Second Chance for Romance

Chapter 21

Christy and I didn’t see each other the next day until after aerobics. She was her usual bouncy self, full of energy. Wren smirked at me, though, so Christy must’ve told her about the kiss. Christy skipped ahead of us and walked backward. I couldn’t help but smile, and she returned it with interest.

“Oh, yeah,” Trip said, “I’ve been meaning to ask. My dad wants me to listen to a band on Friday. They’re playing in Gatlinburg. Wren and I are just gonna spend the night rather than drive home so late. Y’all wanna go with us?”

“What kind of music is it?” I asked cautiously.

“Country and bluegrass.”

“Um… would you be offended if I pass?”

“Not at all. How ’bout you, Christy? Any interest?”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll stay home too.”

“You don’t like country music either?” I said.

She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. Then she twirled and danced away down the sidewalk.

Wren leaned forward and grinned at me. “Home alone on a Friday night?

Just the two of you? Whatever will you do?”

“Oh, behave,” I said.

“Is it too early to call it three to zip?” she asked Trip.

“Don’t count your chickens,” he warned.

“Exactly,” I said. “One kiss does not a romance make. Then again, ‘as in the soft and sweet eclipse, when soul meets soul on lover’s lips.’”

“You did not just make that up,” Wren said.

I chuckled. “No. Percy Shelley beat me to it.”

Trip turned the conversation back to plans for Friday night, and I watched Christy gambol through a patch of leaf-strewn lawn by the library. She danced for the sheer, uncomplicated joy of it, and I found myself smiling again.

The phone rang after dinner. Christy was already in the kitchen, so she answered. She talked for several minutes and sounded like she was chatting with a friend. She eventually stuck her head around the doorframe.

“Paul, it’s for you.”

“Why were you talking so long?”

“Just catching up,” she said without a trace of guile. “It’s Sara.”

“Oh. Okay. Um… I’ll take it in my room.”

She nodded and began talking to Sara again.

Upstairs, I closed my bedroom door and gingerly lifted the handset.

Dammit, Erin! I covered the mouthpiece and listened for a moment.

“—you find out?”

“She said before the weekend.”

“Good luck,” Christy said. “I hope she adds you.”

“Me too.”

I uncovered the mouthpiece and fumbled to make it sound like I’d just picked it up. “I’m here.”

“Okay,” Christy said. “Great talking to you, Sara. That’s really exciting about the show. I hope you get good news.”

“Thanks. And good luck with your exhibition too.”

“Thanks. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah, we’ll do that.”

“Thanks, Paul,” Christy said. “She’s all yours.”

The line clicked as she hung up.

“What the heck was that about?” I asked, a bit too brusquely.

Sara ignored the question. “Hi. How’re you?”

“Fine, thanks. You?”

“I’m good.”

“Now, what the heck was that about?”

She laughed. “We were just catching up.”

“How do you even know each other?”

“We met after her little rumor stunt. I could’ve sworn I told you.”

“Oh, yeah! Right. You did.”

“She came right up and introduced herself,” Sara recalled. “Apologized and everything. We had a good talk. I like her.”

“And I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s cute and female.”

“That doesn’t hurt, but from what you’ve told me, she’s already fallen for you. I’m not the type to steal someone else’s girlfriend. Unlike someone I won’t name.”

“Hey,” I protested, “I didn’t steal Daphne. And if I did, I gave her back.”

“In slightly better condition, too.” She laughed. “I’ll give you that.”

“Speaking of Daphne… How is she? Any news yet from whatshisname?

Austin?”

“Nothing new. She’s talking about getting a place of her own, though. I think he’s pushing her to move in with him. Sounds like he isn’t ready to commit yet but doesn’t want to let her get away. He isn’t stupid. He knows she won’t be single for long if he doesn’t tie her down.”

“She isn’t single now,” I said.

“Well, you know that, and I know that, but he still thinks I’m just her roommate.”

“She hasn’t told him?”

