“But you’d never do it.”
“No. I’d never do it.”
As Sean filled plates with the cheesy omelets and herb-buttered toast, Marty came out of the bathroom in clean clothes, her hair still wet.
“Smells good,” she said. “I hope I can keep it down.”
“Well, you play, you pay,” Sean told her.
“I suppose so,” she said as she sat down at the table.
“What brought on all that drinking?” he asked.
“Oblivion is preferable and safer than the arms of another woman,” she mumbled.
Sean and I both looked at her, then at each other, then back at her, our mouths wide open!
“Did I hear you right?” I asked. That was the last thing I expected to hear.
Marty nodded. “I haven’t heard from her since a few days after we had that fight.” It looked like she might cry again. “I don’t want anybody else.”
“Boy, you’ve got it bad,” Sean observed.
We finished the breakfast in silence, no one knowing what to say.
When breakfast was done, Sean went into the living room to see if there was anything on TV. I cleaned up the kitchen while Marty did the dishes. It was always comfortable doing things with Marty, no matter how mundane.
“Hey, Mart!” Sean called from the living room. “Do you know your phone’s unplugged?”
“What?” Marty said, rushing to the doorway.
“Your phone isn’t plugged in, you dumb shit!” he told her.
“It isn’t plugged in?” Marty repeated, her hands braced on the door frame.
“Duh!” He held the chord in his hand.
“How did that happen?” she asked.
Sean and I shook our heads.
“I bet she called,” I told her. “You just missed it.”
Marty hit herself in the side of her head. “Holy fucking shit!” she exclaimed. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I have to call her back!”
That was the Marty I knew.
“Go ahead and make your call. I need to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her.
“I’m out of here, too,” Sean said. He kissed her on her forehead.
“Thanks, guys,” Marty mumbled. “I owe you one.”
“I think you owe us way more than just one,” Sean told her. “And someday, we will collect.”
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Marty went to answer it.
“Oh, my God!”
Sean and I stepped into the hall to see what was happening. Marty was standing at the door, talking to one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen her with. I saw a taxi drive away outside. Marty reached down and picked up the suitcase that sat on the stoop. When she turned and saw us watching her, her face turned bright red.
“Uh…” she said with a smile on her face. “This is Taylor.”
Sean and I smiled and reached out to shake Taylor’s hand as Marty introduced us.
“She came out here because she couldn’t get me on the phone,” Marty murmured, a bit embarrassed.
“I told you,” I laughed. “I knew she must have been calling.”
“I’m sorry if I’m disturbing anything. I couldn’t get hold of her. I’ve been calling for the last ten days,” Taylor said, her voice soft and clear.
“Did you tell her the phone was unplugged?” Sean asked. “I just found it not ten minutes ago.”
“I never knew,” Marty mumbled.
“And you never checked?” Taylor asked.
Marty put her head down and shook it in embarrassment.
“So, Martian,” Sean said. “Plug your phone in.”
Marty gave him a look of death.
“How long are you staying, Taylor?” I asked quickly to try and disguise Marty’s discomfort.
She glanced at Marty. “I’m not sure. I didn’t even know if I was welcome here.”
“Oh, honey!” Marty sighed, turning to her. “Of course, you’re welcome here!”
“I just took the chance that you’d be home and would talk to me.”
“I was afraid you’d never talk to me.”
Taylor stroked Marty’s face.
“I think that was our cue.” Sean smiled. “Exit stage left!”
“We were just leaving anyway. It’s good to meet you, Taylor,” I said.
“I’m glad to meet you, too,” Taylor said. “Marty has told me so much about both of you.”
I looked at Marty. “Call if you want,” I said. “See ya later.”
Sean repeated the goodbye, then we both walked out the front door. When we heard it close behind us, we turned to each other and gave a high-five.
“Now I’m encouraged, but how did my sister score a hottie like that?”
“You told me yourself: stranger things have happened.”
We got into our respective cars and drove away. If we didn’t hear from Marty in a week, and the police didn’t report any murders, we’d be back.
* * * *
Five days later, Marty called.
“Hi! Want to go out to dinner with us?”
“Sure,” I said. I smiled. Marty’s voice sounded good, more relaxed than I’d heard it in ages. “What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing special. Taylor wants to get to know you, and I want you to know her.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“Well, maybe I just want us to talk together. I’ll invite Sean and Ryan, too, if he’ll promise to control his mouth.”
Sean control his mouth? He wasn’t this family’s problem. He was much more civilized than Marty ever thought of being.
“I see. Where will this take place?”
“Sully’s Steak house sound good?” she asked.
“I’ve always liked Sully’s.”
“Good. Tonight? Around 7:30? I make the reservations.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I commented.
“Good. See ya.” Marty hung up.
I wondered what the occasion was. I knew Marty wanted to show Taylor off, but Sully’s had always been a party place for us: birthdays, graduations, anniversaries.
* * * *
I was a little late getting to the restaurant. Today wasn’t a good day for me. None of my clean clothes matched, the stack of papers I was supposed to correct this weekend was higher than I expected, and I was low on gas and got behind slow-moving big-rigs. I thought I’d run out of fuel before I got anywhere. I finally pulled into the restaurant parking lot with a full tank and a new pair of slacks at about 7:45.
The hostess stood at the front desk.
“Pendleton party?” I asked.
“Right this way.” She led me through the restaurant to a table on the back deck.
“Hi,” I said as I slipped into the chair at the table for six. “Sorry I’m late.” I knew I didn’t need an excuse. I smiled at everyone as Sean poured some red wine into the glass at my place setting. I noticed Marty and Taylor were holding hands.
