by Beth Moore
“Why would you have to?”
“You never know when something like that may come up.”
“Okay, okay, something more masculine, right? How about the Lethal Weapon series?”
Chris and Lynn nodded in agreement.
“And yours?” Matt asked Chris.
“Give me anything Doris Day. I love the old Doris Day movies!” Chris answered.
Matt looked at Lynn then back at Chris. “You’re kidding, right?”
Chris shook her head. “No, why?”
“Lynn drives me crazy with those movies. She has a whole collection, you know.”
“Cool!” Chris replied.
“Yeah, I’ve got them all. Pillow Talk, Move Over Darling, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies…” Lynn rambled on.
“Yeah, yeah, you two can reminisce later. My turn.” Matt laid down FUN, connecting to the “N” in MONEY. “What do you do for ran?”
“I guess I’m kind of boring. In the summer, I have some friends that I go camping or hiking with. Sometimes, I just hang out at the pool. In the winter, I like to snuggle in with a good book, or if a game is on, I love to watch football.”
“I love to go camping and hiking, but you can keep the football. You’ll have to get with Lynn on that. I swear that’s all she does in the winter!”
Chris turned to Lynn. “Really? Who’s your team?”
“Denver Broncos,” announced Lynn.
Chris named her favorite, “Cowboys.”
They both laughed.
“Neither of our teams has been doing very well,” Lynn explained to Matt.
“Okay, okay, enough football talk,” Matt said, jealous that the two had so much in common.
Chris laid the tiles SEA on top of FOOD to form SEAFOOD.
“I’m allergic to seafood. Shrimp, crab, lobster—one bite and I swell up like a balloon. If that happens, just take me to the hospital,” Chris explained.
“Wow, that’s good to know. Any other allergies that we need to know about? Bee stings, aspirin, penicillin?” Lynn asked.
“Nope, just seafood.”
“Hey, I thought you said that you’d never been to the hospital due to an illness,” Matt questioned.
“Oh, sorry, that’s just an emergency room thing, I didn’t think it counted,” Chris explained.
“Okay. Well, I’m not allergic to anything,” Matt responded.
“Speaking of penicillin,” Matt said as he connected with the “S” in SEAFOOD to form DRUGS. “Any addictions that we need to know about?”
Lynn looked at Chris with an apologetic smile. “Not very tactful, huh?”
“That’s okay,” Chris replied and looked Matt straight in the eye. “No addictions, Mr. McKinley. Not drugs, not alcohol, nothing!”
“Well, I needed to know!” Matt answered Lynn’s glare.
“Let’s lighten up the mood a little,” Chris said, placing the word MUSIC off of the “U” in DRUGS. “I like most kinds of music except rap. And I can only stand maybe one reggae song at a time. But my mood usually determines what music I listen to.”
“Matt’s a jazz freak,” Lynn commented.
“What do you mean by freak?” Matt argued. “Just because I don’t like all that headbanger music that you warp your mind with!”
“Matt, I really don’t consider Van Halen and Def Leppard to be ‘headbanger’ music,” Lynn said in her defense.
Then turning to Chris, Matt asked, “Do you even know who those groups are?”
“Of course I do,” Chris answered. “They have some great songs!”
“Now, she’s just trying to be polite to you, Lynn,” Matt explained.
Lynn shook her head. “Your turn, Matt.”
Matt placed his letters on the board, CRIME, connected to the “E” in MOVIE.
Chris looked at Lynn. “I guess we’re not lightening up the mood.” Then turning to Matt, she asked, “I suppose you want to know if I’ve ever been arrested for anything?”
“Matt!” Lynn glared across the table once again.
“It’s okay, Lynn. He found me out,” Chris said with a serious look on her face. “I’ve got a criminal record. I was arrested as a Russian spy!” Chris kept the serious look on her face as long as she could, but upon seeing Lynn holding in a laugh out of the corner of her eye, she broke out in laughter.
“Funny, funny. But she’d thank me if it turned out you were a murderer or something!” Matt exclaimed, pointing at Lynn.
