Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill Page A

with.”
    “Why? Afraid?”
    “Afraid? What do you mean?”
    “You didn’t exactly have a role model to go on. Were you afraid your relationship would end up like your parents?”
    “You know, even back then, I think I knew their marriage was rocky. I mean, surely my father couldn’t have been happy living with her. At first, I just kinda lumped them together, you know. But as I got older, I realized my father was pretty much in the same boat as I was, being controlled by her. Here he was, the largest employer in the county, the mayor of Pine Springs, and he had to come home to her . God, Kay, she was so . . . so superficial, I guess is the word I’m looking for.
    Everything she did, everything she said was just an act she performed, as if everyone was watching her.”
    “I know. And for all your brave words, you were terrified of her.”
    “Yeah, I was. I wanted a family like you had. There was such love there.
    I mean, even in front of us, your parents showed affection to one another. I can’t remember my parents even touching. And you know, they never once told me they loved me. My mother tried her best to teach me how to be a lady, how to be a Keys . You know, if you and I hadn’t been friends, if I hadn’t seen how a real family interacted with one another, I may have thought it was perfectly normal the way my parents were. God knows, most of their friends were exactly the same.”
    “I know she practically despised me. I was scared to death to go to your house. I was never good enough to be your friend.”
    “I remember once, she told me that the Garlands weren’t of the same social class as us. I didn’t understand what she meant. In my young mind, I enjoyed being with you and your family much more than my own. She used to tell me she wished I was more like my cousins who knew their place in this town. It wasn’t until we were in high school that it clicked with me what she was trying to tell me, when the Thorntons’ kept coming over. I know now that Daniel must have hated it as much as I did.”
    “Did you ever talk about it?”
    “It? No, we were practically forced into dating. And I guess on some level it made sense to me. Until, well, until I realized I didn’t really like kissing him.”
    “When did you know?”
    “Know what? That I was gay?”
    “Yeah. I mean what, one day you just realized it?”
    Jacqueline smiled. “Something like that.”
    “There’s something you’re not telling me.” Kay leaned closer. “Who was she? One of the girls on the basketball team?”
    “No, of course not! Jesus, Kay.”
    “Then who? Why won’t you tell me?”
    “Some things are meant to be private.”

    “Oh, please. We didn’t have one single private thing between us.”
    “Yeah, well, we had this.”
    Kay laughed. “I got it. Becky Thompson?”
    “Good God, no. Becky Thompson?”
    “She went off to college in Austin and seldom came home. And as far as I know, she’s never married. She’s comes home for Christmas and that’s it.”
    “You’re reaching here.” But Jacqueline laughed. “She’s never married, huh? She’s not a coach somewhere, is she?”
    “As a matter of fact, she is.”
    “Well, I’ll be damned. Becky Thompson.” Truth be known, Jacqueline did suspect that Becky was hiding her own secret back then. She was just too scared to approach her.
    They were silent for a moment, both shaking the ice in their now empty glasses. Jacqueline finally stood, taking the glass from Kay’s hand.
    “Another?”
    “Yeah. That was good. But you must be starving. I know I am.”
    “I doubt there are any good restaurants open,” Jacqueline teased.
    “What’d you have in mind?”
    “Pizza.”
    “Pizza? In this town?”
    “Of course. We have a pizza place now. And they deliver.”

    Jacqueline shook her finger at Kay. “I think you promised you’d cook.”
    “And I warned you, it wasn’t my strong suit.”
    “Okay. Pizza. But tomorrow night, we cook.”
    “We? Don’t