No One But You

by Catherine Maiorisis

  Jan and Katie watched her do a victory dance the next morning when she walked into her office.

  Jan couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Why so happy this morning?”

  “She kept the Brooklyn Bridge.”

  Jaws dropped. Jan and Katie exchanged a glance, then spoke simultaneously. “You bought her the Brooklyn Bridge?”

  Robin stopped dancing, looked at the two most important women in her life standing there with their mouths open, then doubled over with laughter.

  Jan frowned. “What’s so funny, wise guy?”

  Robin wiped the tears from her eyes. “I sent her the dessert from the River Café that looks like the Brooklyn Bridge.”

  Katie punched Robin’s arm. “Christ, Robin, do you realize that you’re so crazy about this woman that we believed you’d bought the bridge for her?” All three of them fell into fits of laughter.

  “Okay, get out of my office, I have to figure out what to send next.”

  At the door, Katie turned. “Other than nonverbally, has she responded to you yet?”

  “Just nonverbal. She’s making me jump through hoops, but I’m starting to enjoy the game.”

  Katie smiled. “Ah. Young love.” She closed the door and left Robin to her planning.

  Robin glanced at her watch, then called Pisticci. She couldn’t place a delivery order until they opened for the evening, so she settled in to do some work. At four thirty, she appeared at the restaurant and selected a salad, an appetizer and a pasta dish for delivery: fresh shaved fennel and greens with aged parmigiano and extra virgin oil, Vegetable Ceci-grilled squash medallions capped with mozzarella di bufala and a warm chickpea purée, Maltagliati-lamb ragu over flat pasta with fresh spinach and a dollop of creamy ricotta. She asked them to enclose the note she’d written before leaving the office.

  Dear Lily,

  Dessert last night and dinner tonight. Ass backward as usual but sent with love. Did I just say love? Enjoy and think of me. Remember how we felt at dinner that night. Before I screwed up.

  Love again, Robin

  She stopped at the liquor store near Lily’s apartment and had a bottle of full-bodied, bold red wine delivered with a note.

  Enjoy this bold, full-bodied red. I’ll be thinking of a certain bold, full-bodied woman tonight. Love, Robin

  * * *

  Annie sat at the table. “Thanks for inviting me, Lily, but maybe you should have asked Robin to share the dinner she sent you. She did, after all, say ‘love’ twice in the note. And ‘love’ again in the note with the wine.” She sipped her wine. “Um, the woman has good taste.”

  Lily tasted the wine. “She definitely knows how to please in the wine department.”

  Annie grinned. “I’ll bet she knows how to please in a lot of departments.”

  “Don’t leer. It’s unbecoming.” Lily smirked. “Anyway, I need more proof she gets me. And I’m enjoying the game. I’ll know when it’s over.”

  “You remember she’s a billionaire, right?”

  “Her money doesn’t interest me. I don’t need someone to take care of me or to wine and dine me. I’m happy she’s a success doing what she loves and the fact that she built a multibillion-dollar business that cares about its employees shows what kind of person she is. I love that she’s brilliant and kind and playful and giving and fun. I love who she is. Maybe because I have some money of my own, hers isn’t important to me.”

  * * *

  Lily’s jaw dropped when she opened the door to accept the UPS delivery. “What in the world is that?”

  The UPS man muscled the box into the foyer of her apartment, then stepped back. “Sign here.” He handed her an electronic thingy to sign. “Got a picture of a boat on the box,” he said, as she returned the thingy.

  She tipped him and closed the door. Thingy? She should know the name of that…thingy. She studied the box. Giggled. A kayak. At least she didn’t send two. She looked again. It was a tandem, a kayak for two. No note, unless she managed to get someone at LL Bean to open the box and put one in. Well, it was too large to struggle with now. Maybe in the morning.

  She went online to LL Bean’s website to check it out. It could be used as a tandem or converted to a solo. She should have expected that Robin would have thought of everything. Later that afternoon two paddles for the kayak were delivered and that evening a small bouquet of white lilies with a single rose in the middle arrived from the local florist. She opened the note.

