Savor the Moment

by Dana Piccoli

  Maddy looked into her eyes again, and Nat mouthed, “Thank you.”

  They were drawn together like a magnet. From within Nat’s throat rose a tickle that she couldn’t contain, and she had to turn her head and cough. I’m so sorry, she hurriedly scribbled.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Maddy shrugged it off. “How about we watch TV or something? Maybe Trauma University is on,” she said with a knowing smile.

  Nat tried not to laugh and pathetically nodded. Maddy motioned for her to move closer and rest her head against her shoulder. She obliged and shortly after some channel surfing, she fell sweetly, blissfully asleep on Maddy’s shoulder.

  She woke to the early sun poking through the shades of her living room. She was alone. She looked all around for Maddy, but she was gone. On the coffee table lay the white board, with the words, “Sweet dreams, birthday girl. Feel better soon, because your voice is becoming one of my favorite sounds. See you soon. Maddy.”

  She laid herself back on the couch as Eddie chirped and hopped up to join her. Maybe twenty-nine wouldn’t be so bad, she thought. She drifted back to sleep, a smile on her lips.

  Chapter Twelve

  A few days later Nat was back in fighting shape. During her recovery, she and Maddy had exchanged dozens of texts as Nat lay on the couch, sipping on strong ginger tea and binge-watching British crime dramas. With her voice back, albeit a little scratchy, she was ready to talk again and get on with prepping for the tour, and more urgently, seeing Maddy again.

  “Hey there!” Maddy said with excitement. “Wait, can you talk, or will this just be a heavy breathing sort of thing?”

  She laughed into the receiver. “No, sorry to disappoint. I can speak again. But I can do a little heavy breathing if you like.”

  “Hmm, that’s tempting, but your froggy voice is making me all kinds of happy now.”

  She could hear the sounds of pots and pans clanking in the background. “Oh shit, did I get you at a bad time? Are you like elbow deep in a soufflé or something? I couldn’t bear it if I was responsible for the destruction of a soufflé.”

  “Nat Chambers, you are funny. And no, you are no soufflé murderer. Actually, come to think of it, I haven’t made a soufflé since pastry school. Don’t tell anyone but I think they’re overrated.”

  “Your culinary confession is safe with me, Chef.”

  “Actually, I’m just putting in my orders for the week. What are you up to?”

  Her stomach began to flutter. “Well, I was going to see if you wanted to get some lunch with me, maybe at that little Mexican joint you raved about.”

  “That sounds pretty amazing. I can be done here in an hour and can steal away for a bit before we start prepping for service tonight.”

  “Great, so I’ll see you then.” She smiled at the good news and ran to her closet to find something that screamed, I’m effortlessly cool and not at all awkward around women I like.

  She grabbed a vintage Dolly Parton shirt she had fought a hard-won battle for on eBay. One look at her hair told her it was a hat day, so she dug out her best black beanie before picking up her keys and rushing out the door.

  It was a blessedly warm day and when she got to the restaurant, Maddy was already seated outside on the mix-matched patio. She waved a hand and Nat had to take a deep breath. She wore a plain white T-shirt and a pair of houndstooth chef pants, with her hair in a high ponytail. In other words, completely and utterly adorable.

  Maddy stood up to hug Nat as she approached, and Nat took in the warmth of her touch and the clean scent of her skin. When they pulled away from each other, Nat instantly missed the weight of Maddy in her arms.

  “You know,” she remarked as she gave Maddy an exaggerated once over, “You have somehow totally changed my feelings on the subject of Crocs. You make them look amazing.”

  Maddy playfully modeled her footwear. “These are the shoes of champions. Have you ever tried to get raspberry coulis out of a pair of Uggs or Nikes? No, it’s a Sisyphean task. Well, I just spray these babies down with warm water and boom! I’m ready to take on the world.”

  “You are something else, Madeline. I bow before your awesome.” She motioned for Maddy to sit. They settled in and she reached for one of the sticky menus, but Maddy leaned close and traced her finger across Nat’s hand. She glanced down at her long, tapered fingers and noticed little pink and brown scars scattered. They were chef’s hands, with nicks from sharp knives, burns from too hot pans, and splatters of molten sugar. She wanted to kiss every inch of them.

