"Can't you just leave it alone? You were fine without me in your life for twenty years. Can't you just ignore me for the next two? I promise once it's over you won't see or hear from me again."
"What if I want to? What if I want you back in my life - and to be back in yours?"
"What if I don't?" Brianna asked bitingly. "Like you pointed out in this very room just the other day, this is too hard."
"Only if we let it be." Charisma paused a moment, unsure why she was pushing so hard for something she had done without for so long. "If you don't want to try and pick our friendship up from where we left off, do you think we could try starting over instead?"
Their server chose that moment to return with their food and they straightened up to allow him to place their plates in front of them. He carefully refilled their drinks and moved away from the table, sensing the tension that rolled off both women in waves.
They focused on their food, concentrating on nothing except eating the meal in front of them. Neither of them was willing to show how upset their dialogue had made them and slowly, methodically they made their way through their repast without exchanging a word. When they were done, they pushed their plates away and accepted coffee from their waiter, finally meeting each other's eyes again.
"I'm not sure I can do this, Charisma. I'm not sure I want to."
"Can I ask what changed? I thought you wanted this to work between us."
"I did," Brianna said honestly. "Until you made it brutally clear that you couldn't, *wouldn't* make the effort. I decided to give up and move on."
Charisma let her eyebrow creep into her hairline. "Since when do you give up?"
"Since I'm black and blue from being beaten down by my supposed best friend."
"I'm sorry, Bri," Charisma said sincerely. "I was angry and hurt and...."
Brianna held up her hand, more exhausted than she could ever remember being. "I'd be willing to start over, Charisma. But don't expect it to be the same. It can't be."
"Will you tell me why you left?"
Brianna looked at her watch and rose, pushing the chair up under the table and resting her hands on the high back. "One day maybe." She paused. "But not here and not now."
"When, Brianna? When do I get to know?" rough and impatient.
"One day, Charisma - when you're really ready for the answer and are willing to ask the hard questions to get it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. And so do you, I imagine. Thank you for lunch." She started to leave, then turned back for a brief moment. "Give me a call, Charisma. Maybe we can set up some time to do this again." Then without another word, Brianna left the dining room. Charisma just watched her go. She had a lot to consider.
************
"What troubles you, old friend?" Doug asked with a hand on Kent's shoulder as he took a seat at what had become Kent's regular table over the years. "Forget your lines at the theatre tonight?"
Kent raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think anything's wrong? And when have you ever known me to forget my lines? And before you say it, that time at dress rehearsal doesn't count. I was more than a little drunk."
"And high from some incredible marathon sex with... what was that girl's name again? Musty? Dusty?"
"Misty, you bastard," Kent replied with a fond smile. "Oh yeah... she was something else. Wonder whatever happened to her."
"Maybe we should go to a reunion some time and find out."
Kent snorted. "My luck - she's a CEO of a worldwide bank somewhere. I'm doomed to be surrounded by extremely successful women."
"Is that a bad thing?" Doug frowned when he caught the melancholy expression on Kent's face. "Trouble in paradise?" wondering if this perhaps was the heart of the matter.
He shrugged. "I dunno," he replied candidly, a little surprised, but feeling lighter having made the confession. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing out on the important things in life by being here, pursuing my theatre career instead of...."
"Instead of playing house-husband to a US Senator? Why should you? You're entitled to a life and a career too, Kent."
"Maybe. I do love it here, and the show is doing well. Did you see the reviews we got today?" turning his attention and Doug's to another train of thought. He had already made arrangements to be off for the next few Sundays. With a little luck, the overnight trips home would put the niggling at the back of his mind at ease. Then he could get back to living his life instead of wondering when the rug was going to be pulled out from under him.
Chapter XL
"I did it," Charisma proclaimed in an excited whisper as she pulled Esmeralda into her office. Esmeralda dutifully followed, though it meant she was off her normal schedule. Obviously Charisma felt the need to share and Esmeralda certainly wasn't going to discourage that. So she parked her cleaning cart and began removing the items she needed even as she met Charisma's eyes.
"Wonderful!" Esmeralda cheered with a bright smile. "What did you do?"
"I invited Brianna to lunch, and we... talked. Sorta - I mean, we did talk, but it was nothing like I expected it would be, you know? It wasn't anything like I hoped, BUT - I did invite her and we did have a conversation. And she even agreed to do it again."
Esmeralda's eyes widened. "That's a good thing, right?" seeing the frown mar Charisma's features and hastening on. "I'm sorry, Charisma - I'm a little confused. Just last week you were resistant to spending time with her when you had chaperones and now you're seemingly over the moon about sitting down alone together. Don't get me wrong - I'm thrilled, especially if it makes you both happy. I'm just a little confused."
Charisma snorted but smiled. "So am I, actually, if you want to know the truth. But this feels... for the first time in like.. forever, this feels right." She took Esmeralda's hand and led her to the couch, immediately taking a seat beside her. "I'm still angry... and hurt... and confused. And until we get everything worked out between us, I probably will be. But I realized the other day that Brianna felt the same things I do. I don't know why yet, but I intend to. And Adam made me understand that the people suffering were the only people who could fix it, and if Brianna was willing, why shouldn't I be?"
"And is Brianna willing?"
"Yes."
Now Esmeralda smiled wholeheartedly, opening her arms for a hug and Charisma responded without hesitation. Esmeralda held her tightly, feeling the silent sobs that shook Charisma's body. She brushed a light kiss over Charisma's temple and whispered, "I'm so glad, Charisma. I hope this works out beautifully for both of you."
Charisma pulled back and smiled into Esmeralda's eyes, sweeping a lock of hair of her face. "You're one in a million, Es. I hope Saphira knows how lucky she is."
"Oh, I think we're both pretty lucky, Charisma. Now, don't you need to get home to that boy of yours?"
Charisma dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her knuckles, then straightened and rose from the divan. "Actually, yes - I'm hoping Saphira hasn't given him a new bath time game."
"You mean the streaking thing," Esmeralda stated flatly as she moved back towards her cart to gather her supplies so she could get to work.
"Uh... YES. He never did that before he met her, but now it seems to be becoming a nightly event according to Ame."
"I did warn you she had a way with kids because she *was* a kid at heart, right?"
Charisma chuckled. "Yes, you did. And to tell the truth, he's blossomed after spending just one afternoon with her. I can't imagine the corruption if he had days on end with her." She waggled her eyebrows. "Are you two available again on Sunday next?"
Esmeralda laughed. "Are you sure you're ready for that again so soon?"