Chapter 3 30 страница

“Tough audience,” Blair said.

“Well, I think I’ll tell ‘em tomorrow when I call. What about you?”

“Oh, I’ve got to tell mine in person. I thought I’d do it when we go to Chicago for your father’s birthday.”

“Dreading it?” Kylie asked.

“No, not really. I think they’ll be confused, and I think they’ll worry about me, but that should be about it.”

“I hope so,” Kylie said, a sympathetic look on her face. “I don’t want them to upset you.”

“They’re both exposed to a lot of gay people, and they’re both very liberal in their views. Trust me, honey, they won’t blow a gasket.”

“Nick might,” Kylie admitted, chuckling to herself.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” the doctor said. “Just thinking about Nick. I’d like to tell him in person, if you don’t mind.”

Blair approached her partner and linked Kylie’s hands behind her back. “Honey, live your life. You don’t need my permission to do things. Obviously, it’s polite to tell me you’re leaving the house, but that’s all you need to do. I’m used to a lot of autonomy, and it makes me uncomfortable to think you feel that we have to ask permission to come and go.”

“I don’t,” Kylie said, shaking her head. “I’m not usually like this, really. I’m trying to get a feel for how we should treat each other.”

“We should treat each other like adults, who each have jobs and outside friends and interests. I want you to do what you want to do, Kylie. When you’re happy, you’ll be a better partner, and the same is true for me.”

Kylie dipped her head and kissed her, lingering for a moment to suck on her lower lip. “My problem is that you’re the only thing on my mind,” she said. “I’m sure the feeling will fade, but I love falling in love.”

“I love it too, sweetheart. Now go see your buddy, and when you come back, bring us some lunch.” She patted her firmly on the butt and ordered, “Don’t rush home, either. Live your life, Kylie.”

„G

Before she left, Kylie gave Nick a call to make sure he was home, then took off. She arrived at his condo a few minutes later and gave him a sunny smile when he opened the door before she had the chance to buzz. Giving him a kiss, she went in and stood just inside the doorway, suddenly feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable.

He put his arm around her shoulders and led her out to his small but comfortably appointed balcony. “Get you something to drink?”

“No, thanks. I came by for a couple of quick things. One, we thought you might like to go to the Bowl with us tonight. Last chance for classical music, you know.”

“Oh, I would have loved to, but I have a date. I’m seeing that flight attendant I told you about.”

“Oh … the flight attendant, huh? Is she cute?”

“Yep. And she’s bright, too. I really like her. I think you will, too. Maybe I’ll have you over for brunch to meet her.”

“Love to.” She shifted a bit in her chair and cleared her throat. “The other reason I dropped by is to give you the bad news about Blair,” she said.

“Bad news?”

“Yeah. I know you’ve had a little crush on her since the night you met her, but it’s not gonna get a chance to blossom. She’s in love.”

“Going back to her husband?” he asked.

“Nope. She fell in love with a really charming, good-looking, talented doctor. You know how they are,” she said dramatically. “That’s a tough person to go up against, Nick. The cards are stacked against you.”

“She didn’t!” he gasped. “She fell in love with you?”

“Hey, don’t say it like she should be committed!”

“Oh, Kylie, you know that’s not how I meant it. I didn’t have any idea that she was … gay. It’s no surprise that you care for her — but I didn’t think you played on the same team.”

“Surprised the hell out of me, too,” she said. “But she’s a very determined woman when she decides she wants something. And she decided she wanted me,” she said, hitching her thumb at herself.

He reached over and grabbed her knee, waggling it enthusiastically. “I’m happy for you, buddy. I never guessed you’d wind up with Blair, but I'm very glad to hear it.”

“Yeah, I’ve obviously been looking in the wrong places all these years. I should have been looking for pregnant straight women.”

“So … she's not gay?"

"Not up until now," Kylie said.

"Huh. Any problem with that?” he asked. “I mean, I can’t imagine this isn’t a big adjustment for her.”

