Finding Molly Parsons, page 8
“I’m not interested in alcohol. Don’t worry, I just want to have some fun.” It wasn’t a lie. Out of all the things she’d missed out on, alcohol wasn’t something she was overly excited about.
They made their way through the mansion until Carmen pointed to Mateo and an older woman with luscious red hair. “Carmen, my god, you look stunning.”
“Thanks Rita, you too. May I introduce you to Faith.” Carmen gently squeezed Faith in a side hug, which was comforting. There were so many stimulating things around. Carmen’s touch was grounding.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me.”
“Oh my, aren’t you just the most adorable thing ever?” Rita stepped forward and gave Faith two air kisses. “Feel free to swim. There’s a hot tub, too. Drinks are in the kitchen and the dance floor is wherever you want it to be. Oh, hang on, there’s my niece,” Rita waved to someone over Faith’s shoulder.
“That’s her cousin’s daughter, but they’re more like aunt and niece,” Carmen whispered. Faith turned to greet the newcomer and almost gasped out loud.
Standing there in a forest green bikini with a rainbow wraparound was Nathalie. The Nathalie from the bus station. Faith’s Nathalie.
Chapter 8
Carmen
So that was Nathalie. The girl who clearly got under Faith’s skin. Carmen grinned as the two young women stared at each other with wide eyes. Both a little shy and more than surprised at their reunion.
“Hey, why don’t you two go and catch up? You don’t want to be hanging around us oldies.” Carmen nudged Faith. She could see the girl was embarrassed and needed an excuse to duck away.
“Um… are you sure?” Faith asked, only momentarily tearing her eyes away from Nathalie. Carmen chuckled, nudging her again to suggest they take off. Faith and Nathalie didn’t need any more convincing.
“Have I missed something?” Rita asked.
“It seems Nathalie and Faith met a few days ago on a bus.”
“That’s who Nathalie was talking about. Wow, okay.”
“Nathalie mentioned Faith?”
“She most certainly did. Nat didn’t give me a name, but she wouldn’t stop yammering about this cute girl she met.”
Carmen smiled warmly. A sense of nostalgia washed over her as she watched Faith and Nathalie chat by the pool. Their feet dipped in the water. Carmen was twenty before she had any hands-on experience with a woman. Sure, she’d known for years prior that she was gay, but with all the upheaval and work both she and Mateo had to do to get themselves in a good place, women came second. That was until she met Hattie Belmont, in her third year at college.
Hattie was the heart and soul of any room she walked into. Carmen noticed her on the first day of college, but was far too focused on her studies to think too much about the buxom blonde. Then, one Friday night, Mateo convinced Carmen to attend a LGBTQI+ fundraiser. Lo-and-behold, Hattie Belmont was the student president in charge of the event. After a couple shots of bourbon, Carmen accessed a pool of confidence she didn’t know she had. Carmen charmed the pants off of Hattie that night—literally.
And there began Carmen’s journey into the sapphic world. The rest of her college experience involved a few more nights with Hattie and several other women. Carmen liked the idea of a girlfriend, but not the feelings. Caring for anyone else but Mateo was too daunting, and she didn’t trust anyone enough to let herself try. For years Mateo behaved similarly, but over time he put their therapist’s help to good use. Mateo wanted a boyfriend, someone to build a life with. That’s when his opinion on Carmen’s less than permanent arrangements with women bugged him and in turn, he bugged Carmen.
Now, watching Faith and Nathalie muddle their way through their second first interaction was hitting Carmen in the feels. What would it be like to really let someone get to know her? To allow herself to be vulnerable and give another person the trust needed to build a relationship? Carmen’s mind wandered to Molly Parsons, which was odd. She had no idea who the woman was or what she was like.
“Earth to Carmen.” Rita’s voice pulled Carmen out of her head. A Pride party wasn’t the time or place to be pondering life-altering things. “Sorry, just watching those two,” she replied, nodding in Faith and Nathalie’s direction.
“Cute, aren’t they?”
“Very. It’s nice to see Faith coming out of her shell. The difference today from just a few days ago is astonishing.”
