Separate Like Stars

by Diana Kane

  “Yes! I’m famished…or maybe I’m just super thirsty,” she muses as she looks over my shoulder. “We should see if Olivia and her friend want to join us.”

  “What? No! The woman she’s with is the one who went all selfie crazy at the mall before Christmas.”

  “Well keep it down because they’re on their way over,” she quietly informs me, her smile never leaving her lips. “Hey you,” mom enthusiastically greets Olivia, stepping around me to give her a hug.

  “Hey Jordan,” Olivia greets me from over mom’s shoulder. “I didn’t know you were back,” she adds as we exchange a hug.

  “I got in last night,” I reply as we separate.

  “You should have stopped by,” Olivia says as a bead of sweat rolls down her neck. I actually did walk down to Olivia’s last night but left without knocking when I spotted Olivia and her friend through the living room window. While it appeared they were just enjoying a movie; I didn’t want to risk interrupting if they were having a date night.

  “I got in late. I figured we could catch up today,” I answer with a shrug.

  “We were about to go to breakfast. Why don’t you join us?” mom pipes in, causing Olivia and I to look at her.

  “Oh crap,” Olivia exclaims as she takes a step back from me and turns to the redhead. “Kirsten, you already met Jordan. This is her mother, Dana. Guys, this is my friend Kirsten,” Olivia formally introduces us as my mom and Kirsten shake hands.

  “Well how about it?” mom impatiently asks again, her dropping of common courtesy a sure sign that she’s hungry. “Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

  “Oh my god,” Kirsten practically shrieks before Olivia is able to answer. Her eyes swing back and forth between Olivia and me as a know-it-all grin stretches across her mouth. “Jordan Cohen is your ex?” she asks Olivia, prompting me to close my eyes lest Kirsten see my eye roll. “I mean, not just your ex, but your first love, first everything?” Olivia looks to me for guidance, but I don’t exactly have any for her.

  “Don’t look at me. I’m not exactly in the closet,” I remind her.

  “Yeah,” Olivia answers Kirsten as she turns to face her. “Jordan was my first girlfriend, my first love, my first lover, and the first woman whose heart I broke.”

  “Oh, I know the story,” Kirsten replies, causing me to tilt my head in Olivia’s direction. What the hell is Olivia thinking?

  “Anyway, breakfast?” Olivia asks Kirsten.

  “I wish I could, but I gotta get home. Grandma will get cranky if I’m late to pick up the kids. Another time though,” she says as she picks up her bag.

  “Sure. Talk to you soon,” Olivia answers before she and Kirsten share a hug. “Shall we?” Olivia asks us as Kirsten makes her exit.

  “Please,” mom answers as she grabs each of us by the elbow and starts dragging us towards the door. “I’m starving,” she grumbles as Olivia and I wrestle free from her grip so we can retrieve our belongings.

  *****

  “Did you have a nice trip?” Olivia asks after my mom has excused herself, citing being exhausted after working and yoga. I smile at her before chuckling and shaking my head. “What?” she asks as she begins to join me. “Okay,” she says after taking a breath. “Yes, I waited to ask because I know she isn’t Addison’s biggest fan.”

  “She makes it kinda obvious, doesn’t she?”

  “Yeah. Has she ever approved of any of your girlfriends?”

  “Oh, she adored you. Still does. I’m pretty sure she liked Jennifer and Nicole well enough,” I add with a shrug. “I never introduced her to anyone else.” Olivia nods her understanding, even though deep down I know she must be thinking about Mrs. O’Connor and how I’m the only girlfriend of Olivia’s she ever met. “To answer your original question, my trip was nice.”

  “You looked stunning at your New Year’s Eve event,” Olivia compliments.

  “Thank you. Oh, and thanks for sending me the pics from the party here. It looked like I missed a great time.”

  “It was a lot of fun. Didn’t you have fun at your party?”

  “It was fine. You know me though, I’d rather skip the stuffy affairs filled with hundreds of people I barely know and spend a night with a few people who are important to me, just being silly and laughing all night,” I explain with a shrug.

  “Me too,” she says, offering her lopsided smile. “I wish you could have seen Uncle Eddie. He was so trashed that he went into your mom’s closet looking for a dress and a wig so he could give us a show,” Olivia manages to chuckle out.

  “Really? He hasn’t done drag since I was a teenager,” I share as I think about the last time I saw him perform. I’m not sure how he managed it, but he used to make sure I was always welcome at any of his shows, even if they were held in a bar. “It’s too bad you never had the pleasure of seeing him perform. He was fantastic. You’d never guess that gentle giant could strut around in stiletto heels so gracefully, much less kick his leg that high,” I laugh as the images flash through my mind.

  “I take it there weren’t any drag queens at your party?” I shake my head as my smile slightly fades. “Or that Chloe Norton wasn’t that entertaining either.” My smile disappears entirely as I look into Olivia’s eyes and see that somehow she knows.

  “How?” I ask, not needing to elaborate.

