Made to Love, page 8
Nikki reddened considerably as she silently begged Lex not to tell the story. Her ego had taken enough of a hit over the past few months. She didn’t need reminders of her less than stellar childhood on top of it.
Mason sensed Nikki’s discomfort and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “We all have things in our past we would like to forget. Isn’t that right, Lex?”
“I don’t know what…” Catching the subtle shake of Mason’s head stopped Lex mid-sentence. She opted to take the high road. “Aspen loves alternative and singer-songwriter, mostly current artists. What about you, Nik? Anything you like?”
Nikki shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I can’t remember the last time I picked something just for me.”
“Oh.” Lex navigated a sharp turn then resumed the conversation. “Remember when Pop would put on Juice Newton, and we would run circles around the house to “Queen of Hearts”?”
“Oh, man, I haven’t thought about that in ages.” Nikki was silent for a moment as her mind flew back almost thirty years. She pictured herself, Lex, and all the kids chasing each other around the house. She could hear the song in her head as she felt her body letting go. For the first time in ages, Nikki started to relax. “Pops was always cooler than every other parent on the block.”
“He was.” Lex’s smile widened. “Now, all he does is sit in his chair in the den and harass Ma.” Lex turned into a parking garage on Winooski. “Is this okay?”
Aspen nodded. “It should be. I think I can still walk a few blocks.” She rubbed her stomach and took a deep breath. Noticing Lex’s concern, Aspen shook her head. “I’m fine, honey. I promise.”
Lex hopped out and ran around the car, opened Aspen’s door and reached down to help her out. “We’re a little late, but it should be okay. Cecile doesn’t play until eight, and we have tickets for that.” Cecile McLorin Salvant was one of their favorites. She reminded them of a cross between Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Her sound was reminiscent of great jazz from the 20’s and 30’s.
“I will admit I do like her.” Nikki got out and grabbed a chair. “I didn’t know she would be playing here.”
Lex winced at the disdain in Nikki’s voice on the word here. “Burlington’s a good size town, and a huge tourist destination to boot. It isn’t like we live in the sticks. There are a lot of great artists who play here.” Lex handed Mason two more chairs and shut the trunk firmly. “The show is in the Marketplace today. They move the performances around during the day. The big acts, like Cecile, play at Flynn Center.”
“I scored tickets from the gallery.” Aspen slipped her arm through Lex’s and rested her other hand on her stomach. She rubbed lazy circles around her belly without even realizing it. “The outdoor shows are fun, though. You can get up and dance if you want. Maybe some sweet dance moves will encourage someone to make an appearance sooner than later.”
“What’s your due date?” Mason fell in step next to Nikki.
“It’s the 15th, but Dr. Weller said anytime now is fine. I am hoping he or she decide they want to see the world sooner than later.”
“June 12th would be good.” Lex weaved her way through people to an empty spot in front of Sweet Lady Jane, one of the many shops located along the pedestrian walkway of the Church Street Marketplace. There were already hundreds of people filling the wide, brick-lined street. She popped the first of their lawn chairs open and laid the folded blanket over the seat. She held Aspen’s hands as she lowered herself into the chair with a loud grunt. “Or sooner.”
“What’s the 12th?” Mason offered Nikki the first empty chair.
“It’s Pop's birthday. He would love to have a grandbaby born on the same day as him.”
One look at the discomfort on Aspen’s face and Mason knew even a day more would be uncomfortable. “We can all take turns dancing with you. Shake that baby out of there.”
Aspen held out her hand just as the music started. “You first.”
Mason smiled and hoisted Aspen out of her chair. She pulled them out into an empty area between a few other couples. “I have to warn you I’m not light on my feet like you.”
“Um…” Aspen’s eyes fell to her stomach then flicked back up, meeting Mason with a wry smile. “…there’s nothing light about any part of my body right now. I can tell you the baby loves the music choice so far. She’s already dancing.”
“Then let’s join her.” Mason pulled Aspen’s right hand onto her shoulder and clasped her left hand. “One, two, three…”
“What are you doing?” Aspen chuckled at the serious expression on Mason’s face.
“I’m getting the rhythm.” Mason took a step forward and nearly bumped into Aspen, who was now laughing out loud. “What?”
“You. It’s quite endearing how cute and not a dancer you are.” Aspen brushed a hair behind her ear then clasped Mason’s hand again. “The count actually starts on five.”
