Hello! I'd like to say thank you to everyone who left a comment on the last installment of this story and especially to those who directly sent me feedback. I had intended to let that chapter be the last one but as people seemed to really want another one, here it is! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoy.
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No one would choose terrible things to happen to them at Christmas time but Lauren was thankful for the timing as it meant that immediately after the Christmas party she could escape London and return to her family home in Buckinghamshire. Switching the crammed tubes and bustling city for the quiet picturesque village of Chalfont St Giles was just what she needed. On the day she had stepped off the train she had been met with a light blanketing of snow adding a sereness to the little village, only adding to the festive cheer that could be felt wherever you went. Sitting in the back of a taxi Lauren rested her temple against the cool glass of the window and admired the golden fairy lights that lit the whole way home till she was enveloped by the warmth of her family.
Lauren had invited toyed Jennifer home for Christmas, knowing she had gone home for thanksgiving and would be around she wanted to take the opportunity to introduce her to her extended family. It was so unusual for Lauren to bring someone home that idea had been latched upon by her parents and so before she had crossed the threshold they were already looking over her shoulder for the mysterious Jennifer. Lauren smiled tightly, settling her bag down and calmly explaining that it hadn't worked out and that it was okay, but even as she said it she knew it felt anything but. After a string of questions she was finally allowed to go upstairs to her childhood room.
Closing the door behind herself she flopped down on her back and stared up at the ceiling, seeing the framed tour posters of all the bands she'd loved as a teenager still where they'd been when she'd moved out. Taking in a deep breath she pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing her parents didn't want to make her feel like a failure or that she'd be forever alone, but with all that had happened it was hard not to feel that way. Downstairs she could hear the excited sounds of her brothers children and the idea of being away from London was exactly what she needed but at the same time just made the whole situation sting that much more.
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Returning to work after the break Lauren had told herself that she had to let it go and be professional. Walking into her office early on the first day back she sat at her desk to catch up with her emails, listening to music quietly in her office in order to focus. The light was only on in her office as she was the first one in the building and so when the next person walked in the floor lit up with their footsteps and she was surprised to see the light coming her way. It was only when Jennifer made it into her eye line that she felt her stomach drop. Of course she was going to see her, Jennifer was her assistant after all, but she had hoped she wouldn't see her so soon.
Jennifer pulled the door open to Lauren's office and came and sat on the couch without a word, setting her purse on the floor and taking out her macbook and opened the lid to turn it on. Her long blonde hair fell slightly into her eyes as she bowed her head to look at the screen. "Your day is pretty empty today... most of the week is. Lots of people have taken the first week off." Jennifer murmured, sliding her fingers through her soft hair to tuck it behind her ear only to tip her head up to look at Lauren, frowning when she could see that she didn't have her attention, Lauren's eyes fixed firmly on her screen. "So we could schedule in some of those training sessions you've been putting off."
Lauren nodded and bit into the corner of her lip. "That'd be great, thank you."
Narrowing her blue eyes she paused for a moment, waiting for Lauren to look over at her but when it didn't happen she huffed and rolled her eyes. "So let's get it all out in the open shall we? Move past this?"
"I'm past it," Lauren said quietly, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "I - I've been thinking and we have a new Head of Legal starting next week and he's going to need help getting up to speed. I think it would be best if you switch to support him."
Jennifer stared at Lauren for a moment and rolled her eyes only to let out a soft, bitter laugh. "You do, do you?" Shaking her head Jennifer stood tall, resting a hand on her hip as she looked down at Lauren. Crossing the small space between the couch and her desk she stood in front of her. "Will you just fucking look at me and stop being a child?"
Closing the lid on her computer Lauren raised her eyes to meet Jennifer's and tilted her head to the side. "Stop being a child? I think-"
"I fucked someone else. You are not my girlfriend. You made that choice so this is your fault." Jennifer huffed. "So let's just move past it."
Lauren couldn't believe what she was hearing, having no idea how Jennifer could think that this was okay. Sure, they had resisted the label because Jennifer wouldn't have it until she was fully out but she had more or less been living at her flat, they'd planned holidays together and more. "I - you can't say that Jen. We were more than just a casual fling and you know it? Why are you - if telling yourself makes you feel better then go ahead but there's no moving past this and I think it's best if we don't work together anymore."
Jen narrowed her eyes slightly at Lauren, her lips in a thin line but then her face softened once more, a winning smile spreading across her features. Walking around the desk so that she was stood behind Lauren she placed her hands on her shoulders and gently started to massage them. Her thumbs slid along the lines of her neck as she curled her fingers in towards the muscle. "You're so tense and worked up, I thought a Christmas break would have given you time to relax." Jennifer's voice was like syrup as she dipped her head down to kiss Lauren's soft brown hair, breathing in the vague scent of rose that always seemed to cling to her skin and hair.
