Chapter Twenty-Five
Audrey found Zora already in her apartment when she made it home. It had been a different first week back from Michigan than they usually encountered, but Audrey had still needed her support—navigating both her family and the weird state of limbo she and Hallie were existing in.
“In the kitchen, babe,” Zora shouted, a little too loudly for the small apartment. “How was work?”
“Oh, you know,” Audrey replied, exhausted. “Data, testing, the usual.”
“You’ve never sounded so annoyed by your own job.” Zora looked at her with concern as she moved into the kitchen and leaned against the counter.
“I still love my job. I was just… talking to Hallie earlier.”
“Naturally. How’s she doing?”
“Shit.”
“So, just like you, then.” She shook her head. “Just ask her to move here and be done with it.”
“Zora, she works in customer service. Living here is expensive. Plus, her whole family is there and they’re close. I can’t ask her to give up everything to try out whether we might have something.”
“Then, don’t for now. But at least put a label on it. I know you thought you couldn’t do the whole long-distance thing, but I’ve got news for you. You’re already doing it. And, if you name it, you’ll both feel a million times better.”
Audrey nodded slowly. She knew Zora was right.
And, sure, things might still come up that scared her, but they talked consistently.
Even without declaring what they were, Audrey wasn’t actually worried Hallie was going to leave her for someone else.
Maybe they could make the whole thing work.
Distance was hard but maybe it was manageable when both people were putting in the effort.
Distance with her family was both necessary and left her feeling removed because nobody was trying—but they weren’t trying to include her when they were in the same place either.
With Hallie, it felt inconvenient, annoying, but like something they could overcome.
They texted, they called, they were parts of each other’s lives.
And the distance didn’t seem to make a difference.
They both still wanted to be together. She’d want to make it work no matter where Hallie moved.
Zora stood in front of her, clapping her hands down on Audrey’s shoulders. “Okay, it looks like you’re realizing I’m right, so, great news! I brought you an early Christmas gift to help.”
Audrey furrowed her brow. “What?”
Zora laughed and moved to pull out a haphazardly wrapped gift.
Audrey smiled down at the red and green wrapping paper. “You want me to open this now?”
“Oh, I absolutely do.”
There was something in her tone that told Audrey she might regret opening it in Zora’s presence, but she did as she was told and laughed in surprise. “Zora, what the hell?”
“What? It’s a great gift! I even charged it for you.”
“It sure is… something.”
She rolled her eyes and gestured to the box Audrey was holding. “I got the idea from telling you both about the woman I was seeing in New York. Believe me, stuff like this really helps shrink the distance between you.”
Audrey nodded. She could actually see that. And it wasn’t as though she didn’t want to try it out with Hallie. Still, it was one of the more… unexpected gifts she’d ever received for Christmas.
Zora pulled her phone out, grinning down at it as she typed quickly. “Okay, I just texted Hallie and told her to call you and to… enjoy herself. So, I’m going to go now and leave you to it. Have fun, babe!”
Audrey stared after her as she positively ran from the apartment, but it wasn’t long after the door snapped shut that her phone lit up with a call from Hallie.
Audrey’s stomach still clenched unpleasantly when her phone lit up with a call, but it was getting easier with the amount Hallie phoned her.
Of course, not every call was from Hallie, but, for the time being, her family seemed to be giving her the silent treatment.
If she thought about it too closely, it wasn’t easy to handle, but she was working through it in extra sessions with her therapist, and, honestly, it was better than the tirade of messages.
It gave her time to sit in the two extremes of their behavior, neither of which were loving or appropriate.
“Hello,” she said warmly as she answered Hallie’s call. Their earlier conversation still hung over them, unfinished, but this distraction from Zora at least let them focus on something else for the time being.
“Is everything okay?” Hallie asked, relaxing into amusement when she heard Audrey’s tone.
“That rather depends on what you classify as okay.”
“Dr. Bee,” Hallie said, her voice unintentionally flirty, as though some part of her already knew what was happening just from hearing Audrey’s voice, “what’s going on?”
“Zora just presented me with an early Christmas gift.”
“Okay…”
“And, well, it’s more a gift for the two of us.”
“Call me intrigued.”
“Oh, I’ll call you anything you want,” Audrey said, laughing but flirty as she placed the box on the counter and looked down at it again.
