Seer (15 page)

“So you are capable of a meal without wine.”

“Of course. I didn’t have any on our trip. But wine is like the rest of the meal. It is shared. And that is important to me, Sidney.”

“So that means neither of us drink?”

“Or we let someone drive us.”

“I suppose you have a driver.”

“Not a devoted driver, but yes. I can arrange for a driver.”

The waitress came by, delivering our drinks and a bread plate. When she left, Solange said, “So we’re both accustomed to getting our own way? Are you typically dominant in your relationships?”

“No,” I said. “But when something is important to me,
I can be an immovable mountain. This is especially important to me.”

“Even one glass of wine?” she asked.

“Eight hours,” I said. “Solange, promise me.”

She stared at me. “You’re telling me something else.”

“Yes,” I said. “I am telling you this is important to me, and while this is only our first date, and we’re getting way ahead of ourselves, this is one of very, very few issues on which I will not compromise. At all.”

“Tell me why, Sidney,” she ordered in a soft voice.

I looked away. “Bad topic.”

“Tell me.”

I looked out across the water. Sometimes it struck me, and I felt the tears sneak into the corners of my eyes.

“Sidney?” Solange asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Daddy wasn’t drunk,” I said. “It was two drinks, I guess. My aunt talked to me about it years later. He wasn’t a small man. Not fat, but not small. My aunt says he and my uncle had similar builds. My dad’s younger brother. Mom and Daddy both died. It was a one-car accident. There was a deer, I guess. Maybe the alcohol didn’t matter. But maybe if he hadn’t had any at all, his reactions would have been better.”

I wiped the tears away.

“Oh Sidney,” she said. “I didn’t know.”

I turned back. “We are never fighting about this. I’ll probably let you get your way on almost everything, but not on this.”

“Of course,” she replied.

“I’m not neurotic about anything else.”

“I didn’t think you were,” she said. “Sidney, it’s okay. Thank you for telling me.”

I turned away. My mood had plummeted, and I didn’t know how to fix it. Solange took my hand and caressed my arm for a minute.

“Did you grow up with your aunt?”

“Foster. She wasn’t my aunt yet. She was my mom’s best friend, but she was living in California at the time. I was sixteen, I think, when she and Uncle Ted got married. They asked me if I wanted to live with them, but by then, I was in a pretty good foster home, and they were freshly married. I talked to my foster mom about it, and she said she’d support whatever decision I made, but pointed out what it’s like to be a newlywed, trying to make it work with your new husband. I understood.”

I turned back to face her. “Did I scare you off?”

“No, Sidney,” she replied.

“All right. I’d like you to spend from now until the scallops arrive fixing my mood. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know someday, but it’s our first date.”

“Right,” she agreed.
“What is the difference between a female lawyer and a pit bull?”

“Oh god,” I said. “What?”

“Lipstick.”

I smiled.

“What’s the difference between God and a lawyer?” she asked. She didn’t wait for me to try to answer. “God doesn’t think he’s a lawyer.”

She went on with lawyer jokes until the waitress appeared with the scallops.
By the fourth, I was smiling consistently, and I laughed loudly at a few.

“Thank you,” I told her over the scallops.

“You’re welcome, Sidney,” she said.

The scallops were perfectly done, lightly caramelized on the outside and served over a small bed of greens. There were three of them, and we enjoyed them slowly. Solange cut the third one up before I could get to it, then she speared a piece and offered it to me.

I took it slowly, watching her eyes the entire time. She took the next for herself, then fed me the next bite, back and forth until it was gone. I found I couldn’t take my eyes from her.

We talked about light topics for a while. I think she was giving me more distance from the conversation earlier.

She asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. “An astronaut,” I answered. “You?”

“A mother,” she replied immediately. “That isn’t to be.”

“You’re still young,” I said.

She scoffed, but then schooled her expression. “Life has taken other turns,” she said instead. “My career…”

“I suppose.” I couldn’t imagine being a mother and balancing my career, either, although if I were going to get more work like what Ed had given me, I wouldn’t have to work as much to be comfortable. I said that out loud, and Solange laughed.

We traded travel stories, and I discovered she had been a lot of places I hadn’t. As I’d never been to Europe, and she had been born there, that wasn’t too hard.

