I exhaled. I dreaded this as much as it was everything I wanted. Since all I wanted to do was just to hug her desperately. I hoped I had it in me to forgive.
With Hunter grasping my shoulders from behind as I sat I realized, maybe, just maybe, it was just that simple.
I pointed toward the kitchen without looking and made a buzzing sound. Tina and Reid stopped in mid-lean then aborted the kiss, and I had to smile at the chuckle that circulated through my... family.
Chapter 12 – Thursday Night
Lenore called down the short hall from the main cabin, “Tina, Reid is here!”
I couldn't stop the smile on my face every time my gulfriend came by. Though I'm sorry I hadn't been ready yet because I know my sis can be a little overbearing and overprotective. But I'm an adult and can date whomever I like. And I like Reid. Ok, don't look at me like that, I heard the dreamy tone in my voice, so just leave me alone.
I still don't know if she approves of Reid yet. They got along fine the past month, but I don't think we've even got in a kiss or two around her without her interrupting us. Does she have some sort of radar? Or eyes in the back of her head? Maybe she has premonitions or just likes playing the let's throw a bucket of cold water on the little sis game.
I caught the smile she hid when she 'grudgingly' admitted to Paya that she could use some help with deliveries now that the Flotilla had expanded so much. But she insists on calling Reid a runner 'apprentice'. She whined a bit when they gave Reid one of the SUVs in the motor pool to drive for Flotilla business. But when Reid offered to take the work truck instead, my sis blurted, “No! She's mine... I mean the Project's.”
That set Paya off on a giggle fit and she deadpanned, “That's why I offered Reid a different vehicle in the fleet, Speedy.”
Part of me wanted to quit my job at Bits, to work more closely with Reidster, but a bigger part of me was falling in love with what I did at Bits 'N' Bobs with JJ and wanted to make sure I didn't crowd the sprite who stole my heart. Besides, I still got to put time in at the Flotilla on half day Fridays.
I called back down the hall, “Just about ready, be there in a jiff!”
I turned back to the little mirror, which was wedged in between the sea of cat paintings that dominated one wall. And were stacked on my nightstand, and dresser, and under my bed.
What? I get cat kiss door-ed a lot. I've taken to giving some away to friends and family and the kids at the Flotilla.
I grinned to myself, even McGrath and Lenore had a couple in their cabin. I didn't have the heart to tell Mimi that I had more cats than wall.
I snorted at the first time Mimi met my mum when we invited her to a girls outing one weekend. It was really so that our parents could meet. That was when mum got her own cat painting as well when we all parted ways from the spa, and she doesn't even like cats, she's a dog person.
Our two mothers couldn't be any different. Mimi has that fun but slightly neurotic vibe, while mum is more down to earth, but with a wicked sarcastic streak that is starting to come out. Who knew mum could be fun? I can't tell you how relieved Reid and I were that the two got along. We had both been anxious messes until we were able to speak with each of them after the fact.
The fact that it mattered so much to us didn't register with me until later. We really wanted our parents to get along and... approve of us. Things were getting more and more serious between Reid and me, and we wanted everyone to approve.
It is sort of odd that it feels like my redheaded temptress; hmmm wonder what the gender neutral for that is; and I have been together always. I swear ze is the missing part of me that makes me whole.
I was excited for tonight. It would be Reid's first Thursday Night on Tabby Cat's Water Witch. It was no small thing that Reid was invited, as the ever growing group of us with standing invitations were a close knit troupe. They were all part of my unorthodox family.
I didn't want to ruin the surprise, so didn't give any details other than it was a gathering of friends on Tabitha's boathouse.
I checked my hair one last time, I was so nervous for some reason. I liked my wavy red hair but wished it was curlier, like Len's. I have absolutely no clue why she hates her hair so much. I exhaled and said to my reflection as I hoped I looked ok for Reid, “You got this. Let's do this, lady.”
Ok, lame pep talk.
I turned and grabbed my bag and my jacket... whatever... Reid's jacket. I let hir wear it from time to time to get hir scent back on it. I almost skipped down the hall and started to open the door to the main cabin at the end, but paused at the sound of my gul's voice.
