Pantheon Girls, page 1
Pantheon Girls
Synopsis
Cassie Burke never believed in second chances. If something didn’t work out, then it was never really meant for her. In the years following two heart-wrenching breakups, she kept her life simple. She focused her energy on her career and best friends of over thirty years, Jenn and Maggie. Tight since their high school days in the 80s, they’ve weathered many storms. The most tempestuous being Deana, who had briefly joined their “pantheon” and stirred things up as only a beautiful lost soul can, testing their friendship and the strength of Cassie’s heart.
Now as Cassie, Jenn, and Maggie plan a celebration for their fiftieth birthdays, none of them are prepared for the whiplash changes their half-century mark year has in store. Least of all Cassie, who discovers a second chance with Deana might be just what her heart needs.
Praise for Jean Copeland
Spellbound—co-authored with Jackie D
“The story is a mixture of history and present day, fantasy and real life, and is really well done. I especially liked the biting humor that pops up occasionally. The characters are vibrant and likable (except the bad guys, who are really nasty). There is a good deal of angst with both romances, but a lot of ‘aww’ moments as well.”—Rainbow Reflections
“Spellbound is a very exciting read, fast-paced, thrilling, funny too…The authors mix politics and the fight against patriarchy with time travel and witch fights with brilliant results.”—Jude in the Stars
“[T]he themes and contextual events in this book were very poignant in relation to the current political climate in the United States. The fashion in which existing prejudices related to race, socioeconomic status, and gender were manipulated to cause discord were staggering, but also a reflection of the current state of things here in the USA. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and I am so glad that I read it when I did.”—Mermaid Reviews
The Ashford Place
“[A] charming story that I can recommend to anyone who likes a well-written mystery with a good dose of romance.”—Rainbow Reflections
“Another enjoyable story from Jean Copeland with a bit of a difference. I think this book is definitely one to enjoy with a glass of wine near the warm fire.”—Les Rêveur
The Revelation of Beatrice Darby
“The Revelation of Beatrice Darby at its epicentre is a story…of discovering oneself and learning to not only live with it but to also love it. This book is definitely worth a read.”—Lesbian Review
“Debut author Jean Copeland has come out with a novel that is abnormally superb. The pace whirls like a hula-hoop; the plot is as textured as the fabric in a touch-and-feel board book. And, with more dimension than a stereoscopic flick, the girls in 3-D incite much pulp friction as they defy the torrid, florid, horrid outcomes to which they were formerly fated.”—Curve
“This story of Bea and her struggle to accept her homosexuality and find a place in the world is absolutely wonderful…Bea was such an interesting character and her life was that of many gay people of the time—hiding, shame, rejection. In the end though it was uplifting and an amazing first novel for Jean Copeland.”—Inked Rainbow Reads
The Second Wave
“This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys romances and for those who like stories with a bit of a nostalgic or historic theme.”—Lesbian Review
“Copeland shines a light on characters rarely depicted in romance, or in pop culture in general.”—The Lesbrary
“The characters felt so real and I just couldn’t stop reading. This is one of those books that will stay with me a long time.”—2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention
Summer Fling
“The love story between Kate and Jordan was one they make movies about, it was complex but you knew from the beginning these women had found their soul mates in each other.”—Les Rêveur
Pantheon Girls
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By the Author
The Revelation of Beatrice Darby
The Second Wave
Summer Fling
The Ashford Place
Spellbound
One Woman’s Treasure
Swift Vengeance
Poison Pen
Pantheon Girls
Pantheon Girls
© 2023 By Jean Copeland. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-338-2
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: May 2023
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Shelley Thrasher
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Jeanine Henning
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Acknowledgments
I could not keep doing what I love so much without the support of a legion of amazing women: Sandy, Rad, and all the ladies behind the scenes at Bold Strokes Books, especially my editor, the delightful Shelley Thrasher; my longtime BFF and beta reader, Anne Santello; and the many others who continue to buy, review, and share my books. And a special shoutout to the guys out there who’ve purchased my novels in support of my joyful craft. Thank you to my pal, former East Haven Mayor April Capone, for sharing her campaign knowledge on this one, and last but not least, thank you to the great CT brew masters Christian, Sean, and Johnny, who’ve always opened their brewery doors to me for my book launch parties! I thank you all so much and appreciate your loyalty.
This book is for all the women out there who know how to be authentic, selfless, and supportive friends to other women.
I celebrate you.
