When they arrived at the barbecue, Felix immediately disappeared to play with the other kids in the pool, around which twenty or thirty people were standing. In her shorts and simple, loose, white linen shirt, Marielle felt anxious. Every other woman seemed to be skinnier and more attractive than she was. She then realized she hadn’t been this self-conscious in a while. Audrey so easily made her feel attractive.
Marc-André and Suzanne greeted her and appeared genuinely happy to see her, asking Marielle not to be such a stranger moving forward. She promised to call them more often, and they moved on to other guests. She spotted Sam on the other side of the pool with a beautiful redhead wearing an emerald sundress. She assumed she was Marjorie, and her hunch was confirmed when they shared a quick peck on the mouth. Sam saw her and waved before they both walked toward her. He looked so happy. Marjorie seemed nervous, which she thought was sweet, although not necessary.
“Hi, I’m glad you could make it,” Sam said before he kissed her cheek. “Marielle, this is Marjorie.”
“Nice to meet you,” Marjorie said timidly as she shook her hand.
“Nice to meet you too. I love your dress.”
The compliment seemed to succeed in putting Marjorie at ease, and she smiled brightly as she answered, “Oh, thank you. I got it on sale at the mall last weekend.”
They chatted a little while longer about Sam’s new apartment that Marjorie was helping him decorate, how adorable Felix was and work. When Marjorie stated, “Oh wow, there come Audrey and Véronique. I swear the whole town is here,” Marielle turned around to look in the direction Marjorie was pointing, and her heart stopped.
There they were indeed, Audrey wearing those damn white Capri pants and a red tank top, looking sexy as hell standing next to a tall, slim and dreadfully gorgeous woman in a white sundress. Hand in hand. Marielle tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it was impossible to dislodge. When the two women came their way, still holding hands, she forced a smile she hoped didn’t betray her true feelings. Audrey appeared extremely uncomfortable.
“Hey you guys! What are you doing here?” Véronique asked cheerfully before she greeted Sam and Marjorie with a kiss on the cheek. Sam answered that Marc-André and Suzanne were old friends, and Véronique explained that she and Suzanne had gone to college together in Quebec City. Then she turned to Marielle. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Véronique. Nice to meet you.”
Marielle reluctantly took the offered hand and shook it without conviction. “I’m Marielle. Sam’s soon-to-be ex-wife and Audrey’s neighbor. Nice to meet you too.” She laughed nervously to relieve the tension the casual announcement of her divorce had caused, and her gaze locked on Audrey, who was obviously trying to avoid her stare.
“Oh so you know each other, then?” Véronique asked, searching Audrey’s face for a response.
Without taking her own eyes off Audrey, Marielle answered, “Oh yes, we know each other well. We spend a lot of time together, right?”
Audrey simply nodded, and Véronique’s confidence seemed temporarily shaken. “I see. Interesting. Well, I think I’ll go for a swim. Coming, babe?” She looked at Audrey seductively and gently tapped her ass. Marielle resisted the urge to scratch her face.
“No, not yet. You go ahead, though,” Audrey answered as she finally looked at Marielle.
“Okay. What about you guys?”
“Right behind you,” Marjorie said before she took Sam’s hand. They followed Véronique to the pool, where they removed their clothes to reveal bathing suits. Marielle couldn’t help but notice the perfection of Véronique’s body and cringed with envy.
When she turned back to Audrey, her blue eyes were still staring at her. “So this is Véronique, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s her.” Audrey smiled hesitantly.
“She’s gorgeous,” Marielle said softly.
“Yes, she is,” Audrey admitted, her tone almost guilty.
Marielle took a step forward, and her mouth was only inches from Audrey’s when she asked, “Do you like her?”
Audrey looked down at the concrete that surrounded the pool before answering, “Yeah, I like her.”
Marielle took another small step, this time whispering directly into Audrey’s ear, “Are you in love with her?”
