by K L Finalley
When the second beep sounded, she shuffled her feet and all her cool faded away. Then, the elevator doors opened and revealed Mallory. Leaving the entrance, she placed her sweating hands into her pockets and proceeded into the anteroom to greet her.
"Hey, baby," she said and pecked Mallory's lips.
A smile drew across Mallory's face as she said, "How long have you been waiting on me?"
"A lifetime."
"That's a good one," Mallory responded and walked past her into the penthouse. She beelined to the couch. With her arm outstretched, she released her purse and plopped onto the cold, leather couch. Her purse crashed and its contents spewed about the floor. Immediately, Jacqueline crouched beside her and began to regain order. "Honey, you don't have to get it. I'll pick it all up. I just need a moment." Mallory said as she yawned.
"Maybe, you should take a little nap," Jacqueline suggested as she looked under the couch for the lipstick that had escaped.
"Oh, no. I'm fine. Nothing a margarita won't fix."
"Well, I'm sure that Paige'll have some made."
"Had you made plans for us tonight? I guess I should've asked if a cookout at Paige and Brett's was okay."
"No, it's fine. I mean, I did have a surprise for you. But, we can go to that sold-out concert anytime." Jacqueline said as she stood up and proceeded out of the room.
"Oh, no. Really? I'll call Paige and cancel. Who're we gonna see?"
Laughing in the kitchen, Jacqueline peered at an intrigued Mallory, "I'm only joking. I was only going to ask if you wanted to go to the game, but we can go another night."
"Are you sure?" Mallory confirmed.
"Yes, I'm very sure. We haven't all hung out together since...vacation? It'll be great to just hang out. What time do we have to be there?"
"I think I'm going to change into something more casual..."
"You own something casual?" Jacqueline teased.
"Be glad you're in the kitchen. As I was saying, I'm gonna change into something else and check my face. Then, we can go." Mallory stood up from the couch and walked to the bedroom. As she opened the bedroom door, she heard the bed whisper a plea to her. Desperately, she wanted to answer. She walked to Jacqueline's side of the bed and sat down. She removed her shoes and thought of falling back onto the plush pillow top. She thought of curling up beneath the feather comforter, skipping dinner, and inviting Jacqueline to share a movie night in bed. She thought that she could convince her to watch a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, all of her favorites were at her house, so she would have to convince Jacqueline to go rent one and pick up some dinner. Lying there devising this plan, she realized that there were too many components that had to fall into place in order for this to work. So, she pushed it aside.
Her mind chanted, Get up. Get up. And, up she got. Standing on her bare feet, rather than in her brown, strappy heels, she already felt better. She stretched her toes, cried a fake cry, and trudged towards the bathroom holding her shoes by their straps.
As she opened the bathroom door, her nose worked before her eyes. She smelled sweetness that made all the aches of her body melt away. Her eyes searched the room for the source of the scent. On her side of the bathroom counter, there sat a large assorted bouquet. She blushed at the sight of such a large arrangement; without counting, she suspected that there were more than thirty flowers. Dropping her shoes to the floor, she touched and sniffed the assortment of lilies, roses, cremons, mums, and carnations. Her heart swelled so much that she had to beat back the water filling her eyes. In a bathroom full of sweet smells and beautiful sights, she went deaf to all of her senses, except the sound of her pounding heart. Had she known Morse code, she would have known that the pattern of those beats spelled: This is love. But, she never took the time to learn a language. Instead, she felt overwhelmed and searched for something to settle her.
Using a tissue to dab her eyes, she reclined on the camel colored chaise that rested in the middle of the bathroom. The soft velvet gave her a place to reclaim the emotions that were running too freely. As she peered back at the bouquet, she noticed a card peeking from under the vase. Quickly, she returned to the sink to free it. It read:
I couldn't wait for Valentine's Day. I love you, now.
Jax
Reading the card had been a mistake. The emotions that she sought to wrangle were loose. She fell back upon the chaise as emotions filled the huge room. There was elation in the tub and tears in the sinks. The mirrors were decorated with bliss and the floor gleaned with enchantment. The bathroom had been transformed into the den of her soul, but the emotional ride had left her exhausted. She stood from the chaise to look at herself in the mirror.
