North Coast: A Contemporary Love Story
Page 28
Lanie held up her beer. “Toast, everyone, to Gina.” They all toasted. Then they toasted Valerie and her friendship and her love for Gina and Sam.
Judee gave Val an amused glance, eyebrows raised. “Okay, Val, we all know you love your gal and your dog, but what was your personal biggest moment of the last year?”
Val smiled. “Having a show in San Francisco at a very prominent gallery near Union Square. Having all my lighthouses, coastal scenes, and sailing paintings all up at one time on the walls of that gallery, and having people respond to them—and buy them! It was heaven for me, as an artist! And the exhibit helped me face the City again, but with Gina at my side, showing me her San Francisco. Now I know I can go there occasionally without getting drowned in the past. That was truly important for me.”
Josie lifted her glass of wine and toasted Valerie for her success. Then the group raised another toast to Josie and Judee as the new couple. Finally they toasted Lanie for her ongoing success in real estate and in finding a potential new girlfriend.
Finally Lanie proposed a last toast. “And here’s to the Beetle. May she rest in peace.” They all laughed.
The next morning, everyone showed up to reassemble on the sidewalk, as Valerie and Gina climbed into the new white SUV, loaded down with suitcases and supplies, to begin their journey.
There were hugs all around and best wishes as Val and Gina, in the driver’s seat of her new RAV-4, leaned out the open windows to reach this hand or that.
Sam paced, wagged her tail hesitantly, and whimpering once. Lanie gave her a loving pat, and the retriever settled down at her feet. The SUV pulled away from the curb as everyone waved one last time. Gina and Val set off on their first big road-trip together, Google maps at the ready.
“The first of many,” Gina said, with an adoring look at Valerie, as they headed for the 101 and turned north to follow the coast.
Acknowledgments
North Coast is a work of pure fiction—although inspired by the true, longtime loving partnership of two lesbian women who were several years apart in age. I have chosen to anchor the story in reality by using, respectfully, the real names of cities, educational institutions, and a few businesses. Beyond that the details are the product of my imagination. I wrote North Coast because I believe in love, specifically lesbian love. Love that grows and deepens over time. There are many books about instant lesbian intimacy and fewer about women who want and need more than an inviting or intriguing look and a quick hop into bed.
This novel would never have reached publication without the help and support of many of my friends who read the first, second and third drafts and made comments and offered editing assistance. I am very grateful to Karen Merry, an artist whose move from San Diego to Eureka inspired the setting for North Coast, and who also read a later draft; Myrna Oliver, retired from The Los Angeles Times, who did some extensive editing for me; Glenna Byork and Lucy Martin, both of whom read the manuscript and offered useful suggestions; Connie Jenkins, who supported me in completing the work and found typos in various drafts that needed to be fixed; and Mary George, retired editor from Harcourt Brace Javanovich, who read different drafts, provided invaluable comments, and did painstaking, detailed editing. Without her, you could not be reading this book.
And finally, the late Vera Foster, whose love for me gave birth to North Coast.