Episode 21
Episode 22

Chapter 22

Branches

When Tammy got to The House it was 1:00 in the afternoon and there was no one hanging around in the hallway, for which she was glad. She took her bags, went in the apartment, threw them on her bed, and then flopped on the bed beside them.

            It was starting to hit her now. She and Faye had broken up. Otherwise she would have thrown her bags down and gone right down the hall to Faye’s apartment to see if she was home. No they would have been talking all this time and she’d know. They would have made plans to do something and then have sex. Now she was single again, so she just got to come home to an empty house and now what? There was nothing to do, nothing to look forward to, and no one to do anything with.

Francis had told her that Jan was already back and that Faye and Jan were already back together. I need to find someplace to put what I’m feeling but first I have to figure out what that really is.

            There was a knock on the door. Tammy really wanted to ignore it. It could be Faye or worse Jan or even worse Faye and Jan and she just needed a little while to adjust to not being with Faye and them being together.

            Whoever it was knocked again and Tammy got off the bed and went towards the door still wondering if she should pretend like there was no one home or she was asleep.

            “Come on, Tammy, I saw your car.” It was Milly. Tammy sighed with relief and went to get the door. She opened it and waved Milly in so she could close it, glad it was just Milly. “I like the do.” Milly laughed reached up and ran her hands through Tammy’s hair. Then she gave Tammy a big hug and Tammy hugged her back. Then they parted. “I missed you. I had to run by myself and I have to tell you I didn’t run as hard or as often. I actually pulled a groin muscle on the pole one night and missed two nights work.” She released Tammy, stood back and looked at her. “You got a little color and the sun lightened your hair. You look damn good. Less troubled than I’ve see you look in a long time.”

            “I think… Well I don’t really know how I feel. I think the thing I’m most upset about is… Well I got really used to having a girlfriend and even though it’s been mostly a holy mess for awhile now there were still parts of it that were really good and I’m just glad it’s finally over, but I still miss her. The whole time I was on this trip I kept seeing things and thinking how much Faye would enjoy them and how next time I went on a cruise I’d take her and show her that was if she chose me. Then when we broke up I’d do the same thing and then have to remind myself that we’d never be doing anything together again.” She sighed. “I’m a little worried about how I’m going to react when I see her with Jan the first time. I guess I just feel a little weird.”

            “Yet you broke up with her,” Milly reminded gently.

            “I had a talk with my dad. He said if I really loved her I’d be fighting for her instead of just whining and mopping around. He was right. Besides we both know she was going to choose Jan anyway.”

            Milly obviously didn’t want to address that because she changed the subject. “How was your trip?” Milly walked over and sat on the couch. Tammy walked over and sat down beside her.

            “Good. Fun. It was beautiful. I’ve been before but I forgot how pretty it is and we went to see some ancient Mayan ruins and I’d never seen those before and… I took pictures. You want to see them?”

            “Sure.”

            Tammy got up, went to her room, opened her bag, and dug around till she found her laptop. She liked to bury it in the middle of her clothes. She carried the computer back and sat next to Milly on the couch where she flipped through the pictures telling Milly what they were.

            “You’re a good photographer, Tammy.”

            “Thanks,” Tammy said. “It’s one of my dad’s hobbies. I just sort of hung on for the ride when I was a kid because I just thought anything he was doing was just the coolest thing in the world. He taught me a lot about how to frame shots and where to stand to get the best light and shit like that. He takes a lot better pictures than I do. He took this one of me and Mom at the Mayan ruins. Tammy started to click to the next picture and Milly grabbed her hand. “What?” Tammy asked, thinking Milly had seen something I the ruins she wanted to point out.

            “Where did you get that shirt?”

            Tammy shrugged, laughed and said, “Let’s see. Mayan temples and schools of dolphins and white sand beaches and you want to know about my shirt?”

            “Where did you get that shirt?” Milly asked more urgently.

            Tammy shrugged. “I guess it’s Adrian’s. It must have gotten in my wash because somehow it made it into my luggage. It was a good thing, too. All I brought were tank tops and we weren’t out three days when I burned my shoulders because well I guess I don’t usually get that much sun and mom says I didn’t apply sun screen often enough. Any way this shirt covered up the worst part of the burn so I wore it most of the trip… Milly, what’s wrong?”

            “Tammy that’s not Adrian’s shirt. It’s Marcella’s shirt, her favorite shirt.”

            “I don’t think so, Milly.” The next thing Tammy knew they were going through her luggage and then Milly pulled the shirt from the suitcase and held it against her chest in a ball.

            “It’s not the same shirt, Milly. It can’t be. I didn’t go through Marcella’s things, I swear, and I don’t think Adrian would either.”

            “It’s Marcella’s shirt. She wore this damn thing half the time, I’d know it anywhere,” Milly said, shaking her head. She smelled it then held it up to Tammy, and said in an accusatory tone, “Smell it. It smells like you.” Tammy just gave her a look. “Smell it.” Tammy did just because she didn’t want Milly to beat her up again. It smelled like her cologne.

            “I haven’t washed my clothes yet. I’m sorry, Milly, I didn’t know I was wearing Marcella’s shirt.”

            “It’s not your fault,” Milly sighed. “You want the shirt?” she asked Tammy, seeming to have calmed down.

            “I sort of like it, but I don’t need the shirt, Milly,” Tammy said carefully.

            “But you did. Here take the shirt.” Milly handed it to Tammy and Tammy took it, afraid not to.

            “Milly are you mad at me?” Tammy asked.

            “No, I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at the puppet master.”

            “Puppet Master?”

            “She knows who I mean. Come on; show me the rest of your pictures.” Milly took her hand and led her back into the living room.

