When Tomorrow Comes, page 16
“Yes. Thank you. I hope you will accept, but I can wait. You have my number, so give me a call when you decide.”
“I will. Good-bye.”
* * *
“Hey, you. How’d your test go?”
“I will not get official results from the doctor until tomorrow, but I bullied the technician into giving me her opinion, compared to the many other ultrasounds she has performed.” As promised, she had called Baye after she arrived back home and invited her over for dinner.
“I’m sure you did,” Bay said, smiling. “And she said—”
“She said my heart looked very healthy as far as she could tell.”
“Good.” She patted Teague’s chest. “I already knew a good, strong heart beats in there.”
“I am still waiting for the genetic-testing results, which could indicate if I have an increased chance of developing an aortic aneurysm.”
“They’re more common in men. I looked it up,” Baye said.
“Brain aneurysms are more prevalent among women, and I have not had my MRI yet. My father died of a heart aneurysm, and his mother of the Maxwell bloodline died of a brain aneurysm,” she said. “My great-great-grandfather and my great-great-great-grandmother are believed to have died of a brain aneurysm. There were no autopsies, but both are reported to have complained of a severe headache immediately prior to collapsing.”
“I can see why you would be worried, but have you considered that your brain might be different from others in your family? Have any of your relatives been on the autism spectrum before you?”
“No, but the first diagnosis of autism was not recognized until 1943. Like a lot of mental illness, people before that were considered mentally deficient, and most were committed to institutions. Some families institutionalized a child, then pretended they were never born.”
“Ha. Not here in the South. We’re proud of our eccentric family members.” The conversation was growing too serious, so Baye felt she should try to lighten the mood. “We even seat them on the front porch to wave to the neighbors.”
“That is odd behavior,” Teague said, cocking her head as if trying to understand.
Baye sighed. Humor was mostly wasted on Teague.
“Did you work on the spreadsheets this afternoon?” Teague asked.
“No. I made a flyer to advertise for some part-time help and posted some copies at the university.”
“That is good. It is too soon to expect a response.”
“Actually, when I put one on the message board at the student union, a student saw it and chased me down to apply for the job. So, we went back into the building and talked over coffee. She has a financial-aid grant that pays for her books and tuition, but she needs a part-time job to pay for food and her room in the dorm. I liked her, so I hired her. She starts tomorrow afternoon.”
“Very good.” Teague paused. “I was offered a new contract today.”
“To solve another problem for NASA?” The unpleasant, work-mode Teague was still fresh in her mind. “Are you going to disappear for days into your cottage again?”
“Maybe a few days, but not like last time.”
“Good. I didn’t like the argument we had then. And I’ll miss you, but I understand you have to work.”
“I did not like our argument either, so I have not agreed to do it. I do enjoy working, but I do not need to. I have more money than I can spend. However, I do not want to anger you or accept a project I will not live long enough to complete.”
Baye took a deep breath. “First of all, if you stop doing the work you love, you will grow to resent me. So, don’t turn it down because of me…because of us. Second, you never answered my question.” She desperately wanted Teague to stop this I’m-going-to-die notion.
“I have considered that I might be exempt from the aneurysm curse since my brain is not very similar to those in my bloodline.” Although Teague sometimes had trouble staying on subject in a conversation, she had no problem picking up a dropped thread. Her memory was near eidetic. “But I will not rely on that. I prefer science to chance. I must be prepared for any outcome.”
Baye leaned close and brushed her lips against Teague’s. “I don’t want to think about possibly losing you. I just found you.”
Puzzlement filled Teague’s features. “I have been right here, living next door to you.”
Baye laughed and pulled Teague into a tight hug. “Yes, you have.”
“What is her name?” Teague asked.
“Who?”
“The student.”
“Oh. Their name is TJ.”
“You hired more than one?”
“No, honey. TJ is nonbinary and uses the pronouns they and them.”
“Okay. I am familiar with using ambiguous pronouns. I have considered doing the same. Teague was considered a female name in the Southern states during the 1800s, but people seem to identify it as a male-oriented name now. I am often called sir.”
“Good to know.”
“Baye?”
“Yes?” She loosened her hug but gave in to the urge to trail kisses along Teague’s neck.
Teague spoke softly. “I do not want to die. I just found you.”
“I’m right here, living next door.”
Chapter Sixteen
Baye was bored and restless because Teague was at NASA for four days. She was due back tomorrow, and Baye couldn’t wait. She missed her stilted speech, those beautiful dark eyes that struggled to meet hers, and the fleeting seconds when they did. She missed Teague’s puzzlement over things that weren’t practical or logical, and her inability to lie or scheme. And she missed that tall, strong body—firm, long muscles and soft, soft skin—covering hers. Often halting and clumsy in her speech and movements, she was neither as a lover. Teague the lover was like someone with a severe stutter who showed no sign of the impediment when they sang.
