by H. P. Munro
Dominick switched the phone into his other hand as he took a sip of his drink, “Fine, come back to LA. But you’d better get used to sitting on your ass watching daytime TV out here ’cause you’re not going to be working, unless your grandmother gets you on her show.”
Freya sighed as she hung up the phone. Anna’s appearance on Opinionated Women had reignited her relationship with America. She now had a completely new fan-base that was not just predominantly gay men, and with her newfound popularity had come a multitude of offers. Currently Anna was wowing the ratings with a self-titled sitcom where she played an only slightly more outlandish version of herself. After listening for years to Anna’s pronouncements of TV being the ‘Devil’s work’, Freya was sure that Hell would have to freeze over before she asked her grandmother for a job on her show.
She and Dominick had been having the same conversation for the past three weeks. The time had come for her to decide whether she wanted to commit to a longer period on the show. Despite every ounce of her soul crying out to return to LA and Jordan, her desire to work was pulling at her to stay.
The phone rang again and she pressed the button and put it to her ear, “Hi.”
“Oh my god, it’s you and not your answer machine,” Jordan said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “I left you a message.”
“Sorry yeah I got it,” Freya sat down still half thinking about her conversation with Dominick. “But Nici was here for a pre-theatre dinner and then we went to the show and I was so wiped when I got back that I fell asleep on the sofa. I was going to call you this morning but Dominick called. I’m sorry.”
Jordan felt anger surge through her, “Well at least I know where I am in your order of priority.”
“Jordan, please,” Freya begged not wanting to get into a fight. “I’m sorry, you’re my number one priority I promise.”
Jordan swallowed, “I needed to speak to you Freya. This phone and email tag that we’re playing, I’m tired of it.”
Laying her head against the back of the sofa Freya closed her eyes, “Me too. But hey at least during hiatus, you can play actual tag with me every day…naked!”
“About that.”
Freya felt her chest constrict, she opened her eyes and sat up, “What about that?”
“I’ve been offered the lead in a lifetime movie. Filming starts in Canada immediately after we wrap here.”
Dropping her head, Freya stood up and resumed the pacing that she had been doing during her call with Dominick, “How long is filming?”
“Five weeks.”
Freya closed her eyes and pursed her lips, “Have you said yes?”
Jordan brushed her hair behind her ear and gripped the phone tighter, “It’s a great opportunity Freya. They approached me. I-”
“No it’s great,” Freya interrupted. “I’m pleased for you. Look there’s someone at the door,” she lied, desperate to get off the phone. “I’ll call you later, okay? It’s great.”
She hung up without waiting for Jordan to reply and threw the handset towards the sofa with all her strength. She looked at the offending item then walked over slowly, picked it up and dialed.
“Hey Debbie, tell Dominick Freya called and that she wants to take the option, thanks.”
She hung the call up and threw the phone back down.
***
Dan was bending down, his foot resting on a park bench as he stretched out his hamstring when Freya ran up.
“No stretching, just running,” she gasped as she ran past.
Startled, Dan’s head swooped around and he pivoted, before taking to his heels and chasing after his friend.
“Hey Forrest, wait up!” Dan yelled as she sped after Freya. “Are you so horny now that you have to run like FloJo to get over it?”
“No, I’m mad,” Freya puffed.
Dan rolled his eyes, “Why what happened?”
Freya shook her head in time with her running rhythm, “Not ready to talk yet, still processing. What gives with you?”
Raising an eyebrow and chewing on the inside of his mouth, Dan decided to allow Freya space to process whatever was up her ass, “Well since I’ve given up the cigarettes I feel like a new man.”
Freya gave him a sideways glance, “That’s good, you’re feeling healthier, fitter…a new lease of life.”
“Hell no, I cough up so much crap in the morning you could tar the city. I’m eating more which means I’m having to exercise more to keep this buff body in tip-top shape,” he indicated sweeping his hands over his t-shirt which was cling-wrapped to his muscular torso. “I mean, I really need a man,” he grinned checking out a couple of men running past in the opposite direction. Turning, he ran backwards in order to view them better.
Freya laughed, “You’ll break your neck letch, face front.”
Dan spun back around and matched Freya’s pace as they ran in silence for a lap of the reservoir.
“So you ready to talk about it yet or are you still processing?”
Freya stopped running without warning leaving Dan to run ahead a few paces before he realized and stopped.
“Jordan’s not coming during hiatus.”
“Whaaat!” Dan exclaimed. “But I had so many plans for us while you were working,” he huffed. “Well that sucks,” he added closing his eyes in disappointment. Freya stood with her hands on her hips waiting for Dan to get the point, his eyes opened, “Oh and this is not about me right now, sorry.” He shrugged, “So you’re pissed off?”
“I’m royally pissed,” Freya sighed.
“So what happened?”
Freya stood with her feet apart and rolled her hips stretching out her lower back, “She’s been offered a lead in a lifetime movie.”
“Oh I love those. Is she going to prison for something she didn’t do? Is Cheryl Ladd in it? Sorry, digressing again,” Dan apologized, seeing Freya’s face.
