what happens in Maine, stays in Maine.

7.

december 27th

flashback
"alexandra you're gonna make us late"
"don't call me that" alex muttered as she curled the last pieces of her hair.
she was wearing an outfit laura had bought her a couple of months ago, a tight fitting black cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline.
"why?" laura asked teasingly, watching her girlfriend from the bathroom doorway.
laura had opted to wear a dark blue striped suit with a white satin blouse underneath, she preferred having pockets to dig her hands deep into, as she did now.
"don't start something you can't finish" now it was alexs turn to tease as she ran her fingers through her curls before grabbing her clutch off the counter and turning to the door.
however laura, towering ever so tall over her, smirked, "i think you're the one who needs to be careful"
"you're going to make us late" alex replied, ignoring the flush creeping up her neck, as she slid past laura and headed down the hallway to the front door.
after putting their shoes and coats on alex turned to the taller woman, "how do i look?"
"like a million bucks darling" laura smiled as she pecked the smaller woman's lips.
tonight was their first night out in weeks. schedules had constantly been getting in the way, and even though it was supposed to be somewhat of a date night, they'd decided to invite maggie, knowing how much she'd been wanting to see 'bring in da noise bring in da funk'
maggie of course wasn't new to their group and was already well adversed with the secret passions of her two friends, she hadn't even blinked when laura had told her that she and alex were a little more than just friends. the three women had grown close over the past years and all working in the world of news had given them all easy ways to relate to each other and reasons to meet up and bitch about someone they had to work with.

as they arrived at the crowded theatre on broadway, alex and laura stepped out of the cab and headed into the bustling foyer where they quickly found their friend in the corner sipping on a margarita.
"hi maggie" alex smiled brightly as they embraced quickly, she then stepped aside to let her and laura greet each other.
"already on the hard stuff i see" laura pointed out the older woman's drink.
"well i got bored waiting"
"her fault" laura nudged alexs arm before wrapping her arm tightly around her waist, her hand resting dangerously low on the smaller woman's hip.
"do you want a drink?" laura said into alexs ear to be heard over the volume of conversation around them.
"i wouldn't mind a gin"
laura squeezed alexs hip slightly before leaving the other two women.
"so...everything ok with you two now?" maggie asked, concern furrowing her brow but a humoured twinkle still glinted in her eye.
"it was literally one argument" alex defended.
"one argument that resulted in neither of you talking for a week"
"we've just had very busy schedules, it got in the way a bit" alexs voice sounded so quiet maggie had to lean forward slightly to hear her.
she watched as the younger woman's eyes darted around them.
they all knew the dangers of someone finding out details of your love life, especially if you weren't straight, and leaking it anywhere they could.
the previous month alex had started presenting some of the evening news with another new anchor called daniel henderson.
she'd been shocked when chip had asked her if she'd wanted to give it a go, see how well she could stay calm under the pressure.
she had stayed very level headed and succeeded in earning a permanent seat every afternoon.
she knew ratings were drastically lower than the morning segment but it was a step in the right direction laura had told her repeatedly when she'd begun to get ahead of herself.
she had even started to be recognised; as she was leaving the tms building a stranger had said under their breath to a friend 'that's the chick who runs the afternoon show' but they'd still known who she was.
it had filled alex with a strange amount of confidence but also an unsteady paranoia as she became increasingly aware of people listening in on conversations, surveying her and her friends to try and grab a little bit of gossip to sell too a tabloid, no matter how ludicrous the normally made up gossip sounded.
"but everything's ok now?" maggie asked.
"better than ever" alex smiled shyly as she looked back at her friend. maggie knew how true this statement was, she could see it in the way alex and laura smiled at each other, how close they stood.
alex was like a teenager, drunk on love.
"i'm very happy" alex smiled just as laura appeared beside her, handing her the glass.
"happy about what?" she asked.
alex didn't give her an answer but smiled sweetly up at her as they made their way too their seats.