Fallen Elements

by Heather McVea

  The woman nodded, and without a word turned to begin helping the table directly behind Ryan and Leah’s table.

  “How long have you been coming to the games?” Ryan asked.

  Leah considered the question for a second. “About six years.”

  Ryan’s eyes widened. “And you’ve never been to Pickles?”

  “I know – sacrilege. Don’t judge me.” Leah winked as she took another drink of her Orange Crush.

  Ryan shook her head. “Like I told you, I never judge -”

  “I know. You never judge out loud.” Leah grinned.

  “You listened.” Ryan knew she was too excited over the fact Leah had remembered her casual quip from the market.

  “Off and on.” Leah looked up at one of twenty televisions hung throughout the bar.

  “It’s my birthday today.” Ryan mentioned casually.

  Leah’s brow arched. “You should have said something sooner. Happy birthday!”

  Ryan grinned, and before she could respond the waitress returned with the fried pickles. “Would you like another round?”

  “Yes, please.” Leah answered before Ryan could, a mischievous glint in her green eyes. “And yours are my treat.”

  Ryan thought to argue, but could tell by Leah’s emphatic tone, it would be a lost cause. “Done.”

  A basket of fried pickles and two more Orange Crushes later, Leah had settled the tab, and the two women were walking across the congested street toward the stadium. The sky was partly clouding, and the weather was cooler than normal for the middle of April.

  Entering the retro style stadium, Leah and Ryan made their way along Eutaw Street that ran between the ballpark itself and the B&O Warehouse. The street was a thoroughfare closed to vehicular traffic, and lined with food vendors and merchants. The entire ballpark was built in the vein of the nineteen thirties’ ballparks. The exposed red brick, green seats, and ivy laden walls left the attendees with a feeling of nostalgia for the parks of old.

  “Are you up for some Boog’s Barbecue?” Leah asked as the scent of burning mesquite wood mixed with seasoned beef and pork wafted over them.

  Ryan nodded enthusiastically. “Twist my arm.”

  John “Boog” Powell was the first baseman for the Orioles from 1961 to 1974. Though he played for the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers in subsequent years, he, along with his tangy barbecue sauce and slow smoked pork recipe, had returned to Maryland.

  Leah and Ryan stood in line, a chilly breeze whipping along the walkway causing Ryan to shiver. “I should have brought a coat.”

  Leah wrapped her arm around Ryan’s shoulders and squeezed. “It is nippy.”

  A wash of warmth rolled down Ryan’s back and around to her chest, the chill of the air around her gone. “You’re better than a blanket.” Ryan turned to Leah. “How do you do that?”

  Leah shrugged as she removed her arm. “Magic.”

  Ryan chuckled. “Well, unless you’re planning on staying butt up against me the rest of the afternoon, I’m going to have to break down and buy an overpriced sweatshirt.”

  “I’m not opposed to that whole butt thing, but it might make navigating challenging.” Leah teased. “So please let me get you the sweatshirt as a birthday present.”

  Ryan had wanted to protest the indulgent gift, but her mind kept tripping over the flirtatious tone Leah had taken. “Ah, okay. Thank you, that’s great.”

  “You really want to argue with me right now, don’t you?”

  Ryan nodded. “I’m really trying to be gracious about the gifting.”

  Leah nudged Ryan’s shoulder playfully. “Good.”

  The two women got two pulled pork sandwiches the size of their heads and two Natty Boh beers. Ryan insisted on paying, and Leah begrudgingly accepted. They made a quick run through a MLB merchandise stall before walking to their seats.

  “These are amazing seats!” Ryan gushed as she and Leah made their way down the concrete steps of the club level at Camden Yards.

  “I’m glad you’re pleased. Marty and I buy season tickets every year and alternate which games we’re going to attend.” Leah side stepped past two older gentlemen, and sat down, leaving the seat to her right empty for Ryan.

  Looking out over the pristine field, Ryan couldn’t help but smile. They were on the second level deck, running parallel to the first base line. “I’ve only managed to get Eutaw Street bleacher seats in center field.”

  Leah sat her Natty Boh in the cup holder attached to the back of the seat in front of her, and balanced the pulled pork sandwich on her lap. “If you decide you want something more to eat or drink, just keep an eye out and a server will come along and take your order.”