“No, no problems,” Kylie said. “She doesn’t seem to think the jump is a very big one. She’s a very open-minded woman.”

“Open-minded is one thing. Denial is another,” he said soberly. “Are you sure she knows what she’s doing? I’d really hate to see you get burned here, Kylie.”

“I think she’s got both eyes open, Nick. I really do. She’s a very decisive woman when she’s chosen a course of action."

"Wow," he said, looking a little uncomfortable. "So … can I be the man of honor at your commitment ceremony?"

Kylie squirmed in her chair and gave him a thoughtful look. "I don't think she's at that point yet to be honest."

"Oh." His eyebrows lifted, and he cocked his head. "So you're only dating?"

"No," she said, making a face. "It's more than that. We love each other, and we're gonna co-parent the baby."

"Wow! That's a big deal!"

"Yeah, yeah, it is." She let out a breath and told him what had been on her mind. "Here's the truth. I'm ready for a permanent commitment, but Blair's … well, she's just divorcing her husband. I know she loves me, but she hasn't given me the whole 'I can't live without you’ thing that I feel for her. That doesn't mean that she doesn't love me," Kylie insisted. "She's cautious, and I don't blame her."

"You mean because of her marriage?"

"Yeah, that, and the fact that she's pretty cautious emotionally anyway. She's very logical — even about emotional topics. It's hard for her to really let go."

"But you feel loved, right?"

Kylie smiled a full, easy smile that made Nick smile back. "Oh, yeah. I know she loves me. Maybe not as much as I love her right now, but she'll get there. I trust her completely, Nick. I also trust her judgment.”

“And I trust yours,” he said. He stood up and Kylie did, too. They hugged each other for a long time, with Kylie squeezing her friend as hard as she could.

Chapter 11

On Sunday afternoon, Kylie tiptoed into the living room and spied her lover sitting on the couch. She walked up behind her and surprised Blair with kisses to both cheeks. When the blonde turned around in surprise, the doctor pounced upon her lips, kissing her soundly. “I called every one of my poker buddies, then I called my parents. Everyone is very, very happy to welcome you into the family,” she said, beaming a grin. “For some strange reason, no one seemed very surprised. I think we might have been the last ones to know," she said, laughing.

"No, I was the last one to know. You, Doctor Mackenzie, had a clue."

"True. Oh, my parents asked to speak to you, but I figured that might be a little embarrassing, so I said you were napping.”

“Why would I be embarrassed?” Blair asked. “If anyone should be embarrassed, it’s them. They’re the ones responsible for creating you.”

“You’re such a funny woman,” Kylie teased. “Lucky for me, I get your rather odd sense of humor.” She sat on the floor in front of Blair and took her hand. Giving her a sober look, she said, “I didn’t want to put you on the spot. I figured that if you wanted to talk, you could call them back.”

“Thanks. I think I will.” She leaned over awkwardly and kissed Kylie. “Will you call them back and then put me on? I feel a little uncomfortable cold-calling.”

“Sure. They were leaving to go to Alan’s for dinner. We can give them a buzz later this evening.” She smiled up at Blair and said, “We can use my family as practice for telling the more difficult people on the list.”

Running her hand through Kylie’s hair, Blair said, “My parents will be fine honey, really.”

“I didn’t mean your parents. I was thinking of Sadie and David.”

The smaller woman rolled her eyes and put down the book she had been reading. “I changed my mind. I don’t wanna tell him,” she said, sounding like a child. “I guarantee he’s been boinking that girl I saw him with, and lord knows, I don’t want him to call and tell me that.”

Giving her a faint smile, Kylie pulled herself up and kissed Blair lightly. “Okay. I didn’t mean to interfere.” She picked up the discarded book and put it back into Blair’s hands. “I’m gonna take the pups for a long walk. They’re getting a little antsy.”

“Let me come with you,” Blair said, starting to get up.

