“We only finished this a month and a half ago. The stupid sump pump needed to be replaced and I nearly had a coronary on the spot. Anne calmed me down and now we have another usable room.”
“This is fantastic!” Chloe said, genuinely admiring the finished product. There was yet another plush couch, a futon in the corner, another TV, and a spare room in the back.
“This will do the trick whenever we have drunks that need to stay over,” Taylor noted, nudging Chloe. Taking one last swig of her cider, she took Chloe’s empty from her hand. “Speaking of drunks, let’s head out to the party. I’m pretty sure I heard a couple more cars pull up while Anne was accosting me.”
“If that’s what it’s like to be accosted, your life is charmed,” Chloe joked, pushing Taylor in the back.
Taylor nodded toward the back door. Sliding the glass door to the side, she waved to the guests milling about a fire pit located about twenty feet back from the deck. People were also grouped around the patio furniture on the enormous deck attached to the back of the house. The entire setup, house, deck, and both porches, was straight out of an HGTV makeover. Chloe loved every bit of it.
By the time Stacey, Anna, and a group of women she didn’t recognize waved excitedly at her and Taylor, the dwindling rays of light were cresting the horizon, casting golden fall lighting on the partygoers. The candles added to the overall ambience. Everyone had lived up to Taylor’s expectations, coming in full costume. Chloe counted thirteen women as she and Taylor approached the group drinking on the deck. It was surreal, as if she had stepped into a magical land of gayness populated by jovial women. Taylor, their effervescent leader, had guided her home from the tumultuous past year and a half. Thank God for Taylor.
They made their way to the fire pit. Stacey gave Chloe a huge hug. Beaming, she introduced her to her girlfriend, Molly, a much shorter, black-haired woman with friendly chocolate-brown eyes. Stacey was clad in a Steve Irwin costume, while Molly was a Jedi. Stacey informed her they had been introduced last year at Wiscasset’s sectional soccer game against Newcastle, where Molly was the head coach. She’d never looked back.
Robin joined them, hugging each of them in turn. She was rocking a Rick costume from The Walking Dead, complete with sheriff pants and hat from Season One. After her arrival, they began talking about Taylor and Anne’s house and the incredible renovations they had been doing. Chloe easily bantered with her basketball cohorts, the camaraderie extending naturally to new acquaintances. The discussion turned to the dreams they all entertained in regard to their own home building. Anne appeared at the sliding glass door. Taylor joined her, calling out to the women on the back lawn and gathering the group of fifteen or so together for formal introductions.
Chloe was thoroughly enjoying herself. She opened one of the beers she’d brought and took a swig, but not because she needed the alcohol to ease any first party awkwardness, she realized with a smile; there simply wasn’t any of that. She was friends with nearly half of the attendees, and the rest were friendly and approachable. It was exactly the group of friends she had pictured Taylor and Anne would surround themselves with. It felt odd, but at the same time natural to be there, mingling with these women, being welcomed into their ranks.
The laughter and warmth was catching. Chloe felt at ease, at least until Taylor made the great pronouncement that each person was responsible for performing a charade for the group so they could guess their costume. Only after they were correctly identified could they introduce themselves to the group at large.
After planning their own skits, Stacey, Anna, Robin, and Molly offered to help with Chloe’s charade. It was difficult to mime by oneself scoring a winning header.
Two of Anne’s coworkers began the night. Both sporting orange jumpsuits, one with the trademark thick black plastic glasses, they were easily identified as Piper and Alex from Orange Is The New Black. Next came two ninja turtles, Meredith and Becca, college friends of Taylor and Anne’s. One by one women were guessed and introduced. Chloe was surprised at how easily she was remembering names by associating them with their costumes.
Chloe gave a start. It was almost her turn. Stacey had suggested that Chloe score a header while Stacey mimed being the goalie. If no one guessed it, she would spin Chloe around and point at the name splayed across her back.
