The Art of Pretending

by Raquel De Leon

  Ashley nodded. She was content to follow Nira’s lead for the night. Now that they were at the party, she was happy she’d come. Work had been busy, and she’d only gotten to see Nira once that week. It would be nice to blow off a little steam.

  They chatted with Leisha and her coworker for a while, before wandering deeper into the house to try and find Terri or Amy.

  “Later,” Nira said as they searched the dining room, “I’m going to try and work up the nerve to dance. If I do, you’re coming with me.”

  “Absolutely.” Ashley imagined Nira dancing along to one of the bops that had been playing and grinned. She paused when she spotted Amy and Terri. They were wrapped around one another near the table of hors d'oeuvres having a private conversation. “Found them, but I think we should give them a minute.”

  She swung their linked hands in Amy and Terri’s general direction.

  Nira clicked her tongue and smiled. “I suppose we should. Would you like a drink? I brought some wine by earlier.”

  “I haven’t really tried many wines.” Ashley seriously considered asking for water. It would be safer. “But I think you kind of have an idea of what I like. So if you think I’ll like what you brought, sure.”

  Nira beamed and pulled her hand free. “I’ll bring a glass of both red and rosé, just to be safe.”

  Ashley followed her out of habit, though she stopped herself near the counter and leaned against it.

  It was clear Nira was comfortable in the house. She retrieved two bottles of wine from the rack, and absently tugged a drawer open to collect a corkscrew.

  Ashley watched the sure motions with a smile but bit her lip once Nira began working the corkscrew. The confident way her hands flexed and moved was distracting. Ashley gently cleared her throat. “I can tell you’ve done this a lot.”

  Nira chuckled as she finished with one bottle, then the other. “Amy’s the one who introduced me to a lot of wines. I’m sure that’s no surprise.” She wandered closer to Ashley and tugged open a low cupboard. With a triumphant grin, she held up two wine glasses.

  “Do they keep those down there for you, or is that just a coincidence?” Ashley couldn’t help herself.

  “Ashley.” Nira’s nostrils flared as she deliberately set the wine glasses down.

  Ashley licked her lips. Nira stepped closer, forcing Ashley to straighten to avoid bumping heads. A voice in her head screamed as Nira crossed her arms and stopped directly in front of her.

  “Is there something you want to say, Ashley?”

  Her tongue feeling clumsy in her mouth, Ashley almost forgot she’d been asked a question. “No.” It was true; she didn’t want to say anything. Her hands blindly found the edges of the counter, which she gripped to avoid doing something she might regret.

  “Stop flirting and pour me a glass of that red, too,” Amy interrupted.

  Nira’s cheeks flushed. She took a step back and avoided looking Amy in the eye. “We weren’t flirting.”

  Amy snorted and gave Ashley a wink. “If you say so. Pour the wine, woman.”

  Wordlessly, Nira filled a glass and slid it over to Amy. She bent to pull another one out from the cabinet.

  “Relax,” Ashley whispered when she’d straightened again.

  Nira smiled thinly but unhunched her shoulders as she filled the other two glasses. “We came in here to find you and Terri. To say hi.”

  “And yet here you are, with the wine instead.” Amy held her glass up. “This is a nice merlot, where’d you find it?”

  “You recommended this one to me last year,” Nira retorted with a roll of her eyes. “Also, hi.”

  “Hey.” Amy put her wine down and rounded the counter. She grabbed one of the bottles and examined the label. “Huh. Guess I did.”

  Nira turned to Ashley. “Try both of these. Keep whichever you like more.” She nudged the other two wine glasses forward.

  Ashley picked up the merlot first and took a sip. It wasn’t bad. She put it down and collected the rosé. It was cooler and sweeter. She set it down in front of Nira. “I like the merlot.”

  “Of course you do.” Nira’s eyes flickered from her mouth to her eyes, and Ashley feared she’d been found out. In truth she liked both, but knew Nira probably preferred the sweeter of the two.

  “You have good taste.” Amy seemed amused by something, a smile tugging at her lips and her eyes glinting.

  “Thanks.” Ashley decided to take the compliment at face value.

  Nira hummed and took a drink of the rosé. “So where did Terri wander off to?”

  Ashley listened with half an ear as they continued to chat, her attention wandering as various people came and went. Until she finally spotted Erin, her arm casually looped through Regan’s.

  She cleared her throat and was relieved when Nira turned her way. It would put Regan and Erin just out of her peripheral vision. “Would you mind showing me where the other bathroom is again? The one in front seemed busy.”

  Nira chuckled and took her hand. “Sure. Come on.”

  ***

  As she waited outside the bathroom, Nira considered heading back to the party. There were a lot of people present, some of whom were friends she hardly got to see. She’d consumed most of her glass of wine and was feeling fairly relaxed.

  She was certain Ashley could hold her own. Still, she liked spending time with Ashley.

