“Well Sis, you’re not my favorite taste in the morning either,” was the indignant reply. C.C. straightened up as she closed the door with her foot rather noisily, not wanting anyone to think that she was enjoying herself. “If I remember correctly, oh sister Dear…” the brunette drew out the last word. “I believe that I’m the rightful resident of this room, not you.” C.C. pushed past her sister and headed for the bathroom. “I was merely attempting to get a change of clothes for class without walking in on you two love birds making out like some rabid wildlife.”

Brooke wiped her mouth on her sleeve again as she heard the water running in the bathroom sink. “Yeah? Well for your information…”

“Oh, no you don’t. That’s T-M-I,” C.C. shouted out of the bathroom door. “That, I don’t need to know.”

Brooke stopped and thought for a moment realizing what she would have said and smirked. “Then, why didn’t you knock first like Mom and Dad taught us?” Brooke paused for a moment then added, “Oh yeah, that’s right. After you, they gave up having sex.” Brooke thought about what she’d said and gave her own little shudder at the thought of her parents actually doing it.

The brunette emerged from the bathroom, her mouth full of suds as the toothbrush vigorously created more. She tried to speak around it. “Mom and Dad don’t live here, Brooke. So…” C.C. took the brush out of her mouth and went back in. “So, don’t go trying to put the blame on me.” She rinsed her mouth out, making gargling noises, then spit before wiping her mouth and coming back into the same room with her sister. “You borrow the room, you take your chances.” Brown eyes leveled at blue and suddenly all C.C. could do was gag. “Ugh!” She stuck out her tongue and turned right back into the bathroom, brushing her teeth again.

Brooke made a face of her own and wiped her tongue on her sleeve until her sister reappeared in the room. “Hey, it’s not like I stay here every night.” Brooke’s eyes followed her sister as she crossed the room to her closet and started pulling an outfit from it. “Besides, C.C., you know that it won’t last forever…Sam sharing this room with you, I mean.”

“No, you’re right, it won’t.” The sibling turned, flashing a grin at her sister. “It’s just my only year in a dorm and it seems like all the action here is in Sam’s bed.”

The tall woman smiled, then offered. “Well, if that’s all that you’re concerned about, I’m sure we could use your bed every other night that I stay over.” Brooke ducked to her right as a tubular plastic hanger whipped past her head. “What did I say wrong?” Brooke smirked as she stood up straight with her arms open wide.

C.C. glared at her sister and took in a rather loud, deep breath. “It’s just that the only time that I can have use of my room if I’d like to…” the brunette coughed, “…entertain, is on the weekends.”

“And…three nights a week aren’t enough? Is that what you’re saying?” Brooke teased her younger sister. “Have you found someone that you’re seeing regularly without telling me, Sis?” She waited until her sister was about to answer, then hurriedly threw her hand up in a halting motion. “No, wait…T-M-I.”

“Touchy subject, Brooke.”

“Oh…I bet.” The woman couldn’t help but laugh as she reached for her leather jacket and pulled it on. “Truce?” Brooke offered with her hand on the doorknob as she turned to look at her sister.

“Hmm…I don’t know…” C.C. eyed the woman suspiciously for a moment, then winked. “Sure, why not? Truce,” she agreed as she resumed her dressing and changed the subject. “So, you’re off to a late start. What are you up to today?”

“I, ah…I have a little meeting to arrange part of Sam’s Christmas present. I thought I’d just drop by the office and take care of a few things before I have to get ready.”

C.C. looked up to see the pensive look on her sister’s face. “You’re not meeting with Janet again about that internship of Sam’s are you? Brooke, I don’t think…”

“No, I figured I botched that up enough already.” Brooke sighed. “I’m going to go talk to Sam’s parents.”

Brown eyes flashed to the bulge in Brooke’s coat pocket. “You…you’re not going there to ask for their permission, are you? Brooke, you’re crazy if you think that they’ll listen to you, once they know what you want.” C.C. turned back to her closet and pulled out a simple black dress. “I’d better drop this off at the cleaners on my way to class. Something tells me I might need it in a hurry.”

Looking into the rearview mirror, Brooke checked her appearance. God, this is worse then taking Sam home and telling Dad that we were dating one another. Blue eyes gazed over at the house, then back down to the paper with the address on it. Well, Aunt Sandy, you got me here, now let’s see if I can do the same for Sam.

