“What do you need?” Lisa asked as Joey wandered back toward the head table.
“Nothing, except to get off my feet for a minute.”
“Are you sure? Water? More champagne?” She bounced on her toes in anticipation.
“No, thank you. One was more than enough. I’m afraid a second would wreck me.”
“And you want to be able to perform on your wedding night?”
Joey snorted. “Something like that.”
Lisa pulled out two chairs, and they flopped into them. “Do you have any questions about that?”
“What?”
“The wedding night.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “You know, like what will be expected of you in the bridal chambers?”
Joey shook her head and rolled her eyes. “No, I want to be surprised.”
“Good call.”
Silence fell between them, and for the first time in a long time, Lisa felt the need to fill it. “What do you think of the DJ?”
Joey looked over the hip young woman with spiked hair and an oversized set of headphones. “She’s doing a good job.”
“Yeah, but she’s cute, right?”
“Did you just ask me to check out another woman at my own wedding?”
“Wedding reception.”
“Oh, that’s much better.” Joey looked over her shoulder again. “Seems a bit young for you.”
“Says the woman who just married someone fourteen years older.”
“Fair point.” Joey nodded. “But aren’t you even starting to think about something more long-term?”
“I’m still young.”
“We turned thirty this year.”
Joey wasn’t the first person to point that out recently, but for some reason it annoyed her more. “So, no on the DJ?”
“She’s fine. I guess I should just be happy you passed on Marty so quickly.”
Her stomach tightened. “Not sure there was anything to pass up there. She was just standing next to me when you sprang that shared first dance thing on us all.” They’d had a nice dance, a few laughs, and she’d let her go back to whoever she actually wanted to be with. Surely for a woman like Marty that was a long line.
“I should’ve known not to worry. She’s not your type at all.”
“She’s not female?”
“No. As far as I know she’s a woman-identified woman.”
“Then she’s pretty much my type. Low bar, remember?”
“Exactly, she’s not one to inspire low standards. She’s a grown-up. She strikes me as someone who doesn’t mess around, and she has a real job.”
“Really? I thought she was a life coach.”
“I walked right into that one.”
“You did. Thanks.” But the zing didn’t give her as much joy as it usually did. Was Marty really that far out of her league? She’d been fun enough to talk to, and an above-average dancer. And she lived in New York City, so how serious could things really get? Still, the comment about her being a grown-up had stung a little. Why did everyone assume once you reached a certain age you had to start acting different and wanting different things? She liked her life. She liked her job. She liked her friends. Change was overrated.
That thought sent the tightness she’d felt in her stomach spreading up into her chest, and suddenly she felt the urge to move again. Standing quickly, she rubbed her hands together. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink or something? Or I could get things set up for the cake cutting. You like cake.”
“Everyone likes cake, but really, relax. You’ve put on a great party here. I want you to enjoy it too.”
Lisa looked around the room, from the caterer’s table, to the dance floor, to all the people milling around back by the bar. Casual, friendly, fun—everything had come together. “It is a pretty good party, isn’t it?”
Joey’s eyes softened as she clasped a hand on her shoulder. “It really is, Lisa. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Happy wedding, friend. I would’ve done more if you’d let me.”
“I don’t doubt it, but really, the only thing you can do for me now is go have fun.”
“Yeah? Okay.” Fun, she could do that. She was known for fun. “I do have some pretty sweet dance moves. Maybe I’ll go find Marty again since dancing with her makes you and your bride so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous for her,” Joey said just a bit too seriously for Lisa’s liking. “She’s not the kind of woman who will fall for your usual MO.”
“She’s only in town for one night. How much damage can she really do in twelve hours?”
“Don’t tempt fate, my friend. It only took one hour alone with Elaine to break me completely.”
“This is so not the same story.” She bumped her hip against Joey’s shoulder. “Besides, you always were the weaker minded of the two of us.”
Joey raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, go on. You’ve earned your fun, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. That woman is more than you can handle in one night.”
Lisa grabbed her beer and hopped down off the platform before raising the bottle as if toasting her friend. “Challenge accepted.”
*
Marty cradled her second glass of wine in the palm of her hand as she watched Elaine and Joey cut their beautiful three-tier wedding cake. Both of them looked a little flash-burned from all the camera bulbs clicking at them. Joey actually blinked a few times and stepped back, but the moment Elaine placed a hand lightly on her arm, the two of them made eye contact and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind everyone else in the room was now just a blur to them.
“God, they look so in love,” she said to no one in particular, but a few people around her murmured their agreement.
