Monogamy

by Susan X Meagher

  Catherine and Jamie rolled their eyes at each other as Ryan got settled for the next pitch. This one was high, and Jamie shook her shoulders out, feeling the tension knotting there. It’s an exhibition game, Jamie, she reminded herself. Chill!

  Another pitch – another ball, and still the bat had not left Ryan’s shoulder. Jamie knew this was exactly the way her partner would be – patient and analytical at the plate – trying to learn as much as she possibly could from the signals that the pitcher was giving her. The next pitch was a little low, and a few inches inside, but Ryan swung at it, sending the ball skittering foul.

  Letting out a breath, Jamie gave Ashley a sheepish grin and removed her hand from her leg. "Sorry about that. Hope you don’t bruise," she said.

  Ashley patted her back and said, "No problem. It’s so much harder to watch than it is to play! I’m never tense when I play, but my stomach’s in knots watching these guys!"

  The next ball was right where Ryan wanted it, but the pitcher had disguised her motion to make it look like her usual fastball. In actuality, it wasn’t a fastball at all, as she cut the ball just a hair by holding it with her fingers across the seams. Ryan swung, but didn’t get all of it. The ball dribbled through the infield, right past the pitcher. The shortstop grabbed it and flung it, but Ryan’s surprising speed allowed her to beat the throw by a complete stride of her long legs. As she motored past the bag, the man behind Jennie laughed and said, "She shouldn’t be on the basketball team, she should be on the track team!"

  With a scowl on her face Jennie turned and said, "She could be if she wanted to be!" then folded her arms across her chest as she turned back to the action.

  Jamie leaned her head close to Ashley and said, "I think we’d better sit in the car and listen to the games on the radio from now on. Jennie’s gonna get punched if she keeps this up!"

  Ryan reached second base on a fielder’s choice, and with one out, she stood on second base, looking down at the very short second baseman. The next batter worked the count to 2-2, and blistered a low line-drive into right field. The fielder didn’t hesitate, firing the ball in with such force that her feet left the ground. Ryan was sprinting around the bases, catching the inner corner of the base as she rounded third, heading for home. She arrived at nearly the same time that the ball did, resulting in a fierce and noisy collision of 6 foot 3 inches of lean muscle barreling into a short, squat, muscular catcher. The crowd held its breath as the dust settled, with the umpire decisively calling, "SAFE!"

  The team streamed out of the dugout, with Heather and Jackie spending a long moment untangling the catcher from Ryan’s long limbs. The various members of the winning squad clapped their hands onto Ryan’s back and head, congratulating her to the point of abuse, while Jamie, Ashley, Jennie, and a more subdued Catherine cheered in the stands. Jennie, of course, had to turn to the man behind her and gloat. "Told ya she could play!"

  By the time the players had exited the locker room, it was five thirty, and the Alumni/Team dinner was due to start in an hour. "I’m barely going to have time to go home, shower and dress," Ryan worried, looking at her watch.

  Catherine volunteered, "Let me take Jennie home, Ryan. Actually, I think this is a perfect night for the two of us to have dinner together. What do you say, Jen?"

  "I’d love to," she said. "But I have to call Sandy first. She likes to know where I am."

  "Use my phone," Jamie said, handing her the little device.

  Jennie looked at Catherine as she dialed and said, "I have to be home by nine. That’s my curfew."

  Catherine smiled at her earnest face and said, "I think three and a half hours is plenty of time to have a nice dinner. How do you feel about French food, Jennie?"

  "Umm …" she hesitated, trying to get the answer right. "I like french fries," she offered tentatively.

  "I know just the place," Catherine said as she draped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

  Late that night, walking home from the team dinner, Jamie tucked her hand into Ryan’s, enjoying the crisp, cool, evening. "I can see why you like your new teammates," she said. "They seem like a lot of fun."

  "Yeah, they are," Ryan agreed. "It … uhm … wasn’t too boring for you, was it?"

  "No, not at all, honey. Everyone was really friendly. Admittedly, the whole purpose of the dinner was to talk softball, and I don’t know a heck of a lot about it, but it was fun to watch you charm everyone."

