The Wild Things Ch. 04

Celina had just settled into her desk when the message came through: Greg would like to see you in his office at your earliest convenience.

She didn't think much of it. She'd just returned from a presentation in Montreal that had gone well, and she assumed Greg wanted to debrief.

On the walk to his office, her mind drifted to the weekend. Jo had gone to their usual sex party without her. Normally, they went together - Celina loved watching other people fuck Jo. Loved seeing someone try to make her come. And when they couldn't, she loved stepping in, telling them exactly how.

Afterward, Jo had called to say, "It was good. But it wasn't the same without you."

She'd picked Celina up from the airport the next day, telling her everything she wanted to do to her on the drive home - and then doing exactly that. The woman was insatiable.

Celina knocked twice, then entered.

Greg sat behind the desk, a chubby man in his early fifties with a ruddy face and a thick moustache that never quite made him look distinguished. He wore a brown suit that clung a little too tightly around the middle - unsurprising, given his fondness for red wine and long lunches on the company's dime. Rumour had it he drank too much, but Celina didn't care. He made a healthy commission off her team's sales, and in return, mostly left her alone. Some people liked him. Others didn't. Celina hovered somewhere in the middle, bordering on indifferent.

"Good morning, Greg." she said.

"Celina," he said. "Close the door, please."

That gave her the first hint. Beneath his moustache, his lips were pressed into a tight line. That the first hint something was off.

She sat, smoothing her blazer. "Everything alright?"

Warner leaned back, interlacing his fingers. "I'll get to it directly. One of our employees made a complaint. It involves your partner, Jo."

Celina's heart gave a subtle jolt. Jo had nothing to do with her work - why would he mention her?

She kept her voice even. "A complaint about Jo?"

"Yes. And Dani Collins."

That jolt turned into something sharper. Her spine stiffened. She felt suddenly too aware of her own body, like she was a second out of step with the room. God. Do they know about our relationship? Even so, that had finished a little over a month ago. And they had been careful to keep it private - the one time Celina had gone to the movies with Dani was a cinema further away.

She frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

He nodded, glancing down at a printed sheet. "Apparently, last Friday night, a group of junior staff were at the Bull & Bear."

He paused.

"That's not unusual," Celina said. "They often go for drinks there. I sometimes join them."

"They saw Jo and Dani... behaving closely." Greg continued. "Touching. One of them thought it was inappropriate."

Celina blinked once. That's it?

Greg didn't notice her relief. Or maybe he did and just didn't care. "I know you were in Montreal. So I thought I'd speak with you directly before taking it further."

"I appreciate that," she said, voice calm again. "But Jo doesn't work here. And touching... touching is a vague term. Do you have more information? It doesn't necessarily mean anything innappropriate."

Greg sighed, rubbing a finger beneath his moustache. "Yes, I get it," he said. "But the complaint didn't come to me. It went straight to the CEO."

Celina's expression didn't shift, but she felt her stomach drop.

"From their perspective," he went on, "it's not a great look. An employee getting cozy with their manager's partner - especially in a public setting. It raises questions. About boundaries about influence."

Celina tilted her head, voice still calm. "If Jo were a man and Dani hugged him at a bar, do you really think anyone would've gone to the CEO?"

Greg blinked..

Celina let the silence stretch, then added, "Because if it's just about perception, maybe we should talk about whose perception needs adjusting."

Greg exhaled through his nose, as if the weight of the whole thing bored him. "Look," he said, adjusting in his chair, "the CEO wanted me to instruct you to bring Dani into a meeting - with a minutes taker - to formally address it."

Celina's brow arched slightly, unimpressed.

"But," Greg added quickly, raising a hand, "I told him it was probably a misunderstanding. Something you could clear up quickly, professionally."

Then: "The complainant mentioned that you... let Jo play with other women."

Celina's eyes narrowed, her voice cooling a few degrees.

