Autumn Leaves (11 page)

“Yes, and please don’t change your mind now. I need one person there I can talk to.” She realized how that must have sounded and quickly elaborated, “David’s gonna be busy with steaks and chicken.”

“Of course.” Callie gave her that beautiful smile that always seemed to light up her whole face. “If you need help with anything, I can come earlier.”

“No thanks. I think I got it covered.”

Rebecca was a little slow to turn, enough time for Callie to step forward and hug her. “I’m glad we are okay,” she whispered.
Yeah, but what exactly does that mean?
Rebecca wondered, a little too aware of the softness of Callie’s hair against her cheek.
Stop it.
They were friends. Friends hugged.

“Cal, did you…oops.” Rebecca jumped at the sound of Asha Malik’s voice. She was wearing a short black nightgown, exposing perfectly toned legs. The toenails of her bare feet were painted a dark purple. “Sorry,” she said cheerily, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“I need to go,” Rebecca said hastily.

“Oh no, not on my behalf.” Asha winked. Callie looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden, and Rebecca decided the moment to leave was long overdue.

“I’ll see you,” she said vaguely, fleeing from the scene of her imaginary transgression.

In her office, she leafed through a few cookbooks for tonight’s party. Rebecca found she couldn’t seem to sit down and get anything done, her attention going back to that box in the corner.

She didn’t have the time to keep reading now. There were still some groceries she needed to get, food to prepare. Her mind was wandering. Asha Malik was a stunningly attractive woman. She and Callie sure made a beautiful couple. She had put the smile back on Callie’s face. The thought of about twenty people invading her home tonight was all Rebecca could cling to in order not to imagine how exactly that happened.

Friends didn’t imagine each other kissing someone else, but then again, Rebecca had never had a lesbian friend. If her imagination was going a little wild, it was because this was all new for her. She’d get used to it. Hell, even Betty would get used to it, because Rebecca couldn’t believe the woman who had babysat her girls to be a mean-spirited bigot. It would all work out.

“First things first,” Rebecca said aloud to herself. “Groceries.” Maybe she should take Callie up on her offer and have her help with the preparation. As Rebecca turned the key in the ignition, the radio set to some upbeat channel, she smiled.
Great idea.
Now that would certainly help her focus.

* * * *

Rebecca and David shared a smile as the doorbell rang. Everything was set up to their satisfaction, the food, the party lights, drinks and dishes all in place. If she was honest, Rebecca liked an organizational challenge like this, getting everything ready on time and still having a moment to put on a pretty dress and sandals. It wasn’t like a lot of their guests would acknowledge that, because it was part of all of their reality. Callie possibly would, and Rebecca was beginning to think it wasn’t such a bad thing to be valued.

Maria and Craig were first, joined by Roz who had come alone. Perfect. That would save her from awkward small talk with Betty. Craig went to have a beer with his brother, and Roz engaged Dina in a conversation. The doorbell rang again, and Maggie perked up.

“It’s Callie!” She jumped to her feet, beaming. Rebecca smiled, not so much at her daughter’s reaction as at her own—she’d nearly done the same. All the time, she’d probably been worrying too much. Callie did all right in the community.

“David, Rebecca. Thanks for inviting me.” She had brought a bottle of wine which, Rebecca could tell from the label, was quite expensive.

“You’re very welcome,” David confirmed. “Excuse me.”

He went to open the door to more guests, while Rebecca took the offered gift. “Thank you. I’m not sure I want to share it with my friends though. You’re crazy. This costs a fortune.”

Callie leaned a little closer to whisper, “I thought with all the work you did, you should have a little reward. Let’s share it.”

It made Rebecca ridiculously happy that Callie had chosen this wine to bring to the party, not to Asha. “I love that idea,” she said.

Dusk was starting early. It was just a little over an hour later that Rebecca stood by the buffet, mentally dividing the remnants between leftovers and garbage as she usually did. She was distracted again, though, as she was the whole day.

