For sweetjamielee's The "Plan B" 2013 Summer Ficathon
TITLE: Changes
PROMPT: Peter finds out that Alicia had a one-nighter with Kalinda
A/N: This one's very short, I believe. Told in Peter's perspective.
Thank you, ll10e6 – this one's for you. I pray this pleases you.
Today, the world turned upside down. Or right side up. At least one of them should be true. I really don't know. All I see is the change, and the change is an elephant in our room. The evidence is compelling.
1. She wakes up without snoozing the alarm. She always hits the snooze button, and wakes up spilling from the bed and bouncing off walls. Today, her feet were light.
2. She sings while bathing. She only sang in there when she used to give the kids a bath.
3. She shaves. She takes thirty minutes to bathe, thirty-five if she shaves. Today, she was inside for thirty five minutes.
4. She brings out a new set of scents. She layers them, from the bath gel, to the lotion, and before she leaves, applies the perfume – cherry on top of the icing.
5. She wears a corset. I've never seen her wear anything like that. Ever. She asks me to help her with it – and not to take it off.
6. She has never worn this much leather before. She ties a red braided leather-belt like cord on top of her black pencil cut dress so that it hangs loosely around her hips, wears red leather stilettos and tops everything off with a red leather trench. Considering it's cold, I will not question the coat. Still, it is strangely suspicious.
7. She wears a shade of lipstick that I can't place. Deep red. Red with hints of black. I don't know. I'm a man. I am not supposed to see beyond the common colors.
8. She continues singing while dressing up. It sounds like "Baby It's Cold Outside."
9. She ties her hair up in a bun. Except when she has to attend parties, she usually wear her hair down.
10. She wears a gold necklace. It seems new. I know because I've given most of her jewelry. It looks like the letter "u." Or a horseshoe. Something I think I might have seen before…
"Did you sleep with Kalinda?"
She looks at me and leaves swiftly, her answer lifting the corners of her mouth.
-THE END-