“You didn’t give the motorcycle back, did you?” Roni asked, mildly worried.
“No,” Gina grinned slightly at Roni’s reaction. “Why?”
“Becky said it was fun to ride and I never had the chance, what with being unreasonably pissed off at you and all.” Roni left the comment hang before asking, “What does Wendy do?”
“She works in a bank and is fairly recently divorced. She’s never been in a lesbian relationship, so we’ve been taking it very slowly which has been good for me because some of the other women I dated were just way too aggressive and...and why am I telling you all of this?” Gina finished with a self-conscious laugh.
“Because you’re catching up with an old friend?” Roni suggested.
Gina smiled. She liked the sound of that. “Sounds about right. How about you? Have you been...seeing anyone?”
Roni shook her head. “No—with work, Stevie, and traveling to visit Mom...there hasn’t been any time. Although, I did start to see someone, non-romantically, around nine months ago—a therapist.”
“Becky’s influence?”
Roni nodded. “It just all started to be too much. My guilt over Jessica, Mom getting sick, general work-life stress. I think it’s helped a lot. He told me to make more of an effort to get together with Allison and he’s been telling me for months to be honest with you.”
“I guess he’ll be happy you did then.”
“I think he will be.” She looked into Gina’s eyes and some doubt lingered regarding their new status. “Are we friends now?”
“I’d say we are.”
“Good, because there’s something else I should tell you.” Roni grinned, “I really like your hair.”
SIX MONTHS LATER, SEPTEMBER 2005
“I WAS STARTING TO WONDER if you were going to show,” Roni said, as she greeted Gina at the door with a hug. “Or if I’d ever meet you. I’m Roni,” she held her hand out to Wendy. The opportunities to meet her had been slim since Gina was now testifying in a variety of different counties as part of her former undercover work.
“Hi,” Wendy said as she took the offered hand. “It’s nice to meet you too. It’s my fault we’re late. It takes me forever to do my hair in this humidity.”
“I completely understand. I’m just glad you were able to come. Help yourselves while you’re here, most of the food is scattered around the dining room and the drinks are in coolers outside. At some point, Steven will start the burgers and hot dogs.”
***
After a drink and pleasantries with the party guests, Steven commenced his work at his one and only culinary domain—the grill. Roni strolled up to him with a plate in her hand. “What do you think?” Roni asked.
“That the next round of burgers only needs three minutes per side.”
“No, not about the grill, about,” she whispered, “Wendy.”
Steven shrugged as he viewed Wendy across the yard, she was smiling politely while Becky and Gina spoke. “She’s okay. I only talked to her for a minute.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Baseball. But she doesn’t like it. Said she prefers gymnastics.”
“Hey Dad,” Stevie ran into their grill area, “can you put some more hot dogs on next time too? Me and Devin are still hungry.”
“How is that possible? You’ve been eating for an hour straight.” Roni was astonished by how much food her son and Devin could consume. “Hey, out of curiosity, what do you think of Gina’s friend, Wendy?”
Stevie was insulted that he wouldn’t know the true identity of that woman. They had met at church last month. “You mean her girlfriend? Mom, I’m ten now. I know stuff.”
“Okay, fine. Do you like Gina’s girlfriend now that you’ve been able to hang out with her a little more?”
Stevie shrugged, a mirror image of his father’s a moment earlier. “Her magic trick was cool and she’s pretty.”
“Hey! Looks aren’t the only thing that makes a woman valuable, young man.” Roni stood up for women everywhere.
Stevie held his hands up in surrender and retreated, “Sor-ry.”
“Can you believe that?” Roni asked rhetorically and shook her head in disapproval of her son’s superficial opinion of Wendy. Although, she had to ask Steven, not rhetorically, “Do you think she’s prettier than me?”
***
Across the yard, Early struggled with a problem friends have had since the dawn of time. When mutual friends split, what do you do when you meet the new love interest?
