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“Help!”
Vi Lanes spun around. Jumping to a call for help was utterly instinctual for an A&E consultant, and she nearly knocked into her sister who’d been walking beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Powder questioned, confused, looking around as well. They had been making their way through the exhibition of medieval paintings and text at the National Museum when the cry sounded, and Vi was already moving in the direction of a commotion at the far end of the room.
“Somebody!” The voice was female and shaky. They spotted a young woman waving her arms, and people were drawing close fast. “Does anyone know first aid?”
And that was when they got close enough to spot the body on the floor, an elderly man who wasn’t moving, with a lady of similar age trying to shake him awake. With a jolt of adrenaline, Vi’s medical instincts set in and she sprinted the remaining distance across the room.
“I’m a doctor, I can help!” She called out, pushing her way through the gathering crowd. This was not how she had expected the first day of her annual leave to go. Just over twenty-four hours ago, she had wished her colleagues at St. Thomas A&E department a pleasant week without her, and here she was, already running the duty rota through her head to work out who would be working today and best placed to help this gentleman once he got there. If he could make it that far, that was. “Powder, call 999!” She instructed her sister who had followed, and was already pulling her phone from her pocket.
“What do I tell them?” She questioned, dialling, as Vi dropped to her knees beside the lifeless man and sought out a pulse on his neck that she couldn’t find. He wasn’t breathing either.
“Cardiac arrest, tell them to make it quick,” she answered and took a moment to regard the lady that was likely the man’s wife with a kind, reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine, I’m gonna do my best to help, but I need you to take a step back please.” She cast a glance up to the younger woman, going by family resemblance likely the daughter, and she took her meaning, gently pulling her mother away who was sobbing, obviously terrified. It shook Vi, relatives always did, experience didn’t take that away, but she couldn’t waste any time. Every moment she delayed this man’s chances of survival decreased. Quickly she folded her hands together, one over the other, and knelt up to start chest compressions. “They’re on their way,” Powder called to her and the medic nodded, satisfied, as she blew a strand of pink hair from her face that fell in her way as she pumped on her patient’s chest. It was a start, now she just had to get the poor man’s heart beating again. They were in a big public place, surely there would be a–
“Can someone find the AED in this place? Surely there must be one,” she exclaimed and her eyes found two staff members among the onlookers.
“I’m sorry, we don’t have any,” a young man answered in a stutter.
“What?” Vi couldn’t believe what she was hearing as she bent down to blow air into the man’s lungs. She was methodical and professional about it. “You can’t be serious, a huge museum like this?” She looked to the other staff member once she was back to chest compressions, and the middle-aged woman in question added:
“I’m sorry, we’ve called for an ambulance as well.” As if it made a difference. They were in for a wait. The medic knew her arms would soon start to ache - even the hours she put in at the gym couldn’t prevent that -, but she wouldn’t let anyone else take over and chance them doing it wrong.
“Great, that’s just great,” she huffed sarcastically, redoubling her efforts as she ran the numbers in her head. She had been working in emergency medicine for many years. She knew only about ten percent of cardiac arrests outside of hospital survived. With every passing minute, the chances of survival lessened, even with CPR that she performed to the best of her abilities. She also knew that in the UK, the average response time to a category 1 call – life-threatening – was meant to be seven minutes, but in reality the average lay around ten, the 90th centile rested around twenty. She might as well stop now, spare the family the show, but she was far too bullheaded for that.
And she kept at it until the paramedics pulled her off the pensioner’s chest a good fifteen minutes later.
“Vi, it’s okay, you tried,” Powder tried to comfort her once she stormed off, away from the curious onlookers, who were being shepherded aside so the paramedics could work – not that there was anything they would be able to do. But it wasn’t for them to pronounce him dead. That was a doctor’s job. Vi could have done it, but she was in no frame of mind to do so.
“It’s not okay! Fifteen bloody minutes for a Cat 1!” She snapped, airing her frustration. “If I’d at least had a defibrillator! I could have–” The medic ran her fingers through her shaggy head of hair, fighting for composure. “A huge public museum, priceless exhibitions, but God forbid we spend money to save lives!” Medical spending was always a touchy subject for the consultant.
“Most places don’t, Vi…” Powder continued gently, placing her hand on her back. She could read the situation just right, she knew her sister well enough, she also knew what the family of the poor man still had to hear. “And you don’t even know if it would have made a difference. I know how you get, you want to save everyone, but–”
“How I get?” Vi exclaimed, jolting away from her. “Excuse me for caring about the lives of the people around me, it’s why I became a doctor!” she snapped, but it wasn’t her sister she was angry with. She had done nothing wrong. “I’m going to find whoever is in charge here and give them a piece of my mind,” she decided and without hesitation or awaiting Powder’s opinion on the matter, she walked off. They had passed the staff offices not long ago, she knew where she was going.
“Vi, don’t do that. Vi!” her sister called after her, sounding mortified at the prospect.
“Don’t wait for me. This day of fun has definitely reached its conclusion,” Vi shot back.
“But– About tonight, don’t forget to–” Powder rushed, and the medic waved her off.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
As predicted, it didn’t take her long to find the director of the museum. This was owed mostly due to the fact that she spotted a group of staff members moving towards the scene of the incident. They were escorting a tall woman with midnight-blue hair, who stood out from the group wearing a tailored navy dress with matching blazer. A lanyard rested against her chest, identifying her as a member of staff. She certainly looked like someone in charge, by the way she was carrying herself alone. Her heels echoed through the corridor.
“Excuse me, hey, hang on!” Vi called out, stalking towards them.
“Sorry?” The director’s head whipped around to her, clearly not expecting the interruption and the whole group halted, puzzled.
“I need a word with you,” the medic announced, trying not to let her anger run away with her.
“And who are you?” the woman retorted, visibly irritated by her forwardness. Vi didn’t care. She wasn’t out to make friends.
“That’s the doctor who tried to help the gentleman that collapsed,” one of the staff members supplied helpfully, and Vi pulled herself up to full height, which was still significantly less than the other woman, particularly in her heels.
“I’m Dr. Lanes from St. Thomas Hospital,” she introduced herself confidently, and the director’s demeanour softened, though only slightly.
“Right, okay, then you were best placed to help. Thank you, I’m sure it was appreciated. Now I must go and talk to the police, they’ve just arrived and–”
“You’re in charge here, yeah?” the medic carried on. She wasn’t going to let herself get brushed off as easily as that. Someone had died and it could have been prevented.
“I am, yes, I–” the other woman started, but Vi didn’t let her finish.
“I don’t care who you are. I’d like you to explain why a public museum of this size doesn’t have AEDs!” she snapped, her frustration getting the better of her.
“What–” the museum director started once more and again, the medic interrupted aggressively.
“Automated External Defibrillators,” she spat. “They save lives. All areas of public life should have them, not just schools. Why don’t you have any?” She wildly gestured around herself.
“It’s not a requirement to–” her opponent retorted calmly, and that enraged Vi even more.
“Not a requirement?! That man is dead because intervention came too late!” she shouted, her emotions red and raw from the experience still. “An AED is something so basic, everywhere should have them. I could have saved his life if–”
“You don’t know that,” the director was infuriatingly calm and her voice was icy.
“Yes, actually, yes I do!” Vi snapped. “I’m certainly more qualified than you to make that observation! You’re just out for your profits instead of–”
“This is a museum, we are not about profit!” This seemed to have touched a nerve as the other woman jumped down her throat immediately. Her face set in thunder.
“Yeah, looks like you’re paid real badly,” the medic gave a sarcastic laugh, looking her up and down. That outfit must have cost a fortune.
“I haven’t got time for this,” the blue-haired woman pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath, fighting for control. “I must go and talk to the police. I understand you’re upset, we all are, but there is no reason to get confrontational.” She was infuriatingly well-spoken.
“You haven’t seen me get confrontational yet, lady!” Vi seethed, picking up on her patronising tone, and she stepped right up to her.
“You get out of here now, you’re way out of line!” the director hissed, staring her down. She didn’t move an inch. She seemed to have as much of an iron will as the medic herself.
“Out of line? If anything is out of line it’s your running of this place! You’re absolutely culpable here and–” she snapped, finding herself at a disadvantage as she had to look up to her standing this close together.
“Get. Out.” the other woman growled, her tone low and dangerous.
“You know what. I don’t know what I’m doing here anyway,” Vi gave a sarcastic, bitter laugh and threw her hands up. It wasn’t as though anyone here was interested that someone had lost their life and this was a chance to make sure it didn’t happen again.
“Overstepping. That’s what you’re doing,” the director observed coldly and she seemed to have taken her words personally as she added: “I hear it’s not like you were a great help either.” It was a cheap shot, but had the desired effect of hurting her deeply.
“How dare you!” the medic exclaimed, anger bursting out of her. She wasn’t above throwing a punch, if her opponent had been a man, she would have, but the museum director was fortunate enough to have a pretty face.
“Out now. Before I call security!” she spat. “I have more pressing matters to deal with than you!” And she left her standing, picking up her steps down the corridor, concerned staff members rushing after her.
“Please, Dr. Lanes… I really think you ought to go now,” one middle-aged lady stayed behind, and Vi recognised her as one of the two staff members that had been first to the scene. “Unless you’re wanting to talk to the police, too?”
“No thanks, I think I’ve done all the talking I can manage for now,” Vi muttered and without delay, she made for the nearest exit. She needed some air.
---
Vi walked through London city centre for some time, heading nowhere in particular, while replaying the events at the museum over and over again in her head. She was trying to work out where she had gone wrong, but with her limited options, she always arrived at the same outcome. Eventually, as she wandered along the Thames by the National Theatre, her phone buzzed in her pocket, snapping her out of her reeling thoughts. It was time to stop pacing, so she dropped onto a nearby bench and swiped her phone open. A message from Powder popped up.