Joey lifted a piece of cake toward Elaine’s mouth with a grin on her face, but Elaine’s raised eyebrow and half smile clearly conveyed a message of Don’t you dare. And despite a few shouts of encouragement from the more boisterous guests, Joey did exactly as expected and behaved like a perfect gentleman. Elaine, on the other hand, embraced her playful side and tapped a light dab of icing on Joey’s nose before delivering her slice of cake.
Everyone cheered, causing the happy couple to turn and blush in unison as though they’d just realized a hundred people had watched the sweet exchange. Marty felt like her heart actually had to expand to accompany all her happiness at their happiness. Everyone deserved to be happy. Everyone deserved to be loved, but some people had to work harder to internalize that belief for themselves. Joey and Elaine had worked harder than most to make space for the magnitude of their connection, and tonight proved they’d been duly rewarded. She didn’t care if it made her a bleeding-heart sappy romantic to get a little misty on their behalf.
“Are you going to cry because you’re at the back of the cake line?”
The voice was close, low, and pleasantly familiar in a room full of strangers. Her smile was full before she even turned to see Lisa beside her.
“No,” she said, wiping her eyes softly. “I’m just so happy for them.”
Lisa glanced at the newlyweds, her smile sweet but restrained. “Yeah, they’re pretty perfect together.”
“I wish I knew Joey better, but Elaine is the happiest I’ve ever seen her, so I know she’s found someone special.”
“She has, but if true love is all it takes to make you gloriously sappy, then I’ll just keep this for myself.” With a little flourish, Lisa produced a plate holding three slices of cake from behind her back.
“True love? What true love?”
“True love between two women and three pieces of cake?”
“Yes, exactly that.”
Lisa nodded for Marty to follow her, and they wove their way in and out of the crowd to a deserted table off to the side of the wedding party’s. Lisa pulled out a chair for Marty, then retrieved two forks from the inside chest pocket of her tuxedo. Marty felt a little butterfly flutter in her stomach. “You do know your way around a tuxedo jacket, don’t you?”
“I told you it wasn’t my first rodeo,” Lisa said, taking a seat next to her and pulling it a little closer. “What’s your poison? Chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet.”
“Red velvet.”
“Predictable.”
“Really?” Marty asked, mildly disappointed to be an easy read. “And you like chocolate.”
“What can I say? I’m sweet.”
“Oh, another piece of the puzzle.”
Lisa grinned. “Who gets the vanilla, then?”
“Well, if one of us has to eat two pieces, I’d be willing to do that.”
“I don’t want you to be put out. You’re the guest here. If anyone should have to take on extra work, it should be the host.”
The host? Marty thought. That was as close as Lisa had come to admitting she’d paid for this party in its entirety, but she got the suspicion she’d close up again if they spoke about it frankly, either because she didn’t want to admit to taking something so seriously, or perhaps because Marty had only known such a detail from talking to Elaine in confidence during a session. “It’s no hardship really. I’m trained to see the good in everything, even vanilla cake with vanilla icing.”
“It’s cream-cheese icing,” Lisa said as she reached her fork toward the object of their conversation.
Marty countered with her own fork, poking Lisa’s hand lightly. “Back off.”
“Oh, saucy all of a sudden, are we?”
“Cream-cheese frosting is a game changer.”
“Good to know.” Lisa laughed.
“Everyone has her boundaries.”
“Or triggers,” Lisa countered, moving her fork back over to the piece of chocolate cake. “I’m compiling quite a list of yours.”
“Oh?” Marty asked, taking a bite of the red velvet and closing her eyes to savor the dense, smooth sweetness.
“Fine wine, cream-cheese frosting, cheesy romantic displays, and dashingly handsome maids of ill repute.”
“You went three-for-four there, not bad.”
Another flash of a frown crossed Lisa’s features before she forced another laugh, this one sounding only slightly less genuine. “Well, in that case I think the dashingly handsome maid of ill repute should at least get the vanilla cake as a consolation prize.”
Marty took a piece of the cake on her fork and started to lean toward Lisa before turning it around and directing it back in to her own mouth.
“Hey now.”
“No,” Marty said, shaking her head. “No consolation prize for you, because the incorrect item on your list was cheesy romantic displays.”
Lisa’s eyebrow rose as she let that bit of information sink in.
“I don’t like kitschy couples. I like genuinely romantic displays. I like seeing my friend’s authentic happiness. And while I’m confessing, it’s probably worth mentioning that I’m also very much enjoying the company of a dashingly handsome maid of ill repute.”
