Maggie looked at her, feeling suddenly drunk on everything. “Emily, at this point I’m not entirely convinced that I’m harboring lesbian tendencies. May I ask you a question?”
“Anything,” Emily replied.
“How old are you?”
“I’m thirty-four. How old are you?”
“I’m forty-six.”
“You don’t look it,” Emily said.
“Well, thank you.”
“Do you feel better now?”
“Knowing that you’re thirty-four and not my daughter’s age, yes.”
“Would it matter?”
“Matter because of what?” Maggie asked nonchalantly.
“Because I’d really like to kiss you.”
“Oh.” But Maggie’s protest was interrupted by Emily’s full lips as they pressed against her own. Maggie found her tongue intertwined with another. She could feel the kiss linger and begin again until she was forced to admit she was an active partner. Desire began to stir.
“Emily, now really, this is…”
“Shhh, this is really nice,” Emily said. She put her finger to Maggie’s lips with one hand and undid Maggie’s shirt, reaching slowly inside to touch her breast. Maggie closed her eyes. Emily’s lips and tongue were on her nipple, bringing it to strident attention. Maggie knew she was lost and didn’t care. Men, women, Emily, Celia, whatever, whoever, just somebody fuck me. Maggie succumbed to a collage of physical delights, abandoning herself to Emily’s will and whim. Emily reached inside her.
Maggie looked at Emily, meeting her gaze, falling into her eyes. “I don’t really know…”
“Let me show you,” Emily said, taking her hand.
The rest was a blur of sensation. Maggie found herself delighted by a veritable stranger, and it didn’t matter. They held each other beneath the moon, dusty from the floor, smiling and sweaty.
Maggie rolled on her back. “Oh, my.”
“You’re wonderful,” Emily said, smiling and kissing her cheek.
Karen stood outside on the sidewalk with Julia and Sidney, all waiting to see if their missing guests would make an appearance. Maggie and Emily strode down the street to meet them.
“Having fun, ladies?” Karen asked, smiling.
“I wanted to show Maggie my favorite place,” Emily offered, knowing that Maggie was not up to being publicly grilled.
Maggie smiled at her and thought, I just met you, had sex with you, and now I’m going to find myself missing you.
“Okay, are we calling it an evening?” Sidney asked.
“Yeah, we’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
Emily caught Maggie’s hand. “Don’t be scared. I don’t expect anything, just that you know it was special, okay?”
Maggie looked at her, relieved yet remorseful. She ran to catch up with Karen.
“Well, my darling, what have we been up to?”
“What do you mean?”
Karen pulled tumbleweed fragments from the back of Maggie’s hair and dusted off her shoulders.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were fucking around.”
Maggie was instantly horrified. “Karen, I can’t believe what happened.”
Karen laughed. “Celia’s gonna kill me.”
“Why?”
“Because she’ll think I brought you up here to have you seduced.”
“Did you?” Maggie asked, smiling from ear to ear.
“No, I had no intention. I just wanted to show you a good time and make Celia realize a few things. I hope you aren’t going to tell her what happened.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, how was it?” Karen laughed. “She was awfully cute.”
“Oh my,” was all Maggie could muster.
Karen laughed heartily. “This is funny.”
The next morning Maggie awoke with a throbbing headache and a fire in her stomach. She lay there trying to recreate the evening. Much of it was a blur, which worried her.
Karen found her lying on the couch with a cold, wet washcloth covering her eyes and forehead.
“Not feeling so well this morning?” Karen inquired.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I bet, you drunken convert.”
Maggie removed the washcloth and sat up on her elbow. “What does it mean? Am I a lesbian now? I still can’t believe I did it. How am I going to face Celia? She’ll think I’m horrid.” She lay back and groaned. “It’s a horrible mess.”
“Will you relax? I’ll take you home tomorrow when you feel better.”
“No, I told Celia I’d be home today. She’s expecting me.”
“Not in this particular condition.”
“Karen, you’ve got to help me. What am I going to do?”
“If I were you, I’d keep this our little secret. Why does she really need to know? It’s not like you two are married or anything. You didn’t commit adultery, Maggie. You’re an unattached woman who can do what she so desires. And if you desire to roll around in a deserted building in the middle of the night with a sex kitten, it’s your affair,” Karen said, laughing.
“You’re not being very sympathetic.”
“No, actually I’m jealous. Baby dyke scores.”
“Is that what I am?”
“You’re Maggie. C’mon. I’ll make you a surefire hangover-helper breakfast. I can’t return you as damaged goods.”
“Technically speaking, I am.”
“Maggie, take it for what it is, a beautiful experience. You don’t have to worry or wonder anymore. You now know. Let it go at that.”
The “surefire” breakfast didn’t work. Karen had to stop the car twice for Maggie to throw up.
When Karen pulled up in front of the house, Maggie was reclined with a wet handkerchief over her forehead. They couldn’t have chosen a worse moment. Celia and Libby were on the front porch with two apprentices who had flown in early that morning. Celia came toward them, smiling. Karen got out of the car and said something charming to the audience. Maggie opened the car door and threw up.