  “It was obvious in the photos. Her body language…clinging to Addison, the space between them much smaller than the space between you and Addison. There was also a shot that wasn’t posed, and the two of you both appear to be wearing fake smiles with less than friendly looks in your eyes.”

  “Shit,” I quietly curse. “I told Addison she was going to be a problem.”

  “Just be careful, yeah?” I nod my head in silent agreement, knowing that I have little control over Chloe’s actions.

  “You too,” I finally acknowledge.

  “Me too?”

  “Yeah. I want you to be careful too.”

  “What do I need to be careful with?” she asks, her eyebrows pulled inward and her smile gone.

  “Kirsten and her kids. Look, I don’t know how old they are, but I’m guessing they’re young if Grandma is watching them. Just don’t make them think you’re going to be around for a long time if you’re not certain.”

  “Jordan, what the hell—,” she starts but stops herself as her eyebrows relax and she begins laughing her ass off. “Oh…my…god,” she manages as she continues laughing until tears line her eyes. “You have no idea how far off base you are,” she informs me as she dabs at her eyes. “You think Kirsten and I are dating?”

  “Well, yeah, I mean—.”

  “Wait. You stopped by last night didn’t you?” I nod but don’t add anything in my defense. “Of course. Kirsten said she thought she heard someone on the porch, but Lexa didn’t bark, so I told her she was imagining things. I should have known. Lexa never barks when you come over.”

  “I saw you through the living room window and didn’t want to interrupt, so I left.”

  “Interrupt what? Jesus Jordan. We were watching a movie…from separate armchairs. You could have joined us. I had a talk with Kirsten after the whole mall fiasco. She’s promised to calm down in the future.”

  “So you’re not dating?”

  “No. She’s happily married with children,” Olivia adds with a chuckle. “Look, what I’m about to say feels like a violation of trust, even though I have her permission. I’m Kirsten’s sponsor. She got busted driving home from a night out with her friends and is in court-mandated meetings. She stayed last night because she’s been wanting to try yoga. I agreed to go to a class with her so she could see if it’s something she’d be comfortable doing.”

  “I’m such an idiot,” I groan as I hide my face behind my hands, wishing I could hide from Olivia’s laughter as well.

  “You’re not an idiot,” Olivia assures me as her fingers wrap around my wrists and gently pull my hands away from my face. “I appreciate your concern though�
�as misguided as it is,” she adds with another laugh.

  “You aren’t gonna let me live this one down, are you?”

  “It’s unlikely,” she answers with a playful smile. “What are your plans for the day?” she asks when I remain silent.

  “Aside from dying from embarrassment, spoiling the cats, and grocery shopping? I have no idea. Why do you ask?”

  “I took the day off to try some new ideas for the menu. Interested in a hodgepodge dinner tonight? You can be my guinea pig?” she offers as she wiggles her eyebrows.

  “I’m sure I could manage to choke down whatever it is you whip up,” I tease. “What should I bring?”

  “Beverage of choice and your appetite. I’ll have plenty of food for everyone,” she answers as she grabs her wallet to pay her portion of the bill.

  “I’ve got it. Thanks again for checking on the brats,” I stop her as I reach for my pocketbook. “Who did you invite?”

  “Just some of our group from high school. We can have a faux reunion, eat, and play some cards or whatever. It’ll be fun.”

  Chapter 23

  “I hear they have better food at that place on the other side of town,” the masculine voice drifts over my left shoulder as the stool next to mine is pulled out. I train my eyes to the left, wondering why the stranger insists on sitting directly next to me when there are at least a dozen other empty stools surrounding the bar at DC’s Pub, the local watering hole in Jupiter Falls. It isn’t anything fancy, but it’s popular with the locals for its stiff mixed drinks and greasy fried fare.

  “Hey David,” I greet him when he finally slips into view. David is the D in DC’s, his brother Charlie represented by the C. Their father opened the pub shortly after Charlie was born, and passed it on to them when he was ready to retire.

  “Should I be offended that you aren’t eating at du Pays?” I hear Olivia’s voice whisper in my right ear, her French accent gradually fading away now that she’s been home for a few months. “Hey stranger,” she greets me when I wheel around to look at her.

  “Stranger?” I ask, tilting my head slightly. “I was gone four whole days,” I add with a chuckle before greeting Olivia properly with a hug.

  “How was Acapulco?”

  “Warm and beautiful. Addison didn’t have a clue it was happening.” Thanks to my dear friend Leigh directing Addison’s current project in Mexico City, I was able to finagle getting Addison an extended weekend off for her birthday. A short flight and we were on the coast, soaking up sunshine, eating too much, and just relaxing. Yes, I somehow managed to convince Addison to relax for once.

  “You’re definitely the tannest person in this zip code,” David observes from over my other shoulder.

  “We spent a lot of time on the beach and in the ocean,” I reply as I center myself against the bar again. “What are you guys doing here?” I ask Olivia as David orders a couple of pitchers from Charlie.

