Touchpaper
That was you Serena, I just lit the touchpaper.
Those words would resonate loudly for both women that evening. As Serena scooped up her scarf from the back of her chair, and Bernie lazily mounted her work bag onto her shoulder, the eventual crystallisation of their partnership was resoundingly undeniable. Somehow, they had come to depend on one another, respect each other completely and saw a reflection of their own admiration mirrored in the other.
As their both sauntered out of Albie's, nodding goodbye to occasional colleagues as they left, the two women moved slowly to the door, knowing that their own responsibilities would draw them apart for the end of another day. Jason enthusiastically said farewell to a smiling Berena, declaring to Serena that he would wait by the car, and blurting out how she had left her laptop on the back seat once again, so he should probably guard it.
"I thought you might have learnt your lesson," Bernie teased, as they both turned to watch Jason cross the car park.
"Well along with quitting the board and bursting into Hanssen's office today, I thought I may as well risk complete expulsion!" laughed Serena, "With any luck I can return that blasted thing tomorrow and never lay eyes on it again."
"What a glorious rebel you are, Ms. Campbell," replied Bernie, eyes gazing at Serena through her loosened fringe, and was disguising a mischievous arched eyebrow.
Serena snorted loudly. Bernie thought it was adorable.
"Listen," Bernie's tone had changed, and she turned to face her colleague, placing a tentative hand on Serena's crossed arms, "Thank you for today. You saved me and the trauma bay, and all the while you were drowning and I didn't even notice."
Serena stared at the back of Bernie's hand, gripped in stillness and poise, and clasped on her own forearm. A hand that had steered her through surgery today and now inadvertently slowed her heartbeat as they stood close together in the street light.
Looking up to meet Bernie's own earnest expression, she replied: "You were there for me when it counted. And now I'm better placed to do my job properly and live my life. So it's been an altogether rather successful day, I'd say!"
Serena positioned her own hand gently on Bernie's, inexplicably still taking hold of Serena's arm and her thumb, now stroking the buttoned cuff of Serena's coat.
"So thank you, really." Instinctively, Serena leaned in and placed a kiss on Bernie's cheek. Bernie leaned into Serena, intoxicated by her colleague's sudden closeness and unnerved by her own sudden desire to interpret Serena's behaviour as permission to prolong the intimacy. As Serena moved away, and unclasping their hands as she did so, Bernie curled a lock of her hair behind her ear, eager to occupy her displaced hand with some useless occupation. It took all her might to not undo the clasp of her bag and rummage wildly for her cigarettes.
Both uttering their goodbyes, and disappearing to their allocated parking stops, the two women separately returned to their own dutiful lives. Sloping into the driver's seat of her car, Bernie emptied her bag on the passenger seat, grasping at useless items until the cool metal of her lighter reassured her shaking hands. Her key entered the ignition, cigarette balancing between her lips as she did so, and the engine of her convertible hummed to life. As smoke finally billowed around her, she watched as Serena drove away, vanishing into the night from her vantage point in the rear-view mirror.
That was you, Serena.