Chapter 3 11 страница

"You already are," Kylie said.

"Yeah. A pregnant woman who cries most of the time, won't communicate when she's upset, can't cook, is prone to snappishness and lies on the sofa napping all night. You've picked a winner, Doc."

"I know I have," Kylie insisted. "I like you a lot, Blair, and I know we're gonna get along fine. As for the money, if it was good enough for David, it's good enough for me."

"David was compensated — very well, I might add — in ways that you won't be," Blair said, giving her friend a sexy smile.

Kylie stared at her, seemingly unable to offer a comeback. "Yeah, well, I'm taller than you are," she finally said, looking proud of herself.

"You weren't on the debate team, were ya, Doc?"

"Secretary of the science club," she said. "I'm just a nerd."

"You're a very lovable nerd, Kylie Mackenzie, and I think we're gonna be very good roommates."

„G

Blair had a business meeting the next night, so Kylie called Nick and convinced him to come over for a barbeque. "The place is looking great," he said after he'd wandered around the house. “You've had to spend a lot of money to furnish this space, haven't ya?"

"Yeah, but Blair's helped me out a lot. She arranged to have some guy on La Brea make my leather sofa at about thirty percent of what I would've had to pay in a store. And a carpenter she knows built the entertainment center. I'm pleased with the job he did, too. I think it looks like it's been here since the place was built."

Nick walked over to the rustic-looking shelving in the den and rapped his knuckles on it. "To be honest, I thought it was here when we looked at the place. How did he do this?"

"He's from Mexico, and he has a big stash of mesquite down in his home village. He doesn't like to give it up, but he loves Blair, so he agreed to do this for me. It matches the front door so well that it looks original, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," he said. "I'm gonna have to have Blair help me furnish my place better."

"She's your woman," Kylie agreed. "She knows everyone!"

Nick took his beer and walked out onto the veranda. He looked all around and said, "This is such a great place, Kylie. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, buddy," she said. She put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm happy now that I have Blair and the puppies and a baby coming by Christmas."

He gave her a puzzled look and said, "You make it sound like Blair's staying. Is she?"

"Yeah, she is," Kylie said, beaming. "I didn't think she'd want to, but she likes living here."

Nick didn't say anything for a minute. He took one of the rubber balls that were lying on the veranda and tossed it, watching both dogs run for it and wind up in a ball, tumbling across the lawn — the toy forgotten. "Good retrievers," he said, laughing.

"They're terriers," she sniffed. "Throw a bunch of rats out there, and they'll have them cornered in no time."

"Do they have the run of the house when you're gone?"

"Oh, sure," Kylie said. "I have a house full of new furniture, so I thought it would be fun to bring two puppies home and let 'em chew on it. You know how I love to live on the edge." She laughed at her cautious nature. "I keep an eye on Blair, Nick. You never know when she's gonna put a glass down and not use a coaster."

"Well, you're being kinda wild lately. I thought that might extend to the dogs."

"Nope. They have a big wire crate that they've had since they were born. They seem to like it. I think they feel safe there. I make sure they eat early enough so they have time to go to the bathroom before I leave in the morning, and they're fine until 2:00 or 3:00. Either Blair or I can at least swing by the house by then — even if we have to go back to work. Actually, she's often home until 10:00 or 11:00, so the dogs won't have to be crated for more than four hours at a time."

He sat down and watched the dogs gambol around the yard. "Sounds like you two have things all worked out."

"You're using your shrink voice. Spill it."

He sighed, hating that she could always read his mind. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have Blair stay?" He didn't look at Kylie, and his tone was very neutral, but she knew what he was getting at.

"Nick, I can make my own decisions."

"I know you can, but you've just gotten to the point where you're ready to date again. I know you, Kylie, and if you have someone waiting for you at night, you won't want to take the risk of dating."

"I went all the way to Boston to see a woman this past weekend. Blair was here then. As a matter of fact, Blair's the one who fixed me up."

"I'm not saying you'll close yourself off," he insisted. "But we both know you have a tendency to …"

She let her head drop against the back of her chair. "I know I cling, Nick. But I'm not doing that with Blair." She laughed. "Mostly because she won't let me."

