The Best Lines

by Nicole Pyland

  “That hat is cute on you,” she said before thinking.

  Ember smiled and shook her head from side to side.

  “Thanks,” she replied. “I’m going to get something. You want anything?” She motioned back toward the counter with her thumb.

  “No way! I’m buying today.” Eva said and stood up. “What do you want? I’ll get it.”

  Ember gave her the order with a laugh and waited until she returned. She had two cups of coffee and two breakfast sandwiches.

  “I got you the sausage and egg one because they were out of the bacon. Is that okay?”

  “Sure,” Ember said and looked down at the plate with the round sandwich. “Thank you.” She took a small bite. “What were you working on?”

  “I might have found something for the summer.”

  “Work?”

  “There’s a class on Twain that needs someone at UC. It’s Tuesday and Thursday in both summer sessions. There’s a chance something might open up there in the fall, but I won’t know until the current professor decides on whether to take a sabbatical to write their own great American novel.”

  Ember took another bite and then sipped on her coffee.

  “Do you ever think about doing that?”

  “Sabbatical?”

  “No, write the great American novel.”

  “Oh, no. I’m no writer,” Eva explained. “I read, I study, and I teach. That’s my wheelhouse.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Eva took a few bites of her sandwich and as their eyes occasionally met, they smiled. It wasn’t awkward. It felt like just a natural part of their breakfast.

  “So, you spend Sundays with your family?” Eva asked after a few moments.

  “Dinner mostly, but yeah. We do it every week unless something comes up.”

  “That’s nice. I have to go home for my sister’s wedding soon, and it will be the first time I’ve been home in a while.”

  “Do your parents know you’re gay?”

  “I came out to them the first time I returned home from school,” Eva told her. “I wasn’t planning on it. I thought that maybe I was gay before that. When I was in high school, there were girls I had crushes on, but I never said or tried anything.”

  “Did you have boyfriends?”

  “Yes, I had one in particular.” Eva felt herself blush.

  “One, huh?”

  “Yes, Robert. He’s the older brother of the man my sister’s marrying. He’s one year older than me, and there are three kids between him and the youngest brother, John. That’s my future brother-in-law.”

  “Very small town,” Ember noted.

  “Yes.”

  “How long were you two together?”

  “About a year until he graduated and then he met his future wife.”

  “Did you two…” Ember’s words trailed off.

  “Have sex?” Eva guessed. “Once there at the end,” she admitted and blushed again. “I was pretty sure by then that I was gay, and I don’t know, he’d waited for me for a while and he’d been good about it. He never pressured me or anything, but I knew he was ready and kept wondering why I wasn’t. I thought that maybe I never would be. Maybe I needed to have sex with him and then it would be fine. Then my feelings about women would make sense and go away at the same time.” She laughed. “It makes no sense now, but it made sense then.”

  “I get it.”

  “Did you ever sleep with a guy in high school?”

  “No, only women for me,” Ember shared. “But I grew up here, went to a massive public school and there were three girls that I knew that were interested in girls. I dated one of them and I came out then.”

  “I guess it does sometimes depend on your surroundings.”

  “Please tell me you didn’t lose your virginity in a barn at least.”

  Eva laughed into her coffee before setting it down.

  “No, it was in his bedroom. His parents were out of town.”

  “A teenage boy’s bedroom might as well be a barn.”

  Eva laughed again. Ember matched her laughter.

  “Pretty much,” Eva agreed. “It was sweet,” she recalled. “It was also very short.”

  Ember laughed even louder. “Uh, what was it that was short?”

  “The encounter. The other thing was fine. I think.” She paused to consider. “Or I guess it was. I don’t really know. I didn’t see it before and after, he got dressed right away. So, did I. We just kind of laid there for a while. Then, I had to go home and that was it.”

  “Wait. That was it?”

  “That was it.” Eva shrugged. “It happened very fast and then it was over. I left and broke up with him before we even had a chance to do it again.”

  “How did he take it?” Ember asked.

  “I think he was okay with it. We never talked about it.”

  “Never?”

  “I hardly saw him after that, but I guess I’ll see him at the wedding.”

  “That could be awkward.”

  “Maybe. I don’t know,” Eva replied. “What was your first time like?”

  “This is a very strange breakfast conversation,” Ember said and they both laughed. “Um, it was okay. I thought it was amazing then, but it wasn’t. Neither of us knew what we were doing. We kind of just felt around down there until something happened.”

  “I think that’s how all first times are,” Eva replied.

  “Probably,” Ember agreed. “How did your parents take it when you told them?”

  “Not well at first. My mom had a hard time with it. My dad seemed to ignore it, but it’s okay with him now. My mom asks, but almost out of obligation. It’s like there’s a tone there and she’s just doing it for my benefit. She did ask that if I was bringing a date to the wedding that I just call her my friend for the sake of my sister.” She paused. “It’s her special day and we wouldn’t want to cause a controversy.”

  “The town doesn’t know about their token gay girl?”

