Chapter eight. Melanie was perfectly content, her head resting against the seat, sun warming her face, Taylor at her side

MELANIE WAS PERFECTLY content, her head resting against the seat, sun warming her face, Taylor at her side. She stole a glance at her companion, who was tapping the steering wheel to the Latin beat of the Ricky Martin tune on the radio. Tapping it with those hands. Melanie caught her bottom lip between her teeth. She let her gaze wander down to the smooth, muscular legs, up to the khaki shorts, and indigo long-sleeved henley. Her dark hair was down again, much to Melanie's delight, and round, black-framed sunglasses hid her eyes. The warm, musky scent she wore floated to Melanie's nostrils, and she breathed deeply, thoroughly enjoying it.

They had exited the expressway, and were now cruising through the city. " This is a pretty good time, with rush hour being just about over. You don't want to be driving around here at five o'clock." She made a left, and pointed out the window. " This is Frontier Field. It's only a couple years old. We have a minor league baseball team, the Red Wings, that play here. I'm not a big baseball fan, but it's fun to go to the games."

" I played softball in high school, but I can't seem to get through an entire baseball game on TV. Bores me to tears."

" Me, too, " Taylor laughed. " There's no earthly reason a simple baseball game should take four hours."

Melanie adjusted her sun visor. " It's been just gorgeous out. Is the weather always this nice here? "

" Ha! " Taylor spat. " You, young lady, must be a good luck charm, because Rochester weather sucks much of the time. The summer's not too bad, although it can get awfully hot. And the winter? Ugh. Nasty."

Taylor had turned down a narrow, quiet street, and found a parking spot. " Feel like walking a bit? "

" Sure. I'm up for anything you can dish out."

Taylor slid a glance her way, a challenging sparkle in her eye.

Melanie swallowed, but was surprised to find herself returning the look with one of her own.

Taylor arched an eyebrow questioningly, then smiled. " Come on."

God, it's fun to flirt with her, Melanie thought.

They walked down a wide sidewalk, Taylor pointing at different buildings. " This is called High Falls. It used to be a very rundown, not-so-safe part of town, but our mayor has been working really hard to fix it up, and get people down here again. All these shops are fairly new. There's a bunch of restaurants around here. The new baseball stadium has been a great draw for business."

They proceeded on and the sidewalk became a large, wide bridge. They walked out to the middle, passing many other people.

There were benches and trash cans. The whole area had a very clean, proud look. Taylor pointed to the water flowing below them, splashing down from the falls on the right.

" This is the Genesee River. And over there, " she pointed to their left, " is Genesee Brewing. Their beer is very popular and plentiful around here." She dropped her voice to a whisper. " It's not very good, though."

Melanie laughed. " Not very loyal of you."

" I know. I prefer Canadian. Don't tell anybody, though. They can make people disappear." She winked at Melanie, whose knees went weak.

They strolled casually back to the car, chatting about this and that. They drove a little more, and Taylor pointed out different things... the newly renovated and enlarged library, where Taylor claimed she could live, the Liberty Pole, which was turned into a Christmas tree with lights during the holidays, the War Memorial, now referred to as Blue Cross Arena, after the large, local health insurance organization. The brunette had grimaced at that. " I hate Corporate America. Everything's about money. I liked the War Memorial. But nowadays, a company can come along, flash enough money, and suddenly it's the Blue Cross Arena. Just like Frontier Field. Couldn't it be Red Wings Stadium or something? Frontier forks over enough money and now it's Frontier Field. It sucks." She made a turn, and headed back past the baseball stadium. " Okay, let's go this way."

Melanie leaned back, and closed her eyes, letting the warm evening air blowing in the sunroof caress her face. " Thank you for this. It's nice to have somebody to talk to."

" Well, you just happen to be great company, so don't thank me."

Melanie smiled at that, but didn't open her eyes. Taylor took the opportunity to alternate her attention between the road and the body next to her. Melanie was wearing denim shorts that hugged her curves perfectly, the first thing Taylor had noticed when the auburn-haired woman had walked ahead of her to the car. Her shirt was a short-sleeved white button down, which she had tucked neatly into her shorts and cinched with a brown belt. Brown boat shoes adorned her small feet. Taylor followed the sparkle of the gold watch on her left wrist as she lifted her hand and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. The sun shining on her head was revealing golden highlights, and Taylor licked her lips nervously. Goddamn.

As they crested a hill and headed down the other side, water came into view. " Hungry? "

Melanie opened her eyes, and smiled. " Yup."

" How 'bout a hot dog and a stroll on the pier? "

A grin lit up the face next to her. " And ice cream for dessert? "

Taylor laughed at the childlike quality of the question. " If you're a good girl."

" Oh, I'm very good." Melanie felt her face redden, mortified that the words had slipped out.

" We'll see, " Taylor replied in a low voice that shot straight to Melanie's groin. Jesus Christ. How does she do that? Melanie asked herself.

They parked and locked up the car, Taylor grabbing a navy blue Gap sweatshirt from the back seat, and tying the sleeves around her waist.

" Is that Lake Ontario? " Melanie asked.

