Last Night in Waterloo

Chapter 1

She always had problems to commit to people and to trust them. A severe childhood trauma that no one has ever been able to heal or at least diminish. There are so many memories and things that remind her of those times and moments. One thing Therese hadn't really realized until the day Carol left her alone in the hotel room and an iron-faced Abigail Gerhard watched her sleep was that she was just the other woman who destroyed Carol's life. Carol will forever be tied to Harge, namely through their shared daughter Rindy. He would never truly understand, or at least approve of, their bond and the invisible tie that deeply binds her and Carol. It doesn't matter, in her opinion, how long they are, have been and will be apart. Something in her has not been the same since their first meeting in the Frankenberg department store when she saw Carol for the first time in her so far short life and asked her for a suitable gift for Christmas. Because no matter what pain Carol added to her, all she ever wanted was to be with her. No one could make her give up that wish not Richard, not Harge, not Abby and especially not Carol.

Much of her hesitated to accept and attend Carol's invitation to dine with her friends. Something seemed completely incomprehensible to her, namely that despite Carol's emotional declaration of love for her, she nevertheless left alone, left with the strange Abby and a piece of paper with Carol's unmistakable noble handwriting. But she can deny her that wish, not when it comes to the lady of her heart. She was alone among many at a party thrown by her friend Dannie. With only a cold tasteless drink, she stands in front of one of the windows while many voices talk to each other, but not to her, silently observing the happy couples of husband and wife who are allowed to be together, not like her and Carol. She has never felt so out of place as we do. She would have loved to kill him, the man from work who interrupted her and Carol in the middle of a conversation. Who does that, please, when they see someone already engaged in deep conversation with someone else. Unfortunately, he did and ruined the moment full of unsaid things and expressions of love. A moment that consisted of too much hesitation and pain. More painful than being left behind at Waterloo. According to Carol, not only now at the party a woman or a handful of men tried to seduce her to a night together. But no one really even takes at least a minor notice of her presence.

Therese, still standing at the open window, does not notice how another person quietly enters the cool room. Not until a cold hand tentatively grips Therese's hand. It's not the man who ruined the moment, not Dannie or any of her other friends. It's Genevieve Cranell. Both prefer the woman over any man who has ever walked the earth, is currently walking it, and will yet walk the ground of this cruel world in the future. Just like Therese, she currently works at the New York Times, only she's a secretary and has less of an appreciation for art, esoterica and aesthetics. With some momentum, she moves closer to her. But every touch feels wrong and like poison on her skin. Therese is like prey to her, desperate to have her and hard to reach. Everything about this place seems strange to her and awakens in her the feeling of not belonging in this kind of gathering.

"What about Therese? Have you changed your mind? A beautiful lesbian girl like you shouldn't be alone on a night like this," she asks Therese while twirling one of her strands in her hand.

"No thanks Genevieve, I already have a date.", she just answers her and grabs her handbag and pulls her blazer tighter to her slim body. One thing is for sure: she urgently needs to get out of here and go to the Oak Room to see Carol, even if there won't be two of them. Hopefully it won't be too late, and hopefully Carol still desires her in the same way, or preferably more. Something like love must exist after all, because she's never seen Carol like this before as she said quietly lapsing into a slight melancholy or dreamy, what exactly of it Therese wasn't sure: "I love you." But there is a lack of confidence that she will not be abandoned by Carol again as she was in that hotel room after they made love and Carol knew exactly what was going to happen. Too many reasons to doubt her behavior.

"Oh has your blonde goddess returned? I'll tell you right now, anyone who treats you and Abby the way Carol does doesn't deserve you. Why don't you go with me and I'll show you how magical my fingers are?", she tries to seduce Therese once again. But it's no use, as is always the case with Genevieve's attempts at flirtation.</p>

<p>Sometimes Therese curses the strange relationship between Genevieve and Abby. Especially how she seems to know about everything. No matter what happened between her and Carol, Genevieve has no right to talk about Carol and Therese like that. She decided that she is not worth her time and left them there alone in the room at the party and walks out of the apartment building and hails a cab. She quickly tells the cab driver the address of the Oak Room.

The ride to hopefully a brighter future alongside Carol and perhaps her young daughter Rindy, the exact mini version of her beautiful mother.