Serena slides about in her office chair uncomfortably, trying to subtly adjust the undergarments fighting against her body. She’s very glad that Bernie hasn’t come in yet because she can only imagine the torture of trying to keep still in them. Why had she had the foolish idea in the first place?
The door to the office opens and Serena is immediately reminded why, when Berenice Wolf walks in and stops dead in her tracks. She opens her mouth to say something, smiles a little and instead says “Morning,”
Serena smiles back, “Good Morning!”, she answers, and watches the blonde move to her desk and begin slouching out of her coat. Serena tries not to stare but it’s always such a challenge with Bernie. The woman is wearing tight black jeans and a wrinkled button-up blouse and somehow looks to Serena like a Hollywood film star floating down a red carpet.
She looks down at her own clothes, a professional but tad-too-tight black dress, and assesses herself as critically as she had earlier when she’d first put the dress on. She’d bought it on a whim, with only one person on her mind when she did so. Now, here she sits, as uncomfortable as can be, looking nothing like the shop mannequin and wishing she’d gone with the sensible blouse and dress trouser combo that had always worked in the past. Firmly deciding that she’ll give up the confining undergarments in future, Serena puts it out of her mind, as much as she can, and gets on with it. By lunch she’s shimmied out of the spanx in a bathroom stall and discarded them in the office dustbin underneath old magazines.
The day flies by quickly at the hospital that has both Serena and Bernie running around in all directions. They see each other off and on and as everything winds down, Serena has mostly forgotten about her unforgiving new dress and given up on it getting a reaction from Bernie. She’s collecting papers into a file and tucking it in her bag when the door closes quietly behind her. She barely notices the noise, caught up in her mental checklist and usual thoughts and she jumps when she feels two hands gently touch her waist.
Serena drops her bag and turns quickly, finding herself staring in to the eyes of Major Berenice Wolfe. Before she can speak, Bernie’s mouth is on hers and her ability to stand is grossly compromised by the dizziness she’s suddenly feeling as her mouth molds to Bernie’s like it was made for it.
Bernie’s hand traces her thigh through the knee-length material and Serena doesn’t even look to see if the blinds are closed on the office windows. In this moment, all Serena cares about is the fact that Bernie is kissing her like their lives depend on it, and she doesn’t care who sees.
Serena’s hands clutch at Bernie’s shoulders and her stomach turns over when the Major lifts her on to the corner of her desk. She feels fevered suddenly and completely crazed. Is she a teenager? A film character? What on earth is going on?
Bernie’s mouth leaves hers to latch on to the skin of her neck and Serena swears she feels the faintest touch of teeth. Her heart is racing and she doesn’t know what to do with her hands but she winds her fingertips into the hair at the base of Bernie’s scalp.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice the dress,” Bernie rasps in her ear, “You… are….” the pause lingers as Bernie kisses the skin beneath her ear, “… perfect, Serena.”
Serena swallows roughly, her stomach fluttering as she feels Bernie’s hand clutching her thigh. She feels the other woman’s fingers beneath the hem of her skirt, raising it carefully and she knows she’s doing it deliberately to make sure she’s ready. Is she ready? Serena could laugh but she doesn’t.
But a sound at the door separates them and Serena flies off the desk quickly. Both are red and breathing heavily when Ric walks through the door. He clears his throat when he sees them and Serena feels her cheeks lighting on fire.
“Right well, I think I’ll take a rain check on the drink I was about to ask you out for,” his smile is definitely accusatory and Serena would swat him but she just stammers, “Right yes… must get home… early.”
Serena and Bernie don’t look at each other and both collect their things rather hastily under Ric’s watchful eye. She almost thinks he’s laughing as they both pass by him quickly.
What Serena doesn’t know, and doesn’t find out until later that evening after the coldest shower she’s ever had in her life, is that a note rests at the bottom of her bag.
In black lettering are the words:
I disposed of the undergarments I discovered in the bin, and I trust contraband of that nature will never be brought to the office again. It’s an affront to your figure, which I take personally. - Bernie