Are you still going on your date?
Oh shit. Vi had nearly forgotten about that and her sister must have guessed as much. She was meant to be going on a date that night, and Powder had a vested interest in her doing so, as she had been the one to set it up. It was a blind date, something that she usually would never have agreed to, but her sister had gone to great lengths to talk her around.
Was going to, yeah. Why? She messaged back, knowing full well Powder would be angry if she didn’t. And she really had no excuse not to go. She was on annual leave and she had been single for far too long now.
Just thought after the museum, you might tap out. It’s been a day. Powder’s response came promptly, and Vi rolled her eyes, she could virtually hear her slightly snippy tone, as if she wanted to say ‘would be just like you to use that as an excuse’. She wasn’t going to prove her right.
No no, will do me good to get out and do something and stop thinking about it. Besides, you’ve gone out of your way to sell this to me. The medic typed, a distraction did usually help after a long day and going to dinner with someone other than her sister would make a nice change.
Just don’t want you to ruin things cause you’re not feeling it. Powder’s answer made Vi frown. Perhaps she had misread her previous statements, such was the trouble with text messages. Perhaps she had genuinely wondered if her going was a good idea.
Why would I ruin things? You have no faith in me. The medic shot back, she enjoyed teasing her little sister far too much. And contrary to what people might think, she had no interest in embarrassing her during this date. It showed a certain level of trust and care that Powder had set her up with one of her friends, she had never done anything like this, never even suggested it before, so it was purposeful and she wanted to make the effort and trust her.
Just don’t. Her sister shot back and this time, she was sure she could hear the stern undertone, and another message pinged: You’re perfect for each other. Remember that.
I don’t know why I agreed to you setting me up on a date… Vi hummed to herself as she typed. She hoped she wouldn’t live to regret this.
Because sister knows best. Powder answered, and the medic laughed.
BS. She grinned as she hit send. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Behave . Powder warned, and Vi got to her feet as she typed:
You really have no faith in me. She had to get going if she wanted to get home in time to get changed.
Reservation in the name of Kiramman. Her name is Caitlyn. Her sister sent a helpful reminder.
I know, you’ve said. Repeatedly. Talk later. Vi sighed to herself and shoved her phone back in her pocket. She had to get a move on. It wouldn’t do to be late for a first date.
---
“Hi,” Vi greeted the waiter as she entered the restaurant and looked around to see if she could spot her intended date already. “Reservation for Kiramman?” She asked as she obviously had no clue who she was looking for. All she knew was that “Caitlyn Kiramman” was an acquaintance of her sister’s, but that was all the information Powder had volunteered under the guise of wanting them to get to know each other without prejudice. Vi wasn’t even sure how exactly they knew each other, but Powder was usually a good judge of character and when she had insisted they were perfectly matched and gotten so excited about it too, Vi hadn’t been able to refuse her. And it seemed Caitlyn hadn’t been able to either.
While she wasn’t sure what to expect, there was one thing to be said for Caitlyn already: she had taste. Vi had been ambivalent about where to go for dinner, so she had left the choice up to the other woman. The restaurant she had chosen was usually booked out months in advance, known for its exceptional food. The medic did have to wonder how she had swung that reservation.
“Of course. This way,” the waiter smiled and gestured for her to follow, which she did happily. It would be a nice change of pace. Her holiday hadn’t been off to a particularly good start with the morning at the museum, and she still wasn’t entirely sure why her sister had insisted on taking her in the first place, but it didn’t matter. For tonight, she had made an effort, wearing grey suit trousers and a white shirt with the sleeves turned up. She’d even brushed her hair and showered a second time that day in light of the physical exertion of the morning, which meant she was ready for just about anything. It had been ages since she’d last been on a date and even if nothing came of it, she hoped for a pleasant evening that might distract her from the events of the day.
Her hopes, however, were dashed the moment the waiter steered her towards the intended table.
“No,” Vi groaned. Suddenly, it made a whole lot of sense why her sister had wanted to take her to the museum that morning… She had likely intended to introduce her to Caitlyn Kiramman - the director of the National Museum - who looked up from her phone when they approached.
“Oh no…” the blue-haired woman breathed, dread drawing to her features, as she immediately recognised her in turn.
“This is a joke,” the medic shook her head to herself. She didn’t sit down, even as the waiter left to see to another guest. It really was just that: a cosmic joke. Of all the people– And it was such a shame too, she looked drop dead gorgeous. If she hadn’t already thought her attractive during their encounter at the museum – which she had – there was no denying it now. She was wearing the same navy blue, tailored dress but without the blazer and her midnight-blue hair that had previously been pinned up tumbled beautifully over her shoulders.
“Lanes, of course, that’s why the name sounded familiar… you’re Powder’s sister,” Caitlyn buried her face in her hands, visibly embarrassed, and Vi snapped:
“I’m going to kill her.” Her fuse was short as it was after the events of the day, this just topped a shitty day off spectacularly. And she had been looking forward to it as well. What a disappointment, and not just the date, also the fact that Powder thought she was perfectly matched with this woman!
“She would hardly have known, would she,” Caitlyn shot back, clearly annoyed as well. “Do you turn everything into a scene?”
“Do I–” Vi gaped, but decided this wasn’t worth the effort. She threw up her hands. “This was a terrible idea.”
“Agreed,” the museum director nodded curtly, and the waiter’s timing could not have been worse.
“The menu, madam,” he offered, and the medic nearly ran into him as she turned to leave. “Can I start you off with some drinks?”
“No, you can’t. I’m not staying,” the medic announced with a glare to the other woman who simply huffed.
“Good. I’ll have the menu though and a glass of Chardonnay. Getting reservations here is a nightmare,” she took the card offered and opened it.
“How did you get on with the police then?” Vi challenged, irritated by the way she simply chose to ignore her existence and she hadn’t even left yet. She should be leaving, really, she should, but she was also curious, hoping that there would be some sort of consequences to events, preferably for this infuriating woman.
“Fine. Thanks for asking,” the museum director answered dismissively, without looking at her. ”Not that you helped matters in any way with your unfounded accusations. Thank God there were only staff members around, but who knows, the volume at which you shouted…” She gestured vaguely into the air, before flipping the page of the menu over.
“Listen, I think I had every right to call you out when–” the medic growled, taking a threatening step back towards the table. She didn’t take kindly to being ignored, so she slapped her hand down on the menu, knocking it from the other woman’s grasp and it slammed into the water cooler, nearly toppling it over.
“Stop making a scene!” Caitlyn hissed angrily, her cheeks flushing in annoyance as she rescued the water. “Either leave or sit down if you want to have this out. People are staring!” And they were. People were always curious when there was drama, even more so when it appeared to be a disagreement between partners – not that they were that, in any way, but appearances would be to the contrary. Caitlyn’s eyes narrowed to a challenging glare, flitting to the seat across from her in a clear instruction.
“You are incredibly bossy!” Vi huffed, but dropped into the chair to avoid drawing any more attention. She had been involved in enough public spectacle for one day.
“And you are rude!” Caitlyn shot back as she picked up the menu for a second attempt. “I don’t know why your sister thought we’d be well matched.”
“Neither do I!” The medic whole-heartedly agreed there. “Though I suppose that is why she wanted to take me to the museum today…”
“Yes. She did text me to say she might be bringing you by to introduce us before committing to tonight, but in light of what happened, I told her not to worry about it…” the museum director explained with an exasperated sigh. “I should have connected the dots, but there was a lot on my mind.” She shook her head to herself, skimming the page in front of her.
“About keeping face in front of the public, no doubt,” Vi scoffed, glaring at her across the table as she had no menu to hide behind.
“Yes, actually!” Caitlyn snapped, slamming the menu down, her temper jumped and it seemed the medic had touched a nerve yet again. “Museums are important! They educate people, honour our past, preserve it!” she argued hotly. “The cultural sector is important!”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t,” Vi interjected, she didn’t take kindly to her worlds being misconstrued like that, but it seemed the other woman wasn’t done, she simply talked over her.
“And would you like to see an institution such as the National Museum fall into disrepute or even be shut down, because of one unfortunate incident that wasn’t anybody’s fault and could have happened anywhere?” Caitlyn continued passionately and for a moment, regardless of how infuriating she found this woman, Vi couldn’t help but admire her. She certainly had the strength of her convictions and her priorities straight – at least in that regard.
“Of course not, but that doesn’t mean precautions can’t be taken to ensure a better outcome next time. You’re clearly an intelligent woman, you should know response times are terrible these days,” she shot back, hopeful for a moment that she could make her see sense and simply agree that she made a good point, but it wasn’t so. Instead, Caitlyn set her face in an angry scowl.
“You have no idea of the sort of strain I’m under to make the National Museum function on the laughable budget we have,” she snapped, a flush of anger rising in her pale cheeks. “I don’t need you lecturing me, and I don’t need to spend the little free time I have listening to someone like you.”
“What are people like me?” the medic bit back, offended.
“Self-righteous, idealistic and patronising know-it-alls.” Caitlyn got to her feet, looking around searchingly until she found the word ‘restroom’ at the far end of the room.
“Patronising?” Vi jumped to her feet as well. She wasn’t going to let that stand and have her simply walk away. “That’s rich coming from someone like you who’s stuck so far up their own arse that they can’t be bothered with the concerns of others,” she snarled, and Caitlyn’s attention snapped back to her with an icy stare.
“I’ve had quite enough of you, Dr. Lanes. Make sure you’re gone by the time I get back, so I can enjoy the rest of my evening.” And with that, she turned on her heels and stalked off towards the bathroom.
