An Anniversary for Murder

By: silverwriter01

 

All characters are mine and mine alone. If they look like anybody you know or think you know its sheer coincidence. This story does contain some violence, murder, foul language, and sexual content. A lot of sexual content, especially at the beginning. A lot.

Synopsis: It’s been a year since Kelly Zamora purchased a night with Hayden Cross.  With the murders of the One Hundred behind them, the two women only want to focus on their one-year anniversary.  A new murderer may ruin their plans.

Questions? Comments? Rude remarks? silverwriter01@yahoo.com 

October 2nd

Kelly Zamora slowed down as her car approached the garage’s security booth.  The security guard, Ryan, checked the decal in her windshield and peered into the back of her car.  Hayden’s apartment complex took their security seriously which Zamora appreciated as her girlfriend.

“Are you having a good night, Ryan?”

“Yes, ma’am, Chief Deputy Zamora. But there is a cold front moving in,” he replied, making a show of rubbing his arms.  Zamora chuckled, “Well, it is October.”

He nodded in return and moved back to his booth to open the gate.  Zamora drove down into the parking garage and pulled into one of the two spots marked 38.  She was the only one to ever park in the spots besides Hayden’s best friend Marisa.  Hayden didn’t have a car and refused to get one.  Why drive when the city had great public transportation, taxi cabs, and Uber, she argued. 

Zamora pulled a lever on the left side of the stirring wheel to open the car’s trunk before getting out of the car.  She loaded her hands and wrists down with the reusable grocery bags.  Each hand held two bags too many but she was damned if she would make a second trip up the elevator to Hayden’s condo.

The couple had planned to spend the entire weekend at Hayden’s apartment.  That meant Zamora had to run by the grocery store after work.  She had seen a post on the internet once that described Hayden’s refrigerator.  “Fridge in your twenties: 70% condiments, 20% alcohol, and 10% expired dairy.”

Hayden had been offended when Zamora had showed her the post.  The taller woman had marched over to the fridge to prove that just because she was in her twenties, it did not mean she lived liked that.  Zamora had collapsed into a chair laughing when Hayden realized her half gallon of almond milk had expired two days prior. 

Zamora managed to hit the correct elevator button with her knuckle and inspected the mirror reflective surface of the door for any scuffs or scratches.  The elevator ride didn’t take too long.  Hayden paid a hefty apartment upkeep fee every year, as did the other tenants, to avoid graffiti on walls or long elevator waits.

Outside of Hayden’s apartment, she placed the bags in her left hand on the ground to dig the keys out of her pocket.  Once the door was opened, she picked the bags up and made her way into the kitchen.  She could hear music playing and knew where her girlfriend was.

Zamora took her time putting up the groceries.  She laid the items out in the order she was going to cook them over the weekend.  Hayden made fun of her and her refrigerator habits, but it made her happy.  She grabbed one of the beers off the bottom shelf that Hayden kept in there just for her and went to her lover’s office. She smiled when she found her.

Hayden was in boxer shorts and a baggy sweater whose sleeves were so long that they covered her hands.  She currently had the sleeves pushed back and her feet were propped on the desk, tapping along with the beat of the music.  Hayden called it her office but Zamora knew it was really her relaxation spot.  In place of a computer, there was a record player.  The bookshelves were filled with vinyl records that Hayden collected. She was currently listening to Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’.

“This is the hippiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Zamora finally spoke after taken in her fill of the scene. “It could only be more hipster if you were drinking Starbucks.”

Hayden grinned and turned in the chair slightly.  Zamora rolled her eyes as she saw a cup of coffee that she knew Hayden had delivered from a local shop around the corner.  Zamora sat down on the couch Hayden kept in the room for naps and took a sip of her beer.

Hayden stayed where she was.  Zamora hadn’t expected her to move.  ‘Fast Car’ had just started and it was one of her favorite songs.  Green eyes met brown as the chorus started and Hayden sang to her, “I remember we were driving, driving in your car. Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk. City lights lay out before us and your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder. I had a feeling that I belonged. I had a feeling I could be someone.”

Zamora smiled, enjoying the sensation of being the center of Hayden’s attention and affection.  Hayden turned off the record player when the song was over.  She stood up from her spot at the desk and moved to straddle Zamora on the couch.  She waited, politely, as Zamora finished another sip of beer before cupping her chin and tilling her face up.

Expecting a kiss, Zamora smiled and closed her eyes.

Hayden leaned down, her lips missing Zamora’s as they brushed across her cheek and move towards her ear.  She whispered, “I want to fuck you, love.”

Zamora sucked in a breath and her eyes fluttered open, “Jesus, Hayden.”

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” Hayden continued to whisper.  She then sucked the ear lobe into her mouth.

“Jesus, Hayden!” Zamora repeated a little louder.  She blindly reached out to put her beer on the side table by the couch.  She almost dropped the bottle when Hayden bit down.  “My beer.”

Hayden quickly sat up and took the bottle out of her hands to place it safely on a coaster. Zamora was set the tease her about it but stopped when Hayden leaned back down to nibble her neck.  “Jesus, Hayden.  Nowhere that shows with the uniform, okay?  You spent two weeks applying makeup to my neck after Valentine’s Day, remember?”

Hayden snorted at the memory and moved lower along Zamora’s shoulders.  No one would see any hickeys or bites there except her.  Zamora let her hands run down Hayden’s sides and easily slipped them under the baggy sweater.  Hayden reached up and pulled the hands away from her, pushing them back against the couch.  She said against Zamora’s skin, “No touching.  I’m fucking you now.”

Zamora arched as the words brought a rush of heat through her body.  It was a nice change of pace for them and Zamora was curious as to what brought it on.  Their sex life was fun, but mostly typical after a year.  Zamora was usually the one to initiate their lovemaking and her fisting fetish was among the most radical things they allowed in their bedroom.  When asked, Hayden swore she didn’t really have a fetish.  She liked to joke she was pretty vanilla for a sex worker.  She enjoyed being fisted by Zamora because it completely turned Zamora on.  That, in turn, aroused her.

Yet every now and then, it was Hayden who started their lovemaking.  Zamora thoroughly enjoyed those times because she was always left feeling completely ravished.  The last time Hayden took control was a month ago when Zamora had joined her in a shower.  Afterwards, it had taken Zamora a few minutes to rise from the shower bench and regain her balance.  She had blushed furiously as she rotated the shower head setting away from ‘massage’.

When Zamora refocused her thoughts on the present, she found her shirt had been opened and her bra was unhooked.  She laughed, “You could be a magician the way you do that.”

Hayden said nothing.  She had been very pleased to find Zamora was wearing a front-clasped bra.  She ran her fingers slightly over the tan breasts and brown nipples.  She leaned back to admire them briefly before she went back to nip at Zamora’s neck.

Zamora tried to turn her head for a kiss, but Hayden ducked her head.  The police officer tried not to pout. “Is there a reason I can’t have a kiss? I did just get home from work and the grocery store.”

Hayden chuckled as she leaned back.  She lifted Zamora’s breasts in her hands and allowed her thumbs to rub across the tips.  She smirked at the goose pimples that appeared as Zamora’s nipples hardened.  She lowered the breasts back down and ran her hands up Zamora’s chest.  She continued up her neck and cupped Zamora’s face. Hayden gently ran a thumb across Zamora’s lips.

“Because everyone starts here.  Everyone kisses here first and works their way down.  I’m going to finish here.  I’m going to kiss every part of you except for these lips.  I won’t kiss you here until you are coming.”

“Jesus, Hayden,” Zamora gasped shakily. She knew she sounded like a broken record, but her lover was in rare form. She kissed Hayden’s thumb before speaking, “You keep talking like that and you’ll be kissing me in less than a minute.”

Hayden rubbed her thumb across Zamora’s lips again before moving her hand back down.  She continued her exploration.

Now that Zamora knew she wasn’t going to be kissed, she found herself really wanting one. Her lips felt neglected and yet tingled at the same time as if Hayden had already kissed her a dozen times.

She gasped as Hayden started pinching her nipples and she arched her chest out.  All she could do was grasp the edge of the couch cushion she sat on.  She knew if she laid her hands on Hayden that she would have the other woman pinned to the couch in a kiss before her next heartbeat.

Hayden slid back on the couch to allow herself lower access to Zamora’s body.  She placed a dozen soft kisses around each of Zamora’s areolas.  She smirked as Zamora tried to shift her body to place her nipples directly in contact with her mouth.  She ignored Zamora’s attempt and slid off the couch to kiss lower.

Zamora tried not to groan as her nipples were left un-kissed.  Her nipples were temporarily forgotten as she felt Hayden start unbuttoning her pants.  She smiled as Hayden had to push her sleeves back up before pulling off Zamora’s pants and underwear at the same time.  She stopped smiling and let her head fall back onto the couch as she felt the kisses start on her inner thighs.  Zamora spread her legs when she felt Hayden nudge them apart.

She hissed at a painful bite on her thigh but relaxed as it was soothed over with a tongue. This pattern continued up each thigh until she was no longer feeling any pain.  She wanted to run her hand through Hayden’s hair and direct her mouth.  She just didn’t know where she wanted to direct it first.

Hayden climbed back up onto the couch, taking a moment to whip off her large sweater.  Kelly Zamora’s fingers itched to touch the pale skin in front of her but kept her hands to herself.  A police officer always followed the rules.

Zamora felt Hayden’s hair sweep over her chest before the other woman used her hand to brush it out of the way.  Hayden placed a brief kiss on Zamora’s nipple before sucking it into her mouth.

“Hayden,” The deputy whispered, trying to push more of her breast into Hayden’s mouth.  “This isn’t fair. Let me touch you.”

Zamora would have blushed at the sound her nipple made as it popped out of Hayden’s mouth, but she was already flushed with desire.

