Chapter 2
Bernie wasn't sure what the plan was from here, but she knew she wasn't going to supply Serena's daughter with much more drink. She asked the barman for the bottle they had already been drinking from, it was about half full and she asked for two glasses. Bag and coat under her left arm and with the bottle and glasses in her hand, she walked over to where Elinor had sat down. She plonked the bottle down heavily in front of the girl and dumped her coat and bag on the spare chair at the table. Sighing, she sat down opposite the young woman and nodded to the bottle. She took the two glasses and put one in front of both of them.
'That's not a full bottle.' Elinor stated laughing and nodding at it.
'I know...but I wasn't giving you much more. Serena would never...' Bernie was cut off by Elinor, who laughed again, quite loudly and forcibly. taking the bottle she poured herself a drink and then lent over, pouring one for Bernie too, larger for Bernie.
'I've done worse then have a few drinks, anyway my mother drinks shiraz by the bucket load and she tries to tell me it's my father with the problem. Hypocrite!' She stopped and took a sip of the drink. Bernie's eye brow was raised, not liking the way Elinor was speaking about Serena, not liking it one little bit. 'All parents are, hypocrites, tell your kids not to do something, but they do it themselves.' Bernie winced at something that was despite the nasty way it was being said, was kind of true. She told her kids not to lie, but she lied for years. Bernie took a swig of her drink, not acknowledging what Elinor had just said.
'So why are we getting drunk?' Bernie asked solemnly, this wasn't the plan she had in mind. This wasn't how she was meant to be winning over Serena's child.
'Oh cheer up...you want to get to know me right? Fix things, be my mum's hero? So you will need to get to know me and the best way to do that, is have a drink with me and chat...I'm not chatting to you sober that's for sure, my mother's latest play thing...' Elinor grinned at her own vindictiveness, she wanted to hurt her, she wasn't sure why, but maybe it was payback for earlier and the humiliation at the bar. But as she thought back to that moment at the bar and the exchange they had, she softened slightly it was quite ballsy what Bernie had said to her. Maybe there was something in that. She found herself commenting on it before she could stop herself. 'Also I think I could like you, so lets see if you really are good enough for mummy dearest ey?'
'A drink? You've already had the best part of that bottle?' Bernie mocked lightly.
'With your help though...saw you knock that one back for courage...' Elinor reminded her, she was actually smiling and Bernie thought she looked better for it. 'Impressive...' Elinor laughed.
Bernie downed the rest of her glass, and watching Elinor copy her, she narrowed her eyes, ok we are playing that game are we?
'Come on pour another' Elinor demanded and Bernie did diligently.
'I've been drinking this stuff, since before you were born Ellie, I think I have the advantage.' Bernie smirked, before realising what she had done. She had called her Ellie, she was so used to Jason and Serena referring to her as that, she let it slip out. She could see that Elinor was slightly taken aback by the familiarity that she found herself quietly muttering 'sorry, I didn't mean to assume...'
'Nah, it's ok call me Ellie...Mum only calls me Elinor half the time when I'm in trouble, which is most the time these days.' she started laughing again and flung back on her chair. The whiskey starting to take affect, she was feeling tipsy.
'Ok game time...or quiz time...oh bloody quizzes has Jason bored you rigid with his quiz shows yet?' Elinor mocked cruelly.
'I quite enjoy my time with Jason...' Bernie interjected, not liking the sound of Elinor's last question. 'Jason is a good lad, you should get to know him better.'
'Don't mother me...I've just met you and you have no idea ok?' Elinor quietly snapped back. 'do this on my terms or not at all?'
'Alright...ok...but...' Bernie tilted her head to one side, trying to get a measure of Elinor's body language. She was never very good at that, that was Serena's trick reading people, not her's.
'I'm going to ask some questions ok? You can answer?' Elinor asserted herself once again. Making sure Bernie realised who was in control of the night.
Bernie just nodded.
'Name?'
'Bernie.' She looked confused for a moment. Hesitated before answering.
'No...you...your full name?'
'Oh...oh Berenice Wolfe.' she laughed at her own mistake and took another swig of whiskey. Elinor nodded in acceptance and also drank.
'Age?'
Bernie looked annoyed, but answered '51'
'Oh oh same as mum? Oh that's kinda...cool.' She realised she actually sounded happy about this and reverted back to the quick fire questions.
'Kids?'
'Yes, 2, Cameron and Charlotte.'
For some reason Elinor found this hilarious and said their names again in a posh accent. 'Cameron and Charlotte.'
Bernie tried to ignore this and carried on, 'Cam works on AAU he's an F1 and Charlotte is at uni...'
'Cameron works with you and mum? God I'd hate to work with my mum...most kids don't want to work with their parents.' Elinor scoffed.
'Cameron seems to be doing ok...' Bernie tried to reason.
'Nah he probably hates it, but does't want to hurt your feelings. Did you force him into medicine? Mum tried with me, but it wasn't my thing, she was so disappointed when I decided to drama at uni...I mean I did end up changing my course in the end, but she hates that I am creative.'
'Ellie, she always sounds very proud when she talks about you.' Bernie could now see the pain in the girl's eyes. Serena could be quite harsh on the people around her, especially if they didn't live up to her expectations. This had clearly rubbed off on this vulnerable girl. That's how Bernie was starting to see her, as vulnerable and lost.
Elinor didn't respond, she downed the drink and asked her next question. 'Marriage?'
'Yes, Marcus, divorced.'
'A MAN! So you are also a mid-life lesbian, great?' Elinor was throwing herself about now, proper laughing. It was her life, but Bernie too could see the funny side and also started laughing into her drink.
'I suppose I am.' She smiled finally. 'It is a bit more complicated then that, hard to explain now.'
Elinor wasn't letting up on the questions. 'Job? Career?'
'Trauma surgeon, like your mother, but I was in the army. Travelled a lot, wasn't always around at home.' Bernie said guiltily, she looked away ashamed at her last sentence.
'Ah and there we go, abandoned your own family...want a new one. Thought you'd take mine!'
'That's not what...this is.' Bernie frowned, 'I really like...your mum.'
'Like? You can do better than that surely?'
'Do I get to ask you any questions? Conversation and getting to know one another is a two way street Ellie...' Bernie deliberately didn't respond to her last question, trying to avoid it. It wasn't that she didn't love Serena, she just didn't know how to explain her deep, deep love for her to her daughter, whilst slightly drunk.
'Maybe, but I think you need another drink. You look tense.' Elinor grinned, happy at the light work it took to wind up this women. She couldn't stand it, but she was actually starting to like Bernie. Maybe she wouldn't be such a bad step-mother after all, she already seemed more clued up than Liberty was.
To Be Continued...