Thank you all for the amazing feedback on the first chapter, I'm beyond thrilled that you're enjoying the story so far.
/
They put the divorce on hold and stay married, only they're not really married. Legally, they are, but in every other way it feels like nothing between them has changed at all.
(Except in some ways, for Gail at least, it has...)
None of their friends know what's happened, they don't tell their parents, there's no big party to celebrate, no changing of any personal details at work. They don't move in together – although Gail spends 90% of her free time at Holly's townhouse, and always has – they don't get a joint banking account, and they most certainly aren't intimate.
Despite relaxing back into their normal friendship balance – no more needless avoidance – and finding ways to make the situation more bearable by teasing each other, they both seem to have silently agreed not to broach the topic of their night together in any seriousness. Gail is straight after all, or so she'd always thought, but as flashes of recollection of their weekend begins to come back to her in more and more detail, Gail can't deny that somewhere along the line, her feelings for Holly have changed.
It's a little problematic given that they're planning on getting divorced within the next few months, and not to mention Holly has no idea of Gail's evolving feelings for her, but Gail tries her best to work through this new development alone, not wanting to add any stress to her already overworked and freaking out best friend.
It becomes difficult for Gail to focus at times though, especially when her mind fills with images of Holly's soft, smooth, curvaceous body beneath her pale hands, and the sweet, supple, fullness of Holly's tantalizingly, kissable lips working against her own. In response, she finds herself growing more acutely aware of the way Holly touches her and looks at her, and the way she is with Holly in return. Their teasing, harmless banter now feels like it walks the line between playful and flirting, and it makes Gail wonder if she's seeing their interaction coloured by her own desires or whether they've always been blurring the balance between friendship and something more.
It's too many questions and not enough answers, but the one thing Gail does know, as she fiddles with the cheap, gold-plastic ring she keeps in her pocket at all times, is that she appears to be falling in love with her unsuspecting wife.
/
Gail's heard the story before, about Holly's parents and their awful, messy divorce – that to an eleven year old Holly, never seemed to end. Like many children whose parents are divorced, Holly had grown up with a rucksack always filled with her most important belongings, and spent her weekends being passed off between her mother and father, never really getting enough time to feel settled in either of their homes.
Holly's confessed to her before, early on in their friendship, back when Gail had burned her wrist, and Holly had picked her up from the hospital to find tears in her eyes and the look of devastation on her face as she finally got the truth from McNally about her relationship with Collins, that she too wasn't good at relationships. She knows people shouldn't let their parents' mistakes shape them, but Holly's also self aware enough to acknowledge that because of their viscous divorce, she finds it hard to trust, that she doesn't love easily but when she does she's all in, she's committed one hundred percent.
It's how Gail knows that Holly takes marriage and its vows deadly serious, and that their drunken union isn't just something Holly can just easily write off. She knows that what they've done in their intoxicated haze has hurt Holly deep down in her very core, and that despite the brave face she's putting on, it really does pain Holly to know that she will end up as a divorcee. Knowing that she's part of the reason why her best friend is hurting, wounds Gail deeply in return, more than anything else ever has.
She knows she can't make Holly love her, that's not how the heart works, or at least that's not how it works as she's come to understand it from her failed attempts at romance – trying unsuccessfully to keep hold of both Chris and Nick – but she's more than determined to try and make Holly happy while she can, to make sure that her time-constrained marriage is as stress free, and filled with joy as she can possibly make it.
Gail Peck has a plan; it's simple and contrived, but she thinks it might make the sorrow lingering just behind the surface of Holly's beautiful, brown eyes fade and return them to their usual glimmering brightness, and that is, she feels, the least she can do for her best friend.
The plan, as stupid as it seems, is this; happy wife, happy life.
/
Watching Holly in Doctor Stewart mode is a thing of beauty.
Most of the other officer's in Gail's division, while appreciating the evidence Holly supplies for their cases, don't appreciate the science behind Holly's forensic work. It's intricate and a little morbid, but it honours the dead, giving a voice to those that no longer can speak for themselves. Watching Holly unravel the decade old story of Robbie Robbins was one of the first things to truly draw Gail to Holly... well, the precision of her work and the way she sassed Gail right back without batting an eyelid.
After they became friendly, and Gail started spending more and more time with Holly, often being the officer elected to go to the lab and wait on results, Gail found her fascination of what Holly did for a living growing immensely. Doctor Stewart was a nerd all right, but she was a smart, funny, and witty nerd, and Gail embraced their banter full-heartedly. She even embraced Holly's teaching, pretending at first to be aloof and uninterested, but quickly losing the desire to hide her curiosity whenever a pair of latex gloves were thrown her way.
