The Book Shop - Chapter Seven
Title: The Book Shop
Author: bsgroxmysox
Rating: T
Word Count: 2000
Summary: Since the decommissioning of the Battlestar Galactica, Laura Roslin's life has changed dramatically. Now it's time for her to move to a new town and make another change. Will the support from a familiar face and a new friend help her get back on her feet?
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters just borrowing them for a little fun
Thank you bsg_aussiegirl for the beta and for helping me make this even better!
*
Bill could feel his skin cooling as he lifted his head from where it had been tucked into the crook of Laura’s neck. Careful not to drop his weight on her, he rolled to the side, immediately gathering her into his arms. Gods, he loved sex with this woman.
“Have I ever told you how small this bed is?”
“Hmm,” came a sleepy reply.
“It barely fits me, let alone the two of us together.”
“Hmm.” The same reply came again.
“Do you care?”
A negative hum this time.
“Neither do I.”
She giggled huskily, already half asleep. He pressed a kiss onto the bare skin of her shoulder and snuggled behind her to fall asleep.
He awoke much later, alone in the bed. Even on his own in the bed he still felt cramped. He relaxed one foot on the floor to make himself more comfortable.
A quick glance at the clock beside him told him he had overslept. Usually when Laura and he slept over at each other’s places they woke together and walked the length of the town. He usually popped in to say hello to Mrs. Kowalski, but never stayed. That was Laura’s time with her friend.
This morning though he had slept in, and judging by the time, Laura would have already opened the shop. He wasn’t surprised about his impromptu lie-in though. He was getting a lot more exercise than he was used to. His girlfriend -- lover, partner, whatever she was to him -- was insatiable. And he loved it.
He loved her.
If there was one thing he was sure of in their relationship it was how he felt about her. They had been together for almost two months now, sleeping together, sharing meals, talking. They had even minded the Kowalski kids one night while their mother had gone on a date with Mayor Cantrell.
Seeing Laura with those kids, he understood what it must have been like for her when she was teaching. He wished she could have that back again. Although she had told him with the amount of kids now coming to her for tutoring it was almost like being back in the classroom.
Bill staggered out of the low bed and grabbed his jeans and shirt from the back of a chair. Shrugging the clothes on, he searched the rest of the room for his shoes. They had to be there somewhere.
He found them discarded by the front door, beside Laura’s. He smiled to himself at the sight of the two pairs of shoes. He had obviously picked up her habit, despite it going against all of his military training. Crisp and clean is how he was taught when he signed up. Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks.
He slipped the shoes on, only stumbling slightly, and finally climbed down the stairs into the shop. The place was silent, but then again it was still early for most people. Laura was talking to a customer when he rounded the corner of one shelf, so he headed to sit and wait for her behind the counter.
She heard his footsteps and glanced his way. One look at her face and he knew something was wrong. The man she was dealing with turned to follow her line of sight and Bill immediately recognised him.
Richard Adar.
“Bill--”
Bill suspected she didn’t know what she wanted to say.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
The President smiled warmly, glancing slowly between Bill and Laura as if he was waiting for an introduction.
“Bill, can you give us a few minutes alone please?” Laura asked.
Bill hesitated before finally nodding and quietly leaving through the shop’s front door, heading for the bakery.
He sat at the same table and chairs Laura sat at every morning. As if sensing his mood, Mrs. Kowalski brought him a coffee and kept it refilled as he waited, watching out the window for the former President’s exit.
It took almost forty minutes, but eventually he saw the confident swagger of a man he instantly hated leaving the shop of the woman he’d instantly loved.
Gulping down the dregs of his coffee, he threw a couple of notes down onto to the table and left, stalking past the firmly closed door of the book shop.
He was halfway down the main street when he heard his name being called. Glancing back he could see Laura coming towards him, huddled in a large jacket he recognised as his own. He must have left it in her apartment.
She stopped several inches from him and held her hand out to him. Without hesitation he grasped her hand with his and linked their fingers. With a gentle tug she led them both back to her home. He followed her willingly.
They sat on her couch which, if it was possible, was smaller than her bed. He had one arm around her shoulder toying with her hair. His other hand was caressing her thigh, waiting for her to talk.
“He offered me a teaching job.” Her voice was low and her eyes remained on the coffee table in front of them.
