Don't Let Go

by Sheryl Wright

  Georgie shook her head. Her smile was mischievous as she pointed across the room. She’d set up one of the folding tables with two chairs. Two formal place settings sat on a white linen tablecloth. From somewhere she had managed to find fresh flowers. Beside a vase of blue flag irises, lit candles flickered, inviting them over.

  “It’s beautiful. Oh baby, you’re so sweet. I’ll put the food out, if you take care of the wine.”

  Georgie nodded, accepting the bottle Tyler pulled from one of the takeout bags. “Wine…your pick?”

  Setting the food out, Tyler smiled, pleased that she had noticed. “Actually Leslie and I came up with that one together. I think it’s a little sweeter than you usually drink, but she was sure it was a better complement for the sirloin tips.”

  “Nice,” she noted, taking an appreciative whiff.

  “I thought you’d enjoy something different. Everyone’s always worried about upsetting the status quo with you. I swear it’s like they’re all stuck in the same gear.”

  “I know,” Georgie admitted with a grin. Pulling out Tyler’s chair for her, she moved closer for another kiss.

  Tyler couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her arms around Georgie’s neck and savoring the sweet sensation of her mouth. When she finally pulled herself away, she was breathless and a little light-headed, but said nothing. That was hard. She took her seat and waited for Georgie. Picking up her wineglass she asked, “If I were to make a terribly sentimental toast, would it put you off?”

  Seeming to consider the question seriously, she shook her head before trying to explain, “Better to be…open? Sure footing…”

  “You think it’s better to know than to guess?”

  She nodded, but her face showed she was bracing for bad news.

  Suddenly realizing how the question must have sounded, Tyler put her glass down, reaching across the table for Georgie’s hand. “I promise you, I have good things to say. I know it’s really, really early for us. We have literally only known each other for a month. Oh God Georgie! I don’t want to be one of those pathetic U-Haul lesbians, but when Marnie started telling us we couldn’t see each other, I thought my heart would stop!”

  Relieved, Georgie, now holding both her hands, squeezed them and smiled. “Marnie approves.”

  “Oh she does, does she?” It wasn’t really a question. “What about the rest of the family?”

  Georgie just smiled, giving her two thumbs-up.

  Retrieving her wineglass, Tyler raised it to make her toast, then stopped. “You’re doing it again.”

  Georgie raised her hands in surrender, as if not sure what she was referring to.

  “Baby, here’s to your beautiful green eyes always giving away every single thought in your head!”

  Georgie laughed with her but that didn’t stop the color from creeping up her neck.

  “You are so busted!” They clinked glasses. There was no denying the desire in Georgie’s eyes. Tyler wasn’t just appreciative, she was relieved.

  She had spent the evening listening to Zoe’s warnings and condemnations. The worst part was her overpersonalization. While she continued to badmouth Georgie, she flirted outrageously and repeatedly trespassed on Tyler’s personal space. What a contrast these two women made, aunt and niece. They were polar opposites in so many ways Tyler could have easily devoted an entire graduate thesis to the comparison. Still, a few things that came up were prickling in the back of her mind. Putting a wineglass down, she said simply, “I think we need to talk.”

  Georgie placed her fork on her plate, studying her carefully. “You are afraid?”

  “No.” But the question seemed to set her off. Realizing she was getting upset and unfairly so, she sat back, admitting, “Lori was right to warn me. Zoe had a lot to say about you.”

  Surprising her, Georgie stood, carrying her chair around the table, and sitting down next to Tyler. She offered her hand but never assumed. That was reassuring. As much as she had teased her the night before about being a foregone conclusion she knew in her heart Georgie had not for one moment made any assumptions. Accepting the outstretched hand, she gave it a weak squeeze. She wasn’t sure where to start.

  “Now or then?”

  “What? I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re asking me?”

  “Your questions? Before Afghanistan…after?”

  Tyler looked down at her lap, surprised to see she was still holding Georgie’s hand. She’d meant to keep herself separate, isolated from the woman’s gentleness. “She said that there were a lot of women. That you…”

  “Yes,” Georgie admitted without prodding. “Could. Did…Not proud.”