“Mateo gave me a rundown of the situation. She’ll be okay, especially with you two on her side. Plus, kids are resilient.”
If that were true, why hadn’t Carmen bounced back so easily? She was in her mid-thirties, and still dealing with crap from her childhood. Hopefully Faith wouldn’t be like her.
“You know,” Rita began. “You could do that,” Rita pointed.
“Do what?”
“Talk to a woman. Get to know them. Start something that lasts longer than an evening.”
Aside from Mateo, Rita was Carmen’s closest friend. At ten years her senior, Rita offered both Mateo and Carmen an older sister/mom support. Rita worked at the shelter Mateo and Carmen stayed at over several months after they’d bolted from the system. In that time they became friends. Rita helped Carmen get her first job.
“Mateo has been harping at me to open up more,” Carmen sighed.
“Is he wrong?”
Carmen shrugged her shoulders. “Over the years, I was happy having fun. I was more worried about Mateo than me.”
“And now?”
Another shrug. “I don’t know.”
“I think you do. Considering we are even having this conversation is a massive step. You will always worry about Mateo—he’s your family—but he’s okay. In fact, he’s better than okay, and that is because of you. Maybe it’s time to circle back to yourself. Work on what’s going on up there.” Rita pointed to Carmen’s head. “Mateo is ready to settle down. He wants the same for you. So do I.”
Carmen wondered if Mateo and Rita had been discussing the subject at length. It wasn’t unusual for Mateo to seek Rita, especially if he was frustrated with Carmen. “Has he said something?”
It was Rita’s turn to sigh. “He’s just worried about you. He told me you’ve been spending more and more time in the house. Apparently, you hardly visit the offices anymore.”
Carmen ducked her head. “I’ve not become a hermit intentionally. I’m just comfortable in my house. What’s wrong with that?”
“See, when you adopt that petulant kid tone with me, I know you’re feeling bullied. But Carmen, that’s not the case and you know it.”
“I just… I don’t know,” Carmen tutted, slamming her drink back. So much for enjoying the party. No wonder Mateo had slinked off as soon as he could. The little asshole probably knew Rita was going to call her out on her bullshit.
“Don’t go on the defensive. Look, if all you want is casual, then fine, have at it. If that’s what you truly want. But, if the only reason you prefer casual is because of past trauma, then you know it’s time to figure your shit out. Maybe give Christine a call?”
Carmen had been discharged from Dr. Christine Stark’s care for nearly two years. They still checked in now and then, but Carmen wasn’t a patient. Did she really need to go back to therapy? If this were Mateo, Carmen wouldn’t hesitate to advise him to return to the good doctor.
Rubbing her forehead, Carmen tried to soothe her irritation. She wasn’t irritated at Rita or Mateo, but at herself. Huffing out a breath, Carmen knew what she had to do. “Thanks, Rita. I’ll give Christine a call. Even if it’s just for a refresher.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Actually, it’s probably sensible that you and Mateo check-in now you have Faith in your lives. She needs support, and you guys need to be in the right headspace to give it to her.”
Carmen nodded in agreement. Faith appearing in their lives had shaken something loose. The contentment she once felt for hiding away in her house failed to provide the same comfort. Watching Faith discover the world was a privilege. How many people got to re-invent themselves like that? Not too many, Carmen would wager. And here she was, wasting her life cowering from the world, hiding in her house.
“Alright, Ms. Dark and Gloomy. I can see you getting pissed off with yourself from here. Whatever you’re thinking, stop. At least for now. Enjoy the party and then tomorrow call Christine.”
Carmen laughed at Rita’s observation. Nothing got past that woman. “You’re right. Come on, let’s get a drink.”
◆◆◆
“Oh dear God.” Carmen clutched her head. The pain radiating through her skull was enough to make her eyes water.
“Shhh,” Mateo’s voice hissed.
“Ow, ow, ow,” Carmen chanted as she sat up.
“Hermana, I’m going to beat you to death with my butt plug if you don’t shut the fuck up.”
