They walked back into the house, and Jana kicked it into gear. She and Payton concentrated on moving the furniture while Melanie loaded the boxes, and it seemed that they would escape an encounter with Leigh until the very end when Payton and Jana were wrangling the kitchen table and chairs into the back of the truck.
Payton caught a glimpse of Leigh walking across the yard and watched out of the corner of her eye as she and Melanie hugged. Payton hoped that all her stars were aligned and that Leigh would say her goodbyes and go on. But as luck would have it, Leigh followed Melanie into the house and returned moments later with a box.
Jana, who’d been trying to stuff all the chairs into empty spots, looked positively stunned to find Leigh standing at the rear of the truck, her gaze on Payton. Words started pouring from Jana’s mouth in rapid succession. “Well, hey, Leigh. Did Melanie rope you into helping? Pretty day for moving, I was so afraid it was gonna rain. You’re dressed too nice for this. I wish we would’ve rented a bigger truck because Mel had more than I thought. It’s stuffy in here.”
“Hello, Payton,” Leigh said dryly.
“Hi, Leigh,” Payton threw out casually as she took the box from her.
Melanie joined them cool as could be. “I’m gonna miss having you as a neighbor. You know where I live now, so don’t be a stranger.”
Leigh tore her gaze from Payton and turned to Melanie. “Everything changed, didn’t it?”
“Change means new opportunities.” Melanie looped her arm around Leigh’s and led her back to the house.
“Payton, run,” Jana whispered.
“I am not.”
“Mel’s giving you a shot, and Leigh looks a little unstable. You can meet us at my house.”
“If I do something like that, it’s only going to make it worse. She’ll either think I have something to be guilty for, or she’ll think she has the upper hand because I’m afraid of her.”
“I’m fucking afraid of her. She looks like a dog that’s about to bite,” Jana rasped. “She’s like a head taller than you, and you haven’t been taking those classes long enough to—oh, shit.”
Payton saw Leigh heading toward them with another box. Payton busied herself with one of the chairs that Jana hadn’t been able to do anything with. This time, Jana took the box from Leigh and began chattering again.
“How’s work, still busy? I like that suit. Is it new? I have to wear them at the office, too, and I never can seem to find anything besides black. That’s like a dove gray, isn’t it? Where’d you get it?”
“Payton, can I speak to you for a moment?” Leigh said.
“If it’s about Ryann, no. Other than her, I can’t imagine you and I have anything to discuss.”
Complete silence filled the back of the truck except for Jana’s flatulence, which usually signaled that she was about to freak out.
“I know you’re seeing her,” Leigh said flatly.
Payton shoved the chair roughly into a spot and faced Leigh. “You’re not going to goad me into a conversation about her.”
“Look, they’re just friends, that’s—”
“Jana,” Payton said with a tone of warning while holding Leigh’s cold gaze. Leigh did look a little unhinged, and Payton suspected drunk, as well.
Leigh folded her arms. “I’ve got your number, Payton.”
“Don’t call it.”
“I think she means she has you figured out,” Jana interjected nervously.
“I know exactly what she means, and she understands me just fine, thanks.”
Melanie had kept her distance, but as the tension grew, she walked over. “Leigh, you promised no drama,” she reminded gently.
Leigh backed away from the truck, gave Melanie a quick hug, and walked away.
Jana sighed heavily. “I wet my pants a little bit.”
*******
Ryann reluctantly answered the call she knew was coming. “Hi, Mom.”
“Ryanna, I was very sorry to hear the news Shelly had to share. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said as she sank down onto the couch.
“Why did you wait so long to tell us, or allow Shelly to, for that matter?”
“Would you be in a hurry to announce that?” Ryann chewed her bottom lip and decided not to mince words. “My relationship wasn’t something you’ve ever been too eager to discuss anyway.”
“It wasn’t the relationship that I didn’t care for, it was Leigh. I never trusted her in the first place. I realize I should’ve said something sooner after speaking to Shelly. She also told me that you’re already seeing a new woman.”
Ryann scowled at the fact that Shelly had run off at the mouth. The minute the call ended with her mother, she was going to call Shelly and verbally dissect her. “Payton is very sweet.”
“If she’s a good woman and treats you with respect, then I’m very happy for you,” Carol Seely said with more affection than Ryann had heard in her voice for a long time. “The few times I tried to talk to Leigh, she never met my eye. Some people are shy, but I didn’t sense that in her. She was hiding something, and I wanted more for you.”
Ryann didn’t know what to say. “Well…thanks, Mom.”
Carol sighed. “We have some mending to do. Your sisters and I would like to come down there one weekend and see your new home. Do you need anything?”
Ryann smiled. “Fortunately, your youngest collects furniture like you do. She loaned me the sofa out of the game room, and I picked up a bistro table at a secondhand store. All I really had to buy was a bed.”
Carol sounded just like Shelly when she said, “You should’ve cleaned that house out and left that woman with a few breadcrumbs. What about dishes, pots, pans, and the like?”
“I bought that, too.”
“Well, you know I’ll do my own inventory. The Seely women never turn down the opportunity to shop. Where did you meet…Payton, isn’t that her name?”
