“Well,” Lois said. “This is about everything I wanted. I’ll talk to the boss and see what we can scrape up.”
“The boss would be Miss Long?”
“Right.”
“Okay by me.” Chuck extended his hand. “If you can get close to thirty, we can do business.”
Lois was pretty sure they couldn’t get close to thirty, but she shook his hand and told him he’d be hearing from her.
*
Ruby didn’t appear concerned with Sophie’s decision to invite Myrtle Dixon. Lois was unhappy. She wanted to get to know Ruby’s sponsor. She’d been hoping to detect any problems her daughter might have and find out how she was progressing. When Lois quietly mentioned this, Sophie said, “Stop hovering over the girl. She’s fine.”
Lois growled and stalked out of the house. She stood at the fence and complained to Daisy, who wagged her tail and reared up to be petted. Daisy always put Lois in a better mood. A short time later, Lois went back into the house and asked Sophie if she needed help. As usual, she didn’t.
Myrtle came in early carrying a red velvet cake. Lois offered her a seat and took the cake into the kitchen.
“Where should I set this?”
Sophie glanced over her shoulder. “I told her she didn’t need to bring anything.”
“Nevertheless,” Lois said, holding the cake plate out to her.
“Put it on the table for now.”
Back in the living room Lois found Myrtle engaged in a conversation with Ruby. “So this guest is your sponsor?”
Ruby nodded. “She’s nice. I think you’ll like her.”
“What’s a sponsor?” Myrtle asked.
Ruby flushed, then said, “She’s in NA and helps me stay sober. She’s been there, where I am now. She’s someone to talk to when I have problems or feel bad.”
“Oh. How nice.”
The silence seemed to weigh heavy in the room. A reprieve came from a knock at the door. Ruby jumped up and opened it. In came a tall black woman carrying a chocolate layer cake.
Ruby introduced her to the others. “Mom and Myrtle, this is Jolene, my sponsor.”
Lois stood, shook the woman’s hand, then said, “Just have a seat. I’ll take that cake into the kitchen.”
“Thank you. Please call me Jo. I don’t want to be mistaken for that woman who’s stealing Dolly Parton’s man.”
Myrtle was laughing as Lois entered the kitchen. “Where do you want me to put this?”
Sophie sighed and shook her head
“We must look like we need cake.”
“What do you think,” Sophie whispered. “Is she a lesbian?”
“She’s wearing a Lambda pinky ring and comfortable shoes.”
“Do you think Ruby knows?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, dear,” Sophie said. “Myrtle will think this is a setup.”
Lois placed the second cake on the table next to the first one. They’d have to be moved when dinner was ready, but it solved the problem for now.
The living room was warm, and the smell of pot roast filled the air. Jolene had taken a seat on the couch with Myrtle, where they were involved in an inane conversation about the price of gas. Ruby yawned but maintained a smile.
Myrtle asked, “Are you from around here?”
“Chicago,” Jo said.
“Whatever made you move here?”
“I got court-ordered to a drug-treatment center here. It was an alternative to prison.”
“So you were arrested.” Myrtle seemed fascinated.
“Yeah. For possession with intent to sell and prostitution.”
“That seems harsh,” Ruby put in.
“Was my fourth arrest.”
After an awkward moment, Myrtle said, “You know, I’ve always wondered if prostitutes enjoy sex.”
Jo faced Myrtle and looked her up and down. Then she smiled and said, “When you’re on drugs, you don’t feel much. Besides, you wouldn’t want to feel a blow job on a stranger. Trust me.”
Lois called to Sophie in the kitchen, “You need help in there?”
Sophie appeared at the archway. “Come on in, it’s ready.”
The leaf was in the dining table, which was set with the only matching dinnerware they owned. One end of the table was against the wall. Myrtle and Jo sat on one long side, with Ruby and Lois on the other. Sophie was at the end, so she could get up and down while serving. Both cakes were on the top of the refrigerator. Lois felt awkward with her hands in her lap.
Myrtle spoke up. “Will we say grace?”