  Giving her partner an adorably embarrassed grin, Ryan said, "I tend to talk a lot when I’m with people I don’t know. It makes me feel more comfortable."

  "Face it, honey, you’re a charmer. You can’t help it."

  "As long as I charm you, I’m a happy girl."

  When they reached the house, they were both pleased to find a note from Mia that said she had gone out with friends for the evening. "That’s a relief!" Jamie sighed. "She’s abandoned her entire support system. I gave her a pep talk today, encouraging her to reach out to her friends."

  "She has seemed down lately," Ryan said. "This is the dark side of a new relationship."

  "It can be dark," Jamie nodded. "She was in a very bad place this afternoon." She considered the note, saying, "I hope she’s out with her friend Aaron. He’s always been good for her."

  "I don’t think I’ve met him."

  "He’s been a good buddy of hers since we were freshmen," Jamie informed her. "He’s a little wild – but he’s a very sweet guy."

  Ryan’s eyes bugged out. "He’s wilder than Mia?"

  Laughing gently, Jamie said, "No – I’d say they’re about equals in the wild department. He’s a lot like she is, really. Very open, always willing to try something new, but also a good friend. You’d like him."

  "Well, maybe I’ll get to meet him if she abandons her self-imposed isolation."

  "I sure hope she does. Mia is a very social creature – she doesn’t do well when she’s alone too much."

  When Jamie came downstairs the next morning, Ryan was standing at the kitchen sink, her attention sharply focused on something in the back yard. "What’s up?" the blonde asked, startling her partner.

  "Oh," Ryan said, her attention still riveted, "I was just wondering if I’d be into penises if I were straight."

  "Huh? Why are you wondering that?"

  " ‘Cause there’s a pair of guys playing with each other in the back yard," she said casually. "I was wondering if I could get into it." Before her last sentence was out of her mouth, Jamie was pushing her aside to get a look.

  "Jesus!" the smaller woman cried. "I’ve never … Jesus!"

  "They do look like they’re having fun," Ryan said. "But they’re investigating each other like they’re in slow motion. Kinda weird."

  She was obviously trying to understand the dynamic, but Jamie was a bit more focused on figuring out why there were two men in their backyard in the first place, regardless of their state of undress. "You don’t happen to know those guys, do you?" Jamie asked.

  "Of course not!" Ryan gaped at her. "You mean, you don’t?"

  "No! Jesus! Maybe they’re strangers who wandered into the yard!"

  "Oh, great! What do we do? I mean, should we let them finish?" She took a long look and said, "The darker skinned guy doesn’t look like he could walk with that chubby."

  Jamie took a glance and agreed. "It is odd, the way they’re caressing each other. One of them looks like a pro, but the other doesn’t appear to have ever done this before. He looks very amateurish." She started to turn away, but whirled back to the window and ordered, "Don’t you two drip anything on my lawn furniture!"

  Ryan chuckled at her outrage, but stayed right where she was, watching the men intently. "Ryan!" Jamie demanded, pulling her away from the window. "You can’t stand there and watch!"

  "Why not? They’re in my yard! I’ve always wondered what it looks like when a guy gets wood, and this is probably my only chance to find out." After a few seconds a grin creased her face as she said, "It’s
kinda hot. That one guy looks like he’s having a fabulous time."

  "Come on, you little voyeur. If you’re not going to roust them, let them have their fun."

  "Oh, I’ll roust them, all right," Ryan said. "But first I’m going to go figure out if they’re invited guests. I think our roommate holds the key to that puzzle."

  Striding up the stairs, Ryan reached Mia’s room and cracked open the door. Jamie was right behind her, and she nearly stumbled when Ryan backed away, paling noticeably. "What’s wrong?" the blonde whispered.

  Eyes wide, Ryan jerked her head in the direction of their bedroom. Jamie led the way and resumed her questioning. "Honey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost! What’s wrong?" she repeated insistently.

  "Mia’s in bed … with a guy." She looked like she was torn between punching something and crying, and Jamie grasped at her arm, holding on tight.

  "In bed with a guy? Are you sure?"