"That worries me, Kylie. I don't want to see you get so involved with someone who can't return your affection. You'll wind up getting hurt."

"I know I'm a delicate little flower, Nick," she said sharply, "but it's not like that with Blair."

"Answer one question for me?"

"Sure. Give me your best shot, 'cause you're not getting another."

"Do you have feelings for her?"

"Yeah," she said immediately. "I love her like a sister. Actually, I like her better than my sisters. I care for her a lot, Nick, and I want to help her through a very tough time."

Nick was quiet for a moment, then asked the question he was a little afraid of posing. "You're not in love with her, are you, Kylie?"

"That's a second question, but I'll answer it anyway. No, Nick, I'm not in love with Blair. I love her very much, but I don't want to sleep with her." Well, that's not entirely true, but I don't think of her as a potential sex partner. He doesn't have to know about the cuddling. No matter how evolved a guy is, he never seems to understand that a lesbian can cuddle with a friend and not be tempted to jump on her. Maybe women are better at keeping people in categories. Blair's not in the "available" category — and that's that!

Chapter 6

The next afternoon Kylie got home early, changed clothes and packed the dogs into the car. She drove down to San Vicente Boulevard, one of the main jogging streets on the Westside. It wasn't an ideal place to run, since the path was in the middle of six lanes of speeding traffic, but the day was cool and breezy enough to blow most of the exhaust away. Kylie knew that the dogs liked to socialize as much as they liked to walk, and San Vicente was always so filled with people that she knew the pups would get all of the attention they craved.

The dogs had a tremendous amount of energy, but Kylie was a neophyte in the land of physical fitness. She knew they'd be happier if she let them off their leashes so they could run round her in circles, but she wasn't about to risk their safety. "I'm sorry, guys," she said when they looked up at her at a stop sign. "I know you can go much faster than I can — even though my legs are about twenty times longer than yours — but you've got to give poor Mama Kylie a break. This exercise stuff isn't in my nature."

She heard a pair of feet slapping the ground behind her, and hoped that the runner hadn't heard her speaking aloud to her dogs. Thankfully, there was a break in traffic, and the woman blew by her, not giving her another glance.

Kylie watched the woman for a moment, liking the way her hips moved when she ran. "You guys should be with her," she said to the dogs. "She knows how to run!" They started off again, and Kylie tried to pick up her pace a little bit. Several people stopped to exclaim over the pups, making all three of the walkers happy.

They’d managed to do about a mile when Kylie told her canine companions that it was time to turn around. She turned and Nora went right with her. But Nicky darted between her legs, continuing towards the ocean. When he saw that he was alone, he ran around Kylie's left leg, nearly tripping her in the process. She started to hop on one foot while she kicked at the leash, trying to get it off her leg. Both dogs thought they were playing a new game, and they gleefully joined in. They jumped and barked, while Kylie got more and more twisted in their leashes. She was finally reduced to sitting down and working her way through the mess that had developed. When she was finished, she got onto all fours to rise, and was unable to avoid looking at a pair of terrifically long legs that were directly in front of her.

"Need a hand, Doctor Mackenzie?"

The voice, then the legs, triggered her memory, and she gasped in surprise. "Julie!"

The woman extended a hand and helped the doctor to her feet. "What have you got here?" she asked. She got down on the ground and let the dogs make a fuss over her. "Are these yours?"

"Yep." Kylie looked down at the woman, marveling at her with her mouth slightly open.

Julie looked up at her and asked, "Something wrong?"

"I'm … I'm amazed," she said. "Your hair is the same color as the puppies!"

Julie laughed, then grasped one dog in each hand and held them up to her face. "You callin' me a dog?"

"Far from it," Kylie said, her voice softening. "I don't think I'd ever noticed how beautiful your hair was. It's really extraordinary."

Julie put the dogs down and got to her feet. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Kylie said, nodding. She fidgeted a bit, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "I'm just … I hope … I wish things hadn't ended like they did."

The woman put a hand on Kylie's arm. "I knew you weren't involved in my firing. It was all Doctor Greene. We never got along."

"Well, I wasn't in favor of firing you," Kylie said. "I thought you were the best office manager we'd ever had."

"Thanks, Doctor Mackenzie. That's nice to hear."