“So, how do you like Seattle?” I asked Taylor.
“I love what little I’ve seen of it,” she said. “It’s beautiful here.”
“I took her to the Japanese garden yesterday,” Marty started.
“It was beautiful there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many koi.” Taylor’s face lit up.
“They do keep it pristine,” Sean added. “Did you get to see a tea ceremony?”
“No, we got there too late.” Taylor frowned with regret.
“I promise to take her back there again,” Marty added.
Sometimes, you got to see an actual ceremony, but otherwise, everything was explained to you without the participants.
“I hope you get to see one,” Sean said.
Ryan agreed, “Yes, they’re absolutely phenomenal.”
A waiter came to the table, and we all ordered.
After he left, Marty sat forward. “I invited you here for another reason,” she said. She stopped. She looked at Taylor, who gave her a reassuring nod.
“And that would be?” Sean
asked.
“We’re engaged.”
The smile on Marty and Taylor’s faces lit up the entire restaurant.
“Engaged?” Sean exclaimed. “Like in going to get married?”
“Congratulations!” I said, brightly.
Ryan added his congratulations.
They just sat there and nodded.
“When?” Sean asked.
“We haven’t decided,” Taylor said softly.
“Are you sure?” Sean pushed.
Marty frowned. “That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting, Sean. I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“I am happy for you. I think it’s great,” he said as he looked around the table, “but Taylor, do you know what you’re getting into?”
Taylor very calmly said, “Yes.”
“You know about…?” Sean started, but I put my hand on his arm.
Ryan looked at him with a frightened expression.
“I think it’s great, too…for both of you. Have you made plans? Have you decided where you’ll live?”
“Well…no, to all of those things. We just decided this morning.”
“We went out looking for rings today, but we haven’t found anything we both like,” Marty explained.
“We still have time. We’re not going to rush this. We have to make decisions about our jobs and property. There are so many things to consider.” Taylor took a deep breath. “And, yes, Sean, I know about Marty’s past.”
“All of it?” He looked from Taylor, to Marty, to Ryan, to me.
“Well, not name by name,” Marty admitted. “I’ve been honest with her. I told her what a fool I’ve been, but I swear,” Marty said, “I’m going to change.”
I smiled. “I’ve seen her start to change,” I told Taylor. “You’re a good influence on her.”
Taylor smiled a thank you at me. “One of the first things we have to think about is who’s going to quit her job,” she said. “That will answer the where are we going to live question.”
“Yes,” Marty added. “Taylor makes a little more than I do, but I’ve got the better job. It’s the price of living in Boston versus Seattle.”
We all nodded.
“Please be happy for me,” Marty whispered at Sean.
“Of course, I’m happy for you, sis. I’ve been hoping something like this would happen for years now. I was just caught off-guard.” He stopped, then looked at Taylor. “Taylor, from what I’ve seen, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to her. I’ll be glad to welcome you into our family.”
“Speaking of which,” Marty cut in, her eyes rolling, “that’s our next problem. Can we keep it from Mom and Dad until we answer some of those questions? I don’t want them to think we’re not serious, and you know how Dad will be if we haven’t planned ahead.”
“Are you even going to drop hints?” I asked.
“I’ll take Taylor to meet them, but we won’t say anything about the marriage.”
“I have to go back to Boston next weekend, though. Until we settle the job question, I still have to work for a living.”
We each nodded as our food was delivered.
“We’ll both send out resumes and see who can find the better job. That will answer most of the questions,” Taylor said between bites.
“Yes, we decided it didn’t really matter where we lived as long as we were together,” Marty added.
“So, you’re ready to sell your house?” I asked.
“If need be, or I could rent it out. That would pay part of our living expenses.”
“If we find someplace we want to buy, then she might think of selling it to make a down-payment,” Taylor said. “And if one of us doesn’t find a job by Labor Day, then I’ll move here. The lease on my rental in Cambridge is up then.”
“It wouldn’t be that much more for two to live here.”
“No,” Sean said. “And now that you won’t be going out to bars every weekend, I imagine it would be a lot cheaper. You won’t, will you?”
“No!” Marty exclaimed, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.
Taylor reached over and squeezed Marty’s hand.
I took a deep breath. I guess I wouldn’t have to worry about Marty any more. That was a wonderful feeling. I was happy for her. Now I could concentrate on my own life.
THE END
ABOUT NANISI BARRETT D’ARNUK
Known mainly as a conductor and jazz pianist, Nanisi has the distinction of being the first open lesbian to conduct on the stage of D.A.R. Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. She has degrees in music from Boston University and studied for her doctorate at the University of Oklahoma. Aside from her performance as a timpanist with several orchestras and appearing at several women’s music festivals as pianist with MoonRise jazz trio, she has been Artistic Director of NYC's Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corpse and conductor for the Lesbian and Gay Band Association. She served as Artistic Director for LGBA’s appearance at Gay Games III in Vancouver, Canada and Gay Games IV at New York’s Madison Square Garden. She was also assistant conductor of The Women’s Chorus of Dallas.
While living in New York City, Nanisi was a member of the playwriting group Women’s Ensemble. Several of her novels and short stories grew from scenes written for that group. Nanisi has traveled extensively and loves to write about the paces she’s visited. When multiple sclerosis curtailed travel and performing, she returned to her second love, writing. She currently lives in Oklahoma. For more information, visit facebook.com/nanisibarrettdarnuk.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!
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