  Thoughts of you surround me and I’m flooded with feelings I never expected to feel. All I think about is spending the rest of my life paddling with you. Love, your Rosaria

  She’d called Annie when the kayak arrived and they’d made plans to meet at Fred’s for a burger. After they ordered, she handed Annie the note.

  “Damn, she’s romantic. But what’s with the ‘Rosaria’?”

  “A private joke.”

  “So are you going to call her? This sounds like a marriage proposal. What more do you want?”

  “Just a few more days.”

  Two days later, she opened the door to a messenger bearing what looked like a book wrapped in paper with hearts on it. She signed and brought it into the apartment, then sat and stared at it. Robin had been doing so well. What if this package proved Robin didn’t really get her? She thought about calling for reinforcements, but Annie was teaching an all-day seminar; she was on her own.

  After circling it most of the day, she poured a glass of wine, sat on the sofa and, holding her breath, tore the wrapping paper. The cover was a picture of them, one of the selfies Robin had taken on the roller coaster. Big smiles, really happy to be together. She let out the breath and relaxed. The first picture in the album was blurry but clearly her, looking at someone or something behind her. She recognized the dress as the one she’d worn the night they first saw each other. Underneath in Robin’s neat handwriting it said:

  I saw you across a crowded room and I knew we were meant for each other.

  Next was the picture the paparazzi photographer had snapped at the River Café, which showed her hand on Robin’s face, their eyes locked.

  Look at us. Our second date and already in love?

  She was right. How had it happened so fast? She paged through the photos Robin had taken, creating her history and chronicling their relationship. On many of them Robin had commented about how happy and how into each other they looked. At the end, after the last picture, Robin had written:

  Dear Lily,

  These pictures were taken to help me build a history for myself. Now, more than anything in the world, I want to build a future with you. And our children. Please talk to me, my sweet Southern girl.

  Love, Robin

  Robin loved her; that meant all of her. First she cried, then she called Hillary to schedule a special session the next day. She wanted to be sure she was ready to deal with Robin, ready to trust her totally, ready to risk showing her love—and her body.

  The next afternoon the florist delivered one white lily and one red rose in a lovely cut-glass vase. A small box wrapped in what looked like Tiffany paper was attached. Lily’s heart fell. Tiffany? So she doesn’t really get me at all. She slowly unwrapped it and smiled when she saw Bette Midler’s CD, It’s the Girls, and the least expensive iPod, a purple Shuffle, with “No one but you” engraved on it and “Be My Baby” loaded. She played the song over and over. Then, grinning, she went down to the Apple Store on Broadway and Sixty-seventh Street, purchased a silver iPod Shuffle and had it engraved. She took it home and loaded two songs on it, wrapped the fountain pen she’d spotted in an antique store and bought for Robin weeks ago when she wasn’t even sure she’d ever see her again, then went out again, this time to the florist on West Seventy-second Street.

  * * *

  Katie and Jan pounced on Robin as soon as she walked into the office the next morning. “You had a delivery this morning.”

  Her good mood vanished. “Damn, I was sure she’d love what I sent. I think I should give u
p.” She slouched into her chair behind the desk and stared at the red lily and white rose in a pretty silver vase and the small packages next to it.

  “What is it?” As usual, Jan couldn’t contain her curiosity.

  Robin stared at the flowers. “Wait a second. I sent a white lily and a red rose with one package containing the Bette Midler CD and an iPod. This is a red lily and a white rose with two small packages.” She tore the wrapping paper from the long, round package and held the beautiful antique pen up to the light.

  Katie reached for it. “That’s gorgeous. Damn, I wish I’d found it for you.”

  Robin grinned, then opened the small package. A silver iPod. She read the engraving and tears streamed down her face.

  “What is it, Rob?” Katie ran to her.

  She swiped at the tears and handed the iPod to her. Katie read the inscription aloud.

  No one but you.