            “You suppose Adrian was using the shirt, it got in my laundry and…”

            “It’s all right, Tammy. I know how it got there. I don’t know exactly why but I know how.”

            “But it’s weird. Don’t you think it’s weird?”

            “Oh it’s way beyond weird, baby,” Milly said. She sat back down on the couch. “Show me your pictures.”

            Tammy sat down started showing them to her again and actually forgot about the whole incident.

            They looked at the last of the pictures and then Milly looked at her and smiled. “Why don’t we go to the caf� and either get an early dinner or a late lunch? I’m starved and I know Francis misses you something terrible especially since Adrian’s up to her pits in that new mural.”

            Tammy nodded. They got up together and left the apartment heading for the caf�. Half way there Tammy looked down at Milly and smiled. “Thanks Milly.”

            “What for?”

            “I was feeling pretty raw and now I don’t. It’s over. To tell the truth after the last couple of months I’m just sort of relieved.”

            Milly nodded silently.

            “Dammit!”

            “What?”

            “Well I got you something from the Bahamas.”

            “I love presents,” Milly said, turning and smiling at Tammy. When she smiled at her like that Tammy just couldn’t even remember any reason to feel bad about anything.

            “It’s not that much,” Tammy said. “We can get it when we get done at Rhonda’s.”

            Milly had turned back around to watch where they were walking. “Is it pretty?”

            Tammy smiled. “I think it is.” Then she laughed. “Mom thought it was. I got one for you and Faye and one for Francis… different colors.”

            “Don’t tell me what it is,” Milly ordered.

Faye walked into the house with a certain amount of dread. She knew Tammy was coming home today. She just didn’t know how she was going to feel when she saw her or how Tammy was going to feel or what sort of drama she could expect from either Tammy or Jan the first time they ran into each other. Jan swore she had no hard feelings and that she understood that Tammy probably did. She said that if Tammy just needed to vent that she was just going to take it. But “just taking it” wasn’t really in Jan’s nature.

            She decided to just get it over with. She knocked on Tammy’s apartment door but there was no answer. She didn’t know whether she should be upset or relieved.

            She and Jan. They still had a lot of shit to work through but Faye now felt like they could get through it. In some ways she felt closer to Jan than she ever had before. They still weren’t even talking about living together yet and she thought that was for the best. They should take things a little slower this time around and try to get things right instead of just diving into everything and then trying to figure out how to cohabitate after the fact.

            She walked into her apartment and felt the usual instant relief she always did when she got home. She threw her purse on the couch and Jan walked out of the kitchen with a beer in her hand, stark naked. Faye laughed, ran up to her and hugged her.

            “I thought you were at work,” Faye said.

            “Nope.” Jan set the beer down on a coffee table. She slipped Faye’s shirt off over her head then unsnapped her bra and let it slip to the floor. “I talked to Francis and she let me work my schedule around yours. I bought a new toy.” She pulled Faye’s pants and underwear down and Faye stepped out of them.

            “You did?” Faye wrapped her arms around Jan’s neck.

            “Yeah, I think you’re going to like it. It has three speeds, it straps on, and it’s a virgin.”

Francis ran over and hugged Tammy with such force she almost knocked her down. Tammy hugged her patting her back. “I missed you.”

            Tammy laughed. “Even though it meant you got to fuck all over the apartment?”

            “Hell we do that when you’re home.” Francis laughed she let her go and they all went to sit at a table. “Tell me all about your trip.”

            Tammy started telling her. Halfway through it Jerry came over and took her and Milly’s order.

            Francis sighed. “I’ll have to hear the rest later I can’t expect poor Jerry to handle all the tables.” She got up. “I will be so glad when Adrian gets done with this mural. I’m surrounded by people all day and so lonely it isn’t even funny.”

            Tammy watched her walk away and for the first time in years she found herself thinking what a really great ass Francis had. She looked quickly away and Milly laughed at her.

            “You get used to having it and the going without it just makes you horny as hell,” Milly told her. “Then you go without it long enough and… Well you just start to lose desire. The longer you keep fighting your base instincts the more it becomes part of the routine not to have it.”

            “God… I hope I don’t have to go without for that long,” Tammy said.

            “I doubt you will,” Milly said with a smile.

            “Here’s the thing though.” Tammy took a deep breath and let it out, as if admitting to some horrible perversion. “I don’t really have any desire to just rack up girls like points in some game. I really liked having just the one girlfriend. I have no desire to just run around banging every even moderately attractive girl I see. I’d rather masturbate.”

            Milly laughed.

            “I would,” Tammy said with a smile. “Seriously, I’m not really into the whole sex for sex sake. Or getting involved with people who have a bunch of bullshit baggage. People who care less about you than you care about them or care more than you want them to. The constant drama is just too much to put up with for sex. I want… I want what my parents have, what Adrian and Francis have.”

            “What Marcella and I had,” Milly said sadly, and then she smiled and patted Tammy’s hand where it lay on the table. “You’re preaching to the choir, baby.”  

            It was Tammy’s turn to change the subject. “How’s your book coming?”

            “Good, it’s just about done. Then of course there will be the twenty rewrites.” Milly laughed. “Stella’s right about me. I don’t really like to let go of them. Did I tell you she’s coming home the first part of October?”

            “No, that’s good news. Of course I don’t really know because I never lived in the house when she did, but from what everyone says she sort of keeps everything running smoothly.”

            “I don’t know what it is about Stella,” Milly said. “Someone else can tell you the same thing and it won’t help at all, but when Stella says it you just feel better. You’ll see when she gets here.”

            Jerry brought their food out and they started to eat. Half way through her meal Milly said, “I’m sorry Tammy.”

