Chapter 3 10 страница

He looked her right in the eye, waiting for her to speak.

"You've been in therapy for six weeks. Have you given it everything you have? Or did you just do it because I made you?"

He didn't even blink. He looked at her with his head held high and said, "I did it because you made me. It was a complete waste of time."

She nodded, then said, "I'm not going to wait until the baby's born. I’m gonna file for divorce right now. You don't deserve to be this baby's father or my husband."

He stood and looked at her, his mouth moving, but no sound coming out. She gazed up at him like he was a stranger, and after seeing that her resolve didn’t waver, he set his glass down, turned and walked out the door.

„G

On Friday afternoon, the phone rang, waking Blair from her afternoon coma. “Blair? It’s Kylie. I wanted to check to see how you’re doing.”

“Fine,” she mumbled, trying to make her voice work.

“Did I wake you? It’s noon there.”

“Oh … I’m just taking a nap. Didn’t get much sleep last night. So, how are things?”

“Good … great, actually. I spent most of yesterday with the breeder. She’s really nice, although she missed her calling as a police interrogator. She knows more about me now than my mother does.”

“Tell me about the puppy!” Blair said, her excitement for her friend making a small dent in her depression.

“He’s a doll,” Kylie said, “a real little comic. The people who gave him up must be psychopaths.”

“Are you going to take him now?”

“No, no, I’m on my way up to Maine. I'll come back here on Sunday, then go to the airport. I’ve got to buy a traveling crate and a few other things.”

“Are you excited?”

“Very. I’m so excited that there’s a part of me that wants to come home right now. But then I slap some sense into myself and remember that I might be able to kiss a real live woman before the weekend's over. So I’m off to Maine. Wish me luck, buddy.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Blair said.

Kylie was quiet for amoment, then she said, “I’ve got about twenty comebacks to that comment, but I’m not sure if they’d offend you. For the time being, let’s just say that the most fun parts of being a lesbian are doing the things you wouldn’t do.”

“I want to hear every one of your dirty comments when you get home,” Blair said. She could feel herself misting up, but she was determined not to let Kylie know what had happened with David. “I miss you, Kylie. Baby Spencer misses you, too.”

“I miss you both, but I’ll be back soon. You two get your rest and get ready to have fun when I come home. The house will never be the same!”

„G

Blair spent all of Sunday showing a client around, and when she poked her head in the front door that night, she paused for a moment, listening for puppy sounds. “Kylie?"

Her friend came running into the room. “Hi!” she said brightly. She went to the door and pulled Blair in, then kissed her gently. “Missed you.”

“Where is he?” Blair asked, looking around. “Oh, I missed you, too,” she added, slipping her arms around Kylie’s waist and giving her a big hug.

“Won’t be long,” she said. “We were playing in the back yard.” As predicted, a fluffy, brick-red ball of energy appeared on cue, scampering across the tile so quickly that it slipped and skidded right into Blair’s feet.

“Oh, my God! He’s adorable!” She bent and picked him up, cuddling him, then tucking her hands under his front legs and holding him up in the air. “Uhm … Kylie, he’s not a he.”

“I know,” she said. Just then another ball of fluff flew into the room. “But he is.”

“You got two?”

“I had to,” she said. “They needed me the most.” She scooped the other pup into her arms and held him up for Blair’s inspection. “Meet Nick and Nora. They’re just seven months old, and they’re siblings.”

“But I thought you didn’t want an older dog,” Blair said. “And why in the hell did you name one of them after your best buddy?”

“I didn’t and I didn’t,” she said. “The dogs already had names, and I didn’t want an older dog, but only because I wanted to be sure the dog, or dogs in this case, would be good with kids. I’m completely satisfied that these two will be.”

“Let me go change. I want to hear the whole story.” She looked at her friend and said, “Come with me. I can’t bear to wait.”

“Okay. Do you two want to go watch Blair change?” Giving her friend a grin, she advised, “They’re in.”

When they got to her room, Blair started to take off her suit, and Kylie couldn’t help but note that the time had arrived for maternity clothes. Even though Blair wouldn't have been showing in casual clothes, her work clothes were not at all casual. She always wore a skirt or a dress, and most of them were very form-fitting and short — highlighting every spare pound. “Wanna go shopping this weekend?” she asked as tactfully as possible.

“Smooth,” Blair grumbled, seeing through her comment. “Actually, I’m sure I’ll be going shopping this weekend. With my mother.”

“Your mother?”