“You know the whole story,” Ryann said with a laugh. “Don’t pretend that Shelly didn’t tell you all about Payton and her impression of her.”
Carol chuckled. “She did mention that she liked her. We both know for Shelly to say flattering things about someone else, they must be pretty special.”
“I think she is,” Ryann admitted with a warm smile. “I just have a really good feeling about her. I did the moment we met.”
“I know you’re a grown woman, but I can’t help but dispense motherly advice. Don’t rush into cohabitation so quickly this time.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll let you know when we plan on coming down. I hope Payton will be available then because I’d like to meet her. I love you, honey.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
*******
“Why didn’t you have a yard sale before the move?” Payton asked as she and Jana piled stuff up in her garage.
“Because we couldn’t agree on what to get rid of and what to keep. She hates my couch, and it is ugly, but it’s the most comfortable one I’ve ever found. Hers is like sitting on a board.” Jana brushed her hands off on her pants and sighed. “I love Melanie, and I’m so glad I found her, but sometimes, I feel like I’m giving up part of myself, the part I like. I have to eat healthy now, dress differently, and accept that I have no taste in decorating. I really never cared that none of my furniture matched, but it’s a big damn deal now.”
Payton laughed. “We’re never satisfied, are we? When we’re alone, all we can think about is meeting that someone. When we do find them, it’s all about trying to figure out how to live with them.”
“Exactly,” Jana said as she read a label on one of the boxes. “Stick this in that open spot on the top of the others if you can reach it. Hey, you’re changing, too, and you’re not even with Ryann yet. You were all tough and steely at Mel’s house when you were talking to Leigh.”
“Because I meant what I said. My loyalty is to Ryann. I messed up in that department once, and I won’t do it again.”
&n
bsp; “You are so falling for her.”
Payton mulled that statement as Jana went back outside for more boxes. Falling was an apt description. In the past, she’d stepped into love gradually. With Ryann, she felt like she was on a steep incline. She never really could plant her feet, they just seemed to be skidding down the hill fast. At any second, she could topple head over heels.
“Where’s she from originally?” Jana asked as she dragged a small file cabinet into the garage.
“She was raised in the country, that’s all I know.”
“What kind of movies does she like to watch?”
“Ones without serial killers. What’s with the questions?”
“I just wanna know how much you’ve learned about her so far. Does she have a retirement plan, savings account, is she frugal? Or is she up to her ears in credit card debt? Has she ever filed for bankruptcy? These are important questions because the answers could affect your future.”
“Jana, I haven’t even kissed her yet.”
“I don’t think that matters at this point. I downloaded a list of scripted questions to subtly obtain the answers to all the questions I just asked you. I used it on Melanie, that’s how I knew she was financially stable. I’ll email it to you and you can just slip them into conversations with Ryann.”
Payton stared at Jana with a bewildered expression. “How do you two have sex? Do you go to bed with pie charts? Green is for oral sex, it should last exactly twelve minutes. Yellow is for a five-minute recovery and cuddle time.”
Jana slapped a hand on her hip. “You know there’s nothing wrong with being explicit about what you want in bed.”
“Oh, my God, you really do use charts,” Payton said in horror.
Chapter 19
Ryann was dressed in a pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, and a brown leather jacket when Payton arrived to pick her up for dinner that evening. The sun was just setting, its light seemed to bring out all the deep red hues in her hair and bathed her face in a soft glow. Payton was completely spellbound and smiled as Ryann walked toward her car.
Ryann’s lips parted, and the sweetest words flowed from them. “I am so hungry I could eat your bumper, so wherever you’re taking me, do it fast.”
“I thought we’d go for drinks first since it’s early, but we can do that later. Does Italian sound good?” Payton opened her door.
“Wonderful.”
“It’s not far from here, so don’t chew my seat,” Payton said and rushed around to the driver’s side.
She was barely behind the wheel when Ryann said, “Tell me what happened today.”
“Well, Leigh wasn’t home for most of the time I was there, but she did show up before we were done. She was dressed nice, so I assume she’d been at work. She came over and helped with a couple of boxes, all the while giving me the evil eye. She looked a little toasted. Then she asked to chat with me, and we both know it would’ve been about you, so I said no. It was a tense moment that wreaked havoc on Jana’s intestinal tract and her bladder. Melanie defused it by reminding Leigh about a no-drama promise, and she left. That was about it.”
Ryann stared at the side of Payton’s face. “You’re not leaving out anything?”
“She said something like she had my number, and I told her not to call it, but that was it. I assume she was speaking figuratively.”
“I’m sorry.” Ryann turned and stared out her window.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
Ryann blew out a breath and nodded. “Want to hear something crazy? My mother called today. I was expecting it since Shelly told her about the breakup, which must’ve taken hours since Mom had all kinds of information. Mom told me that she doesn’t disapprove of me or my relationships, she just didn’t like Leigh. I had to mentally digest that for a while after we hung up. I don’t think she would outright lie to me, but I think she’d rather blame Leigh than acknowledge to herself that my sexuality makes her uncomfortable. We had a nice conversation, though.”
