but, mercury's not in retrograde!

by McCarthy, G. L.

  “I’m guessing you won her over the first time you two shared the same air space and she’s been hooked ever since.” Cyn was jealous of Sam and hadn’t even met her yet. But if she had Jessie’s blessing then she must be as perfect for Alex as any woman could be, although time would tell. Also they wouldn’t be working together and that was one of Alex’s conditions for a girlfriend. So Cyn needed to resign herself and not blow their friendship. She always knew Alex would find someone she just didn’t think it would be this soon.

  “I don’t know about the first time we met, but we became pretty close rather quickly. I hope you like her. It’s a lot to ask and I won’t make you two spend time together. I know how I would feel if the tables were turned. In fact, I would be downright pissed off. We’ve talked about doing so many things and we will, I promise.” Alex was feeling a little overwhelmed with trying to keep two women happy, but then it wasn’t her job to make them happy. They needed to look out for themselves first and then her feelings. It would be the only way to figure out if this whole affair was going to work.

  Trying to catch up to Cyn who had been eating and not talking was easy because Alex was starving. She loved the food at the Tea Room so much that she caught up and finished at the same time as Cyn. Ping brought the bill and the fortune cookies. As she broke hers open she was surprised at its statement, “Keep your plans secret for now”. Now they tell me, Alex thought as she felt a chill run up her neck. She looked at Cyn as she read hers out loud, “Simplicity in style will bring admiring eyes your way.”

  “Wow, that’s eerie. Mine said to keep my plans secret. I’ve never heard of these fortunes being so accurate before.” Looking at Cyn’s expression made her wonder about what was coming. “That part about admiring eyes, that’s amazing considering all that’s happened.”

  “I guess maybe you should keep your plans about Sam coming a secret for the time being. You know Dez and the blabbermouths at school.” There was enough gossip going around and Cyn figured Alex didn’t need any more.

  “I know. I never did get a chance to talk to Lucy and Bonnie about their part in all that’s being said.” Alex was hoping all would return to normal soon. She also saved their fortunes wondering if Anna and Ramon where trying to send them a clue as to Cyn’s admirer and how to handle Sam’s arrival.

  Paying the check, Alex felt full and happy. There were a few things bugging her, but for the most part life was going her way. They hopped in Little Blue and headed for home to do a few precautionary chores that needed to be done before they turned in for the evening.

  Chapter 6

  As Cyn drove, Alex read the directions on the sensor lights. She would have them up in no time. Hopefully they could take a look at the garage to see how much work it would take to get enough room for Little Blue to sleep there at night. Pulling up Cyn’s driveway, Alex was surprised to see Dez’s vet truck with the good doctor sitting on the bumper reading. Looking at Cyn, she wondered what was on Dez’s mind and if there was going to be a scene.

  “Hey Dez, what’s up?” Alex carried her bags as she approached her ex-girlfriend.

  “I just wanted to see you. I’ve missed you so much.” Dez, with tears in her eyes, wanted to put her arms around Alex.

  “Well, I’ve missed you and the kitties, too.” Alex didn’t miss Dez as much as she missed the cats. She really hoped Dez didn’t go off in front of Cyn and that she would just visit for a little while.

  “The house is so empty now. The cats just walk around and cry. I think they wonder where you’ve gone.” Dez wanted her back, but knew she had blown it for four years and that Alex was done and had moved on.

  “Oh gosh, I’ll come by soon and say hello to them all. I need to get a few more clothes not to mention I need to get all my stuff packed and out of your way.” Alex hated packing, but seeing the cats would give her something to look forward to.

  “You are packed. I took care of it while you were away. I just couldn’t stand to see all your things in the house knowing you were going to leave. It’s all in the garage of your new house. I took a few boxes with me everyday on my way to calls. Cyn loaned me a key, so your good clothes are hanging in your closet. Your new place is very nice. You should be very happy there.” Dez was having trouble not breaking down completely.

  “You’ve already moved me out!” Alex was dumbfounded. She hated packing and this was the best gift Dez had ever given her.

