatis fucked up."

I was startled by her language, by her willingness to talk about my personal problem, about...everything.

"Now, I know I gave you some time off yesterday, but it's clear you really need some time off today also. So, I know it's only 2pm, but go home because you're not doing much for me here sulking around."

I was about to protest but she held up her hand to silence me.

"Don't thank me yet, I need something from you in return. I can't get any real work done with all these interruptions, so I'm coming in this weekend. I need you here. I know you cannot earn over time pay, so I'll pay you out of my own pocket."

Was she kidding? I should payher for not firing me! "That's fine Ms. Caldwell. And you don't need to pay me. What time would you like me here tomorrow?"

"9am, I want to put in a full day on Saturday and half a day on Sunday."

I nodded. I was about to stand and leave when she raised a brow. I sat back down without a word.

"You don't get off that easy Georgia. I'm pretty tolerant of a lot of things, but you cannot take out your personal frustrations on your boss."

I nodded vigorously, "I know, you're right. I'm so sorry—"

"Shut up Georgia."

She wasn't joking when she said it either. It was a softly spoken command that I followed without hesitation.

"Now, the next time something like that happens, Iwill find a creative way to punish you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am." Don't ask me wherethat came from, it just seemed like the most appropriate response.

She nodded her head approvingly. "And Georgia?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Youwill get me coffee and you will learn toenjoy getting me coffee. I need an assistant that wants to please me, wants to keep me happy. Do you understand?

I nodded again, ignoring the feelings that rushed through me with those words. What waswrong with me? Even my nipples were getting hard, donot ask me why.

"I didn't hear you Georgia," she demanded softly.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good girl. And I like the sound of 'ma'am', call me that for now. Now, go home and settle yourself. I will see you tomorrow."

I stood and left without another word. My nipples were rubbing against the soft fabric of my bra as I shut down my computer. I had no idea what was going on with me. All I knew was that suddenly I was not pining over Reese as I should have been. Instead, I could not get a pair of piercing hazel-green eyes out of my mind.

**********

Reese did not call me that night and she ignored my many calls to her. I practically begged her to call me back. When she didn't call the next morning, I had to face the reality that I could be written off so easily. Six months and it was over just like that? I wiped the tears from my cheeks and pulled on a pair of jeans after my shower. I hoped casual wear was fine for the weekends. I glanced at a clock and winced. I would be late unless I called a cab. The dispatcher promised to send one over in 10 minutes.

I handed over the last of my cash to the cab driver. When I stepped off the elevator, I had two minutes to spare. I was about to punch in when a deep, raspy voice stopped me.

"No need to punch in on Saturday, Georgia."

I smiled, replacing my time card. "Yes, of course. I forgot."

I turned to face Lee who was wearing a pair of faded jeans herself with an oversized white men's shirt. The tails of the shirt hung loosely around her slim frame. She raised a brow when I met her eyes.

"You forgot,what?"

I was confused for a moment and then remembered the directive from yesterday. "I forgot,ma'am."

Lee nodded, "good girl."

I thought I should be insulted by those two words, but for some reason they were becoming the most comforting words I had heard in a long time. I smiled nervously as Lee looked me over for a long moment.

"Okay, let's get to work."

Those were the last words spoken between us for quite a few hours. As Lee concentrated on the files spread across her desk, I typed up notes and letters from Lee's personal tape recorder, pulled numerous files and returned phone calls to clients who promised to be in their offices this weekend. When someone rang the bell for the main door, I stood to answer it without hesitation.

"Yes?"
"Delivery for Ms. Caldwell."

I opened the thick wooden door and allowed the delivery woman to place the bags on the receptionist's counter. The smells wafting up from the bags tugged at my hunger strings. I glanced at my watch and realized it was already 2. I carried the bags to one of the smaller conference rooms and set the table for two, using the office's disposable plates, cups, napkins and eating utensils. I then knocked on Lee's door lightly and waited for her to respond. She called for me to enter a moment later.

"Lunch is here, ma'am." I was sure to remember the proper title this time. I took in my new boss, smiling at the pencil stuck behind her ear, the rolled up sleeves and the look of concentration on her face. Lee worked hard and seemed to know what she was doing. No one could claim she was an Affirmative Action charity case.

"Fine Georgia, wait for me in the conference room."

I nodded and closed the door behind me, again following her orders without question. I sat to the left of the chair at the head of the table. Somehow I knew Lee would want to sit at the head of the table. I sat waiting, my stomach growling, wondering if the food would be cold when Lee finally arrived. Maybe I should cover up the numerous dishes, or perhaps microwave everything? I was about to begin heating up the food when Lee finally arrived. I stood when Lee entered. Lee sat and I began to serve her. I wasn't sure why, but it just seemed natural for me to serve her. Minutes later we sat down to eat.

When we were done, Lee simply stood and left the conference room. I cleaned up after her without being asked to do so.

We worked in silence for the rest of the afternoon. At 5:30 Lee announced that we were done for the day and that she would see me at nine tomorrow. I followed her out of the office, watching as she locked the main door, and then following her onto the elevator. When the elevator doors closed I was more than a little surprised when Lee backed me up against one of the walls. Her lips covered mine hungrily. My nipples were instantly hard and the swelling of my nether lips was almost painful. I knew there had been an underlying sexual tension between us and I was glad I hadn't been imagining it. As her tongue danced with mine, I closed my eyes and reveled in the feel of her complete control over me. Something inside of me wanted to submit to her. I could feel it. Her hands were on my waist again and the arousal quickly spread from my head to the juncture between my thighs. She pulled away from me, taking a moment to suck at my bottom lip tenderly.

