* * * * *
The night of the gala for the new children’s wing at the hospital, as they were calling it, Deanna dressed carefully. She’d hired a small limo to drive them; she didn’t want to worry about drinking and driving. The kids were kind of put out that they couldn’t go, Madison confessed, but they were looking forward to seeing the two friends dressed up.
Conor opened the door and did his best to try and whistle at the vision of loveliness on their doorstep. “Wow, Doctor D, is that really you?” he asked in an awed voice. Even he could tell that she had made quite an effort to clean up. Normally dressed in nice blouses and designer jeans, the rainbow high-tops were long gone and the high heels she was wearing replaced them. A bit of leg showed through the slit in her gown and the color of the satin nearly matched her blue eyes. Her hair was spiked up, but it looked hip and stylish. The jewelry she was wearing showed off the expanse of neck, emphasizing her blonde beauty. She was expertly made up, emphasizing her blue eyes, eye liner hiding the missing eye lashes. The lipstick she wore made her lips look full and very kissable.
“Yep, Conor, it’s me. Is your mom ready?” Deanna smiled. The bright red of her lips was a startling contrast to her white teeth.
“Um, yeah, she’s still in her room,” he told her and Deanna walked into the house as Madison was coming out. They both stopped to stare. Neither had seen the other this dressed up.
“Wow,” Deanna breathed as Madison said the same.
Madison was dressed in a stunning green dress that came down to her knees. It sparkled with silver material in the pattern. With Madison’s red hair worn down instead of the usual ponytail, it really showed off her Irish heritage beautifully. Her skin, still holding a tan from their weekend out, made her look stunning.
“Are you ready for this thing?” Deanna finally found her voice as she smiled her appreciation.
“Just got to get my purse,” Madison answered as she stared at the stunning blonde in her hallway.
“I think you should take us,” Chloe insisted as she saw how nice her mother and Doctor D looked.
Deanna looked down at the little girl looking on wistfully and understood. She smiled at the young girl and said, “This is an adults-only party. Someday we should have a dress up party, shouldn’t we?”
“Oh, can we?”
“Well, maybe, someday. When is your next birthday?”
“Last month,” she stated. Deanna looked up in hurtful alarm at Madison, who shook her head.
“You mean six months ago?” Madison corrected the little girl.
“Um, yeah.”
Just then a teenaged girl arrived. “Here’s Stacy to watch you two tonight,” Madison announced as she smiled at the girl hesitating on the doorstep.
The two children and the teen were soon watching TV, talking about the popcorn Madison had announced they could make, and the pizza that was due to be delivered. The two adults slipped outside.
“You look wonderful,” Deanna mentioned as they walked to the limousine.
“You look pretty good yourself,” Madison admired and meant every word of it.
They arrived at the hotel that was holding the reception. There hadn’t been enough room at the hospital with all the invitations. The steps up to and into the ballroom were carpeted in red for the guests. There were round tables everywhere and a large dance floor. In back of it all was a long table where the directors of the hospital sat with their spouses. In one corner was a covered twenty-foot picture displayed so that everyone in the room would be able to see it when it was time. They’d hung it within five feet of the ceiling and had lights trained on it. Below it and also covered, was a table containing brochures and pamphlets.
It wasn’t long before the room was full of laughing and talking people. It got quite loud until one of the directors stood up and made a speech. That many people couldn’t remain absolutely quiet though, and you could hear discreet conversation and people moving about. Four different directors made speeches of varying lengths. The ballroom had beautiful pressed wallpaper lining the thirty-foot-high walls with wooden panels separating each section of the wall and creating a very definite French look. It was really quite beautiful with the chandeliers glistening.
Finally, the fourth director sat down and they were served. Deanna and Madison had roast chicken with asparagus and new potatoes seasoned with garlic. They were served champagne in long flutes, but both women made sure to eat before having any of the champagne. They didn’t want to get sick this evening.
Harold, one of the leading board members, gave everyone a good forty-five minutes to eat and when he saw enough people had finished and were milling about, he got up to give his speech. He kept it fairly short, thanking all the correct people and noting how their contributions had affected LA Medical Center and allowed them to build the new children’s wing with its beautiful new entrance. He told everyone that they were fortunate to acquire the talents of a world-renowned portrait artist who had painted them a lovely portrait for the entrance. He introduced Joan Woods.
Fortunately, Joan had finished her meal and done repairs to her make-up. Harold had mentioned that he wanted her to say a few words before the unveiling. She stood up and headed to the podium in the center of the long table. It seemed to take forever to walk that distance. Every eye in the room was on her, hundreds of them. She was well-fortified with an excellent meal and two flutes of champagne. She hadn’t written a speech, but she felt well-prepared. Finally, she reached the podium.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the kind directors of this hospital and in particular, Mr. Waterman, for the opportunity to create this portrait for your hospital. It wasn’t difficult…you might say I was inspired. As you will see its beauty and realize how special it is, you will understand how perfect it is for this new wing. In fact, I’d like to donate the money I was paid to make this beautiful portrait to the children’s wing.” She hesitated a moment to let the applause die down before continuing, “Without a long speech to further keep you from enjoying this gala, I give you Grace, Hope, Charity, Wisdom, and Compassion.” So saying, she flung her arm out and the waiters pulled the ropes holding the drapery from the portrait.