  Putting her bags down, Alex hugged Dez and thanked her for doing all that work and said she completely understood why she wanted her out. She kissed her on the cheek, wiped the tears from Dez’s face, wished her well and told her she would always love her even though she was no longer in love with her. She also requested visiting privileges to see the kitties. Dez gave her permission and told her to keep her house key so she could see them on the weekends when she was out on calls. Not to mention, she may want to check on her sprinklers to make sure they kept her flowers watered. Yard work was something Dez had no intentions of doing and she may have to invest in a gardener someday. Dez said goodbye and opened her truck door just as the beeper went off. Jokingly, Alex commented that nothing changed in that regard while she was gone the beeper still going off at all the wrong times. She gave Dez another hug and waved goodbye as she backed down the driveway. Now, Alex needed to get busy and get the motion sensor up and working A. S. A. P.

  “Did you know she was going to be waiting for us?” Alex wasn’t that surprised at Dez’s actions. It was another way of controlling the situation.

  “No. I knew she wanted to talk to you, but she never said exactly when. But today does make sense, since she knows you’re anxious to move into your new place. I told her I would let her tell you about moving all your stuff. I feel sorry for her. She realizes now that she blew it big time. But like you’ve said, ‘Too little too late’. I don’t think she will be getting close to anyone for some time. She knows that she just can’t change who she is and is better off as a loner. She said the cats understand her completely and she can’t disappoint them.” Cyn didn’t want to be a loner who only lived with cats. She hoped she would meet someone just like Alex.

  Grabbing the bag with Cyn’s stuff, Alex headed for the porch and requested a screwdriver and a pair of pliers as well as the location of the fuse panel. Hoping everything was clearly marked, she could have the power off and the old porch light switched out for the new motion sensor fixture in no time. Cyn complied and brought the ladder out of the garage. Having left the door up, Alex was able to see they had a lot of organizing to do in order to get Little Blue a nice, safe place to live in. With all the time she had now, since Dez had packed and moved her stuff, she could get the garage whipped into shape in no time. But tomorrow was going to be spent at her house. Her refrigerator was being delivered and she needed more clothes to wear after she got home from school. She wanted to get a feel for the place and she needed to put a few items in her new bedroom. She wanted Anna and Ramon to know where she lived now and the fetishes and picture would be the beacon for them to follow.

  The sensor was installed and Alex quickly realized the deer may have nervous breakdowns and Cyn would get tired of checking the area. They decided to move the tray of food out of the sensor’s range so the deer could eat in peace not to mention it would only be tripped by someone or something coming near the house. The light had been off for a while so they decided it was safe to head for bed. Alex was mentally wiped out and hoped that tomorrow she could get her classes back on track and leave the heroics behind her. She was hoping for dreams of Sam and their time at the ranch.

  Chapter 7

  Awakening to the light coming on outside, Alex jumped off the couch to see what was there. A raccoon, which hadn’t gotten the memo about the food being moved, was checking for the bucket near the porch. Standing on his hind legs, he sniffed the air for the scent of carrots and cracked corn. Picking up the scent and heading off in the direction of the bucket, Alex hoped he would fill in the o
thers as to its new location. Lying on her back, as her heart rate was returning to normal, she wished she had something that smelled like Sam to cuddle with. It was less than three weeks but it was going to seem like an eternity before she picked her up at the airport. Now that Cyn knew about her she could call her tomorrow and not worry about Cyn overhearing. Sam had approved of Alex’s plan to tell Cyn about them before she starting calling her every night. Alex hoped Sam would be surprised at how swiftly she told Cyn what was going on. Calculating the two hour time change and Sam’s early bedtime, due to her being up at dawn to feed the livestock, she could call her between eight and ten Eastern Standard Time. She would be done with all her chores and finished with dinner. They could talk for an hour or so and Alex could wish her sweet dreams before going to bed herself.

