Home Calling (girlxgirl) ON HOLD

Chapter 6

Breathing steadily, soldier girl jogged through awakening streets of her small town. She actually liked mornings, they represented a beginning of a new day, and Catherine loved new beginnings, new opportunities it offered. The air was fresh and chilly, the sun still low in the horizon. Curious shop owners and early passengers followed young woman with their eyes as she passed by them. Turning in her street Catherine slowed down, and gradually came to halt in front of her house. Her wife beater was damp with sweat, its beads trickling down her neck and chest, soaking itself in the shirt. Propping her leg on the porch, Catherine stretched bringing instant relief to her slightly fatigued limbs. She scolded herself for missing on her daily jogs for a couple of days. She had to stay in form.

A truck trudged down the street, attracting Catherine's attention. It was the same one she saw dropping Emily off the other day. The soldier could faintly see masculine figure sitting in the driver's seat. The car stopped in front of her neighbours' house, honking once. A couple of seconds later, a familiar figure came out, walking towards the car. Catherine stopped her exercise absentmindedly, observing the younger girl. Emily opened the passenger's door, but before she entered, she glanced at Catherine's house, and her gaze stopping on Catherine when she noticed her stretching on the porch. Catherine stared straight back at her, finding herself a bit lost in the moment.

Emily was scanning her from the distance, that is until the person in the car said something to her, dispelling their stare-down. Emily looked back at Catherine and after a brief nod, she entered the car. 

Catherine breathed in heavily, not realizing that she almost forgot how to breathe for a moment. She followed the car with her eyes, thinking of the way Emily made her feel. It was weird, but just one look from the girl was capable to render her completely speechless and lost. Catherine appropriated it to the lust she felt towards the younger girl. She refused to think it could be anything more than physical attraction. Aside from it being wrong to fall for her childhood friend, who was five years her junior, she didn't need any commitment in this moment, or at this town for that matter.  

Getting inside the house she took a quick shower and had simple breakfast consisting of cereals and milk. It was Friday today, and Catherine had a bit more than a week to get her affairs in order before she started work. It's been two days since that uncomfortable dinner at her neighbors. She didn't really talk to them since then. She saw Emily briefly but they didn't really have a real talk since the dinner.

Yesterday, Catherine went to talk to the real estate agent. Sardonically she thought there was no need for real estate agent in this dump of a town, however he fought hard to prove her wrong. According to him, Carlington is going to undergo some development and expansion soon, mostly thanks to the establishment of the nearby military base. 

The agent was acquainted with her property, and basically told her, that she would be able to sell it probably in next few months to a year, but she has to make it look more homely and presentable. Therefore Catherine decided to take it upon herself to at least paint the walls, and do some minor repairs. She was skilled enough to do it. For the rest she would hire some workers. 

Dressing up in her simple attire and putting her military boots on, she huffed in annoyance. All of this seemed much more of a nuisance than she initially thought. She decided she'd go an buy a car today and some painting equipment. The used car dealership was just at the outskirts of the town. She didn't mind walking, it gave her the time to think. 

***

It was mid evening by the time she finished. She bought used up red Ford, the paint a bit faded away, the interior smelt funny, but she liked it nonetheless. After buying a couple of cans with white paint, brushes and other painting equipment, she decided she'd take her new baby for a stride. Besides she wasn't in hurry to be back at that house, where memories were haunting her at every corner.