He sighed as the memories of that night came flooding back to him, the sights, the smells, touches…it had all been so unique, just like Bree. True, she was a lady and an extremely refined, elegant one at that too, but that night just something about her had changed his views on her completely;
She was usually the shy and retired type of girl, but once Bree had downed a few cups of the homemade punch, she was a totally different woman, and now without Rex around, Bree was free to do whatever she wanted and he wouldn't find out about it because nobody would know except for him. Yes, Karl Mayer, the man she had been secretly wanting to get to know for quite some time. He may have been rude, arrogant and egotistical at times, but Bree was sure that underneath his extremely ignorant façade there was a loving and passionate man waiting to be unlocked and she was about to try it for herself.
The redhead had watched him from her corner, softly moving to the music in her company and she had made eyes at him a few times, each time more seductive than the time previous. Finally she decided it was time to move in for the win, she moved around the room, getting closer to where he was, watching him the whole time and not caring who was watching her. Finally, Bree got up close to him and pretended to know the guys he was talking with, she smirked and joined into their conversation, giggling as they shared the punch lines to their crude jokes, jokes she wouldn't ever dream of laughing at usually, but in Karl's company she couldn't care less.
Karl then noticed she was there and he smiled to her before the other guys realised that Bree was making her moves on Karl, they stepped away only slightly, but stayed close enough to watch and see if Karl objected or accepted her passes. She looked into his eyes, her own sparkling as she then purred, "Hello handsome…" to which the guys Karl had been standing with all raised brows and muttered between themselves as Karl stood stunned at Bree's comment. Usually she wouldn't have said boo to anybody unless it was about class work or projects.
He raised his brow, "Hey…Bree isn't it?" he questioned, knowing full well what her name was but just so he didn't come up with something embarrassing to say to her, he played it safe with that line.
"Yes, Bree Mason…" she said in that purring tone yet again. With her eyes and her smile, Karl felt himself turning to mush, however it could have been the fact he had mixed some of his drinks which for one was not a good idea at a party.
"So…" he began, "Anything I can do for you?"
"Hmm…how about we arrange that sentence…and miss out some words?" she smirked, tracing her finger up from where his navel was to up his muscular chest and under his chin, "How about: Can I do you…?" she whispered to him in his ear.
"Bree…come on!" he chuckled and looked to her, not knowing whether to take her seriously or if it was a test or if she was actually drunk. He didn't know. However he found himself saying, "Why don't we go find a bed…?" he smirked a little, taking her hand.
Karl smirked as he sat behind his desk in his office, not realising his next client had walked into his office, he had definitely used that dream too much as of late, now even more since he'd split with his wife, but now Bree had come back into his life, not as a love interest but he was sure their paths would be crossed even more so with this messy divorce she seemed to have on her hands.
Bree was home now, she decided to go and see her friend Katherine, tell her about the news of the divorce, even though Katherine already knew about it, but she would tell her about seeing Karl again after so long, so the redhead went home and parked her car in her driveway before walking across the grass to her neighbour's house, she quickly knocked on the door and stood there with a soft smile on her lips as she waited for Katherine to open the door for her.
"Well hello there" Katherine smiled as she let the door swing open, "Come on in…have time to spare for our old friend Margarita?"
Bree giggled and she nodded softly, it was after midday so it was alright to drink, it didn't matter anyway, nobody would see them drinking, Bree stepped inside the house and she smiled, "Of course dear, she's in the kitchen I presume?"
Katherine nodded and linked with Bree as she closed the door softly, "Yes, she is, she's already been waiting for you"
"Oh even better!" Bree giggled as they walked to the kitchen and Bree sat down in front of a tall glass of chilled Margarita and she smiled to Katherine, "Thank you" she said gently before taking a sip.
"So, any developments on your new project?"
"You mean my divorce dear?" Bree smirked a little, "Well, I've hired a lawyer…" the redhead smiled sheepishly and unknown to her, her cheeks were turning pink at the mere mention of her new lawyer.
"Oh…is he cute?" Katherine asked her.
Bree smiled and looked into her glass playfully, "You could say so, but I think the term for him would be more a macho one…" she said as she flicked her eyes back up to look at her friend.
"Oh? Do share"
"His name's Karl and he…what's wrong?" Bree asked as she saw Katherine's smile disappearing fast.
"Karl? Not Karl Mayer?" she asked her redheaded friend, who nodded, "You do know that's Susan's ex husband…"
Bree looked to Katherine and raised her brows, "Uhh…oh?"
"Yes, they had a messy divorce too" Katherine shared.
Bree swallowed and she let her cheeks flush as she remembered how she'd had Karl first:
They'd managed to slip away from the party, just the two of them, making sure nobody saw them leaving together. They got to his dorm room, on the other side of campus and as soon as they were inside he'd pinned her to the door, kissing her fiercely and making her moan already. His hand claimed her cheek before brushing back through her fiery tresses and holding them, pushing her lips tighter and more feverish to his own. Bree had one free hand however as she managed to brush it over Karl's chest, her eyes closed as they shared their kiss and her fingers fumbled with the buttons to his shirt.
