Chapter 6

“I couldn’t believe it either, Mom. I just looked up and there she was.” Lily paced the floor of her bedroom while she talked on the phone, still flying high with excitement from her dinner with Anna the night before.

“I wish I could meet her. I’d give her a big hug for helping you out of there.”

“Her sister did that to me last night. Anna told everybody I saved her.”

“Well, you did.”

“Not any more than she saved me.” She smiled at the realization they were having the same conversation as the one from the night before. The truth was neither of them would be here if not for the other, and that’s what made their bond special. “She’s so nice. And her family owns the BMW dealership in Beverly Hills. I drove her home after dinner. Her house is like a mansion.”

“When did you start being impressed by things like that?”

“I didn’t say I was impressed. It’s just that I had no idea she was so well-off. All she said was she sold cars.” She thought back to their conversation at dinner. “I think she got a surprise too, because I told her back then I was a lawyer. She found out yesterday that I worked for a legal aid clinic instead of some big law firm. So she turned out to be a big shot, and I turned out to be a big nobody.”

“Don’t you even say such a thing. Katharine would spin in her grave.”

“I don’t mean it that way. I just thought it was funny we had such opposite views of each other.”

“Maybe I’ll meet her next time I come down.”

Since the earthquake, she and her mother had seen each other at least once a month, no longer satisfied with the phone calls and fleeting visits. Life and love were more precious to them now.

“Yeah, that would be fun. You’re about due for a visit. “ Lily was already thinking ahead for excuses to call and plan another get-together with Anna. Since she had met Kim and Hal, it was only fair to have Anna meet her family.

“So... are you... is Anna... are you friends?”

It took a moment for her mother’s real question to register. “Yes. I mean, that’s what I hope we’ll be. Anna’s not a lesbian, Mom. She just got divorced.”

“What does that prove? If I were a lesbian, I’d get divorced too.”

Lily laughed. “You’re a nut.”

“I’m just looking out for you. If you aren’t going to give me grandchildren, at least you can give me a daughter-in-law.”

“Maybe one of these days, I will. But don’t expect it to be this one.” Lily knew she was lucky to have such an open relationship with her mother, but for some strange reason, talking about the women she dated was always awkward. The only one she had ever brought home was Beverly, and while her mother had been polite, she had not been particularly warm. Her mom said later—after Beverly had ended the relationship—it was a mother’s intuition, that Beverly hadn’t seemed a good fit.

Her mother sighed dramatically, causing Lily to laugh.

“But I still want you to meet her... as long as you behave yourself.” She glanced at the bedside clock. “I have to go. Sandy and Suzanne are having a cookout.”

“Tell them I said hi.”

“I will. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetie.”

Lily clicked the “end” button on her phone and stared at it as the line went dead. “And if Anna Kaklis turns out to be a lesbian, I promise you’ll be the second to know.”

 

Anna pressed the redial for what seemed like the twentieth time. She had waffled all day on whether or not to call Lily again so soon, but once she made the decision, she was determined to get through. It sure seemed as if they had hit it off, so why shouldn’t they do things together when they had the chance?

“Hello.”

She was startled to finally hear a real voice instead of the voicemail message telling her the party was on the phone. “Lily?”

“Yes. Anna?”

“I’m afraid so.” Lily chuckled at her response, and Anna relaxed. She had no idea why she was so nervous about calling.

“What are you up to, Amazon? Six feet?”

“You little people are always clever.” She tried to feign offense, but couldn’t pull it off. “I’m still at work. What are you doing?”

“I’m heading for a cookout at Sandy’s. You remember my friend from the courthouse?”

“Of course, the social worker. She seems like a nice person.”

“She is. We’ve been good friends for about five years.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Anna. “You and Sandy... are you...?”

“Oh, gosh no!” Lily laughed.

“Sorry. That was probably nosy.”

“Not at all. I just had a similar conversation with someone else and it struck me funny.”

“If that’s the case, maybe you and Sandy are the only ones without a clue.”

“I really don’t think Suzanne would appreciate my attraction to her wife, if you catch my drift.”

“Ah, so Sandy and Suzanne are a couple, and you’re... what? Chopped liver?”

“That’s exactly right. Always on the outside looking in.”

Anna could practically hear the smile on Lily’s face, and she couldn’t resist playing along. “So sad.”

“I told you I was a loser.”

“Yes, you did. But if you would allow me to put a little light in your lonely life, I have an invitation for you. I was calling to see if you had any interest in going to the Dodgers game tomorrow. My account manager at the LA Times sent me two tickets to their skybox.”

“The skybox?”

“Yes, you know. Their corporate suite. We spend a lot of money on advertising, and they pass on tickets to things from time to time.”

“Are you kidding? The Dodgers on a Sunday afternoon? I’d love to.”

“Great. It starts at one. What if I come by and pick you up about twelve fifteen?”

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I could meet you somewhere, or I could come by and get you.”

“No, that’s okay. Just give me your address. I have a GPS in the car. I’ll punch it in.”

“If you’re sure.” Lily gave her the address. “I’ve never been in a skybox before. What should I wear?”

“Well, they’re a little stiff. I always try to dress like I think Hal would.”

“That’s not exactly the fashion advice I was looking for. And I don’t own a brown tie.”

“Neither should he. I usually wear slacks and a nice shirt. And bring a sweater, because they always run the air conditioner on full blast.”

“Okay, that helps.”

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait. Oh, and Anna?”

“Yes?”

“You shouldn’t be at work at seven o’clock on Saturday night.”

“I know, and I’m leaving now. Tell Sandy I said hello.”

“I will. Thanks for calling.”

Anna hung up and twirled in her desk chair. If she had more friends like Lily, maybe she would have better things to do on a Saturday night.

