It was such a good morning that the two of them ran for what seemed miles along the water’s edge and through the streets of Old Town. Valerie stopped now and then to throw a stick for Sam to fetch so she could catch her breath. She grinned to herself—middle age was catching up with her. Or maybe she was just winded by the cold air.
During one of these stops, she noticed The Music Recycler across the street. She liked that store but hadn’t been there for a while. Jim Rannish, the owner, always took time to chat with her and could always find music that she really enjoyed. She assumed that he was gay, although they had not said anything to each other. He took in used CDs and cassettes and even LPs, mostly for trade, and had an excellent collection—for a smaller community, anyway. She grinned to herself. Stop Eureka-sizing everything.
As Valerie looked toward the store she noticed a figure putting the “Open” sign in the window. It wasn’t Jim, but someone who looked rather familiar. Then she saw a green Beetle parked near the building, a Beetle that looked very much like Gina’s.
It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen much of Gina in the past few days. Now curiosity got the better of her. She crossed the street and went into the store. A bell tinkled when Val entered. Sam followed, tail wagging.
Sure enough there was Gina behind the counter, making notations in a ledger.
“Hello.” Surprise was evident in Val’s voice.
Gina looked up briefly and nodded, her mind obviously still on her task.
“What a surprise to see you here. You’re working for Jim now?” Val asked.
Gina seemed embarrassed. “Yes, for about a week now,” she said.
“What happened to Ritchie’s Grill?” The words just tumbled out before Valerie could think.
“Oh, I’m still working there.” Gina studied Val for a second, and then a smile crossed her face. “You’re worried about getting your rent, aren’t you?”
Val blushed. “Umm, not really, I just—.”
“Well,” Gina interrupted, “you needn’t worry. This is a second job. I can’t get enough hours at Ritchie’s to get ahead. So I found this job to help out, and the hours are perfect. I’m here in the morning, opening for Jim, and then later in the day I go to Ritchie’s.”
Their eyes met for a moment, Gina’s deep blue ones boring into Val’s hazel eyes, until the older woman nearly gasped. An unexpected shiver went down her spine. A bit embarrassed at her own emotional reaction, Valerie glanced around the store, with its many racks of CDs, posters on the wall, and at the moment, music—Abba, she thought—playing in the background. “I’ve been in here before, and I really like this place. Jim is very friendly and he has a good collection.”
“Yes,” Gina agreed.
“He lets me bring Sam in here, and I appreciate that because the weather outside is sometimes not so nice for her.” Valerie patted Sam’s head.
Gina grinned, leaning over the counter and looking down at the reddish-gold dog sitting patiently beside Val and panting slightly. “Oh, Sam. I wouldn’t want to ignore you—you’re welcome in here, too, whenever I’m on duty.” Gina came around the counter, stroked Sam’s muzzle, and gave the dog’s back a brisk rub.
Gina glanced up at Valerie. “Is there something I can find for you this morning?”
Val shook her head. “No, not today. I just saw your Beetle outside and was curious. I’ll come back another day and pick out something, a CD probably.” Valerie heard that nagging voice in the back of her head, telling her not to get too involved with her roomer. “Well,” she added, “I’d better be going. I was taking Sam out for a good run along the Boardwalk, and we should get back to that.”
Gina winked at Sam and returned to her ledger. “Yeah, I’ve got work to do, too, while it’s quiet this morning. When the customers start coming, they can keep me hopping. I’ll see you later. Bye, Sam,” she called as the two went out the door.
Despite her determination not to get mixed up in Gina’s life, Valerie found herself thinking about her. Gina was actually an attractive young woman beneath the loose, casual clothing she usually wore, the straggly hairdo, and those terrible black-rimmed glasses. But what kind of expenses did she have that required more than one job? What did “getting ahead” mean for her?
Val grimaced. “Don’t go there,” she muttered, quickly squelching thoughts of Gina and resuming her run with Sam.
