Thanks to all the reviewers!
To the guest who thought Kris was going to kiss Richard; she didn't. She bent forward to give him some 'secret' advice. :) Thanks for your review!
And thanks to SWEEPEASPATCH for being my BETA again!
La Kaz, Supper time
"Are you ladies hungry already?" Catherine asked when Kris walked into the bar.
"Well, I am. But I don't know about Camille... She's angry. Work related."
"Oui, I know." Catherine said sadly. "She's having a dark mood. Probably something Richard said. Those two fight and fight." She sighed and shook her head. "I've never seen her affected like that by anyone else."
"No?" Kris asked as she sat on the barstool.
"Non. It's unbelievable the tensions she's under.." Catherine stated as she cleaned the bar.
"Yes. What could that be?" Kris asked with a knowing smile as Catherine sat down behind the bar now too.
She shrugged as a worry wrinkle appeared between her brows. "Did you ever see someone having an effect like that on her before?"
Kris looked away in thought as she went through the list of men in her mind Camille had liked in school, or had dated. "No... I don't think so." She thought further. "Not like this anyway." She raised her right eyebrow amused.
"The behavior between those two is a mystery to me sometimes." Catherine seemed oblivious.
"Maybe it's magic!" Kris quipped with a wide smile.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Bad magic if you ask me." Her fingers fumbled with the material of her green-blue dress.
"Ahh..." Kris uttered compassionately. "Why?"
Catherine looked up from the flowers on her dress. "You haven't seen the bickering, the arguing they do, the moods she gets in!"
The right corner of Kris's mouth went down at that. "I think I'm getting to see and experience what you mean." She answered as she thought of the last days and of how Camille had snapped at her only hours ago.
Catherine shrugged sadly. "And I don't want her to be in pain." She filled a glass with a can from behind the bar.
Kris was playing with one of the coasters as she looked up at Catherine at that. "Do you think she has a lot of pain?" She asked worried. Of course she knew Camille's latest hurt, but it wasn't always like that was it?
Catherine looked away sadly as she placed the glass with a yellow liquid in it in front of Kris.
"You aren't oblivious are you?" Kris studied her as her hand eagerly went for the glass. She really was thirsty.
Catherine snatched the glass away just before Kris could reach it. Kris's wide eyes met Catherine's angry glare.
Kris put up her hands in defense. "Okay." She looked at the alluring drink in Catherine's slender hands. "The taking away food and drink if something bothers you... " She looked from the drink to Catherine again. "I have to admit that it does work. On me anyway." She teased as she eyed the older woman.
Catherine put the drink back in front of Kris on the coaster. "Now behave." She instructed sternly.
"I'm on holiday. I don't have to behave." She shrugged nonchalantly.
Catherine huffed at that.
"Why?" Kris asked.
"Why what?" Catherine filled her own glass with the yellow liquid now.
"Why do you play oblivious?"
Catherine shrugged. "What else can I do?" She asked in a thick accent as she sat down again. "I don't want to interfere or intervene-" She stopped talking the moment Kris's brow rose at that. "Excuse me?"
"I didn't say anything." Kris uttered surprised.
Catherine pointed at Kris's face and took a sip of her lemonade. "That's enough already. Your opinion is written all over your face young lady."
"O? And what opinion would that be?" Kris asked curiously as she to dared to taste the unknown liquid.
"You think I'm interfering." Catherine told her as she refused to make eye contact and suddenly became busy with clearing cups behind the bar.
"Why would I think that?" Kris smiled inwardly. She really loved hearing Catherine's side of the story.
"Because I arranged dates for my daughter." Catherine answered heatedly as she filled a tray with cutlery and took it to the kitchen.
Kris followed her immediately.
"Which she probably told you all about! You girls talk about everything don't you?! Is it so bad to wish for grand children?" Catherine asked reproachfully as she began to fill the dish washer.
Kris started to laugh out loud.
Catherine straightened herself and gave her a surprised and stern look as she put her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry. You can be so funny. You can act so innocent." Kris told her with a smile.
Catherine huffed annoyed and bent to further her work.
"You must know that she didn't like those dates at all."
"She does nothing! Nothing at all to meet someone! Then nothing will happen Kris. You know it yourself." Catherine blurted out as she looked at the younger woman in front of her.
"I'm sorry?" Kris asked shocked as she froze and gave Catherine a hurt look.
Catherine pressed her lips together. Oops. "... I merely meant that you're alone too. The same age." She tried quickly, in a soothing tone.
Kris sighed irritated. "How would you feel if your mother chose your partner for you?"
Catherine straightened herself and dried her hands on a towel. She threw it on the counter irritated when she thought of Camille and her man-less life again. "It's different. And it doesn't matter anymore because she doesn't listen to me anyway. I haven't arranged a date for her in a while now. It's useless."
"Great, that sounds very positive." Kris said sadly as she leaned against the wall and studied Catherine. "What about Richard? Do you think that can ever grow into something? Is all that fighting something else? Or is it just that? Fighting? I mean..." Kris thought about her own fights with her work partner. "Sometimes you just... Don't click with someone."
"O, she clicks very well with him!" Catherine closed the dish washer angrily. "The daft man just doesn't see it. And neither does she. So they click, and then they push each other away, and then they click, push, click... It's tiresome sometimes!"
"I kind of noticed." Kris agreed as Catherine breezed past her and sat behind the bar again.
"Drink your lemonade. It'll get warm." Catherine ordered when Kris leaned against the other side of the bar and looked around.
"Maybe they need time. These things can't be rushed."
"Time? Ma cherie. Do you know how long this has been going on?" Catherine asked as she took a long swig of her lemonade.
Kris shook her head.
"Two years already."
