Pride and Groom

by Gibson, Tannya

  Home

  to You

  Tannya Gibson

  Home to You © October 2015

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All characters in this work are 18 years of age or older.

  Cover design © 2015 Cameron Rowe

  First Edition October 2015

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Home to You

  By Tannya Gibson

  Chapter One

  It wasn't her fault she was late. Her last client had been overdue in picking up his dog after she had finished grooming it and her entire schedule had been thrown off. Then there had been rush hour traffic to deal with; which, even in a mid-sized city like Edgewater, could try the patience of even the most virtuous. She pulled up to the chain link fence surrounding the auto yard just as an older, grizzled man began to drag the gate closed.

  "Wait!" she cried. "Please! I'm just supposed to drop off my car."

  "What's yer name?" he asked suspiciously.

  "Lexi Knowell. I was supposed to be here a half-hour ago, but my last client…"

  "Pull up o'er there," he pointed towards the office with a growl. "I kin take yer keys, but I'm ina hurry."

  Unsure if she was making a wise choice, but feeling committed to it already, Lexi drove to where he directed and locked up. She separated her car keys from her house keys as she walked back to the gate and handed them over. "Is there somewhere I can call a cab?"

  He stuck her keys in his pocket and pointed down the street to a bar. Without another word he turned to lock the gate.

  "Don't I need to do paperwork or something?"

  "Work order's already started," he said. "We'll call ya when she's ready."

  Lexi stood there in shock as he walked over to a pickup truck and drove away. The breeze created by his departure blew dirt into the air and made her cough. She looked wistfully through the fence to her car and wished she hadn't been so quick to leave it. With no closer alternatives, Lexi made her way down the street to The Sidewinder Bar. She had seen the bar too many times to count, but she had never actually been inside.

  Bracing herself outside the door for what she was sure would be a bar straight out of a nightmare, Lexi took a deep breath and stepped into the cool dark. Her eyes adjusted quickly to an old-fashioned beer bar: clean, but frazzled around the edges. It wasn't bad at all. Most of the faces at the bar turned to see who had let in the light and Lexi dropped her eyes in the hope it would make her invisible.

  She hated herself for being a wimp, but she made her way unobtrusively to the bar and tried to catch the bartender's eye. He didn't appear to be busy, but he took his time.

  "Do you have a payphone?"

  "It's out of order," he replied.

  "I need to call a cab." She fought the sound of desperation in her voice. "Where's the next closest one?"

  He looked thoughtful, then said, "You'd have to go back up on H Street to the Mini Mart on the corner of Esplanade." Lexi knew he was describing a twenty minute walk at least and her heart fell. "Or you can buy a drink," he grinned, "and I'll call you a cab."

  She didn't find him at all amusing and if she hadn't needed a phone so bad she would have been tempted to walk out. "Light beer," she ordered.

  He turned away and Lexi made a face at his back. Laughter halfway down the bar drew her eyes and she was surprised to realize that she knew that face. Not the name, but the face was one she had seen at many gay and lesbian events over the years. She was very butch: so butch that Lexi had thought her a man for some time. They ran in very different circles and did not seem to have close friends in common. The woman was quite tall, very lean and far more muscular than any woman Lexi had ever seen before. Now that she had a chance to see her up close she could see that it was only at a distance that she could be taken for a man. Her face was almost pretty in bone structure and she had an engaging smile. She also had striking blond hair that was cut very short and framed her face like a halo of light. Lexi felt strangely disappointed to see the cigarettes sitting in front of her.

  "You're such a jerk," the mysterious butch told the bartender.

  Lexi watched in surprise.

  "Man's gotta make a living," he retorted.

  "Well, you're the only man I know who can make a living on one beer." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Call the lady a cab, Pete. Make your mother proud."

  The teasing started in earnest with the bartender getting the worst of it from the other patrons as well. Lexi was embarrassed by the fuss and made sure to say 'Thank You' when he set her beer in front of her. He didn't answer, but he took her money quick enough. His next move was to grab an old-fashioned rotary phone and plunk it down on the bar in front of the mystery dyke. "If you care so much," he grumbled, "you call her a cab."

  There wasn't much Lexi could do but watch as the woman made the call. "Fifteen minutes," she called to Lexi as she hung up and leaned over the bar to put the phone back.

  "Thanks." She felt like she should introduce herself or something, but the blond went back to watching the news on the small TV above the bar. Having had their fun, everyone went back to what they had been at when she first walked in. She drank her beer quietly and tried not to start another scene. She couldn't help but wonder about the woman. She assumed that she had stuck up for her because she recognized her. Whatever her reason, Lexi was grateful.

  When the cab arrived, Lexi jumped up and covertly glanced at the blond woman just in time to catch a wink. She smiled involuntarily and ran out into the bright light to catch her ride.

  ~***~

  "You're late?" Jay exclaimed as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "And you've started drinking without us?"

