Chapter 4
Bernie stared at Elinor, she looked tiny, as she sat across from her. 'You mean that then? It's not because I'm a women?' Bernie cleared her throat awkwardly and smiled shyly.
'Not really, I mean it was a surprise...but it was more the fact I was the last to know as usual. Mum always keeps me out of the loop. Says it is to protect me sometimes. But that has meant I have missed important things...like I never got to say goodbye to Granny. Mum didn't tell me how bad she had got until it was too late...' Elinor chocked a sob back and took a deep breath. Looking at the glass in front of her eyes, her steely stare bore into it. 'Dad has a drinking problem...I was the last to know that too.' she downed the whiskey once more and slammed the glass down. 'I'm not going to think about that all now. I want to have some fun.' She smirked.
'Elinor...' Bernie reached out to touch her hand that was now resting around the glass tightly.
'No...my way or no way...I said we were getting drunk and having fun Major Wolfe.' She snorted with laughter again as she repeated herself. 'Major Wolfe' she giggled and moved her hand away quickly, feeling Bernie's fingers lightly graze her own as she did so.
'Here, lets get a selfie?' Elinor jumped up quickly and moved around to behind Bernie's seat, picking up Bernie's phone once more.
'What are you doing? Bernie tried to swat her away jokingly, 'I look terrible, I was at work all day and now I'm drunk as a skunk...' she retorted.
Elinor gave her a look of confusion, she farrowed her brow and teased, 'You look awful...wonder what my mum would say? Maybe we should send her a picture?'
'No!.'
'It's ok, I won't, but come on selfie...one selfie...' She pouted like a sad little girl and Bernie shook her head. 'My Charlotte used to do that to me, it always seemed to work eventually.'
'Good. Think I might need to meet this Charlotte of yours.' Elinor moved herself into position, down and slightly behind Bernie. 'Look at the Cameraaaa...no the cameraaaa not yourself...you have weird eyes if you do that....ok smile then.' Elinor was pulling the perfect drunk face smile.
Bernie instead of smiling opened her mouth wide and stuck her tongue out. Resulting in Elinor losing it and bursting into laughter. The two pictures she managed to take were awfully brilliant and she loved it. She chucked Bernie her phone and sat down, she was still laughing. 'Look at those bad boys...when you are finally honest with Mum you can show her.' Elinor scoffed slightly in a mocking tone. Bernie sighed, there was prickly Elinor, she hadn't completely softened up. How could she, she is Serena's daughter, she must get her ability to hold life long grudges from somewhere?
They took it in turns to go to the toilet. Bernie once more found herself talking to the mirror, giving herself a pep talk. Trying to sober up a bit.
Elinor had actually done the same thing.
Once Elinor was back at the table she plonked herself down heavily on the chair. 'I do have another question though, who was Alex?' Elinor blurted out as she started pouring more drink, but Bernie who was hoping they could slow down a bit with the drinking realised they weren't going to be soon.
Bernie didn't respond straight away. She wanted to think about the answer. She looked away for a moment and focused at the goings on at the bar and then eventually she said.'The first women I truly liked...you know liked. We met in the army...we were on tour together, it just kind of happened. I'm not proud of myself for cheating.' Bernie was looking uncomfortable, but the drink had loosened her tongue as well as Elinor's.
'Mum knows about thisss? annnd the cheatinggg ?' Elinor was beginning to slur her words a bit more as the alcohol took a hold of her senses.
Bernie just nodded.
'I can't believe my mum would end up with anotherrr cheatteer aftteer Daddy.' she was waving the whiskey bottle around in her hand now. 'She has a type...the bad ones' she winked at Bernie 'I don't think you areee alll bad though.' She took a sip straight from the bottle. 'Oh god look at Jas!' Elinor screamed out chuckling at the blonde she met earlier dancing around with a lot of blokes. 'Think we should joinn themm.' Elinor sprung up and passed the bottle to Bernie 'Drink up Major. We are dancinggg.'
Bernie looked at the people dancing horrified. 'They work at the hospitalll. I can'ttt. Serenaaa doesn't knoww I was meetingg you.'
'You do this, I might agree to meeeet her at some point, talkkk.'
Bernie's hands were tied. This was the mission to get them to talk. She can't fail it now.
'Ok.' Before she knew it, Bernie was being pulled up to dance both by Elinor and Jasmine Burrows. Also she seemed to have the attention of several young men. If only they knew she thought, if only they knew. They only danced to couple of upbeat songs, when suddenly she felt someone grab her hand and tug it.
Elinor smirked 'Come on, grab your stuff, Jas said they are all going clubbing and they wanttt usss to comee alonggg.'
'You have to be kidding?'
'Nope...' Elinor was pulling her back to the table where all their stuff was.
'Look I have already got you agreeinggg to talkk to yourrr mum. I can go and you can gooo clubbing...' Bernie was trying to resist her pull. This young women was stronger than she looked.
'Nope I said MIGHT talk...' She smiled a wicked grin and laughed. 'I am my mother's daughter. You have her to blameeee.'
Bernie had a look of realisation and horror on her face. There was no way out. If she wanted mother and daughter to talk things through, she might have to go CLUBBING!