"Well, they're both strong headed... It might take a while for that." Kris commented. Kris looked up at Catherine. "Sometimes it's not that bad to take some time. Even if your mother decides time is up." Kris said annoyed. Catherine's remark of Kris still being alone had irritated and hurt her.
"Are we talking about you now? Or about my Camille?" Catherine asked directly.
Kris smiled at that, she felt caught.
Catherine saw a sadness in the young woman's eyes. "Did I offend you?" She asked.
"It's... Let's just say that it's a difficult topic." Kris admitted.
Catherine nodded. Her eyes swooped over Kris's face.
"She lashed out at you?" Catherine asked as she put a menu in front of Kris. A change of topic could be a good thing right now...
"Why would you say that?" Kris asked surprised as her big eyes stared astonished at Catherine.
"I'm able to read people too you know. And your face is like an open book sometimes."
Kris smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry cherie."
Kris smiled. "Thanks, but I know she didn't mean it like that. I've gotten used to her temper and moods.' Shesaid as her eyes were on the menu.
"Can't you do anything for her?" Catherine asked.
"Me?" Kris looked up from behind the menu with big eyes. "Like what?" She asked surprised.
"I don't know." Catherine shrugged. "You're the psychologist."
"I'm not a relationship expert."
"You know people."
'Thank you. And not always. But..." Kris smiled. "She already accused me of having a session with her just now... This Richard topic is extremely sensitive for her!" Kris commented.
"Oui."
"And also, it pains me to say this, but I'm no expert on the topic of men... I wish I was." Kris sighed deeply. "I'm not a good example sadly enough..."
"Ahh well... Join the club." Catherine sighed out loud. That's why she had told Kris minutes ago that with Camille her interfering was different. "I think I'm to blame for Camille's behavior. I think it has to do with her father and all." She admitted. She just didn't want Camille to make the same mistakes... And to end up alone.
Kris looked up at that. "Yes..."
"I wonder if she ever got over him leaving." She admitted sadly as she walked back towards the kitchen, followed on her heels by Kris. "Now she just doesn't let men get close." She paused for a moment. Looked at the ground. Sadness radiated from her shortly. "Just like I did." She admitted.
Kris remembered how Camille didn't like talking about her father. She'd rather not talk about things like that at all. She could be so open sometimes, and other times she was as closed off like a clam. A lot of anger came up then as her defense mechanism. And we all use different defense mechanisms, Kris thought wearily.
"She doesn't open up on the subject of men and relationships easily." Kris admitted.
"Non? Not even to you?" Catherine asked.
"I can try. I will try. She'd probably have my head."
"O, I'm sure you can take that. You two can take each other."
Kris smiled. "I don't know Catherine. That's a hell of a woman you raised there." She said as she smiled fondly.
Catherine put her hands on Kris's shoulder. "So are you. Don't sell yourself short." Catherine knew about Kris's difficult childhood.
"Even though I'm alone?" Kris asked. She couldn't leave it be.
"O ma cherie. I can fix you up with someone in no time." Catherine said as she smiled widely.
"What? O no... I didn't mean..." No! O no! What had she said?! She really wasn't waiting for Catherine to go on a man hunt for her!
"Non?"
"Ehm... Catherine?"
Both women looked to the sound of the voice. It was Richard, calling out ever so softly.
"Saved by the bell." Kris commented as she smirked.
"Don't worry Kris. You're around for a while aren't you? I'm sure I can arrange something." Catherine reassured her as she stood up from her bar stool.
"Catherine no-" Kris almost begged as she straightened herself now too and looked helplessly. "Please Richard, make her stop." She begged.
Richard looked with wide eyes from Catherine to Kris. What had he walked into now?
"What is it Richard?" Catherine asked lightly as she was already thinking of a few men that would be suitable for Kris. Maybe if Kris would find someone, Camille would try it again too...That made her feel nice. She could almost hear the cogs in her brain began to move fluently, spitting out idea after idea rapidly.
"I was wondering... Is Camille somewhere to be found per haps?" Richard asked.
Catherine shook her head and looked at Kris. But she was rummaging in the fridge behind the bar. "I haven't seen her for a while now. Maybe she's at the beach? You know how she loves the beach."
Kris smiled at that and bended over the bar, looking at Richard's shoes and neat trousers. She looked up at him. "And we all know how much you love the beach." She smiled widely. "Want to borrow some flip flops?" She offered mischievously.
Richard gave her a hollow stare.
"You know one day... You'll get to like the beach. I'm sure of that." She told him as she let herself slide off the bar ever so flexible.
"You are?" Catherine asked as she eyed Kris surprised.
Kris looked from Catherine back at Richard. "I'm sure Camille will get you that far." She said as she winked at him. "Maybe she'll even get you to touch the sea?"
Richard cleared his throat as he looked at Catherine nervously now. Why did he have the feeling that what that woman was saying wasn't actually what she was saying? Like she used words but meant something totatlly different with them? He wasn't good at reading between the lines. He chose to ignore her. "Yes..Er... Well.." He had no clue what to say to this. And what did she even mean? "I don't think so." He reached for his tie. It felt tight around his throat. "Would you... Per haps... If..."
"If I see her, I'll tell her to come by your lovely dream home."
"No." He said quickly. It was better not to be in such a confined space with Camille right this moment. He needed space. Somewhere safe. Where he could stay at a safe distance from her. He looked at Catherine apologetically. "I meant... I mean... She could also... You know... Call?"
"I'll let her know." Kris nodded friendly. "As soon as possible." She promised.
"Yes er.. Thank you." He nodded at both woman and quickly moved away from them.
Kris looked at Richard's retreating back and then at Catherine. The two woman gave each other a knowing look.
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