  “Do you trust me?” Maddy asked, breaking Nat from her trance.

  “Uh, yes, of course.”

  “Then we don’t need menus.” Maddy smiled. She motioned to the waitress. “Hey Luisa, can you ask Chef to send us out some of his favorites? Oh, and a giant bowl of your salsa and chips, and two Mexican Coca-Colas, please.”

  Luisa kindly nodded and headed back inside.

  Maddy leaned back and bit lightly on her lip. “I like your shirt.”

  Nat broke into a huge grin. The T-shirt was a good choice. “Queen Dolly. Only one of the finest songwriters and musicians ever to walk the earth. Have you ever seen her live?” Maddy shook her head, obviously delighting in Nat’s enthusiasm. “Well, she’s incredible. Like she can kick the ass of any musician half her age.” She leaned in. “If you could distill the sun into ninety pounds and a platinum blond wig, you’d have Dolly.”

  Maddy let out a chuckle. “Wow, I hope someone describes me like that one day.”

  “Really? Because you are rocking the ginger thing. By the way, how long have you been Insta-famous?”

  Maddy smiled. “Insta-famous? I am hardly Insta-famous.”

  “I did a little social media stalking. Twenty thousand followers. Not too shabby.”

  “Well, thank you. It didn’t really start to pick up until after I moved to NYC.”

  “The pics are amazing. I really like the ones of you in your chef hat and coat. Something about those little hats just gets me right here.” She lightly pounded her chest and swooned.

  Maddy blushed.

  “But seriously, @pastrygrlnyc, I’m really into it. I love that you share your recipes too. It feels like you’re just talking to a friend when you’re reading your posts.”

  “That’s about the best compliment you could have given me,” Maddy said. “Thank you.”

  She was caught in Maddy’s stare for a moment and nearly had to shake herself out of it. “Hey, so the other night, what you shared with me… That was a big deal. I knew you were beautiful and really, really cool, but you’re also strong. I want you to feel like you can share anything with me.”

  Maddy traced a finger along the wrought-iron design of the table. “You know, it’s kind of weird because we only met recently, but I feel like I can share things with you. I look into your eyes and…”

  They were interrupted when Luisa returned to the table with two ice-cold Cokes and a big bowl of chips and salsa. The serious talk would have to wait until after lunch.

  “Nice. The chips are still warm,” Nat exclaimed as she dipped a chip in the bright red salsa.

  “I know.” Maddy exclaimed as she chomped down on one herself.

  “And the salsa…it’s so…” Nat mumbled through a mouthful of chip.

  “Amazing. I know.” Maddy winked at her.

  “We need a moment of silence to honor the deliciousness of these chips and salsa.”

  “You are kind of a dork. Did you know that?” Maddy asked, the smile on her face big and genuine.

  Nat looked up at her. “You’re just figuring this out? Don’t let the rock star thing confuse you. Grade-A dork, here.”

  “Well, it’s your lucky day, because I’m super into dorks, especially cute, talented dorks.”

  Now it was Nat’s turn to blush. They continued to flirt and chat and soon Luisa brought by numerous aromatic small plates, each one more tempting and delicious than the one before. They shared their food, and Maddy explaine
d what each was: tamales with roasted pork and an earthy mole sauce, a bright ceviche with fresh avocado, and a hearty birria stew that Nat knew she would crave now on chilly winter nights.

  “You like the goat, huh?” Maddy asked, already knowing the answer.

  “What gave you that idea? Is it because I’m practically wearing it right now? Or the whispering of sweet nothings?”

  “Well, both frankly.” Maddy put down her spoon and stared into her bowl. “I could make this for you sometime if you like. Well, not as good as Chef’s, but I’m not too shabby with the savory. Pastry might be my specialty but I’m a good cook too.”

  “I have no doubt, and that sounds amazing.” Nat slid her hand over to Maddy’s and interlocked their fingers. Maddy’s warm hand felt like heaven.

  “So, I told you my story the other night. Now it’s your turn to tell me all your secrets, Nat Chambers.” Maddy squeezed Nat’s fingers.