“No, I’d … like to be able to let them go at a good pace. You and I can go out later for a more leisurely stroll, okay?”

“Kylie?” she asked, taking her hand. “Are you okay?”

“Sure.” The taller woman bent down and kissed her partner on the top of the head. “Take a nap if you need to. We’ll be out of your hair for a while.”

“I like you in my hair,” Blair said, still holding onto Kylie’s hand.

“That’s good to know,” Kylie said, lifting Blair’s hand to kiss it once more. “See you later.”

Blair watched the dogs react jubilantly when their retractable leashes were taken from a drawer in the kitchen, then chuckled to herself as they immediately wound their way around Kylie’s legs, making her partner have to slowly unwind them. “Have fun guys,” she called out.

“We will,” Kylie said, blowing her a kiss.

When the door closed, Blair decided that Kylie’s suggestion was a good one, and she curled up on the sofa in the living room. She lay there for a long while, unable to relax enough to sleep. She knew something was bothering Kylie, but she couldn't decide what had triggered it. She kept going over their conversation, wondering why Kylie would be upset by her reticence to tell David of their relationship. She tossed and turned for a few minutes, trying to recall exactly what she’d said. All I said was that I didn’t see why I had to tell him, and I made it clear that I didn’t want to know about his personal life, either. What’s wrong with that?

She got up and went into the kitchen to get a glass of juice. Standing there, she recalled the exact words she’d used, then started to shake her head. Oh, shit, that sounded like I was equating her with the bimbo David’s screwing. She set the glass down and grabbed her keys, heading out to look for her partner. She found her in a place she didn’t expect. Their neighborhood was quite hilly, and they normally walked on the more level streets close to their house. But today the good doctor had taken the pups on the street that led straight up into the hills behind the house. The trio was resting under a large Chinese elm near the edge of someone’s property. It was hard to tell which of the three was most winded, but all looked grateful when Blair pulled up. “Somebody got carried away, didn’t she?” she asked, giving Kylie an affectionate look.

“Little bit,” the doctor said. “I was gonna have to carry ‘em back. They lay down here and refused to go another step.”

“Those are my smart puppies, right, babies?” Blair soothed the jumping dogs, Kylie holding them so they couldn’t scratch the car. “Come on and hop in. You look like you need a cool drink.”

“I won’t argue,” Kylie said. She herded the pups into their crate and climbed into the front seat.

“Let’s get a drink and go to the palisades,” Blair suggested. “I’d like to sit by the ocean and watch the world go by.”

“Okay.” As they took off, Kylie turned her head and gazed out of the side window, lost in her own thoughts. Blair didn’t try to make conversation, figuring they could talk more easily once they were outdoors. After buying a couple of Italian sodas and getting a cup of water for the dogs, they went over to Ocean Boulevard and found a bench along the cliffs above the Pacific. The ocean rolled rhythmically below them, and the air was sweet and clean here above the water. Each woman held a dog on her lap, and Blair reached over and took Kylie’s hand. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” she said softly.

“I didn’t say that you did,” Kylie responded, not making eye contact.

“You didn’t have to say so, sweetie. You acted like you were hurt, and after going over the conversation in my mind, I realized what I’d said and how it must have sounded to you.”

Kylie was staring out at the ocean, the strong planes of her face burnished a golden hue in the late afternoon sun. “I’m sorry if I was being overly sensitive,” she said stiffly.

"Tell me what you think I meant, then I'll tell you if you were being overly sensitive," Blair said.

Kylie frowned slightly. "I don't wanna."

"Come on, you can tell me."

"No. You'll think I'm being stupid."

"Will not."

"Will so."

"Kylie," Blair whispered into her ear, "you're not stupid. I hurt your feelings, and I'd like to know what you thought I meant. Then I can tell you what I was trying to say."

"Tell me what you were trying to say," the doctor said, completely intractable.

Blair paused a second, then mentally conceded. "Okay. I was trying to say that I don't want to share my private life with David. He's gonna be pissy about it, and I don't wanna deal with that right now."

