Beautiful Honesty Pt. 01

BEAUTIFUL HONESTY Part 01

Long smolder between co-workers bursts into flame.

Author's Note:

My first in the Romance category. This started as a stand-alone story but became more. I'm putting the finishing touches on the next part as I submit Part 01.

I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

MP

~~~

Ben Mikkala savored the burn of Scotch snaking down his throat. He reclined in the hot tub and looked at the night sky as the bubbling jets soothed his muscles. Even through clouds of rising steam the stars sparkled brightly. He was at Loon Dance Lodge in the far northern part of the state, at a continuing education seminar for county prosecutors. As always, the DA's asked him to teach because he was a top gun in the state Attorney General's office. He exhaled to release some of the tension locked in his body and was once again grateful to be up there. I really needed to get out of our home. He took another healthy sip. Well, my home...now.

The lodge door opened and three other attorneys from the AG's office emerged. They were also here to teach sessions. Sandy Simpson, bubbly as the hot tub, was from the appellate unit. She'd be leading a session in the morning. Her husband, Frank Simpson, had the afternoon. His dry delivery perfectly counterbalanced her effusiveness.

Zoe was the third person.

Zoe Ballistreri. Zoe Balls to some of the male prosecutors because she "had a set" in the courtroom. Zoe, who was the other top gun in the Major Crimes Unit. They were close friends and the only attorney either was willing to co-chair a case with. Their styles differed, a lot, but complimented each other.

Zoe, who was so fucking beautiful that Ben physically ached when he made the mistake of really looking at her. Like right then, when she opened her wrap to reveal a bikini that only covered the essentials. Barely. Almost obscenely skimpy. As if perfection could ever be obscene. Sandy and Frank also looked at her, but not like Ben did. She sees how I look at her. And it doesn't bother her. Didn't matter. She's sort of engaged and my coworker. And Ben knew she was casual about nudity. Not that he'd seen her nude - Oh God - but because she vacationed at clothing optional resorts with Ken.

Ben struggled to look away as Zoe walked around the communal hot tub to where he was sitting before stepping in to sit next to him. Her bare leg and arm slid against his. She's fucking silk. His cock stiffened under the water and he forced his gaze to the other two. "You guys ready for tomorrow?"

"Sure." Sandy said. "But we're wishing we were done so we could kick back tonight. Like you."

The bartender came out to take drink orders. The D.A.'s were at their banquet so it was quiet in the bar. The Simpsons both ordered beers and Zoe looked at Ben, wondering what he was drinking. He held his glass high and said, "Scotch rocks please. A double this time."

"Same for me." Zoe said and wondered what was up with Ben. Something.

"You guys were great today." Frank said. Ben taught a session on "Effective Courtroom Tactics" and Zoe covered "Recent Decisions and Changes to State Law".

Sandy nodded her agreement and added, "I really like when you're up there together. There's a special energy."

"Like today when you talked about controlling a courtroom." Frank added, addressing Ben.

They all recalled the question Ben got. He'd been talking about how to control the pace and focus of a courtroom more effectively than the judge, all from the prosecutor's table. The question came from a young, newly elected female DA, who'd said, "That's fine for you because you project a dominant male presence. You command attention, but that won't work for me." Ben's reputation was state wide and attorneys from both sides of the aisle often came just to watch him in action.

He'd smiled at the questioner and said, "The perfect question." Then he'd gestured at Zoe. "I present the master of courtroom control." Zoe blushed. "All charm." She hadn't expected this but played along by comically batting her eyelashes. "She comes at you softly and low key and before you know what's happening she has disemboweled your case and it's a mess sitting in your lap." Everyone smiled and there were a few chuckles. "She does it in her style and by knowing her case inside and out. Every angle and potential bump. She's thinking about the next five things and when the evidence jumps the rails she knows her case well enough to prevent a crash.

"Your way. Know where you're going with your case and move it there, your way. Stay in front of the witnesses, the evidence, potential objections and rulings, so you're not reacting to what defense counsel or a witness or the judge throw at you." He'd looked at Zoe. "Have a plan, like Ms. Ballistreri."

She'd been embarrassed then. When the whole room looked at her she thought, well...I didn't plan this.

