“We’ll catch up,” she told Charlie and Emma, who were standing the closest.
“Okay.” Emma nodded and took Keira’s hand.
The group walked off toward the podium, where they met Hailey. Joanna’s parents were still behind her. She couldn’t say too much to Macon while they were in earshot, so she pulled Macon aside, with her parents still looking on but unable to hear.
“I’m sorry, Macon,” she began.
“It’s okay.” The woman shook her head.
“It’s not, though,” Joanna replied. “Your text message nearly broke my heart, Make.” She thought back to the message that had told her Macon hadn’t known the group was coming to this restaurant and that she’d make herself scarce. It had gone onto say that she’d hide behind someone or something, or leave altogether if Joanna wanted. “Baby, I am sorry.”
“I know. Me too,” Macon replied. “I shouldn’t have pressured you.”
“Can we make it through this dinner and then go to your place or mine and talk?”
“If we make it through the dinner. Your parents hate me, Jo.”
“They don’t hate you; they don’t know you.”
“They hate that I’m a woman.” Macon looked behind her, and Joanna didn’t need to turn around to know she was staring at her mother. “Your mother is shooting me dagger eyes right now.”
“She shoots dagger eyes at everyone; you’re not special.”
“Jo, I stood up to my parents for you. I told them not to act like pretentious assholes. We left because they couldn’t commit to that. I haven’t talked to them since then. And this morning, you had the same chance, and you didn’t take it. Do you know how that made me feel?”
“It wasn’t exactly the same, though, Macon,” Joanna explained.
“How was it different?” Macon’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
“The table’s ready,” Charlie said to the four members of their party who were still in the lobby, while the rest of them were making their way down a long aisle of patrons dining at their own tables.
“Let’s just get this over with.” Macon turned away from her to follow Charlie while Joanna stood still.
“Joanna, are all of these women…”
“Lesbians?” Joanna huffed out a laugh. “Most of them, yes. Hillary is bisexual, Mom.”
“And you are?” her father asked.
“In a lot of trouble with my girlfriend, Dad,” she replied.
CHAPTER 28
Greene ordered a glass of wine, but she wanted something much stronger. Joanna’s mother was giving her the side-eye glare, though, so she resisted, not wanting the woman to think her an alcoholic. She thought about abstaining altogether and ordering water or iced tea, like Joanna’s mother had done. But knew she needed something to get through the night.
“We have a big convention next week in Chicago,” Hailey explained to the large group at the rectangular table. “I’m here to make sure headquarters is ready to roll.”
“No Summer or Lena this time?” Keira asked about two of the other friends she knew from Emma’s Chicago group.
“No,” Hailey returned. “Summer hasn’t been involved in the company officially for a while now. She’s basically left it to Seth.” She paused and looked at Joanna’s parents, who were completely lost. “Seth and Summer Taft.”
The look of recognition came on their faces. Hailey continued telling the group about why she was here and how Charlie joined her because after Hailey completed her work, they’d go on a short trip to wine country. Emma then spoke about an upcoming event for her department that Keira was planning for them, and that her boss was soon to be promoted to a vice president; Emma was on her way to taking her old position. Hillary then added that the head of the Women’s Studies Department was thinking of taking a sabbatical and naming Hillary as the interim department head while she took time off to further her research. Everyone had major updates to provide the group, but as Greene sipped her wine, wanting to gulp it instead, she felt as if she had nothing to offer. Greene felt it more than really noticed it, but there was silence that overtook the group as their entrées were placed on the table in front of them. She brought her mind back into focus and felt a few pairs of eyes on her and a few others on Joanna. It was apparent their friends were waiting for their personal and professional updates. Even Joanna’s parents seemed to be waiting.
“Greene just got back from that world tour.” It was Keira that finally spoke up for her, not Joanna.
“Which was your favorite city?” Hailey asked curiously as she dove into her food.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Greene sat down her wine glass. “I guess I wasn’t really focused on the cities I was in.”
