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After finishing her required post-win press, Rhea finally settles back down at the table, prepared to listen to another forty minutes of men standing on stage. She’d been honest during her speech. She loves returning to the Saturn Awards, but she doesn’t love how the men seem to go on and on with zero regard for how much time they’re taking up.
Graham greets her with a kiss to the cheek, one she relaxes into with a contented sigh. Her eyes dart to the empty chair on his other side, the one vacated earlier in the evening. The one Karolina had been in for maybe an hour before she’d had to leave.
She tries to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest. Another award she’d won without Karolina in attendance. It wasn’t as important as the Golden Globe, but it still felt just as wrong to accept the award without being able to look into the crowd to see the dark brown eyes staring back at her.
Rhea grabs the glass of wine in front of her and downs the rest in one gulp, ignoring the lingering look from Graham. She’s done her duties for the evening, stood on stage and delivered a speech she’d prepared days ago, so she was free to relax and not worry about how much she’d been drinking.
She needs it anyway. Anything to help soothe the ache in her chest when she remembers the empty seat at the table.
She’d been proud when Karolina had told her the news. Being invited to present awards means more press coverage, more attention, and more of a shot at awards. It was good for the show, good for Karolina.
But, selfishly, Rhea still wishes Karolina had been there to see her win.
A few minutes into another speech that Rhea has started to tune out, Graham stands and excuses himself, muttering that he’s running to the restroom. She barely glances at him as she nods, eyes fixed on the stage despite not entirely hearing the words being projected into the room.
It’s only then that she thinks to check her phone.
She’s barely pulled it out of the clutch she’d brought when she sees the cluttered notifications on her lock screen.
Only one catches her eye.
Rhea slips her phone out more and dims the screen as her thumb taps at the device, navigating to the one message she wants to open.
Just saw the news. I wish I had been there to see you win. Congratulations darling
No matter how hard she tries, Rhea can’t fight the smile that curls on her lips. She’s sucked into her own world as she types out her reply.
You had more important duties. How was presenting?
Then, a second later, she sends a second message.
Thank you
She barely has to wait for the next text to come through.
There was a tie and I think I was more confused than the winners.
Rhea snorts at the message and glances around the table to see if anyone has heard her. Thankfully, everyone is still focused on the stage, on whatever man is up there talking about his life’s work.
Are you still coming to the party?
She chews her bottom lip as she watches the three dots appear, anticipation burning low in her stomach. They’d discussed the plan when Karolina had mentioned the presenting opportunity. She would leave shortly after her category, present at the ASCs, and then meet up with the group at the after party. Rhea had double-checked with Karolina when they’d made their way to the table earlier in the evening.
Still, she needed to hear it again, needed to be assured she would see her again before the evening was over. They’d both won Saturn awards. They needed to celebrate together. It was their first win together.
Karolina’s confirmation comes just as Graham slides back into his seat, and Rhea only likes the message before she slips her phone back into her clutch and leans in when he wraps his arm around the back of her chair.
Rhea’s chest clenches as she feels their bodies press together. She hasn’t done anything wrong, at least not tonight, but still, she feels guilty. Her husband had been there to see her win, she’d thanked him and called him the love of her life on the stage, and yet, she wished someone else had been there.
Finally, the award show ends, and Rhea feels her heart starting to race. It won’t be long until she sees Karolina again, until they can celebrate their achievement together, properly.
“Call me when you want me to come pick you up,” Graham says as they part outside, kissing Rhea’s cheek once more.
Rhea nods and hums, “Will do.”
Her mind is elsewhere. Another set of eyes, another pair of lips on her cheek.
Then, when Graham walks away, she follows Samba to the SUV that the rest of the crew is piling into, clutching her award in her hands as she joins them. The energy in the car is buzzing with excitement, everyone’s enthusiasm unbreakable at this point. The show had won, Rhea had won, Karolina had won, and Samba had handed an award to Tom Cruise.
Rhea tries to join in on the conversation along the drive, contributing when she feels compelled to, but her thoughts keep drifting back to the one person she wants to see. She wonders if Karolina will beat them to the venue, or if she’ll have to wait to be reunited.