Hayden’s lips twitched. “No.”

Zamora lifted her hands to try anyway. She decided it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.  Her hands were quickly pinned back down and Hayden repeated in a firmer tone, “No.”

It only made Zamora wetter and she rubbed her thighs together.

To punish Zamora for her insolence, Hayden took her time to run her lips over each part of Zamora’s face except her lips.  She brushed Zamora’s black hair aside to kiss her temples and forehead.  She kissed her cheeks and along her jawbone, but not her lips. Hayden was tempted as she watched Zamora’s tongue lick her lips in anticipation, but she refrained. She moved down to kiss Zamora’s breasts.

Hayden took her time alternating between breasts and techniques. There were kisses, bites, licks, pinches, and rubs. She was trying to make Zamora as aroused as she had ever been.  While Zamora was happy to finally have her nipples touched, it just left her wanting more.

“Baby, please.” Zamora finally gasped, biting her own lips to give them attention. “I really want you to kiss my lips.”

“Okay.”

Zamora groaned as Hayden slipped off the couch and onto her knees.  She was going to argue semantics but decided to save her breath instead.  She scooted her hips closer to the edge.

“I love kissing these lips,” Hayden said, watching them spread apart as Zamora widened her legs. “They are so red and wet, love. They are swollen too.  Almost as swollen as your other lips will be when I kiss you as you start to come.”

“Dios mio.  Bésame por favor!”

Hayden obeyed and placed a soft kiss on the neatly trimmed curls.  Zamora let out a shaky breath and reached over to brush some hair out of Hayden’s face to behind her ear.  Hayden caught the retreating hand and placed a kiss on the palm before placing it back on the couch.

Zamora couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her mouth when Hayden placed a firmer kiss on her labia and let her tongue swipe through. Her toes curled as Hayden took turns sucking each lip inside of her mouth before letting her tongue swipe through again.

The chief deputy had always been impressed with Hayden’s oral skills since the second time they had sex.  She was no less impressed now as Hayden took her time tasting each part of her vulva except for her clitoris. She had almost begged before she felt Hayden use her hands to spread her lips apart further to get an unhampered view of the swollen bud.

“It’s so red, love,” Hayden cooed, thoroughly pleased at how aroused her lover was. “It’s already out of its hood and I haven’t even touched it yet.”

“Stop teasing me, Hayden Cross, or so help me...Hayden!”

Hayden ignored the threat and placed a soft kiss on top of the hood. She placed another on the head before sucking it lightly between her lips.

Zamora couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch Hayden again. She brushed the hair back to see more of Hayden’s face. “I’m going to come soon.”

She was. She could feel her orgasm getting closer and she tried to roll her hips in time with the suckling, kisses Hayden was given her clitoris.

“Not yet,” Hayden firmly stated. Zamora cried when she took her mouth away and moved back up to sit on the couch.  Hayden took Zamora’s hands in hers, lacing their fingers, and pushing them above her head against the couch.  She went back to sucking on Zamora’s neck, no longer caring if she would have to spend hours carefully covering the spots she made.

Zamora tried to tug her hands free as she felt herself falling away from the orgasm that had been so close.  Both set of her lips now ached to be touched. “Damn it, Hayden!”

“Not yet, love.”

Zamora tried rubbing her legs together and arching her hips up. Neither action worked in bringing her closer to an orgasm.  She felt like crying and as if Hayden knew, the other woman tilted her head up to kiss the corners of her eyes.

Hayden kissed her way back down Zamora’s body, building her up again.  She played with Zamora’s chests, thighs, breasts, and then vulva all over again in the same order.  Zamora was a wreck near the end, her thighs continuously trembling, and she whimpered.  Finally, she begged.  That had been the key all long, but she was so aroused she hadn’t noticed.

“Baby, please let me come.”

Hayden slid up to curl alongside Zamora’s body.

“Look at me,” Hayden commanded.  Kelly Zamora did, feeling more vulnerable than she had ever felt in her life.  Zamora had never wanted to be kissed so much and felt naked without Hayden’s lips on her.  She was covered in sweat, she trembled, and she felt like she would do anything if Hayden would just let her come.  

To Hayden, Zamora looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.

“I love you, Kelly,” Hayden stated as she slipped a finger inside of her.  She had avoided penetration before as to avoid over sensitizing the area for the moment she finally wanted to let Zamora come. 

Her vulnerability forgotten, Zamora arched into Hayden’s hand. “Yes, please.”

One finger easily became two and Hayden placed her thumb just under Zamora’s clitoris.  The deputy had been teased too long for direct contact, but the stimulation around the area felt just as fantastic in Zamora’s opinion.

Three fingers, curled together, were Zamora’s max.  It was a limit that Hayden always found amusing given Zamora’s fetish.  Hayden didn’t mind. There were other ways for Zamora to surrender control, such as now.

“I’m going to come,” Zamora whispered, staring at Hayden’s face. Hayden’s eyes were focused solely on her lips which were red and swollen from all the times Zamora had licked and bit them, desperate for a kiss.

Hayden broke her promise.  She had told Zamora she would kiss her as she started to come, but Kelly Zamora was too beautiful to resist at that moment.  Hayden softly kissed her long, neglected lips.  She heard a muffled cry and felt like a goddess as Zamora started to come around her fingers just from a kiss.

Zamora grabbed whatever she could reach on Hayden as she clamped down on the fingers inside of her.  Every part of her felt like it was coming, but nothing was more sensitive than her lips. The soft kiss turned firmer and deeper and Zamora felt a surge of wetness flood Hayden’s hand.  The three fingers inside of her thrust harder and she cried out as she came again. Zamora could only hold on as the waves rolled through her body.

Their kiss slowly tampered off as Zamora stopped trembling. Hayden pulled her fingers out of Zamora which caused the other woman to sigh. She wiped the wet hand on the side of her own boxer shorts, the front already soaked, and wrapped Zamora in a full embrace.  Zamora was still aware of the damp hand on her body. She would have blushed at the thought of it if she had had the energy.

Hayden placed another kiss on Zamora’s lips which caused another tremble.  It caused her to smirk against the kiss, feeling very proud of herself.

Zamora finally found the strength to talk and could only repeat her catch phrase of the night. “Jesus, Hayden.”

Hayden laughed and hugged her closer. “I love you. Thank you for this.”

Zamora rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes. You are most welcome. It was such a chore doing all the work like that.”

Hayden laughed again and allowed her hands to trail up and down Zamora’s arms. “You know what I meant. I had been thinking about you all day and I wanted to have all of you. I wanted everything you had to give.”

Kelly Zamora softly smiled. “You already have it, Hayden. I love you.”

They cuddled for a while until Zamora felt confident she could move without shaking.  She moved her left hand up to brush across a hard, pink nipple that proved that Hayden was still aroused. “I think I can reciprocate without making a fool out of myself now.”

Hayden pinned the hand against her breast with her own. “I’m fine for right now. I’d much more interested in you cooking me dinner, feeding me, and then ravishing me.”

Zamora laughed, “Do you even eat when I’m not around?”

“Sometimes,” Hayden hedged.

The deputy laughed again and was tempted to get up and start dinner.  The only thing stopping her was the fact that Hayden’s nipple was still hard against her palm. She pushed Hayden back and grinned when the other woman instantly lay back against the couch. Hayden might be hungry but for more than one thing.

“I think I should take care of this first,” Zamora said, her voice suddenly husky. Hayden didn’t protest as her shorts were stripped away, leaving her naked. Zamora took the time to shrug out of her opened bra and shirt as well. Wanting full access to Hayden, she urged one leg up onto the back of the couch and the other rested on the floor.

“Are you going to tease me?” Hayden asked, bring up her hands to start pinching her own nipples.

“No,” Zamora answered. “I’m going to make you come.”

Hayden groaned as Zamora ran her fingers between her soaked lips and shivered at the tiny rub placed on her clitoris. She spread her legs an inch wider and tilted her hips, asking to be filled. Zamora didn’t wait. She slipped three fingers inside at once, knowing that Hayden was aroused enough to accept her.

“Oh, Zamora!” Hayden gasped, pinching her nipples harder. “Please!”

“You look amazing like this. So spread open, my fingers inside of you,” Zamora muttered, unable to deny how erotic the scene was.  She knew this image alone would visit her often in the future.  Zamora didn’t wait any longer. She sped up her thrusts and used her other hand to massage Hayden’s clitoris. Using her leg on the floor as a brace, Hayden arched her hips in time with Zamora’s thrusts as best she could. With a long moan, she started to come.

Zamora kept her fingers deep inside of Hayden until the walls stopped clenching her. She had been set to lean over to give the other woman a kiss when Hayden sat upright. Hayden planted two quick kisses on her lips before standing. “Shower and then food. I mean it. I’m starving.”

“So much for afterglow,” Zamora grumbled, but held her hand out for Hayden to help her up.  Hayden laughed, “If you wanted cuddling you should have ravished me later like I told you to.  Now you are just left with feeding me.  After we shower, of course. Food safety is one of my largest concerns.”

Zamora went to preheat the oven for their garlic bread before joining Hayden in the shower. A quick kiss was all they shared as they washed separately. In the kitchen, Zamora proved her worth as a girlfriend by handing Hayden a bag of carrot sticks and ranch dip to take the edge off her hunger while Zamora cooked.  Tonight she had decided on making spaghetti.

“I saw a news article on Facebook today,” Hayden commented. “The trial is over. They did the sentencing today.”

Zamora didn’t ask what trial she was referring to, because she knew.  It was a trial of the murders of the One Hundred.  Hayden would have played a more active part in the trial had the murderer not confessed.  Gregory had been sentenced to a life-sentence for accounts of murder and attempted murder.