“No. She…” She sighed. “I always knew it would end like this. Daphne was never in it for the long run. Not with me, at least.”

“I still think she loves you.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. She keeps her real self locked away.”

“I guess she has to.”

“Yeah. If you’d been through some of the stuff she has…”

“I can imagine. Or I can’t. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do. Anyway, let’s change the subject. Talk about something happier. Like your little princess, Christy.”

“Yeah, that’s right!” I laughed. “You called her that.”

“It’s what she is. She doesn’t act like it, though, which makes her easy to like.”

“It does.” I didn’t mention any of the other reasons I liked her. Curse you too, Wren! “So,” I said instead, “what were you and the little princess talking

about? She mentioned a show?”

“Yeah! A gallery owner in the Castro saw some of my work and wants to include me in a show of female photographers. Only four or five pieces, but it’d be good exposure.”

“No pun intended.”

“Huh? Oh, no.”

“And you’ll find out Friday?”

“Hopefully.”

“Fingers crossed,” I said.

“Yeah, and Christy was telling me about her exhibition at the show next week. She’s nervous but really excited.”

“Her main piece should be awesome.” I told her about it.

“Wow. Very cool idea. Doesn’t sound like her, though. She had help?”

“Yeah, a friendly book nerd suggested it.”

“I dunno if I’d call you friendly,” she laughed, “but the rest fits.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.”

“I’m just teasing.”

“I know. I can tell when you’re really angry at me. You cuss a lot more.”

“Fuck you very much.”

“See?”

“So… things are going good with you and Christy?”

“Yeah. Heating up, actually.”

“Oh? Something happen?”

I told her about the kiss and everything leading up to it.

“Meeting her family already?” Sara laughed. “And she told them you were dating? Do I hear wedding bells in your future?”

“Hardly! She barely knows a thing about me.”

“She likes what she does know, though.”

“Yeah, but she hasn’t really scratched the surface.”

“Deep, dark secret hidden in your past?” she teased.

“More like several.”

“No shit?”

“No. For starters, my family are nudists.” I paused and blinked at the sense of mental whiplash. Had I really told her, just like that?

“For real?

“For real.”

“That makes sense, I guess. You didn’t have a problem posing for me.

That’s usually the biggest challenge with a new model, getting them to feel comfortable taking off their clothes. So how’d that happen? You being a nudist, I mean.”

I sketched out the story of my family and camp.

“Cool. There are a bunch of nude beaches out here. I’ve thought about going, just to work on my tan, but I never seemed to have the time, and now it’s too cold.”

“Yeah, sometimes I forget you’re sort of an honorary nudist.”

“Yep. Dance naked in front of enough people and you kinda lose the taboo.”

“See? I knew there was a reason we got along so well.”

“Had nothing to do with the fact that you tried to steal my girlfriend,” she said dryly. “Tried and failed, I should add.” She fell silent and then sighed.

“Change the subject again. Tell me something fun. About you and Christy.

Or you and the other girl, Gina. Hold on a second… just how many girlfriends do you have?”

“None at the moment. Gina’s an ex-girlfriend. Christy’s a future ex-girlfriend.”

She laughed.

“But I only want one. Tried the two-girlfriend thing once. It didn’t work out.”

“Another dark secret buried in your past?”

“Actually, yes.” I paused and decided if I really want to take the plunge or not.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said. “Heaven knows I keep enough secrets from you.”

“Well, this secret is a bit like you being a lesbian.”

“Oh? How?”

“Well… remember how you said my sex life was perverted?”

“I’m really sorry about that. I was just joking.”

“Well, it’s sort of true. I don’t think it’s perverted,” I said quickly, “but Ronnie and Queen Nancy might disagree.”

She laughed. “More perverted than being an unnatural ho-mo- sex-ual?”

I laughed too. “Hey, we all have our kinks, I guess.”

“So you know what mine is. What’s yours?”

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“You didn’t laugh when you found out about me,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, true.” I took a deep breath. “All right… here goes. My family are swingers too.”

She was silent for a long time.