“Oh fuck…” Vi breathed as she watched her go. There was something about that woman… And it wasn’t just the way her dress hugged her figure as she walked. She stood for a moment, needing effort to shake herself out of the fog that momentarily settled around her mind. It really had been too long since she had dated anyone. As much as she hated to admit it, Caitlyn Kiramman was in equal measures infuriating and alluring. She felt the eyes of several of the other guests on her as she remained standing and made a decision to escape the scrutinising glances, though probably not the best one she could have made: she followed to the bathroom.
Vi pushed open the door and was relieved to find it empty with the exception of one cubicle showing red. She wasn’t, however, allowed time to plan how she was going to continue the conversation as the lock snapped open almost as soon as she’d made her way over to the sinks.
“You have to be kidding me,” Caitlyn muttered, shaking her head to herself, before making for the sink without further comment.
“So you think walking away from a disagreement is the mature way of handling it?” Vi said the first thing that came to her mind, better to turn matters onto the other woman than having to explain why she had chosen to follow her when she wasn’t quite sure herself.
“I haven’t got the energy for this. You’re insufferable,” Caitlyn countered with measured coolness. “Why are you still here? Why did you follow me?”
Why had she? That was an excellent question. The question Vi knew would come, but that she didn’t know the answer to. There was still anger bubbling in her chest, but there was something else too. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to strangle the other woman or perhaps–
“Go home, Dr. Lanes. Give my best to your sister. And tell her I’m sorry, I don’t think any of us realised what a terrible idea this was.”
It really was a shame as Vi took a moment to look her up and down… high heels emphasising her legs, the tailored business dress that showed off her figure, a curtain of blue hair framing her sharp features as she glared at her, reaching past her for the towel… The fact that she was angry with her only added an extra thrill, and Vi wet her lips subconsciously.
“We have nothing more to say to each other,” Caitlyn observed coolly and turned to leave.
“Yeah, let’s stop talking,” the medic decided in a bold, reckless move as she grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her around. Caitlyn startled, stumbled, and Vi took advantage of her unsteadiness. She shoved her up against the sink by her hips and crashed her lips to hers.
It was a huge mistake, of course it was, but it was the heat of the moment, some way to resolve the ever growing tension between them and to the medic’s infinite surprise and secret delight, Caitlyn kissed her back. Not tenderly, no, the possibility of a chaste, soft first kiss had been dashed during their very first meeting. This was raw and angry and the museum director pushed her tongue inside her mouth. Perhaps they were well matched… at least in chemistry. Vi gave her lip a sharp tug with her teeth, and Caitlyn clawed her nails into her shoulders painfully hard. It was intoxicating. The medic pushed her hands into her perfectly styled hair, intending to leave her thoroughly dishevelled and tugged her head back.
An involuntary moan escaped Caitlyn.
“I like you better when you don’t talk,” Vi hummed against her lips with a low chuckle and a thought, a proposition crossed her mind, brought on by the way Caitlyn panted into her mouth. “Doesn’t have to be a wasted evening.”
“What did you have in mind?” The museum director let go of her as if sobering reality had hit her. She didn’t, however, look scandalised. She merely brushed her hair back as the medic released her, setting her jaw and her expression in a challenging glare.
“I’m gonna call a cab and wait out front,” Vi stated, thrilled by the possibilities opening up to her. “Unless you’d rather have dinner by yourself?”
She didn’t have to like this woman to sleep with her.
---
“Wilton Crescent,” Caitlyn told the driver who nodded his understanding and waved for them to get in.
“Of course you live in Belgravia, why not,” Vi huffed, but held the door open for her regardless.
“Would you rather go to your place?” the museum director challenged, as she stopped short of getting in, and Vi noticed, not for the first time, how much taller she was than her. It gave her a thrill.
“No no, would love to see how the other half lives,” the medic retorted and they got inside the cab as the driver waved for them to get a move on. There were cars waiting behind.
“You know, we don’t have to do this,” Caitlyn observed coolly.
“Oh but I think you want to, why else would you have followed me?” Vi retorted and sat beside her, buckling up her seat belt. She wouldn’t be dissuaded now. She had licked blood when they had kissed in the bathroom. There was something between them, a tantalising, intense tension and she couldn’t wait to release it.
Caitlyn turned her attention to the window, watching as the car pulled away from the curb and weaved its way into traffic. The many lights of nighttime London illuminated her beautiful features, making them look somewhat sharper and more set. For a moment, Vi was entranced by her as she could quite work out what her expression meant, whether she was tense with anger still or if there was something else going on behind that mask of hers. Because surely, that’s what it was. For a moment, she looked almost sad.
“You better make it worth my while,” she answered at last, her voice as icy as her expression as she looked back at her. Vi couldn’t deny that that look did something to her. She liked to see this woman angry, and she liked to push her buttons. She was so controlled in every way, even in her anger and she wondered if she could make her lose some of that control. And so, after a glance towards the driver who was engrossed in getting them safely through London city centre traffic, she leaned across to her.
“Believe me, I will,” she hummed to her in a low voice and placed her hand on her thigh, slowly brushing inward and up, underneath her skirt. There was but a flicker of a reaction on the other woman’s face, a quick glance towards the driver and she crossed her legs, stalling Vi’s progress by trapping her hand. The medic didn’t let her disappointment reach her features, she simply took a moment to admire her legs. Caitlyn kept her attention forward but she pushed her hand underneath Vi’s shirt, brushing up her back, trailing perfectly manicured nails up her spine until she reached the wraps that bound her chest.
A flash of surprise took to the medic’s face, particularly when she skilfully found the end and tugged! She was going to protest, they were still a way away from Belgravia, but it seemed, two people could play this game. A faint smile drew to the museum director’s lips, but no more that would give away that what could be interpreted as a loving embrace of wrapping her arm around her, involved finding her way below her wraps.
The moment for protest passed as the medic bit her lip to suppress a moan. What had she gotten herself into? Caitlyn leaned over to her and hummed:
“I like you better when you can’t talk as well…”
They didn’t speak any more than that for the duration of the drive. They communicated in challenging looks and concealed touches, and Vi choked back a moan when Caitlyn discovered her nipples were pierced and started toying with one of the metal bars... Already the medic could tell her companion was used to having the upper hand in all concerns of life and it opened up a lot of possibilities for how the evening might go. She couldn’t deny that she found the thought thrilling. Her hand remained caught between her thighs, dictating her movement – or rather lack thereof. Vi’s eyes flitted to the driver once more who was keenly focused on the road, and a rebellious part of her longed to take a risk, get off her seat and prise Caitlyn’s legs apart. Perhaps she would not only like her better if she didn’t talk, but also if she got on her knees in front of her. That wouldn’t involve talking either. A smirk stole to her lips at the thought, but the cab driver flicking the light on, announcing their arrival, dashed those daydreams. It didn’t matter. Soon she would find other ways of pushing the other woman’s buttons because that was what she really wanted to do: She wanted to make her lose it, one way or another.
Caitlyn unceremoniously pulled her hand from Vi’s shirt and not too gently pushed her hand from her thigh, so she could move freely to reach for her bag to pay. The medic didn’t think to protest or attempt to do the same, her eyes clung to the other woman’s fingers, long and elegant, and desire pooled in her gut. Something good was to come of this day after all.
They got out of the cab in silence, and made their way up Wilton Crescent, along the row of impressive town houses that Vi didn’t care to know the price tag of. Seeing the pricey neighbourhood the museum director lived in, it not only made Vi feel slightly inadequate despite her prestigious position in the hospital and relatively good pay, it also made her anger flare up again. The museum paid her enough to surround herself with London’s rich and powerful, and still skimped out on the most basic of equipment to contribute to the common good. She kept a few steps behind her as they walked, allowing herself an appraising look of her backside. Not long after, Caitlyn turned into the entrance of one of the houses and fumbled for the keys.
“It’s an apartment, not the whole house,” she spoke into the silence, as if she had heard Vi’s thoughts.
“Still probably worth more than I make in ten years…” Vi huffed, and Caitlyn didn’t dignify her quip with a response, she simply unlocked the door and showed her inside.
“Top floor,” she informed her, as they made for an elevator and she pushed the button to call it. “Last chance to turn back,” she stated without looking at her, and the medic chuckled.
“No chance,” she hummed and followed the museum director into the elevator that pinged open. The tense silence between them only lasted for a second, only until the elevator door slid shut fully, and Vi threw herself at Caitlyn. Caution be damned, they had communicated their intentions clearly enough already. She pressed her up against the mirror at the back and kissed her roughly. She didn’t care to take it slow and she ran her hand up her thigh, pushing under her skirt as she had previously been denied.
While returning her kiss with equal fervour, the museum director denied her yet again: she shoved her off just as the elevator door opened.
“Someone needs to teach you some manners,” she growled as it seemed her general annoyance with her was turning to something darker and all the more alluring. She led the way out of the elevator and into the flat and Vi followed, almost annoyed at how eager she was to do so and the effect her words had on her.
“Oh I’d like to see you try,” she hummed, hoping to claw back some measure of control in their exchange, her pupils dilating with desire. As a doctor, she understood how the body worked and she knew all the tell-tale signs of arousal, all of which she knew herself to be displaying right now… but so was Caitlyn even though her response to her words was minimal. She narrowed her piercingly blue eyes and the look of contempt mixed with desire made the medic’s insides flip. There was anticipation in the air, tension that was almost palpable and the temperature of the room seemed to jump.
Secretly, she hoped Caitlyn would make good on that threat. Now that chances of a romantic future with this woman had well and truly passed, she lost any sense of self-consciousness. The museum director certainly seemed to like being in control, and Vi found a sense of release in being made to surrender just that. Day and night, week in week out, she had to make life and death decisions… not having to make any choices was freeing. Sadly, that wasn’t something one could usually open with on a first date, but perhaps given their run-in rather than romantic intentions, she could bait her into it.
