ONE CLICK AWAY
"Are there copies?"
"Yes."
"Who has them?"
"I am pretty sure you know the answer. But he's not the only one. Regard it as a precautionary measure to make sure an erratic behavior like today's doesn't repeat itself. I would also be aware of the fact that I don't control the recipients of the material. I can't make them not release them, I can't make them not make any copies for their own safety and protection, I can't make them wait. Also, before you say anything about this being extortion ... I don't have to remind you that the person that got herself in trouble isn't Jaime or myself, do I?"
"No."
"Well, I think it best you took precautions for when this particular storm is going to hit our family again, father. We, on the other hand, have a press statement prepared and I do reckon that after watching the footage yourself you can agree that it is very apparent that Jaime isn't interested in resuming any form of relationship with Cersei, right?"
"Right."
"Good, because he really isn't. Anything else?"
"No."
"Glad I was able to warn you."
"You're not."
"No, not really, but it's fun when it's the other siblings that are in trouble."
It had been fourteen different stores already and Brienne was bored. Fourteen different stores to find something she now concluded could not even exist, yet she got dragged along by Margaery and Sansa into store number fifteen in order to find a new dress.
"Don't you have enough dresses already? Brienne asked, slumping down into a comfortable looking deep violet armchair, normally reserved for poor husbands and boyfriends that were dragged along a female shopping spree.
"First of all," Sansa quipped, "a lady can never have enough dresses and that's a fact. Period. Second of all, Margaery can't be seen in a dress more than twice, she's out there, you know? People take pictures!"
This much was true and when the paparazzi were out in full force, Brienne honestly hated being anywhere with the younger Tyrell. Olenna's divorce had filled the tabloids for weeks if not months and the interest in the entire Tyrell family had been unbowed.
"Why do I even do this for you?" Brienne sighed but smirked.
"You love us," came a shout from one of the dressing rooms and Sansa and Brienne laughed.
"That itself is uncontradicted," Brienne said when she regained her breath.
"Good," Sansa smiled, "are you sure you don't wanna try anything on? It doesn't have to be a dress, although I feel it is a true shame that you're hiding those endlessly long legs ever so often. Your height is an asset and your legs are to die for, Bri. Use them!"
"I don't really think that's a good idea, Sansa. Also, it's fall season and ..."
"Come on, never heard of pantyhoses and stockings?"
"I have, but..."
"Tadaaaaaa," Margaery came out of the dressing room and twirled around in a navy-blue sixties-inspired dress that hugged her shape coaxingly.
"Uh La La, Madame, it's gorgeous. Do we have an occasion for this?" the shop owner approached them, measuring tape around her neck, a pincushion on her belt and a knowing smile on her face.
"We don't, I always wanna look fab," Margaery laughed and the shop owner joined in, indicating that she should twirl around once more.
"Well, no doubt you do in this," the shop owner, who introduced herself as Ellaria, said and helped with some small adjustments to the otherwise perfectly fitted dress.
Margaery beamed, she was a sucker for honest compliments and they all could tell the dark-haired woman wasn't telling their friend she looked good just to sell the dress, she really meant it. As the adjustments were added and Margaery was released back into the dressing room, Ellaria turned toward the other two women.
"Any of you are trying anything on today?" she asked, looking Brienne over from head to toe. Sansa grinned but Brienne flinched at the unwanted attention.
"Well, as you're bringing this up, my friend Brienne here," Sansa gestured toward the tall blonde, "is very aware of her height. She feels it's not an asset, rather a hindrance. I don't agree, I think she should use her height and her long legs. Do you not agree?"
"Oh, I most certainly do, come follow me, young friend," Ellaria said and before Brienne could protest, Sansa had shoved her lightly toward the retreating figure of the shop owner, who lead her past a roped-off staircase up the same stairs and into a private showroom above the main floor, concealed from prying eyes.