The bartender returned with their drinks and took Ben's empty glass away. "How many was that?" Zoe asked. Something's up with him. I feel it.

"My first." Ben replied flatly. "Of many to come." He raised his glass and they all took a drink.

"How's your fiancée?" Sandy asked Zoe.

"We're not really engaged," she replied, "but Ken is fine." Sandy raised an eyebrow so Zoe continued. "He asked me to marry him and I said probably, someday, and now he gets a kick out of telling people we're engaged."

"Sounds engaged to me." Frank said. "You're buying the condo together, right?"

"Yes"

"Engaged." Frank declared.

For his part, Ben noticed how the topic irritated her and thought that was new.

Then they all turned to the approaching sound of an obnoxiously loud voice. "And here we have the best and brightest." The voice belonged to Bradley - not Brad thank you - Ashman, and he was obviously drunk. Behind his back they knew him as "Ass-man." All four attorneys disliked him but still nodded in greeting, except for Ben who ignored him. Bradley's forte in the Department was administrative hearings and earlier he'd been scheduled to teach a seminar titled, "Representing Your County in Administrative Hearings before State and Federal Agencies." He cancelled the seminar when no one showed up for it.

He stopped next to the hot tub and swayed as he leered at Zoe and Ben. "You two are always together." He proclaimed. "Beauty and the beast." Sandy and Frank were invisible to him. Zoe felt Ben grow still next to her. It wasn't a calm still. He was like an animal poised to spring. Bradley continued obliviously, addressing Ben. "My wife Ann talks about seeing your girlfriend around the hospital and how beautiful she is, but here you are in a hot tub with Zoe." He spoke as if he was making a big joke.

Ben still hadn't turned to him.

"Annie said she sees her in the cafeteria a lot with another cardiologist, the new one. She thinks they make the most attractive couple she's ever seen in real life."

The thought that occurred to Zoe was superficial but undeniably true, and probably shared by all of them. The new doctor is handsome, and Ben isn't. The simple truth.

Ben looked at Bradley then.

"Just saying," Bradley continued in a drunken slur, "I'd be nervous being away for several nights." He smiled effusively to continue the charade that he was joking. "Especially if I was in a hot tub with another woman and all."

Sandy smiled then too, relieved to believe this was all a joke.

Nobody else did.

"Tell me Brad," Ben spoke softly, "do you decide it's time to be an asshole or does it just bubble on out of you?" He also smiled like he was joking.

Anger flashed on Bradley's face. He started to reply but stopped and stumbled back when Ben suddenly stood up in the hot tub. Zoe grabbed Ben's hand. Bradley finally saw the genuine menace on Ben's face. He spun around so quickly he almost fell over before reeling off in a muttering, drunken gait.

Zoe felt Ben deflate as he dropped back into the soothing water. This is so unlike him. She became genuinely concerned.

"Sorry guys." Ben mumbled before taking a sip that almost finished off his drink.

The conversation resumed but was uncomfortably reserved. After sufficient time passed to keep it from being awkward, the Simpsons stood and stepped from the tub, saying they had to get ready for the next day. Zoe asked them to stop in the bar on their way and tell the bartender to bring another pair of doubles.

When they left, Zoe stayed alongside Ben in the bubbling jets. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Fuck you, Ben." They were always very direct with each other. "You never let The Ass-man get to you but tonight he played you perfectly, and he's falling down drunk."

Ben looked at her. The tub bubbled and foamed. He tipped his head back and watched the steam rise into the night sky. He sighed and took a healthy sip. Still looking into the sky he said, "The new Cardiologist's name is Sam, or 'Samuel' as Celeste calls him. I met him the day before coming up here and he really is as handsome as Cell is beautiful."

"So what?" Zoe said, "That's not the sort of thing that's ever bothered you." Fuck. Zoe realized. I may as well say "you've never been handsome so why let it bother you now?" Ben reminded her of the actor, Sam Elliot. The hair, the mustache, and the voice - just not the looks. Elliot was ruggedly handsome. Ben was ruggedly...rugged. Out of the courtroom you'd guess he was a carpenter or farmer or something like that, never a trial attorney.

