Hello, fellow romantics
I’m so excited because today I get to share the first extra scene that was specifically funded by you, my recurring supporters on this website and Patreon.
You voted to revisit El and Louise this time! (There will soon be a poll up for the next extra scene.)
Here’s my heartfelt thank you to all of you in audio:
I will not keep you waiting any longer! Are you ready to get into the time machine for a trip to Fireblue Territory? I had to dust it off a little, but it is ready for you! 😉
Much love,
Sigrid
El lowered her notes and looked out of the window, frowning.
“Another threat from the global army?” El asked after realizing that the agent behind the wheel was taking a different route.
“Nothing to worry about, ma’am,” Sonia replied.
“Seems like a big detour, though,” El mumbled.
She wanted to get home as soon as possible. She hadn’t seen Lou and Stucky for 2 days and missed them terribly. If she made it home before dark, they could start the evening with a relaxing walk in the woods.
Sonia smiled patiently in the rearview mirror. “We’ll be there in no time, ma’am.”
El frowned again. She had a vague idea of the direction they were driving in and it was nowhere near the presidential residence. She wasn’t one to question her security detail, though. She trusted the team.
“Alright,” she sighed, focusing on her work again.
A new report on the upcoming drought season was beyond alarming. Top scientists had issued a stark warning about extraordinary wildfires this year. Last year had been bad. This year would be worse.
Her cabinet would have to take decisive steps, El knew. They had prepared for it, knowing there would be a year when the usual measures wouldn’t suffice. Still, she hadn’t expected it to come this soon.
El sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was nothing she could do about it tonight. She had already called for an extra cabinet meeting in the morning. The best course of action now was to rest so she’d be ready for it.
Sonia unexpectedly steered the car off the road, forcing El to place her hand on the seat to keep her balance. The tiny hairs on her arms rose immediately. El grabbed the door handle and peered outside again.
“Why are we at the seaside?” she asked, keeping her voice steady despite feeling a little alarmed.
But the agent grinned reassuringly. “Special orders, ma’am.” She slowed down the car and parked it at the edge of the beach.
El slowly put her notes to the side and asked, “Whose orders?”
Sonia pointed at a distant figure standing on the beach. El squinted into the sunlight, lifting her hand above her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat before she even consciously recognized Lou.
“What is this?” she blurted out, giggly.
“Special orders, ma’am,” Sonia repeated, waggling her eyebrows and hitting the button that unlocked the doors of the armored vehicle.
El fumbled to get out of her seatbelt. She pushed open the heavy door and hopped out of the car, feeling giddy. The heat instantly wrapped itself around her like a heavy blanket. It didn’t stop her from jogging toward Louise.
After just a few feet, sand was already filling up her shoes, and she kicked them off. The wind picked up as she got closer to Louise and the water. She could now run faster, feeling damp sand between her toes.
Louise’s broad smile was visible even from a distance, and she started walking toward El. Her feet were bare too and she had rolled up the bottom of her pants. She spread her arms as El got closer.
“What is this?” El gasped as she flung herself into Louise’s arms.
Louise laughed, her dark skin glowing in the sunlight. “A surprise!”
El ran her fingers through Louise’s hair, pressing her cheek against hers. “I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too,” Louise sighed, lifting El up in the air and swinging her legs to the left and right.
“Hey, what did I tell you about picking up the head of state,” El laughed. But she loved to feel Louise’s strength and regretted her remark as soon as her toes touched the sand again.
“I believe this head of state finally has a night off,” Louise grinned, nuzzling El’s hair.
“I do!” El agreed. The fatigue and stress she had felt in the car were quickly dissipating. “And I need it.”
“That’s what I thought you’d say,” Louise replied, stepping back and grabbing El’s hand.
El squeezed Lou’s hand and looked around, finally wondering why Louise had arranged for them to be here. She spotted a large wicker basket a few feet away. “What’s that?” she squeaked.
Louise grinned, lifting a finger in the air. “Wait here.”
She hurried to the basket and reached for something inside.
El joked, “That’s not a ring, is it? We said no marriage proposals until I am out of office!”
Louise snorted a laugh. “No, ma’am. You know I don’t want our wedding pictures on every magazine cover.” She straightened, holding up a large red rose. “But it is Valentine’s Day.”
“Valentine’s Day?!” El chuckled, walking over to a beaming Louise. “We’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day before. No one does!”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t,” Lou said, handing El the rose. “Some things from the past are worth revisiting.”
The deep red of the velvety peddles drew El’s attention. She touched the flower, smiling. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these.”
“I had to bribe someone to get it imported from outside the territory,” Lou said casually, bending back down to grab something else from the basket.
El’s eyes widened. “Shit, you didn’t!”
Lou glanced up, eyes twinkling. “Of course not. I found someone in the city who manages to grow a few every year.” She pulled out a red and white striped blanket.
El closed her eyes as she breathed in the scent of the rose. “This is such a treat. Thank you,” she sighed happily.
“Anything for you,” Lou replied tenderly. She had spread the blanket on the sand and was pulling more things out of the basket.
“What is all of this stuff?” El chuckled, sitting down to get a better look. She picked up one of the plastic containers.
“Strawberries,” Lou grinned, taking a seat too. “Take a look.”
El peeled the flexible lid off from the container. “Oh!” she gasped. “They’re dipped in chocolate!”
“A Valentine’s Day classic,” Lou said proudly. “I looked for tips online.”
“Nice,” El smiled, picking the largest strawberry. “Now, what do we do with these?” she asked playfully.
“I think you eat them,” Lou winked, leaning forward so that their faces were only inches apart.
“Yes, I thought so,” El replied in a low voice. She held the strawberry up near Lou’s mouth.
Lou grinned and closed her lips around the chocolate-dipped fruit, biting down as she held El’s gaze. The wind had picked up, blowing her hair around beautifully.
“Hmmm,” Lou moaned softly, licking her lips. “That is delicious. I can see why this is a classic.” She reached for another strawberry in the container.
El smiled knowingly as Lou brought it to her lips now. She didn’t bite into the fruit, though. She playfully sucked on El’s fingertip instead, getting an audible gasp as a reward.
Their eyes remained fixed on each other until El grinned and finally bit into the strawberry. “Okay,” she said, closing her eyes. The sweetness of the treat and the rush of desire low in her stomach made for a thrilling combination. “This feels really good.”
“You mean, that tastes really good?” Lou laughed. Her voice was a little hoarse.
“No,” El said, shaking her head slowly. “I said feel.” She cupped the back of Lou’s head and pulled her in for a kiss. Lou’s lips tasted of strawberry, chocolate and salt. El lost herself in the enticing mix.
“I would push you down onto this blanket and ravish you,” Lou whispered after pulling back for a moment. “But your agents are watching.”
El let out a low laugh, her cheeks flushing with heat. “They’re trained to turn a blind eye.”
“Yes, true,” Lou said, “But I just remembered I also brought all this other food.”
El stroked Lou’s cheek, thinking. “Can we save some of the strawberries for at home?” she asked, only half-kidding.
Lou grinned. “Only if you tell me what you plan to do with them.”
Laughing, El replied, “Enjoy them in bed … You know, afterward.”
“Okay then,” Lou said, a grin spreading across her face, “ it’s a date.” She pressed her lips against El’s again, wrapping her arm around her waist and pulling her closer.
El’s fingers tightened in Lou’s hair. She soon thought she should pull Lou down onto the blanket no matter what. The food could wait. Plus, surely these agents could look the other way for a while? It was Valentine’s Day after all.
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