“Bold, I like it.”
“Authentic.”
“Uh”—Lisa shifted in her seat—“sure, but where were we before the DJ so rudely interrupted our dance by encouraging everyone else to bust a move?”
Nice deflection. What Lisa lacked in willingness for introspection she made up for in social acumen. “I think we were talking about my return to New York tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, sadly, that.” Lisa didn’t seem as sad as she had earlier, her frown clearly staged for effect. “But I was thinking, if you only have one night in Buffalo, it should be a good one.”
Marty couldn’t help but smile despite her suspicions as to what Lisa was suggesting. “I’m having a lovely trip. The wedding was beautiful, and the reception has been perfect.”
“Well there’s that,” Lisa said, straightening her shoulders a bit either out of pride or an oncoming challenge, “but the clock is ticking, and who knows when you’ll be back again, so what if you and I just forgo all the awkward getting-to-know-each-other stuff and get right to the good parts.”
“The good parts? Are you suggesting something befitting your formal title or the one you’ve bestowed on yourself?”
“I like the way you think, but what if we don’t think quite so much?”
“Why do I feel like this is all an elaborate come-on?”
“What? From me?” Lisa feigned hurt. “But, no, it can work both ways. Neither one of us banks on any forgone conclusion, not about tomorrow, not even about later tonight.”
“No end goal for either of us?”
“None,” Lisa said, then crossed her heart with her index finger. “What if we just say, I like you. You seem to like me. For tonight we don’t worry about your travel schedule or your job.”
“Or the fact that your best friend just married one of my clients?”
“Sure, because that’s your job. And your job is in the city, tomorrow. Tonight you’re a friend of the bride, remember?”
“So you’re suggesting we just be fully present in this moment?”
“Yes, carpe the noche.”
“Authentically accept the now?”
“YOLO, Marty.”
How could she argue with that? Raising her wineglass to clink the side of Lisa’s beer bottle, she nodded in agreement. “YOLO, Lisa.”
*
Holy shit, that YOLO thing actually worked. Or maybe Marty really liked her. Probably, though, it was the YOLO thing. Either way she suddenly had a date to the wedding she’d been obsessing over for a year. No more time to freak over things like flower arrangements or bar stock. No time, either, to worry about the new reality of having married best friends and roommates. She’d been granted a stay of execution for a few more hours, and she got to spend that time with a beautiful woman. Oh, and did she mention no strings attached? Because that was a pretty real thing in this scenario too. Life coaching credentials set aside, as they had been, she couldn’t conceive a better scenario if she tried. And honestly, she had tried pretty hard in the past with much less fulfilling results.
Now Marty swayed in her arms to the crooning of Sara Bareilles, and for the first time in her life she felt thankful for Joey and Elaine’s affinity for emotive women singers. Maybe this was what she’d been missing about the genre all along. Songs like this made women like Marty snuggle closer. Well, it made Marty snuggle closer. She wasn’t in a position to make generalizations because she’d never met a woman quite like her before. She wasn’t just smart and attentive, she was also damn funny. And fun too. She’d refused to let Lisa leave the floor during the chicken dance, then refused to hide her laughter when she finally relented and joined in.
“What are you thinking about?” Marty asked.
“How you forced me to do the chicken dance, then mocked me for it.”
“I didn’t mock you so much as I expressed my pure enjoyment at your rendition.”
She briefly considered calling that out as life coach mumbo jumbo, but she didn’t want to go there. Not tonight. “Fair enough. But if the DJ plays the Macarena, the tables will be turned.”
“Because you won’t do that one?”
“No, because I’m awesome. You’ll stand in awe of my hip cross into booty shake.”
“Wow, I’ve never ached to hear ‘Hey, Macarena’ pulse through a set of speakers the way I do right now.” Marty played along. Another thing to like about her. She didn’t have to overanalyze things. She could run with a tangent just as fast and far as Lisa could.
“How do you feel about the Electric Slide?” Lisa asked.
“Of me doing it, or watching you do it?”
“Both.”
“I’m a big fan.”
“Really? I would’ve never picked you as a line dance kinda gal.”
“It’s part of my mystery and intrigue,” Marty said in a low, sultry voice before adding lightly, “Also, the whole growing up in the South in the ’80s thing.”
“Ah, the South, the ’80s, such vague concepts to me.”
“Right, because you were an embryo in the ’80s. Way to point out that I’m a much older woman.”
“A cougar, even.”
Marty laughed. “Do my big teeth and claws frighten you?”
“No, I’m into danger.”