“Yep,” she said, plopping down onto her bed. “That’s something we need to talk about. My parents are coming to visit for the weekend … actually, maybe a little longer than that. I don’t know how you feel about having them —"

“They’ll stay here,” Kylie said immediately. “We have two guest rooms. We’ll just go buy another bed.”

“Oh, Kylie, I don’t want to impose. I’m just a guest myself.”

“Not if I had my way,” she said. “I want you and David to sell your house and move in here. I love having you here, Blair. It’s gonna be so hard for me when you leave.”

Unwilling to start revealing her bad news until Kylie had told her all about the dogs, Blair tried to hold back her tears. “I love it here, Kylie. I … I … don't want to leave … I don't have anywhere to go." By the time she finished her sentence, she was bent over at the waist, crying her eyes out.

Kylie went to her and held her in her arms, stroking her body to calm her. The dogs got agitated as well, and started to scamper all over her, licking her face and whimpering.

“I’m upsetting the puppies,” she sobbed, crying even harder.

“They’re fine,” Kylie assured her. “They just want you to feel better, and so do I.” She kissed her head repeatedly, rocking her gently and murmuring into her ear, “Tell me what’s wrong, Blair. Why are you so sad?”

“D … D … David and I are getting a di … divorce,” she choked out, a fresh stream of tears accompanying her words.

“Oh, no,” Kylie gasped, holding her even tighter. “Oh, Blair, what happened?"

“A lot of things. It all began when Nick took me to dinner on Friday, and we saw David with another woman.”

The shock that immediately covered Kylie’s face quickly turned to an expression of abject sorrow. She started to cry as well, and soon Blair found herself comforting her. “Oh, Blair, how could he do that to you?” she sniffed. “Stupid fucking bastard!”

“It’s all right," Blair soothed, stroking her friend's back. “He claims he isn’t sleeping with her; he just likes to hang out with her because she makes him feel like he used to.” With an outraged expression, Kylie started to speak, but Blair placed a finger on her lips. “I know it’s ridiculous, but it’s how he feels, and I don’t have any way to reach him anymore. He hates therapy — it humiliates him to have to talk about being infertile.” She shook her head. “He isn’t going to get to where I need him to be. I decided that the baby would be better off with no father than with one who didn’t love him with all his heart.”

The doctor's eyes were filled with both tears and fierce determination. “I know it’s not the same, but I’ll fill in for him in any way I can,” Kylie promised. “I’ll be there for you, Blair, I swear.”

“I believe you. I knew it without even asking.” They held each other for a few minutes, both of them slowly calming down. When neither woman was crying, Nick curled up across Blair’s thighs, with his head leaning against her belly. Nora took a similar spot on Kylie, even though her pillow wasn’t as pronounced. “The puppies are tired,” Blair yawned. “Me, too.”

“A nap sounds great,” Kylie said. “We’ve been running around since 3:00 a.m., California time.”

“Lie with me?” Blair asked, a touch of shyness inflecting her voice. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I’d love it if you’d hold me. I feel so broken today, Kylie.”

“I could never be uncomfortable holding you,” Kylie said. “Never. It makes me feel good to have you ask me.” She tucked Nora up under her arm and scooted into position. Blair took Nick along, then snuggled up next to Kylie, putting her head on her shoulder.

“Is this okay? Not too close?”

“It's perfect,” Kylie said. Nora moved down to lie on Kylie’s belly, while Nick draped himself across Blair’s hip. “I’d love to get a picture of this,” Kylie chuckled. “We must look like quite the group.”

“I don’t care how we look. All I know is that I haven’t felt this safe in ages. Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome,” Kylie murmured. “You’re welcome to cuddle with me any time you want. I always cuddled with my older sister … it’s addictive.”

"A nice addiction," Blair sighed. "Feels good."

„G

Blair woke before Kylie, nuzzling tightly against her friend, needing the warmth of her body to help feel grounded again. As soon as Kylie felt her move, she was awake, eyes bright and alert. “How do you wake so quickly?” the smaller woman asked.

“Training,” Kylie said. “When you’re a surgical resident, you might be sound asleep one minute and expected to make a perfect incision ten minutes later. When you have people depending on you for their lives, you learn how to wake up quickly.” She stretched and said, “But my training also taught me how to fall asleep quickly. If you have twenty minutes to yourself in a twenty-four hour period, you don’t want to waste precious minutes falling asleep. I can sleep in any position, for any length of time.”

“If I could only learn one thing from you, it would be that,” Blair said enviously. “I waste so much time trying to wake up and then trying to go back to sleep during the night. I’ve got to learn to be more efficient.”