 

Lily couldn’t wait to tell Sandy and Suzanne all about her evening out. In fact, it would probably take a concerted effort on her part to talk about anything else.

From their driveway, she could smell the burning charcoal as soon as she stepped from her car, so she followed the path around the garage to the redwood deck. Suzanne was tending the grill, and she could hear Sandy in the kitchen.

“I brought wine,” she announced, holding up Sandy’s favorite merlot.

Suzanne wiped her hands on her jeans before giving Lily a hug. Then Sandy burst through the back door and claimed her hug as well. Lily always loved the exuberance of their greetings, as if they hadn’t seen each other in months.

Sandy took the bottle and began teasing the top with a corkscrew. “So tell us everything.”

“It was so much fun. I had a great time. Anna was so nice, and so was her sister. Well, not really her sister. Kim’s her stepsister. She sells real estate, and she even offered to help me look for a house whenever I got ready. Anna’s dad married Kim’s mom when Anna was fourteen. Kim says she’s much, much younger than Anna, but I think it’s only a year. Anna’s almost thirty-two. And Kim’s husband is Hal. He’s really sweet. They made fun of him like you wouldn’t believe, but it just rolled off his back.”

She knew from their indulgent grins that she was barely making sense with the train of details, but she was too excited to rein herself in.

“They had the most delicious swordfish I’ve ever eaten. No wonder that’s Anna’s favorite restaurant. Oh, and you were right about the dress, Sandy. It was perfect. At first, I wasn’t so sure, but then Anna said she loved it. I wore the earrings I got from Katharine. The diamonds, you remember?”

Sandy nodded, still grinning.

“They were like little specks next to the ones Anna had. And hers showed up even bigger because she had her hair up. God, she’s beautiful.”

Suzanne grabbed the nozzle of the hose and aimed it in Lily’s direction. “Should I hose her down, honey?”

Sandy laughed and shook her head. “Let’s give her a while longer, but only if she promises to breathe between sentences.”

Lily laughed along, not caring about their teasing. She knew they were happy for her, and they were the kind of friends who enjoyed her excitement, no matter what they said. “I can’t help it. I’m excited.” She turned to Suzanne. “Did Sandy tell you Anna tried to track me down through St. George?”

“Yeah, but we were slammed. I didn’t even get to leave the ER for almost three days.”

“That was awful. I remember when you got home you just crashed for thirty-six hours,” Sandy said. “Wouldn’t you have freaked out if they’d brought Lily in?”

“Hell, yes. It was hard enough to concentrate on work when I didn’t know where everybody was. If my friends had started coming through the door, I would have had a meltdown.”

Lily knew better than to listen to Suzanne’s ranting. From what Sandy said, Suzanne was an excellent nurse whose biggest problem was not being able to say no when asked to work double shifts. “It really was something to see people after the earthquake and realize what everyone had been through.”

“Nobody came close to what you went through,” Sandy said.

“Maybe not, but didn’t you say a telephone pole fell right in front of your car? That could have been disastrous. And Tony’s house came off the foundation, and—”

“We were all lucky,” Suzanne said, tossing marinated chicken breasts onto the flames. “But I’ll never forget how worried Sandy was when Tony called and said they’d found your car in the parking garage at the mall.”

“And your mom, Lily. I felt so sorry for her.”

“I was so glad to see her when I came out. You guys were good to take care of her back then.”

Sandy poured three glasses of wine and distributed them. “I think we should drink to miracles.”

They clinked their glasses together. “And to lifetime friends,” Lily added.

“Do you think Anna will be in that category?” Sandy asked.

“I hope so.” Lily was eager to share the rest of her news. “She called just a few minutes ago to invite me to the Dodgers game tomorrow. She has tickets to the skybox,” she said snootily.

“Didn’t you tell her you always went hiking on Sundays?” Suzanne asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. “It’s the Dodgers. In a skybox.” With Anna Kaklis.

The subject of Anna dominated their dinner discussion. Sandy especially was eager for details of their dinner, and Lily loved reliving them, especially since new tidbits emerged in the retelling. She didn’t say much about Anna’s divorce, though, because that seemed too personal to share. When the dishes were done, they returned to the deck for a soak in the hot tub. In the darkness, all three shed their clothes and slipped into the warm, churning water.

Sandy leaned her head back against the pillow at the corner. “Lily, I sure wish you could meet a lesbian that would light your fire like Anna has.”

“You and me both,” Lily replied, realizing too late she had just admitted feeling sparks for Anna.

“She’s straight, you know,” Suzanne warned. “You need to be careful, or she’ll cut your heart out.”

Lily didn’t want her evening ruined by a grim scolding from her friends. “We’re just friends, Suzanne. I don’t expect more than that. It’s just that we went through something together that changed our lives. I feel a very special bond with her, and I think she feels it too. Does that automatically have to mean sexual attraction?”

“No, of course not,” Sandy said. “You know how bossy Suzanne is.”

Suzanne flinched, a sure sign her partner had pinched her beneath the bubbles. “I just don’t want to see you hurt.”

 

“Where do you want these?” Kim asked, carrying a stack of sweaters into Anna’s master bedroom.

“On the bed is fine. I have to sort out where everything goes.” Anna had finally gotten over her mental block about sleeping in the room she had shared with Scott. Now it had all-new furniture, since she had given Scott the other suite when he moved out.

“I can’t believe you slept in that little room for so long. Scott should have been the one in the doghouse.”

“It wasn’t too bad. At least I had my own bathroom.”

“But now you’ve got this one,” Kim exclaimed. She had found the house and thought it perfect for Anna and Scott, with its dual sinks, steam shower and sunken tub.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with all this space.” In actuality, Anna was thinking about selling the big house and finding something smaller.

“Who knows, Anna? Maybe you’ll meet—”

Anna held up her hand. “Don’t even say it.”

