Friday evening
“She’s lovely,”
Abby whispered in Carol’s ear, handing her a dry martini. Sitting next to each other on the comfortable couch in Abby’s living room, they watched how Therese tried to explain the intricacies of using a digital camera to an excited Rindy.
“Yes, she is …”
Carol smiled, a smile that showed the wonder she still felt about this beautiful young woman who so unexpectedly had entered her life to turn it upside down. Abby cast a sideway glance at her friend.
“Carol … you’re blushing!”
Carol took a quick sip of her drink to hide her embarrassment. Then she looked Abby in the eyes.
“I.. I’ve never felt like this.”
Abby touched her arm.
“Darling, it’s okay. I’m very happy for you.”
They were quiet for a while, both contemplating the possible implications of this new development in Carol’s life. They had no doubts about the continuation of their close friendship. It had survived the breakup of their brief affair, Carol’s marriage to Harge and several of Abby’s passionate but in the end unfulfilling flings. It would be different though, Abby mused, especially if Carol decided to move to New York to be with Therese. She reached for her cigarettes, lying on the low coffee table in front of her, and decided this was not the moment to worry about what might happen.
Therese and Rindy went outside into the large garden to take some photos of Gertrude and Alice, Abby’s two dachshunds that were expertly ravaging one of the lush borders. Before she stepped through the French doors leading to the terrace, Therese turned to smile and wink at Carol, who once again blushed vehemently. Amused, Abby approvingly assessed Therese’s receding figure.
“By the way, did you sleep with her?”
“Abby!”
With a bang Carol put down her empty glass on the coffee table, trying to put an end to Abby’s prying questions. Unimpressed, Abby surreptitiously refilled Carol’s glass. She knew how she could make her talk.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t. I saw you swooning over her, last night at the gala.”
Her words brought Carol back to her slow dance with Therese and how she had just barely stopped herself from kissing her right there, under the eyes of Utah’s entire political establishment. She decided to humour Abby, knowing there was no way she could stop her from questioning her until she would spill the beans.
“Yes, I did sleep with her.”
Abby wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“And, how was it?”
Carol slapped her hand. Outside the two little dogs were barking excitedly while they were chased by Rindy, Therese’s camera in hand. Smiling, Carol watched the cheerful chaos. Then she turned to the woman still sitting next to her.
“It was … wonderful.”
Abby felt a sting of resentment, something she would never admit to Carol. Although their affair had been brief, she still felt her body ache for the beautiful woman she was still happy to call her friend. It had been Carol’s choice to end their relationship, a painful decision that had crushed Abby, who had been deeply in love with her, prepared to share her life with her. Now, she would have to get used to this bittersweet feeling caused by seeing Carol in love like this. She decided it was better to steer the conversation away from the physical relationship between Carol and Therese.
“So, what’s next? Have you talked to her?”
Carol sighed and reached for Abby’s cigarettes, prying one from the package.
“Not yet …”
Frowning, Abby handed her her lighter, a gold vintage Ronson she had inherited from her father.
“She is leaving tomorrow...”
Inhaling the smoke from her now lit cigarette, Carol nodded.
“What are you going to say to her?”
“I don’t know yet…”
Abby laughed.
“Come on Carol, I know you well enough to be certain that you have come to some sort of conclusion about her.”
When Carol did not answer right away, she continued.
“What did you tell Harge?”
Carol shifted, reaching for the ashtray. Reluctantly, she remembered Harge’s hurt look, his barely concealed tears, his eventual anger.
“I told him that I have slept with Therese. That I am in love with her... "
Abby remained silent, waiting for Carol to continue.
“I have also told him that although I don’t know where this thing with Therese will lead to, I do not want to go on with my life as it is now.”
She stubbed out her cigarette, as if to give more emphasis to her words. Abby whistled softly.
“How did he take it?”
Carol smiled, a sad smile.
“Not well. But I didn’t expect it differently.”
She looked at Rindy who was by now lying on her stomach, her camera directed at one of the flowers that miraculously had survived the wrangling by the two dogs. Therese sat next to her, on her knees, with her left hand leaning on Rindy’s back. Carol was struck by the ease with which daughter and Therese interacted. She saw it as a good sign, a further encouragement to explore where the road of this new connection with Therese would lead her. She took Abby’s hand.
“Tonight, I will tell Therese that I want to go on seeing her. That I want to get to know her better. And that I hope that, although I will bring a lot of complicated matters into her life, she will want that too.”
Abby squeezed her hand.
“I’m sure she will,” she said reassuringly.