  “Bullshit.” Ryan craned her neck around so she could see behind her. “Really?”

  Leah chuckled. “True story.”

  Ryan settled into her seat, the black sweatshirt with the Oriole bird logo across the front of it keeping her warm. Looking out over the pristinely manicured field, Ryan felt a surge of excitement. Before she could think better of it, she grabbed Leah’s hand and squeezed it affectionately. “Thanks for inviting me. I’m really happy to be here – with you.”

  A shot of color went to Leah’s cheeks, and the woman smiled. “I’m glad to be here with you. Thanks for spending your birthday with me.”

  The Orioles were playing the New York Yankees. The two teams meeting always drove their fans to behave in combative and less than hospitable ways towards one another. When the Orioles went up by two runs off of a homerun by their first baseman Chris Davis, the taunting and smack talking started in earnest.

  A Yankees fan three rows behind Leah and Ryan began yelling at an Orioles fan sitting two seats over from Leah. “Guess those meds are doing him some good!” The drunk man taunted, referencing Chris Davis’ suspension the previous season for taking a prescription drug for attention deficit disorder.

  “Or Kelley’s arm is shit!” The Orioles fan shouted back.

  Within seconds, a shouting match had broken out between six Oriole fans and five Yankee fans. Expletives and innuendo flew, and to Ryan’s shock and amusement, Leah joined in the ruckus.

  “Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” The blonde yelled over her shoulder, the man next to her high-fiving her and taking up her mantra. Eventually, nearly everyone in the section was chanting scoreboard. That, along with another two runs being scored by the Orioles before the Yankees could get out of the inning, finally made the Yankee fans fall quiet.

  “Do you want another beer?” Leah asked as she fished her credit card out of her back pocket.

  “I’m good.” Between the two Orange Crushes and the twenty two ounce beer, Ryan was feeling a little buzzed. “Pretty impressive display there.” Ryan leaned into Leah, their shoulders touching.

  Leah waved the server over to their row, and passed her order slip and credit card down. “Bitches gots to learn.” She said flatly.

  Ryan nearly choked as she erupted in laughter. “You seem so calm. Are you a murderer?”

  Leah’s eyes brightened. “I see I’m not the only one with an Orange is the New Black addiction.”

  Ryan feigned embarrassment, averting her eyes. “I might have a Netflix binging problem.”

  Ryan had liked Leah immediately, and she had half-expected to like her less the more she got to know her. Sometimes first impressions can cut both ways. Ryan was delighted to find Leah was even more fun, irreverent and witty than she could have hoped for.

  ***

  “I’ve had a great time.” Leah smiled from the sidewalk as Ryan walked up the stoop. The sun had set, and the chill from the day had turned into outright cold.

  “I can’t take all the credit. It’s always a great day when the Orioles beat the Yankees.” Their outing had been one of the best for Ryan, and she wasn’t ready to see it end. “Come in for a bit. We can have a drink.”

  Leah glanced at her watch. “It’s nearly eight. I need to get home.”

  Ryan walked back down
the steps and took Leah’s hand. “You can rest when you’re dead.” She pulled an apprehensive Leah up the steps, and unlocked the front door.

  Ryan frowned as they entered the house. It was unusual for Nicole to remember to turn any lights off, much less every light. The house sat in relative darkness.

  “Surprise!” The lights in the kitchen, dining room and living room were flipped on, and the small downstairs of the house was crammed with a host of Ryan’s friends and acquaintances.

  “Holy shit!” Ryan gasped, and nearly knocked Leah into the wall as she stepped back.

  Nicole rushed toward her with a blue metallic party hat on her head. “Happy birthday, roomie!” She wrapped her arms around a still stunned Ryan.

  Ryan looked over Nicole’s shoulder, trying to process what was happening. Multi-colored streamers and balloons were spread throughout the house. The dining room table was adorned with every possible dip, chip and chicken wing imaginable, along with liquor bottles and a large white cream icing sheet cake with the words Happy Birthday Ryan scrawled across it.

  “When did you do all this?” Ryan leaned back and looked at Nicole.

