Contract for Love, page 22
“Eat your vegetables,” Sherry told Jake, but Madison sped up her eating too at her stern voice.
“Yes, Mom,” he said, and Madison almost repeated it.
When she became aware of her childish behavior, she held her head up extra high. “By the way, Danielle finally asked her mechanic out on a date and wants us to join them because she’s terrified to go alone.”
Sherry looked up. “Wow. It took her long enough.”
“Who’s asked her mechanic out?” Rita Mae asked. “And why would you join them on their date?”
Sherry grinned. “I think we should start this at the beginning.” She took a deep breath. “It all started with Danielle asking Madison for help about her expertise regarding women.”
“Expertise?” Rita Mae laughed.
“Hey, that’s not funny.” Madison stood when they were done eating. “I know plenty about women and I’m irresistible to them.”
“I have no problems resisting you,” Rita Mae said.
Sherry stood as well and collected the dishes. Leaning closer to Madison, she whispered, “Me neither.”
Madison liked the feel of Sherry’s breath on her ear, but her self-confidence had taken a blow. “However, Danielle has arranged to meet her sweetheart at the movies. Are you game for a lesbian double date?”
Sherry’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “We’re going to the movies?”
“If you want.”
“Oh, I haven’t been to the movies in forever.”
“Can I come too?” Jake asked.
“Not this time, grasshopper, because it’s late in the evening.”
“Oh, c’mon.”
“Wait a minute,” Rita Mae said. “Danielle is a lesbian too?”
Madison picked up the almost empty plates when she realized what she was doing. What the heck? She was paying Rita Mae to do this. To make a point—even if just to herself—she put the plates back on the table. If Sherry thought she had to help, that was fine, but it had nothing to do with her. “I don’t know about her being a lesbian, but she’s very much into this hot and definitely female mechanic.”
“Mom, what’s a lesbian?”
Everybody froze.
Sherry paled and swallowed. “A…a lesbian is a woman who loves women instead of men.”
Jake pondered that for a moment while looking back and forth between Sherry and Madison. “So you and Madison are—?”
Rita Mae jumped up, took two bowls from the table, and went to the kitchen without commenting.
“What’s up with her?” Jake asked quietly.
Madison breathed a sigh of relief that Jake’s line of thought seemed to be interrupted for the time being. She feigned a lightness she didn’t feel and leaned over to him. “I think she’s jealous. She wants to go to the movies too.”
Jake nodded. When he didn’t ask more questions, Sherry’s shoulders relaxed visibly while she continued to clean the table.
The following evening, Madison and Sherry were arriving late to the movie theater.
After Madison had parked the car in the underground garage, Sherry stopped her from getting out despite the time. “It’s been a while since Lillian’s birthday party, so I wanted to remind you of what we talked about afterward back then.”
That had been many weeks ago. “What exactly are you referring to?” Madison undid her seat belt. “We’re talking all the time.” Not that she minded. In the past, she hadn’t liked to talk much. Perhaps it hadn’t been the talking she didn’t like but the topics of conversation.
She and Sherry spoke about literally anything, especially about things that were important to them, like when Madison did something Sherry had a problem with or the other way around. It had taken some getting used to, but over time Madison had started seeing the benefits of talking about problems instead of ignoring them or drowning them in booze. Deep down, she even had to admit that she liked talking with Sherry. A positive side effect of it was that the more they spoke, the fewer misunderstandings they had and the more convincing they were as a family.
“Right?”
Madison blinked. “What was that?”
Sherry unbuckled her seat belt. “Have you heard anything I just said?”
“I, uh, yeah. But I’m not sure that I got it a—”
“Madison, admit that you haven’t listened.”
“I did. Really. Um…”
Sherry waved her off. “Save your breath.” She pushed open the passenger door. “I was talking about our agreement not to overdo it in public.”
“Overdo?”
Sherry raised her hand and ticked off the list on her fingers. “No passionate kissing, no groping, no sexual innuendos or—”
“Wait a minute. You make me sound like a pervert who can’t stop touching you.” Since Lillian’s birthday a few weeks ago, she and Sherry hadn’t kissed at all. And the only touches between them had been accidental—at work exchanging dishes or when she helped Sherry into her coat after their shifts. Or while they had been watching movies or playing board games with Jake or Rita Mae.
Now that she thought about it, she remembered more fleeting touches. Like when they passed each other in the hallway or the kitchen. And then there had been this one time when she’d woken up with her head on Sherry’s shoulder. Thankfully, Sherry hadn’t woken up to see it, and Madison had moved away instantly. Okay, maybe not as fast as she could have.
How strange that she could recall every single touch between them. In the past, she had never paid attention to things like that. But considering how sensitive Sherry was about touches, it probably made sense. “Haven’t I behaved like the perfect gentlewoman since we talked about it?”
“True, but except for working at the Archer, we haven’t been out in public together since.” Sherry exited the car and waited until Madison had gotten out too before she said, “I just wanted to mention it again.”