“I don’t know what it is. She called earlier this morning to tell me that she had been offered it and that she was going to be in Canada filming during hiatus.” Freya dropped her head embarrassed by what she was about to say, “I lied to her and told her there was someone at the door and hung up.” She looked up and saw Dan’s shocked expression, “I know, you don’t have to say anything. I was just so…disappointed. I miss her and I wanted us to spend time together.”
“She supported you Freya,” Dan admonished lightly. “When you got the gig here she supported you even though it tore her apart. You didn’t see the gooey mess that was left behind when you went. I did,” he sighed. “She wouldn’t have made this decision lightly.”
Freya sat down on a nearby bench and put her head in her hands, “I know that.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, “I’ve done something that may compound things.”
Dan sat down beside her and gave her a gentle nudge.
“I had spoken to Dominick earlier and he said that nothing is happening in LA for me, so I should take the option to extend my run here.”
“Have you discussed this with Jordan?”
“That’s just it, I did a kneejerk thing.” Freya sat back on the bench, “I was so mad at her not coming that I called Dominick back and instructed him to take the option.”
Dan slumped back on the bench beside her, “So you’re staying?”
Freya bit her bottom lip and nodded dumbly.
“I don’t get you two. You’re putting your careers in front of your relationship.”
Freya stood up, “You don’t get it Dan. We’ve both worked hard to get to where we are and it can all be over tomorrow. You have to keep working you can’t stop. There are thousands of people out there,” Freya swung her arms wildly to emphasis her point, “that would claw our eyes out for what we have.”
Dan stood up frowning at Freya, “What you don’t get Freya, is you love her and she loves you and you’re both pissing it away and I for one would claw your eyes out for what you two share,” he stated sadly before starting to run and leaving Freya to muse
over his words.
***
“Hey,” Jordan pinched the bridge of her nose as she held the phone waiting for Freya to speak.
“Hi, Jordan I’m sorry about earlier. I was being stupid and selfish. I’m really happy that you got offered the part.”
A small smile tugged at Jordan’s lips. “Thank you. It’s a great opportunity and I still have a week once we’re done when I can come to New York,” she added hopefully.
“A minute with you is better than a lifetime without,” Freya smiled settling down into her sofa. “So tell me about the part. Dan wants to know whether you’re going be wearing an orange prison jump suit.”
June 2012
Jordan lay tentatively flattening out the sheet on the bed currently draped over her naked body. She propped herself up against the pillows allowing her long blonde locks to cascade down across her shoulders. She steadied her breathing unable to place the source of the nerves that she was feeling and checked the clock on the nightstand, which was now flashing 00:30; around a minute after she last checked it. She frowned at the sound of a door opening and closing. Voices drifted through the bedroom door, she looked towards the door concentrating on picking out something to help her place the voices as they got louder.
“So, I thought you were going to show me a good time,” the first voice slurred.
Jordan narrowed her eyes not recognizing the accent or voice.
“I did and we’ve had a great night, and then I said I was going to show you a cab,” the second voice replied, the effects of alcohol also audible in it. However, this voice she recognized immediately.
“Really? Are you always such a good girl?” the first voice asked.
Jordan pulled the covers back and picked up a robe. Putting it on she walked towards the door listening for the response.
“Not always, no,” was the giggly reply.
Jordan tightened the tie on the robe and yanked the bedroom door open in time to see a short dark-haired woman lean forward to kiss Freya. Freya immediately raised her hands and pulled away.
“Woah Nici, you’re drunk and straight and I’m…”
“In a relationship,” Jordan finished for her. “That was the line you should have lead with,” she added calmly, before turning and re-entering the bedroom and collecting her clothes.
“Jordan?” Freya said in surprise, looking between her girlfriend and her co-star.
“Oops,” Nici giggled. “I think your wife is pissed.”
Immediately sober Freya glared at Nici, “You should leave. Now!” She grabbed Nici’s purse and thrust it towards her, turning the smaller woman and propelling her through the apartment door into the hall.
“What about my cab?” Nici asked.
“Flag one down,” Freya replied, closing the door. She paused, running a hand through her hair, then pushed herself off the door and went to try and straighten things out.
“Jordan?”
Jordan stopped dragging her jeans up her thighs and held out a hand, “No, I’m not interested in what you have to say.”
“It’s not what it looked like, we went out for a few drinks after the show and I was worried about her getting home so suggested that she come here and call a cab. I didn’t know you’d be here or I would have never…”
Jordan pulled the zip up on her jeans, “I bet!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she located her backpack that she’d brought for the weekend, “So now I know what you get up to while we’re apart. Not always a good girl!”
“What?” Freya frowned watching her girlfriend’s frenetic activity. “No, no that’s not what I get up to at all,” she reached out and grabbed Jordan. “And I was thinking about us when I answered that question. Will you stop please?”
Stopping at her girlfriend’s touch Jordan looked up, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill from her. “Don’t worry, I’ve stopped,” Jordan whispered shaking off Freya’s grip and pushing past her.
Freya stood rooted to the spot only shaken from her thoughts when the front door slammed.
***
Dan looked over apologetically at the dark-haired man in his bed. “Do not move one of those glorious muscles, I will go get rid of whoever the hell is knocking on the door at this ungodly hour,” he sighed slipping out of the bed and picking up his pajama bottoms, hopping as he pulled them on.