“Yeah, like she’d really tell you if she were a murderer!” Lynn said through her laughter.
Mart’s face remained solemn, so Chris took his question seriously. “No, Matt, I’ve never been arrested or convicted of any crime.”
“Thank you,” Matt mumbled.
Lynn watched as Chris set down the letters with a mischievous grin. If Matt wasn’t going to lighten up, then she would give him a little bit more information than he really wanted. The word she placed was HOTEL off of the “L” in ILL.
Chris took a swig of her beer. “Okay, HOTEL. I lost my virginity in a hotel, prom night, to the captain of the football team.”
“Hey! Me too!” Matt exclaimed.
“You mean on prom night?” Chris asked, surprised by his reaction,
“No, not actually on prom night, but it was the captain of the football team!” Matt replied.
Lynn, after being taken aback by Chris’s openness, suddenly woke up. “Wait a minute, I haven’t heard this story!”
“Nothing much to tell. I was dating his sister, but I scored with the brother,” Matt explained.
“I’m sure his sister was thrilled about that!” Lynn remarked.
“Oh, she never found out. It was the summer after high school. He left for college, I never saw him again.”
“And his sister?” Chris asked.
“We ended up having sex, too. But the experience with her brother was much better. That’s pretty much when I figured out that I was gay.”
“Well, Matt!” Lynn remarked. “I never knew that you had such a sordid past!”
“I just hope they never figure it out!” Matt joked.
They both looked over at Lynn, waiting for her story.
“Well?” Matt asked.
“Well what? I’m not part of this game!” Lynn answered.
“Oh, so now you’re not part of this game. You can’t just put your two cents on one subject and not another!” Matt quipped.
“So, no football captain in your past, huh?” Chris smiled.
“Uh-uh.” Lynn shook her head, then smiled. “Cheerleader.”
“Behind the bleachers?” Matt kidded.
“No, up at summer camp. We were both camp counselors. Funny what you can accomplish in one of those little rowboats in the middle of the lake on a hot summer night!” Lynn smiled, remembering fondly. “And oh, what a pair of pom-poms she had!”
“Ohhh!” the other two both moaned, throwing their napkins in her direction.
“Well, that’s enough openness for me for one night,” Lynn said as she examined her watch. She stood and stretched. “I’ll clean up the dishes. You guys can keep playing.”
“What time is it?” Chris inquired.
“Past ten. Early class tomorrow?” Lynn asked.
“I never schedule my classes very early. I’m not exactly a morning person,” Chris replied. She scooted back from the table. “But it is getting pretty late. I’ll help you with the dishes and then I’d better be on my way.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty tired myself,” Matt said and started cleaning up the game.
“There’s really not many dishes. Don’t feel like you need to stay and help,” Lynn said as she gathered the various dishes around the kitchen and stacked them at the side of the sink.
“Well then, two should make it go faster, huh?” Chris replied as she turned on the water, picked up the first dish, and proceeded to rinse it. The problem was, Chris thought to herself, that she really didn’t want to go home.
Lynn
opened the dishwasher and slid each dish in as Chris handed them to her. Within minutes, the kitchen was clean.
“See? So much quicker with two!” Chris remarked, then realizing that it was time for her to leave, felt a loneliness overcome her. She stood there, drying her hands over and over again.
“Yeah. Usually Matt helps though. Where’d he go?” Lynn said as she walked over to the glass door. Looking out, she watched as Matt leaned against the railing, staring out into the darkness. Chris joined Lynn at the glass to see what she was observing.
Lynn put her arm around Chris’s shoulder, giving Chris a shiver down her spine, and softly spoke. “I’m really worried about him. He’s really taking this whole thing much too seriously. I wish that I could be there every minute his parents are here, but I can’t.”
“That’s what he’s got me for, Lynn. I know that I’m a complete stranger, but please know that I understand this isn’t a game, and I’ll do my best.”
“I believe you will,” Lynn said as she squeezed Chris’s shoulder, then released her arm. “Thanks again for doing this.”
