Unexpected Ties

by Gina Dartt

  “Recently?”

  “Sure,” Nikki managed casually. “A lot, actually.” She flipped the omelet and raised her eyes to meet Kate’s. “I just don’t think we’re ready yet.”

  “What concerns you specifically?” Kate’s bluish-gray eyes were bright and intense. “Powder?”

  “Among other things.” Nikki sliced the omelet in two and slid it onto two plates as the toast popped up. “Kate, moving in together is a big step. Not for some people, but for me, it’s always been like marriage, especially since we weren’t allowed that sort of legal union until recently. I want our living together to be a real commitment, the kind that lasts a lifetime.” She lifted her head to meet Kate’s gaze squarely. “Does that make sense?”

  Kate nodded slowly. “Yes. I hadn’t thought about it that way. I just want to be with you, but maybe I’m taking it more lightly than I should.”

  “I don’t think you’re taking it lightly.” Nikki carried the plates and utensils over to the table, while Kate assembled glasses and a pitcher of juice. “It’s still a big step for you, but for a lot of straight people…” She trailed off at the look on Kate’s face and smiled. “I know, but seriously, you’ve been living straight for most of your life, and that affects how you think about things.”

  Kate frowned but finally nodded, apparently allowing the point. “Anyway, for a lot of people, living together is just that step between dating and getting married. It’s not as…as serious as marriage. You might perceive it that way.” She looked across at Kate as they sat down to eat. “I’m just saying for me, it’s a lot more than that. I never ever imagined that I would be able to get married, so the idea of living with someone has always been like the wedding and the honeymoon and being a wife all rolled up into one. It should mean wills, and insurance, and shared banks accounts, and everything else. You know?”

  Kate nodded, her features serious. “I suppose I understand. Is that why you didn’t live with Anne when you moved to the city?”

  The lack of reactive flash of hurt when her ex-lover was mentioned made Nikki realize she was truly over the first woman she had ever loved. “Probably. But Anne didn’t ask me to move in, either. Maybe she understood what it meant to me, even if we never talked about it.” She chewed her toast thoughtfully. “Did you live with David before you were married?”

  “No.” Kate colored faintly. “We were still a little old-fashioned back then, even in the eighties. Everyone else might have still been enjoying the sexual revolution, but not David and I.”

  Nikki, born much later and still very young when Kate married her husband, had no comment. To her, the eighties were the hazy memories of growing up, of looking at life through the eyes of a child, and she had to take her lover’s word about what they were like to an adult. Kate might as well have been talking about the cultural mores of the fifties and sixties for what little context it offered her.

  “Tell me, Kate,” Nikki said softly. “Are you ready to marry me?”

  Kate’s face altered abruptly, and Nikki knew those words had penetrated, even if the others hadn’t. A little sadness filled her chest, but she managed a smile. “When you are, ask me. Then I’ll give you my answer.”

  Kate regarded her soberly. “All right. I will. I promise.”

  “So what are your plans today?”

  “I have two people to interview for the part-time position.” Kate seemed relieved at the change of subject. “If they can start Monday after school, I should have him or her trained well enough to stay on their own by the time I have to pick up Grandmother.”

  “You know, I can hang around here that day. I’ve spent enough Saturdays in the store with you to have some idea how things operate.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Kate beamed. “I’d have a little extra peace of mind knowing you were just upstairs in case something goes awry.”

  “Glad to do it.” Nikki’s heart lightened at the pleasure in her lover’s eyes, knowing that she had done something useful. She still wondered if perhaps she should pick up Kate’s grandmother, but she was content to go with whatever Kate decided. After all, Irene Taylor was her relative. Nikki had her own problems when it came to family ties. “What about that weekend?”

  Kate glanced up. “What about it?”

  “The canoe trip?” Nikki prodded. “Do you think your help will be ready to handle the store by then? It’s different being only a call away while you pick up your grandmother and being out of contact on the river all day.”

  Kate looked undecided, but finally nodded. “I’m sure they will.” She took Nikki’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Even if they’re not, it doesn’t matter. I made a promise to you. I’ll close the store if I have to.”

  Touched, Nikki dipped her head. “Thank you.” She couldn’t remember anyone willing to give up so much for her before. “So tell me about these students you’re interviewing.”

  Kate sipped her orange juice. “Not much to tell. There are two applicants, Beth Shaw and Todd Densmore. They both seem to be good students, and Linda seems to think they would benefit from working for me.”

  Nikki lifted an eyebrow. “Are they gay?”

  “I don’t know, but that’s possible because Novel Companions was their specific first choice.”

  “Wow.” Nikki thought briefly about having had a boss like Kate for her first part-time job and abruptly frowned. “Hire the boy,” she said flatly.

  Surprised, Kate glanced up at her. “Excuse me?”

  “The last thing you need is an employee who develops a crush on you.”

  “Is that what you’re worried about?” Kate looked amused.

  “I’m not worried.” Nikki felt a little defensive. “But if I were a teenager coming to work here, thinking I’m gay and having you as my boss, knowing you’re gay, I’d be in seventh heaven. How could I not fall for you? In fact, I’d be all over you like white on rice.”

