by Tey Holden
“You know, I still have your key from when you were sick. I’ve been meaning to return it. I have it here.”
Blair reached in her pocket for her keys, and was about to remove Alex’s key from her key chain, but Alex folded Blair’s hand around the keys and held it with both of her hands, “keep it, just in case.” Blair was surprised and delighted knowing that Alex wanted her to keep the key.
“I guess we should say good night. Please, remember to call me as soon as you get home.” Alex hesitated, but kissed her on the cheek. Blair looked at her smiling and enjoying the gesture. She gently, almost barely ran the back of her fingers against Alex’s cheek.
That was all it took for Alex to come forward and kiss her full on the lips. She leaned her body into Blair’s and Blair responded gently, much too aware of Alex’s fragility. Alex closed her eyes to enjoy what she was feeling but couldn’t explain. When she pulled away, neither said a word. Blair again brushed the back of her hand along Alex’s cheek. “I love you, good night.”
Alex mumbled a good night, went inside her flat and gave one final look to Blair before she closed her door. Once she closed the door, she leaned her head against it, and closed her eyes. I love her! I damn love her!
Blair was euphoric as she waited for the elevator. She still couldn’t believe all that had transpired that night. When the elevator arrived, she got in and leaned against its wall. She was on the cloud nine and to top it all, Alex’s kiss had made her weak. It happened every time Alex got close to her. She tried to calm herself down. When the elevator reached the ground floor, she had to force herself to walk. Once out of the building, the night air calmed her down and she felt good and grinned. I can’t believe how lucky I am!
***
Blair was resolved to go all out. So, at noon on Monday a bouquet of flowers arrived at Alex’s office. When she read the note, she smiled. ‘Thanks for the most wonderful night of my life.’ It was not unusual for Alex to receive flowers at the office. What was unusual with this particular time was Alex’s perennial smile every time she looked at the bouquet.
She took out her phone and called. Blair was on call from the hospital and answered without looking at her phone. “Blair Reilley.”
“I know you are busy, but I wanted to thank you for the flowers.”
Blair grinned. “I’m glad you like them. I’ve never sent flowers to anyone and wasn’t sure what to send that you’d like.”
“I love them. They are beautiful. I’ve done nothing but smile since they were delivered. I think I’m going to have to get busy working and stop looking at them or people are going to start asking questions.”
“I’m sure I’m not the first person to ever send you flowers at the office,” Blair commented.
“No, but this is the first time it really means something to me.”
Blair was so overjoyed with the reply she got that it took her a few seconds to react. “In the spirit of sharing our feelings as agreed, I have to say that when you say things like that, I get all fuzzy inside.”
Alex laughed. “Good, I want you all warm and fuzzy. And by the way, coming from you, I would have liked any type of flower. Even a cactus would have made me smile.”
Blair smiled with a satisfaction that permeated her soul. “Well, a cactus would not have been my first choice for sure.”
***
On Thursday of that week, bad news was delivered at Alex’s office. The firm was going through financial difficulties and had to trim its budget. So, as usual, the attorneys with less seniority would have to be dismissed, and Alex was one of them.
The firm’s partner for whom she worked spoke to her. “Alex, I’m a lot more sorry than you can imagine. I hate to let go someone with your qualifications and field of expertise. I’m sure any firm will pick you up in no time. I will most definitely give you my best recommendation.”
Alex had been working there for only two years, since she had come back from a highly paid, but brief, job in New York. She had decided to come back to Scotland and put her time in for a partnership at a local law firm because although she loved New York, it was too far from her moms. She wanted to be closer to them because she enjoyed being with them, and also because they were not that young anymore. Alex wanted to be there for them, if they needed her.
The reduction in workforce at the firm took everyone by surprise. Although the employees were getting severance pay, it was very disappointing to be unemployed after having already invested two years in one place. When she arrived at her flat that evening, she called Karen. Although Addy was the one who provided most of her personal life advice, when it concerned career matters, Karen was her go-to resource.
“I will make a few calls tomorrow and you will be back on track in no time. Take it easy. Think of this as a vacation. Put the severance pay in the bank. You don’t have that many bills and you know you are more than covered.”
“I’m not worried about me, Mom. There are people there, like Blair, trying to pay off student loans. They were devastated.”
“Well, are there any good candidates that you might want to push forward?”
“You bet. I can think of at least three people who would be an asset anywhere.”
“Alright, so let’s see what we can do. Tell them to send me their resumes by fax or email, and I will make sure to place them in the right hands. From there on, it will be up to them to make an impression.”
“Okay, mom. Thanks. Give my love to M’Addy.”
“I will when she gets home, she’s in town buying paint for the stables. Can you believe it? She wants to paint the stables again! I think we alone keep the hardware store in business.”
“Mom, it has been several years since they were built and they are looking a bit battered by the weather. If you don’t give them maintenance, they will rot. You know that!”
“Fine, take her side. As if the woman needed backing up!”
“Mom, face it, she keeps you on your toes.” Alex said laughing, “give her a kiss for me. That’s a good introduction for a peace offering.”
