A Beautiful Secret, page 9
The band started up and couples made their way to the dance floor. Holding Preston, it was easy to lose herself in the music as he took the lead. As they slow danced, Tegan put her head on Preston’s shoulder and let him rock her back and forth to the music. She wished they could fall in love. It would have made everything so much easier. She would be the perfect wife and Preston would wear a suit and tie to the office and go to court to argue important cases.
Tegan devised a plan. She asked her father if she could take the camper out for the weekend. Markham Park had full RV hookups, picnic tables, charcoal grills, and restrooms with hot showers. “Please, Daddy. I just need to be outdoors and have some fun. The weather is beautiful and I want to invite some friends out to join me and maybe spend the night.”
Tegan and Preston had plans to go out on a date the following weekend. Preston was as devious as he was smart. They had been going on double dates with his boyfriend, Marcus, and Danielle, Marcus’s cousin. This allowed them to go out without worrying about appearances. Marcus was a fantastic guy. Danielle was pretty, smart, and funny. Preston and Marcus found it hard to find time to be together as they both lived at home with their parents and families.
Tim considered it. His daughter was responsible, had never gotten into any trouble, and he trusted her. If she wanted to have sex with Preston there was nothing he could do to stop her, but it didn’t bother him. He was more concerned about drugs and alcohol.
“Dad, no drugs and no wild parties, I promise. Besides, the park rangers are constantly patrolling for violations and there is twenty-four-hour security. Quiet time is eleven p.m. until seven a.m., and nothing stronger than beer and wine is allowed anywhere in the park.”
He thought for a moment. “Okay, dear. Just keep your phone with you and maybe send me a text now and then so I know you are all right.”
She hugged him like in the old days, “Thanks, Daddy.”
Rather than hauling the camper to the park alone Tegan asked Danielle for help. The minimum age to camp was eighteen and Danielle was twenty. The previous day they went to a store that was notoriously lax for checking IDs and Danielle bought some beer and wine. The cashier didn't even ask to see her driver’s license.
The park ranger was more scrupulous, confirming Danielle’s age before she registered them. After backing in, they hooked it up, turned on the air conditioning and went to Tegan's house to change for their dates. They told both young men to pack for a sleepover. After a dinner of pizza and a movie, Tegan told Preston to drive west on I-595 and keep going until she told him to turn. The guys had no idea where they were going. Showing their camping registration to the ranger at the gate, she waved them in. At the campsite the boys were still clueless. Tegan lit the fire pit, opened the camper, and took out a bottle of champagne with four glasses. Sitting in sling chairs around the fire, Tegan poured for them all and toasted, “Cheers!” While they relaxed, Tegan linked her phone to the Bose Bluetooth speaker system in the camper and put on a mix of classic blues, jazz, and rock ballads.
“Great idea, Tegan. You are amazing.” Preston exclaimed as he kissed her on the cheek. They sat around the fire chatting until he asked, “Do you mind if Marcus and I check out the camper?”
She waved her glass and said, “Leave this bottle of champagne; there’s more in the fridge. Take your time. Danielle and I are going for a walk. See you in an hour.” She topped up their drinks and took Danielle to the levee above the canal that separated the park from the everglades. Tegan folded a blanket into fourths for them to sit on, looking west over the sea of grass. As their eyes grew accustomed to the dark, the stars began to appear brighter.
Danielle said, “Marcus and I grew up together. We have always been close. I knew he was gay, but I never said anything. If he came out, all the scholarship offers would disappear. It’s so unfair. I’m thrilled about what you are doing for Preston and Marcus. Thank you.”
Tegan paused for a moment, then asked, “How much do you know?”
Danielle winced. “About you and Gina? Everything, I think. I hope you aren’t mad.”
Tegan thought for a minute before answering. “No, of course not. Just tired of being surrounded by assholes. I’m not even sure about Gina anymore, but I know I can trust Preston and Marcus.”
After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Tegan said, “It wasn’t much. I have such little control over anything that it’s a relief to do something.”
The night was perfect. Cool and clear with no city lights obscuring the stars. The call of the whippoorwill floated over the grass as the frogs began their nightly song. A grunt from an alligator made Tegan long for home.
Danielle asked, “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.”
“I’ve never kissed a girl before. I’ve always wondered what it would be like.”
Tegan asked her, “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Yeah.”
“I wanted to kiss you from the moment I met you.”
Neither girl saw the falling star streak across the sky as their lips parted and their tongues touched.
Chapter 13
You can’t give your heart to a wild thing.
Truman Capote
The Saint Michael’s Academy girls’ volleyball team won the South-East Regional Championship, then were eliminated in the semi-final round of the State Championship. Now that the season was over it was a strange letdown to have some time to herself. Tegan looked forward to continuing her research on Claude and Camille Monet.
