competitive horseback rider, and someone Gavin had known since his days at Horace Mann, though they hadn’t started dating until a year ago.
Gavin did not seem put off by the question, and in fact answered it in the careful, thoughtful way he answered her questions about choices he was making in his casework.
“It would be easy to become cynical, doing this job. But I am trying to remain an optimist. A romantic, even.” He smiled as though he were half joking, but she didn’t think he was.
Now, after a decidedly unromantic night, she couldn’t help but think about that conversation.
Her cell rang, and her heart soared. She allowed herself to hope that it was Alec, saying he was willing to talk some more. That he wasn’t leaving for LA with things like this. But it wasn’t.
“Bette?” she said.
“Hey, gorgeous. Where am I catching you?’
“I’m at work—the law firm I told you about.”
“Ugh. I thought I’d rescued you from the clutches of corporate America.”
“Yeah, well, living la vida loca doesn’t exactly pay the rent.”
“It does for me.”
“That is why you are my idol,” she said, only half joking. “How is life in the fast lane?”
“Um ... okay.”
“Just okay?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Does that mean you’re in town?”
“I will be tomorrow.”
“Perfect timing! We’re doing the Halloween show tomorrow night. Want to come by for old time’s sake?”
“Aren’t I still banished from the kingdom?”
When Bette had unceremoniously quit the Blue Angel after falling into a relationship with the beautiful, androgynous pop star, Zebra, Agnes banned her from the club and quickly hired Mallory to fill the vacant slot in the show, thus launching her career as a burlesque performer.
“Nah. Agnes has your Dolce ad in the dressing room. She’ll never admit it, but she’s proud of you. Besides, I think she has bigger things than your defection to worry about now.”
“Like what?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Sounds like we have a lot to talk about.”
“You have no idea,” she said, and thinking about last night, her happiness at hearing her old friend’s voice burst like a bubble.
Poppy walked up and down the aisles of M&J Trimming, her go-to place for buying ribbon, buttons, feathers, and appliqués. Just setting foot in the door made her happy—it was the candy shop of costume creation.
She tried not to get distracted by the bins of Swarovski flatback rhinestones in gorgeous shades of blue and green, colors with names like mint alabaster, peridot, olivine, and Capri blue. They were expensive, and she really had come to the store just for the tassels she needed for the Halloween show costume. Every time she walked into the store she saw ten things she wanted to buy just to have or because they inspired another costume. But one of the first things she’d learned about shopping for material was to go with a list and never deviate. Otherwise she would spend too much money on things that sparkled that she didn’t really need. In that sense, it was like being in her relationship with Patricia. She needed to just focus and stop worrying about shiny distractions, sexy women who would never care about her the way that Patricia loved her.
The other night, she’d felt so bad about locking Patricia out of the office so she could look at porn, she immediately went back into the bedroom and made it up to her. Patricia had surprised her by easily agreeing to turn off the television, and their lovemaking was filled with an intensity that Poppy had not felt since the first few times they had been together. It was as if Patricia had sensed that Poppy was restless, and she, too, wanted to set things right.
A quick turn down an aisle brought Poppy out of the danger zone into the display of tassels. She honed in on the gold ones she needed and put them in her shopping cart. That’s when she heard the commotion at the front door.
“You
Gavin did not seem put off by the question, and in fact answered it in the careful, thoughtful way he answered her questions about choices he was making in his casework.
“It would be easy to become cynical, doing this job. But I am trying to remain an optimist. A romantic, even.” He smiled as though he were half joking, but she didn’t think he was.
Now, after a decidedly unromantic night, she couldn’t help but think about that conversation.
Her cell rang, and her heart soared. She allowed herself to hope that it was Alec, saying he was willing to talk some more. That he wasn’t leaving for LA with things like this. But it wasn’t.
“Bette?” she said.
“Hey, gorgeous. Where am I catching you?’
“I’m at work—the law firm I told you about.”
“Ugh. I thought I’d rescued you from the clutches of corporate America.”
“Yeah, well, living la vida loca doesn’t exactly pay the rent.”
“It does for me.”
“That is why you are my idol,” she said, only half joking. “How is life in the fast lane?”
“Um ... okay.”
“Just okay?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Does that mean you’re in town?”
“I will be tomorrow.”
“Perfect timing! We’re doing the Halloween show tomorrow night. Want to come by for old time’s sake?”
“Aren’t I still banished from the kingdom?”
When Bette had unceremoniously quit the Blue Angel after falling into a relationship with the beautiful, androgynous pop star, Zebra, Agnes banned her from the club and quickly hired Mallory to fill the vacant slot in the show, thus launching her career as a burlesque performer.
“Nah. Agnes has your Dolce ad in the dressing room. She’ll never admit it, but she’s proud of you. Besides, I think she has bigger things than your defection to worry about now.”
“Like what?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Sounds like we have a lot to talk about.”
“You have no idea,” she said, and thinking about last night, her happiness at hearing her old friend’s voice burst like a bubble.
Poppy walked up and down the aisles of M&J Trimming, her go-to place for buying ribbon, buttons, feathers, and appliqués. Just setting foot in the door made her happy—it was the candy shop of costume creation.
She tried not to get distracted by the bins of Swarovski flatback rhinestones in gorgeous shades of blue and green, colors with names like mint alabaster, peridot, olivine, and Capri blue. They were expensive, and she really had come to the store just for the tassels she needed for the Halloween show costume. Every time she walked into the store she saw ten things she wanted to buy just to have or because they inspired another costume. But one of the first things she’d learned about shopping for material was to go with a list and never deviate. Otherwise she would spend too much money on things that sparkled that she didn’t really need. In that sense, it was like being in her relationship with Patricia. She needed to just focus and stop worrying about shiny distractions, sexy women who would never care about her the way that Patricia loved her.
The other night, she’d felt so bad about locking Patricia out of the office so she could look at porn, she immediately went back into the bedroom and made it up to her. Patricia had surprised her by easily agreeing to turn off the television, and their lovemaking was filled with an intensity that Poppy had not felt since the first few times they had been together. It was as if Patricia had sensed that Poppy was restless, and she, too, wanted to set things right.
A quick turn down an aisle brought Poppy out of the danger zone into the display of tassels. She honed in on the gold ones she needed and put them in her shopping cart. That’s when she heard the commotion at the front door.
“You
Similar Books
