Beyond the Skyline

by Lise Gold

  38

  “Hey sis,” Sophie’s brother said, yawning in the doorway. He looked surprised to see her. “You know I love you but now is not a good time.” He held the door half shut between them, only poking his head around the corner. His hair was messy, and he looked like he hadn't seen daylight in weeks, the way he was shielding his eyes from the sun.

  “I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you,” Sophie sniffed. Stewart squinted against the bright sunlight. As soon as he saw her miserable state, he apologized.

  “Oh, I didn't mean to... Wait, just give me two minutes, okay?” He locked the door again, leaving Sophie outside in the rain. A little later he opened the door, this time dressed in jogging pants and a shirt. He smelt of freshly sprayed deodorant. Sophie wiped her tears and looked around in concerned suspicion. The curtains were drawn, and there were empty bottles of wine on the table.

  “Are you ok, Stew? You're not depressed, are you? It's five in the afternoon.” Stewart laced his fingers behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.

  “No, I'm fine, believe me,” he said matter-of-factly, then gestured at the couch. “Sit down. What's wrong little sis? It's not often that you come knocking on my door unannounced.” There was noise coming from the hallway, and Sophie turned to find a man, peeking around the bedroom door.

  “I'm so sorry, Stew. I know you said I should stay in the room but I really, really need a pee.” He came out and dramatically hopped from one leg to the other.” Stew rolled his eyes, then buried his face in his hands.

  “Great,” he said. “Well, as you're both here now... Sophie, this is Roberto. Roberto, this is my sister Sophie. You weren't exactly meant to meet, but here you both are.” Roberto graced her with the biggest smile and waved at her as he sprinted towards the toilet, only covered by a towel wrapped around his waist.

  “Right back,” he yelled. Sophie was speechless, and for a minute, she forgot the whole reason she was there. She stared at the bathroom door in silence, waiting for Roberto to come back out.

  “Is this what I think it is?” she asked. “How did I miss it? Is he the reason you never come home anymore?” She looked up at Stewart with a grin, feeling a tiny bit better already. He shrugged his broad shoulders, looking more than uncomfortable.

  “Yeah. And now you know,” he said.

  “He's hot,” Sophie remarked. “You didn't need to hide this from me, you know. I can’t say I’m not a bit surprised, but I’m happy for you.” She poked him in his thigh, and he began to relax. She even saw the signs of a tiny smile forming on his face. “So are you two serious?” She asked. Stewart looked through the hallway at the closed bathroom door.

  “Not sure,” he whispered. “It's early days.” He jumped up when Roberto yelled from behind the toilet door.

  “Hell yeah! He fucking adores me. He just told me two minutes before you arrived.” Then he burst out in laughter and Stewart blushed.

  “Hey, it’s okay.” Sophie laughed. “It’s all good. He’s funny too, looks like you’ve hit the jackpot!” Roberto walked in and gave Sophie a kiss on the back of her hand.

  “I can see the good looks run in the family,” he charmed her with a slight Italian accent. He sat down next to her as if they had known each other for years, still only scarcely covered by his towel, a hand resting on her knee.

  “You look sad, Sophie. Would you like to talk about it or do you want me to go back into the bedroom?” Sophie smiled.

  “No, it’s fine. It’s really nice to meet you.” Roberto turned to Stewart.

  “Handsome, why don’t you get your sister a drink? She looks like she could do with one. And while you’re there, get me a glass of red as well, please?” He fluttered his eyelashes and grinned. Stewart nodded and gave him a lopsided smile. A couple of seconds later, he came back through with a bottle of red wine and three glasses, still not entirely comfortable.

  “Right,” he said. “Now we got that awkwardness out of the way, tell me, sis. I’ve rarely seen you upset. What happened?” He looked at Sophie intently as she took a sip of wine and leaned back into the sofa.

  “It’s Mum. She’s evil. Believe me; you do not want to tell her about you and Roberto.” They both frowned at her as she fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt.

  “Do you remember Aldo?” she asked. “Deborah and Mark’s son?” Stewart nodded.

  “Uh huh. He’s a creepy little dude. Don’t tell me you’re dating him? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Sophie twirled the wine around in her glass.

  “Yeah. Well, he’s not so little anymore. And I’m not dating him. Never in a million years. Mum and Deborah practically cornered me to go on a date with him over Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago. We were both in Hong Kong at the same time, and it was just one of those situations I couldn’t get out of.” She sighed. “I brought my new colleague Mel along and I… well I ended up kissing her in front of him.” Stewart and Roberto both shot up in surprise and regarded her with growing interest.

  “What? You?” Stewart’s disbelief was almost comical, and Sophie couldn’t suppress a grin, despite the fact that she felt like crying again.

  “Yes, well… it wasn’t planned or anything. It just happened. But Aldo…I guess he got jealous. He visited Mum and told her, and now she’s acting as if I’m putting the whole family to shame. She thinks I’m some kind of sick attention seeker. She was horrible to me, Stew. I didn’t know she could be like that.” She swallowed away the tears and looked down at her hands in her lap. “I only told Cat, and I think she might have told others, even though she promised she wouldn’t.” Stewart moved to the couch next to Sophie and put an arm around her.

