“It was a good time, though, right?” He leaned over and touched Ashleigh’s nose. “You get all the credit for that.” He nodded thanks at the waiter who brought their burgers over. “Speaking of…” He reached under the bar once more for a tiny bottle of ketchup. “Did you go home with that girl you were talking to all night? What’s her name?”
“Lisa?” Ashleigh’s voice held genuine shock and something else. Was it jealousy?
“Lisa. Is that it?” Liam looked at her for confirmation.
With a mouth full of food, Kellan couldn’t say anything. She felt their eyes on her as she choked it down. “Lisa, yes.” She coughed at the burger stuck in her throat. “I did not go home with her,” she clarified.
“I’m surprised,” he added. “When I saw you leave together, I thought for sure it was on.”
“You left with her?” Ashleigh asked.
“She ordered a rideshare. I just made sure she got in okay. Then I headed back to my aunt’s. I was pretty tanked.”
Kellan saw something in Ashleigh’s expression change. It seemed like she was relieved, which was…interesting.
“So what’s on the agenda tomorrow, people?”
Kellan looked over at Ashleigh. “What’s the itinerary say, boss?”
“I love that there’s an itinerary.” Liam flashed his million-dollar smile at Kellan. “How cute is she?”
Kellan focused on her plate, playing bashful for the moment. “She’s cute,” she said, not bothering to filter. It was bold and maybe too much, but Liam tossed her a softball, and damned if she wasn’t gonna crush it.
“Sorry to disappoint everyone,” Ashleigh piped up. “Tomorrow I have to help Shauna with wedding stuff.”
“You met Shauna, right?” Liam obviously wanted to make sure she was in the loop.
It was nice that her friend was looking out for her. “I did,” Kellan responded. “Very nice. Her boyfriend too.”
“Mike. Yup. Good guy.” He poured some pints for four dudes who’d just arrived. “Kellan, if you’re bored tomorrow, you’re welcome to hang out here. There’s a bunch of soccer matches I’ll have on the big screen if you’re into that. Baseball too. If you don’t feel like being alone.”
“Or you could call Lisa.” Ashleigh smirked. “I’m sure she’d make herself available.”
“Soccer sounds cool,” she said with a hearty laugh. “Plus I already have a tour guide. Don’t I?” She raised her eyebrows, praying it came off hopeful instead of pathetic.
“If you’re okay with nerdy me and my schedule instead of Lisa and her low-cut tops.”
“When you put it that way…”
Ashleigh whacked her arm, but it was all in good fun, she could tell.
She rubbed the spot on her biceps for sport. “That kind of hurt.”
“Good.” Ashleigh’s eyes danced under the low lights of the bar, and Kellan couldn’t help but be completely turned on by this devilish, impish side of her new friend. Whether she was more enticing than the sweet, regimented schoolteacher she’d spent the day with remained to be seen. She smiled to herself, sure of one thing. Where those were the choices, there was no wrong answer.
Chapter Six
Phone, keys, wallet. Check.
“Okay, Blue, I’m out.” Kellan took a quick glance at his water bowl just to make sure it was full. A last-minute scan of the weather verified today was going to be a scorcher, so she dropped the thermostat an extra two degrees just to be on the safe side. “Be good. I’ll see you later.” He jumped up on the kitchen island for a proper good-bye, and Kellan indulged him with some love. “I do wonder if you’re allowed up here.” She lowered her face to meet his and winked at him. “Our secret, okay?”
Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, and she pulled it out, expecting it to be Ashleigh saying she was en route, but to her surprise, she saw her mother’s face illuminating the screen. Vail was two hours behind New York, making it seven forty in the morning out west. She swiped right, answering the video call.
“Hi, Mom. Everything okay?”
“Hi, honey. We missed your face. Dad’s here too.”
“Hey, Kell.” Her dad popped his head into the frame.
“Pop. Nice beard,” she said.
He rubbed his cheeks and smiled. “Just trying to stay current.”
“But doesn’t he look so handsome?” Her mother turned to gaze at her father. It was cute, if a little gagworthy, her parents’ genuine affection for one another, forty-plus years into their relationship. She often wondered if she’d ever experience anything even close to what they seemed to share daily.
