"She doesn"t live here," Harper said, hoping Max would let it drop.
Max did not let it drop. "She is very pretty. You two make a nice couple. Very pretty ladies."
Harper shifted in the seat, "Thanks, but we"re not a couple."
Max got into the front seat. He laughed conspiratorially, "You sure looked like a couple the other night. Did something happen?"
"Max, I really don"t want to talk about it, okay," Harper blurted out.
Max nodded his head, "Sure, sure. Love it"s a crazy business. So, where can I take you this evening?"
Harper told Max the address. She sat quietly, in the backseat, thinking about what Max said. She and Lauren did make a stunning couple. It wasn"t going to happen again; Harper had to be resigned to that. That one night and one kiss was all she would ever have of Lauren. Every time she thought of the kiss, she got that feeling in her stomach, like the one you feel at the apex of a swing, just before you come back down.
When the taxi pulled up to Abby"s, Harper was astonished. The house looked like something you would see in Tahoe or Aspen. It could have been on the cover of Architectural Digest. It was a huge log home with a cathedral ceiling over the foyer. A giant chandelier glowed through the windows over the front entrance. Wow! Abby"s husband, Sandy, could build a house.
She paid Max and walked to the door. Abby met her and showed her around the house. The interior was just as amazing as the exterior.
"Everyone"s in the pool house," Abby said, indicating the large building in the backyard.
Abby took Harper out to the pool house. It was a square log building with one wall made of stone. An old-fashioned, cooking fireplace was built into the stonewall, complete with cast iron pots on the hearth. A small kitchenette occupied the opposite corner, where the stone met the far wall, from the entrance, where Harper was standing with Abby. The walls were lined with tall windows on three sides. A pool table filled the s.p.a.ce, at the center of the room.
Chairs, love seats and couches were set up in conversational groups around the walls of the room. Harper thought there were twenty-five or thirty people in the room. Harper was still taking it all in, when she noticed Shelby coming toward her. She stiffened unconsciously.
"Come sit with us," Shelby said pointing to a corner grouping, where Harper could clearly see Lauren, Julie and Alicia. She didn"t recognize the other people.
"Let me grab a beer," Harper said, in an attempt to lose herself in the crowd.
Abby followed Harper through the crowd to the kitchenette, where the beer coolers were. "I have somebody I want you to meet," Abby said pulling on Harper"s arm.
Harper grabbed a beer and followed Abby to some women standing directly in front of Lauren"s grouping. Abby pulled one of the women aside.
"Leah, this is Harper Lynch. Harper, this is Leah Hill. Leah is a T. A. in my department and is also doing her doctorial work."
Leah appeared to be just a little older than Harper. She was shorter than Harper, but not by much. She had shoulder length brunette hair and was quite cute. Harper and Leah exchanged pleasantries. Abby excused herself to take care of some imaginary problem. She obviously wanted the two of them to spend some time alone.
"So what department are you in?" Leah asked.
"Bio-Med."
"Oh, you"re in the building with Shelby West. Have you met her? She"s fabulous."
"Yes, I know Shelby. We are on the same softball team," Harper said, trying to hide how uncomfortable this conversation was making her.
Leah looked over at Lauren and Shelby and waved. Lauren, who was definitely watching them, waved back and smiled. Harper smiled, but looked away quickly.
Leah was talking again. "Don"t you think Shelby and Lauren make such a perfect couple? They are so beautiful together."
Harper had to get away. She said quickly, "Yes, they are beautiful together. I need another beer. Can I get you anything?"
Leah looked a little surprised, "Sure, I"ll take a Natural Light."
Harper headed for the coolers. She retrieved the beers and went back to find Leah. She really wasn"t interested in Leah at all. Harper was just being polite. When she returned to the place she left Leah, she didn"t see her. She looked around the room before spotting her, standing in front of Shelby and Lauren, having a conversation. s.h.i.t, here we go, Harper thought.
"Here"s your beer," Harper said when she was close enough to Leah.
"Thank you, Harper. Shelby and Lauren have been telling me all about you," Leah said, smiling seductively, "Come sit with me."
Leah looped her arm around Harper"s, dragging her to the loveseat across from Lauren and Shelby. This put Harper eye to eye with Lauren. Shelby had her arm around Lauren"s shoulders. She appeared to be very attentive and madly in love with Lauren. Leah scooted right up next to Harper and put her hand casually on Harper"s thigh.
