Natalia shuffled down the hallway and through her bedroom door. Her head was spinning and reality seemed to be shifting yet again. She was stuck in so many different memories of the past; remembering moments of both happiness and heart-wrenching pain. She didn't quite know how she'd gotten to her bed, but a soft, warm hand covering her own brought her back into the present where she found both herself and the other hotelier sitting at the end of her bed. A dim light from a small lamp on her dresser illuminated the room. Olivia gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then released it in order to offer her a glass of water, and a small pill – which Natalia presumed to be Xanax. She took the pill and, without question, popped it into her mouth and took a sip of the water. When she handed the glass back to Olivia, she watched as Olivia walked over to the dresser to set it down and began opening drawers. Natalia assumed she was looking for some sort of evening attire for her to change into. Having anyone — let alone Olivia Spencer - touching her things would normally have made her cringe. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted this and watched with a calm detachment as Olivia opened her drawer and pulled out a long nightshirt.
"What do I do now?" Natalia asked, her voice conveying her fear and heartache.
Olivia closed the drawer and walked back to the bed and sat down. She knew how overwhelmed Natalia was feeling at that moment; how vulnerable she was. From the same place that Olivia had been surprised to discover actually existed in her upon the birth of her only daughter, a surge of complete compassion flooded her soul. Natalia was not a rival, nor a potential business partner. She was not a woman who continually stood in the way of her company's imminent expansion and, thus, her success. And, even though her grief had in no way over-shadowed her exquisite beauty, Natalia wasn't even the object of Olivia's desire. For Olivia, in that moment, Natalia was a fragile spirit in need of comfort. Olivia yearned to support her, in whatever way she could. No strings attached. No ultimatums and bargaining, ulterior motives or desires for anything in return.
"Natalia, I'd like to help you with your shoes... if that's okay?" she asked softly as she studied the younger woman's face. Waiting patiently until Natalia weakly nodded her consent, Olivia slid from the bed and knelt down in front of the dazed brunette. Cradling a lower calf in her hand, she brought Natalia's foot up to rest in her lap and began to made gentle work of the thin straps around her ankle that held the shoe in place.
Natalia stared blankly at the process – not fully alert, but not so far removed as to completely fail to notice the care and concern that Olivia was displaying within that act of kindness. When the other shoe came off, she followed Olivia's movements as she placed the shoes at the corner of the bed.
"Now," Olivia said as she began to subconsciously rub nervous hands slowly up and down her own thighs. "Ummm... do you want to just sleep in your clothes, or would you... do you..." she stuttered. She had wanted to say something a little less perverted than "Shall we strip you naked now?"
Natalia hesitated but then shook her head.
"Okay, I'll just, uh..." Olivia made a turning motion with her hands. "And I'll wait while you..." Another gesture was made at Natalia and the night-shirt. The seated woman did not respond but just blinked a few times. "Okay, I'm just going to... yeah." Olivia took a deep breath and let it out as she turned around and walked forwards a few feet. She folded her arms and stood facing the doorway for several moments, rocking on her heels as she listened for a sign of movement behind her. She heard nothing.
"How's it going, Chief?" Olivia said over her shoulder. When no answer came, she slowly turned around to find Natalia sitting there, holding the nightshirt and staring at the floor. A quick look of pity flashed across the blonde's face as she took another deep breath. She walked over to the stunned woman. Ohhhh boy, she thought to herself. She pressed her lips tightly together and then cleared her throat. "Okay... Arms up."
Natalia stalled for a few seconds before she did as she was told and lifted her arms.
Olivia bent down to grab the hem of her shirt and pulled it over Natalia's head. She folded the garment neatly and placed it on the dresser.
"Did you live with your father?" Natalia inquired; her voice was quiet and her gaze was becoming slightly unfocused — presumably due to both emotional exhaustion and the mild sedative she had been given. The taller woman tried handing her the night-shirt, but Natalia grunted and waved it away.
"No, I didn't. I never met my father," Olivia answered, careful not to let the question lead her consciousness into its own set of unwanted memories. She stayed in the present and refocused on what they were trying to accomplish. "Can you get your pants undone for us?"
Natalia nodded and began an attempt to undo the button of the designer jeans she was still wearing from the day's earlier shopping adventure. "So when your mother died... you felt like... like this?"
The blonde thought carefully about what to say next. "I can't say that I know exactly how you are feeling right now, Natalia. But I remember that when my mother passed away, I felt a strange kind of fear. And I felt..." Olivia paused.
"Alone?" Natalia interjected.
"Yes," Olivia answered. "Yes, I felt lost and alone."
Natalia looked deep into Olivia's eyes. "I feel the 'alone' thing," she whispered.
Olivia placed a hand over the ones that were fumbling with the button. "I know," she said empathetically. They stayed there for several moments, joined by the familiar sting of loss. Olivia was the one to bring them back to the task at hand. She stood and looked down at the drowsy brunette who still hadn't managed to undo her jeans. "Lie back, I'll get this."