“Audrey…”
“It’s a remote-controlled vibrator.”
It took a moment before Hallie said, “Is it now?”
Audrey hummed. “This is her way of… helping.”
“Yeah, that’s definitely helping. Very, very helpful.”
Audrey laughed, scrubbing a hand over her face. “We don’t have to use it.”
“It’s rude not to use your gifts, Dr. Bee.”
Her insides were melting again at that nickname, said just like that. Part of her was also burning at the fact that they were even discussing this, but, if she’d learned one thing from Zora, it was that there was no point being coy about the things you wanted in bed.
She cleared her throat. “But we haven’t…”
“Not yet, but I think two weeks is a reasonable time. We’ve been on a lot of dates at this point. More than the average before having sex, probably.”
“So, you want to have sex with me?”
Hallie’s voice was smooth and hot when she laughed. “Was I not clear about that before, Audrey?”
“Well, yes, you were, but… we were in the same place and things were different.”
“Nothing has changed for me,” she said more seriously. “Wanting you isn’t going away, and I don’t think it ever will.”
“Right.” Audrey wasn’t sure how to fully process that.
Part of her had been convinced Hallie’s desire for her had simply been a product of their proximity, of the weird week together they’d been living through.
But, here she was, claiming to want Audrey every bit as much as she had at that Christmas market. “Where are you?”
Hallie laughed. “I’m so very sorry to report that I’m at my mum’s.”
Audrey cringed. “Sorry.”
“You’re good. She’s not even here right now…”
“Oh.”
“Indeed. You’re going to say ‘pineapple’ the second you want me to stop, okay?” Her voice was turning Audrey to goo, setting every part of her on fire.
“Yes.”
“Fantastic. So, Audrey, are you ready to be a good girl and take orders for me?”
A garbled sound escaped Audrey’s throat and thoughts of Tracy or Zora or any other human on the entire planet vacated her mind immediately.
“Good girl,” Hallie said, authoritative and sexy and completely in charge. “Now, go wash that vibrator and get it all set up for me to use on you.”
Audrey nodded, practically running for the sink. She’d been entirely right that having someone else take the reins would be amazing.
She listened as Hallie narrated heading to her bedroom—the one they’d been in together—and not one part of Audrey worried about her doing this there, that her mom might come home and interrupt them.
Hallie was in charge and she said it was fine, that she wanted Audrey, and that they were doing this.
Thankfully for Audrey’s eager body, setting Hallie up with controls for the vibrator was straightforward. When her mind was cognizant of things outside of the two of them, she’d have to thank Zora for her choice.
“Now, Audrey,” Hallie purred, setting off goosebumps on every inch of Audrey’s body, “you’re going to lie in bed and let me do whatever I want to you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Audrey gasped, almost choking on her eagerness.
“Good girl.”
It probably made sense that Audrey enjoyed being praised, given everything, but she’d never thought much about it before. She hadn’t known to ask for it or to expect the way her body tingled excitedly at it. “Okay,” she said, once she’d installed herself in bed.
Hallie hummed, sounding impossibly pleased, and every part of Audrey’s brain felt like it was shutting down in the most fantastic way. All it wanted was to do exactly as Hallie instructed, to please her however she deemed appropriate.
“Tell me what you’re wearing,” Hallie said.
Bliss flooded Audrey’s body and they’d barely even done anything. The lack of ambiguity, the lack of questioning, probing energy was perfection. She knew what she had to do, knew exactly what Hallie wanted, and exactly how much Hallie wanted her. “Shirt. Buttons. Charcoal gray trousers.”
“I want you to slowly start unbuttoning your shirt for me, Audrey, and I’m going to count you through it. Do not move faster than my commands, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“You’re doing so well, gorgeous.”
Audrey’s body shuddered deliciously at the praise, at just getting to do what she was told. It was so wonderful with Hallie. She didn’t have to worry that she wouldn’t like it, that something bad would happen. Hallie was in charge and everything was okay.
“Open your first button now,” Hallie instructed. “I’m doing the same thing.”
“Mm.” Audrey wanted to speak, to tell Hallie how sexy that was, but she couldn’t quite figure out how. The image of Hallie unbuttoning her own shirt was entirely overwhelming.
“The second now… and the third.”