“You’ve made your point clear. Let’s go.”
Taking each other’s hands, they strolled toward the lobby. Yes, holding hands was part of their roles, but Madison could admit to herself that it felt good to feel Sherry’s hand in hers.
Danielle and the mechanic were standing about two arm’s lengths apart, looking everywhere but at each other. Both were silent.
“Are they just shy or is this the date from hell?” Sherry whispered in her ear.
Madison ignored the familiar tingle caused by Sherry’s warm breath and shrugged. “Let’s find out.” Louder, she said, “Danielle!”
Her cousin and Ruth sighed in unison as if relieved. “Madison, Sherry, you remember Ruth, right?”
“Of course,” Madison said.
After shaking hands, they studied today’s movie program.
“So, ladies, see anything you like?”
Sherry pinched her side.
“Ouch!”
“Behave,” Sherry whispered.
God, how she loved it when Sherry whispered with her hot breath into her ear. Even when she scolded her.
Again she tried to ignore her physical reaction. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about the movies.” Lowering her voice, she asked, “What did you think I was talking about?”
Sherry frowned at her, but soon it turned into a smile.
When Madison saw Danielle and Ruth following their interaction, she couldn’t resist any longer and gave Sherry a fleeting kiss on those soft lips.
The romantic comedy had been playing a few minutes already, but Sherry just couldn’t get into it. It wasn’t as if the movie was boring or anything, but because the armrest between their seats couldn’t be put down, Madison was sitting close. It was very distracting. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t as if she and Madison were on a real date.
And aside from the short kiss in the lobby, Madison was behaving in an exemplary manner so far.
Madison reached over to the cup holder on Sherry’s side, grabbed their shared Coke, and took the straw between her lips.
Sherry’s gaze was glued to how Madison sucked on the straw. Her mouth went dry. As soon as Madison returned the Coke, she took a big swallow herself.
Madison stared at her. “Pretty dry in here.”
Sherry leaned closer to whisper, “Yeah. When you want to drink some more, tell me and I can hand it over, okay?”
Madison looked back to the screen and nodded.
After a while, the first kiss between the protagonists came. It was quite passionate. Not for the first time, memories of the kisses she had shared with Madison at the party with Phil and at Lillian’s birthday flooded her senses. The kisses had been so soft, and how Madison had held her when—
“Sherry?”
“Huh?”
“Danielle just asked if we want to join them for a drink after the movie.” Leaning closer, she added, “It’s more of a begging, really. She’s afraid to go alone with Ruth.”
Sherry licked her dry lips. “Yeah, sure.”
“Good.” Madison focused on the movie again.
Sherry used the chance to look over at Madison and try to make sense of what was going on with herself. Yes, she was as inexperienced when it came to matters of the heart as she was about sexual attraction, but she wasn’t blind or stupid.
As much as she had tried to ignore it over the past few weeks, she couldn’t deny it any longer; she enjoyed Madison’s kisses. And the plan to avoid the kisses to leave her confusion behind had failed miserably because she thought about them more often than not.
She could lie to the world however she wanted to, but she had to be honest with herself: She felt attracted to Madison. She was attracted to her in a way she had never been before to anyone else.
But I’m straight!
She wasn’t interested in women. Not like that. Okay, maybe she wasn’t really interested in men like that either, but that was more because she hadn’t met the right one yet, not because she was gay.
She liked Madison. Not the arrogant and self-centered Madison, but the attentive, friendly, and thoughtful one. Initially, she’d thought the nice Madison was a façade that only occasionally appeared. Now she knew she opposite seemed to be the case. The old Madison hadn’t been the real one.
But regardless of whether she liked Madison, how could she be sure what was real?
Maybe she was so engrossed in her role as Madison’s partner that her mind was leading her to believe she really had feelings for her beyond friendship.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, that had to be it.
But why did she still have this nagging feeling that there was more to it than a confused mind?
Five minutes more and Ruth will run screaming. Madison couldn’t believe how the usually talkative Danielle stared silently down into her third cocktail.
Ruth’s expression varied between confusion and disappointment. She had tried a few times to start a conversation with Danielle but had finally given up after getting nothing but one-word answers.
“Danielle, you’ve been here before, right?” Madison asked when she couldn’t stand the silence any longer.
Danielle nodded.
This had to end. One way or another. Madison stood. “Could you show me where the restrooms are?”
Danielle raised her hand as if to point in one direction, but then she let her hand drop to her lap and stood too. “Sure.”
The doors of the restroom had barely fallen shut behind them when Madison whirled around. “What the hell are you doing?”
Danielle covered her face with both hands. “God, I’m the worst date ever.”
“That’s an understatement. If I were Ruth, I would have run screaming after your second cocktail. What’s your problem?”
Her hands fell to her sides as if they weighed a ton. “I’ve got no idea. When she’s close, I just can’t speak.”
“How did you manage to ask her out, then?”
