Niamh buried her face further into the deep sheets of Blaise's bed. There was an insistent tug on the comforter she gripped tightly around her head.  She was one move away from socking Blaise if he didn't stop messing with her while she tried to sleep. Her body naturally woke up early on the weekends, and she could still feel another good hour of sleep if he would just stop....

    " I don't have the strength to fight you right now please leave me alone." She spoke slowly to him, hoping that he would give in to her request.

     "Fight? Blaise!" A female voice made Niamh's eyes bug out from their sockets as she registered the woman...not Blaise. Fuck. She cursed as she took her time sitting up. She saw no need to fly off into a frenzy at being caught in a taken man's bed. It wasn't unfamiliar territory for her. 

    In the past, she would have laughed at the scenario, but now she only felt dissappointed in herself. There was no more fight left within her to go around making a game out of other people's relationships. She tried to be rational, thinking of ways to express just how truly sorry she was for being here--because she definitely was.

    " Darla?" Blaise appeared and sounded as if seeing this Darla was no surprise to him at all and even though she couldn't see him, she was infuriated that he seemed to not take this as seriously as she had thought.

   "You could have told me you had someone here Blaise, I would have taken more time getting ready." The woman's voice sounded carefree which was the last thing Niamh had expected right now. Flailing arms had been what she was prepared for, not this.

    Then again, maybe they weren't dating.

    Niamh slipped the comforter down to her chest, being sure to cover her nudeness. She took a deep breath and slowly rotated her head, taking in the woman's face inch by inch.

     "She's a good pick. Great actually." Darla looked on to Blaise's friend as her dark hair fell to her back, giving her a nice view of her soft features. There had many plenty of times that she walked in on Blaise and his play things, but this one she actually approved of. She'd rather he grab up the ones who looked like they held some type of self esteem than a bimbo from off the street.

     " I don't think I appreciate being referred to almost as chattel." Niamh shrugged her shoulders and squinted her eyes as she looked bewteen Darla and Blaise.

     "Well did someone pay to  give you to Blaise?" Darla challenged.

     Just as she took a breath to fire back, Blaise had came over thrusting a shirt her way. " Darla, you should've called me or something. I mean, it's not like I may have something to do on the weekend without you or anything." He said sarcastically. Niamh lifted the shirt over her head pulling it down past the blanket and covering her lap with it.

     " Is Miss Darla here your sister? Cousin? I don't see any rings so that isn't an option..."

     "I'm kind of his stand in girlfriend."

      "She's just Darla." They both blubbered running into each others words.

     "Just....Darla huh?" Darla slapped him on his bare chest feigning being insulted from her broad title.

     " Well, you don't exactly fit anywhere in a specific spectrum that I can think of..." Another loud slap cut off his speech as he began rubbing the now red skin.

     Niamh sat by watching carefully, not sure of what to make their relationship.

     " Oh goodness, don't think too much about us okay? It's really nothing serious." Darla saw the analyzing look Niamh had on her face, and didn't want her to mistake anything. She has never been bothered by other women who have interests in Blaise, unless she received a bad vibe from the lady.

    That wasn't the case with Niamh.

    That can be chucked up to the fact that Blaise has never kept anyone in his bed past five am, no matter the day.

    That in itself said a lot to her.

    Niamh nodded her head understanding where Darla was coming from. She reminded her of her past attitudes towards other females who tried to get huffy with her over things she had no time for.She offered a hand for Darla to shake, and wasn't left hanging.

    "Well Darla, I'm Niamh and it's actually not nice to meet you at such a time, but then again it is."

    A smile stretched across her face showing valley deep dimples accentuating her blue eyes.

    "I don't know. It's pretty wild meeting you butt ass naked isn't it?" The two women shared a laugh as they thought of the situation.

    " Darla, let's get you out of here alright. Leave her with some privacy." Blaise shook his head as he lead the woman out of his bedroom. He saw the sparks fly between them, and knew how quickly attention could be placed on Darla with her charismatic way.

    He was not willing to share any part of Niamh with others.

    "But I actually like her!"

    "You barely know her D."

    " Oh so you think. Seeing her here says enough for me. I think I love her for you. Are you dating? She's your girl? When the hell did this happen huh?"

     The questions came a mile a minute as Darla felt genuinely excited at the thought of Blaise finding someone to be serious about. She knew that if all else had failed, she would be there for anything that he needed her for. Darla wasn't ignorant nor naive enough to believe that she would be the woman of his life, she knew it wasn't the position for her, but she had become willing to fill that for him if it came down to it.