“I like that. What you just did there,” Marty said.
“Admitting my attraction to cougars?”
“Well that too, but I meant you didn’t feel the need to jump into an elaborate excuse for our age difference. You just owned it and moved on.”
“Moving on is one of my finest skills.”
Marty’s forehead furrowed.
Lisa’s heart beat a little faster at the sight of those worry lines. Had she said something wrong? She hadn’t meant to imply no strings had to mean no feelings. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”
“What?”
“The crack about moving on. It made you frown. I didn’t mean to imply I go through women easily or often. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”
Marty’s smile returned, big and brilliant until it crinkled the corners of her eyes. “And I’m sorry if I gave you the impression you upset me. I wasn’t put off by the idea of you being an easy-come, easy-go sort of person. I simply didn’t believe you.”
“Oh, well, there’s that. Good,” Lisa said, then let the comments sink in. “Except you may have just called me a liar.”
“Not at all. I just meant that while you do seem to be able to let little things like my cougar status go with grace and humor, you’ve had the same best friend since you were a child. That doesn’t speak to someone who lets go easily.”
Lisa’s chest tightened to the extent she wasn’t sure she could speak, even if she’d known what to say. Maybe she should’ve listened a little better to the warning from Joey. But here was Marty, all soft and warm and smelling like bubble bath. What were a few observations compared to all that? And she still hadn’t had a single urge to sign up for life coaching, so as far as she was concerned, she was winning on the night. Besides, what had Joey actually said? Something about being completely broken in only an hour?
She lifted Marty’s hand in order to look at the watch on her own wrist.
“Have somewhere to be?”
“Not at all. Just checking to confirm I’ve been hanging out with you for nearly two hours now.”
“And have you reached your limit?”
Lisa gently pushed Marty out and gave her a little twirl before pulling her back in again. “Nope, and that best friend of mine might not know me as well as I know her.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because we’re two hours in, and I’m just getting warmed up.”
*
“Want another glass of wine?” Lisa asked as she and Marty exited the dance floor after several upbeat dances.
“You don’t have to get me drunk to keep me on your arm tonight,” Marty said. Lisa’s earlier noting of the time had been a surprise. Hours had eased by like minutes, and the conversation had yet to lag. Staying present was much easier when the present was filled with such enjoyable company. She had to work not to feel like Cinderella at the ball with the clock inching ever closer to midnight.
She couldn’t stop time, and she wouldn’t waste her energy trying to change something beyond her control, but she also wouldn’t deny that she wanted more of this here and now with Lisa.
“So, no on the wine?”
“Actually, yes on the wine, since we’re living in the moment.”
“Okay.” Lisa smiled in the unguarded way that made Marty’s stomach flutter. “Come with me this time, though.”
Lisa took her hand to lead her toward the bar. The move was casual, confident, and not all that different than the contact they’d shared while dancing, but away from the music, the touch felt softer, more personal, and more public as they wound around tables and chairs filled with Lisa’s friends and acquaintances. The crowd had been cut more than half as the night wore on, leaving mostly the young or exuberant to the reverie. The line at the bar was shorter now too, with only one man ahead of them.
He turned and almost collided with Lisa as he collected his ginger ale.
“Hey there, Mr. Bruce, the tux is dry-clean only,” she said with a laugh.
“That’s why I’m not wearing one,” he said, then gestured to Lisa’s jacket with his glass. “But yours looks good on you.”
“It helps with the ladies—speaking of which, meet Ms. Marty Maine. She’s a friend of Elaine’s.” Lisa turned to face her. “Marty, this is Joey’s dad, Mr. Bruce Lang.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Marty.”
He extended his hand, and she felt a twinge of regret at having to break contact with Lisa to accept it.
“It’s nice to meet you too, sir.”
“Oh, don’t call me sir. I already feel old enough tonight. It’s not every day your only child gets married.” He said it gruffly, but his chest puffed out, and his eyes shone with pride.
“You must’ve done a wonderful job raising her to have led her to this moment.”
“Between her good nature and her mother’s guidance, I didn’t do much more than enjoy the ride.”
Lisa clasped a hand on his shoulder. “We all wish she could’ve been here tonight.”
He nodded stiffly. “She is. In her own way.”
Lisa’s half smile mirrored his. “I thought so too, when I was tying her bow tie today. Could’ve sworn I felt a little nudge or two.”
Marty felt a little twist in her heart, both at the topic and the unspoken emotion behind it. These two had obviously gone through an ordeal together, one they still carried with them. Lisa did nothing to make light of their loss.
