Symphony in Blue

by M. J. Duncan

  “How’s Grace?” Brooke asked. “She’s due anytime now, right?”

  Trish nodded. “August fifteenth is the official due date, but she’s more than ready to be done with the whole pregnancy thing now. Unfortunately for her, the twins seem more than content to hang out where they’re at.”

  “Brooke is an agent at the talent agency that represents Trish,” Dana explained.

  “And Trish is the one who introduced us,” Brooke said, leaning her head on Regan’s shoulder.

  Gwen and Luke nodded as the pieces of how the four women were connected finally started to make sense.

  Trish nodded. “It was one of my more genius ideas, to be sure. Anyway, I’ve taken too much of your time already, so I’ll let you all get on with your evening. I just wanted to come say hello.”

  “Tell Grace we say good luck with the babies,” Dana spoke for the group.

  “I will.” Trish smiled. “It was nice to see you again,” she added in a softer tone. “And to meet you.” She looked at Gwen. “Take care of this one for me, okay?”

  Gwen glanced at Dana, and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good.”

  Dana rocked back on her heels and then leaned in to pull Trish into a light hug. She must have whispered something in Trish’s ear, because the actress sighed and nodded. “You too,” she murmured, smoothing her hands over Dana’s back as she pulled away. She smiled at Dana, the look holding no small amount of affection, and then offered them all a small wave before she turned to make her exit.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” Regan observed as Trish made her way back across the room toward her group.

  “Very much so,” Dana agreed, looking a little thrown by the encounter as she turned away from the table where Trish was hanging out with some of her friends.

  “Anyway,” Regan continued, leveling a serious look at Gwen. “You’re back.”

  Gwen cast a quick look at Dana. While she was expecting and could more than understand Regan’s protectiveness, it was still a shock to see such a stern look on the redhead’s face.

  “Don’t be an asshole again,” Regan warned. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you, and I will not hesitate to hunt you down and kick your ass if you hurt her again.”

  Gwen’s eyes widened. There was something in the way Regan carried herself that suggested that might not be an idle threat, and she nodded jerkily as she hurried to assure her that she understood. “Yeah. Okay. Got it.”

  “Waterman,” Dana sighed, shaking her head.

  Regan ignored Dana as she continued to scowl at Gwen for a few seconds longer to further emphasize her point, and then grinned. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page, here.” She turned to Luke and Jay and held out her hand. “Regan Waterman.”

  “Ah, the button girl,” Luke said as he shook her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Luke. And this is Jay.”

  “Button girl?” Brooke shot Regan a confused look.

  Regan laughed as Dana explained, “The night we met Gwen, your wife pulled a Buddy the Elf with the buttons in the hotel’s elevator.”

  “Tequila?” Brooke asked, rolling her eyes knowingly.

  Dana nodded. “Yup.”

  “I see.” Brooke smiled apologetically at Gwen. “I’m sorry if she fondled you.”

  “Hey!” Regan tried to look offended, but the laughter sparkling in her eyes belied the attempt.

  “She gets handsy when she’s drunk,” Brooke explained.

  “Me too,” Luke shared, waggling his eyebrows. He grinned when Jay just huffed a quiet breath and rolled his eyes beside him. “So, we gonna play, or what?”

  “Teams?” Dana suggested.

  “Sure,” Brooke agreed.

  “I’ll go grab us a pitcher of something and let you all get things rolling?” Luke offered.

  “Nah, I suck at pool,” Brooke said, waving him off as she started for the bar. “You play with Regan and I’ll get the drinks.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Jay offered.

  Brooke smiled. “Thanks.”

  “Right, then,” Dana said motioning toward the rack of cues on the wall. “Shall we?”

  “So, Red, you any good with that stick?” Luke asked Regan as she wasted no time selecting a cue from the rack.

  Regan smirked. “You any good with yours?”

  Luke threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, I like you. This is going to be fun,” he said as he tested a few cues for weight before selecting one. He held it out away from his face to check that it was straight and gave it a twirl. “And, for the record, I’ve never received any complaints about my stick-work.”