"Then why'd you mention the woman he's 'boinking'?" Kylie asked, her voice filled with hurt.

"'Cause I'm stupid," Blair said. "I meant to say that his private life isn't my business, and hearing about it will piss me off. I'm sure hearing about mine will do the same to him. I didn't, in any way, mean to equate our relationship with some casual fling he's probably having. Nothing could be further from the truth." Lifting Kylie’s hand and placing a kiss on it, Blair insisted, "I’m very proud to be your lover, and I'm sorry I made you angry.”

“I’m not angry,” Kylie said. “I was hurt. It’s no big deal.”

“When I hurt you, it is a big deal,” Blair said. “It’ll always be a big deal, and I’ll always try to apologize when I do it.” She leaned in and kissed her cheek, then rested her head on Kylie’s shoulder.

“Thanks,” the larger woman said. “I’m better now.” Blair felt the stiff set of her lover’s body shift and relax, and she knew she was telling the truth.

They sat that way for a long while, neither speaking, just feeling the cool breeze coming off the water. The dogs were in their semi-alert state — half-dozing, but waking whenever another dog went by. First Nicky then Nora sat up and took notice of a cute Jack Russell terrier, and Blair sat up abruptly when the owner of the dog said, “Blair?”

“Hi, Daniel,” she said. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” he said looking surreptitiously at Kylie. “Cute dogs. Are they … yours?”

“They’re ours,” she said without hesitation. “Daniel Carr, this is my partner, Kylie Mackenzie. Kylie, Daniel’s one of the principals of the firm I used to work for.” Kylie extended her hand and shook Daniel’s, and they each mumbled a greeting. Turning back to the surprised-looking man, Blair said, “I have a couple of pieces of news. Kylie and I are having a baby this December.”

“Wow,” he said, looking truly stunned. “I had no idea … I hadn’t heard that you’d gotten divorced.”

She shrugged, unwilling to reveal too many details. “Yes, I have a new family now, Daniel. A new spouse, two young dogs and a baby all in one year. Just goes to show that you never know what tomorrow will bring.”

“I guess not,” he said, trying to sound like he wasn’t flabbergasted. “Well, you look great, Blair. Pregnancy obviously agrees with you.”

“It does,” she said. Squeezing Kylie’s hand, she added, “Being in love with a wonderful woman agrees with me, too. It’s been a great year.”

“I saw that you hit the $25,000,000 mark already,” he said, shaking his head. “I never should have let you get away.”

Laughing wryly, she said, “I believe that’s what I told you when I left.”

“I honestly thought you were bluffing, Blair. I couldn’t believe that you’d struck such a good deal with my biggest competitor.”

“You know, Daniel, I’m one of the worst card players in the world. And it’s all because I can’t bluff. I was straight up honest with you.”

“I know that now,” he said, giving her a chagrined look. “I assumed you were lying. Everyone does!" He laughed and said, "Having a $25,000,000 woman on the staff would ensure me of a hell of a year.”

“Daniel,” Blair said, giving him the same smile she gave Kylie whenever she had her dead to rights, “I was selling over $12,000,000 when I was with you, and I’d only been selling for five years. It was clear that I was going to be a good earner.”

“But I thought you’d peaked,” he said. “I was sure you were too frank to really make it big in this business.”

“Apparently not,” she said, grinning at him.

“Well, if you ever need a change, you know I’d love to have you back. I’m sure I could improve on your current deal.”

“Thanks, Daniel. I’ll keep that in mind.” She reached down and scratched his dog behind the ears, while Nicky and Nora sniffed at him. “It was nice seeing you.”

“You, too, Blair. Good to meet you,” he said, shaking Kylie’s hand again. “And congratulations to you both.”

“Thanks,” both women said as he walked away.

“That was interesting,” Kylie said, watching as the man walked away. “How’re you feeling?”