"These two tell me you"re smart, artistically gifted, an exceptional athlete and I say you"re d.a.m.n good looking. Why aren"t you taken?"
Harper thought carefully before she answered, "I guess I haven"t found the right one yet."
Shelby chimed in, "What qualities are you looking for in this elusive aone"."
Harper was really not comfortable with this conversation. "I don"t know. I guess I"ll find out when it happens."
Lauren finally said something, "Ignore them Harper. They want to know, so they can set you up."
Leah jumped in, "I don"t want to set her up. I might want her for myself." Leah squeezed Harper"s thigh and giggled.
Harper turned up her bottle and finished off her beer. She stood up. "I need a beer. Can I get anyone anything?"
Leah looked down at her half full beer mystified. She moved her head slowly back and forth indicating she didn"t need one. Shelby and Lauren didn"t need anything either. Harper was glad. She wanted away from Leah, in the worst way. Not to mention how excruciating it was sitting across from Lauren, watching Shelby try to make her happy.
Harper wandered to the coolers, then stopped to watch the ongoing pool game. She was in no hurry to find Leah again. A very handsome young man, about Harper"s age, approached her.
"Hi, my name is Steven. I work with Sandy."
Harper smiled at him. He was tall and dark, with crystal blue eyes, a gorgeous man.
"My name is Harper. I play on Abby"s softball team."
"I thought you were one of her grad students or something," Steven said, smiling at Harper with perfect teeth.
"Well, actually I am a grad student. I"m working on my doctorate in Bio-Med." Harper was enjoying the attention.
Steven stepped a little closer, "Wow! Smart and pretty too, your Daddy must be proud."
Harper covered up the stab in her heart, "I"m sure he is."
"I hope you don"t mind talking to a lowly BA in computer science," Steven flirted.
Harper gave him her standard answer when people made a fuss over her doctorate studies, but she was laughing when she said it, "It doesn"t mean that I"m smarter than you. It just means I"ve been to school longer."
Steven was coming on to her with body language and eye contact. Harper found him charming, in a frat boy kind of way. She responded to his advances in turn. At least, it was putting Lauren in the back of her mind; instead of smack dap in her face.
"I like your accent. Where are you from, Harper?"
"I was born and bred in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA," Harper said proudly.
"They shoot pool out in Antlers, Oklahoma?" Steven asked teasingly.
"They sure do."
Steven was now standing right beside her, almost touching her. She could smell his cologne. He not only looked good enough to eat, he smelled that way, too.
"I have next game and I would sure appreciate it if you would be my partner against those two over there." He pointed at a young couple on the other side of the pool table.
Harper accepted the offer, "I"d be happy to be your partner."
Harper spent the next forty-five minutes completely focused on pool. She was able to relax and laugh with Steven and the other couple. Harper was no pool shark, but she could hold her own. Steven and Harper won two out of three. Relinquishing the table, the four of them found a place to sit together. Harper drank a few beers with them and really enjoyed the company. Steven was witty and charming. Even though she was having fun, her brain was saying, this guy is too perfect. There has to be something wrong with him. She"d have to ask Abby.
Harper excused herself to the restroom. She had been sitting with her back turned to Lauren. She didn"t see Lauren or Shelby, when she pa.s.sed the couch where they had been sitting. Maybe they were gone. Good, she could relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. If she could get the images of Shelby making love to Lauren, out of her mind.
There was a line at the lady"s" room, as usual. Harper had to wait in a small hallway, for someone to leave the restroom. She was next in line to enter when Shelby and Lauren came out the door together.
Lauren smirked at Harper, "Well, if it isn"t Harper Lynch, the new switch hitting phenomenon."
Lauren said it with just enough venom to attract Shelby"s attention. She looked back and forth between Harper and Lauren, whose faces were inches away from each other in the cramped hallway. Harper was a few beers past caring what Shelby thought.
"Well, if it isn"t Lauren and Shelby, the perfect couple." Harper smiled to cover the spite, but it hit home with a bullet.
Lauren tore down the hall, with Shelby hot on her tail. Abby appeared at just that moment. She looked at Harper and then at the retreating couple.
"s.h.i.t, Harper. What did you do?"
The drunken woman behind Harper said, "I don"t think she did anything. She just said they were the perfect couple." The woman screwed up her face in confusion, "Are they gay?"