  “Oh my god,” Gwen chuckled, shaking her head at the way Regan whooped and slapped Luke’s hand in a high five. She looked at Dana, who was watching Luke and Regan make their way back to their table with an amused, almost disbelieving smile, and elbowed her lightly in the ribs. “I did warn you that those two together would be trouble.”

  “You did.” Dana bumped Gwen with her shoulder as they turned back toward rack of cue sticks on the wall. “So, between being ambushed by my ex and these two comparing their ‘stick-work’—are you sorry you agreed to this yet?”

  “Not at all,” Gwen answered honestly as she perused her options. Not that she knew what she was looking for—the last time she had played was when her and Karo had taken a weekend trip to London when she was studying in Germany. She caught sight of Trish Fletcher across the bar, and sighed as she ran her fingers over the racked cues, curiosity and restraint warring inside her. “Can I ask you a question?”

  Dana picked a cue and placed the butt of it on the floor between her feet as she turned to Gwen. “Go for it.”

  “Why did you two split up?” Gwen shrugged and blindly grabbed a stick from the wall. “You can tell me to mind my own business, by the way,” she added quickly.

  Dana shrugged like she didn’t mind the question, and looked over at Trish, who was leaning over her table for a shot. “It was just a case of us being in different places in our lives. She’s seven years older than I am,” Dana shared, “which really wasn’t a problem until we’d been together for a couple years and her biological clock started ticking. I was twenty-nine at the time and still trying to figure out if I wanted to make a go at Rio, and kids weren’t something I was anywhere near being able to commit to. She might have waited, but at the time I didn’t know if I’d ever want kids, so while deciding that it’d be best to just end things wasn’t the easiest decision to make, it also wasn’t the hardest, if that makes any sense.”

  “That makes perfect sense. I’m sorry I asked,” Gwen murmured.

  “Nah, it’s fine. I think, in the end, it was best for both of us. She met Grace, who really is perfect for her in all the ways I wasn’t, and I got the time to learn about who I am outside of the pool without the pressure to do something I just wasn’t ready for.”

  “That’s a very…” Gwen’s voice trailed off as she searched for the right word. “Mature way to think of it all.”

  “I dunno.” Dana shrugged. “Is it?” When Gwen nodded, she shrugged again and shook her head. “Well, then maybe it’s because I’m older now and more secure with myself and my decisions.”

  “Hey!” Regan waved a hand above her head to catch their eyes. “Stop chit-chatting and get your assess over here. The balls have been racked for like twenty minutes already!”

  “Hardly,” Dana grumbled as she motioned for Gwen to lead the way. “Ladies first.”

  “Are you not a lady?” Gwen teased as she hooked her arm through Dana’s and pulled her alongside her as they ambled over to where Luke and Regan were waiting for them.

  “Eh.” Dana winked. “You certainly the prettier of the two of us, I’ll let you have the title.”

  Gwen smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Dana murmured.

  “Fuck, finally,” Regan teased as they reached the table, her eyes dropping to the way Gwen’s hand was curled lightly around D
ana’s bicep. “Don’t you look cozy.”

  Gwen blushed and let her hand fall from Dana’s arm. “Sorry about that,” she apologized softly.

  Dana just smiled and shook her head as she leaned in to whisper against Gwen’s ear, “You’re fine.” She cleared her throat as she pulled away, and arched a challenging brow at Regan. “Just break already so we can kick your asses.”

  Regan laughed as she leaned over the end of the table to line up her shot. “Oh, you sweet summer child, you. After thirty-one years on this earth, you still think you can beat me at pool?”

  “You’re only thirty-one?” Gwen echoed, her eyebrows lifting in surprise as she turned to Dana.

  Dana nodded, her forehead wrinkling with confusion. “Why, how old are you?”

  Gwen shook her head, feeling suddenly much older than she had only a moment before. “Thirty-six,” she muttered.

  “Positively ancient,” Luke scoffed.

  Gwen pointed a finger at him. “You’re older than I am.”

  Luke blew a raspberry at her.