I moved closer to her, and under the table, took her hand. A minute later, when she didn’t object, I leaned against her and laid my head on her shoulder. We sat quietly for several minutes.

“We couldn’t have done this not that many years ago,” I observed.

“I know,” she replied. “The world keeps changing. I love it.”

The meal came. We separated a little to eat, but I knew I’d be back against her side once the meal was over.
Both dishes were fabulous.

“Okay,” she said. “Pet peeves. My biggest: people who are incompetent at the jobs.”

“I know!” I said. “Yeah, me too. Or people who pretend to know what they’re talking about when they don’t.”

“Those guys are fun to rip to pieces though,” she said, “and I don’t surround myself with people who don’t get it.” She smiled. “Gas pumps that shut off early when filling my car.”

“Oh, I hate that,” I said. “Giving a cashier crisp, twenty-dollar bills and getting change that looks like it came from some six-year-old’s pocket after a day of swimming in his shorts.”

“
Eww,” she said. She paused. “Freezer burn of my favorite ice cream.”

“I thought you went through it so fast, that wasn’t a risk.”

“Sometimes I go digging for a flavor I remember from a month or so ago, only to realize it was more than that,” she admitted. “Got any pet peeves based on an ex-girlfriend?”

“Not a one,” I said. “But I bet they do.”

She laughed.

“You?”

“Absolutely not,” she replied.

We grinned at each other.

Eventually I was full, full, full. I pushed my plate away, made sure my hands were clean, then moved over to lean against Solange again. I laid my head on her shoulder, closed my eyes, and sighed happily.

“Sleepy?” she asked.

“No. Happy.”

The waitress stopped by, asked about dessert, and accepted my credit card instead. She was prompt, and five minutes later, I was holding my car door for Solange. Instead, she stopped, facing me from a foot away, and lifted her hand to my cheek.

“Not here,” I said. “It’s a parking lot. Your place.”

“Of course,” she said.

She got in and directed me back to her house. When I pulled up to the security kiosk, she handed me a card key. “Wave this over the space below the speaker,” she said. I did, and a moment later, the gate began to open.

“Does that get old?” I asked.

“I have transmitters in my cars,” she said. “I have to drive slowly, but I’d do that anyway.” She paused. “You can park in front, or there is space in the garage.”

“I’d like to come in,” I said. “You promised me ice cream. But I’m not spending the night. I didn’t invite you for a
one night fling. I hope you’re not disappointed.”

“I may have wanted you to stay,” she said, “but I wasn’t accepting an offer of a one night fling, either.”

I parked where I had earlier, and Solange took my arm as we stepped up to the house. Once we were inside, she said, “Please leave your keys here in this bowl.” There was a table next to the front door with a small bowl on it. “In case someone needs to move your car.”

I eyed her but did what she asked.
Solange took my hand and began dragging me through the house. I laughed as I followed along behind her. She led the way into the basement, through a small maze, and to a industrial walk-in freezer. She opened it, peeking inside for a moment.

“Making sure there are no dead bodies?”

“Yep. You never know. Come on.” She opened the door wider and pulled me inside.

It wasn’t a huge walk in freezer, I guess. There was just a single row down the middle with shelves on both sides and more at the end. The number of ice cream containers was truly impressive.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“I told you,” she said. She pulled me to the end. “This shelf has the new ones.” She turned to face me. “What do I get if I guess your favorite?”

“What do you want?”

“A kiss, of course.”

“What do I get if you’re wrong?”

“A kiss, of course.”

I laughed. “All right,” I agreed. “But not in here.”

“Okay…” She turned to her shelf. There were only a few flavors on her new shelf, but she had countless others to pick from. “I picked out four today that made me think of you, but I think this one is your favorite.” She grabbed one from the shelf and handed it to me.

I glanced at it. “Vanilla?” I said. “Seriously? That’s my favorite?”

She laughed. “No?”

“Where will I get my kiss?”

“I’m teasing,” she said. She took the vanilla back and handed me a fresh tin of mint chocolate chip. “This is your favorite.”

I actually didn’t have a favorite. I had several I liked. “Are you making another joke, and you’re going to keep trying until you get to my favorite?”

Her smile faded.

“Oh, Solange, I’m teasing,” I said. “Because of the vanilla thing.” I paused. “You really bought these because they remind you of me?”

She nodded, so I looked at the other flavors. There
was cookies and cream and strawberry.