Celia looked horrified. “What did you do to her?”
“I think we had a little too much fun last night.”
“Christ, Karen.”
“Sorry. I’m not always the best guardian.”
Karen and Celia helped Maggie out of the car. Maggie looked at Celia and smiled weakly. They led her past the other women, and Maggie waved a hand in welcome. Celia put her to bed.
Karen was in the kitchen having a glass of lemonade.
“Who are the youngsters?”
“The new apprentices.”
“I’m sorry about Maggie. I wanted to keep her an extra day until she felt better, but she insisted on coming. I think it was the car ride.”
“You shouldn’t have let her drink so much.”
“I didn’t realize she had, but she did have a really good time. Got some things out of her system.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Our little Maggie isn’t so little anymore.”
“I suppose you seduced her, too,” Celia said flippantly.
“No, I didn’t do that.”
Celia looked astounded. “Tell me you didn’t hire someone…”
“I would never,” Karen said, smiling. “Okay, I’ve got to go. I’d love to stay and chat. Tell Maggie to call me.”
It was dark when Maggie awoke. After she had a bath and brushed her teeth, she felt human again—and hungry. She went down to the kitchen hoping to be alone. She wasn’t up to facing anyone after having made such an ass out of herself. Celia was sitting at the kitchen bar reading.
“Feeling better?”
“Much. I’m sorry. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. Come here,” Celia said, extending her arms. Maggie fell into them gratefully, feeling safe. Celia brushed her hair back from her face.
“You look different.”
Maggie was instantly embarrassed. “Different? How?”<
br />
“Did you get a haircut?”
“Oh, that! Yes. Karen decided I needed some sprucing up.”
“So you got a haircut.”
“I also have a new wardrobe with a ‘funk edge’ to it, according to Karen.”
“Anything else new?”
Maggie turned to the fridge and began searching its contents. “No, not really. Why do you ask?” She knows or at least wonders. This is awful.
“Just curious. I’m glad you’re back. I don’t care what happened.”
“What could possibly have happened?”
“You tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“So what did you do up there?”
“Went out for every conceivable meal, visited everyone in town, went out for drinks.”
“Did you meet some new friends?”
“Yes, I did. Celia, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were grilling me.”
“Karen just worries me. I mean she’s not what I would call a good influence.”
“Celia, I’m a grown woman and I can take care of myself. Karen isn’t responsible for my bad behavior.”
“What kind of bad behavior?”
Maggie looked at her, flushed and angry. “I don’t have to explain myself to anyone.” She took her sandwich upstairs, leaving Celia sitting there stunned.
Maggie stopped midway up the stairs. “But since you’re so inquisitive, if you really want to know, I got drunk and got laid.”
Celia burst into tears. Maggie closed the door to her room with force. She set her sandwich on the nightstand. I shouldn’t have done that. That was mean.
Celia took all the beer bottles she could find in the fridge and carried them outside to the pool. She sat in the chaise lounge and began to get methodically drunk.
She awoke to the sound of someone tripping over a beer bottle. It rolled toward the pool. She heard the splash, and then voices. When she opened her eyes it was bright, and three faces peered down at her, Maggie, Libby, and one of the new apprentices, Olivia. Anna had the good taste to stay behind in the kitchen, flipping the pancakes Libby had begun before they went to investigate.
“What the fuck are you doing? First it’s Maggie, and now you. Maybe we should just send both of you off to the Betty Ford Clinic, get you cleaned up, and then maybe we can get back to the business at hand,” Libby said.
“Are you all right?” Maggie asked, feeling guilty.
“I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. I am, after all, a grown woman,” Celia replied.
“I’m sorry, Celia. That was mean. I didn’t want you to find out that way. It just came out.”
“It figures you’d be behind this,” Libby said snidely.
“Libby, you’d better shut that nasty mouth of yours before I do it for you,” Maggie said.
“That I would like to see,” Libby said.
Maggie took a step closer and pushed Libby. “Don’t fuck with me, Libby. I mean it.”
“Go fuck yourself!” Libby said, pushing her back.
Maggie pushed her again, hard. Libby grabbed her wrist. Maggie pulled free. Olivia stepped in between them.
“C’mon, ladies. Let’s not do this.”
“Not until she learns to shut her mouth,” Maggie said, flushed with anger.
“Maggie, Libby, stop it right now!” Celia ordered.
Maggie stepped back, still glaring at Libby.
“That’s right, listen to Mama,” Libby chided.
That was too much for Maggie. She charged, pushing Libby with enough force to send her flying into the pool. Libby came up sputtering and ready to kill. Olivia grabbed Libby, and Celia followed up. They both held Libby as she inched them toward Maggie.
Celia looked at Maggie. “Go inside right now, dammit!”
In her rush, Maggie almost knocked Anna flat as she stood in the doorway. She flew upstairs to her room and locked the door. She sat on her bed, shaking. Someone knocked on the door.
