Brooke grinned and ripped off a chunk of garlic bread with her teeth. “No problem.” She rather liked bossy Catherine.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Occupational Health agreed that Brooke could return to work under several stipulations. One, she wasn’t to undertake her usual hours or position. Two, she was to spend only 1 hour at a time sitting, then she was to take a short break. If at any time her pain levels worsened, she was to go home. And three, if at any time Catherine felt that she was overdoing it, then she would be sent home.
Brooke agreed to it all. If she was going to get her memory back, then she figured the best place to do it would be by submerging herself in the very place she lost it. And if it didn’t return, well at least she would be re-learning what she needed to know. It was a win-win as far as she was concerned.
“Did you want to watch anything in particular?” Catherine asked as they settled down for the evening in front of the TV.
Brooke shrugged. “Not really, did you want to watch something?”
“Oh, no, I just figured…usually I’d read.”
“It’s Friday night, don’t you go out with friends or…someone more—”
Catherine interrupted quickly. “No. I’m quite the homebody really, my friends are…acquaintances really. There is no one special,” she reiterated. Realising that she was on the verge of rambling, she laughed. “Sorry, too much information.”
Smiling, Brooke shook her head. “No, it’s nice. I’m getting to know you again, I suppose. So, single by choice then?”
“Uh, yes I suppose so.” She smiled sadly, recalling this some conversation previously. “There was someone as I said, at least I thought maybe…but it wasn’t meant to be.” She looked away wistfully.
“That’s a shame, I reckon you’d be a real catch for the right person.” She noticed Catherine didn’t say he. “What happened?”
Catherine scoffed at that. “Oh I…”
“Sorry, that was rude of me. I’m just, I’m not sure what I can and can’t ask…we haven’t known each other long, but I feel like…I feel as though I know a lot about you, I just can’t…” She grimaced with frustration. “I can’t quite get it…it’s like it’s there but out of reach to me.”
“No, it’s fine. Ask anything you want to. I’m an open book.” An open book? Where did that come from? This wasn’t how things were supposed to be going.
“Alright, let’s play 20 questions. I’ll go first,” Brooke said, fidgeting so that her legs were pulling up under her. “Favourite colour?”
“I’m not sure that this is 20 questions, but okay, I will play along.” The corners of her mouth twitched. “White, though I don’t think that is actually a colour, is it?”
“Doesn’t matter, go on, ask me a question now.”
“Alright, what was your favourite subject at school?”
“PE. I was the sporty kid. If there was a sport to play, I was on the team. What’s your favourite song?”
“Oh, that’s a tough one. Probably something by the Carpenters.”
They batted questions back and forth. Each time Catherine answered, Brooke became more enamoured.
“When was the last time you got your heart broken?” Brooke asked. Sitting back now, she pulled the blanket up over her legs. When Catherine didn’t answer right away, she assumed she had pushed too far. “Sorry, was that too personal?”
“A little, still burns I guess,” Catherine said without explaining further.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Robin’s arrival Saturday morning was like a whirlwind. She flew in through the front door, leaving it ajar as she launched herself into her room, stripping off her clothes as she moved. When she came out ten minutes later, she was dressed in something completely different.
“Uh, where are you going?” Brooke asked, noting the short skirt she had changed into.
“Mr Khan’s, I told you, I start work today and…”
“And you need to be wearing something much more appropriate,” Brooke stated. She wracked her brain for the tiny piece of memory from when this had been agreed, but as usual, came up lacking.
Robin scoffed. “Oh please. What’s wrong with this?”
Brooke raised a brow before turning to Catherine. “Tell her, that is not what a 15-year-old should be wearing to work.”
Catherine held her palms up. “Hey, don’t get me involved.”
Robin stood with her hands on her hips. “See, even Catherine thinks it’s okay.”
“I didn’t say that,” Catherine interjected.
“Binnie, go and change,” Brooke demanded.
Robin huffed. “You’re my sister B, not my mum,” she said, flouncing back into her room and slamming the door behind her.