“You get your kiss, Solange,” I said quietly. “The only one missing from my favorites is pistac
hio. I don’t have a single favorite, but these four are the ones I am most likely to buy.”

Her smile returned.

“If we’re having it over a brownie, perhaps the vanilla is best though.”

She nodded, and we left the rest where they were. Once we exited the freezer, her arm went around my waist, and we walked through the house. I got more of the tour until we landed in the kitchen.

“I want my kiss first,” she said, taking the ice cream from me and setting it aside. She stepped closer, one arm wrapping around my hip, the other cupping the back of my head. I tilted my face towards her and closed my eyes.

Our lips touched, tentatively at first, then more insistently. It was an amazing kiss, one that left me panting, and I found myself pressing against her, molding our bodies together. She accepted my passion and returned it, holding me tightly and not releasing me, even when she finally relinquished my mouth.

“Wow,” I said before laying my head against her shoulder, my face in her neck.

“Yeah,” she said.

We held each other for a while, but slowly we separated. I thought she might ask for another kiss, but she turned away not saying anything, and busied herself with warming a big brownie on a plate. She added ice cream and then dug out two spoons. There was a kitchen table with four chairs, so she led me there, and we sat down together, our knees touching.  I reached for a spoon, but she pulled them both out of the way.

“I should have only gotten one spoon,” she said. “Will you let me feed you?”

I nodded slowly then watched as she prepared the spoon, making sure to get a good mix of brownie and ice cream. She offered it to me, and I opened, letting her slide the spoon in.

I held the sweet treat in my mouth and watched while she took her own.

Back and forth we went until I had to beg off. “Enough for me,” I said.

She set the rest aside, then climbed to her feet and washed her hands. “Will you come with me?” she asked. I let her take my hand, and she led me upstairs and to her bedroom.

I stayed the night.

I knew it was a dream. I was seated at a card table across from Dolores. I looked to my right, and Solange was there, studying her cards. I didn’t see who her partner was.

My awareness expanded, and I could see more of the room. There were three tables of players. At another table, Dean was teasing Elsa, although I wasn’t sure about what. I didn’t recognize the room, but I knew we weren’t at my house. Elsa was partnered with Aubree.
I didn’t see Gabby, and I knew she wasn’t there, but it was okay. She had something else to do that night.

Then my focus narrowed to my own cards. I began folding my hand into a single stack, and I saw the queen of hearts. I cut my cards, moving them around, and folded them again, and still the card I saw was the queen of hearts. I did that over, and over, and each time, it was the queen of hearts.

I knew that meant something important.

My dreams did that, showing me something over and over. If this scene
wasn’t a metaphor, when the actual scene occurred next week or next month or whenever it was, I wouldn’t be folding my cards that way.

But the queen was important.

Of course, the entire scene could be another metaphor, although it was too normal of a scene for that. The metaphors were usually a lot stranger than this.

To my right, Solange bid eight clubs.

The scene warped, and I didn’t get to see how it played out. Everyone clustered around me as I tallied all the scorecards. I didn’t see who won, but Solange won the booby prize. What was strange was Aubree’s excitement, and she was the one who handed out the wrapped prizes.

Were we at
Aubree’s house? I didn’t think so.

“Go put that on,” Aubree ordered. Solange gave me a quick kiss then disappeared.

I heard her say, “You have got to be kidding me!” And then I just knew I was about to see what Aubree had given her. I thought it was going to be really good.

Instead, I woke up.

* * * *

“Good morning,” Solange said. She was caressing my bare shoulder. “You were dreaming.”

I rolled over to face her. “Yeah,” I said. I smiled. Even after a night’s sleep, she was stunning. Inside, I was fuzzy headed, still partly asleep, but I thought about the dream. I thought about the implications of the dream.

Solange and I had kissed, casually, as if we were accustomed to kissing.

If this was a fling for her, it was going to be one with duration. I suddenly felt a great deal more confident. My smile broadened.

“You seduced me,” I said.

“I sure did. You didn’t struggle very hard, I will point out.”

“As I recall, I didn’t struggle at all. Whatever must you think of me?”

“I think you’re a wonderful lover.” She rolled onto her back and stretched, exposing a goodly share of her body as she did so. I was pretty sure it was intentional. “I feel really good.”

