Chapter 1
Maybe she hadn't made the right decision texting her, maybe right now this wasn't such a good idea. This wasn't going to work, she was as headstrong as her mother and more fearsome to boot from all accounts. Bernie shifted on the bar stool that she had taken up residency on for the last 20 minutes, technically she was early and she had decided to hide away at the corner of Albies, having a quick drink to have the courage to talk to the young woman she was waiting for. She had come straight from work and was in her trade mark black shirt and skinny jeans, she felt slightly under dressed, like maybe she should have made an effort to impress Serena's daughter. This is pathetic she thought as she took another sip of the whiskey, Elinor can't be all that bad, they hadn't met before, she had gotten her number off Jason, sworn him to secrecy about it. Which hadn't been easy, but she needed to speak to Serena's daughter and mend the bridges that somehow had been broken.
She had text, asking to meet and made sure it was on a day Serena was working late, she had to, after Elinor had refused to come round on Christmas day and New Year, and was refusing all Serena's calls since finding out about their relationship. She felt responsible and awful about it all. Another thing to feel guilt over Wolfe, becoming between mother and daughter. It had been dreadful on Christmas day, despite Serena trying to keep a brave face in front of Jason and Bernie's two. Bernie found Serena sobbing in the kitchen, knocking back a glass of wine, staring into space, stood by the kitchen worktop, Bernie hadn't said a word, backed away from the kitchen door and allowed the other women some space and privacy.
Now here she was sat at the bar, waiting to see if this young women would turn up to meet her mother's, well what was she? She thought to herself, lover, partner, girlfriend, all these things maybe? She wasn't sure, labels hadn't been used yet. Not properly, they were still trying to keep it quiet and professional at work and in private they hadn't really discussed it. Serena once said partner in relation to Bernie and she had a few times said girlfriend. It all felt a bit awkward. She gulped another mouth of the burning liquid. She had a moment where she thought she could just up and leave. Elinor wasn't there yet and she could rearrange, tell Serena what she was doing and not have to meet her daughter on her own. However that moment was taken away, when she noticed a young women walk into the bar, she had a green jacket on, a large handbag slung over her shoulder, she looked smart, but casual. Her hair was long and blondish. And there it was her smile, Elinor had smiled over at a guy in the other corner of the bar, and if Bernie for a split second didn't know it wasn't Serena standing there, she would have thought it was her. This girl, despite clearly being younger, looked so much like her mother it made Bernie grin. It relaxed her, there had to be some of Serena's warmth in this child somewhere.
Bernie didn't want to speak to her yet, she watched in silence as Elinor sidled very confidently up to the other side of the bar. She placed her bag on the stool next to her and beckoned over the barmen, leaning in she smiled at him, 'Whiskey. Double.' He turned his back to Elinor and poured her drink quickly. placing it in front of her, she looked up at him and nodded. 'Thanks.' Elinor, downed the drink in one. Slamming the glass back down onto the bar. 'That's better, another.'
Bernie noticed that Elinor hadn't even looked around the bar in search of her, she realised she had no idea if Serena had even described what she looked like or if Elinor had seen a picture of her. Surely a girl of her age would have facebooked stalked her, as Cam always put it or at least tried looking her up online to see who she was? But perhaps Elinor didn't even know Bernie's full name, so couldn't seek her out. This could work to her advantage she thought for a moment.
Gathering up her belongings Bernie grabbed her coat and bag, she stood up quickly. Elinor was now head deep in her mobile phone. Not paying attention to anything in the bar at all. Bernie decided to dive into the toilets, in a bid to pull herself together.
Whilst Bernie had busied herself in the bathroom, Elinor felt the presence of a woman beside her. 'Dutch Courage is that?' The girl laughed.
The barman came over at that point and the women ordered, 'Sex on the beach please. Make that two.' Elinor turned to her, and the blonde stared at her. 'I've had a few and this is such a stupid question, but do you know Serena Campbell? or are related to her? God you look just like her.' The girl was leaning in and staring at Elinor.
'Yeah I'm her daughter...what of it?' Elinor bit back, putting her phone down to look at who was talking to her. Elinor had a moment looking at her, no it couldn't, could it? Her mother was having such a midlife crisis that she was dating a 20 something blonde girl, she couldn't be? That was her Dad's thing, not her mum's. Unless this really was a midlife crisis. Was her mother wanting to prove a point, she liked her women young and dumb blonde as well.
'No, no nothing, god the resemblance is uncanny. Obvs she is older, but still?'
'I'm sorry who are you?' Elinor finally managed to garble out in frustration and anger.
'Oh, I'm Jasmine, Jas...I work on AAU with your mum.' Jasmine smiled warmly at her.
'Two Sex on The Beaches. That's £6.50 on the two for one tonight.' The barman grinned.
'Cheers' Jasmine chucked a £10 note at him and turned back to Elinor. 'You meeting Miss Campbell here tonight? Thought she was working the late, but maybe I got that wrong?'
'No, her...someone else actually. Don't let me keep you.' Elinor smiled sweetly, trying to shake off this annoying women.
'Oh...oh...yes...well.' She grabbed both drinks and her change, 'Nice meeting you...' Elinor watched as she wondered over to a group of people at a table in the far corner of the bar and sighed. Thank god mum hasn't gone quite that mad. She thought.
Bernie found herself talking at the mirror, after checking all the cubicles were empty of course, not wanting to make a fool of herself. 'You can do this Berenice, you need to sort this out for Serena.' Bernie lent in close to the mirror and narrowed her eyes. 'Lets get to it solider.' She whispered sternly. After another few moments of silent staring into the cold hard glass. She left the toilets and made a beeline for where Elinor was now sat at the bar. Elinor was still head deep in her phone Bernie noticed as she got closer.
