I was wrapped in a warm blanket, half asleep on the living room couch. The television was still on, making everything loud. A nature documentary was playing, birds shouting, bugs buzzing monologues about their turfs.

"Turn it off," I muttered.

My blanket moved, and I rolled, trying to get it back, territorial of it as it was yanked away. But as I reached for it, the blanket shifted, warm and solid and nothing like a blanket—

My eyes snapped open, and I was horrified to find myself snuggled up against Laurence's chest on top of the platform, still in the middle of the rainforest. Apparently, my body hadn't received the memo that touching Laurence was a no-no. He appeared to still be asleep, body relaxed, one arm behind his head like a makeshift pillow, showcasing the lean muscles along his arm.

Panicked, I rolled in the opposite direction, and nearly fell off the edge of the platform— my eyes filled with the early morning light that painting the forest gold and made everything honey colored— before Laurence's arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me back against his body.

"Despite what HR would think about our current position, I hope you will attempt to work on staying away from danger. At least until I'm healed and better suited to stop your falls," Laurence murmured, his voice groggy with sleep.

"I thought you were asleep," I replied, breathless.

"Hard to sleep. You sleep talk," he replied.

Heart beating wildly— a side effect from nearly falling to my death and no other reason— I slowly peeled his arm away and sat up, staring down at the drop with a shudder. "Noted."

Standing to my feet with a stretch, I rubbed sleep from my eyes and did my best not to remember how utterly terrible the rest of the night had gone after our shared kiss. Not that much could top a kiss like that.

Laurence and I had had fallen into an awkward silence, staring at each other, unsure of how to proceed after screaming and kissing during a rainstorm— clothes drenched, bodies humming with unfinished business— and after several hesitant moments, we moved back under the rain jacket tarp, doing our best not to touch each other.

The rain continued through the night, so loud, and insistent that it took away all ability to communicate— which worked just fine for me, I didn't want to talk. Not with him. Not about what happened. As it currently stood, looking at him would be a challenge.

Moving to the edge of the platform, I tried to shake off the feeling of Laurence's arm wrapped protectively around my waist as I stared out at the view, trying to map our location.

It proved difficult, the forest swirling into a misty tapestry of green and golden colors before me, my mind heavy with unsettled sleep, hand throbbing with pain.

How on earth are we supposed to get home when I can't even look at him long enough to make a plan?

"LILY AUUUUUTUMNS!!!" A voice shouted, cutting through the morning like an airhorn. "LAURENCE ROOOOOYAL!"

Michale.

I bolted down the ladder awkwardly, trying to avoid certain fingers before I was running through the rainforest toward his voice, desperate to catch him before he could move on to look somewhere else. I ignored the way my legs wobbled, the pain in my hand, the touch of Laurence across my waist and instead focused on being found.

"MICHALE!" I shouted. "Over here!"

I was suddenly sideswiped, Michale tackling me from a nearby bush that I hadn't seen him looking into, and was knocked over, Michale wrapping his arms around me, eyes filled with tears. "DON'T EVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

"What? Fall?" I groaned, half crushed under him, my body now covered in mud.

Michale wiped angrily at his eyes as he stood up, one of his hands clutching a megaphone that he had been shouting into. He helped me to my feet, unbothered by the way his clothes were covered in mud. A rarity. I had never seen him as anything other than put together, but the look of utter unashamed tearful relief on his face made me throw my arms around him again.

"YES! You don't have my permission to fall again! EVER!"

"Thank you, Michale," I said through my own set of relieved tears. "For coming for me."

He let go of me with a concerned expression. "Are you hurt? Is Laurence hurt? Where is he? He jumped in after you like an injured action hero!"

His eyes went comically wide. "It was magnificent... and then terrifying when neither of you came back up." He shook his head at the memory. "The man clearly lacks self preservation instincts."

I eyed him warily. "So if you had been up there with me..."

He shrugged. "I would have paused long enough to consider things, even being uninjured. I tend to be the one screaming for help. Not giving it."

That made me laugh. "Good to know." I gestured behind me. "Laurence is hurt. Did you bring anyone with you?"

Michale gave me an amused smile. "What do you take me for? I brought every expert I could find."

Michale hadn't been joking, having brought a large search party, a medic team, and apparently a helicopter that was on standby. I made a mental note to make Michale my emergency contact.

For all of Laurence's bravery the day before, he had little energy left, and needed help getting off the platform.