Holly is brilliant and dedicated when it comes to her mind, but Gail also knows that Holly can also get so wrapped up in what she's doing, that her big nerd brain forgets sometimes that Holly is more than just Doctor Stewart, that sometimes she needs to take a break to refresh her both her mind and her body.
This knowledge of her best friend is how Gail finds herself heading to the lab late one Friday night, clutching a bag of food from their favourite Thai restaurant.
Holly glances up at her as Gail taps on the window, holding up the bag for Holly to see and then tapping her wrist to indicate the time. Holly's gaze instantly flicks up to the clock hanging above the door and her eyes widen slightly as she takes in the late hour.
While she leaves Holly to finish up her autopsy, Gail heads into Holly's office and begins unpacking the cartons of food, making sure to grab the glasses and secret bottle of bourbon Holly keeps in her bottom desk drawer.
Holly rushes into the room a few moments later, looking dishevelled and exhausted but still as beautiful as ever.
"I forgot our dinner reservation, didn't I?" Holly says with a grimace, not really needing Gail to confirm her statement and accepting the bourbon gratefully.
"Yes, Lunchbox, you did," Gail replies anyway with a cheeky smile, settling her palm at the small of Holly's back and gently ushering her to sit down. "But don't worry, you only left me sitting alone for forty minutes before the waiters took pity on me for being stood up and offered to package me up some food to take home."
Holly's eyebrows knit together guiltily, and she flashes Gail a sheepish smile. "I'm so sorry, honey, I honestly didn't mean to stand you up. Detective Swarek showed up an hour before I was due to leave with a fresh body and asked me to get him results ASAP."
"Why am I not surprised it was Detective Douchebag that made you stay late," Gail quips with a scowl, never having been fond of Sam or his arrogant rule-bending.
"Gail," Holly admonishes softly, reaching out to nudge Gail's calf with her foot. "He's just doing his job."
"He got to go home to McNally after he dumped this on you, whereas my wife is here, working, and probably hasn't stopped all day to eat until this very moment," Gail fumes, feeling unusually protective and annoyed, and not even noticing the term of endearment that's slipped from her mouth as she stabs at another piece of chicken. "This could have waited until the morning, Holly. You tell him that next time, okay? I'm not having you working yourself to the bone."
Holly studies her quietly for a few moments, her eyes softening, and her lips quirking into an adoring smile as her chest rushes with appreciation for the grumpy, cat-like officer sitting in-front of her and grumbling on her behalf.
"What?" Gail questions a second later as she catches Holly staring at her strangely. "I know, I know, lame bone joke, but it's late and I'm not at my best," she breathes out heavily. "And I know you're going to say that I need to play nice with others, but so does Sam. Seriously, Hol, if he has a problem with you waiting until the morning to do an autopsy next time, you send him my way."
Holly shakes her head in refute. "Actually, I was going to say thank you, for taking care of me," she says appreciatively, setting her container down onto her desk and moving to stand next to Gail. "And for defending my honour, you're very sweet, Peck," she adds in a low murmur, holding Gail's gaze for a brief second as she reaches out to gently cup her cheek, her lips lowering to press a soft, lingering kiss to the corner of Gail's mouth.
Gail feels her heart thundering in her chest and a shiver rippling down her spine as Holly's lips catch the corner of her own, and as Holly pulls away to smile fondly at her, Gail feels the tips of her ears burning hotly, a blush creeping up her neck and settling high in her cheeks.
"I'm not sweet," she huffs weakly, quickly ducking her eyes down towards her lap in the hope that Holly doesn't catch on to the affect her touch is suddenly having on her best friend.
Holly chuckles affectionately at Gail's swift shift from brawny and protective to bashful and uncomfortable, never failing to be amazed at how behind Gail's hard, tough shell, is the softest, most gentlest of hearts.
She doesn't let many people see her vulnerable side, but over the years of their friendship, Holly's caught glimpses of it, and even been so lucky as to slowly be allowed inside, and she knows, that despite what Gail says, she is the sweetest, warmest, most wonderful person.
Holly pats her cheek softly at Gail's protest, and lovingly caresses her thumb along Gail's pouty bottom lip. "Deny it all you want, Gail, but you are sweet," she says, her trademark lopsided smile pulling at the corner of her lips. "But don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I promise never to tell anybody... but if they do ask, I'll say I'm sweet and you're spice, and together we're everything nice, how's that?"
