A Table for Two (19 page)

"Why don't we sit in the living room while Ridley takes care of things?" Vicki suggested. "Would you care for another cup of coffee?"

"No thanks. I'm stuffed and I don't think I could eat or drink another thing." Dana stood when Vicki did and followed her into the living room.

"Dinner was delicious," Dana said once they were seated across from each other. Vicki's home was warm and inviting and Dana was surprised by how comfortable she felt there. She was even more surprised by how easy it was to talk to Ridley's mother.

"Thank you. That's a compliment coming from a chef."

"I make a lot of fancy dishes at the restaurant, but in my heart, I've always preferred old-fashioned comfort food. I grew up having Sunday dinners like roast chicken and roast beef and my mother was an excellent cook--is an excellent cook I should say."

"I grew up the same way, but now there's no one to make Sunday dinner for unless Ridley or my sister come over. That's why I was so happy when Ridley said she'd invited you to come today. It means a lot to me to have you girls here."

"I enjoyed being here," Dana said.

"Good. Then maybe you'll come again, sometime?"

"Sure. I'd like that."

They chatted about mundane things a while and then, during a break in the conversation, Vicki leaned forward and scanned with her eyes as if to make sure Ridley was no where around. "Dana, please tell me if you feel this is none of my business, but there's something I want to know and I don't know how to ask you except to come right out with it. Are you and Ridley seeing each other? Dating in other words?"

"No, we're not. We're just friends."

"Are you a..." Vicki hesitated. "This is terribly awkward."

"Yes, I'm a lesbian." This was a first. Dana couldn't remember ever having been asked about her sexual orientation by a friend's mother. Still, she felt at ease talking to Vicki and she sensed nothing coming from her but sincere interest. In fact, she got the distinct impression that Vicki needed to talk to someone about her daughter.

"Thanks for making that easier. I hope I wasn't intrusive. It's just that Ridley seems quite taken with you. I saw something in the way she looked at you and I assumed that meant--well, it seems I assumed incorrectly. It's just that I had hoped..." Vicki took a sip of her coffee. "You see, I want to see my daughter happy and sometimes I worry about her."

"Why do you worry about her?" Dana asked. She could see that Vicki cared very much for her daughter, but more than that, she wanted to know the answer.

"She's sensitive and she cares deeply about things. She's always had a beautiful heart and an even more beautiful soul. Some of the women she's dated have overlooked that fact about her. I know she would never give her heart away easily but sometimes I fear she'll never give it to anyone. I would hate to see that happen to someone like my Ridley, someone that extraordinary. I know you're thinking that I'm her mother and I'm terribly biased and I would have to agree with you that I am, but I love her more than anything in this world."

Vicki's candid and loving assessment of her daughter touched Dana deeply and she didn't doubt one thing Vicki had said about Ridley. "I wouldn't worry if I were you. She won't end up alone." Although she didn't go on to explain her reasons, she instinctively knew that Ridley wouldn't have to be alone unless she made that choice. She had way too much to offer. Besides being attractive, desirable and interesting, she was kind and sensitive and had a quality about her that made her almost irresistible. She was someone who could capture your heart and soul.

"I hope you're right," Vicki said.

"I can't imagine that happening. Not in her case."

"I hope you didn't mind me asking. It's difficult when your daughter's a lesbian. I never quite know if someone is a friend or a love interest unless she tells me. When she said she wanted to bring you here, I guess I thought..." Vicki leaned forward in her chair. "Never mind what I thought. Can I ask you another personal question?"

"Go ahead," Dana said with amusement. It amazed her that Ridley's mother was brave enough to get this personal in the first place, especially with a relative stranger.

"Do your parents know you're gay?"

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't told them." Dana shrugged her shoulders. "I know I should. I'm getting tired of keeping my personal life a secret."

"Don't they wonder why you don't date men or have any interest in them?" Vicki asked. "Don't they ever ask you any questions about your personal life?"