She knows she could just text her to ask, but it feels ridiculous to pull out her phone in such a packed car, to pull away from the group. And, she knows she’s getting too excited already, so she decides against it, taking the time to calm herself down instead.
She hasn’t been alone with Karolina in ages. They’ve seen each other often in the last few months, but there had always been other people. Press, other cast members, families. Always a witness.
It’s made things harder on both of them. Karolina says it’s fine, says she’s happy to take what she can get, and Rhea agrees, but she knows it isn’t enough for Karolina because it isn’t enough for her. They’d spent months together, months where they got to be alone at the end of the night, months where they’d had more than stolen moments in bathrooms and empty stairwells.
And then they had to come back home and adjust. Back to their husbands, back to their lives. But still, they couldn’t just drop what they’d discovered.
When the car comes to a halt, Rhea is one of the first to stumble out, still clutching her award closely to her chest. She stands on the sidewalk, waiting for guidance, searching for Karolina.
She’s too focused on scanning the sidewalk and the parking lot to hear when someone approaches behind her.
“There’s my winner.”
Rhea spins around immediately, startled. But she softens when she lays eyes on Karolina.
“Tonight is about you,” Rhea insists with a laugh. “It’s your first award!”
Karolina raises an eyebrow teasingly, “Didn’t you say the ones you won were just as much mine as they were yours?”
Rhea rolls her eyes, “This is your first official award, Karolina. You’re not getting out of celebrating.”
Her gaze drops to Karolina’s lips, briefly, before flicking back up to her eyes, and she knows exactly what’s going on behind them. They’re standing closer than either had intended, dangerously close, especially with so many people around.
Before Karolina can reply, they’re ushered inside, walking side-by-side as they follow the group in. Karolina’s hand brushes against Rhea’s as they walk, and Rhea feels her entire body erupt in goosebumps, and she knows it can’t be solely blamed on the cool air of the building.
They stay together the entire ride up the elevator, only separating when they finally reach the rooftop bar and Karolina is pulled into a conversation, leaving Rhea to her own devices. She watches for a moment, just long enough that it won’t seem suspicious, before turning to the group and offering to go grab the first round of drinks.
Her offer is refused, of course. She’s corralled to a lush couch and told to relax while someone else fetches the drinks. Rhea sets her award and her clutch on the table in front of the couch as she sits, eyes already searching for Karolina. Just to figure out where she is, Rhea tells herself. Not to stare at her longingly across the bar.
She doesn’t get the chance to turn herself into a liar, because the couch is quickly filled with various cast and crew members, including those who hadn’t attended the awards. Which means she’s looped into conversation, and her eyes can’t drift to the one person she’s been waiting all night to see again.
Rhea is sipping on a glass of wine when she sees someone approaching in her periphery, and she doesn’t even have to look over to see who it is. She knows that figure more than she knows the back of her hand.
Subtly, she scoots to the side, making a small space for Karolina. It’s tight, but she knows the offer won’t be turned down. Especially not after being separated for so long already this evening.
The couch dips beside her, and, instead of moving away to give Karolina more room, Rhea leans in, pressing her body against Karolina’s. She doesn’t feel the guilt swelling in her chest that she’d felt when her body had touched Graham’s at the award show. Being this close to Karolina feels right, feels natural. Like it’s all her body had been waiting for.
“Hi,” Karolina husks into her ear.
Rhea turns her head away from the conversation she’d been following to meet Karolina’s eyes as she mutters, “Hey. Having fun?”
Karolina beams, “I am now.”
Rhea doesn’t ignore the warmth that spreads in her chest. She welcomes it, lets it breathe, gives it the space to exist. She returns Karolina’s smile and leans into her once more, an almost hug. It’s awkward in their close proximity while seated on the couch, but Karolina wraps her arm around Rhea and formalizes the embrace.
“When you finish your drink, I want to show you something,” Karolina mutters, just loud enough for Rhea to hear.
Rhea glances down at her glass. It’s still half full. She could chug it all and drag Karolina away from the group, but one look into Karolina’s eyes stops her.
It’s like Karolina knew the exact thought that had crossed her mind. Maybe she did. She knows Rhea more than anyone has ever known her. Knows her thoughts, knows her fears, knows her dreams.