            “What for?” Tammy asked with confusion.

            “I’m at least in a part to blame for pushing you and Faye at each other in the first place,” Milly said.

            Tammy laughed and slugged Milly in the shoulder fondly. “Come on, as big a mess as it turned into there is no way I’d want to erase it.” She smiled wickedly. “Faye taught me a lot.”

            Milly laughed. “I bet she did.”

            “I… Well, I like Faye a lot. We were really good friends and I hope we will be again. It’s just going to take awhile is all. I’d like for all of us to be able to go do things together again.”

            “The incestuous nature of our lives more or less dictates that we just slide our more nefarious activities to the back of our brain to be able to continue our friendships which are more important,” Milly said. “However I do think I’ve learned my lesson about match making. If people are meant to be together they’ll find each other. I mean… Well, look at Francis and Adrian for example. Their entire relationship is just sort of a list of things that just happened. I don’t think they really had any feelings for each other except lust when they started sleeping together. Then they just sort of started living together, and then they decided they actually were in love with each other, and then they decided they’re a couple, and then they just get married and now… Well I can’t imagine how the world ever worked when they weren’t together in it because they just belong to each other. They so completely compliment one another.”

            Tammy nodded in agreement.

            Francis ran back over and sat down with them. “Finish telling me about your trip.”

            Tammy had to remember where she was and then she finished telling Francis ending with, “You and Adrian should go on that cruise. You’d have a blast.”

            “You know they have all lesbian cruises,” Milly said.

            “They do?” Both Tammy and Francis said at once.

            “Yes. They’re wonderful. Marcella and I went on one and we had an absolute blast,” Milly said. “It’s pricey but you guys could afford it.”

            “We should all go together. That would be so cool,” Tammy said.

            “Francis, the guy’s here with the beer order!” Jerry yelled across the restaurant.
            “You know what?” Francis whispered to Tammy and Milly, “I only like being in charge just so long and then I’m ready to be on the bottom again.” She got up and they watched her walk away, laughing.

            “You know what I keep remembering?”

            “What?” Tammy asked, turning back towards Milly.

            “That day we were all playing basketball. We should do that again as soon as it cools off a little. That was a lot of fun.”

            “Yes, that’s what I want to do in my down time when I’m practicing basketball two hours ever day,” Tammy said with a wry smile.

            “You know it’s not always about you, dear.”

            Tammy laughed and said, “I’m pretty sure it is.”

            “So, you said you had ‘the talk’ with your parents. How did that go?”

            “Amazing. Dad seemed to be more on board with it than Mom was, but all and all they let me know they’re very supportive. Part of me knew they would be and another part of me was just so afraid I was going to end up like everyone else I know with no parents.”

            “Oh, we have parents; they just don’t talk to us.”

            “You never talk about your parents at all,” Tammy said carefully.

            Milly shrugged. “Why would I? My father went off to follow his career and start his ‘important’ family when I was like three. He’d call twice a year—once for Christmas and once for my birthday—and send me some elaborate, very expensive gift. I think I saw him like twice from the time I was three ‘til I was sixteen. I saw my half brother and sister once. They actually took me to Disney World with them but that was a fiasco in way too many ways to count. My mother cared more about her career than anything else and I was mostly raised by a series of nannies. When I came out to my mother when I was sixteen, she said I was just trying to ruin her career and she tossed me out on my ass. My dad said I could come live with him, but it meant moving and I had a girlfriend at the time so I stayed and my dad sent me money to live on while I finished high school. I moved back to Shea City after I broke up with the girl and finished school. My dad still calls me on my birthday and at Christmas and now he sends me a nice big check instead of gifts, but I never see him.” She shrugged. “I think he cares about me somewhere in his head but he’s mostly in love with himself.”

            “He didn’t even come back for Marcella’s funeral,” Tammy said.

            “I didn’t tell him. He never met her. Hell, he never even talked to her on the phone. Besides, I didn’t want Marcella’s death turned into a fucking circus and that’s what happens when Dad does anything. Besides how would having him there have helped? I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me.”

            “I’m sorry,” Tammy said.

            “Because I have such crappy parents or because you have such good ones?”

            “Both I guess.”

            “I don’t need them, Tammy,” Milly said, but there was a tremor in her voice that didn’t match her words. “I don’t. My mother can kiss my whole ass and my father… Well he could come visit me any time he wanted to or he could call, but he doesn’t. I still haven’t told him Marcella’s dead because I don’t want to hear him act like he gives a damn.”

            Tammy was sorry now that she’d even brought it up. She sat there chewing on her lower lip trying to think how to change the subject.

            Milly laughed at her. “Finish eating so we can go back to your place and you can give me my present.”

Milly was going through her closet trying to find something that would go with the beautiful coral earrings and necklace Tammy had given her. She wound up calling Francis.

            “What?” Francis asked.

            “Are you wearing black?”
            “No.”

            “What about Faye?”
            “She and Jan went to the coast remember?”

            “Oh that’s right. Should I wear a long dress or a short one?”

            “If you wear a long one I won’t have to compete with your legs,” Francis said, a hint of laughter to her voice.

            “All right, long it is,”

            “I’m wearing that teal sleeveless thing I bought when we were out the other day. Should I wear the aquamarine necklace and earrings Tammy got me?”

            “I was going to wear the ones she got me,” Milly said in a disappointed voice.

            “So? They’re different colors, different stones, we could both wear them. Even if someone notices they’re the same design, who cares?”

            “Cool.” Milly said. In the background she could hear Adrian bitching about her pants being too tight, saying something about it being a good thing they were in a cardiac wing because the pants just might force a restriction of blood that would cause her to have a heart attack.

