It's Friday, and Kim is standing in a grocery store, wondering what she's supposed to buy when she's going to have a guest over the following day. She's hasn't had too many opportunities to be the host type before — not really, because she never really needed to be. When she'd been just friends with Jimmy, he'd simply come over to her place and Kim hadn't spent any extra time overanalyzing it. She hadn't really done anything special to prepare; it was just a normal friendship sort of thing that kind of happened as it did.
Now, though, she's standing in the aisle that has tea in it, because she remembers that Lydia likes tea and considers that she should probably keep a small stock of it in her pantry. Not that Kim is trying to lure Lydia into her home with tea, or anything, but the least Kim can do to leave a good impression is to provide it for when the other woman visits, right? Picking up a box of chamomile from the shelf, she's about ninety percent sure that it's the type Lydia likes. For extra measure, she places the box into her shopping cart along with some green tea. Green is pretty standard, Kim thinks, and though she's honestly more of a coffee person herself, caffeine is still caffeine.
Shit , she should probably get coffee, too, while she's here.
One unexpected thing about moving to a new city, Kim has very recently realized, is that she has to go through the process of learning the layout of a whole new grocery store. This isn't the familiar Albertsons of New Mexico. No, this store is basically uncharted territory as far as she's concerned — it's Kroger now, in Houston. Not that the differences are so magnificently huge that she can't orient herself, though it will take some getting used to. All of the aisles are different here.
While she's at the store, she also picks up the groceries she needs, which doesn't amount to all that much, if she's being honest. She's shopping for one. Kim can recall a time when grocery shopping felt like a more intimate act, with her and Jimmy making it a together kind of activity. She tries to push his memory out of the forefront of her mind and focus on the present, or even the future. Tomorrow is Saturday, she has plans for tomorrow, and while she's walking through the cereal aisle, the thought hits Kim that she hasn't even figured out an exact time that Lydia will be coming over. That's something she feels like she should've discussed with more clarity, perhaps. The other day, after lunch, Lydia did provide her phone number, though, and Kim is sure that Lydia has hers, given it was entered on the application paper.
Maybe Kim will text her. That's what friends do, right? They text each other? It's strange to think that the only friend she'd really had back in Albuquerque was Jimmy. Once her dearest friend, now her ex-husband. It's weird, unsettling even, how things can go from one stage to another so quickly.
Kim takes a deep breath and picks up a box of cereal from the shelf, setting it into her cart. A cheerful pop song plays on the speakers up above, and she watches as other shoppers walk past the rows ahead of her. For a moment, she's hit with a feeling she could almost describe as marooned. Well, aside from the fact that she's not trapped in some isolated place; she came here on her own free will, after all — not just to this particular grocery store, but to Texas. Yet, why does she feel so out of place?
Kim takes her phone out of her pocket and begins to write a message for Lydia.
'Hey, what time would you like to come over tomorrow?'
After typing it up, she stares at the message for a moment, feeling a wave of self-doubt begin to curve deep within the pit of her chest. Before that wave can grow any larger, she hits send. Then, she carefully returns her phone to its place in her pocket and moves on to checkout. Kim is in the middle of waiting in line when she feels her phone vibrate. It's without hesitation that she checks her messages.
'How is 1:00 in the afternoon for you?'
Kim begins to type up an answer when the person in front of her moves, and she has to set her phone aside for a moment to load her groceries onto the conveyor belt. She gives the cashier an amiable look as her items get bagged. Once she's out of the grocery store, she texts Lydia back.
'1 is perfect. I just went shopping and picked up some tea since I remember you liking it…'
No, no, that's too long. Too wordy. Lydia might think Kim is making bold assumptions. She backspaces her message and writes something new.
'1 works great. Thanks! :)'
Yeah, that should work. It's succinct enough, Kim thinks to herself. Admittedly, she would like to develop something of a friendship with Lydia, but she doesn't want to go overboard with the texting just now. They haven't known each other long enough for that, have they?
Still, she's going to offer that tea to Lydia once she comes over tomorrow. When Kim returns home with her groceries, putting everything away into the fridge and respective cabinets, she looks over the box of tea. Chamomile is supposed to be relaxing, isn't it?