  “Katie is in town visiting, and the guys wanted to watch the game. So we decided to camp out here for a bit and play some Cards Against Humanity. You should join us,” Olivia invites me as she looks over her shoulder in the direction of the table they’ve procured.

  “I’m gonna head over,” David informs Olivia. “You should definitely join us though,” he says to me as he grabs the tray with the three pitchers of beer and several empty glasses.

  “May I have a glass of water?” Olivia asks Charlie before turning back to me.

  “I want you to know that I’m eating here because I just got back into town. I would have gone to du Pays, but you know how I feel about hitting a restaurant when it’s less than an hour before close.”

  “Relax. I was just giving you a hard time,” Olivia assures me with a smile. “And yes, I know you think it’s rude to walk into a restaurant and order when it’s close to closing time,” she adds with a laugh. “Even though I’ve told you, you’ll always be welcome there.”

  “I know, but your staff deserves a life outside of du Pays.”

  “I agree,” she answers as Charlie deposits Olivia’s water and my chicken tender basket on the bar. “Still eating BBQ sauce on your french fries?”

  “Still not big on ketchup,” I inform her as I dunk one of my fries and pop it in my mouth. “Let me guess; you dip yours in mayo now?”

  “Only if you season it with some cajun spice, horseradish, and chopped green onion,” she answers as she steals a fry. “Otherwise I still like ketchup. Although BBQ sauce is tasty too,” she adds as she poaches another fry and dunks it in my sauce. “Come on,” she urges me as she turns to move away from the bar.

  “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here,” I inform her, causing her to turn back around. “I honestly stopped in for a quick bite to eat and a drink. I’m kinda beat from all the flying.”

  “So come say hello to everyone while you eat and finish your drink. If you want to stay and have another drink, I’ll give you a ride home. If you want to leave, you can leave. It’s not exactly a competitive game,” she closes her pitch with a laugh before grabbing our drinks and heading for the table.

  *****

  A few hours, several pitchers of beer, and countless rounds of Cards Against Humanity later, I find myself still seated next to Olivia, surrounded by our friends. I say friends, but it’s pretty clear that Katie does not consider herself to be on that list. I’ve quietly endured barbed comments and harsh looks from her all evening. It’s not really surprising when you consider we never got off on the right foot, but it’s been a decade. One would think whatever offense she took all those years ago would have been forgotten, but apparently not.

  “Remember our senior prank?” Mike asks David between sips of beer, the question drawing the semi scattered attention of our party.

  “Yeah, when we got Kristy to swipe Principal Daniels’ keys and parked his car on the roof of the school,” David answers while laughing.

  “I still don’t know how we pulled that off without getting caught,” Mike reminisces, laughing loudly.

  “What was the senior prank at your school, Katie?” Cindy, Mike’s wife, asks her, pulling Katie’s attention away from her phone.

  “Not sure. There might not have been one,” she answers before diving back into whatever has her so entranced with the small screen in her hand.

  “What about senior skip day?” Olivia queries. “Remember how we all went into the city, stormed through the mall, terrorized that arcade for a few hours, and then piled into that strip club?”

  “I remember the two of you trying to act like you weren’t into watching those strippers getting naked on that stage,” David teases.

  “We should relive that day sometime,” Mike suggests, earning a reproachful look from Cindy. “Or not,” he mutters before hiding behind his beer.

  “That’s it. We need music,” David proclaims as he rises from the table. “I’ll be right back.”

  “What’s your craziest memory from high school?” Cindy asks Erica.

  “Hmm…I don’t know if anything was too crazy. I had a lot of fun and made a lot of great memories. Maybe the night that Kristy and I got pretty drunk and Mark had to drive us home. It was in the 90s that day and hadn’t cooled off much that night. We insisted on riding in the back of his truck, but even the breeze from the ride wasn’t enough to cool us off, so we ended up stripping and riding back there naked.”

  “Jesus,” Mike stammers. “How did Mark always have all the luck?” Erica merely shrugs and smirks in response, leaving Mike to wonder.

  “What about you, Jordan?” Erica asks, shifting the focus to me.

  “I’m not sure if I can share that,” I inform them with a smile as I look over at Olivia.

  “Oh, now we definitely want to know,” David’s wife, Monica, chimes in.

  “What are you thinking of?” Olivia leans over and whispers to me.

  “Twister,” is my brief response as I wonder if Olivia will even remember. Olivia leans slightly away from me and grins from ear to ear, her pu
pils dilating slightly.

  “That was a great night,” she smiles before licking her lower lip.

  “Okay you two, now you really have to share,” Erica interrupts us. Olivia nods, giving me permission to share our story.

  “All right. One night during the summer between junior and senior year, Olivia’s parents were camping, and my mom was working. I lost a bet to Olivia over, what game was it?” I ask as I turn to Olivia for support.

  “I don’t remember…Diddy Kong Racing I think.”

  “Anyway, I lost a bet and had to do whatever dare she lay down. It was sweltering hot outside and raining like crazy. So this one,” I indicate hooking my thumb in Olivia’s direction, “dares me to streak down to her house and back.”