by Dana Piccoli
“So, everyone in the world knows about us?” Maddy asked as Eddie followed her, rubbing his gray face against her shins.
Nat cringed. In all this time, they had been so busy falling in love and then being apart, they had never discussed what it would mean once their relationship was really out in the open. “It appears that way,” she replied, an unexpected softness in her voice that made her feel small.
It stopped Maddy in her tracks. She walked over to Nat and knelt beside her, taking Nat’s hands in her own. “Nat, I love you. I thought I lost you and now we’re here. Nothing changes that. Sure, I didn’t expect our anonymity as a couple to vanish overnight, but if that’s the price I have to pay to wake up next to you every morning, it’s worth it.”
A smile crept across Nat’s face. “You want to wake up next to me every morning?”
Maddy let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I do. But we can talk about that another time.”
“When,” she asked, her voice hopeful.
“Natalia.”
“Okay, okay, so what do we do now? I mean, what do you want to do now?”
Maddy bit her lower lip. “I don’t know yet, but I think you should take me to bed.”
Wordlessly, Nat kissed her softly and Maddy crawled into her lap. She buried her face in Nat’s neck and bit down softly on her shoulder as Nat’s hands slipped under her shirt.
Later, after moving to the bed and recovering from their bliss, Nat remained hovering over Maddy, their naked limbs burning and entangled. She nipped at Maddy’s chin. “So?”
“So? Natalia Chambers, are you trying to charm me into talking so soon after you made me orgasm because you know I’m as weak as a kitten for you?”
“Maybe,” she said as she shifted her thigh, brushing against Maddy’s already stimulated sex.
Maddy hissed through her teeth. “Fine, talk, just don’t stop doing that.”
“Montana. You haven’t been back in a long time.”
Maddy arched her hips against Nat. “That’s true.”
“I can have Oliver tell them no thank you. Send them our best wishes, but that we have a scheduling conflict.”
Maddy reached her arms around Nat and pulled her close and tight. Nat could see in her eyes that she was once again close to pleasure, her pupils huge and dark in the glow of the lights of Queens. Maddy shivered in her arms, letting out a soft cry of satisfaction. Nat covered her mouth with a kiss, Maddy’s tongue cool and sweet. Maddy pulled away from the kiss, gazing into Nat’s eyes.
“No. Tell them we’ll be there, and we’d be honored.”
“Really?” She sat up, not believing her ears.
Maddy propped herself up on her elbows. “It’s not every day you get asked to be the special guests at a Pride Parade. Besides, I’m proud to be yours. I don’t care if Instagram or anyone else knows. In fact, I’ve just decided I want them to. At first, it was a little intimidating, I admit. But I’ve never felt this way, and I want to shout it from the mountaintops.” Maddy wriggled her naked body out from underneath Nat and jumped on the bed, lifting her hands to her mouth like a bull horn. “I. Love. This. Woman,” she mock shouted.
Nat laughed wildly and tackled her back onto the bed. “And I love this woman,” Nat whispered before she smothered her in kisses.
Chapter Thirty-Four
As the plane approached Missoula, Nat could hardly believe her eyes. She gazed out the window at majestic mountains and waterways winding through the lush greenery. She turned to tell Maddy, but she was sweetly sleeping, her head brushing against Nat’s shoulder. Knowing that the stunning creature sitting next to her grew up nearby, breathing in the crisp clean air, running barefoot through the grass in Kalispell, made Nat smile. She may have run away from her old life and her father, but Maddy spoke fondly of her childhood, picking mint and splashing around in Flathead River. An idyllic time before the reality of adulthood and intolerance set in. Nat gently leaned closer to the window to catch a view of snow-capped mountains in the distance.
“That’s Glacier National Park,” a croaky voice announced next to her. Maddy was bleary-eyed but smiling. “You look like a goofy little kid.”
“In all my travels, I just missed it, you know? I guess I pay special attention to beautiful things now. Kiss me.”
Maddy shook her head and covered her mouth. “No, I have nap breath.”
