Ok guys as I promised, here's the next installment. I'm really loving this story so far and I hope all of you are too! And just a forewarning, I like to make my characters suffer sometimes, so just bear with me!
As always reviews are love!
Brenda arrived at Sharon's door promptly, but she hesitated before she could knock on the door. She readjusted her purse and shuffled the wine bottles from hand to hand, pulling nervously at the sleeves of her red sweater. It wasn't anything special, but it was comfortable and she felt she needed a little of that tonight. The material was well worn but still in good condition and it wasn't a bright color like the blonde was famous for either, this was more of a rich red…dark like her wine. She had paired it with a pair of light wash jeans and black ankleboots; the finishing touch a simple diamond pendant her Mama had given her a few years ago. As the younger woman ran her hands through her hair, she sent a silent thank you to whatever higher power for allowing her curls to cooperate tonight.
She hadn't thought about her outfit choice when she'd thrown it on earlier, she had been too nervous about seeing Sharon. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread as she debated on whether to knock or ring the doorbell. Brenda wished she hadn't stuck her foot in her mouth over the phone, she wished she could take what she said back, because knowing Sharon it was either going to sit in the corner of the room like a certain elephant or she would question the blonde head on.
Brenda dreaded either situation if she was being honest.
She was still deeply lost in thought when the door swung inward suddenly.
"Yes I know Shar…oh." Rusty stopped midsentence at the sight before him.
For a moment, just a moment, Brenda looked like a deer in the headlights. Her brown eyes became large and fearful, but just a quickly those emotions were dashed and replaced by embarrassment. A deep red color washed across her cheeks as she looked down at her shoes, readjusting the bottles once again.
He smiled teasingly, "Hi Brenda."
"Hello Rusty," she offered softly.
At the tone of her voice the boy couldn't help but tilt his head in question, then he finally noticed that she didn't look to be in the best of moods. Sharon had warned him that she might be a little withdrawn, but to him she seemed more nervous than anything.
He hooked his thumb in the direction of the condo, "Did you want to…come in?"
She looked briefly over his shoulder and into the interior. She nodded her head slightly, almost reluctantly. He could see her pulling nervously on the cuffs of her sweater…he thought she looked nice. He backed up through the doorway and ushered her in, watching as she placed the wine on the side table and took a seat on the couch. She perched precariously on the edge; she looked as if she was about to bolt…there was that deer analogy again.
"I was on my way to pick up Rick and Em," he cleared his throat, "did you want me to let Sharon know you were here?"
She glanced from him to down the hall before answering, "No thank you, Rusty, I'm sure she's almost done."
He shrugged slightly, "Suit yourself…traffic permitting I'll see you in an hour then."
Brenda nodded absently as she watched the sandy blonde head slip through the door and softly close it behind him. She faced forward on the couch once again, relieved to have at least a few more minutes alone with her thoughts. She was slowly playing out the scenarios in her head, rehearsing what she would say according to how the brunette would start the conversation.
It was then that she noticed the tree in the corner of the room. It wasn't decorated yet, as per Sharon's tradition,but it was draped in white lights that cast a warm glow on the room. The sight mesmerized the younger woman; she couldn't help but get to her feet and wander closer, inhaling the scent of fresh pine. She smiled at that; her Mama had always insisted in a fresh tree…it seemed so did Sharon.
She ran her hands softly along the branches, marveling at the stickiness of the pine and the warmth from the LED bulbs. She could almost imagine her Mama standing behind her holding what would be the box of ornaments from the attic and Bing Crosby crooning in the background. The warm smell of cinnamon and vanilla would be wafting from the kitchen, as would the sounds of dishes and pans clinking softly.
A wave of sudden tears sprang to her eyes, she hadn't allowed herself to cry in weeks, but for some reason this day had seemed to hit a chord with her. She was woman enough to admit that she missed her Mama and she missed her desperately. Brenda blinked her eyes quickly, willing the tears to stay at bay, and fanning her cheeks to chase away the emotional blush.
She was so caught up in her emotional upheaval that she never noticed the figure watching her, leant against the wall of the hallway. Sharon had come down the hall, in the process of fastening one of her earrings, when she had turned the corner and stopped abruptly. When she realized it was Brenda staring at her tree so intently she relaxed slightly as her anxiety began to fade…she knew she'd heard Rusty talking to someone as he walked out the front door.
"Do you like it?" she questioned softly.
Even though Sharon's voice was soft, she still startled Brenda to the point of involuntarily jumping. She turned around and came face to face with something she was sure that she'd never forget. She could feel her mouth go dry as she struggled to say something intelligible, to say something at all.
Sharon, for lack of a better word, looked beautiful.
The older woman was dressed in a dress that was tasteful and sinful at the same time, if that was even possible. The dress itself was cut conservatively, boasting a high collar with quarter length sleeves and the hem stopped just above her knees. It seemed to shimmer as she walked, first it was a dark material, but as she came closer to Brenda, the younger woman could see the material caught under the light turn to a lighter more vibrant green.
It matched her eyes perfectly.
I'm Her makeup was different as well, less pronounced if Brenda had to guess, more natural than she was used to. The eyes she had gotten lost in so many times were no longer outlined in a smoky color, but a natural tone used to bring out the color of her eyes, bright behind her lenses. Her hair was loose and curled, hanging softly above her shoulders in the way that made the blonde itch to run her hands through it.
The smile she gave to Brenda was so sweet and disarming; she looked genuinely pleased to see the younger woman.
"Yes," Brenda cleared her throat slightly, "Yes, its beautiful."
Sharon laughed softly, "There isn't even any decorations on it yet."
The older woman watched as her Chief began to fidget, before turning back to the tree. She could barely see the movement of the blonde's hands, but she could tell she was wringing them nervously.
"I know," Brenda continued, "but this was my favorite part…I just love the lights."
Sharon looked confused at the other woman, or maybe she was just confused by her behavior Brenda reasoned. She faced the older woman once again; forcing a smile that she hoped was somewhat believable.
She shoved her hands into her jean pockets, "Thank you again for the invitation, Sharon."
"Of course," Sharon intoned, "no one should be alone on Christmas Eve."
She said it so matter of fact that it struck Brenda as odd, just a nonchalant conversation between friends…nothing to it.
She nodded her head in agreement and turned back to the tree, mulligan ng over what Sharon had said. Maybe it was just that, she was a friend who wasn't supposed to be alone tonight and nothing more. She couldn't help the feelings that came over her, she wanted to go home and curl up under her comforter once again.
She hated that she had read too much into the situation and she hated that she was intruding upon Sharon and her children tonight. She should be spending the evening with them, not Brenda, especially with the mood she seemed to be in.
The younger woman rubbed her arms slowly, willing the sudden chill to leave her, and hoping that she could pull herself together to at least make it through dinner. Maybe then she could claim a headache or stomach bug and then head home.
She could only hope.
When she faced Sharon once again, Brenda's smile was forced but it was there nonetheless.
"So what would you like me to do?" she questioned.
The brunette waved in the direction of the kitchen, beckoning the blonde to follow behind her with a flick of her hand. For all her powers of observation, Sharon seemed to be oblivious to the change in Brenda's mood.
"You can chop the vegetables for the salad…" she trailed off as she rounded the corner.
Brenda was too lost in thought to pay attention to Sharon's ramblings anyway; her head seemed to be swimming. She looked at the tree one more time and sighed dejectedly; she knew she shouldn't have come tonight. She slowly trailed over to the couch, picked up both bottles of wine and moved in the direction of the kitchen.