  When Cyn’s alarm went off, Alex felt excited about getting her new refrigerator and seeing the inside of her new place. Unfortunately, after dreaming about painting the tack shed all night, she figured it was going to be a long day at school. Having toast and coffee at the house got them both to school ten minutes before the bell, which wasn’t helping to ease the gossip about them from the grumbling teachers who would now have to make their own generic coffee. But Cyn had warned them about the new plans to switch off eating breakfast at each other’s place from now on. It was a plan that was not well received by all.

  Nothing of any importance happened during the day. No news from Frederick on Cyn’s car gremlin. All Alex’s classes were back to normal. That is, except for Megan’s continuing admiration, which hopefully would wane with time. Three-thirty actually came quicker than she expected.

  Jumping into Little Blue, Alex crossed her fingers. The engine roared to life, Cyn put her into gear and they headed for the new house. Alex looked at her watch to see how long it took Cyn to get there. She figured she could shave a few minutes off if the conditions were good. Twenty minutes later they pulled up her new gravel road. She fell in love the minute she saw the place. It had a front porch that was the entire width of the house, with a swing just like Cyn’s located on the left side of the front door. Getting out of the car, Alex didn’t say anything. She just stared. The house reminded her of the one Anna and Ramon had come out of in her dream of them. The tears started to roll down her cheeks before she realized she was crying.

  “Alex, are you okay? You do like it, don’t you?” Cyn suddenly felt panicked at the thought of Alex hating the place.

  “Cyn, it’s perfect. You don’t know how perfect it is.” Alex walked slowly towards the house. She halfway expected Anna to come out the screen door.

  “Excellent. I didn’t expect tears. That threw me big time.” Feeling a whole lot better, Cyn reached in her pocket. “Don’t worry, this is the only set of keys. Dez returned the one I loaned her.”

  “I’m not worried. You need to keep one for yourself.” Alex took one key off and handed it to Cyn. She would need to get a couple more made; one for Sam and one to hide in the yard for those times when you lock yourself out.

  Alex opened the door to a house that was amazingly clean and had that new carpet smell. The entryway was in hardwood. The living room was off to the left side as the hall continued to the kitchen. The bedrooms were on the right side and the exact same size, with the bathroom in the middle. It was a large bathroom with three pocket doors. One bedroom had a much better view; it looked out over the meadow in the back of the house. That one was going to be the den and guest room. Alex had plenty of room for her computer desk and futon. The closets were average size and there was a linen closet in the hall. The front bedroom had only a partial view of the meadow, but it had a great view of the front yard and gravel driveway. No one would be sneaking up without being heard on that road. The living room was the only room carpeted. Cyn had learned from the owners that the hardwood floor had been badly damaged by the last tenants so they just put carpet over it. Alex gave Cyn a look like “What kind of damage?” and was told they were clog dancers. Maybe someday the floor could be repaired, but not right now.

  Breathing easier, the next stop was the kitchen. It was big and bright with a layout similar to Cyn’s kitchen, except it had a breakfast nook and a butcher block island with a hanging rack above it. The oven/stove combination was very nice and her refrigerator would fit perfectly. It opened to the left and went at the end of her counter next to the wall. Alex hadn’t even thought about it needing to open that way she just bought it. The back door led to the garage and work room and she wanted to check that out. Opening the garage door, Alex was a little surprised to see her truck parked inside, but then Dez did say she had moved her out. Her portable canvas enclosure was stacked next to one wall along with all her boxes. She hadn’t realized she had so much stuff, but the majority of the boxes still had old tape so they were from the attic and had never been unpacked. The workroom was behind the garage and was perfect. There were overhead fluorescent lights and plenty of plug outlets around the work bench. Someone had done it right and Alex was grateful for their attention to detail. Just then, the sound of a truck coming up the driveway let them know her delivery was here. Running out to meet them, Alex noticed the resemblance to Carol, as a tall good looking teenager got out of the passenger side.

  “You boys are right on time. Thank you for being so punctual.” Alex was trying hard to remember his name and thought it was Jason.

  “My mom made it clear we were not to be late. How are you Ms. Whitney?” Jason was the youngest of three boys, but just as big as his brothers.