  “Besides, Dana’s always had a thing for older women. It’s fine,” Regan chimed in, shaking her head. “Now, hush. Mamma needs some new shoes.”

  “We are not betting on this game,” Dana spoke up quickly.

  Regan groaned dramatically. “Fine. Spoilsport.”

  Gwen leaned into Dana and whispered, “Is she really that good?”

  Regan answered herself by sinking two solids and a stripe on the break. “We’re solids,” she announced as she swaggered around the edge of the table to line up her next shot.

  “I think we need to seriously reconsider the whole betting thing,” Luke laughed. “I got a wedding to pay for.”

  Regan paused with the tip of the pool cue balanced on her left hand and nodded. “That shit ain’t cheap.”

  “God, you’re telling me,” Luke grumbled.

  “So how long have you two been together?” Regan tipped her head at the bar where Jay and Brooke were talking as they waited for their order and refocused her attention on the balls scattered across the felt in front of her.

  “How’d you know we’re together?” Luke asked.

  Regan scoffed. “Please, honey. My gaydar is so good I even picked her up”—she pointed the business end of her pool cue at Gwen—“when I was totally shitfaced.”

  Luke looked impressed. “That’s not bad. She usually fools almost everybody at first. I think it’s the whole willowy femme thing she has going on.”

  “That could be it,” Regan agreed as she refocused on lining up her shot.

  “I am standing right here, you know,” Gwen felt compelled to point out.

  “Yes, we know,” Luke and Regan replied in sync.

  Dana laughed. “Wow. That’s scary.”

  “Scary awesome,” Luke and Regan sassed in unison. They broke out into laughter at their shared wit and high fived.

  “Beer?” Brooke asked as she returned with and a stack of pint glasses and Jay on her heels carrying two pitchers of beer.

  “Yeah!” Luke and Regan cheered, perfectly in sync once again.

  Brooke frowned and looked at Jay before turning to Dana and Gwen. “Holy shit. They’re like twins or something.”

  “Freaky,” Jay agreed as he set the pitchers onto the table.

  “We know,” Dana and Gwen replied at the same time, and then started laughing because now they were doing it too.

  “Oh boy,” Brooke chuckled, shaking her head as she set the pitcher on the table and started unstacking the pint glasses. “I’m gonna need a drink if I’m going to be stuck with this shit all night.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Thanks for meeting me over here.” Gwen smiled at Jay as he stopped beside her on the sidewalk outside his neighbor’s house. The neighborhood was an eclectic mix of architectural styles, and the little craftsman cottage was as different from Luke and Jay’s Spanish bungalow as two houses could possibly be.

  Jay nodded and tilted his head toward the front door. “Yeah. Of course. I mean, one of us should, and since Luke’s drunk ass is still passed out in bed…”

  Gwen laughed. “Him and Regan were pretty funny together.”

  “That’s one way to put it,” he agreed with a grin. “It was honestly a little frightening how alike they are.”

  “Are you just saying that because they actually had a blowjob race?” Gwen teased, recalling the way their ‘stick’ innuendo morphed into a playful argument about blowjobs and who did it better. Which, really, one would think the gay guy would win, but Regan put up one hell of a argument that was only settled when they lined up two rows of a half-dozen whipped cream topped shots along the bar raced to see who could take them faster using only their mouth to prove who was better.

  Regan won. Much to the amusement of the crowd that had gathered to watch them battle it out.

  “God, that was hilarious. I’m so glad I got it on video.”

  “You did?” Gwen arched a brow in surprise. “Can you send it to me?”

  Jay elbowed her lightly in the side as they climbed the two short steps to the front porch. “You just want blackmail material.”

  “Damn straight I do.” Gwen pushed her sunglasses up onto her head as Jay reached out to and pressed his thumb to the doorbell.

  “I’ll send it to you later today,” Jay promised with a laugh as the black front door opened.

  “Hey, Jay. And you must be Gwen,” a petite woman with shoulder length brown hair and warm brown eyes greeted them. “Come in, come in.” She offered her hand to Gwen. “I’m Heather.”

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Gwen shook her hand.