  She cleared her throat. “Huh. Okay, well I was born and raised in the Hudson Valley. My parents still live there. Dad’s a librarian and aspiring mystery novelist. Mom’s an interior designer. I inherited Dad’s gift for written words and none of my mother’s style.”

  Maddy chuckled. “I don’t know about that. I thought your apartment was very chic.”

  “That’s because she decorated it. I’m lucky if I walk out of the house in matching socks. Anyway, I went to college in Boston, Berklee College of Music. I majored in voice, but I really couldn’t stand the rigidness of classical voice and opera, so I switched my major to songwriting my sophomore year.”

  “You can sing opera?” Maddy asked with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Yes, I can and no I won’t.”

  Maddy stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

  “Pout all you want. It makes your mouth look amazing.”

  “You are so cheeky.”

  “Anyway, from there I moved to Nashville for a couple years and I started writing music for myself and other musicians. You know, Annie Stevens, the alt-country singer?”

  “Yes, I love her album, Starlings.”

  “Well, I wrote a few of those songs. ‘Cry Havoc,’ ‘Starving,’ and ‘Wait for Me, My Darling.’”

  Maddy clapped her hands and let out a little squeal. “‘Wait for Me, My Darling’ is my absolute favorite from that album. I can’t believe I didn’t know you wrote it.”

  “Well, songwriters don’t always get a taste of the limelight, which is why I still perform my own music as well. Is that petty of me to admit? I love being on stage.”

  “No, I completely understand. Plus, you’re so talented. I totally downloaded your latest album after we went out for coffee.” Maddy flushed.

  “Really?” She was touched. She liked the idea of Maddy listening to her voice and words as she baked at the restaurant or danced around her living room.

  “Maddy, I really want to kiss you right now.” She was surprised at her own boldness.

  “Good, because I really, really want you to kiss me.”

  They leaned across the table, and as they came closer, Maddy’s phone chimed.

  “Damn it.” She looked down at the phone. “It’s one of my guys, and they know I’m on a date and will be murdered if it’s not an emergency.”

  Nat waved sympathetically and sat back in her chair.

  Maddy answered the call. “Hey. What’s going on? Okay, so they got the entire shipment wrong?” She sighed. “Well, there’s not much we can do except make an emergency run to the market. Call Marie and ask her to stay open as a favor to me. I’ll be right there.” She pursed her lips and slid the phone into her pocket. “I’m so sorry, Nat. There was a major fuckup and I have to do damage control.”

  “No apology necessary. You go do your chef thing and I’ll take care of things here.”

  “Okay, but I get next time. Sound good?” Maddy said as she got up from her chair.

  “Absolutely.” Nat rose and before she knew it, Maddy stepped in and kissed her quickly on the lips.

  “Goodbye, Nat. I had a great time,” Maddy said softly, her lips still close to Nat’s.

  “Mmm,” was all Nat could dreamily reply as Maddy took off down the street.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Paul? Can you create a lower harmony for this line? It feels a little hollow with just Jackie and me.”

  The trio sat in their rehearsal space, plunking out harmonies and trying new sounds for the European tour. Now that Nat had fully recovered, it was back to work.

  “How about this?” Paul sang a few notes and Nat nodded in approval.

  “Yeah, that works. It fills that hole nicely.”

  Jackie and Paul began to giggle uncontrollably at this statement. Jackie even fell off her chair. Nat, knowing she’d just set herself up for this reaction, joined in. “We are a mature lot, aren’t we?”

  “What are you ladies doing tonight?” Paul asked, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye “I mean besides filling your holes.”

  “Oh man, you are a sick puppy,” Nat replied. “Uh, I was thinking of trying to meet up with Maddy.”

  Paul and Jackie looked at each other, then Nat, and smiled. “Well, guess who is coming to town tonight and playing a surprise show at Haven?”

  Jackie and Nat both shrugged.

  “Redfern.”

  Nat slapped her hand on her knee and grinned. Redfern used to play a lot of the same venues as the Nat Chambers Band back in the day and they were on the same label. They had all become good friends over the years. The guys in Redfern had relocated to Austin in the last year, and this was a very pleasant surprise.