She calmly sat in the free stool the other side of Elinor and her bag that was taking up the seat on the left of her. Elinor didn't even look up. Bernie thought about coughing or just nudging the girl to make her aware of her surroundings, but suddenly the barmen was in front of her, asking for her drinks order.
'Whiskey, double.' He nodded and turned to pour her drink.
'Another, please.' Elinor had picked up her glass and slammed it down again in front of her. The same guy turned to look at her. Then looked back to where he was pouring the drink for Bernie. He grabbed Elinor's empty glass as he turned back and filled it up. 'Thanks.' She winked. Downing her third drink.
Bernie couldn't watch this any more. 'Dutch courage is that? Or just drinking yourself into an oblivion?' She took her own drink and downed it in a similar fashion to Elinor to make a point.
'Well I'm meeting someone here in a minute, someone I don't particularly want to see, I've already had a heart attack thinking it was that annoying blonde cow over there.' She looked over her shoulder, nodding in the direction of Jasmine.
'Jas...' Bernie almost choked and stopped herself saying any more. The thought of Serena having an a fling with Jasmine Burrows was horrifying, and slightly amusing.
'My mother, has decided to have a mid-life crisis...Dad's already in one with his child bride, so now I have my mother to deal with.'
'Oh right...'
'Anyway, why are you downing the whiskeys?' Elinor hadn't really looked at the women sat next to her now, she had picked up her phone and was typing again.
'Um...about to have an interesting evening I think...but as you were saying, not all women of a certain age have to be going through mid-life crisis, if they are doing something their children don't agree with.' Bernie was now peering down and playing with her empty glass. Hoping she hadn't blown her chances.
'True.. supose... but coming out as a lesbian at 50 is just a bit sad.' Elinor wasn't even looking at Bernie, she was so engrossed in her phone.
Maybe it was time for Bernie to introduce herself properly, apologise for the awkward first chat and offer to start again. However before she could say anything, Elinor spoke again.
'Don't know why I bothered coming, she is late now and she was the one who wanted to talk...not my mum I mean, that lezza she's sleeping with...' Elinor scoffed, 'Might have another drink and then leave, that'll show her. Oi excuse me, another whiskey please.' Elinor had demanded another drink from the poor young man behind the bar, and he obliged, filling up her glass once more.
'I...' Bernie went to speak, watching the glass fill up once more, she really did need to say something now. Elinor was still messing around with her phone and was sipping her drink quickly.
'I've just text her, told her I'm out of here.'
In that moment Bernie's phone buzzed in her handbag and she put her hand in quickly grabbing it out and staring at the message from Elinor, she panicked and blurted out.
'Elinor I'm sorry...'
'What? Who are...wait? Oh no...for that you can pay for these.' Elinor jumped off the stool and started putting on her jacket, grabbing her large handbag and swung it over her shoulder. 'What were you trying to do? Humiliate me?'
'No! NO!...' Bernie looked flustered 'I wanted to try and talk to you, for Serena's sake, for yours...I've messed this up.' Bernie rolled her eyes in annoyance at herself.
Elinor laughed in her face and went to walk away. Bernie jumped up as well at this point and grabbed her by the arm. 'Please stay...Elinor, please stay...let me explain...'
'What is this? You are a complete weirdo!' Elinor shock her ahead in amazement.
Bernie realised what she was doing and that the barman was coming over to them once more from the other side of the bar and he looked concerned. She dropped her arm suddenly and looked at her apologetically 'Sorry.' Bernie smiled at the barman and he stopped in his tracks. Another customer got his attention, and now satisfied the two women were ok, he left it.
'Sorry, please stay a minute, I want to make things better...I should have explained who I was...but I was curious about who you were without a guard up. Stupid, I know. Your mother has now idea I am here...'
'Lying to her already? She hates liars, my Dad's fault. So good luck with that relationship of yours. Thanks for the drinks.' Elinor took a step away and swung back around to her once more and got in close. 'I almost wish she was seeing the blonde cow over there, at least she is young and probably better in the sack, my mum deserves some fun after all, putting up with my scumbag father, but now she has saddled herself with you! A Middle aged weirdo lesbian!'
Bernie had sat back down and was playing with her empty glass again. She was stoic, trying not to burst into sobbing, but anger over took her and she sternly and sharply hit back at her words. 'Enough! I said I made a mistake, but...you are a spoilt brat...and I want to make you stay, but you won't. Not even for your mother's sake, you selfish, little girl.' She let the words flow out before she could stop them, and she was angrier at herself then she had ever been. How could she mess things up again for Serena and her daughter, all she wanted was for Serena to be happy and she needed her daughter to do that.
The words stung Elinor and she was almost about to give into the tears she was brewing, but she held them back.
'Do you have work tomorrow?' Elinor manged to gasp out.
'No, no shift tomorrow. Why?'
'Buy a bottle of whiskey and join me at a table and I will stay.' Elinor snapped.
Bernie looked shocked and confused.'I'm not...you will? Why?'
'Because we are getting drunk.'
'I...'
'Do it or I'm leaving.'
What did Bernie have to lose. 'Alright, go find a table, I'll bring the bottle.' Bernie watched as she went to get an empty table. This had better work, because the headache tomorrow was going to be bloody awful. She rubbed her head at the thought of it. 'I hope you realise how much I love you Serena Campbell.' she whispered to herself. Already regretting her decision.