Try to hate her. Try to hate her. Early’s mantra repeated while he listened to Wendy’s explanation of what she did professionally. After five minutes, he still wasn’t positive, but he thought it had something to do with procuring loans for individuals with low incomes. He bopped along slightly to the music in the background and sipped his drink. “That sounds like a lot of stress.”
“Oh, it is,” Wendy said seriously and tucked a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear. “I just wish other people understood that. Some of these families break your heart. Single-parents, war vets with PTSD, people who lose everything because of hospital bills.” Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted as the radio station transitioned to an even more upbeat number. “I’m so sick of this song,” she commented with genuine irritation in her voice.
Early was confused. The words that she had just spoken in conjunction with that song didn’t make sense to him. He concluded that he must have misheard her, but hoped that he hadn’t. This could be the defining moment where he could officially hate Wendy. “Come again?”
“I said I’m so sick of this song.”
“But this is Beyoncé. How can you not like Beyoncé? She’s a diva!”
“I know. I still don’t care for her.”
“Who do you like?” Please say someone who sucks. Please say someone who sucks.
Wendy pursed her lips and thought about it for a moment. “Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Nickelback.”
Yes!
***
While Early and Wendy debated popular music and David Copperfield, Gina caught up on Roni’s quest to find new employment.
“Allison did?” Gina was pleased to learn who gave Roni the most glowing recommendation imaginable for her to secure a new job as an assistant principal.
“She was honest from the start and said that if I went back to public school, I’d have to work my way up through the administrative ladder.” Roni’s smile was blinding. “I’m so relieved I got the job.”
“I am so unbelievably happy for you,” Gina said with a genuine smile.
“Oh, it gets better.” Roni practically bounced with the excitement for her next bit of news. “Steven and I are separated!”
“No way!”
Roni nodded up and down enthusiastically. “Yep. Have been for a few months. I can actually date now. That wasn’t really something I could do when I was married.”
The idea of Roni dating was not something Gina was comfortable with, even though she had a girlfriend of her own. It wasn’t fair, but that was how she felt. “Yeah, I understand how being married impinges on dating...been there, done that. Are you seeing someone?” I can’t believe I just asked that.
She’s really okay with this. “Nobody serious. Last week in book club, Jessica tried to set me up with a friend of hers from work. You know Chloe, right?”
First, it was Roni talking about her separation and playing the field. Now, there was this bombshell. “You’re in a book club with Jessica? Box and Whiskers, Jessica?”
“Yeah. She almost came over today and we’ve discussed inviting you to our next club meeting, but we thought that it might make you feel awkward.”
Gina took a pull off of her beer as she thought about being in the room with both of them at the same time. “I can see that.”
“Hi.” Wendy came to join the conversation that from across the yard looked a touch too friendly for her liking. “What are you guys talking about?”
�
��I was congratulating Roni on her new job and now we’re talking about mutual acquaintances and book clubs.”
“Do you like to read, Wendy?” Roni asked. She made the decision before the party to learn more about her, especially if she was going to be spending time with Stevie.
“I mostly just pick up magazines when I see them. It’s hard for me to stay interested in something I can’t actually see.”
Roni didn’t understand that at all. “But you can create the people and scenes in your mind. The book I just started reading is so detailed! I feel like I’m right there. I can see it all.”
“Oh, what did you start reading?” Gina asked enthusiastically.
“The Da Vinci Code. It’s for book club. Jessica’s suggestion.”
“What is it with her and the Fibonacci sequence?” Gina asked and Roni laughed softly at the observation. “Well, I enjoyed it despite being told not to read ‘the sack of lies’ from the Catholic church.”
“You do enjoy rebelling against them.” Roni snickered again. “But don’t say anything more. I don’t want the ending spoiled.”
Wendy watched their short conversation with discomfort. Gina never acted this relaxed around her. Plus, she was perturbed that she didn’t understand who or what they were talking about. “What’s a Fibo-Nazi?”
