“If they’re ones you’re interested in, why aren’t they riding with you?”
“Intrigue, and Connie’s best intentions. Look, here they come now. Give me a little peck on the cheek.”
Instead, Erin offered a hug, whispering, “In your dreams, playgirl. In your dreams.” Then remembering Ally’s request to drop a lucky coin in the big prize slot machine by the front doors, she said, “I just need to make a quick stop. I’ll meet you all at the limo.”
Pam just gave her a look, advising, “Best make that pit stop now. The drive back takes a good two hours, at least.”
Erin promised not to take too long. A couple of hours didn’t sound like a long time for someone used to Chicago traffic, but it was two in the morning. Plus, it hadn’t taken that long to get there, and that was with them being filmed flying back and forth at certain spots along the lake plus enjoying an aerial tour of the falls!
Erin could see most of the other women walking with Pam when she detoured to the giant slot machine. The sign above it promised a total jackpot of five million dollars. She was feeding the machine her handful of silver and gold bear coins when she realized Pam and the group were gathering behind her and knew the camera crew wouldn’t be far. Might as well play it up. Instead of pressing the spin button, she reached up high and pulled down the huge arm. Behind her, the women cheered and called their encouragement, including Pam who she secretly worried would be pissed. Not expecting any results, she was momentarily confused when a brief ring sounded.
Pam stepped up, wrapping an arm around Erin, “You just won your money back plus twenty. So you won something, right?”
“It was a bet for someone else,” was all she could stammer.
Pam only smiled.
Back at Glendennon Castle, coming half awake from a too-brief sleep, Erin spied the time on the bedside clock: just after ten a.m. Today they had the morning to relax. Looking across the room, she could see one of her roommates was sunburned by yesterday’s racing activities with Rene at the Mosport Track. The other two, including Denise from Pam’s list of desirable women, were probably down at the pool. Yes, this place had two pools! Once the castle’s conservatory, the pool area featured several sets of French doors which opened to the south-facing side of the grand terrace, and from their dorm room Erin could see several women sunbathing and making full use of the amenities and serving staff hired just for the shoot.
Connie, she decided was smart, very smart. During Erin’s ten minutes alone time with Pam yesterday, she’d learned more about the plans for the rest of the shoot. She now knew they were headed north tomorrow for some outdoorsy adventure. Lesbians do love their time in nature. Today though, they had this time to recover and have fun. Cut off from the electronic world, a few would be suffering withdrawal from their phones by now, she was sure. It was smart for Connie to pull all electronics including cell phones. It created a bubble for them to consider exactly how and what they were feeling. Like, what the hell am I feeling? I don’t know what to say. “Hey, I’m still the woman who snubbed you and chose your cousin.” Why would she still be so nice to me?
It took her an hour to get showered and coifed and somewhat presentable. After some breakfast, Tylenol, and sunshine, she’d be fine, she decided.
Reaching the dining hall, Erin was relieved to see catering was still hard at work, taking equal care of the queens, contestants, and crew. Rene was at a table by the window with two women from her group and one of the camera people. They looked to be retelling details of their day at the racetrack, using coffee cups and cutlery to illustrate the excitement. Most of the women from Pam’s group were absent while others from both Ally’s and Rene’s groups lounged just outside, soaking up the sun.
She poured herself coffee and loaded a plate with the basics, then stopped. She didn’t want to eat with anyone, but worried how it would look. So she joined a table with a single open seat. One of her roommates and two other women were eating and talking. They all welcomed her, including Mary, the woman who had been so forward with Ally during the regatta.
Today would be much easier. She knew there was some sort of sports thing scheduled for after lunch. Rene and Ally had been trading jibes, and both were scheduled for camera time this morning, separately and together. Erin had no idea what Pam was up to, but seeing that all the women in her group were present, she decided this afternoon’s event must include them too.