"We sometimes have people come in that don't wish to be seen, you know," she explained as Brienne looked at her, profoundly confused, "it's easier to be at an event saying 'here's the new dress I got at Sand's' or 'look, this suit was tailored just for me' instead of paparazzi following them into stores and snapping pictures of what they might be wearing on their next public appearance. I also do fittings in people's homes to safeguard their privacy but it all depends on what they like and need. Just as you need some privacy from your friends..."
"How...?" Brienne gasped.
"Knowledge comes from experience and my friend, I've had a lot of experience meeting people from all walks of life. I just know. Now, I don't assume you have anything particular in mind since you were dragged into here by your friends and didn't wanna do this in the first place, right?"
"Riiiiiiight, I wanted a quiet afternoon after cleaning my kitchen and bedroom and they just waltzed back in and decided they were taking me out. They're very persuasive..."
"I can tell," the older woman smirked, "but that's not going to deter us from making the most of the occasion, is it?
"Ummmm..."
"Your friend is right, your legs are remarkable," Ellaria said after she had made Brienne stand up especially straight, "we need to emphasize them a little bit. Not too much, because we don't wanna be too out there, but a tiny bit so that it drives men ..." Ellaria shot Brienne a questioning look "... or women crazy."
"Umm, I mean, if you think so..."
"I want you to see what I see, and I see a remarkable young woman with a lot of potential in many ways. One of them is making sure people see how strong and beautiful she is...," at that, Brienne had to suppress a snort and then a grin, remembering her chat from earlier, "and that she is strong and powerful and confident. Because that's what you should be, it's there, you're just not showing it but you should. Us females, we feel afraid to be powerful but we really should not be and I will try to find something that you'll be comfortable in but that will also show you just how gorgeous you are. Do you trust me?"
Surprisingly enough, Brienne did.
"I do."
"Good, then let's do this."
Twenty minutes later, Brienne was standing in the upstairs showroom in a black dress with spaghetti straps, black pointed semi-high heels, her hair combed back and her eyes made up with a minimal black smokey eye. Sansa and Margaery were sat across from her on a sofa, both gawking and in Sansa's case, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Oh my gosh, yes!" Margaery exclaimed, "you look stunning in this. Look at those legs, where do they start, where do they end, no one really knows..."
"See?" Ellaria grinned and Brienne blushed, a rosy color tinting her cheeks.
"Is there more?" Sansa asked, her eyes sparkling.
"One more, Brienne, you wanna show them?"
A still very timid Brienne hopped off the little podium Ellaria had put her on and retreated into the spacious dressing room, followed by the shop owner who had insisted to help.
Margaery and Sansa were still debating about the grade of Brienne's gorgeousness when the curtain opened a few minutes later and their jaws collectively dropped to the floor. Their timid, careful, pedantic, pragmatic friend was gone. In walked a goddess.
"Oh."
"Maiden."
"Oh, Brienne!"
"Oh my goodness."
"Maiden have mercy!"
Brienne was wearing a white dress blouse with slightly flared sleeves, black dress pants with the same degree of flare that hugged her waist and pelvis just right and showed her long legs without actually showing them. To accentuate her beautiful neck and to contrast the white crisp shirt, Brienne wore a slightly loosened tie. The look was rounded off with the same heels she had worn with the dress.
"Oh my god, you can't take this off, we gotta go to lunch like this!" Margaery said.
"Oh, we absolutely do!" Sansa added, squealing with excitement.
"I don't think I can walk far in those shoes, guys, I have to break them in," Brienne hesitated.
"Well, let's share a cab in that case," Sansa's pragmatic approach earned her appreciative glances from both Margaery and Ellaria and Brienne just gave up.
"Let me just..." Ellaria disappeared in a corner of the upstairs showroom and reappeared with a black shiny leather jacket.
"That one goes with both outfits. Thankfully, it's a floor model and I will change my collections shortly anyway. I feel like it should be yours."
While the name Lannister had its disadvantages, one positive side effect of carrying the very name was that there would never be an issue in getting a spot in a good or even excellent restaurant and this Saturday Tyrion and Jaime took advantage of that fact.
They had Bronn call into Winterfell Hall just as they left Casterly Manor and the table which would have been impossible to get was confirmed within a minute.