***
“Oh, they’re coming over,” Early said quickly and quietly to Steven, Becky, and Gretchen. They had watched the three women across the yard with interest for the last several minutes. Gina had been pointing at her watch repeatedly before they started approaching.
“Thank you for inviting me over. It was great meeting all of you.” Wendy shook the hand of everyone in the group before Roni walked them out.
When Wendy excused herself to use the bathroom Gina had her final moment alone with Roni. “It was really nice that you invited both me and Wendy over today. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I was afraid it would be awkward, but it wasn’t too bad.”
“No, it wasn’t.” They had spoken to each other with ease and Roni had been warm to Wendy. “Look at us, growing as mature people.”
“Right? Took us long enough.”
“Better late than never.” Gina hugged Roni as part of her goodbye. “Congrats one more time on the job and separation. Those are both really great pieces of news.”
“Thank you.” Roni held Gina and inhaled a faint mango scent. She forced herself to remember that she was hugging a friend. She heard the bathroom door click open and broke the hug. “You guys drive safely and have a good night.”
***
Wendy kept up the usual small talk as they drove across the river and back into the city, but once they were in Wendy’s townhouse, she motioned for Gina to join her on the couch. “Okay, tell me what’s going on with you. You were in an awful hurry to leave and you hardly said a word in the car,” Wendy commented.
“It’s hard to explain. I guess I didn’t want to wear out our welcome. Plus, you said you needed to get home by six to feed Geronimo.” Geronimo was Wendy’s fearless tabby that made a habit of jumping off of the highest points and was currently purring around their feet.
“Another hour wouldn’t have killed him. I wish you’d told me that was the reason. We could have stayed. I was having a good time.”
“I was just afraid of getting Geronimo out of his routine. Next time, I’ll speak up.”
“Please, do that,” Wendy reached for Gina’s hand and kissed it before leaving for the kitchen. The black and gray feline was hot on her heels. “I love you, but you seriously need to lighten up. Not everything has to be so planned.”
“Some people like plans,” Gina muttered under her breath.
FOUR MONTHS LATER, NEW YEAR'S 2006
EARLY LOOKED AROUND BECKY AND Gretchen’s home. The banners, streamers, and party favors were abound to welcome the new year. “You girls throw a nice party, but I will say that I’m disappointed I won’t be able to watch the Roni and Gina show.”
“Thank you and ditto.” Gretchen popped a Swedish meatball into her mouth and followed it with a moan of pleasure. “My God Early, these are delicious.”
“I know my balls,” Early joked while he stared across the room at Roni and her date, Carla. “God, that outfit is hideous. At least Gina goes classic with her style.”
Gretchen took in Carla’s aesthetic one more time—hair that was almost black, an athletic frame, and a party outfit that consisted of a gray pants suit. She wasn’t going to argue with Early’s assessment. “What does she do again?”
“She’s a juvenile patrol officer. One of Carla’s parolees pulled the fire alarm at Roni’s school. That’s how they met.”
“How many dates is this for them?”
“Their third, but I don’t see the appeal.” Early pointed across the room to where Steven had just saddled up beside Roni with his cell phone. “Roni’s clearly cold. She’s rubbing her forearms like a mad woman and Carla isn’t offering Roni her jacket. That isn’t chivalrous. Gina would have given Roni her jacket. Steven would have given me his jacket too.”
“Steven’s a very good boy.” Gretchen took a long sip of wine. “Are you sexting?” she asked with a grin when Steven joined them.
“Absolutely. I felt that our lives would be easier if I started having an affair with Gina,” Steven commented wryly.
Early laughed and kissed him. “I love you, big man. But seriously, who was it?”
“Gina. She wanted to know if Stevie and Devin could watch Kill Bill.”
“Hell no! Is she crazy?” Gretchen asked.