  "I have had the afternoon from hell," she sighed as she dropped onto his sofa. "I was supposed to drop my car off for its tune up at 4:30, but I couldn't get there till a few minutes after five because my last client decided to stop for pizza on his way home. The traffic was terrible and I got there just as they were locking the gate. I can only hope that the Neanderthal who took my keys isn't the one who'll work on my car. Then I had to buy a beer in order to get a cab…" Lexi ran out of steam mid-sentence. "Suffice it to say I'm ready to be pampered. Where's Freddie?"

  "He called a few minutes ago and should be here any second. He had a last minute interview for the stylist position. What would you like to drink?"

  Lexi asked for beer since she had already started down that road and let herself get comfortable. She and Jay had a long history having gone to the local high school together. Jay had been short, round, near-sighted and the butt of a million jokes. He and Lexi had been friends in part because she was inclined to fight for the underdog, but it was mostly that Jay had a sweet heart and a deadly wit. After graduation, Jay had ridden a partial scholarship straight into law school. Years later, he came home ten inches taller with the body of a young god, contacts and a beautiful Latino lover on his arm. Lexi had not recognized him in the slightest and he took it as the greatest of compliments. Their friendship continued as if they had never been apart and
his new lover, Freddie, instantly fit right in. Lexi loved his style: he was flashy, dramatic and had a lovely accent that made his excellent command of English a joy to hear. He kept them both from being too serious and they took turns keeping his feet on the ground.

  Jay worked as a partner in a small firm specializing in civil cases and estate planning. On occasion he represented people in criminal cases, but he was very picky about his clients. If he were not completely convinced that they were innocent of the crime, he wouldn't fight it in court. Having been an underdog, he was committed to defending and protecting them. He had helped Lexi on several occasions in arranging her grandmother's affairs and keeping her business dealings in order.

  Freddie was the proud owner of Frederico's, the most successful beauty salon in the county. He had 8 styling stations, 3 manicurists, 4 tanning booths and one woman who did nothing but hair removal. He, himself, did only the rich, the famous, the difficult and the few he called his compañeros. The rest of the time he played hostess. At different times he had considered adding tattoos and piercing to his available services, but he was a great believer in aura and worried that the residue of psychic pain would alter the ambience he strove to achieve and business would suffer.

  The two of them together were her best friends and she spent a great deal of time in their company, especially since her last lover had left town so abruptly six months before.

  "I told you I had invited someone to dinner, didn't I?"

  Lexi looked over the back of the couch and nodded to Jay. "Who is it?"

  "The new office manager in the small claims division at the Courthouse. She's only been in town for about six weeks and I don't think she knows anyone."

  Lexi grinned at how obvious it all was. "How long did it take you to figure out she was family?"

  "She asked me the second time we met," Jay shrugged. "I don't know her very well and Freddie's never met her so this is more in the way of an experiment than a blind date for you."

  "But you did tell her I would be here?"

  Jay half nodded and half shook his head. "More or less. I didn't want to commit you to anything so I was rather vague."

  "Thanks."

  Freddie breezed in just minutes later with his dark good looks. "Ola, pelliroja?" He stopped to kiss Lexi's cheek before sliding into his lover's arms for a kiss. "Ola, mi semental guapo."

  One of the things Lexi admired most about the relationship her friends shared was how they said goodbye in the morning and welcome home at night. Regardless of their moods, or what was going on around them, the world took a backseat while they reestablished emotional intimacy. They did not seem to be aware of anything, or anybody, outside of their love for each other. She interrupted after a few minutes. "How did your interview go?" If she didn't remind them she was here, the welcome home could take forever and she didn't want to have to explain that to Jay's guest.

  Freddie looked pleased with himself as he joined her on the couch and judging from the glassy look of Jay's eyes, he had every right to be. "Just another refugee from Quickie Cuts with far more imagination than skill. It would be better for everyone if she switched to cutting grass."

  "You didn't tell her that, did you?" Sometimes Freddie was consumed by his own wit and inadvertently hurt people's feelings.

  "Give me some credit," he sniffed. "I did mention landscaping once, but it was relevant. You need a trim," he said abruptly. "It's been weeks and it's not laying right around your face."

  Lexi had a love/hate relationship with her hair. Everyone else loved her bright red hair. She hated it. Curling wildly was the only thing it was good at and she had grown up wishing for long, straight hair. Any color at all would do, even red-provided it was long and straight. Instead she was stuck with a tangled mess. It was hard to brush and had a mind of it's own.

  Freddie's fingers were tugging and shaping at her temples. "You just need a little off right here."

  "Maybe I can come in on Saturday."

  The doorbell rang and Freddie excitedly jumped up to get it. "Welcome? Welcome? You must be Miriam."

  Lexi stood up as a slender, attractive woman in her mid to late thirties came inside. She had a moment to study her as Jay came out of the kitchen to greet her. Yikes? She's pretty? But there's nothing girlish about her. She's definitely a woman. And that's the hair I've always wanted. It's hard to say if it's brown or blond, but it looks silky smooth. I never would have guessed she's a lesbian.