“There better be a mother of a reason for this…” he stopped as he pulled the door open and found himself ensnared by a weeping Jordan. Looking down in surprise he circled his arms around her and pulled her into the apartment, kicking the door closed.
He walked them over towards the sofa and sat her down, “Don’t move I’ll be back in two seconds.”
Jordan looked up at him her eyes red from crying and nodded. He picked up a box of tissues and thrust it towards her before leaving her and re-entering the bedroom.
“You should run now while you have the chance. One of my gay lady wives is here in tears, which means there’s roughly fifteen minutes before the other one arrives and this apartment will be filled with more estrogen than Steel Magnolias.”
Jackson pulled himself out of the bed and smiled, “Call me once the lesbian drama dies down.”
Dan watched as Jackson dressed his lip turned into a thoughtful snarl. “Sweetie if we wait for that I’ll be picking up my pension. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he smiled, opening the door and letting Jackson exit.
Watching his date leave the apartment, Dan turned to the mess of hair and tears that was curled up on his sofa, “So sweetpea, what happened?”
“I…I…” Jordan held up a wadded pile of tissues. What came after seemed to be a stream of vowels.
“Jordan, I need you to enunciate for me gorgeous, ’cause I’m not getting what you’re saying. A consonant once in a while might be good.”
“I’ve left her,” she wailed.
“Left her where?” Dan asked confused, then seeing the ‘really?’ look that Jordan was shooting him, his brain kicked in. “As in left her, left her. Dumped left her?” the description prompted a fresh batch of wailing. Pulling her to his chest Dan whispered comforting noises into Jordan’s hair. Once the sobbing had subsided sufficiently he took Jordan by the shoulders and pushed her hair back, “Tell me what happened…from the start.”
“We had an insurance mix up on the film, so we stopped filming for four days, so I thought I’d come surprise her,” Jordan gulped visibly before continuing. “So I got to the apartment and thought I’d wait in bed for her getting home from the theatre, but then she didn’t show and I couldn’t get her to pick up her phone.” Jordan interrupted her story to blow her nose, handing the tissue to a horrified Dan who deposited it in the bin. “Then she came home with Nici.”
Dan wracked his brain, “Ah Nici is the floozy one we don’t like?”
Jordan nodded swiping more tissues from the box, “And she said that Freya was going to show her a good time, so I got out of bed and she was kissing her.”
Dan’s eyes widened, “Freya was kissing her? Really?” Unable to believe what he was hearing, “Sweetpea, are you sure you read this right? I’ve known Freya a long time and she’s not a cheater. She loves you.”
“I know what I saw!” Jordan growled, “Nici was kissing her and she pushed her away and said that she was drunk and straight. I knew that something like this was going to happen.”
Pulling her back into a hug Dan rested his chin on the top of Jordan’s head, “Are you sure you’re not letting long distance paranoia take a grip here?”
“She flashed her ass at her!” Jordan yelled, pulling away from Dan and standing. “That’s not paranoia Dan.”
“That was months ago,” Dan soothed, rubbing a hand over his face.
Jordan stood beside the window gazing out to Dan’s street. “Maybe,” she sighed. “But it’s not working Dan. The long distance thing. It’s driving me crazy. I can’t wait for the next three weeks to be up and for her to come home.”
“S
hit,” Dan said aloud as he realized that Freya apparently hadn’t told Jordan about her decision to extend.
“Sorry?” Jordan said turning, small sobs still hitching her breath.
Dan looked wide-eyed in panic. “Nothing, didn’t say a thing,” he lied. “Cup of tea?” he stood up and made to walk towards his kitchen.
“Dan, what do you know?” Jordan asked, her tone dangerous.
Turning Dan took a deep breath which he let out in a burst of words, “Shewon’tbecominghomeinthreeweeks.” He staggered slightly as he finished.
A bang on the door interrupted any response Jordan had.
“If that’s her I don’t want to see her,” she hissed.
Dan looked between Jordan and the door and took another deep breath, ruing his predilection for lesbians. He opened the door to see a ragged version of his best friend standing there.
“Is she here?” Freya asked trying to look past the gap between the door and Dan.
“Yes, but she doesn’t want to see you,” he replied sadly.
Freya took a step forward, “Let me see her Dan, please.”
Shaking his head Dan rolled his eyes at his role between them, “I’m sorry sweetheart. Why don’t you both take tonight to think things through and speak tomorrow.”
A voice came from behind him, “I don’t want to speak to her tomorrow either.”
Dan’s shoulders sagged at the words and he turned slightly to look into the apartment. The movement allowed just enough space for Freya to shoulder charge him out of the way and enter the apartment.
Rubbing his chestbone Dan closed the door. “Freakishly strong,” he commented following his best friend into the living room.
“I don’t want to see or speak to you right now,” Jordan said emphatically.
Freya moved to put herself in front of Jordan. “I don’t care, you’re gonna. Nothing happened. I didn’t cheat on you, I wouldn’t do that.”
“She’s been trying to get into your pants for months,” Jordan spat.