To counter the inevitable press interest that was going to follow from Cersei's appearance at Casterly Manor, Tyrion had made the point to choose a table in the center of the busy five-star restaurant. To see and be seen. Jaime had finally been able to leave the splint off his right arm and despite being unable to use the arm and hand fully, he felt a lot more whole than before.
"I will still have to ask you to cut meat for me, if that's what you're wondering," Jaime grinned as they sat down and Tyrion commented on the missing splint.
"Oh good, some things don't change," Tyrion laughed, happy to sit close to Jaime's right arm instead of his left, otherwise Jaime might have hit him. He was not able to at that very moment, his mouth was agape and his stare fixated on the entrance. Tyrion waved his hand in front of Jaime's eyes in order to gain his attention but it was to no avail, his brother was stuck in his observation so Tyrion turned to see who he was staring at.
Currently standing at the receptionist was Margaery Tyrell, youngest of the Tyrell family, her red-headed friend Sansa Stark (Tyrion had to find out who she was, eventually he just used the internet to be sure) and a very tall blonde woman that accompanied her. The contrast between the black and white garments the tall woman wore worked wonders to accentuate her height, her curves, and her skin tone. Standing tall behind Sansa and Margaery, she throned above them all like a goddess.
"Jaime?"
His brother did not react.
"Jaime?"
His brother still did not react.
"JAIME?"
"Huh?"
"Who are you staring at?" Tyrion grinned, his voice innocent but his smirk gave him away. "I mean, I know who you're staring at. It's the blonde from the bar and from the club and she's gorgeous. I know she is, she's quite extraordinary, that one. No wonder you weren't sure how to approach this. Such a tame lion you've become..."
"Shut up."
"Well, it might be time to introduce ourselves, don't you think?"
"Tyrion,..."
"In my case, re-introduce myself. But yes, we totally should, otherwise, you won't ever get a move on," Tyrion said, matter-of-factly.
"I don't ..."
"Oh, brother, don't start lying to me now."
"I am not..."
"Liar!"
"Tyrion..." Jaime warned him with a growl, turning his head back to face the entrance, watching her. Even from the distance, he could see her sapphire blue eyes, her elegant neck, her delicate skin tone. He craved her, inexplicably, he needed her. That scared him but somehow he gravitated toward her and he thanked the Seven that fate brought up another occasion to be in the same room as her.
"Margaery!" Tyrion exclaimed, and the three women turned around. Margaery Tyrell's face lit up and she walked toward their table, setting a steady and determined pace.
Sansa and Brienne trailed behind, Brienne desperately tried to hide her shocked expression and had only regained control over her facial expressions the moment Margaery reciprocated Tyrion's greeting.
"Tyrion Lannister," she said, smiling gently, "it is good to see you aside from the tedious process of making sure Olenna gets the divorce she desperately craved and boring high-society get-togethers. How are you?"
"Splendid," the dwarf answered, still amused by Jaime's bewilderment. The latter was still shell-shocked and unable to speak.
"Excuse my brother," Tyrion helped, we've had an interesting morning at Casterly Manor with an uninvited guest. We came to celebrate."
"We did, too," Margaery grinned, holding up two big shopping bags.
"Well, do you wanna join us? I hear getting a table here can be quite challenging," Tyrion quipped.
"Do you not mind?" Margery shot a questioning look at Jaime which rattled the latter out of his stare.
"I am sorry, ladies, where are my manners," Jaime collected himself enough to get up and pull out the first empty chair at the table which Sansa sat down. Jaime moved to the next chair, pulled it out and Margaery sat down. This left Brienne and Jaime to be the last ones standing.
"Mr. Lannister," Brienne pressed out as he approached her.
Jaime didn't answer, pulled out the chair and waited for her to sit down. When he retreated, the small breeze of air he left create goosebumps on Brienne's arms and she inwardly scolded herself for reacting this intensely to someone she loathed. When Jaime sat down next to Tyrion and Sansa, Brienne exhaled sharply and let go of the shopping bag she was still clutching in her left hand. This was an interesting turn of events.