Chapter 21

Game Over

It was the first Monday of August, so they were having their discussion group. Adrian still wasn’t comfortable talking during group and wasn’t sure she ever would be.

Jerry announced that his second test had also come back negative, and they all talked about how they felt about that. Then Mary and Judy told the group that they were going to start trying to have another baby and that this time Judy was going to carry and they all talked about that. Francis told them all about the bed and breakfast they’d stayed on their honeymoon and they all talked about that. And then it was her turn even though she didn’t really want one. Francis wanted her to tell them what they were doing in the back yard.

“Go ahead,” Francis said, poking Adrian in the ribs with her finger.

Adrian picked her sketch pad up off the table and flipped it open to the plans for the back yard. “This is what we’re doing.”

“Well tell them,” Francis said.

“Why don’t you?” Adrian said in a disgruntled tone, and then Francis was just explaining the entire project. When she was done everyone clapped.

“We should be able to finish it after I get done with the mural. Hopefully by the middle of fall. In the mean time please stay out of the back yard as… Well there are pits and piles of dirt everywhere and I don’t want any of you fuckers suing me.”

Jan put up her hand and Adrian cringed. Jan had been acting even crazier than usual since Charlie died. Not the sort of “Jan crazy” Adrian could handle but the moody quiet kind where Adrian never quite knew what to expect.

“Jan,” Judy said, acknowledging her.

“Oh fuck,” Adrian mumbled. Francis turned to look at her and she just shrugged helplessly.

Jan didn’t look at her when she started to speak, which Adrian just knew meant she was about to spit out some seriously fucked-up shit. She didn’t disappoint. Jan looked at Tammy. “I heard Milly and Francis talking the other day and they said you were thinking of canceling your cruise.”

“Yes,” Tammy said carefully.

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“Because Faye is keeping us both on the string? I’m tired of waiting for her to make up her fucking mind and I know you are, too. While you’re still getting some I’m going without and,” she looked at Faye, “this shit has got to stop, Faye.”

“Here? You want to talk about this here? You’re a fucking nut job Jan Shears!” Faye screamed back.

“Let her talk,” Tammy said, and it became clear that at least for the moment Tammy was actually siding with Jan.

“You’re supposed to go away. I talked to an agent. He got Cold Jets gigs in Atlanta and Orlando. We’ll be gone at least three weeks. I leave tomorrow.”

Great, Adrian thought. She might have told me before now, who am I going to get to cover for her? This is some crazy shit.

“Tammy, you’re supposed to leave next Friday, so Faye for two weeks neither one of us will be here.” She looked back at Tammy. “Neither one of us will be here to sway her one way or the other. When we get back she chooses. If she chooses you I’ll be cool with that and if she chooses me you’ll be cool. Good?”

“Jan Shears, of all the crazy shit you have ever spit out that’s got to be the absolute tops!” Faye was still very upset.

Adrian cringed. She hated screaming.

“No. She’s right, Faye. About everything,” Tammy said. “You need to quit playing us off each other and just make a decision.”

“I already have you, Tammy. I choose you.”

“No. You stay with me because I’m uncomplicated and loyal like a fucking dog. I want to be more important to you than Jan is or I don’t want to be with you. I shouldn’t be with you.” Then Tammy looked at Jan. “To make it fair I’ll leave tomorrow, too. I can stay with my parents ‘till we leave.”

“What about me? Do I get a say in this?” Faye asked, angry and near tears.

“No,” Jan and Tammy said in unison.

Faye stared at her ceiling. They’d both been gone a week and she was still no closer to making a decision. This was just completely fucked up.

            But maybe the real problem was the one she’d had all along. She was in love with Jan. Passionately, hopelessly in love with her, but her logical mind didn’t want to be with Jan. Faye also loved Tammy, though not with near the intensity, and knew she’d have a better life with Tammy—a saner, calmer one.

            The problem was that there had never been any closure in her relationship with Jan; it had just sort of ended. It was hard to say now who wanted to end it most or if either of them had ever really wanted to end it because it really wasn’t and never had been over.

            And then there was the other thing. Jan was on the road, God alone knew what pussy might be thrown in her face. She might decide the rocker life was for her and Faye wanted no part of that. She liked her job at the hospital most of the time and loved her home. She had no desire to leave. If Jan was exposed all the time to the drugs that always surrounded rock acts on the road it was only going to be a matter of time before she was using again and Faye wanted nothing at all to do with Jan if she was using. She was enough of a head case when she wasn’t.