David and Callie were sitting in the swing, having a pleasant conversation as far as she could tell from afar. Strange and a little confusing to see them together like this, the man she had vowed to love and the woman who was all over her mind these days. Across the yard, she realized Betty had caught her looking, a knowing expression on her face. She knew nothing, Rebecca thought with sudden anger. She had no idea how often they, in their small universe, had failed to accept people just because they were different. They had made jokes, more clueless than mean-spirited, but certainly inappropriate. Betty couldn’t possibly understand how bad Rebecca felt about that. She’d gotten lost in Callie’s work of fiction, was torn between wanting to open those doors, but afraid to do so. What if in the end, she got more than she bargained for?

There was a moth circling one of the party lights, and Rebecca chose to watch it instead, mesmerized, reminded of her earlier thoughts. If nothing else, she could sympathize with a living being that couldn’t withstand the temptation of being burned.

Later, when all guests had left, the yard was mostly cleaned up, and Rebecca was comfortably buzzed on Callie’s expensive wine, David said, “I need to confess something.”

Rebecca wasn’t too worried. If anything, she was grateful she wasn’t the only one struggling with something. Knowing David, it couldn’t be that bad. He’d probably done a load of white laundry with a red sock in it. She smiled at her own train of thought.

“That’s okay. I’ve had enough wine to be quite forgiving.”

He laughed. “It’s a good moment then. About going to the movies on Tuesday…Charles invited me to come see his brother’s boat.”

“Oh. I suppose it’s a guy thing.”

“Would you be terribly disappointed?”

“You’ll be back on the road soon…I can handle it, but Maggie will not be happy,” Rebecca presumed.

“I know. I’m sorry. Why don’t you ask Callie to come? We have the tickets anyway.”

“Yeah, I could do that.” Rebecca hesitated, wondering what Asha would think of an invitation to go see
Toy Story 3
. On the other hand, Maggie might be thrilled, and they had never had their girls’ afternoon out. She warmed to the idea, her earlier thoughts notwithstanding. They wouldn’t be so prominent with her daughters sitting right next to them.

“She’s writing children’s books after all,” David added. “She might have fun with that.” After a small pause he continued, “You didn’t seem so tired today.”

“Yeah. I think I’m feeling better.”

“Good.” He leaned forward to kiss her. “I think we’re going to need all the energy we can muster for Disneyland. The girls are really excited.”

“Me too,” Rebecca said, reaching out to switch off the lamp on the nightstand. “It was a nice evening.”

“It was. I don’t understand what the hell is up with Betty though.”

“Why?” she asked, her heart beating faster as she anticipated more questions. Until now, she’d never thought of Betty as malicious, but Rebecca became wary where her friend was concerned. She was wondering if they could still call themselves friends at all.

“I don’t know, she seems…off. She asked me what I was thinking of having a lesbian babysit my children.”

“What?” Not that it was that much of a surprise.

“I said we were grateful to have somebody who could make the time and did a great job.”

Rebecca smiled in the dark. “I bet that went over well.”

“None of our business who Callie sleeps with,” David said. “I’m just glad you have somebody to talk to outside of Saturday brunch. I was afraid you’d be lonely sometimes.”

Rebecca didn’t say anything to that, but she reached up to touch her face, the skin feeling warm under her fingertips. Did David even know what he was saying or how she could possibly interpret his words? Why was he so laid back about the facts when it had taken her some time to come to terms with them?

“Good night, David,” she said after the silence had stretched on too long. If she felt like crying again after the temporary high, it could only be the alcohol. She had to be more careful the next time.

* * * *

Callie kicked off her shoes and threw her dress in the vague direction of the chair, waking Asha in the process.

“Hey,” her editor said sleepily. “You had fun at your neighbor’s?”

There were various ways of interpreting her question.

“It was nice,” Callie sighed.