Steven gestured for her to calm down. “Gina knew that’s what the answer would be, but wanted to get it in writing to show the boys. I’m sure they’ll be content with Hellboy.”
Gretchen nodded. “I’m really grateful Gina offered to watch the boys tonight, but I still feel...”
“Terrible?” Becky suggested. In her occupation as a therapist she had heard an unending stream of depressing backstories from her patients, but what Wendy had done to Gina was truly in the realm of deeply psychotic. “I can’t believe she lied about having a family and just left them.”
“She seemed so friendly,” Gretchen shared.
“The personality we met was friendly. The other one rotated her head backward and liked Nickelback,” Early added. “That’s why Internet dating is dangerous.”
“I’m just glad her detective skills caught it before it was too late,” Steven added and glanced over to the corner where Roni and Carla were flirting. “I don’t blame Gina for wanting away from couples tonight. Hosting Stevie and Devin is the complete opposite of that.”
***
Gina folded up the pizza boxes for recycling in amazement. She never would have thought one adult woman and two children could devour two large pizzas. “Do you guys want anything else while I’m still in the kitchen?”
“Do you have any cookies?” asked Stevie.
“Or stuff to make nachos?” Devin inquired, but then had an even better idea. “Or maybe we could take the cookie and dip it in ice cream and put chocolate syrup on top? It’d be like dessert nachos.”
That was the most brilliant idea Stevie had ever heard. “Can we do that, Gina?”
“How about I give you some chocolate chip and we call it square?” Gina held out the package of cookies for Stevie to take.
“Deal.” Stevie retrieved the bag and hustled back into the living room.
“Be careful not to get crumbs everywhere,” Gina warned. “I just vacuumed.”
“You sound like Mom.”
Gina was pulling her box of tea from the cabinet when she heard Devin say, “Du’h, Stevie, because she is your mom, just like Gretchen is mine. We just call them by different names.”
“You’re right,” Stevie said matter-of-factly and then tore into the bag of cookies.
Gina reacted to his words with a sentimental grin. When she had lived with Stevie, she certainly felt like a parent, but since she moved out
, she was afraid Stevie viewed her as something else, like an aunt. But hopefully, a cool aunt he would still want to visit as he matured. She started to think that maybe they could have more visits and do more things together now that he was older. That maybe instead of just church, they could also have more regular movie dates where he could bring Devin or another friend. It was an idea to bring up to Roni and Steven later.
“Alright, boys, I’m exhausted.” She wasn’t built to stay up past midnight anymore. It took a cup of coffee at ten p.m. just to make sure she could see the ball drop in Times Square. “Do you need anything else before I hit the sack?”
“No,” the boys said in unison.
She nodded and bent down to kiss Stevie on the cheek. “Buona notte.”
“Buona notte, Gina,” the boys both said as she retired down the hall with a wave.
“What do you want to do now?” Stevie asked Devin.
“We could just watch TV. Does Gina have cable? They have boobs on cable.”
Devin’s second great idea of the night, even if the dessert nachos didn’t pan out. “Yeah! Give me the remote.”
“Cool! My moms have all of those channels blocked.”
Stevie’s scrolled down the show titles slowly in his mammary focused quest. Devin stopped him when they got to a broadcast of American Pie. Based on what they had learned from their friend’s older brother, that was the movie for them.
“What’s it about?” Stevie asked with a hint of skepticism. He liked pie, but didn’t want to watch a movie about it.
“These kids in high school want to have sex.” Just as Devin answered a character on screen released a torrent of curse words. “You better turn the volume down.”
Stevie did as instructed. If Gina caught them watching this, he wouldn’t see any TV for a year. After watching for ten minutes, enough time for even them to understand the plot, Stevie said, “I wonder what the big deal is? You know with...it.”
“Mom says that I’ll understand sex more in a few years and right now I just have to know that vaginal intercourse can lead to pregnancy and that all types of sex intercourses can lead to STDs.”
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