Ze was talking in a matter of fact tone. “I know it's not my place, but I think it's really great that you've finally forgiven your mum. I know how hard that must be. I see it in Tintin's eyes every time she looks at her mum. I can't imagine what you kids had gone through, I was lucky.”
I almost pushed through the door to come to Reid's aid. Lenore didn't talk about it, ever, and she just got aggravated when people did. But to my surprise, she didn't respond, and Reid continued, “Every one of us has made mistakes. Sometimes they are minor, and sometimes they are huge. But they all leave a mark on us, a dark smear. None of us can say we always did the right thing. It is how we pick up the pieces and learn from our mistakes that is important. Because they define us in a way that those mistakes never can.”
I laid my forehead on the door and listened as the person who holds my heart added, “It is a huge first step just to find the courage to admit that we had made them, that we are human and made those mistakes. I know I've made my share. I can see your mum is a good person and is trying to fix her biggest mistake. I don't think she realizes though that she was a victim too.”
I blinked at that. How would you not realize that? Then I thought of the regret mum must feel seeing her children facing the same fate as her and being too scared to do anything. We had had some conversations with mum since she moved to London, but we really never talk about the abuse. Maybe... maybe we should.
Reid finished with, “I think... I think that earning your forgiveness is the first step for her to be able to forgive herself.”
There was silence. Then my sister's voice sounded far away when she said, “Thanks... Reid.”
I took a deep breath then stood tall, put a smile on my face... and then screamed in surprise at the Irish accented voice right behind me, “A smart one, yer darlin' is.”
I actually fell through the door in my surprise, and a grinning McGrath stepped up to help me up as Reid came darting over. Hunter must have been in the wheelhouse earlier.
My Amazonian sister-in-law chuckled out with her tweedledee accent in full force, “This wee one is shite at eavesdroppin'." She pulled me up like I weighed nothing. Reid and Lenore cocked eyebrows at me like they had choreographed the synchronization.
I blushed and shrugged in embarrassment over being caught, as McGrath said to Reid appreciatively, “You're wise beyond your years." Then she presented me to hir, holding me out by the shoulders.
With a squinted eye, my gul accepted me and then smiled and said, “You look darling tonight, Tintin.”
My smile widened, and I took hir in. She was going all girl tonight, with cute white tennis shoes and a little mini skirt over white tights, and a white blouse that was trimmed in pink. She saw my drooling admiration and gave me a bashful look then did a little twirl for me, making the pleats on the skirt fly out a bit.
I whispered in awe, “You're gorgeous, Reidster.”
I leaned in to give her a quick welcoming peck on the lips, only to kiss the back of my sister's hand... again. Eww! I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand as I made a sour face.
Reid looked overly amused.
I glanced at my sis and said cooly, “Lenore.”
She inclined her head in amusement and responded in kind, “Peanut.”
I sighed and just took Reid's hand in mine. At least she gave us that.
I noted she was looking at Reid a little diff
erently now. Had something in their talk made her regard hir differently? To me, it felt like my sis could see the Reid I did for the very first time. And not just as the interloper who was dating her little sister.
Hunter said as she grabbed her and Lenore's jackets from the table, “Shall we? Sundown is comin' fast.”
Len growled out as she hid her grin, “Fine fine, you surly leprechaun. We're off.”
Hunter replied with her three syllabled, “Lovely.”
Reid brightened and asked as we headed to the door, “Sundown?”
McGrath's mouth quirked up in a grin. “Oh, you've not told yer darlin'?”
I shook my head and blushed at her calling Reid my darlin'. Oh, she was right, but I've never in all our months been able to get past second base with my gul. I was a sexually frustrated mess, but I was letting Reid process us and proceed at hir own pace. I can't imagine feeling asexual your whole life then suddenly having an interest in someone. My gul was almost a textbook definition of demisexual.
The girls exchanged a knowing smile with me. I wanted tonight to be a surprise. I remember the first Thursday Night I had attended, and it was almost magical.
