Chapter 3
Bernie sits at the kitchen table, head in her hands and half a bottle of vodka down.
‘You stupid, stupid coward!’ she chastises herself. ‘As usual you have messed things up and now Serena doesn’t want to know you, well it serves yourself right!’
As Bernie attempts to pour some more vodka into her shot glass, pouring more onto the table than into the glass, her mobile starts vibrating. Her vision blurry, Bernie squints at the screen to try and make the name clearer. Her heart beat quickens as she answers the phone, and with a slurry voice whispers ‘Serena’.
‘Good evening Ms Wolfe’ says Serena, her heart leaping into her throat at the husky sound of the woman she loves.
‘You called back!’ Slurs Bernie
‘Well of course I called back’ says Serena, astonished that Bernie thought she might not.
‘I....I thought .......Well I..... when you didn’t answer your phone I........’
‘Oh don’t be so bloody stupid Bernie, I was having a drink with Raf and my phone was still on silent in my bag’
Bernie smiles, the familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach building as she listens to Serena’s voice.
‘So how are you?’ asks Serena
‘Better now’ answers Bernie, slurring her words again
‘Bernie, are you drunk?’
‘A little’ she laughs, that deep sexy laugh that Serena loves so much.
‘Hmmm, maybe we should talk tomorrow, you sound like you need to go to bed’ concern coursing through Serena at the thought of Bernie being drunk and alone.
‘Only if you’re coming with me’ teases Bernie in her sexy, husky voice.
‘Yes well, if you weren’t thousands of miles away then maybe that would be a possibility!’ It comes out a little more harshly than intended but Serena can’t help it, she would have liked nothing more than to be heading to bed with Bernie right now.
‘I’m sorry Serena, please don’t go. I’ve missed you so much’
Serena’s heart beat quickens ‘Really?’ she whispers, her voice catching in her throat, the threat of tears in her eyes.
‘More than you know’
‘Bernie...’ Serena starts, but she’s interrupted
‘You don’t hate me?’
‘Hate you? Bernie, I could never hate you’ Soothes Serena. ‘I won’t lie, you’re leaving hurt me a lot and I wanted to hate you, I thought it might make it easier. We have things to talk about but I certainly do not hate you’
And with that they agree that Bernie will call the following evening rather than while she is drunk.
They both head off to their own beds smiling from ear to ear, head and body filled with thoughts of the other. Sleep comes easy that night, something neither of them has found for the last few weeks.