“Finally shock you?” I said at last.

“No! I was just… trying to think of exactly what you mean. I know what I think it means, but…”

“My parents have sex parties with other couples. Not random people.

Close friends. Gina’s parents, for example. She and I started coming to the parties when we were old enough.” I didn’t mention how old. “And now that I have close friends my own age, we’re carrying on the tradition.”

“Yep. That’s what I was thinking. Wow. No wonder you’re pretty liberal.

I mean, being a lesbian is practically normal compared to you.”

“I told you,” I warned, “don’t judge me.”

“No, no, I don’t! I’m not. It’s just… a lot to take in at once.” She mused in silence for a moment. “Wow. You are complicated.”

“Told you.”

“And now I think I understand you better.”

“I thought you might.”

“It also explains why you were never jealous about me and Daphne. I mean, most guys…”

“I’m not like most guys.”

“No fucking kidding.”

We fell silent as she digested everything I’d told her.

“Wow,” she said again. “Just… wow.” Then she chuckled.

“What?”

“I was just thinking… we have the same taste in women.”

“Yeah, I guess we do.”

“You aren’t the jealous type, either.”

“Definitely not.”

“And you’re one of the few guys where I don’t feel like I have to guard myself when I’m naked around you.”

“Um, no. I understand the difference between just nude and nude for sex.” I followed her logic and laughed. “So you think I’d share girls with you?”

“We already have, when you think about it.”

“But now it’s my turn to share? Is that it?”

“Well… Christy’s really cute and all. And my girlfriend is ready to leave

me for a husband and kids.”

“Christy and I barely just kissed.”

“Yeah, but you’ll seduce her in a jiffy once you set your mind to it. Get busy!”

“You forget the Catholic guilt thing.”

“She didn’t seem guilty after you kissed her, did she? Or today?”

“No, not really. She’d talked to Wren about it, though.”

“Remind me who Wren is? I mean, I know who she is. But I don’t have a good image of her in my head.”

“Five-three, about 120 pounds. Brown hair, about like mine, and hazel-blue eyes. Curvy, but not a Playmate.”

“She isn’t an art major, is she?”

“No. Communications. Public Relations.”

“Ah, right.”

“If you ever saw her, she was with Christy.”

“All I remember is that little bitch Aisling.”

I laughed. “You carry a grudge, don’t you?”

“You’d better believe it, buster!”

“Well, anyway, Christy must’ve told Wren about the kiss. Wren is playing matchmaker from both sides, so I’m sure she told her not to rush off to church or anything.”

“That bugs you?”

“Yeah, it does.”

She laughed, but it was soft and ironic.

“What?”

“I used to love going to Mass,” she admitted. “It was the one time I knew I wouldn’t get slapped around or called names.”

“Family or other kids?” I asked after a moment.

“Father. Alcoholic. Mean drunk.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Change the subject. Back to you.”

“Right. Got it. But if you ever wanna talk…”

“I don’t,” she said curtly. Then she sniffed.

“Whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault.”

“You think I don’t know that! I don’t need a fucking shrink, asshole!”

“Hey, calm down. I’m not a shrink. I’m your friend, remember?”

“Yeah,” she said, and sniffed again. “Just brings back bad memories.”

She laughed bitterly. “You’re the first guy I’ve ever been able to talk to about this.”

“A lot of guys are assholes.”

“You aren’t, though. I’ll give you that.”

“Thanks.”

“But seriously, let’s change the subject. Back to you and Christy.”

“Okay.”

“Does she know any of your past?”

“About the nudism and swinging? Are you kidding?”

“No, I’m serious. You’ll have to tell her, sooner or later.”

“Does Daphne know about your past?”

“Yeah, she does, matter o’ fact. So, whaddya have to say to that?”

“Ha! Was that your Pittsburgh accent?”

“Yeah. You like it? I mostly lost it when I was working through the Midwest.”

“I like it. It’s a part of you that most people don’t know.”

“Yeah, it is. But don’t make me start crying again. Asshole.”

