Hearts of Emerald Bay

by D G Barnes

  A woman seated at the mic was reading a cute but childish story aloud. On the chair next to her sat a smartly dressed young boy. He sat at the edge of the chair with his legs swinging. The boy kept his gaze directed at the floor during most of the reading. He looked up only a couple of times, smiling nervously at the audience. It was evident the boy was shy, and the woman reading his story was most likely his mother.

  Seated at the back of the stage, she saw another woman sitting with a young girl. Mother and daughter, she guessed. Ellie sat next to them, and Dana couldn’t help noticing the empty chair to her left. She was not surprised at all. Ellie wouldn’t be too shy to read her story and therefore wouldn’t need an adult to be with her on stage. She wondered where Mac was, and without thinking, she stood, not enough to be noticed but still able to search the room. It didn’t take long to find who she was looking for. There in the front row, the reflection of stage lights illuminated the flowing waves of long red hair. Dana’s stomach pulled, and she was sure the people in front of her could hear her heart pounding. Quickly she sat again and drew a calming breath. It didn’t help.

  As she listened to the woman read, she found her eyes drawn down, trying to catch a glimpse of the redhead in the front row. The story ended, and the boy and his mom stood as the audience applauded. The boy, quite pleased with himself, took a step forward and bowed deeply. The audience broke into laughter and clapped again. The duo took their place at the back of the stage as the mother and daughter came forward and sat at the mic.

  The pretty blonde girl sat by the mic and her mother adjusted it. She appeared to be older than the boy but not as old as Ellie. She spoke quietly into the mic and introduced herself. Her mother leaned in close and spoke something into the girl’s ear. She immediately sat straighter and introduced herself again, this time speaking louder. The girl gave the title of her story and explained the passage she was about to read.

  Dana guessed the girl’s mother had joined her on stage for moral support. As she listened, it occurred to her that for someone so young the story was well written. She wondered how much help she had received from an adult, then found herself hoping she hadn’t given Ellie an unfair advantage over the others in her age group. Surely not; it wasn’t as if she had written the story for Ellie but instead had pointed out small errors in syntax, grammar, and punctuation. She’d also made a few suggestions where Ellie could flesh out characters and events a bit more. That’s all.

  The reading finished twenty minutes later and like the boy before, the young girl received a loud round of applause. Now it was Ellie’s turn, and Dana sat straighter, giving her full attention to her young friend. Ellie took a seat at the mic and then looked out into the audience, scanning the faces in the crowd. Her smile grew as she looked in Dana’s direction. A wave a panic rushed through her. Damnit! Had Ellie picked her out in the darkened room? At that moment she wanted to run, but she knew Ellie would see her for sure and it wouldn’t be fair to her. So, Dana sat and listened, prepared to leave as soon as Ellie finished reading.

  “Hello. My name is Ellie Mackenzie, and the name of my story is The Chauffeur. It is a lesbian romance story that takes place in the present day.” Ellie paused, and the audience remained silent. Dana had half expected gasps of shock and horror from the audience but was happy to be wrong. God only knows what Doris would have done had she been here.

  “The piece I am going to read takes place near the end of the story. Victoria, heiress and only child of a billionaire tycoon, is about to meet Claudia, the chauffeur, for the first time since the two broke up during a heated argument over social status three weeks before.” She sat in her chair, adjusted the mic a bit and began to read.

  Dana remembered the part well. The scene opened with Victoria standing in a small gazebo situated on a tiny island that sat in the middle of a pond on her father’s estate. The gazebo had always been a favorite spot for Victoria, a place to play when she was a little girl or to think and mull over whatever issues were plaguing her as she grew older.

  The setting was picturesque. It was Christmas eve, and the snow-covered ground glistened in the moonlight. Colored lights decorated the gazebo and reflected off the frozen pond.