Solange was not beauty model curvy, but I liked the curves she had, and she gave me a good chance to look at them, right then. So of course I did, and I enjoyed it besides.

When she rolled back, I said, “You did that on purpose. Tease.”

“I’m not teasing,” she said. “You may have anything you see.”

I was still not fully awake, and it took a moment for me to consider that. I knew I had morning breath, and I didn’t want to kiss her with it. So instead I moved over, rolling her onto her back, and snuggling tightly against her side. I let my fingers play with her skin.

“Now who is teasing?”

“Oh pah-lease,” I said. “If you’re not entirely satiated from last night, then you’re a nympho, and I couldn’t possibly keep up with you. Just admit it now.”

She chuckled.

I snuggled tighter, and she wrapped her arm around my back, finding her own bare skin to play with. It felt really good, and I closed my eyes.

“Solange,” I murmured. “I like you.”

“I should hope so, or I’d wonder what we were doing last night.”

“I’m being serious.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m just really happy right now.”

“Yeah, me too, but I’m being serious at the same time.”

“Well, I like you, too, Sidney.”

“I don’t share,” I said. I opened my eyes and looked up at her. “By that, I mean if this is the start of a relationship, it’s exclusive. No one else.”

“I don’t share, either,” she said. “And yes, this is the start of a relationship.”

“Good.” I closed my eyes again. “God, we’re a cliché. For the record, we’re not renting a
U-haul just yet.”

She chuckled, but then she said, “For the record, there is very little that is cliché about either of us, so if from time to time, it seems like it, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

It took me a minute to think about that, and when I did, I was filled with more confidence. “Did you just call me unique?”

“Yes, I did.”

If it were even possible, I snuggled more tightly.

“Did you have plans for the day?” I asked.

“I did. I am not remotely interested in them. I would instead like to spend the day with you.”

“I need exercise,” I said. “Would you like to learn how to ride a bike, or did you have something else you preferred?”

“I was going to offer to teach you to water ski,” she said. “But I like your plan at least as much. Do I need to buy a bike?”

“I’ll loan you one of mine. I can loan you clothes, too.”

“I’m afraid I’ll hurt your bike if I fall.”

“I’ll teach you on an old one,” I said. “But then once you have the hang of it, we can go for a ride, and you can use a better one. If we make a habit of it, you’ll want to buy shoes.”

“They make shoes for biking?”

“They make shoes for everything. Bicycle shoes have metal cleats on the bottom, and they clip into the pedals. That way, you can pull up on the pedals, too, giving you a stronger stroke, and your feet don’t slip off when you’re pedaling hard.
Ironically, they’re called clipless pedals, even though you clip into them.”

“Um. What happens when you come to a stop? Don’t you fall, if you can’t put your foot down?”

“You clip out. The clips disengage if you twist your foot. The first time you do it, you might fall. Everyone falls at least once, or at least almost falls. Your automatic reaction to beginning to fall tends to unclip you, so it’s a matter of whether you are able to stop the fall or not. You’re not afraid of a scrape or two, are you?”

“Yes,” she said, but I knew she wasn’t.

We lay together for a minute. I felt amazingly good. I was worried my emotions would get well ahead of me. Heck, I was worried they already had. I knew she was brilliant. I knew she could converse on a variety of topics. I knew she was a good lover. But I didn’t know how she would treat me. I didn’t know if she was just slumming it for a while. Getting too attached could be dangerous.

But my dreams were telling me something.

“So…” she said. “Biking this morning. And then we can come back here for swimming, and I can teach you to water ski.”

“Oh god,” I said.

“If I’m going to make myself into a fool learning to ride a bike, you can be the fool on water skis,” she said.

“All right,” I agreed. “You swim in the lake.”

“Sometimes. There’s a pool, too.”

“I didn’t see it.”

“Your tour wasn’t very complete,” she admitted. “It’s sort of indoor/outdoor. I can use it year round.”

“Somehow I don’t think that’s part of the original design of your ancestral home.”

“It’s not,” she said with a chuckle. “I took liberties. I’ve always wanted a pool.”

“Will you also teach me to drive the boat?”

“Yes, but maybe not today.” She paused. “How much of you do I get this weekend?”

“You had all of me last night,” I said. I opened my eyes and grinned up at her. “How much more do you want?”