  “No, just my parents and siblings. My brothers don’t care. I don’t think my little sister does either, but I haven’t been around a lot for her to care either.” She paused. “I don’t think she’d care if I brought a woman back with me. I haven’t asked because I’m going alone anyway.”

  “Really?”

  Eva wondered if Ember’s tone sounded hopeful but figured that she was just hoping that Ember would want to accompany her to the wedding. It was ridiculous because she’d spent the entire weekend convincing herself that they should just be friends until she figured out her job situation. There was no rule that said she couldn’t bring a friend. Maybe Ember could go with her as friends and nothing more. Sure. That was possible.

  “When is it again?” asked Ember.

  “Next month. I’m supposed to go back for the entire weekend. I’ll stay on the farm in my old bedroom, which looks exactly the same as when I left it. It will be horribly awkward and then I’ll come home.”

  “Awkward why?”

  “Because they’ve never understood me.” Eva watched Ember’s eyes glisten in understanding. “I’m the bookworm, the over-educated daughter and they’re all content in their lives as farmers. I’m glad they’re happy, but they don’t understand my drive for something different or why I went to school for so long and moved away. Add to that the fact that I like women. It’s a lot of different for them.”

  Ember nodded and finished her sandwich.

  “I get it,” she said after a moment. “I’ve been misunderstood by mine for a long time too.”

  Eva thought about how best to proceed. She wondered if part of that misunderstanding was due to Ember’s intellect, but knew she’d promised not to bring it up so she’d keep that promise.

  “Why is that? The gay thing?”

  “My dad’s not a fan. My mom tries. She’s gotten a lot better at it, actually. She keeps asking me to bring a girl for the family dinner.”

  “Really?” Eva laughed and finished her own sandwich.

&
nbsp; “Ever since Zack met Grace, it’s like she’s got me on a timetable and I need to find someone to bring home to mom. Plus, he’s getting married soon and she expects me to bring a date. She wants a date for me, not a friend, and not a one-night stand that I convince to go with me.”

  “She knows you well, huh?” Eva teased.

  “She knew how I was, yes. Not the details obviously, but I’ve dated a lot. She knows that part.”

  “We must be at that time in our lives where everyone around us is getting married. Alyssa and Hannah still haven’t set a date, but when they do, I’ll be a bridesmaid.” She paused and thought about her friends.

  “She’s Alyssa Masters, right?” Ember asked over her coffee cup. “I wanted to ask before, but I wasn’t sure if I should.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  “Maybe one day I can convince Alyssa that I’m not a bad person.”

  “I’m sure you will. She’s protective of her friends, that’s all.”

  “It’s a good trait in a person.” Ember seemed to take a moment before asking, “Is she protective of you too?”

  “Well, I’m her friend.”

  “So, how does she feel about us spending time together?”

  Eva gulped down some warm coffee.

  “She probably just needs to get to know you.”

  Ember smirked.

  “I bet.” She paused. “I meant to say thanks again for the book. I read it. It was great.”

  Eva clasped both hands around her coffee cup.

  “I want to make a comment, but I’m afraid I’d be breaking my promise.”

  “Just say it,” Ember encouraged her.

  “I’m just crazy impressed. Sorry, I know you don’t like to talk about it, but the fact that you can read that quickly and comprehend it all is impressive,” she rattled off. “I don’t mean that in just a smart person way. I mean that it’s something about you that I like. It’s not the only thing. I hope you know that.”

  “I do,” Ember replied with a shy smile. “It’s kind of a touchy subject for me so I don’t like to talk about it and then you do, and I react poorly. You don’t deserve that. So, I’m sorry too.”

  “I’ll leave it alone and if you ever want to talk about it, then we can. If not, that’s okay too.”

  “So, what will you do until the summer classes start?” Ember asked.

  “I have no idea. I kind of wish I had that great American novel to write because that would give me something to do.” She thought for a moment. “I guess I could write. I haven’t published in a while. That’s a big part of getting tenure. If I have the next three months off, I could work on a few articles and see if I can get at least one of them published.”

  “And you’ll be okay financially until the work starts back up?”

  “It will be tight for a while, and I still have to move.”

  “Move?”

  “My apartment building is going condo. I have until the end of December, but I can’t afford it. The summer classes are a start, but I won’t be a faculty member, so I’ll be paid per class. If I don’t get something in the fall, I’ll have to figure something else out. Maybe stay with Hannah and Alyssa, which I don’t want to do. They’ll be getting married, and I doubt they’d want a houseguest at the beginning of their marriage.”

  “You could always take the apartment above the restaurant,” Ember suggested.

  “What?” Eva wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.

  “It just sits there empty most nights and we own it. You wouldn’t have to pay rent. We could move the dry storage out, and you could use it until you find a place.”

  “I can’t do that, Ember.”

  “Why not?” Ember shrugged.

  “I met you like a week ago. That’s your family’s building.”

  “You really are a polite lady, aren’t you?”

  “What?”

  “You were raised never to impose on anyone, weren’t you? Told to be seen not heard and also not really seen if you could prevent it?”