“How did he manage that?”
“He can be very convincing when he wants to be. That school board didn’t stand a chance.”
Bill took a deep breath before asking the question he was scared to have answered. “Are you going to take it?”
“No.”
“Did he offer you anything else?”
There was silence as if Laura was contemplating her answer.
“Did he want to get back together with you? Start your affair again?”
“Yes.”
“And what did you say?”
“That I didn’t want him anymore...I probably never did. That I am much happier now than I ever was when around him. That’s what I told him.”
And that was all he needed to hear. For now.
*
“What?”
“You heard me!”
“He asked you to marry him?”
“Yes!”
“Isn’t it a little soon for that?”
“Maybe, but it just feels so right.”
Unfortunately Emily had to serve a customer. Once they’d left though, she immediately returned to their subject of conversation.
“I can’t believe it. I don’t know...”
“Well, you need to know soon. I need a maid of honor.”
They both grinned like fools before giving each other a hug.
“Oh, I’d be honoured. Listen, if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you.”
“I am happy.”
“Then, so am I.”
Laura gathered her jacket and bag.
“I better get going.”
Emily hugged her one last time as she escorted her to the bakery door.
“Congratulate him for me.”
*
Bill was sleeping on his couch when she arrived at his house: soon to be their house. She perched on the small space between his chest and the edge of the couch and gently ran her fingers through his hair.
He stirred, waking up slowly.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
“Mmmm...s’nice way to wake up.”
“I’ll remember that for the future. I’m going to make some breakfast. You want some?”
Rising from the couch she let her fingers trail down his cheek in a soft caress and moved away when he mumbled a reply which she took to mean a ‘yes’.
She enjoyed cooking in Bill’s kitchen. It was vastly bigger than her own and it was always much brighter.
Bill entered the kitchen a few minutes after her, stretching and causing the tanks he slept in to rise off his belly.
“You sleep on the couch all night?” Laura asked, flipping the eggs she was frying in the pan.
“Mmm...I was expecting a certain redhead to come home last night, and must have fallen asleep while waiting for her.”
Laura placed a plate of food in front of him and pressed a kiss to his hairline in apology.
She sat across from him with a plate of her own and began to eat heartily. Usually she would have something when she visited Emily, but with the excitement of this morning’s conversation she hadn’t had a chance.
“Did you tell her?” Bill asked.
“Tell who?”
She couldn’t see, but she could almost hear Bill roll his eyes. It wasn’t something he did very often but she knew when he did.
“Did you tell Emily our news?” he rephrased the question.
“No I didn’t.”
His fork paused between the plate and his open mouth but he made no other reaction. After that split second pause he continued eating as if she hadn’t said anything. When it was clear he wasn’t going to say anything in response she carried on.
“Emily had some good news of her own. I didn’t want it to seem like I was stealing her thunder.”
Bill’s eyebrows rose in question.
“Jacob proposed and she said ‘yes’.”
“Really? And what did you say when she told you?”
“I told her the truth, that I think they’re moving a bit too fast but if she’s happy then I’m happy for her.”
“You think they’re moving too fast?” Bill asked with a faux air of nonchalance.
“Yes I think they are moving too fast. But she loves him, the girls love him and he loves them. That’s really all that matters.”
Bill smiled at her and took her empty plate to the sink to wash up. A part of her liked how domesticated they were and another part wanted to run screaming from this feeling of familiarity. But she pasted on a calm mask so as not to panic the man in front of her.
“She asked me to be Maid of Honor.”
“I’m not surprised. I think you spend more time with her than you do with me.”
“Well I’m not moving in with her.”
“That’s true. Although if you keep spending the night at your shop apartment and making me sleep on the couch then you’re not really moving in with me either.”
Laura sighed. This was Bill not being pushy. She knew he was making an effort to not push her too hard but sometimes even the smallest things felt like he was smothering her. But they were in a relationship now and that required work from both parties. She would have to meet him halfway.
“I’ll be a good girl from now on I promise.”
She knew that had the desired effect when his eyes darkened and he practically pounced on her. He grasped her by the arms, lifting her out of her chair and crushing her to him.
“Well, you don’t have to be good all the time. I like when you’re a bad girl.”
His lips found hers and she forgot all about commitment and scary steps in relationships as she gave herself over to him.