Audrey’s body quivered under her breath. When she stepped back, tears had appeared in Audrey’s blue eyes.
“No, I’m not.”
Marielle caressed Audrey’s cheek and smiled, relieved.
Marc-André and Suzanne came to introduce themselves to Audrey, and Marielle didn’t have another moment alone with her for the rest of the party. Yet no matter where they were or who they were talking to, they kept glancing at each other through the crowd all afternoon. Marielle was the first to leave after Suzanne offered to keep Felix overnight so he could spend more time with the other kids who were all staying for a sleepover. As she walked to her car, her heart felt lighter than when she’d arrived. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do yet, but she had no doubt Véronique the almost-Italian woman, as Dennis had called her, was no threat.
* * *
After she watched Marielle leave with a twinge in her stomach, Audrey settled in a chaise lounge by the pool and observed in silence. On one side of the pool Véronique was chatting with Marjorie, Suzanne and a handful of women Audrey didn’t know. On the other, Sam and Marc-André were playing with the kids, throwing them up in the air and letting them fall back into the water with a loud splash. The kids were all laughing hysterically, clearly enjoying themselves as they attempted new tricks every time it was their turn. Audrey paid special attention to Felix, who would look her way once in a while to check if she’d caught one of his particularly impressive stunts. She would offer a smile or give him a thumbs-up, and he would go back to his dad with a proud grin.
Felix was such a good boy. And Sam was a good man. He and Marjorie seemed to be a happy couple, and Marielle had appeared to grant them a sincere stamp of approval. She’d been a lot more bothered by Véronique’s presence.
The cacophony of the French conversations surrounding her quickly melted into a vague background humming as she focused on her thoughts. When she’d arrived with Véronique and seen Marielle standing by the pool, all she’d wanted to do was turn around and run away. She’d fought her impulse to drop Véronique’s hand solely out of respect for her date. Here she was again, feeling as though she was cheating on a woman with whom she had no commitment other than friendship and ready to abandon the gorgeous woman who did have interest in a real relationship on the spot. Véronique deserved better than such a conflicted person.
Why had Marielle asked her if she was in love with Véronique? What was it to her? And was it really relief she’d read on Marielle’s face when she honestly answered that she wasn’t? Could her brother be right about Marielle’s feelings for her? What a mess, really.
She had no idea how long she’d been lost in her thoughts when Véronique sat by her legs on the chaise lounge. Her two-piece bathing suit left little to the imagination, and her perfect olive skin was covered with minuscule drops of water. One of them was slowly making its way between her small breasts and begging to be licked off. It would be so much easier to take her home right now, have mind-blowing sex and forget all about Marielle and her confusing behavior. Of course, Audrey knew better. No distraction could be pleasant enough to make her forget, and that wasn’t fair to Véronique.
“Hi there. Feeling a bit antisocial?” Véronique’s voice and smile were more demure than usual.
“Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry; I know I’m bad company.”
“It’s okay. I think I know what’s going on.”
“You do?” Audrey kept her eyes on the pool, avoiding Véronique’s stare.
“I’m not stupid, Audrey. I saw the way you and Marielle are with each other. I mean, here I am begging you for a little time on the weekend when apparently you spend most of your time with her and her kid.”
“We�
��re friends,” she started to argue.
Véronique put a finger on Audrey’s lips to stop her. “Audrey, don’t lie. I still respect you because you never lied to me. You never made any promises, so don’t lie now, please. We still have to work together, and I’d like to think we could be friends.”
Audrey took a deep breath and finally faced Véronique. “I’m sorry,” she breathed out.
Véronique grabbed her hand and blinked several times to chase away threatening tears. When she succeeded, she turned back to Audrey with a small smile. “Me too. But I don’t want just a tiny part of you, Audrey. God, I so fucking wish you could look at me the way you look at her.” She let out an awkward chuckle and looked away a second time, fighting tears again.
Audrey cradled her chin with her hand and made her look into her own tear-filled eyes. “You have no idea how much I wish that too. So fucking much.”