With only a week before Christmas, Tegan hadn't finished her shopping. Gina suggested they go to Aventura Mall in North Miami. Gina drove over and talked her into wearing a white scoop-neck tank dress with nothing but a thong underneath and painted her nails and toes with bright red polish. The weather was brisk so Tegan drove them in her pickup instead of Gina’s Jeep. Holiday shoppers, teens hanging out, and window shoppers crowded the mall so it took the girls over three hours to complete their shopping. Passing a store on the way to the parking garage, Gina saw a pair of wedge sandals in a store window and they went in and asked the salesclerk to see a pair in Tegan’s size.
She walked around the store to try out the new shoes. Feeling sexy, she tossed her hair and strutted back to model the shoes for Gin, who approved and offered to buy them for her. Tegan gave her a thank-you kiss and walked into the mall to get used to her new shoes. Across the mall she saw two girls that look familiar but they weren’t looking her way. The new shoes accentuated Tegan's long legs, making them appear even longer in her reflection in the shop windows. It was unclear whether Gina or Tegan was getting more glances now.
They stopped for smoothies at the food court and found a tall, deep booth in the back. They put the bags on one side and sat hip to hip on the other. Gina asked Tegan what she thought about the lady in the shoe store.
“Beautiful. I can see you looking like that when you are her age.”
“Thanks, I agree. She is totally hot.”
Tegan said, “Thank you too.”
“What for? The smoothie?” Gina asked.
“Not just that. For everything. For being so good to me and making me feel special.” Tegan leaned over and pressed her lips against Gina’s fuller, red painted lips, and found an eager tongue waiting. Soon their hands were on each other as their tongues danced inside their mouths. When they pulled apart, both girls were panting.
“Let’s go,” commanded Gina.
The following week dragged by. Gina's family was spending Christmas at her aunt and uncle's house. Preston's family always spent Christmas through the New Year at their condo in Aspen. Preston's dad used this as an excuse to decline the dozens of invitations he got every year. He would throw a New Year's Eve party for his employees aboard a cruise ship that would sail from Port Everglades out to the ocean all night to allow the guests to watch the fireworks, then sailing back again the following afternoon. Even though Ted paid for it all, he never attended. His motto was, “the fastest way to ruin a party is to invite the boss.”
On her computer Tegan turned Preston's famous photograph into a brightly-colored expressionist work of art, à la LaRoy Neiman and took it to a graphics company to have it printed in poster size.
Victor, the owner, printed out a reduced-size proof copy on a wide-carriage color laser printer. It was beautiful.
“I love it, and have a suggestion. My buddy is a football nut, This would go great in his man cave and I think my son would love it too. If I print twelve on my best wide carriage printer on premium paper, you can have six for free and I’ll keep six. Do we have a deal?”
Tegan agreed.
The next day, Tegan went to see the finished product. “Victor, it’s stunning. You have done a wonderful job.” Tegan numbered and signed each one, and Victor included an embossed seal over the signature.
The Palmers held a small gathering of close friends and family at their home the night before they left for Colorado. The gathering included Preston's two older grown-up sisters, with their husbands and kids. Tegan had already sent a Christmas card and she arrived with a box of handmade chocolates for Preston's mom, a silk tie for his dad, and a pair of Classic RayBan aviator sunglasses for Preston. It was informal, with a buffet and a catered bar. The kids got presents and could open them because Grandma and Grandpa wouldn't be there on Christmas Day.
When the children had finished opening their gifts Preston took out a small wrapped gift and presented it to Tegan. She set it down on the coffee table and passed out the gifts she had brought. Mom was delighted with the chocolates (her weakness, she admitted). Ted modeled the tie to much applause; the Ray bans fit Preston perfectly. When Tegan opened her gift, her heart skipped a beat. Inside the box was a teardrop blue sapphire pendant necklace set in platinum, on a platinum chain. There was no way it was not genuine. Tegan turned to Preston. “I can't. It's too much.”
Mr. Palmer interrupted. “Tegan, please accept this small token of how much we appreciate you becoming a part of our lives.”
“Hear, hear, Merry Christmas,” cheered Preston's brother-in-law and everyone joined him. Preston's sister Cathy sat down beside her, removed Tegan's tiny gold chain, and replaced it with the sapphire pendant.
“Thank you so much!” Tegan said with a lump in her throat before hugging Preston. Tegan exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! I almost forgot something, Preston. Could you help me?”
Once outside, Tegan leaned back against her truck and said, “I just needed some time alone with you. And so they couldn’t see me cry.”
Preston held her. “Honey. You are the best. The best girlfriend. The best friend. I hope you don’t mind that I love you.”
“Pres. I love you too. How did you find this geeky girl and make her so happy? Never mind. Just give me a minute to stop crying and fix my makeup, then please carry this inside for me.”
Everyone was waiting when they returned. When Preston tore open the wrapping paper, a hushed silence filled the room before the applause began. Everyone present was well aware of the photo, and seeing it rendered into a work of art was incredibly moving. At the end of the night, Tegan was reluctant to depart.
In the foyer, Cathy, Preston’s youngest sister gave her a kiss on the cheek that ended up with her lips on Tegan’s ear as she whispered, “You are amazing!” On wobbly legs, Tegan barely managed to make it out.