  Shooting her a perturbed look, Ryan nodded quickly. "I might not sleep with them, but I recognize them, Jamie. There was a nice looking, sweet-faced guy in her bed. She was cuddled up behind him, with her arm draped over his hip." Sitting down heavily on the bed she muttered, "I thought she was serious about Jordan. Jesus! She’s gonna be devastated!"

  Jamie’s concerned look lightened a bit as she asked, "Did he have curly hair?"

  "Yeah. Curly, blonde hair, pink cheeks. He coulda passed for sixteen."

  "That’s Aaron!" Jamie cried, now looking massively relieved. "He and Mia don’t have sex! He’s as gay as you are."

  Ryan blinked at her for a moment as she absorbed what Jamie had said, then asked, "I thought you were gay, too?"

  "I am," Jamie said, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I’m just not as gay as you are."

  Shaking her head, Ryan mumbled, "Whatever. All I know is that I wouldn’t be happy about you being sprawled all over a guy – no matter how gay either of you were."

  "I’ll go talk to her and ask if the guys in the yard are her friends. Be right back."

  As she walked away, Ryan mused, I think poor Jordan might have been right to worry about Mia’s ability to remain monogamous. No matter what Jamie says, that scene didn’t look right. And as Jennie learned the hard way, you can get into plenty of trouble playing around – no matter what your sexual orientation is.

  Jamie slipped into the dim bedroom and stood quietly for a minute, letting her eyes adjust as she decided how to awaken her friend. She was relieved to see the tiny strap that drooped low on Mia’s shoulder – indicating that she was wearing some form of clothing.

  Approaching her friend from behind, Jamie placed her hand on Mia’s shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. That attempt received no response, so she increased the pressure and gave her a shake. Again – nothing. She finally had to resort to tapping her cheek with her open hand – continuing the annoying contact until Mia finally lifted her hand from Aaron’s hip and weakly swiped at her. Knowing that she almost had her, Jamie leaned over until her lips were near Mia’s ear. "Come on, wake up. I need to talk to you."

  A low, tortured groan was the curly-haired woman’s reply, but Jamie kept it up – entreating her again and again until Mia stopped fighting and allowed herself to wake. "What?" she husked out when she realized Jamie was leaning over her.

  "Are the two guys out in the backyard your friends?" Jamie whispered.

  "Oh, fuck!" With an unhappy growl, the brunette tossed the covers from herself and got to her feet. "Just what I fucking need! Try to do somebody a favor …" Grumbling under her breath, she paced in front of Jamie, heading for the stairs.

  The blonde gently grasped the waistband of her thin cotton pajama bottoms, urging, "Hold on a sec, Mia. What’s going on?"

  She accepted the detour that Jamie was indicating, and shuffled into the bedroom to flop down next to Ryan. Running her hands through her hair, she muttered, "Maybe I’m better off not seeing my friends, huh?"

  Mia’s brow was furrowed, and her eyes had yet to fully open. From her posture and grumpy mood, Ryan deduced that she was either hung over or currently drunk, and she decided that a wake-up massage was in order. Gently, Ryan urged her over onto her stomach and started to massage her neck and shoulders.

  "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Mia murmured, letting out several deep groans as Ryan loosened her up.

  "I assume you know the boys in the yard," Ryan said.

  "Not really," Mia replied, her speech a little thick and distorted. "But Aaron does. He used to date Bobby. The other guy is Mike, or Mark, or something with an ‘m’." She groaned loudly and rolled away from Ryan’s soothing hands. "I’m very sorry they’re in the yard, but they were too fucked up to let them loose on the streets."

  "Where were you?" Jamie asked. "At a party?"

  "Yeah. A rave," Mia revealed.

  Suddenly, Jamie’s expression sharpened. "Mia," she said in a low, threatening tone, "you didn’t …"

  Giving her a scowl, the curly-haired woman said, "Of course not! I made a promise, Jamie. My parents would never forgive me if they knew I was into that again."

  "But the guys in the yard …?"

  "Oh yeah," she said. "They both took another hit right before the party broke up. I don’t know what happened to the woman Mike or Mark, or whatever his name is, was with. We lost her at some point."

  "Are you implying that he’s straight?" Ryan asked dubiously.

