“The first round? What does that mean?” Sparky asked. She wasn’t entirely sure what was supposed to happen here. Vibro had been vague.
“It means that each party writes down her complaint and the other person is allowed to give a written response in return. Cindy will deliver the notes. This can also include writing down something that you liked about your relationship with the other person. It can be positive. Remember this is all about closure.” Brenda Lee pulled out three yellow legal pads, a battery-operated pencil sharpener and a pack of Number 2 pencils. She sharpened three.
“Positive, my ass. I can’t think of one positive thing, except that I get to redecorate my apartment,” Vibro said, tucking an errant hair behind her ear.
She had the cutest ears, Sparky thought. “You have really nice ears,” she said.
“Thank you, I list them as one of my best attributes,” Vibro said.
“Save it for the Red Robin,” Brenda Lee said.
“Round Robin?” Sparky inquired.
“Red Robin,” Brenda Lee corrected.
“I thought that was a guessing game where you ran around a house,” Sparky said.
“It’s just what they call it when you say what’s on your mind while sitting around a table,” Brenda Lee said.
“I think the guessing part is implied. I never did know what was on Jennifer’s mind,” Vibro said.
This discussion might have continued if the waitress hadn’t come and taken their orders for coffee.
“And some biscotti, a variety,” Brenda Lee said. She sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Vibro asked.
“Tammy loves biscotti.”
“I’m sure she still does,” Sparky said. “Why not send over an order as a gesture of goodwill?” She cocked her head in the direction of the other table where the exes were sitting.
Brenda Lee perked up. “Sparky, that’s a great idea. I will.”
“You wanna what?” the waitress said. She looked like the waitress Flo in the TV show Alice.
“Send a plate of biscotti to that table over there, compliments of me,” Brenda Lee said.
“I’ve heard of doing it with drinks but never biscotti,” the waitress said, popping her gum as if it agreed with her.
“Well, we’re starting a new trend,” Brenda Lee said. “Tell them they’re from Brenda Lee.”
The waitress brought their order and swung by the Wesson-Tammy-Jennifer table with the biscotti. Cindy delivered the first note. It was from Tammy to Brenda Lee. Brenda Lee opened it. Her hands shook slightly.
She blushed. “She wrote thank you.”
Sparky cocked her head at Vibro. Why such a courtesy note should make Brenda Lee blush was beyond her.
“And that she was glad I remembered because she never had biscotti before she knew me and it will always remind her of me.”
“Aw…that’s sweet,” Sparky said.
Brenda Lee went from sweet to full-on rage in less than sixty seconds. “Then why did you cheat on me with that skanky waitress at the pizza joint?” she screamed across the room. “No offense to your profession,” she said to the waitress as she refilled their coffees.
The Flo look-alike popped her gum in response.
“I thought we were supposed to do this via Cindy-mail, not out loud,” Sparky said.
As if in response to Sparky’s question, Cindy gave Brenda Lee a reproving look.
“I know, I know, I shouldn’t have done that. I just get so twisted up inside when I think about it. It really does give my vagina pause. She has her own issues about being left for another.”
“You have conversations with your vagina?” Vibro asked.
“Don’t you?” Brenda Lee inquired.
Sparky was studiously drinking her coffee. Vibro was spared answering the question because she received her own missive.
Jennifer wrote, “I wanted you to buy me pretty things and you never did.”
Vibro snarled. “That fucking little superficial shit.”
“I don’t think you should write that. It won’t serve any purpose,” Brenda Lee said.
“It’ll make me feel better,” Vibro retorted.
“Was there a reason why you didn’t buy her pretty things?” Sparky said, smirking slightly.
Vibro glared across the room at the iguana that was Jennifer. “I didn’t buy her ‘pretty things’ because I was always paying the arrears on the utility bills that she was supposed to pay as her part of the financial arrangement we had, which, I might add, was weighted heavily in her favor.”
“Okay, then write that,” Brenda Lee said.