  “You’re exaggerating. I’ll hire the best candidate, regardless of gender.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Nikki waved her toast for emphasis.

  Kate laughed and shook her head. “So what are you up to today?”

  “I’d like to help out in the store this morning, if you’ll have me.”

  “Of course I’ll have you.” Kate’s gaze grew suddenly predatory. “Even on the counter, if you’d like.”

  Startled, Nikki stared at her before her face relaxed into a grin. She was always taken by surprise when Kate made comments like that; they seemed so odd coming from someone she perceived as so refined. “Promises, promises. I thought I’d help out until this afternoon, then head back to my place and get ready for our trip to Halifax.”

  “Do you want me to pick you up?

  “Sure, that’ll save me coming back here. Are you still planning to leave at three?”

  Kate drained her coffee. “Yes. Business is slow between three and five on Saturdays so it won’t hurt to close early. If we get away at three, we’ll be there by four. You said this Venus Envy doesn’t close until five. We’ll have an hour to browse before we meet Susan for dinner.”

  Nikki laughed, wondering if Kate understood what they would be browsing for, and decided to change the subject again. “Did you know that Martin Elliot and Tiffany play tennis at the club?”

  Kate fixed her with a penetrating stare. “No, I didn’t. Why?”

  Nikki offered her a bland, innocence personified. “I just thought it was interesting, that’s all.”

  “Nikki, are you getting involved in something?”

  “Involved in what?”

  “Listen, Stephen Elliot’s death was unfortunate but it was—”

  “A murder.”

  “What?” Kate was wide-eyed.

  “The toxicology report Rick got Wednesday says Stephen was poisoned by some kind of chemical solution from the factory. There’s no word on how he got it, but family members were the only ones close enough to slip something to him.”

  “That’s ho
rrible. But if it was a chemical solution from the factory, he could have ingested it accidentally.”

  “At the Historical Society Dinner?” Nikki asked scornfully, before holding up her hand in mute apology. “I just think it’s really interesting that the cousin and the older brother’s wife spend a lot of time flirting on the tennis court. Do you know anything about him?”

  “Only that he’s the son of Hannah’s youngest sister, from the less affluent side of the family.”

  Nikki’s ears pricked. “What does that mean? ‘Less affluent.’”

  Kate seemed suddenly embarrassed at letting that slip, but she answered with her customary honesty. “The Watson side of the family never had as much money as the Elliot side. They come from far less fortunate circumstances.”

  “Like a trailer park, for instance?”

  Kate stared at her, obviously baffled. “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing.” Nikki filed that information away and decided to do some follow-up research later. Was that where Martin and Tiffany had met, growing up together on Court Street? If so, it made their connection run deeper than first glance indicated. “So he and Tiffany have that much in common, coming into money after having none.”

  “Martin didn’t come into money,” Kate sounded certain of that.

  “No? That’s not what Susan says.”

  “What would she know?”

  “She says he doesn’t do much but he seems to live pretty well. Maybe Tiffany’s footing the bill.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “That’s the question, isn’t it? They seemed awfully cozy at the club. Something’s going on there that’s been going on for awhile.”

  Kate sighed. “Nikki, we were unfortunate to witness Stephen’s death, but that’s no reason to snoop into things that don’t concern us.”

  “All right.” Nikki wasn’t going to argue, nor was she going to go looking for trouble, but if certain things came to her attention, she wasn’t going to ignore them either. Kate would understand. She did the last time. Conjuring a bright smile, Nikki decided it was time for yet another change of subject. “Don’t you have to open soon?”

  Chapter Nine

  Kate glanced at the clock in the kitchen and bit off an oath at her lover’s words. Nikki obviously thought she had been afforded a reprieve from their conversation. Though Kate didn’t have time to pursue it, she did intend to bring it up again later because she didn’t believe that she had convinced Nikki to stay away from the Elliot investigation.

  After taking a quick shower, Kate dressed in a light blue blouse and navy trousers, then dashed downstairs where sunshine filtered through the large glass windows, glinting off the dust motes in the air. She quickly moved the float from the safe to the cash register before finally unlocking the door. It was a beautiful spring morning, the fresh green vibrant in the bright light, and she flipped over the closed sign to read open, glancing down the street before returning to the interior.

  On a notepad, she listed things she wanted done by closing, even as the first customers started to trickle in. A half hour or so later, Nikki wandered downstairs to check out the latest batch of lesbian mysteries, dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts that showed off gloriously long legs. After wasting a few moments admiring her partner as she perused the new arrivals, Kate sent her out back to finish packing several boxes of returns. As she waited on the first wave of customers, she was reminded once more that morning was the busiest time on Saturdays, and if Nikki hadn’t been there to lend a hand, she wouldn’t be able to accomplish half of what she wanted. She really needed more help as soon as possible.

  At precisely eleven o’clock, a young man entered the store, glancing around in interest. He boasted short, spiky hair, dyed a particu-larly unnatural white-blond, while several metal circles and studs pierced his face from his ears to his eyebrows to his bottom lip. His jeans were neat and his jacket very conservative, but his black Tshirt sported a psychedelic logo of some rock band. His dark brown eyes lit up when he saw Kate.

