I'm Sucker for the Holidays
It was a few days before Christmas and the Grace Adler Design's annual Christmas party had finally wound down to an end. Karen was the only one to remain and, much to Graces surprise had offered to stay late to help clean up the office. She noticed that Karen had been uncharacteristically outspoken about her affection for her friends all evening. She had even given Will Truman of all people a Christmas present and thanked him for being such a good friend and lawyer during Stan's whole arrest and trial fiasco.
When the two were finally left alone it suddenly became apparent to Grace that Karen had quite a lot to drink, even for her. Grace yelped and whipped around when she heard a loud crash over by the service elevator. When she turned to face the sound, she saw her brunette friend standing over a glittering mess of shattered glass making the universal 'oops' face over at Grace. With a soft giggle, Karen bent down to pick up the larger pieces of the now shattered into a million pieces serving bowl.
"Karen, please be careful you could cut yourself! Just... hang on I'll go grab the broom." scolded Grace as she saw the woman attempting, not very successfully, to bend over and pick up the pieces without teetering over. Oh god, this is not going to end well, Grace thought to herself.
"Oh honey, quit worrying so much! I think I know how to pick something up without hurting myself." she sassed back with a famous Karen Walker eye roll. Suddenly Grace shouted out to her, "Karen!" She had only just gotten the last word out when Grace saw her bend a little too far forward. Karen then flung out her hands to break her fall, catching her left palm right on the shiny, smooth edge of a shard of the shattered bowl.
"Agh, devil! That hurt!" exclaimed Karen, clutching her now bleeding hand.
"Karen! What did I just tell you! If you would've just waited a few more seconds, I would have had the broom out for you and we wouldn't be in this situation." Grace sighed, running over and sitting down next to the small Armani clad woman sitting against the wall.
"Well Grace, I guess when you're right, you're right" she smiled and shrugged as Grace gingerly lifted up and examined her palm. Grace could feel Karen's eyes focus on the side of her face and could feel the eye contact like an ant under a sunny magnifying glass. She slowly lifted her eyes to meet the hazel eyes of her friend. Wow how have I never noticed how beautifully green they are before, Grace thought to herself as she maintained eye contact with Karen.
Wait what's happening here, Grace get a grip, she silently scolded herself. After a few seconds Grace began to feel awkward and asked lamely "Uhh, what is it Karen?"
Karen's poker face, weakened by the sheer amount of alcohol she had consumed that evening, morphed into a soft, sad smile and she whispered "Oh Gracie, you're too good to me."
Grace was suddenly all too aware of Karen's soft small hand still resting in hers. That, combined with the look in Karen's eyes that Grace couldn't quite decipher, was suddenly sending buzzing bolts of electricity throughout her body up from her hand that was still clutching Karen's so gently.
Karen had never been shy in the past when it came to hitting on Grace, that was no secret and she had certainly caught Karen gazing at her on more than one occasion. Admittedly while trying to sneak a glance at Karen herself without her noticing. Grace knew this time was different though because Karen had drunkenly lost a grip on her usual cool and collected poker face and she was getting a rare glimpse at the real Karen. The Karen that has a heart bigger than her closet at the manse. The Karen that used to throw her whole being into love and relationships before she was hurt and taken advantage of one too many times.
"Oh come on Karen, it's the least I can do. Especially since you didn't have to stay back and help clean up." Grace replied after she finally broke eye contact and began gently putting a band aid on Karen's bleeding palm. "There! Good as new! Now come on, it's getting really late we should both head home. We can just leave the rest of this mess to deal with tomorrow." Grace suggested.
She really was just so taken aback by whatever was suddenly shifting in their relationship that she just wanted to get some space to figure it out. There had always been feelings lurking just under the surface for Karen, but she had been so good at the denial part of it that she actually started to believe it herself. That is, until Karen surprised her with something like this.
Grace stood up, turned, and held her hands out to help Karen stand up, not quite trusting her yet to not topple over again.
"Thank you so much Gracie, I mean it."
There it was again, 'Gracie', with that intense gaze to match. She felt her heart flutter just hearing Karen call her that. So I didn't imagine that feeling the first time she said that to me, thought Grace, Why is just hearing my name spill off her lips so intoxicating?
"Oh pshhh, don't mention it." Grace said as she was quickly gathering their things to leave. "Alright Karen, ready to head out?"
"Yeah I think I should probably get home and sleep this one off.. and wow honey, ya know, now that I think of it I might have even beat my record from last year." laughed Karen as she tried and failed miserably to walk steadily to the front door of the office.
Grace sighed but couldn't help but smile at the usual independent socialite being so inebriated and relatively helpless. She walked over to her and held her arm out for Karen to loop hers through.
"I'm thinkin' we better take the elevator tonight instead of trying for the stairs." Grace suggested.
Karen gave her one of those million watt smiles that Grace knew no one else in the world could hold a candle to. "Honey, I'm gonna agree with you on this one" she chuckled as she delicately looped her arm through Graces.
They laughed together as Karen's stumbling threw them off balance when they entered the elevator. Karen's heel then caught in the threshold of the elevator while Grace had let go of her to press the button for the lobby and that sent her tumbling forward. Without thinking, Grace leapt forward to catch Karen before she ended up on the floor again. She thankfully got to Karen in time, but that left them in the position of Grace having Karen pinned, back up against the wall, with Grace leaning into her, their faces only inches apart.
Grace was completely frozen like a deer in the headlights. Her whole body lit up by the feel of Karen's body pressed up against hers. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Karen's intense gaze, finally recognizing the look of intense need and a desperate love, because Grace's look unknowingly mirrored Karen's.
Grace suddenly felt Karen slowly start to trace her hands down from Graces waist where she was gripping to her hips where Graces shirt had lifted slightly exposing a small sliver of bare skin. Never breaking eye contact, Karen gently brushed her fingers across Graces soft, exposed skin and heard her breath hitch in her throat in reaction. She then hesitantly, but firmly grasped on to Graces hips and Grace realized just how close their lips had slowly drifted toward each other. Karen sensually licked her lips and, breaking eye contact for the first time, glanced at Graces lips and back up again to regain the electric eye contact. Karen then boldly closed the gap, only gently brushing her lips against Graces at first. She then felt Grace tense up, but Grace didn't pull away, instead Karen felt her relax and suddenly deepened the kiss, capturing Karen's lips with her own and leaning her whole body weight against her.
Karen sighed into Graces mouth as their tongues darted out and met in the middle, and she felt Graces hands slip around her waist. Karen reached up on each side of Graces head in response and ran her fingers through her long red hair, grabbing on as if clutching on to a last lifeline.
Suddenly the jarring sound of the loud ding of the elevator announcing their arrival to the lobby brought reality crashing back down and Grace pulled away from Karen's lips with a pop. Karen was looking up at Grace with an intensity that scared her because even though she couldn't admit it to herself, she felt the same. Then Karen said it.
"I love you, Gracie" she softly whispered while gently stroking Graces cheek with a certain sadness in her eyes that broke Graces heart.
"Karen… I.. I'm sorry I can't.." Grace choked out before she turned and hurried out of the elevator.
Karen didn't let herself cry until she was safely inside her limo where no one could witness the proud socialite heartbroken yet again.