Carly glanced at her watch, twisting the slender band between her forefingers, in an attempt to pass the time. Kevin sat on the couch, nursing his swollen eye with an ice pack. The penthouse was quieter then usual, giving Kevin the impression that Carly was not happy. The dark blonde couldn't repress the scowl that found it's way to her face; the whole evening plummeting because of the no show, that was Brenda Barrett. Sighing, she fell back into the other side of the couch, glancing towards Kevin with mild trepidation.
Running a finger along his bruised cheek, she finally spoke " Are you feeling any better?"
He shrugged, sinking into the leather cushions in hopes of finding a better position.
"I'm alive, guess that's better then nothing"
"I'm sorry" Carly offered honestly, for the briefest moment feeling a pang in her heart for all the trouble Kevin had gone through.
A thought bolted through her mind, causing her to whip around and nearly smack him
" Why are you still here?" She continued with renewed force, at his puzzled expression.
"I mean Brenda and I have put you through the ringer these past days, I thought you would have already been running for the hills by now"
"There aren't many hills around here," Kevin replied off handedly, smiling in spite of himself.
"Almost makes me feel bad for sending…" Carly cut off her sentence before Kevin could realize the events going on behind his back.
Brenda stormed in a minute later, her curly mane covered in snow, as was her expensive leather jacket, which she shrugged off angrily. Carly could feel the calm demeanor she had lulled into slowly dissipating; replaced by the seething hatred she had been experiencing moments earlier.
"Your late" Brenda only rolled her eyes in response, hands settling on her hips in a defensive stance.
"Thanks for stating the obvious Carly babes, it's a freaking blizzard outside this penthouse, if you haven't noticed" The brunette brushed a few of the melting flurries from her skirt, trying to remain calm under the dark blondes poignant glare.
The tension was broken when Sonny stepped through the doorway, distractedly looking over a file within his hands. The rooms' occupants fell suddenly silent at his unexpected arrival, Carly's eyes instantly shooting towards Brenda, who seemed engrossed with running her hand along the mahogany desk, at her side.
Sonny glanced up catching the uncomfortable look on his wife's face, followed by an equally uncomfortable one on Kevin.
"Who are you?" The mobster inquired, pointing towards the fidgeting man on the couch.
"Kevin, Sir, I'm a-a supposed to marry your sister" He stood, awkwardly reaching forward to offer Sonny his hand, which he only stared at before turning towards the wet bar. Sipping his newly poured drink, Sonny looked Kevin over with sharp eyes, watching him squirm, as if he was a child sent to the corner for a time out. Kevin was intimidated; all of Courtney's stories about Sonny had seemed to conveniently lack the whole dark, cold demeanor, part.
"Aren't you a little short for my sister" Sonny finally spoke, downing another sip of his liquor, while observing Kevin gape at the statement.
Brenda raised her eyes in disbelief at the insult laced with an innocence only Sonny could pull off with a straight face. The two one time lovers shared a secretive glance, both of them looking away the minute Carly cleared her throat.
"We better get going"
Brenda and Kevin were out in the hallway already when Sonny called Carly back giving her a stern look, obvious disapproval written over his face.
"Be good," he warned, defeated by his wife's innocent hazel orbs.
"Aren't I always?" Carly silenced him with a kiss, stopping the obvious answer from escaping his lips. Pulling back, Sonny held her to him a little bit longer, resting his forehead against hers.
"I love you not her" The simple statement brought tears to Carly's eyes, her heart thudding in her chest at a more rapid pace.
"I know" Pulling back the dark blonde composed herself, smiling when Sonny momentarily refused to let her hand go.
"I'll be home soon, I promise"
With that, Carly slipped her small hand from his grasp, making her way from the penthouse the pair by the elevator.
Kevin could not believe his eyes; dread quickly settling into his stomach at the sight of his newest form of torture. Before he could turn away and run back into the cold evening, Carly and Brenda were at his side, leading him further into the garish establishment. Fluorescent lights hit the center stage; all different colors illuminating the platform and making it seem tackier. He couldn't seem to get rid of his discomfort, It could have something to do with the fact that the guy leading us to our seats is wearing nothing but a leaf over his… umm… lower region, Kevin decided, attempting to avoid making direct eye contact with any part of the other man. Once seated, he could not resist prying the clubs politically incorrect shaped menu, from the waiters' hands and using it to cover his quickly reddening face.
"Ignore my friend, it's his first time" Carly patted Kevin's shoulder reassuringly, while the barely dressed employee nodded in understanding, a fleeting look of compassion gracing his features.
"Don't worry we get newbies all the time, by the way the next guy up is single, he really likes your type" The man was whisked away to another table, allowing Kevin to peer above the menu to glare at Carly.
"Did he just suggest what I think he suggested?" He asked in disbelief, reaching for his beer with a mortified look.
"Hun, he was just trying to offer a suggestion, you can't help the way you swing, maybe he could see that your repressing something" Brenda replied, shrugging and taking another sip of her martini.
"I am not… I am not even going to dignify that with an answer, I'm engaged to Courtney, which is all that matters"
The announcer broke into the conversation, his booming voice catching everyone by surprise. Ladies crowded near the front intent on getting the best seat in the house as a police officer walked on stage. Kevin watched in stunned silence, realizing that if the dancer were really a cop, he would be arresting himself for public indecency. He kept his eyes down not daring to look at the display, currently enrapturing the club filled with women.