“Well I’m glad she had one of us to guide her,” he said. “I still don’t know how to tie one of those things. I don’t think I’ve worn one since my own wedding day.”
“You’re classically handsome, though, so you can get away with it.” Lisa brightened. “People like me need to work a little harder.”
He chuckled and shook his head, then focused on Marty. “Don’t believe a word this one says. She’s full of you know what, and slicker too.”
Marty laughed. “You’re the second person to say so tonight. And with comments like her last one, I’m starting to see why.”
“What?” Lisa pretended to be offended. “It’s the truth. In normal clothes I’m quite homely, though I have to admit, now that Joey’s officially off the market, I hope my stock will rise.”
Bruce looked from Lisa to Marty and back again. “I’m not as good at recognizing these things as I used to be, but I think your stock is doing just fine tonight.”
Lisa grinned, “What did I tell you about tuxes, Mr. Bruce?”
He shook his head, but the sadness had once again faded from his smile. “Get out of here. Go have fun, and don’t get this nice young lady into trouble.”
“Yes, sir,” Lisa said.
“It was very nice to meet you,” Marty added.
“I hope to see more of you, Ms. Maine,” he said before wandering off.
“I’d like that too,” Marty murmured, surprised at the strength of the sentiment. She often met people she liked, but the sincerity of what had passed between Lisa and Bruce opened a part of herself reserved for deeper introspection than she generally engaged during social situations. “He seems very nice.”
“One of the best men I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing,” Lisa said.
“And you were close with Joey’s mom too?”
“Sometimes they were more like parents to me than my own parents,” Lisa said matter-of-factly, shifting her attention toward the bar. The move was subtle and could easily be explained away, but Marty saw clearly the conversation was closed, and she respected that. Still, her respect for Lisa’s boundaries didn’t stop her from wondering what lay behind them.
*
Lisa dropped into a nearby chair, then lifted her glass and took a deep breath, inhaling the robust, aromatic fruit flavors of the wine. She hadn’t intended to get too deep with Mr. Bruce in front of Marty, but the memory of Joey’s mom had never been far from the surface while planning this wedding. Her absence was felt particularly hard at the service that afternoon, but only to the select few that had really known her. Marty was outside that circle, and right now that was a good thing. Marty had no past and no future. Marty belonged only to tonight, and Lisa wanted to keep her there.
She took a swig of the wine, not nearly as gracefully as Marty, who sipped hers. She hadn’t pushed for more information or tried to force conversation, yet another item to add on the already long list of things to like about her. “Tell me something about you no one else knows, not even Elaine.”
Marty turned her head to the side and pursed her lips. Lisa worried she might be overanalyzing the request, but after only a few seconds her smile returned, and she said, “And this information stays with you?”
“To the grave.”
“I sing in the shower.”
“That’s not so bad.”
“I sing Disney songs.”
“Well now, that’s a little more surprising.” Lisa smiled in spite of her earlier introspection. “What are we talking about here? Beauty and the Beast? Lion King?”
“Yes, and yes, and so much more, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Aristocats.”
“Wow, you’re a connoisseur.”
“You know wine, I know singing cats and mice,” Marty said with mock seriousness.
“But you know wine too, so you’re a renaissance woman. I am duly impressed.”
“You shouldn’t be. I may know all the words, but that doesn’t mean I can carry the tune.”
“Hence the shower singing.”
“Exactly.”
“I’d still love to hear your rendition of ‘Someday My Prince Will Come.’”
“That would probably require you to be in the shower with me.”
“Um…” Lisa’s face felt awfully warm all of a sudden. “Well, I think that could possibly—”
“Hey, you two,” Joey interrupted.
Lisa and Marty both jumped. Joey and Elaine were standing right behind them.
“Wow. That didn’t make you look guilty at all,” Joey said, glancing from them to Elaine.
“This is the part where they judge us in their heads and communicate that shared judgment via telepathy,” Lisa explained.
“Never,” Marty replied. “They’re just happy two of their friends found such wonderful company that they didn’t even notice their approach.”
“I don’t buy it for a second.”
“I choose to put my faith in our friends’ generous natures.”
“That’s why you’re Elaine’s friend and colleague, and I’m the maid of ill repute.”
Marty laughed heartily in that unrestrained way Lisa had come to crave over the last few hours.
Elaine and Joey exchanged another look, this one clearly filled with more amusement.
“See, they’ve done it again,” Lisa pointed out.
“I take it this happens often?”
“Every day.”
