Queermance Anthology, Volume 2

by Queermance Anthology- Volume 2 [MM-FF] (retail) (epub)

  It was several days later, and Alexis had almost forgotten about Patricia Sherman and her mother’s flat tyre. She was in the local supermarket, shopping for a present for her niece, whose birthday was the next weekend. A sudden crash behind her brought her spinning on one heel, and she turned to see an old lady trying to bend down and pick up a train set that had slipped off the shelf.

  ‘Here, let me,’ said Alexis politely. She bent down, picked up the train set and handed it back to her.

  As the woman said, ‘Thank you’ and turned to go, Alexis realised who she was looking at. ‘Lily? With the flat tyre?’

  Lily turned back and stared. ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s you. The young woman who fixed my tyre. Are you following me around in case I trip over, young lady?’

  Alexis grinned. ‘No! But I almost didn’t recognise you. You’re dry.’

  Lily chuckled. ‘I must say, I had the same problem. Didn’t recognise you without you being wringing wet! You are a lovely young thing, aren’t you?’

  Alexis blushed. ‘So, the car’s all fixed then?’

  ‘Oh, yes, Patricia fixed it the next day and bought me a new tyre.’

  ‘What did I do?’ asked a voice behind Alexis.

  Alexis turned to see Lily’s daughter Patricia behind her, looking at her curiously. Patricia had dark brown, curly hair and grey eyes. She was dressed in jeans and a dark blue T shirt, with a heavy coat over her arm. And she was giving Alexis an appraising scan up and down just as Alexis turned around. Alexis blinked. Surely she had imagined that?

  Patricia met her eyes boldly. ‘You’re Alexis, aren’t you? With the tyre and all?’

  Alexis smiled. ‘Yes.’

  ‘She follows me around getting me out of trouble, apparently. She’s my guardian angel,’ said Lily.

  Patricia laughed. ‘Mum, just because she picked up a train set for you doesn’t mean you can keep her.’

  Lily put on a mock pout. ‘She’s certainly angelic looking, with those blonde curls.’

  Alexis felt herself blush again, especially as she realised Patricia’s eyes were twinkling with amusement at her discomfort. She hastily changed the subject. ‘It’s great, getting that rain, isn’t it? Just in time for the spring plantings.’

  ‘Do you work on the farms?’ asked Patricia politely.

  ‘Yes. I do the grafting for the bigger wineries. You know, Mateo’s and Bernardt’s and a few others.’

  ‘Oh, clever girl!’ said Lily. ‘Isn’t she just darling, Patricia?’

  It was Patricia’s turn to blush, and Alexis suppressed a smile. It was kind of cute having the little old lady gushing over her.

  ‘Mum,’ said Patricia.

  ‘Oh, don’t be coy, darling.’

  ‘Mum!’ Patricia’s tone was sharper now, and there was an edge to it. Alexis’s gaze flitted from one to the other, and she narrowed her eyes.

  Lily sailed on with a sly look at Alexis. ‘I do think we should take this dear lady for a cup of coffee, as thanks for helping me that night on the highway. Don’t you?’

  Patricia looked from her mother to Alexis, looking strangely torn. ‘Alexis is busy, Mum. She’s doing her shopping.’ But just for a moment, Alexis caught a look in her eyes of temptation.

  Alexis smiled. ‘Actually, I was just going to get a coffee at Jensen’s; I don’t mind.’

  ‘See?’ said Lily to Patricia, looking smug.

  They walked out of the supermarket and half a block along to Jensen’s coffee house.

  Alexis stole a few glances at Patricia as they strolled, going slowly for Lily’s sake. Patricia took Lily’s arm to support her as they walked, as though it were second nature to do so.

  Alexis asked, ‘So, Lily, what do you do for entertainment?’

  Lily smiled. ‘I spend a lot of time playing the Xbox with my grandchildren.’

  ‘You do?’ Alexis was surprised.

  Patricia laughed at her expression. ‘She’s the family champion at Halo.’

  ‘It’s a good game,’ said Lily with a wicked grin. ‘And I can kick Patricia’s ass at it. Do you play, Alexis?’

  ‘Uh, no.’

  ‘Oh, that’s a pity. You could have come to the family Halo night. Every Tuesday, with cheap pizza.’