  "Oh, yeah. He was trying to hit on me all night. I was about to deck him!" She shook her head and said, "Maybe that’s why his girlfriend disappeared. I woulda ditched him, too."

  "If he’s straight, he’s obviously a member of the Open-minded Straight Guys’ Society," Ryan said, getting to her feet and going to the window. "Take a peek." Mia got up with some difficulty and walked over to stand next to Ryan, peering down into the yard.

  "Oh! That is open-minded, isn’t it? Jeez, Bobby could give lessons on how to give a hummer. Great technique!" She turned to Ryan, wrinkling up her nose as she asked, "Do I really have to stop ‘em now?"

  "No, don’t bother," Ryan said. "But don’t leave them there all day. Even though it’s February, they could still get sunburned if they’re outside too long. That’s some virgin skin there."

  "Shit, I hope Mike or Mark doesn’t freak out when he comes down. That could get ugly."

  "What are they on?" Ryan asked, turning to observe the men again. "Acid?"

  "Mmm … I’m not sure. They took ‘E’ when Aaron did, but that was hours and hours ago. Either they took more, or they scored some acid. There was a lot of it floating around last night. It was quite a scene. We were out all night – just got to bed at 5:30. What time is it, anyway?"

  "6:15," Jamie said, casting a glance at her watch. "Ryan, for the last time, get away from the window!"

  "No wonder I’m tired!" Mia complained. She started to head back to bed, but Ryan put a hand on her shoulder.

  "How would you feel if Jordan slept with a guy – even if he were gay?"

  She thought about that for a second, then rolled her eyes and climbed into their bed, pulling the covers up under her chin. "Don’t tell her, okay?" she asked tentatively.

  "Of course I won’t," Ryan said, scowling a bit. "But you should."

  "What was that about?" Ryan asked when they returned to the kitchen. "You looked like you were ready to jump down Mia’s throat."

  Jamie rolled her eyes and said, "She promised her parents that she’d never do Ecstasy again. I was worried that being depressed and going to a rave would be a combination of circumstances where it would be too tempting for her to resist."

  "What’s with the promise? Did she have a drug problem?"

  Jamie sipped at the juice that Ryan had poured for her. "Yeah … well … I’m not sure it was a problem, but she made it into a problem."

  ‘Explain, please."

  Jamie nodded, took another sip of juice, and said, "When we were sophomores, she did Ecstasy every weekend for months. It didn’t bother her at first, but she start
ed having these hangover kinda things. Then she started taking Xanax along with the Ecstasy. I think she called that parachuting, or something like that. She said it made the Ecstasy last longer, and made the hangover less severe. She got caught trying to fill a fake prescription for Xanax." Jamie rolled her eyes and said, "The goofball created prescription forms on her computer, and used her real doctor’s name on it. There was some problem with the form, probably because she wrote the prescription directions in English, rather than that weird Latin they use. So, the pharmacy called the doctor and he said he’d never prescribed Xanax for her. When she went to the pharmacy to pick it up, the Hillsborough police were waiting for her. I don’t know how she thought she wasn’t gonna get caught – but you know Mia. Thankfully, her dad talked the police out of charging her. Good thing he has connections."

  "That must have been fun," Ryan said. "Given what you’ve said about her mom, I’m surprised she didn’t kill her."

  "It was close," Jamie admitted. "But Mia made a solemn promise that she’d never do Ecstasy again – and when Mia makes a promise, she keeps it."

  "Maybe we shouldn’t have kids," Ryan sighed, letting out a deep breath. "I’ll be worried sick about all of the trouble they can get into!"

  Jamie smiled over at her and reminded her, "At least we have enough money to have them followed 24/7."

  Ryan nodded, sparing a smile for her partner as she thought, Yeah, and your dad has just the guy.

  The comment Jamie had made about their ability to have their children followed stuck with Ryan as she got ready for her day. Idly mulling over the implication, she made a phone call during her lunch break that surprised her, even as she dialed the phone. "Hi, Jim, it’s Ryan," she said when she reached her father-in-law on his cell phone.

  "Hi, Ryan. Is everything all right?"

  "Oh, sure. I wanted to ask your opinion on something. Is now a good time?"

  "Sure. What is it?"