  The answer felt like a slap to the face. Removing her hand from Georgie’s, she sat with her arms crossed. “I’m sorry. I just never thought of you as the type who would cheat.”

  “What?” Confused, Georgie offered her hand again. Even when Tyler took no notice, she remained open. “Tyler…please, explain?”

  Still withdrawn and ignoring Georgie’s outstretched hand, she said, “I don’t like Margaret, but even as much as I dislike her, I don’t think it’s right that you cheated on her and then to admit it so casually…”

  Georgie stood so abruptly she knocked her chair over. Stepping away without picking it up, she paced the length of the long bow-shaped room. When she finally turned to face Tyler, she stood completely open to her. “I—never—cheated—on—Margaret…Never. I—would not…ever!”

  “But you admitted to being with other women.”

  “Before!” Georgie hissed, her frustration evident.

  Tyler was stuck somewhere between disbelief and relief. She didn’t know if she should ask more, argue based on the things Zoe had said, or just shut up and apologize. Before she could decide, Maggie was at Georgie’s side, leash in mouth. Tyler almost cried. She had done the one thing she had promised herself she wouldn’t do. She had fallen for one of Zoe’s lies and instead of just telling the story and listening to Georgie’s side, she had questioned her, accused her. Now here she was, sitting alone at the romantic table Georgie had set for them. She had been looking forward to this all night and instead of just enjoying her time with her, she’d accused her, the most forthright and honorable woman she had ever met, of lying and cheating. What should she do now? Wait while Georgie took the dog for a walk? Follow her and try to explain? Leave and call her tomorrow? Or just leave? Staying felt wrong but leaving felt worse. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Georgie. She wasn’t gone. She hadn’t taken the dog out. Instead, she moved around Tyler and kneeling beside her, took both hands in hers.

  “I respect you. I—will always—respect you…my Tyler.”

  As much as she believed her, and as much as she wanted to fling her arms around her and forget the whole thing, there was still one issue that just wouldn’t die. “Zoe said…” She closed her eyes, stalling and trying desperately to find a non-combative way to frame the question. “Why did you hire me?”

  Georgie hadn’t been prepared for that. After a long moment she stood. Retrieved the upended chair and sat back down. Not across the table but not as close as she had been.

  Tyler immediately missed the closeness. She missed her hands.

  “Ask…details?” She was not unkind but her earlier more ardent mood was gone.

  “It’s just that she said, well, that you and Marnie had basically been shopping for more than an assistant! If you know what I mean. She called me your paid little piece on the side!”

  She hadn’t wanted to say it and clearly Georgie didn’t want to hear it. She was up again, but this time instead of pacing she left the room. Tyler wanted to go to her. Apologize. Find a way to make it better. Invent a time machine and take it all back! “Dammit!” Maggie barked at her outburst.

  As she wiped her tears away, she realized Georgie was back in the room. She hadn’t walked out or stormed off, it looked like she’d been retrieving something from the library.

  Sitting down again, she sort
ed through several documents. Finally selecting one, she handed it to Tyler without comment. As Tyler tried to read it, Georgie moved her chair back around the table and resumed her meal. Surreptitiously watching her, Tyler felt like a heel to see Georgie looking even more isolated than ever. Forcing herself, she focused on the document in her hand.

  The long memorandum was an argument for the hiring of a management level professional to address issues of ethics in new and legacy products. It spoke eloquently of the issues they were facing now, and those that would come with existing and future technologies. It was the very thing they had talked about during her interview and several times since. And it was the work she had been doing. She flipped back to the first page and read the date. “You wrote this a year ago?”

  Georgie nodded. “Lou said no. Marnie offered…assistant. You applied…You…” Frustrated, she was up again. She filled her wineglass and retired to the couch without looking back.