“Maggie?”
Maggie got up and unlocked the door. She looked at Celia sheepishly.
“I’m sorry,” Maggie said. “That was really uncalled for. I don’t know how I’m going to face those women. They must think I’m a drunken brawler.”
“Between the two of us, we’re not making a good impression. At least this way they know that getting older doesn’t mean getting dull,” Celia said, laughing.
“Is Libby all right?”
“Of course. A little shaken, perhaps.”
“I can’t believe I did that.”
“C’mon, on let’s have breakfast. I sent Libby into town, so the coast is clear.”
“Celia?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry about how I treated you last night. I’m having trouble processing what’s going on in my life, and I’m a little sensitive.”
“So how was he?”
Maggie looked at her, surprised. “It wasn’t a man.”
Celia dropped her coffee cup. Black liquid seeped across the white tile floor; the cup was in several pieces, some of them still spinning. Anna turned to look at both of them.
“You guys are a queer bunch.”
They burst out laughing.
When Libby returned, she opted not to speak to Maggie the rest of the day. The ranch was large enough that one could steer clear of the other. Maggie spent the day working in the now burgeoning garden. Celia came out with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses.
“How’s it going in there?” Maggie asked, indicating the studio.
“I think Anna and Olivia are going to work out well. They seem to like it here so far, despite certain events.”
“Christ. I used to be so well-mannered.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Olivia has already been filling us in on other summers spent with women. This isn’t new.”
“I don’t know if I should be relieved or concerned.”
“Are you all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“With what happened up there?”
“Oh, that. Yeah, I think so.”
“How did it happen? If you don’t want to talk about it, I’d understand.”
“Actually, I’m kind of embarrassed. I’ve never done anything like it. We rolled around on a dusty concrete floor under the moonlight.”
“Moonlight is good,” Celia said, smiling to cover a tinge of jealousy. Part of her was relieved it wasn’t a man. She’d spent last night thinking she’d lost Maggie to the world of men, a place she couldn’t go.
“Celia, I don’t know why it happened. I’m glad that it did, but I never meant to hurt you in the process.”
“You didn’t do anything Maggie. I was pushing you, and I got what I deserved.”
“No, you didn’t deserve that. I was going to tell you. I was just scared.”
“Why?”
“For starters, it was slightly out of character.”
“You’re not the first woman to have this experience later in life.”
“I know. I’m just glad it’s over, that I experienced it. Now I know about things that I’ve wondered about.”
“So what do you think?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever quite felt that way before. It was nice.”
“You liked it?” Celia asked, feeling herself blush slightly and hoping Maggie wouldn’t notice.
“Very much. If you ever get around to seducing me, you won’t be my first.”
Celia was stunned. “Maggie!”
“I know you respect me too much. You better go. Libby is tapping her fingers. Some pressing business matter, I’m sure,” Maggie said, watching Libby approach.
Celia walked off in a daze.
“You know what I think?” Olivia said, rolling out another slab.
“Do tell,” Anna said, smiling. She was getting used to Olivia’s speculations on other people’s lives. They had been friends, lovers, and then friends for the past five years.
“I think Celia and M
aggie are in love. They’re just not willing to admit to it, not yet at least.”
“And if you have anything to do with it, that will soon be remedied,” said Anna.
“Exactly. They simply need a little prodding.”
“What about Libby? She made it more than obvious that Celia was her property. Hands off and all that.”
“I think she’s running scared. If you’re secure you don’t need announcements.”
“True.”
“Besides, Libby’s a nasty little wench. Wait till you get to ride to town with her. It’s not my idea of fun. She’s fucked up.”
“Maggie’s pretty,” Anna said.
“And Celia’s hot.”
“They’d make a good couple, but Cupid isn’t always reliable.”
“Meaning?” Olivia asked.
“There’s a pretty good chance they won’t get together. One of them has got to make a move, and both of them have a lot of baggage.”
“With a little help we could change that.”
“What are you suggesting, pushing them into a small space and not letting them go until they make mutual protestations?”
“Something like that,” Olivia declared.
“You make me nervous when you do that,” Anna said.
“I’m simply acting as an embassy for the goddess.”
“No, you’re playing matchmaker.”
“Aren’t you going to say that by doing so I fulfill my own aching need to find companionship?” Olivia added, her blue eyes flashing.
“Exactly,” Anna replied.
“You know me so well. It’s a pity we make better friends than lovers.”
“What makes you so sure about that?” Anna asked.
“Past history has not been kind to us.”
“People think we’re weird, you know, because we hang out and can’t seem to make up our minds,” Anna replied, shrugging her shoulders.
“So what? I can’t help it that you’re my best friend.”
“Maybe that’s what Maggie and Celia are feeling,” Anna said, disappearing into a maze of shelves.
“Damn, I hate when you do that,” Olivia said.
“Do what?”
“Draw some insightful parallel and leave me to decipher it alone.”
“That is, after all, the purpose, dear.”
Saxon Bennett - The Wish List Page 7
