The Thousand Mile Love Story

by Natalie Vivien

  “What’s going on, Kim?” whispered Andee, standing, her drink forgotten as she stared at who she had assumed to be one of her closest friends.

  It was all falling apart.

  “Andee, not now, okay? I don’t have much time, and I’ve been arranging this for weeks,” said Kimberly tersely, looping her arm around Monica’s waist and all but dragging her off the stool toward her.

  “No,” said Andee then, softly but strongly. Kimberly stopped, her head to the side, considering her. “No,” she repeated, clearing her throat, blood surging through her as she balled her hands into fists. “Back then, Kim. When you said Robin had been cheating on me with her…”

  “Oh my God,” said Monica then, her mouth open as she pushed away a little from Kimberly. “You’re the girl—you’re Robin’s girlfriend, aren’t you? The one who came into the room when I was in Robin’s bed?”

  “Yeah,” whispered Andee, her heart beating so hard it was beginning to hurt.

  “Kimberly, what’s going on?” said Monica then, turning wild eyes onto Kimberly. “You said they patched things up. What’s she talking about?”

  Kimberly was beginning to look in pain as she shook her head, as she put her arms around Monica, trying to quiet her down. There was a circle of space beginning to form around them in the bar, and people were straining to hear over the loud bass thump of the music. “Nothing, babe, nothing…look, it’s not exactly as if I have so much time.”

  Andee glanced at Kimberly’s hand, bare and on Monica’s arm.

  Kimberly wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.

  “Why don’t you have much time, Kim?” muttered Andee, and Kimberly gave her a single, angry warning look. “You should tell her, maybe,” said Andee, stepping forward, “that you don’t have much time because your wife is going to be coming looking for you soon.”

  “Wife?” said Monica, breaking away from Kimberly, looking from Andee to Kimberly and back again, eyes wide and hurt. “What is she talking about?”

  “Andee?” said Robin, then, and she appeared through the crowd with a wide, mischievous smile, draping her arm around Andee’s shoulders…

  And then she noticed the other two.

  Robin breathed out as if punched, staring from Monica to Kimberly and back to Monica again. And then to Andee. Robin’s eyes were wide as she sought Andee’s gaze, wide and wild and blue.

  And beautiful.

  “Kimberly, you lied to me,” muttered Andee, reaching out through the space between them and taking Robin’s hand, squeezing it for all she was worth. “You told me that Robin had been sleeping with Monica for months. You told me that to save your own sorry ass. I don’t know why or what happened, but I have a pretty good idea that you were using Monica to cheat on your girlfriend.”

  “What?” muttered Monica, gazing at Kimberly with hurting eyes. “Is this true?”

  Kimberly took a step backward, breathing out, her arms spread, shaking her head. But she said not a word.

  “I think you’ve been lying to everyone,” said Andee, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, hot tears--angry tears. “For the last ten years, I believed you, and I wasted ten years of my life not believing her.” Andee turned to Robin, put her arms around Robin’s waist, and then she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss Robin squarely on the mouth. And she didn’t care who saw it. “I am so sorry,” she whispered then, searching Robin’s eyes, “that I never believed you. And I don’t care how long it takes me, but somehow—someway—I’ll make it up to you if I have to spend the rest of my life doing it.”

  “You lied to me,” said Monica then, hitching her purse up on her shoulder and brushing past Kimberly, Kimberly who stared at Andee with flashing, angry eyes, who turned on her toes, too, and moved past them, toward the entrance to the bar.

  Where her wife Joanna stood on the steps, watching the entire exchange.

  “Great,” Kimberly muttered, moving past Joanna, offering not even an ounce of comfort as tears streamed down Joanna’s cheeks. Kimberly shoved past her roughly and kept going up the steps and out of the bar.

  “What is this, a party?” muttered Robin with a half-way grin as Tiffany and Jill came down the steps then, glancing back at Kimberly, who’d probably just shoved past them, too.

  “What’s going on?” said Jill as Joanna turned, put her arms around Jill, and began to sob against her shoulder.

  “I think everyone needs a drink,” said Andee then resolutely and softly. “But not here. Let’s head back, guys,” she said.