“Alright then,” Caitlyn breathed in a dangerous whisper that made Vi shiver. “Just remember you asked for this.”
And before the medic could respond, Caitlyn crossed the short distance between them and crashed their lips together in a forceful, almost aggressive kiss. For a moment, Vi grinned against her lips. She could tell she would enjoy seeing how far she could make her go, but her moment of triumph of having provoked her into action was short lived. Caitlyn pulled back, grazing her gaze down her body and hummed:
“Take your clothes off.”
“What?” Vi gaped, caught off guard by the blunt, forward instruction, and she was disappointed too, when the other woman stepped away from her.
“You heard me,” she observed, and Vi stuttered:
“But I–” And just like that, Caitlyn’s attention left her entirely as she made for the adjoining room, the kitchen by the looks of it, leaving the medic panting and confused. Was she serious? If she was trying to rile her up, that was one thing, if she intended to simply humiliate her, that was another. She had been quite certain of what she wanted and why she’d come here and now, she realised she had grossly misjudged the situation. Perhaps it had been a mistake. Her eyes flitted back to the door.
“If you want to leave, you can, I have no expectations, this was your idea,” Caitlyn reappeared in the doorway cradling a glass of white wine – just the one glass – and tilted her head. “But if you’re going to stay, I want you to strip,” she told her matter-of-factly, and yet with a faint smile. She was enjoying this, Vi realised. She wanted her on the back foot.
“Alright, if you get off on this,” the medic feigned confidence and indifference with a shrug and a sly smile and started unbuttoning her shirt.
“I think you do,” Caitlyn observed calmly and took a sip of her drink. She was watching her intently, paying close attention, and she likely had also noticed the shiver of arousal that ran through Vi at her words. She had got that right. So she continued. She discarded her shirt on a nearby sofa along with her wraps. As she did so, she couldn’t help but notice how empty the lounge appeared. Barely a personal touch, fashionable and modern, but without personality. Vi thought it strange. In spite of everything, the medic was sure the museum director was very much her own person and not a bland one at that. She didn’t have time to dwell on the thought. Caitlyn demanded her attention in the here and now with a simple, clipped: “Trousers.”
"I'll have a glass too, thanks," Vi shot a look at the wine glass in her hand, trying to regain some control, even as she unbuttoned her trousers and pushed them down her strong thighs. Caitlyn’s eyes darkened as she watched her, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her glass tightly. It gave the medic a thrill and confidence. She clearly liked what she saw. Vi knew she had a nice body, broad, muscular. She could feel her gaze linger on her abs. “Well?” she demanded, as she stepped out of the pile of her trousers.
"Alright,” Caitlyn hummed in agreement and with a last look up and down her body, she went back into the kitchen. Vi didn’t really care whether she had wine or not. What she cared about was that she had prompted her into doing something for her, and that her attention was momentarily drawn elsewhere. The medic followed and stood in the door frame, watching Caitlyn reach for a glass in one of the cupboards. For a start, she was wearing far too much and she would have to take that advantage away from her.
Quickly, Vi crossed the short distance to her and pressed herself flush against her, grabbing firm hold of her hips as she urged her against the kitchen side.
Caitlyn startled and nearly dropped the wine glass as the medic kissed her neck.
“Don’t think I’ll–” Caitlyn started, trying to turn around, but Vi had no intention of finding out what she wanted to say. She grasped her hands from behind her and slammed them down on the counter, pinning her there. And she delighted in the visible shudder that ran down the other woman’s spine.
“Don’t think I’ll go along with everything you say,” the medic growled in response and released her hands to unzip her dress, dragging it off her shoulders and down her hips. Caitlyn was wearing lacy cream underwear, the very picture of perfection, and Vi couldn’t suppress an appreciative hum, congratulating herself on her stroke of genius that had brought her here, rather than returning home in a strop. Standing behind her, Vi pushed her leg between Caitlyn's, kicking her ankles to stand further apart and the museum director moaned, when she reached down between her thighs with one hand, and pushed the other into her bra.
She was so wet already, Vi noticed with a thrill.
Caitlyn released another shaky groan as she traced her fingers through her wetness, but she seemed to have other ideas about how she wanted to do things: she grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away. She turned quickly and took Vi with her as she dragged her around. Within seconds, she found herself with their positions reversed, only Caitlyn was much more intimidating, using her height against her as she pinned her against the side. The flush of her cheeks was one of arousal as well as lingering anger.
“This would be a good time for you to apologise for having been so insolent,” she growled, and Vi smirked:
“Make me.” Gosh, she liked a confident woman…
Caitlyn's eyes flashed dangerously in response to her words and in a smooth movement, she lifted Vi onto the kitchen counter. The medic gasped in surprise when she forced her legs apart. Caitlyn pushed her hand down her boxers, as if her last remaining item of clothing wasn't there at all, and buried her fingers inside her.
"Fuck-" Vi cried out, caught between pleasure and pain, and Caitlyn silenced her with a rough kiss. She thrust her fingers inside her deeply, stretching her out and working her up. The medic clawed her fingers into her shoulders, instinctively rocking forward, revealing herself as far more eager than she would have liked. She couldn't help it. There was something about this woman that was intoxicating and overwhelmed her every way. Caitlyn trailed her lips along her jaw, down her throat leaving a trail of flushed skin and back up to her ear.
"Look at you taking it so well," she hummed, and Vi didn't care to see the triumph in her eyes, her smug words were more than enough to whip her into a frenzy. She hid her face in the crook of her neck, panting hard. The muscles of her thighs were beginning to burn as she wrapped her legs around her slender figure. She met her every thrust with an enthusiastic response of her own, losing herself entirely in the burning heat. Caitlyn wound her up and she brought down her other hand to run over her clit, driving her wild.
Vi gasped and whimpered, her muscles clenching and heat gathering in the pit of her stomach. She was getting close. She was almost disappointed that it would be over so quickly but she'd never been fucked quite as forcefully as that before. The tension built exponentially, she gasped for release, even choked out Caitlyn's name …
And then, everything just stopped.
The museum director pulled her fingers from her and left her empty, her tension amounting to nothing in a sobering slap of reality.
"W-what–" Vi tried to launch a feeble protest but no words came out, she just stared up at the museum director who reached for a tea towel to wipe her hand on. The action was almost too casual to compute.
"I don't know what you think is happening here, Vi, but don't think, for a moment, I'm going to give you what you want until you've apologised for earlier," she told her quite seriously.
"You're not–" the medic was going to state that she couldn't possibly mean that, but Caitlyn cut her off, quite confidently assuring her of the contrary. She grabbed her by her hair and ripped her head back, making her look up in stunned, pained silence.
"Think about what you want and adjust your behaviour accordingly," she hummed to her with a smirk on her voice as she released her hair and pushed away from the counter. She turned to scoop up her dress and walked away, leaving the medic panting and wanting. What the fuck was happening? Vi's head was reeling, her body throbbing with need.
She couldn't let her walk away. Quickly, the medic pushed herself off the kitchen counter and nearly fell over, she stumbled on shaky, weak legs. What the hell. She didn't have to mean it if she apologised, but she did have to have her. There was no doubt about that. There was something irresistible about her.
She followed back into the lounge and caught a glimpse of the other woman disappearing into the bedroom. She certainly knew how to put someone on the back foot, it probably helped when you were in charge of a lot of people.
“Alright, okay, if it means that much to you, I’m sorry!” Vi huffed once she reached the bedroom, flapping her arms in annoyance. Her whole body ached with unreleased tension, desire pooled in her gut and she would have said just about anything to get her to continue where she had left off.
"Like you mean it,” Caitlyn hummed, throwing her dress towards a wash bin in the corner utterly casual, as if she hadn’t just fucked her on the kitchen side. She stood at the end of her bed, shooting her an expectant gaze.
"What?” The medic scoffed as she stepped closer. “Would you like me to drop to my knees and beg forgiveness?" She challenged, moving into her personal space.
"I certainly wouldn't object," the museum director gave back with a sly smile that made Vi’s stomach flip.
"No chance," she squared her jaw. That was asking too much.
"Suit yourself," Caitlyn hummed and reached around herself to undo her bra, keeping intense eye contact with her. "Then I'm afraid you'll have to try and find other ways of apologising… if you're interested in coming at all tonight." She told her, dropping the garment in the pile as Vi couldn't help raking her eyes up and down her body. Words failed her.
Fuck, she thought. That woman certainly knew how to make someone's legs turn to jelly with just a few words. It was the way she spoke too… Crystal clear, well-spoken and completely unapologetic. She wanted to wring her neck just as much as she wanted to trace it with her lips.
"Your self-esteem must be pretty fragile if you need this sort of a power trip to get off–" Vi started, but Caitlyn’s interruption was swift and firm, pressing her finger across her lips in a patronising, and yet oddly thrilling way.
"The only thing I want to hear from you is an apology,” she growled. “Anything else, you keep your mouth shut.” And yet, the medic parted her lips to protest, only to have Caitlyn push her fingers past them, onto her tongue, and Vi choked on a gasp. She looked up to Caitlyn to find a self-satisfied smirk drawing to her features. “Better,” she hummed, and the medic’s arousal won out over her dignity. She wrapped her lips around her fingers, pulled her tongue free and licked along her digits.
The museum director’s eyes flashed surprise at her sudden compliance, but it didn’t mean she eased her assault. She brushed her free hand between her legs, against her sodden pair of boxers, and Vi gave a muffled moan around her fingers.
"About that apology?" Caitlyn whispered, and the medic strained under the push and pull. Between her mind screaming ‘no’ and her body demanding an enthusiastic ‘yes’.