So Rhea drinks her wine slowly, normally. She engages in conversation with Karolina at her side and smiles when she’s supposed to. She pretends she isn’t eager to get away. She pretends she can’t feel the heat radiating from Karolina’s frame.
“Your feathers tickle,” Rhea mumbles as she takes another sip of wine.
But she doesn’t make any attempt to move away from Karolina.
It’s true, but she’d also just wanted the excuse to complain about something. Even on a night like this, she can’t part from the playful irritability in her veins.
Karolina just hums and takes a sip of her own drink. The last sip. She sets her glass down, and Rhea tries not to watch her hand as she does. She really tries. At least, she tells herself she tries, because her gaze is fixed on the movement, eyes roaming over Karolina’s hand as her fingers flex and curl.
It isn’t long before Rhea finishes her own drink. She sets the empty glass beside Karolina’s, beside their matching awards. It would be a good picture, but Rhea doesn’t want to pull out her phone. She doesn’t want to ruin this moment by documenting it. She wants to live in it, to enjoy the feeling of Karolina’s body against her own, the energy that’s been building between them all evening.
“We’re going to run to the restroom,” Karolina announces to Samba when she catches his eye. “Do you mind watching our stuff?”
With a delighted smile, Samba shakes his head and waves them off before slipping back into his conversation.
Karolina pulls Rhea to her feet, and their hands drop as they straighten their backs, both pretending to ignore the sadness they feel at the loss of contact. Karolina nods for Rhea to follow, and they make their way through the crowd, waving as they weave through the familiar faces.
Rhea’s skin burns as she realizes how many people are seeing them walk together. It isn’t anything, shouldn’t appear to be anything. Just two friends walking to the bathroom together, nothing for anyone to be suspicious about. Still, the feeling of sneaking around with Karolina blossoms the excitement in her chest. It’s hot, it’s risky, it’s exactly what she wants.
They pass the bathrooms, and Rhea lets out a small sigh of relief when she realizes Karolina is taking her somewhere more private. Bathrooms are always a risk, even if they’re a single stall, even if the door locks. Still, it wouldn’t be the first time they snuck away to a bathroom.
“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Rhea laughs as Karolina leads her to a secluded area with bright orange traffic cones scattered about.
There’s a pile of lumber they have to step around, and Rhea’s eyebrows furrow as she continues to follow Karolina.
Karolina turns back with a devilish grin, “They’re doing some renovations on this side of the bar, so it’s closed off, but the bathroom is still open over here. And, nobody uses it because it’s all the way on the other side.”
“You didn’t even leave where you were standing earlier,” Rhea challenges with a raised eyebrow. “How’d you figure this out?”
“I came here last week to scope it out,” Karolina giggles.
Rhea’s stomach flutters. Karolina had come to the bar to look for a place they could sneak away to, just so they wouldn’t have to waste time looking for one tonight. It shouldn’t feel as romantic as it does.
Finally, Karolina leads her into another door, one that looks entirely abandoned. As she steps inside, an elegant bathroom is revealed, one that matches the atmosphere of the bar and then some. The counter is a wide expanse of marble, cool to the touch, and there’s a velvet sofa along the wall, opposite another door. There isn’t a toilet in the room, so Rhea assumes that’s where the other door leads.
The lock clicks behind Rhea, and she turns around to find Karolina standing right behind her, eyes filled with desire. She looks beautiful like this. Free, wanting, willing. It makes Rhea’s knees weak.
Barely a second passes before Karolina’s lips crash into hers, and Rhea stumbles back, caught by Karolina’s firm grip on her arms. The kiss is hurried, passionate, and Rhea can’t help the moans that escape her throat, vibrating into Karolina’s mouth.
“Fuck,” Karolina breathes against Rhea’s lips. “I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you too,” Rhea mumbles before kissing her again, her own hands moving to grasp Karolina’s waist.
She allows herself to be walked back to the counter, their mouths still pressed together in a tangled mess of tongue and teeth when her ass hits the edge. She whines into Karolina’s mouth, and it’s immediately swallowed, hungrily.
“A leather dress, Rhea?” Karolina pants as she starts to bunch the fabric in her hands and pulls it up. “Were you trying to kill me tonight?”
Rhea smirks, “Do you like it?”