Vibro snatched the yellow legal pad and began to furiously scribble. She broke the pencil lead and Brenda Lee handed her a freshly sharpened one. She appeared to be writing more than just that. Sparky wondered if she were writing a novelette of grievances. When she’d moved onto her third piece of paper, Brenda Lee stepped in.
“Perhaps that’s enough for now.”
Vibro glared at her and wrote two more sentences. She folded the paper in thirds and handed it to Cindy, who walked it over.
Wesson was next. She wrote her note and, as she waited for it to arrive, Sparky felt like she was in a purgatory not of her own making.
Perhaps Wesson did have a legitimate grievance. After all, Sparky had told her she’d be there for it all and now she’d bailed. Wesson didn’t seem to realize, though, that she didn’t even like Sparky anymore. Once she realized that, realized that she was happier without her, she could move on. Maybe Sparky would write that when it came her turn.
Cindy handed her the note. It contained only three words—“I love you.” Sparky colored and sighed. She willed herself not to cry. It was so sad. They should have been able to make it work, but they couldn’t.
Vibro leaned over and looked at the note. “Then you should’ve treated her better,” Vibro yelled across the room.
“I should have,” Wesson replied.
“Oh, crap,” Sparky said. She felt miserable. It would have been easier to be angry like Vibro. Instead she felt miserable.
Brenda Lee touched her hand. “Sparky, remember—this is about closure. You need to tell her how you feel so she can move on with her life as well. You can do it in a kind way. It doesn’t have to be done in anger.”
“Hmm…I don’t know about that,” Vibro grumbled.
Brenda Lee gave her the eye.
“Just sayin’,” Vibro said, shrugging her shoulders.
Sparky swallowed a slug of coffee. She wrote how she felt. She told Wesson that she didn’t consider the last nine years a waste. She had lots of good memories, but she hated the way they’d fought. It seemed they were fighting against their dying love. It was futile to continue, because not only did they argue, they got violent and that was dangerous. They should quit while they were ahead. If they could work out this closure thing maybe in time they could be friends. She realized as she wrote the last line that she and Wesson had never really been friends. Wesson had stalked her. They’d gone for coffee and ended up in bed. That pretty much summed up their courtship. She wouldn’t repeat that mistake. There was more to a relationship than getting seduced over a coffee cup.
When she was done, she folded up the paper and handed it to Cindy. She said a silent prayer that Wesson would take it in the spirit it was written. That was another problem Sparky didn’t want repeated in her future love life—she never knew how Wesson would take something. It was like they were perfect strangers. Vibro seemed to know her better and they’d only been friends for a couple of months. How did that work? She watched as Wesson read the note.
She looked up and stared at Sparky for what seemed like an eternity. She wrote a note and Cindy brought it over. Sparky unfolded it and read, “I would like to be friends and I apologize for behaving badly.” That wasn’t so awful, Sparky thought. Maybe the anger management classes were working.
“Don’t believe a word of it,” Vibro said, peering over at the note.
“Vibro
, those notes are private,” Brenda Lee reprimanded.
“I’m counseling a friend. Don’t forget your eye. You were lucky. You could be wearing a patch right now,” Vibro said.
“Are you jealous?” Sparky teased.
“Me? I’m being protective of my best friend, that’s all. It’s typical BFF behavior. Look it up in the handbook.”
Sparky smiled at her.
“What are you going to write back?” Vibro said.
“I’m leaving it at that. I want to quit while I’m ahead.”
The conversation might have gone on except that Jennifer had obviously written a manifesto to equal that of Karl Marx. Cindy handed it to Vibro. She glanced down at it and grimaced, but she didn’t say anything. Jennifer had not been constrained by Brenda Lee and so had written twice as many pages of grievances as Vibro had been allowed.
“Brevity is not one of her attributes.”
“Ugh,” Vibro said, unfolding the pages.
“At least Wesson keeps things to a minimum,” Sparky said.
“You two are toxic,” Vibro said, wadding up the first page into a tiny ball.
“Hmmm…” Sparky said.