Ruby said, “Yes. Let’s do that.”
“You do it, Ruby,” Lois said.
They all bowed their heads and Ruby said, “Thank you, God, for friends and family. Thanks to you and Sophie for this wonderful spread. Amen.”
They talked quietly while plates were passed. Sophie garnered several compliments on the roast and gravy. Lois watched Ruby and thought she looked so young. She was forty-two and her odometer would probably register over a hundred. Yet, tonight she smiled. She’d always been a serious, brooding child. Now she laughed and talked and ate. She seemed to enjoy Myrtle and her silly flirtation with Jo.
No one was hungry when it was time for dessert, so they cleared the table and had coffee and waited. Around eight thirty, Sophie sliced the cakes. She put a piece of red velvet and a slice of dark chocolate on each dessert plate.
Myrtle was the first to leave, and Ruby walked Jo to her car shortly after. Lois stood at the front door and watched them talk for a few minutes. “She seems so happy tonight,” Lois said.
Sophie stood behind her. “I have a good feeling about that woman. She’s just what Ruby needs. She’s done a lot more than Ruby ever thought of, and she’s sober and has a good life.”
“Did you ever catch what she does for a living?”
“A flower shop. Didn’t you hear her tell Myrtle all about it?”
“Guess not,” Lois said. “I kept my eyes on my plate, expecting Myrtle to jump her and fall on the floor and fuck.”
Sophie gave Lois’s shoulder a disapproving push. “Stop it.”
“Well, it was embarrassing.”
Sophie shook her head. “Maybe. But they exchanged phone numbers before they left.”
Lois turned to Sophie, shocked.
“It’s true.”
“Couldn’t you have kept that to yourself?”
Sophie shrugged. “Okay. We won’t talk about it.”
Chapter Eighteen
The phone rang and Sophie raced for the kitchen to avoid waking Ruby. A few minutes later Lois, wrapped in a large towel, stood in the kitchen doorway. She mouthed, “Something wrong?”
Sophie shook her head and held up an index finger to indicate one minute. She turned to the counter, where a notepad and pen lay, and started taking information. In the end, she said, “Let me get back to you,” wrote down a phone number, and hung up.
“Who was that?” Lois asked.
“It was Mrs. Morning again. We have another job, if we want it.”
“Who this time?”
Sophie pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. She gestured for Lois to do the same.
“I should put something on. Be right back.” When Lois returned, she wore a sweatshirt and faded jeans. Her wet hair was slicked back. She sat across from Sophie and said, “You know, I figured that everybody had somebody they wanted dead. But I sure didn’t think we’d be getting repeat customers.”
“Well. It’s a long, involved story.”
“How could it be,” Lois asked. “Who does she want dead now?”
“This guy, Ben Curry, is an acquaintance of the last guy—you know, Woods. Celia has befriended Curry’s daughter. I’m not clear how that happened. Evidently Curry, who’s been abusing the kid most of her life, was pimping her to Woods, among others. Celia feels he’s dangerous. He knows where she lives. I guess the girl stays at Morning’s home sometimes, and he’s come there for her more than once.”
&n
bsp; “God.”
“It’s worse.”
“How could it be?”
“Celia Morning is also worried that if the police get involved, they could connect the dots to Woods, which could be a slippery slope that leads to Celia, then to us.”
Neither of them spoke for several seconds. Finally, Lois said, “Then we have to do it.”
Sophie nodded slowly.
“Celia Morning pays well,” Lois said. “We could get enough to quit.”
“More than enough. Unless we get painted into another corner and have to cover our tracks with yet another killing.”
“Does she have an address or anything to start with?” Lois asked.
“The girl, Curry’s daughter, claims that he lives in one of those old apartment buildings downtown on Kennedy.” Sophie glanced at the tablet. “Uptown, 329 Kennedy. The Leland Apartments.”
Lois considered this. “Several businesses in that area. Could be hard to line up a shot. Would be easier in a less-populated area.”
“You mean like the St. Peter’s Hotel?”