“I know. You don’t want to date anyone. You just want to be by yourself.”

“Kim, I’ve been divorced all of two days. Do you mind if I take just a week or two before getting married again?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Anna. You don’t have any penance to pay over this.” Kim sat at the foot of the king-sized bed while Anna folded lingerie and placed it in the dresser. “And I won’t stand by and let you do what you did after that Vince guy.”

Anna groaned, as she did every time she thought of the young man she dated for almost a year while in college at Cal Poly. Curiosity about sex had finally led her to experience it for herself, and it had left her disillusioned and embarrassed, and vowing never to share that again until she was sure it would be an expression of love. “Believe me, there will be no more Vince Marshalls.”

“It isn’t the Vince Marshalls I’m worried about, Anna. It’s you. You didn’t even go out on a date for over five years after that, all because you didn’t trust yourself.”

This was the price of sharing secrets with her sister. Kim never forgot anything, especially when it came to details about her sex life. “This isn’t anything like that. I deserve some time to myself after what I’ve been through.”

“That’s fine, as long as it’s not five years. Or even five months. What you’ve always wanted is someone who’ll be your friend. That’s what you said was so special about Scott. There are other men out there who can be your friend too, and believe it or not, some of them can keep their pecker in their pants.”

Anna could always tell when her sister was trying to get a rise out of her, so she ignored the crass comment and went on folding her clothes.

“I know you feel raw right now, but you pulled yourself into a shell when all of this started, and it’s time for you to come out again.” Kim stood up and put both of her hands on Anna’s shoulders. “You don’t have anything to hang your head about. Just get out there and enjoy people again. Make friends. Go to parties... get laid.”

Anna sighed heavily and shook her head. “You almost made it through a whole conversation without saying something ridiculous.”

“I know, but then you would have asked who I was and what had I done with your sister.”

“It just so happens I am going out with friends this afternoon. My account rep from the Times gave me two tickets to their skybox for the Dodgers game, and I’m picking up Lily at a quarter after twelve.”

“That’s perfect. Lily’s fun and she won’t let you sulk.”

“I do not sulk.”

“And she won’t shove you out of the way when the cute guys come along.”

“You’re impossible.”

“I know.”

 

Despite her mother’s admonishment, Lily was duly impressed with Anna’s luxurious, brand new, black 650i coupe, especially the global positioning system. From her passenger seat, the multitude of gauges made it seem as if the car drove itself. “You’d have to be pretty smart to drive a car like this.”

“Not a problem,” Anna replied dryly. “It broke my heart to lose the 850 in the mall garage. I loved that car, and they don’t make them anymore.”

“What was so special about it?”

“They only sold about seven thousand here in the states. Mine was the rarest of all. It was called the CSi, and it had a six-speed manual transmission. You just can’t get a driving experience like that with anything else.”

Lily looked at the gearshift. “Isn’t this one a six-speed?”

“Yeah, but it has a different feel. This one has a lot of the new technology, like the Dynamic Driving Control. It’s well-made, but it’s not the same.”

It was obvious that cars were more than a business for Anna. They were a passion, and she seemed to love talking about them.

Anna showed her guest pass to the parking attendant and pulled into the VIP lot at Dodger Stadium. “Don’t be surprised if my account rep fawns all over you. He’s a nice guy, but this isn’t about friendship. It’s about how much money Premier spends on advertising.”

“I’m not used to being fawned over, but I’ll do my best to deal with it.” She followed closely as Anna showed their tickets at the gate.

“The box is this way,” Anna said, steering them toward the escalator that would take them to the concourse for the lower level suites. She was dressed casually but sharply, in black tailored slacks and a light blue sleeveless silk shirt. Her hair was pulled back and gathered in a black scrunchie, and a lightweight cream-colored sweater hung loosely around her shoulders.

Taking her cue from what Anna had said, Lily had pressed her khakis and donned a lightweight forest green sweater. It wasn’t that this was the best outfit she could find. Rather it was the one she was trying on when her doorbell rang.

When they entered the suite, they were greeted by a handsome man in gray slacks and a starched white shirt. “Anna. It’s great to see you. Glad you could make it.”

“Thank you. Steve, I’d like you to meet my friend, Lily Stewart. Lily, this is Steve French. Steve is my account manager at the Times and our host for today.”

“I’m really pleased to meet you. Thanks so much for the invitation.” Lily couldn’t help but notice that Steve hardly glanced her way, his eyes glued to Anna.

“So Anna, where is Scott today?”

“That I wouldn’t know. Scott and I have divorced.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Anna.”

Lily was almost agape at the phoniness in his voice. Either Anna hadn’t noticed, or she had expected his response.

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Steve led them to their seats in the front row of the suite just in time for the National Anthem. Lily resisted the urge to pinch herself. She couldn’t believe she was in a luxury suite at Dodger Stadium, sitting beside the most beautiful woman in LA.

“Play ball!”

“I like the Dodgers’ chances this year,” Anna said. “They finally got some middle relief.”

“That only helps when their bats are going,” Lily said. She was pleasantly surprised to find Anna knew her stuff when it came to baseball. They talked about players, trades, strategies and statistics, all to the consternation of Steve French, who kept trying to get Anna’s attention.

“I think someone has his eye on you,” Lily whispered.

“Oh yeah?” Anna glanced back at Steve, who had been looking at her and smiling all afternoon. “He’s a handsome man, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Lily shrugged, feigning exaggerated boredom. “If you go for that trim and muscular, square jaw with deep-set eyes thing. Not really my type, though.”

“So what is your type, Ms. Stewart?”

“You mean apart from my gender specifications?”

“Well, I was assuming that, of course... unless you like to leave all your options open.”

“Oh, no. Some options are always closed. Let’s see, I go for smart first, then a sense of humor. Outer beauty means little to me,” Lily said haughtily.