"Hey, please, I was never comfortable with your calling me doctor."

"You were the only one," Julie said, laughing. "And if I had to call the men by their titles, I certainly wasn't gonna call the only woman by her first name."

"It wouldn't have bothered me," Kylie said.

"That's why I liked you," Julie said. "You didn't act like you thought you were God."

"Well, I do," Kylie laughed, "but only my closest friends know that."

"I think you're lyin'," Julie said, smiling the smile that Kylie had always been innately attracted to. "Wanna have a cup of coffee so I can judge for myself?"

"Yeah," Kylie said, surprising herself.

"Okay. I live right off Montana. Wanna come to my apartment?"

"Well, my car is the other way." Kylie waited for a moment, then proposed, "Come to my house. I have to take the dogs home anyway."

"Sounds great, Kylie," Julie said. "Give me your address, and I'll come over after I go home and shower."

"We'll be waiting," Kylie said. She took her small leather note holder from her pocket and wrote down her address.

Julie took the note and smiled. "Still working on the original notes?"

Kylie looked down and said, "Oh, right. You gave me this, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I tried to find Christmas presents for you guys that'd be personal but not too personal."

"I obviously liked it," Kylie said. "I still carry it with me every day. And you'd be surprised how far a thousand cards goes!"

"That’s how I make sure people remember me," Julie said. "Give 'em a huge supply of personalized note cards."

"You should've put your name on them," Kylie teased.

"Not a bad idea. I'll do that in the future." She waved to Kylie and the dogs and took off in the opposite direction. Kylie gazed after her for a moment. I was staring at Julie's ass when she ran by us at the stop sign! How could I forget that butt after staring at it for three years?

They started to walk towards the car at a fast clip with Kylie's mind moving even faster. Was she coming on to me? I didn't know she was gay. She sure doesn't look gay. She nearly slapped herself for her own stupid comment, then started to worry again. Maybe she wants to talk about old times at the office. Hell, maybe she wants to sue us! The other guys'll kill me if I reveal anything to her about why they fired her. Of course, it's not illegal to fire someone so you can hire your cousin. It ought to be, but it isn't.

But she sure was friendly. And not just co-worker friendly. More like lesbian friendly. She looked down at the dogs. "Mama Blair says I don't have a good first move. Let's go prove her wrong."

„G

Kylie raced home and spent a few minutes picking up the newspaper that she'd left at the table that morning. Then she sorted the mail and put Blair's in her room. The dogs were on her heels the whole time, knowing that she was excited and not wanting to miss anything. When the house was neat, she went to her room and washed her face and combed her hair. She looked at herself carefully, then decided that she didn't like her hair. She put some styling gel on her hands and worked it through her hair, arranging her curls to her satisfaction. "How does this shirt look?" she asked the dogs. "Do I look as good as that pretty lady we saw today?"

The dogs didn't have an opinion, so she decided to stay as she was. She was too nervous to sit still, so she went outside with the dogs and threw their stuffed football for them. They were getting better at fetching, even though there was always a brief wrestling match involved. After what seemed like hours, Julie arrived.

Kylie jumped when the bell rang, then ran for the front door. She paused for a moment so she wouldn't sound out of breath, then opened the door. "Wow," she said, "you look great." Damn! Do I have to say everything that I think? Hold back a little, Mackenzie! She showed Julie inside, then took her on a brief tour, pleased when Julie was so complimentary.

They reached the backyard, and Julie exclaimed, "What a great place, Kylie. This is the backyard I've always dreamed of!"

"Thanks," Kylie said. "It was what made me buy the house." She realized that she hadn't extended any hospitality at all, so she asked, "I usually sit out here in the late afternoon and vegetate. Wanna have a drink and veg with me?"

"I'd love a drink," Julie said. "What've you got?" They walked inside together, and Kylie recited the options. Julie chose cranberry juice with a little vodka, and Kylie joined her — adding less than an ounce of vodka to her own drink. Julie watched her work, commenting, "Do you have a patient in the hospital?"

"How'd you know?"

"I'm used to doctors. The good ones have child-strength drinks when they might be called in."

"I try to be a good one," Kylie admitted. "Besides, with the cost of my malpractice insurance, I can't afford a drinking problem."

