Susan X. Meagher Doublecrossed

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Callie gently pulled Regan s ponytail. I m glad. I like surprises.
With a tender expression that somehow let Callie see into her soul,
Regan said, I wouldn t do them if you didn t like them. �en Callie
turned to look at the pastries, so that Regan wouldn t see the longing in
her eyes.
An hour later, they were tooling around the Freedom Trail on a
Segway tour. Callie had heard of Segways, but she d never seen one.
Nevertheless, she loved the experience and she kept sidling up to Regan
and saying, �ank you for this. It s outstanding! before she d dart
away, giggling.
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At 1:35 p.m. the first pitch was thrown at what Callie hoped would
be the first of many games she d see at Fenway Park. �e day was warm
and clear, the fans were incredibly enthusiastic, the game was a
complete sellout, and the Red Sox won with a walk-off homer in the
ninth inning.
As they filed out of the stadium, Regan said, Would you like to go
to the second best sports bar in the country?
Uhm, okay, but why don t we go to the best one?
I have no idea where that is. I just know this one claims it s the
second-best. And the beers are a third the price they are in the
stadium.
I should hope so! I don t usually pay that much for dinner! I made
that one beer last six innings. It was warm, but they weren t gonna get
that kinda money off me twice.
�e bar was just around the corner and it seemed like most of the
fans were heading there. �is place gets really crowded, but it s a lot of
fun.
I like fun. And I like crowded bars. Remember how crowded the
place in Provincetown was?
Regan grasped her arm and pulled her to stop, making hundreds of
people veer around them. "Would you rather go to a lesbian bar?
Callie guided Regan to stand behind a light pole, giving them some
breathing room from the crush of people streaming by. A sports bar is
great. It s like a doubleheader.
Are you sure? You seemed to really enjoy the place in
Provincetown.
I did. But that was then and this is now. Now we re in a baseball
mood.
Regan took her by the elbow and started to walk towards the bar. If
you re sure.
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I m positive. �ey put their heads down and fought like a pair of
salmon to get in the door, but they finally managed.
Regan went towards the bar and returned a mere twenty minutes
later with four beers. Drink up, she said, grinning slyly. Next time,
you re buying. � en we can compare notes on how many people put
their hands on your ass.
Callie had just gotten back from her turn to buy and she declared,
One guy rubbed his shoulder against my boob, and another one
blatantly put his hand on my butt while leering at me. Not too bad.
She chuckled, shaking her head. Some guys turn into predators when
they get into a place like this. Women are a little more subtle.
Regan winced. �at s why I thought you might prefer a lesbian bar.
�at and the other thing, she added, grinning.
What other thing?
Chasing girls. You seem to be really good at it.
Callie let out a squawk of dissent. I ve never chased a woman or a
man. I don t do that.
Regan laughed at her reply. I saw you with six or seven different
women in P town. Not to mention the one you were playing tonsil
hockey with.
Looking haughty, Callie said, I didn t ask one person to dance. I
never do. And I didn t kiss her, she kissed me. She pulled me onto her
lap, not the other way around.
Oh, I see. You just flash those dimples and women chase you. I can
see how that would happen. You re too cute to ignore.
I m not exactly shy, but I ve never had the nerve to put myself out
there. I just wait for an invitation. She smiled sweetly, her devilish side
showing through.
Regan tried not to stare, but it wasn t easy. � ose dimples could
make a grown woman weep. And when that smile flashed and those
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white teeth gleamed, it was enthralling. Where had the glum mood
gone? Impossible to say, but no one could stay in a bad mood when
Callie was around. Lying in her arms the night before had miraculously
made the day dawn brighter and sweeter. How could that be? It must
be the aura she gave off. Calming and nurturing but also playful and
almost giddy. What a double play.
It was late when they finally stumbled into their swap. Neither knew
where the light switch was, and they fumbled and bumped into each
other for a few minutes, giggling the whole time. Regan tried to flip
Callie s nose to get the light on and Callie stood in the center of the
room and clapped loudly, several times, before grumbling, �e Clapper
is a wonderful addition to any home. We should leave one as a gift.
Regan finally located the switch on a tiny bit of wall between two
door frames. When the bright, unflattering light clicked on, she
immediately shut it off. Whoa! � is is why lighting in bars is always
soft and flattering.
Hey! Was that intended for me?
Regan switched it on again. Of course not. But it s harsh and it
hurts my eyes. I m gonna find some candles. She hunted around the
place, finding a pair of poorly used pillars. Some people don t know
how to use a candle properly, she muttered, before lighting both and
setting them on the breakfast bar. When she turned off the overhead
lights, she sighed with pleasure. �at s better.
�e dim light did make the place look much nicer and it cast a
golden glow on Callie s features that Regan found impossible to ignore.
She slapped her hands on the bar to snap herself out of her musings.
One more for the road. She went to the refrigerator and pulled two
beers out, handing one to Callie. Are you woman enough?
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Taking the challenge, Callie twisted the top off and slugged down a
healthy amount. Regan matched her, holding the bottle to her lips and
letting it drain for a few glugs.
Well played. You, my friend, know how to pound the brewskis.
I don t do it often, but I ve got the touch, she admitted, grinning
goofily. Now let s get back to our discussion.
It was an argument, Callie decreed. And I won.
It wasn t an argument, and if it was, I won. I know when a woman s
interested in me, and the woman in question was most definitely not.
She was looking at you every time I peeked at her. Every time,
Callie emphasized.
Not buying it. And if she was, she must have thought she
recognized me. Maybe she had her wedding at the Inn. She was
married, you know. She had a big, big diamond on her left hand and the
guy with her had a ring on too.
Well, Callie said, banging her bottle on the table, he might as well
start looking for a lawyer, because she was into you. Big time.
Was not. Not, not, not, not, not. I always know when a woman is
into me. It s a sixth sense.
You always know?
Always.
You ve never, ever, not even once, been wrong?
Never. Not once. Never will be wrong. Regan slammed her bottle
onto the table hard enough to break it, but the glass held and she stood
there, looking smug.
Where did you get this power?
I don t know. But I guarantee I have it. A flurry of thoughts raced
through her mind. She knew she was right, so it was time to gut it up
and spill it. She looked vaguely triumphant when she added, My
powers tell me that there is someone who s interested in me.
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Callie looked like she d fallen into a hole. Her eyes blinked a few
times, showing what looked like fear. Who might that be? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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