            Mostly she didn’t want to be alone, and if she chose the wrong one she could wind up with neither, just like Jan had told her.

Their first day at sea her parents sat her down in their cabin and told her that they knew she was gay. They’d all had a good cry and now it just seemed to her like she’d always been out. Part of her felt so free she just wanted to run around the ship yelling out that she was queer. That would have just been silly so she’d gone to the ship’s beauty shop and got a short hair cut—not too far off the style of Adrian’s.

            Her mother, who had been pretty good throughout the whole queer talk, had come completely undone when she saw her hair. But Tammy figured if she could come to terms with Tammy eating pussy she could come to terms with her having short hair.

            She was enjoying spending time with her parents on the ship and at the ports of call but she was having trouble with the whole not knowing what was waiting when she got home. They’d been at sea a week and she’d been gone from home without so much as a call to check on Faye in two weeks. She’d even purposely left her cell phone at home so that no one could call her. She called Francis, Adrian, and Milly from her parents’ phone but just talked about what she was doing and seeing. She had told them that she didn’t want to know what if any decision Faye had made ‘til she got home because she didn’t want it to ruin her vacation.

            But it was still ruining her vacation because she spent most of her time wondering what Faye had decided.

            She was standing on one of the upper decks looking out to sea. She’d seen a school of dolphins the day before and was hoping to see something else today, if nothing else the sea was calm and it was soothing just to watch it.

            “You want to talk about it?” her father asked at her shoulder.

            “Not really,” Tammy said.

“What if I tell you I already know that, too?” he asked gently, moving up beside her.

Tammy looked at him. “Who told you?”

“Your friend Milly.”

“She has a big mouth,” Tammy mumbled.

“She cares about you, Tammy. They all care about you, even this girl Faye.”

“It’s a huge mess Dad,” Tammy said miserably.

“Yeah, seemed that way to me.” He sighed. “You care if I put my two cents in?” Tammy shrugged silently. “I think Faye cares about you Tammy. I think that’s why it’s so hard for her to just go where her heart tells her to go, but she doesn’t care enough about you and you don’t care enough about her.”

“Yes I do!” Tammy said hotly.

“No, Tammy, you don’t,” her father said in that tone that meant she’d better shut up and listen. “If you were really in love with this girl you’d fight for her. You’d be acting as nuts as that ex-girlfriend of hers. You wouldn’t be here now, you’d be home fighting with every once of your being. What do you think I’d do if someone was trying to steal your mother away from me?”

“You’d have them killed.”

“You’re damn right.” Her father laughed. “And what do you think Adrian would do if someone tried to come between her and Francis?”

“She’d strangle them with her own hands,” Tammy said with sudden realization.

“And what would you do to keep Faye? Whine a lot, be maudlin? You are not in love with that girl, Tammy. Dhe’s just your first girlfriend and you’ve shared something special and you think that’s all there is but… Well, honey, to be rather blunt she isn’t sitting on the only pussy in the world. Tammy when you’re young—and I don’t know that I can convince you other wise—but when you’re young everything that happens to you, the good and the bad, it just seems like that’s the way you’re going to feel forever. But it isn’t. It passes. She was your first love, Tammy, and that’s a huge deal, but I think you have to let this girl go, and I think you know that, too.”

He was right. She’d known for awhile. Faye was in love with Jan and she needed to be free to see if they could work things out, and Tammy needed to be free of all the drama. It wasn’t who she was.

“Can I use your phone, Dad?”

“Sure, you can give it to me later. I’m going to go find your mama. Don’t come back to the cabin for at least an hour… Oh, who am I kidding? Fifteen minutes.” Tammy laughed as she took the phone from him. “Now there’s my girl.” He took her chin in his hand and looked in her eyes. “Tammy, don’t ever settle for second best. You’re a Willis. You go after just exactly what you want and when you find it…”

“I know, Dad, squeeze,” Tammy said. Her father laughed, kissed her on the forehead—he was the only person she knew tall enough to do that—then he turned and started to walk away. “Daddy.” He turned. “Thanks.”