He lowered his gaze to look at her again. "Mostly I'm pissed at myself." He said. "I mean what was I doing with her in the first place? I knew it would never work, so what was I after?"

Zoe understood then. "Was?"

"Celeste left five weeks ago. She moved to her sister's to 'figure things out.'" His voice became matter of fact, like he was done pining. "She asked me to bring the rest of her things over there before I came up here." His face took on a self-deprecating look that really didn't suit him. "I met Samuel... He was there to move Cell's stuff to his place."

"Well...fuck all." Zoe said softly. "She hadn't told you?"

"No." Then he smiled. "It was all quite awkward. Cell and her sister and brother in law and Sam all got red faced." He shook his head with the memory. "I was the one getting his pants pulled down in public, and the only one who wasn't embarrassed. As soon as I understood what-was-what, I realized I'd been waiting for something like that to happen. All the time we were together - we weren't, quite? You know?"

Zoe nodded. She did know.

"Even when we made love we were still separate?" He added. Ben looked at Zoe to see if she had any idea what he was talking about, and saw understanding.

She understood with a clarity that disturbed her. After reflecting she asked, "You think the Ass-man knew? I mean that Celeste was moving in with him."

"No doubt." He took his last sip. "Gotta be the talk of the hospital."

Zoe moved sideways until they were touching and leaned against him. Bare wet skin against bare wet skin from thigh to shoulder. More physical contact than had occurred between them in five years of working closely together. Apparently innocent contact for Zoe, but contact that triggered a new rush of warm blood into Ben's cock.

The only sound was the hush of foam bubbles popping at the surface.

Ben cursed his tumescence. He cursed that he'd wanted Zoe since before he ever met Celeste. And he finally accepted something that had long niggled at the edge of his conscious thoughts. I 'settled' with Cell. She wasn't Zoe but she was beautiful and I couldn't keep working with Zo every day and then go to an empty home at night.

His thoughts were interrupted by the bartender with their drinks. She traded fresh ones for the empties and said, "I'm supposed to close when it's only two customers so these are your last call. Sorry." Then she smiled at them and added, "Looks like you're ready to head to your room anyway, but no hurry."

They struggled to contain their laughter about her thinking they were a couple, but it broke into a giggle as she walked away. Zoe's hand went to Ben's thigh to squeeze him in shared amusement... and bumped his erection. She was startled. Not so much by the fact he was hard - which was startling enough - as by what else her hand registered. His size. She'd only bumped it and didn't grab him or anything. I want to. To find out. She'd always figured he wasn't 'lacking' - from his confidence, or something? But it felt... Maybe it was just the way my hand bumped him.

While Zoe's thoughts raced, Ben desperately wanted her to hold him. Feel what you've always done to me Zoe. But he pretended he hadn't noticed the contact and tried to ignore his aching cock. Her hand is right there. He started talking again to stop thinking about it, "We never really clicked in bed."

Zoe was taken aback. She silently puzzled. We've never been in bed?

Ben continued, "At first it was fine because we were new lovers but when that wore off I kept waiting to feel a deeper connection."

He's talking about Celeste. Of course. Zoe felt ridiculous.

"But I never did. Now I don't think it could ever happen. Maybe it's the beautiful person thing?"

Zoe's mind was racing to catch up to what Ben was saying. "What's that?" She asked.

"Well...," he hesitated, "that really beautiful people are often lousy in bed and never really connect because they always have someone wanting them anyway? They don't learn how to excite a lover because they've never had to, and never learn how to really connect?" Ben suddenly looked like he'd said something bad. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically, "I'm half loaded and don't mean anything personal."

Zoe was confused again. What the hell does that mean? Then she got it. He's talking about Ken. She said, "Well... Yes, I've heard that and wondered. I've seen the way women look at Ken and he's certainly aware of it." Like Carrie. An attorney who worked in his office. The Bitch. She knew the liquor was loosening her tongue but still kept going. I want to talk about this stuff. "And yes, he could learn a few things about pleasing a woman in bed, but he will?" She didn't voice her other thought. A lot of women have to get themselves off...after?

It was Ben's turn to be surprised. Surprised by what she said, but more by what he realized. She doesn't know I'm apologizing because she's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on.