“What’s up, guys? You’re freaking me out with the early morning call. Everything okay?”
“Fine, honey. We just wanted to check in. See how things are going. We can’t thank you enough for doing this.”
“It’s no sweat, Mom.”
Blue nudged his way into the camera view, greedy for more petting. “This is Blue,” she said.
“Isn’t he precious?” Her mom was an animal lover through and through. “I’m so glad Aunt Holly has him to keep her company. And what about you?” Subtlety was not her mother’s strong suit. “Did you meet up with your friend?”
“I tracked down my buddy Liam. He owns a bar-restaurant not too far from Aunt Holly’s. He hooked me up with one of his friends.”
“Oh?”
She heard hope in her mother’s voice and knew she should quash it immediately. Her mom had the tendency to jump to conclusions. “Not that kind of hookup, Mom.”
“That’s too bad.”
It was, wasn’t it? She nodded, momentarily forgetting that her mother could see her. “Anyway, Ashleigh, that’s her name, she’s showing me around New York.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Yeah, it is. I should probably go, I’m meeting her in a few minutes.”
“Okay, but what about your other friend? The one you told me you were going to look up once you got there. Darla.”
“Dara.”
“Yes, Dara.”
Ugh. Hearing her mother say the word out loud made her bristle. She hadn’t spoken to Dara in twelve years, so perhaps even calling her a friend was a stretch. It was all so complicated and confusing and she didn’t have the time or the energy to process right now.
“I’ll get to it.”
“Well, don’t wait too long. The summer will fly by. You don’t want to miss your moment. You never know—”
“Loud and clear, Mom.” She knew exactly how that sentence ended. She’d been privy to Willow Dwyer’s theories on fate, love, and the power of the cosmos since she was in diapers. And truth be told, she didn’t disagree. If she was being honest, she knew she’d accepted this assignment so readily, in large part for those very reasons. It might be hokey, but inside, she believed the opportunity to summer in Brooklyn was the universe’s way of saying it was time to fix things with Dara. To make amends, bridge the gap of a decade lost, and satisfy the curiosity she’d felt simmering below the surface in those years. But every time she let herself truly acknowledge it, she started to sweat. Right now was no exception.
“I should go, Mom. My friend will be waiting. I love you.”
“I love you too, Kellan. Call us more.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, Mom.”
“And find your friend.” Her mother loved getting the last word, even if she had to sneak it in.
“Good-bye, Mom.” She laughed. “Tell Dad I love him.”
“Bye, Kellan.” Her father’s gruff voice came through in the distance. “Love you, pal.”
She ended the call and saw that Ashleigh had left her four texts in succession.
I’m here. The time stamp told her the first message was sent at 9:55, five minutes before their scheduled meetup at Brooklyn Beanery. The next few messages followed in sequence.
I’m going to start walking toward your building. Hope that’s okay.
I think I’m in your lobby.
Is your aunt a bazilliona
ire?
Kellan laughed out loud at the last text. She was way late, so she grabbed her stuff in a hurry and headed straight for the elevator. In the lobby, Ashleigh had her back to the front desk as she stared out the building’s glass facade. Kellan waved hello to the doorman as she approached.
“I’m so sorry.” Kellan touched Ashleigh’s shoulder gently. “My parents called me and I couldn’t respond to your texts. I actually didn’t even see them until right now.”
“It’s okay. Your place is, like, right here. I started walking because I figured I’d bump into you on the way over. But I guess I didn’t realize how close it was until I was in the lobby. Then I thought you were probably in the shower or something.”
“You could have come up. I’m in 4D.”
“I didn’t know. And I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Sanjay would’ve hooked you up.” She turned to the doorman situated behind a high marble counter. “Sanjay, this is my friend Ashleigh.”
“Lovely to meet you, Miss Ashleigh.”
Ashleigh gave a small wave before turning to Kellan and leaning in as she whispered, “You’re friends with your doorman?”
“We chatted a little. He’s from Sri Lanka. Nice guy.”