            “Can you hear that?” Francis asked with a laugh.

            “Yes. I’m guessing you dressed her again.”

            “Oh and now she’s trying to rip the crotch out of these, which she isn’t going to do because they’re leather,” she said, apparently loud enough that Adrian could hear her. “She’s so cute.”

            Milly laughed. “I’ll be down in about forty minutes.”

            “We’re leaving in about fifteen. Adrian doesn’t want to be late again; apparently she wants to break the stereotype that artists aren’t reliable, in spite of what Willard thinks. You want to drive yourself?”

            “No I hate down town traffic. I could just throw my clothes on and put my makeup on in the car.”

            “Tammy just said she’d wait for you, so take your time.”

            “Great, tell her I said thanks a bunch.” She hung up again and started getting dressed. The phone rang. She looked at it, saw who it was, and ignored it. It was the third time he’d called that day and she just didn’t want to talk to him because if she did she was going to have to tell him about Marcella and she just didn’t want to. Maybe she’d call him tonight when she got back from the opening. Or maybe she’d forget that he’d tried to call and not call him back at all.

Adrian was looking at Francis who was spinning around for her approval.

            “Well?” Francis asked.

            “Better spin around again so I can be sure,” Adrian said.

            Francis walked over and wrapped her arms around Adrian’s neck. “I thought you wanted to be early.”

            “You look amazing.” She started to kiss her, but Francis stopped her letting go of her and pushing out of her grip.

            “Honey, you’re going to smear my make up.”

            “Well we can’t have that can we?” Adrian laughed. “You know what wouldn’t mess up your make up at all?”

            “Yes, but we’d definitely be late.”

            A few minutes later they were in Francis’s car heading for the hospital, and Adrian realized that she’d probably driven the car more than Francis did but she didn’t tell her that.

            “I just hope they’re going to like the painting.”

            “How could they not like the painting? It’s beautiful,” Francis said.

            “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to any of the main honchos. Hell, even Billy hasn’t seen it.”

            “I thought that’s the way you liked it, honey, for the people you painted it for not to see it till you were done.”

            “I’m just afraid people will expect something on the scale of It’s Time, and Branches is just a pretty picture.”

            “Which is all it’s supposed to be, baby. They told you do something that invokes calm and you’ve done that. I have to tell you to me that’s a much harder thing to do than it is to be controversial.”

            Adrian nodded. “Could you just run around telling people that all night?”

            “I don’t think I’ll have to but if I feel like I need to I will.”

            “That’s my girl.” Adrian put her hand on Francis’ knee and then started sliding it up under her skirt. Francis laughed and shook her head. “What?”
            “Well in case you forgot you’re driving.”

            “God, Francis.” Adrian put both her hands on the steering wheel. “I know we have to go do this opening thing and I do want to see people’s reaction to the painting but, when you look like that all I want to do is fuck you.”

            “Maybe I should dress up for you more often.” Francis laughed, and then she stuck her lip out in a pout. “Of course I was under the impression that you always wanted to fuck me.”

            “I do, but I can usually control myself. When you get all dressed up, though, you just have such confidence. You know you’re the hottest thing in the room and you just carry yourself differently.”

            “It has nothing to do with the two inch stiletto heels.”

            “I didn’t say that.”

            They pulled up to the front of the building and a valet took their car to park it.

            When they walked into the lobby there were already a few people there. Billy practically ran up to them. “Damn, girl, you out did yourself,” he said, pointing to the mural.

            “Thank you,” she said, taking his offered hand and shaking it. She could see that a big red ribbon separated the lobby from the actual wing and she supposed they planned to do some sort of ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Hey boys! Here’s the artist,” he called out, and the next thing she knew a television news crew was in her face. Just sort of pushing and pulling her where they wanted her to stand. Then the news man was asking her a question.

            “Ms. Bar, what was the inspiration for this painting?”

            “I don’t like to be told what to paint. I asked the board what they wanted the painting to do and overwhelmingly they wanted the painting to evoke a feeling of calm. I had done a similar painting for a friend. Plants are very calming, and trees give a since of strength as well. I also wanted you to feel comforted by the painting so I painted it as if you were lying on the ground looking up into the canopy of the tree. It’s sheltering you, protecting. It’s sunny on the other side and through the tree you can make out a blue, nearly-cloudless sky, There are no sharp edges to the painting, it’s round, which centers the piece and gives it balance.” She looked at Francis, smiled and said, “A wise woman once said it can be easier to paint something that provokes strong emotion than something that is calming.”

            “The head of the new unit said you waived half your normal fee for doing this a painting as a donation to the cardio ward.”

            Across the room she saw Willard winking and just wanted to slap him. No doubt he’d told the board she wanted a hundred and forty thousand dollars but would do it for seventy thousand as a donation. “I ah… believe strongly in having good health care in the area.” Willard gave her the OK sign and she shook her head, smiling.

            “What can we expect from Adrian Bar next?”

            “I’ll probably have a couple of drinks, get too loud… Hell, I might sing something.”

            Francis laughed at her.

            “I meant your next art project,” the reporter said, smiling.

            “I’m actually supposed to do a mural in the Old Town Mall district on the west wall of the Klondike building,” Adrian said, and saw Francis make a face. She didn’t really want Adrian to do the project because it meant working from window-washing platforms some six stories up. Adrian actually liked that part of it. When she told Francis that, they’d almost had a fight about it, but Adrian had promised to wear safety straps at all times and Francis had backed down.