It took half the medic team to get him down, his shoulder immobile, wrist swollen, face pale.

We were fussed over by doctors for two days before we were allowed to fly home, Michale by my side every step of the way until we landed safely at Los Angles International Airport.

"OH MY SWEET, SWEET WORK WIFE! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Dash shouted, tossing a large 'Welcome Back Work Wife' sign over his shoulder and throwing his arms around me, nearly crushing my lungs into oblivion.

"Ow..."

Dash bolted away from me, eyes wide. "Right, injury, sorry."

I only had a moment to brace myself before Bex swept her arms around me, somehow managing to squeeze me even tighter than Dash had. "DON'T YOU DARE SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! THE NEXT TIME YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO THE RAINFOREST, I'M PUTTING A TRACKER ON YOU!"

"No more hugs please," I managed to squeeze out like a half deflated bagpipe.

Bex let me go, looking suddenly unsure of herself as she adjusted her signature bowler hat over her short hair, sending dark brown strands poking out in all directions, a nervous tic when she was forced to face 'uncomfortable feelings.' "You could have died."

"I know," I said softly. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"You better be," she muttered. "I had to call people for emotional support. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that was?"

I smiled at her, which only led her to scowl at me. "It's cute that you care."

She rolled her eyes. "Well I'm glad you think it's cute because the girls are at our apartment, waiting for an impromptu girls night to make sure you are okay. So it's going to be a whooooole lotta cute."

I felt suddenly nervous, my smile growing larger across my face, a strange self conscious pucker as I tried to not feel both touched and trepidation for the potential third degree for details. I have a whole welcome home crew... A whole support system.

"I needed someone to talk me down when Michale called Allie, who called to tell me you had gotten lost in the rainforest," she said by way of explanation when she saw my expression.

Bex looked away, wiping at her eyes before looking back at me. I could tell she didn't want to make me feel bad for how upset she was.

"I'm okay," I promised. "Just a little bruised."

"And a few broken fingers," Dash added, breaking into our conversation without an invitation. Bex looked at him, trying to figure out how on earth he thought he was allowed to join, but he was oblivious to her irritation.

"Is it true that you pulled yourself up a ladder with those broken fingers?" Dash asked, looking impressed.

"Yes. Laurence was more impressive though. He did the same thing with an injured shoulder and sprained wrist—"

"BOSS MAN!" Dash shouted, suddenly distracted by Laurence's arrival. Dash bolted over to Laurence as Laurence walked through the arrival gate, throwing his arms open, completely intending to hug Laurence. But when Laurence shot him a warning look, Dash thought better of it and instead offered him a pat on his injured shoulder, only to get an accidental yelp out of Laurence.

"Oops..." Dash said, face burning with embarrassment. "Please don't fire me."

"I'm glad you are okay," Allie said, making no move to give me any kind of physical affection. "And not that you want to talk about the shoot yet, but Michale said that those were some of the best shots he's ever taken. So nice job on that."

Her smile grew warm. "Knew you had it in you."

Her praise made me beam with exhausted pride. You did it Lily. You did a great job.

I nearly asked Allie if she pranked Laurence with the intention of sending him to Costa Rica. If she had pranked me by changing out all of my pajamas with silky nightgowns with the intention of Laurence seeing said nightgowns. But before I could get a word in, Dash was suddenly back, slinging his arm over my shoulder and ushering me toward the exit.

"PRECIOUS CARGO EVERYONE! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! INJURED PERFECT WORK WIFE ANGEL COMING THROUGH!" Dash shouted across the airport as he tugged me toward the exit. "We gotta get you home."

"We?" Bex muttered, irritated that Dash had invited himself into our car ride home. She looked over at me with a 'who the heck is this guy' expression. Shrugging, I gave her a 'it's easier to just accept it than fight it' look back.

I glanced once over my shoulder as Dash and Bex led me away, and spotted Laurence talking to Allie, and Michale.

Laurence looked up, meeting my gaze, something raw in his expression, but before I could process what it was, the doors to the airport cut him off from view.

...

I raised a brow at Prism, who poured herself a large glass of wine before pulling an actual bag of popcorn into her lap, looking at me expectantly.

"Aren't you going to ask if I'm okay before you demand a story?" I asked dryly.

After getting back to my apartment, and Bex not so gently told Dash to 'Beat it! It's girls night!' before slamming the door in his face, I was swarmed with blankets, plates of junk food, and Lavender, Prism, Bex, Em and Laliana who all took up seats around me, a look of rapt attention on their faces.