She wasn't going to apologise, she couldn't, she was too stubborn. She'd sooner…
Vi reached out for the other woman’s hips and looped her fingers around the silky fabric of her pants. Caitlyn pulled her fingers from her mouth, curious to see what she would do, and the medic set her jaw in determination. Slowly, she pushed her underwear down and sunk to her knees in front of her, delighting in the way her breath caught as she watched her.
And then, she leaned up and buried her face between her legs.
"That's more like it…" Caitlyn moaned, tangling her hand in her pink hair, and Vi lapped her tongue through her folds, quickly finding the sensitive bundle of nerves that she hoped would be the other woman's undoing. She'd had enough of her taunts, she was determined to well and truly shut her up. Sharply, she sucked her clit between her lips, making her gasp.
The medic hummed against her, losing herself in her task far too willingly, delighting in every moan she drew from her. She ran her hands up her beautiful long legs, feeling her shiver and shake as she ground her hips forward into her mouth.
It was so tempting to stop as well, leave her high and dry as she had done her, but Vi couldn't deny how it had added to the thrill. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so aroused, or a time where she had been quite as willingly to kneel at someone's feet. It was intoxicating. This would be a one time thing so at the very least, she wanted to give the other woman an orgasm to remember. She would make her wish things could have gone differently between them, as she was beginning to.
"Lay down," the medic came up for air when she sensed Caitlyn couldn't keep herself upright much longer. Where she had expected her to jump on the opportunity to assert her dominance once more, she did no such thing. She simply nodded, looking down at her from hooded eyes as her chest heaved with laboured breaths and she brushed her midnight-blue hair out of her flushed face. She moved back and dropped onto the bed while Vi got to her feet. Perhaps she could have pushed her then, got her own back and get one over on her, but the thought barely occurred.
Quickly, the medic climbed onto the bed as Caitlyn scooted further up and she covered her body with hers, sharing a deep, almost sensual kiss. And then she moved down her body, tracing her lips along her throat, running her hands over her breasts, rolling a nipple between her fingers as she went, then affording the same attention to the other with her mouth. Where Caitlyn had been putting her at arm’s distance every other time she had sought to explore her body, she gave her free reign now and Vi took advantage of it. She was beautiful and oddly, Vi particularly delighted in every imperfection she found, rewarding every tiny mole on her stomach with extra kisses. Slowly, the illusion of the posh and arrogant museum director was shattered with every panted breath and low whimper.
Vi pushed her fingers inside her, and Caitlyn released a strangled sob. It was hardly surprising, she was so close to the edge now, her body was shaking. She drew slow, deliberate circles across her clit with one hand, thrusting deeply with the other until she was undone at last. She cried the medic’s name which she put down as a triumph if nothing else, and gently guided her through the aftershocks, letting her down slowly before stealing another kiss and pulling her hands from her entirely.
Silence fell. Not uncomfortable and heavy, but calm and patient, as the museum director’s heavy breathing slowed. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, that stuck to her forehead with sweat and looked up to Vi in an almost affectionate way. The medic felt a twinge in her gut, unable to interpret the things she was feeling, just as she was unable to interpret the look in the other woman’s eyes.
She thought better of it. She couldn’t put her heart on the line with someone like her, she was bound to get it broken eventually. So she decided to paddle back to safer waters.
"Now, please…" she mumbled, as her body aching for release. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take the waiting and now, surely, she had apologised sufficiently to warrant a reward.
"Hmm manners never hurt anyone," Caitlyn hummed but her tone was more playful then sharp now and she pulled herself up, moving backwards, and she propped herself up against the headboard. "Come here," she instructed, and Vi had never been so eager to jump to anyone's request. She crawled up the bed and Caitlyn pulled her close, onto her lap to straddle her. She kissed her deeply, perhaps a way of appreciating the attention she had given her, and what was almost a sensual moment saw intense heat returning, as she pushed her fingers into Vi’s core.
The medic moaned, resting her forehead against Caitlyn's, she squeezed her eyes shut. She rocked her hips onto her hand, and Caitlyn gave an almost lazy hum as she curled her fingers matching the pace she dictated and put her thumb in the way of her clit.
They kissed passionately and the museum director looped her arm around the small of her back, holding her tightly as she pulled her legs up, tilting Vi forward.
Vi ground down on her hand hard, riding her fingers to an increasingly frantic pace. She was so worked up already, it wouldn’t take much, and Caitlyn’s fingers were deep inside her, hitting her just right, and shooting sparks to every nerve ending in her body.
"What do you say?" She whispered to her in that beautiful, melodic voice of hers, sending shivers down her spine as well as tremors through her legs with every swipe of her thumb.
"Thank you," Vi choked out, slowly growing delirious.
"And?" Caitlyn grinned, but there was no malice in her voice now, no threat, just a teasing quality to her tone.
"I'm sorry,” the medic gasped and the words trailed off into a cry as her body shook with the release she’d chased after. Waves of heat coursed through her and her muscles burned, growing weak in the aftermath. Caitlyn held her through it, running her free hand through her hair and once Vi was thoroughly spent, she pulled her hand from her and wrapped both arms around her.
And there they stayed for a long moment of blissful quiet and hearts beating in strong, steady tandem.
"Fuck…" Vi mumbled, exhaustion taking her over. "That was really good…"
"Hm…" Caitlyn hummed her agreement, her eyes closed as she leaned back against the headboard with the medic still on her lap.
"Do you like picking fights with others just to resolve the issue like this?" Vi teased and the moment the words crossed her lips, she realised she’d made a mistake. What was the bloody point of reminding her of their fight? When she had just had one of the best orgasms of her life and would gladly have more of them. But immediately, Caitlyn’s expression hardened. She didn’t answer her question, but she did shove her off her lap.
"I think you'd better go…" The museum director swung her legs out of bed, sitting on the bedside with her back turned to her.
"Yes… right…of course…" Vi’s heart sank. She didn't want to leave. The tension between them had dispersed into the quiet of the room. Perhaps she could throw herself at the other woman again, take advantage of this situation but the opportunity passed quickly as Caitlyn got up and disappeared in the en suite.
And that was it.
The medic clasped her hand to her lips, cursing her big mouth. She was an idiot.
“Caitlyn?” She dared ask as she stood up, loud enough that she was sure the other woman would have heard her, and she waited, but there was no response. She had ruined it. She wasn’t welcome any longer. “I’m sorry,” she tried again, earnestly. She really was sorry, for everything but again, there was no answer.
And so, she left the bedroom in search of her clothes that lay discarded in the lounge. She lingered longer than she needed too, taking her time getting dressed, just in case Caitlyn did change her mind and came after her, but she didn’t. Vi took a moment to allow her gaze to wander through the apartment once more. It really was beautifully furnished and refined. It was only under closer observation that she drew the conclusion that this couldn’t possibly be the space she actually spent her time in. Her attention fell to another door that stood ajar and she stepped closer, pushing it open. Her curiosity won out over her manners.
There, she found the true heart of the museum director’s home. It was like a small library. The walls were lined with high shelves, filled to the brim with books, ranging from beautiful leather-bound volumes to cheap paperbacks. There was something of everything. At the far end, there was a heavy desk, from which Vi presumed Caitlyn worked on occasion, but far more revealing was the seating area in the corner. It was made up of a small seating arrangement, complete with a coffee table. There were pillows and blankets, empty mugs and a wine glass, even a plate of crumbs. Here, perfection had given way to life, and Vi regretted that she would not get a chance to share in it. Caitlyn had made it quite clear that she had no interest in her staying or even just striking up another conversation…
But still, Vi decided, despite everything, that she had to try. She marched to the desk as she finished buttoning up her shirt, and sought out a piece of paper and a pen. It was worth a shot. And so, she scribbled her phone number down and placed it on one of the books on the coffee table before taking her leave.
---
The nighttime air hit Vi square in the face as she got outside, clearing her senses of Caitlyn's perfume and the flush of her skin that still burned from her touch. She took a deep breath. What had happened to her? She wasn't the sort of person to fall into bed with just anyone, but… The medic took another deep breath and stepped into the road to wave down a taxi. It wasn't that late yet since they had skipped out on dinner and the roads were still plenty busy so it didn't take long for a cab to pull up.
Vi cast a glance back up to where she knew Caitlyn's apartment to be and for a moment, she thought she could see a shape by the window. Was she watching her leave? Given how curt her request for her to go had been, she wouldn't have expected her to… Perhaps she was also wondering how things had played out quite like that. At least she dared to hope she had.
The medic shook her head to herself and found the shape gone as she looked back up. She had probably made it up. Quickly she climbed into the cab and pulled her phone from her pocket.
“You should have told me it was HER that you’d set me up with!” Vi huffed down the phone the moment her sister picked up.
"Oh hello Vi…" Powder sighed. She sounded tired but the medic had a feeling it wasn't the late hour, but more her exasperation with her. She obviously knew what she was talking about. “That’s why I took you to the museum… I thought we might run into her and I was going to introduce you… didn't quite work out like that.”
“Yeah, brilliantly that worked!” the medic groaned. What a colossal fuck-up. And what a shame too.
“Did you have a good time though?” Powder asked, and Vi couldn't believe she had.
“What?!”
“You had the date? Did you get on?” Her sister didn't let up.
“Powder, we literally were shouting at each other at the museum, how do you think it went?” Vi sighed, settling into the seat of the taxi, watching the lights of London fly past the window.
“You didn't!" Powder gasped and the medic remembered that she hadn't even given her the ins and outs of what had happened after they'd split up that morning.
"Yeah, we did. Imagine both our surprise when we suddenly sat across from each other at the restaurant after that," she huffed, throwing her head back against the seat in annoyance. There was a pause of silence as her sister digested the information. Since she knew both of them, she could likely imagine events very well.