“Honey, there ain’t much your daddy wouldn’t do for you. If you don’t know that by now there ain’t much you do know.”

She watched him walk away and then she dialed the number without any dread.

Faye paced back and forth across her bedroom. She hated working nights because it meant she was supposed to sleep during the day and it was hard to convince your body that was a good idea. Then of course there was that other problem.

            She found herself looking for her phone and then calling Milly.

            “I’m working,” Milly said. Lately Milly was always working, and when she wasn’t actually working she obviously wasn’t really with them, so… she was still working.

            “Well quit working. I need to talk to you,” Faye said.

            “All right. I’m coming.”

            Faye went in the living room and unlocked her door. A few minutes later Milly walked in.

            “Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” Milly asked. She came in and flopped on the couch and Faye started pacing again.

            “Yes, Milly, I’m supposed to be asleep,” Faye snapped at her. “For some odd reason I just can’t do it. I have to decide, Milly. I have to and you have to help me.”

            Milly sighed. “Faye I can’t help you. You’re right. You have to decide. Either that or talk them into a three way relationship and… Two butches in the same bed? I’m just not seeing it.”

            “Who would you choose?”

            “I’d choose Tammy, I don’t find Jan in the least bit attractive, and I think Tammy’s hotter than hell, but I’m not you, Faye,” Milly said, looking at her nails.

            “Come on Milly what do you think?”

            “I think… You shouldn’t listen to what anyone says. Not Jan, not Tammy, not me and not Marcella.”

            Faye looked at Milly. Was she even aware of what she’d just said? Had Faye been so caught up in her own bullshit that she had failed to see that Milly was losing her tiny little grip on reality? “Milly,” Faye said carefully, “Marcella is dead.”

            “I know that dumb ass,” Milly said, “but if she isn’t bothering you, then you’re the only one she hasn’t been bothering. Haven’t you noticed that Tammy always opens doors for me? Adrian has even done it a couple of times and I’m sure they don’t even know they’re doing it. Tammy doesn’t run around opening doors for you. Adrian, who thinks Francis farts gold dust, doesn’t open doors for her. But me… the only person who ever opened a door for me before was Marcella and she would fall over herself to do it.”

            “All righty then,” Faye said, wondering why she was asking advice from a crazy person.

            “I’m not crazy, Faye. I’m telling you Marcella is in this house. I’ve heard her, Adrian’s heard her, Jan’s heard her, and I’m sure Tammy has, too,” Milly said firmly,            Faye just nodded. It’s important for her to believe that part of Marcella is still alive. I’ll just play along. “All right.”

            “Do what you really want to do, Faye,” Milly said, and then she stood up. “I’m going back to work.” She walked over and hugged her then she started to go.

            “Milly,” Faye called out. Milly turned. “What does Marcella think I should do?”

            “She wants you to be with Jan but like I said don’t listen to her. I loved her but she was a dumb ass.” Milly left.

            Marcella’s dead. She isn’t talking to anyone so that means Milly thinks I should be with Jan… Of course it looks like Milly is as crazy as Jan is so… It doesn’t matter I’ve made my decision. I have to be with Jan.

            Faye ran to her door opened it and ran into the hall and Milly was getting ready to go up the stairs. “Milly!”

            “Yes?”

            “Jan, it’s got to be Jan.”

            Milly just nodded as if she’d always known. “Try to let Tammy down easy.”

            “I will.” Faye went back in her apartment.

            “Answer your phone,” Marcella said. A cold chill went up Faye’s spine and she spun around. There was no one there.

            All right, Milly’s not crazy, unless I am too because I did just hear her.

            Her phone rang and she jumped about a foot in the air dropping it because it had been in her hand. She reached down, picked it up, and opened it.

            The phone didn’t recognize the caller but she answered it anyway because… Well Marcella had told her to.

            “Hello,” Faye said carefully.

            “Faye… it’s Tammy.”

            “Hello baby how’s your trip?”

            “It’s fine. Listen, please just let me talk.”

            “All right.” Faye took a deep breath, thinking she’d stop Tammy if she got to trying to tell her about her undying love or any such thing, but otherwise she wasn’t going to break up with her over the phone.