Kim decides to make herself some. She isn't too nervous about tomorrow, but it can't hurt to relax a little bit more as she unwinds for the rest of the evening. The sun has set and it's getting dark, and the next day is coming quicker than she realized. Filling up her kettle, she sets it onto the stove and turns the stove on — it's electric, so there's no flame.
As she sits, waiting for the water to boil, she's once again hit with that feeling of loneliness that likes to occasionally crop up. Aside from the sounds of the city off in the distance, such as a wail of a siren or a too-loud car engine sounding off now and then, the little apartment is quiet and empty. She'd turn on the television for a little background noise, but that hasn't even been hooked up yet. Her television is still boxed, and she doesn't even have cable yet anyhow.
Eventually, the tea kettle begins to screech, reaching a high note that continues until Kim rushes to the stove. She turned the stove off, pouring the boiling water into a mug she had waiting for her. It doesn't take long before the floral scent of the tea begins to waft into the air, curling into wispy steam.
The tea does prove to be rather soothing. It's pleasant, and as she sips her tea, Kim realizes it's been quite some time since she last had a hot beverage that wasn't coffee. It's nice to change things up a bit.
It's not long afterward that Kim settles down and crawls into bed. She drifts off to sleep shortly after doing so. When she wakes up the following morning, she feels refreshed and has a little more motivation to go about the day. After waking up properly and going through her morning routine, she begins getting the house ready for her guest — little things, like cleaning up and making things look somewhat nicer.
When she hears a knock on the door, Kim rushes over. Lydia has arrived at exactly 1:00 on the dot. Her timeliness is impeccable. Kim wastes no time unlocking the door and opening it to greet her.
Lydia stands there, a polite smile on her face as she regards Kim. "Hey," she says, a large and probably designer purse slung over her shoulders. Her hair is down, and she's got on a slightly less formal look today, wearing a silky-looking blouse and dress pants to compliment it. Her outfit is still kind of a business casual style. "It's nice to see you, Kim." There's a look in her green eyes that seems a little… well, how would Kim describe it? Hesitant, maybe shy? Lydia appears to be the type that's more at ease during work than she is on her time off — though, that's just what Kim has so far observed.
Either way, Kim's happy to see her, and with a grin, she opens her door and gestures widely to the interior of her little apartment. "It's good to see you as well," she says. "Please, come in. Make yourself at home — if, uh, if that's possible with all of the boxes sitting around."
"Thanks," Lydia replies rather softly, stepping into the apartment and setting her purse down by the door. "Don't worry about the boxes. I expected as much based on what you told me. Hopefully, by the time we're through, there will be a lot less of them – boxes, that is – lingering around here."
"That's what I'm hoping for," Kim replies, closing the door behind Lydia as the other woman walks further into her apartment. "Thanks again for coming by to help out. I seriously appreciate it."
Lydia smiles in response to those words, but she doesn't hold eye contact for very long. "It's… it's really no problem." Her hands are together and fidgeting. Kim tries not to stare, but it's kind of a cute mannerism. "Where should I start?"
A reasonable question, though Kim hasn't thought that far. "Uh, I have a box of linens over there, if you want to start with that." She gestures toward a cardboard box that she set conveniently close to the linen closet itself. Of course, she has yet to open it. Stepping aside for a moment, she retrieves a pair of scissors and hands them over to the other woman.
"Certainly," Lydia replies, accepting the scissors and approaching the box to cut it open. As she opens the box, she adds, "If I'm being honest, I've been looking forward to today. It's been a long time since I've been to another person's house in… well, in any capacity, really. I don't often do these types of things."
Kim raises an eyebrow. "Yeah?" she asks, curious about why that is. Someone of Lydia's status, business-wise, would seem like she could be quite high on the social ladder. "You don't visit friends that much?"
Lydia almost laughs. Shaking her head, she says, "Oh, no. Not at all. If I'm being honest, my social circle is..." She trails off as she opens the cardboard box, taking a look at the contents. "It's a bit limited, outside of the workplace."
"I'm sorry," Kim replies, feeling a little bit bad that she's asked. "I had no idea." She certainly didn't mean to offend.
Fortunately, Lydia did not appear offended at all. "Don't worry about it. If anything, it's something of a self-imposed situation. Having a vibrant social life isn't really on my list of priorities, if I'm being perfectly honest." She waves her hand through the air, dismissive, further emphasizing the fact that it's not so much of a big deal to her. She pulls a folded towel out from the box, and then looks at Kim. "Should I put these into the linen closet for you?"
