by T J Vertigo
"No, that's the problem, he's treating me exactly the same." Brooke said with a sour face,
"I see." Harriet said with a nod. "Well, it's about time. I don't know how you put up with it for so long."
"Mom!" Brooke looked at her mother in disbelief. "You knew and didn't say anything?"
"No, I didn't know much until recently. You haven't been yourself for a long time and I was concerned. You probably wouldn't have said anything to me if I didn't ask." Harriet said, slightly hurt.
"It wasn't important." Brooke mumbled.
"Of course it was! I'm your mother!"
"I'm sorry."
"Well, it's alright now. Deirdre told me Grant is away for a week at the cabin with Daddy Dear. You’re rid of him for a whole week."
"Glad you know where he is." She said bitterly, then thought about it a second. "A week? What about his job? What else did Deirdre tell you?" Brooke wondered, dying to know what Grant told his mother.
"His job will survive." Mrs. Hewitt chuckled and patted her daughter's hand. She sipped her tea and sighed humorously.
Brooke removed her hand and put her own tea down on the coffee table. "What mother?" She prodded.
"Well, the way Deirdre and Phillip tell it, you were abducted and brainwashed by a crazy cult of rollerblading lesbians."
Brooke's mouth hung open in shock. "What??!!"
Harriet giggled. "I know dear! It's a hoot!"
Brooke swallowed hard and took her hand back from her mother's grasp. Holy shit on a stick!
"A crazy cult of lesbians? On roller blades?" She repeated, just to make sure.
"Yes dear. Whatever you did to that poor boy has scarred him. He's talking nonsense."
"Uh mom..."
Mrs. Hewitt stopped giggling and stared at her daughter. "Yes?"
"Nothing. Where do you suppose he would get such an idea?" She wondered. The cult stuff was crazy, but the lesbians? She was worried.
"It seems Grant is under the impression that you're having an affair.... with a woman." She said, tittering.
"I see." Brooke said quietly, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans.
Harriet took in her daughter's behavior. "You're not are you?"
"No! No... I'm not." Brooke confirmed, still nervous and shaky.
"Oh good. You know, not that it's terrible to have an affair with a woman. You know your aunt Winnie, and her room mate of 20 years Beth. I mean, I still love her and everything. She's always going to be my baby sister."
"Aunt Winnie? Aunt Beth?" Brooke asked in surprise.
"Oh yes. 20 years and counting, they must be doing something right. But I don't care, to each his own I always say. Besides, how do we know that they aren't doing it right and we have it all wrong." Mrs. Hewitt joked.
Relieved by her mother's acceptance but still shook up by the conversation, Brooke stood up and put Fred on the floor. "I think I'm going to take him for a walk."
"Ok dear, be careful."
"I will."
Brooke went to her bag to retrieve her keys. "Oh mom? He didn't mention who he though I was having an affair with did he?"
Harriet thought a moment. "Yes, yes he did... wait a minute... K , it starts with a K."
Brooke paled and her stomach dropped to her knees.
"Brooke! Are you alright? You're not going to faint are you?" Mrs. Hewitt was getting up off the couch in concern.
"No, I'm fine. A week huh?"
"What?"
"Grant's going to be gone a week?"
"Yes honey. You know you're always welcome here if you don't want to bang around that house all alone. Dad and I would love to have you here. Not to mention Fred."
Brooke's mind was going a mile a minute." I need to go..." She said quickly and left.
PART 9
C AYDEN LOUNGED AROUND the house all morning. She loved her day off and took full advantage of it. Wade worked all weekend and their days off didn't coincide making a true alone day for Cayden. The tall woman whipped out a bag of Oreos and a tall glass of milk and plopped down on the couch in her underwear. She had the house to herself and refused to get dressed. The second that the bag of cookies crinkled, La La was at her feet, giving her the eye. She reached down and scratched the giant cat behind his ears, watching with a grin as his eyes closed and he began to purr. "You do realize that if daddy knew I really liked you, my cover would be blown?" she said in a whisper. "So don't go saying anything incriminating."