  They arrived at the coffee shop, and Alexis opened the sliding door for Lily. As she stepped through, she heard Patricia breathe from behind her, ‘You should come.’

  Alexis felt a chill down her neck at the tone in Patricia’s voice. It was ambiguous, but inviting. But as Patricia walked past her, her face was deadpan again. Surely Alexis had imagined it.

  They ordered their coffee and Lily encouraged them to eat. Soon Alexis was hoeing into a large serve of beef nachos. Patricia, who said she had already eaten, watched her with mild alarm. Lily pecked happily at a vanilla slice and drank a tall, creamy iced coffee.

  ‘Quite an appetite you’ve got there,’ observed Patricia, watching Alexis eat.

  Alexis shrugged, smiled and kept eating. ‘I worked ten hour shifts all last week.’

  Afterwards, with a full stomach, she sat back and enjoyed a rare day off work, and listened to Patricia and Lily’s banter. It was obvious that the two got along well, despite the age difference, and Alexis wished her own mother was as kind and funny.

  She took her leave with a firm invitation from Lily to come to dinner that Friday night. Lily wasn’t about to take no for an answer, either. Alexis didn’t really mind.

  Friday afternoon came, and Alexis showered as soon as she got home from work, then settled down to relax for a while. Work on the farms started at five in the morning and finished at one or two o’clock in the afternoon. She had several hours to relax before going off to dinner. She was looking forward to it. She found a Tom Clancy book and put her feet up.

  About twenty minutes later, her phone rang. Alexis jumped and dug it out of her pocket.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hey, it’s me, Patricia. I was wondering, do you drink wine or do you want me to pick up some beer for you for tonight?’

  ‘Hi. Wine will be fine for me, thanks. If I want anything else I can pop in to the pub first and pick it up. Do you want me to get anything?’

  ‘Actually I’m at the pub now. It might be easier if I pick up something for you. Unless you���?’ Patricia trailed off awkwardly.

  Alexis heard the tone of doubt creeping in to Patricia’s voice, and decided to go with her instincts for the time being. She said heartily, ‘Why don’t I come in and join you for a couple of beers now?’

  ‘Yeah! Hey, that’s a good idea. I’ll see you in ten then?’

  ‘Sure. Which pub?’

  ‘The one at the north end of the main street.’

  ‘Joe and Carla’s place? With the grapes over the door?’

  ‘Yeah. The Vineyard Bar.’

  ‘Got it. See you there in ten minutes.’

  ‘Ciao.’

  Alexis’s mind was racing as she drove in to town. She’d been getting a subtle vibe of interest from Patricia since they met, but Patricia certainly hadn’t said anything that implied that the interest was real. It was only the surreptitious looks, the flick of her eyes to meet Alexis’s when she said certain things, and the half-heard whisper behind her at the coffee shop door earlier in the week, that had given the impression that Patricia was interested in her in that way.

  Alexis knew the strife it would cause if she was reading the situation wrong, and she fretted mildly about it as she drove. But then she decided that the only way she could possibly find out whether she was right or wrong was to spend more time with Patricia. Getting to know Patricia better definitely appealed to her. Alexis could think of worse ways to pass her time, no matter what the eventual outcome. She began to relax.

  Alexis spotted Patricia almost immediately on entering the pub, leaning on the side bar near the dining area. This early on a Friday afternoon, the main bar was full of barflies and a few already-raucous workers, but the dining area was deserted. Alexis walked
up, trying to stop her smile from being too openly delighted and stop her eyes from giving away anything they shouldn’t.

  Patricia turned when Alexis walked in the door. In Patricia’s eyes, for a split second, there was a smidgeon of delight before she hid it quickly. Or was Alexis reading too much into her expression? Maybe Patricia was just relaxed. She had an empty beer glass in front of her, Alexis noticed.

  ‘Hey. How’s it going?’ said Alexis, forcing her tone to stay casual.

  ‘Yeah, good,’ said Patricia. She looked Alexis up and down. ‘You’re clean.’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve been home and had a shower already. What are you drinking?’ asked Alexis.

  ‘Just a light beer. Want one?’

  Alexis shook her head. ‘I don’t drink beer. I’ll have a scotch.’

  ‘My shout.’

  ‘Not if you’re on light beers and I’m buying scotch, it won’t be. I’ll pay.’

  Patricia’s forehead creased briefly, but she said, ‘Okay.’