"And you thought it was appropriate to repeat that to me in a professional setting?"

Her tone cut through the room, sharp and rising.

"It's hearsay, and it's laced with judgment. So who exactly decided that was relevant enough to pass up the chain?"

Greg opened his mouth, then closed it again. His cheeks darkened a shade.

"Like I said, it didn't come from me."

"But you've allowed this complaint to go through you," Celina said, her voice low but sharp. "You've passed it on without questioning how inappropriate and subjective some of it was."

She thought of the time a manager had once asked her to pull up an employee for wearing headphones too often - despite there being no policy against it, and no complaints about their performance. She'd pushed back, pointed out that if the employee filed a grievance in return, the company would have no leg to stand on. She'd won that argument - because she believed in fairness.

Greg's expression hardened. "Look," he said, voice low but clipped, "Remember I call the shots here, not you. You've got a lot of freedom in this role, but don't forget who signs off on it."

Celina's jaw tightened, but she stayed quiet.

"I'm offering you a way to handle this quietly," he went on. "I'd hate for this to turn into something that could've been handled informally."

He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "This can go away, Celina. Quietly. No formal note, no stain on Dani's record, no raised eyebrows about you. But I need you to meet me halfway."

"So what do you want me to do?" Celina asked, willing calm into her voice.

"Speak to Dani. Reprimand her."

"I won't reprimand her for something she hasn't done wrong."

"Celina - " Greg started.

She cut in, steady but firm. "Greg, I'll talk to her. I'll get clarity. But I'm not going to discipline someone over appearances."

Greg looked down at the desk. His jaw twitched, but after a beat, he nodded.

"This involves my partner," Celina added. "I'd like to speak to her as well."

"Can you do it before lunch?"

Celina considered. Jo didn't start her shift at the hospital until midday.

"Yes. I'll need to go off-site. I'm not bringing Jo here to talk about this. If the person who complained sees her, it'll only make things worse."

Greg sighed but nodded. "That's probably the best call."

As Celina turned to leave, he added, "Nice job in Montreal, by the way. We've already got two new clients off the back of it."

"Thank you," she said without a smile.

But inside, the questions were already clawing at her.

Why didn't Jo tell me she saw Dani?

And who the hell made the complaint?

---

An hour and a half later, Jo and Celina met at a small café near the hospital. Celina arrived first, claiming a table by the window. She tried not to spiral, but her thoughts spun anyway - Jo, withholding information from her. It wasn't like her to keep secrets, not ones that mattered. Jo's past, her trauma, the quiet way she sometimes slipped into detachment when things got too complex - Celina understood that. But this felt different. This had weight.

When Jo stepped inside, Celina saw her instantly. She was dressed in dark slacks and a neat shirt, ready to change into scrubs for her shift. Even like this - casual, a little rushed - she was heartbreakingly beautiful.

Jo smiled and leaned down to kiss her hello. Celina kissed back, but her stomach was tight.

They ordered coffee. Jo studied her face with concern. "You look troubled."

Celina forced a small smile. "Your blue eyes are popping today."

Jo tilted her head. "Thanks. But you didn't bring me out here just to say that."

Celina didn't dodge. "Greg said there's been a complaint."

Jo's posture stiffened. Celina explained it all.

Afterwards, Jo exhaled and looked out the window. "The audacity."

"I know, babe."

"Greg's the one who snorted coke off a hooker's tits at a Christmas party and he has the audacity to push through complaints about that our open relationship innappropriate?"

"You know I don't talk about it at work."

"I know." Jo tucked her hair behind her ear, fingers lingering there as if needing something to do. Her jaw tightened, and she let out a short, sharp breath through her nose. "But still. The nerve they have. The hypocrisy."

Celina paused. Jo was right. But there was something more important to discuss.

She shifted, resting her elbows on the table. "You didn't mention that you saw Dani on Friday night."