“I think this is a perfect example of the kettle calling the pot black,” Brenda Lee said.
“No, Jennifer and I are beyond being toxic toward each other—we are the virus that killed the world.”
Sparky snickered.
Cindy brought over a note from Tammy. Brenda Lee opened it and smiled. “Damn, she’s so sweet. She is sorry she hurt me with her Lotharian ways.”
“She actually wrote that? ‘Lotharian ways’?” Sparky said.
Vibro was busy wadding up pieces of paper. From the energy she was putting into their destruction she was obviously angry. Sparky hoped she wasn’t going to pitch the wads at Jennifer like a series of fast balls.
“She did.” Brenda Lee beamed. “She really is a wonderful woman. She just can’t seem to stay faithful.”
“That is a dealbreaker,” Sparky said.
Brenda Lee nodded and looked thoughtful. She picked up her pen. “I’m going to tell her that acceptance of one’s faults is the first step to recovery and that I hope she finds peace.”
“I think that’s wonderful,” Sparky said.
“I cannot believe her,” Vibro said, wadding up another piece of paper. “She thinks I should pay her alimony so she can continue to live in the manner she’s accustomed to. If I was so cheap and didn’t buy her pretty things, then why is she so much worse off? What planet is she living on?”
“From her hairdo I’d say a planet that respects big hair along the lines of that in Texas,” Brenda Lee said.
“What are you going to do?” Sparky said.
“I’m going to tell her no and in deference to our friend here”—she nodded her head in Brenda Lee’s direction—“I’m not going to tell her to fuck off. But I am going to take her to small claims court and sue her for failure to pay the bills that were her responsibility.”
“Wow,” Sparky said.
“How will this affect the closing ceremony? We’ve only got two weeks until the summer solstice. I thought solstice would be the perfect occasion. Do you still want to go through with it?” Brenda Lee asked.
“Of course, I do. I need to emotionally close the gaping wound of my past love,” Vibro said.
“Now that’s the spirit,” Brenda Lee said.
“I really just want to drown her in the ocean, but I don’t want to go to prison, so what can a gal do?” Vibro said.
“According to Lexus, you should visualize it,” Sparky said.
“I do think for you two the ceremony will be a great help, though. Despite my misgivings about Wesson, she does need closure, and Tammy needs this push in order to stop cheating on her lovers,” Vibro said.
“You can be so philosophical and devious at the same time. I like that in you,” Sparky said.
“It’s one of my better traits. Now, let’s blow this place. I’m feeling the need to play some paintball. Wanna come?” she said, indicating them both.
Brenda Lee cocked her head and appeared to contemplate it. “I think I would. Sparky?”
“Sure.”
“Now, let’s go shake hands and play nice. Then we’ll take our aggression out with guns just like the boys do,” Brenda Lee said.
“Maybe we should invite them. Us against Them. Call it pre-closure,” Vibro said.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Put a little yak juice in you and you’d make Attila the Hun look mild,” Sparky said.
“I concur,” Brenda Lee said.
“What, lil ole me?” Vibro said, batting her eyelashes.
“You epitomize the word dangerous,” Sparky said.
“You like it,” Vibro said.
“I do.”
“Is it possible to reform a philanderer?” Brenda Lee asked. She handed the waitress her credit card.
“I think this closure thing is going to be harder than we thought,” Sparky said.
It was. Wesson looked dismal as Sparky shook her hand. Tammy got down on one knee and kissed Brenda Lee’s hand, which made her burst into tears. Vibro and Jennifer squeezed each other’s hands so hard, Cindy had to break them apart. Sparky sensed that over the next two weeks they’d all be going through that revolving door of love lost which was comprised of those three compartments—grief, remorse and anger. She wasn’t looking forward to it.
Outside, Vibro grabbed their hands and dragged them across the parking lot. “Let’s go have some fun. Wait until you see this place,” she said. “We’ll take my car. I’ve got extra suits in the car and footwear.”
“So you’re like a major paintball player?” Sparky said.