Bree moaned when she felt his smooth chest beneath her palm, she looked down to his bare chest as Karl was unbuttoning her dress, she swallowed hard. Nobody could know about this she decided, only she and Karl. She felt Karl's lips on her neck as she felt her dress slip down from her shoulders and down her body, the soft confines on the dress rippling against her delicate porcelain skin and she tilted her head back to give him better access to her neck while she ran her fingers through his dark hair.
"Bree…?" Katherine questioned as she clinked down her empty Margarita glass on the counter, "Would you like another drink?"
"Uhh…yes…please" Bree smiled sheepishly.
"Are you okay?" Katherine asked her friend, touching her hand as she stood to go and make another round of drinks for them.
"I'm fine, just thinking about the divorce" Bree replied.
"Well I'm always around if you ever need someone to talk to okay?" offered Katherine.
Bree gave her a soft smile, "Thank you" she replied before getting lost in her thoughts once more.
* * * * *
She arrived back at his office, changed into another dress, a dinner dress and she sat on the sofa waiting for him in the reception area. Bree smiled as she waited for him to come out of his office and see her there already. Finally Karl emerged from his office and locked the door before he turned and saw Bree sitting there, looking adorable in her dress and cardigan. He smiled softly to Bree and she gave a gentle wave before she stood up and smiled back to Karl before he walked over to her, "I made some reservations" he told her.
Bree smiled softly as she heard Karl say so, "Great, I'm looking forward to it" she replied.
"Shall we?" he smiled to her, "Ladies' first"
Bree gave a nod and Karl walked before her to open the door for her and she smiled up at him, "Thank you Karl"
"You're very welcome Bree" he replied.
Bree smiled as she walked out of the door and Karl followed her, she softly turned to him, "Where are we going to?" Bree asked him softly and she looked into his blue eyes.
"Oh just Chino's" he replied to her question.
Bree gasped, "Chino's! Oh Karl!" she hadn't expected him to say Chino's because it was a romantic restaurant, usually only couples who were about to be engaged or were sharing an anniversary went to that restaurant but this was just a dinner meeting with an old friend, but Karl was a lawyer, he could most probably afford it anyway.
"What's wrong?" Karl asked her.
"Oh nothing, I…just didn't expect you to have reserved us a table at that place" Bree smiled softly.
"Would you rather go somewhere else?" he asked her.
"Oh no, I mean…" Bree blushed a little and she shook her head, "No thank you" she then looked up at Karl.
Karl chuckled gently and he nodded softly, "Let's go"
When they got to the restaurant, Bree looked around at the fancy table settings and the fabulous dresses the other, slim women wore as they gazed into the eyes of their lovers and partners and she began to get uncomfortable until she felt Karl's hand on the small of her back and she swallowed as they were ushered over to a table by a waiter, Karl's hand still rested on the gentle curve of her back until he pulled out the chair for her and smiled at her softly, before he also pushed her to the table.
Bree smiled to Karl as he sat down facing her at their table, she then gently looked around the restaurant and she smiled as the music began and she had completely forgotten that at a certain time they would turn down the lighting and the restaurant would be all in candlelight. It was that time. The music also began to play, gentle classical music and she turned back to Karl, her eyes wider than usual and she gave him a nervous smile.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked her, gently reaching for her hand.
"Oh, uhm…I hadn't realised it was that time at night…" she replied.
"What time? It's only early Bree"
"I meant about the candles and music Karl" she sighed, still she let him hold her hand in his.
"Hey, don't worry about it okay?" Karl offered her his charming smile, accompanied by a wink.
Bree smiled and nodded as she looked into his sparkling eyes, so blue. The redhead looked to their hands and she smiled a little as she didn't feel uncomfortable letting another man who wasn't Orson hold her hand in public. Karl noticed Bree's gaze to their hands and he gently asked, "Is this alright? You looked worried, I just wanted to calm you a little"
"What? Oh…uhm, yes it's okay" Bree replied.
"Shall we order some wine?" Karl suggested, and he pulled his hand back.
"Yes, okay…" she smiled, however her hand followed Karl's as he pulled back.
Karl noticed this and he made a joke from it, "Is your hand lonely there…?"
Bree heard his joke and she blushed, immediately pulling back her hand and in the process of doing so, she knocked the water glass over herself and gasped loudly. Karl watched Bree with wide eyes before he handed her a napkin to dry herself off as she sat down again, her face almost as scarlet as her hair. She looked down and closed her eyes as she wiped off her dress. Bree sighed and she quietly said, "I haven't changed in over twenty years really"
Karl pushed back his chair and moved to kneel next to Bree, taking her hand and he tilted her chin up to look at him, "Hey, I think you have, Bree…you know I didn't stop thinking of you, I always sit alone and I imagine that time we had together…remember it?"
Remember it? Is this guy nuts? I've never stopped remembering it!
She looked to him and smiled softly, nodding. Upon seeing this small gesture, the waiters moved around them, one carried a basket of roses, another had a bottle of champagne and they stood applauding Bree and Karl. Bree looked at the waiters her smile still visible and then looked to Karl, she giggled a little. The other diners at the restaurant saw this and looked over clapping and smiling to them, thinking they were now engaged.
