Page 47 of Only One Bed: Anthology Vol. 1
Damn Sierra and that mouth of hers.
Emme exhaled and put down her sandwich. She’d known this would come up, and, honestly, she was surprised it had taken this long.
“Nothing happened...ever, and that was the problem. He’s a great guy for someone, just not me. We didn’t have that thing that causes a person to rush home from work just to see the other person or get butterflies when they text – even if all that text says is ‘forgot to get milk.’ We were great housemates, cornhole partners, and friends. I know there’s more, and I want more. I tried to make it work and yes there was a ring for a little bit, but I gave it back. It was painful, but more for our families than us. In all honesty, I think he was relieved when I finally told him that this wasn’t working. I heard he’s dating a dental assistant and they have a puppy.”
Emme sat back feeling relieved and picked her sandwich back up. She’d done it. She’d spoke the dreaded words and now it was over. For a while, she had viewed it as a failure on her part but was now at peace, mostly. Kendall didn’t seem shocked. No one ever was. Everyone else must have known before her. Emme wanted her lunch companion to know the truth and maybe more than that, that she was unattached.
“What about you? I’ve not heard of anyone steady in your life since Marina.”
Kendall sat quietly, then folded her hands behind her head and leaned back against her pack, causing her neck to extend and her chest to become more prominent. “Marina and I had a great time in college, really we did. I mean she was my first real girlfriend, the one who held my hand when I came out to my family, the one who helped me figure out who I was, and who I was only trying to be. But we always knew our time was limited from the beginning. Her heart was in New York - busy restaurants, running the kitchen like the drill-sergeant-queen she was always meant to be. My heart has always been here with the river, slow and steady. I can appreciate bigger and faster, and I visit her a couple of times a year, but my home is here. I’ve dated here and there, but you know how it is.”
Emme’s heart was step dancing, “No, how is it?” She was feeling brave.
Kendall’s face was a blank mask for a second, but then a slow smile crawled across her features, “Let’s go, my little photo-bug. We should head back and set up our tents while we still have good light.”
Mylittle photo-bug…
Emme wasn’t sure what to be more delighted about, the nickname, or the fact that Kendall had said that she was hers…
She quickly helped pack up and then, once again, her breath was matching the rhythm of her camera shutter, and Kendall was humming something that sounded lovely but unfamiliar.
“What are you humming? It’s pretty.”
“It’s my favorite song.”
“What’s it called?”
“Wherever is Your Heart.It’s by Brandi Carlile.”
Emme felt like that was significant but wasn’t sure why. She’d have to unpack it later.
Time went quickly after that until they found themselves back at the base camp.
“I’ll help you put your tent up, and then we can do mine,” said Kendall.
She grabbed the greenish-brown pack that Emme had brought and stared at it for a minute.
“This is rather...vintage.”
Emme’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “The tents all belonged to Dominic, and I never bought my own, so I borrowed this one from my grandpa Jake’s barn. He said it was fine the last time he used it.”
Kendall started laughing, “Your grandpa Jake hasn’t camped on the river in at least 10 years.”
Emme rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, shut up. I’m sure it’s pristine.”
Kendall flashed another one of those million-dollar smiles “Let’s check it out and if there is an issue you can share mine.”
Share mine.
Emme had a brief thought of throwing her tent in the river or the fire...an accident of course, but then came to her senses. They were friends, here to do a job of sorts, and... Kendall was so hot that if anything did happen, Emme would probably die of heart failure and never get her tarot deck out into the world.
Kendall began to open the ‘vintage’ bag as Emme started moving some larger stones out of the way. Kendall abruptly started laughing so loud that Emme, startled, fell over a log they were using as a bench.
Looking up at Kendall from her new vantage point, Emme noticed two things. One, Kendall was now crying with laughter, and two, she was holding up a decorative holiday flag, the kind for the yard. This particular flag had a giant purple bunny on it that saidHoppy Easter.Emme must have grabbed whatever her grandma Mary stored her seasonal yard flags in.
Emme felt the feeling of giddiness, joy, and peace start at her toes and move into her chest as she began to laugh and laugh until she could barely breathe. Kendall held out a strong and calloused hand that felt warm and gentle when Emme took it. She pulled the red-headed witch to her feet with so much strength that they almost bumped chests.
They stood there, inches apart, staring into each other’s eyes. Had Kendall always had gold flakes in her eyes? And those smile-lines around her eyes and mouth were a post-college addition for sure. They added a sense of knowing to her face. It was intriguing. It made Emme want to know what Kendall knew. Kendall took a slow step backward and a very obvious deep breath.