“That makes no sense at all. Who starts counting at five? It’s like someone just randomly picked a number out of the air. Oh, I think five is better. I like eleven. Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.”
Aspen cupped Mason’s cheeks and forced her to look at her. “It has to do with the rhythm. Most jazz combinations in dance go to an eight count, broken into two measures. Usually, people need one measure to feel the rhythm. You can’t really start on one because you would end up in the middle of the measure. Starting with five gets the rhythm in your head and starts you at the top of the next measure.” Aspen smiled sweetly. Mason looked utterly confused. “Let’s do it this way. I’ll show you a couple of easy steps, and we will go from there.” Aspen tightened her arm at her hip and prepared to move with Mason. “This is the jazz forward. I’ll take two steps, starting with my left. Just move with me. For each step, the count is two beats. Let your body guide you.”
Mason nodded, slightly embarrassed that she was getting dance lessons in the middle of the crowded marketplace. She glanced around quickly, realizing that no one was even paying attention to them. “Okay, go.”
Aspen pushed off with her left foot and stopped after two steps. “Now, I will point forward then backward with my left foot. You do the opposite.” Aspen pushed forward and nearly kicked Mason’s shin.
“Crap, I messed up.” Mason shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Mase. If it helps, you will mirror everything I do. So when I step forward with my left foot, you step backwards with your right.”
This time Mason moved with Aspen. When they completed the first full movement, her face broke into a smile. “Teach me the lead.”
Aspen smiled. “It’s easy; just do the reverse of the woman’s part. You step forward starting with your left foot.”
Mason did as she was instructed. They did several rotations before she stopped. “What’s the next part?”
Aspen stopped and rubbed her stomach. “Must be working. The baby is going nuts.” She paused and took several deep breaths before grabbing Mason’s hand again. “Now we are going to add some style to the steps. Everyone has their own thing they like to do. Throw their shoulders back when they step, add some turns, that sort of thing. Let’s try a turn.”
“You sure about that?”
“Of course I’m sure. You got the steps down, now let’s have some fun.” Aspen let go of Mason’s shoulder and forced her to twirl around. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
A smile played at the corner of Mason’s lips, and she blushed slightly, proud of her accomplishment. She had no formal training. She didn’t go to clubs, so she never really danced. She usually preferred to stay tucked into a corner, watching everyone else have fun. However, lately, Mason was different. She realized that she needed to let herself experience every little thing. She stole a glance at Nikki, realizing that she was the reason for stepping outside of her comfort zone. Mason understood what Marly meant by tweaking. She only hoped that the changes would not go unnoticed.
“Ready?” Aspen studied Mason’s face with a cryptic smile, fairly sure she knew exactly where her friend’s head was.
“What? Oh yeah, I’m good.” Mason smiled shyly then tightened her arms. She guided Aspen through several steps then stopped, extended her arm and propelled Aspen through a spin. “Ha ha, I did it.” Mason’s excitement bubbled near the surface. The sound of clapping made her spin around, and she nearly fell over when she saw Lex and Nikki standing up and cheering them on. She leaned toward Aspen and whispered a thank you.
“No problem.” Aspen gasped. “I think that’s a good enough workout for me. I’m going to sit. Nikki, come dance with Mason.” Aspen lowered herself into her chair and closed her eyes as the contraction passed.
Lex squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
“Mmhmm.” Aspen kept her eyes closed, letting the sun bathe her face. “They are getting closer together. I’d say every five minutes now.”
“We should go.” Lex started to stand up, but Aspen pulled her down again. “What?”
“Soon, honey. I’m alright for now. I have a feeling our Cecile tickets aren’t going to be used. I might as well enjoy as much as I can now.”
Lex relaxed again, turning her attention to Mason and Nikki. They were moving slowly through the steps that Aspen showed Mason, but with none of the grace that she saw before. Lex winced when Mason stepped on Nikki’s foot for the second time in as many seconds. “I don’t think Mason has it down just yet.”
Aspen opened an eye and peeked at the two women. “Yikes. I think Nikki brings out the worst in her. She was fine with me. Oy, that’s not pretty.”
“I’m sorry.” Mason berated herself for having two left feet and clobbering Nikki with every step.
“Stop apologizing.” Nikki sighed then forced a smile. “Just slow it down a bit. Listen to the music.”
