***
"Your not serious are you? That is the ugliest shade of green I've ever seen."
"It's a nice shade of green! It compliments my eyes!"
"Your eyes are not the color of limes, dearest.."
"Look, my hair is my business!"
I laugh inspite of myself, watching two of my friends fight once again. This topic is slightly more interesting than usual. It seems Erica, the only butch I've ever met who wasn't half a femme, has come home to Anna with her normally bright blonde hair, tipped green.
Anna, who thinks dying hair is only necessary because of beauty magazines and hasn't touched a bottle of color in her life, wasn't thrilled. As soon as Erica walked in the door I was forgotten and so was the fact that I'd een usin a bottle since I was twelve years old.
I'd come home earlier that day to find a message on my machine from Anna, asking to come over and help her try out cakes for her wedding. Erica had proposed a few weeks ago, and as soon as the ring was on Anna's finger, she was on the phone planning what I'm guessing is going to be the biggest wedding of the year.
Upon entering her and Erica's apartment, I was seated and presented with a square inch piece of cake from every bakery within twenty miles. Every kind I've had was as delicious as the next and though I enjoyed the free meal, I wasn't all that much help in deciding the cake issue. When I was done and told her so, she'd been pissed because now I'd eaten all the samples and she couldn't try any herself.
"Hey, it's not my fault," I'd defended.
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't. You said try this and shoved some cake in my face, not try this and compare it to this one and this one and which do you think is the best? You know I'm not one to put forth an extra effort."
"You are impossible!" Looking over I smiled. Anna was repeating the exact same words to her fiance. That's the nice thing about Anna. You can fight with her and always win because it's always her fault she gets angry anyway.
Things are slightly different with Erica though. When Anna gets that look on her face and turns her back, she has to fix things quickly for some reason I'm sure I'll never understand.
That's the nice thing about the two of them. Their relationship is theirs and therefor only theirs to understand. That's why I think they've been together so darn long. I was surprised Erica hadn't popped the question earlier though.
Of course, they had to buy a place together first, to make sure they'd be able to survive seeing eachother twenty four seven opposed to one or two nights a week. Buying a house in our city was not a piece of cake.
Anna was a teacher so she was always busy during the day. Erica worked the night shift at her parent's store, so their dates weren't always the most perfect and planned datess in history. They got together when they could and as you can see, it all turned out well in the end.
The second surprise I'd gotten there was when Anna had told me that her mother had agreed to come to the wedding and give her away. Her mother, unlike mine lord bless her, wasn't exactly supportive of Anna and Erica's relationship.
Anna was the Jordans only child in her house and Ms. Jordan's only hope for grandchildren. Mr. Jordan had died a few years back from a brain tumor. That had been a time when Anna and Erica had really gotten close and they'd been together so much, I'd become to fear that our own relationship would die.
Thankfully, our friendship didn't die. Ms. Jordans hope for grandchildren did though. Erica knew how much Anna meant to me and made sure the three of us went places together. That's how I met Erica, actually. Very nice woman if I may say so. She and I went out for dinner a few times to talk when Anna was out of town at conventions, but Anna doesn't have anything to worry about. Her butch is hers for the taking. Literally.
***
Five minutes later, the two have made up and send eachother secret glances over their coffee as we sit and think of what to do tonight.
"We could see a movie..." Anna shakes her head.
"There's nothing good playing now. I know, why don't we try that new resturant down the street? Margo's or something like that?" I shrug, not really caring either way.
"Okay. Well, just let me get my coat."
"Wait!! We can't leave now. I'm not changed yet!" My eyes take in her short plaid skirt and sweater tank, complete with clogs and raise my eyebrows.
"What's wrong with that?"
"I look like Britney Spears in this outfit!!"
"What's wrong with that?" Erica jokes. Anna glares and Erica stops laughing as soon as she'd started. I hear her mumble and assume Anna doesn't hear it.
"Well, I'll be out in a few minutes.."
"HA!" I laugh. "More like a few hours knowing you!" She glares at me too, but I don't stop. I'm not whipped so I don't have to.
Once Anna's left the room, I seat myself on one of their designer couches and sigh. This is gonna take awhile.
"So, Johnny, what's been new with you lately?" My bluish purple eyes flick up to her and I smile.
"I've been fine. No dates, if that's what your wondering but I may be getting to teach that writers workshop at the community college. That would be something to occupy my time." Erica nods in agreement, as I knew she would. She'd been the one who suggested it.
"How about you? Nervous about the wedding or anything?" She shakes her head and sets down the cup of coffee.