Cayden had polished off a handful of cookies and two glasses of milk and was just drifting into a nap when the doorbell rang. She scowled and glared at the door but the bell continued to chime. "It's my only day off... go away!" she yelled.
"I know that, silly. That's why I'm here."
"Jodie. Go away, and take whatever woman you have with you."
"Cayden. I'm hurt. I'm all alone." Jodie said with a pout.
The tall woman made her way to the door and looked through the peephole to find that Jodie was indeed, alone.
Jodie took one look at her friend and laughed. "Oreos huh?"
"What?" Cayden asked in confusion.
"You've got Oreo all over your teeth and there's a hole in your drawers. Good thing I didn't bring a woman with me."
Cayden ran off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Jodie made herself at home and started the coffee pot. By the time the tall woman came back, her friend was laying on the couch comfortably, remote in one hand, cookies in the other. "Cayd, do you mind getting me some coffee?"
The brunette scowled. "Oh absolutely master, anything else your highness?"
"Mmm... no, that will be all."
Cayden made herself some coffee too, brought both mugs into the living room, and set them down on the coffee table. "Feet please." she said, smacking Jodie's foot.
"Oh, a foot massage would be wonderful." The waitress said, wiggling her toes.
"Fuck off, Princess." Cayden smirked, throwing her friend's feet off of the couch and sitting in their place. "What brings you here on my sacred day off?"
"It's Sunday, my cable's out and I have no coffee."
"The tragedy of it all." Cayden said sarcastically. This is taking too long.. 3... 2... 1...
"So, what happened with Denise last night?"
The shopkeeper chuckled. "Like you don't already know. I bugged out of our date."
"Knew you would." Jodie said smugly.
"Shut up." Cayden blew on her coffee and refused to look at Jo.
"Cayd, it's not you. I knew that."
"Yeah, yeah." The brunette focused on the television and winced. "I am not watching cartoons Jo, gimme." she reached for the remote but Jodie moved it away. "Jodie! Gimme!"
"No. I had it first and I'm not watching home improvement shows all day either."
"You're staying all day?" Cayden whined.
"I mean, it's bad enough you're obsessed with those shows, but you do nothing with the knowledge. You'd half expect this place to look like the Taj Mahal by now."
"You're not staying all day."
"Or at least like that jungle room room that Christopher Lowell created. That would be neat. What was it... Indonesian?"
"Jodie! When are you leaving?" Cayden demanded an answer.
"I just got here." Jodie complained.
The tall woman sighed. "I liked that Indonesian room you know, but I wouldn't want to live in it."
"Speaking of Indonesian, I'm going out for Thai food with Jennifer tonight, wanna come?"
"Thai food huh? Nah, I don't want to go with you and a date. That's tacky."
"I'm not dating her, actually she's hot for you." Jodie said innocently.
Cayden sat straight up and threw her arms in the air. "NO! Oh no! No, no, no, no,.. and NO! Forget it."
"Please? She's hot. She's got blonde hair and green eyes." Jodie said with a smirk.
"I don't care if she looked like JLo. No."
"Didn't say she looked like JLo. She looks like Brooke actually." The waitress snicke
red.
Cayden scrunched up her face at first, but was reminded of her dream the moment Jodie mentioned Brooke's name. Her heart started beating rapidly.
"You're considering it?" Jodie asked hopefully.
"No. I'm not. I can't play games."
"What games? Just have dinner with me and a chick. No expectations. She just wants to sit next to the great and powerful Cayden."
"Ha. No, I'd rather not."
"Such a waste of damned good looks you are." Jodie sighed in defeat. "So, what are you going to do about Brooke anyway?"
Cayden shrugged. "What can I do? Nothing."
"You know her name, I'm sure there aren't many other Brooke's with her last name in the phone book."
"What do you suggest I do, stalk her?" Cayden chuckled.
"Well, no, but if I were you, I'd find her number and call her."
"What the hell would I say? Oh hi there Brooke, I've stalked you this far, wanna have lunch?"
"No, how about starting with hello."
"Dry up Jo. What I mean is, what would I possibly say after this whole boyfriend thing? I really don't want to talk to her."
"I think she has the hots for you and used you as an excuse to leave him."