“Right, and I like ugly cars too.”

 

Anna pulled away from the apartment complex, glad Lily had accepted her invitation on such short notice. She couldn’t count the number of times she had gotten the urge to go to the ballpark or theater and passed on it because she couldn’t find anyone to go. Lily was up for things anytime, she said.

Lily’s favorite pastime was hiking, not something Anna knew much about. But she had promised to give it a try sometime, though she had teased her about not being able to see the appeal of dragging one’s ass up a mountain when there were perfectly good off-road vehicles to get you there.

Though they were miles apart when it came to their social circles, Anna found that a refreshing change of pace from the girls she had grown up with in Beverly Hills, the ones she counted now as her casual friends. Lily had an interesting job, and what she did with struggling families made a real difference in the world.

All in all, she was delighted to have Lily back in her life, especially now, when it would be easier just to wallow in the loneliness of her empty house. Kim was right that she needed to get out and have fun. The biggest problem she anticipated with this new friendship was wearing it out by calling too often.

 

“Lilian Stewart,” she said, picking up the phone on her desk.

“So how did you know he was going to call?”

Lily had been expecting a call from a client, and it took her a moment to recognize the voice. “Anna?”

“Seriously. How did you know that?”

It amused her that Anna was so obviously surprised. “I’m fine. Thank you so much for asking.”

“Sorry. How are you?”

“What are you going on about?”

“Steve French just invited me to San Diego next Saturday for the first game of the Dodgers’ road trip.”

Lily knew this was going to happen, and she had to admit it annoyed her. When she had gotten up to get a drink at the game, she had overheard French bragging to his buddy that he could get Anna to go out with him. His arrogant manner had pissed her off, especially since he probably had more than just a date in mind. “So what was your reply? I suppose you fell for that line about having the chance to get to know each other better on the drive down.” Despite her attempt at nonchalance, the words came out with a bite.

“Wow, it sounds like you don’t like Steve much.”

Knowing she was busted, Lily considered coming clean about what she had overheard, but it then occurred to her Anna might actually be interested in whatever Steve had in mind. If that were the case, her objections would sound silly. “No, Steve is very nice. I was just teasing. Welcome back to the world of dating. I always keep my ears open to hear what lines work best on women.”

“I’d let you know, but I don’t have a clue either. That stuff just flies right over my head. I really was surprised when he called.”

“That’s because you were too busy thinking about twin-cam... overdrive, turbo-charged”—her brain worked to come up with car-related words—“anti-braking lock systems.”

“You’re hilarious.”

Lily smiled to herself, glad that Anna appreciated her sense of humor. “Want to have dinner tomorrow night?”

“I can’t. It’s my dad’s birthday. What about later in the week?”

Lily thumbed through her calendar. “Sorry. I just found out my friend Suzanne is having surgery on Wednesday, and I promised Sandy I’d help sit with her for the rest of the week.”

“I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“It’s back surgery. She’s spent too many hours on her feet in ER.”

“Is she a doctor?”

“A nurse.” Of course, Anna’s friends were probably doctors, she thought.

“If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

“That’s very sweet. I’m sure we have it covered, but I’ll let Sandy know you offered.”

“Thank you. So let’s try again next week, okay?”

“Sure. What if I give you a call on Sunday? You can tell me all about the game in San Diego.” And what a wonderful time she had with the handsome, square-jawed Steve French, Lily thought dismally.

 

For his sixty-first birthday, Anna’s father had asked to have his celebration dinner outside on the patio. He always said his best memories were of barbecues around the pool in the backyard.

Anna’s stepmother, Martine, stood in the kitchen, garnishing the serving plates for the Turkish pilaf and stuffed baked tomatoes. Five porterhouse steaks marinated on the counter, next to the large, elaborately decorated cake.

“Can I help with anything?” Anna asked, dropping her wrapped present on the dining room table with the others.

“You can tell Hal the steaks are ready for the grill.”

She called out the back door to her brother-in-law, and then turned back to her stepmother. “So did Kim tell you who we had dinner with the other night?”

“She said you ran into that woman from the earthquake. That’s so amazing.”

“It was. After all this time I was looking for her, she just shows up out of the blue. And get this. It turns out she was looking for me too. She lost my number at the hospital and we never told each other our last names.”

“Kim said she was very nice.”

“She is. And she went with me to the Dodgers game on Sunday.”

“I bet you had a lot to talk about,” Martine said.

“We did.” Anna pinched a cucumber from the salad, thinking back to her conversations with Lily. “It’s funny. We talked all about the earthquake the other night with Kim and Hal, but I don’t think we mentioned it once on Sunday.”

“Maybe you both got closure about it.”

“Yeah, maybe so.” Anna knew she was lucky to have a good relationship with her stepmother, so good that she felt perfectly comfortable thinking of Martine as her mother. She owed most of that to Martine’s easygoing manner and her determination to take on Anna as a daughter when they all became a family, the same way her father had taken on Kim. “That’s really an interesting observation. I’ll have to ask Lily about that.”

“I should warn you, by the way, your father is feeling a little emotional today. Don’t be surprised if he hugs you and starts to cry.”

“What’s that about?”

“I’m not sure, but I think he’s trying to decide if this was his worst year or his best.”

“Why?”

“Because he almost lost you in the earthquake, but then you got out. It was both horrible and miraculous. Then his friend Morty died. And I think he’s still upset about Scott.”

Anna sighed. Kim and Hal knew about Scott’s infidelity, but she had asked them not to say anything to anyone else. It served no purpose to make Scott a bad guy, especially when she realized there were other things wrong with their relationship for which she bore responsibility. “Would it make him feel better if I told him how great I felt?”

“I don’t know. It might make him feel worse. He thinks you and Scott acted too hastily.”

They had—when they had gotten married in the first place. “How do you think I should handle him?”