Jo blinked, her expression faltering. "Right. I didn't." She looked away, then back again. "Not intentionally... The biggest thing on my mind was what Noor and I did without you. I was focused on that - and on how you were feeling."

Celina's eyes searched Jo's face. "And you handled that beautifully," she said, voice gentler now. Her hand found Jo's on the table. "But can you tell me about Dani?"

Jo's fingers threaded through Celina's. Celina always marvelled at how soft her skin was. "Yeah - Dani was at the same bar. I said hello. Hugged her, kissed her on the cheek. Some of the work crew were there too. I remembered them from that end-of-financial-year party. I said hi to them. A few looked uncomfortable at seeing me. Not Randall, though. Randall still thinks I'm a nurse."

Celina half laughed. "Classic Randall."

Jo hesitated, then added, "I did forget to tell you - Dani joined us. Em thought she was cute."

Celina's stomach twitched. "Did she come to the party with you?"

Jo hesitated. "... Yeah. She did."

Celina's disappointment was quiet.

"Did she watch you and Noor?" she asked.

"No. I mean - I don't think so," Jo said. "It was a big crowd. Thirty people, maybe more. Noor told me that afterwards. I wasn't really looking at the crowd. It did feel like a lot of people. Em said she went back to Dani's place that night."

A pang shot through Celina's chest.

She and Dani had cooled things off so Dani could figure out her feelings for Kayla. The idea of her sleeping with someone else shouldn't have hit this hard.

"So in other words," Celina said slowly, "she most definitely watched you fucking." She knew how these parties worked. Everyone watched.

Jo gulped. She looked down. "Em is Em and would have made sure Dani didn't miss it."

Celina folded her hands tightly in her lap. Their coffees arrived, and the clink of mugs was the only sound for a moment.

Jo looked back up at her. "Okay - I can see this is a boundary. We didn't talk about it, Cel."

"I didn't even think a situation like this might happen," Celina said quietly.

Jo's eyes were glossy now. "I hate hurting you."

"I know," Celina murmured. "That's what makes it hard."

Jo drew in a breath. "It just... it didn't cross my mind. When I saw Dani at the bar, she looked sad. Really sad. Then she told me Kayla had left a week ago. She was hurting. And all she had for company was Randall and that lot... I mean, what kind of consolation is that?"

Celina huffed a reluctant laugh. Some of her team were a bit bland, she had to admit.

"I invited her to join us without even thinking," Jo went on. "The others said they'd buy my drinks if I could get Em her number. They didn't realise I already knew her."

Celina must have given it away with her expression, because Jo now had both hands on hers, warm and firm.

"Tell me what you're feeling."

Celina hesitated, her throat tight. "Jo... I'm jealous." The words came out small. "I haven't felt this way in a long time, and I don't know what to do with that.

Jo's fingers tightened around hers. "I wouldn't have invited her out if I knew you felt that way." Her voice was soft. "You know that, right?"

Celina nodded. "I didn't know I felt that way until I knew it happened." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she wiped it quickly, embarrassed. "And I have ten minutes before I need to start heading back to work."

"And we still have so much to talk about... we need to bookmark this. Right now, what's the most important thing?"

Celina thought. "I need to figure out what I'm going to tell Greg. He's expecting something."

Jo leaned back, incredulous. "Just tell him I'm Italian."

Celina gave a wet laugh despite herself. Jo always said that - like she was born in Florence, not from a family that had migrated five generations ago.

"I kiss people on the cheek all the time," Jo said breezily. "And remind me to do it to him at your next work function."

Celina shook her head, amused, despite the heaviness. "As for the rumours about me and other women..." Jo raised an eyebrow. "Well... what do you think?"

"I'll just deny it. There's nothing else to do, really."

"And then that's it?"

Celina exhaled. "I have to go back to work and speak to Dani about this too."

Jo touched her arm. "You don't really think this could cost you your job."

Celina met her eyes. "You know what people want to believe about a woman with power." Her voice was low, measured. "Especially one who doesn't sleep with men."