  “That’s-”

  “It’s an empty apartment.”

  “That you stay in.”

  “Sometimes, but I don’t have a problem going to my actual apartment either. I just choose not to sometimes.”

  “Ember-”

  “Eva, I’m saying it’s there and you could use it. That’s all.” She paused and leaned forward. “It’s not charity or a handout, and you wouldn’t be imposing on anyone.”

  “I don’t think I’ll need it, but I appreciate your offer.”

  Ember laughed. “See? Polite to a fault.” She finished her coffee and pushed the cup away.

  “You can’t just offer an apartment to a stranger, Ember.”

  “I offered it to you. You’re not a stranger to me. There’s more I want to learn about you, yes, but I already know I can trust you. I’m not handing you the keys to the restaurant or the combination to the safe. It’s a studio apartment with a decent view.”

  “Okay, I get it,” Eva replied finally.

  “When’s your sister’s wedding?” Ember appeared to bite the inside of her cheek after asking. Eva wondered why.

  “In three weeks, why?”

  “If I can get that weekend off, would you consider taking me?”

  “You want to go on a six-hour road trip with me, spend the weekend on my family farm, go to my sister’s wedding, and drive back?”

  “Yes,” she answered automatically.

  “Why?”

  “Because I think it would be a good way to get to know the things I still want to learn about you and you could learn about me. Your mom would be happy because you’re bringing someone, and it’s a friend, so you’re not breaking any rules or taking away from your sister’s special day.”

  “Anna.”

  “Huh?”

  “My sister’s name is Anna,” Eva told her.

  “Anna Dash? Not as cool as Eva Dash, but she’d make a good sidekick maybe.”

  Eva smiled at her.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Sure. It’s a small thing. There’s not an RSVP or anything I need to send in so if you change your mind later, that’s okay too.”

  “I won’t.”

  “But if you-”

  “Eva, I won’t change my mind. I think it will be fun. If I’m right, a couple of months after that, you can maybe go as my date to big brother Zack’s wedding.”

  “Oh.” Eva was a little shocked by that.

  The thought of having had Ember in her life only for the past week seemed wrong, somehow. It felt like they’d known each other for much longer, while still feeling new. And the thought of having her around for the next few months to attend various obligatory family events made her smile.

  “You don’t have to. I was-”

  “No, it’s a deal. I’d like that.”

  “Cool.” Ember nodded.

  “Yeah. Cool.” Eva was fairly certain she only used the word cool to describe temperature, but she agreed with Ember. It could be cool.

  CHAPTER 8

  Ember wanted to take advantage of her full day off, which she so rarely got these days. Her Sundays were spent away from the restaurant and her brother’s bar, but they hardly felt like days off since she had the family dinner to attend and sit through. She considered telling her mother she’d like to stop attending them regularly, but it would be no use. They work in the same building and she’d only harass her on a daily basis. It was a Thursday, which meant she’d have coffee with Charlie and Hailey and then try something new today.

  “You’re on time?” Hailey pointed out when she arrived at Sally’s and sat down in front of Ember. “You’re never on time.”

  “Whoa! You beat us here?” Charlie echoed as she sat down on Hailey’s right. “How’d that happen?”

  “I get it. I’m always late. I’m working on self-improvement, okay?” Ember pushed their coffees, which she’d already purchased, in their direction.

  “Se
lf-improvement?” Charlie questioned.

  “I’m trying to show up on time now.”

  “Well, I guess that’s a good first step.” Hailey took a drink.

  “How’s Trisha?” Ember asked her and glanced Hailey’s way.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Hailey said quietly.

  “What happened?” Ember stopped herself from rolling her eyes as Charlie immediately went into protective mode and stared Hailey down.

  “I told you I don’t want to talk about it. You two will just say that you told me so and-”

  “I won’t say that,” Ember interjected. “I promise.”

  “I might,” Charlie supposed, but then Ember glared at her. “Fine. I won’t either. What happened, Hails?”

  “We had a great date,” Hailey began, “and then we went back to her place and she…”

  “Tried something you didn’t want?”

  “Well, she wanted to try something I didn’t want,” Hailey replied to Charlie. “Turns out, she has a girlfriend. They’ve been together for over five years. They like to bring in a third party sometimes to-”

  “Again, Hailey?” Ember couldn’t help herself. This was the second time she knew of where Hailey had been asked to have a threesome with a couple. “How does this keep happening to you?”

  “It doesn’t keep happening,” Hailey replied. “It’s only the second time, and obviously, I said no. She and I are done, but I don’t know what I give off that says I’d be interested in that. I want my own girlfriend.”

  Charlie met Hailey’s eyes. Ember just watched.

  “You deserve a woman who loves you and only you, Hails.”

  Ember smiled and wished Charlie would just tell the girl already.

  “She’s right, Hails. Let Trisha and her girlfriend find someone else. You find someone who will fall desperately in love with you and never look back,” Ember said.

  Charlie turned to look at her and raised her eyebrows. Ember took a long drink of her coffee.