“I don’t know, Anna. I just thought you should know how he’s feeling just in case he gets emotional.”

“Thanks.”

Dinner was a lively affair after all, Anna thought. Her father’s mood was better than she had expected, given what Martine had said. She had deliberately avoided the subject of Scott, talking instead about running into Lily.

“... and she was trying to find me, but she didn’t know my last name. She was asking about Anna, and all the records had Christianna.”

“But you said she wasn’t at the hospital when you checked. Had she been discharged?” Martine asked.

“No, she went to a different hospital from the one they told me. And she stayed there four days, just like I did.”

“I liked her a lot,” Kim said. “And so did Hal. She’s very nice.”

“Then you should invite her over the next time we have a party,” Martine said. “We’d all love to meet her. Wouldn’t we, George?”

For the last several minutes, Anna had noticed from the corner of her eye that her father was watching her pensively. She had been careful not to speak of Scott, and her only reference to the earthquake was the joyous discovery of her lost savior.

“So what is everyone doing this weekend?” her father asked, ignoring Martine’s question.

“Going out on the boat,” said Hal cheerfully.

“Going out on the boat,” Kim echoed with a groan, turning to Anna with a pleading voice. “Come with us?”

“Sorry. I’m going to the Dodgers game in San Diego.”

“With whom?” her father asked.

“Steve French,” she said hesitantly, knowing it might be a sore spot because of Scott. She was merely taking her sister’s advice and doing more things with friends. And since making up her mind not to think of this outing as a date, she was actually looking forward to it.

“Steve French?” her father asked, obviously surprised. “Isn’t it awfully soon for that sort of thing?”

“What sort of thing? We’re just friends. I went to their skybox last week for the Reds game, and he knows what a Dodgers fan I am.”

“I don’t know, darling. He’s our account manager. You know what they say about mixing business and pleasure.”

Kim stood up to help clear the plates. “Oh, for goodness sakes, Dad. Anna’s not going to run off and elope.”

Anna seized on the opening and followed suit, grabbing a stack of dishes and following her sister into the kitchen. “You had to go and mention eloping. Now he won’t sleep all night.”

Kim giggled. “I know. But it drives me nuts when he butts in like that. You should go and have a good time.”

“I intend to. But you heard what I said to him. This isn’t a date.”

“Fine.”

Anna felt compelled to make her case anyway. “Steve’s a nice guy, and he likes the Dodgers as much as I do. I’m just taking your advice on making friends.”

“And it doesn’t hurt at all if they happen to be handsome friends.”

 

Lily stretched across the couch to grab the phone, not taking her eyes off UCLA’s gridiron battle with the Stanford Cardinals. Fresh from her shower after cleaning her apartment and washing her car, she now wore an oversized blue and yellow jersey that boasted her alma mater. Her beloved Bruins were already up 7-0 in the first quarter.

“Hello?”

“So how did you know Steve French was a creep?”

Football flew right out of her head as she recognized the voice and smiled. “Anna, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

“Let me be your tour guide for the landmark Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. We’re here in the mahogany trimmed ladies’ room off the Del’s main lobby, admiring the polished brass fixtures that adorn the ornately carved marble sinks.”

“What on earth are you doing in the bathroom at the Del?”

“Such a personal question!” Anna said with mock indignation. “Steve suggested the Del for dinner, and I stopped in here to wash up.”

“And you thought you’d call to tell me your date was a creep? I already knew that.”

“It’s worse than you thought. You aren’t going to believe this. We came here for dinner, right? Just a nice meal to finish off our day. So I stepped into the ladies’ room, and when I went out, he was at the desk, putting his wallet away and picking up a key card.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. I couldn’t believe it, so I waited for him to walk out to the veranda. Then I went up to the desk and asked if he’d just gotten a room. At first, the woman wouldn’t tell me, but I told her I was here for dinner with him, and thought I deserved to know his intentions.”

“That sleazebag!”

“That’s not the worst of it. She said he’d asked for a king-sized bed with an ocean view and a bottle of champagne on ice.”

Though already jaded regarding Steve French, Lily couldn’t believe how pompous the guy actually was. “What an arrogant jerk!”

“Yeah. I was going to fake a migraine, but it looks like I might not have to fake it after all. It’s already started. I’m thinking about renting a car and driving home.”

“You get migraines?”

“Sometimes.”

“What if I drive down and pick you up? I could be there in about two and a half hours.” She started upstairs to change into her jeans.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“What if your headache gets worse? What will you do?”

“I guess I’d just pull over and find a place to stay the night.”

“Forget it, then. Tell Steve French to piss off. I’ll be there at”—she spun around to find a clock—“nine o’clock.” Then she pulled on a V-neck sweater and slipped her feet into a pair of clogs.

“Well, I can’t stay in the restroom till then. Maybe I’ll have dinner and take a walk along the beach. Are you sure, Lily? San Diego and back is a lot of driving in one night.”

“I’m heading out the door now.” Katharine used to have migraines, so Lily knew how bad they could be. No way would she let Anna drive herself home with one.

She made good time on the San Diego Freeway, and pulled into the valet circle at the Del at ten till nine. “I’m just here to pick someone up,” she told the young man in the pith helmet who had moved to take her keys.

“Lily.”

She turned toward the voice and immediately smiled. “Hey! How’s your headache?”

“It’s lurking. If I can get home and get into bed before it erupts, it might not be so bad.”

“Let’s go, then.” Feeling protective all of a sudden, she took Anna by the elbow and guided her out to the car, where she reached through the open window and yanked on the passenger door.

“Did I mention that I know where you can get a great deal on a new car?” Anna said with a smirk.

Lily headed back out to the 5, pressing for details about how Anna had dumped Steve French.

“I told him I didn’t appreciate him being so presumptuous, and he tried to tell me he thought I might like to freshen up or something.”