“Oh, of course,” Hailey returned. “You were working.”
Greene met Joanna’s eyes and said, “Sure.” She picked up her fork and knife, and started slicing at the pork dish she’d ordered accidentally, because she hadn’t been able to focus on the menu, with Joanna and her parents so close.
“You’re a musician, correct?” Joanna’s mother asked.
It was the first thing the woman had said to her since they’d sat down.
“She’s a violinist, Mom; you know that,” Joanna answered in an irritated tone; she had yet to touch her meal. “One of the best in the world.”
“Of course,” her mother replied.
“How did you start playing?” her father asked before shoving a bite of near rare steak into his mouth.
“I’ve always played,” Greene replied. “I don’t remember not playing.”
“And you went to Julliard, then? One would assume...” Joanna’s mother looked at her with eyes she recognized as being similar to Joanna’s, but not as kind.
“Berklee College,” she answered.
“Oh, I didn’t realize Berkeley had a music program built for the best in the world.” The woman’s tone suggested she was unimpressed that Greene hadn’t gone to a top music school.
“No, she means Berklee, Mom. She’s being modest; she went to Berklee Conservatory. It’s in Boston. It has the best program in the world for someone like Macon: the best in the world.” Joanna’s eyes were kind, and Greene had a hard time being frustrated with her.
“I see. I only knew of Julliard.” Joanna’s mother took a small nip at her asparagus.
“So, what do you guys have planned this week?” Hillary asked.
Greene was grateful for Hillary, because she wasn’t sure she could make it through this awkward dinner, with Joanna trying to compensate and her parents prodding and thinking she was unworthy of their daughter. It was bad enough that Greene often felt unworthy of Jo. She didn’t need others doing it for her.
When their meals had been complete, and the plates were taken away, the waiter asked if anyone wanted dessert. Both Emma and Keira said yes at the same time and asked that he bring them the menu. Hailey glanced at Charlie to see if she was interested. Greene looked at her wine glass, only to see that it was empty, and decided she was ready to go. Joanna’s parents had asked her several more questions, and with each answer she’d given, she’d felt it less and less likely they’d ever approve of her for their daughter. They’d mentioned a friend of a friend, who had a mayor for a son. He was forty, had been widowed seven years ago, and had an eight-year-old son.
“Well, I don’t think we’ll stay for dessert. We should be going. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us.” Her father stood. “You all should order your dessert and coffee. I’ll take care of the check.” He nodded in Joanna’s direction. “As a thank you for inviting us to your dinner.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Keira replied.
“No, you–”
“Please, allow me.” He gave a mock bow and then glanced at Greene.
He offered her a kind smile and a wink. Macon gave an awkward smile in return, not being prepared for his gesture, and watched him button his jacket before heading off to find their waiter to give him his credit card.
“Joanna, walk me to the car.” The older woman stood. “Ladies, it was an enjoyable evening. Thank you.” She placed her beige linen napkin on the table. “It was a pleasure.”
They all said the same in return. Hailey even stood to hug the woman. Charlie gave her a nod but remained seated. Joanna stood reluctantly, from what Greene could tell, and then Greene felt motherly eyes on her. They looked her up and down, and Greene realized she should be standing, too. She did so and nearly tipped over her wine glass in the process.
“Sorry,” she said to no one in particular, making sure the glass was safe before she stood up straight.
“I’ll walk my parents out and then come back, okay?” Joanna said to her.
“Okay.” Greene turned back to Joanna’s mother. “It was nice to meet you.”
“Yes,” The other woman stated without emotion, and Greene knew they at least had that in common.
“Ready, dear?” Her father returned and looked at his wife.