  At the same time, Victoria was staring out over the snow and ice, Claudia had put the car away for the night. Deciding she needed to set things right with Victoria, she headed out to the pond and met her halfway across the narrow footbridge connecting the gazebo and the shore.

  They stared at each other, then they both tried talking at the same time. Claudia conceded and let Victoria talk first. She apologized, telling Claudia she was wrong and that money and social status were nowhere near as important to her as Claudia’s love. Then Claudia apologized for accusing Victoria of loving her money more than her. They laughed and cried and kissed in the moonlight on the tiny bridge before sneaking into the house to find an empty bedroom to make love in. There was a steamy love scene at that point in the story, which Ellie smartly chose to leave out considering the age of some of her audience members.

  Dana sighed at how heartwarming the passage was. The audience clapped, and then one-by-one the people stood, their applause growing louder. Dana stood, peeking around heads for a look at the stage. Ellie too was standing, her face beaming with pride and happiness. A joyful tear ran down Dana’s cheek, and she knew it was time to make her exit. Family and friends would surround Ellie now, and she would be far too occupied to notice her slip away.

  The wind nipped at her face as she stepped out into the darkness, the moon disappearing long ago. Again, she found herself cinching the collar of her coat closed. Pausing for a moment, she let her eyes adjust to the darkness before descending the steps. She decided following the lit sidewalk to the parking lot was the wiser choice instead of cutting across the lawn as she had done when she arrived.

  She was almost to her car when she heard footfalls quickly approaching from behind. Before she turned a familiar voice called to her.

  “Dana! Wait!”

  Damn, almost. She turned and watched as Ellie came running toward her, a winter coat clutched firmly in her hand. She didn’t stop until she had her arms around her and was hugging her tight.

  “Where are you going? You can’t leave yet!”

  Dana sniffed back her emotions. Her heart was breaking. Hurting Ellie was the last thing she wanted to do. “Oh, Ellie it’s so good to see you, and you did a fantastic job reading, but I really can’t stay.”

  “But why? You just got here. We’re having a get together at Grammy and Papa’s house. You need to come, please!” Her voice cracked as she took a step back.

  The girl’s eyes welled in the glow of the streetlight. “Ellie, don’t cry,” she said brushing her cheek. “You have your family and friends. I don’t think it would be appropriate for—”

  Three figures approached, and her mouth froze. She smiled seeing Cait and Joe, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw Mac a pace or two behind them.

  “It’s so good to see you again, love,” Cait said, pulling her into a warm embrace and pushing herself up on tiptoes to kiss her cheek.

  “Aye, lass. You’ve been gone far too long,” Joe said and glanced at Mac. “Far too long indeed.”

  “Ellie! Why haven’t you got your coat on, child?” Cait scolded. “Come on then. Let’s get you into that coat and out of the cold.” She helped Ellie with her coat and directed her toward their car.

  “But, Dana! I want to—”

  “Never mind that. You’ll see Dana again soon enough.”

  Cait and Joe ushered Ellie off to their waiting vehicle, leaving Dana alone with the night and Mac. She drew a deep breath, not relishing what would come next. When she turned and faced Mac, her breath caught. She saw emerald green eyes that somehow still sparkled as bright as ever in the dull hue of the streetlamp. A strand or two of gorgeous red hair hung in front of Mac’s face, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep from reaching out and brushing it behind her ear.

>   Her eyes darted over Mac’s face, taking in every centimeter. She was still Mac, still as beautiful as always, and the ache in her chest grew.

  “Hey,” Mac said softly.

  “Hey.” She glanced at anything that wasn’t mesmerizing green eyes.

  “Listen, I just wanted to say thanks.” Mac paused and shuffled her feet. “You know for asking Jason to take my case. I think I may really have lost Ellie without him.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m truly happy it worked out for you and Ellie.” She looked back at Mac and saw a tear running down each cheek. Damnit. She wanted to pull her into her arms and hug her, kiss her, and tell her everything was okay. But she knew that wasn’t their future anymore. “You take care, Mac. It’s been good seeing you again.” She forced herself to turn away and walk toward her BMW.

