DISCLAIMER: Women's Murder Club and its characters are the property of James Patterson, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
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Inception
By Demeter
"Lindsay? Can I talk to you for a moment?... Alone."
Lindsay shrugged, got up from where she sat on the couch and followed Cindy into the hallway, aware of Jill and Claire's curious looks at her back. Between the recent murder and Cindy's crazy classmate she hoped that there wasn't any other complication.
"Okay," she said, opting for a light tone. "You've got my attention."
Cindy seemed nervous, which probably didn't bode for anything good.
"Okay..."
"Cindy."
"Yes! Getting there. You know, I'm aware that the world is most likely not ending tonight. But—"
"Oh no. Please, don't tell me that woman got to you, too. She should be getting therapy instead of feeding on other people's fears. For Christ's sake, she's telling them to abandon their families and give away their belongings!"
"That's not it," Cindy protested, and Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief. Cindy seemed to have believed in witches and brujas at one time. As far as Lindsay was concerned, there wasn't so much of a difference.
"I'm glad. So what is it?"
"Maybe it is an ending. Worlds end every day. And maybe we should learn something from it."
"I think the lesson is that we should really enjoy some drinks with our friends while we can. Life is too damn short to waste it."
"Exactly," Cindy said, then she stepped forward and kissed Lindsay. If Lindsay was honest, it wasn't even much of a surprise. It wasn't shattering her world. A form of rapture, it certainly was.
A moment way too short, then Cindy took a step backwards. "I'm sorry, I couldn't... Because if there was a small chance that it was true, which I don't believe, but still... I had to. Sorry."
"No! Wait." Lindsay might still be processing, but sorry, she was definitely not. Actually, this stolen moment in the hallway was the first good thing coming out of this crazy week. "Don't be. I get it." There wasn't quite so many words she could think of, but maybe if she kissed Cindy back, she would believe her. And that seemed to work.
"Do you want to stay tonight?" They were educated women in the 21st century. They would not fall for a clever marketing strategy. Still, their work reminded them every day that life was fragile. You had to draw your own conclusions from that.
"I want to," Cindy whispered, so much promise in her gaze it made Lindsay feel literally dizzy.
The new world was beginning right now.
The End