Jo tilted her head, a faint, wry smile playing at her lips. "Then maybe you should sleep with her again. Give them something real to gossip about."

Celina stared at her, unsure if she was joking. "That's not funny."

Jo's smile softened. "I wasn't trying to be funny."

---

The bathroom door swung open with a quiet squeak.

Celina looked up from the sink, startled. She was rolling her sleeves back down, having just finished drying her hands. Her blazer was slung over her arm, her hair slightly mussed - the mark of a long, unforgiving day.

"Hey," she said softly.

Dani lingered by the door, then stepped inside, letting it fall shut behind her. Her eyes were tired, rimmed red, but dry for now. She wore the same jumper from earlier, sleeves bunched in her fists.

"I saw your desk light on," she said quietly. "I waited till everyone else had gone."

Celina's expression shifted, cautious but not unkind. "You okay?"

Dani gave a vague shrug. "I just... I didn't want to go home yet."

Celina nodded. She understood. She leaned against the edge of the counter, arms crossed loosely over her chest.

"That meeting," she said after a moment, her voice lower now, edged with something closer to frustration. "If I seemed short, it's because you shouldn't have had to be in that room in the first place."

Dani blinked fast. "I didn't - I didn't even know what I was apologizing for."

"I know." Celina sighed through her nose. "You didn't do anything wrong."

The words hit harder than Dani expected. Her chin trembled. She shook her head once, like she could keep it in - but the tears came anyway.

Celina moved on instinct, stepping forward, arms out. "Come here."

Dani let herself fold into her, pressing her face to Celina's collarbone. She remembered how her body molded in hers. She had missed it.

"I'm sorry," Dani whispered, her voice cracked and small.

"No," Celina murmured into her hair. "Don't be."

She didn't let go.

"This happens more than you think," she went on, her voice gentle but steady. "Especially when you're queer. People see something they don't understand, and they react. You get talked about. Complained about. Held to standards no one else is."

Dani nodded, eyes glassy. "I thought... I don't know. I thought I could just be myself. Not flirt. Not cross any lines. Just... exist."

"I've been there. I'm still there." Celina's voice was dry now. Tired.

The silence between them stretched, soft and humming. The echo of the office outside had long faded. In here, it was just them, fluorescent light buzzing above like a fragile secret.

"I hate that this happened to you," Celina added. "And I hate that it's not surprising."

Dani swallowed hard and nodded. "Kayla's in Puerto Rico. There's no one to talk to."

Celina pulled back slightly, her hands still resting lightly on Dani's arms. "So," she said, her voice careful, almost casual. "That person from the weekend... Em?"

Dani's face flushed immediately. "Yeah. I -yeah, I met them."

Celina raised an eyebrow. "You didn't just meet them."

Dani shrugged. "You know them, don't you?"

"I do," Celina said quietly. Her gaze lingered a beat too long.

Dani looked at her, and something clicked. The heat in Celina's eyes wasn't just curiosity. It was jealousy. She blinked. "Yeah," she said, more boldly now. "We fucked. I needed a distraction."

Celina's tone was sharper than she meant it to be. "And I'm not good enough to be a distraction?"

"You were out of town."

Celina didn't answer. She looked at Dani for a long time, at the wetness in her lashes.

Then Dani said, "But you're here now."

And kissed her. Hard.

Celina responded before she could think better of it, dropping her blazer, her hands tangling in Dani's hair, pulling her closer, mouths hungry.

Dani pressed closer, kissing her like she'd been starving for it. And maybe she had. The frustration, the fear, the craving - all of it came pouring out.

And then she pulled back, opened her blue eyes. "I want to taste you."

Celina's fingers tightened in Dani's hair. "I want that too," she murmured.

Dani sank to her knees. She undid Celina's pants. As they dropped, she yanked her underpants down, too. Dani's hands traced up the backs of Celina's thighs. And then her mouth pressed in, warm and urgent, finding her.