Mateo’s room swam into focus. Carmen had no memory of getting home from Rita’s house. In fact, she had no memories after Mateo made her drink… Oh Christ, those bright pink cocktails with candies at the bottom of the glass. What the hell kind of concoction had she consumed?
Gently rubbing her stomach, Carmen willed herself not to vomit. Counting to five, she exhaled slowly. A deep inhale and she was feeling bett—“Oh crap,” she moaned, running to the bathroom as fast as her still drunk ass could carry her.
“Feel better?” Mateo mumbled from his pillow when Carmen returned.
“I just got very intimate with the porcelain throne.”
“Gross.”
“What the hell happened yesterday?” Carmen closed her eyes and rested her head against the headboard.
“We got smashed,” Mateo groaned.
“You both got completely wasted,” Faith giggled from the bedroom door. Carmen’s eyes shot open. Fuck, they’d taken Faith to a party, told her to be safe and then got totally annihilated.
“Faith, oh crap, are you okay?”
Faith laughed again. “I’m fine. Rita helped me get you both home.”
“We are so sorry.” Carmen went to stand, but her body revolted.
“Stay in bed. You both look bad. I’ll grab you some water and Tylenol.”
Carmen waited for Faith to disappear before turning to Mateo. Jabbing him hard in the ribs, Carmen got a face full of pillow. “Mateo, get up. We have to make this right.”
“She’s fine. We are not.”
“We cannot let that girl look after us. We’re supposed to be the responsible adults.”
“Caarmmeeennn,” Mateo whined.
“You know I’m right. Jesus, Hermano, that was her first Pride party.”
Rolling over, Mateo pushed himself up the bed. “I hate you.”
“Tough shit, we need to get up. I’ll make the coffee and order breakfast.”
Together, they stumbled out of bed, still dressed in their party outfits. “I’m going to shower,” Mateo croaked. Carmen made it to the kitchen. Faith was sitting at the table messaging someone from her phone.
“Hey, sorry, I got distracted.” Faith went to get up, but Carmen stopped her.
“No, you carry on doing whatever you’re doing. I’m going to order breakfast.” Just the mention of food was making Carmen feel unwell. “Then we can talk about tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? No offense Carmen, but you look almost green.”
“I’m sure. I just need some caffeine.”
By the time Mateo made it out of the bathroom, Carmen was in a much better state. The fact she still couldn’t remember a thing weighed on her mind, but maybe she didn’t want to know. God knows she and Mateo had done some questionable things when drunk before. Hopefully yesterday wasn’t one of those times.
“Okay kid, give it to me straight,” Mateo sighed dramatically. “How much of an ass did I make of myself?”
“No more than anyone else,” Faith giggled. “There was a lot of singing. You were particularly into Cher,” Faith laughed.
“Well, that’s not too bad,” Mateo smiled. “If singing Cher badly is the worst of it, I think we can relax.”
“I didn’t say that was the worst of it,” Faith grinned. Carmen let her head hit the table. “I’m not sure I want to repeat some of the things I saw last night.”
Carmen groaned out loud. “Faith, please believe me, when I say that is not usually how I behave. What the hell was in those drinks, Mateo?”
“How should I know?”
“You handed them out!”
“I just passed them along. Rita made them.”
“You let us drink Rita’s cocktails? Are you insane?”
For the next ten minutes, Carmen laid into Mateo. Rita was a legend for her strong drinks. Both Carmen and Mateo had sworn never to touch her mixtures ever again after a very unfortunate incident with a police officer and a pineapple.
“Are you finished?” Mateo deadpanned. Carmen rested her head back on the table and nodded.
“Good. Now, forget about our sorry state and tell us, Faith…” Mateo grinned wickedly. “How was your night with Nathalie?”
Carmen laughed at the way Faith ducked her head. Every inch of skin was red. “Yeah, Faith, how was Nathalie?” Carmen couldn’t help but join in the gentle teasing.
“So, tomorrow,” Faith interjected, ignoring them both. “Are you sure you want to drive? We could look into taking a train.”
“I prefer driving. At least that way we are in charge of the travel time.”
“I’m sorry we can’t fly.” Faith was twisting her fingers together. A sign, Carmen knew, meant the young woman was feeling uncomfortable.
