Party of Two

by Tey Holden

  “Look, Blair, you seem to be a nice person, but I’m not what you are looking for. Please, don’t waste your time with me. As soon as Brooke gives me the signal, I’m out of here, alone!”

  Blair liked that Alex remembered her name and remained oblivious to any comments about Brooke. “What makes you think you know what I’m looking for?”

  Alex was losing her patience again. The truth was that she had never been faced with someone so stubborn and insistent. “I know that I’m going to regret this, but what exactly are you looking for? What do you want of me? Knowing your odds, of course.”

  Blair smiled again. “I don’t know, maybe someone to have an intelligent conversation with? Do you know how hard it is to find someone with brains in a place like this?” Blair’s question and gesture made Alex smile, which in turn made Blair grin.

  Blair kept her eyes on Alex, as Alex scanned the patrons at the bar. When her eyes came back to Blair, she found the sparkling blue eyes fixed on her, and she was stunned by the sincere smile with the full-blown dimples. It was that innocent image of Blair that Alex could not erase from her mind. What is it about her?

  “You may have a point there. Brains may not be in abundance around here,” Alex replied.

  “Told you!” At that very moment, Blair’s phone rang. She looked at it. “Shit!” She pursed her lips. “I have to go.” Her face was filled with obvious disappointment. “I’d like to see you again. Can I call you?” She knew that had not come out right, but she felt like time was not on her side.

  “Is there a fire you need to put out somewhere? Why do you need to go?” Why am I asking this?

  Blair smiled. She liked the inquiry. “I’m on call. If you give me your number, I will call to explain. Plus, you agreed to talk to me. Maybe we could go out for coffee. Not a date, just coffee?”

  “No, sorry. I agreed to talk to you while we were here, but now that you have to go, that ends our conversation. It’s better this way.” Alex said in a serious tone.

  Blair looked troubled. “Are you sure? I think this was the wrong place to meet.” Blair looked sad. Her eyes were impatiently searching the green ones for a sign. Blair’s phone rang again. “Shit! Sorry, I really have to go. It’s a matter of life or death. Last chance?”

  Alex smiled. “Just go.”

  Blair took one last look at her, turned and left feeling incredibly empty. She looked back from the door wishing she could go back, but she was getting nowhere. This was no ordinary woman, and it would take all night just to even possibly get her number, she hadn’t even gotten her name. Alex turned and followed Blair with her eyes wondering whether she was actually leaving. She was still looking when Blair turned from the door and caught her looking. Alex didn’t care to have been caught looking, a feeling of loss overcame her the minute the door closed behind Blair.

  Outside the bar, Blair called Megan. “Listen, they called from the hospital, it’s an emergency, but I need a huge favor from you, sis. That blonde I was talking to at the bar, please either get her number or give her mine. I will forever be your slave if you help me here. She’s awesome, Meg. She stopped my heart, I swear!”

  Megan looked at the blonde woman, who was still sitting at the bar, and laughed. She was surprised by Blair’s request because Blair had never gotten her involved in any love conquest. However, she could understand Blair’s interest. Alex was certainly a very attractive woman. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do, but no promises. If you couldn’t get her number in all the time you were talking to her, I doubt that I will. I’m afraid that I’m not as cute as you are.”

  “Ha, ha. Just give it your best shot, would you?”

  “I already said I would. Keep your eyes on the road and your mind too!”

  Even after Blair left, Alex was still thinking about her. There was something in the way Blair said that ‘I’m sorry too’ that weighed heavily on her. Maybe it was the sad-puppy look in the blue eyes. Sitting at the bar, Alex had the resigned look of having waved good-bye to a friend she knew she would never see again, someone that, for a brief moment of time, took a little bit of her. The now warm beer in front of her was no longer appealing.

  In the far distance she saw Brooke having a very animated, up-close and personal conversation with someone and later saw her waving as she left with the woman. She smiled and waved back at her friend. She didn’t want to drink the warm beer, but she didn’t feel like leaving either. For some inexplicable reason she felt lonely. As she was getting ready to leave, the bartender approached her.