“Come on, tell me. You didn’t want to bring me as your date. That means you owe me some juicy details at least.”

“If only,” Callie laughed bitterly. “There are no details. Hell, I have no idea what I’m doing. She loves her kids and her husband. End of story.”

“Yet, she keeps wondering what if.” Asha sat up in bed, drawing back the covers for Callie.

“Don’t do that.”

“It’s true. Trust me. I’ve had my share of straight-girl drama.”

“I’m not going for any drama. We’re friends. I just want to finish my book and then get out of here.”

“Right. Tell me another one.”

“It’s impossible.”

“You don’t know until you don’t give it a try,” Asha said pragmatically.

“I won’t. I can’t,” Callie emphasized. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

Asha yawned. “All right then. Hurt yourself instead. That’s so much nobler. I hope it gives you good inspiration at least.” Her last words were muffled by the pillow Callie had thrown at her.

Her best-laid plans were bound to fail the moment Rebecca knocked on Callie’s door the next morning, with leftovers from the barbecue and an offer Callie couldn’t refuse. As usual, Rebecca’s day started long before hers. She was impeccably dressed, looking gorgeous in the dark gray dress. Callie had various moments of imagining what she could do in a darkened movie theater before Rebecca informed her that the girls would be with them.

It was really ironic, Callie reflected. Betty LaRue thought the worst of her. David Lowman, on the other hand, entrusted her with his wife and children.

“Sounds like a lot of fun,” she said. “I’m in.”

Rebecca’s expression was indefinable, before she smiled.

“Great.”

Maybe she was thinking about the prospects of a darkened room too. Maybe she just had a lot on her mind.

“Cal’s very lucky,” Asha called from the inside. “Where we come from, our neighbors aren’t always this considerate.”

Rebecca tugged on her ponytail, as if Asha’s presence was making her self-conscious.

“I’ll pick you up later then.”

“Okay. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Me too.”

When Callie closed the door and turned around, Asha took the bowl from her with a smirk. “The courtship rituals of a small-town girl. She feeds you. She takes you out to the theater. That is so sweet.”

“Oh, just shut up,” Callie said. She didn’t mean to be this harsh, but she didn’t want to hear any of it. She couldn’t afford thinking, not for a moment, that Rebecca might be just a tad jealous of Asha, that she saw competition there. If she went down that road, she’d risk everything that had righted itself in her life. She had time and a place to work without having to look over her shoulder, without being afraid. She didn’t want to attract the wrong people’s attention ever again. She wasn’t as brave as Rebecca thought she was.

Nevertheless, they had a movie date. Callie spent a considerable time trying to figure out what to wear that would be appropriate for the afternoon in town. Since the weather was still warm and dry, she settled on a black and white flowered cotton sundress and sandals. As she put on some lipstick, Asha appearing behind her in the mirror made her jump.

“I’ve got to leave in a couple of days at the latest. Will you be okay?”

“That’s all right,” Callie said, her hand still shaking. “At least no one will sneak up on me. I’ll call you if I’ve got the urge.”

“Ouch. I’m serious, Callie. Not only because I’m your friend with benefits, but also because I’m vowing you will come up with that book on time.”

“When did I ever not come up with it on time?”

Asha just raised her eyebrows.

“That was different. Rebecca is not Nicole.”

“No, but she can break your heart just the same.”

This was getting too complicated. Nicole did more than that, but it was nothing Callie wanted to discuss at the moment.

“You don’t die from a broken heart.”

Asha waited for a few heartbeats before she said, “Okay. Have fun.”

“Thanks.”

* * * *

Irrationally, Rebecca was mad at David as if he set her up this way on purpose. Roz and her niece were in the theater, the owners of the local pub with their young boy, and a few other familiar faces. If David had chosen to accompany his family, no one would be staring at them. Rebecca couldn’t say if it was because of Callie, that people saw her with Asha, or simply because they were suspecting anything more going on.