Sharon Raydor couldn't remember exactly when she'd started keeping merlot in her apartment. The first time a bottle of the substance had even entered her condo, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson had shown up unexpectedly at her door on a warm summer night. She could still remember the outfit the blonde had appeared in, down to the color of the tabby cats on the ugly pale pink pajama pants and the way those unruly blonde curls had been haphazardly piled in a clip on the crown of her head. Since then the good captain made it a point to keep a bottle around at all times just in case her chief ever decided to stop by.
Now Sharon Raydor found herself in a position that she had slowly come to accept as routine. Curled up against the left armrest of her couch with a slightly intoxicated Brenda Leigh Johnson snuggled into her right side. The blonde had settled her head in the crook of Sharon's armpit and one of her pale cheeks, devoid of makeup, rested gently against the brunette's fleece covered breast. Cuddling with another adult had never been high on her list of priorities until she realized, after that first evening with the deputy chief, how much she'd missed human contact in her later years. Sharon turned her head away from the panoramic view and placed her lips against the head nestled against her. The blonde seemed to wriggle even closer to her own personal heater and sighed contentedly as the sound of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan singing Baby It's Cold Outside softly filled the living area.
"Fritz is settled back in DC," she sighed.
Sharon blinked and considered her reply, "That's good. For the best, don't you think?"
Brenda nodded her reply into her companion's arm.
"Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?"
Brenda lifted her head slightly to look up at Sharon with puppy dog eyes, "I dunno… I was hopin' maybe I might spend it with you. What are you doin?"
Her only response was a smile and a nod.
So it was three days later that Brenda Leigh Johnson arrived at Sharon Raydor's condo at precisely eight o'clock with her giant black bag slung over one shoulder and bottle of champagne in hand. The quiet knock to signal her arrival startled the brunette slightly. She turned from the table she had just finished setting and checked her appearance in the hall mirror, combing her fingers through her hair and smoothing her dress, before opening the door for her guest.
"I brought us a little somethin'. Not much, but just a little somethin' special."
"You didn't have to do that," she said, as she ushered her guest in, "I've got plenty of champagne."
Brenda placed the bottle on the hall table and placed her purse on the ground while she removed her black trench coat. Sharon fought to keep her jaw from dropping as she took in the visage before her. The blonde wore a beautiful sheer black lace dress; the gold colored underlay brought out the bronze in her complexion. Her shoes were simple black pumps and her hair was down, soft curls framing her lightly made up face. Sharon suddenly felt underdressed in her simple black velvet cocktail dress that she had impeccably tailored
The blonde, oblivious to the look over she received from the brunette, removed a small black and white box from her purse.
"You look incredible," Sharon husked, the statement sounded breathier than she had intended.
"Why thank you, you're lookin' pretty spectacular yourself there, Miss Raydor."
"What's that?"
"I stopped by that fancy chocolate shop you took me to before Thanksgiving and bought us a couple of pieces for dessert."
Sharon smiled and pulled her in for a hug, "Thank you," she whispered.
Brenda pulled back slightly but kept her arms around the other woman, "It was no trouble, Sharon."
"No, I mean thank you for being here. I can't remember the last time I shared a New Years with someone. I'm usually home alone and in bed before 10:30."
The blonde scoffed, "Well let's not let that happen ever again, hmm?"
They shared a lovely steak dinner complete with mashed potatoes and asparagus and then retired to the couch curled in their usual positions with two glasses of champagne. The evening passed quickly, and towards the end of their second bottle of champagne the beginning of the new year was only moments away. Sharon grabbed the remote and turned up the volume slightly as the mass of people in Times Square counted down.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Brenda's face lit up as she looked up to her dear companion. Sharon's head spun with the excitement of ringing in the new year with someone who she cared so deeply for. Too caught up in the moment, she almost missed the darkening of Brenda's eyes before the blonde brought a small, soft hand to her cheek.
"Happy New Year, Sharon," the blonde murmured as she rose slightly and placed a chaste kiss on the older woman. Before she could pull away she felt a hand at the nape of her neck. Her heart soared as she opened her mouth slightly allowing the brunette to deepen the kiss.
Those precious few moments of their first kiss seemed to last forever, but they both pulled away with knowing smiles after a few moments. The brunette kept her hand on the nape of the blonde's neck and brought their foreheads together.
"What took you so long?"