going to wonder what we’re doing in here,” Alex
said, waggling her eyebrows.
Jennifer smiled. “Or they’re going to assume they know what
we’re doing in here.” She swiped at the windshield and they sat in
comfortable silence, watching the clouds roll over the lake. Jennifer
was not usually okay with a total lack of conversation, but with
Alex it was relaxing. She reveled in the simplicity of just being in
the other woman’s presence, of having a friend who expected noth-
ing from her, who had no role for her to play. It was the most peace
she’d felt in a long time.
“So, did you have fun?” Alex asked, breaking the silence gen-
tly.
Jennifer smiled widely. “I had a blast. Your friends are wonder-
ful.”
34 Georgia Beers
“Does that mean you’ll at least consider becoming a regular?
We sure could use you.”
“I don’t even have to consider it. I’d love to.”
“Terrific.”
They were quiet again until the rain died down to an accept-
able rate of descent, and Jennifer turned the key in the ignition and
pointed them home.
“Can I ask you something?” she ventured, hoping she wasn’t
about to step out of line.
“Sure.”
“What’s the deal with you and Nikki?”
Alex felt her heart skip a beat, as it usually did when that par-
ticular type of subject was broached. “Um…what do you mean?”
“She seems kind of…possessive is the wrong word…” Jennifer
searched the air. “Clingy. She seems to cling to you. Are you lov-
ers?”
Alex’s face visibly blanched and Jennifer hid her smile.
Amused by her shyness, she allowed Alex to stutter and stammer
for a minute or two before trying to help.
“You are gay, right?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Alex cleared her throat awkwardly. “Yes.”
Jennifer furrowed her brow. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m…um…just surprised. That’s all.”
“Surprised that I knew or surprised that I asked?”
“Yes.”
“Alex.” Jennifer chuckled. “It is the twenty-first century, you
know. Will & Grace. Ellen. Queer as Folk. It’s not an uncommon
thing.”
She smiled shyly. “No, I suppose it isn’t.”
“So, what about Nikki?”
“Nikki.” She took a deep breath as if trying to decide how
much to reveal.
“I don’t mean to pry,” Jennifer said, suddenly worried that
maybe she had offended Alex. “It’s none of my business. I was just
curious.”
“No, no. It’s okay. Nikki is my ex. We were together for a fairly
short period of time.”
“Oh. And you still hang around together?”
“Yeah. The Curse of Lesbianism. You’re doomed to remain
friends with all your exes.”
“Ick.” Jennifer thought about how awkward that could be.
“Why?”
“Nobody knows.” Alex smiled. “Actually, Jackie and Rita are
Thy Neighbor’s Wife 35
really fond of Nikki, so she gets invited to the same gatherings as I
do.”
“That must be hard for you.”
“I got used to it, I guess.”
“How come you broke up?”
“It just didn’t work, you know?”
“Yeah. Sometimes it doesn’t. Is she seeing that other woman at
the party?”
“Diane? Yeah, she’s seeing her.” Alex scowled as she answered
and Jennifer laughed aloud.
“Tell me how you really feel about her.”
Alex laughed, too. “She’s a bitch and a control freak.”
Jennifer kept laughing. “No, no. Don’t sugar coat it for me.”
Alex sighed and hastened to correct herself. “You know what? I
shouldn’t say that. That’s not very nice of me. Nikki loves her—I
think—and Nikki’s my friend and I shouldn’t say things like that. I
don’t care much for Diane. How’s that?”
“Much more PC,” Jennifer commended. “She’s not great to
Nikki, is she?”
“You noticed, huh?”
“At the party. All anybody has to do is watch them for a few
minutes. Diane sat around the whole time I was there and Nikki
waited on her. I don’t think I heard Diane say thank you once…or
anything nice that I
said, waggling her eyebrows.
Jennifer smiled. “Or they’re going to assume they know what
we’re doing in here.” She swiped at the windshield and they sat in
comfortable silence, watching the clouds roll over the lake. Jennifer
was not usually okay with a total lack of conversation, but with
Alex it was relaxing. She reveled in the simplicity of just being in
the other woman’s presence, of having a friend who expected noth-
ing from her, who had no role for her to play. It was the most peace
she’d felt in a long time.
“So, did you have fun?” Alex asked, breaking the silence gen-
tly.
Jennifer smiled widely. “I had a blast. Your friends are wonder-
ful.”
34 Georgia Beers
“Does that mean you’ll at least consider becoming a regular?
We sure could use you.”
“I don’t even have to consider it. I’d love to.”
“Terrific.”
They were quiet again until the rain died down to an accept-
able rate of descent, and Jennifer turned the key in the ignition and
pointed them home.
“Can I ask you something?” she ventured, hoping she wasn’t
about to step out of line.
“Sure.”
“What’s the deal with you and Nikki?”
Alex felt her heart skip a beat, as it usually did when that par-
ticular type of subject was broached. “Um…what do you mean?”
“She seems kind of…possessive is the wrong word…” Jennifer
searched the air. “Clingy. She seems to cling to you. Are you lov-
ers?”
Alex’s face visibly blanched and Jennifer hid her smile.
Amused by her shyness, she allowed Alex to stutter and stammer
for a minute or two before trying to help.
“You are gay, right?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Alex cleared her throat awkwardly. “Yes.”
Jennifer furrowed her brow. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m…um…just surprised. That’s all.”
“Surprised that I knew or surprised that I asked?”
“Yes.”
“Alex.” Jennifer chuckled. “It is the twenty-first century, you
know. Will & Grace. Ellen. Queer as Folk. It’s not an uncommon
thing.”
She smiled shyly. “No, I suppose it isn’t.”
“So, what about Nikki?”
“Nikki.” She took a deep breath as if trying to decide how
much to reveal.
“I don’t mean to pry,” Jennifer said, suddenly worried that
maybe she had offended Alex. “It’s none of my business. I was just
curious.”
“No, no. It’s okay. Nikki is my ex. We were together for a fairly
short period of time.”
“Oh. And you still hang around together?”
“Yeah. The Curse of Lesbianism. You’re doomed to remain
friends with all your exes.”
“Ick.” Jennifer thought about how awkward that could be.
“Why?”
“Nobody knows.” Alex smiled. “Actually, Jackie and Rita are
Thy Neighbor’s Wife 35
really fond of Nikki, so she gets invited to the same gatherings as I
do.”
“That must be hard for you.”
“I got used to it, I guess.”
“How come you broke up?”
“It just didn’t work, you know?”
“Yeah. Sometimes it doesn’t. Is she seeing that other woman at
the party?”
“Diane? Yeah, she’s seeing her.” Alex scowled as she answered
and Jennifer laughed aloud.
“Tell me how you really feel about her.”
Alex laughed, too. “She’s a bitch and a control freak.”
Jennifer kept laughing. “No, no. Don’t sugar coat it for me.”
Alex sighed and hastened to correct herself. “You know what? I
shouldn’t say that. That’s not very nice of me. Nikki loves her—I
think—and Nikki’s my friend and I shouldn’t say things like that. I
don’t care much for Diane. How’s that?”
“Much more PC,” Jennifer commended. “She’s not great to
Nikki, is she?”
“You noticed, huh?”
“At the party. All anybody has to do is watch them for a few
minutes. Diane sat around the whole time I was there and Nikki
waited on her. I don’t think I heard Diane say thank you once…or
anything nice that I
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