She was wiping her face when she heard the clickity click of Bette's heels coming down the hall. She smiled behind her hands briefly, imagining the sway of the blonde's thick hips. Hips that Kerrie tried her best to ignore in the face of professionalism but couldn't help it at times. Judging by a few lust-laced looks she had caught Bette giving her, she wasn't the only one who was experiencing an attraction to a coworker.
"Kerrie?" Bette's head popped through the doorway, her hand pushing the door fully open to show a man behind her. "The air repairman is here. He needs access to the basement door."
"Oh, good. Hopefully, you can get it fixed before we cook to death." She fished around in her top desk drawer for the master keyring.
Bette stepped forward, taking them. "I'll show him where it is and bring these back."
The repairman was there for only 30 minutes when he delivered the bad news. They would need to order a part, which wouldn't be available until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Kerrie groaned at the news and decided immediately that she would be coming to work in shorts and a T-shirt tomorrow. Dress code be damned.
The clickety-click sound returned as Bette rounded the door frame, plopping ungracefully into the chair across from her desk. She had shed her lavender blazer at some point and was only in a soft, short-sleeve cream-colored top that clung to the swell of her breasts and belly. Her matching lavender pants were loose, but when she sat down, they stretched tightly over her thighs, giving a glimpse of their fullness. Kerrie averted her eyes quickly when she realized she was staring. Those thighs could hold her attention for far longer if she didn't stop herself.
"You know, I may have an idea of how to cool off," Bette offered.
An image of the blonde in a black one-piece bathing suit, big floppy hat, and a glass of iced tea in hand, sitting poolside, flashed through Kerrie's mind. Her full thighs and hips on display as Kerrie rubbed sunscreen over—
"Kerrie?"
Kerrie blinked a few times, then shook her head, thankful her already heated face covered her blush. "Sorry, I can't really focus in this heat."
"I was saying, I think I know how we can be only a little miserable. When I went down to the basement with the repairman, I couldn't help but notice it was several degrees cooler. Maybe we could use the storage room?"
A spark of hope lit into Kerrie. "That's not a bad idea. What about our computers?"
"I texted Tyler, and he said there were laptops we could borrow until it's fixed. I could run down and get them if you want to pull together a usable spot in the storage room."
"You're a genius. That sounds fantastic! I'll radio Luke and the house advisers to tell them where we'll be."
Bette had been correct about the temperature. While not as cool as if the AC was on, it was a stark improvement, especially when she added two boxed fans. It was almost tolerable. She doubted it would get any better as the day went on, but an improvement was an improvement. At least they were no longer being choked by wet heat.
Once again, she was alerted to Bette's presence as she came down the stairs and into the storage room. A medium-sized table was the best option for the cramped area. They would have to sit across from each other, but it wasn't bad. Who wouldn't like to have the perfect opportunity to sneak glances at Bette Cooper?
"Well, this looks cozy," commented Bette as she walked in, two thick laptops and a mess of charging cables in her arms.
Kerrie laughed. "It's a bit cramped, but it'll do. We can shut the door when the clients are in the basement for Leadership."
Bette handed one of the heavy laptops to Kerrie. "These things look about 50 years old, but the tech from the top of the admin building said they work. The password is turtlegrove123."
"Shouldn't the passwords be a little more secure than that?" questioned Kerrie as she took it. She examined it, taking in a few scratches and nicks. It was thick and hard-shelled, like it could take a bullet. Kerrie didn't know anything about laptops, but it didn't take a tech genius to see that it was one year away from being a relic.
"You would think. My ex-wife would have called them a liability. She always made sure everything was new and sealed tight. I would get so mad when we would have to change passwords over and over again," complained Bette with a laugh, shaking her head as she placed her own laptop down on the cheap faux wood table.
Kerrie tried to keep a straight face at the mention of an ex-wife. Kerrie had wondered about Bette's sexuality because she gave off no vibes, but then again, it wasn't like feminine women gave off lesbian like a blaring sign like she did. It was apparent the moment someone looked at Kerrie that she was a lesbian. Butch was what she had always used to describe herself. Nowadays, it seems like most use the term masc. Masc didn't feel right to her. She'd much rather stick to butch.
But Bette Cooper wasn't a blaring rainbow sign. She didn't scream queer. Bette didn't set off any radar besides the few lusty looks cast in Kerrie's direction. With curiosity piqued, Kerrie tried her best to be inconspicuous. "So, you worked together before coming here?"
It took a moment for Bette to reply. Kerrie was about to apologize when Bette finally answered her. "Yes, I was the office manager for our law firm."
"And you decided Turtle Grove would suit you better than law?"
Bette rolled her eyes. "I didn't have much of a choice. She's good at getting her way. She got a shiny new girlfriend that's two years older than our daughter, our home, and the business I worked my ass off to build alongside her for twenty years. I got to keep my car, two grand, and only about an ounce of dignity, but that was quickly gone when I moved back in with my mother."
Chapter 14
What the hell, Bette? Just tell her your life is pathetic.
Bette had no idea why all of that blunt, ugly truth came tumbling out of her mouth. She hadn't asked for Bette's life story. It had been a simple question that should have just been answered simply. Instead, she blabbed her embarrassing past.
"That's, well, that's shitty."
