Party of Two

by Tey Holden

“So, they are real too?”

  “Oh, yes, very real.”

  “And what about the nobility title?” She addressed Karen.

  Addy came over and put her arms around Karen. “True. My gorgeousness here is a reluctant, but true Lady and the queen of my castle.” Addy planted a huge kiss on Karen’s cheek while Karen shook her head and turned the color of the tomatoes on the counter. Blair grinned liking the display of affection, but also surprised about the reality of Karen’s nobility title.

  Karen recovered from her embarrassment and put her arm around Addy’s waist. “Blair, although the laughing brat there is my spitting image, don’t be fooled. She’s exactly like this woman here in heart and soul, so consider yourself warned.” Having finished her statement, she hugged Addy and kissed her on the head. “I just happen to love every bit of her.” She turned around and continued eating.

  Alex looked at Blair, who was grinning, delighted with the whole display of uninhibited affection. “I told you it was worse than the books.” Alex continued eating.

  “The inheritance and the conditional three years from her aunt were also real. Aunt Charlotte was once married to a wealthy fellow, and they kept up the property. However, when he died, the business he left behind went bankrupt. After, she could no longer afford the maintenance of the entire property and moved into the cottage. When we arrived here, the cottage was literally falling apart. It was in a lot worse shape than I described in the book. It took a while to get everything fixed.” Addy continued to explain.

  Karen interjected, “some time later Addy came up with the idea of the inn.”

  “What about the winery?”

  Unsure as to whether Alex wanted to provide an answer, Addy opted for the safe route. “I’ll let Alex tell you the rest when she gives you the tour.”

  After they finished their lunch, Addy suggested that they put their stuff in their rooms and tour the property. Addy specifically looked at Alex when she carefully said ‘rooms.’ Alex smiled and looked away.

  “I’ll have dinner ready around six then we can just lounge by the pool.” The younger women went out to the foyer to get their luggage and proceeded to go upstairs. Addy smiled when she noticed that Blair picked up both their bags.

  “Lead, Little Bit.” Blair laughed, enjoying the chance to tease Alex, and the loving the company of the charming woman next to her. Alex grimaced, and they walked away with Blair asking all sorts of questions, and making comments about the beauty of the house.

  ***

  Addy went into the family room where Karen was sitting and sat next to her. “I like her.”

  Karen chuckled. “I like her too, although, we really haven’t given her the opportunity to say much. I think that we should make an effort to keep our mouths shut, and let her talk more.”

  “I think Blair is crazy about her, and I think Alex is smitten too, she is just having trouble coming to terms with it.” Addy immediately summarized the whole situation.

  “And you know all that from a brief lunch? Woman sometimes you amaze me.” Karen shook her head in disbelief.

  “Blondie, come clean, I amaze you all the time and you know it. I talk a lot with our daughter and know her well. I catch things, little expressions and innuendos very quickly.”

  “You call me Blondie one more time, and you are going to have to deal with all my amazement.”

  “I’m ready to deal with all your amazingness any time, but frankly, baby, I just sat down and don’t want to get up, and since we have company, the sofa is out of the question.”

  Karen took her hand and kissed it as she chuckled. “Later.” She wiggled her eyebrows making Addy laugh.

  “There’s something about her I like. I don’t know. She feels right.” Addy added.

  Karen was reading her book and smiling, pretending not to pay attention, but when Addy leaned against her on the sofa, she immediately kissed her on the head.

  ***

  As Alex took Blair upstairs, she replied to Blair’s questions. “The house has fewer rooms now. It’s gone through a lot of modifications through the years to fit different needs.”

  “It’s still huge.” Blair added.

  “What about JP and James, are they real too?”

  “Yep.” She told them their real names, and they laughed.

  “Are they still together?”

  “Yeah, Uncle JP runs the winery. Yes, there is a winery. It’s not a big deal. It’s a small boutique winery, and it’s Uncle JP’s passion and he’s made it work. My moms love him, so it’s his baby. We’ll go there later, he’s a blast.”