“Oh, sure. What’s that, like four hundred dollars for a powder room?”

“Yeah, and then I asked him about the champagne and he just turned into a blob of Jell-O. I think that’s when it occurred to him he’d just pissed off one of his biggest clients.”

“I would have given anything to have seen that.”

“It was a sight.” Anna suddenly grimaced and pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead.

“Are you all right?”

“I think so. I just need to close my eyes.”

“Hit that lever on the side and recline the seat. I can stop and get something if you think it would help.”

Anna leaned the seat back. “This is good. Why don’t you tell me about yourself so I don’t have to talk? What’s your family like? How come you decided to be a lawyer?”

Most of Lily’s friends knew she was adopted, but only Sandy and Suzanne were aware that her biological mother had neglected and abused her. She never wanted people to feel sorry for her or worse, to think she might be maladjusted from her early life. But she trusted Anna with the truth, and started the story as Anna relaxed in the front seat with her eyes closed.

“Okay, let’s see. I was born in Oakland. My biological mother was sixteen years old and living mostly on the streets or wherever she could find a bed for the night.” She glanced over at Anna, who had turned to watch her talk. “You sure you want to hear this?”

“Of course.”

“Most of what I know about my early childhood comes from social service records. I have no idea who my father is, but apparently, I got passed around a lot when I was a baby so my mother could go do whatever it was she did... drugs and alcohol... and probably prostitution. Every time she went to jail, I went to foster care. I lived in a bunch of different foster homes while she was piling up a criminal record.” She looked again at Anna, who had closed her eyes. “Do you want me to save this for later so you can sleep?”

“No, this is interesting. Keep talking.”

“Okay, I’ll jump ahead to the good part. The luckiest day of my life came when I was seven. That’s when social services put me at a school in San Jose where a nice young woman named Eleanor Stewart was my first grade teacher. I don’t know what it was about her, but I just loved her, and I’d never had that feeling before. So I worked hard and behaved myself for a change because she would always tell me how proud she was. I would have done anything for her approval. I started getting good grades, but then they tried to move me again and I hid in the cloak room so I wouldn’t have to go home. Miss Stewart found me and asked social services if I could stay with her. They said yes, and that’s why I was so lucky.”

“This is just the most amazing story. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this when we were in the earthquake.”

“I don’t tell everybody where I come from, Anna. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I had a rough start, but my mom— and whenever I say Mom, I mean Eleanor Stewart—she gave me everything I needed to get my life on track and keep it there. When she filed the papers to adopt me, my biological mother suddenly showed up and wanted me back because she found out the state would give her money to take care of a child. That’s when Mom found Katharine Fortier. She was a family services lawyer like I am now, and she helped us win in court.”

“Your mother sounds remarkable. You say her name’s Eleanor?”

“Yes,” Lily answered. “And we got to be good friends with Katharine. She’s the one who talked me into going to law school, and then when I graduated and took the job at Braxton Street, she was excited because I was mostly doing family law like she did.”

“I bet she’s proud of you.”

“She was. She died a couple of years ago in a plane crash in Alaska. We really miss her.”

“I’m sorry. That’s so sad.”

“It is. I don’t know what I would have done without her when I was growing up. When I was in high school, I told one of my friends I might be gay. I thought I could trust her, but she told everybody and turned my life into a living hell.”

“You came out in high school?”

“Not by choice. I freaked out and told Mom, and she said it wasn’t a problem, that Katharine was a lesbian and she turned out all right. And just to show you there’s no such thing as gaydar, I didn’t have a clue about Katharine. But they both said they pretty much knew about me, and that was kind of embarrassing.”

Anna chuckled. “I can see that. It would be embarrassing to have people know you better than you know yourself. But you were lucky to have that kind of support.”

“Believe me, I know. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them, especially Mom.”

Anna was silent for so long, Lily thought she had drifted off to sleep. Then she stirred and spoke. “You know what I just figured out?”

“What?”

“This is going to sound hokey, but I think what you had to go through when you were little is what got you through the earthquake.”

Lily was taken aback by the depth of Anna’s assessment. There was probably a lot of truth to it, she realized, and it filled her with pride to have Anna say so.

“Seriously, Lily, I had to reach deep inside myself to find the courage and strength to keep going. But I think those things are just an integral part of who you are.”

Lily blew out a breath and shook her head. “That’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“I bet a lot of people think that about you. You don’t have any pretense at all.”

“You don’t either, Anna. And I think you’re selling yourself short when it comes to courage and strength. I see plenty.”

Anna returned her hand to her forehead and whimpered. “Uh-oh, I think I just went from little headache to big migraine.”

“Just rest. I’ll have you home in forty minutes.”

The last part of their ride was logged in companionable silence, with Anna dozing and Lily lost in thought about the feelings she knew were growing for the woman beside her. Each time she realized where her thoughts were headed, she mentally cautioned herself. Suzanne was right that falling in love with a straight woman would bring nothing but heartache.

She found her way to Anna’s house and pulled into the driveway. Her companion was sound asleep. “Anna? We’re here.” She gently shook her arm, which felt clammy. “Are you okay? What can I do?”

Anna sat up and pressed two fingers onto her right eyebrow. “It’s a big one. I think I’m going to be sick.”

Lily jumped out and helped her into the big house, sticking close by all the way to her upstairs bedroom. As Anna had predicted, she was sick as soon as entered the adjoining bathroom. Lily wet a cloth and tenderly wiped her face as she slumped on the cool tile floor.

“Sorry to be so disgusting. At least I waited until I was out of your car.”

Lily smiled softly. “It’s no big deal. Do you have medicine?”

Anna nodded slowly. “There’s a plastic jar in the door of the refrigerator. Can you bring it?”

