Addison spun the radio dial in a futile attempt to find something besides country music. Finally, she turned it off and returned her attention to the parking lot. From her space in the corner she could clearly see everyone who came and went.
The building’s residents probably wondered who she was and what she was waiting for. She could see from the marked parking space in front of unit three that Mary Kate wasn’t home, and even though it wasn’t yet dark at eight o’clock, others had their lights on inside already.
She should have told Mary Kate she was coming. Sometimes the wrong people got surprised.
That was the nightmare that played over and over in her head, that Mary Kate would stay with Bobby tonight, either to comfort him or because she had changed her mind. Addison would wait until ten or so, then head back to Atlanta for the night. And probably throw up.
This was the most impulsive thing she had ever done. It had seemed so romantic at the time, as she envisioned swooping Mary Kate into her arms and making love to her all night long.
She had been miserable on the flight home yesterday, certain Mary Kate would collapse under pressure from her family and friends. The most frustrating part for Addison was knowing Mary Kate was giving up what she really wanted in order to make everyone else happy.
When she had landed in Miami and listened to her messages, she let out a whoop that caused everyone in the first-class cabin to laugh at her obvious good fortune. Most even cheered when she explained why. “She loves me!”
And now she was here in Mooresville, Georgia, with its main street and subdivisions, a school complex that housed K through twelve, and a huge blue water tower with the city’s name painted on the side. Thanks to the address on Tom Muncie’s information sheets, the navigation system in the rental car had led her right to the door.
She had no idea what Mary Kate drove, but when she saw the white Dodge Neon, she began to smile. Sure enough, it parked at unit three, and Mary Kate got out.
Addison opened her door and called out.
“Oh, my God!”
They met in the center of the lot and hugged.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Me neither. Is it okay?”
“Of course it is.” She lowered her voice. “But come inside so I can kiss you.”
“Lead the way.”
They walked up the stairs and into the apartment, where Mary Kate closed and locked the door. There they greeted like the lovers they were, hotly kissing and reaching inside one another’s clothes.
“I missed you,” Addison said. She was excited to realize she was actually in Mary Kate’s home. Two days ago, this seemed impossible. When they came up for air, they reined in their lust and sat side by side on the couch with their hands entwined.
“You’re never going to believe why I’m here.”
“I don’t even care why you’re here. I’ve had just about the worst evening of my life. Bobby got hold of my camera and saw all those pictures I took of you on the safari. He jumped to conclusions, and he just happened to be right.”
What Addison remembered was that those pictures were taken in the company of John, and should have been relatively benign. “There was nothing in there that should have given us away.”
“I think he was overwhelmed by the volume.”
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. And that old saying is right. It sets you free.”
“You broke up?”
“I would say that’s a big ten-four.”
She listened as Mary Kate told her story, ending with the likelihood she would stay in her job for another year. Addison had already decided they could work with that.
“Would you like to hear what I’m doing in Mooresville?”
“I assume you came to see me.”
“I did, but can I stay the night, by the way?”
“Don’t even try to leave. I have plans for you.” Mary Kate tightened her grip on Addison’s arm.
“Good. I have plans for you too. But I’ll need to be out of here early to make my interview.” She grinned broadly as Mary Kate digested the news. “I heard from the Fed. They liked my work on the internship and asked me to call them to set up an interview. Their regional office is in Atlanta.”
“You might be working in Atlanta?”
“It’s possible. They have four openings, and they wanted me to come talk to them right away. I made an appointment for tomorrow morning at eleven and then I got the bright idea to visit my new girlfriend. In fact, I thought she might even come with me…sit in the car and keep me from getting nervous.”
“I can do that. That gives me an excuse to postpone talking to my mother.”
“Is that going to be tough?”
Mary Kate managed a small smile. “Probably, but not as bad as I thought. Turns out she’s been talking to my best friend for a while, and the two of them figured it out before I did.”
“It happens.”
“I need to tell you something real important before we make any big decisions,” Mary Kate said seriously.
“I thought we’d already made a big decision.”
“We did, but I’m not going to be able to be as open about us as I know you want me to be, at least not right away. It doesn’t have anything to do with being ashamed. I just don’t want to hurt anybody.”
Addison was admittedly disappointed, but after seeing what a truly small town this was, she understood the reluctance. “Is that going to be just a Mooresville thing?”
“Pretty much. All the people that matter are going to know how I feel about you, but I’m not going to be able to walk down Main Street holding your hand. Mooresville just isn’t that kind of place.”
“I can live with that.” She draped her arm around Mary Kate’s shoulder. “You know, for all this talk, it’s hard to believe we’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks.”
“I know. It feels like a lot longer.”
In the back of her head, Addison acknowledged the fear that plagued all lesbians, especially the ones who got involved with women who thought they were straight—that the girlfriend would realize her mistake and go back to men. “It’s not such a bad idea that we take our time and ease into things. If I start a new job, I’m going to have to concentrate on that for a while.”
“I have a whole month until school starts to help you move.”
Addison smiled. “A girl after my own heart.”
Mary Kate nestled her head on Addison’s shoulder. “I love you.”
“It’s not going to be easy, Mary Kate.”
“Sometimes I wonder if the easy stuff is worth doing. The whole time I was training for Kilimanjaro, I worried about whether or not I was going to make it to the summit. Even when things were going well, I was afraid something would happen, something beyond my control. Then it all just fell into place, you and me, standing at the top.”
“You know what I remember? You asked me that morning when we were looking up at the mountain how much I wanted it.”
“And you wanted it bad, just like I did.”
“That’s right. We made a pact to get there, and we did it by working together. Now we just have to ask each other again. How much do you want this, Mary Kate?”
Mary Kate turned and straddled her lap, wrapping both arms around her neck. The look on her face said all the things Addison needed to hear. “I want it bad.”
“Then we’ll get there. Together.”