  The door to the bathroom opened. Ashley smiled tightly as she shut the door behind her. “Thanks. This was definitely a better choice. No line.”

  Nira glanced around. No one had come this way the entire time she’d waited. “Happy to be of service.” She tilted her head back toward the kitchen. “Let’s get back. I think Amy was about to talk Leisha into changing the music in the living room.”

  They’d nearly reached the side door to the kitchen when Ashley softly grabbed her wrist. “Hey, wait a sec.”

  Nira frowned but stopped. She twisted so she was facing Ashley.

  Ashley looked down and sighed, then caught her gaze. “I did have to use the bathroom, but um. Erin and Regan are here.”

  “Here?” Nira brought her free hand to her mouth. “You mean…?” She glanced at the kitchen door, then back to Ashley.

  “Yeah.” Ashley dragged the hand down her wrist until they were holding hands. “You were having such a good time. I didn’t want you to be blindsided in public.”

  Nira squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. It stung, but not as much as she thought it would. Maybe the wine helped. She opened her eyes. “Thanks. I’m okay, I think”

  “Good.” Ashley smiled and shifted her weight. “Remember what we talked about before we came? Do you trust me?”

  Ashley stepped closer, and Nira didn’t realize how near she was to the wall until her back was pressed up against it. Her heart began to pound as Ashley cupped the side of her face. “Yes,” she said in a whisper she feared was too faint to be heard. With both of Ashley’s hands touching her at once, she was having difficulty remembering what they’d planned.

  “Good,” Ashley repeated as her attention dropped to Nira’s lips.

  Nira’s breath caught. Ashley moved in slowly, as if giving Nira time to change her mind. Nira let her eyes flutter closed instead. She could feel Ashley’s unsteady breaths on her face, and Ashley’s thumb brushing delicately near her ear.

  The kiss landed mostly on her cheek, only the corner of her mouth feeling the barest touch of Ashley’s soft, supple lips. They pressed against her skin once, twice, and by the third Nira was turning her head to lean in further.

  “Friends my ass.”

  Terri’s smug voice made Ashley jerk back in surprise and Nira freeze.

  Not looking directly at anyone, Ashley moved away but kept hold of Nira’s hand.

  The contact steadied her after the unexpected intrusion, and she bit her lip when Ashley squeezed her hand. Even without speaking, she could feel Ashley’s intent—are you okay?

  She squeezed back without looking a
t Ashley. Yes.

  “Um. Hi, Terri. We were just on our way back to the party,” Nira managed to say with a neutral expression.

  She blinked when she looked past Terri to see a few interested faces from deeper in the kitchen turned their way. Among them were Amy and Erin.

  “Uh huh.” Terri grinned. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to get through here.”

  “Of course.” Ashley stepped back, and they were silent as Terri moved past. Terri hadn’t closed the door behind herself, so they were still in full view of a third of the kitchen.

  “The world is so lucky you use your powers for good,” Nira murmured before she led the way out.

  Ashley laughed behind her, and she felt the sound ripple through her body and over her skin like a physical touch. She shivered and hoped Ashley didn’t notice.

  Ugh, how embarrassing. It had been so long since she’d had such an intimate moment that she was still feeling it. She stopped so they could retrieve their glasses and debated briefly about topping them up.

  “I think I’ll stick to water after this.” Ashley tilted her glass and took a drink from it.

  Nira sucked on her lower lip; Ashley maintained eye contact as she drank. “Yeah.” She swallowed. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  Was Ashley feeling it too? If she was, what did she think about it?

  How did Nira feel about it?

  She found herself staring at Ashley’s lower lip. Did it have to look so damn kissable? It was stained a darker red than usual from the wine, and Nira wondered if a real kiss would taste like the merlot, too.

  She set her wine glass down and resolved not to touch it again.

  It had been a while since she’d indulged and had a drink. Apparently, it was just going straight to her head.

  “Nira.”

  Whatever good, if confusing, feelings Nira had been experiencing evaporated. She stiffened and turned around, backing away until she found fingers bumping against hers.

  With a hidden sigh of relief, she silently accepted Ashley’s hand. She shifted her stance so it would be concealed behind her leg; the comfort was for her, and no one else. With trepidation, she finally looked at her ex-wife.

  Regan had cut her auburn hair short, something she’d been saying she wanted to do for as long as Nira could remember.

  It looked good on her, but Nira wasn’t surprised. She smiled tensely. “Hello, Regan.”

  Regan smiled back, but her brown eyes were hard when they focused on Ashley. “I see you brought a friend.”

  Her obvious discomfort with Ashley left Nira feeling odd. “Yes. You might remember Ashley from—”

  “Melby’s, yes,” Regan finished.

  “Nice to see you again,” Ashley drawled as if she hadn’t registered the stiffness between Nira and Regan.

  Regan scowled. Nira knew that look, and she waited for a nasty comment to come.