“Do we need to be here for this conversation?” Joey finally asked.
“Not really,” Marty said, causing Lisa to laugh before she added, “but we’d love to have you join us anyway.”
“I’m sorry we haven’t had more time to talk.” Elaine sat down next to Marty. “I feel like I haven’t had a second to breathe today, much less visit.”
“Of course not, it’s your wedding day. We’ll have plenty of time to talk when the dust settles.”
“Still, I’m sorry you came all the way to Buffalo and I neglected you.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ve not felt the slightest bit neglected.”
“I’ve been very attentive,” Lisa offered.
“Yeah, I noticed,” Joey said, looking mystified.
Marty seemed to catch the look as well but gracefully brushed it off. “Do we win the odd couple of the wedding award?”
“No, not at all,” Elaine said quickly, laying her hand on her wife’s shoulder. “Joey and I are clearly that.”
“Only odd in that it seems unusual today to find two people so perfectly matched.”
Lisa lifted her wineglass, marveling at Marty’s ability to say such perfect things.
“I see why Elaine finds you so soothing to talk to,” Joey said. “Can’t imagine what you’ve said to keep Lisa so entranced all evening, though.”
Lisa snorted. “Who said she was the one doing the entrancing?”
“It’s the truth,” Marty said seriously. “I’ve been positively hypnotized. She just had me revealing deep, dark secrets when you walked up.”
“Oh?” Joey asked.
“Yes, but I’ll never reveal them, not even when tortured.” Lisa crossed her heart, then gestured toward Elaine and Marty. “Confidentiality, that’s a thing for you people, right?”
“Yes,” Elaine said, her smile filled with mirth. “We people do have a thing about confidentially, but I’d have never known you knew that.”
“I get the feeling Lisa knows a great many things she won’t admit to knowing until she’s ready to show her hand.”
“I’d say that’s pretty accurate,” Joey said, a hint of weariness in her voice. “The biggest question is how she intends to use those powers.”
Lisa eyed her best friend, those deep brown eyes filled with worry and perhaps warning.
“I’m just glad you two each found someone so wonderful to keep you company tonight,” Elaine cut in. “I wish I could keep up with you, really, but I’m exhausted.”
“What? The party’s just getting started. Nothing has to end,” Lisa argued, perhaps a bit too adamantly, then caught herself. “I mean, it’s not even midnight.”
Joey rose first and offered her hand to Elaine. “But I have to get the missus home before the clock strikes twelve, or she’ll turn into a pumpkin.”
Elaine kissed Joey lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, Prince Charming.”
“What a sweet way of saying you two can’t wait to start the honeymoon.”
Joey shook her head, but Elaine shrugged. “Maybe that too.”
She gave Joey’s hand a little squeeze before letting go and turning to face Lisa. “Thank you again, for everything.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“It is,” Elaine said evenly, then she pulled Lisa into a hug. Not the lean-in-and-back-pat kind of hug, but a real full-on body squeeze that always made her feel a little awkward. “I hope you know how happy we are.”
“I do,” Lisa admitted, finally relaxing into the embrace.
“We want the same for you,” Elaine whispered. “So do me one favor tonight, please.”
“Anything.”
“Be open to the same kind of happiness for yourself.” Elaine gave her one more squeeze, then mercifully let go before forcing her to answer. Not that she had an answer. When Elaine went all life coachy, all Lisa felt was mild embarrassment for both of them.
Thankfully the moment was short-lived as Elaine turned to Marty, and Joey caught hold of Lisa’s arm. “You rock. You know that, right?”
“Totally.”
“Yeah, I thought so.”
“Enjoy the honeymoon, Prince Charming. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Joey threw her arm around her shoulder, giving her a little shake. “Got it, and you, be careful.”
“Me?”
“I mean it.” Joey’s voice was low. “Don’t do anything we’ll all regret later.”
The hair on Lisa’s arms stood on end as she shook Joey off and turned to see if Marty had heard that. She didn’t appear to, as she stood back from Elaine’s embrace and immediately sought Lisa’s eyes. The two of them stood staring, their slow smiles a mirror to one another, as Elaine and Joey slipped away. Finally Lisa held out her hand to Marty once more.
As she took it, her soft fingers sliding smoothly across her open palm, she nodded resolutely and repeated Joey’s words, or at least the only part that mattered. “No regrets.”
*
“It’s getting pretty late,” Marty said as Lisa led her out of the ballroom. “I’m not sure I should be letting a maid of ill repute lead me down dark hallways alone.”
“You probably shouldn’t,” Lisa agreed. “And yet you are.”