There was a collective gasp and then applause began. It rose in volume as people began to stand and give Joan an ovation. She had changed the final painting and it wasn’t just one woman, Grace, in the picture. She had painted children around the bottom of it and it looked like the silhouette ghost angel was looking down on them with the title words across the painting in script on three levels. She stepped down from the podium and began to return to her seat, but was stopped by the directors and their wives. She shook dozens of hands, was told over and over how beautiful it was, how generous her donation. Mr. Waterman made his way to her and gave her a hearty kiss on the cheek, telling her how happy she had made him and the board. He told her the donation wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. She finally explained that she would make it back in prints as, per their contract, she had the copyright.
People took this as an opportunity to socialize. Many people made their way to the portrait to view it up close and to pick up the matching brochure that was on the table below it. It had a copy of the portrait on the front and information about the gala inside. In small print on the back, Joan’s Malibu studio was listed for people to obtain prints of the work. The orchestra began tuning up.
Harold began introducing Joan to people from the hospital. Department by department, he introduced people she couldn’t hope to remember. It was amazing how many people he knew. She must have been with him an hour when he took her to another table and began introducing them. “This is Doctor Kearney of Kearney Pharmaceuticals,” he made it sound like her pedigree was so very important. Deanna was not amused. All night long people had been snubbing Madison when they realized she was ‘just a nurse’ and she had become angry about it. While many did not recognize her from the hospital, as Deanna’s friend they assumed she was the doctor’s dat
e. Deanna didn’t mind, and Madison hadn’t thought much about it until she overheard a few catty remarks.
“Of course she would bring a woman.”
“Well, I think showing off that you’re a lesbian is outrageous.”
“Who is that she is with?”
“They don’t dare offend her, Kearney Pharmaceuticals and all.”
“What’s wrong?” Deanna finally asked her when she saw that Madison looked particularly angry.
“Do you realize people think I’m your date?”
“No, I didn’t think they would. A few people came as friends. There are some,” she indicated the artist they were celebrating, Joan Woods, “that are clearly lesbian.”
“Well, I am not,” she hissed.
“Okay, so go dance with some of the men,” Deanna shrugged. Inside she was angry. Not only at whatever people had said that had upset Madison, but that Madison was upset over the lesbian aspect of it. She herself wandered away to get a drink.
Madison realized she had just insulted Deanna and was sorry for it. She found some of the nurses and other technicians she worked with at the hospital and managed to have a good time, but she was aware, very aware, of where Deanna was during the rest of the evening. All of the members of the board were sucking up to her and the blonde was attempting to be charming to them and not offend any of them. When Madison went to look for Deanna to see if she was ready to leave, she accidentally overheard a conversation she was sure she was not supposed to hear.
“No, I’m sorry. My time is up in a few weeks and I’ll be winding down my caseload accordingly.”
“You’re sure we can’t entice you into staying on longer?” Harold almost pleaded.
“Look, I agreed to the six months and I gave you the six months. You’ve got to admit I’ve ruffled a few feathers. I think it’s time I move on.”
“Well, ruffled feathers can be soothed….”
“I am ready to move on to my next challenge.”
“Are you going back to the Amazon?” he asked, intrigued.
Madison, listening in, was bumped right then and didn’t hear Deanna’s answer. The bump put her right in the blonde’s line of vision.
“Hey there, are you about ready to go?” Deanna asked her, forestalling her own inquiry.
“Yes, any time you are.”
“Well Harold, I’m going to call it a night,” she turned and offered her hand to the older gentleman.
“I thank you for coming tonight. It’s been very interesting, don’t you think?” he indicated the unveiling of Joan Wood’s latest creation for their lobby.
“In many ways,” Deanna murmured, but she wasn’t looking at the artwork, she was looking at the attractive redhead who caught her look and blushed. “Shall we go?” she asked, innocently. She would have taken Madison’s elbow, but decided against it as they walked along. Deanna, more than Madison, kept having to say good night or goodbye to people as she went.
Madison wondered if people were paying Deanna attention because she was a doctor or because she was a Kearney. For some reason, she didn’t notice that they sent her admiring glances too. Whether they noticed her because she was with the brilliant doctor or because of her own good Irish looks, she wasn’t aware. She just wanted to leave after all those hours.
Finding their limo, they both quickly got inside. Deanna let out a big sigh of relief. “Glad that’s over,” she commented with a little smile. She had decided that she would have to let Madison do what she wanted. It was apparent she only wanted to be friends and the good doctor would have to be content with that. She’d known pursuing her again that this might be the outcome, and while she was disappointed, she hadn’t been sure she would win.
“It was beautiful seeing everyone dressed up, but it isn’t so very different from the hospital itself,” Madison stated.
“How do you mean?”