"Yeah, that'd be great." Kim gives the other woman a smile as she approaches another unopened box. This one is labeled dishes . Her apartment is a relatively small area, with the living room not too far from the hallway in which the linen closet is positioned. That is to say, there's no significant amount of distance between her and Lydia that would prevent their conversation from continuing when Kim walks into the kitchen. Opening up the box, she looks over stacks of plates that have been carefully cushioned with some bubble wrap beforehand.
As Kim works on opening the box, she thinks over her own words. "I hope I wasn't pressing too much by asking about your friends earlier. I didn't mean to pry into your life, or anything like that."
"That's all right," Lydia tells her, opening up the linen closet and beginning to set some of the towels down inside. "I appreciate that you're making an effort to get to know me." She doesn't look at him as she speaks, instead entirely focused on the task of sorting towels.
Kim notices that she's sorting them by color. How neat and proper.
"Yeah, well, I'm happy to," Kim says, turning her attention back to the dishes that she has yet to put away. She opens up a cupboard, which she feels to be an appropriate location for plates, and begins to take the plates out, stacking them onto the counter. As she lifts the plates into the cupboard, she continues to speak. "You're an interesting person."
The complement seems to cause Lydia to halt for a moment. "Um," she begins, and she's silent for a moment, facing the closet. Kim can't see her face, and being unable to see her expression, it's hard to pinpoint her reaction. After a few moments, though, Lydia says, "Thank you. You are, too."
"It's no problem," Kim tells her honestly. When she's put away her plates, she retrieves another box for silverware, which is already open and half-full. She'd taken a few pieces of silverware out before but had yet to finish the task. "I kind of get it. I mean, back when I lived in New Mexico, I had… uh, basically one friend."
"Really?" Lydia asks, turning to face her, a curious expression in her wide eyes.
Kim purses her lips. "Yep. One friend, and we eventually got married."
"You must've been very good friends," Lydia says dryly.
Kim snickers somewhat, nodding her head. "Oh, for sure. We really got up to some schemes. It was great until… you know." The divorce. It needn't be said directly; she already told the other woman that she has an ex husband. It's not difficult to connect the dots.
"Understandable." Lydia takes out another set of towels from the cardboard box, ensuring that they're neatly folded before placing them into the closet.
"What about you?" Kim asks, playfully raising her eyebrows. "Is there anyone, you know, special in your life?" It would be good to know, for no apparent reason.
Lydia shakes her head as she places the towels in the closet. "Oh, no — well, not in the romantic sense, at least." As she speaks, a smile begins to grow onto her face. "I do, however, have a daughter, whom I love dearly."
That statement causes Kim's attempts to fully shift to Lydia, surprised. "Whoa, really?" She's not sure why that surprises her; maybe it's just that she's not accustomed to hanging around people who have kids. It's not a negative reaction, though. Kim gives her a smile in return. "How old is she?"
"She's just over a year old," Lydia replies, and there's a tender, proud look upon her face. "Fourteen months, to be exact. Her name is Kiira."
"Aw." Putting away the last of the silverware, Kim leans against the countertop. "That's sweet. You totally could've brought her here today if you wanted to." Kim would hate to interrupt what could be vital mother-daughter time. God knows her own mother hadn't spent the best quality time with her when she was little.
Lydia shakes her head, though there's still a content expression on her features. "That's all right. She's with my nanny, Delores, right now. I do appreciate the offer, though."
"Maybe next time," Kim suggests.
"Will there be a next time?" Lydia tilts her head to the side curiously.
"If you want there to be." Stepping over to another box, this one for drinking glasses, Kim is sure to add, "I don't mean for helping me unbox stuff again — just that I'd be happy to have you back anytime, provided you're interested." If Lydia herself is lacking in friends, maybe this could be good for her as well as for Kim.
"Is it too forward of me to say that I am interested?" Lydia asks. If Kim stares long enough, she might notice that the shorter woman's cheeks have turned a rosy shade. Maybe it's just from all the exertion of putting towels into a closet. Maybe it's just a coincidence that Kim's heart is beating a little bit quicker than it was beforehand.