     "Close your mouth. You're getting to far ahead of yourself." Blaise said unconvincingly.

    Darla let a squeal escape her mouth as she shook Blaise." I see it in you! You have the look."

    "The look?"

     "The look. Yes. You love her!"

     Blaise captured her chin as she spoke too loudly, making him shift in discomfort." I haven't known her long enough to love her Darla, slow the hell down and get out."

    " Oh whatever. I don't believe in a time limit or requirement on love. You don't admit it now but let me tell you it's going to happen." Darla began laughing so hard that she clutched her gut in pain.

    "Leave!" He dragged her to the door as she continued to shout random words between her breaths.

     "Finally, I can get my little English guy to hook a girl up with lifetime love. You've had me waiting for this for so long Blaise."

    " No one has kept you from being in love Darla. Don't give me that shit." Blaise took offense to her insinuation that she had to stay by his side until he jumped from the nest. He now had the door open and her standing on the side that pleased him. Her face sobered up as she saw the way his brows knitted together.

    " Oh come on, You took it that deep? I'm just saying that I've been waiting to know that you'll be okay with another person. That's all I meant by it."

    " Should I thank you?"

    " No you shouldn't, Just perk up okay? I don't mean any harm baby boy." Darla grabbed him into a hug even though she felt a less than warm reception.

    "What makes you think we'll be together long term anyways?" He quietly asked as she pulled away. He hoped to hear a good reason why, so that he could know that he wasn't imagining what he was feeling.

    "It's just there." Darla waved a hand as she turned on her heels and walked back to her car. Blaise's neighbors were out and had been looking on to them.

     "Don't worry! You won't have to worry about me that much anymore!" She yelled to them as the embarassadly hurried their kids into their minivan.

     Closing and locking his door after waving over an apologizing gesture to the Whitmans.

    "That brief meeting was ....interesting." Turning around, there stood Niamh leaning against the doorway to his living room.

    " She's out of her mind. Don't pay attention to her." Blaise said walking to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He laid his head on her shoulders, wanting some comfort which she didn't deprive him of as she rubbed a hand through his hair.

     " Oh, she's got my attention. I don't like people from first encounters but....."

     "No, I'd advise you to just stop right where you are with that."

     " Let me like who I want to Blaise."

     " She'll befriend you." He said threateningly.

     "That won't kill me..' Niamh replied in a sing song voice.

      " Oh, you'll learn. Don't ever say I didn't try to warn you. Once she's in. She's in."

    Blaise laughed at his own words of his dear friend. He felt at ease that she already rallied up a one person cheering squad for his imaginative love story with Niamh. 

     "I've seen her picture before in your dad's office."

      "She's a family friend. Mr. Saslow's daughter."

      "Mr. Saslow? Is he someone I should know?" She asked releasing him and going to his kitchen counter to pick up an orange.

    "He's someone you should look out for." His words were sour as they came from his mouth. Just now thinking of Niamh working alongside something that doesn't live up to the glory she gave it, he began to instantly worry of her ever coming across him. Which wouldn't be hard.

    " What kind of importance does he hold?" She asked tossing a piece of fruit into her mouth.

    "None." He said with disgust that only he could understand.

    "You just told me to look out for him."

    " I didn't mean it in a positive way. When I say look out for him, I mean the way you would look out for a wall of fire coming your way. Don't entertain him."

    His voice came out rougher than he intended as he had walked closer to her and said it while watching her eyes, seeing her recognize his sudden switch in moods.

    " I'll take your word for it..." Niamh pushed him away lightly with one hand, confused by his seriousness.

     " Anyway, should I be on my way? we didn't specify on how our time would be spent outside of the bedroom." Niamh said quietly after moments had passed between them.

     " You want to spend time with me?"

     " If you have any that I can afford."

      Blaise smiled as he racked his mind, drawing up a list of things that they could get into today.

     " I could take you to a secluded place of my dad's. The general public doesn't get to go there. I'm sure you could have a few eyegasms seeing all of his work there."

     " It's private work?" She asked perking up.

     " Things he has tossed aside. Ideas that didn't exactly fall through."

     " I have to get changed. I'll be back in an hour." Niamh ran into the living room stuffing her feet into her shoes. She grabbed her keys from the hanger and rushed off, leaving Blaise alone.

  ooooooooooooooooooooooo