“What peace offering? For what? I lost this battle thirty years ago! I’m the most relentless soldier in the world! And she is the most stubborn woman in the world!”
“Byyye, Mommy!”
“Bye sweetie.”
Alex chuckled. All in life could come and go, but there was nothing more absolutely wonderful and permanent than the love between her mothers, and that was exactly what she wanted for herself. Then she thought of Blair and dialed her number.
Blair looked at her phone and picked up immediately. “Hi gorgeous!”
Alex chuckled. “I hope you know who you are talking to, or else you are in a lot of trouble.”
“There’s only one gorgeous on my contact list, all the others are ‘the cute one,’ ‘the nice one,’ ‘the slutty one,’ ‘the red head’—.”
“Okay, okay, I get it! Are you done now?”
“For now, yes. What’s up? I’m in the middle of a liver transplant.”
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry, I’ll call you later.” Alex panicked and hung up. How could she not think that Blair being a surgeon wouldn’t be busy in surgery? For God’s sake! She would never have the nerve to call her again.
When Alex’s phone rang, she looked at it, saw it was Blair, and spoke hurriedly. “It’s not important you can call me when you are done.” She hung up again.
Blair laughed and redialed. “Don’t hang up!” She practically screamed into the phone. “Alex, I’m not in surgery. I was only kidding. I can’t pick up my phone when I’m in surgery. I was just joking. But if I ever don’t answer, now you know why. I have to leave the phone in my locker when I go into the operating room, it is the rule.”
“I’m going to kill you! Thanks for letting me know. And by the way, you’ll pay for this!”
Blair laughed. “I can see myself picking up the phone in the middle of surgery!” She continued to laugh. “And just how am I going to be paying for this Ms. Lar
sen?”
“I don’t know yet, but a lot of thought will go into this matter.
“Crap! I guess I’m in a lot of trouble.”
“You have no idea! Are you working tonight?”
“Yes, why?”
“Something happened today.”
“What? Are you okay?”
“A few of us were let go from work.”
“What? How? Why? Oh my God! Is this a prank already?”
Alex chuckled. “Would have been a good one, but unfortunately it’s true. The firm is having money problems, so they let go all the junior people.”
“Sonsofbitches! I’ll come over after my shift.”
“You can stay over, if it’s easier for you tomorrow.”
Blair was quiet as if in thought. “We’ll see about that. See you later and don’t worry, we’ll figure this out.” Alex wondered what was there to figure out.
Losing her job did not affect Alex like it did other people. First, she made more than enough money and had a hefty bank account, and on top of that she was getting severance pay. Second, she didn’t pay rent or a mortgage, or had a car payment because her car was a graduation gift from her mothers. In addition to her financial solvency, if she needed anything, she knew that she had only but to call home. Being unemployed for Alex was more of a demoralizing factor rather than a financial crisis.
***
After her shift, Blair went to Alex’s flat. “I stopped to buy ice cream. Wasn’t sure so I brought chocolate, vanilla and caramel swirl.” She had a pint of each.
“Chocolate, but once that’s gone, I’ll continue with all the others just as well. I’m an ice cream hog. Come on in.”
“As your doctor, I cannot allow over eating, so I will be administering the portions. One for you, two for me, and so forth.”
“Ha! You’ll first have to wrestle me for the chocolate!”
“You’ll lose. I’m bigger than you.”
Alex stood in front of her. “I don’t think two inches are going to make a difference when chocolate is at stake! And don’t forget my karate training.”
“That is not going to work in this situation because since we are going to be wrestling, it will be close combat, and it will not allow for any kicks.”
“Don’t be too confident doctor. I’m a very good fighter.”
Blair was glad that she was able to make her laugh because when Alex had opened the door, she had a very gloomy face.
“Well, let us compare muscles then.” She put out her arm. Blair had already removed her jacket and had on a zippered turtleneck sweater. When Alex put out her arm, which was covered by her thin crew neck T-shirt, it was certainly no match. Alex was well toned, but Blair was a bit more built. Her broader shoulders, and two extra inches in height gave her more volume all around than Alex.
“Face it slim, if you admit defeat, I’ll share the chocolate.”
Alex smiled. “Strength might not be the winning card. You really wouldn’t actually beat a pretty girl for chocolate, would you?” She batted her huge dark eyelashes. Although Alex’s hair was as blonde as Karen’s, her eyelashes were dark. The darker tone around her eyes gave her green eyes a deeper penetrating look.
Blair smiled overtaken by the eyes that kept her awake at night. “You financial sorts know how to manage your assets well. Here, take the chocolate! You win.”
She laughed and nudged Blair with her shoulder. “You are easy! I was ready to share!” Alex opened the bucket and began to load her spoon.
“Oh! But you will and you know it!” Blair opened her mouth and went for the spoonful of chocolate ice cream.
“Aaagh! Cheater!” Alex loved seeing Blair acting like a kid.
Blair was laughing so hard the ice cream was almost coming out of her mouth.
Alex loaded the spoon again and stuck it in Blair’s mouth. “Here! You wanted more? Then have more!”
Blair had so much ice cream in her mouth that it was dripping down her chin. Alex tried to spoon it off her chin but couldn’t.