"I'm not flattered. What if he was crazy?"
"Ah, but he wasn't. Angry, yes, crazy, no. He thinks you're boffing his girlfriend Cayd, you'd be pissed too. Just call her and ask her how Fred is."
"She'd think I'm crazy calling her like that! Why am I even answering you?"
"I would call." Jodie said with a shrug.
"That's you. I'll wait to see her in the shop if anything. I'm still pissed at her for using me as a scapegoat."
"Yeah, but you're still hot for her so you'll get over it." Jodie said with a smirk.
"Shut up."
* * *
Oh my God... where the hell would Grant get Cayden's name from? How did he know anything? Am I talking in my sleep? Brooke walked with Fred and panicked. Holy Jesus! I must be talking in my sleep... good Lord! How long have I been doing this? How long does he know I've been having dreams of Cayden? Brooke stopped walking and furrowed her brows. Just because I dream of someone, doesn't mean I'm having an affair. How does he even know Cayden is a real person? I know I never mentioned her before. To anyone. She glanced down at the dog. Ok, so I told Fred, but unless Fred can talk... She froze. FRED! The cologne! The bag! Grant went through my pocket book? That son of a bitch! Brooke fumed. How dare he! She bent down, bagged Fred's poop angrily and threw it into the trash can, hard. She continued to grind her teeth as she headed back to her mother's when thought occurred to her. Wait a minute, just because I scribbled her name on a paper bag doesn't mean anything. It could just be a name I liked or... oh no... maybe he put two and two together and .... Brooke's mouth went dry and she looked up the street in the direction of The Fuzzy Belly Deli. He couldn't... he's not that smart. Is he? She turned on her heel and walked as fast as she could with the old dog in the opposite direction. Oh my god. If he did I'd just die! she thought, horrified with the very prospect of Grant confronting Cayden.
* * *
Cayden finally got Jodie to leave and she spent the rest of the day laying around in her holey underwear until Wade came home. He was exhausted from, he claimed, fighting off the sweaty herd of thong wielding, freebie sucking, housewives. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower and his bed. He left Cayden alone to watch TV to her heart's content. The tall woman toasted up a grilled cheese for a late supper and pretended to hate the cat for the rest of the evening.
* * *
Brooke had been sitting at her desk for hours, her work kept her busy until her stomach growled and she realized she hadn't touched the muffin she brought for breakfast. Looking at her watch she was surprised to find it after lunch time. "No wonder I'm starved." she said to herself.
"Whats that hon?" Bev asked from her cubicle.
"Nothing Bev, I'm hungry. I'm going to lunch now."
"Hey, I was just going too, wanna join me?"
Brooke shrugged. "Why not?"
They wound up at Au Bon Pain and sat down at a small table after they got their sandwiches.
"What's new? You seem extra quiet today." Bev inquired, unwrapping her lunch.
"A lot has happened this weekend, Bev."
"Wanna talk about it?"
Brooke sighed. If anyone would understand, it would be Bev, but was she really ready to talk about it yet? Screw it. "I think I'm a lesbian." She blurted out in a hushed voice.
Bev dropped her sandwich with a plop. "What?" she asked in disbelief.
Brooke turned pink and squirmed. "I have a horrible crush on a woman... and..." Someone walked by and she stopped.
"Oh Brooke, a crush is harmless. It's perfectly normal for a woman to have a crush on another woman." Bev consoled her distraught friend.
"Well, no. I think it's more than a crush." Brooke admitted shyly. "I dream about her."
Bev smiled knowingly, maternally. She felt very pleased that Brooke chose her to talk to. "Is this the first time you've spoke to someone about this?"
The blonde nodded and picked at the seeds on her sandwich roll.
"Do you feel better for it?"
"Not really, but I had to tell someone. I figured with Sam and all... you'd understand."
Bev nodded proudly. "So you dream about her do you?"
Brooke blushed harder and nodded.
"Oh honey, it's ok. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I don't feel ashamed. Just confused. I never felt anything for a woman before. I mean, where did it come from?"
"Who knows. But it happened. Are you sure it's not just a crush?"