Tonight, each of the queens would go on a one-on-one date with a contestant chosen by Connie, and it was the talk of her table. Erin sat back and let the conversation flow around her. She’d pegged Mary as a social climber from day one and nothing she said now changed her mind. Thankfully, she was on Rene’s team and her problem. Denise, sitting across from her, was on Pam’s team and even if she didn’t know it, had the clear inside track. It was the woman next to Denise, the one from Allyson’s team, who was starting to worry her. “You’re quiet this morning,” she said to the willowy blonde she remembered had been cheer captain.
Her Florida accent, usually so mellow, sounded crass as she explained, “I think I made the wrong choice. I can’t believe the fun you all are having! You know what we all got to do while you were racin’ cars and winnin’ at the casino? We drove. That’s right, we drove, didn’t even get to fly like you all did. We drove to some farm upstate a ways and you know what? They took us to some old barn. When we got out of that old bus I was expecting a good old trail ride but oh no! We ain’t trailin’ no horses. We’re gonna learn how to ride all English and prissy. We didn’t even get outta the barnyard, had us doing all that horse whispering circles and such. Then, and can you believe this, they had us muck out the stalls and rub down the horses! Between your ear and the good Lord, yep, they made me clean up after a horse like I’m some bl…working type person.”
Erin watched the other women to see their reaction. Even Mary looked to be a little troubled, but it was Denise who took the reins. “I bet yesterday was more about learning whether you like some of the activities of our queens. Remember the profiles we each received? I read that both Pam and Allyson were avid equestrians. It makes sense they offered that experience. What did Allyson do during the outing?”
“Oh, she was right in the middle of the whole mucking experience, and she taught the class too, showing off and all.”
“Imagine,” Mary quipped, “the ice queen actually getting dirty!”
“That’s hardly fair,” Denise argued. “Besides, she was up at the crack of dawn both yesterday and today, servicing her helicopter and getting ready to ferry the rest of us wherever.”
“Sounds like you like her more than me. How’s about we switch up now and save us the trouble of changing our vote later?”
Denise just smiled. “I’m happy where I am.”
* * *
“You need what?” If Ally were ever going to lose it with Connie completely, this request would be it.
“I know it’s short notice, and I know it’s a big ask, but I ran it by KC and…” That was the wrong thing to say.
“KC? You ran it by KC? Why don’t you just get KC down here to take my place? And while you’re at it explain just how she will fly Traffic One twice a day and then pull an aircraft from the line without fucking up our schedule, and then fly us to Petawawa?”
“Ally, please…”
“No, Connie. No! This is… Have you any idea what it costs to operate a Dash-8?”
Ally was pacing and thinking. Connie knew she had to sell her situation now, or Ally’s answer would stay no. “The bus company we chartered just went on strike. We can’t get coaches or school buses. Nothing. I found a company operating out of Gatineau willing to take a charter in Ontario, but they can only handle the return trip. I’m down to renting thirty cars and getting the crew and contestants to drive themselves, and we would have to drive back. There isn’t a car rental company in the country that will even consider a one-way rental to nowheresville. Have you any idea how much it would cost to rent thirty SU
Vs?”
Ally sank back down in her chair. The evidence of Connie’s efforts to find a solution was scattered all over the office. Connie stood across from her, hands on hips, her tool belt or whatever they called it hung low on one hip as if her two-way radio were a holstered six-shooter. It was easy to picture her the sheriff of this town, even if she was wearing Tilley’s shorts and a faded and worn Lost Girl T-shirt.
“Shit… What did KC say—and don’t think you can make an end-run around me every time you want something, young lady. KC and I are going to have a serious—”
Connie’s body slammed her full force. “Thank you, Ally. Thank you. I knew you would come through for us.”
“For you, kiddo. I’m doing this for you, and you are going to pay the fuel bill. Is that understood?”
“Hey, whatever. It has to be better than the cost to rent a fleet of vehicles.”
