Page 25 of Stay Here Tonight
Lydia remained frozen in her seat, not that she could move much to begin with. While her mind raced with a million different thoughts, Maxine reached across the backseat and put a hand on Lydia’s arm. “Kidding. A little. Sorry.”
“You’re into that?” Lydia blurted.
“Ah? Not that much. It’s hot with the right person. That’s all.”
“I see.” Barely. Lydia knew enough about kinky bedroom play to know what she was talking about, but she had never partaken before. Then again, it sounded kinda hot… and if Maxine could turn it up a further notch in the bedroom… uh oh…
Probably best to stop thinking about that kind of crap.
“So, no,” Maxine continued, wrapping a leather cover around her phone before shoving it into her jacket pocket. “I never abused my wife. I know it’s cliché to try to get you to believe this, but no… never. She’s making horrible shit up to get to me. It’s what she does. Don’t pay anything she says any mind.” She closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Lydia pulled out her phone and texted Joanie.“So I’m in the back of a limo with a hot millionaire I’ve already had sex with once… and we had a quaint conversation about how hot certain kinky things can be. What do I do with this information?”
Joanie said exactly what Lydia hoped to read.
“You get her back in bed right this instance!! Then tell me all about how good she spanked your naughty ass!”
A nap sounded great. They had another couple of hours until they arrived. Lydia would need her beauty sleep to survive this night.
***
Maxine wasn’t actually asleep, but she had perfected the ability to power nap in ten-minute increments. So happened that sometimes those increments ended when someone else in the back of the limo was asleep.
This was probably a bad idea.Maxine had been opposed to Angela’s plan to begin with. This was how it began last time, too. Sure, only right to offer Lydia some compensation for the inconvenience, but to actually go out with her? In a dubious relationship that may be real enough to fool people, but not serious enough to make them both happy?
Maxine was prepared to reject the idea until her lawyer stepped in. The man’s input was what swayed Maxine to make the offer. Because what if her lawyer was right? What if Lydia was the perfect weapon to thwart Penelope’s claim? Thwarting her obsession, for fuck’s sake! Didn’t help that the therapist also quipped that Penelope might finally back off if Maxine could prove she had finally moved on from her marriage.
She didn’t expect Lydia to accept, however.Oh, who am I kidding? Of course she accepted. She’s biting at the chomp to date me.As evident from the questions she asked. Really? She thought it would be cute to ask about the abuse allegationsandbedroom play? Maxine was not prepared for that. She was, however, prepared for Lydia to take her to church over what happened last time they were together.
Yet this made Maxine extra grateful that the fundraiser that night wouldn’t be covered by the paparazzi. Oh, a few papers were allowed to send their best photographers to take group shots, headshots, and motion shots of the speeches and dances, but everything was tightly controlled by a professional security team. Maxine personally knew that night’s male host, a famous Hollywood producer who also happened to have a husband and cared alotabout making sure the legal status of their marriage stayed. Maxine wouldn’t call him a good friend, but she respected him, and always made a point of going to his LGBT fundraisers. Tonight’s was primarily for a new series of queer homeless shelters going up in major cities across America, including LA.
She was glad to avoid the paps because Lydia wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Few women, even those from money like Maxine, could tolerate the flash of lights when arriving at a well-to-do event. Tonight’s, however, was far back on private property. An attendant approached the limo and opened the door on Maxine’s behalf. Lydia slid across the back seat, shocked to see Maxine’s extended hand.
“We’re dating, remember? It’s time to make an entrance.”
Lydia took her hand.Been about three years since I last held someone’s hand like this.Familiar, yet chilling. Lydia’s hand was much smaller than Penelope’s. Warmer, too, but that wasn’t difficult to accomplish.
Immediately, the other guests stared at them – mostly at Maxine, whom they could not believe brought agirlfriendto a formal function. Normally she came alone or picked up a date for the night from her address book, based on location, level of formality, and whether or not she thought a certain woman would greatly benefit from meeting other people.
They also stared at Lydia. Of course they did. They wanted to know what kind of woman it took to make Maxine forget about Penelope the supermodel.
Well! Lydia wasn’t a supermodel, now was she? That didn’t mean she was anything unfortunate to look at. Most of the other guests instantly found her airy voice and embarrassing stuttering charming. It helped that she didn’t know most of these people, aside from those who already did work for the foundation back home. The strangers were mostly charity and liberal politic elites who would at least pretend to be infatuated with Lydia for five minutes before forgetting her existence. They never forgot Maxine’s, though. She reeked of money and French perfume.
Like Lydia was nothing but enthusiasm bubbling beneath her skin. Maxine suffered a brief flashback to last week, when she had the pleasure of pinning this woman beneath her body and making “love” to her. Hadn’t Lydia been quite the trooper since then? Her anger had been real enough to cut with a pocketknife. Now she acted as if Maxine had behaved in a rational manner.
It made her sip more champagne while watching Lydia discuss one of LA’s outreach programs with a member of the board. The elderly man kept up his side of the conversation by respectfully pointing out the flaws in Lydia’s logic and explaining to her how working with local laws and fundraising matters often impeded things. Nevertheless, he was impressed with her body of knowledge gleamed from college, work, and a desire to do her community better.
“See you’ve finally met a real match for yourself, Woodward,” the man said to her after Lydia excused herself. “Should have guessed you enjoy the company of a charity worker.”
“She’s not bad to look at either, of course.”
He stepped back, eyes glistening with understanding. “So her wit and pleasant demeanor are bonuses to her cute façade?”
“It’s hardly a façade.” Maxine was confident enough saying that. “She’s rather genuine in that regard. That’s all I really care about anymore.”
“Be sure to dance with her tonight,” the man said. “See you around, Woodward.”
Maxine’s attentions were instantly drawn to the next person who approached her. She barely noticed Lydia’s return.
