Two Faces in the Dark
”Hello.” Carol smiled shyly at Therese as she entered the penthouse apartment. “I’m so glad you could make it.” Feeling quite self-conscious she took off her jacket and left it on the bench by the elevator. “Of course. Tomorrow’s the big day after all.”
“You know, Abby can be a bit…” Carol started hesitantly. “Don’t worry about it.” Therese wasn’t going to have this conversation, not now. They stood in the foyer staring at each other for an indefinite amount of time. Carol looked ravishing in her light cashmere sweater. Therese could feel her heart pound in an increasing tempo. Surely she could hear its loud thudding too?
“There’s someone here I’d like you to meet”. Therese froze for a second. She wasn’t prepared for yet another surprise meeting. “Come and say hello, sweetie.” Carol turned away from her and ushered in a little girl. “Hello! Who are you?” A pair of gray eyes not unlike Carol’s surveyed Therese curiously. “I’m Therese… and you – you must be Rindy, right?” She beamed at the girl in a pleated skirt. “Come and see what we’ve been up to, Mommy and me.” Rindy took Therese by the hand and pulled her impatiently towards the kitchen. “We made sandwiches. And juice!” She could feel Carol quite close to her, the elegant hand touching her back ever so softly as they moved to the adjacent room.
Rindy was a riot, playful and full of mischief. Quite a precocious eight-year-old, Therese thought grinning at her stories about friends and school. They got along splendidly, and it took all Carol’s will power to get her to let them practice for an hour. “Would you like to learn to play the piano as well?” Therese asked Rindy when they were about to begin. “Could you teach me?” the little girl exclaimed enthusiastically. “Could you teach me right now? Please?” Pleased, Therese laughed at her excitement. “Well, I could show you a thing or two – if it’s okay with your Mommy?” She cast an inquisitive look at Carol who was leafing through her music folder. She looked up from her papers and gave Therese her loveliest smile. “Sure, sweetie, if Therese is willing… but not right now. We have to practice. Go sit on the sofa, this won’t take long.”
“Let’s do Rindy’s favorite first.” Carol put on her reading glasses. “I used to sing this to you when you were little, remember sweetie?” Rindy was sitting on the edge of her seat.
Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
Carol’s magnificent voice had an ethereal, dreamy quality to it.
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you
She looked at Therese causing her to slip her foot from the pedal.
Somewhere there's music
It's where you are
Somewhere there's heaven
How near, how far
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
She was still looking at Therese.
“You were wonderful, Mommy!” Elated, Rindy jumped on Carol’s lap. Therese tried to catch her breath without either of them noticing. “And you made the piano sound so beautiful!” Rindy was hugging her now. “How come you’re able to make it sing such lovely tunes? I never get anything beautiful out of it.” The girl looked disgruntled which Therese found adorable. “Ask your Mom. It’s easy to do beautiful things when she’s around, don’t you think?” Rindy looked befuddled but Therese was positive she saw a slight change of color on Carol’s face.
“You’re leaving already? Can’t you stay for a little while longer?” Rindy was reluctant to let Therese go. “I’d love to but I have to go. I’m sorry.” She meant what she said. Therese had loved every minute of their time together but it was getting late and she still had a practice of her own to finish. “We’ll meet again, I’m sure”, she assured her wondering if the promise she just made was actually true.
Carol saw her to the elevator door. “Did Abby invite you to the cocktail party she’s throwing tonight? She wanted to do something because of tomorrow, to mark the occasion so to speak…” Carol sounded nonchalant, almost indifferent. Therese had gotten Abby’s invitation alright but up till now she hadn’t given it a serious thought. “You can bring a friend along, if you want to”, she added. A friend? Carol wanted her to bring a friend to a party she herself was attending? “Well, I’ll have to think about it. Maybe. I don’t know.”
Five minutes later she was back on the Fifth talking with Gen on the phone. “A party? Of course you’ll go to this party and with a friend, too, may I add.” Therese couldn’t follow Gen’s train of thought. “What the fuck are you saying? Why would I want to go there if it’s so damn irrelevant for her whether I show up alone or with someone else? And who, may I ask, should I take there as my date?” She was losing it again, she could tell.
“ME, you dummy, you take me with you! And not as your “date-date” but as your BFF also known as the super sleuth of Manhattan…” Gen was again relishing her newfound identity. This could take time, Therese sighed listening to her friend humming the theme from Mission Impossible. “Oh gawd, this is going to be so much fun!” Gen screamed at her ear. “Get over here when you’re finished with your piece. We need to get you seriously dolled up…” Frowning, Therese put her cell away. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to think about tonight or about anything else, for that matter.
Right before the party Therese could feel herself getting extremely nervous. Wearing pants most of the time, she wasn’t at all comfortable with “the look” Gen had insisted she put on for the evening. “From my foregone pre-butch era”, Gen had explained somewhat apologetically.
It was a perfectly wonderful black dress, a distinctive and elegant combination of a tightly fitting bodice, slim waist and a flared skirt. It reminded Therese of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
“I don’t give a hoot what it reminds you of as long as it leads you to Breakfast at Carol’s”, Gen said as she was trying it on at Gen and Alex’s bedroom. “Give it a rest, will you…” she pleaded though it did make her smile. They had a couple of mint juleps – just to “take the edge off” as Gen put it.
Abby lived in a fancy apartment building along Central Park West. Therese grabbed Gen’s arm as they stepped inside the awe-inspiring lobby. “You have nothing to worry about,” Gen whispered squeezing her arm in encouragement, “I’ve got your back.”
