Just wanted to say a quick thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter, I love hearing feedback and it really helps spur me on to write more. Here's the next one (I suppose ill have to change the rating for the last part!) :)
Blonde hair glimmering in the evening moonlight, Bernie walked out of the brownstone building. Clenched fists and tight lips set in a straight line divulged the army medic's anger; the meeting with her divorce lawyers had most certainly not gone as well as she had hoped. Red mist in her vision almost caused her to storm straight past Serena's car. Did she wait for me? Thanks to the Shiraz now bathing in her bloodstream, Serena had briefly fallen asleep, unable to stay awake whilst waiting for Bernie's meeting to end. The irate blonde tapped lightly on the car window, waking up the sleeping woman inside. Rolling down her window, Serena smiled up at Bernie and rubbed her eyes.
"H-hello. Get in!" Serena mumbled cheerfully, her voice laden with sleep. Unable to keep the smile off her face, Bernie walked around and got into the passenger side.
"I can't believe you waited for me! Thank you." Bernie said, trying to hide the remaining anger in her voice. Looking down at the still sleepy smile, Bernie's eyes creased slightly.
"Of course. The train station is ages away and it's freezing outside!"
"Thank you, it was sweet of you to stay. And it certainly is frosty. Are you cold?" The army medic asked, already motioning to take off her coat and give it to Serena. But she began laughing when the doctor dismissed her offer with an elegant wave of her hand.
"No, no. I'm fine Bern. All I want to know is how your meeting went! Did the leopard print do you any favours?" Serena asked hesitantly. Something about the army medic seemed off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"No. Not exactly." Bernie closed her eyes, her exasperated sigh resonating throughout the chilly air. "Marcus has taken everything. Or at least I thought he had. Oh Serena, now he's really bloody gone and done it."
"Bern, what are you talkin-"
"He's planning to take all I own. My house. My integrity. And somehow he's managed to turn my own children against me! Marcus has had them writing statements saying how I was a terrible mother and wife, never at home, never supporting the family, laid out in plain sight for the whole world to see. It's not like I was serving in Afghanistan for heaven's sake! For want of a better description, my ex-husband has now succeeded in making me look like a complete prat."
"Oh Bern. You'll get through it. Divorce is not the be all and end all. I know it seems impossible to do now but you need to look at this as an opportunity to start afresh, to begin again. Were the lawyers any help?"
"An incompetent bunch of idiots. Honest to God, they've basically said that until the divorce hearing they can do fuck all. Every lawyer I've come into contact with so far has been about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike." Serena smiled slightly upon hearing Bernie's unique choice in analogy. Placing a comforting hand on the army medic's shoulder, she slowly began twirling the tips of Bernie's blonde locks between her manicured fingers.
"Divorce, as with all pain, is temporary. And it certainly brings out a person's true colours; clearly Marcus will not come out of this ordeal smelling of roses."
Another resigned sigh rose from Bernie's chest. She shook her head slightly in disbelief. How has this happened? How dare he do this to me? Then again, I was the one who cheated. If anyone is to blame, it's me. "Perhaps I deserve it. I knew for well that being with Alex would break his heart if he ever found out; yet I went and did it anyway. I should've bloody controlled myself. If I had been a better wife then none of this would've ever happened. Oh I don't know Serena, I really don't." Bernie put her hand up to her face, leaning her chin forward and looking up into the night sky through the dusty windscreen. Silence.
"Listen to me Bernie." Serena murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "You cheated on Marcus. But you cheated for a reason. You are not in love with him anymore - staying in the marriage any longer would've only brought misery to both of you. I say get out of it whilst you still can." Sensing the waves of sadness rolling off the woman next to her, alongside the resigned silence, Serena swallowed her pride and continued. "Please can you stay round mine tonight?"
"Really? You want me to stay?" Bernie whipped her head round so quick Serena thought she may've given herself whiplash. Eyes wide in disbelief, the army medic continued to stare at the brunette. Although shocked, Bernie couldn't deny the feeling of relief that rushed through her like a flood.
"Yes. It's getting late; it'd be much easier for us to both come both to mine. I'm afraid I'll fall asleep otherwise." Serena lied. Despite being a little tired, the brunette knew for well that she could easily make it to Bernie's and back home without falling asleep. But the despair and loneliness was clear in the army medic's eyes. And so Serena was hoping that Bernie's anguish would be abated by someone sleeping beside her and people to wake up to in the morning.
"Okay. It'd be nice to escape my rather unwelcoming hotel room." Bernie whispered, grabbing the hand that was still twirling her hair and holding it to her cheek. "You really are freezing!" Bernie gasped, the hand like a block of ice to her flushed cheeks.
"Shiraz?" Serena offered, already twisting the corkscrew deep into a new cork. Opening a bottle of wine was second-nature to the doctor and she didn't need to look at what she was doing, instead preferring to gaze at the blonde in front of her.