“I won’t. Anyway, about me and Christy… Yeah, I’ll have to tell her some of it, but I guess I’m waiting for the right time. On the other hand, that’s one of the things that’s so appealing about Gina.”

“What about her?”

“Her family and mine are best friends. They’re nudists and swingers too.”

“Ah, right! The parties. You mentioned her. So you wouldn’t have to explain your deep, dark secrets to her.”

“Right.”

“Then let me ask you this: do you think Christy can handle them? ’Cause you can’t change your past. You can hide it, but sooner or later, it always catches up with you.”

“That’s kinda what I’m worried about. Christy has this whole good-girl, bad-girl thing going on. Wren says she isn’t as goody-goody as I think, and I’ve seen flashes of that. Give the girl a glass of wine and she’s as flirty as anyone. But when she’s sober, when she thinks she needs to act like a ‘good Catholic girl’—”

“Mmm hmm.” She heard the quotes.

“—she’s a goody two shoes.”

“I’m not so sure,” she said after a moment. “You said she hadn’t had a drink when she kissed you.”

“A glass of wine at dinner, but that’s all. And that was a while before.

She was stone-cold sober at the time. And just to be clear, I kissed her.”

“Yeah, but she kissed you back. And she was sucking your finger before you did. That doesn’t sound like a goody two shoes at all. I mean, when I suck someone’s finger, I’m not thinking about going to confession.”

I laughed.

“So maybe you’re oversimplifying things.”

“Maybe. But I’m still worried about telling Christy about my past. Maybe I’m reading too much into her behavior.”

“Maybe you should actually talk to her instead of making assumptions.”

“Ha! Listen to you. Who’s the shrink now?”

“Hey, I just know how it was with Daphne and me. Some of my favorite memories are when we just talked.” She laughed softly. “That and watching her dance.”

“Seriously? Me too.”

“You too what?”

“Watching Christy dance. Ballet.” I explained about her impromptu routines after aerobics.

“With me it was always watching Daphne at the club.”

“I bet. She’s—”

Someone knocked on my door.

“Hold on a sec,” I said to Sara. To the door, “Yeah? C’mon in.”

Christy opened the door and stuck her head in. “Sorry to bother you…”

“No problem. What’s up?”

“Only, you’ve been talking for two hours, and… Are you almost done?”

“Holy crap! Really?” I looked at my watch.

“Sorry. It’s just that I told my mom I’d call, and…”

“I’ll wrap up,” I told her. “Gimme five minutes.”

She nodded and smiled. “Tell Sara I’m sorry. Oh, and tell her to let us know about the show. Okay?”

“Will do.”

She smiled again and pulled the door closed.

“The little princess needs to call the queen,” I told Sara.

“Huh?”

“Christy needs to call her mother.”

“Oh, right! Sorry. I speak in visual metaphors.”

“Ha! You do. Speaking of which… Christy wants you to let us know

about the show.”

“She’s just nice, isn’t she? I mean, like, honest-to-God nice.”

“Yeah, she is. Well, except when I’m a jerk to her.”

“Then don’t be a jerk to her. Jesus. How hard is that?”

I laughed. “Harder than you think!”

“I have faith in you. Now, let her call her mother.”

“Right.”

“And…”

I could almost hear her gathering her courage.

“Thanks for trusting me about that stuff, earlier.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Makes me feel better about trusting you.”

“You can always trust me.”

“I’m starting to realize that.”

I smiled. “Take care, Sara. Talk to you soon. And let us know about the show. We’re excited for you.”

She laughed, much to my surprise. “Did you just say ‘we’? Like you’re a couple?”

“Oh my God… I did!”

“Wedding bells,” she teased with a laugh. Then, “Take care yourself.

Talk to you soon.”

We said goodbye and hung up. I held the phone to my chest for a moment longer. I smiled as I replayed the last few minutes of conversation in my head.

“You’re pretty nice yourself, Sara Gilman,” I said to the ether. “You just save it for special people.”