Matters of the Heart

by Catherine Maiorisi

  Darcy cracked up again, this time taking Francine with her.

  When they slowed down, Andrea tried again. “Okay, you guys, I forgot I had my pajamas on. It’s not that funny. And, I think you’ve been watching too many kiddie movies—no more Wizard of Oz or Aladdin for you.”

  Darcy snorted.

  “Oh, well, I had an exciting propo—,” she glared at the two of them, “—an exciting idea I wanted to share with you, about an outing.”

  Darcy glanced at Francine. “I’d love to out you.” They broke up again.

  “Geez, have you two been drinking? I’ll be in my room when you’re ready.”

  She turned.

  “No wait. I’ll be good. And, I’ll vouch for Francine as long as she doesn’t look at me. What outing?”

  Andrea took a breath and walked over to the bed. “Would you like to go to Fire Island for a few days?”

  Darcy gasped. And, behind her Francine flashed a thumbs-up sign.

  “Can I do that?”

  “If you want. But I need your help to plan it.”

  “Tell me what you need.”

  “First thing, I need to be able to move you in and out of bed. Can you come, Francine?”

  Francine’s eyes widened. “Yeah, sure.”

  Darcy could barely contain her excitement. “And you can bring Jennifer, I’ve been wanting to meet her.”

  Andrea frowned. “Who’s Jennifer?”

  “My wife.”

  Andrea took a long look at Francine.

  Francine scowled. “What?”

  “So you’re a lesbian too. What a coincidence.”

  “Wrong.” Darcy tossed a pillow at Andrea. “It seems that once again Gerri came through for me. Apparently, she insisted I needed lesbian nurses so I could feel comfortable and if the agency couldn’t provide them, she’d find another agency.”

  Andrea caught the pillow. “Wow, you really do owe Gerri, don’t you?”

  “I do and I’ll find some way to make it up to her. But now that I’ve outed Francine, what else do we need?”

  Andrea placed the pillow on the bed. “I’ll rent a wheelchair accessible van to get us to and from the ferry. I’ve spoken to Tori and it seems there won’t be a problem getting to the house and the house itself sounds wheelchair accessible.”

  “It is. And we can stay in my private suite.”

  “I’ll rent a hospital bed and have it delivered out there—”

  Darcy put her hand on Andrea’s arm. “Since it’s only a few nights, can’t I just sleep in my own bed? It’s a king with a firm mattress.”

  “What do you think, Francine? Darcy is basically just in bed to sleep these days and there’s not much danger of her rolling over.”

  Francine nodded slowly as she considered the question. “It’ll work. We can put some pillows on her side just to be sure and we can use pillows to hike her up if she wants to sit up in bed.”

  Darcy’s eyes were shining with excitement. “What else?”

  “I thought we’d give Maria and Carlo a break, so Tori said she would organize the food and beverages and the cooking and cleaning up. Anything else you can think of?”

  “I’ll call tomorrow and have the house opened for us.”

  “I hope it’s all right, I invited Tori and Elle to stay with us? Is there anyone else you want to come?”

  Darcy grinned. “Let me think about it but I’ll invite a couple of others to stay as well. Andrea, my love, if you’d let me, I’d give you a big fat kiss on the lips. This is fabulous.”

  Andrea was so pleased she’d made Darcy happy she leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. “You’re welcome.”

  Darcy beamed. “Oh, I just remembered something important.”

  “Tell me, I’ll add it to the list.”

  “Please pack those pajamas.” She started laughing again.

  Andrea lightly smacked Darcy’s head. “You are so bad. And, I don’t know why you’re so excited, you’ve seen me in running tights.”

  “Yes, but they cover your legs and I could only imagine your creamy, sensitive upper thighs. And, oh, those breasts. Now I can fantasize about the real thing.”

  Andrea couldn’t control the rush of blood to her face or to her barely covered groin, so she turned to Francine. “Let’s start a list of things we need so we don’t forget anything.”

  Darcy grinned. “I love it when you blush, sweet Dr. Trapani.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It had been a feverish few days, with calls back and forth to Tori, planning meals and making shopping lists. Darcy had invited all of the inner circle, other than Candace, but not all of them could make it on such short notice.

