DISCLAIMER: Murder in Suburbia and its characters are the property of ITV. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Kim for the sofa prompt and beta. Apologies for any improper Britishisms
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Love Seat
By Ann
The two deliverymen inched toward the door, hoping to make a fast getaway before the demanding woman changed her mind – again. They froze when she folded her arms across her chest and looked back at the spot where they'd originally started. The larger of the two men glanced at his work partner, and with a frantic gesture of his head, the men increased their stride and slipped through the door. However, they hadn't needed to worry; the woman had been too absorbed in the perfect spot for her new sofa.
"How about here?" Ash turned to direct the next move, surprised to find herself all alone. She looked from the door to the sofa to the perfect spot. Crossing the room, she picked up the phone.
"Scribbs, care to come around for a glass of wine?"
An hour later, Scribbs strolled into Ash's flat, a bottle of wine in her right hand and a backpack in the other. Ash's focus stayed on her partner's left hand, her eyebrow scaling to her hairline when she'd realized its purpose.
"Planning to stay over?"
"Depends on how pissed I get," said Scribbs moving further into the room. Her eyes lit up at the plastic covered furniture sitting against the wall. "Hey, you've got a new sofa." She looked at the telly and then back at the couch. "Why'd you put it over there?"
"Funny you should ask, Scribbs." Ash grabbed the bottle of wine and headed for the kitchen. When she returned, her partner was in the process of removing the plastic from Ash's new sofa.
"Stop!" Ash practically sprinted across the room to keep Scribbs from removing the protective covering.
"What?" Scribbs jumped back from the furniture as if she'd been shocked by an electric current. She glanced at Ash and then the sofa. "Aw, Ash, you don't plan to keep the plastic on, do you?"
"Only until it's in its proper place." Ash forced a sickening sweet smile on her face, transforming from angry woman to manipulative woman right before Scribbs' eyes.
"Have you been eating lemons?"
"Just grab the end, Scribbs." Ash stepped next to the couch and took hold of the far end. Scribbs shrugged and grabbed hold of the other.
"On the count of three then," said Ash, adjusting her hands for a better grip. "One, two . . ."
"On three or after?" asked Scribbs, having remembered a similar time when Ash had counted. She'd gone on three while Ash had waited. She'd almost broken her shoulder on the door they were trying to break down.
"After; we always go after three."
"Not always," muttered Scribbs, nodding for Ash to start the count again.
This time both women lifted when Ash had reached the magic number, but they were barely able to move the couch a foot. Scribbs blew out a breath.
"You know something, Ash?" She only waited a beat to answer her rhetorical question. "The sofa looks great against this wall."
Exhausted, Scribbs placed her sock-covered feet on the edge of the plastic-covered couch, Ash insisting that her partner still needed to remove her shoes.
"I'm staying, Ash. In fact, I'm not moving from this spot." Scribbs eased down fully onto the sofa and placed her head in Ash's lap. Ash froze; she'd dreamt this same scenario the evening before, only it had taken place on her old sofa and Scribbs hadn't been wearing anything at the time.
"Scribbs, what do you think you're doing?"
"Getting comfy." Scribbs wiggled her feet, her hips, and her head – the last of which Ash could've done without. She tried to cross her legs but found it virtually impossible to do so with Scribbs' head in the way.
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in my bed?" The words were out before Ash could call them back. She looked down into a pair of mischievous dark eyes.
"You want to sleep with me?" The grin Scribbs managed to pull off threatened to split her face in half.
"What? Of course not, it's just that the couch is new, and I don't want it to get soiled." Ash's denial was weak at best. Although, it probably hadn't helped that her voice had raised an octave.
"You *do* want to sleep with me." The splitting grin changed to a smug one. "All you had to do was ask, Ash."
"What?" Ash was stunned by the sudden change of events, her mind trying desperately to keep up. She'd only had to ask?
Scribbs simultaneously lifted her head and feet as she swiveled on the couch. Pushing to her feet, she headed to the kitchen while a stupefied Ash looked on. Seconds later, she came back into the room, wine bottle and glasses in hand.
"Well, c'mon then." Winking, Scribbs turned toward the bedroom, disappearing through the door.
Motionless, Ash stared down at the couch, a smile slowly working its way onto her face. If she'd have known the outcome, she'd have purchased new furniture months ago.
With a chuckle, she stood and hurried to join Scribbs in her bedroom, pausing briefly to wonder what Scribbs would do if she'd bought a new bed.
The End