"Not at all," Kim is quick to reassure her. When she speaks, she notices her mouth is a little bit dry — more so than normal. Is she really feeling so fluttery about the other woman? Isn't it a bit early on to develop feelings like that? Swallowing dryly, she adds, "I'm glad you're not having a bad time here. I was worried you'd get bored."
"Bored?" Lydia repeats the phrasing, laughing quietly under her breath. "You don't need to worry about that at all, Kim."
Uh-oh, now Kim's heart is beating even faster than it was, and all because Lydia has just said her name. She smiles in a manner in which she hasn't in a while — she's feeling just as lighthearted as she is lightheaded. "Really? You're sure?"
"Really. I don't mind this one bit. You aren't boring me." Lydia's tone has a warmth that's different from the rigidity that she often displays — she seems at ease, or at the very least, less on edge. "I enjoy being in your company. Plus, it's nice to have something to keep me busy."
Kim gives Lydia the finger guns gesture with her hands. "Hey, right back at you. You're a welcome guest here."
"Thank you." Lydia smiles. She looks down at her own hands and attempts to mimic the gesture, though it's a somewhat awkward attempt that she seems a little embarrassed about. She promptly turns to the empty box that once held towels. "I've put away all of the towels, by the way. Is there, um, anything I can do next?"
"Oh, sure! Let's see, uh..." Kim trails off, considering what she can direct Lydia to next. A thought hits her, one that would bring Lydia closer to her, and Kim decidedly voices it. "Do you want to help me with these dishes? I've got a lot of those to take care of. They just need to go into the cabinets."
Kim can hear the click-clack of Lydia's heels as she walks over to her. This close, she's yet again reminded of the height difference between the two of them. She passively contemplates how much smaller Lydia would be without her shoes.
"Yeah," Lydia says with a small smile, and for the first time, Kim pays special attention to the shape of her lips and the reddish pink lipstick she's wearing. It's just a glance, but it's enough for Lydia to notice. Her eyes widen and she quickly turns her attention to the box of glasses. "Is… is there any place you'd like these to go?"
"Uh, I guess I don't really have a designated cabinet for them. The one to the left of the sink would work, I guess." Kim is surprisingly good at keeping her cool in spite of the confusing feelings she's got brewing deep inside. Is it too soon after the divorce to begin to yearn? Is Kim a bad person for gazing at her business associate in such a way? Is it weird to watch, with a degree of fascination, as Lydia pulls glasses out of a box and struggles to reach above the lowest shelf in the cabinet? She's so small that it's honestly endearing.
"Is this okay?" Lydia asks after she sets the first couple of glasses down into the cabinet. "I don't know if there's a specific way you want these to be arranged."
It doesn't take long for Kim to look over the glasses and nod her head in approval. "Totally, that looks fine to me. I'll get the other glasses onto the higher shelves there while you're at it."
"By all means, go on," replies Lydia, and with an almost humorous little smirk, one that's so subtle that Kim might otherwise miss it, she adds, "That'd be very helpful, on account of how much taller you are."
Kim just grins. There can't be much more of a difference than three inches between the two of their heights. Kim isn't overly used to being the tallest person in the room; it's a fairly rare occurrence, given that she's 5'5", but she certainly doesn't mind. "No problem." Grabbing a couple of glasses, she sets them down upon the shelf which Lydia cannot reach. She continues to repeat this action for some time while Lydia manages the lower shelf, and soon enough, the glasses are all neatly set into the cabinet.
Kim stands back a step to admire the results of their work. "Nice."
"What next?" Lydia asks, eying kim as if she's looking for guidance.
Kim casually shrugs her shoulders. "Wanna take a little break?"
Lydia nods. "Sure."
"You like tea, right? Like, the chamomile kind?"
"I certainly do. Chamomile is my favorite type of tea, actually."
"Oh, great." Walking over to the place where she'd set down her recently purchased box of tea, Kim offers with a gesture to the box, "Do you want some? I just bought a box last night. I could put the water on."
"That'd be nice, thank you," Lydia replies, grateful.
Kim goes to retrieve the kettle, filling it with water once again. She sets it onto the stove, turning on the burner. The water begins its journey to boiling. Kim then moves to grab a couple of mugs. As she sets the mugs down onto her countertop, Lydia speaks again.