Catherine pursed her lips into a tight understanding smile aimed at Brooke.
“Sorry about that,” Brooke offered. “Do you want some tea?”
Catherine was reminded of the morning after their night together. “Actually, I probably should get going. I can give Robin a lift if you like?”
“Oh, yeah of course, thank you.”
The door to Robin’s room opened and both women turned. The youngster had changed into ripped jeans and shirt. She curtseyed sarcastically. “Happy now?”
“Yes, thank you. Catherine said she can drop you off.”
“I’m fine, I can get the bus, she should stay here with you,” she answered quickly, glaring at Catherine.
“I’m fine. Don’t even have a headache anymore,”
Deciding that getting out from the middle of this sibling argument was probably the best thing to do, Catherine made her way into Robin’s room. Her case was packed; all she had left to do was zip it shut. She looked around the small room and smiled. It had been an experience and she was glad of it. Getting to know Brooke had been fun, but she needed to leave for her own self-preservation. She grabbed her case and went back out.
“Ready to go?” she said brightly.
~FI~
Robin lead the way, her heavy boots clumping down each step. She barely reached the bottom step before she turned back to look at Catherine, who was slowly making her way down. “I can’t believe you’re skipping out already,” Robin said. “This was your chance to work your magic.”
Catherine rolled her eyes. Where did this kid her ideas about romance from? “Robin, I’ve already informed you that Brooke is seeing…”
“Yeah blah blah, I told you there is no way that is a date date!” As Catherine reached the bottom step, Robin held the door open for her. “She’s mentioned Amber twice, and only to say how much she liked her—”
“See!”
“As a colleague to have lunch with,” she implored, but to no avail. Catherine hit the fob alarm and opened the car door.
“Get in,” she sighed.
The car door slammed shut. “I don’t get why you’re not in there telling her,” Robin continued, pulling on the seatbelt.
“Telling her what, Robin? You told me not to tell her!”
“I said she didn’t need to find out you was horrible to her, not that you shouldn’t ask her out.”
Catherine winced. She didn’t need to be reminded just how badly she had behaved. “Robin, I’m not…”
“Oh please, Brooke wouldn’t let herself fall for someone that hadn’t shown any interest, and the fact that you have spent the past 72 hours looking after her, it’s pretty clear you care about her too.”
Catherine looked ahead at the slow traffic. Roadworks meant temporary lights were in place. “Fine, yes I like her, but it really isn’t that simple. I know you want to help, and I know you think a lot of your sister, but the reality is…” She moved the car forward and checked her mirrors before pulling out and taking the next right-hand turn. “The reality is that none of that matters…I can’t, okay…so please just let it go. She doesn’t remember, so nobody is being hurt anymore.”
“I think you’re an idiot.”
Catherine glanced at her, her brow raised at the insol
ence. “Thank you.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Amber waited patiently outside of Pollards, rubbing her gloved hands up and down her arms in an effort to keep warm. It was starting to feel a lot more like Christmas in the glow of the window lights, and she was a little excited to be out.
She hadn’t been out in weeks, not since her last date with Eric. What a blow-out that had been, too. So, she was due some fun, and Brooke seemed like just the person to spend her free time with until she worked up the nerve to approach Brian.
They’d spent the better part of the morning texting plans for the evening ahead, and she was looking forward to it. Brooke was a new friend, sure, but she hadn’t seen her since the injury, and there wasn’t too much information about that, so she was really interested in catching up with her.
She had left it up to Brooke to decide where they were going. Her only instructions were that it had to be fun and something they dressed up for, which explained why she was so cold now in a flimsy jacket, short skirt, and heels.
Looking up from her phone, she realised Brooke was there, standing by the entrance looking lost. Her eyes scanned the area twice, looking past Amber.
Amber laughed. “Hey, forgotten what I look like already?” she called out as she walked towards her. She had scrubbed up well, like Amber knew she would.
“Amber?” Brooke stuttered. She tried to take in as much detail about the approaching woman as she could, hoping that something would trigger a memory, but so far, no.