Gail rolls her eyes at Holly's utter nerdiness, but smiles despite herself. "Well, it sounds like we're just the right mix, Lunchbox," she jests, trying to ignore the way her stomach is fluttering to life as she lets herself get momentarily lost in Holly's beautiful, dark eyes for a second longer than she should.
"Opposites attract, it's scientific fact," Holly sing-songs flippantly, her eyes playful as she leans in to boop Gail on the tip of the nose, distracting the blonde long enough that she's able to reach over and steal Gail's carton of food.
Gail let's Holly take it without a fight, her mind too busy trying to figure out if Holly's words indicate that she's feeling the same shift Gail is in their relationship, or whether Holly is completely unaware and just goofing around like they're so used to doing.
All the uncertainty surrounding where they stand with each other now is enough to leave Gail's head spinning.
/
She's halfway through her shift, working over some case notes on a homicide when Holly settles a fresh cup of coffee and a sandwich in front of her a few days later.
"Can you take some time for lunch, Detective?" Holly asks with a hopeful smile, perching on the corner of Gail's desk.
Gail smiles up at her as she grabs her coffee and leans back in her chair, taking a long, deep sip. "For my favourite pathologist, always," she quips with a smile. "What brings you out of the lab, Doc? Didn't you have hours of paperwork to catch up on today?"
Holly sighs in response, moving to throw herself in the chair on the opposite side of Gail's desk. "I needed a break," she explains, her fingers beginning to peel away the paper from her sandwich. "Plus, I needed to ask you a favour."
"Ah, I see how it is, you're bribing me with food," Gail teases around a mouthful of her sandwich, rolling her eyes as Holly shakes her head and chastises her for speaking with her mouth full. "What's the favour, Lunchbox?"
"I got a call from Lisa this morning, she's coming into town this weekend for a conference and wants to stay at my place," Holly discloses cautiously, knowing full well that Gail and her oldest friend do not get along, at all.
Gail frowns at the news. "So, you want me to be nice to BitchTits while she's here even though she thinks I'm an unworthy, uneducated, blue collar cop, and hates that you've lowered your standards to be friends with me?"
Holly releases another heavy sigh, tired but completely used to the standing issue between Gail and Lisa that neither of them can seem to let go of.
"Honey, you know that's not how I see you," Holly reassures softly. "I told Lisa where to shove her opinion of you the first time she voiced it at The Penny and I'll do it again if she unleashes her inner, elitist bitch. But I'd really appreciate it if you could try to get along with her."
"I hope you're having this conversation with her too, Hol, because I don't see why I should have to try while she just gets to get away with her usual shit," Gail sulks, throwing the remainder of her sandwich away and crossing her arms grumpily over her chest.
Holly reaches up to rub tiredly at her eyes, knocking her glasses slightly askew as she does so. "I will, but you and I both know that Lisa will never change, she's too self absorbed."
"But I have to?" Gail grumbles back defensively.
Holly presses her lips together tightly in response and shakes her head. "No, you don't, but I'm hoping you'll try and get along with her while she's here, for my sake because I know you're the better person," she says wearily as she stands up and gathers her things. "But if you don't think you can handle two days with her, don't come over this weekend, okay? I don't think you and Lisa realise how much it hurts me when you bicker over me like I'm some sort of prized possession. I love you both, and I hate being made to feel guilty for that."
"Hol..." Gail calls after her aimlessly, watching as her best friend stalks angrily away without waiting for Gail to respond.
Normally, when it comes to Lisa, Gail digs her heels in and resists taking the higher road. Lisa is a bitch to her, and so in turn Gail acts like the biggest brat she can. It's infantile and immature but something about Lisa just gets under her skin and pushes her buttons in all the wrong ways. She long ago accepted that she and Lisa were never going to be friends, but somehow, Holly's usual disappointment in her over this, combined with the new, added significance of the cheap, gold-plastic ring in her pocket, makes Gail's stubborn resolve begin to crumble away.
Marriage is all about compromise, and while theirs may not be a traditional marriage so to speak, Gail's silently sworn to herself that she will do her best to uphold all of the conventional vows.
Love, Gail's coming to understand, is about putting somebody else's needs first, and her wife needs something from her that she could easily give if she wanted too. Holly's not demanding much of her really, and knowing how happy her being civil to Lisa for a few hours will make Holly – how much Holly will appreciate her effort – makes Gail determined to find a way to put aside her adamancy and concede to what Holly's asking.