"They do, but I tell them I'm too busy to have a social life. So far, that's been working." Dana stopped to think about what she would say next and decided she might as well be honest. "I've wanted to tell them and I almost did a few times, but I couldn't get the words out. I feel especially bad that I haven't told my sister, because we've always been close." Dana had never told anyone other than Tracy how she felt about this, but Vicki made her feel open and willing to share her thoughts and feelings, just like her daughter did.

"I imagine that wouldn't be an easy thing to do, but speaking from my own experience, I felt relieved when Ridley told me. Something was driving a wedge between us and I suspected she might be gay, but I didn't know how to ask her."

"I don't like deceiving my family, but I'm afraid to tell them."

"I really think it's better to know the truth," Vicki said.

"How did you feel when Ridley told you?"

"It wasn't exactly what I'd hoped to hear, but once it was out in the open, we were able to be close again like we always were. It was impossible for us to have an honest relationship when she had to hide something that important from me. Did she tell you about her father's death? She never told him and she suffered dearly for it."

"She did tell me about that," Dana said.

"She'll have to carry that around with her for the rest of her life."

"By the way, I'm sorry about your husband."

"Thank you." Vicki said. "My Jeremy was a wonderful man and I miss him every day."

"I'm sure you do." Dana paused, feeling at a loss for words. "I'm afraid my family will turn away from me." God, where did that come from? She'd just revealed to Ridley's mother the one thing that terrified her the most, the one thing that had stopped her from telling them.

"That's what everyone fears, isn't it? In reality, someone might turn away from you for a time, but if you don't tell them who you really are, you deny your loved ones the chance to be there for you and to share your life. You do realize some of your family may already know or at least suspect it and that maybe they've been afraid to ask you?"

"I have entertained that possibility," Dana said.

"You might be surprised to find out how much they've already figured out on their own and keep in mind that once you tell them, the ball is in their court, so to speak. You can't control how they react or how they feel about it."

"I understand that, but those reactions and feelings are what scare me." How strange that Ridley's mother had brought up the very thing that had been preying on her mind as of late. It had begun nagging her right after she and Ridley talked that night on the beach and she knew she had to tell them and soon.

"Maybe I've given you something to think about and I thank you for being so honest with me. I hope you didn't find my questions shocking."

"Not shocking, exactly. I'm just not used to being asked about that," Dana said.

"And I'm not used to asking. We started talking and it just seemed to come pouring out." Vicki stood up. "If you don't mind, I think I'll go see if Ridley needs help. You stay here and when I return I'd love to hear about your restaurant. I've got a lot of questions I'd like to ask you, much less threatening ones this time."

Dana smiled. "I'll be right here. Take your time."

VICKI HELPED HER daughter put the pots and pans away and wipe the counter tops clean. They'd performed this task as a team many times and they worked quickly and quietly until they were through. In no time, all vestiges of their dinner together had vanished.

Vicki stood next to Ridley near the sink. "I like Dana. She's a nice girl."

Ridley stopped what she was doing and turned to her mother. "I know Mom. She's beautiful isn't she? And she's so nice. I like her so much."

"Honey," Vicki said as she placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I don't want you to think I'm prying into your personal affairs, but it seems to me that she means a lot more to you than just a friend. Is that true?"

"Mom..." Ridley felt her eyes become wet with tears. "How do you always know?"

"I know you so well and I can't say as I blame you. Anyone can see how extraordinary she is." Vicki pulled Ridley closer. "Does she share your feelings?"

Ridley shook her head. "I think she's in love with someone else."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Vicki tightened her arm around Ridley's shoulder and held her to her side. "If it's meant to be it will be and if it doesn't turn out to be Dana it'll be someone else, I promise you. It's only a matter of time."

"I don't want it to be someone else. I want it to be her."

Vicki held Ridley's chin and turned her head so their eyes met. "Here's something I don't think I ever told you. I wasn't crazy about your father at first, but the more I got to know him the more I liked him and eventually my feelings changed. Or, maybe I should say they changed after the first time he kissed me." Her laugh was soft and she brushed a tear from Ridley's cheek. "You never were one to hold back your tears, my sweet girl." She let Ridley go and put a little space between them. "I know you wouldn't want to be with someone who didn't want to be with you, now would you?"