“My favorite kind. Come on, I need to kiss you over the mountains.”
Maddy leaned in and obliged.
A staticky voice buzzed in from the cockpit. “Hello there, ladies and gentlemen. We are beginning our descent into Missoula, Montana, home of some of the best trout fishing in the US.”
“Oh, thank god,” murmured Nat. “You know I’ve been dying to get my trout on.”
“You’d look good in those waders with nothing on underneath.”
“Now you’re talking.” Nat laced her fingers in Maddy’s until they safely landed. Maddy lifted her feet off the ground during landing, and it was remarkably endearing. After debarking, they walked hand in hand through the small airport and found a driver holding the Miss Chambers and Miss LaDuke sign.
“Freaking fancy,” Maddy whispered as they followed the driver outside to the car.
“I know, right? We’re like bona fide celezbrities here. There’s just the right amount of flannel in this state, and I feel so safe and welcomed.”
“It’s also kind of confusing, trust me,” Maddy added. “Is she a lumberjack, or is she a lesbian? Is she both? My teen years were fraught and filled with a lot of plaid-laden fantasies.”
“Huh,” Nat replied. “I learn something new about you every day.”
“We’ll pick you up a nice Montana flannel and we can have some fun times when we get home. Me with a bottle of red, you in a flannel and nothing else.”
Nat let out a delighted sigh. “Good heavens, woman! I might just pass out.”
“It’s the altitude. You’ll get used to it.”
It was a short ride to the bed-and-breakfast, a stunning Victorian home, with charming owners and even more charming grounds.
“So pleased to have you here, Miss Chambers and Miss LaDuke,” said Rebekah, one of the owners. “We’re huge fans of Trauma University, and our son has all your albums, so we borrowed some of them in anticipation of your arrival.”
“Well that’s great to hear,” Nat replied, turning on the charm. “I’d be happy to sign one of them for him if you think he’d like it.”
“Absolutely,” she said, clapping her hands together with delight. “You must be tuckered out. Let’s get you settled into your room. We have set up some sweets and champagne on the balcony for you. I hope you like the pastries, Miss LaDuke. My husband is an amateur baker but he loves it.”
Maddy flashed Rebekah a huge, genuine smile. “I’m sure I will, and I can’t wait to try them.”
This was something Nat loved about Maddy. She was always so kind and gracious to everyone. Nat could be aloof sometimes, standoffish, but Maddy was always warm and made everyone feel at ease.
Rebekah opened the door for them. “This is our finest suite, and we hope you feel at home here. If you need anything, just let me or my husband, Jeff, know.”
With that, she took her leave and left Nat and Maddy alone. The room was grand, in the way Victorian rooms often were, with a four-poster bed and clean white linen sheets. The antiques were in mint condition and gave the room an authentic feel. A fireplace stood in the corner, and she secretly hoped for a chill in the air that night so they could cuddle up next to the inviting fire.
Maddy wrapped her arms around Nat’s waist and placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. “Welcome to Montana, baby.”
“Welcome back, Maddy. Are you okay?”
She breathed out against Nat’s neck. “I think so. I have you by my side. I thought I would feel…I don’t know…anxious? But, instead I feel at peace.”
Nat faced her and tucked a loose strand of ginger hair behind her ear. “
I’m so glad to hear that.”
“You know what else I’m feeling?”
“Hmm?” Nat cocked an eyebrow.
“Starving. Can we go to dinner now?”
She smiled and pulled her phone from her back pocket. “It’s only three.”
Maddy took her phone and tossed it on the bed. “My stomach is on New York time.”
Nat’s own stomach growled in agreement. “Damn woman, you are always right.” Her gaze scanned the room and landed on the small bistro table set up outside with champagne and pastries. She nodded in the table’s direction.
“Why not?” shrugged Maddy. She opened the windows, letting in a sweet, cool breeze. Maddy picked up a pastry that looked like a cross between a scone and a muffin. She bit down and looked shocked, causing Nat to laugh out loud.
“What’s wrong?”
