INSTALLMENT SEVEN
INSTALLMENT EIGHT
Tori turned off her phone and gave Brett a big hug. Happy to see the day come to an end.
"What do you say we get out of here?" Tori kissed the adorable nose in front of her. Brett looked up into Tori's eyes. She could still see the haunted look in them and knew that before the night was through, whatever was bothering her lover would need to be addressed.
"I'd love to. As long as you tell me what's still bothering you." Brett could express so much to Tori with just a look and sadly she knew that the young professor was right: there was still one thing that was weighing on her.
"I will, love. But not right now. Why don't we get some take out, bring it home and you and I spend the rest of the evening spoiling each other rotten?" Brett gave Tori a concerned look and she received a faint smile in return.
"And then I'll tell you what's on my mind, okay?" Brett conceded and they shared a final kiss before they headed out the door.
"Okay, ooh… I don't suppose you want Thai? I didn't get to finish my meal the other night." Brett bumped Tori on the hip and the older woman just smirked.
"And whose fault was that?" Tori helped Brett with her coat and held the door for her companion.
"It wasn't mine. I was on my best behavior." Brett feigned innocence.
"Goodnight Irene. I'm going home." Brett turned to her secretary who was checking out her girlfriend.
"Goodnight Irene." Brett bent over the desk blocking her line of sight.
"Huh, oh yes. Goodnight. It was good meeting you Tori." Irene looked around Brett and her face was a little flushed as Tori winked at her and replied.
"It was a pleasure meeting you as well Irene. You have a good evening." Tori flashed Irene a big pearly white smile and gave her a signature wink.
Brett observed the whole exchange and just snorted. With a sigh she waved goodbye and led her flirtatious friend out of the office.
"What?" Tori said as she observed her lover's demeanor. Brett just shook her head and kept on walking.
"Brett, what is it?" Tori knew exactly what she had done. She couldn't help it. It was second nature.
"Oh you know exactly what you did. I'm just trying to figure out why you did it, HEARTBREAKER." Brett got to the bottom of the stairs and opened the door, happy to breathe in the cool air on this late February day.
"Heartbreaker? I thought I told you that she's gone into retirement. What are you implying?" Tori huffed and pretended to be hurt.
"Yes, but she likes to come out every once in awhile to play. I'm just wondering why today? And why Irene?" Brett stopped and gave Tori a smug look.
"Well she's not my secretary. I would never think of having a secretary that played for the same team I do." Tori raised her eyebrow and set her jaw. Brett could still see humor in her eyes though.
"Oh I get it. You're jealous." Brett kept walking.
Tori furrowed her brow and ran to catch up with her lover. "I most certainly am not!"
"Oh yeah, you are. You're worried that just because Irene's a lesbian, she and I might get up to no good some night when I'm tired and vulnerable. She'll come into my office after I haven't seen you in a week. In a moment of weakness, I'll succumb to my need to run my fingers through her thick brown hair and just one look into her doe like brown eyes and I'll fall. I'll fall into her arms and we'll have at it right on my desk. Knocking everything on it to the floor and make mad passionate love, over and over and over again….hot and heav--" Brett was stopped by Tori's hand covering her mouth.
"Do you eat with that mouth? You're actually trusted with the youth of America with that mind?" Tori released her hand and stared down at the little nymph. To her credit, Brett just stared back and waited for the taller woman to admit defeat.
"Okay, I'm jealous. If I wasn't before, your little rant did the trick." Tori brought Brett's hand to her lips and kissed it.
"Give me a second?" Tori took out her cell and called Gibeau. "Hey buddy where are you? Yeah the same entrance. Thanks."
Tori closed her cell and gave Brett her full attention again. "He'll be right here. Come here… I really need a hug…" Tori opened her arms and the writer immediately sank into her lover's arms.
"I love you." Brett whispered lost in the warmth of Tori's body and her strong secure arms.
"I love you too. You know honey? I think I learned something today." Tori kissed Brett on the forehead.
"Oh, what's that love?" Brett looked into Tori's beautiful gentle eyes.
"I learned how incredibly wonderful you are." Tori released the embrace and took a step back to get a good look at Brett. "I don't know how you do it? You've taken a totally tragic situation and managed to save a soul in Jenna and make your own life quite successful." Tori cupped Brett's cheek and gave her a warm loving look. "You don't know how much I admire that in you. All my life I've been able to sail through. Even at my worst I never had to face the kind of adversity that you've had to face and look at you….You've had every right to crawl up in a ball and shut yourself off from the world and yet you rise. I love you Brett Montgomery. Just when I think I can't love you anymore, you prove me wrong. I am hopelessly and unequivocally in love with you." Brett's tears escaped her just as Gibeau pulled up. He got out and opened the door for his two passengers. Tori took Brett's hand to guide her into the limousine. As soon as they were both inside and out of the view of the student population, Brett threw herself into Tori's waiting arms. They kissed with abandon and all that Gibeau could do was wait until the fire burned out. Somehow, he knew it never would. But he would wait just the same.