            “We’ll all be looking forward to seeing that one next.” He looked at the camera. "We’ve been talking to Adrian Bar, the artist who created Branches for the new cardiovascular unit at Garrette hospital.”  He made a sign and his crew shut down their cameras. Then he stuck out his hand to her she shook it. “I just want to say it’s a pleasure to meet you. I went to see It’s Time a couple of weeks ago; my baby brother died in Iraq this last year.”

            “I’m sorry,” Adrian said.

            “It’s time,” he said, shrugged, and dragged his crew off to do something else.

            Adrian walked over to where Francis was talking to Willard and Katie. “Dammit Willard…” she started.

            “You know, girl, contrary to what you think that isn’t the way most people start a pleasant conversation.” He grabbed her and hugged her and she hugged him back. “The game’s all about bullshit, hon. You’re no good at it, so someone’s got to do it for you. Besides, as much money as you made this year you’re going to need that seventy-thousand dollar tax deduction.”

            “I just I don’t know, Willard. I just feel like a phony.”

            “You don’t get much more real than that.” Willard pointed at the painting. “You’re the real deal, Adrian. That’s part of your problem. You don’t know how to deal with plastic people. Oh here comes one now.” Adrian turned to look where he was looking and cringed.

            “Oh fuck, it’s Halley again.”

            “Halley?” Willard asked, smiling at the disgust in her voice.

            “That bitch,” Francis hissed in a whisper.

            “Willard, Katie.” Halley air kissed their checks then turned to Adrian. She smiled at Adrian in a hungry way. “Adrian.” She hugged Adrian and kissed her full on the mouth. Adrian didn’t kiss her back. Halley backed up not letting her go. “The painting is to die for.”

            “Halley.” Adrian untangled the woman’s arms from around her neck and stepped back before saying, “Thank you.”

            “So, Halley, where’s John?” Willard asked pointedly.

            “In the hospital. Nothing serious, pneumonia they think,” Halley said, sounding disappointed. She looked at Francis, then back at Adrian, “Your little woman looks good tonight.”

            “Unless I don’t know her at all my little woman is about ten seconds from scratching your eyes out of your head,” Adrian said, smiling sweetly.

            Halley seemed to remember Willard and Katie then, and she turned to them and smiled. “When John gets out of the hospital we should all do lunch.” Then she walked away, mouthing at Adrian, “call me.”

            “What the hell just happened?” Willard asked with a laugh.

            Adrian smiled and shrugged.

            “That bitch,” Francis said again. Then she was glaring at Adrian. “How could you kiss her like that?”

            “I didn’t kiss her,” Adrian defended. “She kissed me and I didn’t exactly let her.”

            “How do you know Halley?” Willard asked.

            “Too damn well. The way she knows damn near every lesbian in this city,” Francis hissed at Adrian. Francis was actually mad at her, too, she could feel it and she didn’t like it not one bit.

            “Halley’s a lesbian?” Katie said in disbelief.

            “Well she was when she slept with Adrian,” Francis hissed. “I am going to kick her ass.” She started to leave, and Adrian grabbed her arm nearly knocking them both down.

            “Calm down, baby,” Adrian whispered in her ear.

            “Don’t tell me to calm down. She’s got one hell of a nerve, the little woman! Call her! What the fuck is that shit? I get so tired of running into your whores all the time.”

            “You cheating on Francis?” Willard asked, and all hint of amusement had left his voice. In fact it was pretty obvious that he was getting up for kicking her ass.

            “No, God no. I would never cheat on Franny,” Adrian defended, shaking her head. “But I did used to be a total whore.”

            “Honey,” Katie said to Francis, “you can’t be jealous for the things she did before you were together.”

            “That’s right.” Willard laughed, his mad over, looked at Adrian and whispered, “You banged Halley Stone? That’s rich.”

            “It’s not funny,” Francis said with a pout.

            “Yes, it sort of is,” Willard said.

            “Willard!” Katie rebuked.

            Willard shrugged; he hugged Francis and patted her back. “Francis, let it go. Hell, you’ve laid turds that looked better than Halley. She’s a bitch. Adrian doesn’t want anything to do with her and Halley damn well knows it. She was just trying to get your goat. So you just make it obvious to her and to everyone else that you don’t see her as any sort of threat. Of course I wouldn’t mind seeing you kick her ass, either.”

            “I’ll kick her ass if you want me to, honey,” Adrian said.

            “No one is kicking anyone’s ass,” Katie said in her very best mother voice.

            “No, but the next time she comes near you I want you to flat tell her not to touch you, or I by God will make a scene.” Francis seemed to have calmed down which made Adrian calm down and then she realized something.

            We’ve never actually had a fight. We’ve come close a couple of times but it hasn’t happened which is good because for the two seconds she was actually mad at me I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut.  Adrian hugged Francis and kissed her cheek.

            “Willard, there’s Tammy,” Katie said. Adrian turned to see Tammy and Milly walk in. Tammy was wearing black jeans and a red western shirt, so obviously this didn’t rate the same dress requirements as her dad’s opening had. Milly was dressed to kill in a long, sleeveless black dress with a v-neckline that hugged her body. Her long hair was restrained in a thick braid that reached the middle of her back. They actually looked like they belonged together, not like someone was trying to mix oil and water together the way Marcella and Milly had always looked together.

            Willard waved wildly, trying to get Tammy’s attention, and Adrian shook the thought from her head. 

Tammy and Milly walked into the lobby together, and there was no missing Adrian’s painting. Milly thought it was stunning.

            “It’s like Stella’s bedroom, only better,” Milly said to Tammy.

            “I’ll have to take your word for it; I’ve never been in Stella’s apartment. It is wonderful, though, like you were lying on the ground looking up through a tree,” Tammy said. “Wow, there are a butt load of people here.”