Prism snorted. "Nope. You look fine. And you are clearly patched up so... story time." She popped a large kernel of popcorn into her mouth. "I'm here for the story. I'm not going to apologize for that."

I buried my face into the blanket on my lap. "Can I at least eat a bunch of breakfast pizza before you bombard me with questions?" I asked.

Prism and Lavender, who were quite prone to gossip let out a collective sigh but shoved pizza into my face, eager to help move the process along.

"I do not approve of this... concoction, but if it will help you get to the good stuff, I will temporarily support it," Lavender said, nose wrinkling down at my pizza of choice.

"You can't blame them for being exited," Bex said quietly as she settled down on the couch next to me. "When you are stranded in the rainforest with a hot man, it's hard not to imagine things."

My face turned red, and when Bex saw my expression, all compassion left. "WHAT! SOMETHING HAPPENED!?!? SCREW LETTING YOU EAT FIRST! SPILL!"

All the girls turned to look at me, Bex's cry alerting them to tea that needed to be spilled.

I managed to ignore their faces while silently eating two whole pieces of pizza and then finally, told them everything that had happened.

"I deserve to be more than someone's practice girl," I said, finishing my story.

"I'm proud of you Lil," Bex said with a smile, trying not to grin too hard, still thinking about my description of Laurence's kissing skill.

After several demands that I give details, I had finally admitted that the man could kiss and it should be a crime to be that good.

"But?" I hedged, sensing that there was something Bex wanted to say beyond being proud of my new boundary setting skills... after forgetting to set boundaries and then kissing Laurence... before remembering to set boundaries again.

"But... well, he's just trying to be honest with you. He may just be scared. You sure you don't want to try? See if theirs room for more?"

I scoffed, shoving a bunch of potato chips into my mouth. "And have him instantly change his mind and then have our entire work relationship be awkward FOREVER? No thanks. I love my job and I don't want to make it messy."

"Sounds like he isn't the only one who's scared," Allie said, dropping her purse next to the threshold as she leaned against the doorway to our apartment.

Allie she stood in the doorway to my home, appearing silently, watching me, face expressionless— which seemed worse than the curiosity that the others had given. Either she had known something would happen when I went to Costa Rica, hence her terrible nightgown clothing switch, or she was holding back all facial expressions, waiting to see if she needed to scold me for going off of my self improvement list.

"Umm... Do either of you lock the door to your apartment because you should probably work on that," Laliana pointed out sagely.

How long has Allie been here? How much did she hear?

Allie walked through the fray of women, food and blankets, like someone inspecting a crime scene until she found her target. Plucking up an unclaimed pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream, she began eating solo style straight out of the carton.

"Allie—"

Allie shook her head as she shoved several food trays to the side on the coffee table and settled down on it, across from me, staring me down. "No, Lily. I've literally been in the audience of this situation at work for MONTHS."

She took another bite of ice cream, creating a dramatic pause. "And don't get me wrong, it's been fun watching you two try to find a work balance that doesn't scream— 'I WANT YOU.' But you aren't a practice girl to him, and that terrifies the man." She waved her spoon at me. "Men don't jump off of a cliff face for someone they view as a practice girlfriend. Men throw themselves into danger for people they love."

Michale had made it clear he would have hesitated to come in after me and he was perfectly healthy. But Laurence hadn't. I shoved the idea of the 'L' word clear out of my mind. "It doesn't matter," I argued, trying to shove butterflies out of my ribcage. "He doesn't do commitment."

"Did he say that?" Bex asked.

"Yes. He brought it up weeks ago." When warning me about his brother, something else I don't want to think about.

"That night?" Bex asked.

"No. But he didn't deny it either."

"Maybe he was shocked," Laliana suggested. "He obviously likes you. He knows you. Maybe that kiss was his way of telling you that things changed."

I shook my head. "Again, he should have clarified."

"In the middle of a loud rainstorm after you screamed at him that you deserved better than him?" Bex asked.

"No offense Sharp Shooter but I'd struggle with saying anything about wanting to try for more if someone I had just traveled thousands of miles for and then kissed, threw my confession back in my face," Lavender said, brow raised. "And I am quite confident."

"Maybe you should just talk to him," Laliana said. "What's the point of us analyzing it when you could just... ask?"

Allie smiled. "Spoken like a true writer who doesn't believe in miscommunication plots."