Spring announced itself with flowers blossoming everywhere along the North Coast. Daffodils came first. Then buds appeared ready to pop on rhododendron bushes. Even though the nights were very chilly, the afternoons became milder and the rains less frequent. And warm sunshine was beginning to appear more often, breaking through patches of persistent fog.
Gina’s routine had settled down, and she was handling her two jobs quite easily. People in this town, she had learned, were pretty friendly and she didn’t have any trouble getting along.
Money, however, continued to be a troublesome issue. On one Saturday Gina put her paychecks from both jobs in the bank and then went to the post office to pick up her mail. Again, that single letter that ominously resembled a bill. When she opened the envelope and read the sheet of paper, she frowned. “Will this never end?” she grumbled to herself. Then she wrote out a check, addressed and stamped a small envelope, and posted the sealed missive. With a disgusted look, she bought the day’s newspaper, scanned it quickly, circled yet another want ad, and then marched off down the street to get her Beetle. This time she was headed to a local cinema complex to the south on Highway 101.
Gina’s—incredible, she knew—luck in finding employment held yet again. The manager, a tall gray-haired woman, was available and gave her an immediate interview. Having worked in a multiplex in Tucson, Gina was able to sell herself easily. Within an hour she had lined up a third job, one which was mostly on weekends, the only time slot she still had available and the time when the movie theater most needed help. Ritchie’s didn’t use her often on weekends because their more senior servers wanted those times, with bigger crowds and larger tips. She was assigned to the evenings during the week when business was slower.
So Gina came out of the theater building with yet another uniform to be added to her small collection hanging in the closet at Valerie’s house. You’re young and strong, she reassured herself, so you can do three jobs. When you’re older, you won’t need to.
The new routine would not be fun, but she would be too busy to worry about anything and the money would help bring an end to those dreaded monthly envelopes. The sooner the better, she thought.
The next Saturday evening Valerie and her now ever-present friends decided to go to the movies. The group vote went to a comedy, a popular romance that was playing at one of two mall theater complexes along South 101. By pure coincidence they selected a film showing at the same complex where Gina had just started working, and they chose a night when she was on duty behind the snack bar. “I’ll get the popcorn,” Val had called out after an usher had torn their tickets. When she went to the concession stand, Valerie found herself face to face with Gina. Val felt her hazel eyes pop wide open.
Gina merely smiled at the foursome, served up the popcorn, and took their money. The gang walked off to see their film, each looking at the others with questioning glances.
As they settled into their seats, Josie whispered to Valerie, “Don’t you think she’s cute?”
“I guess so.” Val shrugged. She didn’t want to admit how the intensity in Gina’s blue eyes seemed to take her breath away. Covering her own confusion by grabbing a handful of popcorn and passing the container to Josie, she asked herself silently what in the world could be going on in that young woman’s life that she needed all these jobs.
The warming sun, so welcomed and needed by North Coast residents, went into hiding shortly thereafter, and the weather reverted briefly to winter as rain and wind pelted Eureka almost continuously for the next several days. Valerie forced herself to rise above a minor wave of depression, since the weat
her controlled what she could and could not do. Late on the following Saturday morning she sat in the dining room, newspaper in hand, cup of tea on the table. She had decided to work a crossword puzzle since it was another dark day—no sun, tons of clouds and rain threatened, yet again, later in the afternoon. Definitely not a good day for painting, so she planned to do some laundry and other chores.
Teacup in hand and pen poised to fill in a needed word, Val found her mind wandering for the millionth time to the young woman upstairs. Gina had barely been in the house during the last week—with all those jobs, the girl was in and out several times a day and only around long enough to sleep. Val had to admit Gina was quiet when she came and went, never disturbing anyone. Sam would barely raise her head. A deep sigh was the only signal that the dog even knew of Gina’s movements in the house. Valerie greeted Gina whenever they passed on the stairs, but beyond those simple courtesies there was little conversation between them. Thus her thoughts about Gina always met a dead end, because she had nothing to go on. She knew absolutely nothing about her. So, as she always did, she let the subject drop. She could imagine all kinds of backstory scenarios—a bad marriage, an abusive boyfriend, a business failure—but, having no information, she found it pointless to even think about the possibilities.