Celina's breath caught, one hand flying to Dani's hair, holding her there as her knees trembled.

The orgasm would be short and quick, Celina knew. Anything to take the edge off this wretched day.

Dani buried her face in Celina's crotch, lapping at her like a thirsty animal.

Celina thought of Jo - how she'd somehow known something like this might happen, and had given her blessing. And she thought of the cleaners - had they been in here already?

The thought of getting caught did something to her. She came, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the moan.

Dani pulled back, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You taste as good as I remember," she said, helping Celina with her pants.

Celina recalled Jo telling her what Em had said about their night with Dani. "It was on another level, Cel. She just needs to be fucked."

Celina barely let Dani stand before she turned her around and bent her over the bathroom sink.

"I hear you've been perving on my wife again." Celina said with a subtle smile.

Dani looked up in the mirror and smiled back. "Your wife?" she repeated.

Whoops, didn't mean to day thay, Celina thought. She quickly lifted up Dani's skirt and slapped her on a cheek to distract her.

"That simply isn't on." Celina said, rubbing the two cheeks in a way she hadn't in a while. "What happens to girls who don't follow the rules?"

Dani bit her lip. "They get what's coming to them. They get spanked."

Celina pulled Dani's underpants down to the knees. "You'll take ten and thank me for it."

Celina's hand came down hard on Dani's bare skin, making her gasp.

"Ten. Count them."

Her palm cracked down -- sharp, deliberate.

"One. Thank you."

Another.

"Two... thank you."

By the fifth, Dani's voice was shaking. Celina's lips brushed her ear.

"Good girl."

Dani's breath caught. "Me and Jo... we came at the same time."

Celina's pulse quickened. The belt slid free. The sixth strike landed with a snap that made Dani jolt, her hands gripping the porcelain.

Seven. Eight. Nine. Each sharper than the last, the sound echoing off tile.

The tenth drew a cry, Dani's hips twisting - but Celina's hand kept her pinned.

"Stay down," Celina murmured, her palm splayed between Dani's shoulder blades.

The red stripes across her ass were vivid, pulsing with heat.

Celina eased her hold, letting her fingers trail down between Dani's thighs. She found her slick and swollen, rubbing slow circles that made Dani's hips shiver.

A low moan slipped from Dani's lips, her head tipping forward against the mirror. "Oh, fuck..." she breathed, the defiance evaporating from her voice.

Celina leaned in and pressed soft kisses to the welted skin, feeling the heat against her lips. Her free hand kept rubbing circles between Dani's legs, each stroke finding her wetter and softer.

Dani's thighs trembled as pleasure began to overtake the sting.

"Gonna stretch you out now," she said.

She pushed a finger in. Dani gasped. Her forehead thudded to the bench.

Celina gripped her hip, held her still. She moved her finger - slow, firm, deep. Dani's breath caught on every push.

She added a second finger.

"It's been a hard day," Celina murmured. "You've taken it all. You deserve this. Every inch."

Dani moaned in approval.

Celina worked her faster. Her thumb found Dani's clit, pressed tight, circling. Dani's knees shook. Her breath came ragged.

"Come for me," Celina said.

Dani shuddered hard, hips jerking against her hand, release spilling over her fingers.

They stayed still for a long moment.

Dani's face pressed into the bench, breath slow and uneven.

Celina's head rested lightly against Dani's warm cheeks. After a moment, Celina pulled Dani's underpants back up, then fastened her own belt.

She moved to the sink, washing her hands slowly.

Dani caught her reflection in the mirror, fingers nervously adjusting a stray lock of hair.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Anyone in there?" a voice called - the cleaner.

Dani froze, eyes wide. She hadn't even realized anyone was still in the building.

Celina laughed softly, shaking her head. "You can come in."

When the door closed behind the cleaner, Celina glanced at Dani. "Need a lift home?"