Page 1 of Exposed

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“So, who is he?” Sheila asked her best friend and soon to be maid of honor. Her finger skated the rim of her half-consumed latte as she awaited the scoop, eyes dancing with anticipation.

Madison casually turned away, nonchalantly scanning the city streets from their perch at the corner cafe, avoiding Sheila’s see-right-through-you eye-contact at all costs. Her lips broke the leaf-shaped foam of her cappuccino as she took an extra-long sip from the over-sized mug. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Riiiight.” Sheila leaned in, the diligent reporter ready to expose a cover-up. “Sure. The ridiculous smiling. The pep in your step. The glowing skin. I get it. You want to keep it on the down-low. But you know that sooner or later, I’ll figure out who he is.” Madison knew Sheila was right. Her bestie always had a mystical way of knowing her deepest thoughts. But sharing this tidbit with anyone, let alone an up-and-coming reporter like Sheila, was completely out of the question.

Madison let Sheila attempt her Jedi-mind tricks, maintaining a staunch poker face. Madison rarely kept things from her, and she knew Sheila was probably putting two and two together as they sat. With where Madison worked and how long she’d been floating on air, perhaps she was naïve to think it would stay under wraps. And if Sheila figured it out on her own, it was fair game.

“Wait!” Sheila jumped in her chair, the riddle solved. “Holy shit, I get it. I know your big secret. You’re dating ...” Madison took a deep breath, ready to hear Alex’s name escape Sheila’s lips. If Sheila connected the dots, she couldn’t possibly deny it. Madison braced for impact as her head engaged in an anticipatory nod of agreement, “... a woman.”

“Yessss ... what?” WHAT? Madison’s shy smile and modest blush vanished as she scrutinized her mind’s instant replay. Did I just acknowledge being in a relationship with a woman? As her bobble-head shifted from nodding to shaking, Sheila reassured her.

“Look, if you’re not ready to come out, I’m a vault. But really, we’d all be good with it.” Madison clasped her hands, postured to correct the misunderstanding, but Sheila piled her hands on top. “We’re happiest when you’re happy, and you’re obviously happy.”

Madison weighed the cards she held. On one hand, if she protested, Sheila and the girls would just keep pestering her for Alex’s identity. And it wasn’t as if Alex had urged her to keep it under wraps. He hadn’t. If anything, he’d always made suggestions for them to go out—out in the open where anyone and everyone could see them. Just the thought always spiked her pulse. She just wasn’t ready to share this cherished secret. She held it close the way one did when blowing out the candles of their birthday cake.

On the other hand, perhaps playing along was the path of least resistance. They’d at least give her some space for a while, and she’d buy some time as she got to know Alex better. And it wouldn’t be an outright lie, or at least that’s what she tried telling herself. Madison didn’t say she was dating a woman, after all. Sheila did. She could just, well, not deny it. She removed one of her hands delicately like a Jenga piece, and placed it on top of Sheila’s.

“Well, um, Sheila ... I’m not saying I’m with a woman.” Sheila looked confused. “And, I’m not saying I’m with a man ... um, in particular.” Madison’s answer was so tangled, she started confusing herself.

“So, you’re not with anyone?” Sheila’s eyebrow lifted suspiciously as she sipped her drink. Madison knew that look. Sheila couldn’t gage where this was going, but was steadfastly searching for a solid direction to speculate in.

Madison hated lying, mostly because she sucked at it. She wasn’t sure how to back-pedal without tripping up. “Perhaps it’s best I leave it at that.”

Sheila strummed her fingers on the table, until a finger stopped mid-air. Her eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re curious.” Sheila’s nod was slow and convincing, hypnotically suggesting Madison go ahead and confess.

Madison’s effort to avoid another ride on this spin-city merry-go-round motivated her to live with that conclusion. At least for the time being. I mean, it’s true. By nature, I am a curious person. Though Sheila obviously inferred that by default she was bi-curious, Madison’s newly attuned fine-print acumen chimed in. That’s not what she said. “I’m curious in general, sure.” Her reply sounded much more like a question than a statement.

