She had to get out of here. There were too many memories. Fresh raw memories at that. Every time she looked up she could see the corner. Every time the door knocked and she looked up from her desk her eyes were drawn to it .She had thought about rearranging the furniture so that it wouldn't be in her immediate line of vision but that was a non-starter.She felt that she was suffocating ,that the walls were closing in on her. Her head was all over the place. Her work was suffering. Truth be told all parts of her life were suffering. She needed to get out of the office, to clear her head. She lifted a clipboard. What was on it she had no idea but at least it would look as if she was doing something official. She put on her jacket got up from her desk and made for the door not daring to even glance to her left despite the ever present churning sensation in her stomach.
" I'm going to do some random procedural spot checks " she told her secretary " Be back in about an hour if anyone rings. Just take a message and I'll call them back"
With that she was gone to where exactly she had no idea .But she was out of the office so that, at least, was a start. It was coming towards the end of the women's lunch break so the corridors were deserted as most of the inmates were outside enjoying the early afternoon sunshine. Erica Davidson would love to have joined them but that would have meant breaking her cover. And being seen was certainly not part of her agenda. Not,at least till she had worked out what she was going to do.The metronomic clicking of her heels on the stone floors was a welcome release. Murmured "hellos" or " No I'm fine thanks" were directed at her colleagues when offers of "Can I help Miss Davidson?" were made.She was grateful for the seemingly endless myriad of stairs and corridors that existed in the correction facility. Walking along them gave her the time she needed to think; to reach conclusions. First of all she needed to reflect on the kiss. Was she really offended ? Had she actually been violated? Had she contributed to the encounter happening in the first place? If she was being honest wasn't she more than a little hypocritical by feeling hard done by? Hadn't she shouted at him to pull her hair? That what they were having was just "nice married sex"? Hadn't she yelled that "sex doesn't always have to be nice "? Didn't she know that deep down she and he were finished? That it was a case of when not if. When she had been accused of thinking of her when she was fucking him , well wasn't that true? How many nights had she lay in bed wishing , hoping ,no fantisizing that it was the brunette in bed beside her? Didn't she yearn for rough, spontaneous, dangerous, risky sex? And how often had she called her to the office on some lame excuse just so that she could see her? And as for the security camera shots she was able to watch from her office. How many times had her eyes been drawn to the bench in the corner of the yard? Wishing that it was her fooling around? Hadn't she often wanted to go down and rip Kim's head off and claim the brunette for herself ?
" Shit " Erica Davidson said out loud where nobody could hear her "What a mess"
What was it she wanted? Who was the real Erica Davidson? Was it the outwardly respectable, no nonsense, sensible and yes ambitious governor who would let no thing and nobody get in her way.Or was it the person who wanted to pull back the velvet curtain ;who wanted liberating, exciting, dirty love making with a convicted prisoner under her supervision.? To carry on with the latter was a career ending decision if she was caught.And how did she even know that the woman that she desired was really interested in her. Maybe she was just bored and was using Erica as a plaything. As a distraction. That she would say all the right things to Erica to start with and then go blabbing about it all over the place. It seemed to Erica that the more she thought about the situation she found herself in that the more confused she was getting . The problem was there was nobody to advise her. If she told HIM what had happened in her office he would blow a gasket and demand she gave up her job immediately.Not that there was any chance of that. Or if she tried to even hint at what had happened to any of her colleagues they would retort with something like "We told you so. You let her get far to close to you. Knew she didn't show you enough respect" Erica knew that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. That there was only one person she could discuss her dilemma with.The love (there she'd admitted it to herself) of her life , Franky Doyle.
How far had she walked,how long she had been walking Erica had no idea. She had been vaguely aware of passing the canteen and glancing at the last few stragglers sitting there; of passing through various security gates and doors using her all access pass key which she wore round her neck.Her mind had been racing with different thoughts flying through the whole time she had been walking. She glanced at one of the many clocks in the establishment and saw that it was five to the hour. The women would be returning to their quarters soon. She herself would need to get back to her office to try and get some work done. Erica turned another corner and headed along one last empty corridor. Staring straight ahead as she walked she was suddenly aware of just the briefest flash of bright colour in her peripheral vision . She stopped in her tracks wondering what had distracted her . She glanced back at the glass fronted doorway she had just passed and realised that quite by accident she was at the library. Erica's heart began to race when the possible realisation of what the blink of colour could have been hit her.She stood with her back to the wall not daring to look in case her fears (or should that be hopes) were fulfilled. She so wanted to be right and yet if she was what would she do about it. Was it too much to accept that this could be a life changing moment.She retraced a couple of steps and ever so slowly peered through the library entrance. And there she was. Perhaps fortunately she had her back turned to Erica but it was absolutely Franky. Erica felt a dryness in her mouth as she took in the brunette hair, the broad shoulders over which the luminous bra straps sat, the muscular arms and the perfectly toned upper torso the result of hour after hour of gruellng exercise many of which Erica had sat and watched spellbound from her office.
