by Aurora Rey
Instead, Sally expertly plied her with questions. She didn’t ask anything intrusive, but it was clear Sally was feeling her out, probably deciding with each response whether or not Alex was worthy. She didn’t know whether or not she passed, but she was pretty sure the flourless chocolate torte she served for dessert helped. Despite feeling like she was on the witness stand, Alex couldn’t help but like her.
“So what does the rest of your night hold?”
“Well, I promised Sally a night on the town, so I’m thinking we’ll go to the Crown?”
“You know the Governor Bradford has karaoke.”
Sally’s eyes lit up. “No way!”
“Way.” Alex nodded, feeling like she’d stepped into an old Wayne’s World sketch.
“Can we go there?” Sally asked Lia. She turned to Alex. “Will you come with us?”
Alex glanced at Lia, who looked a little queasy. “It’s okay. I don’t want to crash your girl time.”
“No, no, no,” Lia said quickly. “You should definitely come. That way Sally can pester you to sing with her instead of me.”
Lia’s comment made Alex realize that her squeamishness was more about karaoke than the prospect of her tagging along. She found that to be quite comical. It also made her curious to see Lia in such a setting. “It’s only a few blocks from here. We can walk over if you don’t think you’ll freeze your buns off.”
Sally was already standing up. “Let’s go.”
At the bar, Sally insisted on buying the first round. “And don’t try to argue. I argue for a living.”
“I’ll have a bourbon,” Alex said. “Neat.”
“Same here.” When Sally was out of earshot, Lia turned to her. “You didn’t let me buy the first round.”
“That was different. I’m not trying to get Sally to sleep with me.” She was rewarded with a blush. She loved how easy it was to put color in Lia’s cheeks.
Sally returned with three glasses. There were a few other patrons in the bar, but no one was singing, at least not yet. Sally picked up a binder with all of the music selections. “Let’s see what we have here.”
Alex looked over at Lia, who smiled. “She sang the lead in every musical we had in high school, even as a freshman. Had her parents not insisted on something practical, I think she might have majored in musical theater.”
Sally shrugged. “I probably could have convinced them to let me, but I had no interest in waiting tables and hoping for my big break. There are just so many roles for a short black girl who can’t dance. It would have taken all the fun out of it.”
Within minutes, Sally had a list of songs she wanted to do. She brought her selections up to Heidi Treasures, the drag queen who was serving as emcee. Sally accepted the microphone and Alex watched as the tiny woman belted out back-to-back Patsy Cline and Beyoncé numbers.
“Wow.”
Lia shook her head. “I know. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. It’s wretchedly unfair.”
Sally returned to the table and Alex offered her compliments.
“Thanks,” she said. “So, who’s next?”
“I’m trying to help Lia relax a little so she’ll do a duet with me.”
“I think that’s a fabulous idea. And since my friend here is such a lightweight, it shouldn’t take much.” Sally elbowed Lia in the ribs good-naturedly.
The tables began to fill and other people started taking turns with the microphone. The crowd was mostly older and the selections ranged from Elton John and Culture Club to Melissa Etheridge and Madonna. Most people were good if not great; a few were clearly singing with the abandon that comes with a few cocktails.
Even after the bourbon, Lia was hesitant. “I’ll go get the next round.”
While she was gone, Alex leaned over to Sally. “I have an idea.”
After hearing the plan, Sally nodded enthusiastically. She walked back over to the side of the stage and slipped in her request before Lia could see what she was doing.
Lia returned to the table with three highball glasses and looked at them suspiciously. “What? What did you do?”
A couple of middle aged men singing a duet of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” finished and Heidi took the stage. “I’m not sure which one of them was supposed to be Kiki,” she said, earning claps and laughter from the audience. “I’ve got a special request now, for a shy girl who loves show tunes. That’s silly, we’re all shy girls who love show tunes.”
She stepped from the stage and the opening strains of “Seasons of Love” came pouring out of the speakers. Alex and Sally stood, each taking one of Lia’s hands. They pulled her to the stage. Sandwiched between them, Lia seemed to find her courage. Watching her made Alex think of the first time she’d gone to Lia’s house, how sexy and ridiculously charming she’d been belting out “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” in the middle of her kitchen.
Sally made a sweeping motion with her arm and the entire crowd joined in. When the song ended, there was clapping and cheering and even a few whistles. They returned to their seats and Heidi stepped back into the spotlight. She raised her glass in their direction. “See, honey? We’re just a bar full of shy girls dying for a show tune.”
Lia turned to Sally. “That was very clever.”
“Don’t look at me. It was her idea.” Sally hooked a thumb in Alex’s direction.
Alex shrugged. “I had a feeling that musicals were the way to your inner diva.”
Lia chuckled. “Touché.”
Sally narrowed her eyes. “What am I missing?”
“You didn’t tell her about the first time I came to your house?”
“No. No, she did not.” Sally planted her fists on her hips.
Lia sighed and rolled her eyes. “I was cleaning.”
Before Lia could continue, Sally jumped in. “It was Evita, wasn’t it?”
“I really felt like I was outside the Casa Rosada,” Alex said earnestly.