As we proceeded across the gangplank, Lenore cocked an eyebrow at Reid's motorized bicycle as we all put on our jackets to fight the chill air. “Why don't you two ride with us in the truck?" she offered
We both blurted out in unison, almost desperately, Reid's voice going up three octaves in panic, “No!”
I almost chuckled at that, in the memory of how my gul's face pales every time we mention Lenny's driving. Ze had the misfortune to ride with her... once. She shared that night, “I thought I was going to die five times in the first minute, and never see you again.”
I had giggled so hard at that I cried, and shared that, “I warned you on multiple occasions, but did you listen? No.”
Reid had grinned and asked, “How does McGrath ride with her every day?”
I gave the only answer we could figure out after all this time. I shrugged and offered, “She's Irish." My gulfriend nodded like that explained everything.
As we snapped on our helmets, Reid said to them, “We'll follow you there.”
Hunter started chuckling and nodding as she mused, “That'll force the Fuzzy one ta drive slow. This will be priceless.”
Lenore stalked past her wife grumbling, “We know who isn't getting any tonight.”
We chuckled at them as Hunter followed after her, countering, “We'll just have ta see about that, darlin'." We could all feel the heat and promise in that. Good lord, was it hot out there?
Reid asked as we hopped on Melody and I wrapped my arms around hir waist, “Is it wrong that I think those two are cute together?”
I shook my head and said, “Not at all." Then Reid started pedaling and dropped the motor on the wheel to start it instead of pulling the cord. Huh, I didn't know it could start that way. We buzzed off after my sisters.
I'm sure Lenore was about to bust a blood vessel by the time we made it to the little Marina that the Water Witch was docked at. What with having to slow to just below normal traffic speeds so that we could keep up on our more, ummm, unique form of travel.
I didn't mind that it took us a little longer to get to our destinations than most, it gave me an excuse to cuddle... I mean hold my gul close. Especially on a chilly fall night.
We puttered up to the marina. The security gate was open, and we moved past the small empty gatehouse, the familiar sign was taped to the window of the gatehouse which read, “Thursday Night," with a big red arrow that pointed down into the little marina.
We puttered into the car park and pulled up next to the girls. Lenny looked as if she were about to burst a blood vessel, as one of her eyes was twitching at us as we parked and took our helmets off.
Reid looked around as we ruffled our hair to get rid of the helmet hair. Ze was taking in the place with eagerness. The imp was excited that we would be having supper with Tabby Cat and her wife. I hadn't exactly told here there may be one or two... dozen... more people here.
Bobby was so jealous that he wasn't going to be able to join us, as his class was on a two-day outing to the Stonehenge area. He sort of has a crush on all the ladies at Thursday Nights. I'm starting to wonder if there is anyone the poor boy doesn't have a crush on.
The marina looked the same as it always did. And there were never any new yachts or houseboats moored at the docks. The group of us had a feeling that something was hinky about the place.
I harbored a sneaking suspicion that Tabitha might own the whole place, and controls who the marina manager allows moorage. All the boats had people who lived aboard, none were ever empty when we visited, and the people were all quite cordial and happy folk.
Though the marina went through excruciating effort to make the place look quaint, it was obvious it was anything but. The charming little marina office was done up to look like something out of the fifties or sixties, but it was a little too convincing I think.
The girls joined us, and we all started toward the large houseboat at the end of the dock, with the best view of the river and city skyline. As we approached it, me dragging my gulfrind along, the bold black swoopy letters on the boat came into view, which declared it as the Water Witch. I smiled and pointed. “That's Tabby's flat.”
My redheaded sprite arched an eyebrow. The houseboat was as long as most of the yachts there, with two floors. And like any Thursday Night, no less than two dozen people were milling about on the deck on the top of the vessel. We reached the end of the dock at the base of an aluminum gangway to the boat, beside a wooden signpost with a Victorian looking wooden sign that had the slip number, 7A, carved into it and Water Witch carved just below that.