As the mirror illuminated, she could see her heart beating full of life. But, the reflection reminded her that she stood with only plumes of flowers by her side. With fervor, she flung open the bathroom door and raced in search of Jacqueline. Glancing around the living room and kitchen, Mallory dashed to the other rooms. As she entered the hallway, she heard sounds from the office. She ran to Jacqueline who had her back turned to the door and clasped her arms around her.
Playfully, Jacqueline responded, "Well, hello! I guess we can skip this party." Mallory didn't respond. She cozied herself into Jacqueline's back as Jacqueline tried to turn to face her. Wiggling in her arms, she pleaded, "Honey, this would be better if I could turn around."
Mallory released her grip and spun Jacqueline to face her. "I love you," she said gleefully and kissed her. Still swirling with emotions, the kiss was too hard, too long, and tasted of salt.
Jacqueline began to laugh mid-kiss. Mumbling, she responded, "I love you, too. And, I want this reaction every evening at six-thirty."
Mallory pulled her head back and placed her head against Jacqueline's chest. "I got your flowers."
"What flowers?"
"You know what flowers."
"Oh, the flowers in the bathroom? Those aren't from me. They were here when I got back home."
"And the card? Who wrote the card and signed your name?"
"Beats me," Jacqueline responded as she held her tight.
"You know, things like this are gonna make it hard for you to get rid of me."
"Thanks for the heads up," she teased. As she released her grip, Mallory slide her limp body into the desk chair. She ran her hands through her long red waves. Jacqueline returned to loading her violin into its case.
"Were you playing when I got here?"
"I had been earlier, but I hadn't packed it up yet. I was just taking care of it before we left."
"One day, you'll have to play for me." Mallory mentioned as she had on many occasions. Jacqueline was closing the case as she continued, "Or, at the very least, play while I'm in the house."
Returning the case to the closet, Jacqueline responded, "I will. I promise." After she closed the closet doors, she extended her hand to Mallory who rested her hand in her palm. Gently, she pulled her from the chair and onto her feet. She ran her fingers through Mallory's hair and said, "I think this looks great just like it is. Don't do anything else to it."
"Okay, lemme change into a different outfit and we can go." As she turned to leave the office, Jacqueline swatted her on the butt.
~~~~~~~~
As the two cruised over the Gandy Bridge into Tampa, Jacqueline drummed the steering wheel in unison with the Southern Rock CD that she'd made for Mallory. Riding beside her, with her hand on Jacqueline's thigh, Mallory smiled at the thought of how their worlds had mixed.
When the song ended, Mallory paused the CD and raised the windows. She said, "You know, people don't ride around in a new Mercedes with the windows down."
Jacqueline chuckled, "But, they should. You should have all the windows down all the time, so everyone can see all the gizmos this thing has."
"Yeah, that's not how this works."
"We could've taken the Laredo."
"Yeah, I know, but you wanted my hair down. You can't take Jeep hair to a party, baby."
<
br /> "Oh, there's nothing better than Jeep hair. You should've seen how big Zoe's hair was this afternoon when I dropped her off." Jacqueline held her hands over her head to show the volume Zoe's hair had achieved.
"How was she when you dropped her off?"
"Zoe? Fine. She was the same chatterbox that she normally is."
"I sure hope she doesn't fight with Abbie tonight."
"You know; I don't know if they fight as much as they try to outdo one another. When she and I pulled up, Josh was in the yard working on that Indian." She paused and looked at Mallory. "Did you know he was back?" Mallory nodded and reclined her chair. "Anyhow, he was out there working on that Indian. So, as we pull up, Zoe tells me to hit the horn. I ask her why and she tells me that she wants Abbie to know she's here."
"Did you blow the horn?"
"Well, I did."
"Honey, don't let her do that." Embarrassed by the very idea, Mallory placed her hand over her eyes, "Good Lord. You two."