  Jill put her arms around Joanna, too, with wide eyes, patting her shoulder gingerly. “It’ll be okay,” said Jill softly, murmuring it to Joanna. “It’ll be okay.”

  It’ll be okay.

  ---

  “She’s gone,” said Elizabeth with wide eyes when the women arrived back at Elizabeth and Heather’s place. “Kimberly came in, got her suitcases, told us she was sorry…and left.” Elizabeth’s eyes were filled with tears, but her face was also set in a very determined expression.

  “Of course she is,” said Joanna then, drying her eyes on yet another tissue that Tiffany graciously provided. “I knew this day was coming,” she told the assembled, sympathetic women. “It’s all right, really,” she promised, though her voice quavered a little. “This isn’t about us tonight or tomorrow,” she told Elizabeth and Heather bravely, giving them a watery smile. “It’s about you guys. I’m sorry Kimberly left,” she said then, clearing her throat.

  “Well, we’ll just have extra food at the rehearsal dinner,” said Heather resolutely.

  They went to that dinner in almost complete silence, Tiffany driving the green convertible with Jill, Robin and Andee in it, and Elizabeth driving ahead with Heather, Tricia her sister, and Joanna.

  “So,” said Tiffany, as she made another turn, following Elizabeth’s sleek black car. “That was…um…”

  “Joanna told me she’d been expecting this for years,” said Jill slowly, staring down at her hands. “She kissed me,” she said, staring upward, her eyes wide as she placed her hand on her cheek. “Um…”

  “Kimberly lied, and I believed her over you,” said Andee, squeezing Robin’s hand for the thousandth time. “I love you. I’m so sorry.”

  “You know the truth now,” said Robin, leaning against the side of the convertible, weak with relief. “Kimberly asked me to help her again, you know,” she said, searching Andee’s eyes. “That’s why she called me. And I told her no. Never again. I helped her because she begged me, because she told me that she was going to stop cheating. That’s what happened. Her girlfriend was coming to see her, and Kimberly was seeing Monica, and Kimberly ran down to meet her girlfriend, and told Monica to go into my bed. I agreed, because Kimberly promised to quit seeing her, to patch everything up. I shouldn’t have helped her, but I promised to keep the secret.”

  Andee cupped Robin’s face in her hands. She kissed her soundly, their mouths merging as Andee sighed out, all of her fears and worries and nightmares evaporating into the silent darkness of the night sky.

  Overhead, a single star shot across the velvet black.

  But Andee didn’t need to make any more wishes.

  For the rest of her life, she’d have all she’d ever wanted beside her.

  Always.

  ---

  “I’m drunk,” Andee told Robin happily as Robin put Andee’s arm around her shoulders and helped her up the darkened stairs.

  Robin chuckled at that. “Yes,” she whispered into Andee’s ear, making the woman shiver, “you are. And you’re adorable when you’re drunk. God, I’d forgotten…” They reached the third room, the one they were staying in, and Andee pushed the door open.

  The moonlight spilled through the open-curtained window, making puddles of light on the darkened floor. Andee’s eyes were playing tricks on her—everything was too bright and too loud, even in the muffled stillness.

  In the next room, they could hear the soft tones of Jill’s voice. Jill who was speaking to Joanna, who
hadn’t stopped speaking to Joanna throughout the entire rehearsal dinner. Jill who had experienced exactly what Joanna had experienced.

  “Do you think they’ll get together?” asked Andee, turning on the light as she slumped onto the bed, gazing up at Robin. Robin shrugged, taking off her leather jacket and hanging it up on the bedpost.

  “I think that everyone finds each other who’s meant to,” said Robin sincerely, sitting down on the edge of the bed to shrug out of her leather boots.

  She didn’t get that far.

  Andee pulled Robin down beside her, moving astride her in one smooth motion, pinning her down to the bed as she stared down at Robin, Robin who was grinning mischievously up at her.

  “You’re drunk,” Robin reminded her gently as Andee leaned down, as Andee began to pull up Robin’s tank top slowly, running her warm fingers over Robin’s skin. Robin shivered beneath her. “Morning’s going to come awfully soon and you’re going to be hung over and trying to get ready for the wedding,” Robin murmured as Andee pulled the tank top completely off of her, up and over Robin’s head, messing up her perfectly gelled blue and brown hair.