  Blair chuckled. “Is JP like in the books? Did they ever separate, like the book said?”

  “Uncle JP is as flamboyant as the books portray him, but no they never separated, or ever had a rift on any kind, that I know. Those two are inseparable. Uncle James puts up with all his stuff but adores him. M’Addy created that fictional situation with them because Uncle JP asked her. According to M’Addy, he thought that the story needed some drama, and he told her that he secretly wanted to make Uncle James jealous by thinking that he had a lover.”

  Blair laughed. “Do they live here?”

  “They have a house on the winery’s property. Although, they spend winters in Ibiza, they have a place there. The Moms also go away for the winter. It’s too cold up here for them. They haven’t gone away for the last two years because I’ve been here, but they had been spending winters away.” Until Alex moved back to Scotland, Addy and Karen had been spending winters in the Caribbean, the French Riviera, southern Spain, or other places along the Mediterranean. But at the moment, Blair didn’t need to know about her mothers’ lavish winter escapades.

  “You were right, they are great, Alex. They look happy and loving. They have the kind of relationship I’d like to have.”

  Alex smiled. “And sexually active.” Alex realized what she had said without thinking. “Ooops! Sorry.”

  Blair chuckled. “Did you ever catch them in any hanky-panky.”

  “Well, not in full throttle hanky-panky, but I’ve caught them in awkward moments, though. I think they were always very careful, as any parent should be, I suppose. Being lesbians has never been a matter of difference at our house. I mean, M’Addy is very spontaneous and says everything, as you have seen. But you have no idea how morally righteous she is. Especially when it has anything to do with me.”

  “I like that about her. I like that about you too. You tell it like it is.”

  “Mom blushes a lot. I don’t know if you noticed.”

  “But she adores Addy. She doesn’t need to talk, just the way she looks at her gives me goose bumps.” Blair commented.

  “They are adorable for sure. I’m told this is your room,” Alex said

  “Where are you going to be?”

  “Next door. Come on, let me show you.” She, of course, omitted the reasons given by Addy for the proximity of the accommodations.

  When they occupied the house as their home, the number of rooms was reduced, as space was needed to enlarge their bedrooms into suites. Alex’s room was oversized. She had an alcove filled with all her sports trophies, gear and other memorabilia. “Welcome to Alex’s shrine.”

  “Wow! You are very accomplished. Look at all those trophies and awards.”

  “Blair I am the only child of two passionate women.” She rolled her eyes when she spoke. “I’ve done just about everything you can possibly think of, just because I ‘needed’ to have that experience.”

  Blair chuckled and took her time looking at all the trophies and diplomas. After a while she looked to Alex. “Very impressive, Ms. Larsen.”

  “Come on. Let me show you your room.”

  They walked to the left and Alex opened the door to the room. “Wow! What a room!”

  “Remember this was The Royal Inn of Scotland.”

  “Did royalty ever stay?”

  “Yes, a royal prince on a secret rendezvous. Mom was horrified when the inn made the scandalous
news. M’Addy, of course, was thrilled. She was of the opinion that publicity of that sort was free and always brought business, and it did. That was when the inn acquired its Royal title.” Alex laughed.

  “I’m amazed to see that as different as your moms are, they get along so well.”

  “I’ve had ample time to study them, and have concluded that the reason they get along so well is that they complement each other, and they know it. They also have great admiration and respect for each other. Mom told me once that she wished she could be like M’Addy because she always seems to be happy. And M’Addy always tells me that she wished she had mom’s coolness because no one ever knows what she’s thinking, except her, of course. She claims to be the only one who has ever deciphered the ‘Karen enigma.’ I think it’s true.”

  “You also have that coolness about you, you know?”

  She laughed. “M’Addy always says that I’m their masterpiece because I’m the two of them combined.”

  “That may be true, from what I can tell.”

  “If that is the case, I’m a very complex individual. Those two are quite a load, individually and more so together.”

  “I think you are complex. And I like that about you. You are hard to decode, I think the only way to unravel you is by knowing what’s in your heart.”

