“You and Anna bought sex toys together in front of Sybil Kent?” Vivienne asked not even a second after.
Brooke rubbed her forehead.“Yeah, part of Mel’s bachelorette thing was a passion party, and she and Anna thought it would be really funny. And I was rather annoyed by the way my mother kept glaring at us after we kissed, so yeah. We kind of bought sex toys in front of my mother.”
Christine cackled, full on cackled.“That is the actual best story I have ever heard in my entire life. Please tell me you’re going to use them.”
Brooke was glad they couldn’t see her then, she wasn’t sure if she had ever blushed as hard as she was at that exact second. She cleared her throat nervously.“I don’t know. I mean we keep kissing, but we still haven’t talked and I just don’t think my heart could take thinking that this is the beginning of something real for me, and I don’t know… a fling for her.” Brooke sighed.“Honestly, I just want to wait until all the stress is gone and we get home so we can just talk and see if we’re on the same page, but then again, I don’t know. Anna Fourchette makes me want to do foolish, reckless things. Common sense be damned.”
“Would it really be such a bad thing to speak with her while you’re there?” Christine asked softly.
Brooke didn’t register the question. At the exact same time, Anna opened the back door and stepped out in the most stunning forest green dress Brooke had ever seen. The neckline was absolutely sinful.
“B?” Christine asked.
“I’m going to have to talk to you both later,” Brooke said, hanging up the phone before either of them had a chance to respond.
Anna looked like a classic movie star. Her beauty was unparalleled. Brooke knew that she was staring. She knew that her mouth was still hanging open and that she had definitely just hung up on her two best friends, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
Anna blushed and worried at her dark red lips.“It’s not too much?”
Brooke shook her head, still dazed.“You look amazing.” She crossed the deck, just to be closer to Anna.
“Do you have a pocket square that will match me tonight?” Anna asked, reaching out and tracing along the line of Brooke’s breast pocket.
“I do, actually,” Brooke said, though all she could really think about was Anna’s hand so close to her chest.
Anna’s eyes flashed to Brooke's lips then back up just as fast.“My lipstick would smear,” she whispered. A thought that was most definitely not supposed to be audible.
“We have time to fix it,” Brooke whispered in return, leaning in and kissing Anna before she could talk herself out of it. It was as their tongues touched that she realized that was the first kiss she had initiated. She didn’t let herself over think it. Instead, she focused on the way Anna’s hands fluttered to her face and pulled her in tighter. She let herself get lost in how perfectly their mouths found a rhythm.
They broke apart out of breath and in a daze. Brooke's gaze dropped devastatingly lower, to the ridiculous slit that dropped almost entirely to Anna’s navel.“I have something for you,” she whispered, remembering the thank you gift that she had gotten for Anna. She suddenly realized just how well it would go with this dress.
Anna’s thumbs brushed along the underside of Brooke's bottom lip, clearly trying to erase evidence of their impassioned kiss.“Okay,” she said, her voice too deep, nearly wrecked. Her eyes had hardly left Brooke's mouth.“Lead the way,” she said, barely above a whisper.
Brooke reached down and grabbed Anna’s hand and led her back through the flat, all the way to their shared room. She only let go of Anna’s hand to dig through her suitcase for a long, thin black box. Her hands nearly shook as she handed it to Anna.“This is a thank you for coming with me. I know the past week has been a lot and I really, genuinely, appreciate it.”
Anna blushed.“B, you didn’t have to,” she said, before even opening the box.
Brooke shrugged.“I know, Anna. But I”— Brooke froze, the truth on her tongue, Anna watching her, waiting for her reason. Brooke was done hiding it—“I wanted to.”
Anna pried open the box and gasped.“Brooke.” Her eyes shot up to Brooke in disbelief.
“May I help?” Brooke asked, softly.
Anna just nodded, too stunned to speak. Brooke eased a silver drop chain necklace out of the box. There were five tear drop diamonds cascading down the length of the chain, which she knew would end just below Anna’s sternum. It was perfect for the dress she was wearing, not a single diamond would be obstructed by fabric.
Brooke stepped behind her and gently brushed Anna’s hair to one side. Her fingertips ghosted across the back of Anna’s neck. She carefully clasped the chain of the necklace and stepped back before she could do something insane like press a kiss just above the fabric of Anna’s dress.
Anna spun around for Brooke to see, blushing as Brooke's eyes followed the length of the chain.“It looks good,” Brooke whispered, forcing her eyes up.
“B, it’s incredible.” Anna’s face was soft, filled with an emotion Brooke still hadn’t quite been able to place.
“I’m glad you like it.” Brooke wanted to say more. She wanted to say that the diamonds were nothing in comparison to the woman wearing them, but she couldn’t get the words out.
“I love it, B.”
They stood there staring at each other in the palpable silence of words they should be saying. Anna broke first, blushing and looking away.“We should probably go see if Nate and Mel are ready.”