Brooke checked in the mirror once more, then got out of the 300Z and made her way to the front door. Making some last minute adjustments to her clothing, the tall woman took in a deep breath and proceeded to ring the doorbell. Okay, Brooke, be diplomatic, be polite, and whatever you do…don’t come off being too butch. That’s the last thing you need right now, for them to know that you’re her lover. Do that, and you might as well have cemented this estrangement in an iceberg and set it adrift on the high seas. Brooke smirked at the thought. It won’t come home for years to…

The movement inside the house distracted the tall woman’s thoughts. She could see a man coming to the door then opening it. “Yes, can I help you?”

Brooke looked to the medium sized, short statured man in the doorway and asked, “Mr. Moleson?” Her eyes studied the man as he gave her tall figure a roving eye.

“Yes,” the man answered cautiously, his hand tightened on the doorknob, hesitant to ask the stranger in to his home.

Okay, Brooke, time to pour on that ol’ executive charm there. “Hi, Sir.” Brooke flashed a smile and nodded. “You don’t know me, but my sister is roommates with your daughter, Sam.” She gazed into his clear, green eyes and watched for a reaction. Seeing none, she continued. “I was wondering if I could speak with you briefly.”

“Is something wrong with her?” Concern crossed his face, “With Sam, I mean?”

“No Sir, she’s fine.” Brooke saw the relieved look come to the man’s face.

“Ah…okay,” he muttered. “Where are my manners? Come in, please. It’s too cold to be standing out there.” He opened the door wider, inviting the woman in.

The slightly upturned corners of Brooke’s mouth stayed in place as she accepted his offer and entered the house. “Thank you, Sir.” The tall woman nodded as she stepped inside.

“Samuel…” the feminine voice came calling out of the rear room of the house. “Who is it?”

“That’s my wife,” the man smiled politely at Brooke then turned his head, directing his voice to his wife’s location. “It’s ah…someone inquiring about our…ah…I mean…Sam.”

Remembering that she had not taken the time to introduce herself properly, Brooke offered her hand. “I’m sorry, my name is Brooke Gordon. My sister C.C. is your daughter’s roommate.” She felt his hand grasp hers and shake it a time or two.

“Samuel Moleson…” his eyes twinkled when he looked up at the woman before him. “But I guess you kind of figured that out already.”

“Samuel…”

The sound of the feminine voice was closer now and Brooke looked past the man holding her hand to see the short, spit-fire of a woman come into the opposite end of the narrow hallway next to the steps leading to the second floor.

The man followed Brooke’s gaze. Seeing his wife enter the hall, he started his introduction. “It’s a woman by the name of Brooke Gordon, Dear. She’s a family member of ah…Sam’s roommate.”

“Mrs. Moleson,” Brooke nodded, then felt the man’s hand slip out of hers. “I’m sorry to disturb you this evening. I…I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“No, you’re not interrupting…” Samuel started to speak, but was abruptly cut off.

“Has she done anything?” The woman’s brow wrinkled and her face took on a rather sour look. “I knew there would be trouble with her,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Sam?” Brooke questioned who was trouble. “No…no, nothing like that.”

The woman walked the length of the hall and planted herself next to her husband, with her arms folded tightly across her chest. “Then, what are you here for?”

God, I hope Sam takes after her father. Brooke calmed her pounding heart and took a deep breath before she started. “Actually, I just wanted the chance to speak with you. It’s about Christmas…”

“What about Christmas?” The woman tilted her head letting the light coming from the fixture above her, catch her reddish-blonde locks.

“Well, we were…” Brooke caught a glimpse of blonde hair in the far doorway and remembered Sam talking about her sister. A smile came to her face as she thought of the potential of seeing a younger version of her lover. “Ah…that is, my sister C.C. and I were discussing the upcoming holiday…”

“What’s the little hussy done now?” Mrs. Moleson watched Brooke’s blue eyes as they seemed to focus on something further down the hall, then turned to look in the same direction. The voice that came out of the woman was stern and unyielding. “Go to your room now, young lady.”

“Excuse me?” Brooke wasn’t sure if the question was directed to her or not and blinked several times, startled by the rough voice that had come out of the petite looking woman.

There wasn’t another word said as the adolescent crept out into the hallway, then seeing the look in her mother’s eyes, she hurried down the narrow hall toward the group.

Brooke watched curiously as the young girl made her way through the adults and headed up the stairs toward the second floor. The adolescent stopped just past the midway mark to turn slightly and look back at the tall stranger in an almost familiar way, then hurried off to her destination.