" Yup." She nudged Melanie playfully. " Maybe if we squint hard enough, we can see Sam."

" Maybe if we reach far enough, I can slap Sam."

Taylor purchased hot dogs for the two of them, and they wandered to the pier that stretched out onto the lake. It was busy, as the evening was pleasant, with various families out for a stroll and many a teenager just looking to hang out. The two women seemed aware only of each other. They wandered slowly, in no hurry, looking out onto the water, and eating their dinner.

" Taylor, can I ask you a personal question? "

" Sure."

" Do you look like your mom? "

Taylor caught her eye. " Where did that come from? "

" I just was wondering. Other than your eyes, I don't really see a lot of Ben in you. I just thought you must look more like her."

" Yeah. As a matter of fact, I look a lot like her. Almost like twins, as my grandma says."

" Were you close to her? "

Taylor hesitated, not used to the subject.

Melanie took it as annoyance and hurried to apologize. " I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. Never mind. I'm being nosy. It's none of my business, " she said in a rush.

" No, no, " Taylor reassured her. " It's okay. I don't mind. I'm just not used to talking about her." She took a deep breath. " Yes. We were very close. I could tell her just about anything, and she'd listen with an open mind and an open heart. I was terrified to tell my family that I'm gay, but Maggie and I were having problems and I was a mess...barely functioning, really. I made the decision to tell her, if for no other reason than I needed my mommy." She smiled at Melanie, and the older woman had a sudden flash of what Taylor must have looked like as a little girl. " She didn't even flinch—no small feat for a woman raised as an Italian Catholic. She came right over to me, put her arms around me, and just held me so I could cry, while she kept telling me that she loved me and everything would be okay. I think that was the single closest moment we ever had. There's nobody quite like my mom."

" Sam said you moved home to take care of your dad."

" Yeah. He was crushed, an absolute mess when my mom was killed. Not that any husband wouldn't be, but they had something really special. He hadn't the foggiest idea what to do. It was like he was in some kind of daze. My big brother Frankie came home and had to take care of the funeral arrangements. My dad was just too lost to do any of it. When Frankie had to go back to New York City, he and I decided we couldn't leave Dad alone in the state he was in. So, I moved out of my apartment and came back home to look after him."

" The poor man, " Melanie whispered.

Taylor nodded. " It was pretty awful to watch. This big, strong man who's always been my hero was reduced to nothing more than a sobbing child." Even now, Taylor shuddered at the picture her father had presented. His grief was the hardest thing with which she'd ever had to deal, aside from the actual loss of her mother. " Luckily, he pulled himself through in a few months. But, it wasn't easy."

" You said you're not used to talking about your mom. Is that why? To spare him? "

" Yeah, I'm afraid so. I know it's not the best way to deal with things, but it seems to work. I just kept telling myself to give it a little more time, give it a little more time. It's probably been long enough, but I've gotten so used to not talking about her that I still don't."

Melanie nodded and said softly, " Well, she sounds wonderful. You must miss her."

" Terribly."

Taylor's dark eyes had misted, and Melanie laid a gentle hand on her arm. " I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't mean to upset you."

Taylor looked down at her, and tucked the redhead's hand under her own arm, as if walking her down the aisle. " Don't apologize.

I haven't talked about her much at all since she died, and that's probably not healthy. I need to talk about her. It's good for me. She deserves to be remembered, and for some strange reason, I feel really comfortable talking to you. So, thank you for asking." Melanie smiled her relief and Taylor asked, " What about you? Are you close to your parents? "

" I guess you could say I'm pretty close to my mom, despite the fact that we don't have a whole lot in common. My dad's more of a passing presence in my life than a father." She said it with a half-grin, attempting to make light of the remark, but Taylor could see the faint shadow of old pain that shaded her pretty face. " My parents divorced when I was fourteen, and my father's been kind of a fleeting figure ever since."

" That's a rough age to deal with a divorce."

" Tell me about it. My mom had never worked, not full-time anyway, and suddenly she finds herself with no husband, no house, and a kid to support."

" Ouch." Taylor winced.

" Yeah. It wasn't easy for her. We moved to a suburb of Philly so she could be close to her sister Darlene... that's Sam's mom. Aunt Dar helped her find a job at a local bank. I saw my dad on the occasional weekend or holiday here and there, but Sam's dad, my Uncle Phil, was much more of a father figure to me. We got a little apartment, just me and my mom. She did a damn good job with what was thrown at her."

Taylor smiled at the glimmer in the ocean blue eyes. " You're proud of her."

" You bet I am. She didn't let him destroy her life. It happens, believe me. I've seen it. But, she called up a strength she didn't think she had. I didn't think she had it, either, frankly."

" I think my mom and your mom would've liked each other."

" Me, too."

" No siblings? "

" Nope. Just me. Sam and I went to the same school, though. She was like a big sister."

" Except I bet you took care of her more often than she took care of you."

Melanie laughed at Taylor's nearly accurate assumption. " To a certain extent, yes. Let's just say that the majority of her school projects weren't hers."

" And term papers? "

Melanie poked herself in the chest.

" Figures."