  Alexis looked at the noisy group in the main bar, which she could see through the gap in the door. ‘Why don’t you go in the pig-pen?’

  ‘You said it. It’s a pig-pen in there. But I don’t go in bars, usually.’

  The bartender had just spotted Alexis anyway, and came round the corner. ‘What’ll it be?’

  ‘Shot of scotch, thanks,’ said Alexis, putting a ten dollar note on the bar.

  The bartender put a glass on the bar and poured Alexis a drink, asking Patricia as he did so, ‘You want another?’

  ‘No thanks. Gotta drive.’

  The bartender raised a cynical eyebrow. ‘Never stopped that lot in there.’

  ‘Yeah, well it stops me.’

  ‘Good on you.’ The bartender finished pouring Alexis’s drink, grabbed the ten and hit a few buttons on the till. When the drawer clanged open, he handed Alexis her change, slammed the drawer shut again and was gone.

  There was an uncomfortable silence, which Alexis hid by sipping her scotch. After a moment she glanced at Patricia, realising that if she took a sip every time there was an awkward silence, she’d be pie-eyed within half an hour. Alexis put her drink down.

  Patricia picked up her beer and sipped on it, watching Alexis warily.

  Alexis found a topic. ‘So how’s Lily?’

  Patricia chuckled. ‘Lily’s fine. Tough as a bag of nails, the old girl. Don’t let the frilly blouses and little-old-lady act fool you!’

  ‘Runs your life, eh?’

  ‘You could say.’

  ‘So, she lives with you?’

  ‘Huh. Or I live with her, depends on which way you look at it.’

  ‘Why?’ Alexis was curious. Patricia didn’t strike her as the type to live with her mother. She pondered what she thought the type was, though, and really couldn’t come up with anything specific. Patricia just didn’t strike her that way.

  ‘Well, I’m the only one in the family who’s still single, so when she got too old to live on her own, I figured it was the right thing to do. And to be honest, she’s no trouble. In fact it’s nice to have company sometimes.’

  ‘So, you don’t have a husband and kids?’

  Patricia’s nose wrinkled for an instant. If Alexis blinked, she would have missed it. ‘Nope.’

  ‘Don’t want them?’

  Patricia hung her head for a minute, then looked up at Alexis with an odd look on her face.

  Alexis stared at her, unsure whether she had said something wrong, and then Patricia sighed and said, ‘Look, do we have to do this?’

  ‘What?’ asked Alexis.

  ‘Beat around the bush like this?’ She stared at her toes, then said in a voice so quiet Alexis leaned forward to catch her words, ‘I’m not straight, all right?’

  Alexis frowned. She wanted to say something to reassure Patricia that was more than fine with her, but the sudden turn in the conversation had thrown her, and she was lost for words.

  Patricia stood up, finished her beer, and put the empty glass back down on the bar, all without looking at Alexis.

  She said, ‘I know what you think. I won’t bother you again. I just wanted to say thanks for helping Mum.’

  She was gone before Alexis could gather her wits and say anything. Alexis sat, confused, for a few minutes, staring at the last few drops of her scotch.

  She drained the scotch just as a rowdy group of men came in the door. ‘Hey Alexis, what are you doing drinking alone? Come into the bar!’

  Alexis looked up. It was Tom, from work. ‘Hi, Tom.’ Alexis thought about the invitation. It would be fun. They would all get wasted on cheap beer and take the booze-bus home, or end up sleeping over at someone’s place. For a moment Alexis hesitated, poised on a razor’s edge of indecision.

  Then she put her glass down and said, ‘Nah, sorry Tom, guys. I’d love to, but I’m supposed to having dinner with some friends. I just popped in for a quick one. I’ll catch you next week.’

  Tom grinned and said, ‘Okay! Your loss!’

  Alexis stepped out of the pub into bright sunlight and blinked, surprised. Usually she stepped out that door into pitch darkness. She stopped to consider what she should do. It was several hours before she had to be at Patricia’s place. She shouldn’t drink any more, because she had to drive. She thought about having a meal, then realised she was invited for dinner. If she did decide to turn up for dinner, it would be rude to Lily to eat beforehand. In the meantime, there was no point driving home, because if she did make up her mind to go to Lily and Patricia’s place for dinner, she’d have to virtually turn straight around at home and come back again, so it would be a waste of a trip.