Ally checked the time on her watch. “What, you must have been up at the crack of dawn to get KC on the phone before her morning traffic report.” It wasn’t a question. “Let’s see if we can get her on the phone now and find out what she came up with for you. And yes, I see your look. And I promise to hear out whatever crazy balancing act she’s devised. First, though, I need another cup of tea, and you need to straighten out this mess in here before my OCD kicks in but good.”
* * *
Erin was just returning her breakfast plates to the servery when she and Denise spotted Ally on her way into brunch. She looked like she’d been up for a while, judging by the grease stains on her bare arms and her old sleeveless T-shirt. She was wearing the flight suit, but the top half had been rolled down and tied around her waist.
“She seems so focused, so fierce, but solitary,” Denise offered, adding quietly, “I thought it was brave when you passed on her. I’m not sure I would fare well in a relationship with such a strong woman.”
“You don’t think Pam is strong?”
“Strong-willed, yes. Strong in purpose yes. Capable of a lifelong commitment, that I’m not so sure.” Erin realized she must have given Denise a look when she added, “Don’t get me wrong. Of these three women, Pam does it for me. She is amazing, but she’s also smooth. Sometimes I worry she’s just a tad too smooth.”
“You think she’d cheat on you?”
“Umm, that’s not it. I think it’s my admiration I’m questioning. I watched her yesterday and last night. I love how she can instantly put herself in the moment. What I had to fight was how well she could do it with anyone. I guess there’s a little green monster inside me telling me I’m no more important or noticed than anyone else.”
“You looked like you were okay with everything last night. It looked like you’ve played the part of the patient partner before.”
“Maybe that’s the thing. I don’t mind playing number two to a career. I know most women would, but I have my own work that keeps me busy, so the long hours are not an issue. I guess it was watching Pam last night that got me thinking about how different we all are. I mean, look at her…” She tipped her head to Ally, who was at the craft table stirring honey into her takeout cup and talking with one of the PAs. “She gives everyone the same attention. No judgment, no condescension. Pam too is like that except she’s not. Don’t you find she can be a bit full of herself?”
Erin sighed. Yes, Pam was always full of herself. It was how she coped. Ally, she was guessing, became the intense grounded adult much as Denise had been last night. Maybe that was why she liked Denise for Pam. Maybe what Pam had lost after high school with her cousin right here at Glendennon Castle, was Ally’s solidity and her ability to keep her grounded. And maybe Ally just needed someone to lift her higher than her aircraft could.
Chapter Eleven
The afternoon had been more fun than Erin thought possible. While Pam was still nowhere to be seen, the rest of the women had been gathered in the backfield. There had been all kinds of speculation when they were sent to don athletic gear and when a PA knocked on their dorm room with a bag of team shirts. Each was customized with their names on the back. Most of the women were betting they were headed for the softball field while a few speculated on soccer. Erin half-expected it to be lacrosse, knowing that was Ally’s sport while she had been a student here. What she forgot to consider was Rene’s background. If Connie had decided on the sport, she must have chosen based on what both Ally and Rene were willing to play.
The contestants had taken to the field to learn they would be playing field hockey and they had already been divided into teams. Following the colors used for the regatta, Rene’s team was in the red with gold numbers and Ally’s team in mauve and white. Erin wasn’t surprised to find herself on Rene’s team. She was more impressed to see Connie had divided them regardless of which queen they supported. There was a fair mix on each team.
Rene as their captain had been fun, but driven to win. A little too driven by Erin’s account. Still, the afternoon delivered a great game and some much-appreciated sun. A few of the women spent more time on the bench than others, but that had been their request when the game got a little rough. When things heated up, Ally called timeout, taking Rene aside and telling her who knew what. She returned to their side, and the game resumed, but the extreme competitive edge softened slightly. It made Erin think kindly of Allyson. She must have been concerned for injuries and a loss of sportsmanship.