  At ten o’clock Friday morning, the van was packed and Darcy was ready to board when Maria and Carlo appeared with a basket between them. Maria had prepared sandwiches for lunch and snacks to hold them until the others arrived with the food later in the day. They hugged Darcy and Andrea, then Jennifer started the lift and Darcy slid into the van. Francine helped Andrea secure the wheelchair, then climbed into the front seat with Jennifer, who had volunteered to drive. Andrea sat next to Darcy. They waved to Maria and Carlo as Jennifer backed out of the driveway.

  An hour and forty-five minutes later, Francine and Jennifer saw to the loading of their luggage and packages on the ferry and Andrea wheeled Darcy up the ramp. The forecast predicted an unusually warm weekend and if today was any indication, they’d gotten it right for a change: not a cloud in the sky, the sun brilliant and the temperature somewhere in the low eighties. Damn. She hadn’t thought to ask about keeping Darcy out of the sun on the ferry. She hesitated, surveying the seating options on the deck, then smiled. Though the front and rear of the ferry had rows of seats open to the sun, the middle had a roof that provided shade for those seated under it. Great. Getting overheated was the last thing Darcy needed. She wheeled Darcy to the shaded area. Francine and Jennifer checked in with them, then settled in the sunny area up front.

  A few minutes later, the ferry pulled away from the pier and headed to Fire Island, throwing back a light spray as it sped through the water. Darcy tilted her head toward Francine and Jennifer who were holding hands, faces to the sun, hair whipping in the breeze. “They look happy, don’t they?”

  Andrea looked up from unfolding the blanket. “They do. Did you know Jennifer was Chinese-American?”

  “Actually, Francine never said, but then, why would she? I mean when we talked, it was about how long they’ve been together, how they met, Jenny’s anger about conditions at work, her quitting and her anxiety about finding another job. That kind of thing.”

  Andrea considered Francine and Jennifer again. “She doesn’t look at all like I imagined.”

  “She’s attractive, isn’t she? I got the impression from Francine that she’s quite strong-minded. I like that in a woman. And I love that slinky black hair. Imagine how sexy it would feel trailing across your body.”

  “Better not let Francine hear you fantasizing about her wife.”

  “Not to worry. Jennifer isn’t my type. She doesn’t meet my height requirement.”

  “You have a height requirement?”

  “Yup. I like my women on the taller side, somewhere in the vicinity of six feet, give or take a couple of inches. And, since you asked, I generally like larger breasts and a little more meat on their lovely bones.”

  “Jesus, Darcy, flirting is one thing but you are really piggy sometimes. It makes me uncomfortable.”

  “Sorry, but it’s the truth. And to be really clear, you are definitely my type.”

  Andrea stared at her, not sure how to respond so she tucked the blanket around Darcy. “Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes, sweetie.”

  Andrea stared into impertinent blue eyes that made the blues of the sea and the sky seem pale in comparison. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Darcy smirked. “Well, I—”

  “Never mind, sweetie.” Andrea sat on the bench next to D
arcy’s wheelchair and closed her eyes, hoping to deflect any other innuendos. The drone of the ferry’s engine, the squawk of the seagulls swirling above and the kiss of the damp breeze brought images of Trapani, of lying in the warm sun on a deserted beach with Darcy and—

  Darcy’s hand covered hers. She opened her eyes. Seeing the love on Darcy’s face, her heart filled. They gazed at each other for a few seconds, then Andrea broke the connection rather than give in to the impulse to kiss her.

  Darcy’s thumb moved in gentle circles over Andrea’s hand. “I’d like to apologize for being piggy about Jennifer and for being piggy in general. My only excuse is that I’m trapped in this body with my fantasies and no way to satisfy…no outlet.”

  “I see.” Well, she could certainly sympathize with unsatisfied sexual desires. “But I’d feel more comfortable if you kept those kinds of remarks to yourself.”

  Darcy nodded. She waited but when nothing else was forthcoming, she went on. “You know, the ferry ride is one of the things I love about Fire Island. The minute you get on the ferry you feel as if you’re on vacation.”