  “It wasn’t too hard once you got a job and got your lazy butt out of the house.” Nicole teased as she looked past Ryan toward Leah. “And thank you for your unwitting assistance in getting our friend here out and about for the day.”

  Leah smiled as she nodded. “Always glad to help, even when I haven’t got a clue.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Nicole playfully nudged Leah in the shoulder. “Come in.”

  Nicole pulled Ryan further into the house as she was assailed by the many party goers wishing her a happy birthday. Glancing back, Ryan was relieved to see Leah had not only stayed, but Greg had found her, and the two were talking.

  “Happy birthday.” Jenny was standing in front of Ryan, a red version of Nicole’s party hat sitting lopsided on her head. She leaned in and kissed Ryan, her lips lingering as she quickly ran the tip of her tongue along Ryan’s lower lip.

  Jenny’s breath smelled of the scotch she was drinking. Jenny stepped back, and Ryan glanced toward the door, anxious Leah had seen them kissing. “Thanks for coming.”

  Jenny’s eyes narrowed as she followed Ryan’s gaze toward the door. “Who’s that?”

  Ryan stammered. “She’s - oh, Leah. The friend of my family I mentioned to you.”

  Jenny’s brow arched as she took a drink of her scotch. “I’d love to meet her.”

  Before Ryan could object, Jenny was weaving her way through the crowded house toward Leah and Greg.

  “You must be Leah.” Jenny extended her hand, not waiting for Leah to acknowledge her. “I’m Jenny. Ryan’s girlfriend.”

  The use of the word girlfriend gave Ryan pause, and triggered a feeling of dread in her stomach. Jenny had never referred to herself as Ryan’s girlfriend before, and her decision to do so now, with Leah, could only mean the evening was about to take an uncomfortable turn.

  Unfazed, Leah took Jenny’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Nicole interceded, a cup of beer in her hand. “Leah, can I get you to stay? We’re going to play flip cup later, and I’ve got dibs on you for my team.”

  Leah laughed. “That’s very nice, but I need to be getting home.”

  “Is this late for you?” Jenny asked, and for the second time since entering the house, Ryan caught the scent of scotch on her breath. What she had thought would be uncomfortable may very well become unbearable if Jenny was drunk.

  Shaking her head, Leah smiled. “Not at all. I have to be at work early in the morning.”

  “What do you do?” Jenny had stepped between Ryan and Leah, her posture verging on aggressive.

  Leah glanced over at Ryan, and then back at Jenny. “I own a small bookstore in Ellicott City.”

  Jenny nodded as she took a drink of her scotch. Before she could continue, Greg interjected, looking at Leah and then at Jenny as the tension was apparent. “Leah, can I get you a drink?”

  “I was actually going, but thanks.” Leah stepped toward the door.

  “You have to stay.” Jenny looped her arm through Leah’s. “It will add some depth to this crowd.”

  Leah’s brow furrowed. “Depth?”

  Jenny nodded, and scanned the room. “Everyone here is under thirty, so having a forty-something evens things out.”

  Ryan’s face flushed with anger as she took Jenny by the wrist. “She said she has to go, so stop making a scene.”

  Jenny wrenched her arm away from Ryan. “I’m not making a scene. I’m having a conversation.”

  Leah took a step back. “Ryan, I’ll see you later.”

  Ryan looked past Jenny and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize for me. You should be apologizing for yourself.” Jenny’s voice was raised, and several party goers nearby took notice.

  “Let’s go upstairs and discuss this.” Ryan didn’t want to make any more of a scene in front of her friends than had already been made.

  Jenny wrapped her arm around Ryan’s waist. “I like upstairs. Wonderful idea.” The inebriated woman took a drink, and grinned at Leah as she continued to address Ryan. “You can take me to bed. I mean put me to bed.”

  “Alrighty.” Nicole took Jenny’s cup from her. “If you could just start hiccuping and slurring your words, the cliché will be complete.”

  “Leah, I want to ask you something.” Jenny looked at Ryan and then back at the blonde. “Actually, Ryan’s been wondering, but is far too polite to ask, so it falls to me.” Jenny cupped her hand to the side of her mouth, and lowered her voice. “So did you and Karen used to fuck?”