She winced and grabbed a glass of champagne. “I think he mixed up the sugar and salt. Now you really need to take me out to dinner.”
Nat grabbed her hand and they ran out of the room and flew down the stairs. On the way, they caught sight of a middle-aged man straightening up the parlor, his shirt dusted with flour.
“You must be Jeff,” Maddy called to him. He nodded heartily. “Lovely pastries, thank you so much.”
Nat could barely contain her giggle, but Maddy was doing a kindness, and Jeff blushed and stammered out, “thank you.”
They headed toward downtown Missoula.
“That was awfully nice of you,” Nat commented as she took Maddy’s hand.
“A person can learn how to bake. He’ll get better because he loves it. He was probably nervous, and we’ve all mixed up our ingredients at one point or another. You should have seen my first attempts at filo dough. Une catastrophe.”
“I love when you speak French.”
“Oh yeah,” purred Maddy, slowing her stroll and taking Nat by the waist. She leaned in but Maddy pulled away cheekily. “How about, je vais t’embrasser, après on mange.”
Nat licked her lips and rubbed her nose against Maddy’s. “And what does that mean?”
“It means…” Maddy brushed her lips against Nat’s, sending a shiver of desire up Nat’s spine. “…I’ll kiss you after you feed me.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
After dinner and with bellies full of chicken-fried steak, they decided to take a stroll. The streets of Missoula’s downtown were already prepared for the following day’s Pride festivities. Rainbow flags hung from lampposts while businesses showed their support with placards and posters in the window. Queer couples were out and about, doing the same thing as Nat and Maddy, eating great local food and enjoying the perfect night air. A few yards ahead of them, a gay couple kissed in front of an ice cream shop. Maddy’s hand slipped through Nat’s and held it tightly.
“This is unreal to me,” Maddy commented as they walked past groups of people at sidewalk tables dining and laughing.
“How so?”
“I didn’t know this world existed so close to my own as a young person,” she said, her voice quiet and thoughtful. “I wonder what kind of a difference it might have made to me back then.”
“Maybe you would have run off to Missoula and not Paris?” Nat teased.
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she replied with a smile, “although this town is pretty great. I have vague memories of visiting when I was a kid, but it certainly didn’t involve this,” she said, pointing at a rainbow flag gently flapping in the breeze.
“Are you excited about tomorrow?” Nat asked as they rounded the corner and headed into the more residential area back toward their bed-and-breakfast.
“Yes, and also a little nervous,” Maddy replied. “I’ve been to pride in Paris and New York, but always as a spectator, never a participant.”
“Same,” Nat said. “I’m usually stuck behind a gaggle of gays or a cadre of drag queens. I have a feeling this is a little more low-key.”
Maddy squeezed her hand. “Oh, you think?”
“I mean, I certainly hope there are cadres of drag queens. A girl can wish. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
You couldn’t have asked for a better September day for a parade. The sky was a deep blue and the temperature was in the low seventies. It allowed for stunning views of the vistas in every direction. Rainbow flags were out in force and crowds lined up to celebrate the LGBTQ community.
Nat had decided to go with the Montana flannel motif and wore a cleanly cut-off flannel shirt, a collar chain, black jeans and boots. Maddy was more in the spirit of Pride, donning a “Love is Love” shirt, jean shorts, and rainbow knee socks. Nat was beside herself when Maddy had come out of the bathroom that morning.
“What?” Maddy asked, taking stock of her own outfit when she saw the look on Nat’s face.
“It’s…It’s just so…adorable. You are like the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Maddy blushed. “Well, when in Rome—or Missoula. And you look like the kind of lumberjane I only dreamt of when I was a baby gay.”
After getting picked up by an Uber, they arrived at check in and were greeted by two excited Pride organizers.
“Hello Nat and Maddy!” a frazzled but smiling older woman said as she reached out her hand. “I’m Cheryl Blackburn, the president of the pride organization. I can’t tell you how excited we are that you were able to make it, and on such short notice.”
