"Oh, umm...."
"Take a deep breath, Bri," Kay said, putting a gentle arm around Brianna's waist when the color faded. "C'mon... sit down," easing her into a chair. Without warning, a glass appeared over her shoulder and Kay accepted it with a murmured thanks before offering it to Brianna. Brianna's hands shook slightly when she took it, so Kay held it steady and Brianna drank slowly for a moment. When she pushed the glass away, Kay set it on the counter and leaned down into Brianna's personal space. "You all right now?" running a hand lightly along her jaw before it was captured in Brianna's hand.
"Maybe if you'd give her a little space to breathe," Charisma snapped curtly. Kay rose to her full height - several inches more than Charisma's - her dark eyes meeting incensed blue ones and her lips tilting up in a smirk that made Charisma grit her teeth for a moment before she dropped her mask into place once more.
"I'm not the enemy, Senator Tagherty - yours or Brianna's," Kay informed Charisma softly. "I realize my friendship with Brianna isn't as old as the one between the two of you, but we have been friends for a very long time. I promise you I'm not trying to usurp your place in her heart," wincing when Brianna's nails dug into the hand she still held. "Or life," she added with a glare in Brianna's direction. "I just wanted to ensure she was all right when the color drained from her face."
Charisma nodded brusquely and turned back to move towards the corner she had been ensconced in before she saw Brianna drop shakily into the chair. Brianna dropped Kay's hand, and Kay stepped back so Brianna could clasp Charisma's hand instead. Charisma hesitated, then firmly closed her hand around Brianna's and waited.
"Thank you, Charisma."
Charisma gave Brianna a brief smile and nodded, then with a squeeze to her hand, she moved back to the stack of dishes which she picked up and walked into the dining room with. Kay patted Brianna's shoulder.
"I'll be right back," causing Brianna to open her mouth, then close and nod her agreement. Whatever was going on with Charisma, it apparently had something to do with Kay. Better that they get it taken care of before everyone was called to the table - no one wanted that kind of awkwardness today.
Saphira watched the tableau taking place to the obliviousness of everyone around her, though she suspected Esmeralda was far more aware of what was happening than her current conversation allowed her to show. Saphira saw everything, and when Kay made it a point to follow Charisma into the dining room, she moved over to Brianna.
"Everything all right?"
Brianna shook her head. "I don't think so, but I don't know how things went wrong or what to do to make them right."
"And you think that's a good idea?" inclining her head towards the dining room that remained silent.
"Not really," Brianna snorted. "But I think they need to work things out between them before I talk to Charisma. She took an instant dislike to Kay for some reason - I saw it and Kay, well... she can read people very well." She smirked at Saphira's raised brow. "It's her job."
"Lemme guess - shrink?"
Brianna's eyes widened. "How did you...? Nevermind - you're probably as much a student of human nature as Es is, aren't you?" chuckling when Saphira gave her a bashful shrug. "Obviously I did something to set her off as well, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what I did."
Saphira bit her lip, then blurted out softly, "Does she know about you and Kay?"
"I don't think so. I certainly didn't tell her."
"And none of the rest of the family would?"
Brianna shook her head. "No. Until a couple weeks ago, Charisma didn't even know I was still in contact with her family."
"Except that when they discovered you here, they treated you differently than they treated Charisma. If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought you were a long lost sister finally returned to the fold. And even though the boys didn't come out to say Hi when Kay and her family arrived, it was clear she was part of the family as well. You greeted Kay like the long-time friend and confidante she has been to you; Charisma's sisters-in-law acted like Kay was one of them; the Tagherty kids came and took Kay's kids back to the playroom as a matter of course; and Mama sent Lee to join the rest of the male contingent, and he made it clear he knew what was expected of him." She paused. "Brianna, Charisma's not a stupid woman. It wouldn't take a lot for her to come to the right conclusion about the two of you."
Brianna bit her lip thoughtfully, then shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage. "Kay was never something I hid - not when we were together and not since we broke up. She was a wonderful lover, Saphira, and she's been an even better friend. I don't regret the time we had together. I'm sure we could have been very happy if things had worked out between us, but they didn't. They couldn't have - not with the way I felt about Charisma... still feel, truth be told. So I certainly don't begrudge the love and family Kay has with Lee. More than anything, I want her to be happy."
"And I am, Sweetie," Kay assured her as she caught the tail end of the conversation. "However, you may want to go talk to Charisma. She... well, I don't think she's angry at me."
"No, I'm sure she's not," Brianna replied tiredly.
"You want me to...?" Saphira started to offer, but stopped when Brianna shook her head.
"No. This is my problem to solve."
"Are you gonna tell her why you left?"
"Only if she asks the right question."
************
Kay picked up the silverware and followed Charisma into the dining room, feeling her stiffen though her motions to set the table never ceased. She laid the placemats slowly, taking her time to ensure each one was perfect before moving on to the next one. She made it all the way around the table before Kay cleared her throat.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Charisma offered stiffly, turning enough to see Kay in her periphery, but not enough to look her full in the face. Kay noticed the lack of any sort of address and wondered if Charisma felt better by not calling her by name.
"Can I help?" she said by way of starting a conversation, holding up the silverware she had carried in.
Kay could feel Charisma's struggle warring between good manners and her true desire. Charisma took a deep breath and good manners won, though Kay was curious how close the race had been. "Of course," she said after a long moment of silence. "Would you like to set the plates as well? I usually create some sort of napkin animal to decorate the table a little bit."
"I never could get the hang of that. I just fold mine and hope for the best."
Charisma finished folding and held it up with a flourish. "Stupid parlor tricks," she muttered. "I learned when the boys started having kids. It was something to amuse them at a grown-up table," gesturing to the myriad of silverware and dishes at each place. "Mama insisted that we and they learn to eat correctly from a very young age. I agree that it's important for a child to grow up learning proper etiquette - I'm just not certain they need to start quite so young."
"So no kids' table, huh?"
"No... but you already knew that, didn't you?" her voice bitter.
"Yes, I did. But you knew that as well," framed as a statement, garnering a jerky nod of agreement from Charisma. "May I ask what I did to earn your disdain?" Kay asked in a calm voice. "Please don't try to dissimulate for me. I read people for a living."
"Don't!" Charisma said harshly. "Don't read me or psychoanalyze me or whatever it is that you do. Just please leave me alone," she added resignedly.
"Then answer my question, please Charisma," bringing Charisma's head up with a snap when she dropped her title and addressed her familiarly. "I think I deserve to know what I've done to antagonize you. We've hardly been introduced for an hour."