“Of course.” Lily found the medicine and returned to the bathroom with a small glass of water. “Here you go.”

Anna unscrewed the cap and removed one of the yellow capsules. Inexplicably, she smiled when she saw the offered glass. “Um... these are suppositories. They work faster, and I don’t throw them up.”

“Oh.” Lily could feel the heat rush up her chest to her face, and she knew she was bright red with embarrassment. “I’ll just... uh, I’ll wait out here.” She left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

When Anna emerged a few minutes later, she sat on the king-sized bed. “I need to lie down now. The medicine will knock me out cold in about ten minutes.”

“Do you want me to stay awhile, until you’re asleep?”

“No, I’ll be okay.” Anna withdrew a blue silk nightshirt from the bottom drawer of the nightstand. “There’s an extra key in the kitchen drawer under the phone. Take it, and lock up for me, okay?”

Lily nodded. “Can I give you a call tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

Anna began to unbutton her blouse, revealing a lacy bra. Lily felt her face go red again. “I hope you feel better.” Nervously, she leaned forward and lightly kissed Anna’s forehead.

“Thank you, Lily. Thank you for everything.”

 

Anna finished the last of her chips and wiped her greasy fingers on a napkin. “I love it that you ignore me when I tell you to bring me a salad.”

Kim laughed, shoving the last of a meatball sub into her mouth. “I knew you’d just sit there and covet mine if I didn’t bring you the same thing.”

They were in Anna’s office, which was piled high with printouts. “I’m thinking of stealing your husband.”

“That would make Sunday dinners interesting at the big house.” That’s what they called their parents’ majestic home in Beverly Hills.

Anna smirked. “I mean stealing him from his accounting firm. What do you think he’d say?”

“He’d probably entertain the idea, especially if you caught him on the right day. Some of his clients make him nuts.”

“Maybe you can give me a heads-up when he comes home complaining, and I’ll ask him then.”

“What would George say? He’s always liked Morty Schneider’s firm.”

Anna thought they needed a financial expert in-house, but her father disagreed. “Yeah, but he might not care as much now that Morty’s gone.”

“So how did your date go in San Diego? Are you married again?”

Anna rolled her eyes. “I think it’s safe to say Steve and I have decided to see other people.”

“That bad, huh?”

Anna related the fiasco, finishing with Lily’s rescue and her migraine.

“That was nice of her,” Kim said with a seriousness Anna knew wouldn’t last. “You should definitely try to keep her as a friend, because I sure wouldn’t have driven all the way to San Diego and back for you.”

“Lily’s a better person than you are.”

“I tend to agree.” She wadded up the paper from her sandwich and tossed it toward the trashcan, missing by a good six feet. “Oops. I’ve got a new listing off Rosewood you might like.

Five bedrooms, three-car garage, media room, guest cottage.

Want to see it this afternoon?”

“What would I do with all those rooms?”

“You’re right. You should just get a motor home and park it out back.”

Anna sneered, trying not to smile. “What kind of engines do those things have?”

 

“Lilian Stewart,” the familiar voice barked.

Anna was startled. This didn’t sound at all like the easy-going Lily she had come to expect. “Sounds like somebody’s having a bad day.”

Lily sighed. “Yes, I’m having a shitty day.”

“Oh, I’m fine, and thanks for asking.” The line went quiet and Anna wondered if her joke had come at the wrong time.

“Sorry,” Lily finally said. “I just got some unpleasant news, and I forgot my manners.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s just a funding cut. In our line of work you get used to it. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s okay. I was calling to see if you might be interested in an early lunch. I’m downtown for a meeting, and it looks like we’ll be wrapping up a little after eleven.”

“Getting out of this office would be a good thing, especially for a friendly face.”

Anna arrived and the usual excitement ensued. Lily introduced her as her fellow earthquake survivor and everyone in the office came out to say hello and ask questions about how they had managed to escape. Then Anna gave all the credit to Lily, and Lily bounced it right back.

“You ready to go?”

“Sure,” Anna answered, bidding farewell to the office staff.

They picked up sandwiches at a nearby deli before settling on a park bench.

“So what’s with your funding problem?” Anna asked.

“There’s this program called Kidz Kamp that sponsors camping trips for kids in foster care. My boss, Tony, the guy you met at the office, is the executive director, and all of us at the office take turns with people from social services or juvenile justice to take these kids out. We’ve been doing it for almost four years, but now the funding’s been cut.”

“Who was your funder?”

“We had a grant from the Chamber of Commerce, but they’re switching their priorities to afterschool programs. I’m sure that’s a worthy cause, but we had a good thing going. The kids love it, the foster parents get a break, and all the volunteers get a chance to build trust with the kids we see on the job.”

Anna thought back to the Chamber presentation she had seen on the day of the earthquake, and the subsequent discussions among the membership to back the afterschool programs. “I wish I’d known more about your program. I would have tried to keep it up and running.”

“You’re in the Chamber?”

Anna winced. “I’m the treasurer.”

Lily’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t suppose there’s anything you can do at this point?”

Anna shook her head. “No, we finalized our budget a couple of months ago. Are there any other agencies that might be willing to help out?”

“Maybe, but it looks like we’ll have a gap. Tony said he was going to see about getting a little corporate support to cover our next three trips. That might buy us enough time to write a new grant.”

“I’m sure it’ll be easy to get a new sponsor. It sounds like a great program.” Except for the camping part, she thought to herself.

“Hmm... I’m getting a great idea.”

“Oh, no. I don’t sleep on the ground.”

“But I’m the only female chaperone for the next trip and we have three girls on the list to go. Please, please, please!”

“No, no, no! I don’t do bugs. Or snakes.”

“But it’s fun.”

“Not for me. Now if you ever need help taking them to a play or to a museum, sign me up. I’m just not...”

“You’re prissy.”