“Hey, we get a road trip out of it. And, as soon as you get your driver’s license, you’ll be good to fly.”
“I call dibs on the music,” Mateo sang.
“That will be shared equally. I’m not having three days of Cher or Kylie. I mean, I love them both, but not forty-five hours’ worth.”
“Can we get snacks?” Faith asked, her body relaxed again.
“Oh honey, we are going to have a stash of snacks. That’s like a road trip rule, numero uno.”
“What time are we heading out?” Mateo asked over the top of his coffee cup.
“Nice and early. Be ready by seven.”
“A.M?” Mateo screeched.
“Yes, a.m. Obviously. And don’t get all diva on me now, Hermano, it’s not like you will be driving first. So, be ready at seven and sleep in the car.”
“When do you think we will get to Vermont?” Faith asked.
“Hopefully by Wednesday.”
“You know, there must be a way of finding out if Molly is at that address before we haul our asses to the other side of the country,” Mateo remarked. Carmen had thought about it.
“True. But say we look the address up and it doesn’t have Molly listed as the tenant. That doesn’t mean she isn’t still in Vermont. We would need to ask the neighbors and current tenant if they have an idea where she might have moved too. Plus, I really want a road trip.”
“Alright. In that case, we need to get packed. Plus, it’s Sunday, and we all know what happens on a Sunday,” Mateo said expectantly.
“Facials and Manicures,” Carmen and Faith chanted back.
“Correct. Let’s get to it ladies!”
The day had started out horrifically, but by the time early evening rolled around, Carmen felt human again. The bucket full of coffee and three breakfast sandwiches helped.
With the car packed, Carmen was ready to go. The worst part about a road trip was the wait before going. She felt almost giddy, which wasn’t an emotion Carmen associated with herself very often.
At 9:45 p.m. the doorbell rang causing each of them to scream individually. “Who the hell is that?” Mateo demanded, rubbing his chest. “I almost poked my eye out with my tweezers.”
Carmen headed to the front door, equally irritated that there was someone at the house. Ripping open the door, Carmen was more than surprised to see Enid on her front porch.
“Evening dear,” Enid chirped. “I just came to drop my bag off.” Carmen—who towered over the old lady—stared down at her perfectly permed hair and bright green tracksuit. Next to Enid’s feet was a carry-on case adorned with palm trees.
“Um…” What was happening?
“Be a dear and pop it in the car. I’ll be over before half past seven.” Enid reached up and squeezed Carmen’s cheeks before retreating to her house. Carmen stood frozen for a few more moments, not sure how to process the interaction.
“Um…”
“Chica, who is it?” Mateo called.
“Um…”
“Carmen, are you alright?” Faith stood by her side, regarding the small suitcase. “Did Enid come round?”
“Yeah, I… well, I think she believes she’s coming with us tomorrow.” Carmen frowned. “How the hell does she know we’re going tomorrow?”
“Oh, I told her yesterday evening. Enid saw Rita and I carrying you in the house. She came around to make sure I was okay. Um… she may have taken a few photos of you two.” Faith waved her hand between Carmen and Mateo.
Carmen’s eyes stared back in horror. “What photos?”
“Oh, um, just you guys asleep while she drew things on your face. I washed them off when she left though.”
“I…” Carmen was lost for words again.
“She said it serves you right,” Faith laughed. “Anyway, we got talking, and I told her about our plans. She asked if she could tag along. I think she’s lonely and honestly misses Molly.”
“She’s traveling with us?”
“Yeah, um… is that okay?”
“I mean sure, I suppose.”
“What is happening out here? Why are you having a pow wow by the front door?” Mateo’s hand on hip stance made Carmen roll her eyes.
“It was Enid at the door. Seems we have another travel companion.”
“Enid, the lady who said I’m smooth as a Ken doll?”
“Yup, the very one.”
“Well, this is gonna be interesting,” he laughed.
Carmen scratched her head, still clueless about how the last five minutes had unfolded. “Are you positive, you’re okay with it?” Faith asked again. Carmen’s face was obviously giving off uncomfortable vibes.