Then it was his turn to let liquor-loosened lips finally speak. "Zoe." Their eyes met. "In you I see strength and intimidating intelligence. Quiet courage." He smiled, "A sense of humor that fucking slays me." Their eyes held. "I see your heart Zoe." He took a deep breath, "All in the most beautiful woman I've ever beheld."

"I'm not." Zoe was emphatic.

He raised a finger to silence her, and continued. "I remember the exact moment I first saw you. In Law School. Looking down at me from the balcony in the Law Library. I froze, transfixed by so exquisite a woman looking at me." He looked away from her and leaned back, not needing a response.

Zoe said, "I remember you were in the class behind mine. She didn't say she remembered that encounter - even though she did. She didn't mention it because she didn't want to tell him she stared at him that day because he looked different? He looked so out of place.

Ben's bold declaration of her beauty shook her.

This whole hot tub exchange was new ground for them.

Zoe felt over-hot and scooted up to sit on the tub surround.

Ben turned to look at her, concerned she was leaving because of what he'd said, and the view destroyed him. Fucking gorgeous. Almost naked. Chest moving with her breath and water droplets streaming over bare skin and into cleavage. She was visibly flushed. Fuck.

He looked away.

"Ben, I'm getting too hot."

You always have been, he thought.

When she stepped from the tub, Ben was captivated by her ass and long legs, and where they came together. That's where Ben looked when Zoe bent over to grab her wrap and keys. She said, "I need a shower and dry PJ's. You going up?"

"Sure. In a bit."

"We could finish these drinks on the balcony," she said, "If you're not too late."

Ben watched her walk away before he stepped from the Jacuzzi with a towel in front of him. He planned to keep it there all the way to his room. Boner-tented swim shorts isn't a good look at a prosecutor's seminar. Maybe I should have stood as she was leaving? Let Zoe see what she does to me. No. He knew better. Even half-drunk he understood his mood lent itself to missteps he'd regret later. Be careful dumbass.

~~

Zoe was still flushed when she got up to her room. It adjoined Ben's. She pulled the strings on her bikini, let it fall to the floor and stood before the mirror. She knew why she felt this way and it wasn't the hot tub. It was the conversation. Things could go so wrong. Intimacy would ruin... everything? She watched her reflection as she cupped her breasts. She imagined them in his hands and squeezed. We've never even hinted at it. She turned to check out her ass. Does he watch my ass when I'm walking away from him...and what does he think?

Earlier, when they prepped for their seminars, they had the doors between their rooms open. Zoe opened hers again, and was heading for the shower when she heard Ben enter his room. She returned and knocked from her side. "Hey Ben, the door to my side is unlocked." Then she turned back for the shower.

Ben opened the door when she knocked because he was right next to it, and saw her walking towards her bathroom. Butt... Fucking... Naked. Oh fuck. He was transfixed. The erection that'd calmed as he walked to his room sprang to life. Jesus! Did she hear me open the door?

She did...

...and left her bathroom door open too. Her hands trembled on the shower controls. Ironically, she thought about their seminar earlier that day, when he said she always had a plan. I don't have a plan for this. Ben? Please. I don't have a plan for this. She strained to hear him approaching.

He didn't.

He'd always heard that cold showers are the cure and started the cold in his. Why am I starting it before I'm even undressed? He snorted. I don't have to wait for the water to heat up. He struggled to lower his shorts past the most determined boner of his life. All full of yourself now, my hard friend, but wait for this... He stepped into a shower of cold water.

Zoe didn't hear him coming to join her, but heard something? He's not coming. She started soaping her body, relieved. That's best. Of course. Everything - as it was. She washed her face, and her shoulders. When she reached behind to wash her back she felt the water hitting her breasts and when she soaped them she felt how stiff her nipples were. Her soapy fingers wandered between her legs. They found her clit, unhooded and waiting. Oh...not now. But she didn't pull her hand away. Her slippery pearl compelled her fingers. Just a touch. Feels, so, nice. Zoe closed her eyes and steadied herself against the shower wall. Just...a...little...more. The orgasm that ripped through her body shocked her by happening so quickly. And powerfully.