Blair sat in thoughtful contemplation for a moment. “Good. Very good," she said, looking quite content. "That's something that's been bugging me for years. It’s nice to know that he realizes he made a mistake. I was really insulted when he wouldn’t even negotiate with me. I wasn't looking to leave, but when my current firm approached me with such a great deal, I had to listen to them. I tried to get Daniel to counter-offer, but he blew me off!”

Kylie nodded and found she couldn’t help smiling at her partner. She’d assumed that Blair would be a little uncomfortable about coming out to someone for the first time, but it obviously hadn’t fazed her in the least. “How’d it feel to tell someone about our relationship?”

Blair looked at her for just a second, then smiled at her, her eyes crinkling up when she did. “Huh. I didn’t really think about that. I guess it felt fine, since I didn’t notice it.”

“You are a woman of surprises,” Kylie said. “Most of them good ones.”

Blair reached up and tugged on her partner’s ear, pulling until Kylie fidgeted. “Wanna correct that?”

“All of ‘em,” Kylie said. “Every single one of ‘em.”

The pups settled down again after the excitement of meeting a new dog, and Blair once again placed her head on Kylie’s shoulder. “I could stay like this all night,” she said. “I am perfectly content.”

“Me, too,” Kylie said, gripping her hand tightly. “Me, too.”

„G

Later that night, they lay upon the sofa in the den, sprawled upon one another as usual. “It was so cute to listen to you talking to my parents,” Kylie said, unable to control her enthusiasm. "You looked so adorable.”

“They were really nice,” Blair said. “Your mom especially. She’s very sweet — kinda like you.”

Kylie chuckled and said, “My dad has some wonderful qualities, too, but sweetness or sentimentality isn’t one of them. My mom is pretty warm when you get past her reserved veneer.”

“That describes her perfectly,” Blair said. “She has a veneer that makes her seem a little stiff.”

“Hey, we’re WASP’s,” Kylie said. “We’re all about stiff. Now my dad doesn’t have a veneer. He’s stiff all the way through.”

“He’s a nice guy,” Blair said. “I think we’ll get along fine. He was very interested in how my pregnancy’s going.”

“Shop talk’s his favorite thing. When we go to visit, he’ll drive you nuts.”

“Nah. I can handle him. As long as he doesn’t try to examine me, everything will be cool.”

“I defer to him on nearly everything,” Kylie said, “but you can rest assured that I’d voice a complaint if he tried to get your clothes off.”

“Only one Doctor Mackenzie sees me with my clothes off,” Blair said, pressing a kiss to Kylie’s temple.

Kylie slid her hand under Blair’s shirt, tickling across her belly. “How ya feeling tonight, sweetie? Need a backrub?”

“No, I feel good tonight. Lying around all weekend is really rejuvenating.” She cuddled closer and said, “I’m mentally gearing up for work tomorrow. I wasn’t really prepared to do it yet, but I’m going to have to tell my co-workers about us — if Daniel hasn’t done it for me.”

“Are you serious?” Kylie blinked.

“Oh, yeah, he’s the world’s biggest gossip. I guarantee he was on the phone thirty seconds after he got home.”

“Are you okay with that?” Kylie asked. “I mean, I don’t know what your plans were, but I can’t think you’re happy being forced to tell people.”

The smaller woman shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I haven’t really wanted to get into it with people, but I can handle it.”

“How many of your co-workers know you and David have split up?”

“None of 'em,” Blair said lightly. “I don’t like to talk about my private life at work. Never have. There’s a reason it’s called a private life,” she said. “I only wish some of my co-workers shared my philosophy. Some people tell you the most intimate details of their lives. I’ll never understand that.”

“You bring that out in people,” Kylie said. “You’re not only easy to talk to, you seem interested. People pick up on that.”

Blair said, “I’m interested in people. There are just some things that I don’t want to hear about. Just like there are some things I don’t like to talk about. My sexual and intimate relations are definitely in that category.”