/
It takes a little bit of thought and planning, but Gail comes up with a solution to show Holly that she's willing to get along with Lisa.
The first thing she does is call her mother, asking if there's any way she can call in some favours and get her tickets for the highly anticipated and already sold out showing of Carmen at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
Her mother seems suspicious of her request, prying as to whether they're needed for a date Gail has, and only relents in her barrage of questioning when Gail mentions they're for Holly. If there's one thing her mother loves more than trying to arrange set-ups for her only daughter, it's Holly Stewart. She's the stunning example of an accomplished woman, and if it wasn't for Holly being a lesbian, Gail's sure her mother would have tried to match-make her with Steve just so she could finally have a doctor included amongst the Pecks. When her mother ends the call wishing Holly and her assumed date a wonderful time at the opera, the petulant part of Gail wants to lash out and stun her mother with the news that the only woman Holly's been with lately is her. Oh, how her mother would stutter like a fish out of water if she knew the esteemed Doctor Stewart had drunkenly married her consistently disappointing daughter.
(The image alone is enough to keep Gail amused for hours).
She knows Holly won't be expecting to see her tonight, given how abruptly their last meeting ended and the lack of communication they've exchanged in the hours since, but Gail decides that as she's trying to do the right thing, Holly can't be mad at her for turning up unannounced.
Holly ends up looking more than a little shocked as she answers the door to find Gail standing on her front step later that evening, dressed in smart black jeans, a crisp white shirt, complete with a black tie fixed loosely around the collar, and holding a large, beautiful tiger lily bouquet.
Gail smile's softly as Holly's stares back at her, her mouth slightly agape as she processes what she's seeing, her expression slowly flickering from confusion into one of awe.
"Wife," Gail greets quietly, her mouth curling into a playful smirk as she presents the flowers for Holly to take.
Holly smiles at her antics, shaking her head ever so slightly as she accepts the bouquet. "They're beautiful," she murmurs, lifting them up to her nose to breath them in.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," Gail says as Holly's eyes drift back to hers. "I was being a brat about Lisa, and we- I should know better than to make you feel bad for caring about either of us, it's not fair on you."
"Thank you," Holly replies earnestly, truly touched at the gesture. A moment of silence passes between them then as Holly's appreciative gaze drifts back over Gail's attire. "Did you really get all dressed up to come and apologise?"
Gail shakes her head and reaches into her jean's back pocket, drawing her hand back to present an envelope to Holly.
"I got dressed up because a) I know how hot it makes you when I'm all suited and booted," she teases with a wink, secretly relishing in the slight flush that creeps into Holly's cheeks, knowing that her best friend has a weakness for women in formal attire, "and b)," Gail continues with a grin as she watches a look of astonishment pass in Holly's eyes as she accepts the envelope and reveals the tickets, "because tonight I'm going to chauffeur you and Lisa to the opera."
She watches as Holly's mouth opens and closes wordlessly for a few seconds, the surprise of Gail's gesture clearly stumping her for words to say. "Tickets for this were sold out," Holly stutters, finally finding her voice. "I know that because I tried to get tickets but missed out... how on earth did you manage to get these?"
"Besides being a pain in my ass, the Peck name has got to be good for something, right? And bribing people for opera tickets is as good a use as any," Gail grins with a shrug. "Now go and tell Lisa to hurry and get changed, we have to leave in half and hour if we want to beat the traffic."
She can practically feel the excitement radiating from Holly as her face lights up with a beaming smile, and not needing to be told twice, Holly quickly pulls Gail into a one-armed hug before practically spinning on her heels and dashing inside, calling out for Lisa to hurry up and get her ass in gear.
/
Holly's a beautiful woman.
It's not like Gail doesn't know this, or hasn't noticed it before, but for the first time in their friendship, Gail finds herself absolutely blown away with how stunning her best friend truly is.
As Holly slowly emerges down the stairs in a gorgeous royal blue, knee-length cocktail dress that Gail's never seen her in before, she feels the time around her slowing down like she's one of the lead actors in some cheesy Hollywood rom-com.
The sound of her heartbeat racing swiftly echoes loudly through her body as she's struck by absorbing every tiny detail; the way the fabric seems to hug Holly's body in all the right ways, highlighting the enchanting curve of her waist, and the glorious pertness of her derrière; the soft, silky waves of thick, lushness hair that tumbles down around Holly's shoulders, framing the soft lines of her face exquisitely. But it's the rather low cut, teasing v-neckline that really catches Gail's attention, her eyes uncontrollably drawn down along Holly's bare neck, along her beautifully exposed collarbones, and down to the subtle, revealed swell of Holly's breasts.