“Yeah, I know.  This ended a lot quicker than I thought it would,” Zamora remarked.  She didn’t want to add that it had been all cleaned up too nicely.  She was certain others had been involved in the drug-alternation, but money and power covered up evidence and resources.

“But at least it’s over,” Hayden said, grateful it was.  “Now we can focus on the present without the past bothering us.”

 Zamora’s thoughts reflected on what the day was as she started chopping up bell peppers and onions for her sauce.

“Speaking of the past and present, tomorrow is our one-year anniversary,” Zamora remarked. “How would you like to spend it?”

The corner of Hayden’s mouth twitched.  As a smile it failed completely, but it was her smile nevertheless.  “How would I like to spend the day on the one year mark of the first time you fisted me? That’s a tough question.”

Zamora rolled her eyes. “It’s not just when we made love.”

Hayden interrupted, “I’m a let you finish, but that first time was not making love. You hired me because you wanted to put your fist inside someone.  That was purchased pleasure as you so like to put it.  The second time, though interrupted by our fight, was also paid-for sex.  The third time was me proving to you that I could enjoy having sex with you without the natural gel.”

“Fine, o’ wise one. When did we make love the first time?”

Hayden leaned down for another kiss before answering. “Our first date was on Halloween and that night we made love even though you said it wasn’t a Netflix and chill date.”

Zamora laughed, “It wasn’t.  You started it.”

Hayden shook her head, “Oh no ma’am, you started it.  You showed me that scary movie just to get me to cuddle up.”

“We didn’t even finish that horror film before switching to ‘Hocus Pocus’.  What did we watch to begin with?” Zamora mused, looking to the right in an effort to remember.

“I don’t know.  Something with blood, guts, jump-scares.  You know your everyday work life.”

Zamora ignored the jib and frowned in concentration, setting aside her chef’s knife. “That’s really going to bother me.  I don’t remember.”

Hayden loudly crunched the carrot she was eating, “I’m sure you will figure it out.”

“Come on,” Zamora begged. “Help me out. What did the villain look like?”

Hayden rolled her eyes, “Like a dark figure between the spaces of my fingers.”

The police officer shook her head and went back to cooking dinner, still trying to think of what the movie had been.

“So the question still remains what would you like to do on our one-year anniversary?”

Hayden paused munching to give the question some actual thought. “I’m not sure.”

The next moments of silence passed easily through the kitchen, each woman lost in her own train of thought.

“Let me take care of Halloween,” Hayden finally decided. “You had the guts to invite me out last year. Let me make our anniversary special this year.”

Zamora felt her heart melt a little and she couldn’t have stopped the love-stricken smile growing on her face if she tried. “Deal.”

October 8th

“I don’t know how I ever survived without you,” Zamora swore as lunch was placed down before her. She looked up into the large brown eyes of one of the most important women in her life. Her assistant, Amaya, flushed under the praise. Her cheeks looked as if she had applied heavy red blush upon them.

“It’s no trouble,” Amaya insisted. “I know you weren’t able to leave for lunch today.  I’ll be at my desk if you need me.”

As Zamora paused from her endless paperwork to eat the sub Amaya had brought her, she reflected back to January when Amaya had first arrived at their sheriff’s office.

“Hey Zamora, who’s the broad?”

Kelly Zamora looked up from her computer to give the speaker an incredulous look. “Broad? What decade do you think this is, Alan?”

Her former partner, Alan Smith, grinned. “You’re right. Who’s the dame?”

Zamora chuckled as she followed his pointing finger.  She arched a brow as she watched the woman look around the station.

“She seems nervous,” Alan observed.  Zamora nodded in agreement.  The woman clutched her purse strap with both hands and her large eyes darted around quickly under perfectly trimmed bangs.

Zamora stood up from her desk and held back a groan as three different areas of her body popped.  She would like to say that no one had warned her how much desk riding she would be doing as she advanced her career, but that would be a lie.  Carmichael had warned her several times that moving up in the force would just mean more paperwork and politics.  The warning hadn’t bothered her at the time.  She had been certain she would welcome the desk when Sheriff Brown retired and it was time for everyone to move up the chain.  No one knew that Chief Deputy Carmichael would come down with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and that she would be made acting chief in his place.

She walked out of her office to greet the woman who had gotten past the front desk. “Can I help you ma’am?”

Zamora was taken aback by the smile the woman greeted her to.  It was a smile that was polite, sweet, and had a hint of relief. “Hello, Chief Deputy Zamora. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Acting Chief,” Zamora corrected, holding out her hand. The woman released her purse strap to shake it. “How do we know each other?”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” The woman said, glancing away shyly. “We don’t. I’m Amaya Santos Mendoza.  I’m your new administrative assistant.”

Zamora had almost let the woman’s hand go but renewed her grip while giving it a few more vigorous shakes. “Amaya, yes! It’s nice to meet you.  Please, please, come here.”

“Oh, okay.”

Thrilled to have the secretary she had been begging the sheriff and county payroll for, Zamora refused to let Amaya leave her side.

As she escorted Amaya around the office, she gleaned little facts from the woman.  Amaya was 22 years old and she lived in a tiny apartment down the street from her parents’.  She had applied to the job when her tía, who worked for the county, had heard of the opening.  She was also painfully shy and blushed at the drop of a hat.

“This is your desk,” Zamora said, finishing their tour in front of her office.  Physical plant had just delivered the old L-shaped desk the day before and Zamora had tried to stock it with everything she thought her new assistant would need.  It was situated right outside of her own office.

“This is my office.  I only ask you knock before you enter, but I will always allow you to enter.  You are the only one who has direct access to me besides Alan Smith,” Zamora gestured at the tall man across the room.  Amaya nodded, her cheeks flushing when she realized everyone in the bullpen was staring at her.

As Amaya settled into her desk, Zamora went over to Alan’s workspace.  She gripped his shoulder as she leaned down to whisper in his ear, “You put the word out that no one starts anything with Amaya until she gets settled.  She’s shy and she doesn’t need cop humor for the first few weeks.”

Alan had nodded in agreement and every deputy had been on their best behavior around the young woman until they all felt she was settled.

Amaya had settled in, Zamora reflected.  She never stopped by shy, but she was less reserved.  The young woman was so easy to blush at a compliment or flush over a mistake. Zamora had only reprimanded her twice as her boss and each time, Zamora felt horrible about it. Amaya would look at her with her large eyes which shimmered with tears that weren’t trying not to fall.

“Oh,” Amaya had whispered each time. “Okay. I’m sorry. I will do better next time.”

Since Amaya was very attractive and so easy to make blush, Zamora had to keep watch over her assistant throughout the day. Several single guys, and a few single women, enjoyed stopping by to see who could win over the young woman’s heart or to see who could make her blush the hardest.  Zamora had only had to step in a few times, but as far as she could tell, no one had managed to get a date with the young woman.

The sound of her phone ringing caused Zamora to snap out of her daydreaming.  She answered immediately when she saw it was Alan.

“We’ve got another one.”

*

“It’s inside, chief,” One of her deputies told her, lifting up the yellow police tape to let her walk under it.  She nodded her appreciation and went inside of the apartment building.

The woman had been found on the third floor by her neighbor.  After screaming and throwing up at the scene, the neighbor had been able to call the police.  Since the crime took place just past the city lines, it fell under her jurisdiction.

“Jesus,” Zamora swore softly.  She took a moment to close her eyes and sigh.  She opened them again to find the scene hadn’t changed at all.  “How many stab wounds?”

“Don’t know,” The medical examiner replied, pulling the temperature probe out of her side.  “It’s hard to say with all the blood. From the blood spray, I’d say her throat was slit open first. I’ll know more when I get her back to the morgue.  I’d put time of death around 8:30 pm.”

“Thanks, Rob.”

Zamora looked up and down the hallway around them.  There were no signs of video cameras in the hall, but she had seen a few outside. “Craig?”

“Yes, chief?” One of her deputies called out.  Zamora pulled out her notepad and started jotting notes.  “You and Cheyenne start canvasing the block.  I want to find any and all security footage.”

“On it, chief.”

She heard someone walking up behind her and knew it was Alan from the smell of his cologne.  “Alan, how many does this make?”

“Zamora, you know we’ve had dozens of murders in the city since the year started.”

“But how many have been knife related, with no prime suspects, and no motive?” She countered.

Alan slumped.  He knew the answer she wanted, but didn’t want to follow her train of thought.  “5 under our jurisdiction and at least 10 cases in the city.  But chief, there are no signs of what you’re thinking.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her off to the side of the investigation.  He lowered his voice to a whisper, “If you so much as mention the phrase ‘serial killer’, the press will be all over us.  The mayor and city police chief will crucify us.  We don’t know that any of these cases are related.  Let’s just see where this investigation goes.”

Zamora pulled her arm away from his grasp, “I can already tell you where it’s going to go.  We’re going to find nothing on that girl.  No perpetrator evidence.  Just like the other cases we have gotten this year.  Someone is murdering people with a blade for the random hell of it.  We have to start considering the possibility.  You still have your contacts with the state bureau of investigation right?”

Alan sighed but then nodded.  “Yeah.  I’ll give them a call.  Maybe they can spare an analyst to take a look at the cases.”

Zamora clamped his arm.  “That’s why you’re my guy.”

Alan looked at his watch, “It’s almost quitting time boss. Shouldn’t you be getting home? Its date night, right?”

Zamora winced. “Don’t remind me.”

*

Zamora groaned as she kicked off her shoes at the door and tossed her keys and badge on the foyer table. She wanted nothing more to relax at home then go on a silly date.  Her hand went to her gun when she realized she wasn’t alone in the house.

“Hey, love.”

The deputy beamed when she realized who was with her and walked into the living room to find Hayden lounging in her recliner.

“Hey yourself.”

“Rough day?” Hayden asked, setting down the book she was reading. 