They went outside and sat down, and soon both dogs were on Kylie's lap. "They seem pretty fond of you," Julie said.

"Oh, they are." Kylie laughed and said, "But they think my roommate is their mommy. I'm only a stand in."

"I assume your mortgage is astronomical, but I never figured you for the roommate type." She gave Kylie a long look. "A girlfriend, yes, but not a roommate."

"Nope, no girlfriend," Kylie said. "My friend Blair's living with me. She's in the process of getting divorced, and we really like living together. We're good buddies."

"Divorced … from a man?"

"Uh-huh." The dogs ran for the front door, and Kylie said, "You'll get to meet her. My early-warning devices are never wrong. They bark when anyone comes close to the house, unless it's Blair or me."

Seconds later Blair's voice called out, "Kylie, I'm home!"

"I'm outside," Kylie called back. "Come on out; we've got company."

Blair walked outside, dogs flanking her. She gave Julie a pleasant smile and said, "This looks like a fun way to spend the afternoon."

"It is," Kylie said. "Blair, I'd like you to meet Julie Holland. Julie and I used to work together. She was our office manager. Julie, this is Blair Spencer."

"Pleased to meet you," Blair said.

"Same here," Julie said. "Kylie was just telling me about you."

"Oh, God," Blair said. "Has she told you she's opening a home for pregnant divorcees?"

Julie's eyes widened. "I didn't know you were pregnant. Kylie said you were getting divorced."

"Well, just because Kylie doesn't have a big mouth doesn't mean I don't." She laughed and said, "I'm gonna change and go for a little walk with the pups. While I'm gone, I'll think of a few more embarrassing things to tell you about myself, Julie."

"Don't worry if you can't think of anything," Kylie said. "I've got a million of 'em."

She turned to her former co-worker when Blair left and asked, "So, where are you working now, Julie?"

"I'm managing the office of a laser eye surgeon in Beverly Hills. It's much easier to work for one doctor," she said, giving Kylie a thin smile.

"I'm sure that's true," Kylie agreed. "Are you still a big theatre goer?"

Julie gave her a warm smile. "I'm surprised you remember that. Yeah, I am. A friend and I are going to New York on Thursday to see a few plays. I go at least twice a year."

"Cool! I never do that, and I really should. I go to almost everything here, but I never get off my butt to go to Broadway."

"You should come with me sometime," Julie said. "I bet you'd be fun to travel with."

"I can be fun," the doctor said, giving Julie a sly smile. "Who do you normally travel with?" she asked, trying to figure out if they were on the same team. "You used to talk about what you did for fun, but you were always very circumspect about your personal life."

Julie nodded and took a sip of her drink. "I don't give my employers any reason to dislike me," she said. "You never know when someone won't like your religion or your hobbies or your sexual orientation. I thought it would be okay if I was out at work, since you were, but I didn't want to take the chance."

"Huh. I never had a clue," Kylie said. "I guess my gaydar isn't very good."

"Come on!" Julie stared at her for a moment. "You didn't know?"

"No. Really. No clue."

"I guess I'm better at hiding my life than I thought I was. I was sure you knew."

"You should never assume I'm aware of anything," Kylie said, laughing at herself. "I'm in my own world at work. I pay attention to my patients, but everything else is kinda like white noise."

"That's how you seemed," Julie said. "Unless I caught you first thing in the morning, you always had a sort of vacant look in your eyes."

"That's concentration!" Kylie protested.

"That's what I meant," Julie said. "You always had a mask of deep, studied concentration on your face."

"That's better," Kylie said. "I've got a reputation to maintain."

"You have a great reputation, and I think you know it," Julie teased. "I think you're a pretty confident woman, to be honest."

Kylie studied Julie for a moment, then decided to give her an honest answer to what she understood was a teasing comment. "I'm confident about work, but I'm not so self-assured when it comes to women. I've been single for two years now, and I haven't had much success in finding someone I like."

Julie gave her a suspicious look. "Are you only considering twenty-one-year-old supermodels?"

Laughing, Kylie shook her head. "I'm sure there are some wonderful women who model, but that wouldn't be my preference. I'm looking for a nice woman who enjoys the same things I do. I'd like someone close to my age who likes a pretty quiet life. I get enough excitement from my work, so I like to relax at night by going to a concert or a play. I didn't know my requirements were all that difficult to meet, but, as I said, I haven't had much luck."