She and Teague had worked together to set up the adoption spreadsheets before she left, and TJ was diligently working to fill them in from the emails and instant messages. Baye was still receiving up to thirty a day. She got hundreds of inquiries about Mac, Cappie, or Flower, but most had little or no experience with exotic animals. Leo’s placement was going to be easy. Apparently, a lot of cat lovers adored the Maine coon breed. Only a few, however, were offering to take in Asset, Lucky, Snow, the goats, the sheep, or the rabbits with the stipulations Teague had set down. The goats, sheep, and rabbits could not be killed for meat or resold. Lucky and Snow needed to work to be happy, and Asset was not to be used for labor unless it was guard duty. He also needed interaction with people.
Baye fidgeted. She had wanted to shop for a new laptop for TJ to use, but Libby insisted the expense was unnecessary and shared the spreadsheets in the Google cloud so TJ could access them from her school laptop. Bummer. Baye liked to shop. She stared at the ceiling. Libby and her budget took the fun out of everything.
Libby had quit her waitressing job and moved back into the farmhouse after Connie had sent her cleaning agency to tackle the trash dump Baye had created, then scheduled them to return one day a week. Because they did the heavy cleaning—dusting, mopping, and cleaning the bathrooms—Libby didn’t complain about picking up after Baye in the common rooms. She didn’t ask who was paying for the crew. At least it wasn’t on Heavy Petting’s expense sheet.
Libby also caught up with the review of applications for the rescue’s adoptable animals, then turned that job back over to Baye so she could concentrate on filing quarterly taxes, tracking payroll and other expenses, and trolling for grants or other sources of income for their nonprofit. Libby was constantly reminding Baye that Heavy Petting needed to be able to operate in the near future without Teague’s five thousand every month. They wouldn’t have that extra money forever, she said. Baye would give it up tomorrow if it meant Teague was healthy and didn’t die young.
Damn it. She was bored and restless. Sprawled on the sofa, she peeked over the back of it at TJ, who sat at the dining room table working on the spreadsheets.
She’d primarily hired TJ because they seemed smart and had almost begged for the job. She also identified nonbinary TJ as one of the misunderstood and often alienated people, like her and Teague. TJ wasn’t just androgynous. Their ears were full of piercings, and their lobes stretched around circular gauges Baye could almost put her thumb through. They also had piercings in their lip, nose, and an eyebrow. Both arms were covered in full-sleeve tattoos they said they’d paid for by working at the parlor where they were done. Baye had been impressed by TJ’s knowledge of spreadsheets and their desperation for the job. If she was honest, though, she thought TJ would also be fun. She was so wrong.
Baye lay down so she was hidden by the back of the sofa and opened her pack of marijuana joints. The substance was legal in this state, and a few tokes would help calm her agitation. She flicked her lighter a few times and peeked over the sofa again.
“Libby said you aren’t allowed to smoke that in the house.” TJ didn’t look up from their laptop.
“Come on. Let’s go out on the porch, have a smoke, and then play with kittens.” That was Baye’s favorite self-prescribed therapy.
“Aren’t you supposed to be answering those adoption applications?” TJ pointed to a stack of paper next to Baye’s laptop at the other end of the table. “Libby printed them out for you.”
“Hey! I’m your boss, and I say we go play with kittens.”
“Libby says she’s the boss of both of us.”
“She thinks she is.” Baye huffed. “You’re a first-class imposter. How could I be so wrong about you?”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a person by their piercings,” TJ said, head down and still typing. “I have homework to do later. If I smoke that stuff or inhale it secondhand from you, I’ll never get it done.”
Baye stood and hung her head, wallowing in dejection. “I miss my girlfriend.”
TJ finally looked up and grinned. “You’re pathetic. Get out of here. Go smoke and play with kittens. I’m way ahead of my daily goal. I can go through the applications for you.”
Baye immediately brightened and trotted to the door. “Thank you. I owe you.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s worth it to get you out of my hair,” they said, laughing.
* * *
Teague had barely exited her Jeep when Baye burst from her house, leapt down the steps, and jumped into her arms with such force she was slammed back against the vehicle.
“I missed you,” Baye said, peppering her face with kisses, then taking her mouth in one long kiss.
She was startled at first but relaxed as Baye’s arms and legs held her in a firm hug. Her body responded, leaving her brain stumbling to catch up. She’d never met anyone who could evoke such visceral responses from her. “I missed you, too. Very much.” She locked her arms under Baye’s buttocks and carried her into Baye’s house and onto the sofa. “I need you. I need you now.”
“Yes.”
Baye’s breath on her face, her lips on her neck—it was like finding that thread of an equation that pointed to a solution. Her need to feel her skin on Baye’s consumed her like the drive to solve a problem. She stripped off her shirt and sports bra, then pulled Baye’s T-shirt over her head and fumbled with her bra. Teague sucked in a breath and shivered when Baye unbuttoned and unzipped both of their jeans. Finally freeing the damned tiny hooks, she flung Baye’s bra across the room, pressed their breasts together, and took her in a deep kiss. She slid her hand down Baye’s soft belly and into her wet warmth at the same time Baye’s fingers slid over her clit, causing Teague to break off their kiss and suck in a quick breath. Though with only a glance, she saw the heat, the passion in Baye’s eyes as they stroked each other in perfect sync. Were the moans hers or Baye’s? It didn’t matter. Her head buzzed with the swell of discovery and approaching resolution. She might as well have been working on the elusive collider predicted to revolutionize energy. This woman with beautiful curls and hazel eyes had hurtled into her life, and their collision created a fusion she had no words to describe.