"No, I wouldn't, Mom."

"That's the right answer. Now, let's get back to our guest, shall we?"

"WE'RE ALL DONE," Vicki said as she and Ridley returned to the living room. "I hope we didn't leave you out here all by yourself for too long?"

"Not at all," Dana answered. "I was just enjoying this lovely room and thinking that I'd be delighted if you'd be my guest at my restaurant. You can come for dinner or brunch, your choice, and bring Ridley and your sister if you'd like." Dana glanced at Ridley. "We're booked far in advance on the weekends, so a week day would be better and a lot less crowded."

"I'd love to do that," Vicki replied. "We'll come soon, won't we sweetheart?"

"Sure we will, Mom." Ridley made an effort to pull herself together. If she couldn't control her emotions any better than she had today, it was going to be impossible to carry on any kind of relationship with Dana, either friendship or otherwise. Her normally solid foundation had begun to crumble and for the first time in her life, she found herself teetering on shaky ground.

"By the way, Ridley," Vicki said. "I need you to do something for me. Could you drive down to the shore house sometime soon and take care of a few things? I've got a lot going on and I don't know when I can get down there."

"I can go next weekend. What do you need me to do?"

"I wrote it all down for you." Vicki took a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Ridley. "I won't have the plumber drain the pipes and shut the house down for the winter until after Thanksgiving, but I want you to cover the deck furniture and do a few other things before it gets too cold. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"No. I wanted to go down again, anyway."

"Take a friend with you if you'd like to." Vicki glanced at Dana and then back at her daughter. "You could spend the weekend. It's so nice down there in the fall."

"Maybe I will." Ridley knew her mother was suggesting that she should ask Dana to go with her and she thought it was very sweet of her. She stood up to go. "I think we'll head home now before it gets too late."

"Give me a call when you get back to let me know you made it home safely, will you? And you both have a good week."

"YOUR MOTHER'S A special lady," Dana said as soon as they turned out of the driveway.

"She is, isn't she."

"You know something? Being with you and her today made me think about how much I miss doing things with my family. I don't get to see them often enough now that I live far away and I miss my sister most of all. We talk on the phone a couple of times a week, but it's not the same as seeing her and being able to do things with her."

"That must be tough." Purely on impulse, Ridley steadied herself with a deep breath and asked, "Would you consider going with me next weekend? I know you love it there and it would be great if you came with me. I hate to go alone." Those words weren't quite true because Ridley had never minded going there alone, but the prospect of being with Dana made her say anything she could come up with to convince her to go.

"I don't know. When would you go down?"

"We wouldn't have to go until Sunday morning if that works better for you."

"That would be better. You'd drive?" Dana asked.

"Yeah, I'll drive. What do you say?"

Dana studied Ridley's face before she replied. "I guess I could go. Tracy can do brunch and I don't think she'd mind. She's been bugging me to get out and do things."

"Fantastic." Ridley's smile almost hurt. "Why don't we leave early? How about if I pick you up around nine o'clock?"

"That will work. When are you planning on coming back?"

"I'll take a personal day on Monday since you're off. That way we can stay overnight and come back after dinner on Monday." Ridley couldn't think of a more valid reason to use up one of her personal days. The teacher's union intended them to be used for personal emergencies and in Ridley's mind, having an opportunity to be alone with Dana De Marco for two whole days definitely qualified as a personal emergency.

"Okay," Dana answered.

Except for polite conversation, they were mostly quiet as they drove home. Ridley kept a tight rein on her feelings and everything she wanted to say remained unsaid as they pulled up in front of Dana's building. Ridley released her seat belt and turned in her seat. "I guess I'll see you next Sunday, then?"

"Yeah, see you next Sunday." Dana gathered her things and opened the door, but before she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she turned. "Thanks for taking me to your Mom's house for dinner. I had a good time and..." Dark eyes gazed at Ridley as if they held something inside.