Knit One, Girl Two
Page 6
“Look at this magnificence shape,” Danielle almost purred in response. “That spiral comes from inside itself, without having to think about it at all.”
More aquariums led into a cave, where they confronted a large tank containing—
"Jewfish?" Danielle wrinkled her nose. "It's the 21st century. Why?"
Clara cocked her head to one side. "Yeah, I've got nothing." The creature was as large as she was, dull and covered with spots.
"I wouldn't mind it so much if it looked like that." Danielle pointed at the lionfish in the next tank, beautiful and striped.
Another area housed the museum's snakes. One of them was in the process of shedding its skin, and Danielle pressed her face so close to the case to see that one of the volunteers gently asked her to step back.
"Hey, would you be weirded out if I sketched this real quick?" Danielle looked at Clara with wide, insistent eyes.
"No, I think that's awesome!" Clara sat down next to the gopher tortoise tank and took out her knitting. While Danielle took out her sketchpad and did studies of the corn snake, Clara watched the little ancient-looking beast lugubriously eat his lettuce.
"I feel you, Snake Friend," Danielle remarked to her subject when she was halfway through. "That's what I need, too."
Since Danielle had brought it up first, Clara felt safer asking. "How's your planet?"
Danielle smiled on only one side. "Still spinning!” She was silent for a moment, staring at the snake. “Half of it’s all torn up and gutted, bombed-out... that’s the bit I try to stay out of. Inside jokes from the back of the car on Disney trips when we were kids, the time we snuck out of the house in the middle of the night to see what school looked like in the dark... Like, that part of the planet’s not even round anymore. It’s been ripped out. But I’m getting pretty used to the safe half. I picture myself walking around, exploring it, looking for treasure. And every time I find something shiny, I take it with me, or I know where it is for later."
"Am I one of the moon rocks?"
"Martian Princess seeks Nice Jewish Girl for..." Danielle looked at the snake, as if was about to whisper her a suggestion for the rest of her flirty line.
"Distraction and cuddles?" Clara suggested brightly.
"Those are our initials," Danielle pointed out. "Maybe they can be our burlesque names."
"This dress isn't coming off in public!" Clara stuck out her tongue.
"I'm sure the Jewfish wouldn't mind if we went back in that cave—"
"They need to change that name."
"Either that or put me in there in one of those mermaid suits from Weeki Wachee Springs." Danielle struck a pose that somehow seemed mermaidlike. "A real Jewfish."
"Ohhh, you'd make such a good mermaid."
"I could be part of the mangrove exhibit." Danielle leaned back dramatically against the tree roots emerging like houses on stilts from the tanks. "I could be dangerous, though. I eat visitors."
"Wait a second, how is that kosher?" Clara teased.
"You look kosher," Danielle teased.
"I purposely didn't eat any bacon since Thursday, in case you wanted to kiss me."
"In case?"
Clara grinned sheepishly. "You've been going through stuff! I didn't want to push."
“I appreciate that.” Danielle led her away from the wildlife exhibit and towards the escalator. “I think feeling good is important, though.”
On the second floor of the museum was an area devoted to space exploration. The first thing Clara saw was a scale. “Oh, cool! It’s set to the gravity of all the other planets.” With the push of a red button, whoever stood on it could toggle through their weight on Mars, the moon, or somewhere even farther.
“I don’t do scales,” said Danielle confidently. “Scales just fuck us up. But if you’re willing to squeeze up there with me, the numbers won’t mean as much.”
“And we don’t have to press Earth,” Clara pointed out.
“I’m glad you understand.” Danielle exhaled. “On three?”
They held hands and then balanced precariously on the silver surface. “We’re on the moon!” Clara yelped, heat flowing through her tingling skin at the close contact with Danielle’s body.
She almost lost her balance and fell off the scale, but Danielle put an arm around her to steady her. “Hey,” Danielle murmured.
“Howdy,” Clara responded, nervous and blushing. “So which one of these is your planet?”
“Lemme show you how we kiss on Mars,” said Danielle.
Her heart pounding, Clara drew near to her mermaid Martian princess and gave her the sweetest, most satisfying kiss one could manage in four seconds.
It wasn't much, but she came away with her lips wet and her body tingling for more. Well, fuck, now I want to drag her into the bathroom and we have boat tickets, Clara thought as she stood there dazed from desire.
Then she almost fell off the scale again, and they both hopped off of it laughing.
