The Unexpected Dinner
As Bridget lay in bed, she couldn’t help but smile as she reflected over the event that was dinner. She had to give it to Franky – constantly testing the boundaries as she forced Vera to interact with her with her requests for the salad and the pepper. Even the look that Bridget shot Franky’s way didn’t dampen her spirit.
Bridget then thought of her conversation with Franky outside, having not been able to reach her for twenty four hours. It had been one night without Franky and already Bridget did not know how this new arrangement would work – they would have to make it work. There was no way she was going to place Franky in the position where she may be sent back to Wentworth. Not now, when Franky had worked so hard to get to where she was. But Bridget’s desire was also self motivated. Whilst having Franky as a partner had its difficulties and challenges, never had she felt so loved and so accepted by anyone than Franky. Despite their differences – age, background, education. They worked. They just clicked and when Bridget was with Franky she felt that she belonged nowhere else.
As Bridget and Franky had stood, heads together, she could feel the tears trickle down her face – whose tears they were exactly she didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. Any pain Franky felt, she felt too.
Heads touching, for how long, Bridget can’t remember. Both she and Franky were startled by a little head peeping out from behind the door. “Umm… Bridget” Vera nervously said, eyes darting to the ground. “Oh hello Franky” she said, as she shot a look Franky’s way, to which Franky replied “Miss Bennett… oh hi…I mean Vera”.
“Umm Bridget.,,, “ Vera started again “I’m just not sure what you want to do with the dinner.. should I take it out of the oven?..”
“Dinner…” Franky said and smiled as she pretended to sniff the air. “Smells good whatever you’ve been cooking in there Gidge” and she shot a wink Bridget’s way. Vera’s eyes narrowed as she seemed to study Franky.
Bridget noticed a softening in Vera's demenour. Had Bridget looked inside whilst she was talking to Franky, she would have seen Vera, quietly observing the two of them talking… not able to hear the content of their conversation but from their body language it was evident to Vera that this was no game. This was no cheap thrill. This was not just a convenient fuck. Bridget and Franky were in love and loved each other.
“Well you may as well stay for dinner Doyle… seeing that you are here”, Vera blurted out. Bridget went to interject but stopped herself, interested to see how the dynamic between the two of them would play out.
“Well, don’t mind if I do Vera… Thanks” Franky responded.
“Anyway” Vera remarked, Bridget and I have something we’d like to discuss with you.
Lying there Bridget smiled as she replayed the look on Franky’s face as she followed Vera inside and Bridget remembered a little panic overtaking her. How would Franky cope having dinner with Vera? Would she say something to her about confronting Bridget?
She needn’t have worried. As rough around the edges Franky was, her table manners were sometimes non-existent, she was welcoming and polite to Vera as she moved swiftly around the kitchen finishing off the dinner preparations whilst Bridget set the table. Bridget remembered how at this point, a pang hit her in the stomach as she again realized the little domestic life that Franky and herself had made over the last four months was no longer… at least for a while, whilst Franky moved out and found her own two feet.
Bridget again made a mental note to check Franky’s parole conditions and the length of time she was to continue to report to her parole officer and for how long she was required to advice the parole board of her residential address.
That may, or may not, however be relevant she thought. It might be that Franky preferred to live on her own, Bridget tried not to think about it too much. As much as she was besotted by the brunette and adored waking up to her every morning - she was a realist.
If Franky was going to survive on the outside and their relationship was to survive it was important that they took this step now. A smile now crept across Bridget’s face as she thought just about how far Franky had come both since she had met her captivating partner in Wentworth and since she had been released.
She couldn’t help feeling proud – but not in the kind of way she was proud of her patients as a psychologist but in a heart bursting, warm and tear brimming kind of way.
As her thoughts continued to drift she remembered that she hadn’t told Franky of Vera’s intention to recommend her dismissal. After their dinner though, she assumed that this was no longer the case. Bridget considered whether she would tell her later – she knew that Franky had felt completely responsible for Bridget’s first dismissal from Wentworth and didn’t want to burden her (at least at this point) with the possibility again. We will deal with that if and when we need to, as Bridget filed that thought away.
She glanced at the clock…. 1.54. She was still not asleep. She had stayed up late to finish some work and to prepare for her session with Joan Ferguson the following day. Not having slept a wink the night before, Franky had gone to bed early before Bridget and when Bridget had finally finished her work, Franky was sound asleep.
Bridget now let out a deep sigh and rolled over to face the brunette whom she was utterly in love with. She was surprised when her eyes met Franky’s and they were open…. Franky let out a chuckle.
“I thought you were asleep my darling” Bridget murmured to Franky, “How long have you been awake?”.
“Long enough to watch you Gidge…. Jesus… what is going on in that mind of yours… Anything you want to talk about?” Franky said playfully, using one of Bridget’s favorite phrases she had often directed Franky’s way when she could see Franky was wrestling with something in her mind, but yet she did not want to force the issue - for which Franky was always grateful.
Bridget raised her eyebrows in anticipation of responding to Franky, but before she had a chance. Franky leaned in and touched her lips against Bridget’s. A shot of electricity surged through Bridget as she kissed Franky with fervor.
Franky pulled away slightly, “Jesus Gidge… did you miss me that much last night?”. Bridget didn’t respond and instead answered by pulling Franky’s head closer to hers and they kissed again. A kiss of longing, a kiss of desire and of uninhibited love.
“I missed you too Gidge” Franky whipered…”I’ll show you how much…”.