Sitting up a little, Kylie looked at her partner for a moment and said, “Then don’t tell them. You don’t like to talk about it — other people obviously do. Let the ones who like it go ahead and talk about it. They’ll probably like it even more if they can speculate and imagine all sorts of scandalous scenarios.”

With a small smile on her face, Blair cocked her head and asked, “Do you think I should do that?”

“Why not?” Kylie asked. “I told my partners, but that’s only because I socialize with them occasionally. You don’t see any of your co-workers outside of work, so you’re obviously not very close to them. Why tell them intimate things if you don’t want to?”

“You know, that’s not a bad suggestion. My telling them won’t make them gossip any less. Why not simply let the rumor mill handle this?”

“Exactly. If anyone gets up the nerve to ask you directly, you can confirm it or tell them it’s a private matter that you don’t care to discuss.”

Blair nodded, her expression contemplative. “I’ll tell the members of my team tomorrow ‘cause they’ll be hurt if they think I didn’t trust them enough to tell them. Then I’ll see what happens.” She smiled and kissed Kylie tenderly. “Thanks for the suggestion. I feel calmer already.” Adding another kiss to the tip of her nose, she said, “Now I only have to worry about telling David.”

“But I thought …”

“Kylie, I spout off about things, but I’d never let David hear about this from someone else. Besides, no matter how he feels about it, he’s Mac … Simon’s father, and there’s a chance he’ll want to be involved in his life in some capacity. I really want to maintain as good a relationship with him as possible.”

“I think that’s wise,” Kylie said.

“I’m not ready to do it yet,” Blair cautioned. “Maybe next weekend.”

“Do it when you feel ready,” Kylie said. “You’ll know when the time's right.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Blair said wryly, “but I’ll know when I’m able to gut it up and get it over with.”

“I, uhm … noticed that you’re having trouble with the switch to Simon,” Kylie said. “I am, too.”

“We’ll get used to it,” Blair assured her. “We’ve been thinking of him as Mackenzie for so long that it’s gonna take a while. It’s like when I changed my name to Spencer.”

“Are you sure you want to change it? It was just a suggestion.”

Blair smiled at her partner, then reached up and tugged on her nose. “I hate it,” she said, starting to giggle. “I love the idea of the change, but he’s Mackenzie to me. I think he’ll always be Mackenzie even if his birth certificate says Simon.”

“I hate it, too,” Kylie admitted. “And not just because it’s my name — but that’s a part of it. I really like the thought of his having my name and yours. Besides, I don’t wanna have to have my locket engraved again. I’ll do anything to save $20.”

Blair tapped on her belly and said, “Hear that? You’re back to Mackenzie. Your middle name will be Simon.”

“Or Simonize if you’re a girl,” Kylie declared.

„G

On the following Thursday, Kylie came home from seeing a play with Nick. “Hey, sweetheart,” she called out while trying to fend off the dogs who were determined to ruin her nylons.

“I’m in the baby’s room,” Blair called out. Kylie walked down the hall and poked her head into the guest room, finding it empty. Next she tried her office with no luck. Finally, she looked into Blair’s room and gasped in surprise when she saw it filled with baby furniture.

“What in the hell …?”

“Hi, honey,” Blair said warmly, going to kiss her. “Do you like it?”

“Did I miss a meeting?” she asked, looking around confused.

“No. We haven’t talked about which room to make into a nursery, so I had to make a quick decision when the furniture started to arrive.”

“But why did you buy this stuff without consulting me?” Kylie asked, her confusion giving way to pique.

“I didn’t buy it, honey. Our neighbors gave it to us.”

“Gave it to us! This stuff must have cost a fortune!”

“I’m sure it did,” Blair said, “but he didn’t pay for it. One of the studios gave it to him when his new baby was born. He claims that was their last baby, so rather than move it to the new house he bought, he thought we could use it.”

“When did you learn about this?” Kylie asked, running her hands over the highly polished wood.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-04