            “There isn’t anything to do here but look at pretty things and think. I love you Faye, but I’m not in love with you and I know you aren’t in love with me. I’m always going to have a soft spot in my heart for you because you’re the first woman I ever loved, and I’ll miss you but… I need to let you go. Jan’s in love with you Faye, you’re in love with her and you know that. Maybe she’ll hurt you again but I don’t think she will and even if she does I think you know that you aren’t ever going to be happy until you give her another chance.”

            Faye cried then because Tammy was even keeping her from having to break up with her. “I don’t want to lose you, Tammy; I want to still be friends.”

            “You won’t lose me, Faye. We’re always going to be friends. I’ll always be there for you. I’m just not going to be your girlfriend anymore.”

            “I do love you, Tammy, it’s just… I have to be with Jan.”

            “I know that. I think I’ve known who you were going to choose before you did and I’m letting you of the hook. Take care of yourself, Faye, and I’ll see you in a week.”

            “Have a good time, Tammy.”

            “Good bye.”

            “Good bye.” Faye closed her phone and flopped into her chair crying. “Are you happy now!” She screamed at the air.

Milly literally couldn’t write fast enough to keep up with her brain. She was on a roll. The phone rang and she decided to ignore it this time, especially when she saw it was Faye again.

            She sighed and answered her phone. “What?”

            “Tammy just broke up with me,” Faye cried.

            “Well you had already chosen Jan,” Milly said gently. “Why are you so upset? You know she’s the one you were going to cut loose anyway.”

            “Yes but… She was just so sweet about it and… Marcella is in the house. I thought you were nuts but I heard her.”

            “Well don’t let it freak you out, it’s just Marcella,” Milly said with a laugh.

            “It’s creepy, Milly, dead people are supposed to stay dead. They aren’t supposed to come back and haunt their friends,” Faye said.

            “She’s not haunting us she’s just hanging out,” Milly said.

            “When is she going to move on go into the light or whatever ghosts do?”

            “Well you know Marcella if it took twenty minutes to do something it would have taken her two days. She’ll go when she gets damn good and ready to. Between you and me I hope it isn’t any time soon.”

            “I have to get some fucking sleep. She’s not going to hurt me is she?”

            “Why would she do that? Get some sleep Faye and good luck with Jan. You’re going to need it.” Milly hung up the phone. “So… Will you quit fucking with everyone now you got what you wanted?” Milly asked the walls. “Poor Tammy, she never had a chance. I didn’t have the heart to tell Faye that you do most of your dirty work when people are trying to sleep. Whispering this in this one’s ear and that in another. It’s a wonder we aren’t all crazy.” Milly wiped a tear from her eye. “I love you, I miss you.” She swore she felt the slightest touch like lips on her cheek.

Jan walked off stage. Her head was pounding, the migraine was blinding, and unlike being at home she still had to try to perform. She had none of her herbs, Adrian wasn’t there to take care of her, and she was eating ibuprofen and it wasn’t helping.

            Two weeks of shows every night in clubs full of fucking smoke. Eating whatever crap she could put her hands on and drinking too much beer. She put down her guitar then ran to the bathroom and threw up. When she walked back into the dressing room someone had raked up lines of coke on a mirror on a coffee table and Karen was snorting.

“This ought to take care of your migraine Jan,” Karen said.

Jan walked over and kicked the table over, making her head pound worse and sending the coke and everything else on the table flying.

            “Are you fucking nuts!” Tara screamed at her. “That was four hundred dollars worth of coke!”

            “I’m not the one snorting poison up my God damned nose. Fuck this. You guys want this shit, fine. I’m going home.”

            “Ah come on Jan. This is a blast, this is the big time. You heard what Fred said.” Fred was their agent. “He said he’s a gnat's ass away from getting us a recording deal and…”

            “You’re already all using coke,” Jan said in disbelief. “We haven’t been on the road three weeks and you’re all using. You offer it to me and you all know where I’ve been. You just don’t give a fuck.” Jan realized something and laughed. “I don’t care about any of this. I thought… Well Marcella died and then Charlie died and I thought it meant I was supposed to stop stagnating get out and do something with my life, but you know what? I’d rather cook at Rhonda’s for the rest of my life than do this shit. I’ve had a migraine for two fucking days and none of you assholes care how I feel. If I was home… people would take care of me. I’m going home. If Faye has chosen Tammy I still want to be home.” She walked over and picked up her guitar, put it in its case, and started out of the room. “Goodbye,” she walked out the door and Karen ran her down.

