Laura held the gin and tonic that Trish had made for her and glanced around the living room. There was something annoying in the way Susan's bare foot rested so
unpretentiously on Trish's knee as the two of them curled up on the couch together.
"So what happened with Robin?" Trish finally asked. "Can you talk about it yet?"
Laura looked over at them both and held her glass carefully. "Is that why I'm here? To talk about it?"
"Of course not," Susan said defensively. "We just
want you to know that we're here for you if you need us."
"Thanks. I'm sorry." Laura swirled the contents of her glass and wondered just how long it would take to get over the anger. She was a bitch at work, impatient with her mother and
utterly merciless to strangers. She found herself apologizing every few minutes or so for her unprovoked, rude behavior.
"It's been two weeks," Trish said. "Have you heard from her?"
"I got a letter a few days ago. Short and sweet. She misses me," Laura said simply. "She wants me to fly up there for a few days."
"Are you going?"
"No. There's no point in it."
"Have you talked to Mavis lately?" Susan asked after a moment.
"We had lunch a few weeks ago."
Susan and Trish shifted uncomfortably on the couch and exchanged a knowing look that piqued Laura's curiosity.
"What's going on?"
"I suppose you heard that Mavis and Daisy broke up."
Laura was stunned. She resumed interest in her drink again. "No, I hadn't heard. When did it happen?"
"The night all of us went to dinner together," Trish said. "They got in a fight at the bar afterwards."
A month ago, Laura noted. Why in the hel hadn't Mavis said something? Why hadn't anyone said something?
"She didn't mention it when I saw her," Laura said. She suddenly felt very confused. Maybe they were mistaken. "Are you sure? Why wouldn't she tell me?"
Susan shrugged. "You've got your own problems."
It didn't make any sense. This was a major happening in Mavis's life. "Does she have a new lover?"
"Neither one of them are seeing anyone else yet," Trish said.
"That's not the Mavis Davis I know. Why didn't she tell me? That's not like her."
"She's been staying with Wanda and Jolly. Give her a call later. I know she wants to hear from you."
"How is she? Is Daisy okay?" Laura finished her drink and popped an ice cube in her mouth.
Daisy had always been good for Mavis.
"Daisy's adjusting better than Mavis is," Trish said with a smirk. "But I think they both saw it coming."
Laura felt so distant and out of touch all of a sudden. She wondered if Mavis had met her for lunch that day to talk about it. Nothing made sense anymore. Absolutely nothing.
Out of the blue, Jolly called to invite her over for dinner. It had been a long time since she'd been to Jolly and Wanda's house, and the unnatural attempts at initial conversation over the phone gave Laura a sample of what an evening with them would be like. She declined the invitation, making a polite excuse of
needing to spend more time with her mother, and was surprised at Jolly's unwillingness to take no for an answer.
"Bring her with you," Jolly said, which made Laura laugh heartily. "How about Wednesday?"
"Sure. What the hell. But my mother can't make it." Besides, Laura thought, this way you'l get the whole story about what happened with Mavis and Daisy.
On Wednesday, Laura drove to Jolly and Wanda's directly from work.
"Late as usual," Mavis said as she swung the door open.
Laura gave her a hug and stepped back to get a better look at her. The house smelled dreamily of sauteed onions. "You look good, Mavis. How are you?"
"Just peachy," she said, hooking a thumb through the galluses of her white overalls. She was bleached and starched from head to toe. Laura had always encouraged her to wear
white. Mavis worked on her tan all year round and invariably knew what to wear to make the most of it. "I'll get you a drink."
Laura followed her to the kitchen where an array of lidded pots and pans steamed and sizzled away. "Where's Wanda and Jolly?"
"Jolly went to get more ice. She'l be back in a minute. Wanda's in the shower. Beer?
Wine? They've got gin."
"Beer's fine." Laura took the bottle and opened it. "So what happened with Daisy? No one wants to tell me anything."
"We'd been workin' up to it. You know how it is."
Jolly came in the back door with a drippy bag of
ice. She set it in the sink and gave Laura a long hug. Jolly had missed her, and the strength in her arms and the way she kissed the top of Laura's head seemed to almost make up for the years and months of neglect. Jolly gave her a final squeeze and then let
go.
"I'm glad you could make it."
"Yeah. Me too. Can I help with anything?"
"No. You two scurry along. I'l handle things in here."
Wanda emerged from the bedroom and rambled on about some movie they had seen the night before. It took only a moment for Laura to realize that Wanda's nonstop chatter was totally due to nervousness. Everyone kept the conversation polite and generic by safely
discussing a parade of mutual friends.
Hours later, after dishes had been cleared away and drinks freshened and finished, Jolly and Wanda discreetly suppressed yawns. Laura took that as her cue to wrap up the evening.
"It's late. I'd better get going."
"Don't leave on our account," Jolly said. "We've been up since four." They shuffled off to bed and disappeared down the hallway mumbling to each other. Mavis glanced at Laura and
smiled.
"Makes me wonder how many times they've wanted to do that over the years," she said.
"You know. Sneak off to bed with guests still here. Let's have another beer." Mavis led the way to the kitchen and got two bottles out of the refrigerator. "I'm goin' apartment
huntin' as soon as I get a chance. These two are makin' me crazy." They settled back into the living room on opposite ends of the sofa.
Laura looked at her closely and sipped her beer. "Staying here would be cheaper."
"Money ain't everything." They laughed together for a moment. Laura could feel Mavis's cool, blue eyes on her. "Have you been keepin' busy?"
"Pretty much," Laura said.
"Has Robin called?"
"No. She writes."