Lois stared at Sophie without responding.
After a moment, Sophie sighed and said, “Sorry.”
Lois placed her hand over Sophie’s. “Tia Johnson may have been a mistake. I don’t know. I was thinking that if she was gone, things would be easier for Ruby.”
“There’s no undoing it now.”
They were quiet for a moment. That had always been the bottom line. They’d both made huge sacrifices for a life together. Anything that put that life in jeopardy needed to go.
Finally, Sophie said, “Then this has to be the last one.”
“No matter what.” Lois shifted gears. “I think we should go to Florida.”
“You’re kidding.”
Lois shook her head. “The motor home is perfect for us. This job will put us close to the price.”
“What would we do with something like a motor home?”
Lois brushed a stray lock of silver hair off Sophie’s forehead. “Think about it. We don’t have to get this one. We could get a travel trailer or something smaller and tow it. Or if we sold this place, we could afford a condo. But we need to consider Ruby.”
“How soon would you want to go?”
“If it were up to me,” Lois said, “I wouldn’t spend another winter here.”
Lois watched Sophie. She’d been with only two women in her life and had been reflecting on that lately. From the moment she met Sophie, she’d wanted her. But back then Sophie had never considered living with a woman, so Lois moved slowly and uncertainly. What if she was mistaken about Sophie’s interest in her? What if Sophie simply wanted a friendship? What if she was primarily interested in Ruby? Sophie was a grade-school teacher, after all.
So, in the end, Sophie had been the one who’d suggested sex. They’d been much younger then and the beginning years had been wonderfully sinful. As they grew older a warm intimacy had gradually replaced their hot, steamy encounters. Sex had become less frequent yet more satisfying.
Lois’s first woman had been Gunnery Sergeant Margaret Newmar, a woman she’d met early in her tour in Vietnam. Sergeant Newmar’s reputation with women was the reason Lois applied for Scout Sniper training. She’d had to convince her CO that sniper training wouldn’t be a waste of time for a medic. As a medical unit, they were usually behind the front lines, but not necessarily safe. Lois had been the only woman in the training class.
She’d felt the sexual tension right away. Newmar kept Lois late one evening after the others were dismissed early. Taking a final round, Lois was lying in position, her weapon still aimed at the target. All of a sudden, Lois felt hot breath on the back of her neck as Newmar said, “Target practice is nothing like aiming at Charlie. Everything comes into play when a moving target is far away. You have the sights, which will help you zero in on the target, but you also have to consider the humidity, the elevation, the temperature, and the wind.”
As Maggie ticked off the things Lois should consider, the moment became electric. She could smell Maggie’s sweet breath, like warm mint, and feel heat from her skin before it touched her.
Maggie said torturously, “You have to consider that the spin drift will be about six to eight seconds’ flight time. You have to do the trigonometry in your head and shoot where the target will be. If you’re far enough away, even the rotation of the earth comes into play.”
Lois’s breath was ragged. Still facing the hay-bale targets that were getting hard to see as dusk became dark, she waited, then was startled when Maggie spoke again.
“Corporal Burnett, you’re trembling. Most soldiers don’t get this excited over trig—”
Lois turned to face Maggie and their lips met. Things had been so clear with Maggie, unlike Sophie, whose seduction had been much more frightening.
Lois and Maggie had gotten together whenever their jobs brought them near each other. In the beginning, when Lois still felt fear under fire, the sex had been a release of energy. Later, when the fear shut down, she knew she was still alive in Maggie’s arms. Lois had planned to look her up when she got stateside, but she heard that Maggie had been one of the casualties of the Nixon phase-out plan. Her family wasn’t notified for a long time.
Over the years, Lois wondered who she would be if it hadn’t been for Vietnam and its ghosts.
Sophie said, “Where’d you go?”
“Huh?”
“You were deep in thought.”
Lois gave Sophie a warm kiss. “I was thinking about you, us. I was thinking about our life in Florida.”
“You’re lying to me,” Sophie said.