“I’ll try.” Mason started her count over again and when she stepped, she stepped with her right foot instead of her left, pushing Nikki off balance. Mason reached out to catch her, but her hand grabbed Nikki’s breast instead.
“Ow.” Nikki caught her balance and rubbed her chest and groaned out loud. “I think that’s enough dancing for today.”
“Oh, God, Nikki, I am so sorry. I was just trying…” Mason stammered and stared at the ground. “I’m such an idiot. I should have known better.”
“Stop, Mason.” Nikki forced a smile. “I’m really okay. I prefer to just relax.”
“Okay.” Mason plopped into her chair, a dejected look on her face. Nothing she did with Nikki was right. How on earth she thought she could win her over was beyond her. Nikki was used to rich, classy women. There was no way in hell a poor sculptor from the country was going to impress someone like Nikki.
Nikki sensed Mason’s pain. Her heart went out to her. Her mind flashed back to the awkward woman she’d been years before. She remembered the first failed attempts at wooing a woman. It wasn’t until years of dating older, more sophisticated women that Nikki was transformed into the worldly-wise woman she was today. For all the good that did her. Despite everything she did and all the places she’d been, Nikki was sitting in a lawn chair in the middle of Vermont, being courted by the clumsiest, most accident-prone woman she’d met. Nikki stole a glance at Mason and admitted that albeit awkward, Mason was definitely attractive. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Mason didn’t have to try so hard. “Thanks for dancing with me. I had a good time.”
“How could you have a good time with bigfoot traipsing all over you and molesting you?” Mason shook her head. “I would run the other way.”
Nikki ran her fingertip along Mason’s arm, smiling at the goose bumps that appeared. “I think I’ll stick around. Everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, I have another boob you can fondle.”
Mason laughed despite herself. “Thank you, I’d like that. Shoot. I mean I’d like to dance with you again, not grope you. I don’t mean I didn’t like groping you; I did. I just meant…”
Nikki put her finger to Mason’s lips and stopped her mid-sentence. “I know what you mean, and I liked it when you groped me too.” She tossed her head toward the band. “Maybe we will just listen for a bit. Deal?”
“Deal.” Mason gazed sideways at Aspen. “A., I’m sorry. I’m going to have to withdraw myself officially from the list of available dance partners. I know some six-foot tall metal women that have more grace that I do.”
Aspen leaned over and swatted Mason’s leg. “Stop it. You’re fine.” Aspen sat up quickly, an odd sensation getting her attention. She reached over and gripped Lex’s arm. “Honey, I need to go.”
Lex hopped up. “Sure, we can run to Panera or the mall. Your choice.”
“No, Lex.” Aspen pointed to her belly. “We need to go.”
A look of sheer panic washed over Lex’s face. “Oh…you…” She pointed at Aspen’s stomach awkwardly. “Go…hospital…baby.”
Nikki rolled her eyes. “Jesus Christ, Lex.” She hopped up and grabbed Aspen’s hand. “We need to get her to the hospital. Come on, honey. That’s it. Pull up on my hands.” Nikki glanced around Aspen at the blanket she’d been sitting on. It was visibly wet and Nikki knew her water had broken. “You two clowns grab the chairs. How far is the hospital?”
“Five minutes.” Lex folded up two chairs and scooped them under her arms.
“Good.” Nikki slipped her arm through Aspen’s and wedged her body against hers as they started walking. She shouted over her shoulder. “Today, ladies. We got a kid coming.”
Aspen walked as best as she could, trying to keep her legs together. She could feel water trickling out and running down her leg. “I will never be able to look at Church Street the same again.”
“Come on, A. It’s like christening a ship. It’s messy and sure you get really wet, but the next thing you know you’re sailing around the Mediterranean picking up women.”
“Hmm. Did you seriously just call me a ship?” Aspen chuckled despite herself then groaned as another contraction hit. She stopped and leaned on Nikki’s arm, taking deep breaths until the pain subsided.
“Another contraction?” Lex stopped beside Aspen and studied her face.
“You did this to me.” Aspen glared at her wife. “Just get me to the hospital.”
Lex nodded and switched the chairs around so she had a free hand. She slipped her arm through Aspen’s other elbow. “You still love me, right?”
Aspen looked at Lex askance. “Ask me again in twenty-four hours.”