"You’ve always had a bit of a temper, Vi, and Caitlyn, well, she’s a strong woman, she wasn’t going to take that from you or anyone!" Powder informed her matter-of-factly in a chastising sort of way. "I would have thought once you got past that, you would have got on like a house on fire. Don’t tell me she’s not exactly your type ‘cause I know she is!” she warned her.
“Yeah, well, I’m not blind!” the medic mumbled as it was the understatement of the century. Caitlyn Kiramman was, in a word, beautiful, and her body still yearned for her touch. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had sex that good.
“So? How did it go? I know you went, else you wouldn’t–” Powder carried on impatiently, and Vi squeezed her eyes shut. If she didn't tell her, Caitlyn might, and then she would be angry she hadn't been honest in the first place. She had to be honest with her.
“We slept together…” she revealed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Oh my GOD, really?!” Powder gasped at the other end of the phone.
“It was a one time thing, channelling our differences into something more productive," the medic carried on, she didn't want her to get the wrong idea that that meant it had been a roaring success. It hadn't. She had no idea what exactly it had been. “It won’t happen again.” Even though she wished she was wrong about that. That would be up to Caitlyn… She pondered mentioning that she had left her number on the off-chance, but thought it best not to. She didn’t want Powder to muscle in and try and push Caitlyn in some way. That should be her decision alone.
“You say this now," her sister answered, and Vi wondered if she had somehow betrayed her longing in her voice.
“It won’t. We’re too different. I wouldn’t be able to handle her bossiness for any length of time," she sighed. Apart from in certain situations… in those she wouldn't mind her being as bossy as she liked… The thought sent a jolt of electricity through her body.
“She’s not always like that, you know… You know what it’s like for women at the top of their professions, they have to be tough, but more often than not, it’s an act.” And Vi had seen that, if just for a moment. She had spotted her softer side… she had felt it in the way she had held on to each other in the aftermath of it all, even if it had only been brief. And she had sensed her loneliness in that big apartment that had looked so lifeless and sterile with the exception of her reading corner. She was almost beginning to feel sorry for her.
“Yeah, well, I’m not interested in finding that out," she mumbled, telling herself as much, so she wouldn’t get her hopes up.
“It’ll be your loss, you are very well matched…” Powder told her and the medic slumped her shoulders. Maybe they could have been if she hadn't antagonised her as much as she had…
“Don’t take it personally but since you’re still with your childhood sweetheart and have never dated, I won’t take your expert dating advice," she answered. It was a cheap quip but served to mask her insecurity about the whole thing.
“Suit yourself," Powder sighed, as she was already very much used to her being difficult in such matters.
There was a moment of silence.
“Besides, I think I’ve ruined it now anyway…” Vi confessed in a small voice, and her sister chuckled on the other end of the phone, her voice more sympathetic as she replied:
“Were you, perhaps, a bit rash in your anger and took it out on the wrong person who had nothing to do with what happened if we’re being totally honest about it?” she prompted, and the medic mumbled:
“Maybe…”
“Wanna come round for take away tomorrow and talk about it then?" Powder suggested.
“Sure yeah…” Vi agreed, it wasn't as though she had anything else on. She was off work for the week and she couldn’t go and proposition Caitlyn again just like that… as much as she would have wanted to… “And Powder? Thanks for trying anyway," she added, considering that her sister hadn't been far off base at all. If only it hadn't been for her big mouth…
“At least you got a good orgasm out of it," Powder shot back with a grin on her voice.
“What makes you think it was good?” Vi gaped though she could hardly deny it.
“The way you’ve been raging about her, you’d be jumping at the chance to have a go about that too. Since you’re staying remarkably quiet on the matter, I’m making an educated guess," her sister observed smugly, and Vi just laughed:
“Goodnight, Powder.”
//////
Caitlyn Kiramman sat on the side of her bathtub, listening out for Vi’s movements around her flat as she angrily swiped at her tears that just wouldn’t stop falling. What had she done? This was so completely unlike her. She was no stranger to the occasional fling, never anything serious as she had never felt that true, real connection, but never had she experienced such a dizzying roller-coaster of emotion in the course of one evening. How had she gone from hating the guts of the insufferable medic that had accosted her in her place of work, to wanting to have her every which way on her kitchen counter, only to finish with finding her utterly captivating and crying over the fact that things could never be what she wanted now. It was a cruel twist of fate. If only she hadn’t been such a bitch to her…
The museum director had enough capacity for self reflection to realise that she had been just that. Sometimes, particularly at work, it was difficult to turn it off. It was a mask, of course, nothing more. A personality that she had curated over many years and allowed her the career that she had. Women, in her position, couldn’t show a sign of weakness so she didn’t, and when Vi’d had a go at her in the museum… She had become defensive immediately, of course she had. She’d had so much on her mind. It seemed the other woman wasn’t big on forgiving or forgetting either and so, things had spiralled from there when the chemistry between them had been undeniable despite it all. Silently, she congratulated Powder… her friend had been just right. Her sister was likely a perfect match for her. But she had ruined it.
And now, Caitlyn sat on her bathtub crying, waiting for Vi to finally leave her apartment, and likely her life.
It was only when things had fallen completely silent that she dared venture back into the bedroom. The medic was gone, but the smell of sex remained in the air. As much as she wanted to retain the memory of it all, it brought renewed tears to her eyes and she made her way over to the bedroom window, pulling the heavy curtains aside to let some air in.
She spotted movement on the street below, a shape stepping into the road waving down a cap. It was Vi, and Caitlyn’s heart gave a painful twinge. She should go after her, open the window and shout down to her not to go, to come back up so they could talk, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She wasn’t brave enough for that.
And so she turned quickly, away from the window, hoping the other woman hadn’t seen her.
While her body was exhausted and spent, aching in an altogether too pleasant manner, her mind was very much awake and reeling. She wouldn’t be able to sleep, so she sought comfort in the only place she could: She made herself a cup of tea and made for her study. All she longed to do was to curl up in the blankets and dive into a book, escape for a while into another world, far from the heartbreak and loneliness of her own. The act of reading had been a far more faithful partner and friend than any person she had ever met. And it wasn’t until she had wrapped herself up in a blanket and reached for her book that she noticed the note that sat on top of it: a hastily scribbled telephone number and a x.
Caitlyn’s heart stalled. When had Vi come in here? And why? And why would she have… Part of her knew she should be angry about the invasion of her privacy, but then, the other woman had spent a significant amount of time between her legs tonight, it didn’t get much more private than that… Another part of her wanted to rejoice in the fact that she seemed to have an interest in seeing her again. But amongst it all, all Caitlyn really knew was that she was lost. What was she to do? Could something good really come from all this? Or was she setting herself up for a fall if she took a chance?
---
Caitlyn drummed her fingers on her desk as she read the email confirming her order of five AEDs, one for each of the wings of the museum. She knew it was the right course of action, the only course of action to avoid more negative coverage and well… morally too. She did feel the sting of guilt. Vi had gotten to her, she couldn’t deny that. But it hadn’t been her accusatory words – those had been uncalled for and unfair, simply borne out of the heat of the moment. It was simply, on reflection, how much she cared. She cared enough to make a scene in front of everyone. She cared enough to desperately try and bring the pensioner back to life. She cared so much that her eyes had swum with angry tears and that she had taken things so personally. And Caitlyn should be, too.
Not for the first time that day, she cast a glance at her phone that lay motion- and soundless on the desk beside the keyboard. She swiped her finger across, checking for messages, but there were none. And she thought of sending Vi a message. She had saved her number that very night but yet to use it. It had been four days – not that she was counting. She had hardly stopped thinking about the medic that had waltzed into her life and turned it upside down, likely without even realising it. And it wasn’t just the sex, great as it had been… She felt strangely alive when she had been with her, even just in the restaurant or when they’d argued. Vi Lanes had brought a sense of vibrancy to her life that she couldn’t quite pinpoint and with every day since their encounter, the longing to use the number she had left her grew.
Perhaps she could send her a picture of the order confirmation as a way of showing she had listened and to strike up a conversation…
Her thought process was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Come!” she called, quickly turning over her phone and glancing to the door.
“Special delivery, Miss Kiramman.” Her secretary beamed at her with an almost cheeky smile as she stepped inside, carrying a bunch of beautiful flowers.
“What–” The museum director was dumbfounded.
“Just arrived by courier, there is a card too!” she continued, holding out the flowers to her, and Caitlyn stood up, utterly puzzled. She grabbed the card out the top of the bouquet which was made up of the most beautiful yellow, orange and red flowers. It was marvellously bright, reminding her of sunshine. When she noticed her secretary looking on expectantly, she decided the matter was better dealt with in private. There would be enough gossip as it was without her giving away who the flowers were from – not that she had the first clue of who it might be. Had it been a round number of years that she’d been at the museum or something like that?
“Would you mind grabbing a vase?” she asked politely, and the secretary’s face fell but she nodded, if reluctantly.
Caitlyn waited until she had left to open the card.
“Dear Caitlyn, I’m sorry about how things went the other day. As you can probably tell, I’m quite hot-headed. What happened wasn’t really your fault, I was just looking for a way to vent my frustration about not being able to help. I understand if you don’t want anything else to do with me, but I’d quite like to start over. Maybe you could give me another chance? Vi x”
The museum director needed to sit down and process. That was not what she had expected at all, despite the fact that she had left her number… and what she had expected even less was the way her heart fluttered with joy. She took a deep breath and picked up her phone. What the hell. She had been thinking about her for days and clearly, the other woman had an interest in her too. She took a snap of the email confirmation and only took enough time to black out as much as was absolutely necessary before sending it off. She couldn’t allow for doubt to settle in. The message delivered with two ticks and she shot another straight after:
Pleasantly surprised that you have good taste in flowers . She couldn’t resist the quip, she didn’t want to sound too out of character or too eager. She still had to guard her heart somehow…
And Vi’s response came far quicker than she expected as her phone screen flashed with a notification.