“I want to rip it off of you,” Karolina mutters, finally pushing the skirt of the dress over Rhea’s hips. “But this will do for now.”
Then, her hand slides between Rhea’s legs and into her underwear, barely wasting any time with teasing. They both know their time is limited. The lead actresses can only disappear together for so long before someone goes looking.
“Fuck, Karolina,” Rhea gasps as Karolina’s fingers slide along her slit, gathering the wetness that drools out of her pussy. “Need you, baby. Please.”
Karolina hums and trails her fingers up, slowly circling Rhea’s clit as she watches her expression with bated breath. Her eyes stare into Rhea’s, deep and searching, darkening with each passing second.
Rhea feels like prey sandwiched between Karolina and the counter. Karolina has her right where she wants her, poised to take the kill.
And she does, just moments later. Two slender, coated fingers slip into Rhea’s pussy, and her entire body relaxes, finally filled. She’d been craving this for weeks, craving Karolina’s touch. It had been too long since she’d had it properly, too long since she had Karolina inside of her.
“Right there, baby,” Rhea moans, eyes fluttering closed as her head tilts back in pleasure.
Her hands grip the edge of the counter as her hips buck against Karolina’s fingers, chasing her thrusts, begging for more. Karolina leans closer, pressing her lips to Rhea’s neck in a series of warm kisses as her thumb stretches, finding Rhea’s clit.
Tight, rapid circles bring Rhea to the edge a lot faster than she’d like, but she doesn’t dare complain. She knows Karolina is working fast, wanting to at least make her come once before they have to part. Her body grows taut, the coil in her stomach winding and winding, threatening to snap.
“You feel so fucking good,” Karolina breathes against her neck, voice ragged and laced with her own pleasure. “Missed this, missed your cunt.”
Rhea moans in response, hips stuttering at Karolina’s words. She swallows thickly and clenches her jaw, trying to hold out just a little longer.
“So good for me, baby,” Karolina rasps. “Gonna come all over my hand, Rhea?”
A needy, high-pitched, pathetic noise escapes Rhea’s lips, and she squeezes her eyes shut, breath coming in short, shallow gasps. She knows she won’t last much longer, not with each filthy word dropping from Karolina’s mouth into her ear.
When Karolina speaks again, her voice is deeper, more commanding, “Look at me.”
And Rhea does. Her eyes open instantly, and her bright blue eyes find Karolina’s dark orbs, consumed with lust.
“Come for me, baby,” Karolina commands, slipping another finger into Rhea as she applies more pressure to her clit. “Be a good girl and come for me.”
Rhea’s body obeys immediately, every muscle tightening as her pussy clenches around Karolina’s fingers. The noise that leaves her throat is loud and filthy, echoing in the empty bathroom with the sound of Karolina’s fingers fucking her dripping cunt.
“So good for me,” Karolina mutters as she fucks Rhea through her orgasm, fingers refusing to still until Rhea’s hand shakily shoves her away.
Only then does she slowly slide her hand out, revealing the glistening wetness coating the digits as they come into the light. Rhea is barely catching her breath when she feels them press at her mouth, but she parts her lips anyway, accepting Karolina without hesitation. She’d never deny her anything, especially not this.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” Karolina whispers as her fingers slide deeper into Rhea’s mouth. “My beautiful, award-winning girl.”
Rhea’s eyes flutter closed again, and she sucks Karolina’s fingers, sliding her tongue along the surface, lapping up her own wetness. She doesn’t stop until Karolina pulls out, and even then, her head moves with the fingers, chasing them.
“Your turn,” Rhea mutters, opening her eyes to look up at Karolina. “Tonight is supposed to be about you.”
Karolina grins, “This was for me. This was how I wanted to celebrate. My fingers deep in your pussy, my lips on your neck. I wanted you.”
A deep blush rises on Rhea’s cheeks, and she rolls her eyes, but a smile creeps onto her lips as she stares up at Karolina. She only sees sincerity in Karolina’s eyes, and the sight doesn’t terrify her. She feels free, feels relieved. Karolina just wants her, no matter how messy and complex it is. No matter how fleeting their moments are.
“I’m better than an acting award?” Rhea laughs, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms over her chest.
Karolina nods, “You are. More important than any of them.”