On the way home from Boundless Waves on Friday evening, Anne was sitting next to Denise on the train. They were alone in that part of the carriage. She turned to Denise and thanked her, saying, "You made a big difference to the outcome, first by setting up and running the computers, then by making sure I wasn't disturbed by 'support calls' from Ken and Sid. You stayed late with me those nights when we were running those tests – which worked, thank God! – and finally, perhaps most importantly, Denise, you always give me much-needed moral support. Thank you very much for your help with all of that."
Denise waved a hand, and just smiled. Anne realized how much she enjoyed seeing that smile, something that Denise had been too tired for recently. Come to that, Anne had been too tired to do much more than just
exist
for several weeks, now.
Anne knew that she couldn't have kept going much longer. It was only because the last couple of weeks had been fairly simple test-and-record sessions that she'd managed. Now, maybe, they would be able to able to relax... some. Oh, there'd be more work, she knew. That wouldn't stop. Soon, she'd have to think about a successor product. But for now she could go back to working
sensible
hours.
"How about you, Denise?" she asked. Denise looked at her, unable to fathom her meaning. "I mean, will you be able to cut back to normal hours, now?"
"Oh, I wondered what you were thinking about. I expect so, but there'll always be the last minute calls, and the teleconferences. I'm surprised Ken didn't ask me to stay behind tonight, actually, in case something went wrong."
"I think Sid took one look at the two of us and sent us home. If I look as bad as you, we're a pair of extras from a Michael Jackson video."
They sat on the train in silence for a while longer.
"I think, when I get in, I'm gonna have a drink and then nap for a little while," Denise said into the comfortable 'tadat-tadat' of the train running over the tracks. "How about you?"
"That sounds heavenly," Anne replied, sleepily. She closed her eyes and laid her head on Denise's shoulder for a moment. The next thing she knew she was being shaken awake.
"We're here," Denise told her, indicating their station. Her eyes were bright and she was smiling at her friend.
Anne woke up enough to drive them both home, well, to Stan's house. She realised that she was thinking of his home as
her
home, more and more.
As Anne turned off the engine Denise leapt out of the car and raced for the front door. "I'm bursting for the loo!" she told a laughing Anne. "I'll pour us out a drink in a minute. Go and find something for us to listen to, please?"
Anne browsed through Stan's collection, now augmented by discs that she and Denise had brought over. Coming across an old one, she reflected for a moment, then stuck it on.
Denise entered the room to hear a lovely, youthful voice singing:
You could say this was an independent love song
It's nothing like to us what love meant to them
But, that's not to say the love we have isn't big or that strong
I'm doing it a different way
I'm doing it a different way...
"Who's that?" she asked Anne.
"Scarlet. The song's 'Independent Love Song,' it's one of Stan's albums. They were a duo from the late nineties, I think. I remembered this song."
You might say this was another boring love song
To be together and forever be true
And so today it's much the same as it was then
I'm doing it a different way
I'm doing it a different way
Denise sat next to Anne on the sofa, and they both kicked off their shoes as the chorus came:
I'll show you how to take me
Go down go down
And I'll show you how to turn me
Right on right on
And I'll show you how to touch me...
"That's beautiful," Denise said.
"Isn't it?" replied a very sleepy Anne. She laid her head on Denise's shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt Denise's fingers running through her hair, then lightly over her shoulder. It felt comforting, relaxing.
The next thing Anne knew she was waking up, still with Denise's fingers running over her skin, through her hair. The music having stopped, it was obviously some time later.
"Hello there," Denise said, softly, her fingertips never ceasing to caress Anne's shoulder, the top of her arm, sometimes just faintly brushing the skin of her face.
"Hi, Denise," Anne answered, dreamily.
"You really looked so wonderful just lying there," Denise continued in her soft, silky voice. "I didn't have the heart to wake you."
Anne looked up into Denise's eyes and saw the love there. She'd almost done this before, and now she reached up and put a hand behind Denise's head. She pulled her down and kissed her.
Part of Anne was screaming "
NO