Zamora smiled when she realized her lover had been reading one of her lesbian romance novels but decided to bring the discussion up later. “Definitely not pleasant but you are a sight for sore eyes.”

She walked over to the recliner and helped herself to a kiss. She then seated herself on the couch beside it. “I didn’t expect to see you until later.”

Hayden’s lips twitched. “I know.  I got bored at my place and you have more books than I do.  Do you want to talk about your day?”

“Later tonight,” Zamora promised.  She then pouted, “I don’t want to go on a date tonight, Hayden.”

Hayden laughed.  “Then you don’t have to go.  The One Hundred are very good about rescheduling.”

Zamora sighed. “I know.  I just want to go ahead and get it over with.  I halfway wish you still worked there and you were my date. That would kill two birds with one stone.”

“It was nice to be your bi-monthly prostitute date,” Hayden agreed.  “And I can’t deny I’m upset that I’m not the one who will be taking you to the Halloween Masquerade Ball.”

The deputy shook her head, “Don’t remind me.  I mean don’t get me wrong.  Your friend Aaliyah is fun but I’d rather go with you.”

Hayden rose from the recliner and sat down beside Zamora on the couch.  She wrapped her arms around the other woman and they both sank back into the cushions. “We both knew there would be adjustments when I stopped being a One Hundred.  You’re expected to uphold appearances as the Chief Deputy.  Especially now that everyone knows you are dating a former One Hundred.  They expect you to be kinky.”

“Just think, last year I hadn’t dated a woman in three years.  Now I’m dating two. Power does have its privileges,” Zamora remarked.  She giggled and tried to squirm away as Hayden started to tickle her.

“Don’t forget, Chief Deputy.  We agreed to be monogamous as soon as I stopped sleeping with other people for money.  That day has come and gone.  You are not dating Aaliyah like that,” Hayden stated firmly.  She added with a grin, “Unless I’m present.”

Zamora laughed as she pulled Hayden closer to her. Zamora had no interest in sleeping with anyone else and neither did Hayden. They had been romantically been monogamous since last year, and Hayden only slept with other people for business and never pleasure. However, they had talked about if the day ever came where they wanted to sleep with someone else. They agreed it would be alright as long as the other one was present.

“Now you had better go get ready for your date. It’s going to be the easiest money Aaliyah makes all week. Plus I have dinner plans with Marisa,” Hayden said.

“Tell Marisa I said hello,” Zamora said, reluctantly standing from the couch to go get ready. She and Aaliyah were going to a fancy restaurant, on the One Hundred’s dime, and make everybody believe they had sex in the limousine outside of it.

As she got ready for her date, she couldn’t get over how ridiculous it was that she had to be seen with a prostitute.  She had a former One Hundred worker sharing her bed, how much free time did people think she had to spend on other vices?

“Oh,” Hayden practically purred from the doorway of the bedroom. “I love that little black dress.  I’m almost jealous of Aaliyah.”

Zamora turned around as she finished putting in a pair of diamond studded earrings. “Would you prefer I wear something else?”

Hayden smirked. “No.  You look beautiful.  It tickles me that Aaliyah will be on the arm of the sexiest woman in the restaurant tonight and she won’t be the one who gets to take your clothes off later.”

Zamora chuckled. “Your mind is strange, Hayden Cross. But I love you just the same.”

A honk alerted them that the limo had arrived.  Hayden walked her girlfriend to the door and watched as she tucked away her gun and badge. Zamora turned to say goodbye and found herself pressed against the door in a bruising kiss. She could only moan into the kiss as Hayden grabbed her ass.

While the kiss lasted half a minute, it felt like it was over just as it started to Zamora. She had to take a deep breath before she could speak. “What was that, Hayden?”

The other woman smirked. “I just wanted to make sure you look properly kissed before going into the restaurant.  We have to keep up appearances.  We can’t have the public thinking Aaliyah isn’t doing a good job, can we?”

“Right,” Zamora muttered, walking out of the door Hayden held open for her. “Keeping up appearances.”

Zamora nodded at the handler who held the limo’s door open for her and slid into the backseat.  Aaliyah was already inside and Zamora took a moment to appreciate how stunning she looked.  The dark-skinned woman wore a shimmering red dress that looked like it could slip off with a single touch.

Aaliyah laughed as she took in Zamora’s expression.  She offered a case from her purse. “I see Hayden is making sure we all keep up appearances again.  Your lipstick is smeared, Chief Deputy.”

Zamora took the compact mirror and adjusted her makeup.  She handed it back with a grateful smile. “She’s very dedicated to the cause.”

***

Marisa arrived at Zamora’s thirty minutes after the limousine had left. That gave Hayden just enough time to tidy up around the house and order pizza. Hearing the car pull up, she open the door and waited as her friend walked up the pathway. However, the evening chill was starting to set in and she shifted her feet as she grew colder. She regretted not putting on pants or socks before opening the door.

“Would you quit strolling?” She snapped. “It’s cold out here.”

“It’s a nice night out,” Marisa retorted. “I’m just taking it in.”

“This door is closing in five, four, three …”

Marisa made it inside before two and she lifted the bottle of wine she had brought. “Sangiovese to go with our pepperoni pizza.”

Hayden glanced at a wall clock in the foyer, “I ordered it about twenty minutes ago so it should be here in another twenty or so.”

“Enough time to open this and let it breathe,” Marisa said, moving towards the kitchen for a corkscrew.  Hayden followed along for company, not to help her around the kitchen.  Marisa had been to Zamora’s place over a dozen times, at Zamora’s request, and knew her way around.

“Will the Chief Deputy be joining us this evening?” Marisa asked, wanting to know if she should pull down three wine glasses instead of two.

“Not until after 10, I’m sure.  She had a date tonight.”

Marisa laughed. “That’s right.  You told me.  I forgot.”

An awkward silence fell between the friends. Hayden knew Marisa had been on the verge of asking her a question and Marisa held back, not sure if she should ask.  The sound of the cork popping out of the bottle almost echoed in their silence.  Hayden finally shot her a look that said ‘get on with it’.

“Are you okay with her actively dating another One Hundred?”

Hayden sighed. “No, but not for the reason you are thinking.  I’m not jealous of Aaliyah. There’s no reason to be.  I’m the one Zamora invites to public affairs and we go out on dates far more than once a month.  I’m not okay with it because it upsets her.  She doesn’t like that she has to pay for sex so no one will think she’s morally corrupt.  It was different when I was her date.  We’d just pretend it was role-playing, the cop and the prostitute, or make another game out of it.”

Marisa poured wine into the two glasses she had taken down, filling them almost to the brim. “But it’s something you two will have to continue.  Everyone’s says she will be Sheriff one day.”

“Not for another decade or so,” Hayden said, accepting her glass. “People like their sheriffs old and weathered.  As long as she gets along with the next sheriff, Zamora should stay in her current job for a while.  But enough about Zamora.  This is a friend date.  We’re supposed to be catching up.”

“I know,” Marisa said a glint in her eyes. “I haven’t seen you in almost a month.  I thought when you retired that we’d see each other more, not less.”

Hayden blushed, ashamed. “I know.  I’m sorry, Marisa.  That first week I just wanted to do nothing but sleep.  The second week was the vacation with Zamora and these past few weeks…”

“Hey, hey.  I’m just teasing you,” Marisa said, putting down her wine and coming around the kitchen island to hug her friend. “I know you are trying to figure things out.”

Hayden savored the hug until the doorbell rang, alerting them that the pizza had arrived early. Marisa pushed her towards the door. “You’re buying to make up for ignoring me for a month, bitch.”

Hayden wasn’t offended by the swear.  It was a term of endearment between them.  She headed towards the door with the cash tip.  She had already paid for the pizza online.

The friends settled on the couch with the pizza and wine while Netflix played in the background.  They put on HGTV shows which could be easily ignored and still understand the plot of buying a house.  The shows made for great commentary between their catching up conversations.

After her second glass of wine, Marisa asked, “How long has Zamora owned this house?”

Hayden looked around, trying to remember. “Six years?  She bought it when she was thirty, a year before she dated Stephanie.  She’s lucky it was hers and not something she bought with Stephanie.  I’m sure that asshole would have tried to take the house.”

There were few people Hayden disliked but Zamora’s ex-girlfriend was one of them.  Zamora always sounded so confused and upset when she talked about their breakup, as if there was something wrong with her and not the woman who left.

“So Zamora’s 36?” Marisa asked, absorbing the new information. “I thought she was closer to thirty.”

“She looks like it until you see her little laugh wrinkles.”

“And you’re okay with the age difference?  I mean she’s 8 years older than you,” Marisa said, mentally doing the math in her head.

Hayden nodded, moving to tuck her feet underneath her on the couch. “Yeah.  It hardly every comes up.  Every now and then an obscure TV show will be mentioned, but overall, it’s not a big deal.  We’re not at different points in our lives.  I’m ready to settle down; she’s ready to settle down.  Neither of us wants children.  Besides, I’ve always been very mature for my age.”

Hayden tilted her head back, regally, as she said the last sentence.  Marisa laughed and reached over to smack her leg. “Yeah, right.  But I’m glad things are going well for you. It’s been a year.”

“Yes, it has,” Hayden agreed with a smile. “I’m planning something for our anniversary in a few weeks.”

“Oh do tell,” Marisa commanded.

The other woman shook her head with a grin. “There’s really nothing to tell. It’s all going to be here at the house.”

“Kinky.”

“Possibly afterwards,” Hayden hedged. “I just have dinner and a movie planned.”

Marisa was startled by lack of embellishment. “That’s it? For your first anniversary, that’s it?”

Hayden shrugged. “I don’t need to go all out.  Zamora and I are simplistic people at heart. She’s going to enjoy our night, I promise.”

Marisa had been about to press for more details when she heard the front door open.