"That's not the point." Jacqueline continued, "So, I beep the horn and Josh comes out to the street to say hello. He thinks that the beep is for him. But, Zoe sits right there in the backseat," Jacqueline pointed to the place where Zoe would have been sitting. "She sits right there until Abbie comes outside. Then, she stands up on the floorboard, grabs the row bar, and pulls herself out from the side. She puts her feet on the top of the wheel and jumps off onto the ground. I was so busy talking to Josh about his deployment, being in Africa, and what's left to do on the Indian that I didn't even notice what she was doing until it was too late."
Mallory began to rub her forehead. "Dear Lord."
"That's not the worst of it. Abbie saw this entire spectacle. She looked a little jealous, but she wouldn't give Zoe the satisfaction. She was standing in the garage with her arms crossed. It's like she was saying - Just wait until this idiot gets that motorcycle running. I swear we're all in some circus and these two girls are the ringleaders."
"Did Lauren speak to you?"
"She always speaks to me. She isn't very friendly, but she speaks to me. Abbie ran and gave me a hug as Zoe was hugging Josh. So, he and I were standing there with the girls when Lauren walked out from the kitchen door into the garage. I'm sure that she was looking for you. When she didn't see you, she just said Hey, Jacqueline and went back into the house."
Mallory furrowed her brow. "You know, that's what I don't understand. She and I were never friends. Our daughters are friends, so we've talked during plenty of parties, play dates, and jamborees. We've been on field trips together. I've kept Abbie as often as she kept Zoe. But, she acts like she's mad at me."
"No, she acts like she wants to talk to you about me,” Jacqueline pointed to herself.
"She better not."
"I can take it. I just don't want it to get weird for Zoe."
With a heavy sigh, Mallory blew the words, "Me either." She rested her head against her cream leather headrest and reached out to hold Jacqueline's hand.
~~~~~~~~
As they pulled into the Pelican Cove subdivision, Jacqueline rolled her window down again. Driving past houses that were all versions of one another, she glanced around at the near symmetry of this life. Weaving along bird named streets, she quickly recognized that the house at the entrance of the subdivision had been duplicated in a pink lemonade, cream, pale blue, and gray stucco throughout the neighborhood. Some had the garage on the left side rather than the right side, but they were all the same. After several turns, she encountered a looming two-story brick version. It was the only one of its kind. Staring at it, she wondered why it had not been selected more often. With glass windows in the garage door and four paned windows in the rooms overhead, the house glared at her as she passed by. Even as she passed it, she looked back at its disapproving scowl. Anxious to be past it, she continued on.
She turned left onto Hawks Den Road, then she maneuvered right onto Egrets Way. It came to a dead end and she was forced to turn onto Coven Court. Passing house after house and making turn after turn, she felt as though she had left the world she knew and wandered into to some new territory. Jacqueline thought how Paige was as crafted for subdivision life as subdivisions are crafted to be their own sphere of living. With homemade treats and a husband who coached their children's co-ed soccer team, they were perfect for this new universe. This place where no one offended anyone, because all of their opinions, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and interests were the joint thoughts of middle America.
She made the right onto Crow’s Nest Lane and caught the whiff of charcoal. She knew she had arrived. She edged the Mercedes around the shoulder of Paige's corner lot and parked the car. Exiting the car, she sought to take a closer look at the world she had entered. She wondered if this was the life of families and she was the outsider from the foreign land who just did not understand. She stood outside in the night air staring at the basketball goals at the end of the drives. She imagined how children pushed them to the end of the driveway in order to share. She saw bikes lying casually in the grass awaiting their riders. She could see over fences into backyards with swing sets and pools. She could hear the sounds of children playing and the hum of parents talking. Her eyes gravitated to the similarities of their cars. Every yard had a mid-sized sedan and a SUV. She thought maybe this is perfection, maybe this is the goal. This was the American Dream in which a couple joins other couples and together they achieve the dream of homogeneity. It is what Paige had done and seemed happy doing it. Gathering the bags, she walked behind Mallory to the door and wondered if this is what she wanted. As she stood at the front door, next to her girlfriend, she inhaled a big whiff of it all and awaited her invitation inside.