Sanjay bowed his head, obviously aware that he was the topic of conversation. Kellan acknowledged him with a smile. “Ashleigh is taking me to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Cool, right?”
“Spectacular, yes.” Sanjay nodded again. “You have the perfect weather today.”
“You think? It’s going to get hot as anything.”
“I enjoy the heat. It reminds me of home.” He smiled happily.
Kellan looked at Ashleigh. “You ready to go? I’m dying for coffee.” When Ashleigh nodded, Kellan reached over and extended her arm to hold the door open. Glancing over her shoulder she called out, “See you later, Sanjay.”
“Have a wonderful day, Mr. Kellan.”
Kellan couldn’t help but notice the stutter in Ashleigh’s step as she looked at Kellan and back to Sanjay in the lobby. “Did he just—”
“Call me Mr. Kellan?” She finished Ashleigh’s sentence. “He did.”
“Is that…I mean, does he think you’re…”
“A dude?” Kellan shrugged, trying to set the tone. This conversation could be a game changer, but in her heart she didn’t believe it should be a big deal. “I don’t think so.” She fell in step beside Ashleigh. “I don’t know, though. Maybe.”
“Does that bother you?”
Gender identity was a topic that made people so touchy these days. Kellan wanted to make sure she answered with care, but also honesty. “No,” she began. “Not with Sanjay, it doesn’t.”
“Because you don’t know him? Or you don’t care? Or because you’d rather be identified that way?”
They were at the door of the coffee house and, man, could she use some serious java. For a day that started with her mom via FaceTime telling her to go find Dara and now was headed into breaking down pronouns and binary issues with a virtual stranger, who was also her tour guide, her new friend, and the person she’d most recently masturbated to, there had not been nearly enough caffeine. She needed coffee, stat.
She opened the door for Ashleigh. “Let’s get some coffee. My treat, since I made you wait. Then we talk. Is that okay?”
Ashleigh touched her forearm, seeming to thank her for her manners. “Of course it’s okay. We don’t even have to talk about anything.” Her smile was warm and lovely, and the kindness in her expression told Kellan whatever she said would be okay. It put her at ease in a way she couldn’t quite explain. “And I’ll let you buy me coffee today, but only if I buy next time. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Two large house blends later, they walked over to the ferry station to wait, even though they had almost a half hour to kill.
“So the thing with Sanjay…” Kellan started. She sipped her coffee. “It’s like this. We haven’t had a conversation about it or anything. But I think he knows I’m not a guy. The first time he said it, he stuttered a little like he was uncertain.” She leaned against the railing at the water’s edge, turning to make eye contact. “I get it. I know what I look like. I’m almost six feet tall. I have short hair, styled, well, like this.” She pointed a finger at her ultra-short pomaded coif. “The rest of this”—she fanned over her clothes—“it’s a choice. I choose to dress like this. But it’s not to make a statement.” She tapped the base of her coffee on the metal railing. “It’s just how I feel comfortable. This feels like me.”
“I understand.”
“So when Sanjay refers to me as mister, even though it’s not accurate, the correction is to tell him to call me miss, and that feels not right either. Does that make sense?”
Ashleigh nodded, but Kellan could see concern creasing her brow.
“What is it? It’s better if you just ask.”
“Do I ever make you feel uncomfortable? I have referred to you as she—I’m sure of it.”
Kellan wanted to touch her, to thank her for caring, assure her she’d done nothing offensive, but in the moment, she questioned her own motives for wanting contact. “It’s not like that.” She met Ashleigh’s eyes, even more beautiful in the bright sunlight. “That’s what I was trying to say about Sanjay. He’s not purposely misgendering me. He took a chance, and I didn’t correct him. He’s sticking with it. Do I think he knows the truth? I do. I’ve seen him check out my body. My chest is small, but it is there.” She washed down another sip of delicious coffee. “It’s almost like we have an unspoken agreement. One we’re both okay with.”
“Sounds perfect.” Ashleigh picked at the plastic tab of her coffee lid. “I bet it’s not always that simple.”