            “Butt load, is that a standard or metric measurement?” Milly asked, looking up at her with a smile.

            “Standard I think, more than a mouth full not as much as a shit pot load,” Tammy answered with a grin. “There’s my mom and dad, come on.” Milly followed Tammy across the crowded room where she could see Willard waving wildly. She smiled; he was a nice guy. What was more he was a really good Dad.

            Tammy’s parents hugged Tammy and then her mother clicked her tongue and said, “Tammy, you couldn’t you have dressed up a little bit.”

            “It’s a new shirt,” Tammy said with a smile.

            “Hello Milly,” Tammy’s father said, and then he was giving her a big hug and she hugged him back though she was a little surprised by how happy he was to see her. He finally let her go. “You look fantastic.”

            “Thanks,” Milly said with a smile.

            “The coral looks very good on you; you have such a lovely complexion,” Tammy’s mother said.

            “Thanks.” And suddenly she realized why they were being so nice to her; they thought she was Tammy’s date. She smiled, it didn’t bother her, and in fact… Well she guessed she sort of was Tammy’s date. She looked up at Tammy—she definitely didn’t mind being linked to her.

            “Dad why are there so many fucking people here?” Tammy asked.

            “Tammy your mouth,” Katie clicked her tongue again.

            “Lots of press.” Willard shrugged. “Must know something I don’t. Of course I’ve been so busy on my new water projects I’ve been sort of out of the loop. I know Billy was all excited about something.”

            “Attention, attention!” a man said, tapping on a glass. “As president of the board of directors of Garrette Hospital…”

            “That’s Uncle Billy,” Tammy whispered in her ear. “He isn’t really my uncle he just gets pissy if I don’t call him Uncle Billy. He’s the leading heart specialist in the state.”

            Milly nodded. “Uncle” Billy was going on and on about all the marvelous things the cardio unit was going to do and then he was saying something about Adrian’s painting. “As you see we commissioned Adrian Bar to do this wonderful mural which we hope will bring a sense of calm to every patient who enters these doors. I’d like to thank Ms. Bar for substantially lowering her usual fee and for giving us more than we ever could have asked for.”

            They gave Adrian a big round of applause and she tried to look aloof but failed miserably because she just couldn’t quit grinning. It had to be stressful to paint something for other people and then hope they were going to like it. Of course that was Adrian’s true gift as far as Milly was concerned that she seemed to be able to listen to people for a few minutes and then give them just exactly what they wanted. Milly smiled at a fond memory, it’s why she’s such a good lover, she thought.

            “What?” Francis asked.
            “Nothing,” Milly said quickly, a hint of guilt in her voice. “It’s a great painting,” she added quickly. Jan was right; she needed to get laid.

            Then “Uncle” Billy was just going on and on and on. “Old wind bag.” Willard bent over and whispered in her ear, “He could talk the ear off a gnat as my daddy used to say. Of course I’m not going to complain too much. I’m standing with the prettiest bunch of women in this room.”

            “I’ve nearly gone to sleep three times,” Milly said, turning to look at him. Then she realized why she liked him so much, because she liked Tammy so much and Tammy was just a female version of her father, like one of those people who just seemed to get all their DNA from one parent. Like her and her own father. “You know I just realized how much Tammy looks like you.”

            “That good or bad?” he asked her with a smile.

            “Good,” Milly said smiling back.

            Finally it looked like “Uncle” Billy was bringing his speech to a close. “And now to cut the ribbon I’d like to introduce Shea City’s own son, Parker Saint John.”

            “Fuck!” Milly screamed out. Fortunately everyone was clapping and cheering so loud no one heard her except Tammy’s parents and all her friends, who just looked at her like she’d grown another head. All that is except Adrian who moved up next to her and whispered in her ear.

            “I didn’t know. You all right?”

            “I’m fine. Hell, he probably won’t even recognize me,” Milly whispered back.

            Parker Saint John walked out of wherever they had him hidden and took hold of the ridiculous fake scissors. “Shortly before the birth of my first child my father died in this hospital of cardiac arrest. He wasn’t much older than I am now. Hopefully this new unit will help save the lives of people like my father.” At least his speech was brief. He cut the ribbon and people started moving into the hall.

            “You want to go look?” Tammy asked.

            “Not really,” Milly said. “I mostly came to see Adrian’s painting. I don’t care about a bunch of hospital shit, what about you?”

            “No I don’t care about seeing a bunch of rooms full of equipment to cut people up either.”

            Milly was about to suggest they just go and then Tammy said, “So let’s hit the buffet and the bar while there aren’t many people here.”

            Milly nodded. She didn’t want to make anyone go. There was no cause for it.

            “Wow, Parker Saint John!  Pretty huge, huh? Although I’m not sure screaming out Fuck! was exactly appropriate,” Tammy said with a laugh over her shoulder as she walked towards the buffet. Milly just forced a smile and shrugged. They got some food and some champagne and went to sit down at a table. “My dad went to high school and college with him. They used to be really tight but they had a falling out.”

            Milly just nodded and picked at the food on her plate.

            “You all right?” Tammy asked.

            “Yeah, I’m fine,” Milly said. She smiled and patted Tammy’s hand.

            “You know what we should do?”

            “No, what should we do?” Milly smiled. Tammy was suddenly so excited it was contagious.

            “Let’s grab Adrian and Francis when this is over and go to the Excel and go dancing.”

            “Dressed like this?” Milly laughed out.

            “Why not? You look fantastic and I know you’re used to dancing in heels,” Tammy said.

            Milly smiled back wickedly. “But not with so many clothes on.”

            “You could always take them off,” Tammy said. “I wouldn’t complain.”

            “I only do that for cash, baby.”