  “That is quite profound, Ms. Reilley, and I’m surprised by your perception.”

  “Surgeons pay attention to details. Life is fragile and sometimes the smallest thing can make a difference.”

  “Keep those thoughts and you’ll do well, in surgery, and with me.” She pursed her lips and smiled. Blair felt a deep connection to the depth of her soul and she also perceived that Alex felt it.

  “So, here’s the bathroom. You can have your bubble bath in the Jacuzzi, if you like.” Alex continued to show the amenities of the room.

  When Blair saw the huge Jacuzzi tub, she thought it perfect for two and looked at Alex, whom appeared to have had the same thought.

  “Let’s go outside. I’d like to show you the pool and the grounds.”

  They went out to the patio and walked around the pool to the iron-gate in the back leading to the back garden and the open field behind the manor house.

  “Wow! Look at this view. Look at that ocean, it’s amazing.”

  “Come on, let’s walk to the thinking tree. It’s that one over there all by itself.”

  “Ah, the famous thinking tree is real.” Blair stated with joy.

  As they went up the hill towards the tree, the cottage became visible in the distance. Blair stopped abruptly to take in the enormity of the view.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I read about it, but being here and looking at it makes my hair rise.”

  “Why?”

  “I can almost sense the same feeling your mom described in the book.”

  “If it is that you feel as if you’ve been here before, I have news for you.” Alex laughed. “You’ve been here before, but only in your imagination because you’ve read the stories.”

  “Maybe, but I feel an enormous calmness and sense of peace.” She sat on the grass at the top of the hill and raised her arms in the air and later held them out to the sides with her eyes closed. Alex laughed and watched her. Alex stood about ten feet ahead of her and watched mesmerized as Blair crossed her legs, closed her eyes and took in the wind. They remained there for a few minutes.

  Oddly, Addy and Karen were on the patio and witnessed the scene and became absorbed in the moment. “Wow! I feel like I’m having a surreal moment. You?” Karen commented. Addy looked and remained speechless. “You did the same thing on that same spot. I don’t remember you writing that in the book, did you?”

  “No, I did not. I didn’t think it added anything to the story. What a remarkable coincidence. I wonder if her eyes are closed too.” Addy commented. “I wonder what she’s feeling. I’ll have to ask her.” Addy remembered the feeling of peace and of belonging. The feeling of having been there before, feeling the wind and hearing the rustle of the grass and she remembered having seen the cottage and the blonde woman coming towards her with a child in her arms and offering the child to her. Addy told Karen the part about the blonde woman with the child many years later after Alex was born.

  “Come on! Get your butt up! I don’t have the key to the cottage, so I can’t take you inside. My moms have the key. I think they sometimes come here to reminisce and some hanky-panky.” She laughed. Blair, however, remained sitting and smiling.

  “Let’s walk to the tree and later to the stables. We’ll ride to the vineyard and the winery. The vineyards are over there on the left and the winery in the far distance beyond the cottage.”

  “This is amazingly beautiful and extraordinary! I can see why you love it here. I think M’Addy had her job cut out for her. This is certainly worth writing about. Look at those fields! Everything is just like in the books. She did a great job with her descriptions. There is so much peace here. Alex, so far most of it appears to be real.”

  “I told you some was. Follow me.”

  When Blair got up, she immediately felt dampness. “Oh no! The grass must have been wet, I got my pants all wet!”

  “Turn around, let me see? Oh crap! You also have grass stuck to your butt.” Alex began to swipe the grass on her butt, and ended up pretending to spank her.

  “Hey, if you want to touch my butt you don’t need to make excuses, feel free to go for it,” Blair kidded as she brushed-off the grass from the rear of her pants.”

  Alex came provocatively close and put her hands inside the back pocket of Blair’s jeans. She said nothing and looked up to her. The two-inch difference in height was perfect. She raised her face to her with a defiant look that made Blair’s heart skip a beat. For a moment Blair thought that Alex was about to cup her buttocks, which would have stopped her heart, but the tease was enough, and Alex quickly withdrew her hands satisfied with Blair’s response. Still smiling, she turned and walked away with Blair following and smiling as well.