"Hey, you two. I was starting to wonder if you were gonna stand us up," Paige teased as she leaned in to hug Jacqueline whose hands were full.
"Are we late?" Jacqueline asked as she entered the house.
"Well, I thought Mallory was only going back to the house for a few minutes. I didn't realize that you two..."
"Were gonna have to do it before you could leave," Alex chimed in.
Jacqueline rushed to Alex. With bags in her hands, she hugged her close. "Well, you know how I do."
"Yeah, I know how you do," Alex smirked.
"So, how's the big time magazine business?"
"I miss you guys. Upbeat is so different than the Sun. I mean, the people are different. There isn't the...friendliness. I don't know I guess it doesn't feel like family."
As she took bags from Jacqueline, Paige said, "You could always come back."
"Don't say that. I just might,” Alex responded as she drank the watery ginger ale that she swirled in her glass.
Jacqueline glanced around Paige and Brett's home. It was an intermingling of personalities. His sixty-inch television was mounted to the turquoise painted zinnia-stenciled accent wall. The mantle was decorated with candles and family pictures. The tan leather couch was draped in a red throw decorated with vintage cars.
It was as much of an eclectic mix as was the company. On the loveseat sat Olive, in a tie dyed shirt that was twisted up above her navel. Her jeans may or may not have been denim. Without feeling for spandex, Jacqueline couldn't be certain. Next to her sat Drew, her new boyfriend, who was clean shaven with neatly moussed hair. His chinos and red polo were the perfect uniform for box store retail. Leering from the couch was Pam, Elet's middle brother, Reese's girlfriend. While Pam sat dressed in a designer jumpsuit that would have received a compliment from Alex if it were worn by anyone else, she would never be cordial to Pam. Despite still being married to one man yet living with another man, Pam saw herself as far better than Alex and was certain to express it. Hoping to bypass some of the usual tension, Jacqueline waved to all and exited the Pandora's box that was the living room. She followed Paige to the breakfast nook.
Having left the scarcity of authenticity in that room, Jacqueline felt more at ease. As she gazed around the kitchen, she admired the hand-sewn curtains that dressed the bay wind
ow. The material was white with tiny little yellow flowers. The nook table was new but was made to look antique. She smiled as she thought of what do-it-yourself artistic technique Paige had perfected just for that table. To add to the shabby chic decoration, there were vintage white and yellow vinyl chairs. This space felt genuine, like classic Americana. Jacqueline thought how the room could only be made better by Paige appearing in a matching ruffled apron while hand-churning milkshakes.
Upon closer inspection, Jacqueline noticed the placemats were in the same fabric as the curtains. There were two clean ones and two that appeared to be stained with spaghetti and juice. Staring down at the evidence, Jacqueline asked, "Where are the kids?" Paige had her back turned. She was arranging the sodas and cake that Jacqueline had brought inside, but she nodded in the direction of the back of the house. Jacqueline walked near her, so that she could peer into the backyard. Outside, she saw the big smiles of small people as they ran about.
Bryce and Kelsey were twin five year olds who spoke and moved in unison. Neither child looked like Brett or Paige. The two aliens favored themselves. Like most parents, they drew conclusions about their children's looks from long since deceased relatives. Brett determined that the children's long appendages reminded him of his paternal grandfather who stood well over six feet tall. Paige said her grandmother had curly hair similar to her children's locks. Instead, the kids look as some kids often do, as though they didn't belong to these people at all. Bryce and Kelsey were long, thin children with curly blonde hair and big, bright eyes. Yet, Paige and Brett were both short, full-figured people whose eyes disappeared when they smiled.
Jacqueline was surveying the backyard when Alex walked up behind her. "Daydreaming?" Alex asked.
"No, not really. I was just enjoying the view of Bryce and Kelsey running around while Brett starts up the grill. The rest of the guys are talking to him, but he's looking after the kids and, barely, listening to the guys. It's cute."