“I’m quite the diva when I don’t have an audience.” Lia looked at her. “Or when I don’t think I do.”
“I thought she was gorgeous the moment I laid eyes on her, but that was the moment it turned into a full-blown thing.”
Sally smiled. “Alex McKinnon, I think I like you.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
“I hope you found Provincetown all you expected.” Lia drove along Route 6. Morning sunlight filtered through the pines and dappled the road. The pavement was clear and dry, allowing her to relax.
“Oh, I’d say it exceeded my expectations. Now I really want to come back in the summer.”
“Well, you just say the word and I’m in for a girls’ vacation. We could get a place for a week or just a few days depending on how long you can get away. It’s been a few years since I was here during the high season and I miss it.”
“So, you don’t think you’ll be living here come summertime?”
Lia sighed, wondering if Sally had been waiting for a chance to bring up her future plans. “I don’t see how that’s possible. My lease expires at the end of April. I could probably find something reasonable for another few weeks, but once mid-June hits, there’s nothing I could afford. It’s the blessing and curse of a tourist town.”
“And things with Alex?”
Of course that was what Sally really wanted to know. “I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it ending, but I think it might be sort of inevitable. Even if I admit that I have feelings for her, I don’t really trust myself in that department. And even if she has feelings for me in return, I’m pretty sure Alex isn’t the settle-down-with-one-woman type.”
And even if the Kim incident was a misunderstanding, the underlying facts were there. Alex didn’t do relationships. And as relieved as she’d been to, as Alex had said, hit the reset button, Lia felt like she was living a bit of a fantasy. Given how blindsided she’d been by Dani’s infidelity, it felt critical she not forget that.
“I know the whole Dani thing messed with you, honey, but it was her, not yo
u. She was the lying, cheating bitch.”
Lia knew that was true, but still. She struggled to clearly articulate the ways she felt genuinely responsible for the way her relationship evolved and, eventually, fell apart. “I know that she was in the wrong. There’s no excusing her behavior. It’s just…I was complacent, you know? I didn’t really like the Upper West Side lifestyle, but I didn’t press the issue. I was bothered that we virtually stopped having sex, but I didn’t do anything about it. I just sat on my hands and pretended everything was fine, hoped it would somehow get better. I hate myself for that.”
“Lia, you were trying to hold a relationship together all by yourself. Trying, being optimistic, doesn’t make you a bad person, or weak. You can’t always know that someone doesn’t deserve your heart.”
Lia sighed. Sally always said just the right thing. “You’re right. It’s weird. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m more afraid of having my heart broken or of being so terribly wrong about someone. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely. And I can see why that makes you skittish about Alex. You’ve been forewarned that she gets around and you feel like it might turn into some cosmic I-told-you-so.”
Lia chuckled ruefully. “Fool me once…”
Sally shook her head. “I hear you. Look, I know the whole point is for you to trust your gut and do what is right for you, and that’s exactly what I want you to do. I only want to say, for the record, I like Alex. I’m pretty damn good at reading people, if I do say so myself, and I think she’s in love with you, or close to it. Promise me that you’ll trust yourself enough to be open.”
The way Sally framed it, it didn’t seem unreasonable, or dangerous. “Okay. I promise.”
“Good.”
She glanced over at Sally. “You never liked Dani, did you?”
“Nope. Not a lick.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen.”
Sally patted her leg. “It was your life. And, to be fair, I technically didn’t dislike her in the beginning. She was a bit flashy for my taste even then, but she was smart and passionate and over the moon for you.”
Lia allowed herself a moment of nostalgia for the early years of her relationship with Dani. “It’s easy to forget all that sometimes.”
“Lia, you’re not dumb, or naive. You wouldn’t have fallen for her in the first place if it wasn’t amazing.”
“Yeah. It was after we moved to New York that things started to change.”
“Things change, and so do people. Sometimes that sucks and sometimes it’s wonderful. Remember that. Maybe Alex has just been waiting for the right woman.”
Lia wasn’t quite ready to hope for that, but it was nice to hear.
At the airport, they exchanged a long, tight hug. “Thank you so much for coming. You are so good for me.”
“The feeling is mutual, my friend. Let’s spend a few days in Provincetown this summer, no matter what.”
“Deal. Travel safe and give my love to Will and the boys.”
“I will. You drive carefully getting back. I’ll call you this weekend.”
“Sounds good. Bye, Sal.”
“Bye, Lia.” Sally squeezed her again and then made her way inside the terminal.
On the drive home, Lia’s mood was reflective. Sally was astute. She’d picked up on Lia’s feelings pretty quickly, and for some reason seemed to think Alex’s feelings were the same. It might not mean anything, but, then again, it might.
She was about halfway home when her phone rang. When she saw Dani pop up on the screen, she was tempted not to answer. Avoidance was part of her problem, though, and she was trying to turn over a new leaf. She pulled to the side of the road and swiped a finger across the screen.
“Hello.” Lia wanted to lead with “What do you want?” but her upbringing had her keeping her manners.
“Hi, Lia. It’s Danielle.”
“Yes, I know.”
“How are you?”
“I’m doing very well. What can I do for you?”