"Were you by any chance thinking of me when you bought it?"
Is that a flirtation, by any chance? Kim laughs slightly under her breath. "Uhh," she gets out, casting her gaze downward almost sheepishly, as if she's been caught red handed. Kim Wexler has been found guilty of thinking about another person. "I may have been," she adds with a playful smile. She takes out a couple of tea bags from the box labeled chamomile, opening their packages and setting the bags into each mug.
Lydia grins as well. "Hm. That's rather interesting." Her voice is quiet and low, and though her response is short, there's a degree of… something to her tone. Kim really doesn't intend on being presumptive about the other woman's intentions. Lydia continues with, "Do you have soy milk, by any chance? I like to have it with tea."
Shit. Kim winces apologetically. "Uh, no, I don't. Sorry."
"Oh." Lydia looks mildly disappointed. "That's okay. I guess I can go without it."
"I have dairy," Kim offers, hoping that's satisfactory enough for the other woman.
This prompts an uncomfortable wince from Lydia. "Ah, no, I– I can't have any dairy. Sorry. I'm afraid that the reaction my body would have wouldn't be pretty."
"I'll remember not to offer it again, then," Kim says, making a mental note. "Are you lactose intolerant?"
Lydia nods. "I am. It's– it's fine, though. I'll be fine without the soy milk. Sorry, I don't mean to be a nuisance over this." She sounds a bit uneasy.
Kim is quick to reassure her, as it really isn't that big of a deal to her personally. "Oh my god, it's totally fine. Do you want to sit down?"
"That'd probably be a good idea," says Lydia. Kim gestures toward the living room and she follows her in, taking a seat on the couch.
Kim sits beside her. "You can take your shoes off, if you want." She can't imagine heels are a comfortable choice for helping someone unpack.
"Okay," Lydia replies. She slips off her shoes after hesitating for a moment. She is quiet for some time, hands fidgeting and breathing quick. After some time, though, she speaks again, explaining herself quickly and nervously. "Listen, I didn't mean to seem ungrateful, or anything, I swear. I just— I get easily overwhelmed by new situations."
Kim doesn't even think about it before she places a steady hand on Lydia's shoulder, speaking gently to her. "Don't worry about it, okay? You're doing good. Trust me, I'd be a lot worse off if you weren't here right now." This isn't a dire situation by any means; if Lydia hadn't been here right now, Kim would likely just have been less unpacked and more alone. Still, she wants the other woman to know that her presence here is important to her.
Lydia seems surprised by the hand on her shoulder, her eyes widening when Kim makes contact with her. Even so, she doesn't reject the touch, and as Kim's hand lingers upon her, Kim can feel that Lydia is shaking, albeit very subtly. She's incredibly tense. "Glad I can be of help," she says somewhat shakily, smiling in a manner that appears a little forced.
"Did you, uh, bring that stevia stuff you like?" Kim asks her, not entirely certain what else to say.
"I did. I have some in my purse," Lydia murmurs. Kim can't help but wonder if there's more going on in her mind than simply being disappointed over a lack of soy milk. She does seem quite overwhelmed in general. "I keep it with me all of the time, essentially."
"Oh, good," Kim says with a slight smile. She's gradually getting to know the woman beside her, and in doing so, learning that she apparently has quite the penchant for stevia. Certain preferences must be comforting to her. Kim's somewhat varied in the food and drinks she enjoys, but she can understand why Lydia might want to return to something she enjoys so much.
Realizing that she's had her hand upon Lydia's shoulder for quite some time, Kim withdraws her hand. Maybe she's just overthinking things, but she doesn't want to make it weird between them with any prolonged contact. There's some time that passes where both women are silent. Kim thinks good and hard, attempting to come up with some kind or conversational topic, because she's not entirely sure what to do about silence. In the nearby distance, the tea kettle begins to get a little bit louder — no doubt, it'll be boiling soon.
"Do… Do you possibly want to try some?" Lydia asks, breaking the silence with increasing vigor as she continues. "I have extra with me."
It takes Kim a moment to recall the context of the other woman's words. She'd almost forgotten that they were talking about stevia. With the eager way that Lydia is looking at Kim, one might think she'd just offered something significantly more exciting or perhaps even illegal, like marijuana. How someone could become so enthusiastic about a sweetener is beyond Kim, but she finds it somewhat endearing, nevertheless.