With her friends out of town, Tegan spent time with her parents. Although it was an excellent opportunity to relax and catch up, it was a dreary affair.
Icarus' father warned him first of complacence and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun. The wax in his wings melted; he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea. If Tegan had received the same advice, she wouldn't have listened either.
The first Saturday morning after Christmas started out beautifully. Gina’s parents had invited Tegan and some of their friends over that evening for a football-watching party. Later in the afternoon, Gina and Tegan went into the kitchen to help. Despite owning pizza restaurants, her dad was not a good cook, and her mom wasn't much better. Mickey was staring at a strip loin, trying to figure it out. He had ordered enough for ten people, but didn't ask to have it cut into steaks. Tegan shooed him out of the kitchen and took over.
Soon, everything was cooking, and she could take a break. She stuck her head into the game room, where the adults were playing poker and considered asking to join them. Poker was a way of life down in the bayou. She had been playing for years.
She asked, “How much are the chips worth?”
Mickey said, “Whites are one, reds are five, and greens are twenty-five.”
“Cents or dollars?”
They gave her a funny look, since they were playing for fun, with no cash involved.
Playing for fun? That’s so boring.
She excused herself to check on dinner.
Gina and Tony set the table complete with wine, water, candles, and the good silver. The steak was in the center of the table when Theresa called everyone to dinner. There were eleven for dinner, but the table seated ten, four on each side and one at each end. Tegan and Tony squeezed in together at one end, and everyone fit. Having smelled the meat roasting in the oven for two hours, everyone was hungry. Tony and his friends were gobbling down everything in sight. All three women were gorgeous (well, five, if you counted the two high school girls), and the boys were trying to act gentlemanly between swallows.
After dinner, the men went out back to smoke cigars, and the women gathered in the kitchen. Around ten p.m., Malcolm's mom called that she was outside to pick him up so he excused himself. Theresa watched him until he got into the car and waved goodnight. The party was breaking up, so the girls also excused themselves. They slept together in Gina's queen-sized bed wearing chaste flannel PJs with the door open a crack to appease the grown-ups. Sunday morning, the parents had gone to the club to play golf and tennis by the time Gina and Tegan got up.
The first day after returning to school from Christmas break, Tegan realized there was a secret going around that she wasn't privy to. There were too many sly glances and whispers to be a coincidence. In the hallway, she passed Vanessa and her friends and heard from behind, “Munch much?” followed by peals of laughter.
It took until Wednesday to find out. In art class, her study partner Brittany asked, “So, how long have you and Gina been together?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing, just making conversation.” Brittany looked at her. “Shit. You don’t know?”
Tegan shook her head.
Brittany thumbed her phone and passed it to Tegan. “I’m so sorry.”
Tegan looked at a photo of herself and Gina kissing. Not just kissing, really kissing. Like tonsil hockey kissing. Sheathed in the skintight white mini-dress she wore to the mall three weeks ago, Tegan remembered that kiss. She got dizzy and pushed the phone back to Brittany. “Are there more?”
Brittany nodded. “Yes. And a video.”
At home, Tegan threw herself on the bed. If those pics hit the internet, life was over. Staring at the ceiling, she remembered the two girls from the volleyball game at Aventura Mall. They were from school and probably had seen Tegan and Gina kissing and holding hands. It was the ballet dancer and her little red-haired friend. Gina texted Tegan that night, telling her not to call for a while. There were still months until the end of the school year and graduation.
I can handle it. What I can't stand is not seeing Gina.
They had made plans to enroll in college together and to be roommates but now Gina’s parents wouldn’t let them see each other. They wanted her away and it was a stupid plan. If she were gay, sending her away only gave her greater freedom to express it. Nevertheless, as usual, Tegan seemed to be powerless to do anything about it.
Martin Luther King Day came on a Monday, so there were no classes. Staying home to mind her mother, who showed no sign of improvement, despite her new doctors and seemed to get worse. Each morning, Tegan dragged her mother out of bed and into the family room, where she remained until supper.
Tegan hadn’t heard from Gina for over two weeks, and texted her one more time, hoping she would text back. Within a minute, her phone began to ring.
Oh my God! It’s her. It’s Gina!
“Hello?”
“Tegan, what the fuck? Don’t call or text me anymore.”
“What? What do you mean? I thought you loved me.”
Gina snorted into the phone. “God. You’re a decent piece of ass, but so naive. Listen carefully. It’s over! Don’t call or text me.” Then she hung up.
The next day, Tegan could see two girls walking across the courtyard at school. One had long dark hair, and the other sported brilliant red curls. The ballet dancer and her friend.
Was it those two who had taken the pictures and shared them? Why would they do that?
Three girls Tegan barely knew were eager to tell her that Gina had been fucking Vince since the homecoming dance.
Tegan shook her head. “And it took you two months before you decided to tell me about it? Thanks for nothing and get out of my face.”
In the back of her mind, Tegan had been hoping that maybe it wasn’t over, but knowing that she had been used and played for a fool was totally humiliating. The only way to make it through was to do what she always did: keep her chin up and put one foot forward, a step at a time.