"So what now Davidson?" Erica asked herself as she moved back out of line of sight and stood with her back against the wall ." Ready to face your future or keep running away from it ?"The easy thing would have been to walk away back to her office and keep hiding in there. Isn't that what Franky had accused her of ....."Of hiding in here with us." And of course she'd been right as she always was . She saw Erica as she really was. She was the only person who really got her. Erica knew there was no alternative. No going back now. A few deep breaths ,her hand met the handle of the library door and in she went. A nod towards the officer on duty as she approached Franky's table which was situated between two low level book stands . She walked to the chair directly opposite to where the brunette was sitting and in a barely audible voice managed to utter " Hello Franky"
The sight that greeted Erica was totally at odds to what she had expected. Instead of the bright ,vivacious,cocky ,beautiful woman that she was used to seeing the person sitting opposite to her wore a world weary and haunted look. Eyes were sunken with dark rings around them and tears looked as if they were not too far away.
" Oh hello Erica ....Sorry Miss Davidson "
"Franky ! Whatever's wrong ?"
"Please Erica . Just leave me alone"
"Not until you tell me what has happened. Despite.........despite the incident the other day I am still reponsible for your well being and to see you like this .....well it's just so unFranky like"
The eyes which were normally sparkling with exuberance and mischief slowly lifted and stared straight at Erica stretching her heart strings to virtual breaking point.
"I've been a fool Erica ,sorry Miss Davidson I keep forgetting"
"Erica's fine Franky when there's just the two of us. Now what have you done?"
"Can't you guess?"
" No, else I wouldn't ask"
"Well you've already alluded to it.The incident as you so delicately put it in your office .How could I have acted that way .Treated you like that. I was totally out of order.I can hardly sleep for thinking about how I acted. If you want to slot me for forever how long I wouldn't blame you. I'm ashamed at myself and the only way I could think of trying to make it up to you was to study hard and pass my exams.For someone who likes to think of themselves as intelligent I certainly misread all the signs! And the fact that I hadn't seen or heard from you since what happened happened made me think that you were fuming at what I had done and were planning the appropriate punishment. "
Erica was non-plussed . This was not at all what she had been anticipating. She had been expecting to be on the back foot but instead she had been handed the initiative. She would be able to dictate the course of this discussion, one, if not thee, most important of her life to date.
" Franky,listen. Don't beat yourself up over what happened. Yes, your behaviour was unacceptable and must, and I emphasise the word must, never be repeated. The truth of the matter is that even if I did decide to punish you how could I. We were the only two people present and it would be just your word against mine.My office is one of only a few places in the entire compound that's not covered by cameras so there's no evidence from that source either.All we can do is try to forget it and move on. "
"Really?"
"Yes Franky really"
"And we can still see each other? For studying I mean?"
" Of course. By the way how are you getting on ?"
" Well this section here " Franky said pointing at a particular paragraph "is giving me a problem"
"Let me see " replied Erica as the book was turned around so that she could read the highlighted piece. She skimmed through the section and looked up her eyes searching for a pen.As if by instinct Franky realised what Erica was looking for .Their hands moved towards the pen sitting between them as if in synchronization arriving at the same time their fingers brushing against each other.Erica felt a surge go through her as if an electric current had been switched on . She knew she should lift her hand away but the feeling of Franky's fingers was just too good to ignore.
"Erica"
She became aware of Franky talking to her. She looked down at the table and saw that their fingers were gently intertwined.
"Sorry " she managed to mutter separating their hands.
"Don't apologise" the brunette responded. "If only you knew how much I have longed for another chance after how I treated you in your office."
"What do you mean by chance Franky ?"
"Well at us being friends. Like I said I felt we might be more than that;that you were holding so much back in your efforts to conform to what was expected of you.I just got so frustrated with your- how can I put it- your self denial that I had to do something to try and shake you out of it. Unfortunately I made a shit bad way of showing it and that's why we're in the situation we find ourselves. "
Erica realised that her heart was beating with increasing speed. That the moment of truth was near . That she was about to make either the biggest mistake or the biggest and best decision of her life.
"Franky?"
"Yes" came the tender reply
" What if I said I wanted us to be friends. Or more precisely more than friends"
"What are you trying to say Erica ?" the brunette replied gently placing her hand back on Erica's out of sight of the officer present
"Ever since what happened in my office its been all I've been able to think about.Well really you've been all I've thought about. I've gone through in my mind every conversation we've had .All the observations you've made about me.Somehow you're the one person who can see the real me.All you've said about me is true ..."