Chapter One
Cassie Burke and her best friend, Maggie, sat across from each other at a sunlit table in New Haven’s newest trendy bistro. She volleyed her attention between the entrance and Maggie as she awaited both their other friend Jenn and Maggie’s next dubious move. As they both eyed the miniature salt-and-pepper shakers and ridiculously teeny individual bottles of hot sauce, Cassie flashed her the two-finger signal that she had her eyes on her.
“What?” Maggie said defensively.
“Please wait till after brunch before you pocket those shakers.”
Maggie sucked in her cheek. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Cassie sighed, half entertained, half annoyed. “Why are you still doing this?”
“It makes me feel alive.” Though her face was expressionless, her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“You’re not embarrassed? You’re fifty years old.”
“Almost fifty,” Maggie replied. “Now stop. You’re ruining it for me. It’s not exciting if you know I’m gonna do it.”
Maggie liked stealing small things, a pastime she’d acquired a couple of years ago as a sort of reward for being the first one of their trio to complete menopause.
“I feel better knowing when you’re gonna do it,” Cassie said. “So I won’t be caught off guard the day a loss-prevention officer finally escorts you away.”
“A place like this doesn’t care if you lift their salt shakers. They expect it.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “You need a hobby to make you feel alive, preferably one that won’t result in misdemeanor charges. Better yet, how about a girlfriend?”
“I don’t need a girlfriend,” she replied, caressing the small crystal vase holding a fresh rose. “As you know, I’ve gone the way of intimate entanglements in the past and came to realize they’re not for me.”
“You can have a relationship and still be asexual, Mags. You’re not the only asexual person in Connecticut.”
“I know, but sometimes it feels that way.”
Cassie slapped the linen tablecloth with determination. “Well, we’re going to change that this year.”
Maggie shrank in her seat. “No, we’re not.”
But Cassie was off and running. “This is our fiftieth year on this planet. Are we really just going to sit back and do the same old things we’ve always done?”
“Yes, we are.”
“We’re gonna shake things up for our half-century mark, Mags, and we’re starting with you.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Wait till Jenn gets here. She’ll be so excited about this.”
“No, she won’t. Listen, Cass. How about reining it in for a minute? I’m fine with my life as a single woman. I don’t want anyone to play matchmaker. If you insist on starting off the second half-century of our lives making major changes, let’s start with you. Your relationship track record has left something to be desired, too, you know.”
“Wow. I bet you’ve had that one on standby for a while.”
Maggie grinned. “You know what I mean. I’d like to see you settled into a happy, stable relationship, too. But you can’t force these things. They’ll happen when they’re meant to.”
“I certainly believed that early on in life, but as you know, I’ve had reasons to become somewhat of a cynic.”
Maggie lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I mean, look at Jenn. She’s been with Amelia for almost twenty years. I’d never want to be that settled.”
Cassie gave a diplomatic shrug. “Well, it seems to work for them.”
“Does it? I guess that’s the magic recipe when it comes to relationships. It just seems like more work than I’m willing to put in.”
Cassie nodded and glanced around the newly opened bistro, searching for signs of familiarity in its upscale modern decor. The renovated former factory building in New Haven had seen many incarnations in its hundred-plus-year existence, but her former nightclub, Pantheon, would live on as the one that had changed Cassie’s life forever.
When she returned her gaze to the table, all the tiny hot-sauce bottles were gone. “You better give me one of those when the eggs come.”
“Oh, look. Jenn’s here,” Maggie said excitedly.
Cassie waved.
The blond tips of Jenn’s short, sleek hair reached toward the ceiling, unmoving as she rushed over to them. “Sorry I was running late. Oh, I couldn’t wait to see you guys,” she said as she gave each of them a long, tight hug.
“We cannot go months again without getting together,” Cassie said as they sat. “I missed the fuck out of both of you.”
“No more than a month—two, tops,” Jenn said. “I can’t believe what they’ve done to this place. It’s just gorgeous, all windows.”
“I can’t believe this used to be Pantheon.” Cassie glanced around nostalgically.
“I know, right?” Jenn said. “So many memories from those Pantheon days.”
Cassie shook her head. “Crazy how the best and worst times of my life were centered around this space.” She gazed at both of them and squeezed their hands. “Thank God you guys were with me through it all.”
“It was all so wonderfully awkward to watch,” Maggie said.
Jenn laughed as she spread her napkin in her lap. “Who’d ever have thought that over twenty years after it closed, we’d be sitting in the same place having brunch, planning our fiftieth birthday getaway?”
“For a minute there I wasn’t sure you’d make it to fifty,” Cassie said. “Not that I want to get all dark this morning.”
“Yeah. This is supposed to be a happy, long-overdue reunion,” Jenn said, but she appeared to be forcing her smile. She looked at the pitcher of mimosas sitting in front of her.