  “Shhhhh, don’t cry” he hushed. “It will be okay. Just forget about them for a little while. What Mum or your friends think is not important. Right now, you have other things to deal with. Do you like this girl? And since when are you into women?”

  “I don’t know.” Sophie shook her head. “I mean, yes I do. I like her a lot. But we work together and I’m her manager now. Plus we just had a fight after Mum behaved like a bitch over lunch, so I don’t even know if she still wants to see me.” She paused and looked at Roberto, whom she felt strangely comfortable with. “We only just met at the airport on our way to Hong Kong, about a month ago.”

  “Holy shit,” Roberto gasped. “That sounds intense. Is she the first woman you’ve been with? Did you sleep with her? Can I ask that? Or is that too personal?” He blatantly ignored Stewart’s warning look, ordering him to back off.

  “Well?”

  “Yeah, she is. And I did.” Sophie gave a wry smile and blushed.

  “And?” Roberto insisted. Sophie didn’t say anything. She just grinned, thinking back to the moments she and Mel had spent together. If only she could go back in time. It had been so perfect in Hong Kong, so carefree. Away from the office, from her family and friends. Safely locked away behind closed doors, nobody judging her. Stewart got up and refilled their glasses.

  “You know what?” he said. “Mum caught me with a guy once.” Sophie’s eyes widened.

  “Really? How come I never knew about it? Surely she would have made just as much as a fuss over you.”

  “Well, she did,” Stewart said. “But she didn’t want anyone else to know either. I don’t think she ever told dad. She likes to brush things under the carpet, our mother.” He shook his head. “She walked in on Marcel and me in my bedroom. Do you remember Marcel?”

  Sophie stared at him. “Really? Marcel? The skinny guy with the braces?”

  Stewart nodded. “Yes. Not one of my proudest moments but hey, he was sweet, and he had great taste in music. Mum made me promise to keep it to myself. That was after a month when she finally started speaking to me again. She was scared it would rub off on you.” He laughed. “I guess she was right about that after all. Anyway, the whole situation was too ridiculous for words. So I just kept it outside the family. That was five years ago. I stopped coming home regularly after that, as you’ve noticed.” He r
aised a hand. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of who I am, I was just not that bothered with seeing her anymore. To be honest, I thought she would get used to the idea and come around or at least apologize at some point, but she never brought the subject up again. If I can’t be myself at home, what’s the point of being there?” He patted Sophie on the back. “She can do this to me, but I won’t let her do it to you, sis. No way. It’s not right, and we can’t let her get away with it.” Roberto made a fist.

  “That’s the spirit. A united front. I like that.” He looked from Stewart to Sophie. “Hey, I think what we need here is a good night out. How about we all go for cocktails tonight and get to know each other. You should bring your girl. What’s her name?” Sophie hesitated. “Come on, it will be fun,” Roberto insisted.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Sophie protested. “As I said, we’ve just had a fight because of Mum, and we’re not really in a good place right now. I don't even know if she'll speak to me.” Stewart waved if off.

  “So what? You’re done with Mum too, right? Or at least for now. It’s perfect. You’ll have one more thing in common. I’d love to meet her, and we haven’t had a proper drink together since…” He laughed. “Well, never actually so even more reason to go out. Now call her.” Stewart and Roberto both held up their glasses to Sophie, and she couldn’t help but laugh as they clinked. Maybe things would be okay after all. She was too scared to call Mel after their fight, so she sent her a message.

  ‘I’m sorry if I hurt you. My mother found out, and she didn’t take it well. Please meet me for drinks tonight with my brother and his boyfriend (?!) I’ll explain later. I promise you; they’re lovely people.’

  Later that night, Sophie, Stewart and her new brother-in law, whom she absolutely adored, were hanging at the bar of the Mayfair, waiting for Mel. They had ordered Dirty Martinis, and Roberto was admiring Sophie’s silk kimono top that she had thrown on in a hurry to make up for her sorry appearance that afternoon.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet someone in Stew’s family. You guys have always been a mystery to me. It feels like the next step in our relationship. Doesn’t it, Handsome?” He beamed. “And don’t let him fool you into thinking it’s casual. He seriously loves me.” He laughed and raised his glass, then looked over at the door. “Holy shit. Is that her?” Sophie looked over her shoulder and met Mel’s green eyes. They weren’t angry or cold anymore. They were sweet and seductive, like before. Mel smiled at her and Sophie felt a spark of hope that everything would be alright between them. She put her glass down and turned as Mel approached. She wasn’t sure how to greet her, with her brother being right next to her, but Mel took charge and smiled as she kissed Sophie, just long enough to show that she meant it, before giving her a hug.

  “Thanks for texting me,’ she whispered. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I’m so sorry to hear you had a fight with your mother. I don’t want you to think for a moment that I feel smug about it.” She tightened her grip. “I’m sorry I was so angry.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m just glad that you came,” Sophie said. She gestured to her companions. “This is my brother Stewart and this handsome guy here is his boyfriend, Roberto.” Both men said hello and gave her a good glance-over.