Lex leaned over and kissed Aspen’s cheek. “I love you, A. Let’s go have a baby.” She and Nikki walked with Aspen, letting her guide the pace. When they reached the parking garage, Lex let go of Aspen’s arm. “Wait right here. Mason and I will get the car.”
Minutes later, Lex turned onto Pearl Street and headed east toward Fletcher Allen Medical Center. When they turned onto the campus, she followed the signs toward the Emergency Room. She came to a quick stop outside the ER and shut off the engine. “Wait right here.”
Lex bounded out of the car and ran into the ER entrance. She tugged nervously on her ponytail as she slowed her run to a quick walk up to the admitting window. “Wheelchair. My wife’s in labor.”
The tech pointed to a row of chairs banked against a far wall.
Lex nodded, grabbed the first one and practically flew outside to the car. “Okay, let’s go.”
Aspen shook her head. “Lex, honey, you can slow down. The baby isn’t coming this very second.”
“Oh? I mean, I know.” Lex’s face broke into a sheepish grin. She extended both hands and helped Aspen out of the car and into the wheelchair. She tossed the keys to Mason. “I need a favor. We have a bag of stuff next to the bed. You mind getting it and bringing it back here?”
“Uh-uh.” She glanced at Nikki. “You staying or coming with?”
Nikki shrugged. “I’ll ride with you. I’m not a huge fan of hospitals.”
“Okay. Lex, text me your room. We’ll be back in an hour.” Mason started to get in the driver’s seat then stopped and shot Aspen a smile. “Bon voyage.”
“That is a horrible thing to say to a pregnant woman.” Aspen’s voice faded as Lex wheeled her around and pushed her toward the door.
Mason’s deep laugh echoed across the portico. She shot Nikki a devilish smile. “We’re going to pay for that.”
“Oh, I know.” Nikki got in and shut the door. “Be a while before she can catch us, though.”
“True enough.” Mason nodded and started the car. She navigated her way out of the parking lot and back onto Pearl Street. “What about you? You ever want kids?”
“I think I’m too selfish for kids.” Nikki paused and stared out the window. Truth be told, she could probably get past that, but the older women she dated were well beyond child-rearing age. Nikki loved growing up around all her siblings and cousins. She loved the size of her family. The few times she actually made it home for the holidays, she enjoyed the sound of a house filled with her nieces and nephews. And oddly enough, they actually seemed to like Aunt Nikki. But she had made choices, lived her life a certain way, and it seemed nearly impossible to change now. “I can’t even commit to a pet. What about you?”
“I would love to have kids one day…that is if the woman I loved wanted them.”
“I think you would be a good mom.”
Mason eyed Nikki with skepticism. “Me?”
“Sure, why not?” Nikki shrugged nonchalantly. “You have a good heart. I see how you are with Aspen and even Lex. You would protect them no matter what. I know you would be the same with your kids.”
Mason swelled with pride. So far, she had been a clumsy oaf every time she saw Nikki. But somewhere around all the mess ups, Nikki managed to see what she looked like inside. It was true. Mason would do anything for the people she loved. “I would take care of my wife the same way.”
Nikki knew Mason didn’t mean the words specifically, but they touched home. She had always been the protector in her relationships. Her lovers were the providers. They were rich women with too much money and time to be useful, so they flitted about from conquest to conquest, buying them with lavish gifts, but giving no real love or security. It was only Nikki who held on to the notion, albeit foolish, that she was the one responsible for their well-being. In actuality, she was just another pawn in a much bigger game. Sure, she liked having all that money at her disposable, and most times she could trick herself into believing she wasn’t just an expensive escort. It didn’t matter now though. Now she needed to figure out a way to look after herself. She was getting too old to catch the eye of most of the women she went after. They had obscene amounts of money, and they didn’t want to pay for some two-bit has been, or sadly a never was. It was a realization that didn’t sit well. The sad reality was that she could do nothing to change it. Nikki glanced sideways at Mason. Maybe her future could be different. Maybe she had a shot with a decent woman, who didn’t buy her relationships. Maybe Nikki could settle down and start a family with someone like Mason. She had always heard the old saying people couldn’t change their spots, but maybe she could. What if this was her second chance? Her opportunity to turn things around; be something better than what she’d been. The thought, while completely foreign to her, didn’t set her on edge like she thought it would. This time when Nikki looked at Mason, she saw her differently. This time Nikki saw the possibility of a different tomorrow. “I think anyone would be very lucky to have you looking out for her.”