  Instead, Regan’s expression relaxed, and she shook her head. “Nice to see you, too. It’s been a while.” Regan’s attention returned to Nira, an inscrutable look on her face. “I’m glad you came.”

  Confused, Nira managed a small smile.

  Regan nodded to herself and walked away.

  “Well, let’s take a moment to process that weirdness.” Ashley paused. “Moment over, let’s go dance.”

  A laugh burst free from Nira before she realized it. “Are you serious?”

  Ashley’s eyes twinkled as she swung their joined hands to lightly bump against Nira’s leg. “Absolutely. That was supremely weird. Also, you brought up dancing, so I know you want to dance.”

  Nira shook her head. “I’m not a great dancer, just so you know.”

  “Neither am I, but that’s not the point, is it? Dancing is fun. Come on, what have we got to lose? I bet everyone is sloshed anyway.”

  “Okay, yeah.” When Ashley smiled at her, Nira felt like she could have agreed to anything.

  Later, when she was lying in bed and her mind wouldn’t stop racing, Nira was confused as to why she found herself thinking more about a dark hallway and Ashley’s smile than the uncomfortable reunion with Regan.

  Five

  Ashley twirled her mop as she eyed a stubborn splotch of something stuck to the tile. She loved working in the mornings before opening, when things were quiet and peaceful. Evening shift always tidied up before leaving, but she knew how tired she was when she had to close. Doing another round before opening didn’t bother her.

  Deciding the splotch had soaked in soapy water long enough, she attempted to scrub it away again. It came off easily. She smiled.

  Since cleaning her small, spartan apartment was hardly challenging, she enjoyed the sense of satisfaction she achieved at Melby’s. She liked problems she knew how to solve.

  Upset customer? No problem. Delayed shipments? She could do some supermarket runs. Someone call in sick? She’d get someone to cover or do it herself.

  Realize she was falling in love with a friend who not only didn’t see her that way, but was probably moving away that summer? So far, her solution had been to take extra shifts and pretend it wasn’t happening.

  Ashley stared down at the floor. It was clean, but she kept searching for some spot she’d missed.

  “Hey, Ash,” Deb said from near the kitchen doors, “Mary says she wants you in the office.”

  “Okay. Thanks for letting me know.” Ashley put the mop back in its bucket, then set down a sign warning everyone the floor was wet. The last thing she wanted was for Deb or Mary to get hurt.

  The office was on the far side of the kitchen. Neither she nor Mary spent much time in it, but Mary’s daughter was currently doing checks at two of the other Melby’s in Austin.

  “Oh, good.” Mary swiveled the office chair so she was once again facing the computer monitor. She put her glasses on. “I can’t remember the password.”

  Ashley chuckled and took a spot near her elbow. She leaned over and tried the last password she remembered. It didn’t work. She squinted and stared past the computer. Ah, right, Denise had changed it right before she’d left. She typed in another password and was pleased when it was accepted.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Mary patted her shoulder and smiled affectionately.

  “Ha,” Ashley pretended like the comment didn’t make her exceptionally happy. “Like I really have anything to do with your success. How many restaurants have you opened across the state now?”

  Mary clicked her tongue but was smiling. “I’m so successful because I appreciate good people when I find them. You’re good people, Ashley.”

  Ashley felt her cheeks heat up. She stood up straight and looked away. “Yeah. So are you. It was really nice of you to schedule Deb for extra hours. Jason’s birthday is coming up.” Even as she said it, she was aware that Mary already knew.

  “Oh, imagine that?” She could still hear the smile in Mary’s voice. “I hope they have a nice day together.”

  Ashley debated with herself as she stared at the Dominican and American flags over Mary’s desk. She waited until there was a pause between typing and the sound of the mouse clicking. “Hey, Mary?”

  “Hm?” Mary sounded distracted. Ashley glanced at her from under her lashes. Mary appeared very interested in whatever was on the screen.

  “Have you ever pretended to date someone to help them out?”

  Mary’s chair squeaked as she leaned back in it. “Can’t say that I have.”

  Ashley rubbed her arm and continued to avoid looking at Mary. She closed her eyes and let out a heavy breath. “Mary, I think I’ve made a big mistake.”

  “Sit.” Mary pointed to one of the padded wooden chairs against the wall, and Ashley sat without a word. Mary interlaced her hands and watched her silently. “I know you’ve become friends with Nira.”

  “Yeah.” Ashley’s cheeks were warm again. She’d talked about Nira to her friends at work, who would of course share tidbits with Mary. Though Ashley would never advise most people to become cl
ose with their bosses, Mary was an exception. Everyone in Texas that worked in the food service industry wanted to work at Melby’s. They took care of their people, and it all started with Mary Melby, herself.

  “What I haven’t really told everyone is that she’s letting her friends think that we’re dating.” Ashley stared down at her hands. She was developing a blister at the base of her fingers on her right hand. Maybe she’d been scrubbing a little too hard.