She hadn’t heard a peep from Dani in nearly three months, and from the look of some of the Facebook photos she’d seen, Dani wasn’t wanting for company. She couldn’t fathom what Dani could possibly have to say that she would want to hear.
“I wanted to see if you were okay. Things were so messy when you left. I’ve been thinking about you, worrying about you.”
Lia took a deep breath. Dani sounded sincere, but she couldn’t help but feel suspicious. She kept her answer vague. “I really am doing well. I’ve been working a lot, but I’m having fun, too. I’ve made friends.”
“I’m really glad. I think getting out of town for a while made a lot of sense. Work’s been really nutty. I wouldn’t mind a little vacation myself.”
The choice of words made Lia’s jaw clench. “I didn’t go on vacation, you know.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.”
It was unlike Dani to whip out an apology so quickly. She didn’t know what to make of it. Everything about the conversation seemed off. “It’s fine. I just…”
“My father is in the hospital.”
Dani shifted gears so abruptly, Lia almost missed it. “What? Your father? What happened?”
“He had a heart attack. He underwent emergency triple bypass this morning.” There was the slightest hint of a quiver in her voice.
“Oh, Dani. I’m so sorry to hear that. Is he going to be okay?” She had met Dani’s father a number of times. He’d left investment banking for private wealth management and lived in Greenwich, Connecticut with his third wife. Dani was so much like him, Lia found it unsettling.
“They think so. Fortunately, he was at work when it happened and people were around. His secretary gave him an aspirin and the EMTs were on scene in less than ten minutes.”
“That’s good. And he made it through surgery without extra complications?”
“Yes. All things considered, he was lucky. I was in the middle of a presentation when the call came in. My assistant interrupted. She was as white as a sheet and I was convinced someone had died. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more scared.”
Lia believed it. Even after the fact, Dani’s voice seemed small and far away. It was so rare for her to admit any kind of weakness, especially fear. It reminded Lia of pre-Wall Street Dani. Lia felt the part of her heart she’d frozen off melt slightly. “How are you holding up?”
She heard Dani take a deep breath. “I’m okay, or at least I will be when he’s completely out of the woods. I thought you’d want to know, and you’re still the person I think of when something really good or really bad happens. Do you know what I mean?”
Lia felt herself soften a little further. She did know. It was hard to be with someone for ten years and not know. Even with the hurt, even with the feeling that she was moving on, Lia held a small amount of fondness for her former partner. “I do, and I’m glad you called me. I’ll keep him in my thoughts.”
“That would be really great. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“You, too.” Lia wasn’t sure that was true, but it didn’t seem like the time to split hairs.
“I’ll let you know when he’s released from the hospital?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. I should go. I’ll talk to you.”
“Bye.”
“Bye, Lia.”
Lia sat for a long minute after the call ended. She couldn’t decide what to make of it. Rather, she couldn’t decide whether or not to make anything of it. It was likely that Dani, in a moment of feeling worried and helpless, reached out to something familiar. Lia felt like she’d been able to provide a small amount of comfort and reassurance. Despite everything they’d been through, Lia didn’t begrudge her that at a time like this.
Either way, it was over and done. Lia doubted that she’d hear from Dani again and that was fine with her. She put her car in drive and got back on the road. Whatever worries or misgivings she had about the future were easil
y brushed aside. She was more than happy to have something that made her feel good and was, for the most part, uncomplicated.
Uncomplicated and sexy. She had a vision of Alex, with her flashing green eyes, braced over her, fingers sliding into her. Alex had a look of such fierce intensity, coaxing Lia to open wider, give her more. The clarity of the fantasy was potent, and left her shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
Suddenly aroused and anxious to be home, she had to keep checking her speed and easing off the gas pedal. When she pulled into the parking spot next to Alex’s truck, it was just after four. Alex should be done with cleanup and upstairs. Lia fumbled with both the seat belt and her purse in her haste. Once inside, Alex greeted her with a hug and a long, smoldering kiss.
Lia leaned back and smiled. “I love her to death, but I swear I thought she’d never leave.”
“That’s horrible. You’re a horrible person. I mean, I completely agree, but you’re horrible.” Alex wound her arms around Lia’s waist and pulled her close.
“It really was nice to have her visit. The funny thing is, I’m pretty sure she’d have strongly approved of a booty call.”
“Why the hell didn’t you say so?”
Alex teased and nibbled her way up Lia’s neck, then made her way over to Lia’s mouth. Although the conversation was light, the kiss was both hot and hungry. It had only been five days since she’d been alone with Alex, but in that moment, it felt like an eternity. Lia was consumed by the urgency of her need. She began tearing at Alex’s clothes, desperate to touch.
Hooking her fingers under the hem on Alex’s sweatshirt, Lia pulled it up and over her head. The tank top she wore under it revealed her broad shoulders and strong arms; it stretched tight over her breasts. Lia admired for a moment, then pulled it off as well. Underneath, Alex’s skin was warm and smooth. Lia scratched her nails lightly across Alex’s back as she leaned in to take one of Alex’s nipples into her mouth. The scent of Alex’s skin, the taste of her, sent pulses of lust through her.