They all said their goodbyes again. Greene watched the three of them walk down the aisle and toward the door before she sat back down and motioned for the waiter. When he arrived, she requested a vodka on the rocks and watched as the others ordered coffee and dessert. Keira stood when her phone rang. She took the call outside, due to the noise of the restaurant, giving Emma plenty of time to take more than her fair share of the lemon tart they’d ordered to split. Greene participated only in parts of conversations here and there while finishing the drink she knew she’d regret later and periodically staring at her phone to check the time. It seemed like Joanna would miss dessert entirely. Keira returned, gave her a smile, and then took the last bite of the tart off Emma’s fork for herself. Joanna returned moments later. She appeared to be worse for wear.
Joanna had been driven by her parents, and Greene by Keira and Emma. Hillary offered them a ride instead. Greene gave a goodbye to everyone and then walked with Hillary toward her car while Joanna walked behind them. Greene took the passenger’s seat, leaving the back for Joanna.
“Which place am I taking you guys to?” Hillary asked both of them.
“You can drop me first,” Greene stated.
“Macon?” Joanna’s voice came from behind her, but Greene didn’t turn around.
“I’m tired,” Greene replied.
Joanna didn’t say anything. Hillary glanced between the two of them but said nothing as well. She put the car in drive and took off. A few minutes later, Greene was in front of her building. She climbed out of the car, glanced back at Joanna, and tried to force a smile. She shaped the words, “good night” with her lips but didn’t push the words from her body. Joanna didn’t reply and quickly looked away from her before Greene hustled to the door.
She closed the door of her apartment – her sanctuary – behind her, and leaned back against it. She felt the tears form in her eyes and wondered if they were more because of Joanna’s actions or her own, as she continued to push the woman away. Then, she fell to the floor to let them out.
It was several hours later that she crawled into her bed, pulled the blanket over her head, and attempted to fall asleep. It was only several minutes later that she threw off the blankets, gave up on sleep, and made her way back out to her living room, where she grabbed her violin case, pulled out her instrument, and grabbed a pencil with blank sheet music, getting to work.
CHAPTER 29
Greene heard the knock through her playing but didn’t register the sound to have meaning. The knock came again, and again, before she heard the door open and found Keira standing in her living room. She dropped her violin to her side.
“Keira, what the hell?” she blurted.
“What the hell to you, too, Make,” she greeted more than asked. “You try answering a phone now and then?”
“I’ve been playing. I didn’t hear it. Is something wrong?” She placed her instrument back in its case and closed it.
“I got four texts from your girlfriend this morning. When I texted her back, she said she was trying not to be worried, but that you weren’t responding. I took it upon myself to get over here and do a welfare check on your ass.” She flopped onto the sofa. “Also, I had a meeting with a client about a block away. I came here instead of going to lunch.”
“Jo texted you?” She began to move the disorganized pages of sheet music into one stack on the coffee table.
“What’s going on here?” Keira asked.
“I was just playing. I honestly didn’t hear the phone. It’s in the bedroom, I think; maybe the kitchen.” She pointed to the kitchen without looking up from her stack.
“Your girlfriend is trying to get in touch with you there, Make,” Keira reminded. “She is still your girlfriend, right?”
“Yes.” Greene lifted her head and glared at Keira. “I’m just–”
“Delaying the inevitable? Trying to get her to break up with you because you’re being an ass, instead of breaking up with you because she wants to be with a parent-approved man?”
“Keira, don’t be a bitch. It’s my relationship; it’s not yours to fix.”
“Why is it broken, Make?”
“Were you not at the same dinner I was last night? Did you not witness my girlfriend lead me to the slaughter with her homophobic parents?”
“I was at that dinner. I did witness your girlfriend doing her best while being obviously uncomfortable. Her father politely paid for a very expensive dinner for a bunch of lesbians. I also witnessed you clam up – which is understandable, but so is Joanna’s behavior, given how her parents treat her. And, damn, she got them back later, though. I was impressed.”
“What are you talking about?” Greene stopped stacking and leaned back to look at Keira.