Chris unlocked the door to her apartment and set her backpack on the couch. She listened to the silence. Realizing how empty it made her feel, she flipped on the television and plopped down on the couch. She had never minded being alone before. How could things change so quickly? She had only known these people for two days, really less than two days. Maybe it was just that she hadn’t let anyone in for so long.
During her youth, she wasn’t allowed the luxury of close friends. She always knew that in a short time her family would be transferred to yet another location. Chris had learned quickly to keep people at arm’s length. This avoided any heartbreak when she would be pulled away to start over again. Now she had friends, well, not close friends, but friends that she did things with. But she couldn’t think of any she wanted around all the time.
Chris stretched out on the sofa and buried her face in the pillow. She felt so comfortable with Matt and Lynn. Well, she had felt comfortable with Matt. Lynn made her feel comfortable and uneasy at the same time. She thought back to how she froze when she had been alone with Lynn before dinner, and the contentment that she felt later, when Lynn had her arm around her shoulder. Warm and content. Still feeling these sensations, Chris drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Four
Chris walked down the wine aisle in the grocery store. Matt had requested that she bring wine this evening, her donation to the meal that he was preparing. However, she had forgotten to ask what they were having, and therefore found herself staring at the wide array of selections.
“Red, I believe, goes with Italian food.”
Chris turned to find Lynn next to her, with a shopping basket containing various salad items.
“I wasn’t sure if he told you what he was cooking,” Lynn added.
“No, he didn’t,” Chris answered. “How much wine do we need?”
“He’s a good cook, so you don’t need to be soused to eat it, if that’s what you’re asking.” Lynn chuckled.
“Well, I was trying to be polite, but that is what I was getting at.” Chris smiled.
“Don’t get more than one bottle. First of all because I can’t drink too much before I play tonight, and second, if Matt drinks too much you may find out more than you really need, or want, to know.”
“You have to play tonight? As in, ‘playing around’?” Chris asked with a mischievous smile.
“See, now Matt gave you the wrong idea about me! I’m not a nympho or anything!” Lynn explained, “I play at the Rainbow Room, it’s a gay bar.” Realizing this didn’t sound any better, she added, “I mean I sing. Well, I play guitar and the keyboard too, but I basically sing.”
“You see, I learn something new every day. I didn’t even know there was a gay bar around here!”
“Yeah, well, we don’t really advertise, we don’t want to attract the riffraff.”
“Do people just sit and listen, or is there a dance floor?”
“You ever try to keep a gay man from dancing?” Lynn chuckled.
“So… you must sing Broadway songs, huh?” Chris laughed.
“No, no Broadway tunes, that’s how we keep most of the gay men out.” Lynn laughed at the stereotype and wondered if Chris really believed it. “There are a few gay men that come in, like Matt, but it’s basically known as a lesbian bar.”
There was a moment of silence, Lynn guessed because she had said the word “lesbian,” so she broke the uncomfortable pause. “So wine, salad, bread, and Matt’s manicotti, sounds like a feast, huh?”
“Well, what are we having for the most important part of the meal?” Chris asked. Lynn looked at her quizzically.
“Dessert,” Chris answered. “The most important part of the meal is dessert!”
“Oh God, a woman after my own heart. Bless you!” Lynn smiled. “Well, Matt doesn’t really eat sweets, thinks they’re bad for you or something.” Lynn rolled her eyes and continued, “But I, on the other hand, think that they should have their own place in the food groups. How about ice cream?”
“You won’t have to twist my arm! What flavor?”
“Let’s go look,” Lynn said. Finding the freezer aisle, they stood gazing at all of the cartons.
“What do you think?” Lynn asked. “Do you want a one-mile-run ice cream or a five-mile-run ice cream?”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s how I judge what flavor to get,” Lynn explained. “I love sweets, but I also know how much exercise I’ll have to do to make up for eating them. It’s kind of my trade-off. Call it ice cream for miles!”
“So you run? I love to run. I bet it’s great living on the beach, running along the water every day.”