“Well, I guess. I play with the girls at work. I borrowed their equipment for you all.”
“You never cease to amaze me,” Sparky said.
“You had this all planned?” Brenda Lee said.
“I just thought we might need to blow off some steam.”
“That was very thoughtful of you,” Brenda Lee said as they got in the car.
“How does this paintball thing work?” Sparky said nervously.
“All you have to remember are three tactical devices—hooking and slicing, retrenching and the rule of never panicking. After that it’s baby games.”
Vibro started the car. Jennifer tottered across the parking lot in front of them. Sparky, who was riding shotgun, glanced over at Vibro, who was revving the engine. “Don’t even think about turning Jennifer into a speed bump.”
“Buzzkill,” Vibro said.
“Tell us more about paintball,” Brenda Lee said. Sparky sensed she was doing it to distract Vibro, who was watching Jennifer cross the parking lot in her ridiculously high heels with an air that suggested that she was willing Jennifer to trip or fall. When Jennifer managed to teeter through a particularly rugged part of the lot where the concrete had chipped away, Vibro honked and waved at her. She looked up to see who it was, tripped on a chunk of concrete and landed flat on her ass.
Vibro pumped her fist in the air. “Yes!” She squealed out of the parking lot.
“That wasn’t very nice,” Brenda Lee said, trying to keep her grin under wraps.
“No, it wasn’t,” Sparky said, starting to chuckle.
“My bad,” Vibro said, turning on her CD player. Sparky kept a sharp eye on the road, just in case, as she scrolled to the song she wanted.
“Let me guess,” Sparky said. “The Rolling Stones.”
“I am embracing my inner Moonie,” Vibro said. She cranked up “Get Off of My Cloud.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Unsweetened Sorrow
Sparky and Vibro sat in Sparky’s truck staring out onto Alki Beach. Summer solstice had arrived and it wasn’t sunny. The shoreline and the sky melded into various shades of gray.
“Do you ever feel like your life is as pointless as a wave?” Vibro asked.
“Do you mean like when the convection part of it
going up the beach turns into itself and goes back out while creating energy?”
Vibro stared at her. “Uh, no, I did not. I meant when it goes up the beach only to flow back out and to what purpose.”
“To generate energy and give beachcombers pretty seashells,” Sparky offered.
“The baubles of life,” Vibro said and sighed.
“You seem to be having a hard time with this. Do you want to talk about it?” Sparky said, watching the gray rolling clouds beginning to group together in what she knew to be the classic Seattle stratus cloud. Uncle Milton had taught her all about clouds because “God knows we’ve got them here. You might as well learn them.” She’d been eight at the time.
“It’s going to rain,” Sparky said when Vibro didn’t answer.
“Good, it’ll match my mood. How do you know it’s going to rain?”
“We had cirrus clouds yesterday and the day before. Right now the cumulus congestus clouds are banding together to become a cumulostratus cloud which will produce rain.”
“Sparky the weather woman. What other talents do you have?”
“Oh, quite a few.” She smiled at Vibro.
“Do you know that flirting with you is the highlight of my day?”
“As is it mine,” Sparky said.
“Are you going to date other people soon?”
“Only if she asks me,” Sparky said. She knew part of her was kidding around, but only a small part. She was in love with Vibro. Her biggest fear was that she’d fallen in love with Vibro as an antidote to Wesson—because she thought that falling in love with another woman would prevent her heart from making its way back to a place it had once called home. She still woke up some mornings surprised not to see Wesson sleeping next to her, and there was a hollow place inside her that wouldn’t go away. It wouldn’t be fair to Vibro to use her as a stand-in. She needed to be clear of Wesson and completely open with Vibro.
“And is this ‘she’ anyone I might know?” Vibro asked.
Sparky smiled. “We need to wait and see.”
“To see what?”
Sparky stared down at the two photographs on the dashboard—one of Vibro and Jennifer and the other of Sparky and Wesson.
Love Over Moon Street Page 26