            “Dammit Jan listen to me…”

            “I’m not listening to anyone whose got fucking coke all over their nose,” Jan said and didn’t even look at her, but from the corner of her eye she saw Karen wipe her nose on her sleeve. As weird as it sounded Jan’s head actually felt better then it had in two days. Karen followed her out of the club.

            “Jan we can’t do the act without you.”

            “Then you should have thought about that before you brought drugs in the dressing room.”

            “We’ll stay clean, Jan.”

            “No you won’t, Karen. What’s worse is you won’t be happy till I’m doing it too and I’m not that strong. Without Adrian to have my back I’m just not. We’re out less than three weeks, sixteen days, Karen.”

            “At least do the last six shows with us.”

            “No, I don’t want to. I want to go home.” Jan stopped and pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Adrian.

            It rang three times before Adrian answered the phone and said in a sleepy voice. “What’s up dude?”

            “I need you to come get me. I’m in Atlanta.”

            “I’m getting dressed right now. What’s wrong?”

            “Calm down, Adrian, for once I’m not the one doing the crazy shit… Well except expecting you to drive across the state to come get me in the middle of the night.”

            She heard Adrian have a brief conversation with Francis about where she was going and what she was doing and basically talking Francis out of getting out of bed to come with her. Then Adrian said, “I’m on my way. Where are you?”

            “I’m…” Well that was a good question. She didn’t know where to tell Adrian to pick her up. She was sharing a hotel room with all these bitches and she wanted nothing to do with them right then and she sure as shit didn’t want to hang around outside the club. She looked up and down the street and saw a sign for a Waffle House about two blocks away.

            “I’ll be at the Waffle House…” and then she gave her the directions.

            “It will take me about an hour and a half.”

            “Don’t rush, Adrian. I’ll be fine. I promise I’m more lucid than I’ve been in a long, damn time.”

            “Wow! Lucid! I’m pretty sure only Milly’s allowed to use words like that. I love you.”

            “I love you, too. Be damn careful.”

            “I will be.”

            Jan hung up her phone, put it in her pocket, and started down the road.

            Karen followed her. “Now dammit Jan…”

            “Go away, Karen. You offered me coke. You offered me drugs and you know they damn near killed me. We aren’t friends; my friends wouldn’t do that to me. So turn your hypocritical, coked-out ass around and go back to the club with your ‘real’ friends.”

            Karen stopped following her down the road and when Jan was about a block away from her she screamed, “You’re a fucking whack job!”

            Jan just smiled and mumbled, “Yeah, but I’m a fucking clean whack job.”

Adrian walked into the Waffle House. Jan waved at her from a back booth, met her half way across the restaurant, and hugged her like it had been months. To tell the truth, Adrian hugged her back just as hard because she had missed her, too. She might be a huge pain in the ass most of the time, but by God she was Adrian’s huge pain in the ass.

            “Come on, get something to eat.” Jan led her back to the booth where she’d obviously drank like fourteen cups of coffee because she was just way too awake for this time of night. “I had like this two day migraine but you know what? I remembered Stella said caffeine was good for migraines short term so… It’s just about gone.”

            The waitress came over and Adrian ordered a waffle and some coffee because the truth was she was fading and about to go to sleep and she didn’t know what sort of shape Jan was in—whether she should be allowed to drive.

            “So what happened?” Adrian asked.

            Jan told her ending with “… so I was wrong and I don’t need to just become a huge rock star, and I’m so mad at those chuckleheads I don’t care if I ever see any of them again and do you know what Faye has decided?”

            Adrian laughed. “All in one breath! I don’t think you need any more coffee, dude, and I don’t know what Faye’s doing. I’ve been working on the mural at the hospital and I’ve hardly seen my own wife in the last week.”

            “Does Francis know? Has she talked to Faye?”

            “Jan… Franny and I are trying to just stay out of it. We’re all friends and I’m hoping when the smoke clears that we’re still all friends,” Adrian said.

            Jan nodded. Adrian ate her… Well whatever meal it was, drank her coffee, and then Jan paid the tab and they hit the road. Jan leaned back in the seat and looked out the window. “What are you thinking?” Adrian asked carefully.

            “That I’m cheating by coming home a week early,” Jan answered, turning to look at her with a smile. “Do you know how to call Tammy?”