“Once the baby comes, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you wake,” Kylie predicted. “You’ll pick up my talent all on your own.”

“Looks like the dogs are more my style,” Blair observed, seeing the two limp puppy bodies.

“Nah. They’re just like me,” Kylie said. “Watch. Who wants dinner?” she asked excitedly.

In a flash, they were awake, hopping around the bed, jumping on top of Blair, scampering across Kylie in a rush to get their evening meal. Blair giggled at their antics, deciding, “No, they’re like me. I haven’t had all-day sickness since Friday, and the thought of dinner makes me drool. Let’s go, guys!” She slid off the bed, and both dogs followed her, running in circles around her bare feet.

“Wait for me,” Kylie called after them. “I’m the one who cooks!”

„G

Blair wanted to help, but Kylie insisted that she wanted to cook. "You sit down and get acquainted with the babies."

The blonde put Nicky on the breakfast bar and petted him. “Tell me all about them. I’m all ears.” She giggled as Nicky nibbled one of the ears in question.

“When I got there on Thursday, I met the puppy, and he was just as cute as you could imagine. But the breeder did have a long list of people who wanted him. These little guys had only been with her a few days, but she didn’t have any takers yet. She says it’s harder to place a pair of dogs, so she expected it might take a while.”

“How do you know they’ll like kids?”

“Ooo, it’s a sad story. Sure you want to hear it?”

“I can take it. I’m all cried out, anyway.”

Kylie glanced over at her, but continued. “The guy who owned the dogs was a breeder in the Boston area. Martha, the woman who rescued them, knew the guy pretty well. He was an older man, and he found out he was dying of an inoperable cancer. So he started to give his older dogs away to other breeders he knew. This pair was from the last litter his dogs had produced, and he kept these two just because he couldn’t stand to be without any dogs at all. He had them spayed and neutered, mainly because he wasn’t sure what would become of them, and he didn’t want them bred indiscriminately. Anyway, he started taking them to the hospital when he went in for treatments. The hospital he went to had a pet therapy program, and the dogs took to it. So for the last few months, these little guys have been going to the pediatric department every week, cheering up sick kids. Apparently, they were a big hit and learned how to be around kids of every age.”

“Oh, Kylie, that’s so sad,” the blonde said, reneging on her promise not to weep. “Did the owner die?”

“Yeah, he did. Just a week ago. So the puppies are understandably sad. They need some extra care until their little broken hearts heal.”

At that, Blair lost it and started to cry in great, wracking sobs.

"Hey," Kylie soothed, "we'll make them feel loved, Blair. They won't forget their daddy, but now they've got two mommies."

"I can be a mommy, too?" she asked, looking up at her friend while she sniffled.

"Of course you can be."

Blair looked at the sweet, inquisitive face of the pup and asked, "Can I be your mommy, Nicky?" At the sound of her voice, Nora started to cry. Kylie swept the other dog up and put her on the counter as well. Nora licked Blair's face, pushing her brother out of the way to get full access.

Kylie put one arm around Blair while herding the pups close with the other. All four faces were huddled together — tiny dog tongues furiously licking human faces. "No one can have too many mommies," Kylie said, sputtering a little between licks. "The puppies need all the love you can spare."

Blair pulled out of the huddle and wiped her face. She grabbed Kylie with both hands and pulled the doctor into a ferocious hug. She was still sitting, so her face was nuzzled against Kylie's stomach. "You make me feel so good," she said. "I've been so sad since you left, but now … now I feel as happy as I have in months."

"It's the puppies," Kylie said. She ran her hand down Blair's back, gliding from her shoulder to her hip.

She could feel Blair's head move as it shook slowly. "No, it's you. You know how to cheer me up. You make me feel needed, Kylie. Like the puppies need me too."

"That's not something I try to do," Kylie said. "It's just the truth. I need you, Blair, and so do Nicky and Nora."

The blonde released her hold and patted Kylie on the back of her leg. "Well, the truth is that being with you makes me happy." She looked at the dogs and said, "I have a feeling you two could cheer up Ebenezer Scrooge." On cue, they licked her face, their tongues making her giggle. Blair thought of a question she'd forgotten to ask. “Are they named after the couple in The Thin Man movies?”

“Uh-huh. Nick and Nora Charles. The owner loved old movies. I thought we could call the puppy Nicky just to be a little different. I don’t want Nick to come running when I call the pup.”

“I think Nicky and Nora are cute names. Cute names for very cute dogs.”