“They all still gossip,” she said with a tone that clearly indicated she was sick of it.
“Yes, people will be people,” Deanna agreed, unwilling to argue with her. “I did have some intelligent conversations. It just gets tiring when all they want to talk about is donations and doing this and that.” She shook her head.
“Doesn’t Kearney Pharmaceuticals donate a lot to causes like that?” she indicated the gala they were pulling away from.
“Yes, in fact we give millions to things like that. I prefer getting by on my own merits though.”
“Like the Cooper-Aloe project?”
Deanna nodded. “Yes, things like that. But I earned my degree and I want to use it. They wouldn’t let me use it there if they had their way. They just want to show me off like a poodle or something.”
“Well, that’s coming to an end,” Madison said and couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into her voice.
“What do you know of that?” Deanna asked, an elegant eyebrow rose in question.
“I overheard you and that board member. You said you are leaving in a few weeks.”
Deanna nodded. “Yes, that’s true.”
“You don’t think you might have mentioned that to your good friend.” She used hand gestures to make quotation marks around how she had introduced Madison several times that evening.
“I was hoping to talk to you about that…” Deanna began.
“When? Before or after you left?”
Deanna chuckled, amused, seeing Madison had no reason to be angry. “Before. I wanted to….”
“Look, you just came back into my life, my children’s life, and now you’re going to go?” she asked angrily.
“No, I was going to offer….”
“Because if that’s how you’re going to be, I don’t want you in my life!” She couldn’t help it. She was hurt, she was angry, but mostly she was angry with herself. She should have been proud to be associated with Deanna Kearney, even introduced her as her good friend. Instead she had swatted that down, declared that she was not a lesbian, and now Deanna was leaving…probably to go back to South America and that witch doctor she had fallen in love with so long ago. It was better that Madison put an end to this before she got hurt, before her children got hurt.
“What?” Deanna asked, confused. She had been about to offer Madison a job, but had been cut off twice now. She didn’t understand her unreasonable anger.
“Look, I have children to look out for now. If you don’t understand that because you have never wanted that in your life,” she shot at her low, her hurt from ten years ago coming back up, “…you shouldn’t have let our friendship get this far!”
“Let our friendship get this far?” She was puzzled. “What the heck are you talking about?”
“If you weren’t going to stay…” she began, but she wanted to cry and she didn’t know why.
“It was always going to be temporary. I only agreed to six months,” she answered, still puzzled at Madison’s anger over the situation.
“But I let my children get to know you and I thought…” she stopped herself from saying what she had nearly revealed.
“Madison,” Deanna began gently, wanting to take the woman into her arms, “what did you think?”
Madison didn’t want to say, but in the darkness of the back of the limo, her anger propelled her onward, it was that or cry about the situation. “I thought, perhaps, you were courting me,” she sniffed as she fought the tears that wanted to burst out.
“I was,” Deanna answered simply. She reached for the light so that she could see Madison and her expression…to show the redhead that she was sincere.
As the flick of the light transformed the back of the limo from the dark anonymity to a bright reveal, Madison wanted to hide her face. Tears were already forming in her eyes. At the simple admission that Deanna was indeed courting her, she opened her eyes wide. “You were?” she asked in wonderment.
The blonde doctor nodded her head. “Once I realized you were at the hospital I had hoped we could resume our friendship. I never stopped thinking of you,” she confesse
d. Finally, they were talking about it.
“You didn’t?” she looked on with amazement.
Deanna shook her head. “You always haunted me. I wanted to stop you from leaving that day, but it was so dangerous. I wanted you out of that danger.” She then admitted something she hadn’t told anyone. “I should have gone with you.”
Something about the tone stayed with Madison, something wasn’t being said. She tucked that away to address later. “I don’t think it would have worked then. I’d convinced myself you’d just wanted a fling because you never told me that you loved me.”
That fitted some of the puzzle pieces into place for Deanna. She’d suspected as much over the years. Her lack of being able to express herself verbally back then had cost her. “If I had told you, would you have stayed with me?” she asked now.
Madison looked at the blonde, those amazing blue eyes making her want to kiss the doctor. “I don’t know. I was so afraid of what people thought or would think.”
“And now?”
Madison started to blush as she realized she hadn’t acted much differently tonight. “I guess I’m still afraid.”
“Madison…Maddie,” she whispered as she leaned in, “I love you. I’ve always loved you,” she said before she gently kissed the redhead.
Madison closed her eyes. The lips were still as soft as she remembered, the feelings they engendered the same. Hearing that Deanna had loved her made her melt and she went with those feelings. Her own arms snaked around the blonde, holding her in place so she could return the kisses. They started so gently and quickly became heated.
Deanna couldn’t pull Madison close enough. She found herself hiking Madison’s dress up high on her thighs so the redhead could straddle the blonde on the back seat of the limo. “Mmm, mmm,” she moaned into the kisses as Deanna caressed her exposed legs. Deanna arched and their centers ground slightly together. Deanna tipped her from her lap onto the seat of the limo and lay on top of her.
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