  “Dana, wait! Please, don’t go.”

  She froze in place, hoping beyond hope for…something. Once again, she turned to face the woman that had come to mean so much to her.

  “Dana. I’ve been an asshole.”

  Well, that was certainly not what she expected to hear, not that she was going to disagree with the observation. She stared at her wide-eyed.

  “I know,” she said with a sniff and a nervous chuckle. “It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.” She stepped toward her, stopping within arm’s reach. “Dana, I was wrong. So, so wrong and you have every reason to hate me. If you walk away right now, I will understand. But, I would like to apologize to you. If you’ll let me.”

  Dana watched her for a moment as her stomach turned from nerves and excitement. She couldn’t hate this woman even if she wanted too, and she wasn’t about to walk away. At least not until she heard what she had to say. “Okay, I’ll listen. But can we get out of the cold first?”

  Mac gave her a small smile. “Sure. My Jeep? It has an electric heater.”

  Dana nodded and followed her the few meters to the monstrosity of a Jeep. She hoisted herself into the passenger’s seat. It was nice to see it had a top and doors on this time. Mac started the engine and turned a nob on a box attached to the underside of the dash. Soon, Dana felt warm air blowing over her legs.

  They both sat looking out the windshield, the hum of the heater the only sound. After a long silence, Dana turned in her seat. “So, you were saying something about being an asshole?”

  Mac snorted. “Yeah, I did say that.” There was another pause before she continued. “A while ago, Ricky said something to me about my stubborn-assed pigheadedness costing me dearly.”

  “Yes, I recall you mentioning it.”

  “Well, he was right. It cost me you, and it damn near cost me Ellie.” She shifted in her seat as well and faced Dana. “I told you once that the most important things in my life were Ellie and the Anchor. That is still true. What I didn’t realize at the time was there was room in my life for other things that are equally as important to me. That being you, Dana.”

  Dana felt a tingle run through her when Mac reached over and took her hand. That tingle reminded her of the first time they had met at The Rusty Anchor. She looked down at the hand, then up to Mac. She was smiling, and Dana’s heart fluttered.

  “Am I important to you, Mac?” Dana asked softly. “I thought I was just a distraction.”

  Mac shifted in her seat, gripping Dana’s hand a bit tighter. “I need to be honest with you. When we met that first night at the bar, that’s all I expected because that’s all my life was about, the occasional distraction. But that’s not what happened. You made me feel things I never felt before. I fell for you, fell hard, and it scared the crap out of me, but I didn’t care.”

  “Then what happened? What made you change your mind?” Dana placed her other hand over the top of Mac’s.

  “Vancouver, Doris. It all happened so fast and was too much. It felt like my world was going to hell and I needed to find a way out. That day. In my office. I didn’t see a future for us. I didn’t know how to deal with you leaving and then the shit with Doris…” She paused, looking down at their clasped hands. “I lashed out, and much to my regret you were the one on the receiving end. I never wanted to hurt you, Dana, but I know I did and for that, I’m truly sorry.”

  Seeing tears pool in Mac’s eyes ignited tears in her own eyes, and she leaned over the center console and pulled her into her arms. For several moments they held onto one another and let the emotions flow freely.

  “You were never a distraction to me. Please, believe that,” Mac said, her voice hitching.

  “I do believe you,” Dana replied between gulps of air.

  “I love you,” Mac said softly into her ear. “I’m in love with you, Dana. I have been for a long time. I just didn’t see it until it was too late.”

  She pulled back and blinked at her, wiping away tears. “Really? You mean that?” The emotions swelled inside, threating to burst out in a display of cheers and smiles and maybe a song and dance.

  Mac nodded, wiping her own tears away. “I do.”

  “Say it again,” Dana whispered.