„G

When they sat down to dinner, the dogs lay at their feet — one head on Blair's foot, another on Kylie's.

"It's very generous of you to let my parents stay here, Kylie. Luckily, they both like dogs, although I can't imagine who wouldn't like these two. One condition, though — you let me buy the bed. You’ve spent so much money on furnishing this place that even your ample resources must be tapped out.”

“I’m a long way from looking for a second job, Blair. You don’t need to furnish my house. I just haven’t gotten around to furnishing the guest room. This'll spur me into action.”

“Well, can I buy the linens and the pillows? I’ll feel bad if I don’t contribute.”

“Sure. It’s a deal."

"You know, we’ve been home for hours, and I haven't heard one word about Maine."

"Well, we were a little busy," Kylie reminded her. "But if you're interested, I can fill you in."

"Of course I'm interested. Tell me everything."

“'Kay." She put down her fork and leaned back in her chair, something Blair had noticed she always did when she was telling a story. "We had a nice day on Friday. She showed me around the campus, which was one of the most gorgeous places you could imagine. If I’d seen this place when I was considering schools, I would have gone there for sure. Then Amanda made dinner for me at her apartment.” She smiled and said, “She’s a decent cook. Nothing too fancy, but she’s very competent.”

Blair tsked and gave her friend a mock scowl, “Such a critic.”

"Well, you asked for everything." Kylie wrinkled her nose and continued, “We just sat around her apartment for the rest of the evening, talking. It was nice. I got to know her a little better, and I told her all about myself. Around 11:00 I was too tired to move, so I went to my hotel and collapsed.”

“You stayed at a hotel?” Blair asked, surprised.

“Well, yeah. She didn’t offer to have me stay with her, and she only has a one-bedroom apartment.”

“Have you ever heard of making a move?" Blair asked. "Do I have to teach you everything?"

"No," Kylie laughed. "I know how to make a move, but … it didn't seem right."

"You’re pretty cautious, aren’t ya?"

“Yeah, I guess I am. I don’t want to get too close too fast. She might not even wind up living here, Blair.”

“Do you have to be in love before you sleep with a woman?”

“I think so. I didn’t feel that way when I was a kid, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided that sex doesn’t mean as much to me as being intimate. I can please myself sexually — and I do a much better job than a stranger would. Luckily, Amanda feels the same way. We both decided that we should keep this very casual until she decides to move here.”

“So mature,” Blair said, grinning and batting her eyelashes.

“Cautious is more like it,” Kylie said. “I’m not sure she’s the woman for me, even if she does move here. I don’t need the complication of sleeping with her before I know it’s right.”

“Do I detect a cooling of interest? You don’t seem as excited as you were before.”

“No,” she said thoughtfully. “I like her a lot.” She paused a moment, then said, “Well, you might be right. I hate to resort to such a cliché, but I don't feel any chemistry with her. She seems more like someone I'd like to hang out with than date."

"You don't think like can turn into love?"

“I guess it can, but it never has for me. Amanda seems a lot like me — emotionally at least — and I'm not usually attracted to people who are too much like me."

"Opposites can attract," Blair said, adding a sad smile. "David and I were opposites in some ways."

Kylie nodded. "I know what you mean. Stacey was my opposite in so many ways. You know, she’s one of the first people I’d ever seriously dated who knew how to handle me.”

“Are you tough to handle?” Blair asked curiously.

“I don’t think so, but only Stacey and you seem to know how to keep me from running roughshod over you.”

Blair blinked, totally surprised. “You don’t try to do that to me.”

Kylie blinked back, puzzled. “I … I guess I don’t, do I? That’s always been the number one complaint from my serious girlfriends.”

“You must have changed, Doc, ‘cause you’re the easiest person to get along with that I’ve ever known.”

Grinning widely, Kylie said, “That’s what I kept telling them. I knew those women were psychos!”

„G

Blair was so tired that she didn’t even pretend to watch TV with Kylie and the puppies. She gave her friend a hug and went to bed not long after8:00, falling into a stupor in minutes.

The dogs wandered around the house for much of the evening, occasionally getting onto the couch with Kylie and cuddling for a while, then roaming again. It was obvious that they missed their former owner and their routine, so she decided to let them settle in at their own pace. She’d left the door to the back yard open a crack, and they immediately figured out that was where they were expected to relieve themselves. Just before bed, she decided to take them out and wait with them until she was sure their bladders were empty. After locking up, she looked around the house, unable to find them. Padding down the hall, she snuck a peek through Blair’s open door, finding Nora lying between Blair’s breasts and Nicky curled up at the apex of her thighs, his head pillowed on her belly.