  Andee bent down and kissed her.

  “I’m not really that drunk,” Andee promised her, her mouth curling up into its own mischievous grin as she planted a kiss on Robin’s collarbone. The woman rose up beneath her, sighing, breath beginning to come fast.

  Andee knelt over Robin and straightened, beginning to undo the buttons on her blouse lazily at first, grinning down at Robin who reached up her hands, pulled at Andee’s belt on her jeans, flipping it open in one smooth motion. Andee shrugged out of her blouse as Robin reached up again, pulling the bra straps down from Andee’s shoulders as she struggled into a seated position, Andee kneeling over her lap. Robin pulled down the straps, kissed Andee’s shoulder and then her other one as she pressed her long, warm fingers around Andee’s breasts. Andee pulled her head back, breathing out as Robin teased down the rest of the bra, undoing the back clasp in a single, practiced motion.

  “Remember when I used to wow you with that in college?” asked Robin, her head to the side, her eyes dark now as she turned, pushing Andee down beneath her. Andee flopped down onto her back, her world spinning, everything feeling far too good.

  “Yeah,” Andee whispered, putting her arms around Robin’s neck as Robin undid her own bra, Andee’s fingers reaching up, tracing the bare skin down Robin’s back. Robin shivered.

  “I’d practiced for hours to get it just right. To impress you,” whispered Robin as Andee chuckled beneath her, their mouths meeting again.

  “Everything you were impressed me,” whispered Andee, staring up at her in the dimly lit room, watching Robin’s bright blue eyes flash, showing clearly how much Robin wanted her. “You still do,” said Andee softly, twirling the soft strands of Robin’s blue-brown hair in her fingers, caressing the soft fuzz at the nape of Robin’s neck. She shivered as Robin bent down, as Robin’s mouth found her neck, tracing kisses down, over her skin.

  Robin pulled off Andee’s jeans and her panties followed over her shoulder as the woman shrugged out of her own jeans and bottoms, kicking them off as she knelt over Andee, Andee’s heartbeat coming too quickly as she arched up beneath Robin, desperate for Robin’s mouth, for her hands, for her skin and warmth. Robin bent over her, then, her body covering Andee’s body, Andee’s legs wrapping around Robin’s hips as they moved together. Everything felt so good, so warm and golden as Robin reached down between them, her long fingers dipping down and into Andee. Andee gasped out, her arms around Robin’s shoulders, Robin’s mouth on her own as Robin traced patterns then up Andee’s thighs. Andee had never felt so good in her entire life, and nothing she had ever experienced had ever felt so right. Everything before was a pale shade, everything to come something beautiful and full of possibility.

  “I love you,” Robin whispered as she left a trail of kisses down Andee’s neck, over her heart, touching and tasting every inch of Andee as Andee trembled beneath her.

  “I love you,” whispered Andee back, her voice trembling as Robin kissed her heart, her stomach.

  It was the truth for both of them.

  ---

  “Oh my God, I hate my boobs!” Tiffany cried, tugging at the zipper with all of her might. “Come on, ladies, pull!”

  “I am pulling,” said Robin with a sigh and a groan, Andee pulling with her. How they were both able to pull on that little pink zipper, Andee could never tell, but they pulled and tugged with all of their might, and Tiffany held down her breasts and tried not to breathe and…

  The zipper miraculously zipped shut.

  “Oh my God, thank you!” said Tiffany, bouncing a little in the mirror and turning this way and that. “Oh my God, I love you both, thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Robin groaned again, and then Andee and she were laughing as they leaned against one another weakly, Robin pulling up Andee’s zipper, which had always been very well behaved.

  “So, I’m surrounded by gorgeous ladies…good day,” Robin winked at Andee, and Tiffany shooed her back out into the hallway so that they could finish getting ready.

  “I’m worried about Elizabeth’s dress—can you check on them and report back to us?” Tiffany asked, and Robin nodded, saluting and exiting the room smartly clipping along the hardwood floor in her polished flats.