Bex snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. "I'm with the talking to him group."

"We are making groups?" I asked.

"No way, if he has to spell it out now it'll be totally embarrassing. Just try to kiss him again. Or tell him how you feel. That's what I would do," Prism said before taking a sip of wine.

"You just like going around kissing people," Em argued. "Communication is my vote."

"Oh! Yes vote! Let's vote," Laliana said with a smile.

"No, you don't all need to—"

"All in favor of Lily being a big girl and talking to Laurence about this, raise your hands," Allie said with a mischievous smirk.

Bex, Laliana, Em and Allie held up their hands.

"All apposed and would rather have Lily spend the next few months avoiding Laurence or just throw herself at him to send him a clear message."

"I don't like either option!" I argued as Prism and Lavender held up their hands.

"Talking wins!" Laliana said with a bright smile.

"You can't just take a vote and expect me to go along with it."

Allie shrugged. "Tough. It's Girls Night Rules."

"YOU DON'T NORMALLY EVEN COME TO GIRL'S NIGHT!" I shouted.

She took another bite of ice cream, unfazed. "Aren't you glad I made the time?"

"I hate you," I muttered.

Allie laughed, utterly delighted. "I know."

After another twenty minutes of overanalyzing, because they weren't done until they had looked at my current romantic entanglement from every possible angle, we settled in to watch 'Singing in the Rain,' Lavender and I grinning from ear to ear, singing along to the songs at the top of our lungs while the others were trapped and forced to deal with my movie of choice.

"Thank you for loving Gene Kelly," Lavender said as the man mentioned and Debbie Reynolds danced across the screen. "It's sad to sing along to this movie alone while everyone else watches you do it," she said, sending a pointed look at Em.

"Hey, I can't be expected to memorize every musical you fall in love with," Em said. "I have a hard enough time keeping track of all of the conspiracy documentaries, articles and books I am supposed to look into as research for my podcast."

Prism snorted. "Such a sacrifice to spend time researching things for a job you love," Prism said with a grin.

"SHHHHH! This is the best part!" Lavender shouted.

As everyone settled back down to watch, Lavender reached for my hand, a silent bonding moment as she continued to stare at the screen, excited, mouthing along to the words.

"I've never seen her this excited," Em whispered to Laliana, looking somewhat scared.

"If you say another word, I will destroy you," Lavender replied eyes still on the screen.

Em reached into her bag, wrote something down and held it up. Now there's the Lavender we know and fear. Luckily, Lavender was too busy watching the screen to see Em's sassy response.

Taking a look around me, I smiled, burrowing deeper into my fuzzy blanket, and popping a mini cupcake into my mouth.

I like that I have a support system. I like that I have fantastic taste in friends and fuzzy blankets.

...

The only upside to Laurence's injury was the doctor's order that he stay home and rest, giving me time at the office before the inevitable awkwardness. While Allie went over the shoot images with Michale, I settled back at my assistants desk, diving back into the pile of assistant tasks that had begun to pile up.

Allie had insisted I take a few days off, but the idea of all that paperwork, all those unanswered emails, all those missed calendar appointments was enough to make me break out in hives, sending me back to the office the next day, fingers stiff and unreliable as I attempted to organize files, type emails, answer phone calls, and take messages.

"You have a problem," Dash said putting down a cup of coffee before me with a TSK. "If I was given a few days off, I would take them."

I eyed the coffee warily and he laughed. "Oh don't worry, Boss Man has made it clear that I am no longer allowed to make coffee. This is store bought at a coffee shop." 

He shot me a smile as he took a sip of his own coffee, amused. "But good to know I've scarred you for life." He walked a third cup of coffee to Allie's office, and when she didn't spit it out with a string of curses, I assumed it was safe enough to drink.

The day fell into a new routine. And whenever I got frustrated with my inability to work quickly, Dash took several tasks off my plate, stepping up. He answered each phone call professionally, took messages with ease and recognized some of our regulars, chatting with them before setting up meetings.

He was quickly growing as an assistant, and soon, he would take over my tasks, leaving him to assist both Allie and Laurence while I fully stepped into my COO role. Dash brought a sense of happiness with him to the office every day, and between that attitude and his growth in the job, I felt like a proud mama bear. 

My phone buzzed, pulling me away from my thoughts and poor attempt at adding a meeting into the shared calendar with only three fingers to move and click the wireless mouse. 

WILL: LIL! ETA— Two weeks, three hours and twenty four seconds! Expect hugs and demands for food.