The pups know who needs them more, she decided, blowing a kiss to the trio.

„G

When Blair got home the next night, she spent a few minutes sitting on the floor with the dogs. They cheered her up so much that she was almost cheerful by the time she got outside to say hello to Kylie. "You've got some very cute anti-depressants here, Doctor Mackenzie."

"They do make you smile, don't they?"

"Yeah, and I had a hard time doing that today." Blair unzipped her skirt and tugged it off, then draped it over the back of a chair. "You don't mind if I just wear my slip, do you?"

"Nope. I'm used to greeting complete strangers who're wearing disposable paper gowns. You're a little overdressed for me."

Blair sat down on a chaise, then let her head sink back. Nicky jumped onto her chair, then Nora had to follow, both dogs trying to occupy her lap. "There's barely room for one of you," she said.

Kylie snapped her fingers. "Nora, come." The dog cocked her head, then jumped from Blair's chair to Kylie's, looking at her expectantly. "Good dog," she praised, then scratched her under her chin. "Lie down, baby." Nora did so, giving her brother a haughty look.

"Sibling rivalry, huh?" Blair asked. "I guess that's one more reason to be glad I'm only gonna have one child. It'll also let me get by with a two-bedroom apartment."

"Apartment?"

"Yeah. Our deal was that I could stay until David and I resolved things. Well … they're resolved. I'd like to stay another couple of weeks if you don't —"

"I don't want you to move!" Kylie was staring at her friend with an alarmed expression. "I don't!"

"But, Kylie, this is your house. You don't want a roommate."

"I do, too," she said. "I didn't know it until I got one, but now that I've had the experience, I've decided it's just what I need."

"But why?"

"Look," Kylie said. "I've told you several times that I don't like to be alone. Part of the reason I'm not going out as much as I used to is because of you, but not because I'm babysitting you. I like you, Blair, and I enjoy being with you. You're a lot more fun than some of the movies and plays that I used to spend my evenings at. I really like having you here."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. I cook more, I read more, I'm listening to music more often. It's been great for me. I mean that. I don't want it to end." She looked at her friend for a moment, then said, "Oh, shit. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. You probably need your privacy."

Blair returned her gaze, then felt a smile form. "I usually do, but it's been nice for me, too." She reached over and took Kylie's hand, giving it a squeeze. "You're fun to live with. I find myself perking up when I pull into the gate and see that your car's here." She shook her head. "It's surprising for me, but I like being here. I mean, I knew I liked you, but I never thought I'd prefer living with a woman to being alone —and I think I do."

"Then it's settled," Kylie said, her full, bright smile in place. "We'll live together until one of us doesn't like the arrangement."

"That's what the marriage contract should say," Blair grumbled. "That'd save a lot of attorneys’ fees."

"Thank God we don't need an attorney," Kylie said. "We can cement our deal with a handshake."

"Okay, but we have to work out the financials. How much rent do you want?"

"Rent?" Kylie looked at her like she was crazy. "I don't want money from you."

"Then I can't stay," Blair said. "You know I have money, Kylie, and I don't want to feel like a charity case."

"Money has to be an issue for you," Kylie said. "It's gonna cost money to get divorced, not to mention having to sell your house."

"House? Oh! I don't own a house. David owned our place before we got married. I didn't contribute to our housing expenses."

"You didn't?"

"Nope. We kept our finances separate. He paid for the house, and I paid for groceries and utilities. He paid more than I did, but he owned the place, so that seemed fair."

"You kept your finances separate?"

"Completely. I have a rough idea of how much money David makes, but I don't know how he spends it, and I don't have a clue how much he has saved. That's his life."

Kylie just stared at her friend for a moment, trying to think of something to say. She'd never heard of a marriage like Blair's, but she didn't want to show her puzzlement. "Well, even if you don't have a lot of expenses, I still don't need for you to pay to live here."

"Whether you need it or not, I need to pay."

The doctor realized she wasn't going to win this one, so she cut her losses. "Fine. Why don't we do it like you did with David? You pay the utilities and buy most of the groceries. Now, I don't want us to nickel and dime each other, so if I go to the store — I'll pay. But I'll let you shop most of the time."

"Sounds more than fair, since you cook all of the time," Blair teased. "It's obvious I'm getting off too easily, so I'll just have to make myself the world's best roommate to compensate."

Дата добавления: 2015-09-04