DISCLAIMER: I have no ownership of Bad Girls or the dialog used at the beginning.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Kiss
By Outsidethebx
"Have you always been this stubborn, or did you gradually gain this lovely trait?" Helen slammed her file folder on the desk and looked up at Nikki with her green eyes filled with rage.
"What?"
"Oh don't sit there looking stupid. You know exactly what I mean." Rising from her chair, Helen moved directly in front of the inmate and stared down at her. "I've put my neck on the line for you, I've encourage your education. Hell, I brought you reading material."
"Well, what you expect me to do, Miss, write you in for governor of the month?" Crossing her arms, Nikki sighed bitterly and stared at the floor.
"God, Nikki, can't you be serious?" Helen's jaw clenched as she angrily pumped her fist. "You really could make a difference here and take advantage of the Open University."
Nikki's head jerked up. "'Cause that's exactly what I need to add to my growing CV. Once I'm out of here, the job applications are going to pour in." She stood up and walked toward Helen. "Ex con, murderer, dyke, University graduate…yep…everyone will want to hire me."
"Sit down, Nikki."
"You afraid I'm getting too close?" Nikki's face twisted into a leering smile, and her tone lowered as she continued. "Can't figure out why it frustrates you so much?"
"I'm serious, Nikki…"
"Oh, I know you're serious." She took another step forward and Helen was forced to lean back on to the desk. "You're always serious. You never let me forget it." Her hand brushed the side of the wing governor's face, and she stepped back before Helen had a chance to protest. "One of these days you'll realize why you care so much."
"Ugh, what a day." Helen closed the door and sat on the couch. "You'd think I'd be used to this by now."
"Rough day then?"
"Yeah. Come here, you." Helen wrapped Sean's arms around her shoulders and snuggled into his chest. "You think it will get any easier?"
Sean leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. "You just need to give it time. The girls can't be expected to change overnight."
"Yeah, I know. But no matter how hard I try, she never understands. I just keep thinking that…"
"She?"
"What?"
Sean sat up and looked directly at Helen. "You said 'she'."
"No, I was just saying the girls are stubborn and they…"
"No, Helen, you weren't. You specifically said, 'she'."
Helen got up and went into the kitchen. Pouring herself some scotch, she quickly downed the liquid and called out to Sean: "You want some liquor?"
"No, Helen, we need to talk about her."
"Her?" Helen took a sip of her second glass and waited for his response.
"You know--Nikki, the inmate. The one you're always talking about. The one you had me buy the book for…"
Helen walked over to her fiancée and kissed his cheek. "Oh Sean, don't you think you're being a bit over the top?" She reached over to kiss his lips, but Sean sidestepped her embrace.
"I think you're becoming a bit obsessed, Helen, really."
"Obsessed?" Helen bitterly laughed as she finished off her glass. "I don't think so. You told me to put my heart into this job, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do. I thought you, of all people, would understand."
"You called out her name while you slept last night…"
"Oh sod off, Sean, you must have been dreaming."
"You wanted to see me, Miss Stewart?"
Helen looked up from her paperwork and motioned for Nikki to enter her office. "We need to talk."
"Is that what you're calling it these days?"
"Nikki…" Helen leaned back in her chair and stared intently at the inmate. "I know you're comfortable being a lesbian, but you've got to understand, I'm a heterosexual. There are lines that we can't cross, and I'm engaged to marry Sean, anyway. What happened was totally unacceptable."
"You didn't seem too upset. In fact I thought that you rather liked…"
"You've got to stop this! I don't know why you get to me this much, but you really can't go on like this." Helen stood up and turned away from Nikki. "I think you need to leave."
"Helen." Nikki rose from her chair and walked over to the wing governor. "Helen, look at me. Please." She placed her hand on the small of Helen's back and gently directed her to turn around. "I know you feel it. You can't possibly deny that you do."
The tears that Helen had attempted to hide were revealed as she turned to face Nikki. "I'm not a lesbian. Why can't you just accept it?"
Nikki slowly traced the outline of Helen's mouth. "It's you that can't accept it, darling, not me."
Helen's eyes widened and she stepped back, stumbling on her chair. "I told you. I'm not…"
Nikki caught Helen's hand and pulled her into her arms. "…a lesbian, I know." She felt the wing governor object, but she tightened her embrace and lightly touched her lips to Helen's. "Stop fighting."
Helen gave in and pressed her mouth into Nikki's. She wrapped her arms around the inmate's waist and opened her mouth to accept Nikki's probing tongue. A groan escaped her throat and she shivered as she felt Nikki's fingers gently travel down her spine. Suddenly, she pushed back and quickly wiped her lips. "Nikki, I…we can't. I'm engaged, you're here…I'm not…"
Nikki threw her hands in the air and shook her head in wonder. "When are you finally going to realize you're interested?"
The End