“I’m not prissy, I’m refined.”

“You’re prissy.”

 

Anna pulled into Lily’s complex just before eight on Sunday morning to find Lily already waiting on the steps to her apartment. Camping wasn’t Anna’s thing, but she enjoyed an occasional outing with Kim and Hal on the boat, and she would enjoy it even more today because Lily was coming along.

“I can’t wait. This is going to be so much fun,” Lily said, tossing her backpack into the backseat as she got in.

“Do you go boating a lot?”

“No, just once with some friends from law school. But I loved it.”

“What all did you bring?”

“Just the stuff you said... sunscreen, a jacket... and dry clothes in case you push me in.”

“Good thinking. I’m feeling feisty.”

Hal was ready to launch when they reached the marina. It was on the cool side as they set out, but it warmed up quickly as the sun climbed higher. Anna sat with her sister on the cushions at the back of the boat—or the stern, as Hal always corrected her— while Lily rode shotgun, getting a lesson from Hal on the boat’s features.

“She’s a lot of fun,” Kim said, gesturing at Lily. “And she’s making Hal’s day, asking all those questions. Do you think she’s just being nice, or is my husband really all that fascinating?”

“Are you actually suggesting we might have misjudged the guy all these years?”

“Nah, couldn’t be. I think Lily’s just easily entertained.”

“Well, I’d worry about anyone who found Hal entertaining.”

Lily chose that moment to glance their way. When she realized she and Hal were the subject of their amusement, she stuck out her tongue and turned her back haughtily. Fifteen minutes later, she was proudly driving the boat on her own.

“So what was so funny?” Hal demanded as he slid onto the cushion beside Kim.

“We were trying to decide if Lily was really interested in your boat lesson or if she was just being nice,” Kim said.

“I don’t suppose it occurred to you that she is nice and I’m interesting?”

Anna chuckled, leaving them to debate the merits of Hal’s delusion as she stripped down to a plum-colored one-piece bathing suit. Then she took the tall co-pilot seat alongside Lily, who was standing on her tiptoes with her chin up, peering out over the shimmering blue plane.

“Having a little trouble seeing over the bow, Pygmy?”

“Will you still think you’re funny when we run a sail up your neck, Amazon?” Lily turned to face her and her jaw went slack.

Accustomed to being admired, Anna recognized the look. Apparently, Lily hadn’t expected to see her in a bathing suit. By her open stare, she certainly seemed to approve. “Did you wear your suit?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Anna had never marveled at her own features until she began working with Nikki, the personal trainer who took over after the physical therapy for her leg. She was proud of her hard work, and if Lily was admiring her physique, that was fine by her. In fact, she wasn’t sure why it mattered, but it pleased her to think Lily found her attractive.

“You look like you work out.”

Suddenly shy, Anna could only smile and look away. “I did for a while, but I’ve fallen out of it.”

“If fallen out looks like that, you can give me a push.”

Anna laughed. Behind her sunglasses, she stole a glance as Lily discarded her shirt and shorts, revealing an aquamarine tankini. Suddenly, it was Anna’s turn to stare. Lily had muscular legs, tapering at her hips to a tiny waist. Her shoulders and arms looked strong and lithe, and her breasts seemed larger than they appeared in her suits and casual clothes. Anna almost laughed as she wondered what Lily would think if she knew her breasts were being scrutinized.

How was it possible someone like Lily could not have a girlfriend? Not only was she lovely to look at, she was smart, funny and compassionate, and she had shown herself to be a great friend. So why weren’t all of LA’s single lesbians throwing themselves at her? Anna didn’t care much about the answer. She liked that Lily was spending time with her instead.

They cruised north along California’s picturesque coastline, turning back at mid-afternoon. As the sun began to fade, they donned their clothes and jackets and Anna wrapped herself in a blanket from the cabin below. Seeing Lily shiver as the wind blew through her lightweight fleece, she held her arms open and invited her to huddle inside. When Lily stepped in front, Anna closed the blanket around them both, instantly sparking a memory of pulling her close as she struggled for breath in the collapsed mall. A sense of panic suddenly invaded her, and she squeezed Lily tightly to her chest.

 

Lily shifted her shoulders, sinking deeper into the plush leather of Anna’s passenger seat. She was tired from their outing, but it was a happy tired. As far as she was concerned, the day could not have gone better. She and Anna were closer now, though it was hard to say exactly why. Something subtle had passed between them as they huddled beneath the blanket, something warm and familiar. Whatever it was, it vanquished the lingering insecurity Lily had harbored about their differences. Anna was right. They would be great friends.

“I’m glad you came with us,” Anna said. “Kim and Hal were, too... especially Hal, because you actually cared about his bilge pump.”

“Poor Hal. He’s no worse about his boat than someone I know is about her car.”

“I know, but cars are fascinating.”

Anna turned into the parking lot at her complex, drawing their day to an end unless Lily came up with an idea for extending it. “You want to come in? I could order a pizza.”

“That sounds like so much more fun than tallying second quarter sales figures with my dad. Unfortunately, we need that report first thing tomorrow morning.”

“You have to work on a Sunday night?”

“Not usually. We were supposed to do it on Thursday morning, but I had that Chamber meeting.” Anna surprised her by turning off the engine and getting out of the car. “Let me help you with your stuff.”

All Lily had was her backpack and a damp towel, but she didn’t mind that Anna was walking her in. “Thanks for inviting me along today. I had a great time.”

“Good. We’ll do it again if you want. They invite me practically every week, so let me know.”

Lily sighed dramatically. “You’ll have to go without me next week. I’m going camping... all alone.”

“So you are.”

So much for sympathy, Lily thought. But she got something far better than that when Anna wrapped her in a hug and planted a kiss on her temple before heading back to her car. It was all Lily could do to stand as she waved good-bye.