“Hey,” Zamora called out. Marisa replied, “Hello, Chief Deputy.”

“Marisa,” Zamora greeted, walking into the living room. She was taking off her earrings. “Nice to see you.”

Marisa took a moment to run her eyes over the full picture in front of her. “Likewise, Chief.  Likewise.”

Hayden rolled her eyes at her friend and turned to evaluate her lover. “Did you have a nice date, love?”

It was Zamora’s turn to roll her eyes. “It was fine.  Aaliyah and I had a lovely time.  I even nodded at three CEOs and one judge before we left to go moan in the limo.”

“That sounds like an amazing date to me,” Marisa teased.

Zamora rolled her eyes again. “I’ll let you take the next one for me if you want.”

Marisa would gladly take a date with a One Hundred worker, but knew she couldn’t afford such prices.  So she just laughed at the offer instead.

“I’m going to go get out of this dress and slip into bed.  You ladies take your time,” Zamora said, moving towards her bedroom.  Hayden sat her wineglass off to the side and promised her friend, “I’ll be right back.”

Hayden caught up with her lover just as Zamora was about to unzip the back of her dress. “Allow me.  I did say I’d be the one to undress you tonight.”

Zamora softly smiled, “Yes, you did say that.”

Hayden helped slide the dress off Zamora’s shoulders.  Perhaps a year ago, the eager pair would have followed the sexual overtones despite having a friend waiting in the living room. The sexual tension was still there, but so was the ease of being a couple for a year.  Zamora stepped out of the dress and Hayden went to hang it up for her.  She was in the connecting master bathroom when she heard Hayden call out, “I’m going to go wrap things up with Marisa. I’ll be back soon, love.”

Zamora nodded with a smile and went back to cleaning off her makeup.  She climbed into bed and started browsing Facebook on her phone.  A few minutes turned into several and she frowned at the open bedroom door.  She thought about getting out of bed to see what was taken Hayden so long, but decided not to be clingy.  Another five minutes passed before she decided to do something.

“Am I going to have to pay a thousand dollars to get some attention here?” Zamora called out.  She had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes for Hayden to come back.

A minute later, Hayden appeared in the room.  “Sorry.  Thought I heard a noise so I searched the whole house with a butcher knife.”

“Are you serious?” Zamora asked.

“Of course not.  Marisa and I got caught up talking at the door,” Hayden explained.  She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to give the reclining woman a kiss. “I’m sorry…”

Zamora smiled, “I forgive you.”

Hayden gave her a look of disbelief. “I wasn’t apologizing for being late.  You’re the one who takes work calls at all times of the night.  Before you interrupted me, I was saying I’m sorry I can’t spend time with you for that amount of money.  It’s far too much below my average rate.”

It was Zamora’s turn to give her a look of disbelief.  “For one, those calls are police business.  And two, what do you mean that’s below your average rate?  Every hour we officially spent together while you worked at the One Hundred cost me a grand.”

“Law enforcement discount,” Hayden replied easily enough. “Plus we gave you the regular/friend discount from the beginning too.  We all had a feeling about you.”

Kelly Zamora was completely dumbfounded.  Those simple statements had thrown her for a loop and the only thing she could think to ask was, “What was your regular price?”

Hayden placed a hand over her heart and shied away. “A courtesan never discusses her price except in the negotiation room.  It is bad etiquette to discuss other clients’ prices with other clients.”

“We’re in the negotiation room,” Zamora pointed out.  She hadn’t actually negotiated with Hayden in her bedroom, but she had called the One Hundred booking agency and worked out a price from her bedroom.

“Fair enough,” Hayden relented.  She leaned over and whispered her normal rate in Zamora’s ear.  Zamora flinched away and looked at Hayden with large, shocked eyes.  “You cost that much?”

Zamora looked away.  She then held up her hands and started counting how many hours they spent together.  She was trying to figure out how much it would have cost to be with Hayden if she hadn’t been the chief deputy.

Hayden pushed down her hands and moved closer to kiss her cheek. “It’s best if you don’t think about it.”

“But if my math is going right, I never could have afforded to spend time with you.  We never would have met,” Zamora pouted, the thought made her sad.

Hayden’s lips twitched.  No one would believe her if she told them how sentimental and adorable Zamora could be.  She kissed her lover again but on the lips this time.  “There’s no reason worrying about the past, Kelly.  You are a police officer, I was a prostitute, and soon I’ll be something else.  Our paths have already crossed and linked. Stop worrying about a past, love.”

Hayden sat back and asked, “Do you remember Valentine’s day?”

“Of course,” Zamora easily offered. “It was the first time you met Amaya.”

Hayden rolled her eyes. “I should be insulted. After everything we did that day and your first comment was that I met your assistant?”

“I remember because Amaya’s whole face was red as a cherry but the time I found you two. You sat with your legs crossed on top of her desk in that amazing skirt that had very little material. I’m sure from her viewpoint she knew what color your special lingerie was before I did.”

“Hayden,” Zamora blinked in surprised before a pleased expression settled on her face. That expression turned to desire and embarrassment when she saw what Hayden was wearing.

“Chief Deputy,” Hayden stood, moving to kiss the other woman. Zamora had a reputation to uphold as one of the elite officers in their county. “I hear it’s no longer ‘acting’ chief anymore.”

“Amaya told you the good news then?” Zamora asked.

Amaya looked horrified. “Oh no!  Was I not supposed to tell her? I bet you wanted to surprise her yourself.  I’m so sorry.”

Zamora smiled and shook her head. “Its fine, Amaya.  Don’t worry about it.”

Her assistant looked away, her cheeks flushed still at the thought of her potential shame.

“I promise it’s alright,” Hayden added, still standing beside the deputy.  However, she felt everyone had been polite long enough and it was time to move the night along.

Hayden leaned close so that her mouth was an inch away from Zamora’s ear. “Don’t you want to guess what color lingerie I bought at the store today?”

Zamora cleared her throat and turned to Amaya. “You know what, Amaya, it’s been a long day. Why don’t you head home? I’m sure you have plans.”

Amaya smiled. “I do, Chief Zamora. I hope you have a nice evening.”

“You too.”                                                     

Amaya gathered her things and slid her purse on her shoulder.  She gave Hayden a sincere smile before leaving, “Goodbye, Hayden. It was nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

The couple went into Zamora’s office where Hayden made a show out of closing the blinds while Zamora locked the door. They had never done it in her office and she was nervous.

 “That girl has such a sweet smile. How do you think she stays so nice all the time?” Hayden asked as she took a seat on Zamora’s desk and crossed her legs. Zamora, whose attention had shifted from her secretary to the long, pale legs beside her, made a generic grunt. “I don’t know.”

Zamora let her hand travel up the side of one of Hayden’s leg and back down again. Hayden smirked as she leaned back onto her hands, causing her breasts to be pushed out.

 Zamora’s eyes traveled up from her legs to the black, silk blouse her girlfriend was wearing. There was just enough loose buttons to make the perfect picture of sex and grace parked on her desk.

“I bet she’s into some kinky stuff,” Hayden remarked. “Anyone who acts that sweet, polite, and innocent all the time has to have some interesting outlets.”

“Hayden, I don’t want to talk about Amaya anymore,” Zamora firmly stated, moving her chair so that she was in front of the Hundred worker. Under the deputy’s firm touch, Hayden allowed her legs to be uncrossed. Zamora slid her hands across Hayden’s knees and under the woman’s skirt. Her fingers tangled with the thin fabric she knew she would find low on Hayden’s hips and pulled it forward. Hayden arched her hips off the desk to allow her panties to be slipped off smoothly.

Zamora grinned when she saw the lacy, red lingerie appear from under the skirt. “Red. I should have known.”

Hayden laughed, “Well it is Valentine’s Day after all.”

Zamora shook the memory from her mind and leaned forward for another kiss. “Where is that lovely red thing by the way?”

“Why? Do you want to wear it for me?”

A look of musing crossed the deputy’s face. She shrugged with a hint of a smile, “That could be arranged.”

Hayden didn’t realize she had licked her lips until her tongue was sliding back inside her mouth.

October 21st

“I smell food!”

Hayden was quite certain she had never heard Zamora bellow before, not even during the most vicious fights or lovemaking.  It made her ridiculously happy to hear it.

“Did you order us dinner?” Zamora asked, reaching the kitchen.  Hayden glanced at her and could tell Zamora was excited; she hadn’t even bothered to take off her shoes.

“I cooked us dinner,” Hayden corrected, now a little nervous about their meal.  She had just put the sandwiches on the skillet to grill when she heard Zamora entered the house.

Zamora beamed, “Even better.  Let me go change and I’ll be right back.”

The deputy returned and started to set the table.  She was thrilled to find Hayden in her home and cooking her dinner.  It had been a horrible day.  Alan’s contact had reported at least half a dozen of the cases they had sent him seemed to be committed by the same person.  She had had an unpleasant meeting with the Sheriff over how they should process.  He felt they should hold off on the serial killer angle until they knew for sure that was exactly what they were dealing with.  Zamora wanted to think about other things.

“How goes the search for a career?” Zamora asked, sitting at the table she had just set.  She had been holding back that question for a month, not wanting Hayden to feel pressured.  She just couldn’t hold back her curiosity anymore.

Hayden’s lips twitched as she flipped each grilled cheese on the skillet.  She was pleased to see a perfect brown crust on each of them. “You’ll be happy to know that after some through literature review, I’ve narrowed down my list of potential careers.”

Zamora’s brow furrowed, “Literature review?  Not to sound like I’m discriminating in any way but is there a significant amount of literature on careers of former call girls?”

“Not exactly,” Hayden said, trying not to laugh. “Would you mind ladling the soup?”