  As they approached the stables, a woman came to greet them. “Marge, this is Blair. Blair, this is Marge, she manages the stables.”

  “Very pleased to meet you.” They talked for a little while about the beautiful views and they proceeded to the stables. “So, is that the Marshall equivalent from the story? Stable manger?”

  Alex laughed. “Yes, and that over there is Gyro, his real name is Tom.” Alex laughed and waved to a tiny, but not so thin man near the entrance of the stable.

  “Hi Tom!” She looked behind and saw a very happy Blair. Tom embraced her lovingly. “How are the beautiful ones today?” Alex asked.

  “Happier today because you have come to see them.” He replied. Alex introduced Blair and after exchanging a few words, the women continued to walk towards the stables.

  “So, was he a jockey and then gained weight, or was he never one?”

  “He was Alejandro’s jockey. He gained the weight through the years, after he stopped racing.

  “How about Carol and the infamous Mary?”

  “All real. Carol’s real name is Therese, and Mary’s is Jane. Therese owns the coffee shop in town, which the moms helped her start when they had the inn, and she is Marge’s partner. Jane left the area years ago and is now in Glasgow, I think.”

  “Oh! What a beautiful Shetland pony! Is that the one Pete rode?” Blair asked, but as she finished her sentence, she took a look around to realize that there were several of them. “Oh my God! I’ve never seen so many of them in one place.”

  “And this one here, is Pete’s favorite. Although, I will say, he went crazy with all of them, but this is the one he rode, and my moms gave to him.”

  Blair started to laugh. “They are all Shetland ponies?” Blair covered her mouth in disbelief and laughed. “Please, don’t tell me that in real life Alejandro was a pony also?”

  “No, he was a real thoroughbred. He was a beautiful horse and he did win as told in the book. The ponies
came later. After Alejandro retired and began his stud life, he was away for long periods of time. I was only eight years old and knew more about thoroughbreds than most people in the business, so to distract me from all of that and from missing Alejandro terribly, M’Addy came up with the idea to get a breeding pair when we saw the ponies at a farm. I immediately loved them. At first, we only bought the two, but when they had their offspring, I was thrilled and M’Addy thought it would be great to raise them. Believe it or not, at the age of eight, she asked me how I felt about that. My answer is evident as you look around. We breed the best Shetland ponies in all of Scotland.”

  “They are adorable. No wonder Pete was enchanted with the ‘horsies.’ All of this is amazing, you are so very lucky to have grown up here.”

  “Yes, I am very lucky. This is my beautiful home, and where my heart is. I did get my choice from M’Addy years ago, that part of the story was also true. I would have never left them for anything in the world, and M’Addy knew it. That’s why she put me up to making that decision. That woman knows me too well! She knew I would have never left them. They are the core of my life. I have always been happy here. That’s why I came back after law school. I love it here, and this is where I belong.”

  Blair was moved by the way Alex spoke of her mothers and her home. It was not just what she said, but the pride with which she said it that filled Blair’s heart. Someone who loved with such pride had to love deep. Blair loved the passion she saw and felt in her words.

  “You belong here, Alex. It’s hard to describe what I see when I hear you talk about all of this, but it’s like more than belonging, it’s as if you are a part of this place.”

  Alex was glad to see that Blair could understand what her home meant to her. Blair changed the subject to lighten the mood.

  “And just what did you mean when you said that your moms gave Pete a pony?”

  “Just that, they gave him a pony. You should have seen him with the horses. He was thrilled.”

  Blair raised her eyebrows. “And just where is he going to keep this pony?” Blair asked still trying to figure out the situation.

  “Well, here of course. He will see it grow and will ride him every time he comes over.” Blair shook her head in disbelief. She looked at Alex and wondered what it all meant in the whole scheme of things. She decided to tag the matter as inconsequential for now. Pet’s fate with the pony was surely tied to her own with Alex.