Payton grinned. “I admire your ability to find a positive no matter how deeply it may be buried.”
Ryann leaned close to Payton and looked at her gas gauge. “You have a full tank, good. May I change our plans?”
“Sure, where would you rather go?”
“Less than a mile on the right is a chicken finger place. Let’s grab a couple of baskets, then just get on the interstate and see where it leads us. I’ll fill your gas tank back up.”
When she came to a stop at a traffic light, Payton gazed at Ryann. “An impromptu adventure, you remembered? Seriously, you want to do this?”
Ryann laughed and cranked up the heater before she pushed a button and opened the sunroof. “Hell yeah.”
*******
Music blared while the last rays of sunlight faded over the Pontchartrain, and they sang Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car at the top of their lungs. With every mile behind them on the road to nowhere, Ryann felt freer than she had in years. She fed Payton a piece of chicken and smiled at the excitement she noted on her face.
“We have to make a decision—north, west, or east?” Payton yelled over the music.
Ryann lowered the volume on the stereo. “My vote is for east.”
“Yes!” Payton slowed and took the exit ramp to Interstate 10.
“Do you feel the tethers slipping away?”
Payton laughed. “They vaporized the second you suggested this.”
“I can drive if you get tired.”
Payton shook her head and leaned it against the seat. “No, I’m fine, thanks. My energy spiked the minute I merged onto the highway. Should we discuss limits because at this rate we’ll end up in Jacksonville, Florida, then it’s the Atlantic?”
“Well, I’m gonna need some ice cream. We can get that in Biloxi.”
“They have casinos there. Wanna play for a little while?”
“Absolutely!” Ryann’s eyes went wide when she heard a familiar tune begin on the radio. She cranked Mary J. Blige’s Real Love, and they began singing again.
*******
“Oh…dear God…oh…”
Ryann stared at Payton in amusement. “How long has it been since you had ice cream?”
“This isn’t a frozen dairy product, it’s an orgasm in a cone, and it’s been a year.”
“Why would you deny yourself something you so obviously enjoy?”
Payton stopped eating long enough to tuck the blanket they were wrapped in beneath her chin. They’d made a stop at a dollar store and picked it up just so they could sit on one of the benches facing the beach on the boardwalk. They could hear the water splashing on the shore, and the lights from boats twinkled in the darkness.
“I had a problem. It started when I discovered dark chocolate and cherry chunk, which quickly developed into a carton-a-week habit. Then I found chocolate praline delight, and that eventually led to chocolate-covered peanut surprise. Then one day, I found myself in the appliance department of a home improvement store shopping for a standalone freezer trying to figure how many cartons I could store in it. I’d gained ten pounds in a month’s time. I had an epiphany when I tried to bend over, and my jeans cut into my stomach. My eyeballs nearly popped out.”
Ryann chuckled. “So you went home and threw away your stash.”
“No, I went home and ate it until I got sick. Then I threw it away after I squirted dishwashing liquid on it.” Payton shrugged. “I was afraid that I’d have a weak moment and dig it back out.”
Ryann watched with a smile as Payton put what was left of her cone into her mouth and chewed slowly with her eyes closed. “Do you want the rest of mine?”
Payton inhaled deeply and shook her head. “Just give me a moment, my taste buds are grieving.”
Ryann tossed hers into a trash can nearby, and Payton’s eyes flew open.
“What did you just do?” Payton asked as though Ryann had kicked a puppy.
“It was too sweet. I asked if you wanted—don’t look at me like that
.” Ryann cracked up when Payton tried to pull the blanket off of her. “You share. I’m cold now that I ate that.”
Payton scooted closer, and they were shoulder to shoulder as they stared out at the water. “You know what’s special about the sea?”
Ryann shrugged. “It’s got good stuff to eat in it?”
“Mountains have landslides, and they change. Just about everything on the earth has gone through some sort of evolution. But centuries ago, people stared at this same sight.”
“They stared at the moon, too, that’s the same, and the constellations,” Ryann added.
“I specified on the earth.”
“There were probably islands out there at one time before a hurricane—”
“And now you’ve ruined it.”
Ryann’s laughter shook them both.
“I am not going to tell you about my childhood desire to be a pirate.”
“Most of them died of scurvy.”
“Ryann!”
Ryann threw her head back and howled with laughter. “I can’t help it. Your indignant expression is a riot.”
“I would’ve been a good pirate. The indignant look you mock would’ve scared the shit out of anyone.”
“My knees are totally knocking.”
Payton grinned. “Because you’re cold. Come on, let’s go feed the machines at the casino.”
“Hey, if we stay out all night, we could go to Gulf Shores, Alabama. There’s a place that serves great breakfast there.”
Payton smiled as she stood and wrapped Ryann in the blanket. “You are awesome, I hope you know that.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Chapter 20
“You make me sick!”
Ryann laughed as she rolled a wad of cash and stuck it into the pocket of her jacket. “Don’t be jealous, I’m going to spend all my winnings on you. Where’re we going?”
Payton shrugged. “Alabama?”
“Let’s do it. We need to stop for coffee, though.”
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