  Tyler sat there feeling like a total jerk. It was really just chance and circumstance that had put them together. Grabbing her glass and the wine bottle, she walked over to the couch, setting both on the end table and taking a seat beside her. “Baby, I’m so sorry. The thing about women like Zoe that makes them so dangerous is they always lace their lies in half-truths. I’ll be honest, I don’t have the confidence you do. I mean, I will with us, in time. It’s just that this is so new and I don’t exactly have a great track record myself. Actually,” she admitted with some shame, “I’ve pretty much been a train wreck on that front. I guess that’s why it’s so easy to get me riled up. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin our evening, I really didn’t.”

  Even though Georgie accepted her outstretched hand, she couldn’t help feeling that there was no repairing the damage she had done. Maybe what she needed to do was go home. Maybe giving Georgie some time, both of them some time, would fix this thing. Who was she kidding? She knew full well if she walked away now, there was every chance Georgie would shut down or give up on her completely. Still, what mattered, first and foremost, were her own needs. What did she need? What did she want? The only person who had ever really asked her that was sitting beside her. Plenty of people wanted to see her succeed but this woman had gone out of her way to help her do it. Zoe had warned that everything would come with strings attached. Was that true? “She said you’d probably let me go if I stopped…putting out.”

  Now Georgie was angry. Repeatedly clenching and unclenching her hands, Georgie explained, eyes closed and repeating from memory, “When a senior employee engages in a relationship with someone in their department or a junior member of the company or its associated holdings, and if the junior member has declared the relationship as required by company policy, said senior employee, regardless of position or board standing, relinquishes—ALL—supervisory privilege.”

  Feeling sheepish and aching inside, she admitted, “I don’t know what that means.”

  “You work for Marnie…not me. I—have—no—say, now. Since you, since signing…papers.”

  That caught her off guard. Although it shouldn’t have. Marnie had explained in detail how Georgie had rewritten the employee policy with an aim toward protecting juniors from being used in the manner Zoe had so blatantly described. Now what could she say? She absolutely hated herself for letting Zoe get to her like this.

  “Jack…too.” Georgie tried to explain by example. “Marnie is senior…but…”

  “She really has no say when it comes to her husband?” She couldn’t imagine Marnie Pulaski being told to butt out where her husband was concerned.

  Georgie just nodded. “Me and Henry,” she said. “Set goals…wages…bonus scale. Now, Henry and Marnie,” she pointed to Tyler, “for you.” As if to prove her point, Georgie grabbed her tablet and pulled up the employee files for her department and showed the list to her.

  Marnie hadn’t wasted any time. Tyler’s name was still listed as a department member but when she touched the link, a warning box popped up, advising access was restricted to Marnie Pulaski and Henry Phipps.

  Embarrassed and heartsick to think she could have ever doubted her, she set the tablet on the end table. Head down she was actually afraid to look at Georgie, afraid to not see that loving look anymore. Afraid and ashamed. She had never acted like this with anyone. She could honestly admit that it was her habit to cut and run the moment things got complicated but this wasn’t the same thing. How could she undo everything she had just done? She couldn’t believe that her first worry had been for her job! It wasn’t like she wanted things to go back to the way they were. She loved working with Georgie. Enjoyed the way her mind worked. Respected what she believed in and stood up for. She wanted a professional relationship but what about the personal one? She was now certain she could safely walk away and still keep her job. Was it enough? Not on your life! Being with Georgie, today with her family, last night on the roof, then later in bed…

  “I’m scared!” she admitted. She said it simply, almost surprising herself with the truth.

  Georgie moved as close as their knees would allow and taking both her hands, said simply, “Me too.”

  “Can you forgive me?”

  “Nothing to forgive…You,” Georgie said with such warmth and honesty, “need to know. Me too! Ask…always ask.”

  Tyler shook her head. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She knew in her heart that Georgie understood the way she needed to work through things, the same as Tyler had learned to interpret and communicate her abbreviated speech. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to look at the woman. When she felt her raise her hand and kiss it, she forced herself.

  “Oh God baby.” And there it was. That look said everything.

  Georgie squeezed her hand then placed it high on her chest and holding it, explained everything so clearly, “You are here.”

  She threw her arms around Georgie’s neck and tackled her back onto the couch. “Baby I am so sorry! Oh God, she was such a crass little bitch and the whole time she knew how much everything she was saying hurt. I hate her!”

  With her arms wrapped around Tyler, she held her tight, one hand brushing hair out of Tyler’s wet eyes. “So…sorry, my Tyler.”

  Lifting her head, she smiled as she wiped the errant tears away. “My Tyler? I like that. I feel stupid asking, and I know you’re going to say never to feel stupid, but…well, this is a thing, right? It’s not just me?”

  Smiling she finished wiping Tyler’s face dry, then shutting her eyes, explained, “A thing is…not sure, but you…me…” She smiled, opening her eyes and said the thing she had memorized. “Feels like love to me.”

  Tyler squealed in delight. If she wasn’t already on Georgie she would have knocked her down to get this close. “I love you too, baby. I was just too scared to say anything. I keep thinking this is crazy—we hardly know each other—but that’s not true. In a way I feel like I’ve known you all my life!”

  Georgie was grinning like a rock star. “Waited a long time…my Tyler.”

  “My Tyler! Oh God, I love that, and I love your eyes you geeky techno savant, and I love you…”

  Georgie smothered her soliloquy with a hungry mouth.

  And I love the way you kiss me like I’m the most beautiful woman on earth, and how you touch me when…

  Chapter Fourteen

  Henry, uninvited, marched past Tyler and into the penthouse suite. Behind him both Skippy and Ethan looked embarrassed, skulking, and apologizing as they dragged themselves inside. She had been alone in the apartment and tidying up after breakfast while Georgie and Maggie were out for a run.

  They had slept in together, enjoying a leisurely morning. She was surprised to realize how well they clicked on the domestic side. Working with Georgie was complicated and involved an intricate schedule and hard-and-fast rules. Here, and alone, it had been perfect, as if they had made breakfast together a million times. As far as shelter went, Georgie’s apartment was definitely on the sparse side. Still, all the basics wer
e here and more importantly so was the woman. Waking up in her arms had been a beautiful repeat of the previous day. It wasn’t just waking up in her arms that had left her feeling so whole, it was knowing Georgie had slept, really slept, and she wanted to ask her about that, wanted so much to hear that she was what had repaired that part of her heart. That, however, and everything else, would have to wait.

  “Good morning Henry. Hi guys come in please.” While the guys grumbled and generally just stood there looking awkward, Henry marched straight to the old sofa and planted himself firmly and without comment.

  “Okay.” Turning to Skippy and Ethan, she suggested, “Georgie put the Xbox in the guest room. It’s hooked up to the Wi-Fi, if you guys feel like a little FPS action?”

  With mumbled thanks, they scrambled up the antique staircase and disappeared. She had been making tea for herself when they barged in, so she continued with that task. Pouring a cup for Henry too, she set it down on the end table and took a seat across from him on the fireplace hearthstone. “I don’t know what you’ve heard…”

  “Professor Marsh, I am not as learned as you are, but where I come from we don’t bite the hand that feeds us, and we sure as hell don’t sh…” He cut his word suddenly. He was clearly upset but unwilling to voice his true concern.

  “Henry, I’m going to give you a choice because I don’t know what you need to hear first. So here goes. You can tell me what you’ve heard and I promise you I will listen and I will answer all of your concerns. Or you can sit there and stew, but I promise you I still intend to tell you everything.”

  He grumbled a little, finally admitting, “You’re a forthright woman. I respect that. The truth is, now that I’m sitting here, it’s hard for me to believe anything I’ve been told. Except that you are sitting here too. In my time that would’ve been more than enough to prove your guilt.”

  “And what am I guilty of Henry? Being in love with your niece? Because if that’s your issue you’re not being fair, not to her, and not to me!” She was on her feet. She hadn’t meant to get upset but she was mad. “For God’s sake Henry, you know Georgie better than anyone! You know she would never take advantage of me. I’m here by choice because I want to be here. I want to be with her. Frankly, it’s none of your business but I love her and I will fight for her. And mark my words, I will not let anyone use me against her for any purpose. Do you understand?” She was overwhelmed with frustration and practically shaking with aggression.