  “Sophie, you’ve got good taste, girl.” Roberto smirked. “Nice to put a pretty face to the name.” He took Mel’s hand. “Come on, Mel. Let’s grab a table; it will be busy here soon.”

  Sophie told Mel about the happenings of the day, and Stewart filled her in about his own history with their mother. Mel listened but didn’t say very much. She had an arm around Sophie, comforting her when she replayed the painful fight she’d had earlier that day. After they had finished, they looked at her, fishing for her opinion on the matter.

  “Hey, don’t ask me,” she said. I know I had a rant last Sunday but I’ve calmed down now, and I’m done saying bad things about your family. I don’t know them like you do so it’s way too easy for me to judge.” She leaned in and looked at Sophie and Stewart. “But I do want you to know that I’m sorry this happened to the both of you.” She smiled apologetically. “Listen, “I know it hurts. And I know it must seem like she doesn’t care about you the way you thought she did. But I think you’re wrong. I think she cares a lot and she’s desperate because she’s convinced you’ve made a big mistake and that the decisions you’ve made will ruin your future. She might come around if you both talk to her.” She shrugged. “I can’t be sure of course, but if she’s never been a terrible mother, I’d say she’ll probably try to understand eventually. In my case, my father was old. And I mean really old compared to my mother. It took him five years to get over the fact that I liked girls, but two years before he passed away he told me that in the end, he just wanted me to be happy. It wasn’t much, but it was something, and it was enough for me. In your case Sophie, be grateful that you have your brother on your side to get you through this because I know how hard it can be when you’re on your own.”

  “I know,” Sophie said. “I’m lucky not to be alone in this.” She rested her head on Mel’s shoulder. Mel had made her forget all about her brother sitting right next to her. How was it possible that this girl she hadn’t even trusted with the job just over two months ago, had turned out to be one of the wisest, most amazing people she knew? Stewart nodded and turned to Sophie.

  “You know I love you, right? I know we don’t get to see each other much and that’s ridiculous because we live so close.” He paused. “But it’s actually quite fun hanging out with you. We should do this more often.” He laughed. “I love your new haircut by the way. Is this your lesbian look?” He messed up her hair with his hand, only to receive a smack on the head back. “Let’s talk to them,” he said. “But not yet. Let it sink in for a couple of weeks. If we’re together, it might not be that bad. Imagine their faces when we both try to bring up the subject.” His eyes widened. “Wait, I have a great idea. How about we do it during one of those lovely Sunday luncheons with Deborah and Mark?” Sophie chuckled.

  “That’s all very funny, Stew but I’m actually terrified. Mum will probably brush it under the carpet again. She’s pretty predictable like that. But how’s Dad going to react?” Stewart shrugged.

  “There’s only one way to find out. Now, shall we have another round?”

  39

  “Your brother seems lovely. He reminds me of you,” Mel said as they waited in line for the toilets. “His boyfriend is great fun too; I’m having an excellent night.” She poked one of the cubicle doors to check if it was occupied and laughed. “How could you not know that about Stewart? My gaydar went off as soon as I saw him. I mean, it’s pretty obvious.”

  Sophie laughed. “I don’t know… I just never thought of it as an option. I guess I’m oblivious to stuff like this.” Her eyes wandered down to Mel’s lips, and Mel glanced back at her, nodding towards the cubicles.

  “Why don’t you come in with me? Nobody will notice.” She arched an eyebrow and shot Sophie a flirty look. It was getting late, and by now, the clientele was loud and cheerful. Two girls were singing along with the song that was playing on the dance floor, and a group of women was happily celebrating the night with something other than just alcohol, talking non-stop at each other. The cleaning lady was blissfully asleep in her chair with a bag of toilet paper in her arms.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sophie whispered back, her cheeks bright red. She looked around cautiously, checking the line for anyone she knew. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on Mel, but she was terrified that one of her friends might see her. It wasn’t their usual hangout, but it was a popular spot for a late night dance and a nightcap. “I don’t think I need the toilet after all. Maybe we should go home.” Mel laughed.

  “Sure, little miss good girl. We can go home, but first, I want you in one of those cubicles with me. We haven’t made out in almost a week, and I’ve been lusting after you all night.” Sophie’s heart jumped in her c
hest. Mel looked aroused. She was wearing a low cut white top underneath her black blazer and Sophie could see the outline of her breasts through the thin fabric. She wanted to feel them. She licked her lips and traced Mel’s waistline down to her hips, then grabbed her ass for a brief moment. One of the toilet doors opened, and two girls came out together, laughing.

  “See?” Mel said. “There’s nothing weird about it.” She grinned, suddenly looking like she was up to no good. She took Sophie’s hand and dragged her into the toilet. Within seconds, she had locked them up and pinned Sophie against the wall, holding her arms up by her wrists.

  “God, I’ve missed you, Sophie.” Sophie wanted to protest, but the exquisite feeling of Mel’s breasts pressing against her own made her willpower melt away like snow. She found Mel’s mouth, hungry for her kiss. First slow and sensual, then deep and possessive. She felt Mel’s nipples harden against her chest and it made her ache with desire.