While Valerie worked her puzzle, Sam lay at her feet, head on paws. Then the dog abruptly looked up. Gina was coming down the stairway, dressed in a wine-colored turtleneck knit top and jeans, covered by a gray parka. Sam rose and went to greet her, tail wagging. Gina reached down to pat the dog. Sam in return licked her hand and Gina laughed.
Val put her Times-Standard down and studied the bundled-up young woman. “Hi, Gina,” she greeted automatically, and then surprised herself by adding, “It’s cold and dreary out there. Before you brave it, would you like a cup of tea to fortify you?”
Gina hesitated for just a second, looked at her watch, and then nodded. “Sure,” she said, clearly warming to the idea. “That would be nice.”
Valerie indicated a chair. “Come and join me.”
Gina slipped out of her parka, hung it over the chair back, and then slid onto the upholstered seat.
“I made a pot of Earl Grey, so there’s plenty to share. I’ll just go get another cup. Do you like sugar, honey, lemon, or milk with your tea?”
“Honey would be wonderful.” Gina continued to stroke Sam’s head. The dog stayed by her feet, basking in the attention.
Valerie came back with the teacup and saucer. She poured a cup of tea from the pot and set it in front of Gina. “There,” she said, with a smile.
“Thanks,” Gina acknowledged, as Val went back into the kitchen for the jar of honey.
Sam put her nose against Gina’s thigh. Gina chuckled and petted the dog.
When Val returned to the table she noted that, while Gina barely said boo to her, she gave a tremendous amount of attention to the dog.
“Sam seems very fond of you,” Valerie observed.
“Yes, and I like her, too.” Gina rubbed Sam behind an ear. “Even if Sam is a funny name for a girl dog.”
Valerie laughed. “Well, it’s short for Samantha. She already had that handle when I got her, so I didn’t bother changing it.” She looked at the dog with open adoration, then studied Gina. “Did you ever have a dog of your own?”
Gina nodded, while taking a sip of tea. “When I was growing up,” she said a moment later. “We had a big outdoor dog, kind of a collie-shepherd mix. He was a sweet dog. We named him Jaxx, and he was a little like Sam. Maybe that’s why I feel so at ease with her.”
The two women were quiet for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the tea.
“I never see you anymore,” Valerie finally risked. “That is, I never see you here, always at work. You are terribly industrious. What, three jobs now?”
“Yes.” Gina made no further comment.
Trying to find an entry, Valerie observed with concern, “I hope your arrangements here aren’t the cause of your needing to work so much.” She smiled at Gina, her hazel eyes crinkling kindly.
Gina gazed at Val questioningly for a second and then shook her head. “Oh, no, I just had to piece some part-time jobs together until I find one full-time job. Ritchie’s gives me weeknights, the record shop gives me mornings during the week, and the movie theater gives me a big chunk of the weekends.”
“That’s a lot of hours,” Val observed. “When do you have time for yourself?”
Gina smiled over her teacup. “I do get breaks here and there, sometimes in the afternoons during the week and then usually Saturday mornings, like today. But my free time right now is less important than making money.”
“Investing for your retirement?” Valerie probed. She tried to keep her voice light.
Gina studied Val for a second before answering. “No, I just have some bills to pay off. I wish I could say that I was saving for the future—but that will come, in time.” She put the cup down in the saucer and abruptly stood up. “Thanks for the tea. I have some errands to run, got to get to the post office, so I’ll see you later.” She patted Sam again, grabbed her parka, and was almost instantly out the door.
Valerie looked after her, thoughtfully. Maybe money was the root of Gina’s problems. A student loan, perhaps. Val shrugged. Such a strange young woman, very distant and untrusting. Debra had been all over the place, taking advantage, feet up in the living room, watching television to all hours, leaving beer cans around the house, and just generally being a pain. Val had been glad to see her go. Now she had a bird that scarcely lit on the branch, but, she mused to herself, she had to admit that she had set some very firm limits. Maybe Gina didn’t feel she had a right to ask for anything.