  “Mrs. Shannon? I’m Todd Densmore.” He shook her hand eagerly.

  Over his shoulder, Kate saw Nikki doing her best not to laugh out loud and shot her a quelling look before turning her attention back to the young man. “I’m happy to meet you, Todd. Please, come with me.”

  Leaving Nikki to cover the counter, she led the teenager to the small office that doubled as her storage room. It was cramped, but since she did most of her paperwork upstairs, it usually wasn’t a problem, except for moments like these. A small table struggled for space amid stacks of collapsed boxes and countless loose books that filled the narrow shelves.

  Todd sat in one of the folding chairs while she sat in the other, and for a brief moment, they regarded each other much as two separate species would. Kate simply couldn’t believe the fashion sense of today’s youth, but she supposed it wasn’t so different from the platform shoes and hip-hugging, wide-legged bell-bottoms of her teen years. Of course, those had apparently made a comeback as well, and she shook her head.

  You know you’re old when the fashions of your youth come back to haunt you, she thought wistfully. “So, Todd, tell me about your long-term goals. What do you see yourself doing in ten years?”

  Todd hesitated, then bashfully looked down. “Can I be honest, Mrs. Shannon?”

  Kate wondered if it was such a good idea, but she nodded. “Please.”

  “I haven’t a clue. A lot of kids my age know exactly what university they want to go to, what profession they want to pursue, and how much money will make them happy, but I don’t even know what I want to do next weekend. But I’m a hard worker, and if you give me a chance, you won’t be sorry.”

  Kate was aghast. Linda did her best to prepare her students for the interviews, but they were still kids, and they had a habit of coming out with the most amazing stuff, things that an older person, experienced with job interviews, wouldn’t think of saying.

  “I’m sure I wouldn’t.” Kate glanced down at the resume and the list of questions she had prepared beside it. “What can you offer me that another applicant can’t?”

  Todd took his time to respond, his brow furrowed. Kate waited patiently and smiled again when his face brightened, indicating he had an answer. He really was a charming sort.

  “My appearance.”

  Kate took another look at his mismatched outfit and facial adornment. “Your appearance?” Despite her best effort to moderate it, her tone was very skeptical.

  “I’m no suit, despite what Mom made me wear today. I look like a kid, and that’ll make other kids want to buy their books here rather than from the boring store at the mall. A gay bookstore is cool, and I’ll make it cooler.”

  Well, I certainly hadn’t considered that angle.

  “This isn’t a gay bookstore.”

  He frowned. “You carry gay books, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then it’s a gay bookstore.” He shrugged.

  Kate wasn’t sure she could argue with that logic. Labels had a way of sticking despite one’s best effort to prevent it.

  “Is that important to you? That this bookstore carries alternative literature?”

  He dropped his eyes. “Uh, maybe.”

  Kate suspected that was as far as she dared go in that direction at the moment. “You realize that this is a place of business and that it will never become a ‘hangout.’”

  “Absolutely.”

  Kate peered at him with a touch of doubt, but it wasn’t an important point to pursue unless she hired him.

  “I know you don’t have any work experience since this is your first job application, but have you done anything that required a lot of organization and concentration, outside of your school work?”

  Kate realized some people would consider his hesitation a lack of confidence, and it probably did indicate that to a certain extent, but she liked that he took his time to consider his answer rather than blurting out the first th
ing that popped into his head.

  “I have my own Web site.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a card with his name, the name of the site, and the URL listed underneath. “I’m really into Tolkien. I do a lot of research to make sure the information is accurate, which is very important to me.” He stopped and blushed. “I know a lot of people would find it a waste of time, but I enjoy it.”

  “Doing what you enjoy is never a waste of time,” Kate said honestly, studying the card. “I’ll check this out. Seeing how you’ve set it up will tell me a lot about your skills in tackling tasks and organizing information.”

  She asked him a few more questions and then said good-bye, after assuring him that she would call Linda with her final decision later that night. Normally, she would fax an individual report on each job applicant to Linda so that she could help the students understand what went into the process and how they could improve for the next job interview. In this case, with only two applicants, Kate could make her report over the phone.

  She glanced at her watch, seeing that she still had a few minutes before her second appointment. Out front, Nikki was leaning over the counter, talking animatedly to a couple, one of whom held several newly purchased books. Curious, Kate drifted over to the counter.

  “Hi.” Nikki immediately put her arm around Kate’s waist, indicating that either the two women were lesbians or they were lesbian-friendly, since Nikki tended not to be publicly affectionate unless she felt completely safe. “This is Audrey and Debbie. I’ve told you about them.”

  “Yes.” Kate reached out to shake hands. “Nikki’s told me a lot about you.”

  “Uh-oh.” Audrey grinned crookedly. “We should be worried.”

  Nikki laughed. “They’re going on the canoe trip. You’ll get to know them a little better there. You’ll get to know a lot of people better.” She suddenly looked worried, and the other two women exchanged a glance that Kate didn’t completely understand. She let it go for the moment.