Clara laced her fingers into Danielle's hand, which strangely gave some relief to the longing that now stained her with brilliant pinks. "Oh, hey, it's probably boat time."
"Let's go stare at rich people's houses!"
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Clara squinted into the sunlight to peer at the next house, a gorgeous little palace with its Spanish-inspired roof of red curved tile and fountain flanked by centaurs. The garden was a riot of coconut palms and bird-of-paradise plants.
"This one belongs to one of our own local philanthropists, Greg Johnson," said the tour guide's voice on the loudspeaker.
"I walk by that name on a plaque every time I go to work," Clara observed. "I'm sure you've heard this line before but ticket sales cover less than half of the cost of blah blah."
Danielle nodded. "I think one of my paintings is in that house."
"What? That's awesome! Which one?"
"It was a study of some sea grape foliage," said Danielle. "He bid on it at a charity auction. I got some of the money and the rest went to ALS research."
"That's really cool!" Clara exclaimed. "Do you still have a picture of it?"
"Yeah, except not on this phone. But actually, there's something else I wanted to show you."
Danielle rummaged in her purse and thumbed through a few screens before passing the phone over.
Clara shielded the phone from the unimpeded sunlight to see more clearly. An unfinished painting of greenish silver succulent plants of the type that look like roses stared back at her. "What's this? Wait — are you painting again?"
Danielle's face answered the question for her before she even spoke. "I'm painting again."
Clara beamed. "I'm so happy for you!"
"That's not the whole story. Look closer."
"I kind of can't — the sun's too bright."
"It's based on your yarn. From your first club."
Clara's lips parted slightly with emotion as she felt the divine symmetry of the moment wash over her. "Oh, my God; really?"
Danielle nodded. "I have more ideas, too. The one with the two or three different rusts? That's going to be a still life with a plate of lobster."
"You're okay painting food you don't eat?"
"You think about the way I eat more than I do," Danielle pointed out.
"I'm sorry." Clara licked her lips. "I guess I'm a little self-conscious since you're more observant than I am."
"I'm not even remotely judging you, trust me," Danielle reassured her. "I'm totally just a random human. Like, my bra has a hole in it."
"Where?" Clara couldn't help but ask.
"You'll find out later!"
"This next house," the voice from the loudspeaker continued, "was originally built by Valentina Cooper. She liked to say she was the winner of two Oscars — Best Actress for My Immortal and her husband, Oscar Hess."
"That's an amazing line," said Clara. "Remind me to remember it for Jasmine. Oh." She caught herself.
"You're allowed to talk about your sister," said Danielle.<
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"Okay, good," said Clara. "She made me this dress, by the way!"
"Really? It's terrific! I should have known they don't sell sheep dresses at the mall."
"Sorry if I was too, like, overprotective or whatever."
"It's fine, because I'm glad you care," Danielle pointed out. She gazed out over the open water as the homes of luxury rolled on past, and Clara watched her pensive face. "I need space to mope sometimes, though."
"That's totally normal," said Clara.
"If I'm stuck on my planet," Danielle pointed out, "I'm gonna plant flowers there."
Clara traced a flower onto the back of Danielle's hand and looked for yarn colors in the tropical estates ahead.
END
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Shira Glassman is a bisexual Jewish violinist living in Florida. Her books, inspired by her heritage, upbringing, present life, and favorite operas, have made the finals of both the Bi Book Awards and the Golden Crown Literary Society awards in more than one year. She learned to knit from her grandmother and is grateful for all the friends and artistic fulfillment it has brought her.
Shira Glassman online:
Blog: http://shiraglassman.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShiraGlassman
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7234426.Shira_Glassman
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/shiraglassman
If you liked Knit One, Girl Two, leaving a review is probably a mitzvah.
Also by Shira Glassman:
The Mangoverse:
The Second Mango
Climbing the Date Palm
A Harvest of Ripe Figs
The Olive Conspiracy
Tales from Perach/Tales from Outer Lands
Additional short stories about women with women:
Fearless
Wet Nails
Additional short stories about artists:
The Artist and the Devil
When Daisies Choose a Vase
Other short stories
Lioness in Blue
Treasure Hunt
And now some recommendations for other people’s excellent f/f fiction!
Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones
Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton
Out on Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler
Recommendations for Jewish fiction
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
The Vanisher Variations by Libi Astaire
Miss Jacobson’s Journey by Carola Dunn
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli