Fame

by Susan X Meagher

  “Great job!” Piper said, then enfolded Haley in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured.

  “Me, too.”

  As Piper moved away, Haley saw that her sweater was a V-neck, with a darker blue T-shirt under it. The sweater was partially tucked in, revealing a white and blue striped web belt, making her look like an Ivy-League frat boy. Delightful. Over her chest, a big sticker read “Birthday Girl,” and Haley touched the image of a cake filled with lit candles. “Happy birthday, birthday girl.”

  “It’s actually tomorrow, but nobody wants to come to a party on a Sunday night. Want to meet all of my friends?”

  “All of them?” She took a look at her watch. “Do we have time?”

  Piper let out a hearty laugh. “Sure. We’ve got all night, right?”

  “I do. I most definitely do,” Haley said, so happy she’d agreed to come. It wasn’t bad at all going to a party where she knew very few people—so long as one of those people was Piper.

  ***

  After spending at least two hours being displayed like a newly discovered treasure, Haley peeled away when Piper got into a chat with her boss and some of her clients. It didn’t take long to find Lolita sitting in the yard, talking to what were probably all of the straight men in attendance. She was like a flame, with men invariably drawn to her aura. Usually older men, but Haley had seen Lolita charm guys who couldn’t have been out of college yet. She simply had the ability to make guys think they were fascinating—even when they were not.

  Haley found an empty folding chair and placed it close to Lolita, leaning over to say, “How’s the fishing?”

  “Not great,” she admitted quietly. “I thought that handsome guy with the dark sunglasses was trying to look cool, but he just had glaucoma surgery.”

  “He could still be cool,” Haley said, reasoning that a little eye surgery went with the territory when your demographic was seventy plus.

  “Oh, sure. But he was a bore. No one wants to hear details about your medical procedures. Absolutely no one,” she stated firmly. “But I’m having more fun than I’d have at home reading, so all is well.” She craned her neck to look around. “Where’s Piper? She’s been leading you around like a puppy all night.”

  “She likes me,” Haley said, smiling happily. “Isn’t she cute?”

  “She’s pretty,” Lolita said, primly correcting her. “Dogs are cute.”

  “She is pretty, isn’t she? But she doesn’t seem to think so. Or at least she doesn’t act like she thinks so.”

  “Are these people all her friends? Or did the neighbors just come for the free food?”

  “Friends. From grade school, high school, and beauty school. No way she’s a jerk, since people seem to like her forever.”

  “Nice trait,” Lolita said. “Any exes?”

  “All three of the important ones, which I find amazing.”

  “Really? All of her exes are here?”

  “Uh-huh.” She tried to be discrete, pointing them out in turn. “All blondes,” she said, chuckling. “She’s got a type.”

  “All pretty,” Lolita said. “She’s definitely got a type.” She gave Haley a gentle elbow to the ribs. “But you’re the prettiest of the bunch.”

  “I’d pick that one,” Haley said, pointing to a tall woman with her long hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Nina. She’s the one who was jealous of Piper’s sister. But I think I could overlook that for a woman who was built like her. Piper’s seriously picky!”

  “Where is this sister? I expected her to be snapping her fingers and making Piper jump through hoops.”

  “Didn’t come,” Haley said, shrugging. “Apparently, she had a different party to go to. Delta’s being boarded tonight.”

  Lolita leaned back in the chair and regarded Haley for a moment. “Who skips her sister’s birthday party? Especially after you’ve stuck her with your new puppy?”

  “Seemed weird to me too, but Piper’s perfectly fine with it, so…” She shrugged.

  “Did you meet any other relatives?”

  “Not a one.” She turned to look at the crowd for a minute. “Now that you mention it, that’s kind of odd, isn’t it? All of these people, but not one relative, even though she grew up right around here. Her mom’s dead, and her dad’s a flake, but I’d think she’d have aunts or uncles or cousins around. Right?”

  “Check it out,” Lolita said, lowering her voice until it was a husky whisper. “Maybe she had a few of them knocked off for the insurance proceeds.”

  “Probably,” Haley said, humoring her friend’s flights of fancy. “But she told me she had to stretch to buy the house, even though it was a bargain, so they must have been poorly insured.”

  ***

  Around eleven, Piper went on a determined quest to find Haley. It wasn’t easy to work your way through a big crowd, especially when it was your birthday. People you saw rarely wanted to catch up, which made perfect sense. But Haley had specifically said she didn’t like to go to parties where she didn’t know many people, and the last thing Piper wanted was for her to regret coming.

  As soon as she’d see someone making a bee-line for her, she’d point toward the bathroom. “Gotta go,” she’d say, grimacing. “I’ll catch you on the way back.” That worked well, with everyone understanding the need to answer nature’s call without delay.

  After a sweep through the house, she headed outside, where at least thirty people were still gathered in small cliques, many of them smoking either tobacco or pot. She finally found Haley, sitting at a table with her roommate and two of Piper’s neighbors, older widowers, one from next door and the other who lived across the street. Morey and Hank were quite a pair, and they were showing off their poker prowess, while puffing away on Hank’s noxious cigars. Blinking, Piper saw that Haley’s roommate also had a stogie in her mouth, and was holding two pair.

  “Do I have to worry about the vice squad shutting me down?” Piper asked, pulling up a chair to sit close to Haley.

  “I’m a terrible card player,” Haley said, chuckling as she fanned her cards out for Piper to take a look at. “But Morey and Hank are helping.”

  “These two will have the title of your car in their pocket before you know what hit you,” Piper said. She tapped at the four of clubs. “Discard that and see if you get lucky.”

  “You don’t even know what game we’re playing,” Morey complained. “How can you offer advice?”

  “A game doesn’t exist where the card she’s holding will do her a bit of good,” Piper said. “Don’t forget who sent you home with an empty wallet last time we played.”

  “Empty wallet,” Morey said, laughing. “Shows what you know. I keep my money in my sock!”

  Haley did as she’d been told, drawing a king, now giving her three of a kind. It wasn’t an all-star hand, but it was decent. “I’d call,” Piper whispered.

  “Who should I call?” Haley asked, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “For God’s sake, Haley,” Lolita said. “I had no idea you had no card sense!”

  “I told you I didn’t know how to play,” she said, seemingly unruffled by her friend’s chiding. She pushed the cards into Piper’s hand and got up. “I’m going for some more punch. Who’s with me?”

  “I could use a refill,” Hank said.

  “Too much sugar,” Morey said, shaking his head. “I’ll never control my insulin if I drink that. But a Diet Coke would go down nicely.”

  “Piper?” Haley leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Drink?”

  “Sure. If you can carry everything.”

  Haley spun toward her, cockily, and spread her arms wide as she sauntered away backward. “I’ve carried whole trays of drinks when I was a server. Never spilled a drop,” she boasted, before tripping over a chair leg to stumble and nearly face-plant into a tree. “Uninjured!” she said, raising her hands like she’d won a prize.

  “What’s in that punch?” Lolita asked.

  Piper watched Haley wa
lk toward the house, assuring she was fully in control. “I have no idea, but given that I know who made it, probably everything but grain alcohol.”

  “I’m glad I drove,” Lolita said. “She was over the limit an hour ago.”

  ***

  After finishing the hand, Piper stood, ignoring Hank and Morey’s complaints about ruining their game. “I’ve got to go say goodnight to some folks.” She cast her gaze upon Haley, who was giving her a silly grin. “Want to go with me?”

  “Thought you’d never ask.”

  They went into the house, where a few people were digging around on the sofa for their purses and sweaters.

  Piper helped everyone get organized, then walked several couples to their cars. Haley seemed perfectly sober, or maybe just a little tipsy, chatting animatedly with all of the departing guests.

  As they walked back inside, Piper said, “I haven’t had a minute alone with you all night. Want to see my berry bushes?” she asked, possibly the worst come-on in the history of the world. “I’ve got them climbing up the fence at the property line. There’s a bench,” she added, trying to make it sound romantic. “If you squint, I bet it looks just like the south of France.”

  “Let’s go. I love berries.”

  Piper led the way, staying near the edge of the yard, trying to remain in the shadows. While she knew she should be more concerned with hosting than enjoying herself, she’d been super social all night and thought she deserved a break.

  They stood in front of the arbor she’d put up a few years earlier, and Piper swiped a ripe blackberry and held it to Haley’s lips. She sucked it into her mouth, pulling Piper’s finger along with it. Then she gave it a playful nip and released it, purring with pleasure as she swallowed. “That was the best berry I’ve ever eaten. More?”

  It wasn’t easy finding ripe ones in the dark, especially when your finger was tingling with sensation, but Piper had a good feel for how easily a ripe berry released its hold on the vine. She had a fistful of them, and she fed them to Haley, one at a time. When they were gone, Haley linked her arms behind Piper’s neck and tugged her down. “Kiss my berry delicious lips,” she said, chuckling.

  Piper urged her to sit, and they cuddled together on the bench, facing away from the party, almost in their own little world. The music had been turned way down, and most people were talking quietly. So quietly you could almost forget they were there.

  Piper tucked an arm around Haley’s shoulders, then leaned over to kiss her gently. “I’m so glad you came.”

  “Me too. I just wish we’d had more time together. Lolita’s about ready to take off.”

  Piper gazed into her eyes, not asking the question, but trying to hint without being too bold. When Haley didn’t leap to offer to stay, Piper said, “You’ve got some options…”

  “Is there a bus?” she asked, blinking her eyes so slowly that Piper changed her mind about how drunk she was. Then she let out a hearty laugh, not looking foggy at all. “Would you like me to stay?”

  She put her hands on Haley’s legs, feeling the skin pebble. “Very, very, very much,” she said, leaning close. “That was my wish when I blew out the candles on my cake.”

  “Well, I’d hate to ruin the birthday girl’s wish.” Haley took a finger and ran it, tauntingly, all around Piper’s tingling lips. “I’ll see if Lolita minds. Don’t go away.” Right before she got up, she gave Piper a tremendously sexy kiss, making her nearly melt into the bench.

  “I’m glad you’re the one who has to walk all the way over there,” she said, almost to herself. “’Cause my legs don’t work.”

  ***

  Lolita had her clutch in one hand, and a cigarette in the other as she stood in front of the sliding glass door. The light from the house outlined her, making her curves even more dramatic when her features weren’t visible. She’d put on a black jacket, very insubstantial, obviously just to keep the chill away, and when Haley appeared she gathered the lapels and pressed them together. “It’s freezing!” she said, shivering.

  “It is?” Haley almost made a comment about the weather, then realized she wasn’t cold only because Piper’s kisses had so thoroughly heated her up. “Um, I don’t want you to have to wait for me. I can catch a ride home later.”

  “Later…like tomorrow?” Her professionally arched eyebrow rose. “Is that a good idea?”

  “I think it is.” She caught Lolita by the arm and tugged her away from the door, allowing them a little privacy.

  Haley was glad they’d moved, since Lolita launched into her spiel the moment they were alone. “You haven’t spent enough time together to give in yet. She might have the hook in her mouth, but it can’t be set.”

  In addition to her 50s affect, Lolita had an Eisenhower-era morality that often caught Haley by surprise. Lolita wasn’t technically prudish, but she believed women had to use sex to get security, monogamy, wealth, or some other bargaining chip they craved. Just sleeping with someone to see if you had enough spark to keep seeing each other was something she simply wouldn’t understand.

  “We really like each other, Lolita, and I’m ready to keep going.”

  “You’ve really bought into this equality stuff,” she said, her voice filled with empathy. “Fight her off until she’s ready to pull her hair out, Haley. That’s when you know she’ll stick around.”

  “That’s not how I do things. It’s important to be honest with Piper.”

  “Honest!” She laughed so hard she started to cough. It took her a second to get her breath, then she said, “When have sex and honesty ever been in the same room?”

  They’d had this discussion many times, with neither of them budging. Lolita might have had a point, in that you could withhold something a person really wanted to make them bend to your will, but why in the hell would you want to?

  “I might be the first to ever try, but I’m going to be honest. One day I’ll find someone who appreciates that.” She leaned close and kissed her cheek. “Wish me luck that it’s tonight.”

  “Good luck, kid, you’re gonna need it.”

  ***

  When Haley returned, Piper was on the edge of the bench, looking like Delta when he had to pee.

  She jumped to her feet and said, “I know I’m probably going to regret this, but I have to say goodbye to everyone.”

  “Why would you regret—”

  “We were just getting into a nice groove,” she said, biting her lip. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I hate to be a bad host.”

  “Come on,” Haley said, taking her hand. “Let’s go turn off the music. That’ll give everyone a pretty clear signal it’s time to hit the road.”

  Piper stopped her and held her close for a few moments. “You’re okay with this? I promise we’ll get right back to where we were as soon as I—”

  Haley pulled her down and planted a long, tender kiss to her lips. When Piper pulled away, blinking slowly, Haley said, “I’ll remember exactly where we were. Now let’s get rid of these people so we can get right back to it.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  AS PIPER WALKED THE LAST of her friends to their car, she snatched the keys from Chelsea’s fingers and said, “What’s twelve times three, minus eleven, plus six.”

  “Argh!” she growled. “I can’t do that when I’m sober!”

  “If you can’t do it, I’m driving you home,” Piper said.

  “Fine.” Chelsea rolled her eyes and bent her head, with her platinum blonde tresses falling forward. “Twelve times three?” she asked, tilting her chin up a little bit.

  “Yep.”

  “Thirty-six,” she said, clearly proud of herself.

  “There’s more…”

  “Minus eleven,” Jess said before Piper clapped a hand over her mouth.

  “Um, twenty-five?”

  Chelsea clearly hadn’t been a math major, but she didn’t seem impaired. She scrunched up her eyes, then said, “Plus six is thirty-one. But if you said minus six then it’s nineteen. Eithe
r way, I want my keys.”

  Piper dropped them into her hand. “Love you both,” she said, hugging each of her friends. “Thanks for all of your help.”

  “We had a ball,” Jess said. Then she turned and pulled Haley into a hug, too. “So good to meet you,” she murmured.

  Chelsea did the same, then they got into the car and cranked the stereo. As they rolled down the street, you could clearly hear them singing along.

  “Thank god my neighbors like me,” Piper said, taking Haley’s hand as they walked back to the house.

  “I’m glad you take care of your friends. In case you’re wondering, Lolita texted to say she arrived home without incident. Everyone’s accounted for.”

  They reached the front door, and Piper held it open. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone named Lolita, but she sure does leave an impression.”

  “Oh, she’s something, all right.” Haley sat on Piper’s olive-colored brushed cotton sofa and stuck her feet out. “She chose that name when she was a freshman in high school—and dating a thirty-five-year-old man. I don’t think she realized it was a cry for help, but she’s chosen to keep it. I think her real name’s Mary Ann or something equally wholesome.”

  “That must have gone down well with her parents,” Piper said, laughing a little as she sat a respectful distance away. She seemed nervous, which was kind of endearing, and Haley decided to just keep talking, hoping to loosen her up.

  “Lolita’s funny about a lot of things. In some ways, she’s very old-fashioned. Like tonight. She really didn’t want me to stay over.”

  “What?” That made Piper sit up tall. “Why?”

  “Mmm, she doesn’t think we know each other well enough. But she also thinks a woman has to use sex to her advantage. She thinks it’s a precious resource that she has to guard or it’ll disappear.”

  “No, no, it’s a renewable resource,” Piper said, grinning rakishly. “The more you have, the more you want.” Her grin mellowed, until she was looking into Haley’s eyes soberly. “It renews people too. It helps build something.”