Danielle inspected her fidgeting hands. “Well, she kind of asked.”
“Kind of?”
“I was too much of a chickenshit to ask her. So I told everybody at the garage I had a gift card and asked if anyone wanted to join me for a movie.”
“But how could you—?”
“I chose a day when I knew the guys were planning to watch football.”
“I still don’t get it. How could you know that Ruth wouldn’t want to join them?”
“I heard her once say that she doesn’t care much about football.”
“Ah, so when the others declined she came up to you and asked if you would take her.”
Danielle nodded and stumbled to one of the sinks to wash first her hands and then her face. She peered at her reflection. “I need another drink.”
“Bad idea. She’ll think you need beer goggles to find her attractive.”
Danielle groaned into the paper towel she’d used to dry her face.
Never would Madison have thought Danielle to be shy. It was a completely new side of her. “Why don’t you just go back outside and make her yours?”
Through the mirror she gazed at Madison. “But how?”
“First of all, start using answers that contain more than one word.”
Danielle spread her arms in a helpless gesture. “I really have no idea what’s up with me.”
“But I do. You have the hots for her. Stevie Wonder could see that from a mile away.”
“Why can’t it be as easy as with you and Sherry?”
Madison needed all her self-control to suppress a snort.
“It’s obvious how crazy in love you two are. You look at each other, and it seems as if your eyes do all the talking. I…I didn’t see it at first, but now I don’t know how I ever missed it.”
Madison’s eyebrows seemed to have a life of their own when they hiked up. Were she and Sherry really such good actresses?
“I mean” —Danielle blew an unruly strand of hair out of her face—“how you look at Sherry sometimes when you think nobody else is watching you and—”
“Nonsense!” Madison could have slapped herself. Why was she denying it? If Danielle thought her to be totally in love with Sherry, great.
Danielle touched her on the arm. “Even when you thought you were in love with me, you never looked at me like that. And I can’t blame you. Sherry is gorgeous. And it’s obvious that she feels just as much for you as you for her.”
Danielle’s words should have made her happy, but instead they left her with an unsettling feeling she couldn’t name.
“God, what wouldn’t I do to get Ruth to look at me like Sherry looks at you? This dreamy smile she sometimes sports when she follows your every movement.”
Sherry did that? Idiot. She’s playing her role convincingly. Same as you. It wasn’t anything but pretending, not for her and certainly not for Sherry. Sherry’s clear boundaries and pointing out that this was nothing but a business deal for her didn’t leave any room for doubt. Besides, Madison wasn’t exactly a lovable person. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“Enough about us. This isn’t about me and Sherry but about you and Ruth.”
“You’re right. So what do you suggest?”
“So, as I see it, Ruth is interested in you.”
“You really think so?”
“Why else would she have jumped at the chance to go to the movies with you?”
“Because she likes going to the movies and was out of money?”
Madison chuckled. “Are we by any chance a little insecure?”
Danielle shrugged.
“I have to admit your pick-up techniques leave a lot to be desired, my dear cousin. You’ve got no reason to be so insecure. You’re quite a catch. Remember that when we go back in a minute.”
“Thanks.” Danielle sighed. “But I don’t need to work on my pick-up techniques because I’m not planning on asking anybody out but Ruth.”
“Wow, you’re really head over heels.”
Danielle blushed.
“Okay, enough chitchat. Here’s my plan…”
When they walked back toward the table a few minutes later, Sherry and Ruth were sitting side by side, deep in conversation.
It seemed cozy, and Madison’s stomach was churning.
“Oh, no,” Danielle whispered. “Do you think Ruth is into Sherry?”
Madison’s teeth were clenched so strongly together that all she could do was shake her head.
Ruth laughed at something Sherry said and laid a hand on Sherry’s arm.
“Are we interrupting something?” Madison asked when they reached the table.
As if they had been caught, Ruth stood abruptly and walked back to her side of the table.
“Of course not,” Sherry said with a confused expression on her face. “We were just speaking about…the Archer.”
“Aha, sure.” Madison flopped down next to Sherry.
Danielle sank into her seat beside Ruth but kept staring at her lap.
So much for my plan. All of Danielle’s self-esteem had deflated like a pierced balloon. And what was going on between Ruth and Sherry? Don’t be ridiculous; Sherry is into men.
Ruth leaned toward Danielle and whispered something in her ear.
Danielle stared at her. “Really?”
Ruth nodded.
Danielle’s cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.
“Would you please excuse us for a moment?” Sherry pulled Madison with her when she stood.
Neither Ruth nor Danielle reacted to Sherry, who pulled Madison toward the restrooms.
From there, Madison could see Ruth and Danielle finally start to talk. Or to be more exact, they were whispering to each other, their foreheads almost touching as if sharing deep secrets.
“What the hell just happened?”
“I told Ruth that Danielle is head over heels with her, but she’s too nervous to do anything about it.”
“Oh.”