“We’re thrilled to be here, Cheryl. Thank you for inviting us,” Maddy said as she shook the woman’s hand.
“Maddy, having a Montana girl like you making it big means a lot to us here. I think a lot of the young folks look up to you.”
Maddy placed her hand on her heart. “You have no idea what that means to me.”
“And Nat, everyone here are huge fans of your music, and of course, Trauma University,” Cheryl said. “Are the rumors true? Are they going to add a lesbian character this season?”
Nat grinned. “Cheryl, your guess is as good as mine, but I really hope they do.”
“Well, let’s get you two ready for the roll out.” Cheryl motioned to a young man with a Montana Pride shirt and a clipboard. Erik, can you escort Miss Chambers and Miss LaDuke to the car they will be parading in?”
“Certainly, Cheryl. Ladies, follow me,” Erik said as he made his way through the crowd of volunteers. He led them to a plum-colored 1957 Chevy convertible. “You’ll be sitting here.” Erik patted the backseat of the mint-condition car.
“Wow,” Nat said. “This car is ridiculously cool.”
“Not too shabby, is it?” Erik said. “One of our donors is a classic car collector and he loans out his collection for Pride. Honestly, this is the best car here. I’ll be your driver too. Just sit back and relax. We’ll be starting soon. Would you like some cold water, tea, anything like that?
“Water would be great,” Maddy said and Erik went off in search of the beverage.
Maddy sat on the side of the convertible and slid her legs into the car. “This backseat is huge. I bet a lot of teenagers got up to no good here over the years.”
Nat hopped in after her. “We could always ask Erik to close the top so we could test it out.”
“That would really make an impression on Missoula, wouldn’t it?”
“We would blow. Their. Minds,” Nat said, her eyes widening.
Erik returned with their waters and they broke out into giggles. “Okay, it’s time. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes!” they said in unison.
The engine roared to life and Erik honked the horn at some passing volunteers who offered thumbs-up and waves in response. “I’d tell you to buckle up, but we’ll be going three miles an hour so I think you’ll be okay. Feel free to sit on the back of the seat too if you want to have a better view.” They did as he suggested and hopped up.
They chugged down a side street, the noise from the crowd getting louder and louder as they approached. When they turned down Main Street, the street wa
s three people deep. It was hardly the size of a New York or San Francisco Pride, but the crowd was filled with excited, smiling faces. As the Chevy passed, Nat and Maddy saw signs that said things like, “We Love You Nat and Maddy!” and “ChamberDuke Are Relationship Goals.”
Maddy turned to Nat. “ChamberDuke?”
Nat chuckled. “I guess that’s our portmanteau.”
“We have a portmanteau? That’s…so…weird and also amazing.”
The parade route wasn’t incredibly long, but Nat thought it was exhilarating. Seeing so many happy faces and people celebrating who they are was what Pride was all about. In New York, Pride was an institution, a party with sponsors and professional floats. Here in Montana it was obvious the floats were handmade and local businesses donated to the cause. Seeing peoples’ hard work in action gave her a new perspective.
Before they knew it, Erik had turned down another side street and the parade was winding down. “Thanks so much, you two,” he said. “Now we have the festival and we have a spot for the two of you to meet some eager Montanans.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nat said as she swung out of the backseat and offered her hand to Maddy. Maddy climbed out and into her arms for a big hug and kiss.
The organizers set them up at a table where they could sign autographs and talk with members of the community. The table was covered in rainbow confetti that kept getting stuck to her arms, but Nat didn’t care. She got to meet a lot of smiling faces, some shy, but always kind. She couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off her own face, especially when Maddy attracted fangirls of her own.
“Um, I’m like, literally obsessed with your Instagram, Chef Maddy,” said a young curvy woman with bright eyes and dyed purple hair. She clutched the hand of an equally excited women with short curly hair and an undercut that was growing out.
Maddy beamed. “That’s amazing, and you can just call me Maddy.”
“Um, okay, Maddy. I’ve been like, super inspired by you and I enrolled in the culinary program at Missoula College for next year.”