Zamora rose from the table and did as she was asked. By the time she had a bowl of the beef and vegetable soup in front of each of their spots at the table, Hayden had a grilled cheese on a plate for each of them.  Zamora smiled and leaned over to kiss Hayden’s cheek before sitting down.  “This looks lovely.  Thank you.”

Hayden shot her a look.  “You need to have your brain examined if you think throwing stuff into a pot and smearing butter and cheese on bread counts as lovely.”

Zamora reached over to touch Hayden’s arm.  “Hey.  Don’t say things like that. This is really nice, especially after a long crummy day where I had to go out in the cold more times than I wanted to.  We both know I like to cook big, extravagant meals.  I do that because I like having you around to help me eat them.  That doesn’t make your meal any less lovely.”

Hayden touched Zamora’s hand before the Latina woman pulled it away.  Hayden then rolled her eyes.  “See. My literature review didn’t prepare me for this. They all said the cop would be the broody one who needed someone who would understand their darkness and get them to open up.  The cop’s lover is supposed to be the one reassuring them.  None of the literature reported it would go the other way around.”

Zamora had been about to tuck into her soup when the comment made her pause. “Seriously.  What type of literature review where you conducting?”

“I read all of your lesbian novels that starred a cop as a leading character to see what their lovers did for a living.  According to writers called Radclyffe, Gerri Hill, and Jae, my occupational choices are doctor, psychologist, law enforcement, artist, gallery owner, or lawyer.  I’m not sure which to pick.”

Zamora threw her head back and laughed.  “That is hardly a proper literature review! And those aren’t the only occupations the cops’ lovers held.”

“Would you care to place a wager on that?” Hayden dared. Zamora smirked, “You’re on.”

Zamora made a motion to rise from the table when Hayden waved her back down.  “Hey. I slaved over a hot stove for this lovely meal.  You need to eat it while it’s warm.”

Zamora’s smirk faded to a sheepish grin and she started to eat her meal.  Hayden and Zamora both reached for the salt after tasting the soup and Hayden laughed. “I guess I should have put more in while I was cooking.”

“It’s always hard to judge such things,” Zamora countered.  “You can always put more in but you can’t take any out as my abuela used to say. Or something along those lines.”

Zamora took a bite of the grilled cheese and slowed her chewing as she tasted something tangy with the cheese. “What else is on here?”

“Mustard,” Hayden replied.  “I know it’s not a standard grilled cheese additive.  It’s something my grandfather likes on his so I do it too.  It’s funny how our grandparents came up in the same conversation.  What do you think?”

“It’s interesting,” Zamora said, after taking another bite.

“Interesting like ‘you’ll eat it this time but don’t put it on a grilled cheese again’ interesting?”

Zamora laughed.  “No, interesting as in interesting.  I think I like the tang.  I wonder how Dijon mustard would taste on a grilled cheese.  Something to consider for next time.”

The rest of the dinner was filled with random conversations until they put away their dishes in the dishwasher.  As soon as she closed the machine, Zamora was headed for the mini-library in her office.  She had a whole bookshelf dedicated to lesbian fiction and she started cruising the titles.

“So what do I get if I win?” Hayden asked, moving to sit in Zamora’s desk chair.

“What do I get if I win?” Zamora threw the question back. She muttered to herself as she tried to remember books and their characters.

“Safe Harbor has a deputy.  No, that doesn’t count.  Tori was a doctor. Its sequels had cops but I think their lovers were either doctors or artists.  Does FBI count as a police officer?”

Hayden laughed, “Sure. Why not?”

“Still throws out the ‘Honor’ series. Just artists and other cops. My Gerri Hill’s are out too. Conflict of Interest is a cop story but Dawn’s a psychologist.  Next one is a lawyer.”

“Are you ready to admit defeat?”

“Never,” Zamora countered. “There’s Radclyffe’s ‘Justice’ series.”

“She was a doctor and Dell dated a prostitute who decided to become a cop herself. Doesn’t count,” Hayden remarked.

“Well shit,” Zamora grumbled.  “This isn’t fair.  I’m sure there are books out there with other occupations.  I just don’t own a lot of books about police officers.  I mean I live that life; I don’t like to read about it too often.”

“Are you ready to admit defeat instead of making excuses?” Hayden asked, a confident smirk on her face.  Zamora spun around to give her lover a glare. “I bet I can find a novel if you let me Google it.”

Hayden stood up from the desk chair and motioned for Zamora to sit down, given her access to the laptop on the desk. “You have three minutes.”

Zamora was seated in a flash and quickly searching for lesbian novels about cops.  She scrolled using her mouse, reading quickly in search of a novel that would allow her the chance to win their bet.  She briefly paused when she felt Hayden’s hand rest on her shoulder, but continued to search.  She was determined to win.

Hayden stroked the skin showing on Zamora’s chest made by the vee of the button up. Dissatisfied by the limited space for her fingers to play, she displayed finesse by opening two more buttons of Zamora’s uniform with one hand. Before Zamora could question her motives, she slipped her hand inside of the deputy’s bra.

Zamora stopped strolling. “May I ask what your hand is doing in my bra?”

“I’m keeping track of time by counting the seconds. You have two minutes left.” Hayden replied. She gently squished the breast in her hand in time with her counting. “One, two, three…”

Hayden quickly lost count as she continued to fondle the breast in her hand.  Zamora didn’t protest the unorthodox method of keeping time and continued her search. Hayden moved to slide Zamora’s hard nipple between her index and middle fingers. She alternated between pinching her fingers together and pulling them away.

“You’re going to mess up my bra,” Zamora protested after clearing her throat. Hayden slid her other down Zamora’s back and even though there wasn’t much space to work with, she managed to unhook Zamora’s bra in a few seconds. She took advantage of the extra space alternating between a pinch, roll, and tug.

Zamora bit her bottom lip to stay focused. It was getting harder to read synopsizes of lesbian novels as her body was entirely focused on what was going on with her nipple. A rush of victory flooded her senses, blocking out desire, as she found what she was looking for.

“Found one! “Mounted Danger” by Karis Walsh. A cop and a polo player!” Zamora proudly stated. She leaned forward a bit to read more. “And apparently there are some sequels. The next one is a cop and a biologist.”

Hayden pulled her hand away and stroked her chin. “Well I’ll be darned. I guess there are other occupations I could follow.”

Zamora realized she wasn’t happy about Hayden’s hand leaving her.  She pinned Hayden in a stare, “I won our bet, ma’am.”

Hayden arched an eyebrow in return, “So it would seem, Chief Deputy Zamora. What would you like as a reward?”

“For starters, you can finish unbuttoning my shirt and taking off my bra.”

“If I must, I must.”

October 25th

Hayden gasped as she felt the ball of Zamora’s hand start to push inside of her.  She widened her legs a little further to accommodate the size while fisting the sheets in her hands. It was a stretch that briefly burned, but it was worth the moment of discomfort. 

Zamora would never stop being awed at the moment her whole hand was able to slip inside of someone.  She felt a rush of feelings that she was never quite able to explain: the wonder of the human body, the incredible amount of trust that Hayden placed in her while being so incredibly vulnerable, and how it made her feel humble and powerful at the same time.

She paused to kiss the inside of Hayden’s thigh on top of the tiny scars that lay there as she allowed her hand to curl naturally into a fist.  Her other hand was also wet from lube and was currently rubbing circles on Hayden’s clitoris.  The deputy couldn’t believe how hot and wet Hayden felt.

Hayden couldn’t stop the moan from escaping as she felt the fist inside of her start to twist. It was a feeling that always made her come and it was about to make her come now. She started whimpering.  She was almost there when the twisting stopped and the fingers moved away from her clitoris.

Hayden’s eyes snapped open.  She couldn’t turn around and glare at Zamora so she projected her aggravation in her voice, “Why did you stop? I was so close.”

Zamora smirked and kissed the inside of her thighs again. “Because you already came once during foreplay and I want this to last a little longer.”

Hayden groaned, “No one said it would be over if I came again. You know I’m good for more than two.”

“Maybe I want the second one to be so amazing that it will be over,” Zamora challenged. She then tilted her head forward to lick the flesh gripped around her wrist.

Hayden moaned a word that sounded like ‘bitch’ but Zamora wasn’t quite sure.  So she stopped what she was doing to ask.  “What did you say?  I didn’t quite hear that.”

“I said go back to what you were doing or I’ll…Jesus,” Hayden gasped as the twisting started again.

“I didn’t know you could ‘Jesus’,” Zamora snickered as she allowed her other hand to start massaging Hayden’s swollen bud.  They played the start and stop game until Hayden was literally trembling with need.  Zamora could feel the walls around her wrist fluttering and clenching with the desire to climax. Hayden finally begged, “Please!”

Zamora smirked and decided to let Hayden finally come.  Or at least that had been the chief deputy’s plan before her work phone rang.

Hayden’s whole body tightened in surprise at the ring and she sobbed because she knew what it meant.

Zamora was appalled, “I’m so sorry. The phone is on vibrate except for that number.  Its means there is a major emergency.”

“I know,” Hayden choked out.

Zamora couldn’t believe this was happening. She had to answer the phone, but her fist was currently inside her lover who had been seconds from coming. “Baby, you have to relax so I can pull out.”

Hayden took a deep breath and used her muscles to help push Zamora’s hand out.  It hurt, in more ways than one.

“I’m so sorry,” Zamora pleaded again as she rushed for the phone. She was able to make it before it when to voicemail.  She answered sharply, “Zamora. What is it?”

“Sorry, chief,” Alan’s voice answered.  “There’s been another murder.  This one was very public and messy.  The chief of city police is calling both sides in.  He has me sending a car to pick you up.  They will be there in fifteen.”

“I got it.”

Zamora hung up the phone and turned to look at her lover.  Zamora felt horrible about the whole situation.  Hayden had turned to curl up on her side, hand between her legs.  She wasn’t trying to come, but to calm herself.