  Alex looked at the napkin being handed to her. It had a phone number written on it. “I’m Megan, that’s Blair’s cell number, she’s my sister. She always has her phone with her. She has to because of her job. She asked me to give you her number, and to ask you to call her.”

  “What does she do that she’s on call all the time?”

  “Call her and find out. She works very hard. Doesn’t get out much, and when she does, she comes here to look out for me. She asked me to get your phone number or to give you hers. I don’t think you’ll give me yours, since you didn’t give it to her. I feel like an idiot doing this, but she’s never asked me to do anything like this, and that is the only reason why I’m doing it. As odd as it looks, it’s well intended. She’s good, and she obviously thinks you are too. Call her.”

  Alex took the napkin waved it in the air and got up to leave. She would not call, but Megan didn’t need to know.

  “I never got your name?” Megan asked.

  “Alex.”

  “Good night, Alex. Come back, and thanks.”

  Alex left the bar, thinking how odd it was that Megan was trying to match up her sister. It was not like Blair needed help picking up women. She was certain that with her looks she could just scoop them up by just looking at them. She thought that, other than her mothers, she had never seen any lesbian as beautiful. As she made it home, she wondered why she couldn’t get those blue eyes out of her mind, or understand why she smiled every time she thought of the her dimples. She had to admit that Blair was very interesting.

  ***

  The following day Blair called Megan from the hospital. “Hi, sis. Just calling to find out if you were able to get the blonde’s number?”

  “No, sorry, sis. I didn’t think she’d give it to me if she didn’t give it to you, seriously. I wrote your number on a napkin and gave it to her. I told her I was your sister, and I put in a good word for you.”

  “On a napkin? And you didn’t get her number?” Blair disappointment was obvious. She pursed her lips, shook her head and scratched her scalp. “Megan!”

  “Sorry, honey, it’s all I could do.”

  “She won’t call. She probably thought it was all a joke.”

  “Sorry, sis. You never know.”

  “Why would she call?”

  “Well, the way I see it, if she’s smart, she will call because she’ll realize that you are the most wonderful, genuine person in the world. How’s that?”

  “I wish everyone loved me like you do, sis. She won’t call. She must have men and women calling her by the dozen. She’s amazing. I mean not only is she gorgeous, she is also smart. I had a great time talking to her.”

  Megan laughed. “You have a lot of followers also, so don’t sell yourself short.”

  “But none of my so-called followers interest me. Listen, I have to go now, we’ll catch up later. Good-bye.”

  ***

  Sunday morning, as she did most of the time, Alex drove home to Altee to visit her mothers. “Hellooooo!” She screamed the minute she got inside the house. “If anybody is naked, you better get dressed!”

  Karen came from the study wearing her glasses down her nose and looking at her very seriously. “One day we are going to have company when you come in yelling like that, and you are going to be very embarrassed.”

  Alex waved her off. “At least, I won’t be finding anyone naked!” She replied in a mocking tone.

  “Hi cutie pie!” Addy a
ppeared from the patio to greet her daughter. “Thanks for the advance notice, I was tanning in the buff on the patio and just managed to throw some clothes on.” She laughed looking at Karen, who shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “You are responsible for this behavior.” She pointed a finger to Addy. “You two feed off each other.”

  “Chill, Mom! We just do it to annoy you, and you always fall for it.”

  “Mocking the innocent of heart.” Karen pointed a finger at her daughter while Addy chuckled.

  “Ha! On the innocent! So, what’s with you, daughter? What new mischief are you up to now?” Addy asked.

  “I went to a lesbian bar.”

  Both Karen and Addy, who were starting to go about their business, turned in unison, half shocked by the announcement, and gave full attention to their daughter.

  Alex laughed when she saw their reaction. “Don’t worry, I went with Brooke.”