"Everything ?" interrupted Franky hardly able to believe what she was hearing "Including the claim that led to what happened in your office"
Erica had been looking down at the desk whilst she had been speaking before but now she looked up and met the brunettes eyes square on "Especially that " she confessed."I think.......I think I may be in love with you .But I need you to be brutally honest with me and tell me how you feel."
Even as she was talking Erica could see all the life surging back into Franky. The sparkle was returnning to her eyes and when she saw the tongue slide seductively over her bottom lip she knew that she had 'her' Franky back.What she was waiting for now was Franky's response to her confession.
" It's not April 1st is it " the brunette started with a weak laugh." Then maybe this would at least make some sense. A blink of an eye ago I was thinking that I'd blown every chance I had of having something wonderful with the woman of my dreams and now here she is sitting across the table telling me she loves me."
"The woman of your dreams ?"
"Everything I could ever ask for"
"Franky, I need to know you're serious and not just fucking me about. This is my whole life we're talking about here
"I've never been more so. I've been with quite a few women but none of them have made me feel the way you do. If you're worrying about me jerking your chain don't be. I'm in this for the long haul.....if that's what you want.?"
"It's absolutely what I want " Erica answered "I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything in my life. But Franky this has been the easy bit. There are so many obstacles in our way.We have to be so careful. We'll have to make plans. "
"Like?"
"Well how we can be together for one. I want to make love to you so much and yet getting an opportunity is going to be so tough. I know certain places where the cameras don't reach but getting us to them ,alone ,for any sort of length of time is so difficult. I don't want to bring up a delicate subject but you still have two years to serve and not being able to really touch you until then is unacceptable to me. There's only so far my imagination will take me .
"We'll work it out babe" whispered Franky "Believe me when I say that there isn't a single inch of that gorgeous body of yours that I don't want to touch and taste.I soooo want to get you all hot and sweaty and do things to you that I know you've imagined in the past.....and some you haven't imagined.I want to hear you screaming out my name as I fuck you over and over again. I'm going to bring out the real Erica Davidson.Good girl by day and a very naughty one by night.In fact given a chance I would make you naughty any time of the day
"Enough Franky" panted Erica as she began to be aroused and started squirming in her seat "I have to go back to work and the thought of you doing things to me is not ideal preparation.But before I do go you might want to see where this text book goes back on the shelves"
As Erica stood up holding the book she looked down to see a quizzical Franky staring back at her.
"Come on " Erica mouthed as she walked towards a tall book shelf at the back of the library which allowed them a brief moment of seclusion from the officer in attendance. Franky watched from her chair for a few seconds enjoying the sight of Erica's ass before rising from her own chair and following after her now girlfriend.
A small alcove sat opposite the bookshelf to which Erica replaced the book. She didn't care if that was where it actually went as what she did know was that the alcove which was just about big enough to allow for two bodies was out of sight of the cameras . As Franky arrived shortly behind her Erica grabbed her hand and pulled her into the small recess beside her.
" Bit of a tight squeeze Governor" smirked Franky
"Franky?"
"What?"
"Shut up!"
With that Erica pulled the brunette to her their lips crashing together for the briefest but most passionate kiss of their lives to that point.They knew that their time together was running out before someone came looking for Franky. As they broke from the kiss they each leaned forward until their two foreheads leaned gently against the other.It was Erica who spoke first
"Love you Franky.We'll make this work .Just try and stay out of trouble .......and don't let me see you near Kim or anyone else for that matter otherwise you will be slotted."
"Love you too babe" replied the brunette "And don't worry.Why would I look at anyone else when my girl is the most gorgeous person in here."
The door to the library opened and Vera Bennett appeared.
" Hello Governor " she spoke in an obviously disapproving manner at seeing Erica and Franky together."Was wondering where Doyle was and not at afternoon registration."
"We were catching up on some very important issues" responded Erica deliberately ignoring Vera's icy tone."You can take Franky back to the other women now."
As Franky accompanied Vera to the doorway she turned for one final (for the moment) glance at Erica. The love reflected in each women's eyes made them realise the magnitude of what had just occured between them . Neither could possibly be sure what would happen next but what they each knew for sure was that the words that had passed between them would tie each to the other for the rest of their lives. As Erica Davidson the governor of Wentworth Correction Facility made her way back to her office anyone looking on would have noticed a spring in her step and if such a thing were possible to the human eye a weight having been lifted from her shoulders. She had done it; she was ready to move on with her life; she had her soulmate beside her now; she would look after Franky now as much as she could without being too obvious;they would find time and places to be together she would make sure of that ;it would mean taking risks but wasn't that part of the attraction. Erica walked back into her office
"Any calls Jean" she asked her secretary
"Nothing I couldn't deal with Miss Davidson " Jean replied before jokingly adding "Maybe nobody loves you"
Erica smiled in response and added to herself "Don't be so sure . There's definitely somebody." She closed her office door and sat down behind her desk a large and satisfied smile on her face.