  Darcy’s thumb was making it difficult to concentrate so Andrea turned her hand palm up and captured the thumb, squeezing it lightly before letting it go. “What else do you love about Fire Island?”

  “No cars allowed, so it’s a slower, more relaxed pace. And most of all it means friends, being with friends I care about and who care about me.”

  “Friends are important, aren’t they?”

  “For me they are. Feeling abandoned by my friends was a good part of why I was so crazy when you came. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive Candace for that.”

  Andrea could see Darcy turning inward. After all the effort that went into planning this weekend the last thing she wanted was for Darcy to be sad. She needed to bring her back to the weekend. “So tell me who’s coming to stay with us.”

  Darcy looked up. “With us. I like that.” She grinned. “You’ve met everybody. Tori and Elle, Gina and Beth, Maya, Renee, Monica and Lucia. The single ones will sort out their sleeping arrangements.”

  So, bedrooms for Francine and Jennifer, Tori and Elle, Gina and Beth and then two for the four single women. That’s five. No room for her. Darcy had arranged it so she’d have to sleep in her suite. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Well, maybe if she was honest, she liked it. She was finding it harder and harder to deny her feelings, to be professional.

  “We’re here.” Darcy’s voice brought Andrea back. The ferry was docking.

  Andrea stood. She hadn’t realized that the island was so narrow, from the bay she could see the ocean glistening between the buildings. “Is your house far?”

  “Nothing is far. It’s on the ocean side, just a short walk from here.”

  Francine and Jennifer came to help them disembark. Gloria, the woman who looked after Darcy’s house, was waiting with two wagons to transport their packages. After Gloria exclaimed over Darcy’s condition, Darcy introduced everyone to the thin but muscled woman with smiling brown eyes, straw-like hair and the leathery skin of someone who spent too much time in the sun. With a cigarette dangling out of her mouth, Gloria coughed a phlegmy hello, then piled the packages that Francine and Jennifer had reclaimed from the ferry on the wagons.

  Gloria and Jennifer each pulled a wagon, Francine pulled their rolling suitcases, and Andrea pushed Darcy along the boardwalk, past houses of various sizes and designs, some with pools, most with people lounging on decks. Everyone they encountered along the boardwalk was wearing a bathing suit. And almost everyone greeted Darcy, asked what had happened, and chatted and joked with her.

  It was slow going and by the time they caught up, Gloria, Francine and Jennifer had carried their things into a large beautiful house at the end of the walk facing the ocean. Andrea paused. “Christ, Darcy, your family was into big houses or should I say mansions.”

  “Well, my sweet doctor, we are wealthy and in the old days we had a large family and entertained a lot. If you take a walk on the beach and check out the oceanfront houses, you’ll see that most of them are in the mansion category. It’s what people did in those days.”

  “It’s elegant. I love the wraparound decks on two levels.”

  “Wait until you see the inside. Wheel me in, please.”

  Darcy was so excited that Andrea thought she might try flapping her arms and legs to speed them along. She put a hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “Relax, I’m pushing.”

  Gloria was just leaving as they entered the foyer. “I opened all the windows, put clean sheets on all the beds and fresh towels in each of the bathrooms. I also put all the perishables Tori shipped over yesterday in the main refrigerator and filled the drinks refrigerator with the wine and beer she sent. I’ll meet Tori’s ferry tonight and cart whatever else she’s bringing. You know how to find me if you need anything else.” She turned back at the screen door. “It’s really good to see you, Darcy. I hope you have a fabulous weekend.”

  Darcy flashed a wicked smile. “I intend to, Gloria.”

  “By the way, I ran into Candace last night in Cherry Grove. She was surprised to hear you were coming out. Actually, she looked a little pissed. I’m sure you’ll hear about it from her.”

  Darcy frowned. “Pissed drunk or pissed angry?”

  “Both, I’d say.”

  Darcy shook her head. “Not good.”

  “She’s been like that whenever I’ve seen her lately. Pissed drunk, I mean.” Gloria shrugged. “You know the drill. Lock up when you leave and I’ll come by on Tuesday to clean. See ya.”