Sheila squealed with delight, then caught herself. Bringing her enthusiasm down, she pulled in closer. “You know, I get it. I’ve dabbled in, you know, curiosity.”

Madison’s eyes bulged, but before Sheila could unburden herself with a rich assortment of endless visual descriptions, the waiter broke in. “Ladies, can I get you anything else?” He swooped between them to clear the emptied plates. Madison had never been so relieved to have girl talk interrupted.

“Sheila, I’ve really got to get to work.” Madison reached for her latest Hermes clutch, fully prepared to pay the bill.

“No, no, no, girl. This one’s on me,” Sheila said, handing the waiter cash. “No change, thanks.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he replied, delighted with the fat tip as he carried the plates and cups away.

Both ladies stood, preparing to leave, when Sheila swept in for a huge hug, happily rocking Madison to and fro before leaning back. “And if you ever need to talk with someone who’s, you know, been there,” Sheila eyed their crotches, “I’m here for you.” Madison followed Sheila’s eye movements, then quickly shut hers, desperate to kill whatever image might intrude into her thoughts, and be something she couldn’t un-think.

“Oooo-kay, then. I do so appreciate that, girl.” Madison took a step back. “Well, gotta run.” Madison checked her 10-carat diamond bracelet as if it were a watch, intent on scampering away. As Madison headed off, she felt the light smack of Sheila’s hand on her ass.

“You do you, girl!” Sheila hollered a little too loudly for Madison’s comfort. “And bring whoever you want to the wedding.” Madison waved back awkwardly, lowering her head while letting her thick tresses drape over her embarrassed face as she headed down the street.

Approaching the towering D.G.I. skyscraper, she considered the whirlwind her life had become over the past few weeks. The dinners. The shopping. The traveling. The opulence of which she diligently took in stride. She much preferred the here-and-there opportunities to get to know Alex better, cherishing those moments intensely. He was amazing, and made every second feel new and magical. He adored her as no one had, as if she were the first woman to really be in his life. Perhaps she was. But was there a reason for that? Her anxiety laid as low as it could, but remained a compulsive backdrop, threatening to come front and center at the slightest unrest.

Everything was wonderful, but all so private. Extremely private. Not like a non-disclosure agreement or anything, but neither of them pressed the other too hard to shout their relationship from the rooftops. Madison wasn’t keen on the idea her credibility might fly out the window at D.G.I. if water-cooler gossip hit the halls. And Alex just seemed contented to keep her all to himself. And who could blame him?

If things detoured from happily ever after, not only his image, but D.G.I.’s image might suffer an unintended consequence or two. On top of which, their relationship as a whole was all so new. Barely a month. Now, by the calendar of public opinion, some might argue this alone was more than impressive. It represented an Alex Drake Olympic-level world record. A notorious bachelor and womanizer, a Drake-month might as well be a dating dog-year.

But worst of all, there was the secrecy. Maybe secrecy was too strong a term, but why was he waiting to tell her “everything else,” as he put it. What else was there? And what’s with the book? And the photo? Or how they met? Or the making myself “at home”?

Reflecting on that last question, Madison wasn’t exactly sure if that was a question for Alex, or herself. Normally, she would have built walls up around herself, keeping anyone from getting too close, always protecting herself from a life where loss was inevitable. But with Alex, there were no walls. She eased into him with a cozy familiarity she’d never known. She’d never felt so comfortable. So at home. How could she fall so fast for a man she barely knew, but who seemed to know her so well?

Despite all the other questions that pelted her mind daily, none of these was the biggest question. The biggest was an undisputed heavyweight question of unknown proportions.

Why me?

And as quickly as these questions arose day in and day out, she just as persistently whack-a-moled them down. Their thirty-day arrangement was well underway and ebbing to a close. Per their agreement, she would know everything one way or another in just a matter of days. With that, she opted to focus instead on the question at hand. Sheila’s wedding was just around the corner. She was the maid of honor, and an escort would be required. The question of the hour danced through her mind. Should I bring a man, or a woman?

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