            “No, I have her dad’s number but I have no idea what time it is wherever they are. I’ll try to figure it out and call and leave a message that you’re cheating,” Adrian said.

            “I’ll just stay away from Faye. Sneak around and she won’t even know I’m home.”

When Faye got home the sun was just coming up and she was so tired she just had to sleep now. She walked in the house and Marcella whispered in her ear.

            “She’s home.”

            Faye spun around and of course there was no one there. It’s all bullshit. I’m very suggestible. Milly told me Marcella was here and now I’m hearing things.  She started for her apartment and stopped. Who’s home? She was even with the stairs and she looked up them. Her heart started beating faster and suddenly she was wide awake. She started taking the stairs at a run and then she was just pounding on Jan’s door.

            “What the fuck,” she heard Jan curse, and her heart was pounding so loud her ears were ringing. Of course that could be from running up the stairs. The door opened and there stood Jan in her manties and almost wearing a wife beater her hair messed up and her eyes barely opened. When she saw Faye she grinned, opened her arms wide and said, “Oh honey I’m home.”

            “Oh God, Jan.” She fell into Jan’s arms and Jan embraced her while kicking the door closed.

            “Be gentle with me; it’s been a while,” Jan said.

            “Oh shut up and kiss me.”

            Then she was kissing her, Jan’s tongue hungrily exploring Faye’s mouth, making Faye’s whole body ache for her touch. Jan’s hands slid up her shirt, undid her bra, which hooked in the front, and then her fingers were playing with Faye’s nipples and Jan was groaning and her body was jerking like she was already having an orgasm. Jan pulled her tongue out of Faye’s mouth and bit Faye’s lower lip gently. Jan let her go and then her breath was on Faye’s ear. “I love you Faye, only you.”

“God Jan…” But Faye couldn’t say anything else because Jan was sucking her earlobe and then one of Jan’s hands was in her pants and Faye’s breath came harder as Jan’s fingers started to play at the top of her panties.

“Are you sure you want me?” Jan asked.

“I’m sure you better fuck me right now,” Faye said between gasps.

Jan started manipulating Faye’s clit till her whole body was humming. Jan lifted up her shirt and started sucking her nipple hard. Faye was about to cum, and then Jan just stopped everything.

“Dammit Jan...”

“Shush.” Jan kissed her gently then took her hand and led her back to her room. Then she was undressing her, kissing her, and licking her skin everywhere as she did so. Then she ripped her own clothes off and pushed Faye ‘til she was lying in the big middle of her bed and then her head was between Faye’s legs and she was licking her clit hard and fast. Faye was about to cum again, and Jan stopped licking and then she was just slamming her fingers into her hard and deep until the force of Faye’s orgasm was forcing her back to arch off the bed and then her body was just shaking and Jan was holding her, kissing the side of her face over and over again. One of her fingers running up and down Faye’s body between her breasts.

“God Jan, don’t you fuck things up this time.”

“I won’t Faye. I promise I won’t,” Jan said.

“Then start by telling me the truth. Have you really been celibate since Marcella died?”

“I came just kissing you,” Jan laughed. “Yes, I’ve been celibate this whole time. I swear to you, Faye. I’ll take a lie detector if you want.”

“No I believe you. If we have any chance of making it I have to trust you. But I swear, Jan, you fuck around on me again and…”

“I won’t Faye. I don’t want to be with anyone but you. I don’t ever want to be without you again. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“In that case, let’s see how hot you are.” Faye shoved Jan back onto her back and then moved to sit straddling her thighs. She stuck her hand in the gap between her crotch and Jan’s body and stroked the lips of Jan’s pussy. She was soaking wet and Faye was turned all the way on all over again. “Oh God, Jan you feel so good. I have missed you so much. I don’t know how I ever thought I could do without you.”

“Don’t make me wait anymore, Faye, please.”

“You made me wait for it,” Faye teased, but her own desire won the day and she fucked Jan hard till Jan was screaming and clutching at the sheets in her fists.

Then they curled up in each others arms and went to sleep.

 Marcella left the apartment and walked down the hall humming a happy tune.