  Andrea wheeled Darcy into the living room. Francine grinned. “Darcy, I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as this house.”

  Andrea stopped, taking in the cathedral ceiling, the floor-to-ceiling windows, the glow of the pale pink walls in the sunlight, the hardwood floor, the huge fireplace, the lovely islands of seating with sofas and love seats and comfortable chairs. “It’s gorgeous. But somehow, I feel your grandmother didn’t have much to do with the décor.”

  Darcy laughed. “Correct. I redid it two years ago when I had the suite built. I had the ceiling lifted, the skylights put in, the floors redone, and the walls painted, then I bought all new furniture. This house reflects me, my personality. The house in the city and the one in Italy are untouched. So far.”

  “It’s no wonder you love being here. I could learn to love it in another minute or two if I concentrate on it. What about you, Francine?”

  Francine giggled. “Nah, I hate roughing it.”

  Jennifer called from another room. “Come and check out the kitchen and the dining room, guys. Holy shit, the ocean is right there.”

  “You can leave me alone for a minute,” Darcy said. “Go take a look.”

  When the three of them had inspected the kitchen, the dining room and the five bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs, they returned to the living room.

  Andrea knelt in front of Darcy. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a beautiful house in such a beautiful setting. No wonder you miss it.”

  Darcy met her gaze. “I can’t believe I’m here.” Her voice cracked. “I felt like I’d never see it again.”

  “Soon all your casts will be off and you’ll be walking.” Francine patted her shoulder. “Come on, let’s have lunch on the deck. We can settle in later.” Francine picked up the basket Maria had packed and carried it out to the deck.

  Andrea took a deep breath and got to her feet. “Sounds like a plan.” She wheeled Darcy out to the deck.

  After lunch, Jennifer volunteered to clean up and Andrea and Francine escorted Darcy into her suite. Francine whistled and twirled around. “More nice, Darcy.”

  Nice? The suite was fabulous. Both the bedroom and the living room had cathedral ceilings with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, a combination of windows and sliding glass doors that opened onto a deck facing the ocean. Both rooms were huge; both had glossy wooden floors decorated with colorful rugs, wall hangings and cushions, which
made them feel warm and welcoming. The king bed was covered with an exquisite green-gray quilt and matching sheets and pillowcases. The living room furniture was a soft blue-green and seemed perfect for the space. Two easy chairs faced the fireplace.

  Andrea moved between the rooms. “Really, Darcy, five bedrooms and six baths weren’t enough?”

  “I love having people around but I also like my privacy when I want it.” Darcy’s eyes followed Andrea. “You like?”

  “I like. Did you decorate this too?”

  “I designed it, had it built and decorated it.”

  “You’re a regular Renaissance woman.” An intelligent, creative, and talented woman who has yet to find her place in life despite being generous and beautiful and kind.

  Francine slid the doors in the living room open, bringing in a breeze, the sound and smell of the ocean and the muted voices of bathers at the ocean’s edge. “You did a fabulous job, Darcy. It’s gorgeous here.”

  Andrea wheeled her into the bedroom. “You ready for that nap? There’s going to be a lot of excitement tonight as everyone arrives and a nap will give you the energy to stay awake and enjoy being surrounded by your friends.”

  “Okay. I really don’t want to fall asleep in front of them.”

  “Francine, after you help me get Darcy into bed, you and Jennifer can claim your bedroom and go frolic on the beach. Or wherever you’d like.”

  “Beach chairs and umbrellas, beach toys, beach towels and suntan lotion are all in the locked room next to the outdoor showers. The key is hanging in the kitchen near the door. Enjoy.”

  “Thanks.”

  Once Darcy was comfortable, Andrea sat on the bed next to her. “So Darcy, I realized on the ferry that all five bedrooms are filled. What did you have in mind for me?”

  Darcy had the good grace to look embarrassed. “Since I sleep through the night mostly, I thought we could let Francine and Jennifer have the weekend for themselves.” She cleared her throat. “And you could sleep with me.” She patted the bed. “After all, it’s a king, and it’s not like I’m able to roll over so you won’t have to worry about me attacking you. And, most important, I’ve already seen you in your sexy sleeping outfit. What do you think?”