Thanks for everyone who's read and reviewed.. reviews help me push this along!! i really had it written in my notebook, i just had to type it. yes, i'm way old school. :) enjoy!
As they were seated at a corner booth by the window, Connie decided to ask Serena a question.
"…What was it like, you know… telling branch you were a lesbian? What did his face look like?" Connie looked up expectantly to Serena's amused expression.
"Oh, jeez I'm sorry. I've just been wondering. You're somewhat of a legend around the office." She stopped and looked back down at the wine list just as the waitress walked up.
"Can I get you two anything to start off?" she said and Connie looked up.
"Is red ok with you?"
"Fine, thanks." Serena said and smiled.
"We'll have a nice merlot please, from the 90's if possible."
"Coming right up, and I'll be right back to take your orders." The waitress said and practically bounced away.
"Must be the start of her shift... God knows I used to be a major grump. Poor unfortunate people that had to deal with a broke law student, I know I drove my boss up a wall."
"Really?" Connie said, sensing that Serena was trying calm her nerves.
"Yep, I drove them crazy. And to answer your question, it felt amazing. I don't think I'd do anything differently. If they had a problem with my sexuality or the fact that I actually sympathized with people, that was their problem. I'd always felt a bit uneasy there though, I mean I loved working for the "good guys" but it never felt like I'd imagined. Now, with my work in the community and without the bureaucracy of the office… it just feels right for me. Plus with my trust fund I can live comfortably and do things because I want to help. Not because I need the money to live. And I really do love helping people."
When Serena finally looked up, Connie was smiling broadly at her.
"That's wonderful! I'll tell you working with Jack has been the craziest ride of my career, but it's definitely worth it. He's a great lawyer, if you ignore the part about him being a total womanizer. You know," Connie said as she leaned conspiratorially toward Serena, "I've heard he keeps pictures and dates of all his former assistants in a scrapbook in his office, isn't that creepy?!" Connie laughed and sat back. Before Serena could respond their bubbly waitress returned with their wine.
"A fancy merlot for the two pretty lawyers in the house…" She said as she set down the bottle and began the procedure of opening and serving the wine. Serena and Connie were in awe, but Serena recovered first.
"How'd you know we were lawyers?" she asked.
"Well, I'm an actress- and I like to watch people, study them you know? Anyway, my roommate is a cop and she taught me some things. Your briefcases and dress pretty much give you away. I mean this is New York! It's like lawyer city out here." She smiled again as she finished pouring the wine. "Anything else I can get you?"
"No thanks, but one more question?" Connie said and the waitress nodded for her to continue. "We could have been wall street-ers or some job where we have to dress nicely and carry briefcases, how did you pinpoint lawyers?"
The girl smiled, as if she expected a tougher question. "That's easy, you two were very eloquent when you were ordering, and you just exude confidence, so I just guessed really. Wave me over if you need anything else, and enjoy the wine." She said and walked away.
"Well, her roommate must be some cop. Is the wine good?
Serena smiled as she took another sip. "Amazing, this is a great vintage."
The two sat in a comfortable silence, both thinking very much of the other, until the waitress came back with their food. As they finished, neither really wanted to part ways so when Serena suggested a nightcap at her apartment, Connie didn't resist.
"What kind of alcohol do you have?" Connie asked, and Serena chuckled.
"Much more than you can drink, I promise."
So the two headed out- after of course- leaving Melissa, their waitress, a generous tip on the city and a promise to tell her roommate, Kate, she'd done a great job teaching her the tricks of the trade.
When the cab they hopped into stopped in front of Serena's building, Connie looked up in wonder.
"Jesus! I didn't know you had this much money!" Serena just smiled at her companion.
"I told you I had a trust fund, but I must have forgotten to tell you the extent of the amount of money. Whoops.
As they approached the door, the doorman rushed out. "Hello Miss Southerlyn! I hope work was well today?" the young man of about 25 said as he held the door for the two women.
"It was fine Tom, thanks for asking. This is one of my new colleagues, Connie Rubirosa."
Connie smiled at the kind young man as they continued to the elevator.
"See you tomorrow Thomas! Thank you!" Serena said as the elevator doors opened and the pair stepped inside, and Serena pressed her floor.
"God! You're on the 25th out of 27 floors? Serena Southerlyn I could say you're right spoiled." Connie joked as they began the upward trek, surprisingly faster than she would have thought.
"Ms. Rubirosa, just because my parents gave me this money right after college, doesn't mean I actually used it before I lost my job." Serena said with a smirk, "and I do believe you're jealous."
She finished just as the elevator came to a stop and slid out just as the doors opened, leaving Connie to roll her eyes and step out after.