*Next Chapter >
< Previous Chapter
Author: bsgroxmysox
Rating: T
Word Count: 2000
Summary: Since the decommissioning of the Battlestar Galactica, Laura Roslin's life has changed dramatically. Now it's time for her to move to a new town and make another change. Will the support from a familiar face and a new friend help her get back on her feet?
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters just borrowing them for a little fun
Thank you bsg_aussiegirl for the beta and for helping me make this even better!
*
Bill could feel his skin cooling as he lifted his head from where it had been tucked into the crook of Laura’s neck. Careful not to drop his weight on her, he rolled to the side, immediately gathering her into his arms. Gods, he loved sex with this woman.
“Have I ever told you how small this bed is?”
“Hmm,” came a sleepy reply.
“It barely fits me, let alone the two of us together.”
“Hmm.” The same reply came again.
“Do you care?”
A negative hum this time.
“Neither do I.”
She giggled huskily, already half asleep. He pressed a kiss onto the bare skin of her shoulder and snuggled behind her to fall asleep.
He awoke much later, alone in the bed. Even on his own in the bed he still felt cramped. He relaxed one foot on the floor to make himself more comfortable.
A quick glance at the clock beside him told him he had overslept. Usually when Laura and he slept over at each other’s places they woke together and walked the length of the town. He usually popped in to say hello to Mrs. Kowalski, but never stayed. That was Laura’s time with her friend.
This morning though he had slept in, and judging by the time, Laura would have already opened the shop. He wasn’t surprised about his impromptu lie-in though. He was getting a lot more exercise than he was used to. His girlfriend -- lover, partner, whatever she was to him -- was insatiable. And he loved it.
He loved her.
If there was one thing he was sure of in their relationship it was how he felt about her. They had been together for almost two months now, sleeping together, sharing meals, talking. They had even minded the Kowalski kids one night while their mother had gone on a date with Mayor Cantrell.
Seeing Laura with those kids, he understood what it must have been like for her when she was teaching. He wished she could have that back again. Although she had told him with the amount of kids now coming to her for tutoring it was almost like being back in the classroom.
Bill staggered out of the low bed and grabbed his jeans and shirt from the back of a chair. Shrugging the clothes on, he searched the rest of the room for his shoes. They had to be there somewhere.
He found them discarded by the front door, beside Laura’s. He smiled to himself at the sight of the two pairs of shoes. He had obviously picked up her habit, despite it going against all of his military training. Crisp and clean is how he was taught when he signed up. Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks.
He slipped the shoes on, only stumbling slightly, and finally climbed down the stairs into the shop. The place was silent, but then again it was still early for most people. Laura was talking to a customer when he rounded the corner of one shelf, so he headed to sit and wait for her behind the counter.
She heard his footsteps and glanced his way. One look at her face and he knew something was wrong. The man she was dealing with turned to follow her line of sight and Bill immediately recognised him.
Richard Adar.
“Bill--”
Bill suspected she didn’t know what she wanted to say.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
The President smiled warmly, glancing slowly between Bill and Laura as if he was waiting for an introduction.
“Bill, can you give us a few minutes alone please?” Laura asked.
Bill hesitated before finally nodding and quietly leaving through the shop’s front door, heading for the bakery.
He sat at the same table and chairs Laura sat at every morning. As if sensing his mood, Mrs. Kowalski brought him a coffee and kept it refilled as he waited, watching out the window for the former President’s exit.
It took almost forty minutes, but eventually he saw the confident swagger of a man he instantly hated leaving the shop of the woman he’d instantly loved.
Gulping down the dregs of his coffee, he threw a couple of notes down onto to the table and left, stalking past the firmly closed door of the book shop.
He was halfway down the main street when he heard his name being called. Glancing back he could see Laura coming towards him, huddled in a large jacket he recognised as his own. He must have left it in her apartment.
She stopped several inches from him and held her hand out to him. Without hesitation he grasped her hand with his and linked their fingers. With a gentle tug she led them both back to her home. He followed her willingly.
They sat on her couch which, if it was possible, was smaller than her bed. He had one arm around her shoulder toying with her hair. His other hand was caressing her thigh, waiting for her to talk.
“He offered me a teaching job.” Her voice was low and her eyes remained on the coffee table in front of them.
“How did he manage that?”