"Sure," Kim says, figuring why not? She may as well. It's not like it'd kill her, or anything, if she ended up not liking it. "I'll give it a try."
Kim must have said the right thing, because Lydia smiles for the first time since sitting down. "Nice," she says, appearing quite pleased. It seems that she has calmed down a bit. "I have it in my purse." Just as she finishes speaking, the tea pot begins to screech, which startles Lydia.
"You okay?" Kim asks, standing up from the couch.
Lydia nods. "Yes, I'm – I'm fine, thanks."
"You want me to get your purse for you while I'm up?"
An affirmative response from Lydia, "That'd be great."
Kim picks up Lydia's purse, which isn't too out of the way anyhow. Handing it over to Lydia, she earns an appreciative look from the other woman. Next, Kim turns and enters the kitchen, shutting off the stove burner. The tea kettle's shrill call lowers and then dissipates entirely, boiling water bubbling within. Steam rises as Kim pours the water into two separate mugs, the hot water making a rather satisfying sound as it's poured. Kim leaves the tea to let it steep for a moment.
It's not too long before it does indeed steep, only a few minutes, and Lydia eventually joins her in the kitchen with a couple packets of stevia in hand. "Do you have a spoon for mixing?" She asks, idly toying with the packets in her hands. Elaborating, she adds, "You know, so you can stir these in."
"Yep," Kim replies, though she hasn't gotten one out, so she takes this opportunity to do so. "One freshly unboxed spoon."
"Wonderful." Lydia hands over the packets of stevia to Kim, and Kim proceeds to open one up, stirring it into the drink. Of course, she stirs in Lydia's first; after all, she wants to be a good host, and she's certain that Lydia is much more passionate about stevia overall. Handing the drink to Lydia, Kim says, "Here you go."
"Thank you," Lydia says gratefully, taking the mug and holding it with both hands. Inhaling, she closes her eyes and quietly enjoys the aroma.
"Would you like to sit back down?" Kim asks, gesturing toward the couch.
Lydia opens her eyes, looking at the blonde attentively. "Yes, I would."
As the two women return to the couch, Kim decides to give her tea a try, just to test out the flavor of the new ingredient. The flavor of the tea is noticeably sweeter, compared to the plain tea she had last evening. Once she finishes her first sip, she notices a slight bitter aftertaste.
She also notices that Lydia's been watching her the whole time.
"So," Lydia starts, her green eyes incredibly focused on Kim, "What do you think? Do you like it?"
Kim truthfully would prefer the taste of sugar, though she doesn't dislike this. "It's not bad," she answers with a little shrug of her shoulders. "Thanks for sharing."
Taking a sip of her own tea, Lydia replies, "It's no problem. I'm glad that we can do this together. I don't often find someone to drink tea with, so this is nice."
"Well, it's the least I can do," says Kim, "since you're helping me out today." A pause, and she soon after adds, "We could always do this again sometime. It could be a thing."
"A thing," Lydia repeats, nodding before drinking more of her tea. "Yeah, I like that. I think that would be nice."
Agreeingly, Kim replies, "I think so, too."
"Hey, would you by any chance be interested in coming over to my house?" Lydia asks, perking up somewhat. "Not– not today, I mean, but sometime soon. Maybe you could check your schedule for next weekend, if you're available?"
This just makes Kim laugh, because there's no way she's busy enough in her free time to have a schedule. "Yeah! I don't even have to check anything. I'm free." God, is she free — and she'll be so for the foreseeable future, given that she doesn't have a social life outside of her interactions with Miss Lydia Rodarte-Quayle of Madrigal Electromotive. This is a step toward forming a social life, though, isn't it? "Next weekend would be perfect."
"Wonderful," Lydia says, looking quite glad that her offer has been accepted. "I'd love to introduce you to Kiira. I mean, if– if you'd be open to that sort of thing, that is."
"Absolutely," Kim says. Admittedly, she doesn't have a lot of experience with babies or children, but that doesn't mean she isn't open to meeting Lydia's daughter. "I'd love to meet her."
Lydia grins. "I'm happy to know that you're willing. Kiira needs more strong female figures in her life, so this will be perfect."