Carly took a sip of her drink hoping it would calm her nerves, the evenings earlier events still fermenting in the back of her mind. The unusually quit nature of Carly, mixed with her unenthusiastic response to Kevin's obvious discomfort, caused a tinge of worry to work its way through Brenda, despite her better judgment. Rolling her eyes the brunette slid along the booth, startling Carly by sidling up to her with ease.
Brenda raised her bronzed colored hand to Carly's pale forehead, checking it against her own, all under the woman's suspicious gaze.
"What the hell are you doing?" Carly whispered harshly, removing the shorter woman's hand from her forehead.
"I'm checking to see if you have a fever"
"Why?"
"Cause your acting un-Carly like"
The dark blonde-haired woman shrugged focusing on the clear bottom of her glass, as if trying to fall into it.
"Carly…"
"Look I'm sorry I'm not being the life of the party, I can't stand having to sit next to you when I know very well your panting after my husband like some bitch in heat" Carly exploded, earning the attention of not only Kevin but most of the easily distracted spectators. Sighing, the frazzled blonde pushed passed Courtney's fiancée and towards the front entrance, not looking back.
Kevin turned to Brenda trying to decode her emotionless features, only seeing the rapidly forming tears in her large almond shaped eyes. Letting out a shaky breath she rose turning to look at Kevin "I have to go talk to her, here" Brenda placed a few dollar bills on the table and patted Kevin's shoulder "Do what comes naturally" With a wink she too disappeared. Leaving Kevin to cower in the booth under the many waiters impressed stares " Now I wish I never got the gym membership" He muttered, letting his head loll back against the leather cushioned booth.
Brenda pushed her way through the crowd and outdoors, nodding towards Marco who pointed to Carly's partially shadowed form on the sidewall. With hesitation, she stepped forward, squinting through the rapidly falling snow in hopes of making out the woman's facial expression. With little luck, Brenda stepped under the garish yellow streetlight reaching her hand out and placing it on Carly's shoulder. Carly stiffened, whipping around and effectively shrugging the hand off, anger and sadness marring her pale features.
"What do you want?"
"To tell you I'm not after your husband," Brenda replied simply, bowing her head to glance at the toe of her high-heeled boot, as it scratched against the pavement.
" Please you expect me to believe that after all you're pining, you've just suddenly decided, to what, give up and become a nun. Come on Brenda, do I look like a natural blonde to you?"
Brenda turned away, shaking her head and lowering her body into a sitting position against the wall.
"You want to know why I was late."
"Not really but your going to tell me anyway" Carly acknowledged, crossing her arms against her chest.
"I went to see Jax, after talking with Courtney I realized what I had with Sonny was wonderful but in the past, so I went to the cottage. I don't know why, I mean, the whole situation screams idiot right. Anyway I stood in the cold, finally working up enough courage to knock" Brenda paused trying to find her bearings, noticing how Carly had edged closer, showing mild interest. Pushing herself up the wall, the shorter woman glanced around the parking lot, hearing the pulsating beat emanating from the strip club.
"He was with a hooker, some cheap woman he picked up on a street corner" Brenda blinked back tears, her hand finding it's way through the unruly mass of curly hair on her head.
" Not that it wasn't an interesting story, but what does that have to do with Sonny?" Carly's voice had noticeably lost its edge; slight compassion finding its way into her eyes.
" I just realized that my life was supposed to be with Jax, I threw it away by kissing Sonny. Just because I lost my happy ending, doesn't mean I'm going to steal yours. No matter what you think of me I do have the capability to move on" Brenda smiled timidly, watching Carly's arms drop to her sides, slight embarrassment coming over her.
"Look I may not like you but I can learn to live with you" Carly offered begrudgingly, outstretching her hand and waiting to see if Brenda would take it.
Kevin's eyes darted around the club trying to find the fastest route to the exit. He had already fought off the advances of half a dozen waiters and one stripper. Not one woman had even made a tentative step towards him, causing him to grow even more frustrated with the situation. When the announcer walked onto the stage again, Kevin could imagine ripping the microphone from the man's hand and announcing to the hordes of available women that he was not gay, but also not available, Kevin added mentally. Another man had begun making the trek towards the lone man's table, leaving Kevin to do nothing but prepare himself for the inevitable. This was all happening under the watchful gaze of Johnny, who did made no attempt to aid his employers, soon to be brother in law. The bodyguard knew where his loyalties lied and it definitely was not with some, bleached blonde fiancée of the moment.
Brenda accepted Carly's outstretched hand, smiling at the welcomed resolution of years of fighting.
"Can we go inside I'm getting cold" The brunette stated, her teeth chattering from the icy wind that had begun to blow over the town, bringing with it more snowfall.
"Well maybe if you did not dress like some teenybopper, you would not be nearly so cold" Carly commented good-naturedly, earning a mock glare in response.
"Not all of us can dress like grandma"
Carly could not help the slight laugh that passed her lips involuntarily, as she led the way back towards the club. Brenda watched, as Carly seemed to stumble back, teetering from side to side, her eyelids drooping closed before she sunk to the ground.
"Carly!" Brenda screamed, running and kneeling at the fallen woman's side, her hand instantly flying to the back of the woman's head, where blood had slowly began to seep out and onto the pavement. Brenda glanced up to see Marco already dialing for an ambulance, leaving her to put pressure on the wound in hopes of stopping the flow of blood.
"Come on Carly, hold on okay" The brunette whispered through her rapidly falling tears, cradling the woman's head in her lap, barely aware of the crimson staining her clothes as blood slid through her fingers.
"Hold on Carly, please"
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