I have good taste in women too, which is why I would like us to try again. Take all the time you need but think about it?
Caitlyn pondered her response and in the end, decided not to answer. Not yet anyway. She flipped the phone over and tried to focus on her computer instead. The mystery of Vi Lanes would have to wait. The museum didn’t run itself and there were things she needed to complete before the end of the working week. Besides, she needed time. Time to work out what she wanted and untangle the complicated things she felt about the medic. She was certainly feeling something , that she was sure of, and it wasn’t just the pleasant memory of having her in her bed.
---
It was a day that just wouldn’t end, Mondays had a tendency of being like that. The museum had closed but Caitlyn wasn’t nearly done with work. She took it home, as she often did. The worst thing about it was the press. The coverage of the incident had lessened through the week but not disappeared. While the discourse had turned more favourable towards the museum and instead onto the government over funding for the NHS and the cultural sector, this didn’t mean less work. There were constant emails requesting commentary and interviews.
Caitlyn wasn’t the sort of person who sought the limelight. She was happy to do what was required for her job, her passion for keeping the National Museum a beacon of education and culture always at the forefront of her mind, but there were aspects of her job that she didn’t enjoy one bit, aspects that piled on the pressure – and this was proving to become one of them… What she wouldn’t have given for someone to share her burdens with. Unbidden, her mind turned to Vi, her eyes catching on the beautiful bouquet of flowers that adorned her coffee table.
She still hadn’t taken the time to answer her message. She wasn’t sure what it was that was keeping her from doing so. It wasn’t anger, her resentment towards her had dispersed – she had taken her point as well as her apology. And it wasn’t that she didn’t want to see her again – throughout the long, lonely weekend, she had thought of little else. It was, most likely, fear. Fear of saying the wrong thing. Fear of Vi realising that perhaps, she didn’t want this after all. Fear of opening her heart to someone and getting hurt. While she didn’t answer, she could pretend to herself that there was a chance of something, anything… She could dream while she was too scared to take the plunge.
With a sigh of exhaustion, she dropped her briefcase onto the sofa by the coffee table and kicked off her heels. It had been an awfully long day and she pinched the bridge of her nose, a dull headache throbbing against her skull. Before she could face the flood of emails that was still waiting for her, she would make a cup of tea, she decided, and allow herself a moment to reset her mind. Some painkillers wouldn’t go amiss either.
Absent-mindedly, she flicked on the kettle and dug around the kitchen drawer for some tablets, allowing her mind to wander back to a week ago when she had lifted Vi onto this very counter… Ignoring the dart of arousal that shot through her at the memory, she necked the ibuprofen and washed it down with a swig of orange juice from the fridge. Just as she placed the carton back in the door and searched for options for dinner – of which there weren’t many, being single she didn’t keep much food in the house – her phone vibrated in her pocket.
Caitlyn’s heart jumped into her throat as it had been doing every time she received a notification ever since Vi had sent her flowers. While rationally, she knew the ball was in her court, that didn’t stop her from longing for her attention. Sadly, however, it was nothing but a calendar alert. Disappointed, the museum director swiped the notification open and her heart dropped. She had completely forgotten about the fund-raising dinner on Saturday. With everything that had happened last week, it had slipped her mind entirely. It was a good job she had thought to set herself a timely reminder. The preparations had long since been completed, she had even picked out which dress she would wear, but still, anxiety closed around her chest. She hated going to these dinners. All night she would be required to charm people – which would be considerably more difficult in light of recent events – and she would have to do it alone. That was always the worst part of it. The rich and powerful of London used these events to parade their spouses – or lovers – around, and Caitlyn would be by herself, as always.
Unless…
The realisation made her heart race. She could just… After all, Vi had asked they try again and… Caitlyn decided to ride the wave of inspiration before her insecurity could win out. She swiped her phone open and quickly found the medic’s message. It wasn’t as though she’d read it a hundred times since and stared inspiration-less at the reply line. Now, however, she wasn’t going to delay.
Are you free Saturday? She typed simply and hit send before she could think better of it. Immediately, the urge to delete it again struck, but she struggled through it and placed the phone on the kitchen side, far away from herself, so she couldn’t be tempted. With her heart pounding in her chest, she set about making that cup of tea she had planned on. She nearly dropped the milk when her phone buzzed only moments later, and she scrambled to look at it. This time, it was not another unhelpful notification, it was a message from Vi.
I'm working, why? it read and the stab of disappointment was painful, as was her curt answer. She was likely mad she had taken so long to respond.
Never mind , she messaged back, releasing a heavy sigh. It would have made a nice change but it wasn’t like she wasn’t practised at being the odd one out. To her surprise, her phone vibrated again, even before she’d put it down.
No, tell me , Vi insisted, and a small smile stole to Caitlyn’s lips. It implied some sort of interest and while she didn’t get her hopes up about the dinner, perhaps now that she had made the first step, they could at least strike up a conversation.
I have a fundraising dinner that I'm not looking forward to. But if you're working don't worry about it, she answered, then added somewhat hopefully: Maybe another time?
I'll see about swapping my shift. What time? Vi’s answer took her aback and she stared at it for some time. Was she serious? She would go to the trouble of changing her schedule for her? It wasn’t as though her work wasn’t important, quite the contrary!
8pm. It's black tie though… she typed and the medic’s response was prompt and almost flirty, complete with a winking emoji:
You just want to see me in a suit! Caitlyn’s heart started beating faster as she tried to reign in her active imagination conjuring up an image of the attractive medic dressed up to the nines. It caused a tight pull in her gut.
Wouldn't complain. I could pick you up. 7.30pm? She had a car and driver for the evening. It would make sense and spare the other woman having to make her own way. She told herself it wasn’t just because she wanted them to arrive together and have a moment of alone time in the car first…
I'll text you the address once I've confirmed about shifts, OK? Vi responded, and Caitlyn smiled to herself. She told herself not to get over-excited, plenty of things could go wrong between now and the weekend, but the medic had agreed to be her date and it was a wonderful feeling.
Ok :)
Looking forward to seeing you all dressed up. Another message pinged up, and then another: And to taking the dress off you after. Caitlyn’s cheeks flushed as the memory of Vi pressing herself to her back against the counter flashed in her mind, replaying her taking off her dress and brushing her fingers into her underwear…
If you play your cards right, she typed back, trying not to sound too eager.
If need be, I’ll give you a reason to make me apologise again, Vi shot back, and Caitlyn could virtually hear her smirk that made her stomach flip.
---
Caitlyn crossed her legs, smoothing out the fabric of her pale blue dress. She was anxious. It was terrible. She had taken to sitting on her hands to stop herself from biting her nails and now that they pulled up at the address the other woman had given her, she nervously fiddled with every part of her outfit, trying to make herself look her best. It wasn’t as though Vi hadn’t already seen what lay underneath her dress but still… They were having a do-over of their ruinous date and the museum director wanted to get it right this time.
The driver was just getting out of the car, likely to open the door for Vi as they were meant to and Caitlyn’s heart picked up speed. She hadn’t realised just how excited she was to see the other woman again or quite comprehended the effect she had had on her.
The car door opened and she looked up to find the medic climbing in, a shy smile on her lips and Caitlyn swallowed hard and it wasn’t just to swallow her doubts. Vi Lanes looked dashing. She was wearing a dark grey, tailored three-piece suit that showed off her broad shoulders, and for a moment Caitlyn forgot to breathe.
“Hi,” the medic greeted her softly as she slid into the seat across from her, and the museum director struggled to find her voice.
“Hello, Vi…” she gave back and she knew she was a far cry from the confident woman she had made out to be on their first date. It was a purposeful choice. She knew if she wanted them to have a real chance, she would have to show herself as she really was, not the mask she wore day in, day out. Once they got to the dinner, she would have to put it back on, but for the time being… She let her guard down.
“You look beautiful,” the medic told her softly, and Caitlyn smiled:
“You don’t look half-bad yourself…” And Vi gave a shy sort of smile at that as the car started moving.
“Thought I might try impress my date. I hear she’s some big shot at this dinner, so–”
And as much as Caitlyn wanted to flirt with her, fall into the easy banter she presented her with, there was something she had to get off her chest:
“Look I’m… I’m sorry about how things went… I should have… I shouldn’t have asked you to leave. I didn’t want you to leave, but I just…” she started, finally having an opportunity to address the things that had been weighing her down but Vi smiled:
“What was it you said? The only thing you want to hear from me is an apology?” She quoted her and colour shot to Caitlyn’s cheeks at the memory of the heated exchange. “Well, I for one, would like to hear anything but an apology from you…” she offered softly and the museum director released a sigh of relief. It really seemed as though she wanted to have a complete do-over.
“Okay…” she nodded her agreement. “Thank you for the flowers.”
“I’m glad they worked,” Vi hummed, her eyes sparkling as the lights of the city outside reflected in them. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”
“Thank you for agreeing to come,” Caitlyn gave back. “Though it might not be quite as much fun as you’d expect… sorry.” She really wasn’t looking forward to the socializing aspect of it all, but she hoped with Vi close, she would make the most of it. At least the food ought to be good and there was always the possibility of them taking the evening elsewhere if the mood struck… The thought was infinitely alluring and her eyes dropped to her lips.
“Oh I don’t know… if I get to look at you all night, maybe cop a feel, I reckon I’ll be alright,” Vi unexpectedly burst into a grin, and Caitlyn couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had made her laugh…
The drive to the National Museum was pleasant. Conversation flowed easily between them as they made no further mention of the unfortunate incident that had tainted their first date. They were beginning to do what they should have done in the first place: They started getting to know each other.
