The following Saturday morning, Kirsten was in the kitchen pouring herself a cup of coffee when the phone rang. Spotting the caller ID, she grinned as she answered. “Good morning, Brenda.” Talking to her best friend always put a smile on her face.
“Hello, sunshine. What’re you up to today?”
“I don’t have any plans. Why? What kind of trouble are you planning on getting into?”
“Why, Kirsten, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was calling to see if you wanted to go hiking this morning.”
“That sounds perfect. Pick me up in thirty minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Kirsten hung up the phone and went to her room to get ready. John had left before she’d awoken that morning. Kirsten felt she should be more upset that she would spend another day alone while her husband was at work, but she didn’t. She was looking forward to spending time with her.
Thirty minutes later, Brenda pulled into the driveway and honked. Kirsten grabbed her day pack, locked the front door, and got into Brenda’s car. They laughed and joked on the short ride to Peter’s Canyon, where they planned to spend the next two hours hiking.
As Kirsten exited Brenda’s car, she saw a couple at the trailhead holding hands and looking adoringly at each other, and her good mood faltered. That was how she’d imagined she and John would spend their weekends—hiking in the morning, going out to lunch to their favorite café, then going home and spending the rest of the day lazing in the pool or making love, or, even better, making love in the pool. She felt an overwhelming sadness and was grateful for the sunglasses that hid her tears.
“What’s up, Kirsten? You got quiet all of a sudden. Are you okay?”
She smiled sadly. “I’ve been thinking about my marriage. Something’s not working, and I don’t know how to talk to John about it.”
“What exactly isn’t working? Are you two arguing?”
“No. Nothing like that. Actually, we don’t spend enough time with each other to argue.”
“Is he still working long hours?”
“Yes, and the little time he is at home, he’s watching television or on the computer. We haven’t gone to bed at the same time in I don’t know how long.”
“So, you haven’t had sex for a while?”
Kirsten grimaced. “It’s been several months since we made love.”
“Several months? Honey, aren’t you…um…how are your needs getting met? If you know what I mean.”
Kirsten shrugged. “I’m taking care of it.” She winked at her.
“Is that so? Do I even want to know what you’re insinuating?”
“You know what they say; if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.”
Brenda laughed. “But don’t you miss it?”
“Well, sex with John is okay, but it’s never produced fireworks, and since he doesn’t always bring me to orgasm, I’ve become very well versed in the art of pleasuring myself. Now, I can produce fireworks.”
Brenda was laughing harder now and had to catch her breath. “I’ve told you before, you read too many of those romance novels. But I do have to say, when you’re with the right person, the sex you experience blows your mind. Now, back to the serious topic at hand, pardon the pun. Is there more to it than John working long hours?”
“I’m not sure, Bren. I just don’t feel the connection with him that I once had. It almost seems like we’re roommates rather than husband and wife.”
“What has he said about it? Is he under stress at work, besides the obvious?”
“How would I even know? We’re barely in the same room at the same time, let alone have any meaningful conversations. And, besides no sex, there’s not even any kissing or cuddling.” The guy riding the mountain bike past them slowed and looked back. Kirsten’s cheeks warmed, and she grabbed Brenda’s arm. “Come on. Let’s keep walking.”
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Are you up to going to marriage counseling to see if it’s something that can be fixed?”
“I’m not sure if it’s anything that can be fixed. But I do need to talk to him and let him know how I feel. Maybe he’s feeling the same.”
Brenda linked an arm through hers. “I think that’s a good idea. When are you going to talk to him?”
“Soon, but not tonight. He’s going over to a friend’s house to watch the fight on pay-per-view.”
“So, you’re free tonight? Why don’t you come to my basketball game? Then we can go out for drinks afterward.”
Kirsten and Brenda had met while hiking a little over a year ago on the very trail they were walking, and they’d become good and fast friends. But Kirsten was still discovering things about Brenda. “Since when do you play basketball? And why am I just finding this out?”
“Hey! I’ll have you know that I played in high school and junior college. One of the women I work with knows I used to play and invited me to join her team in a women’s recreation league a few years ago. Our first game of the season is tonight. Did I really forget to tell you I was playing on a team?”
Kirsten playfully punched Brenda in the arm. “Yes, Ms. Basketball, you did.”
“Sorry. Anyway, you wanna come with me? We usually go to a neighborhood bar for some beers after the game. It’s pretty laid back, and my teammates are super cool. You don’t mind going to a lesbian bar, do you?”
Kirsten was a little apprehensive. While it didn’t matter to her that Brenda was a lesbian, she hadn’t had much interaction with other lesbians since college, and those had mostly been with her dormitory roommate. They’d had a falling out toward the end of the school semester and had stopped hanging out together. It had been a painful time for Kirsten, one she didn’t like to think about.
She didn’t know how comfortable she would be in a lesbian bar, and she worried that a woman would hit on her. She scowled inwardly. God, Kirsten, get over yourself. Just go with your friend and have a good time tonight. She put her arm around Brenda’s shoulders as they headed back to the car.
“Sure, I’ll go. Sounds like fun.”