As Natalia slowly sank back into the mattress, Olivia undid the buttons and pulled on the zipper. "This isn't exactly how I imagined getting into your pants for the first time, Rivera," she joked as she made a motion indicating she needed Natalia to raise her hips.
The comment had won Olivia a brief smile – one that both women were grateful for. Natalia lifted her hips slightly to allow Olivia to tug the jeans off. "Well, I was actually going to say that I really admire your resolve, Spencer," she quipped.
"Don't admire it." Olivia pulled the jeans off and folded them before placing them with Natalia's shirt. "If you were just grieving, then you would be fair game. You are now, however, both grieving and soon to be sedated."
"Ah... Stricken with scruples. Must be rough for you, hmm?" The drugged beauty chuckled and then yawned.
Olivia did her best to avoid any long glances at the half-naked hotelier. "Oh, get over yourself, Rivera!" she smirked. "Can you stand or do you want to crawl up to your pillows?"
"I'm fine t' stand," Natalia answered with a slight slur.
"Mmhm? Alright. Up we get." The taller woman took both of Natalia's hands and pulled her slowly up from the bed. Natalia was weak and Olivia was forced to wrap an arm around her waist as the drowsy woman swayed back and forth. The two women held on to each other for a few long seconds.
"Shall we dance?" Olivia smiled and then tried to move them around the side of the bed.
Natalia, tugged back. "Don't move," she said. "Just stay still for a minute, please."
"Okay, sure." Olivia did as she was asked and kept her arm around Natalia, allowing the petite woman to lean on her for support. They stayed like this – close and quiet – for another minute, just being in each other's space.
"When are you going to leave?"
Olivia was surprised at the question. "Um, whenever you fall asleep?"
"That's not what I mean."
The older woman was confused. "Well, I'm going to need to get back to Springfield and get some things done at the Beacon, but I can always hop a plane, do that, come right back. I haven't really made any plans yet. Is that what you...?"
Natalia was watching Olivia's lips move as she spoke, and did her best to listen intently. She knew Olivia wasn't aware of the specific answer she had wanted to hear to the question she was actually asking. She smiled and nodded her head. "Okay, well..." She sighed. "I think maybe you should get me into bed now."
Olivia threw her head back and let out an over-exaggerated sigh of relief. "Yesss. Finally!" she laughed.
The smaller woman rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be shuffled around to the side of the large, king-sized bed. She crawled unto the bed and flopped down into the plush pillows. "Where'd ya put lil Emma?" she said, almost drunkenly.
Olivia pulled the bed-sheets up to cover Natalia. "I 'put' her into the capable hands of her babysitter a while ago. They went off to the pool, much to Emmabug's delight."
"Will you apologize to her for me?"
The blonde sat down on the side of the bed. "I had a talk with her, and she understands — as much as a little girl can. Oh... she told me to give you this..." Olivia bent down and placed a soft kiss on Natalia's cheek.
Natalia smiled, "Whadda sweet lil girl"; her words were slurred now.
Olivia cupped her cheek and stroked it lightly with her thumb. "Sleep now, Natalia," she whispered, and when she saw the other woman close her eyes, she reached over and turned off the bedside lamp.
A part of Olivia was so thankful to be able to get Natalia somewhat settled and safely to sleep. Another part of her realized that her efforts tonight may either go unnoticed – or even unappreciated – by a more defensive and sober Natalia, come the morning.
Once again, however, knew she was ready to take on another day, no matter what tomorrow might bring.
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Not long after arriving back at the hotel, Mateo Rivera had made a few phone calls. One call was to an obstinate head nurse who – in Mateo's opinion – took her job far too seriously and kept repeating the phrase "I'm sorry sir, I can't just give out our staff's contact information. I can leave a message for Miss Bradley, if you'd like." Mateo snidely thanked the woman on the other end of the phone for "being absolutely no help, whatsoever" but did leave his name and cell phone information, citing a need to speak with the nurse about picking up his deceased father's belongings.
Within three hours he had received a callback from a naive nurse named Michelle Bradley, arranged to meet to meet Miss Bradley at a nearby nightclub, and had spent a surprisingly short amount of time using 'girlie' cocktails and a charming voice to convince the young woman into going to a nearby motel with him.
This particular playmate had put up very little resistance, though he'd never had too much difficulty beguiling a woman into his arms whenever he felt like it. The offer of money, fame and endless hours of sexual bliss, and she was his.
If Mateo had asked the woman – who was currently straddling him on a cheap motel mattress – to walk into a bank with a blow-dryer and demand the teller for money, she would do it. He was sure of this. By now, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for him. It was his stunningly handsome good looks, his soothing, seductive mannerisms, and his charming, dimpled smile. And if any of these inherent gifts had failed to woo the woman into his cunning plan, there was always the strategically placed pressure of his hand that had roamed it's way up a black mini-skirt, and the light stroking of fingertips against lace panties. That usually did the trick.
And now, as Mateo watched the enraptured woman rise and fall above him, he praised himself for the clever way in which he was about to take down his arch-rival. He was quite pleased with himself as he quickly flipped the nurse over onto her back, momentarily stared down at her panting form, and then smirked.
Tonight, this chick. Tomorrow... the world!
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