They both cried out as they climaxed almost simultaneously, then collapsed together on the narrow sofa. After a long moment of hard panting and hearts pounding, Baye shook with a lilting laugh.
“I think it’s safe to say we missed each other.” She pointed to Teague’s eyes, then her own to direct Teague’s gaze to hers, as she’d seen Connie do. “I love you,” she said softly.
It was difficult, but Teague latched onto the swirls of green and gold in Baye’s eyes. “I love you,” she said.
They froze at the sound of a discreet cough in the dining room.
“Oh, shit.” Baye had forgotten TJ was working inside. She grabbed her T-shirt that was draped haphazardly over the back of the sofa and pushed Teague up a bit. “Put this on,” she whispered, awkwardly tugging one of Teague’s arms through it, then pulling it over her head like she were dressing a child. Teague struggled onto her knees to push her other arm into the shirt without rising above the back of the sofa and exposing herself to TJ. Baye glanced around the room, then pointed to Teague’s shirt on the floor just beyond her reach, still whispering. “Now get your shirt for me.”
Without looking in the direction of the dining room, Teague refastened her jeans and crawled over to grab the shirt. “Who is that?” she asked Baye.
God almighty, this was going to be awkward. Baye slipped into Teague’s shirt. “Stand up.”
They stood together and turned to face TJ, who peeked over the screen of their laptop, their face a brilliant red. “I’m minding my own business, putting this stuff in the spreadsheets.”
Baye chuckled. “Sorry about that. Like I said yesterday, I missed my girlfriend.” She reached for Teague’s hand. “This is Teague Maxwell. Teague, this is TJ, whose pronouns are ‘they’ and ‘them.’” Teague frowned, and Baye held her breath, remembering their only real argument had started with what Teague perceived as a misuse of the English language. Would she refuse to use TJ’s pronouns? She hurried to move past this possibility, hoping to distract Teague. “TJ is the student I told you about. They’ve done a really good job helping me organize all those emails into spreadsheets.”
Teague turned her head as if considering something. “Do you belong to the Church of Body Modification? Or do you pierce your body for medical reasons?”
TJ glanced at Baye, then stood and rounded the table to face them. “Medical reasons?”
“Yes. I read once that many acupressure points in the ears and face can relieve pain if pierced. Also, some ancient cultures believed piercings could provide immunity from certain diseases. And, more recently, researchers are studying whether piercings or a pressure clamp on a certain part of the ear or face might help control obsessive-compulsive disorders and curb addictions.”
“That’s very interesting,” TJ said. They shrugged. “I just did it because it’s cool. You know…an expression of who I am. I’ve never heard of the Church of Body Modification, but maybe I’ll look it up.”
Teague nodded. “You can never gather too much knowledge. What are you studying at the university?”
“Finance and economics.”
“Really?” Baye had never thought to ask TJ about their field of study. “What made you choose those fields?”
“I want to help marginalized people—women, minorities, LGBTQIA people, refugees, and homeless. Money is power. Most of these groups are held down by others that own the wealth in this world. Wealth is used to control the workforce, governments, education, and, in many cases, religion. The oppressed will never rise until we learn to tap into wealth and shift the power to make real change in the world.”
Wow. Baye had never realized TJ ran so deep. She silently admonished herself for never thinking of TJ as anything more than a college student who was likely sabotaging their chances for a good job after graduation because of their nontraditional piercings and tattoos.
“You are correct,” Teague said. “Without my family’s wealth and connections to protect and nurture me, I might have been deprived of opportunities that have led to many of my patents and financial success. I would be interested in speaking with you at another time about your aspirations.” She straightened Baye’s T-shirt, which was a bit too big for her slender frame. “Presently, I am very tired from traveling, and I am afraid you have caught me literally with my pants down.”
Baye stared at her, stunned for a moment. “Oh my God. Did you just make a joke? You did.”
“I am capable of expressing humor,” Teague deadpanned.
Baye wrapped Teague in a tight hug, trapping her arms against her body. “Yes, you are.”
TJ stood and closed their laptop. “I’d like that. Baye says you’re some kind of genius or something.”
“I do have a very high IQ,” Teague said. She was always truthful and matter-of-fact about it.
“Well, maybe I should go and leave you two alone.”
“You do not have to leave. I am eager to see my animals, so I came to take Baye to my house for tonight.”
“I was hoping you would want me to stay at your house,” Baye said. “I’ve already packed an overnight bag.” She retrieved the small suitcase at the bottom of the staircase.
TJ put their laptop down. “Maybe I’ll stay here tonight?” They shot Baye a questioning look. “Libby said she was going to bring a pizza back.”
“Absolutely,” Baye said. In fact, she had been meaning to ask about TJ’s living arrangements and offer them the third bedroom upstairs. They got along well with Libby and didn’t seem to like the roommate they’d been assigned in the dorm. “You’re more than welcome.” She tugged Teague toward the door. “Let’s go, Romeo. Connie and the kids will be ecstatic to see you’re home.”