“Okay, I was thinking that after lunch I’d see if I can get a look at Ben Curry.”
“You were thinking about Vietnam.”
“Yeah,” Lois said, “that too.”
*
On Saturday morning, determined to talk to Chelsea again, Morgan sprinted through tiny wind-blown snowflakes into the Big and Beautiful Consignment Shop. Several customers stood knotted together at a sale table in the corner as she looked toward the checkout area and, to her disappointment, found Sandy.
He smiled and waved. “Morning.”
Morgan buried both hands deep in her pockets and nodded in his direction just as two young women with identical hedgehog hairdos swaggered to the checkout counter. Sandy’s attention averted, she made her way to a rack of sweaters. Actually, she never wore sweaters because they made her broad shoulders look broader—a hair’s breadth from Paul Bunyan—but she needed time to figure out what to do next. At the least she could ask Sandy about Chelsea’s work schedule.
An older woman brushed past Morgan, saying, “Excuse me,” in a smoky voice. People were the same everywhere. Nothing looked good until another customer wanted it.
“Well, hello again.” As if he had materialized from her thoughts, Sandy stood beside her.
“Hi.”
“What can I do for you today?”
“I, ah, I was hoping to see Chelsea.”
Sandy smiled and rather handsome crinkles appeared at the corner of his eyes. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“Don’t be coy with me. You’re looking for Chelsea because you find her attractive in a queer way.”
Morgan blushed. “That’s presumptous.” Even if she was attracted, that didn’t mean Chelsea was available, and if she was available, that didn’t mean Morgan wanted her in a queer way.
“Okay, it wouldn’t stand up in court, but I’m right, ain’t I?”
Shrugging, Morgan said, “Maybe.” And maybe not. She was confused.
Sandy nodded toward the rear. “Back room. Two of us work Saturday mornings.”
An unexpected current shot through her. “She’s here?”
“Her mom is out of town, so she brought her son with her. She finds it easier to keep track of him when she works back there.”
“Thanks.” Morgan took a few deep breaths and waited for her blush to fade. The place wa
s too warm. She’d started to sweat. The damp ends of her hair were brushing the back of her neck. She slid out of her coat, laid it across her arm, and pushed through the door.
Morgan saw the kid first. With his dark hair and long dark lashes, he resembled Chelsea. Although if she was his mother, she wasn’t necessarily his biological mother. Did the puzzles ever end? The little boy knelt before a red fire truck, watching her cautiously. Then Chelsea stepped from behind a rack of dresses and the kid moved toward her.
“Hi,” she said. “You come back to get another pair of jeans?”
“Do you remember me?”
“Of course. We don’t get a lot of women in here.”
“The store’s full of them.”
Chelsea wrinkled her nose. “Most of them are straight.”
Morgan’s heart pounded. She couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. Did she look like a lesbian? Was that why the Chelsea in Texas had made a move on her? Say something, an inner voice screamed. Say anything. Her mind was blank.
“Oh, dear,” Chelsea said. “I’d swear I saw you once or twice at Tallulah’s.”
“You did.”
“Were you just doing research?”
Morgan shook her head. “Okay. I went there to meet other women.”
“I’m sorry,” Chelsea said. “It’s none of my business.”
“Mommy.”
They’d both forgotten the kid. Chelsea placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder and said, “This is my son, Dominic.”
Morgan bent down and gave him a big smile. “Hi, Dominic.”
Suddenly shy, the little boy stepped behind his mother’s thigh. He was slender enough that he literally disappeared. Chelsea shrugged. “That’s how it is, sometimes. Ever since he turned two, I never know what to expect.”
“He’s two?”
“He’s almost four. It started then and hasn’t stopped yet.” They laughed together. “What can I get for you today?”
“I’m just browsing. Sandy said you were back here so I thought I’d come say hello.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Did she see a little light in Chelsea’s eyes? Morgan wasn’t sure. Then she noticed a brace on Chelsea’s wrist and asked, “What happened?”
Retirement Plan Page 20
