"Walker."
"Um... Brianna? It's Esmeralda. I know it's kinda late, but I was wondering if you were still available for lunch."
"Oh hey, Es. Yes! Yes, please. I'd count it as a favor," she added a little louder as thunder rolled around her.
Esmeralda pulled the phone from her ear to look at it a moment before she put it back up. "Brianna? Um, where are you?"
"The Smithsonian. I had just stepped into the Museum of Natural History when you called."
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry I distur...."
"NO! No don't be sorry. You're not disturbing me at all. Really. Most of my colleagues have already left the capital to go home for the holidays and this weather makes me a little stir crazy."
Esmeralda laughed softly. "I can empathize with that. C'mon over. I'll put the soup on. It should be hot by the time you get here."
"I told Saphira I'd bring lunch."
"Yes, and the last time we invited you over, you brought lunch with you."
"Es, you have to let me bring something."
Esmeralda bit her lip thoughtfully. "Well," she finally relented, "if you can figure out how to get some fresh bread here to go with our soup, I'd appreciate it."
"All right. I should be there in about half an hour. Depends on how long it takes Jas to get here. See you soon!" Brianna ended the call before Esmeralda could respond, and she only had to wait a moment before she heard Jas' phone ringing upstairs and then Jas bounding down the stairs.
"Yes ma'am, Senator Walker. I'll be right there," Jas said as she reached the bottom landing, then hung up her phone. "I'll be back shortly with the other boss, Boss," she offered with a crooked smile. Esmeralda just returned the look with one of bemusement.
"Um... Jas? Don't you think you should... I dunno - change first maybe?" motioning to Jas' comfortable lounging-around-the-house clothes.
"She told me to come as I was and be quick about it - not to worry about what I was wearing." Jas grabbed her coat and umbrella from the closet and donned the one before opening the door and expanding the umbrella just outside it. She chuckled. "Coulda been worse - I could have still been in my pajamas."
Esmeralda nodded and laughed, knowing Jas was right. More than once she and Turq had both been unready when the phone rang. It didn't happen often, and now they at least put on clothing around the house as opposed to a bathrobe. They could be seen outside in sweats and jeans - negligees and robes were a little more noticeable when you actually had to be seen in public.
"You're right," Esmeralda agreed. "It almost has been once or twice. Be quick, Jas, but be careful."
"I will. Be back shortly."
"I'll be here." And with that, Jas started the car and headed towards the city center to pick up Brianna.
************
Charisma watched Kent play with Adam for a while in the family room, before she rose. Adam instantly stopped playing and ran over to wrap his arms around her legs. "Mama, where going?"
"I'm going to go take care of a little work, Son. You stay here and play with Daddy."
"What would you have done if I hadn't been here to watch him, Charisma?"
"Same thing I do every other weekend you're not here, Kent," she replied tiredly. "Taken him into the study with me. But since you're here, and he hasn't seen you for a while...." She let the thought trail off.
"Why don't you stay with us, Charisma? It's not like your work is pressing right now and we have so little time together as a family."
Charisma sighed. It seemed like they went through this every time Kent came back from being out of town for any length of time. He should know better by now. "I won't be long, Kent, but I need to get this done before we head home on Monday."
"Yeah, about that - why don't we leave now? You know your mother would be thrilled to have us home for a couple extra days."
Charisma thought about the album viewing 'date' she and Adam had scheduled with Brianna for the following morning. Part of her was loath to give that up, but the other part wondered if it might be better to delay it. She wasn't certain how Kent and Brianna would react to each other... especially when Kent saw how Adam responded to Brianna so naturally. At least at her mother's home, they would keep their company manners. It would give her an idea on whether having them both in her home at the same time was a good idea.
"Charisma?" Kent called out with only a hint of impatience. "Did you hear me?"
Charisma blinked and shook her head, then met Kent's eyes. "Yes... I'm sorry. I was mentally trying to rearrange a few things. Let me take care of my work and see if I can rearrange a couple things I had scheduled for tomorrow. If I can get that done, we can go up this afternoon if you want."
Kent nodded, smiling. "Good. I'm looking forward to this holiday."
Charisma returned his smile. "I am too," she said honestly. "Seems like forever since I saw the whole family."
"Okay - go do your work or whatever," Kent answered, making shooing motions with his hands. "Adam and I'll go see about getting our stuff packed up. Yours ready to go?"
"Mostly. I'll add the few things I need as soon as I get done. I'll be on my cell if you want to call Mama and let her know to expect us. You know how she feels about being sprung upon," added with a smirk.
Kent chuckled. "Yeah. Now shoo - the boy and me have got this covered."
Charisma laughed and headed out of the family room. "Don't forget to call your mother as well," she reminded. Kent's brows went into his hairline, then he looked at his son.
"C'mon Boy - we've got work to do so we can go see your Gramma and Pop Pop and your Grandmother."
"Br'anna too?"
Kent's brow furrowed. "How about you tell me about Brianna, Adam? Daddy hasn't met Brianna yet."
"Br'anna good. Adam love Br'anna."
"C'mon, son. Let's go upstairs and get ready to go. You can tell me all about Brianna Walker."
Chapter LIII
"Brianna!" Esmeralda exclaimed as she opened the door to find a wet, bedraggled senator standing at her door. She reached out an arm and pulled Brianna inside, waving to Jas as she eased the car from the drive. Esmeralda offered Brianna a warm, dry towel even as she helped her out of her coat. Brianna accepted the towel as she slipped out of her outer garment, thankful it had kept most of her relatively dry. Her shoes, however.... Esmeralda hung the coat and took the loaf of French bread, then grabbed Brianna by the elbow and tugged her towards the kitchen. "C'mon," she invited. "It's warmest in the kitchen."
They entered the kitchen and Brianna took a deep breath. "It smells really good in here."
"Thanks," Esmeralda grinned. "It's Saphira's favorite. Take off your shoes," she instructed, placing the bread on the counter and slipping into her room, only to return a moment later with a pair of dry, woolen socks. Esmeralda raised her eyebrows at Brianna when she realized the other woman hadn't moved. "Your shoes?"
Brianna looked down at her feet. "What about them?"
Esmeralda shook her head. "Take them off and put these on," she said, passing Brianna the socks. "Here," she added, handing Brianna another towel. "Dry your feet real good. I'm gonna take these and see if we can't get them dry before you head home," holding up the soggy socks and shoes. "Be right back."
"Ahh," Brianna exclaimed as she eased the long socks onto her feet. "That feels like heaven."
"Not quite, but close," Esmeralda chuckled as she returned to the kitchen. She poured Brianna a cup of coffee. "Do you take cream or sugar?"
"If it's available, yes. I learned to drink coffee in many different forms during my tenure with the DA's office. I swear what I got in some precincts would be considered 'rot gut' only if you were feeling generous."