  “Yeah, Steve called me last night. He, Dan, Ari, and Andy are doing a few East Coast shows to promote their new album. Anyway, they’d love to see you, Nat. They are really excited to hear your new music which I told them was a thing that existed and not just in our dreams, Chambers.”

  Nat glared at him. “Oh, thanks.”

  “And I’m sure Steve would love to meet you, Jackie.”

  Jackie cocked her eyebrow. “What’s this Steve feller like?”

  “He’s got a handlebar mustache and really tight jeans,” Paul answered.

  “Sold.” She twirled one of Paul’s nearby drumsticks.

  “So, what do you say, Nat? I’m buying the drinks.” He looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

  “Well hell, I can’t miss an evening with Redfern. Yes, I’m in. What do you think about me texting Maddy to see if she’d like to join us? I kind of feel like we are there now. You know, getting to know the friends.” She pulled out her phone, just as Paul’s phone chirped. He looked down at it.

  “No need,” he responded. “She said yes, and she can’t wait to see you.”

  “What the actual hell, Paul? You already talked to her?”

  “Oh, we text. We’re like, text buddies now. I think she’s really sprung on you. By the way, Redfern may ask us to play with them, so be ready. I need to vape. Be right back.”

  Nat looked at Jackie with exasperation. Jackie opened her mouth to speak.

  “I remember my first handlebar mustache. It was a dead sexy Aussie hipster I met on holiday. It tickles so good.”

  Nat just looked at her.

  “What?” Jackie responded innocently while twirling an invisible mustache.

  “I’m curious. Do you have a type?”

  “Yes. Hot boys with mustaches.”

  She loved the way Jackie said mustaches in her British accent, like moostashes. “Well, that narrows down the field.”

  “Are you implying I’m shallow? Because I’m not shallow. I once dated a guy with zero fashion sense. He had a really great arse, though.”

  “I heard great arse. Quit talking about me when I’m not in the room.” Paul leaned back in, smelling of sweet vapor.

  “No, I was telling Nat about the guy I dated with the mom jeans.”

  “Oh yeah, I saw pics. He did have a great ass, though.”

  “Natalia here thinks I’m a shallow slutty slut.”


  “Shallow is a bit harsh,” Paul added.

  “Thank you.” Jackie slapped him on the knee.

  “Wait, I didn’t call anyone shallow. Or a slut. I would never slut-shame. I’m all for sexual expression,” Nat said. “I prefer to think of both of you as free-spirited, especially in your pants.”

  “Amen,” Paul said, raising his hands to the sky. “So, speaking of slutting it up… Sorry, ‘expressing oneself sexually.’ You and Maddy? Have you gone there yet?”

  Nat blushed furiously. “Well, why don’t you ask Maddy, since you guys are BFFs now?”

  He leaned back in a big stretch. “Oh, I already did. She just responded by sending me an emoji of a unicorn and a middle finger.”

  Nat wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. Something about Maddy’s response to him made Nat like her even more. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “Is it any of my business?” asked Jackie who was now flipping through a Rolling Stone.

  “No. It’s not any of your business either. But since you asked, no, we have not gone there yet. We haven’t even really kissed yet.”

  “What?” Jackie and Paul shouted in unison.

  “We are taking it slow. She’s just so fun and lovely. There hasn’t been a perfect moment.” Nat picked at an already frayed spot on the knee of her jeans.

  Paul reached over and put his hand on Nat’s shoulder. “Honey, there are no perfect moments. But it’s sweet of you to think that. I say take the girl into the nearest dark corner. It’s about time you got past this Melissa thing.”

  “Yes, because nothing says I want to have gaybies with you like a filthy fingerbang,” Jackie interjected. “You, my darling Paul, are an idiot. Lesbians are gentle creatures with emotional needs.”

  Nat cocked her head and knitted her eyebrows at Jackie. “Since when are you the Jane Goodall of lesbians?”

  “I watched a documentary. Okay, so it was on koalas, but it made me think about lesbians.” She shrugged good-naturedly.

  “You are both out of your heads. If you don’t mind, I’d like to handle this my own way. And Paul, I am over the Melissa thing.”