Smooth Operator

One

Brielle Flores was exhausted. Exhausted wasn't even the word anymore. What would be the word for being so overworked, lonely, and horny, all at the same time? Excruciating? Sure, that works.

Her job was grueling, but she loved it. She worked hard for it. After years of schooling and months applying to positions she dreamed of, she was offered the opportunity of a lifetime as a lead forensic anthropologist. All of the blood, sweat, and tears to get her masters - so she could work in the field of her dreams - paid off. She packed her entire life up in a week's time and moved across the world to make a home for herself in London.

It had been eight months and while she's had the time of her life working at a job she put her entire soul into, she couldn't help but admit that it was lonely sometimes. It was long days of meticulous work that made her so happy but also completely drained by the end. It also didn't leave her with much energy for a social life. And if she was being honest with herself, being outgoing didn't come naturally for her. She was adjusting, slower than she would like, but she was proud of the progress she made and the life she had built for herself so far.

She left a lot of things back home; her family, her friends, a man that she thought she loved but was not as torn up about the departure as she thought he would be. She said goodbye to the only life she knew for the last 27 years to start a completely fresh chapter. A chapter she hoped would be filled with warm memories, success, and happiness.

She was beyond grateful for the job she got to do. Beyond happy that she got to do something she loved and live a comfortable life in one of the best cities in the world. She met some amazing people in the time she's been there. She's gotten to work with some of the top anthropologists in the world, seen the most amazing research, and gotten to be involved in the biggest case study her company had done thus far. And she'd been lucky enough to make some friends that she easily considered family now.

El and Bec, short for Elizabeth and Rebecca, had become the closest friends she's ever had. For not knowing each other that long in the grand scheme of things, they had woven into each other's lives as if they were always meant to be there. They worked together often on specific cases and to be able to work with people who were brilliant at what they did, and also just brilliant people, was rare and beautiful.

It was only about a month after Brielle moved there that she would be spending her first Christmas alone. She definitely wasn't established enough to be able to afford the time off or the travel expenses to go home for the holiday, so she resided herself to the idea of a Skype call with her family on Christmas Day and Christmas movies on her couch in her pajamas. However, El and Bec had different plans and invited her to spend the holiday with them.

Bec came from a big Italian family who graciously makes the trip to her every year and spends nearly a month with her from mid December until after the New Year. El and Bec had spent the last three three years together, with El having lived in London since she was little but without much close family nearby anymore, they started the tradition together.

When Brielle mentioned her plans of Chinese food and pj's for Christmas, El and Bec shared a look before El sweetly asked - no, insisted - she join them instead. Brielle tried to decline at first but they weren't hearing it. So she kissed her dog on the head as he snoozed on the couch and trekked herself to the train to arrive at Bec's flat with a bottle of wine in tow.

With two quiet knocks to the door, Brielle was immediately bombarded with the smell of what she could only imagine was homemade sauce and the sound of laughter when an older man, who she would come to know as Bec's dad, opened the door for her. He welcomed her with a kiss to each cheek and ushered her into the flat, offering to take her coat and wine from her. And as she nervously made her way further into the space she was greeted with a multitude of warm, brown eyes - all matching Bec's.