“He can be very convincing when he wants to be. That school board didn’t stand a chance.”
Bill took a deep breath before asking the question he was scared to have answered. “Are you going to take it?”
“No.”
“Did he offer you anything else?”
There was silence as if Laura was contemplating her answer.
“Did he want to get back together with you? Start your affair again?”
“Yes.”
“And what did you say?”
“That I didn’t want him anymore...I probably never did. That I am much happier now than I ever was when around him. That’s what I told him.”
And that was all he needed to hear. For now.
*
“What?”
“You heard me!”
“He asked you to marry him?”
“Yes!”
“Isn’t it a little soon for that?”
“Maybe, but it just feels so right.”
Unfortunately Emily had to serve a customer. Once they’d left though, she immediately returned to their subject of conversation.
“I can’t believe it. I don’t know...”
“Well, you need to know soon. I need a maid of honor.”
They both grinned like fools before giving each other a hug.
“Oh, I’d be honoured. Listen, if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you.”
“I am happy.”
“Then, so am I.”
Laura gathered her jacket and bag.
“I better get going.”
Emily hugged her one last time as she escorted her to the bakery door.
“Congratulate him for me.”
*
Bill was sleeping on his couch when she arrived at his house: soon to be their house. She perched on the small space between his chest and the edge of the couch and gently ran her fingers through his hair.
He stirred, waking up slowly.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
“Mmmm...s’nice way to wake up.”
“I’ll remember that for the future. I’m going to make some breakfast. You want some?”
Rising from the couch she let her fingers trail down his cheek in a soft caress and moved away when he mumbled a reply which she took to mean a ‘yes’.
She enjoyed cooking in Bill’s kitchen. It was vastly bigger than her own and it was always much brighter.
Bill entered the kitchen a few minutes after her, stretching and causing the tanks he slept in to rise off his belly.
“You sleep on the couch all night?” Laura asked, flipping the eggs she was frying in the pan.
“Mmm...I was expecting a certain redhead to come home last night, and must have fallen asleep while waiting for her.”
Laura placed a plate of food in front of him and pressed a kiss to his hairline in apology.
She sat across from him with a plate of her own and began to eat heartily. Usually she would have something when she visited Emily, but with the excitement of this morning’s conversation she hadn’t had a chance.
“Did you tell her?” Bill asked.
“Tell who?”
She couldn’t see, but she could almost hear Bill roll his eyes. It wasn’t something he did very often but she knew when he did.
“Did you tell Emily our news?” he rephrased the question.
“No I didn’t.”
His fork paused between the plate and his open mouth but he made no other reaction. After that split second pause he continued eating as if she hadn’t said anything. When it was clear he wasn’t going to say anything in response she carried on.
“Emily had some good news of her own. I didn’t want it to seem like I was stealing her thunder.”
Bill’s eyebrows rose in question.
“Jacob proposed and she said ‘yes’.”
“Really? And what did you say when she told you?”
“I told her the truth, that I think they’re moving a bit too fast but if she’s happy then I’m happy for her.”
“You think they’re moving too fast?” Bill asked with a faux air of nonchalance.
“Yes I think they are moving too fast. But she loves him, the girls love him and he loves them. That’s really all that matters.”
Bill smiled at her and took her empty plate to the sink to wash up. A part of her liked how domesticated they were and another part wanted to run screaming from this feeling of familiarity. But she pasted on a calm mask so as not to panic the man in front of her.
“She asked me to be Maid of Honor.”
“I’m not surprised. I think you spend more time with her than you do with me.”
“Well I’m not moving in with her.”
“That’s true. Although if you keep spending the night at your shop apartment and making me sleep on the couch then you’re not really moving in with me either.”
Laura sighed. This was Bill not being pushy. She knew he was making an effort to not push her too hard but sometimes even the smallest things felt like he was smothering her. But they were in a relationship now and that required work from both parties. She would have to meet him halfway.
“I’ll be a good girl from now on I promise.”
She knew that had the desired effect when his eyes darkened and he practically pounced on her. He grasped her by the arms, lifting her out of her chair and crushing her to him.
“Well, you don’t have to be good all the time. I like when you’re a bad girl.”
His lips found hers and she forgot all about commitment and scary steps in relationships as she gave herself over to him.
*Next Chapter >
< Previous Chapter