“I got fifteen minutes.  I can finish…”

“No,” Hayden interrupted her. “It’s fine.”

Zamora went to get one of the blankets they had taken off the bed and she covered Hayden with it. She lay down beside her and started kissing her face.  She kissed her cheeks, forehead, and then lips. “Thank you for tonight. You were beautiful and amazing.  You gave me everything I wanted.  I am sorry and I promise I will make this up to you.”

The deputy relaxed when she saw Hayden’s lips twitch.  She knew she wasn’t entirely in the dog house.  Hayden sighed and gave her an order. “Go take a cold shower. You need to decompress your clitoris and arousal or you will be uncomfortable during the whole meeting.”

“So medically official,” Zamora teased, moving to get out of bed.  They both knew there wasn’t enough time to bring Zamora off, not after the mood disrupter.

“Blue clit is a real thing,” Hayden warned, already feeling the effects herself.  She was already planning on taking a long, warm bath to help with the soreness between her legs.

She was turning on the tub knobs when Zamora exited the shower.  The sight of the naked, wet woman with hard nipples from the cold made the ache between her legs increase.  She had only planned on a soak but she realized she might need to get herself off.

Hayden hissed in pleasure as she slid into the warm tub.  Zamora walked back into the master bath a minute later now dressed in khakis and a Sheriff’s deputy polo.  She kneeled on the towel Hayden had left by the tub and brushed some of the stray, sweaty hairs away from her lover’s face.

“I am sorry about this,” Zamora pledged. “This isn’t a common thing.”

“I know.  Give me a kiss before you go.”

Zamora leaned across the tub, not caring if she got drops of water on her.  She did her best to show how truly apologetic she was in the kiss.  Hayden broke away from the kiss with a laugh.  “Go before you get me all riled up again.”

Zamora placed another quick kiss on her lips before leaving the bathroom room.

***

“A gay couple found the body,” Alan reported. “They were just taking a stroll when they found the body on the fountain. No one saw anything out of the normal. Just people walking around the park.  No one was acting suspicious.”

Zamora’s lips pursed. She didn’t need to vocalize her thoughts because the chief of the city police was currently shouting them. “Someone had to have seen something.  This guy has as dozen stab wounds on him.  How could no one see anything while he was being stabbed a dozen times?”

“Do you think it’s our killer?” Alan asked.

“Yep.”

“So he’s a serial killer?”

“Yep.”

“Damn,” Alan swore, softly. “The press is going to think so too. They got here and snapped dozens of photos before our guys could secure the scene.  Apparently someone posted it on some media app.  We need to let the city chief know about our other cases.”

“Yep,” Zamora agreed, already making her way over to view the scene. The sight twisted her stomach, but she kept looking. If it was the same killer, he was becoming more macabre.  The multiple stab wounds were a new addition to the throat slice.  Statistically, Zamora knew that was a good thing. The more he acted out, the more likely he would be to make a mistake and get caught. It just wasn’t good for the population.

“Zamora,” The city chief of police greeted her with a nod. “Get some of your best people together. We’re going to make a joint task force.”

“I’ll have someone go make copies of our files on the possible connected murders,” Zamora agreed.

“I’ll get someone to make copies for your crew as well,” The city chief agreed.

October 26th

Zamora sighed as she walked into her house, making sure she locked and bolted the door behind her.  In the foyer, she kicked off her shoes and emptied her pockets with the exception of her gun.  She tried to be quiet as she made her way through the house.  It was almost 2am and she didn’t want to wake Hayden.

The bedroom door was open and a soft, orange glow let her know that the tableside lamp was on. She walked in to find Hayden awake and reading in bed.

“What are you doing up?” Zamora asked, pleased to find her awake.

“Waiting for my other lover, but you showed up first. I guess I should call and tell him not to come,” Hayden quipped, setting her book down.

Zamora gave a tired laugh. “Yeah, dumb question. You didn’t have to wait for me.”

The other woman rolled her eyes and watched as Zamora got ready for bed. “I’m a night owl, Zamora. You know that.”

Zamora did know that.  Most nights she was able to tempt Hayden into falling asleep early with her, but there were others nights she’d roll over to find Hayden browsing her dim-lit phone at 1am.

The police officer gave a sigh of relief as she slid between her sheets.  Hayden leaned over to turn off the lights and pulled the deputy closer. “Was it bad?”

Zamora laid her head on Hayden’s chest. “Yep.”

“Murder?”

“Yep.”

“Do you want to talk more about it?”

Zamora kissed her chest and started running her fingers over Hayden’s stomach.  She thought about how much she was allowed to say before she said it. “The body was left in a public place.  You can probably see it on the news if you were to look it up on your phone.  We think it’s connected to some others.”

Hayden’s lips pursed as she understood exactly what Zamora was hinting at.  Their city had a serial killer.  She knew enough from history and media to know it wasn’t good.  Until the killer was caught, Zamora was going to be under a lot of stress.

“How can such people exist in this world?” Zamora whispered. “Why does God allow such evil to harm people?”

Hayden stroked Zamora’s back, unsure how to answer the questions. “I don’t know, love. I guess to remind us what good is.”

Zamora kissed the chest under her again. “You’re good. You remind me of what I do this for.”

It was on the tip of Hayden’s tongue to make an inane comment, but she knew that wasn’t what Zamora needed right now.

“I want to make love to you, but I’m tired.”

Hayden couldn’t see Zamora’s face but she was sure her lover was pouting over the unfairness of the situation.  She laughed. “I know, love.”

She urged Zamora up from her chest to lie on her own pillow. “Just pretend we finished early.”

Zamora lazily arched a brow though Hayden couldn’t see it in the dark. “Did you finish?”

Hayden shook her head. “No.  It felt wrong knowing you were out on an important call and not knowing what you were doing.  Wouldn’t that be morbid?  That I could have been masturbating while my lover was being killed in a shootout or something.”

Zamora sucked in a breath, reaching back out to her lover, “Hayden…”

Hayden allowed herself to be pulled into an embrace and she confessed.  “I watched the news.  I already saw the death you were talking about.  I am a selfish person.  I didn’t care about the dead person when I saw a glimpse of you in the background.”

“Oh, Hayden. You aren’t selfish.  I’m sorry.  I don’t want you to worry.  I should have texted you.  I didn’t even think about that.  These night calls aren’t common,” Zamora pledged, placing a long kiss on Hayden’s forehead.

“I know,” Hayden softly replied. “But with this case, it might become more common.  I know sometimes you will be busy, but if you are called away again at night, could you text me? If you can.”

“Yes,” Zamora didn’t hesitate to promise. “Yes. I love you.”

Hayden held her tighter.  There was one thing her literature review hadn’t lied about. It was an incredibly hard and scary thing to love a police officer.  But it was very much worth it.

“I love you too, Kelly.”

October 31st

“Happy Halloween, Amaya,” Hayden greeted as she walked up to the assistant’s desk.  Amaya’s cheeks flushed and she gave Hayden a sweet smile, “Oh, good day, Hayden.”

“Is the boss in?” Hayden asked, pointing in Zamora’s office.

“No. I’m sorry,” Amaya replied, shaking her head regretfully. “She’s in a meeting for another ten minutes or so down the hall.”

“That’s alright. Would you mind if I wait here for her?” Hayden asked, gesturing to the chair in front of Amaya’s desk. She received a smile in response. “No, I don’t mind.”

Once Hayden got comfortable, she started her routine of trying to get to know the shy Amaya. “Are you doing anything for Halloween?”

“Oh…no…not really,” The other woman replied. “My family…we celebrate Día de los Muertos. That’s the…”

“Day of the Dead,” Hayden finished. “That’s nice. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you celebrate it?”

“Well we build an alter on the table full of food and drinks. First come the little angels and then the spirits of the adults.  Then our ancestors come to visit. The food is supposed to be just for them until after the day is over but sometimes, it’s hard to resist. You’re not supposed to take any,” Amaya laughed. “But sometimes I do. Just a little. I say, ‘Excuse me’.”

Hayden chuckled. “I’m sure the spirits are fine with sharing.”

“My mom says they take vengeance by given you a stomach ache,” Amaya replied with a shrug. “I’ve always been fine.”

Hayden was sure that any stomach ache would come from eating food that had been left out on an alter all day, but she kept the thought to herself.

Amaya asked, as if remembering her manners, “Will you be doing anything today?”

Hayden’s lips twitched, “Zamora and I have plans to spend the night alone together.”

Amaya’s cheeks flared red. Hayden loved how easy it was to make her blush.

“I hope you two have fun,” Amaya replied, rubbing her cheeks a little.

“Thank you,” Hayden said, deciding to stop teasing the poor assistant for the day. “So how has everything been going around here? It’s almost your 11 month anniversary here.”

“Oh, I love it,” Amaya proudly stated. “I learn a lot. Zamora is a really nice boss and the people here are so sweet.”

Hayden was sure they were.  She was willing to bet half of the guys and more than a handful of ladies had a crush on the sweet, shy assistant who blushed so easily.  She wondered which one would be able to win the lady’s heart. Hayden didn’t imagine it would be an easy task.  The only person Amaya had shown interest in was Zamora, but everyone knew it was a simple crush on her boss.  Hayden wasn’t threatened by it, even if Zamora hadn’t already assured her that nothing was going on.  Zamora viewed Amaya as someone to protect and shelter, not to love.

*

Kelly Zamora shook her head as she walked out of the conference room. She had just debriefed a small task force in their department that they had been selected to work on the serial killings.  Medical Examiners and profilers had confirmed her worst suspicions; at least 7 of the 13 unsolved knife murders were linked. She cursed the city’s rotten luck.  They had finally gotten the murders of the One Hundred settled and behind them only to have a serial killer on the loose. 