"Are you looking anywhere? 'Cause I know a lot of single women who'd chew off an arm to date someone like you." She brought her forearm up to her mouth and began to act like she was gnawing on it. "One person in particular comes to mind," she added, her mouth filled with her own skin.

"Hey, I don't want you to lose an arm," Kylie said. "We'd better make a date before you do any damage there."

Julie released her hold and gave Kylie an open, guileless smile. "I'm not even gonna act like I have to squeeze you into my schedule. I'm available any time you want to get together."

"How about Monday?" Kylie asked. "I would ask you for this weekend, but Blair's parents are gonna be in town, and I said I'd help entertain them."

"Gee, you're helping to entertain your roommates parents? Are you sure you're human?"

"Positive," Kylie assured her. "But I can be sickeningly thoughtful."

"You can make me sick any time, Doctor Mackenzie. You can start on Monday night."

„G

Blair and the dogs walked in as Julie was leaving. They all said their goodbyes, and when Kylie and Blair went into the house, the doctor started chanting, "I've got a da-ate. I've got a da-ate."

Stopping in her tracks and whirling around, Blair said, "Get out! That woman's a lesbian?"

Kylie laughed and nodded. "I hate to admit this, but I was surprised, too. I worked with her for a couple of years, and I had no idea!"

"Wow, she must be really closeted for the gossip mill not to have spread that around."

"I don't know if she's closeted or careful," Kylie said. "She said she doesn't want to give her employer any reason to dislike her."

Blair thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Did she do a good job?"

"Yeah, I thought so, but Doctor Green never liked her. He convinced the rest of us that she wasn't doing a good job for him, and two weeks later, his cousin became our new office manager. I'm still pissed about that."

"Sounds like a jerk," Blair agreed.

"I think his mother might have put pressure on him. So he's a jerk and a mamma's boy. Not a good combo."

"Speaking of just such a creature, I got a call from David today, telling me that he told his mother about us and that she'll probably be showing up on the doorstep soon. So if you see a stocky, dark-haired woman who looks like a human tornado — bar the door."

"I'll do my best," Kylie agreed, "but I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to physical confrontations. If she yells at me, I'm giving you up."

"Nice to be able to rely on you, bud," Blair said. She gave her friend a rough, one-armed hug, and as they went into the kitchen together to start dinner, she captured Kylie’s cheek in a healthy pinch. “A date!” she said, squeezing a bit for emphasis. “My little girl is growing up!"

Kylie giggled and slapped ineffectually at her.

“Let’s hear all about it — and don’t leave anything out! God knows how I hate to threaten such a vulgar, despicable method … but I’ll tickle if I have to.”

„G

The new bed, dresser and night tables were delivered on Thursday afternoon, and Blair washed the new linens before Kylie got home. After dinner they got the room ready, even making up a little travelers basket for the dresser. Everything was ready by 10:00, and, as usual Blair got ready for bed as soon as they’d finished. "I know we're gonna be busy this weekend, so I want to catch up on some sleep while I can."

"Eh. I'll join you. It's no fun to stay up when you're not hanging out."

"I don't know how you ever lived alone, Kylie Mackenzie. You, my friend, are a people person!"

"That's me," Kylie agreed. "I'm pleased as punch to have more company. I might ask your parents to move in, too."

"They've never been crazy about California, but this might be the time they feel the magic!"

The next day, Blair took the afternoon off to pick her parents up from the airport. Nicky and Nora accompanied her, resting in the back seat in their wire crate. The dogs had traveled everywhere with their original owner, and she wanted them to feel that they were getting back into their normal routine.

When she reached LAX, she pulled up to the arrivals level and parked, trying to look busy so the police didn't force her to leave. Luckily, her parents were right on time, and by the time they reached her, she was in tears.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Werner Schneidhorst asked, his eyes wide with alarm.

“I’m pregnant, Dad,” she said. “I cry all day long. Seeing my parents for the first time in months is a guaranteed gusher.”

“My poor baby,” Eleanor Schneidhorst said, wrapping her daughter in a hug.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-04