She caught herself wondering to herself, Who are you, Gina Fortenham? You little bird with intense blue eyes? Are you one of us, as Lanie, Josie, and Judee think? You give me no signs, even though I would like to know you. Why do you hide?
Valerie caught herself and sighed. What difference did it make, really? The crossword puzzle beckoned, and she turned her attention to it. Easy entertainment without problems.
Chapter Three
Valerie sometimes felt as trapped as a prisoner in a cell. She recognized that she had done the trapping herself, but that didn’t make the feeling any easier to tolerate or make it go away. She followed Sam along the Boardwalk and then through Old Town on a Saturday morning when the fog had burned off early and the sky was filled with puffy white clouds—the sun coyly peeping out among them.
Sam’s tail wagged furiously and the dog was, as usual, quite happy. But on this particular day small town life seemed suffocating to Valerie. She missed afternoons in Golden Gate Park, walks along the ocean, cable car rides to Fisherman’s Wharf, evenings at the opera, movies, theater, and visits to favorite bars or private clubs with lesbian friends. In Eureka her daily routine had become terribly predictable. She went to the photo studio in the morning, worked on her paintings in the afternoon, fixed dinner, watched television or read in the evenings, went to bed. She made phone calls to her friends, walked the dog, and once a week had dinner and played cards or went to the movies with the gang. Once in a while, there was an outing with Lanie, but that friendship had distinct limitations. There was definitely a lack of drama and excitement in her life.
Well, she admitted to herself as she jogged along at the end of Sam’s leash, if she was totally honest she suspected the biggest hole in her world was not really life in Eureka but the lack of Doreen—or now, the lack of a lover with whom to share everything. Although Valerie had always had a lot of interests, being within a dedicated and loving partnership had been the real key to her happiness. It was probably no accident that she had been born under the sign of Cancer. Hearth and home, she mused wryly.
Her personal reverie of discontent ended abruptly. She and Sam were passing The Music Recycler, just as Gina emerged from the shop. Sam wagged her tail and strained against the leash to get to the young woman.
Valerie
smiled. “Hi, Gina, what a nice surprise to see you this morning.” She allowed Sam to go to Gina and Gina leaned down to give the big dog a hug, accepting some ear licks in exchange. “Are you working here on Saturdays now?” Val asked.
“Oh, no.” Gina shook her head and laughed. “Just stopped in to get my paycheck from Jim.” Glancing up at the promising sky, she added, “It’s a nice day for your walk.”
“That it is. We’ve been all over Old Town and now we’re on our way home. Sam never gets worn out but, me, I get exhausted before we get back,” Valerie admitted. “Just feeling my age.” The last words were barely above a whisper, almost to herself.
Gina seemed to ignore the last comment. “If you’re going this way, I’m on my way to the bank and I can join you. I could use the exercise, too.”
They fell into step together and walked along in silence, Sam looking back and forth between the two of them, tail pumping away.
“The weather really is improving,” Valerie finally said. “The rain lets up, so they tell me, about now and we begin to have some nice days. I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve been feeling so cooped up. There’s more rain up here than in San Francisco, and I thought it rained a lot there! If this everlovin’ downpour really lets up for awhile, Sam and I will be able to get out more regularly.”
Gina nodded but remained quiet.
“In the spring, here, they have a rhododendron parade.” Val tried to work up some enthusiasm. She didn’t particularly want Gina to know how down and alone she was feeling this morning. “And then there is some unusual race where entrants build people-powered sculptures that have to go on land and sea—they start up in Arcata and have to cross Humboldt Bay to end up down to the south in Ferndale. That sounds like fun, if a little unusual.”
“Yeah, different for sure. I’d like to see that one,” Gina affirmed.
Valerie sighed deeply. “I was thinking,” she admitted, despite herself, “how nice it is to walk with Sam but that I enjoy having human company at the same time. Maybe sometime you can join us.”
North Coast: A Contemporary Love Story Page 4