Tensing when she felt Jen's hands on her she bristled and shook her hands off of her. "Jen. I'm serious. This is over.. And I would like you to move to someone else and maybe we can be friends? But we're not going to be together anymore."
Taking her hands back Jen narrowed her eyes again and walked away from her, pacing the small stretch of hardwood floor in front of Lauren's desk. With every step she took her heeled boots clicked on the floor, Jennifer's hands crossed over her waist. "Have you submitted the transfer request?" Seeing Lauren nod she shook her head in disbelief, unable to believe she was acting like this. "Cancel it."
Lauren sighed as she watched her pace and shook her head. "I'm not going to do that and I can't do that or it'll look weird. He's a really nice man, probably much less demanding than me."
Jennifer stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face her, her stomach twisting but before she could stop herself she was already speaking. "Cancel the request, or I'm going to submit a grievance saying you're refusing to work with me since you found out I was gay. I mean you're super super straight, there's no reason you wouldn't be a homophobe right?"
Lauren's eyes went wide as saucers and for a moment she couldn't even fathom words, unable to believe Jen would say these things but there was a stony determination in her blue eyes that she knew she wasn't joking. "Jen - you can't that would-"
Shrugging her shoulders Jen gave a saccharine smile and bent to pick up her purse and computer. "Cancel the request or I'm going to report you by the end of the day and believe me, everyone thinks you're a cold bitch so it shouldn't take much convincing." Turning she stalked out of the office and let the door slam behind her.
A few moments passed where Lauren sat in her chair completely shell shocked. Jennifer had always had a temper but something like this was beyond what Lauren had ever thought she was capable of. Her throat felt dry and as she reached to take a sip from the glass of water on her desk she saw her hands trembling with fear. Her heart raced in her chest and she wasn't sure if she felt more faint or sick as he breathing got a little heavier.
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The day had dragged on as slow as molasses, Lauren never truly able to focus on anything knowing what could happen by the end of the day. Every piece of work she tried to get stuck into she found the numbers dancing around the screen until it became pointless to even try. Sinking back into her seat she crossed one leg over the other as she tried to reason through the best possible solution here. If she cancelled the request then Jennifer wouldn't report her, but then she was at her mercy to any other kind of blackmail she could conjure. It might also look strange to backtrack like this so quickly. She could call Jennifer's bluff and do nothing about it and just see what happened and hope that if she did report her that she was laughed out of the building and fired for making false accusations. Resting her head in her hands on her desk she took slow deep breaths to try and make her mind stop spinning like a carousel when all she wanted to do was get off.
On her screen she could see the emails piling up and the calendar notifications lining the side of her screen telling her all of the things she was falling behind on. Biting into her lip she felt overwhelmed with the pressure from both sides, caught up in the crossfire of Jennifer's pressure and the constant intensity of her work. Usually she could push through and struggle to get through it but with both pressing so hard on her she felt like she might crumble. It was too much. As she tried to calm her breathing down she had a single line of clear thought and realised what she had to do.
Pulling up her emails she typed in the email for her boss and the senior team. This could be the worst mistake but Lauren knew it was the only way to get ahead of the problem, to take the power away from Jennifer. When it was sent she sat there for a moment and just bit into the inside of her cheek, watching as the 'undo' button disappeared from the screen and she knew her fate was sealed. Pushing herself up from her desk Lauren picked up her purse, her gym bag and a few things from her desk before heading out. As she walked past Jennifer at her desk she didn't so much as give her a look, even when she called after her.
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Sitting on the tube Lauren was surprised by how busy it was in the middle of the afternoon. Usually she got the tube in the early morning with all the construction workers and only got the tube back from work with the late night revellers. This is what day time tube people looked like, a mixture of kids on their way home from school, tourists and other random people. Finding a seat she sank down and felt a rush of emotion flood through her. It had been such an intense day and even now she wasn't sure if she had made the right decision. Working her hand around the strap of her leather handbag she bit into her lip only to feel tears starting to form at the corner of her eyes. Carefully brushing them away she sighed out softly only to feel more tears forming and before she could do anything about it they were streaming down her face. Being the woman crying on the tube was definitely not a look she was trying to serve, she checked her purse for tissues but found none and so carefully tried to dab them away but as she took a deep breath in a soft sob escaped. She was now the woman sobbing on the train. Her cheeks went red in embarrassment as she saw the people around her avert their eyes and the pressure of the humiliation only made the tears worse. "Fuck," she breathed out, struggling to catch her breath and get herself under control.
"Hey, are you alright?" A soft voice asked.
Lauren looked to the side and saw a teal haired woman sink down into the seat beside her. She had bright pink lipstick on with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Dressed in just a pair of black skinny jeans and a t-shirt she looked almost like a student. The woman offered a kleenex out of her bag and Lauren took it gratefully, gently dabbing at her face. "Thank you, that's very kind," she murmured.