Caitlyn started off by giving Vi a rundown of what these fund-raising dinners entailed, their purpose and what it meant for her, while the medic entertained her with a story of the last time she had been to a dinner such as this – at a medical conference a few months back – where a colleague of hers had had several too many and ended up singing, standing on one of the tables. Even though the museum director hoped it wouldn’t come to something like that, she delighted in her animated retelling. There was something wonderful about the way the medic spoke.
As predicted, the dinner at the museum was more sedate.
“How long do we have to stay for so we don’t appear impolite?” Vi hummed to Caitlyn as they moved around the exhibits. The food had been nice as expected and they hadn’t grown tired of talking to each other yet.
“I should talk to some people…” the museum director gave a heavy sigh as she really didn’t want to. She was far more interested in speaking to the medic alone, enjoying the lovely feeling of her hand in hers as she easily guided her through the room.
“Well, tell you what…” Vi hummed thoughtfully as she looked around searchingly. “I’m gonna grab us some drinks and you pick someone to talk to. You only have to talk to them until I get back, I’ll rescue you, and maybe I’ll even reward you for having made it though, how about that?” she suggested with a grin.
“Reward me? And what might that look like, Dr. Lanes?” Caitlyn raised her eyebrows at her and a smirk drew to the medic’s lips. She cast her eyes around once more, then tugged at her hand, pulled her with her out of sight of prying eyes behind one of the large pillars. And there she pushed her up against it, finding her lips in a firm kiss, full of promise.
“Hmm… alright then…” the museum director smiled, her heart beating fast and hard and relief flooded her. The spark remained between them as their connection only grew.
“Miss Kiramman!” A voice carried across to them and quickly, Caitlyn pulled her arms away from the other woman. She recognised the voice very well and it didn’t bode well. This was, in effect, what she had been dreading all night.
“Oh no…” she breathed, and Vi frowned, confused.
“What is it?” she asked and followed her eyes to a man that was marching towards them. He was tall and thin with a slick and slimy quality.
“One of the members of the governing board. He doesn’t like me,” the museum director revealed, her heart sinking. It was always going to happen sooner rather than later, but she would have preferred to do this without her love interest looking on. Regardless, she didn’t have a choice in the matter and pulled herself up to full height, steeling her nerves.
“How does he not like you?” Vi seemed utterly bewildered. “Why would anyone–”
“You didn’t like me when you first met me,” the museum director reminded her.
“Right, but–” the medic wanted to protest but was cut off by the arrival of Salo, the board member in question, who was pulling a face as though he’d just learned his favourite pet had died.
“Miss Kiramman. I was hoping we could have a quick word about the incident last week?” he started on her without further ado, not bothering with a proper greeting or even acknowledging Vi’s existence. “I must say, your handling of the matter–”
Caitlyn took a deep breath, setting her jaw, ready to launch into a hard defense, but suddenly, it was Vi that interrupted.
“Was really all anyone could have done, wasn’t it?” She spoke over him and his head whipped around to her as if he had only just noticed her.
“Sorry?”
“I was most impressed by the way the museum handled the matter,” the medic carried on easily and shot Caitlyn a small smile. The museum director watched in wonder. She had no idea what she was playing at but no-one had ever come to her help like this.
“And who are you?” Salo snapped at her impatiently, but Vi remained calm and almost insufferably cheerful.
“I’m Dr. Lanes, A&E consultant at St. Thomas,” she introduced herself and inwardly Caitlyn cheered her confidence and congratulated her for leading with her impressive qualifications. It was the best way of dealing with these sorts of people. She could have jumped into the conversation then, but as Vi continued, the words stuck in her mouth: “I'm Caitlyn’s partner.”
“I see,” he retorted curtly, and once Caitlyn had overcome the initial shock of her words, she added:
“Vi was there the day that unfortunate gentleman collapsed.” Vi picked up her cue easily and looped her arm around the small of her back, offering support in her actions and her words.
“I tried to resuscitate him, but it was no use. Caitlyn and I talked about it afterwards and agreed that AEDs were something the museum should seriously consider. It’s so important to learn from tragedy.”
“Well, yes, and wouldn’t you say that this is something the museum should have long since had? I mean, someone should be held responsible–” the blustered on, and the museum director’s heart sank. She could tell what he was angling for. He wanted a scapegoat, someone to hang out to dry to avoid negative publicity, even though she had already done her utmost to avoid it, well on her way to turning it into a positive story about learning from mistakes and provoking a conversation about the lack of funding…
“Sadly I don’t think in this case it would have made a difference,” Vi interjected, taking the wind out of his sails. “The response time of the ambulance was far too slow. Unfortunately our NHS is severely stretched, much like the cultural sector. There just isn’t money for all the things we should be doing, but every now and then it’s good to be reminded of our priorities.” And at that she tugged Caitlyn a little closer. It seemed she was just working out her priorities and the museum director was doing much the same as she regarded her with utmost affection.
“Which is why we’re here, trying to secure more funds, even if it is through donations,” she told her opponent, eager to wrap up the conversation, and Vi agreed:
“Making sure the National Museum continues to run as smoothly as it has been.” She pressed a kiss to Caitlyn’s shoulder, then turned her attention back to Salo. “What happened the other week was unfortunate, but the poor man’s heart could have given out anywhere.”
“I suppose if you put it that way,” he huffed, clearly unhappy, but unable to find suitable counter arguments.
“I have already set the wheels in motion to get the AEDs fitted, make this tragedy have a purpose,” Caitlyn revealed with a winning smile, and Vi nodded in agreement:
“It’s all we can and should be doing.”
“Yes, of course,” he huffed begrudgingly. “Good work, Miss Kiramman. The board has every faith in you,” he nodded, then turned to Vi. “It was a pleasure Dr. Lanes.” And with that, he stomped off.
“Likewise,” the medic called after him, earning herself a slap on the shoulder from Caitlyn and they turned their backs quickly before they both burst out laughing.
“So… You’re my partner, are you?” the museum director observed with a soft smile once they had both calmed down.
“Could be…” Vi hummed in response, casting a glance up at her. Slowly they walked to the bar together.
“Thank you,” Caitlyn mumbled. “That was kind of you. Particularly since you stretched the truth there.”
Vi took a moment to contemplate her answer and the museum director worried about what she might have to say on the matter.
“I overreacted when I had that go at you,” the medic said at last, her tone far more serious than Caitlyn would have expected. It caught her off guard but Vi didn’t give her the opportunity to interject, she carried on: “In hindsight, I genuinely think it likely wouldn’t have made much of a difference… I pulled the patient file when I was back at work, looking him up… He had a severe heart condition, was in and out of cardiac at St. Thomas for years… ticking time bomb,” she revealed.
“I see,” Caitlyn was surprised, she couldn’t deny that, but relieved too. She didn’t need Vi to apologise, not after everything that had happened, but she felt better for knowing that there wasn’t much she or anyone could have done.
“I didn’t like the way he was coming at you…” Vi carried on thoughtfully, and the museum director gave a sigh.
“You get used to it when you’re a woman in my position… I suppose you’d know a thing or two about that?” she questioned cautiously. “I didn’t know you were a consultant.”
“I’m the Clinical lead actually but that seemed a bit too on the nose to say. If he looks me up, he’ll find out and feel even worse,” a grin stole to her lips and while Caitlyn scoffed in amusement, she also observed:
“I’m sure you do a brilliant job.” It was evident in how passionate she had been in their first encounter, how much she had cared about helping a stranger and how much it had hurt her not to have been able to.
“It’s a lot of pressure, particularly in the current political and cultural climate…” Vi answered thoughtfully. “The day we met was the first day of annual leave I’ve had all year… I really needed that time off… I suppose my stress level was still pretty high that day as well and being right back in action was… probably not conducive to my behaviour.”
“It’s okay… I can relate to that very well,” Caitlyn smiled. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“I’m glad I did,” Vi answered and she seemed utterly sincere which made the museum director’s heart soar. Slowly, Caitlyn steered them towards the exit. She had enough of the party, all she wanted to do now was be alone with the medic.
“So you… you want to start over? Do this right?” she asked cautiously, trying her best not to sound too hopeful or nervous.
“I’ve heard it said we’d be pretty well matched,” Vi hummed with a wink.
“I think your sister might know a thing or two about that…” Caitlyn agreed with a smile of her own.
“Let’s just never tell her that,” the medic warned with a grin. “She’ll become insufferable.” And then she turned more serious as she added: “But I would quite like to get to know me better. If you’ll let me.”
“I’d like that too,” the museum director agreed softly.
“We can be stressed together…” Vi hummed, holding the door open for her as they left the museum. “Maybe we can find some ways to release some of that… Each in our own way…” she smirked, pulling her towards her and Caitlyn laughed as she found herself wrapped in her arms.
“Well, if it’s stress relief you’re after, I guess I can help with that,” she hummed suggestively, brushing her pink hair out of her face.
“Wouldn’t say no,” the medic grinned. “But more than that… I want companionship... and I think that’s something you want too?” she asked and there was insecurity in her eyes, as well as hopefulness. “I’m sorry, please tell me to shut up if you want to but… I get the sense you are very lonely…” she carried on and that was something Caitlyn couldn’t deny. She dropped her eyes and just managed a small nod.
“Yes, I… Yes I’d like that,” she whispered and found her face lifted up, a soft pair of lips finding her own and whispered:
“Me too…”
And as Vi pulled away, showing her down the steps of the museum, Caitlyn couldn’t help but notice how much more colourful London appeared, and how reassuring it was to have a hand hold her own.