            “I’ve got a pocket full.”

            Milly laughed. Tammy was flirting with her and it made her feel good. “Yeah, let’s do go out, even if the newly weds don’t want to go with us. We don’t need a chaperone.”

            Speaking of the newly weds, Adrian and Francis walked back in as if they were sneaking away from a very boring class came and sat down with them.

            “Uncle Billy is talking in every room,” Francis told them, making a face. “At this rate it will take them four and a half hours just to look at the damn rooms and…”

            “Big deal,” Adrian said, “because they’re just rooms full of stuff.” She looked at Milly then. “You all right? You need to go?”

            “I’m fine.”

            “Why wouldn’t she be?” Tammy asked.

            Adrian just looked puzzled like maybe she couldn’t believe that Milly hadn’t just told Tammy though it was obvious she hadn’t told Francis either. Of course that was why people told their secrets to Adrian because Adrian didn’t repeat them not even it seemed to her wife.

            “We want to go to Excel after this, you guys want to go?” Milly asked. She saw Adrian looking Francis over and wasn’t too surprised when she said.

            “I think we’re just going to go home.”

            “Oh come on it will be fun,” Tammy said, and obviously knowing why they weren’t going added, “You guys can fuck and do anytime.”

            “You guys can still go you don’t need a chaperon you know,” Adrian said.

            “You still want to go?” Tammy asked Milly.

            “Sure,” Milly said and didn’t know why she didn’t say let’s go now. She guessed the truth was she didn’t really want to leave yet, that she wanted to see him almost as much as she didn’t want to.

            Adrian and Francis went to get some food.

            “Would you rather just go to a movie?” Tammy asked.

            “Dressed like this? Dancing makes more sense than the movies. You’re dressed like this you want to be seen not sit in the dark.”

            “Good,” Tammy said.

            Milly could tell that Tammy knew there was something upsetting her and she should probably just tell her but she just couldn’t form the words which was an odd place for Milly to be. “It’s not you, Tammy, you aren’t bothering me,” Milly said. “In fact you never bother me. You do realize that we’re on a date right?”

            Tammy looked shocked.  “Is that why you’re upset? Because… Well we didn’t call it a date and we don’t have to. It’s not like a real date. You just came with me and we’re going to go someplace together and that’s not really a date.”

            Milly laughed. “What ever you say and no, that’s not why I’m upset. My father has been trying to call me all day and well now I know why and…” Before she could stumble through what she was trying to tell Tammy her parents showed up with plates of food and sat down.

            “God damn,” Willard said as his butt hit the seat. “I don’t know what’s worse having to listen to Uncle Billy do everything but pull the electrical wiring out of the wall and explain it or watching that asshole Parker Saint John stand around with an air of utter self importance.”

            “They fought twenty years ago and Willard is still holding a grudge. Won’t even watch one of his movies,” Katie said with a smile.

            “A man ought to act like a man,” Willard mumbled.

            “Calm down, Dad, you’re going to give yourself a coronary,” Tammy said with a laugh as Francis and Adrian returned with their plates of food.

            “Lucky we’re in the cardiac unit.  Between Dad’s mad and Adrian’s pants, it’s a sure bet someone will need it before the night's out,” Francis said, looking at Milly and smiling. “Remember, Adrian was sure her pants were so tight they were going to cause some blood stoppage somewhere.”

            “They are mighty tight there, bud,” Willard said, “and let me say, Adrian, that you have an awfully nice ass for a guy.”

            “Father, for God's sake,” Katie said, but she was laughing.

            “Thank you kindly sir,” Adrian said.

            “Here comes that fucking Halley. Adrian, I swear…” Francis started but Adrian jumped up and screamed to the top of her lungs.

            “If you come near me again I’m going to tell everyone we screwed!” Adrian sat back down. “That stopped her.” She grinned wildly at Tammy’s dad and pointed at herself. “Eccentric artist?”

            “You know, kid, I think you’re learning,” Willard said.

            Milly just relaxed and started having a good time talking to her friends and Tammy’s parents.

            “Bud is that you?” a voice called from a few feet away.

            Milly immediately turned towards Tammy. “You ready to go?”

            “Sure, let me just say goodbye to my parents.” But of course that was right out because her parents were suddenly busy.

            “Willard?”

            “Parker,” Willard grated out, so he really didn’t like him.

            “Katie you look marvelous,” Parker said.

            “Thank you Parker,” Katie said, “you don’t look so bad yourself.”

            Parker sat at the table in a chair across from Willard. He looked at Adrian. “You’re the artist aren’t you?” he asked, pointing at the mural.

            “Yes,” Adrian said, damn near as tight lipped as Willard was.

            “I’d love to have you do something in my home in Hollywood.”

            “Go away Parker,” Willard said bluntly. “We aren’t friends.”

            “Willard, come on, I can’t believe you’re still mad over a little fight we had over twenty years ago.”

            “I don’t think it was a little fight,” Willard hissed across the table. “You want to leave your wife that’s one thing but you don’t leave your kids behind.”

            “I did not abandon my kid. I paid every penny of child support and then some.”

            “Well excuse me. I thought being a father was more than just giving sperm and money.”

            Milly looked across the table at Adrian who was just grinning. Then she looked right at Milly and said loud enough for everyone at the table to hear, “You just gottah love Willard.”

            “Quit making a scene,” Katie whispered to Willard, and caught Adrian with her mother warning stare at the same time.

            Parker got up. “Everyone I know except you has screwed up, Willard.”

            He started to walk away, and then Tammy said, “Dad, Mom, Milly and I are going to go.”

            Milly could have slapped her.

            “Milly!” Parker exclaimed turning around.