  "Lexi," Jay said smoothly. "This is Miriam Wilson. Miriam, this is Lexi Knowell. She owns her own very successful dog grooming business."

  "Hello, Miriam." Lexi reached out and shook hands. Such lovely hands. Very feminine. "It's nice to meet you."

  Miriam smiled warmly. "Jay didn't mention how pretty you were."

  "To tell the truth, I think we all look the same to him. It's a miracle he can tell us apart."

  "I don't have to listen to this," Jay snorted. "Would you like something to drink, Miriam?"

  In minutes they were all seated in the living room, drinks in hand and getting to know each other.

  "You're new here, aren't you?" Freddie asked.

  "I moved here about two months ago from San Diego."

  "Why here?" Lexi could feel herself beginning to hope that she would find an attraction to Miriam.

  "I have asthma and I had constant problems with it down there. I decided to find someplace a little more rural to live in hopes that my health would improve. This job was listed on a website and when I came up for the interview I looked around and decided that this was what I was looking for."

  Lexi liked Miriam's voice and her graceful movements. "Jay said that you're the office manager in the small claims division. How did you get into that line of work?"

  "I have a Masters in Business Administration. In San Diego I was managing Public Relations for a large retail franchise so this is a step down for me, but I'm hoping that with a little experience I'll be able to move up. Helping to run a city of this size could be very interesting." Miriam grinned. "Maybe I'll even be Mayor someday."

  Unsure where it was coming from, Lexi shrugged off the discomfort she felt and laughed along with every one else.

  "So, you're a dog groomer?" Miriam asked.

  "Yes."

  "She's the best in town," Freddie said brightly.

  "Really? How did you get started?"

  Lexi explained. "I got into it by accident really. I started out as a hairdresser. This one particular day we had a walk-in whose little Yorkie had been butchered by her six-year-old son. She was desperate because she couldn't get an appointment with her regular groomer and she begged us to help her. No one else was willing to work on a dog, but he was so cute and you could tell he was just humiliated by how he looked. So I trimmed him up and he actually looked pretty good. After that I read some books and volunteered at the animal shelter on Saturdays, then got into a training class and got a certificate. I like it a lot better than hair styling. With a little help from my grandmother I started my own business and here I am."

  Miriam looked fascinated. "Do you still volunteer at the shelter?"

  Lexi shook her head. "They bring me two dogs every Monday morning and I do them for free. I just don't have the time or energy for more, but it helps the dogs find homes and it makes me feel good."

  "Is the money good in your line of work?"

  Lexi felt a little uneasy at the inquiry. "I'll probably never drive a new Corvette or vacation in the South of France, but I do pretty well."

  Miriam looked as if she had just realized the rudeness of her query. "I'm sorry. That was a really personal question."

  Jay and Freddie were both watching her as if to see what she would do. "That's okay. The truth is, if it didn't pay enough I'd be doing something else. Lucky for me it does and I really love the work. That's even more important to me."

  "That's great," Miriam said with enthusiasm. "There are people at work who have dogs. Maybe I can spread the word for you. What's the name
of your business?"

  It still made her want to laugh just saying it. "Doggie Styles." Miriam looked a little disapproving and Lexi could feel the air in the room cool. "I know it's not PC, but my grandmother thought it up. She has an irreverent streak and I'm afraid I inherited it from her."

  "It's a perfect name," Freddie laughed.

  "When I came home after passing the bar exam I looked Lexi up first thing. I pulled up to her house and saw that sign…" Jay chuckled. "I almost ran out and got myself a dog."

  "It sounds like a sex club," Miriam said with a slight smile. "Doesn't it ever cause you problems? I would think there would be people who take offense at the name."

  "There are," Lexi admitted. "Mostly when I first opened. Every now and then I'll get a phone call from someone who has no sense of humor. I just hang up on them. The worst thing that happened was shortly after I opened for business. I was just opening up for the day and a drug task force came busting in. Seems that someone called their hotline and swore that I was running a major drug ring out of my shop. They spent most of the day tearing my house apart and questioning me."

  "If you started out as a hairdresser, did you work with Fred?"

  "Who? Oh, Freddie!" Lexi almost started laughing. "No, we've never worked together."

  "We should," Freddie inserted playfully. "We would have so much fun."

  "We'd never get anything done," Lexi chuckled.

  The conversation became a little less focused and in short time, dinner was served. Miriam joined in freely and Lexi began to enjoy her presence. Miriam had beautiful brown eyes and perfect skin. Her mouth was a little tight, but she had a graceful body; slender and feminine. Lexi's attraction was more a mental exercise at this point than anything else, but that was more than she had allowed herself to feel for some time. She knew that sometimes first impressions were more likely to be shaped by personal baggage than by the other person's manner and bearing. Maybe she should give Miriam a chance. Maybe if they got to know each other a little better it could develop into a romance. At the very least, Lexi thought they might make good friends.