“Oh God! I’ve made it worse!”
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.”
Smiling Alex went to the kitchen and came back with wet paper towels. “Come here, you got some on your sweater. Let me clean it.”
As Alex was wiping the ice cream off, Blair spoke, “tell me what happened at work.”
Alex told her the whole debacle.
“So, I don’t know how to ask you this, but are you going to be able to cover your expenses? I only ask because I have some money saved for emergencies and if you can’t make your payments, I’d call that an emergency. It wouldn’t be a loan or anything like that. I don’t believe in loans to friends and family. I don’t have many friends and I’ve got Megan all covered so, just let me know how much you need.”
Alex was stunned. “You’d do that?”
“What?”
“Give me your money?”
Blair looked at her and shrugged. “It’s just money, Alex. I know what it’s like not to have any. Right now, I’m doing very well. I have a good job and can help. Family is what matters.”
Alex pulled her down to sit on the sofa and smacked a kiss on her cheek.
Blair smiled. “I mean, that kiss for example, is worth more than anything money can buy.”
Alex picked up the ice cream bucket and began to eat, and before Blair could say a word, she began to feed Blair using her same spoon. She stopped and looked at the spoon. She realized what she was doing.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t usually eat from the bucket, I don’t usually feed people, and much less with the same spoon I’m using.”
“I don’t either, but I don’t mind with you, it’s your spoon. As long as we keep it exclusive, I don’t mind.” Somehow that comment carried more meaning than the reference to the spoon. They looked at each other realizing what they were saying.
Alex smiled. “Okay, it’s exclusively between us.” Blair smiled back satisfied with Alex’s answer.
Alex fed her a spoonful and asked. “Do you mind telling me about your student loans and how is it that you help Megan?”
“Wait a minute, I came here to talk about your financial situation and needs, not about my finances. I’m afraid that you’ll run for the hills when you find out that my emergency fund is very lame compared to my ton of debt.”
Blair told her how much she owed in student loans. She also told her that she had refinanced the mortgage on their house and that she made the monthly payment. “Megan pays the utility bills, Pete’s day care, and their health insurance, and part of the groceries. She doesn’t make a lot at the bar. Maybe if the bar starts doing better, and if she can work from home, she might be able cut back on daycare expenses, make more money, and maybe pay part of the mortgage. That would liberate more of my money to pay for my student loans faster. At the rate I’m going, it’s going to take me a few years. But, why do you want to know? You are the one who needs money now. And although, I have my debts and stuff, I can help you get through this bad moment. I’m sure that you will find another job soon. In a few years, after I pay off everything and make more money, I will be in a better position to take care of everyone.”
“Why do you think you have to take care of everyone?”
“It’s the way I am. I take care of the people I love. I’m the protective type, I guess.”
“What if life played out different for you? What if you didn’t have to provide for anyone? What if those you love were self-sufficient? What about that?”
“I don’t know. I never thought about it. I guess I have always been too busy taking care of someone. I’d be happy if Megan was self-sufficient, that much I can tell you. If I didn’t have to worry about her, I guess I’d have more money to enjoy my life. I think I’d still make sure that everyone was okay. I think I would feel the same sense of responsibility. It’s the way I am. I don’t know how to be different. Why do you ask me that?”
“I don’t know. I was just th
inking that you came back home to help Megan and now you are offering to help me financially knowing that it would set you back in terms of time to pay your loans. But you don’t seem to care about that because you put people first. Obviously, it’s good intentions, and not money that drives you.”
“Money is money, it comes and goes. Megan is my sister and Pete is my nephew, and I’d do anything for them, and I’d like to help you because I care about you. What I have is yours. I really mean it.” She realized what she had said and was sort of in a panic thinking that it might have been too much too soon for Alex.
It wasn’t. Alex took it well. “I know you do.” Alex turned to face her and got closer to her on the sofa. She put the ice cream bucket on the coffee table and took Blair’s hands “You are a beautiful person, Blair. You are almost to good to be real.”
“I thought I came here to comfort you. Why do I feel like I’m the one being comforted?”
Alex chuckled and got up. She started to pace. “Blair, I’m mad at those sonsofbitches, as you call them, but they are not bringing me down! I’ve already moved my chess pieces, and I’ll have a job before you know it!”
Blair smiled. She liked Alex’s ‘take charge’ attitude. “Maybe, you should start your own firm with the others they let go and compete with them. You can probably work from here. I can help you convert the two other rooms into offices, and all you would need to do is get a fax, a copier—.”
Alex kissed her. “What was that for?”
“For being so smart! I will think about that and discuss it with my mom.”
“Which one? You’ve never finished telling me about your mothers. I mean I know they are both lawyers but that’s all I know so far. I also know they are wonderful and that you love them. But you’ve never said anything else about them. Are you worried that they might not like me, or that I might not like something about them that might change my feelings for you? If that’s the case I think you should stop because that’s not going to happen. How I feel about you will not change.”
The green eyes looked deeply into the blue ones, then Alex’s phone rang. “Let me get this, it’s my uncle.” As she talked on the phone, she noticed that Blair began to look at the books in her bookcase.
