The Secret of You and Me - Melissa Lenhardt Page 0,69
young man blushed to the roots of his dark hair. I caught Alima’s eye, and she winked at me, apparently aware of Joaquin’s embarrassment. I wondered what had been going on out at Nora’s for the last couple of days.
I glanced at the kitchen clock. Todd would be here in thirty minutes. I took a breath. Despite the hum of the conversations from beyond the kitchen, the ticking of the clock overpowered everything.
Alima watched me with an expectant expression. “Are you okay, Sophie?”
I looked up at her. Her mouth curved into a knowing smile. Leave it to Nora’s girlfriend to sense the need swirling inside me, searching desperately for release.
God, she was beautiful. Smooth skin, a few gray hairs around her face, but she was one of those women who managed to make going gray look glamorous. Alima had this way of looking at you as if you were the only person in the world. No wonder Nora was attracted to her. Loved her? I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know.
I saw the bottle of beer she held and grasped onto it as a conversation gambit. “What do you think of Trent’s beer?”
She leaned forward and whispered. “Not a fan, to be honest. I was hoping to be able to pour it down the drain discreetly.”
“Want me to make you a margarita?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
I took her beer and placed in the sink. “Not at all. Let me stir my onions.”
Alima dipped a chip into a black bean dip. “Did you make all of this?”
Dips and chips lined the island bar. A Crock-Pot of borracho beans sat on the back counter by the stove, and two half pans of marinated beef and chicken sat next to it, ready for Charlie to throw them on the grill. “I did.”
“She’s a great cook,” Joaquin offered.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Full-time job, family, and hosting a dinner party and not breaking a sweat. You’re a veritable Wonder Woman,” Alima said.
“Well, I’m about to ruin your perception of my greatness. I’m serving everything on paper plates.”
Alima laughed. “The politicos over there will love it.”
“Exactly what I thought. Come on. Let’s get you a margarita. Joaquin, will you watch the onions?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Sweet kid,” Alima said when we were out of his earshot. “He was a big help at Nora’s.”
“Glad to hear it. Is on the rocks okay?”
“Sure. I thought you might come out.”
“Come out?” My stomach dropped, and my face flamed with embarrassment.
“Yes. Come out to Nora’s. To help.”
“Right. I had to work.”
I rubbed a cut lime around the rim of a rocks glass, dipped it in a plate of flaky salt, and filled it with ice. I put ice into a metal shaker and poured tequila, sweet and sour, triple sec and Grand Marnier in before clapping on the lid. Our high school friends still surrounded Nora, but she was watching Alima and me. I shook the drink. “Nora mentioned you were coworkers?”
“Yes. We manage two different translation groups. Mostly computer manuals, or how-to instructions. You know, those little pieces of paper you get in your electronics you never read?”
“Yes.”
“That. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Logan the last couple of days. She’s very comfortable around adults, talking to them. It’s increasingly uncommon.”
“I suppose being an only child has something to do with it.” I strained the margarita in the glass and garnished it with the lime. I handed it to Alima. Her wedding ring clinked against the glass.
I didn’t let go of it. “Does your husband know?”
“That I’m here? No. He’s on a business trip.”
“No, that you’re fucking Nora.”
She pulled the glass away and sipped it. “Does your husband know you’re a lesbian?”
I glanced around, but no one was within earshot.
“Don’t worry, Sophie. I’m not that person. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Hmm. You and Nora have a nice reunion?”
“Yes, very energetic. Then, we spent the next hour talking about you. A bit of a downer, to be honest. This margarita is excellent. Not making yourself one?”
“I’m an alcoholic.”
“Nora mentioned it.”
I dumped the used ice into the bar sink and rinsed the shaker. “Then why did you ask? Oh, right. So you could let drop how close you and Nora are. I saw the hickey on her shoulder. I know exactly how close you are. What else did Nora tell you?”
“Everything.”
“Nora does love pillow talk.”
“I suppose you don’t know much about me.”
“I expect to, and very soon.”
Alima’s eyes brightened, and she laughed. “I’m starting to like you, Sophie.”