Sumter Point

by K. G. MacGregor

  “Is she still hot as ever?”

  Beth shrugged. If she said yes, Ginger would be all over her to ask Audie out. “I guess. She looks like she always did.”

  “Then she’s still hot. Say, there’s one for you. She seeing anybody?”

  Prediction confirmed. “How would I know? Besides, she’s just a kid. She and Kelly were in the same class.”

  “Kelly’s not a kid. What is she, twenty-four?”

  “Yeah, and she’s married with a baby. But Audie still looks like a teenager.”

  “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, the pickings in this neck of the woods are pretty slim. I wouldn’t rule out anybody that wasn’t jail bait.”

  “You wouldn’t rule out anybody, period,” Beth teased as she took a sip of her coffee. “What was it exactly that happened at that picnic? I went to the restroom and came back to find Shelby in the car, ready to go.”

  “It wasn’t much. Audie was there with some tattooed woman and they were holding hands and kissing, nothing vulgar or anything like that. Shelby just went nuts thinking everybody in the park would see them and know we were all lesbians.”

  “Oh, that’s right. How could I forget? She always thought nobody knew.” Beth chuckled. “Like sixty women arriving at the park in pairs wouldn’t be a clue.”

  “She and Tonya are perfect for each other.”

  “Hear, hear.” She held up her coffee for a toast. “Anyway, I felt sorry for Audie today. She looked like her heart was breaking. She loves her grandmother a lot. I thought it was sweet.”

  “You should find out what she’s up to. Maybe you two could be friends.”

  “I’ll probably be seeing a lot of her out at the nursing home. Maybe she’ll want to come to a movie with us sometime.”

  “And I’ll bring Mallory. We can double date.”

  “Very funny.”

  The Gallery was the hottest spot in Nashville for gays and lesbians. The atmosphere was always festive, and the owners sponsored a variety of events to make it entertaining. Situated on the south side of town, it was only twenty minutes from Sumter, making it a regular haunt for Audie and her small group of friends.

  Besides Dennis, there was Joel Petrone, a pediatrician with a practice in Sumter, and his partner Dwayne O’Neal, an organizer for the Tennessee Democratic Party. Joel and Dwayne were in their late thirties and respected as the unspoken leaders of the group. Audie knew them because they had taken Dennis in several years ago when he was kicked out of his parents’ house.

  In addition to the group of guys from Sumter, there were a handful of women from Nashville Audie usually connected with, including a few she enjoyed as bed partners. Nothing serious, just a good time without strings.

  “Hey, look who’s here!” Joel got up and walked around the table to deliver a warm hug. “I was sorry to hear about your grandmother, Audie. How’s she doing?”

  Audie looked down at the floor, afraid she might lose her composure.

  “Dr. Hill wouldn’t let her come home. I had to put her in the nursing home today.”

  “At Sumter?”

  She nodded.

  He tilted her chin up. “I’m sorry, sweetie. But for what it’s worth, I hear a lot of good things about that place. It’s not going to be like what happened to your Grampaw.”

  “I know. I was out there most of the day getting her settled in. They’re pretty nice.”

  “Do you want me to go pay her a visit? It wouldn’t hurt to let them know that she has a lot of people watching out for her.”

  Audie was so grateful she nearly cried on the spot. Grammaw had always liked her friends, and this was a good example of why.

  “I think she’d like that a lot.”

  “I’ll try to get out there this week when I’m doing rounds at the hospital. Don’t tell her, though. I want it to be a surprise.”

  “You’re the best.” Audie hugged him again, clinging to his shoulders as she fought back tears.

  “Come sit by me. Dwayne’s going to be hilarious tonight.”

  “Sure.” Audie knew this was Joel being protective, and she appreciated it more than she could say. Dennis headed straight for the dance floor as soon as they came in and had already identified his quarry for the night. No way would they get out of here by midnight.