“Yeah, I run every day after work, kind of a stress reliever. I work out at the gym too, but not every day, maybe two, three times a week.”
“Every day after work, you mean you run in the middle of the night? Is that safe?” Chris asked.
“Oh, the singing thing. That’s not really a job, just kind of a hobby. Monday through Friday I’m a waitress at the Blue Moon Cafe, the restaurant just on the other side of Matt’s shop. It’s only open for breakfast and lunch, so I’m out of there about two in the afternoon.”
Chris nodded in understanding and looked back toward the ice cream. “So, what’s your favorite?”
“Definitely pralines and cream, a lot of people go for something chocolate, but not me. And your favorite?” Lynn asked.
“I’m the person for something chocolate. Rocky Road,” Chris answered.
“Well, I say we get both. I mean, Matt’s parents will probably be over and want something sweet, don’t you think?” Lynn tried to justify the purchases.
“Oh, definitely!” Chris agreed and reached into the case for the containers.
“Here, let me.” Lynn smiled as she took the containers from Chris’s hands. “I hear that you’re a struggling student.”
Chris let Lynn purchase the ice cream along with the salad ingredients while wondering to herself if Lynn was any better off financially working as a waitress. The two walked out into the parking lot, climbed into their respective vehicles, and drove toward the house.
Lynn rolled down the window and turned on the radio. Her stomach growling, she reached into one of the sacks, took out a carrot, and took a bite. Could Matt and Chris really pull off this escapade? She wondered if Chris was overwhelmed by the situation. She didn’t seem to be, but some people put on a good front. She knew that she was going to have a hard enough time pretending for Matt’s parents that he and Chris were a couple. She hoped that they wouldn’t run into any of Matt’s friends while he and Chris were entertaining his parents. Lynn made a mental note to ask Matt if he had clued any of his friends in on his scheme.
Chris rolled down the window and breathed in the crisp evening air. She looked over at the bottle of wine that she had purchased and wished that she could have a glass before she stepped into another ques
tion-and-answer series. What she really wanted was to drink the entire bottle, to relieve the uneasiness in her stomach. It’s funny, she only felt this nervousness when she was alone with Lynn. It hadn’t really bothered her to learn that Lynn was gay, or had it? Brushing off the nerves, she pulled up in front of the house. Taking another deep breath, she grabbed the wine bottle and walked to the door.
Lynn opened the door and ushered Chris in before her. “Hey, Matt! Look who I found at the grocery store.”
Matt looked around the kitchen wall and rolled his eyes. “What a coincidence,” he mumbled.
Lynn gave him a dirty look for what he was thinking as she brought the sacks of food through the living room. Chris followed Lynn into the kitchen and took the lid off of one of the pots to check out the contents. The creamy Alfredo sauce made her mouth water. “If you guys keep feeding me like this, I’ll never want to leave.”
“Tomorrow night, it’s your turn to cook!” Matt joked as he stirred the pasta.
“Yeah, you’d better be joking.” Chris laughed. “You two wouldn’t want to eat anything I can cook!”
“You’ve been on your own for a while. What do you eat if you don’t cook?” Lynn asked as she removed the contents of the plastic bags.
“A lot of salads, sandwiches, nothing that takes too much effort.”
“It’s different when you’re alone too,” Matt commented. “Who wants to do all this cooking for just one person, right?”
Chris nodded, salivating as Matt stirred the sauce. Lynn tore off two chunks of French bread and dunked them in the cream as Matt went over to the refrigerator. Lynn quickly popped one of the pieces into her mouth and offered the other to Chris. Smiling, the woman opened her mouth, letting Lynn place the bread on her tongue.
Matt turned at the sound of her moans of delight. “Hey! What’s going on?” he exclaimed.
Lynn looked innocent as she went back to preparing her salad, leaving Chris to fend for herself. Chris could not answer as she was still savoring the bite. She simply shrugged and smiled. Matt looked at one woman and then the other, then went back to his search in the refrigerator. Lynn glanced back and gave Chris a wink. Chris felt her face turn red, and not understanding her own reaction, quickly turned away.