"I'm more worried about the bride. She hasn't given me anything to worry about because she's been doing it all on her own. She's just putting so much pressure on herself and even though I ask, she won't let me help. It really bothers me. It makes me feel left out if you could believe that..."
I knew what she was talking about. It was a surprise for me to hear her feeling left out. Erica, the girl that can fit herself into any situation or crowd, feeling left out. It's a very scary thought and by the end of this night, I don't care what it takes, I'm going to fix it.
***
I was wrong, that's right I was WRONG in my assumption that we would be sitting there waiting for my femme friend to get dressed. Somehow, in the time it took for Erica to pour out her worries, and for me to formulate an plan in my head, she got dressed.
The thing about Anna is she has a way of looking fabulous no matter what she's wearing. She could make a potato sack look like a twenty thousand dollar designer dress. She could fly an F-16 and not one strand of hair would get out of place.
This may have something to do with the fact that every woman in her ancestry was a model of some sort. She modeled for clothing in major magazines until she got her teaching degree. Her mother had been a model well into her sixties, doing various ads from the fifties to the present. The same is true about her grandmother and great grandmother. Her family's been in the modeling business before bulimia got it's name.
One day, when all five of us gals had gotten together and the topic up for discussion was children, yes or no? the two had clearly stated that their children, which they were planning to have when Erica bought her dream car and Anna traded in her car for a new van, would not be allowed to enter the modeling world until they were eighteen and on their own.
I'm thinking they're going to have a problem with this, and so will many agencies because the offspring from either of these women will without a doubt be just as gorgeous as their parents.
Erica I know works out at a gym at least three days a week, but her body has been just as toned since she was a little girl giving all the boys that picked on her friends wedgies. Her hair wasn't thick nor thin, and always had the same silky texture as her fiances.
Anna's body and hair had always been on the soft side, as was her hair. This was why she's had to transfer to teach at different schools three timse because the menfolk on the staff wouldn't leave her alone. In our new city, she has to worry about the womenfolk. They lay off of course after the meet Erica and I don't blame them at all.
"Ready ladies?" she'd asked us, leaving her room in a red and orange embroidered ensemble. I saw Erica drink in the site of her lover and had to stand, sexual tension not being my forte.
"I'm ready whenever you two are."
"Great," Anna says, about to put on her coat. Entranced, Erica grabs the coat for her and insists she help Anna put it on. They really do make a cute couple.
***
We'd decided to walk there since the resturant was only a few blocks away. The sun was just beginning to set as we walked in, immediately seated in the non smoking section much to my dismay. I'm not a constant smoker, but I do have one on occasion. Usually when I need to think. Or when I'm writing. That's about it.
Sarah's a constant smoker if I remember, most likely from the stress she'd been going through with work.
"So, excited? The weddings only a couple months away." I decided to start the conversation since the two seemed too wrapped up in one anothers eyes to talk. They turned to me and Erica's eyes sought out mine before she smiled. She knew what I was doing.
"Very. Everything's going very well. Except for the cake, for obvious reasons," Anna joked. I smiled and waited for her to continue.
"I'll be meeting with the printers tommorow to talk about invitations, then I'll have to run over to tenth street to meet with that dressmaker. I should have a few minutes between that and meeting with our priestess." She sighs and taps the table, a habit of hers.
"Boy, you sound busy." I sipped from my soda and looked elsewhere, hoping to feign disinterest. Lucky for me, it worked.
"Who am I kidding?" She slumps forward and buries her face in her hands. "I'm gonna be swamped! All this running around and planning is going to drive me insane. With all these meetings and trying to figure out this coming school year's agendas....I just can't handle it."
"It's okay sweetie." Erica wraps an arm around Anna and hugs her. "I'll help you out. You've got to let me though, okay?" She blinked her watery eyes and smiled, giving her girlfriend a chaste kiss before pulling away and grabbing a napkin.
"God, I must look like shit.." I smirk at her and put down my soda.
"Yeah, but at least you don't feel like it anymore.." Anna rolls her eyes and throws the rumpled napkin at me.
"Now now children, may we have a civilized meal please?" Erica gave Anna a small kiss on the cheek before casting another look at me. The look's meaning is obvious.
'Thank you.'
I merely smile.
***
That night, as we all hugged and said goodbye, the smile returned to my face. Being friends with such a couple, so obviously in love and so un-ashamed is invigorating to say the least. At times, I do feel a tad envious, but who isn't? Being with Erica and Anna has just gone to show that true love is really out there, and it's waiting for me.
Seeing the two of them hug as I leave, Anna nuzzling Erica's cheek as a light rain begins to drizzle around us, I turn around and head home.
Now all I have to do... is find it.
-Johnny Carmine, August 2, 2002