  But it didn’t matter to Audie, as long as someone kept the margaritas coming.

  Beth waved goodbye to Ginger as she let herself into her condo. The light from over the kitchen sink cast a glow through the dining area and living room, enough that she could see her way to hang her sweater in the closet by the door.

  She had the upstairs corner unit, the nicest one in the building, which she had purchased with her half of the proceeds from the sale of the house she and Shelby had owned for only two years.

  That house had been huge—Shelby’s style was to make a big show of things—but Beth had all she needed with a master suite, a guest bedroom and bath, and a balcony. Best of all, the smaller mortgage made her feel more financially secure.

  The space was perfect for one person. After the royal screwing from Shelby, all she wanted was time to get her life back on track—alone. In the three years since Shelby left, she had not had a single date, outside of a clunky affair with Ginger.

  Now all of a sudden, Ginger was going out with a pretty girl named Mallory, and all Beth could think of was that she needed to put herself back out there on the social scene again. Trouble was, she had never been one to get out and socialize. Sure, she might get lucky and actually meet someone at a club, but then it would be someone who enjoyed going to places like that. Clubbing wasn’t her thing, so they probably wouldn’t get past more than a few dates.

  The lesbian community in Sumter was a tightly knit group, mostly professional women who had dinner parties or self-important organizational meetings. As an attorney, Shelby had fit in perfectly, and had somehow managed to keep all their mutual friends, despite being a lying cheat. And on top of that, she also took Diva, the rat terrier they had adopted together at the animal shelter.

  “I should get another dog,” Beth said aloud.

  Thoughts of dogs led to thoughts of Audie Pippin, which she wrote off as merely an interesting coincidence.

  Audie stumbled through the front door and was immediately greeted by Buster, who nearly knocked her off her wobbly feet. She stepped aside to allow him out the front door. At this hour—one-fucking-thirty, she noted by the clock on the mantle—there was no traffic out there to worry about, and besides, Buster was so excited to see her that he would pee and race right back through the door.

  As she started down the hallway, she stopped to take a gander at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked like hell… on garbage day. Her eyes were bloodshot from the tequila and pot, and her hair was stringy from being inside the sweaty club all night. And thanks to Dennis’s clumsy fuck-buddy, her white shirt now sported a strawberry daiquiri stain that covered her left breast.

  “Think you got enough to drink?” she asked herself, already knowing she would swear off tequila forever all day tomorrow.

  “Doesn’t matter. There’s nobody here that cares.”

  She interrupted her pity party to let Buster back in. As he danced in the hallway, Audie stared through the doorway of her grandmother’s darkened room. “How am I going to do this, Buster?” She slid down the wall to crumple in a heap, letting herself cry for the third time that day.

  Chapter 3

  “Good morning!”

  Miss Violet turned in her bed and smiled at seeing Beth’s face in her doorway.

  “So how was your first night?”

  “I don’t think I slept much,” the old woman confessed. “I’m worried about Audie being all alone in that house.”

  “You shouldn’t worry about Audie. She looks like she can take care of herself.” Beth pulled the covers back on the bed.

  “She can but she won’t.”

  “What do you mean she won’t?” She held out her
forearm so Miss Violet could use it to sit up. Then she helped her put on her robe. “I’m taking you down to the dining room for breakfast, in case you’re wondering.”

  “First, I need to…” She gestured toward the bathroom.

  “I thought you might. That’s the first thing everyone wants to do in the morning.” She guided Miss Violet from the bed to the wheelchair, showing her how to position her feet so she could twist in the right direction and fall gently into her seat. “It’s a little trickier in the bathroom, but I’ll show you what to do in there to make it easy.” Beth coached her through climbing onto the toilet and excused herself to strip the bed.

  After a few minutes, Miss Violet emerged, using her good hand to grasp a rail and pull her wheelchair through the door.

  “So what were you saying about your granddaughter? She doesn’t take care of herself?”