“I’m sorry,” Maggie said. “I ordered a pitcher but didn’t even think…”
Jenn waved her off. “Don’t be silly. I told you guys that I chose clean living for my health. I don’t expect or want anyone to change their habits around me. It’s not a big deal.”
“We’re so impressed,” Cassie said. “It was obviously a great decision. You’ve never looked better.”
“Thank you.” Jenn beamed. “That’s really good to hear, especially now.”
“Why? Because we’re here planning our fiftieth birthday bash?” Maggie asked. “God. It sounds so weird to say.”
Despite how great Jenn looked, the vibe felt off. Cassie exhaled to release the knot forming in her stomach. “Jenn, is everything okay?”
She tried to elude her concern. “Come on. I thought we weren’t gonna go dark this morning.”
Cassie refused to let it pass. “What’s wrong?”
Jenn’s hesitation was clearly making Maggie nervous, too. She grabbed Jenn’s hand. “Please tell us.”
“I just had my annual scan and…” She stopped as her voice began to quiver.
“Jesus,” Cassie said involuntarily.
“They found something?” Maggie asked.
Jenn nodded. “My oncologist said not to worry. It could be nothing, but even if it is, they’ll just remove my thyroid. She thinks they detected the problem early enough.”
“She thinks?” Cassie said.
“Look,” Jenn said. “Dr. Guerrera is the best cancer surgeon around.” She pointed to her right breast. “Why do you think I’m still sitting here? If she says not to panic, I’m not gonna panic.”
Cassie and Maggie exchanged glances as if giving each other permission to believe Jenn. Cassie then downed half of the mimosa left in her glass.
Jenn’s eyes twinkled as she sipped from her water glass. “Hey, can we get back to the business at hand? We three old broads have a birthday extravaganza to plan.”
“Yes, right.” Cassie let out a cautious laugh at the remark as she pulled out a journal-style notebook. When she picked up her pen, her hand shook.
“Want me to be the notetaker?” Maggie asked.
“No. I’m fine.” She inhaled deeply to calm herself. This wasn’t the first time she’d had to face Jenn’s mortality with her. But at this stage in their lives, she’d thought—hoped—they were over all the big challenges.
Jenn grabbed her forearm. “Cass. I’m gonna be okay.”
She looked into Jenn’s eyes. They were as intoxicating as they were when they were teenagers coming of age and discovering their sexuality together. What a time that was. Their friendship had endured many tests since it began, but none had been as terrifying as her bout with breast cancer a few years ago.
“Cass?” Jenn said.
“I know you’re gonna be okay.” She displayed the most confident smile she’d ever given. “I have no doubt. Now, what’s the first item on our agenda?”
“We need to pick a destination,” Maggie said. “I vote for P-Town.”
Cassie grimaced. “Really? You don’t want something tropical?”
“I was thinking something more exciting, like Vegas or LA,” Jenn said.
Maggie shook her head. “I want something gay.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Jenn said. “It’s the twenty-first century, not high school in the 80s.”
“She has a point, Jenn,” Cassie said. “If we leave the country, it does matter, depending on where we go.”
Jenn sucked her cheek. “Okay. Then I’m putting a slash mark through any developing nation or one currently under Sharia law.”
“This is dumb,” Cassie said. “This should be easy.”
“On the contrary,” Maggie said. “We’re marking a huge milestone birthday and over thirty years of friendship. Choosing a location is the most important detail of this whole plan.”
Jenn pointed at Maggie and nodded along. “The availability of fine cuisine is paramount.”
“With not a lot of access to small objects,” Cassie added.
Jenn arched an eyebrow at Maggie. “You’re still doing that?”
Maggie raised the menu to shield her face.
Jenn turned to Cassie. “Imagine you’re a kid in middle school scrolling your newsfeed one day and come across a story about your school psychologist getting pinched for shoplifting?”
Cassie chuckled. “I keep telling her that.”
“Hey, I’m the school psychologist we all needed growing up. The kids would probably love me more if that ever happened. Besides, I stopped doing it in stores. Now it’s just symbolic pilfering.” She pulled a tiny pepper shaker from her pocket. “Like this.”
Cassie plucked it from her hand and returned it to the table.
Jenn looked at her with mock adoration. “Oh, Maggie. Don’t ever change, you adorable wacko, you.”
“Getting back to business,” Cassie said. “So we know our locale should be gay friendly and have excellent cuisine and loss-prevention officers at souvenir shops who hate their jobs.”
“This is gonna be epic,” Jenn said.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Cassie replied.
“Doesn’t it sound so weird to say we’re turning fifty?” Maggie asked.