The party was in full swing when they finally made it to the top floor. “Welcome! I’m so glad you decided to join us.” Abby, the perfect hostess, appeared from another room as they were shedding their over-garments at the hall. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” she exclaimed winking approvingly at Therese. “And who’s your handsome friend? I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure?” Suddenly flustered, Gen extended her hand. “Genevieve Cantrell”, she said trying desperately to get her act together. Genevieve? Therese was amused to see her easygoing friend so rattled. “Get in, get in. Let me introduce you to the ladies…” Abby ushered them in and Therese had the distinct feeling of walking into a lion’s den.
Therese saw Carol before she saw her. She looked stunning in her sleeveless, coral colored cocktail dress. Wiping away a loose blonde curl she seemed to be enjoying her chat with one of the ladies present, a redhead who kept spilling her drink on the mahogany floor. When Abby left to get Therese and Gen their drinks their eyes met.
Carol excused herself and made her way to meet the new arrivals. “Hello…” Her voice was sheer velvet. The gray eyes savored their increasingly nervous object. “What a gamine you are”, Carol murmured appreciatively slowly shifting her attention to Gen.
“I know you. You’re Katherine’s daughter, aren’t you?” Gen nodded enthusiastically. “How do you know Therese? Are you two…” Where’s the bloody drink? Therese agonized. “NO!” Gen exclaimed before Carol had time to finish her sentence. “I mean we’re best friends, study buddies.” Can this get any more embarrassing? “I have a girlfriend. Well, she’s not in here right now.” Oh yes it can. “How very nice for you and I’m sorry she couldn’t come tonight.” Carol’s smile was genuinely warm, not at all mocking or sarcastic.
“Here are your cocktails, ladies. Sorry it took so long.” Abby handed over the glasses positively beaming at the three of them. “There are some hors d’oeuvres over there on the bar if you’re feeling peckish.” Gen looked eagerly at the direction she was pointing. “Oh yeah? What’re you serving? Steak?” Carol chuckled while Therese cast a fierce glance at her friend. “Well aren’t you a live one! Come on smart ass, let’s get you some meat.” Amused, Abby dragged Gen away.
“You know, I’ve never seen you in a dress before,” Carol started when they were left alone. “You look very grown up, and it’s very becoming, I must say.” Therese was beaming. Once again, she was at loss for words. “What are you thinking? Sometimes I wonder what goes on behind those emerald eyes of yours.” It was almost like a reproach. “I’m sorry,” she started, “there are so many things I want to ask you – but I don’t know if you’d want me to.” Carol stared at her intently. “Ask me things, please…”
They were interrupted by Georgia, the redhead Therese had seen Carol talking to. “Who’s your lovely friend?” she asked her looking at Therese instead. “Therese Belivet,” she introduced herself. At least she still remembered her own name. “She’s my… accompanist,” Carol volunteered. “She’ll be with me on the stage tomorrow night.”
Georgia was intrigued. “Abby darling, I’ve met the famous Therese,” she hollered all the way to the other side of the room. Abby returned to their company slipping her hand around Georgia’s waist. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed, and it made Therese hot and cold at the same time. Her eyes wandered over Carol stopping at her curves, appreciating their supple lines, burning holes of desire on the delicate fabric covering what she longed to touch. Voices, words seem to float away, distance themselves from her. Someone put a cd on, that much she registered in her delirium. People, couples, started moving, dancing to the music. She saw Gen whirling around with a woman much older than her and it made her smile, almost giddy.
“Would you like to dance with me?” Carol extended her hand to Therese. Dumbfounded she followed her to the center of the room. “You know this one? Two Faces in the Dark? It’s a rumba…” Carol put her arm around Therese’s waist and pulled her closer. “I’ll lead,” she whispered.
Most usually I find
I have a tidy soul and a tidy mind
But some nights
When the sky is as blue
As a concord grape
In my tidy mind
Untidy dreams take shape
I look deep in the shadows that the evening brings
And see strangely wonderful things…
They started swaying to the incipient rhythm gradually fitting their movements together.
Sometimes, clearly
I see two faces in the dark
Touching, nearly
Two spellbound faces in the dark
Carol smiling at her, the inimitable gray eyes never leaving hers… Rumba is about mutual seduction, Therese remembered suddenly.
Longing to be close
Longing to fall in love
To know the wonder of
That splendid spark
The rapture of Carol’s hand on her waist. The intoxicating, madness inducing scent of her perfume. The growing need in her as she let Carol lead her on.
And would you believe it
Sometimes clearly
I see a small enchanted park
Kissing, nearly,
The same two faces in the dark
Mind you, it’s a dream
But by some fine design
Those spellbound faces are yours and mine
And then, the letting go when the music died down – the end of the world as far as Therese knew it. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings, of people watching, of people minding their own business. Of Gen beaming at her.
“Therese…” Carol had her fur coat on. “What is it?” She couldn’t believe Carol could just – leave. “I have Rindy, remember? I’m supposed to let the babysitter go… well, fifteen minutes ago, so I must be on my way.” She smiled apologetically. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye.”
Dazed, Therese stood in the hallway watching Carol first exchange a few quick words with Abby and then disappear out of sight.
Looking puzzled, Abby approached her. “I’m not sure if I got this right, but Carol asked me to give you a message…” Therese was all ears. “She told me to tell you she had a jocund evening.”