Once Andrea, the Twilight vampire with copious amounts of glitter all over her exposed skin, finished introducing herself as a physical therapist from Bar Harbor, Chloe and Stacey headed to the front of the group. A cursory glance on the walk up told Chloe that Madeleine was not here yet. Doing her best to quash the tiny knot of disappointment she had no right to be feeling, she carried on with Stacey. She had been excited about spending at least some of the evening with Madeleine. Then again, it was probably for the best that they didn’t mix the carefree atmosphere of the party with alcohol and her growing attraction for the beautiful English teacher.
After ambling to the front, removing her soccer warm-up pants and unzipping her black Windbreaker, she mimed juggling a soccer ball and then, in her opinion, mimicked gracefully heading the imaginary ball past a fumbling Stacey. Before anyone else could guess, she heard a voice shout from the deck.
“Abby Wambach!”
Chloe’s head snapped up as she recognized the voice. Her breath caught. Madeleine was standing on the deck wearing the most attractive Katniss Everdeen costume she had ever seen. Her hair, styled in a simple braid, framed her face, which was illuminated by the flickering light of the tiki torches along the railings.
The striking simplicity of the costume emphasized Madeleine’s natural athleticism; the plain black ensemble hinted at the lean legs and sculpted physique it covered. It would have felt as if it were the most natural thing in the world if she grabbed the bow strung across her back and took down a deer. Chloe had never been a fan of hunting, but Madeleine made it look attractive. Very attractive.
Realizing she had been staring, Chloe scrambled to find words. When that failed, she decided on a grandiose bow, held for emphasis. Mercifully, the group laughed at her attempt. She regained her voice, then introduced herself.
“I’m Chloe Amden. I teach physics at Wiscasset, where about twice a week a bunch of us have the pleasure of beating up on Taylor on the basketball court.” More laughter erupted around her. Most, if not all, of these women had at some point played with or against Taylor. They could certainly appreciate it when she was on the receiving end of some ribbing.
Trying to suppress the glowing excitement that had suddenly sprung to being below her navel, she returned to her spot near the back of the group. Stacey began to mime her own introduction. Chloe’s attention, however, was immediately diverted when Madeleine arrived at her side. With one eyebrow cocked, Madeleine asked knowingly, “I clearly didn’t get around to teaching you how to juggle the ball, did I?”
“Well, I would have asked you to, but my face got smashed in. There wasn’t enough time.”
“You tried, that’s what counts. And now I know what to focus on if you ever let me near you with a soccer ball again.” Chloe laughed and Madeleine continued, her voice lower. “Not to crush your dreams or anything, but Abby preferred brunettes. Luckily I happen to know a few players that are into the dirty blonde, tapered fade vibe.” Madeleine reached out to tousle Chloe’s hair. Instantly Chloe’s pulse spiked and blood rushed to her cheeks.
Madeleine’s voice trailed off and they laughed quietly together. Taylor finished off the introductions with a flourish, cracking her bullwhip and running away from boulders. She made a very enthusiastic Indiana Jones.
Ending with a sweeping bow, Taylor held the spotlight. “Now that everybody knows everybody else, it’s about time we eat. Anne put together some killer food in the kitchen. It’s all laid out, so go ahead and dig in. The booze is in the coolers out here on the deck. There’s even a bar if you’re feeling like making a mix drink. Now eat, drink, and laugh at all my jokes!”
At their dismissal from the group
, everyone fell back into easy conversations, drinking and wandering in to get plates full of deliciousness. The five of them, Stacey, Molly, Anna, Madeleine, and Chloe, meandered inside to join the short food line. Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe watched Taylor take Anne’s hand in hers and lead her toward the back edge of the property away from the rest of the party. It was clear how much Taylor loved Anne. It was in her eyes every single time she looked at her. Chloe wondered if either of them had felt truly whole before they had met.
Scooping a steaming portion of pulled pork onto her plate, Chloe let her mind wander. Surrounded by happy couples, she found herself considering Madeleine yet again, wondering what her relationship status was. No one ever talked about it at pickup or anywhere else for that matter. Chloe had a gut feeling she was gay, and she could count on one hand the number of times she had been wrong about that before. Was she just hopeful this time?