Francis had gotten up and turned the alarm off. Adrian would probably be all sorts of pissed off but she didn’t care. Adrian needed her sleep. She could take a day off and start painting again tomorrow. Francis had gone to the caf� lined things out for the day and then come back. She looked at the data on her laptop. She had to figure out what she was going to do about school. She had to take a huge class load to keep her scholarship, but she just couldn’t imagine spending that much time away from Adrian, home, and the business. She wasn’t sure whether to change her major or not. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to go to school at all, but if she was going she had to set her class schedule, and so she couldn’t wait to make up her mind she had to do it now.

            Adrian, wearing boxers and a tank, walked over and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks for letting me sleep.” She walked into the kitchen got a cup of coffee then walked in and sat down at the table.

            “I was afraid you might be mad. You should have slept more, baby, you look exhausted,” Francis said, still looking at the laptop screen. She frowned.

            “What’s wrong?”

            “Should I go back to school in the fall?”

            “Do you want to?”

            Francis shrugged. “Part of me does. I mean I enjoy some of my classes and well,” she smiled, “you’re the famous painter so maybe I ought to at least have some sort of education. But in order to keep my scholarship I have to take a lot bigger class schedule than I want to.”

            “Honey, the business and the apartment house are paid for and I’m getting paid a small fortune to paint which is basically like paying us to have sex. You don’t need a scholarship. If you just want to take a couple of classes and spend the next ten years getting a degree that’s more than fine with me. Selfishly, I like having you around baby.”

            Francis hadn’t even thought about the whole not really needing the scholarship thing. She knew they were married but she still felt like everything, and especially the money, was mostly Adrian’s, but Adrian didn’t feel that way and she had to stop feeling that way. She got up walked over and crawled in Adrian’s lap. She kissed her cheek. “So I’d like to take a couple of classes. Abnormal psych interests me, and maybe I’ll take some art course.”

            Adrian wrapped her arms around Francis’s waist. “Have I told you how much I like just holding you?”

            “You might have mentioned it.”

            “I told Jan I would call Tammy’s father and leave a message for Tammy that Jan’s back, but I don’t know. That just sounds lame and I don’t want Willard to know about this whole contest thing between Jan and Tammy for Faye’s affection. He’s having enough trouble just dealing with the gay thing without being brought into the whole lesbian soap opera.”

            “Oh, honey, you were gone when I found out and I forgot to tell you. Tammy called yesterday and told me she’d called and broken up with Faye.”

            “Tammy broke up with Faye!”

            “Yes.”

            “Wow! I didn’t see that one coming. Is she all right?”

            “She said she was actually feeling like herself for the first time in months. So, yeah, I think she’s all right. I imagine it will be a little harder when she actually sees Faye.”

            “Yeah.” Adrian nodded then she was pushing on her. “Get up baby; I’ve got to tell Jan.”

            Francis got up and Adrian got up and walked over to the phone and dialed.

Jan woke up, felt Faye in her arms and for a second she thought she was just having another dream. But she opened her eyes and there was Faye looking at her. She kissed her on the lips. “I love you,” Jan said.

            “I love you, too. Get your phone,” Faye said with a smile. “It’s the middle of the night for me and I’m going back to sleep.”

            Jan got up and stumbled around till she found the phone in her pants pocket. It was Adrian. “Yeah,” she said, and crawled back into bed.

            “Great news, Tammy broke up with Faye.”

            Jan sighed and looked at the back of Faye’s head. “Oh yeah, that’s great news, so if she winds up in my bed now it’s because Tammy dumped her.”

            Faye rolled over quickly and whispered. “I had already made up my mind when she called. You can ask Milly.”

             “Oh come on, Jan, everyone knew she was going to pick you,” Adrian said.

            Jan smiled at Faye and reached out and took her breast in her hand and palmed it, her nipple in the opening between her thumb and forefinger. Faye smiled at her and whispered, “I need to sleep.”

            “Jan, you still there?” Adrian asked.

            “No.” Jan turned her phone off, closed the lid, and threw it across the room. Then she leaned over and put Faye’s nipple in her mouth.

            “That’s not going to help me sleep,” Faye said.

            Jan lifted her head. “Yes it will. You always sleep better after a good fuck.”

            “Then you better make sure it’s a good one.” Faye spread her legs wide.

“Well?” Francis asked.

            Adrian laughed looked at the clock and said. “It’s been fifty seconds. Jan’s probably already in Faye’s room and past second base.”

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