Aw. Kim's never been called a strong female figure before. "I hope I can do that title justice," she says modestly, scratching at the back of her neck.
"You already are," Lydia tells her. "I can say for a fact you're an exceptionable lawyer."
"Thanks, that's sweet of you," Kim says, taking another sip of her drink. She finds its warmth to be quite soothing; perhaps that's a reason why Lydia might enjoy drinking tea so much. For someone prone to stress, a relaxing beverage could certainly help ease one's nerves. "You're a good... logistics, um..." Wincing, she doesn't know the exact phrasing to use.
"Head of logistics," Lydia corrects her with an amused look, "and thank you." Taking a deep breath, she's quiet for a moment before adding, "So, next weekend, would you perhaps like to come over for dinner?"
"Definitely!" Kim responds in an almost embarrassingly fast manner, not even a moment of hesitation. "I'd love to come over for dinner. It's been, like, forever since I've had dinner at a friend's place."
Lydia nods her head. "It's been quite some time since I've hosted for anyone, so it'll be nice."
"Awesome."
"So, what should we do next, after this?" Lydia asks.
Kim thinks over the question before suggesting, "Do you want to help me unpack the TV?"
Drinking more tea before she speaks, Lydia replies afterward, "Sure. Would that be the large box over there?" She tips her head in the direction of a box in the corner of Kim's living room.
"That's the one," Kim confirms. "I don't have cable TV yet, but I figure I might as well set it up. I still have a fully functional DVD player to pop some DVDs into."
"Sounds like a plan," Lydia replies before curiously raising her brows. "What, um– what kind of movies do you like?"
"I'm a big fan of older movies. To Kill a Mockingbird, Ice Station Zebra, The Thrill Hunter…" Kim shrugs. "There are a lot of movies I like. What about you?"
The question prompts Lydia to pause momentarily. "Oh, I…" She stammers out a response, laughing awkwardly. "I don't know. I suppose I'm a fan of crime movies, dramas and whatnot."
"Crime and drama," Kim repeats, exhaling sharply. "Sounds like my life." There's a comical, lighthearted tone to her voice. Admittedly, the crime part is actually pretty true, though she's not exactly going to open up about it. "You know, having been a defense lawyer."
"I can imagine," Lydia says. Finishing her tea, she looks back to the box for Kim's television. "Well, should we get to work on that TV?"
Kim nods. "Yeah, let's do it." Setting her drink down, she stands, ready to get back to work.
By the end of the afternoon, Kim's apartment has changed quite radically; she now has several things put away and even has a fully set-up television, with a DVD player at that. Her apartment is feeling much more like a home than it did before, and it's all thanks to Lydia.
Eventually, later into the day, Lydia does have to return home. She announces this by saying, "Unfortunately, I do need to get back home before it gets too late." Though, she gathers her purse and adds with a small smile, "Today was… enjoyable. I'm glad I got to help you."
"Oh, yeah, that's no problem. Thank you for all the help today. You've made my life a lot easier." Kim steps over toward the door, joining Lydia there in that space. She's so glad to have had the other woman's company today. There's no doubt that she's already looking forward to next weekend.
Lydia's smile grows. "Good." Her response is short and to the point, though she continues, "I suppose I'll see you again soon, then. Work and all."
Opening the door for Lydia, Kim nods her head. "Definitely. You, uh, want me to walk you to your car?" It isn't exactly a long walk, but she'd like to make the most out of this visit and ensure that Lydia gets to her vehicle without a problem.
"That's kind of you," replies Lydia, a degree of softness to her tone. "I'd like that very much."
As the two women walk out, Kim notices that the sky is getting quite low in the sky; it's not quite a sunset, but it's getting to that point where it's slightly darker than it would have been when her guest arrives. She reflects on the day as they walk, a rather quiet action where neither of the two say much. It's not an uncomfortable silence, though; this time, it feels much more natural.
"Well, here I am," Lydia says once she reaches her car, reaching into her purse to retrieve her keys. "You have a good evening, Kim."
Kim's gaze goes to Lydia's face, and then lower, to her lips. Her mind goes in places she hadn't quite anticipated; she wonders how soft the other woman's lips might be. It's nothing Kim acts on, though, when she simply replies, "You too, Lydia. See you at work."