  She laughed. “You did it, Rob. You got the girl. Oh, wait, there are two songs loaded on the iPod.” She passed it back to Robin.

  Robin selected the first song—“Be My Baby”—and then the second. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”

  “Oh, God. I can’t believe this. I think I’m getting married.”

  Katie and Jan pulled her into a three-way hug.

  Katie kissed her cheek. “Don’t you think we should meet her so we can approve?”

  “I’ll let you know when. But I’m going to download a song and then I’m going to her apartment.” She turned on her computer and downloaded the song to her new iPod.

  The doorman at Lily’s building was reluctant to play, but Robin promised him a hundred dollars if Lily was mad, so he buzzed her apartment to say she had a telegram. Who can resist a telegram? Robin went up.

  She rang the bell and the door opened immediately. Lily seemed puzzled to see Robin standing there.

  “Telegram.” Robin played the song she’d loaded to her IPod, “Get Me to the Church on Time.” A smile lit Lily’s face and she pulled her into the apartment. They kissed for a long time. Then Robin got down on one knee. “Lily Boudreaux Carlyle Alexander, will you marry me?”

  “Oh, God, yes. Yes. But you’ve got to meet my mamas first.”

  “And you’ve got to meet my…family, Katie and Jan. Can we take a walk and talk now, or do you need to keep writing?”

  As they strolled past the doorman, hand in hand, Robin slipped him the hundred dollars anyway. Without discussing it, they crossed the street and walked into Central Park. They strolled around Strawberry Fields, then wandered aimlessly along the paths before sitting by the lake, the excitement and connection between them palpable.

  Robin shifted on the bench to face Lily. “I want you to know you can tease as much as you like. I’ll wait forever for you to be ready as long as we can be together.”

  “I’m ready.” She took Robin’s hands in hers and kissed one palm, then the other. “I needed to know you wanted me, not just a quick romp in the hay, fun as that would have been. Now we don’t have to be quick.”

  Robin kissed Lily’s nose. “There you go again, teasing. But you know what, I love it, I love you and I’m ready whenever you are. Should we call your mamas?”

  “I’d rather tell them in person. Are you willing to fly to California?”

  “I already know Dr. Alexander.”

  “But not as her future daughter-in-law. Besides, Del is in charge of the emotional stuff so she needs to approve. When are you available? I’d like to go as soon as possible.”

  “Can you coordinate with Jan? She has my schedule and can make arrangements for us. But factor in a couple of days so I can get you a ring before we go.”

  “I don’t want an engagement ring, just a wedding band. What about you?”

  “The same.” She pulled Lily up. “Let’s walk. I’m too excited to sit.”

  Holding hands and stopping to kiss frequently, they randomly followed paths, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun, the smell of new-mown grass, and the songs of the musicians they encountered. They sang along with the guitarist singing “You Are Always on My Mind.” Much later they stopped to listen to a small combo playing and singing “I Will Always Love You” and walked away singing. In both instances, Robin dropped twenties into the open guitar cases. “Gotta support working artists.”

  “That’s nice of you, sweet Robin.” Lily touched Robin’s face. “I missed you so much. I was petrified I would lose you if I didn’t deal with what Micki did and with my own stupidity.”

  “Hey, I’m here.”

  “Right. But it took seeing Hillary, my therapist, three times a week to understand what was going on and then change my thinking.”

  “At least you got help so you could get what you wanted.” Robin pulled her closer. “I was miserable and moped around. I did a lot of walking and thinking about my life, trying to figure out why I was so unhappy and why I walked away from you, but I withdrew from everyone.” She laughed. “At least I tried. Jan can’t stand it when I’m unhappy, so she kept trying to get it out of me. Then, when I got too sulky and irritable, Katie took me out to dinner and helped me figure out I was in love with you and wanted to be with you forever. That was when I told Jan to send the first flower arrangement.”

  Lily buried her face in Robin’s neck. “Don’t think I didn’t appreciate them, but I needed to know that you see who I am and how I see the world.”

  “I see you.” Robin kissed the top of Lily’s head. “It took a little while, but I got it. I guess I did all right.”