"After the day I've had? Yes please." Bernie answered, reaching up to grab two glasses from above the kitchen cupboard. Throughout the past few months, the army medic had spent so much time in the house that she knew the place like the back of her hand; although earlier was her first time in Serena's bedroom, she was well accustomed to the rest of the Campbell household.
Comfortable silence fell over the household as the two women took large gulps of their respective wine. Warmth spread through Serena's body, radiating out in every direction - she instantly felt happier. A smile played on the brunette's rouge lips as the new Shiraz joined the rest of the swirling alcohol already in her bloodstream. Numbness began to infiltrate and relax her muscles, comforting as a soft blanket. Her brain finally stopped humming and instead remained cloudy and still. As ever, the effect of alcohol on her system was heavenly. The brunette took few more gulps before finally turning to Bernie. The army medic looked deep in thought. Her eyes were focused on the floor and fingers anxiously tapping against her wine glass; she was clearly still concerned over the evening's events.
"Drink up Bern." Serena ordered, earning a small smile and few sips of wine from the frowning blonde.
"Yes Ms Campbell." Bernie murmured, glancing Serena with a cheeky glint in her eye. "Oh, by the way I think the leopard print did help a little. I could feel the secretary's eyes looking me up throughout the whole meeting..."
"Aha! I knew it. See, leopard print is simply irresistible. If I'm honest, I can't blame the girl for not being able to keep her eyes off of you."
"Shut up. I only know one person who looks 'irresistible' in this get-up and it's you." Bernie quipped, smiling as she finished the last of her wine. "Anyways, feeling sorry for myself is a very defeatist approach. Tomorrow I'm going to see what I can do to sort out this bloody mess; if Marcus thinks he can walk all over me without a fight, he'd better think again."
"That's the spirit. Good old British resilience - you really are an army girl at heart, aren't you?" Ceremoniously setting her empty wine glass on the counter, she gazed into Bernie's fiery eyes. "Bed?" Bernie nodded wearily, dark circles under her eyes hinting at just how much the day had worn her out. Linking arms with the tired army medic, Serena walked upstairs to her bedroom.
"Beautiful." Bernie whispered to herself, bourbon eyes roaming down the turned brunette's body, who was brushing her hair in only her underwear. Iridescent moonlight reflected off her pale skin, highlighting every curve and dimple. Matching black lace undergarments made Bernie's heart pound like a thunderstorm. Stepping forward, she began to lightly trace the constellation of freckles on the brunette's porcelain back, joining the dots up to form a perfect picture. As Serena turned around, the blonde wrapped her elegant hand around her waist and pulled the brunette closer.
"What are you looking at?" Serena murmured, a glint in her eyes. Suddenly, unable to resist herself any longer, she pushed her hips forward, pressing her bare skin into Bernie's torso. As their lips collided, everything fell into place. Everything felt perfect; supernovae exploded and shimmered in the distance as they finally gave into the overwhelming temptation. Soft, rouged lips tentatively pressed against each other, quickly gaining momentum and passion - neither woman could bear to hold back. Pupils dilated, both women their bodies pressed hard together and yet still yearned to be closer with every passing second. Serena pushed deeper into the kiss, tightening her grip around the army medic's supple frame. Bernie pulled back her head, smiled and gazed admiringly at the beautiful woman in front of her. Fire lingered where Serena's lips had previously been. With a quiet giggle, Serena connected their lips again and bit the blonde's bottom lip, pulling her even closer and earning a soft moan. Warm, flushed cheeks collided. Bernie ran her tongue teasingly along the other woman's bottom lip whilst her hands roamed free over Serena's body, taking particular pleasure in feeling beneath her lace bra. Bernie slowly peppered kisses moving along the brunette's gorgeously pronounced features: cheekbone, jawline, neck, collarbones.
Pulling away from Serena's lips, the army medic looked down at the absolutely adorable brunette. She couldn't help but notice how the soft light framed the smaller woman's face, making her look positively angelic.
"We both have an early shift in the morning. Do you mind if you save the rest of this enjoyable pursuit for tomorrow evening?"
"I think I need some sleep tonight, rather sadly I must add." Serena replied breathlessly. Upon hearing the other woman's husky, dry voice, her heart had begun beating even more ferociously. I'm even in love with her voice for Christ's sake! "Anyways, judging by the state of your breathing I'd say you wouldn't last that long." Serena raised her eyebrows suggestively, before finally getting into bed. Without hesitation, Bernie followed her and curled up so that she was facing the doctor.
"Just you wait. I'll show you the definition of stamina." Bernie murmured, wrapping her warm arm around Serena's bare waist. In return, the brunette tucked her small head under Bernie's chin. With alcohol lazily swimming through both women's veins and the comfort of another person to sleep alongside, the pair quickly fell fast asleep.