“Joanna’s battle with her mother in the parking lot. Did she not tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“You really are dense sometimes. I love you, but you’re dense.” Keira leaned forward and took Greene’s hand. “Joanna was awesome, Make. That’s why I was so surprised at her texts. I assumed, last night, you had heard her out and made up. And then, this morning, I get these messages that she hadn’t heard from you today. I texted you, and I didn’t hear back.”
“Did you think I ran away or something?”
“No, but I still wanted to check on you. I went by the symphony first, but it didn’t look like anything was going on there.”
“We’re dark today,” Greene explained. “Something about the electrical needing to be fixed; I got an email this morning.”
“You can check your computer but not your phone?” Keira lifted an accusatory eyebrow.
“I had my violin plugged into it. I was recording.”
“Recording? You do that?”
“Not often,” she said. “Back to Joanna.”
“She told her mother off.”
“She what?”
“I went outside to take that call. I missed the first part of their conversation, but after I hung up, I couldn’t help but hear Joanna tell her mother that she loves you; and her mother can try to set her up with guy after guy, but nothing will change that. Her dad basically just stood there and listened to the whole thing. Her mom tried to get a word in, here and there, but Joanna wouldn’t let her. She said you were brilliant, funny, and a remarkable musician. She told her mother that she’d never felt this way before, didn’t care about what that made her, and had no intention of dating anyone else ever again, Make. Her mom tried to convince her to at least think about it, but Joanna told her that she’d treated you terribly all day because she’d been afraid of confronting her mom, and she wouldn’t let anyone treat you like that again; that included her. Joanna, I mean,” Keira clarified. “It’s hard to talk about all this and be clear with the pronouns, huh?”
“She yelled at her mom?”
“Make, she stood up to them and then came back into that restaurant where you basically ignored her. Apparently, you didn’t talk to her after. I think she’s probably worried she took that risk fo
r nothing.”
“I was afraid,” Greene admitted.
“I get it. But you shouldn’t be telling me this; tell your girlfriend, Macon.”
“What if she’s still mad at me?”
“For not talking to her? That’s not going to get any better until you actually do. It’ll only get worse. Please fix this. And this is going to sound selfish, but please do it before we all go to Tahoe in a few weeks.”
“Tahoe?”
“Emma booked this giant cabin for all of us. Hailey and Charlie are going to come back. Hill is coming. And, we’re going to finally meet Kellan’s girlfriend, Reese. It’s a four-day affair. You and Joanna are both required; I already RSVP’d for you.”
“You can’t RSVP for people, Keira.”
“I’m an event planner, Make; I know how RSVPs work. And you have no choice. You and Joanna are two of my closest friends, but Emma is my love, and she wants this trip to be amazing. You’ll both be there, and everyone else will be there, too. We’ll have fun.”
“Mandatory fun, huh?”
“Yes, Macon.” Keira gritted her teeth at her and then gave her a playful wink. “You going to be okay?”
“I’ll be okay. I just need to talk to her.”
“Now, you’re getting it.” Keira stood. “I’m heading back to the office. Text me when it’s all clear so I can stop interfering in your relationship.”
“Like that will ever happen.” Greene laughed.
“For this month, at least.” Keira laughed and opened the door. “She really was great last night, Greene. She told her mom – the woman that nothing is ever good enough for – that she was who she was, she loved who she loved; and that person is you.”
“I wish I would have seen it.”
“You can see it every day, Make. That’s how relationships work. I can see how much Emma loves me when she makes the chicken I like for dinner with the mushrooms she hates and then has to scrape off. I can see it when she plans the weekends away for us because she knows I’ve been working so hard and could use the time off to relax with my friends. She planned one for Tahoe, because she knows I haven’t seen Kellan in a while and I miss her. I can see it when she takes my hand when we’re walking down the street just because she wants to be touching me. I can see it after we have a fight and she still falls asleep next to me.” Keira paused and tried to come back from looking so wistful. “You didn’t need to see her argue with her parents to know how much she loves you, and know how she’d choose you again and again, Greene.”
San Francisco Series- Complete Edition Page 62