“I am.” Amusement filled her voice. It wasn’t so much that she couldn’t resist Lisa’s charm as she simply didn’t want to.
“I bet you have an early flight in the morning.”
“I do,” she admitted. “I need to go to the airport at seven o’clock in the morning.”
“I bet you won’t have any time to sightsee either.”
“I won’t. I’ve only seen the airport, the church, and now I’ve seen this building.”
“It’s called the Marcy Casino,” Lisa said, leading her up a flight of dimly lit stairs, feeling along the wall as she went. “And you were only in the Pan Am room, so you haven’t even really seen the best part yet.”
As they reached a landing atop the staircase, Lisa found and flipped a light switch. It took a moment for Marty’s eyes to adjust to both the light and the sight before her. The room’s gray stone walls were rimmed in beautiful hardwood finishes and wrought-iron accents. A series of archways encased windows along one side of the room, and the light from the chandeliers danced along the glass before spilling onto a covered terrace.
“Oh, Lisa, it’s beautiful.”
She smiled broadly. “I’ve always thought this space was one of the prettiest in Buffalo.”
“I’m impressed. I have to admit, I’ve always sort of thought of Buffalo as a Rust Belt relic.”
“It is, in a lot of ways,” Lisa said, “but there are still a few jewels in her crown. I wanted to show you some of them before you fly away to the Big Apple again.”
Lisa opened one of the glass doors, her hazel eyes containing a spark of magic or mischief.
They stepped onto the stone terrace, away from the light and warmth of the room behind them and into the darker unknown of the night. Lisa’s hand found hers once again. The touch was more than comforting, the emotions it carried strong and stirring.
“There,” Lisa whispered, looking across a frozen lake toward a skyline filled with light and shadows against the freshly falling snow. “I think it’s one of the most beautiful views of the whole city.”
Marty’s heart gave a little flutter at the assessment. She couldn’t disagree. The view from where she stood was quite stunning. A gentle breeze stirred the ends of Lisa’s hair and the fractures of light behind them danced across her eyes like candles floating on a reflecting pool. Even in the near dark, her silhouette cut a handsome figure against the snowy backdrop, her tuxedo jacket open and her bow tie unraveled against the stark white of her collar. She looked like a classic photograph in black and white, but so much closer, so much more real than any portrait could ever be.
Marty put her hand on the cold metal railing to steady herself, but Lisa leaned close behind her, pointing out across the winter scene. “See the building across the way, the one with the big Greek columns?”
The warmth of Lisa’s body against her back took so much of her mind and physical response she could only nod.
“That’s the Historical Society. They’ve got a museum, and there’s a playhouse on the lower level.”
It looked like a little touch of Olympic history dropped down on a small city hill in some Doctor Who–type time travel gone awry.
Lisa shifted, directing them to the left until they looked out past the end of the lake and up a beautiful set of stone stairs. “The one with the columns over there is the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. It’s got over six thousand pieces of art and only two hundred exhibition slots, so every time you go you can see something different.”
“Impressive.”
“Yeah, this part of town was the hot, happening place to be in America at the turn of the last century. We hosted the Pan-Am Exposition, and the whole hemisphere thought we were mack daddies. Music, art, history, and million-dollar mansions back when a million dollars meant something.” The low timbre of her voice floated softly against Marty’s ear. “I wish I could’ve seen it then,” she said wistfully.
“I don’t know,” Marty murmured, leaning back more fully against her. “It seems pretty perfect right now.”
“Actually, now that you mention it”—Lisa wrapped her arms around Marty’s waist and rested her chin on her shoulder—“I don’t think I’d trade right now for all the glory of a hundred years ago.”
They watched the snow dance its ballet on the wind. So comfortable, so fitting, so at peace. “Thank you for showing me this.”
“Thank you for understanding.” Lisa sighed contentedly, her breath warm against Marty’s neck, such a beautiful contrast to the cold around them.
The sincerity of the comments tugged at something deep inside her chest. Could it be there was more to Lisa Knapp than her comedic façade? She wished she had more time to find out and wasn’t too self-assured to admit the depth of that longing scared her. This evening spent in her company had been surprisingly wonderful, but they’d both promised it ended here. This moment was purely theirs, but it was only the work of the moment. She wasn’t naive enough to think they couldn’t share a few more hours in more intimate ways, or too pure to admit the idea appealed to her, but she’d already seen enough to realize the dangers in going any further down this path.
