Page 22 of The Love We Make

“I don’t want to break your tender, Nora-Levine-loving St James’ hearts,” Juan says, “but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Nora’s simply not like that.”

So many times I’ve heard something similar said about Nora since I met her. Not a word of it a lie, either. I already know that from experience.

“But this little bastard got to spend yesterday evening with her,” Heather says. Bobby and the boys are at home nursing colds, so she’s more liberal with calling her brother names.

“Not so little anymore.” Austin makes sure he towers over his sister.

I glance at the elaborate bouquet of flowers Juan brought me.

“Is it exhausting?” I ask him. “Everywhere you go, everyone’s always talking about Nora.”

“It’s not like this everywhere I go,” Juan says. “Your kids are just extra ferocious when it comes to Nora.”

“How is she?” I coax him into the kitchen with me while the kids banter.

“Fine. She said to say hello.” He rests his dark-brown eyes on me.

“Did she?”

“Yeah. I think you swayed her with that dinner. She quite likes you now.”

“You mean she puts up with me more willingly.” I hand him a mimosa.

Juan chuckles. “Nora’s Nora. She is who she is and she isn’t going to change anymore now.” He glances around the kitchen. “This is a gorgeous kitchen in a lovely home, Mimi.” He leans toward me. “And for your information, I’ve never met a man who has so many nice things to say about his own mother. It’s a real credit to you that Austin speaks about you the way he does.”

“Oh, you know, a gay son and his mother. It’s a special bond.”

“Trust me,” Juan says, sounding suddenly wistful, “it’s really not.”

“Juan!” Lauren shouts. They’re all a bit more rowdy than usual. “Tell us, in your own words, how you met Nora.”

“I did my best with them,” I say loud enough for everyone to hear. “But when it comes to certain celebrities, they have no manners whatsoever.”

I join Juan at the table because I’m interested in this story as well.

“Listen carefully, kids.” Juan clearly enjoys being the center of attention—and has zero qualms talking about Nora. “I was volunteering at the LGBT Center, just going about my day, being my normal fabulous self, when all of a sudden, everyone starts acting bat-shit crazy. Surely, I was aware of Nora Levine. I may have spent a large part of my teens in not-so-nice places, but even so, it was hard not to know aboutHigh Life.” He rests his chin on an upturned finger. “I knew who she was when she walked in, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me as it was to the others. Let’s just say I had other fish to fry, and more important things to do than fawn over some overpaid actor. Like make rent and keep my head above water.”

Austin’s told me some things about Juan’s past, but I don’t know all the details.

“And staying alive with a few shreds of dignity intact,” Juan continues.

The girls are hanging on his every word.

“Anyway, I kid you not when I say it was like something out of a movie. In walks the biggest TV star the world has ever known at the absolute peak of her fame. Our eyes meet. She looks at me; I look at her. And boom, it’s like something magical happens between us. There’s no other way to describe it. Like love at first sight. Purely platonic, obviously.” Eyebrows arched all the way up, he nods. “Nora did her thing at the Center. Dropping off a fat check, thank you very much. And all the time, I felt completely drawn to her. I wasn’t the only one, of course. Every last one of us was losing our shit over Nora. She has always given generously to the Center, but it was hardly just that. I didn’t know what she was really like at the time, and she has changed so much since, but back then, when Nora walked in, it was like the air changed. Like all the atoms in the atmosphere rearranged themselves just to please her, to accommodate her very existence.”

Juan should have gone into theater with the way he can enthrall the people around him.

“I wasn’t nearly as fabulous back then as I am now, but I must have had something, because Nora was drawn to me like a moth to a flame. We hit it off, and my life has never been the same since. She took me under her wing and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

“If you can get Nora Levine to fall for you like that, our little bro never stood a chance,” Jennifer says.

“I never stopped volunteering at the LGBT Center,” Juan says. “I still work there most days. I basically owe my life to that place and Nora has been more than generous.”

“Is she queer?” Heather asks.

“Who knows what Nora is?” Juan does his best to keep Nora’s cloak of secrecy intact.

“She pretty much told me last night,” Austin says. “She’s like you, Jen.”

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