She feels herself swallow thickly, her skin prickling with the need to reach out and touch; to trace her fingertips across the softness of Holly's flesh, and to press her lips to the suppleness of Holly's own and taste her with her tongue. The desire feels like a fire that's caught light in her chest, quickly growing hotter and hotter as it spreads easily throughout every inch of her body, and it's all she can do to her clench her fingers tightly into fists, her nails biting painfully into her palm and just barely holding her back from risking everything and sweeping Holly into arms.
Luckily, Lisa snaps her from her trance before Holly notices the way she's leering appreciatively, her eyes stealing a final glance at the long, smooth length of Holly's legs before she forces herself to fully regain control.
"Wow, you really do look the part, Peck," Lisa sneers, appearing from behind Holly as they reach the entryway, and hiding the true bite of her remark with a smile as fake as her tits. "If only you'd worn a little driver's hat and actually owned a limo, then your effort as chauffeur would be complete."
Gail feels her heckles rise at the remark but grinds her teeth together, determined to play nice for Holly's sake. "Wasn't able to rent a limo in time I'm afraid, so my father's Jaguar will have to suffice this evening," she replies, forcing herself to smile. "It's nice to see you again, Lisa."
The comment about her father's Jaguar being the vehicle of choice for the night seems to be enough to satisfy Lisa for a short while at least, and instead of continuing on her elitist rant, she simply offers Gail a proper greeting in return. "Nice to see you too, Gail," she says as politely as she can manage. "I hear it's finally Detective Peck now, too."
Gail feels herself stumble a little at the remark, unaware that Holly has shared news of her promotion with Lisa. Holly simply flashes her an apologetic smile, but Gail just takes what she assumes is an intended patronising comment, and nods.
"Yep," she drawls, popping the 'p' with a little more force than necessary. "I'm finally moving on up in the ranks."
"Well, you have my congratulations," Lisa says sounding somewhat sincere. "Holly says you beat out several other applicants, very impressive."
Gail smiles tightly, not entirely sure how earnest Lisa's good wishes are, or how exactly to handle this new level of civility they've somewhat stumbled into, but reminding herself to remain the bigger person at all expense.
"Thank you," she manages to reply gracefully, assuming that Holly has indeed had words with Lisa about playing nice too, and that what she's experiencing now is Lisa on her best behaviour.
It feels weird and wrong, and Gail finds herself clearing her throat a little stiffly and glancing at her watch, hoping that it's time for them to leave.
Thankfully, Holly picks up on her cue, and cuts through the awkward tension that's bubbling between them. "Is it time for us to go yet?"
Gail nods in response and offers Holly a reassuring smile. "I'm ready when you are, ladies."
Once they agree that they're all set to go, Gail reaches for the door and holds it open for them in her best act of chivalry, earning herself an appreciative look and squeeze to the arm as Holly passes by her.
/
She remains silent for most of the drive over, fulfilling her role as chauffeur to perfection as she leaves Holly and Lisa to chatter away excitedly together in the back. It's only once they pull up outside, and Gail gets out to open the door for them that words pass between them again. Her mind tells her to keep her mouth shut, but her heart chooses to ignore the advice, and Gail find the words leaving the tip of her tongue before she can even think to hold them back.
"You look really breathtaking, Hol."
The compliment rushes out of her in one long breath, and she feels her cheeks flushing hotly as both Holly and Lisa's eyes widen slightly in surprise at her sudden, and unexpected outburst. Holly's eyes soften as they meet hers, her adorable, crooked smile suddenly turning a little shy, and Gail feels her heart swell at the sight of it.
"Of course she does, I styled her in one of my old, last season dresses," Lisa chips in arrogantly, and Gail finally understands why she's never seen Holly, who's not really into keeping up with the latest fashion trends, wearing it before. "It's not quite as on point as mine, but Holly's making it work well enough."
Gail bites at her tongue, forcing herself not to tell Lisa that Holly could be wearing a garbage bag and still look ten times better than she could ever dream of looking. Luckily for her, Holly shoots Lisa a glare of her own and tells her to shut up. Lisa huffs in response, muttering that she's cold and heads inside to wait without so much as a thank-you, but Gail finds she doesn't care, she's just proud that Holly's standing up for herself.
"Don't listen to her," Gail emphasises as her gaze falls to Holly's again, noticing the way Holly's stance has deflated slightly at Lisa's rude remark. "You are what's breathtaking, not the dress."
