Chapter 1.
It had been a long day for Caroline Dawson. Actually, it had been a long week. Sat In a secluded corner of the busy pub, Caroline stared vacantly into her empty wine glass. Her left hand absentmindedly massaged soft trails on her forehead. New town, new job, new life, she thought, new Caroline? She exhaled a sarcastic single laugh. Looking up for the first time in quite some time, she realized her quiet drink had been gate crashed by a rabble of people.
"Time for bed I think", she muttered under her breath. She drew her hand from her head and looked thoughtfully at her bare fingers. 10 years of marriage with that plonker finally over. A smirk spread across her lips.
Raucous laughter suddenly erupted at the other side of the bar, drawing her attention. As her eyes scanned across the room she internally berated herself for not being more sociable, for having no one to be out drinking with, to celebrate with. Slipping from her chair, she lifted her bag onto her shoulder, smoothed her pencil skirt down, and made a b line for the exit. Fighting an internal battle with herself she looked wistfully towards the bar; If you don't make an effort you'll never meet any one, she thought, her feet still driving her towards the safety of the exit.
"Penny for your..."
Suddenly, snapping her out of her daze, Caroline's covered head to toe in a red sweet smelling liquid
"WHAT THE F.."
"Oh my! I'm ever so sorry" a woman blushed, eagerly patting down damp patches of Caroline's top in a flurry of hands and napkins.
"Oh god I'm so sorry, I think I'm making it worse" she continued with a small nervous laugh. Moving swiftly to face her assailant, feeling wholly outraged by the whole situation, Caroline asked sharply, "Did you say something?"
"I'm sorry?!" The woman replied, in a gentle voice finally looking away from the mess she caused, brown eyes locked onto blue, conveying genuine confusion, a small glint of humour in her eyes.
"Did you say something before you poured your drink over me...?"
"Kate" the woman said with a small smile.
"Caroline", she replied quickly, a breath caught in her throat.
A moment passed. A gaze prolonged above the socially acceptable amount of time. Rage defused in a single moment, as smiles formed on both their lips. From a moment of contention to one buzzing with tension, with energy. It was electric. And they both felt it, staring into each other's eyes.
"I said, or at least I was going to say before, you know" she gestured towards the wet patches on Caroline's clothes.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Caroline looked at her with a mixture of bemusement and hilarity
"You just seemed so away with the faeries, I thought, I don't know" Kate couldn't stop looking into her eyes, she's magnificent. Side tracked a little, she continued.
"You might care to share?"
"Honestly you don't have to!" Caroline iterated for the umpteenth time.
"But I want to" Kate said gently, ordering their second bottle of white from the bar. Kate and Caroline sat facing each other, one arm on the bar, one occupied with a glass; both perched on the edge of their stools, leaning close each listening to the other intently.
"So let me get this right.. You divorced your husband on… Monday?"
"Papers signed. Check. Done" Caroline replied with an adamant nod of the head.
Caroline looked into this strangers eyes, she is truly beautiful, she thought, such soft features, dark flawless skin, a genteelness in her nature already evident. It was bewitching Caroline, evidence of which showed on the deep blush emanating from her exposed chest.
"And you've moved to a house in Halifax"
"Bachelorette pad" Caroline corrected. Kate laughed genuinely.
"And now?"
"Well now I'm drinking wine with a woman who kindly showered me with what I can only assume was"
Caroline looked down in pretend horror.
"Blood?"
Kate laughed exploded from within her. Making Caroline's stomach flip in only the way a beautiful woman can make.
"R-Red" Kate took a moment to breathe
"Red wine!"
They looked into each other's eyes and instantly fell into fits of giggles again, laughing again and again at the stains covering Caroline's' pale blouse.
"Again Caroline I am, so sorry"
"Oh pish" Caroline answered and smiled well naturedly.
Kate looked into the blonde woman's eyes. A woman that had captivated her since she'd set foot into that pub. A woman who seemed so beautiful, almost like a painting, in her own tranquil world in the corner of the noisy bar.
"Just out of interest, why did you cover me in wine? What I mean is; why did you come to talk to me?"
Kate looked down quickly, an act that spoke a thousand words as a blush spread across her cheeks.
"I was just intrigued" She replied in a small voice.
As Kate looked up, their eyes locked with intensity,
"Intrigued by you".
Soon minutes had turned into hours, last orders had been and gone, and the once busy bar was quickly diminishing
"Well Kate", Caroline slurred,
"I think it's time we leave, we've drank them dry"
"Yeah c'mon" Kate offered hand, which Caroline quickly grasped, and the pair stumbled out the pub in a fit of giggles. Bursting through the doors, cold air surrounded the ladies, both acutely aware their hands were still entwined. Neither moving from the touch.
"Kate, can I be serious?" She paused, "I think that was the most fun I've had. Well ever"
Kate looked intensely into her eyes. A quiet determination sparkled within. Pulling at her hand Kate drew Caroline closer.
"Can I be serious?" Kate asked, no longer hiding her wanton desire written all over her face. She stepped closer, her tone of voice barely a whisper.
"You are the most beautiful woman I've seen, well, ever". Caroline's heart thumped in her chest, the proximity of the pair now within millimeters.
Reaching with her free hand, Kate tucked a rogue blonde hair behind her ear, following the contour of the chin with the tips of her fingers. Releasing a shaky breath, she didn't know she was holding, Caroline's' eyes flickered close, embracing the simple tantalizing touch. Leaning closer, breaths hitched in a moment lasting longer than possible; the brunette pressed her lips upon the blonde's.