" How 'bout you? Brothers or sisters besides Frankie? "

" Just him and me."

" Frankie. Nice Italian name, " Melanie teased. " How'd you manage to get Taylor instead of Maria or Angela? "

" My mom named Frankie, so Dad got to name me. His mother's maiden name was Taylor."

" Nice compromise."

" Completely. Frankie's middle name is Jefferson and mine's Anna Maria."

Melanie raised her hand. " Lynn."

Taylor rolled her eyes. " White bread."

Melanie laughed, enjoying the feel of holding onto Taylor. She shivered involuntarily as a breeze blew in off the water. She inched closer to her companion.

" Cold? Here." Taylor untied the sweatshirt from around her waist.

Melanie held up her hands in protest. " No, no. I don't want to take your shirt. You need to be warm, too."

" I'm very warm-blooded, Melanie. I actually brought this for you. I thought you might get chilly. I'm fine."

Melanie gingerly took the offered shirt, softly thanking the taller woman, flattered that the shirt had been intended for her from the beginning. She pulled it over her head, inhaling deeply as she did so, the smell of laundry soap and Taylor invading her senses. It was very roomy, and she pulled on the sleeves until her hands popped out.

Taylor barely resisted the urge to brush Melanie's hair out of her eyes. " Navy looks good on you, " she commented.

" Why, thank you, " Melanie replied.

" Ready for ice cream? "

" Am I ever not ready for ice cream? "

They turned and headed back toward the beach.

" So, tell me about Maggie." Melanie shocked herself with her boldness, but she wanted to know as much as she could about this person with whom she walked arm in arm.

" Hmm. What do you want to know? "

" How'd you meet her? "

" College. She was a little bit older than me..." She turned her eyes toward her companion. " You sure you want to hear this? It's not very exciting, and I don't want to bore you to death."

" It's really none of my business, I know, " Melanie said, lowering her eyes. " I just...I don't know." She shrugged. " I like talking to you. You are far from boring, Taylor."

Taylor smiled at her. " All right, but if you fall asleep and I have to carry you to the car, I'm going to be annoyed."

Melanie felt a tingle run through her body at the thought of being cradled in the arms of this woman, but shook it off. " No sleeping. I promise."

" All right. You asked for it." She thought for a moment, searching for a good starting point. " Like I said, Maggie was a little older than me. When I was a second-semester freshman, we lived in the same dorm, but she was a floor up. I first noticed her at a sorority party. She was loud and funny and the life of the party. People were just drawn to her. Kind of like Sam."

Melanie nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

" I was just starting to realize my own sexuality. I mean, I'd had an inkling for a while, but college was really the first place where I actually interacted with other lesbians. Slowly, I started to understand just exactly why it was that I'd never quite fit in with my school friends, or why I was never quite comfortable with the guys I'd dated. I had no idea that Maggie was gay, too, not at first. She seemed to zero in on me and take me under her wing, like it suddenly became her responsibility to make sure I had a good time at college. We went to the movies together, she took me to parties, she introduced me to all kinds of popular people. She was terrific for me. Really brought me out of my shell."

" Wow. Couldn't we all use somebody like that in college? " Melanie asked wistfully.

" She was amazing. She was good-looking, with brown hair and these incredible green eyes that could burn right through you. She came from a pretty wealthy family, so she had lots of money, at least to the rest of us poor, starving college students. She was always buying me presents, taking me places. She treated me like royalty. The day she gave me diamond earrings was the day I realized that I was as in love with her as she was with me. We had been 'dating' for nearly six months, but I had refused to let myself just fall. I never had before and I was terrified, so I'd tried to prevent it from happening. I knew I was attracted to her sexually...she had a great body...but I was so scared to just give in to what I was thinking." She chuckled. " The first time I told Maggie I loved her, she let out this huge, relieved breath, flopped back in her chair and said, 'It's about fucking time. I've only been trying forever.'"

Both women laughed as they approached the ice cream stand. They took their cones to a nearby bench and sat watching the seagulls swoop and dive.

Melanie reached over and wiped a chocolate sprinkle off of Taylor's lip, ignoring the clouded look that passed over the brown eyes. " So, what happened? "

Taylor swallowed hard, her skin still tingling where Melanie's fingers had grazed it. " Oh, the usual, " she said, somewhat evasively. " We didn't have a lot in common. Our relationship wasn't nearly as smooth as our courtship. It just ended up not working."

She was unaccustomed to speaking frankly about the drinking problem she had refused to see, both out of embarrassment as well as respect for Maggie. " It didn't work, " she added again.

Melanie nodded, sensing that Taylor wasn't telling the whole truth, but didn't feel important enough to push the point. Instead, she ate her strawberry ice cream and smiled at her newest friend. " This has been a great night."

Taylor returned the smile, grateful that the auburn-haired woman had chosen not to press the issue. " It has, hasn't it? "

" Thanks so much for the tour. Your city is beautiful."

" Thank you, ma'am. The company made the trip worthwhile, that's for sure."

They sat in companionable quiet, munching their cones and watching the waves, neither one able to remember when they had felt quite so comfortable with the silence of another.