  Andee sprayed her hair once more with hairspray for good measure. Tiffany had done her makeup (thankfully), and all that was left was putting on the jewelry and trying not to smudge or ruin anything about her appearance until they’d gotten to the venue. And not after that, either.

  “The photographer’s going to be here any second, ladies,” Jill called from the hall and Tiffany grabbed the hairspray off the dresser and doused herself again, too, as Andee lifted up the delicate locket and opened the clasp, placing it around her neck.

  “Um,” said Robin, poking her head into the room. Fear made Andee’s blood run cold as she glanced up at Robin’s stricken expression. “Um, can you guys come…help?”

  “Tiffany to the rescue,” said Tiffany with grim determination, and Tiffany and Andee followed Robin out into the hall and down it, toward Elizabeth and Heather’s bedroom.

  From inside came a slightly pained wail.

  “Hello?” called Tiffany, knocking on the partially open door. “Can we come in?”

  “Yeah,” came Heather’s voice, and Tiffany and Robin and Andee walked into the room.

  Elizabeth was in Heather’s arms; Heather was in a beautifully tailored suit, and Elizabeth wore her stunning vintage dress. The seamstress had obviously done a remarkable job fixing what the cat had destroyed—you’d never have been able to tell that it had been “upcycled” by an angry feline.

  But Elizabeth, with her elaborate updo, was crying her heart out.

  “What is it, honey?” said Tiffany, trotting over quickly, her high heels clicking on the floor as she patted Elizabeth’s back.

  “Oh, Tiff,” said Elizabeth, stepping back from Heather. She took a tissue from between her breasts (where else could you store a tissue in a wedding dress? thought Andee, and thought it was quite ingenious). “This is the best day of my life. I’m so happy.”

  Everyone in the room sagged with relief.

  “I’m getting married to the love of my life,” said Elizabeth, words shaking as she took both of Heather’s hands in her own and squeezed tightly. The smile that Heather gave her was so warm and lovely, it seemed to brighten the room.

  “Okay, but, honey, your makeup,” said Tiffany practically, as she opened up Elizabeth’s makeup case again and stepped back, looking at Elizabeth’s eyes. “Let’s touch you up, and then don’t do anymore crying until like…half-way through the ceremony, okay?”

  Elizabeth laughed, and then hiccupped, and then nodded.

  “I’ll do my best,” she managed.

  Tiffany redid Elizabeth’s makeup as the other women bustled about, trying to get all of the last minute preparatio
ns taken care of.

  “The photographer’s here!” called Jill after a few minutes, down in the foyer.

  “Let her in!” called Heather over the banister, and then there was a whirlwind of posing in the antique hallways and out in the gardens. The photographer was easy to work with, a lesbian herself, and specialized in lesbian weddings. Everything was a whirl and a blur of color and laughter as Andee and the other bridesmaids posed with the brides, and then waited by the convertible as Elizabeth and Heather got their solo portraits taken.

  The limo pulled up right on schedule, the butterflies beginning in Andee’s stomach.

  “Hey,” said Robin, squeezing her hand as Elizabeth and Heather rounded the corner of the house. They both held bouquets and each other’s hands, both smiling hugely as the photographer helped Elizabeth up and into the limo, careful with her vintage train. “Can you believe this?” Robin murmured into her ear as the photographer took a few portraits of Elizabeth and Heather, kissing, embracing and laughing in the back of the limo. “They’re getting married, baby. I’ve never seen them so happy.”

  Neither had Andee. And that was saying something. As the bridesmaids climbed into the limo after the photographer, Andee’s butterflies were replaced by happiness. They laughed the entire way to the venue, shipping champagne out of delicate flutes of glass and sharing jokes and stories from their pasts.

  The moments went by too fast.

  When they reached the venue, Andee was the first out of the limo. The other bridesmaids tumbled out, and then Heather was helping Elizabeth out. There was a certain quality to the slant of light from the early afternoon sunshine. Everything seemed to be golden and glowing as they went into the front door of the Green Mountain Grange, as they climbed the stairs up to the second floor, toward the hall. Andee glanced down at all of the tables, so beautifully decorated, at the bar already set up and ready to go, the deejay—the same one from the bar yesterday—setting up and checking the sound equipment.