They smiled and hugged for a long moment. Then Véronique stood up, wiped her tears and looked down at Audrey with a smirk. “So. Friends?”
“Friends.”
They shook hands to close the deal, and Véronique bent down to whisper into Audrey’s ear, “Good luck with her; she sure is a hottie.”
Before Audrey could answer, Véronique jumped into the pool and swam back toward her friends.
Audrey waved goodbye to Felix and Sam and quickly thanked Marc-André and Suzanne for their kind hospitality. Once in her Subaru, she broke into sobs, her mind screaming incoherently, her heart filled with clashing emotions. When she finally calmed down enough to drive, she went straight home and curled up in bed, holding Ralph tightly to her chest.
Chapter Eight
Marielle tied her shoelaces with a mix of excitement and apprehension. When she’d noticed the Subaru was back in its regular spot in Audrey’s driveway the night before, she’d waited for Audrey to come knocking. As the evening went on and Audrey didn’t show up, she was struck with the fear that perhaps she hadn’t come home alone. Perhaps Véronique had been with her, and perhaps they’d spent the night making love. When Audrey finally called around eleven that morning to ask Marielle to join her on a hike in the park, she’d only been half-relieved. What if Véronique had just left? Or worse, what if she was coming along for the hike? Nevertheless, she chose her most flattering shorts and a green T-shirt with a plunging V-neck. She even wore a touch of makeup. Not for Véronique’s sake. If she had the chance to be alone with Audrey as she hoped, she wanted to be and feel as attractive as possible.
Her heart jumped at the knock, and she smiled blazingly when she opened the door and saw Audrey standing in front of her alone, wearing denim shorts and a blue tank top that was just a shade darker than the color of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she looked like a college kid with the wide, padded straps of a backpack that was much larger than her usual daypack on her shoulders.
“What’s in there?”
“Well, I promised you a picnic, didn’t I?”
Marielle gasped, her smile widening almost to the point of discomfort. “You remembered? Really? We’re going for a picnic now?”
“Yep! If you’re free.”
“Of course! I just have to pick up Felix from Marc-Andre and Suzanne’s house around three this afternoon.”
“Cool, that gives us plenty of time. Ready, then?”
“Oh yes, let’s go. Isn’t Ralph coming with us?”
“No way. Have you ever tried to eat food on the ground with a dog around? With my dog around?”
They both laughed and walked side by side in the beaming July sun. They’d barely made it to the opening of the park before Marielle broke down and asked the question that was burning her tongue. “I thought you’d be coming to my house last night. Did Véronique spend the night with you?”
Audrey seemed surprised by the question but answered after only a moment of hesitation. “No. I came home alone. I just had a lot to think about.” After a pause, she added, “Actually, Véronique and I decided not to date anymore.”
“Oh, I see.” Marielle tried to keep her smile discreet. When she realized it wasn’t possible, she walked a few steps ahead to let herself revel for just a few seconds in the satisfaction this piece of news had brought her.
“Marielle?”
Audrey’s voice stopped her, and Marielle regained her composure to turn around and face her. “Yes?”
“Véronique and I never slept together, you know.” Her expression was solemn, making it clear that she wanted Marielle to understand this bit of information.
“Okay, I believe you.” She turned back to celebrate internally a little while longer. When Audrey caught up with her Marielle took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Audrey briefly looked at her with puzzlement but then turned back to the trail ahead of them, and they walked in silence, hand in hand, all the way to the first fall.
Marielle watched as Audrey selected a large, flat boulder and took a blanket out of her backpack, which she carefully put down on the rock. She then went back to the bag for several plastic containers filled with assorted salads, a variety of cheeses, a loaf of rustic bread from the bakery they both loved so much, a bottle of wine and two plastic wineglasses.
“Wow, I’m impressed. Did you make all that yourself?” Marielle asked.