Making their way to a group of chairs around the only table on the back deck, they settled in. Chloe wedged herself in the corner next to Madeleine to make room for the others. Stacey and her girlfriend were adorable together, talking about something private. Robin was talking to Andrea, the Twilight vampire, about the city of Syracuse. Apparently Andrea was not a fan, and Robin was defending her old stomping grounds. As Chloe wondered if she would ever find out Madeleine’s relationship status, a loud shout tore her attention away.
“She said yes! Hot damn! Everyone get a drink and raise it up! We’re getting hitched!”
The entire party shouted in unison, and a boisterous toast went up, with everyone adding their congratulations to the couple. Hands entwined, the couple walked back to the party. Anne was the picture of happiness and contentment. Taylor was like a kid at Christmas.
The announcement infused the party with even more life and drinks began to flow in earnest. Chloe lost track of time. By her fourth beer she was happily buzzed, sitting around the fire between Madeleine and Robin, content. The talk at the fire turned to tales about Taylor and Anne’s relationship history, everyone wanting to know about their first date, who asked whom, etc. It was essentially a drunk version of the Newlywed Game.
Chloe had wondered if the pair had had a reason for putting off getting married. If anyone should be married, it was these two. Anne was a balancing force for Taylor’s vivacious personality, though she was equally intense in her own right. Listening to them tell stories, finishing each other’s thoughts, was priceless.
Slowly the tide of conversation shifted toward horror stories from everyone’s dating history. Stacey had met a girl once who on their second date insisted they name their future children. She had been completely serious about it. Taylor dated a girl on her team in high school who had broken up with her for scoring on her in practice.
It was a little bit frightening to hear about the prevalence of deranged ladies out there, though Chloe was thoroughly entertained by Robin’s story about a teammate who took a girl out on a date only to wake up the next morning to thirty-eight texts from her. Somewhere around the fifteenth text she had lost all interest.
As the women shared more anecdotes, Chloe was hoping to hear something from Madeleine’s past. Before that could happen, though, Taylor announced that she needed to go find her fiancée, who had gone inside much too long ago for her liking. She emphasized the word fiancée with gusto and with her departure effectively broke up the larger group into smaller factions that moved away from the fire, taking advantage of the fact that it was a warm autumn evening that was perfect for being outside.
It was easy to lose track of time out here, tucked away in Taylor’s little corner of the world, surrounded by interesting women, women who were happy with who they were and what they were doing with their lives. When was the last time that had been true for her? Before she had ever met Elaine. When her studies were fulfilling and anything was possible. She had messed that up royally. But here, things felt different. Nothing was completely sorted out, but if Chloe didn’t know any better she might think she was recovering a little bit of her own happiness.
Struck by a desire for some quiet time on her own, Chloe grabbed her beer and left the group. As she entered the door to the porch, she met Anne, who was walking back outside. This was the first time since the proposal that Chloe had caught her alone.
“Anne, I am so happy for you two. I’ve never seen Taylor happier than she was tonight.”
“Thank you so much, Chloe. I still can’t really believe it. I had no idea she was even thinking about proposing tonight.”
“Leave it to Taylor to find a way to surprise you. Did you guys get a chance to talk about plans or did she go to shouting from the mountaintops right away?”
The pride shining from Anne’s face at the mention of Taylor’s excitement at their engagement, even after being together with her going on six years, was a beautiful thing to see.
“Well, I’ve always said I would love a winter wedding, but that’s the most we had ever discussed. So maybe this winter we will have another excuse to come out here and drink!”
“I don’t need an excuse, but that sounds amazing to me!” Chloe paused, wondering if she should ask Anne what was on her mind. “Anne, earlier at the fire when we were all talking about dating, Madeleine was silent. Is there something I shouldn’t ask about with her? I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth.” She finished the thought sheepishly, realizing that this attempt was likely completely transparent to Anne.
“She’s always been very tight-lipped about her dating history. We’ve just accepted it and don’t press her about it. It’s almost an unwritten rule. I’m not really sure who she confides in, to be honest, but I never wanted to push, so I’m pretty much useless.”
