"What were you thinking about?"
"Hmm..? When?"
"Back in the office when you were supposed to be finishing that huge pile of paperwork you've been ignoring..."
Having completed possibly the fastest handover ever witnessed on AAU, Serena and Bernie were now nestled in a booth at Albie's, each nursing their second glass of Shiraz. They had mostly sat in silence just enjoying the wine and the hustle and bustle of the now busy pub until Serena brought up the subject they had both been skirting around for months.
Bernie blushed- much to Serena's delight!
"Well, firstly Ms Campbell, I haven't been ignoring my paperwork, I've just been rather busy trying to tweak the finer details of my new trauma bay. Its actually coming along nicely!" She paused for a moment as she took a long drink from her glass. Looking into Serena's deep brown eyes as she raised her eyebrows, she knew she couldn't avoid the question.
"And... I was thinking about the first time we met..."
She dropped her gaze, instead choosing to carefully study a stain on the table between them.
"Ah" Serena replied almost triumphantly, "I thought as much! I haven't seen that look on your face since I left you sitting in that bar..."
Bernie lifted her head in disbelief.
"You remember?"
"Of course I do!" Laughed Serena, "its not everyday you meet a blonde in a bar and kiss her, especially when she's also the only woman you've ever kissed..."
She almost mumbled the last bit and had Bernie not been listening so intently she'd have missed it altogether.
"I'm the only woman you've ever kissed?!"
Serena just nodded, now choosing to study the same stain Bernie had been staring at just a few minutes earlier.
"Serena, I... I don't know what to say..."
"You don't have to say anything, its rather embarrassing enough don't you think?"
"What's embarrassing? You only ever kissing one woman in your life or the fact that that woman was me?"
Bernie took another swig of her drink. Was this the moment where Serena was going to tell her that it had all been a big mistake? That she was too drunk at the time to know what she was doing? Or worse, that she regretted it completely? She slowly lifted her eyes to look at the brunette sitting across the table.
Serena sighed. What was it her mother had always told her as a child, honesty is the best policy? Bernie deserved the truth.
"Neither I suppose..." She concentrated on a drip of moisture running down the side of her glass rather than look at the woman opposite, "Its more the fact that I spent so many sleepless nights after that, thinking about the enigmatic woman I spent the evening with and wishing I'd done more than just kiss her. Hoping to god that she would keep her promise to find me after she left Afghanistan, even just to share a bottle of Shiraz. Then having her turn up at my place of work after she got herself injured in the line of duty and finding out that not only did she have a husband but that she'd been having an affair with a female colleague while on tour. And... Even though I know its all over now, and she's got a new job and she's starting afresh, I still lay awake at night thinking about the what ifs, because for a while after that one night, she was my only thought, and I was probably just a fleeting memory in hers..."
Serena shocked herself, she certainly hadn't meant to reveal quite as much as she had in that moment, and she didn't think she'd ever spoken so many words in her life. Feeling the sudden heat come over her as she began to blush, she grabbed her bag and made to leave.
"Bern, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that, its probably the wine talking. I've got to go..."
She left Albie's as fast as she possibly could, narrowly avoiding a bewildered looking Fletch and Raf as they made their way through the door.
Bernie sat for a moment, slightly dazed as she tried to take in what had just happened. Then it clicked. Getting up she rushed after Serena, muttering under her breath.
"Damn you Serena Campbell, you do NOT get to leave me sitting alone in a bar twice!"
As she left Albie's she quickly scanned her eyes around, looking for the woman who had just deserted her. It didn't take her long to spot the willowy form of Serena, leant against the wall next to the smoking shelter, with her head back and her eyes closed as she mentally berated herself for her outburst. She heard Bernie approach but chose to keep her eyes closed.
"Serena..." Bernie started.
"Don't, please, just forget it, I rather you didn't remind me about what a prize idiot I've been!" Groaned Serena as she slowly opened her eyes.
"You're not a prize idiot and I don't want to forget it."
"Bern..." Serena's tone was warning, but the army major in Ms Wolfe chose to ignore it.
"No, listen please! You need to know." She sighed, "I thought about you too. Every day. The memories of that night in the bar, that kiss, kept me going. Through the tour in Afghan and throughout my treatment after I almost got myself killed. I only ever wanted you. All that with Alex, its finished, it never really started really... It was stupid. Marcus never deserved any of it but if I'm honest I'm glad it all came out. I hadn't been truly happy for years. Until I met you. The night you kissed me I realised, I could be truly happy. You make me happy Serena."
There. It was out. Everything.
Bernie stood tense, unsure of what to do or say next.
Pushing herself away from the wall as she turned, Serena took both Bernie's strong but ultimately still feminine hands in hers and looked into her eyes.
"Oh Bern, look at us, we've both been quite the prize idiots." Bernie's chuckle pulled at the pit of her stomach, just as it had all them months ago. She really was the most stunning woman that Serena had ever laid eyes on, even the years in the blistering heat of Afghanistan had done little to tarnish her beauty.
As Serena raised herself up slightly, Bernie lowered her head until there were mere millimeters between their lips.
The blonde was the first to move.
Pulling her hands out of Serena's grasp, she gently gripped the waist of the woman she had been fantasising about for months. Tugging her closer she finally pressed her lips against Serena's.
She responded almost instantly, slipping her hands down to the small of Bernie's back, she returned the kiss as a small groan left her lips.
Neither woman wanted to stop but soon the need for air had them both pulling away.
Serena raised her eyebrow, "Before we get done for public indecency, your place or mine?"
Bernie laughed,
"Well my place might only be a dingy hotel, however it has the advantage of being just around the corner, AND it doesn't run the risk of emotionally traumatising Jason should he come home early from chess club..."
Now it was Serena's turn to chuckle, "Fair point well made as always," linking arms with Bernie, she started to walk,
"Lead the way Ms Wolfe..."