Holly bites bashfully at her bottom lip in response. "Thank you," she murmurs quietly, her lips curling into a soft, beautiful smile and her eyes brightening again.
"You're welcome," Gail replies sincerely, and then nods her head towards the entrance. "You should head inside if you don't want to miss the show. I'll be back to pick you up once it finishes, I promise."
Holly stares back at her intensely for what feels like a long, drawn out moment, her mind clearly whirring away and trying to process something before she speaks again. "Why didn't you get yourself a ticket too? I know you could have. You've been wanting to see this with me for months, Gail," she says knowingly, well aware of Gail's secret appreciation for the classical arts. "You could have come along with us."
"Because..." Gail exhales slowly, trying to find the right words to explain her decision without making Holly feel like she's being forced to choose between her and Lisa again. "Because I thought you should spend some quality time catching up with Lisa."
Holly shakes her head at her weak answer, opening her mouth to protest, but Gail cuts her off by quickly expanding her answer.
"She's only in town for the weekend, Hol, and despite what a catty bitch she can be, it's clear she misses you. She wants to see you, not you and me, despite me being as wonderful as I am," she jokes with a smirk that has Holly shaking her head fondly at her. "So I decided to be selfless, just this once, and share, because I know how fortunate I am to get quality Holly time all year round, but mostly because I know I would be just as jealous and needy if the situation were reversed."
Holly laughs at her honesty, her eyes lighting beautifully as she smiles. "So, I guess I really owe you for being the bigger person for me and being so utterly selfless, huh?" she teases.
"Of course, I'm totally holding you to making this up to me, Stewart, you knew when you took me on that Peck's don't share well," she jests back playfully.
"I will, I promise," Holly replies, stepping into Gail's personal space and wrapping her arms tightly around Gail's neck to pull her into an impossibly close embrace.
Gail feels her eyes flutter closed as Holly's body melds against her own, her nose getting lost in the intoxicating floral scent of Holly's hair as she breathes her in, and her hands tracing up the length of her back to hold Holly closer still.
It feels like their hug is over all to quick as Holly begins to pull back again only mere seconds later, her arms loosening their grip from around Gail's neck, but her hands maintaining their contact as they suddenly smooth down across Gail's shoulders, her fingertips moving to toy playfully with Gail's tie as their eyes meet again.
"Just for the record, you do look ridiculously sexy like this, Peck," Holly purrs in a low, sultry voice that makes Gail's whole body shudder in response.
Holly doesn't give her the chance to respond, instead she simply follows her comment up with a chaste kiss to Gail's cheek, whispering her thanks for the tickets, and then steps back and makes her move to head inside to watch the show, throwing a flirtatious smirk over her shoulder as she goes, and leaving Gail totally speechless.
/
Gail's almost asleep when her phone vibrates with a message, illuminating the darkness of her room and forcing her eyes open once more. She automatically reaches to grab it from her nightstand, expecting it to be Holly thanking her once again for arranging the whole night for her and Lisa and seeing them home safely, but finds herself shocked back more fully awake as she see Lisa's name on the screen instead.
Her eyes swiftly scan the message, her lips pursing together tightly as she imagines Lisa's condescending tone while she reads what she's written; 'Holly wouldn't stop talking about how wonderful you are all evening, so much so that I almost thought you had planned this whole night just to work out in your favour. But then I realised I can't be even remotely annoyed with you, Peck... not when you make Holls light up as happily as she did tonight. Keep taking care of our girl this well and I might actually start to like you. BitchTits x PS – Thanks for the tickets, the show was delightful'.
The message makes Gail simultaneously roll her eyes and smirk in amusement at Lisa's attempt to be friendly, but her smirk soon turns into a smile as she gets confirmation that Holly really did have a good night with her friend. As she scrolls down to the end of the message to reply with some witty remark, she catches sight of an unexpected photo Lisa's attached for her.
It feels like her lungs constrict at the overwhelming impact, her breath catching heavily in the back of her throat and her pulse racing uncontrollably beneath her skin as she drinks in the sight of Holly, completely unaware of being observed, watching the opera with rapt attention, her mouth curled up into a beautiful, soft smile, and her eyes sparkling joyfully.
She's the most beautiful woman Gail's ever seen, and as Gail stares adoringly at the photo, utterly unable to look away, she knows, without a doubt, that she really is in deep trouble now.
She's falling in love with her best friend, hard and fast, and there's no way she can stop herself.
...and even if she could, Gail's not sure she would want to.