Mavis took a long draw on her beer and leaned her head back on the sofa. Laura looked over at her and liked the way the light from the dining room shadowed her face and hair. Mavis sighed and rolled her head in Laura's direction. "Was I really hamburger?"
Laura laughed, once she remembered her comment at the restaurant weeks ago. "As opposed to prime rib? It wasn't a nice thing to say."
"Did you mean it?"
"When I said it I meant it. You were being such a little shit that night."
"Yeah." She sighed heavily. "Daisy thought so too."
"Are you going to tel me what happened with Daisy?"
"I'm still sortin' it all out," Mavis said after a moment. "Daisy taught me how to feel guilty.
I'll never forgive her for that."
"Guilty about what?"
"Everything. I'm not a very nice person, Laura. I never knew it before, but Daisy finally convinced me." She set her beer down on the table and leaned her blonde shaggy head back on the sofa once more. "I've made a mess of my life. There must be somethin' wrong with me, darlin'. Like hormones or
somethin'. I've never been able to stick it out and be satisfied with what I've got. I wanna change all that."
"I've never heard you talk this way before."
Mavis laughed. "I'm learnin' to take responsibility for my actions. An awesome concept, don't you think?"
Laura smiled and finished her beer. "Have you hit your head recently?" She got up and located her purse near the front door. "This new attitude of yours is sort of refreshing. I hope you stick with it."
Out on the sidewalk in the front yard they checked out the stars and the moon. "Let's have lunch again this week," Mavis said. "I'll call you."
On the way home Laura felt very relaxed and comfortable about the evening. Mavis had been like a battery-operated toy. She's going through a bad time, Laura thought. But hell, weren't they all?
On Saturday morning Mavis cal ed early and asked her to look at two apartments with her.
When she got there Laura was ready and a little surprised at how good it felt to have something different to do.
The second place they saw was a garage apartment someone had converted into a very nice
use of space. It was positively adorable. Laura liked it immediately as she flipped a switch and flooded the room with light.
"All those stairs," Mavis said as she slowly turned in circles.
"You'll get used to it," Laura said. "It'l keep you in shape."
"You like it? The rent's cheap. And it's pretty close to the hospital." She looked around the room carefully, turning slowly and occasionally scratching her blonde head. "There ain't
no windows," she said suddenly. "Looky here, Laura. There ain't no windows! What kinda place don't have windows?"
Laura gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "A gay bar?"
"No, really. I need windows."
"Why?"
"I don't know," Mavis said with an edge of panic in her voice. "I just do."
"I'll draw you a window over there," Laura offered, pointing to the far wall on the other side of the room. "Have a little sunbeam coming through. Maybe sketch a sparrow on the
sill." She outlined the shape of window in the air with her fingers. She glanced over her shoulder and caught the twinkle in Mavis's eye. "Or maybe we could find you a poster of a window," she suggested. "Or even better, take a picture of your favorite window and have it blown up thirty or forty times. Hang it right here. Sound good?"
"They call them picture windows, don't they?" Their laughter filled the room. Mavis paid three months' rent and took Laura to lunch.
"Three months in advance? What if you and Daisy get back together?"
Mavis stirred her iced tea and shook her head. "That'll never happen."
"How can you be so sure? You and Susan broke up four times before you called it quits."
"I'm not in love with Daisy. She knows that. She's always known that."
Laura didn't say anything for a moment. This was news. Mavis and Daisy had always seemed happy. "How's she taking all of this?"
"Like an adult," Mavis said. She picked the onions off of her hamburger and put them on Laura's plate. "She's already datin' a teacher she works with. They're both very adult."
"It's not a disease, Mavis." Laura placed the onions on her fork and piled them on her hamburger with everything else. She detected a tinge of bitterness in Mavis's voice and decided to change the subject. "I've learned to cook with onions again. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed them."
"Jolly puts 'em in everything, but she's real sneaky about it. She cuts 'em up real small thinkin' I won't notice. I hate that."
Laura savored the taste of her next bite. "My next lover will have to like onions. That's all there is to it."
Mavis smirked and dunked a french fry into a pool of ketchup. "Robin don't like onions either."
Laura spent a quiet Saturday evening curled up on the couch with a good lesbian mystery.
Jo-Jo had given up on her and carried her favorite squeak ball outside through the
swinging doggie door. At eight-thirty the telephone rang. It was Robin. Laura was surprised at how good it was to hear her voice.
"You haven't answered my letters," Robin said.
"I know." Laura set the book on the floor.
"I miss you," Robin said quietly, almost reluctantly. "I didn't think it would be this bad."
"How bad is it?"
"Bad enough that I have to see you again."
Laura felt the fluttering begin in her stomach. You're not over this by a long shot, Davenport. "We can have dinner the next time you're in town," Laura said. There was silence. All she could hear was breathing.
"How about Friday night?" came the reply.
Laura chuckled more from surprise than anything else. "Friday? Are you —"
"That's the soonest I can get away. I'm stuck at an exhibition in Miami the rest of the week." There were several moments where Laura had no idea what to say. The urgency in
Robin's voice thril ed her. "I need to see you," Robin said. "Don't give me a hard time about this, Laura. Things were a disaster when I left."
"Friday's fine. I don't have any plans." Laura found a pencil and made a note in her date book. "Call me with your flight number. I'll pick you up at the airport."
During the week, she turned down an invitation to Mavis's apartment-warming party for Friday and was surprised to hear later that the whole thing had been postponed a few days so she could attend. Laura made an appointment with Irish on Thursday to get something new done to her hair. She was excited and nervous about seeing Robin again.