  “I’m great, Jason. Thank you for asking.” Alex was happy to see his name on his shirt confirming she had remembered it correctly.

  “We’ll get it unboxed and bring it right in.” Jason was definitely in charge even if he was a lot younger than the other helper.

  “Terrific. I’ll be ready for you.” Alex looked at the path to the back door and realized the doorway wasn’t wide enough. They would have to go through the front door, which was the way Jason was going. His past experience of delivering to these old houses must have taught him that.As they eased the white beauty back and off the dolly, Jason reached around and plugged it in. He then hooked up the line for the ice maker before pushing the frig into its new home. The motor began to hum as he pulled the tape off both doors and opened them up to put the shelves in place. The ice maker was filling with water. Houston, we have a refrigerator and in no time, ice. Woo hoo!

  As Jason and his helper, Bryce, threw the packing box into the back of the truck, Alex signed the delivery receipt and wished Jason good luck at this week’s football game. He thanked her and said he would be practicing after school the rest of the week. It would be their toughest game this season, but they could beat them if they were prepared and had their head in the game.

  Waving goodbye, Alex was ready to go to the store, and she wanted to get behind the wheel of her truck. She hadn’t been able to drive her for over two weeks. As she pulled out of her garage, she had an idea and told Cyn to put Little Blue in its place. That way she could drive them to school, use her truck to help get Cyn’s garage cleaned out, and have Little Blue safely locked up in the meantime.

  “You don’t mind doing all this driving?” Cyn knew Alex liked to drive, but having to haul junk to the dump may be asking too much.

  “Absolutely. I can hardly wait to get your garage in order. Then we can install a garage door opener and you can park inside with no hassles. Little Blue will be safe and when you come over you can put it in my nice, clean garage for safe keeping while we’re away. Great plan don’t you think?” Alex thought so. “Now let’s get to the store. I may not live here yet, but I at least need water and fruit to have on hand for us while we’re here getting everything in order.”

  “So, what? I never drive my car to school again? How can that solve my problem?” Cyn didn’t mind, but how was this going to help them to find out who was behind it all?

  “But in a way, it is solving the problem. Don’t you think that whoever is
messing with your car will wonder what happened to it and might ask you about it? Then you start driving again and we watch that person to see if they go near it and if you start to have problems again.” Taking Little Blue out of the action may make the culprit come out in the open.

  “Okay, I see your point. Make note of anyone who notices that I’m not driving anymore and then hopefully I can try to figure out what they want from me.” Cyn was now aware of what Alex had been going through with the unwanted attention she had to endure.

  Driving to the market, Alex and Cyn ran through scenarios of what could be the reason and nothing sounded logical. At the market Alex needed just about everything she saw, but kept saying, “I have it, but it’s in storage.” It was soon turning into a joke as everything Cyn mentioned, i.e. pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc. were all boxed up and stored away. Except for the essential perishables, which they purchased, a decision was made to visit the storage locker before returning to the market. This seemed the most prudent move for Alex’s pocketbook.

  Back at her place, Alex put the case of water she had purchased into the refrigerator while Cyn put away the plastic cups and paper plates. Neither wanted to do dishes until she was completely moved in. Then, after finding her spare blazer and several pairs of slacks in the front bedroom closet, Alex was ready to leave. She wanted to get back to Cyn’s so she could call Sam before it got too late. She shut off the lights and locked the garage with Little Blue safely inside, feeling glad she had purchased two padlocks with the same key. She gave one key to Cyn, so she could come get her car anytime she wanted, then they headed for Cyn’s place for a light dinner and a nice long talk with her girlfriend.

  Chapter 8

  Alex made a grilled cheese sandwich in record time and excused herself to make a call to Sam. She was anxious to check in. Cyn smiled and excused her friend, but felt empty. She envied Alex and wished her luck would soon change in the relationship game. Alex took her jacket and went outside to get the best reception and stretch out on the porch swing. Hoping her fully charged cell phone would last, she dialed Sam, leaned back and closed her eyes.