We could hear the laughter and murmurs of conversation drifting down from the upper deck. McGrath and Lenny gave a nervous looking Reid a smile, and they headed onto the boat. We all knew better than to knock on Thursday Night.
I grinned and walked backward, pulling hir onto the lower deck of the Water Witch with me. We entered the lower cabins in the spacious interior, with huge glass panels everywhere in the living space with the kitchen on one end. The views from inside were spectacular wherever you looked, which of course was the whole point.
Reid's eyes were bugging out as ze looked around. Then we paused when we saw Zilrita in the kitchen area pulling drinks out of the huge fridge. We all winced when Reid released me, and ze and Zil squealed like old friends and ran to exchange hugs, it was all far too cute. “Reid, I didn't know your girl was dragging you along tonight!”
Then I was gacking when I got my own squid hug to cherish, as the silly goth woman went down the line. My smile almost split my face when she released me, and I saw a familiar golden retriever following the goth, limping slightly along.
I squealed “Percy!" I knelt and gave the pretty boy a big hug. His tail was swishing excitedly behind him. If he was here, I knew who else was here. Reid's head was going to pop. I said from where I was crouched, “Reid, this handsome boy here is Sir Percival.”
Reid crouched with a genuine smile and offered a hand. To hir surprise Percy lifted a paw and shook, his tongue lolling out as Reid said, “Pleased to meet you Sir Perci..." Ze froze then looked at our little group. “Wait. Sir Percival? As in Abigail Addison's seeing eye dog? The one woman band?”
I stood quickly with a smirk on my face and teased as I looked at the other girls, “Stand back, the Reidster is about to start fangirling." It was true. No matter how many of the endless supply of famous entertainers who hung out around London Harmony Reid met, ze was always fangirling each time.
It made me step back a time or two and realize just how surreal my life was at times. I had reacted the same on my first meetings, but now I just saw all of these famous people as family.
Reid stood up, leaving one hand down to scratch Percy's ears, “I'm not that bad, woman!" Then ze blushed and gushed out, “Did you know that Abigail Addison has synesthesia, and can see
sounds in bursts of colors and with her other senses? It's how she makes music out of everything around her and..." The cherry-top faltered as ze saw our overly amused faces.
Ze narrowed an eye cutely, scrunching hir nose, “Of course you do. You're just a bunch of bints now aren't you?”
Zil broke into giggles as I retrieved my bent out of sorts gul's hand. Ze instinctively laced our fingers as ze smiled hugely at us. Zil blinked and looked around to the rest of us as she hooked a thumb at Reid. “Does this one share some DNA with a certain Indian woman we know?”
I shook my head and said, “Nope, I think it is an instinctive defensive adaptation. When teased upon, this one pours on the cute like a cobra opens its hood.”
Zil chuckled and retrieved the bottles and cans on the counter, saying as she headed toward the stairs, “Grab some drinks, pizza is already here. It is about to start." She motioned her head at the stairs, and Percy loped after her, tail wagging.
I skipped over to the fridge and opened it asking the girls, “Fizzy pop, juice, water?" For effect, I added, “beer?" Lenore and I wouldn't ever drink, even if I was of age, we had an almost irrational aversion to alcohol after seeing how it tore our father down and us with it. And I knew Reid wasn't even interested in the stuff.
But our McGrath was always up for a beer or two, but never went past a gentle buzz. The one time Lenny says the Irishwoman was drinking heavily around her, she found her to be an emotional and apologetic drunk. I've never seen her drink a beer on Thursday Nights.
Len grabbed my shoulders and moved me aside, rolling her eyes as she grabbed a couple fizzies for her and Hunter, then she made a point of handing some to Reid and me. I grinned toothily at her. Then chuckled at Reid who was about to ask a question.
I instead grabbed hir hand and said, “Come on, we better hurry if we want to get any pizza before it begins." I glanced out to the water which was reflecting the oranges and reds of the sky as the sun set. I dragged the giggling gul up the stairs and out into the sea of entertainers and our sort-of family members.
Flotilla_The Temp Page 14