  Heather smiled and nodded as she waved toward the back of the house. “She’s back here with her mom.”

  Gwen and Jay followed her down the hall into a cute little sitting room with warm ivory walls and comfortable looking furniture that overlooked the backyard. A large black and white cat was lounging in the sun with a trio of kittens—one all black, one black and white, and a small gray one that could only be Storm—cuddled next to her, and they all looked so peaceful that Gwen felt instantly guilty about the plastic carrier she held in her left hand.

  “If you want to have a seat”—Heather motioned toward one of the chairs near the window—“I’ll get her for you.”

  “Oh…” Gwen glanced at the chair. “It’s okay. You don’t need to take her away from her mom.”

  “She kind of does,” Jay whispered in her ear with a little laugh. “Because she’s going home with you. It’s okay, Gwen.”

  “I’m glad she’s going to you,” Heather said as she knelt down and scooped the tiniest of the kittens into her hands. “Because she’s the sweetest of the lot, really, and I can tell from the way Luke and Jay talk about you that you’ll be a great fit for her.”

  “I hope so,” Gwen muttered, setting the carrier she had been holding on the ground beside the chair as she lowered herself to the very edge of the cushion.

  “Do you have a name picked out for her?” Heather asked as she cradled the kitten against her chest and turned toward Gwen.

  “Um…Storm.”

  Heather beamed. “I like it. Here you go, Storm. Meet your new mom.” She transferred the kitten in Gwen’s hands and then took a step back to give them some space.

  Storm felt like she weighed less than a feather as she rubbed her cheek against Gwen’s palm, and Gwen smiled as she lifted the kitten to look at her. Her smile widened when Storm purred softly in response and blinked her eyes open. “Hey, you,” Gwen whispered as she touched their foreheads together. They stared at each other for a handful of heartbeats, more than long enough for Gwen to notice that Storm’s eyes were a stunning blue that was eerily similar to Dana’s. Storm yawned adorably and closed her eyes, and Gwen looked up at Heather as she carefully lowered the tiny bundle onto her lap. “She’s beautiful.”

  “She is.” Heather nodded. “Do you have any questions?”

  Gwen blinked though
tfully, running through the list of things Luke and Dana had told her about taking care of a kitten. “When is she due to go back to the vet for her kitten shots?”

  Heather smiled. “She had her second round of shots last week, so she won’t need to be seen for another three weeks for her sixteen-week check-up. Do you have a vet already picked out? Do you need a recommendation?”

  “I, um…” Gwen looked at Jay. “I just kinda figured I’d take her where Luke and Jay take their cats.”

  “We go to the same vet, so you’ll be in good hands there. I have copies of all her paperwork for you, but they’ll have everything in their system already.” Heather knelt down and scratched the momma cat’s head. “Trixie here finished weaning the litter a couple days ago, so Storm is now eating a regular kitten food—though I do soften it with some warm water to make it easier for her to eat. You’ll know when to start easing off of that when she gets a little stronger with her chewing.”

  “The Science Diet kitten development food, right?” Gwen asked. “Because that’s what Luke told me to get.”

  “That’s exactly what she’s been eating.” Heather nodded. “And she loves, it so you’ll be good to go there.”

  “Okay. Good.” Gwen looked down at Storm, who was curled in a ball in the crease where her legs met, and ran a light finger down her side. She sighed and looked back up to Heather. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “I have a feeling that with this guy as a go-to for you”—Heather chuckled at tilted her head at Jay—“that you’ll be just fine. Just remember to breathe and don’t stress too much.”

  “Easier said than done,” Gwen admitted wryly. “I’ve never had a pet before.”

  “Well, I have a feeling you two are going to get along famously,” Heather assured her as she pushed herself to standing. “Do you want help getting her into the carrier?”

  “I…” Gwen looked down at the plastic crate by her feet. “Will she be okay in there?”

  “Oh, she’s gonna hate it,” Heather replied with a laugh. “But it’s the safest place for her when you’re driving. She’ll get used to it soon enough. Hopefully. She does tend to quiet if you turn up the volume on the radio. She likes music.”