  “No, she doesn’t eat right. She never was a very good eater, except for hotdogs and hamburgers.”

  “Too much of that isn’t good for you.”

  “I know. I used to make her eat vegetables at home, but I bet she doesn’t eat any with me not there to fix them.” Miss Violet leaned over to slide her slipper over her feeble foot. “And she’s gotten so skinny since I went to the hospital.”

  “That happens to some people when they worry. I’m just the opposite. I eat junk food when I get that way.” She pushed Miss Violet down the hall into the dining room. “I have a surprise for you this morning.”

  “Edith Platt!”

  “Hello, Violet.”

  Beth scooted the chair up to the table so the two women could renew their acquaintance. It had occurred to her last night that Edith Platt was only a little older than Violet Pippin, and had worked for many years at a drugstore near the library. It was hard to imagine they wouldn’t know each other. Terribly pleased with herself for making the connection, she smiled as she headed back down the hall for Mr. Wortman. Lost in thought, she never saw what hit her, as Audie burst from her grandmother’s room on a dead run.

  “Whoa!” Beth grabbed the young woman’s shoulders to keep them both from sprawling.

  “Where’s Grammaw?” Audie’s eyes were wild with panic.

  “Relax. I just took her to breakfast.”

  “Is she okay?”

  Beth was close enough to get a strong whiff of stale alcohol, and she backed away. “She’s fine. Wish I could say the same for you.”

  “What?”

  “It’s just that…” Beth knew it wasn’t her place to say anything, but she thought Audie should know about her grandmother’s concerns.

  She waved her hand in front of her face. “You really reek.”

  Audie looked away sheepishly. “I went out with some friends last night. I just needed to unwind a little.”

  “What you do is your own business. But you should know that your grandmother didn’t sleep well last night because she was worried about you. And if she gets a whiff of you right now, she isn’t going to sleep tonight either.”

  Audie stepped back and put her hands on her hips. “So I should just leave. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “It isn’t up to me. I’m just telling you that it’s going to bother her, but it’ll probably be worse if you don’t visit at all.” She rustled in her pocket for a tube of mints. “Here, at least take one of these.”

  “Think it’ll be enough?” Audie unwrapped one and popped it into her mouth.

  “I doubt it. Does she like your friends?”

  “Most of them.”

  “Then be sure to let her know they were looking out for you. Maybe that’ll help.”

  Audie nodded.

  “But if you make a habit of this, she’s going to worry.”

  “I guess I screwed up.” She sighed heavily. “Just one more thing that’s all my fault.”

  Beth could see the defeat on Audie’s face and thought maybe she had carried her admonition a little too far. “Audie, what happened to your grandmother couldn’t have been your fault.”

  “I called her the day she had her stroke to tell her I wouldn’t be home for dinner, but she didn’t answer. I should have known something was wrong.”

  “That still doesn’t mean you could have stopped it.” Beth glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to run. Why don’t you go grab some breakfast and come back in an hour or so?”

  Audie made a face. “I don’t think food would be such a great idea.”

  Beth chuckled. “Boy, you really are in bad shape. But your grandmother also said you were too skinny, and I think she’s right.”

  Audie tugged up her jeans, proving their point. “No fair both of you ganging up on me.”

  “We’ll make it our mission to straighten you out.”

  “Not much chance of that.” Audie smiled for the first time.

  “Not that kind of straight,” Beth answered with a grin of her own before turning and heading down the hall.

  Even the idea of breakfast was causing turmoil in Audie’s stomach, but it made sense that a bite to eat would probably ease her hangover and take away the odor of tequila leaking from her pores.

  Besides, she had an hour to kill before going back to the nursing home.

  That last little exchange with Beth sure was interesting. She had picked up on that straight joke very quickly. Audie wondered if her Grammaw had said anything about her being a lesbian. It was obvious she had been the subject of their conversation, but it wasn’t like Grammaw to talk about that with people she didn’t know very well.