“You’re not useless. I was just wondering. I’ve never met anyone that didn’t at least let some detail slip. It’s impressive, honestly.” Chloe paused. “Where has your fiancée run off to? Last time I saw her she was headed inside to look for you.”
At the mere mention of the word “fiancée,” Anne’s face radiated joy. “She’s just behind me. We were on our way back to sit at the fire.” Chloe smiled at the slight blush she saw cross Anne’s face. Apparently they had taken a few minutes to celebrate together.
“You should probably go check. You know, make sure she isn’t lonely.”
Anne laughed, shaking her head as she turned back to the house.
Chloe, still smiling, turned and walked through the screen door to the porch. Spotting a guitar leaning against the small sofa there, she scooped it up, sat on the couch, and contemplated the gorgeous expanse of countryside sprawling out before her. The moon was shrouded by wisps of cloud cover now, though its light was still illuminating the landscape.
It was difficult not to be calm here. Unable to resist, she started quietly picking out the chorus for “Give Me Love,” playing it from memory. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting there strumming when the sound of someone else entering the porch interrupted her solitude.
“Do you usually sit alone in the dark?”
Chloe turned at the sound of Madeleine’s voice and felt her face break into an unabashed grin. “Only when the dark is too beautiful to turn on the lights,” she replied, surprising herself. Usually she would have come back with some smart-aleck remark. Apparently, she was feeling romantic. She wasn’t used to witnessing marriage proposals, she guessed. Alcohol might be playing a part too.
“Good point. God, it is so gorgeous out here.” Madeleine walked to the screen and stared out, her silhouette draped in soft yellow moonlight. “This view is breathtaking.”
“I could definitely get used to this.” Chloe wasn’t sure whether she was talking about the porch or Madeleine’s company. She decided to not try to figure that out. It was better that way.
Then Madeleine turned around and the connection between them became almost palpable. Chloe was utterly captivated. It felt as though Madeleine saw every single piece of her. It felt like… She bit her lip and tried to recall one
of her favorite songs. Focusing on the guitar in her hand was much safer.
After a pregnant pause, Madeleine continued, “These two deserve the world. I’m so thrilled for them. And for us. The wedding should be an even better party than this one.”
“Anne told me she has always wanted a winter wedding. Can you imagine this view covered in snow?”
Madeleine sat down lightly in the seat next to Chloe, bringing with her a sweet mix of smells, including the faintest hint of cider and a citrus shampoo.
“There’s something so romantic about a winter wedding. Beach weddings have nothing over a white wedding.”
“I went to a destination beach wedding once. It was terrible. I mean the ceremony was beautiful, but I didn’t think I was going to make it through the vows without an IV drip and a box fan.” Chloe shuddered as she remembered sitting in the sweltering heat at Hannah’s mother’s second wedding. The sound of the ocean in the background had not been worth the discomfort in her opinion. “I’m with you. There’s nothing prettier than a fresh snowfall as the backdrop for some vows.”
“Maybe there is hope for you yet. I was worried; scientists are a weird bunch.” Even in the moonlight Chloe could clearly see her playful grin.
“I know we have our quirks, but can we please talk about the crazy that runs wide and deep through most writers? Poe, nuts. Tolstoy spiraled off into depression. Vonnegut was a complete weirdo. Don’t even get me started on Emily Dickinson.”
Her rant pulled a short burst of laughter from Madeleine. God, even her laugh was appealing, full of life and energy.
“True. I suppose we’re all just weirdos trying to find other compatible weirdos. Though it seems from that guitar you’re holding that you’ve got a lot of musician in you as well as scientist, and I don’t think I need to list off the vein of instability that runs through there.”
“It’s okay. I embrace it. It adds to the mystique.”
“Intrigue and madness. There’s an interesting combination.” Madeleine’s voice had dropped slightly lower. The banter was decidedly light, but Chloe couldn’t help but wonder if they were dancing around another topic here.
Breaking Even Page 17