  “You did.”

  “Are you hungry? The Boathouse restaurant is in the park. Shall we have dinner?”

  “Sure, it’s a beautiful evening, the food is good and I always enjoy eating by the water.”

  Later, as they walked to Lily’s apartment, they were quiet, enjoying the connection and the night. Lily was trying to figure out what to do. She was beyond ready to make love with Robin. She could invite her in tonight, but she wanted their first time to be special.

  Robin tightened her arm around Lily. “Let’s go away tomorrow for a couple of days. It’s the beach, so casual dress and bathing suits. We can sleep in separate bedrooms if you want.”

  “I want to be alone with you.”

  “Tanya will drop us off, but then we’ll be alone. Pick you up at noon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Fire Island

  The one-and-a-half-hour drive was pleasant. Tanya was in the front seat, but this time the glass separating the driver and passengers was raised, and it was opaque, not clear like in taxis.

  “Is the glass so you can make out back here in privacy?” Lily was half teasing, half curious.

  Robin flushed. “I sometimes use the car with clients.”

  “Uh-huh. And the other times?”

  “Dates, friends.” She looked at Lily. “I won’t say it hasn’t happened.” Her eyes traveled from Lily’s face to her breasts and over the rest of her body, then she smiled. A wolfish smile. “Want to try it out?”

  Lily certainly didn’t want their first time to be in the backseat of a car like two horny teenagers, not even the back seat of a luxury car. She smiled. They were two horny adults.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “Making out sounds nice, but I’m more interested in finding a way for you to hold me but still keep our seatbelts on. Can we do that?”

  “Lean forward.” Robin moved her legs to the middle, then swung her right leg up and over Lily. Now between Robin’s legs, Lily scooted back into her arms, then snapped on the middle seatbelt. Robin wrapped her arms around Lily, pulled her closer, then kissed her neck. “Comfy?”

  “Um. So where are we going?” Not that she really cared. She could stay like this forever, basking in the heat of Robin, the caress of her sweet breath on her neck, and feeling the thrum of her heartbeat.

  “Fire Island. The Pines. Ever been there?”

  “No. It’s a gay town on the beach, right? Are there tons of paparazz
i?”

  “Not usually. But, in any case, I thought we’d avoid the social scene. The house will be stocked, so we can eat in and enjoy the beach and each other.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  Robin tightened her hold on Lily and rested her chin on Lily’s head. “My thoughts exactly.”

  They were quiet, enjoying the sound of classical music drifting from the front of the car and the physical connection. Then Lily broke the silence. “Do you own this house or rent it?”

  “Own it. Katie and I bought it together after the sales of our first software package took off. We both love the beach. In fact, Katie met Michael out here.”

  “I thought it was all gay?”

  “It’s a lot gay, but Michael’s family has a house in a nearby town. He and a group of friends came to dance at the gay bar and Katie was with our group. Somehow they found each other in the sea of lesbians and gay men.”

  “It sounds like she’s pretty relaxed around lesbians.”

  “She’s strong and independent and focused on friends and work, not on capturing a man to take care of her, so she fits in better with lesbians than she does with a lot of straight women her age. Most of her friends are lesbians. That was true in college and grad school as well.”

  “How does Michael deal with that?”

  “He’s a pretty open guy and he likes and respects Katie for who she is. As I understand it, Katie is a lot like his mother, so he knows what he’s getting. They’re great together. When he gets back from Europe, the four of us will have dinner.”

  “I’d like that. Tell me about Jan.”

  “What about her?”

  “Well, I take it she’s not one of your Harvard or Stanford friends, but it’s obvious she’s important to you. When and how did she come into the picture?”

  “When we first came to New York City, Katie and I rented an apartment on Twelfth Street and Avenue A in the East Village. We lived and worked there. I had already developed an early version of our first software product while we were at Stanford, and Katie was trying to sell it and get us some venture capital while I added features.” She nuzzled Lily’s neck. “Are you sure you’re interested?”