  Not that Audie’s sexuality was such a big secret. Even back in school, she had been pretty up front about the fact that she wasn’t interested in boys, but she had kept her distance from the girls too.

  Not many of the kids at her high school had been mature enough to grasp the fact that people like her and Dennis were different, not depraved or hedonistic, just different.

  Audie laughed to herself as she amended her thought. Dennis was definitely depraved and hedonistic. And to a lesser extent, so was she. But she behaved herself most of the time, except for the occasional wild nights like the last one.

  But why had Beth grinned at her on her way out the door?

  In a way, it was as if she was making it a point to let Audie know that she knew. Audie thought again about seeing Beth come into the animal shelter with that woman. If her hunch was right that the two women were lovers, Beth’s easy reaction made perfect sense.

  Moreover, it gave her tremendous satisfaction to know that Beth was taking care of Grammaw, and she would see her practically every day.

  “Doesn’t this feel good, Miss Violet?” Beth shielded the woman’s eyes from the spray as she rinsed the last of the shampoo from her permed white hair.

  “I feel like a new person.”

  Beth gently touched a wrinkled cheek. “I know. I can see a little dimple right here when you smile.” She took two towels from the shelf, draping one across Violet’s bare torso and using the smaller one to fluff her hair. “Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes.”

  Beth gently dried her from head to toe and helped her into a blue gown and housecoat. “How would you like to sit in the sunroom for a while?”

  Miss Violet nodded. “Can I take one of my books?”

  “Sure. That was a great idea Audie had about bringing all those library books.”

  “She’s a good girl.”

  Beth had to hand it to Audie. Coming back with an armload of books was a great distraction from her smelling like a distillery.

  “Okay, here we go again. You ready?” Beth braced her legs to help Violet from the shower stool into her chair.

  Finally they exited the bath and headed down the hall to the bright sunroom, stopping along the way to pick out a book.

  “I’ll come get you before I leave for the day. That’s about an hour and a half. Will you be okay for that long?”

  “Yes.”

  Beth parked the wheelchair in the corner of the room so Violet would have plen
ty of sunlight to read.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” It was easy to be nice to patients like Miss Violet, who were sweet and appreciative of the attention to their needs.

  Mr. Skelly was a whole different matter. He complained about everything at the home, and often took his anger out on the staff.

  It was sad, Beth thought, that his family didn’t visit him much, but she couldn’t blame them. It was very tiring to be around someone with such a bitter disposition.

  She took a deep breath and started toward his room.

  “Must have been a late night. You’re dragging around here like you’re hauling a house trailer.” It was Hazel Tipton, the nursing home administrator.

  “That’s because it’s time for Mr. Skelly’s bath.”

  “Ahhh, but he likes you.”

  “He doesn’t like anybody.”

  “True enough, but I think he hates you less than the others. You got a few minutes? I want to talk to you about something.”

  Grateful for the temporary reprieve, Beth followed her to the small office off the nurses’ station. She liked her boss a lot. In fact, it was Hazel who had convinced her that an LPN wouldn’t cut it if she wanted a worthwhile career in nursing. So at her boss’s urging, she had continued in the nursing program at Sumter College and was set to graduate with her BS in nursing in December.

  Hazel closed the door and gestured toward the love seat that sat opposite the cluttered desk. She was an attractive woman for her fifty-nine years, tall and elegant, and her professional demeanor left no doubt who was in charge of the nursing home. “I hear you tangled with the ambulance crew yesterday.”

  Beth dropped her jaw in surprise. “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “You weren’t even here yesterday, and there wasn’t anybody else around when it happened. How do you manage to know every little thing that goes on?”

  Hazel smiled wryly. “It’s my job.”

  “Are you telling me we don’t get away with anything?”

  “Not much.” She sniggered and pushed a candy dish across her desk. “I had an interesting conversation with Francine this morning— a private conversation.”