  “Oh! That makes me feel so much better. You went to a lesbian bar with a lesbian woman. I guess that makes it so much more appropriate, of course. What the hell were you doing in a lesbian bar? Looking for trouble?” Karen asked in a serious tone.

  “Well, she and Lindsey split-up, and she’s been feeling down, so I wanted to cheer her up and agreed to keep her company at the bar, until she hooked up with someone.”

  “They split up? When? Poor thing! Why? What happened?” Addy asked.

  “Addy! I believe our first focus of interest should be our daughter, and not Brooke, yes? I mean, I’m sorry for Brooke, but maybe we should find out why our daughter was at a lesbian bar first and then, maybe, ask about Brooke?”

  Addy rolled her eyes. “There's no freedom of speech in this house!” Then she addressed Alex. “So, sweetie, continue with your story.”

  “As I was saying, Brooke needed company. Anyway, this woman tried to pick me up.”

  Karen spoke first. “So, what else is new? Honey, you in a lesbian bar is like putting candy at the school door! So, what’s this about? What happened?”

  Alex recounted the evening’s happenings. “I waved her off. But the truth is that I don’t know if I did the right thing. Her sister said she needed a friend. And afterwards, I began to wonder why? I keep wondering if I should have talked to her more. What if she was depressed, and tomorrow I read in the paper that she jumped off a bridge or something? I should have listened more. I feel bad now.” Alex was still troubled by the events of the evening. For some reason or other, Blair struck a chord with her. She didn’t know why, but there was something about Blair that stayed with her.

  “Well, if you thought she was hitting on you, then you did the right thing.” The ever-practical Karen replied.

  “Maybe she wasn’t hitting on me. She seemed friendly. It was all so weird.”

  Karen rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Baby, when women go to a gay or lesbian bar alone, they are looking for company. Sorry to bust your ‘looking for a friend’ argument. She was looking for a friend, alright! The kind she could take home! And as to the bartender, maybe the two of them have a thing going on to deceive women. Alex, there are women out there who know the game too well and love to play it.” Speaking from experience!

  “No, Mom, and the bartender is her sister and seemed very nice.”

  Addy rolled her eyes also, and prayed that Karen wouldn’t bring that part of her past out after so many years. There was no need for Alex to know about Karen’s playful years. Addy always thought that Karen’s past had been to her advantage because ultimately, she had been the beneficiary of all of Karen’s sexual exploits. But Alex didn’t need to know those details.

  “Maybe you should give her a call.” Addy interjected.

  “Oh, Lord! The voice of the unreasonable speaks!” Karen exclaimed.

  “Hush, woman! Let me speak my mind. Alex, sometimes you have to let things happen to see where they take you. You really never know in life why things happen and sometimes things happen for a reason. Maybe she was just trying to be friendly like she said. I mean, she didn’t even ask you for a dance or tried to pull one over on you, did she? Did you feel that she was coming on to you, or that she was being aggressive?”

  “No. She was actually very nice, very genuine. M’Addy, are you suggesting that I should call her and ask her out?”

  “I cannot hear any more of this nonsense! I’ll be in the next room if I’m needed for anything.” Karen left the room shaking her head. She didn’t want to contribute to the conversation since she had nothing positive to say. She also thought that Alex was a grown woman, and that she should have her own experiences. Good or bad, they were all lessons in life. In addition, she thought that Addy was a better guide for Alex in matters concerning sexuality, since Addy had had to deal with her own questions. Karen thought that if anyone could offer guidance or confuse her enough to act and take a walk on the wild side, Addy was the best suited for that role.

  “Well, honey, you were always asking me how to tell if you were gay. I can’t answer that question, only you can. Up until now, you’ve been dating guys and look where you are. You’ve gone through college and grad school and you haven’t found the right guy yet. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you took a look on the other side of the fence to see how you feel about it. And you said this woman seemed nice.”

  “Thanks for making me feel so great about myself, M’Addy! It’s not my fault that all the men I meet are idiots, and all they want is sex. They think that all blondes are sex objects with no brains!”