"You did very well today, baby girl," she complemented me in her throaty whisper. I smiled at the complement.

"Thank me when I complement you, Georgia." She ordered huskily.

The sound of my name on her lips caused a shiver to run down my spine, "thank you, ma'am."

Lee smiled, "good girl. I'll see you tomorrow."

The elevator doors opened and she was gone. I had to shake my head for a moment to clear away her presence before I could move. I walked in a daze to the trolley station, my brain working overtime trying to figure out what had just happened. I had no idea why I responded in such a way to someone who was trying to control my every move, my every thought, my every wish. It was scary...and yet intoxicating. She was not insecure. She was not unsure of herself. She probably wouldn't care if someone else put their hands around my waist. And I think she knew she had me. It had only taken her two days.

Sunday was uneventful. She was all business. We never discussed the kiss in the elevator and it didn't happen again. We stayed until 2pm and then parted ways. She didn't touch me all day, nor did she call me "baby girl." I had fallen asleep to the sound of those words in my ear the night before and it was like a physical ache when she didn't say them again. I was afraid I had upset her. Afraid I had disappointed her in some way. I had arrived on time, served her lunch at noon and then cleaned away her dishes. I finished every assignment she gave me, but still, nothing. As I watched her walk away from me, I felt nothing but frustration and anxiety.

**********

I dressed carefully the next morning, choosing an A-line ankle length emerald green skirt and a black blouse. Black low-heeled boots complemented the outfit nicely. I examined myself in the mirror for quite some time before grabbing my purse to leave. It was only 7am but I wanted to get to the office early. I wanted to have her coffee waiting for her when she arrived. I briefly wondered what was happening to me, but then dismissed the thought.

I was startled when the phone rang. For a moment I thought of ignoring it, but I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders and decided to answer it. The voice on the other end was no surprise.

"Gee, how are you?"

I swallowed, digesting the emotions that swirled through me. The most prominent one was guilt. We had not yet officially broken up and already I was going to sleep with another woman on my mind. Already I had kissed someone else. Of course, Reese had done much worse...

"Hey Reese. I'm good. It's good to hear your voice."

There was a pause on the other end, "look, we need to talk. Can I pick you up and take you to breakfast?"

I paused. It would be nice to avoid this. I wanted to focus on Lee today. But I needed to get this over and done with. It was clear to me now that the two of us should not be together.

"Sure Reese, but I need to get to the office by 8:30, okay?"

"Yea, sure. See you in a few."

She took me to a diner near our office building. We had eaten there before, but I wasn't feeling very sentimental at the moment. I wanted to be upstairs when Lee arrived.

"Gee, baby, I'm sorry. I flipped when I saw that woman touch you. And you didn't seem to mind at all. I know she's your type and all. And then when she turned out to be your boss...I just lost it. I fucked up and I'm sorry."

I nodded, watching her as I sipped at a cup of coffee.

"I was wondering if I could buy you dinner tonight." She offered with that charming smile that I would have given the world to see just a few days earlier.

I cleared my throat, this was harder to say than I thought it would be. "Reese, I was really upset when I saw you with Pam. Really hurt. But I've been thinking about it and I realized that maybe it was a sign. Maybe we're not meant to be right now."

Once the words left my mouth I wondered what the hell I was saying. Reese had been good to me. She was caring, charming, adorable. She was kind hearted. She had lost it for a little while because she felt threatened. Should I let that end what could be a solid relationship? We just had a few things to work out, right? What was I doing?

But when my mind flashed back to that kiss in the elevator, and my body responded as if it had just happened moments earlier, I knew that I wanted to explore whatever was going on with Lee. Even if it didn't go anywhere, I would regret not taking the chance. Lee satisfied something deep within me. An itch Reese had been unable to scratch. I would be a fool to pass up an opportunity to see where this was going, wouldn't I?

"So that's it? I fuck up one time and that's it?"

I shifted uneasily as Reese's tone grew cold and angry. Not that I thought she would hit me or anything like that, but I didn't want her to make a scene either. Many of our co-workers stopped at this diner to grab a muffin or bagel before work. I didn't want to be the talk around the office yet again. The mess on Friday had not died down yet.

"Reese, why don't we talk about it later? Okay?"

"Why, will I get a different response later?" She snapped.

"Probably not." I had made up my mind.

I could see the anger in her face and wondered how I would get out of this situation when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. Judging from the current that shot through me, I knew who it was. Reese stood up, her eyes glazed over with anger.

"We're having a private conversation if you don't fucking mind," Reese bit out.

I stood up, trying to cool things off, "Reese, this is the new VP, Ashley Caldwell. Ms. Caldwell, this is Tereesa Netcomb from accounting."

Lee nodded in Reese's direction, "I need Georgia upstairs."

I gathered up my purse as she offered my excuse to leave. Reese stood there fuming as I preceded Lee out the door. I wanted to dance my way to the building and into the elevator. I had stood my ground with Reese and Lee had rescued me! I felt like a lesbian princess! Okay, yes, I know that was a stupid feeling, but that's how I felt! But I remained calm as Lee placed her hand at the small of my back and escorted me across the street and into the lobby. God I love a butch who knows how to be a butch.

After that Saturday kiss and the Monday morning rescue the rest of the week was pretty humdrum. Reese avoided me like the plague, which was fine with me. Lee was all business and that was a disappointment. As we finished up a project late Friday afternoon, I wondered if she would ask me to work the weekend again. My heart leapt just a little when the intercom buzzed. I hurried into her office.

"Yes ma'am."

Lee was packing up her briefcase, "I'm in Atlanta until Thursday next week."