“I wish.” Kellan forced a smile. “The women who accost me in public restrooms could take a lesson from Sanjay, that’s for sure.”
“Jesus, Kellan. Does that happen?”
She knew her shrug wasn’t an answer, but she really didn’t know what to say. It happened. More than she wanted to admit. “It sucks. What can you do? This country is weirdly obsessed with who uses which bathroom.”
“So stupid. So true.” Kellan stiffened at the feel of Ashleigh’s hand on her back. She wanted it to mean desire, but it was likely basic support, perhaps even an apology on behalf of the ignorant. “Promise me something?” Ashleigh asked.
“Sure.”
“Tell me if you want me to do anything different. If you want me to use the pronoun they or anything like that. Would you do that?”
“Honestly, Ash, I’m fine with she or they. I answer to both, and I rarely talk about myself in the third person.” She added a laugh, hoping to keep the mood light. “You’ve not done anything that’s made me feel anything other than me. Even this conversation”—she paused to finish her drink—“your answers and your questions, they’ve been perfect. Truly.” She was about to throw out her empty cup, but stopped, wanting Ashleigh to know the depth of sincerity she felt at how natural this conversation flowed. “Thank you.”
Ashleigh shook her head. “Thank you. For sharing with me. It means a lot.”
“You made it easy.”
“I’m glad.” Ashleigh ticked her head at the ferry pulling up. “Now, let’s go meet Lady Liberty, what do you say?”
“After you,” Kellan said, holding her arm out inviting Ashleigh to lead the way.
Chapter Seven
Ashleigh was mildly embarrassed that, for all her planning, she had never considered the East River Ferry as a viable mode of transportation. This was only her second time, but the more she took it, the more she liked it. The service ran in both directions, making a horseshoe from Manhattan’s East Side and stopping in four locations along the Brooklyn waterfront before crossing over to Wall Street. It was convenient and affordable, and it fit nicely with a lot of her summer agenda. While it wasn’t super convenient to her parents’ place in Park Slope, it was perfect for meeting up with Kellan. The fact that it
was a stone’s throw from Brooklyn Beanery—her new fave coffee spot—didn’t hurt either.
She’d purchased the tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour months earlier, feeling certain she’d be able to scrounge up a partner for such an iconic visit. When Kellan realized, she immediately offered to reimburse her for the expense. But Ashleigh didn’t want her money. In the moment, she was too busy enjoying her company. It was surprising how seamlessly they gelled. Kellan put her at ease in a way that was new to her. Where she was usually worried about being too bossy or too boring, she didn’t think about either of those things when they were together. She allowed herself to live in each moment. For the first time in ages, she wasn’t worried about pleasing anyone. The reward was a freedom she’d never even contemplated. Damn if she wasn’t having a good time.
Kellan seemed completely fine with following her pre-arranged plan with a few minor adjustments, like her aversion to climbing to the crown of the Statue. When she revealed a fear of heights, Ashleigh was taken aback. It was silly to assume that someone brave enough to fight for their country wouldn’t be afraid of anything. But what surprised her more was what she learned about herself in that moment. Kellan was content to wait at the pedestal, but Ashleigh didn’t want to go without her. She preferred to stay on the grounds of Liberty Island, walking and talking with Kellan. She even weighed in on the souvenirs Kellan purchased to bring home to her brother’s kids, ultimately offering to hold them in her oversized purse for safekeeping as they disembarked from the boat at Ellis Island.
“Are there things you might like to do that aren’t on the schedule?” Ashleigh asked.
“What do you mean?” Kellan said.
“You know, go to a ball game or something.”
“And buck the system you’ve put in place?” Kellan faked horror. “I wouldn’t dare.”
She poked Kellan playfully with three fingers to the side of her arm. “I’m trying to be nice and you tease me. I take it back. I’m in charge of everything.”
“You love it.” Kellan poked her back and Ashleigh found herself resisting the urge to touch her again. “I’m just kidding. I like the schedule. As for a ball game, I don’t know.” She stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I could take it or leave it, I guess. I’m not a huge sports fan. I like them okay. Watching live sports can be fun.”
Brooklyn Summer Page 6