Audrey’s face flushed an adorable shade of pink. “I made the chicken salad; the rest comes from the deli. I bought the wine, though. It’s not one of my brother’s bottles.”
“Oh my, this must be a special occasion,” Marielle teased, enjoying the deepening of Audrey’s blush.
“It’s a very special occasion: our first picnic together.”
They sat close to each other, and Audrey poured the wine as Marielle went straight for the chicken salad. She took a spoonful and spread it on a thick slice of bread. From the first bite, she was delighted by the taste of tarragon and dried cranberries that complemented the meat. This was no ordinary chicken salad. She took the glass of wine Audrey offered while she swallowed her generous mouthful. “This is so good. God, you know you’re in trouble now, right?”
“Why’s that?”
“If I’d known you were so good at it, I would’ve made you cook a long time ago.”
Audrey laughed buoyantly. “It’s just chicken salad. And it’s one of the very few things I’m good at, so we’ll get through my repertoire pretty quickly.”
“That’s okay. I think I could eat this every day.”
“And deprive me from your insanely delicious cooking forever?”
Audrey frowned dramatically to make her point, and Marielle couldn’t resist caressing the pouting bottom lip with her thumb. “Nah, don’t worry. I could never do that. I enjoy cooking for you way too much.” She felt the lip tremble under her thumb and, nervous, moved away to go back for more food.
They ate and drank in relative silence until they’d both tasted everything and had more of their favorites. It was a joyful feast, and Marielle couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a meal so much. Her stomach full, Audrey took a deep breath and lay down on her back, claiming she was on the verge of exploding. Marielle giggled at the theatrical display and lay down on her side next to Audrey, propped up on her elbow and resting her head on her hand so she could look Audrey in the eye.
“Thank you for this,” she said softly.
Audrey folded her hands behind her head and focused her blue eyes on Marielle. “My pleasure,” she murmured, then bit her lower lip before diverting her gaze to the sky.
Marielle imagined her own teeth gently biting that lip, and a shiver ran through her body. “Audrey,” she whispered to make her companion turn back to her. The blue stare on her mouth sufficed to make her lips burn. Marielle had to gasp for air before she could continue. “I’m glad you’re not dating Véronique anymore.”
“Why?”
The question was almost a whimper, and Marielle knew there was no turning back. Thinking it would be easier to talk without Audrey’s eyes on her, she le
t her head fall to Audrey’s chest. She brought her hand to the flat stomach and started playing anxiously with the hem of the blue tank top. “I don’t want you to date anyone else, Audrey. I want to keep you all to myself.” The words left her short of breath, and she closed her eyes tightly, fearing Audrey’s response.
Audrey’s chest stopped moving, indicating she was holding her breath. When she finally let it out and spoke, her voice was quivering. “What are you saying, Marielle? You know you and I are not dating, don’t you?”
Marielle let her hand fall flat on Audrey’s stomach, slid two fingers under the hem of her tank top and rested them directly on the warm skin. “Yes, of course I know we’re not dating.”
“So what are you saying?” Audrey’s tone was more serious, almost stern. “Marielle, look at me. I need you to look at me and tell me very clearly what’s on your mind.”
Marielle used her elbow to raise herself up again and face Audrey. She took in the expectant look, the shallow breathing and realized in that moment just how much she’d been torturing this woman she loved with all her heart. She smiled and brought her hand to Audrey’s cheek, staring right into the pleading eyes. “I’m saying I love being with you, I love spending time with you, I love sharing a bed with you…” She paused, feeling the heat on her face and her chest. “I love touching you. And I don’t want any other woman to touch you.”
She lowered her hand back to the already-fluttering stomach and slowly moved her fingertips back and forth. Audrey inhaled sharply and bit her lip again, closing her eyes. Marielle brought her face closer to Audrey’s and continued. “It’s true I’ve never been with a woman, and I’m freaked out a little. But you must believe me when I tell you I am absolutely certain I want to be with you. I love you, Audrey.”
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