The Kiss (Part 3)
Bridget sat at her desk, flicking her pen up and down erratically. Franky was due for their session any minute.
She hadn't slept much last night. She was anxious; she still didn't know how to say what she wanted to.
A knock interrupted her reverie.
"Come in," she called.
The door opened and Mr. Fletcher accompanied Franky into her office. He nodded politely at her, then headed out again.
Franky breezed over to her usual chair, plonked herself down and smiled at Bridget as if yesterday hadn't happened and for a moment, Bridget felt like she was losing her mind… like she'd imagined it all…
The door clicked shut behind Fletcher and Franky visibly tensed – her air of lightness gone.
Bridget took the seat opposite Franky and they gazed at each other. Silent and brimming with nerves.
Franky's bruises had come-up overnight, the purple marks under her eyes shimmered. She was still drop dead gorgeous and Bridget looked away.
Silence hung between them. An unwanted division.
Westfall couldn't bear the quietness any longer. "I don't know how to do this," she said bluntly. Her eyes lifting to meet Franky's.
Doyle's façade dropped. "Just be honest, Gidget."
The blonde nodded. She took a breath and then calmly said. "Yesterday shouldn't have happened. Not like that."
Franky's heart sank and instinctively she was out of her seat and on her knees before Bridget. She clasped the older woman's hands, desperate to make her see sense. "There's a spark between us that can't be ignored." Franky's eyes bore into her.
Bridget glanced furtively over at the window; checking no one had seen them.
"Franky!" she exclaimed as she pulled out of Doyle's grasp.
Bridget stood and brushed past the inmate. She crossed the room and hastily shut the blinds. Then turned to face Franky, her back pressed against the door. Fear and hope mingled on her face.
"I have feelings for you… but I can't do casual," she warned. "That's not how I'm wired. I'm in for the long haul or not at all."
Franky understood perfectly and she'd never been prepared to commit to one person, never wanted to settle down, until now. Visions of her and Gidget curled up on the sofa watching TV, arguing over the remote, spending lazy Sunday afternoons having a picnic in the park, going to restaurants to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, filled her… sharing the same bed, waking up to Bridget every morning, maybe having children… who knows. And it scared the crap out of her, how quickly she couldn't imagine life without Bridget.
"I'm in for the long haul," Franky assured and got to her feet, her arms hanging helplessly by her side as she faced Gidget.
Bridget's shoulders slouched and in that moment, Bridget realised she had been afraid to hope for a future with Franky. But here she was – everything she'd hoped for was being offered to her. It was almost too much.
"Do you love me?" Franky asked.
"You know how I feel…"
Franky peered straight through Bridget. "Do I?" With that, Doyle strode across the room. She closed the distance between them and pulled Bridget into her arms. "Show me," Franky whispered and nipped the blonde's earlobe with her teeth.
Bridget shuddered with desire. She had to maintain control… she drew back so they were face-to-face. "We can't do this here."
Annoyance crowded Franky's delicate features. "You think this is just about sex?"
Bridget scowled. "You can't blame me for having reservations."
They both know Franky's reputation with the ladies. To ignore it would be been foolish on Bridget's part – she needed reassurance. Needed to know she wasn't just another of Franky's conquest; to be seduced and forgotten by next week.
Bridget leaned forward and kissed Franky roughly, to demonstrate that she wasn't playing; she was prepared to uproot her life for Frank and needed to know it was worth it.
Franky grasped Bridget to her and pressed her palms flat against the blonde's back as she returned the ferocity of the kiss.
Bridget ended the kiss abruptly and struggled to breathe…
Franky cupped Bridget's face. Peering into those doubtful eyes. They pressed their foreheads together and Franky traced the line of Gidget's jaw with her index finger.
"I've never been more serious," Franky promised.
Bridget didn't reply but Franky could tell she believed her. She hugged Bridget tightly to her and buried her face in Bridget's hair.
Gidget felt right.
"I want this just as badly," Bridget whispered, then drew back. Her eyes met Franky's and the world vanished. Sunlight streamed into the room, surrounding them… and she felt Franky breathe in time with her… felt her pulse race and her heart threaten to burst through her chest…
Summoning all her will power, Bridget stepped back. "We have to stop. We can't do this while you're my patient."
Franky smirked wickedly and slipped her hand around the base of Bridget's neck, pulling her into a fervent kiss.
An electric charge passed from Franky's body into hers. It ignited a fire in-between her legs and sent a shiver racing up her back.
"Stop," Bridget murmured as she placed her hands against Franky's shoulders and pushed her away. "We have to be patient." Bridget kept her gaze fixed on the younger woman. "Let me handle this my way, okay?"
Bridget's blue eyes shimmered and Franky felt herself tumble into them. She was a goner. A hopeless, dumbstruck goner.
Franky's expression was solemn as she said. "Okay. We'll do it your way."
Bridget smiled, one of those rare, incandescent smiles. "Some of what I'll need to do won't make sense to you but trust me. I'm doing this for us, okay?"
Us. Franky beamed. Her whole body alight, the world suddenly luminous and full of infinite possibilities. The only person she trusted was Bridget. The only person she wanted was Bridget. She could hold on.
The blonde reached out and squeezed Franky's hand. She'd find a way to make this work. She had to.
A sharp knock at the door invaded their privacy.
Bridget let go of Franky's hand. "Yes?" she called, her professionalism snapping back into place.
Fletcher opened the door. Concern etched on his face. "Everything okay?" he asked and indicated the drawn blinds.
Bridget feigned an exasperated sigh as she pulled them open. "They keep closing of their own accord - got a mind of their own!"
Satisfied, Fletcher left.
Bridget and Franky sat opposite each other. Trying to contain themselves and desperately trying to appear normal to prying eyes.
Bridget's fingers itched to touch Franky. Her lips craved contact.
The inmate cocked her head sideways, knowing exactly what was running through Bridget's mind. She smiled teasingly. "What do you want to talk about today, Gidge? I could tell you all about this amazing woman I met…"
Bridget smiled.
Fletch leaned against the wall in the corridor outside Westfall's office and watched her session with Franky through the window. This would take the best part of an hour. He sighed.
He glanced at his watch, then down the hallway.
He was looking forward to lunch; he'd missed breakfast and his stomach was grumbling.
Miss Miles passed by and stopped for a brief natter – they discussed double shifts, parking and rugby results.
When she moved on, he glanced at Franky through the window, wearing her usual cocky grin and wondered what secrets Westfall could be coaxing out of her.