  “Well, dear, the more reason to explore the other side. I did, and I can definitely tell you that sex with a woman is by far so much better than a man.”

  All of a sudden, Karen appeared to be choking in the living room. “It’s okay, Mom, we are all adults here, I think. Sometimes I wonder about M’Addy, though. Do you hear her?”

  “I always hear her, baby, I always do!”

  Addy continued. “I say you lose nothing. If she is such a nice person that even her sister was rooting for her, you really lose nothing by giving her a call and inviting her to say, coffee? No bar, no dinner, or anything requiring extended time. Just a plain, quick coffee would do. If things go sour, drink your coffee, say good bye, and you never have to see her again.”

  “And what do I tell her?”

  “Well, you are a very smart girl. You are going to have to use your wits there. My job here is done. All I can say is explore your options. There is nothing wrong with that. You never know what life is going to throw at you. Look at what it threw at me!” She pointed to Karen and smiled. “And look how my life turned out. I have you to show for it and the one choking in the next room.” She started walking towards the living room where Karen was reading. “And lots of love and not to mention great sex.” Karen’s eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets when Addy sat down across from her. “Don’t look at me that way. You know I never lie, and I give the best advice to our child.”

  Alex chuckled from the kitchen. After brunch and spending some time together, she left for the city. “Good bye crazy women, I have to head back. Be good!”

  “Call when you get there!”

  “Yeah, yeah!” Alex came out to the country every Sunday for brunch. Sometimes she came for the whole weekend. She loved coming home. Just sitting out on the patio and taking in the view was breathtaking and filled her with peace. Home was her sanctuary, her perfect place in an imperfect world. If nothing else, hanging out with her moms was always a treat. She adored them.

  ***

  “Addy, sometimes I think you are too much. Really, how that kid turned out fine is beyond me! Of course, it looks like you are still in time to confuse her!”

  Addy looked up from her magazine. Upon noticing the silence, Karen looked up from her tablet to find the sexy smile on her. After so many years, she still choked when she saw the warmth in the chocolate brown eyes. Karen got up and walked towards her. “Great sex, huh? Want to see if we can improve upon that?”

  “Are you
trying to pick me up?”

  Karen smiled. “I thought I did that years ago. What do you say? Wanna roll in the sack with me?”

  “It depends.”

  Karen smiled. She loved the teasing. “On what?”

  “On the offer.”

  Karen pulled her up from the sofa and put her arms around her waist. “Name your price.”

  Addy smiled. “I come high.”

  “Haven’t I always paid?” Karen displayed the wicked smile that Addy loved.

  Addy grinned. “Come on, green eyes, you’ve just earned a freebie!”

  “And this is how it’s done! Looks like the blonde has not lost her touch!” Karen joked as she was being pulled to the bedroom.

  Addy turned and held her by the lapels of her blouse, her look was serious and when she spoke her voice was husky. “I’ll vouch for that any day.”

  Karen cupped her face and kissed her. Then they began to tear their clothes off. Addy laughed. “I hope Alex didn’t forget something and comes back.”

  “I guess she does know what she’s doing when she yells from the door.” They laughed and continued to ravish each other.

  ***

  Alex drove her BMW towards the city still thinking about what M’Addy had said and, of course, about Blair. Blair, who the hell are you?

  When Alex finished her graduate degree in the USA, she returned home and studied law at Oxford. After graduating from law school, the moms had expected her to go away to work perhaps to Europe, or the USA because she was adventurous and had great job offers. To their great surprise, Alex chose to stay home in Scotland. She never mentioned her reasons, but Addy and Karen suspected that, as always, she wanted to stay close to them. They were right, Alex thought that her moms weren’t getting any younger, and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with them.

  Both Karen and Addy were extremely healthy and very active, but Alex loved them dearly and couldn’t imagine living far from them the rest of her life. It had been hard enough leaving them to go to graduate school. Even while she was in Boston, Addy and Karen had spent extended periods of time there claiming that they were touring New England.