Hi there! Thanks for much for the comments. I decided to pick up where the movie left off. I have many ideas, so let me know if you guys like the way this goes.
A crescendo of emotions swayed in the distance between them. Carol stood up at once, signaling a pause in the festivities. It seemed to be an involuntary reaction, as Carol seemed to notice she had the undivided attention of the table. At once she gestured to Therese, maintaining the skillful poise she always had, slightly diminished by the indisputable excitement and disbelief that Therese had never seen grace those grey eyes.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a dear friend of mine. Miss Therese Belivet. Excuse me, sir, could you bring another chair to add here?" The waiter brought over an additional seat right next to Carol, and they sat down in the same motion. Therese's presence felt tremendous.
Those around the table made polite attempts to introduce themselves, but Therese's attention glazed over their gestures. She felt Carol's hand touch hers under the table.
"Thank you." Carol barely whispered, looking at Therese, squeezing her hand, then gently stroking it with her thumb. She knew at once that this gratitude was for changing her mind, for forgiving Carol about what happened in the past. What did any of that matter, now that they had let go of all obligations, legal and emotional. They'd be together. It was the closure that marked the beginnings of a future bursting with infinite potential.
"…I love you too." Therese said as an afterthought in Carol's ear, as the conversation that her entrance had interrupted commenced once more. Carol's reaction could not be masked even when struggling to carry on the discussion, blushing so much she had to use a napkin to mask her face.
They held hands through the whole dinner, though Therese only really paying attention whenever Carol spoke. These people, it had seemed, to be some of Carol's old friends from the days she worked at the furniture shop; Mr. Harrison, who had offered Carol a new job as a "buyer" in his armchair store, was a modest looking man with a fuzzy moustache. His old age and thick glasses paired with a terribly endearing toupee reminded Therese of a toy she sold in Frankenberg's called "Peppy Pappy." If one pulled the string in the back of the doll, it would recite something wise in an ancient but sagacious tone. "Brush your teeth young whipper snappers!" she could almost imagine Mr. Harrison say, having to retrain herself from grinning. On his left, was a woman who looked around Mr. Harrison's age and of similar caliber, but she was more focused on the movement of the water in her glass than participating in the discussion. This must be Mrs. Harrison, Therese assumed.
"Why, what a mighty fine young lady this is, Carol." The man sitting across Therese was eyeing Therese curiously. She recognized it as the same way that Dannie and Phil sometimes stared at her when they were having a night out on the town, drinking wildly and hungrily.
"Hullo Miss Belivet. The name's Oscar. Oscar Jansen. Friends call me OJ, cause I used to really love drinking orange juice too." Therese found his attempts at being charming rather funny. If only he knew, Therese thought, and she awkwardly shook his hand by the fingers.
"I'm gonna be the in-between-man for Carol at the shop. I drive the truck, I take the orders, I do the cashiering, pretty much anything Mr. Ol'Harrison don't do when he's not in." He went on for a few minutes about how long he had worked there, where he came from, and how "great" it was that Therese had come to the "celebratory dinner of Carol's welcome into the family." Therese tried hard not to communicate an irked glance at Carol, who seemed to be enjoying the company of these people and their musings. She must feel nostalgic, Therese figured, talking about the workings of management of a furniture store.
"You will have to apologise if I'm a bit rusty. It has been long while since me and Abby worked in this line of business." Carol's comforting posture and tone was enough to keep Therese quiet, even though she wanted nothing more than to slip away with her and kiss her. You are magnificent, Therese internally praised her love, whose blonde hair seemed extra voluptuous, composure more lively, and talking more motivated than Therese could have imagined. Carol was not one to be extremely obvious with what she was actually feeling, but the prospects of employment did truly seem to light a fire on a long extinguished wick.
After what seemed like a lifetime of discussing ladders, nightstands, and armoires, Carol said goodbye to her guests and they all bid them farewell. As Therese stood waiting, "OJ" appeared behind her.
"Hiya there. Say, would you be interested in going for a drive sometime?"
"Oh, no Mr. Jansen." Therese had completely foreseen this and had an answer prepared.
"I'm afraid I'm involved with someone else." His face had fallen, and his walking became dramatically slumped for effect.
"Ah shucks, what a lucky feller. I guess I'll see you around then! Good-bye Mrs. Carol!" He waved at her from a distance and walked away at a fast pace. How much more embarrassed would he be…if only he knew, Therese smiled to herself, almost laughing as she went to Carol's side.
"What did he want?" Carol, half-amused, half-annoyed, had asked.
"Just if I wanted to go for a drive. Of course I said I couldn't."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Because I would rather sit through that dinner again for all of eternity than to go on a drive with that man than you." Therese explained simply, and hooked Carol by the arm while the walked to the car park. When they got into the darkness of the car, she finally spoke.
"Thank you Therese. You don't know how…" The words were struggling through her breaking voice, on the edge of tears.
"You'll ruin your make-up," Therese said as she started to wipe the tears from Carol's face with a handkerchief she had bought herself that day.
"You don't have to say anything."
Therese pulled Carol's chin up. Even in ruined makeup and glossy tears, she looked divine. Therese gave her a cheeky peck on the lips, and hugged her deeply, as if to pour in all the unsaid phrases, explanations, and emotions that Therese was not allowed to say earlier, yesterday, and all the time they had spent apart. Therese held onto her like a rediscovered lost object, gripping her like a precious and familiar lifeline that she couldn't begin to fathom why she ever let go of. Carol was still now, and Therese let go. Carol kissed her properly, swift and full. She started the engine and used her pinky to wipe away any remaining tears.
"Alright dearest. It's still early. Where would you like to go?" she said still slightly sniffling. Therese marveled at the intense fragility Carol possessed, and Therese was proud and honoured to witness it.
"Shall we get some notions?" Therese facetiously proposed.
Carol almost laughed but rolled her eyes, looking back to drive car in reverse.
"Christ, Therese…"
But the tone was loving, and so was Carol. And so was the moonlight that guided their path back home, their home, which Therese already was bursting with ideas and designs. They had a million things to do with nothing to stop them.
"Actually, I would love a milkshake." Therese reconsidered.
"Alright. Milkshake it is. My, you are a strange girl…"
It's easy to live, when you're in love, Billie Holiday sung on the radio as they drove to the nearest diner.
It was safe to say that this was the most easy Therese had ever felt in her entire life.