Their time together was almost over, and in her calmest, most logical center, she knew those constraints would likely save her. If she saw more of Lisa, she suspected she’d want more of her. More than either of them could really offer or accept.
A shiver ran up her spine at that thought, and she trembled slightly in the circle of Lisa’s strong arms.
“Are you cold?” Lisa asked, stepping back. “We can go back in.”
“No,” Marty whispered, “please, not just yet.”
“Okay.” She heard the smile in Lisa’s voice as she felt the rustle of fabric against her shoulders, followed by the silky warmth of a tuxedo jacket against her bare arms.
“Oh, Lisa, no. Now you’ll be—”
“Shh, I’ll be fine.” She wrapped her arms back around Marty’s waist, snuggling in once more. “Trust me. I’m anything but cold.”
Marty smiled into the darkness and, running her fingers along the satin lapels, pulled them tighter around herself. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had given her their jacket, probably because no one ever had. The tenderness of the gesture confirmed her earlier suspicions that there was something special, something thoughtful and sensitive beneath Lisa’s already appealing veneer of playful bravado.
She turned carefully within the circle of Lisa’s embrace, trading the gorgeous view of the city behind her for an even more compelling sight. She intended to tell Lisa that, to say she was amazing, to tell her how much she’d enjoyed their time together, to thank her for stirring something wonderful inside her, but when she parted her lips to speak, they somehow connected with Lisa’s.
The kiss was both a surprise and surprising. Their mouths came together in such a natural way, not too fast, not too timid, but easy, knowing, perfectly fitting, exploring places they already knew. Marty arched onto her tiptoes to get more, and Lisa held her steady with an arm looped loosely across the small of her back. She tasted the wine on her lips, breathed the crisp frost in the air, and felt the warmth of Lisa wrapped around her.
The kiss deepened, and she relished the warmth of their combined heat. Breaths, shared more than stolen, grew shallow. Marty cupped Lisa’s cheek in her hand, running her thumb along the smooth skin. Everything about Lisa was smooth, her skin, her lips, her easy way of being. She could get drunk on her, or even drown. The realization burned deliberate and steady through the haze of perfection. She could get lost in her, in this thing they were edging ever closer to.
She wondered if Lisa realized it too, because slowly, as if by mutual, unspoken agreement, they parted. Marty took a step back and Lisa’s arm fell softly to her side. A physical gulf of inches felt like miles as the clock on their time together struck midnight.
“Wow,” Lisa said.
Marty smiled, not feeling any need to further describe what had already been so clearly expressed.
“I…I’m…well…” Lisa sighed and smiled, finally giving in to what Marty already knew. There really was nothing left to say. There were plenty of options for next steps, most of them appealing in the short term, but the only real possibility for either of them to get out of this night without committing permanent parts of themselves involved a sweet and simple good-bye.
“I’ve had a wonderful time with you,” Marty finally said.
Lisa nodded.
“I think it’s time for me to say good night.”
Lisa opened her mouth, and Marty held her breath. Knowing right from wrong didn’t prevent her from hoping to be persuaded to choose the latter. If only Lisa would plead her case, she could so easily be convinced not to say good night until the sun painted the horizon.
Instead Lisa nodded again, this time her smile more strained. “You made this a night to remember for all the right reasons. Thank you.”
Marty fought the urge to ask for more, but the emotions behind the statement weren’t hers to uncover. She’d also heard the invitation that wasn’t issued. She wondered if Lisa found it as hard not to say the words as she did. It would be so simple, so natural to speak of a next time, of shared connections, or hopeful happenstance, but they both remained firm in their dedication to leave everything between them in the moment to which it belonged.
Marty began to slip off the tuxedo jacket, but Lisa stopped her, stepping close once more. “Keep it.”
“I couldn’t.”
“It looks better on you than it does on me.”
“Don’t be silly. It looks amazing on you.”
“Trust me,” Lisa said, and Marty looked up, meeting her hypnotic eyes.
Now it was her turn to nod, unable to speak for the truth clogging her throat. She did trust her. At least here, at least now, and perhaps that was a much bigger problem than if she didn’t.
She quickly arched up on her toes and kissed Lisa on her cheek, then, brushing past her, headed for the door. Lisa turned as if to follow, but Marty froze in the doorway.
“No, now it’s your turn to trust me,” Marty said softly. “You need to stay here. Right where you are, just exactly how you are. Until I’m gone.”
“Deal,” Lisa said, looking so beautifully resolute Marty couldn’t help but allow her eyes to drag over her one more time.
Yes, if all this night would ever be was a memory, at least it was going to be a damn good one.