An Indispensable Woman Ch. 01

But too soon the shower was over, and Dani was wiping Amara's naked body with a soft, dry towel.

"Can you live in?" Amara asked as Dani was on her knees, drying Amara's legs. She felt no discomfort standing nude in front of the younger woman.

"Live here?"

"Yes. I'm going to need a lot of help for at least the next few weeks. Not just housework, either."

The doctor had said her right shoulder should be immobilized for at least a week, and would be weak and susceptible to re-injury for several weeks after that. Her sprained left wrist would be splinted for several days and tender for a couple of weeks at minimum. She'd be without effective use of her hands until then.

"I got a few things on the go. Jobs and such. Living in is a problem," Dani said.

"I'll pay you for your time. I'd make up for any lost income on your part."

"There's got to be a service that'll do that stuff for you."

"I want you, not a service," Amara said, her voice filled with certainty. She was more convinced than ever that Dani was the solution to her life's most pressing needs. "Tell me what you need and we'll talk it through. We'll make it work."

"I'll stay tonight, sleep in the guest room," Dani said; a statement rather than a question. "I'll let you know tomorrow. Good?"

"Yes, perfect. Thank you. Let me know if you need anything to be more comfortable."

****

Dani

She wasn't sure why she'd gotten up early to make breakfast. Wasn't really her job, after all, and God knows she would have loved to sleep in. But Amara couldn't cook it, and someone needed to feed the kid, and that left it up to Dani. And now the mom wanted her to live in, and for some reason Dani was probably going to agree.

She sighed in frustration and whisked the pancake batter. The shower had gone too far. She should have kept it professional; the housekeeping gig paid really well and Amara was an appreciative and cool boss. Why risk fucking all that up for sex?

She knew why - it was that blush. The sight of a blushing woman worked some kind of magic on Dani's libido, and Amara had just about the most adorable blush she'd ever seen. A beautiful red, from the roots of her hair down to the tops of those amazing tits. It was like catnip or something; it flipped a switch in Dani's brain that shut down the rational part.

So now she had the hots for her boss. She'd been down that road once before and knew it didn't lead anywhere good.

She heard Amara coming down the stairs and looked over her shoulder briefly to see her enter the kitchen dressed in the same pink panties and half-camisole Dani had dressed her in last night for bed.

"Looking good," Dani said with a quick wink. Amara flushed red at the compliment and gave a shy smile. Dani had to suppress a groan. Just adorable. Fuck!

"Thanks. Maybe when you're done you can help me change into something more office-appropriate?"

"Yeah, sure. Sleep well?"

"Not really - it's hard to sleep when every movement is painful. But I got enough to last through the day. You?"

Dani nodded and continued to whisk. The silence was comfortable and stretched to a minute.

"Did you give any thought to living in?" Amara asked. The tone was light but Dani knew how much the other woman was counting on it.

Dani had thought about what she wanted to say and hoped she wouldn't mess it up. She stayed facing the pancake batter, hoping that would help her focus. "Yeah. Remember that first night you asked me where my life was going? About my goals?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, I've been thinking about that a lot. Trying to think of what a good goal would be. I thought of something last night."

"Really?

"Yeah. I figured maybe a good goal would be to help you hit your goals. I mean, your goals are better than anything I've got going now, so..." Dani trailed off. "Or is that a stupid idea?"

There was a silence that lasted a lot longer than she expected, so Dani looked over her shoulder again and found Amara quietly wiping away tears with her splinted left hand. For a mom, that woman did a lot of crying.

"It's not stupid," Amara said, her voice a whisper.

"Good. So then, I'll agree to live in, but I got a few conditions."

"Name them."

"Okay. First, I need six-hundred a week. Being here full-time means I got to give up some other jobs I do on the side-"

"I'm happy to pay. Six-hundred a week is fine." Amara cut her off gently. That threw Dani off a bit; she'd expected some push-back. Six-hundred was a pretty big number, after all.

"Uh, okay. I was also thinking I'd drop you off at work and pick you up every day. You can't drive right now anyway, and me having your car while you're at work means I can do groceries and errands and stuff without always having to borrow my buddy's car. I've got insurance, so..."

"I agree. Anything else?"

Dani nodded. Now the hard part. She put down the mixing bowl and turned to face Amara, looking her dead in the eye.

"For us to both meet our goals, your schedule has got to change. So from now on, you're off work at five-thirty every day, and no working past noon on the weekends. And you'll be going to bed earlier, too. I'll be in charge of all that, making sure it happens."

She could see Amara's eyes widen in surprise, which changed to doubt, then to displeasure. Dani didn't drop her gaze - she'd figured this would be the battleground and was ready.

"I don't think you understand what my job involves. I can't just punch the clock and walk away after nine or ten hours. I'm falling behind as it is, and you're asking me to trim twenty-plus hours a week out of my work schedule?"

"You barely see Anne and you hardly sleep. That's not helping you be a good mom or do good at your job," Dani said.

That seemed to set Amara back, but she quickly regrouped.

"I worked almost twenty years to build this career, Dani. What you're proposing would destroy it."

"You'll work seven-thirty to five-thirty, five days a week, and to noon on Saturday and Sunday. That's...what...fifty-eight hours per week? You're saying cutting back to fifty-eight hours a week will destroy your career?"

Amara paused, like she was doing the math herself, then abandoned that line of attack.

"But...I've only known you for three weeks. You think you can just step in and take charge of my life?"

Rather than back off, Dani stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Amara's left shoulder. She kept her tone soft.

"Isn't that what you want? Someone to take control and handle things here? Someone you trust who can deal with all the bullshit and let you focus on Anne and your job? Someone who can carry the load?"

Amara's expression became uncertain and she looked away. Dani touched her cheek and guided Amara's eyes back to her own.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Dani said.

They looked into one another's eyes for several moments, each seeking the truth. Finally Amara sighed.

"You're not wrong."

"I can do this, Amara. I know I can."

"I believe you. I trust you," Amara said, then gave a brave smile. "At least give me all Saturday, too? For work, I mean."

Dani considered. "Fine, but only until dinner. Saturday evenings are for Anne, and all Sunday as well. Good?"

Amara paused, then nodded. "Okay. I agree."

"I'm in charge now?" Dani asked, almost not believing her conditions had been agreed to. She'd been prepared for much stronger resistance.

"Yes." A lovely blush rose in Amara's cheeks and she tried to look away but Dani's fingers prevented it.

"Yes, what?" Dani pressed. A little childish, maybe, but she'd never been in charge of anything before and was dying to hear the words spoken out loud.

"Yes...ma'am?"

There was a silence, and the words hung in the air between them. Dani gave a subtle smile and Amara's blush deepened as the full implications of the formal address settled over them both.

"Then it's a deal. Let's get you dressed and get Anne up before I put these pancakes on the grill," Dani said, deliberately dropping her hand and giving Amara's panty-clad bum an affectionate pat.

Things might work out after all, she mused.