            “Hi Dad,” Milly said with a helpless grin.

            He came back and hugged her, ignoring Willard as he exclaimed something to do with Parker not even recognizing his own kid, at which point Katie grabbed Willard and pulled him away from the table. Milly hugged her dad.

            He pushed her to arms length. “My God, Milly, you’re beautiful! I’ve been calling you all day.” He smiled his Oscar Award winning smile. “You’re here so I guess you got my message.”

            “No I didn’t check my messages today,” she said, thinking that if she’d listened to them this wouldn’t have happened. “I’m here for Adrian; she’s one of my best friends.”

            “And this must be Marcella,” he said, reaching out a hand to Tammy. Tammy just looked at his hand, not knowing what to do as across the table Adrian spat out.

            “No you giant ass. Marcella was killed in the war five months ago.”

            And then Francis was pulling Adrian away from the table and Tammyt could hear Adrian mumbling, “Stupid prick doesn’t know a fucking thing about Milly.”

            “Oh honey,” Parker said, sounding sincere but he was an actor so who knew what he really felt. “I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you call me, tell me? I would have been here.”

            “But you couldn’t come meet her, Dad. You couldn’t come meet her when I asked you to.”

            “I’m so sorry, Milly,” he said again. Hollow words falling on her broken heart. She swallowed her tears.

            “I’m all right,” Milly said. She forced a smile and pointed at Tammy. “This is Tammy; she’s Willard and Katie’s daughter.”

            Her father smiled looking at Tammy. “I should have known, she looks just like her old man, and from the set of her jaw I’d say she’s just as unforgiving. Milly I’d like to spend some time with you while I’m in town.”

            “All right,” Milly said with obvious trepidation.

            “I could come by your place in the morning, see where you live, we could talk.”

            “All right.” She gave him her address.

            Someone called out to him from across the room. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in the morning and again I’m so, so sorry.”

            “Milly, I’m sorry,” Tammy said at her shoulder as Milly watched her father walk away. “Me and my big mouth…”

            “You didn’t know. Besides, if I really didn’t want to see him I would have left as soon as I fucked.” She turned and smiled at Tammy. “I wanted to see him. Hell, I haven’t seen him in years. I always want to see him. I always think it will be different and he always disappoints.”

            “You just want to go home?”

            “No. I still want to go out with you,” Milly said, and she meant it. She didn’t want to go home to her empty apartment and either bury herself in her writing or stare at the walls trying to figure out what she’d say to her father when they “talked.” Worse yet try to write what he was going to say to her which was a writer’s curse. It was why she was always so disappointed in nearly everything because it was never as good as she had written it in her head.

            “So your mom is…”

            “Anne Lawrence, the country western singer whose entire fan base is the right side of the right wing. Who has consistently backed political candidates who vote against gay rights and abortion and who put millions of dollars behind this fucking bastard who’s in power now and who sent Marcella to her death, so… Hate Mommy, and that...” she pointed to where her father was talking to some other idiot, laughing as if he hadn’t just heard that his daughter had lost her partner a few months before. “that’s the good parent.”

            “You have Joanna,” Tammy reminded gently, and Milly smiled.

            “Yes, I have Joanna. Come on; let’s blow this popsickle stand.”

            “I still have to tell my parents I’m leaving.” Because they were good parents and Tammy was a good daughter.

            Milly went with her and as soon as Willard saw her he said, “Honey, I am so sorry. I just had no idea. If I had known I wouldn’t have just gone on and on and… Well I guess I did even when I did know and I’m just sorry.”

            “It’s all right Dad.” Milly hugged his neck. She let him go then hugged Tammy’s mother, too.

            “Mom, Dad we’re going,” Tammy said.

            “Where you going?” Willard asked curiously.

            “Ah dancing,” Tammy said, sounding almost embarrassed.

            “Have a good time and be careful, and Milly I really am sorry for what I said about your daddy.”

            Milly leaned in towards him in a conspiratorial way, “No, I’m sorry. You’re right about my daddy.”

            He patted her back. As they walked away Milly reached over without thinking and took Tammy’s hand and Tammy held hers tightly, looking down at her and smiling.

“They’re holding hands,” Francis said excitedly. Adrian looked to where Francis was looking and nodded.

            “Don’t match make,” Adrian smiled.

            “I’m not,” Francis said.

            Adrian’s eyes fell on Parker. “That ass hole.”

            “That was unbelievable, and… Why didn’t you tell me that Milly’s father was Parker Saint John?”

            “The same reason you don’t run around telling everyone that Tammy’s parents are rich. Milly doesn’t want people to know probably for a similar reason. People will treat her differently, they’ll be phony with her and because of that,” she pointed her thumb at Parker, “she doesn’t like phony people.”

            “But I’m your wife, Adrian.”

            “Yes, and if I thought it was important for you to know I’d have told you.” She took her hands and held them. “Do we have to stay here or can we go, too?”

            “Let’s just go say goodbye to Mom and Dad.”

            They went to say goodbye to Tammy’s parents and Adrian hugged Willard and said, “I love you, dude.”

            Willard laughed, “Because I showed my ass?”

            “Yeah.”

            Willard laughed. “Yeah, well you didn’t do a half bad job yourself.”

            “Eccentric artist,” Adrian explained.

            As they were walking out of the building she threw her arm around Francis’s shoulders. Francis smiled up at her and put her arm around Adrian’s waist.

            “They liked my fucking painting.”

            “How could they not, baby?”

            “You know I didn’t even ask you. Do you want to go to the club, Franny?”

            “I’ve been sharing you with a whole room full of people all night. I’d just as soon go home and have you all to myself.”

            “Then have me you shall.”

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