  “I’m in love with you, Dana Lawson, and it took me too damn long to admit it to myself. The days have been unbearable since I pushed you away. But you’re here now, with me, and I hope you can forgive me and give me a second chance, give us a second chance.”

  She sat still, holding Mac’s hand. Those five little words were more powerful than she had expected. They carried meaning for her, and she didn’t need to think about what she was going to say; but she remained quiet and studied Mac’s face, searching the moist green eyes that looked back at her longingly. The moment she had turned around and saw Mac standing in the parking lot, all the anxiety of seeing her again melted away. The old familiar feelings she had when she was around her had rushed back. She loved Mac; there was no doubt of that in her mind or in her heart.

  She brought Mac’s hand to her face and gently kissed each knuckle along the top. “Of course, I’ll forgive you,” she said softly as she held Mac’s eyes with hers. “Because that’s what you do when you love someone; you forgive them, and I do, Mac. I am in love with you too. I just wish I had told you sooner.”

  Then it happened. Mac smiled at her with the smile that always took her breath away. She had missed that smile. She had missed everything about her. Leaning forward, she met Mac halfway. Their lips met, softly touching at first, then quickly the kiss grew into something more urgent. Her lips parted, allowing Mac’s tongue to slip between. Tongues touched, then danced and curled. Mac’s fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her close while she gripped Mac’s shoulders. Mouths mashed together, their swollen lips moving against each other, eager and hungry.

  She was too far away; she needed to be closer to Mac. She needed to be on her, touching her, holding her. Dana tried to crawl over the console, but the stick shift and steering wheel impeded her progress. She pulled away from the kiss and grinned. They were both panting, and she chuckled seeing the windows of the Jeep had become fogged.

  “I want you, Mac. Take me home,” Dana said, her voice husky. And to make sure Mac understood her meaning, she placed her hand on Mac’s knee and slid it slowly up her thigh.

  Mac drew a sharp breath and straightened in her seat. “Yes, ma’am.” She adjusted the Jeep’s heater to blow air on the windshield, then wiped at it with her hand as it wasn’t clearing fast enough. When she could see, she pushed the vehicle into gear and pulled out of her parking spot.

  Dana sat back in her seat and watched Mac as they drove, her hands pinned between her own knees as she didn’t trust herself not to paw at Mac during the trip. The last thing she wanted was to end up in a ditch.

  Ten minutes felt like an eternity. Finally, they fell through the door of the loft, eagerly pulling at each other’s coats as they kissed and giggled against their lips. “Fuck, I’ve missed this,” Dana moaned. They kicked off their shoes as the coats dropped to the floor. Mac didn’t waste any time pulling Dana down the hall and into the bedroom.

  “I love you,” Dana
said as they kissed and groped and pulled at the buttons and snaps, eager to rid the other of their clothes.

  “I love you more,” Mac mumbled against Dana’s mouth as she freed her bra and pulled it off her shoulders. She guided Dana backward and let her fall across the bed, then followed her down, lying on top of her. Mac kissed along the soft skin of her shoulder, up the column of her neck, stopping a moment to nibble on her ear.

  Dana moaned, wrapping her arms around the beautiful woman, never wanting to let go again. “I’ve missed you so much, Taylor Mackenzie.” Mac caught her mouth and kissed her deeply. Dana closed her eyes, losing herself in the texture and taste of Mac’s luscious lips. She ran her hands down the smooth skin of Mac’s back, cupping the soft flesh of her butt and pulling her tight against her. Dana shifted, allowing a leg to move between hers. Pleasurable sparks and tingles chased through her, and it had her rolling her hips searching for better contact. Mac sensed her need, and she too began to move. Soon their rhythm was in sync. Their movements quickened, and the air filled with sounds of ragged breathing.

  “Oh, god, Mac,” Dana moaned.

  Mac rolled to the side, and Dana gasped at the loss of contact. She looked at Mac, her eyes wide and questioning.

  “I’m not done with you, sweetheart,” Mac said and kissed her softly.