“Of course, who else was you expecting?”
Brooke smiled, a little nervously. “I uh…nobody of course, I hope you wasn’t waiting long?”
Amber kissed her cheek in greeting and then linked arms with her. “Nope, just got here really. So, where are you taking me?”
Brooke quickly put the clues together. The texts. The kiss to the cheek, linking arms…this was a date. She contemplated for a moment whether to be upfront about not remembering her, but then, what did it matter? Here she was, on a Saturday night, out with an attractive woman. Albeit not her usual type. Why not just enjoy it?
They walked along the high street. It was getting windy, and Amber gripped her arm a little more tightly, pulling them closer together. “So, I remember reading about this place, uh a bar…it’s called Art…” Brooke said.
“Oh, yes, I have read about it!” Amber exclaimed, excitedly stopping in her tracks. “I was reading about the owner; did you know she worked at Pollards? Just before I started, in fact. I think I got her job.”
“Really, wow that is something,” Brooke said as they walked on.
“Yeah, she married an actress. So, this bar is a gay bar, right?”
“Um yeah, I guess, I’ve never been, so I don’t know what it’s like really.”
~FI~
There was a small queue already forming to get inside Art. Amber and Brooke joined the end of it, and by the time they were at the door waiting to be let in, Brooke had discovered quite a lot about Amber and pretty much understood why she liked her.
“Hey, good to see you again,” the woman on the door said as she held it open for them. Brooke nodded out of politeness and followed Amber inside.
“I thought you said you haven’t been here before?”
Shrugging her coat off, Brooke replied, “I haven’t, she must have me mistaken for someone else. What would you like to drink?” she asked, a little louder as the music began to get livelier the further into the bar they ventured.
“Oh, anything with vodka,” Amber replied, grinning at her. “I’ll go grab us some seats, okay?” she said, pointing to a table in the corner that was about to become free. Brooke nodded and turned back to the bar to wait for a member of the bar team to notice her. The club was busy. Brooke scanned the room while she waited; it looked like a nice place at least. She ordered their drinks and was just handing over the cash to pay when she noticed someone out of the periphery of her vision. Catherine.
She was stunning, that was the first thing that Brooke noticed. Nothing like the casual Catherine who had been staying with her for the past 72 hours. She wasn’t alone, either. A darker-haired woman was leaning into her space, speaking into her ear. Whatever she said had made Catherine laugh. Brooke was entranced just watching her. The woman with her was now smiling, her full attention on Catherine as she spoke and then, just as the girl behind the bar returned with her change, the woman leaned in and kissed Catherine. The kind of kiss only lovers shared. Feeling as though she were prying, she turned away quickly. Drinks in hand, she made her way through the throng of people to where Amber was sitting, looking around the room.
“This place is great. I am glad you asked me to join you,” Amber said.
“I am surprised you haven’t been asked by anyone else,” Brooke said, turning to face her.
“Why would I have been here before?”
Brooke shrugged and took a sip of her drink. “I dunno, I just assumed, you know, an attractive woman like you would have the ladies beating down the door to take her somewhere like this.”
“Ladies?” Amber laughed, a little confused by Brooke’s assumption. Hadn’t she told her about Eric and Brian? “I’m not gay.”
Brooke coughed. “You’re not?” This was the most confusing and bizarre date she had ever been on.
Amber shook her head, pink hair flying left, then right. “No, not that I’m not up for a little fun now and then.” She winked before leaning in to speak against Brooke’s ear. “Okay I’ll be honest, the idea of kissing a woman is pretty hot, but I haven’t.”
“You haven’t?”
“Not yet.” Blue eyes scanned Brooke’s face, deciding something. “I’d kiss you though.” She giggled and sucked her drink through the straw.
Brooke blushed and glanced away, back across the room. Catherine was still there, pressed up against her date now. Something about the image caused a flood of…anger? No, jealousy, to flush through her thoughts, which was crazy. Catherine was entitled to see whomever she liked; she had just never assumed that it would be a woman. She hadn’t noticed Amber slide closer to her until she felt their thighs touch. Making up her mind, she turned back to Amber and found herself nose to nose. Without further thought, Brooke tilted her head and kissed her.