  “What the hell!” Greg’s voice boomed above the noise of the crowd. “That’s enough.” Before anyone could respond, Greg spun Jenny around, and ushered her toward the back door. “You need to get yourself some fresh air.”

  Ryan was standing in stunned silence as Leah’s face turned several different shades of red from obvious embarrassment. “I’m so sorry.”

  Leah took a deep breath, the muscles in her jaw tensing as her eyes filled with tears. “Did you say that to her?”

  Ryan shook her head. “No! Absolutely not.”

  Leah wiped at an errant tear, before turning to Nicole. “Thank you for the invitation, but I need to go.”

  Nicole, rarely speechless, could only manage a slight nod as Leah turned and left. “Short of gun fire, I can’t see how that could have gone any worse.” Nicole managed after Leah had shut the front door.

  Ryan collapsed against the wall, her head pounding. “Jesus, what the hell was that?” She rubbed her face, and looked toward the back door. “I wanted to punch her.”

  Nicole stepped in front of Ryan and put her hands on her shoulders. “That’s an idea. Instead of giving the blithering bitch anymore of your attention, why don’t you go after Leah and try to fix this shit.”

  Ryan looked at the front door, and then at the back door before returning her attention to Nicole. “Right.”

  Ryan pushed past Nicole, and out into the cool night air. The rush of cold against her overheated skin sent a surge of energy through her. Scanning the dimly lit street, Ryan spotted Leah nearly a block away, and began running toward her.

  “Leah!” Ryan’s breath came in short bursts as she closed the distance between her and the blonde.

  Leah turned around, her car keys in hand, the collar of her black Chesterfield coat pulled up around her face. “Ryan, you should go back. It’s cold.”

  Stopping just short of running into the woman, Ryan took a steadying breath. “Don’t go.” She brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead, and then blew warm air into her cupped hands.

  “It’s getting late.” Leah’s voice was low as she spoke, and her cheeks and nose were flush from the cold night air.

  Ryan had taken off after Leah so quickly she hadn’t stopped to think about what she actually wanted to say to the woman. Trying to buy herself time so her brain coul
d catch up, Ryan absently ran her hand over the hood of the black Nissan Altima they were standing next to. “I meant to tell you earlier that I like your car.”

  Leah nodded. “Thank you. Seriously, you should go back in.”

  Ignoring the other woman’s persistence, Ryan continued. “I need to get a car. You know, with the commute to work. Would you recommend this one?”

  Leah cocked her head to the side as her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t come out here to talk about my car, did you?”

  It took several seconds before Ryan could work up the courage to look up at Leah. Her breath caught, and she felt her stomach tighten. The dim light from the street lamp was catching the highlights in Leah’s hair, and independent of any reason, Ryan closed the space between her and the woman.

  Ryan’s voice was low and intimate when she spoke. “I’m sorry. She was out of line.”

  Leah’s eyes widened with Ryan’s sudden proximity, and she leaned back, scanning the other woman’s face. “Did you say that - about Karen and me?” Her voice caught.

  Ryan took Leah’s hand in hers. “Never.” The chill in the air vanished, and Ryan felt warmth spreading from her chest out to the entirety of her body as she slowly placed her hand on Leah’s cheek.

  A stillness settled inside Ryan as she gently placed her lips on Leah’s. Something akin to a shock pulsed through her with the first tentative touch of her lips against Leah’s warm, full ones. Wrapping her arm around the small of the blonde’s back, Ryan pulled her closer.

  At the first touch of Leah’s tongue to hers, and Ryan felt the sidewalk beneath her shift. She clung to the woman, as the scent of vanilla filled her senses and waves of heat pulsated through her. A quiet moan escaped Leah, and the blonde quickly stepped back.

  Ryan tilted against the side of the car, her entire body vibrating. “Wait.” Before she could think of anything else to say, Leah was in her car, and reflexively Ryan righted herself so the woman could pull away from the curb.

  As the car’s tail-lights faded in the distance, Ryan felt spent. Her legs buckled, and she found herself sitting on the curb. The cold concrete of the sidewalk seeped through her jeans, leaving her feeling numb. Ryan wrapped her arms around her chest. The cold air returned with a vengeance, forcing Ryan to her feet.