"Vivid dreams Bev, even when I'm awake." Brooke said, eyes wide.
"Well then, definitely not a crush. Is she close to you? Do you see her often?"
"No. She works in a shop I went to once, then I saw her again in the park. It's not like I can have her anyway Bev, she's taken. She's so beautiful though. Sexy and tall."
"She's taken? Oh, well that sucks." Bev frowned. Brooke was definitely ga ga over this woman.
"I really wasn't planning on making anything of it anyway." Brooke said sadly.
"Even if she was single? Is she interested in you?"
Brooke perked up instantly. "I think so. I think she tried to pick me up the first time we met. Then when she looked at me in the park... god... the way she looked at me, Bev. No one's ever looked at me like that before."
Both of the older woman's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"
"Oh, Bev, it made my knees weak." Brooke said dreamily.
"Well, look at you, honey. I believe you, this is way more than a crush. Are you sure she's taken?"
"Very sure. There was this woman hanging all over her at the park." the blonde said, crestfallen. "To make that sort of public display..."
"But, isn't that when she looked at you that way? Perhaps she isn't serious about this hanging woman. How much do you know about her anyway?"
"Not much. Hmm, maybe you're right, maybe they weren't serious. Cayden didn't seem very receptive now that I think about it, and she did look at me like she was very interested. Oh, Bev! Now you got me thinking!"
"Cayden, what a pretty name." Bev remarked.
"It suits her. She's tall, has long beautiful black shiny hair, a great body, and her skin, it looks so flawless I just want to touch it. I think I'm obsessed with her hands!" Brooke said in a frightened voice.
Bev smiled reassuringly. "It's ok, baby. I say you get to know her better. Who knows?"
Brooke sighed. "Yeah, who knows."
"What does Grant think of all this, or does he not know?"
"Please, Grant is history. He's made his bed." Brooke replied bitterly.
Bev's head cocked to the side. "What happened?"
"You wouldn't even believe it. Suffice it to say, he's gone." She said adamantly.
The older woman sat back and studied her friend. She looked very serious. "Is this because of Cay
den?"
"No, it's been a long time coming. I think that Cayden was just the icing on the cake."
* * *
For a Monday, Cayden was pretty busy. The Fuzzy Belly Deli had a steady stream of customers, some regular, some new, and of course, ones who drove Cayden crazy by walking all over the place, picking things up and putting them down in the wrong place. If that wasn't enough, Ida Friedman called a total of 6 times to inform Cayden of her baby's brilliant escapades, her newest incompetent psychiatrist and her homeopathic remedies for everything from plantar's warts to dandruff. By the time Jodie decided to pop in, the tall shopkeeper was a wreck and she left her friend to mind the shop as she went out to take a break. Knowing
Jodie could only stay a short while, Cayden couldn't disappear and she opted for sitting on the sidewalk a few stores down to drink a tall, cold, can of iced tea. The awning from the store she sat in front of, kept the sun from hitting her upper body, but it didn't prevent the glaring heat from attacking her long legs. She frowned as she felt herself start to burn. It wasn't only hot, it was humid too and Cayden knew that once the iced tea was gone, the thrill of her reality break would be over, so she sipped the cold liquid slowly. Just as she closed her eyes and began to relax, Jodie popped her head out of the shop with the cordless phone dangling from her fingers.
"Oh Cayden, sweetheart, darling, angel." she said, mimicking Ida Friedman.
"Nooooo...." the tall woman groaned.
"Yes, it's your biggest fan. I didn't know you were being considered for sainthood." Jodie teased.
"She has nobody. I listen to her." Cayden shrugged. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked rhetorically.
"Aren't you the bees knees, angel pie."
Cayden sighed. She really didn't feel like talking to Mrs. Friedman again, but knew if she didn't now, the eccentric old woman would only call back later. "Oh alright. Give me the phone." She reached out reluctantly, and started getting up.
Jodie watched with amusement as Cayden pressed the hold button and started nodding instantly as she walked back inside.
The tall shop keeper eventually hung up the phone and banged her head on the receiver a few times before expelling a frustrated growl. "She drives me crazy Jo!"