After the game and the socializing, they learned their evening schedule. Erin had to rush to be ready in time to join Pam and their group for dinner at a local French restaurant. While Glendennon Castle had once stood alone with nothing but miles of Lake Ontario’s rugged north shore as its witness, today Toronto’s suburban sprawl had eaten up all the lands surrounding what was now an exclusive girls’ boarding school. It was hard to imagine how remote this place must have once been, much like a Scottish castle high above the moors. Erin did know of huge estates almost as big as this scattered along the coast of Lake Michigan but French restaurants, not so much. Even in what might be considered the suburbs of Chicago, she couldn’t think of a place where such high-end establishments were found. And Pam had told her the entire region surrounding Glendennon Castle was uniformly working class, a result of the local auto industry. Yet the restaurant was very French and was amazing. She’d been expecting French Canadian and imagined she would get her first chance to try poutine, whatever that was. But the place was a true French bistro, the chef born and trained in Nice, France.
Erin enjoyed dinner with Pam, Charlotte, and Zara, another one of Pam’s wannabes. Too bad Zara hadn’t made Pam’s list. Now, back in the ballroom, Erin was feeling over-full and decidedly not interested in the salsa dancing class Pam was leading. That was all right, too, as Pam and the others had taken no notice of her. Instead she stood, wineglass in hand, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The music wasn’t so loud as to disturb the group outside. She didn’t know where Rene’s group had disappeared to, but Ally was on the lawn just off the patio. She had a bunch of telescopes set up and was moving between each one, helping different women find certain stars or maybe star systems. She hadn’t realized she was walking toward them until Ally turned and smiled, asking her to join in.
Not wanting to be rude, Erin agreed to check out the viewfinder of the closest telescope. It was a stout fat thing, and Ally stood to its side holding some sort of controller attached with a long coiled cord. She was patient, and never touched Erin, just showed her what to look at. Erin had made an unofficial study of Allyson Parker and knew she was the kind of woman who touched when she talked. But she wasn’t making a pass or being condescending with her touch. It was just her thing to shake hands, or grasp a shoulder, or take an elbow to turn someone around. The fact that she didn’t so much as breathe on her said she was treading softly, determined not to make Erin feel uneasy.
“I can’t see anything.”
Ally checked the controller in her hand. “These school telescopes might need calibrating. Can I have a quick look?”
&nb
sp; That caught Erin by surprise. Who asks to see their own telescope? She stepped back to allow Ally to do whatever needed to be done. All around her the other women were joking about what they could see and trading comments and coordinates as they made their comparisons. With Pam’s group, the women were on edge as if every second with Pam was total competition. Ally’s group was laid-back and more concerned with enjoying themselves.
“There we go. Give that a try. It’s the center star in Orion’s Belt.”
While Erin looked, she heard Ally check in with the others. They asked a few questions, made a few jokes, and were once again just as pleased to do their own thing.
She jumped when she heard Ally beside her, asking, “Is that better?”
Trying to cover her nervousness, she pretended she wasn’t impressed with the colors and details of the star system she was seeing in full splendor for the first time in her life. She remembered the one trip she made with her grandmother years ago, a birthday trip to Chicago. It was then, as a mature, newly turned eight-year-old, that she decided Chicago was the place she would live when she was all grown up. The trip included a visit to the planetarium. The awe she remembered was just as deeply felt now as it was then. “It’s okay.”
“Okay?” Ally teased. “Clearly you haven’t felt the earth move.”
Erin was shocked by her forwardness. She was stuck somewhere between wanting to call her out and needing to slap her face when the effect of her words hit Allyson.
“Oh no. No, no. Oh, I’m so sorry Erin. That’s not… I mean, I wasn’t… I… It… Oh frack, I suck.”
Buoyed by the level of self-flagellation, Erin asked, “What were you trying to say?”
“I… Why don’t I show you something?” At Erin’s raised brows, she added, “You can count on me to be a perfect gentlewoman. Can I show you something interesting?”
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