Abby grabbed Harper by the arm and drug her back down the hallway, "I need to talk to you."
"But I have to pee."
"You can pee in my bathroom," Abby said, still moving with a purpose through the partiers, with Harper in tow.
Abby whisked Harper out of the pool house and into the main house. Abby took Harper to her master bedroom and pointed out the bathroom. Harper nearly wet her pants, before she could get them down and sit on the toilet. Abby followed her and sat down on the edge of the bathtub, big enough for two people. Harper peed like a racehorse, for G.o.d knows how long. She finally took a deep breath and let out a sigh.
"Feel better?" Abby asked.
"Oh G.o.d, yes!" Harper exclaimed. She made no move to stand up.
"Harper what in the h.e.l.l just happened in there?" Abby asked quietly- The pleasure of the moment was pa.s.sing and reality was zooming right back into focus. The memory of what just transpired in that little hallway replayed itself, in Harper"s mind. She c.o.c.ked her head at Abby, who was sitting on her left.
"You know Abby; I"m not really sure what happened."
"You must have done something. I don"t think I"ve ever seen Lauren so angry. And Shelby looked like a deer in the headlights."
Abby stood up and began to pace the bathroom floor. Harper finished her business and walked to the sink to wash her hands.
"Look, Lauren asked me to leave her alone, so she could work things out with Shelby and that is exactly what I have been trying to do." Harper was getting defensive.
Abby stopped pacing and looked at Harper through the mirror on the wall. "Just tell me exactly what happened. I"m not judging you."
Harper told Abby exactly what was said, who said it and even mimicked the way it was said perfectly. Abby"s mouth dropped open.
Harper said, just like a child in school, "Well, she started it."
Abby started pacing again. She was in deep thought when Julie entered the room. She was followed quickly by B.J, Ellen, Becky and Alicia. Jesus, did someone sound the intruder alert. Harper was surrounded. She was the new girl and this was going to be a beat down, she was sure of it. It was quiet for a second then they all started talking at once, except Abby who kept pacing.
"What in the f.u.c.k is going on?" Julie asked, above the fray.
Ellen stepped forward, "Lauren and Shelby just tore out of here like bats out of h.e.l.l."
Becky added, "Lauren didn"t wait for Shelby. I could hear her calling Lauren"s name all the way down the driveway."
"s.h.i.t you guys, this is going to be some serious drama." Alicia added to the discussion.
"I heard that drunk broad from Sandy"s office say something about them being told they were a perfect couple. She was asking everybody if they were gay."
Julie was the first to zero in on Harper, "What did you do?"
Everyone stopped talking at once. All the heads in the room turned to look at Harper. Harper was getting her back up. After all, she had done just what Lauren asked, ignored her.
"I haven"t done a f.u.c.king thing. You need to ask your friend Lauren what"s going on," Harper"s growing anger was evident in her delivery.
Again they all started talking at once. Harper stood there trying to figure out how she was going to get pa.s.sed these women and escape the bathroom. She was pretty sure she could take them all except for Alicia and Becky. Especially Becky, she just might have a boot knife.
Abby finally raised her hand in the air, "Ladies, Ladies!"
The room became silent.
Abby began, "Ladies, this has nothing to do with Harper. We"ve all seen this coming for a long time. What we have to do now is prepare for the divorce."
B.J. gasped, "Oh G.o.d, no!"
Julie glared at Harper, even though Abby said it had nothing to do with her.
Abby continued, "What we have to do is struggle against taking sides. We have to be supportive, but above all, not take sides."
Ellen spoke up, "We"ve been through divorces before, Julie"s on her third one now."
"Yeah, but this is two of us, not a man to blame in sight," Alicia reminded Ellen.
Harper felt like she was in an episode of The L Word, everybody up in everybody"s business. At least, they were not all focused on Harper. Harper understood their dilemma. Anytime she had been on a team or in a group of just women, a lesbian couple break-up involved a fight over the friends. She had seen it tear teams apart. Even straight friends did it when their friends split up. It was so hard to resist taking sides. Harper didn"t have to worry about taking sides, because she was right smack dab in the middle of this one.
Abby decided they should all go back to the party. They would have to wait to see what happened next. As a group they promised not to take sides, even though it was obvious to Harper, Julie blamed her. They all left except Abby and Harper.
Harper had to ask, "So what"s the story on Steven."