  She started walking, then spotted a coffee shop open. She stepped in and ordered a coffee and a piece of cake. It would quell her hunger, but not kill it entirely.

  She needed time to think. Patricia’s sudden confession had completely thrown her, but what had thrown her more was Patricia’s obvious assumption that Alexis wouldn’t want to know her unless she was straight. That was a big assumption to make, even if Alexis was straight herself. It would only make sense if Patricia had been hitting on her and thought Alexis had noticed.

  But if Patricia thought the subtle way she had been tiptoeing around Alexis from the day they met was noticeable flirting, then the poor girl must be deeper in the closet than���

  ���than me, realised Alexis with a sigh.

  She worried a sugar packet with her teeth, nibbling on the end until it was soggy and sucking at the sugar as it dissolved between her lips. Alexis worried her way through the coffee and cake, and managed to salvage the soggy-ended sugar packet, tear it in half, and put the rest of the sugar into her coffee. How could she let Patricia know that her being lesbian, or bi or whatever, was the best thing that had happened to Alexis in ages?

  By the time she finished her coffee and cake, it dawned on her that the answer was staring her in the face. Patricia had bitterly said she wouldn’t bother Alexis again, but she hadn’t actually rescinded the dinner invitation. Alexis smiled, and relaxed. What better way to show Alexis that she was interested, than to show up for dinner anyway? It was a much easier decision than she had realised.

  Once that decision was made, Alexis relaxed. It was good to be going to dinner knowing where she stood. She ordered another coffee and this time did not chew at the sugar packet.

  Alexis was surprised how well kept and large Lily’s house was. The only time she had seen it had been in the pouring rain and darkness, when she couldn’t see five yards in front of her. The garden was extensive, with pretty shrubs and a wide swathe of well-kept lawn. The house was a rambling cedar affair, long and low but still managing to be imposing. Alexis stepped up onto the porch and pressed the doorbell. She took a deep breath. Now that she knew where she stood with Patricia, she had to let Patricia know that her advances were welcome. Some blatant flirting was in order.

  Voices and footsteps sounded and a dog barked around the back.

  The door
opened, and Patricia stood staring at her, her mouth wide open.

  ‘Not too early, am I?’ asked Alexis, and gave her a broad wink.

  Patricia realised she was staring and shut her mouth, but this time she couldn’t hide the obvious delight in her eyes to see Alexis. ‘I didn’t think you were going to come.’

  ‘Given a chance to gaze at you over a home-cooked dinner? I was always going to show.’

  Patricia blushed furiously and looked down.

  ‘Let the poor woman in the door, Patricia!’ sounded Lily’s indignant voice from somewhere at the back of the house. ‘You have no manners!’

  Patricia called, ‘Oh, Mum! We were just saying hello.’

  ‘Hello,’ said Alexis softly, with a wicked grin at Patricia.

  Patricia blinked several dozen times in a few seconds, stepped back and opened the door wide to allow Alexis to enter.

  Alexis kicked off her boots and stepped into the house. As she squeezed past Patricia she breathed in and said, ‘Mm, that smells nice.’

  Patricia’s eyes widened so much that Alexis clarified, ‘The cooking.’

  ‘O-of course.’

  Lily bustled out, covered in flour and holding a spatula. ‘Alexis, darling, how are you? Patricia, would you mind getting Alexis a glass of wine?’

  ‘Sure, Mum,’ said Patricia and disappeared gratefully into the kitchen.

  Lily came up and grabbed Alexis’s lapel, pulling her face down to hers, startling her with her strength. She whispered, ‘I’ll save you a year, sweetie. She’s very shy, but she does like you.’

  She released the shocked Alexis, who straightened up and looked down at her, then smiled broadly. ‘Thank you.’

  Lily gave her a delightful, villainous wink and sashayed back up the hallway to the kitchen. Alexis stared. She didn’t realise people could still sashay at eighty.

  Patricia reappeared, ducking aside to let her mother pass, and asked curiously, ‘Thank you for what?’

  ‘Asking me to dinner, of course,’ replied Alexis, but she couldn’t quite get all the smugness out of her voice. The other thing she couldn’t get out of her head was how great Patricia looked in that dark blue shirt and blue jeans.

  Patricia gave her a quizzical look, then led her into the kitchen, where they helped Lily dish out the vegetables and get the roast out of the oven.