“Did you want to teach me this card game you play? If it’s a day of teaching each other things, maybe it’s fitting.”

“It takes four,” I said. “We’d have to share each other, and after just discussing how we don’t share.”

“Brat,” she called me. “We can just spend the evening together if you want.”

“If you’re serious about the cards, I can make some calls.”

“If you can find one more, I bet Aubree would like to learn.”

“Afraid to be outnumbered by my friends?” I asked. “Calling in reinforcements?”

She smiled, but didn’t answer.

“All right,” I said. I kissed the side of her neck then scrambled away, rolling out of the bed on the far side, then began looking for my phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for my phone.”

“It’s in your purse on the dresser,” she said, pointing. I followed her finger and, still naked, padded to the dresser. Sure enough, my purse was waiting for me. I found my phone, then noticed Solange was watching me.

“What?” I asked.

“You have a hot body. I want it.”

“I have a forty-four-year-old body. It’s hardly hot.”

“It’s entirely hot,” she said. “Come back to bed and let me fondle it.”

I giggled and stretched, letting her get a good look. I didn’t have a hot body. I biked, but I also liked to eat. So I was in shape, but not obsessive shape.

I returned my attention to my phone. It was too early to call, but I felt safe sending Dolores a text. “Free tonight? Want to help teach someone to play 500?”

I set my phone down and turned back to look at Solange. She was watching me intently.

“You look like you’re thinking about eating me,” I said.

“Maybe I am.” Her gaze traveled down, and I knew where she was looking. I turned sideways and began to blush.

“I need to. Um.”

She didn’t say anything but instead pointed to a closed door. I walked to it and found it led to a bathroom. I’d been too busy to notice last night, but once I got to thinking about it, I realized I really, really had to go.

While I was in there, I cleaned up a little, poking at my hair. I didn’t want to take too many liberties, so I didn’t go looking for a brush. I left the room. Solange was still in bed, but sitting up, and she had her own phone.

“You got a response,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind. I glanced at it. And Aubree said ‘yes’ as well. She needs details.”

I stepped to the dresser. Dolores had texted back. “Sure. Call me.”

She answered on the second
ring. “Good morning,” she answered.

“I hope my text didn’t wake you.”

“No. I was awake, staring at my phone and wondering if it was too early to call you. I had just decided it was when I got your text. Who are we teaching?”

I paused, suddenly nervous. “I had a date last night.”

“Oh, excellent!” Dolores replied. “How was it?”

“I’m standing in her bedroom.”

Dolores was quiet for a moment. “So, I take it that means it went really well.” She chuckled. “Do all lesbians move that quickly? I take it if we’re teaching her to play cards, it’s not a one-night stand.”

“Yes, it went well. Yes, pretty much, lesbians move quickly. And no, it’s not a one-night stand.”

I glanced at Solange. She was smiling softly while watching me.

“I suppose she’s right there, listening to you.”

“Yep. I think she’s amused.” Solange nodded agreement.

“Is she hot?”

“Stunning, Dolores. She’s absolutely stunning.”

Solange grinned and preened a little.

“Was that for my benefit or hers?” Dolores asked with a chuckle. “Sucking up to her already?”

“Just sharing the truth. So. Tonight. I was thinking my place for dinner.”

“Hmm,” Dolores replied. “How about if I host instead? That way when you two want to go do what bunnies do, you aren’t stuck trying to toss the guests out of the house. You can show off your culinary skills another night.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Arrive between five and six, and don’t worry about bringing anything. I know how you are about drinking and driving, so we’ll make it a no-alcohol evening.”

“You’re a doll,” I said. I relayed the plans to Solange, and she nodded.

“Do we have a fourth?” Dolores asked.

“Yes. Someone named Aubree. She’s a lawyer, too.”

“Ooh, you found yourself a lawyer,” Dolores said. “Is she rich?”

“Filthy,” I said. “I’m after her for her money.” Dolores and Solange both chuckled.

“Liar,” Solange replied.

“Is Aubree male or female?” Dolores asked.

“Female.”

“Damn,” she said, and I chuckled. “Maybe I should put that tee shirt on and take it seriously. Will I like her?”

“I’m not sure she’s any more gay than you are, Dolores.”

“Aubree?” Solange asked quietly, and I nodded. “She’s flexible. Dolores?” And I shook my head.