“Okay?” she asked as the kiss ended. Amber was looking at her a little dazed, as though Brooke was the most exciting person alive.
“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it to be that good,” she said, laughing as she now composed herself and sipped some more of her drink.
“Well, I figured there was only one way to make sure you knew if you wanted the date to continue.” Brooke laughed too.
“Date?” she said, leaning in and initiating the next kiss.
Brooke didn’t disappoint. “This isn’t a date?” she asked, flummoxed by the night’s events so far.
“Well, it wasn’t, but…Brooke, are you okay? Did that bang on the head do something?” Amber was amused.
“Okay, so I kind of do have a little memory loss, and when you texted asking about tonight, I just assumed it was a date and that it would be really rude to tell you that I had no idea who you were.” She winced a little at the admission. “I thought once I met you that maybe I’d remember…”
Amber burst out laughing. “Oh Brooke, that is just classic.” She leaned forward and kissed her again. “Alright, so we hit it off at work and I’ll be honest, you kind of intrigue me a little. You got this whole sexy confident thing going on and that’s attractive, even to me. But ultimately, I’m into guys.”
Brooke nodded. “Okay, I think that might be the nicest brush off.”
“Oh, I’m not brushing you off. Tonight, is what it is, two friends having fun.” She winked again. “If you’re interested in a friends with benefits kind of thing for the night?”
“We need more drinks,” Brooke said, rising from her seat. “Same again?”
Amber nodded and pulled her back down to her for one more kiss. “No strings, Brooke.”
When Brooke looked-up she saw Catherine staring right at her from across the dance floor. Just for a second, she had a moment of déjà vu, a fleeting flash of something she couldn’t quite grasp. Brooke smiled at Amber as she picked up their empty glasses and walked up to the bar. She tried not to look over at Catherine. The woman deserved her privacy, but it was difficult. Her subconscious kept dragging her line of sight in that direction.
Catherine caught Brooke staring again and smiled. Her companion glanced over and scowled, sliding an arm around Catherine’s waist possessively.
“What can I get ya?” shouted the same girl over the bar.
Brooke turned her attention away from the two women and back to the drinks order. “One vodka and lemonade and a Coke, please.”
Something about Catherine in this environment stood out to Brooke. She searched her memory banks and desperately delved deeper to unlock the answer. She didn’t have it; just a bunch of assumptions and maybes. She thought back to the woman on the door recognising her. Maybe she had been in here before. If she had, and Catherine had been in here, then she most likely would have noticed her. It wasn’t that big a place after all, and someone like Catherine stood out.
Shaking her head, she put those thoughts out of her mind. The drinks were cold in her hands as she turned and headed back to her seat. Amber was moving to the music and when her eyes fell on Brooke, she beamed at her. She was definitely cute, Brooke thought.
“You were gone far too long,” Amber complained playfully, kissing Brooke the moment she sat back down.
Brooke grinned. “For someone that has never dated a woman, you sure have taken to kissing one.”
“Well you’re such a good kisser,” she replied grinning as she sipped her drink, the alcohol starting to go to her head a little.
“Yeah? That’s not all I am good at.” Brooke winked with growing confidence. A night of fun with Amber was looking more and more interesting.
“Oh, don’t worry, I am planning to find out,” she said as she licked her lip before biting down gently on it. “Dance with me?” she said, suddenly standing and making a grab for Brooke’s hand. Brooke swallowed down her drink in one. She wasn’t that much of a dancer usually, but what the hell. Amber was short, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in dance moves. Her arms slid easily around Brooke’s neck as she brought their bodies closer together and let the beat dictate the sway of her hips and the push of her pelvis. Clearly, she was an expert in dancing dirty. Heat built between them; this night was definitely heading to an explosive ending. After several songs, Brooke grinned. “I need a break,” she said, pointing over her shoulder towards the toilets.
The Meant to Be Collection Page 39