I had nearly forgotten that the holidays were around the corner and Will had sent me a not so subtle reminder of the fact.

ME: I'll be at the airport. Promise.

WILL: You totally forgot we were coming to visit didn't you...

ME: No! That's what reminders on phones are for. IT remembers so I don't have to.

WILL: Don't I feel special.

"Who you talking to?" Dash asked, perching himself on top of my desk, making it abundantly clear that although he had grown in his skillset, some aspect of his professionalism still needed to be polished. 

"You finally settling down? Hot secret boyfriend?"

I snorted. "No. It's my brother. My family is coming into town soon and he wanted to make sure I remembered."

"Oooooh family! Will I get to meet them?"

"Yes," I muttered. "They'll force me to give them a tour and then will probably track down my ex boyfriend and give him the butt whooping of the year." I sunk low in my chair, sipping my coffee.

I had finally called Will back, and when I told him about my breakup with Liam— omitting all details— I had received a 'confirmation email' the next morning from ALL of my brothers, saying that they were visiting me over Thanksgiving. Not asking if they could come, declaring that they were coming.

"Is Bex single?" Dash asked, surprising me so bad that I spat coffee into his face.

Dash fell off my desk with a surprised yelp and I could hear Allie laughing all the way in her office.

"Nice shot!" she shouted with a grin before going back to work.

Running around the side of my desk, I helped Dash off the floor. "OHMYGOSH!AREYOUOKAY?YOUJUSTSURPRSIEDME!"

Dash wiped the coffee off his face. "Can you try that again. I have no idea what you said."

"I didn't even know you liked her."

"Her scowl is beautiful," he said with a wistful sigh.

"Oh good because she kinda hates you so you'll see that a lot from her."

His smile grew. "Great."

"She's not interested Dash," I said with a laugh.

"I've been known to wear people down. Besides, you are clearly off the market."

I would have spat coffee out again if I had ben drinking it. "I am not!"

"So you'll go out with me?" he asked playfully.

"NO!"

He pointed at me. "AH HA! See! Off the market!"

"No," I said slowly, trying to sound patient. "Just because I won't go out with you doesn't mean I'm off the market."

"But the look on Laurence's face at the airport when you left did."

My face burned and Dash's smile grew wider. "AH HA! I KNEW IT!"

"Stop shouting AH HA!"

"Just tell him Lily! He'll just keep yelling until you do!" Allie shouted from her office.

Traitor. Clothes swapping, prank creating traitor!

Dash poked me in the side playfully. "Come on Work Wife! We are friends! Confirm my suspicions. Set me free to pursue your beautiful roommate who hates my guts by making it perfectly clear that you are off the market."

I rolled my eyes, but after a beat, I told him about Costa Rica. 

"But you can't say a thing," I finished. "Not to Laurence or anyone else."

Dash was grinning like an idiot. "I knew it."

"You knew nothing and you still know nothing."

Dash snorted. "Suuuuure."

Sitting down at my desk, I ignored his beaming grin and brought up my emails, hoping that he'd eventually go away. After five minutes he was still standing at my desk, smiling.

I let out a sigh. "You happy?"

"Ecstatic. Elated. Excited. Electrified. And all the other 'E' words of positive awesomeness you can think of."

"Just go work, or pretend to work in that general direction," I muttered, hiding my face behind my computer. 

Dash settled down at his desk, humming the wedding march to himself. 

"You are more annoying now than you ever were before," I said dryly.

"Thank you," he said, switching to humming a romantic playlist which left me wanting to dump the rest of my coffee on his head. Rolling my eyes, I went back to my computer, and found a new and cryptic email from Laurence.

Miss Autumns,

I tried not to feel hurt about the return to formality, unable to shake the way Lily sounded in his mouth, and suppressed a shiver. Shaking off the first line, I continued reading.

I need to speak to you urgently. Please meet me in the backroom of the Speakeasy ASAP. And don't tell Miss Winters.

–L.R.

---

Thank you for reading chapter twenty two! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!

UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!

Now everyone knows about the kiss. Will Dash make it weird at work when Laurence comes back?

Will Dash ask out Bex?

How will Bex react?

What does Laurence want to talk to Lily about?

How will Laurence and Lily act around each other?

What will our other characters think of Lily's brothers?

What will happen next?

CHAPTER QUESTION - Have you ever gotten a cryptic note or text from someone? What was it actually about?