Zamora brightened instantly when she saw Hayden waiting for her with Amaya.  She leaned down to kiss the pale woman’s cheek. “This is a pleasant surprise.  I thought I was seeing you later.”

“I wanted to go out to lunch,” Hayden said, rising from her chair. “If that’s alright?”

Zamora smiled. “Of course it is.  Let me go grab some things from my office.”

The chief deputy returned, shrugging on her coat, to find Hayden asking Amaya if she wanted them to grab her anything while they were out.  Amaya smiled, brightly, “Oh, no.  Thank you.  I brought lunch with me.  Thank you, though, really.”

“I do wonder what that girl does for stress relieve,” Hayden asked once they were safely out in Zamora’s car.

“I know,” Zamora droned. “We’ve had this conversation before.  It was awkward enough having to look my assistant in the eye after you asked me if she masturbated.”

Hayden turned in the seat to look at her lover after fastening her seatbelt, “But you do wonder right?  She doesn’t look like the type, but you never know with those shy types.”

“Oh my God, Hayden!  Please stop.  You were taking me out to lunch.”

Hayden’s lips twitched. “Oh, no, love. You’re taking me out to lunch.  I have control over dinner remember?”

Zamora rolled her eyes, but drove them to a Peruvian place they both loved.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, they were back outside the station.  Hayden had made sure they both had breath mints on the drive back so that she could implement stage two of her plan.

“Jesus, Hayden!” Zamora cried out as Hayden unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to instigate a deep kiss.  When the chief deputy opened her eyes as her lover pulled a way, she saw a few of her deputies walking by her car.  She gave them a firm nod despite the grins on their faces at what they had just seen.  “Not that I have complaints about your kisses, but what was that for?”

“Last Halloween, I spent all day thinking about you before I came over to your house.  I just wanted to make sure you’ll be thinking about me all day before you come home.”

Zamora couldn’t wipe the dopey smile off her face. “I thought about you all day last Halloween too.  And you are always in the back of my mind, even when I have to work.  I’m eager to see what you have planned for us.”

Hayden teased before getting out of the car to go fetch a cab home. “You’re going to love it.”

*

“Hey,” Zamora called out as she entered her front door.

“Hey yourself.” She heard Hayden’s reply from the living room.

Zamora groaned as she emptied her pockets. “I’m sorry I’m late.  Work literally turned into a day from hell after you left.  Literally.  Even Amaya was upset and frazzled by the end of it.”

Hayden appeared in the foyer holding out a freshly, opened bottle of beer. “Hopefully, she will go unwind like we’re going to do.”

Zamora grinned as she took the bottle. “So what do you have planned for our Halloween anniversary?”

Hayden smirked. “Go change and then come and see.”

The deputy was halfway down the hall when she heard Hayden call out, “Couch potato clothing.”

That only made Zamora more excited about their date.  She returned to the living room with her beer to find the TV on and the coffee table in front of the couch full of junk food they loved.

“This is our anniversary plan? A movie night on the couch?”

“Yep,” Hayden replied, not the least bit worried.

Zamora beamed in delight. “It’s exactly what I wanted.  What are we watching?”

Hayden settled down on the couch and hit a few buttons as Zamora settled in next to her. “We’re going to watch what we watched last year.”

Zamora’s brows lifted as Hayden selected a horror movie.  She pointed at the TV as she remembered. “The Babadook! That’s what we watched last year. I can’t believe I forgot that and I can’t believe you remembered.”

“Of course I remembered,” Hayden countered. “I’m an excellent girlfriend.  Look, I got Bugles.”

Zamora laughed before leaning over for a kiss. “You are awesome and this is perfect. But are you sure you want to watch this movie?  I know how you feel about scary movies. We didn’t finish it last year.”

“I’m willing to try and make it through this time. But I trust your judgment if you think I’m getting too scared.”

“Hocus Pocus will be our backup,” Zamora pledged.

“Before we start, I have something for you.  A present of sorts.”

“But we agreed no presents.”

“That’s why I said ‘of sorts’,” Hayden easily deflected.  She handed Zamora a letter.

“What’s this?” Zamora asked, leaning back on the couch to look at it. She ignored the letterhead and tried to read.  She had barely made it past “Congratulations” when Hayden couldn’t keep back her secret anymore.

“It’s my acceptance letter from the state university’s campus here in the city.”

Zamora stopped reading and stared at her lover. “Acceptance letter?”

“Yeah. I’m going to college, undeclared major. I figured I could work through my core classes while finding what my passion is,” Hayden confessed.

Zamora beamed, “That’s amazing, Hayden. This is amazing. I’m so glad you made a decision. I know it has been really hard to decide what to do.”

Hayden gave a hollow laugh. “Not really. I think I knew weeks ago that going back to school is what I should do. I was just afraid to make that decision. I’m 28, not 18. It’s been so long since high school that they want me to come taken a placement exam at the university to make sure I don’t need remedial courses.”

“I doubt you’ll need remedial courses since you are smart as a whip. I also read somewhere that there are more non-traditional students in college than traditional ones,” Zamora countered. “You won’t be the oldest one there. And you could pass for younger.”

Hayden’s lips twitched. “Thank you, love. Age isn’t the only thing that’s bothering me. I worry about will I be smart enough. I worry I won’t find a career I like or that everyone will know I was a prostitute and treat me differently. I don’t regret being a One Hundred, but it will make things awkward in the classroom if anyone ever recognizes me. What if the professor tries to bribe me with sex for a grade?”

“Then I will arrest him or her,” Zamora promised, darkly. The police officer than cleared her throat. “I think you’ll be fine, Hayden. If professor salaries are like cop salaries, it’s highly unlikely anyone could afford you. People already know that we date and I have no problems being seen with you on my arm. I think people are more accepting in this city. Prostitution is legal here. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

Hayden moved across the couch to cuddle into her lover’s side. “You’re probably right, love.  And I need to go back to school so that I can be a doctor, lawyer, or artist.  That way I can be the one to offer you these words of wisdom.”

Zamora rolled her eyes. “You and that literature review.”

Zamora’s eyes then lit up. “Speaking of literature review and anniversaries, I got you something! Hold on.”

“We said no presents,” Hayden called out as Zamora sprinted to the kitchen.

“You’ll like it anyway,” Zamora argued as she reentered the room holding a box. “If it makes you feel better, I didn’t wrap it.”

“I can see that,” Hayden droned, taking the Amazon Prime box being handed to her.  She had a feeling it was a book from the size and weight.  She pulled the tab off the side that created a flap on the box and a book slid out.

“My Sister’s Keeper?” Hayden questioned. “By Mavis Applewater?”

“I bought it a few days ago to help you with your literature review,” Zamora said, trying to keep a straight face. “One of the leads is a cop.”

Hayden arched a brow. “And what does her lover do?”

Zamora tried to push down the corners of her smile.  “She’s a nun.”

Hayden laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to work out for me. I’m also sure, Ms. Raised-Catholic, that it’s not an occupation you want me to go into.”

Zamora joined in on the laughter. “I just wanted you to have a broad scope. It’s something to consider as you go back to school.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now, let’s start the movie.”

Hayden pulled a throw off the back of the couch and covered their legs as Zamora started the film.  Hayden wasn’t sure if she could make it through the movie this year either. But, she thought with a grin, there was always next year.

*

Across the city as Hayden was hiding her face in Zamora’s laughing side, Kendal Marks impatiently hit the elevator button.  He knew it wouldn’t make the elevator arrive faster, but it gave him something to do while he waited.  He had had a shitty day and wanted nothing more than to do something that would take his stress away.  He had been thinking about it all day.

Kendal stopped pressing the button immediately when someone walked around the corner of the hallway. He didn’t want to look like an impatient imbecile, especially when he saw the newcomer was a pretty Latina woman.  He adjusted his face so that he looked like a polite gentleman.  He didn’t want to scare her away.

Amaya shared a shy smile with the man. She struggled to adjust her purse strap with her hands full of groceries. Kendal spotted the struggle, “Would you like a hand?”

“Oh,” Amaya said, looking away. “Thank you. You don’t have to.”

“It’s no problem,” he promised, moving to take her bags.

“I’m sorry,” she said, continuing to look away but happily handing over her bags.

Kendal smiled. “It’s really okay. There’s no need to apologize.”

She beamed at him as they stepped onto the elevator. 

“Which floor?” Amaya asked.

Kendal shifted the bags in his hands and instead of answering, he offered, “Let me help you to your floor.”

Amaya smiled and pressed the button marked 13. Kendal decided to make polite conversation. “I haven’t seen you around the building before.”

“Oh. I just moved in. I decided to move a little further away from my parents,” Amaya answered.

Kendal tried not to seem too eager, “So you are by yourself?”

Amaya gave a little nod, flushing under the man’s gaze.

Kendal shifted a little. She was perfect and he didn’t want her to get away. He decided to make his move.

“I know this is forward, but would you like to come over for dinner? I have this great leg of lamb and a recipe I’ve been waiting all day to try out. I’ve had a rough day and wouldn’t mind some nice company.” Kendal glanced away, not wanting to seem too forward about a potential date.

“I’ve had a rough day too.”

Kendal looked over at Amaya with a hopeful smile. He turned just in time to see her arm swipe in front of him. He swallowed as he felt a sting in his neck and looked down to see blood flowing down his shirt. The bags fell out of his hands as he reached up to cover his neck.

Amaya reached up to grab his hair and jerked his head back. She sliced the knife across his neck again with more force, causing blood to spray back onto her face. She let go of his hair allowing him to slide to the floor. His blood continued to pump out around her shoes though she didn’t mind. Amaya tilted her face back towards the elevator’s ceiling as if the fluorescent light was warm sunshine. She felt the stress of the day just melt off her shoulders. If the camera in the corner hadn’t been disabled, the video would have showed her serene smile under her flushed cheeks.

The End

 

 

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