“I don’t know how I can thank you.” I said honestly.
“Buy me dinner.” She laughed.
“Deal.” I agreed. “Chinese all right?”
Since it was a nice night out we decided to walk into to town to the Jade Garden, Haven’s only Chinese restaurant. Over dinner we talked nonstop about everything. We discussed Haley and the war. I was mesmerized by everything she had to say. I found myself staring at her neck and the slight hint of cleavage her blouse was exposing. Allison had unlocked so many doors for me. Thinking that she might be leaving in the spring suddenly made me feel empty. “Is this how Haley felt each time Eleanor left her?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
A week later I returned to our office after teaching one of my classes. I walked in to find a raven-haired woman searching the contents of Allison’s desk. Although I could only see the woman’s hair instinctively I knew that it was not Allison. “Hello?” I called out to the stranger. Her head popped up and I was greeted by a familiar smile. The same hair, cheekbones and cocky grin. The only difference was her eyes they were definitely not her sister’s dazzling baby blues. No Nicole had deep brown eyes. Of course the first time we met I don’t think I ever saw her eyes. In fact I seemed to recall that during our entire luncheon the woman never removed her sunglasses. “You’re not Stan.” She said slyly.
“What was your first clue?” I teased.
“No bow tie.” She said dryly. “And you have much nicer legs.”
“Ah that Kendell charm.” I sighed.
“What can I say?” Nicole smiled brightly.
As she stood and I noticed that Nicole stood a few inches shorter than her older sister. “Why do get the feeling that when the two of you were growing up nobody’s sons or daughters were safe?” I could not help but feel the Kendell charm emanating from this woman. Nicole just laughed. “Stephanie Grant.” I extended my hand knowing that the chances of her remembering our first encounter was slim to none. Nicole accepted my hand and shook it warmly. “Nicole Kendell.” She greeted me. “But you already knew that.” She added in a questioning tone.
“Actually we met years ago.” I answered hesitantly.
“Oh Dear.” Nicole sighed. “What did I do?”
“How do you know you did anything?” I asked.
“Law of averages.” Nicole answered flatly. “Come on. You will have to fill me in on just how big of a jackass I was. To be perfectly honest most of the nineties are a bit of a blur to me.”
I was more than a bit surprised by this woman’s candor. “Well you and I had a luncheon meeting that you drank your way through and then stuck me with the check.” I explained hoping that I would not offend her.
“I’m sorry that really doesn’t narrow it down for me.” Nicole explained. “So tell me Princess is there more?”
“It is not important.”
“I’m afraid it is.” Nicole added honestly. “You see I take my steps very seriously. One of the twelve steps is that I need to apologize for the transgressions I committed while I was drinking. So out with it what did I do?”
“Well I was working on my thesis and you agreed to arrange a meeting with your sister so I could see the family diaries.” I explained.
“No?” She was shocked. “Wow I must have really been pissed off at Allison. I’m sorry that I set you up. That wasn’t a nice thing to do.”
“Water under the bridge.” I brushed it off.
“More like gin under the bridge.” Nicole added with a smirk. “Hey I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. I spent far too many years lying and hiding my drinking. I am a drunk.” She said with a shrug. “I no longer hide it. Instead I prefer to have it out in the open.”
“No problem.” I replied warmly. This was definitely a different woman than the one I had met almost a decade ago. “So why are you ransacking your sister’s desk?”
“I need a smoke.” Nicole explained as she resumed her search. “What can I say I traded one vice for another. I had the train ride from hell on the way up here. There was this kid behind me who only stopped coughing and sneezing long enough to kick the back of my seat. His Mother was too preoccupied with his screaming sibling to notice. I swear that family follows me everywhere.”
I couldn’t help myself but smile. Nicole was so much like her older sister. “I hate to be the one to break it to you … but Allison is trying to quit smoking.”
“Yeah … yeah.” Nicole snorted. “I am very familiar with how the Amazon tries to quit smoking. She always keeps a pack hidden away for emergencies.”
“Well she did have a pack tucked behind the file cabinet …” I grimaced recalling my actions. “… but they met with an unfortunate accident.”
“Get away from my desk.” Allison’s voice boomed from the doorway.
“Whatever Amazon.” Nicole grunted at her approaching sibling. “Where are you cigarettes?”
“Someone threw them out the window.” Allison growled as cast an accusing glance in my direction.
“Got her trained already.” Nicole chuckled. “Good for you! Don’t you take any crap from the Amazon here, sometimes she is just too butch for her own good.”
“Se tromper, petit soeur.” Allison said quickly.
“Menteur!” Nicole scoffed. “Lesbienne?” “Well that last word was fairly easy to figure out?” I thought to myself. “The only other word I understood was petit. So what do we have little lesbian. I so do not like where this conversation is going!”
“Non… ” Allison stuttered and was answered by a disbelieving glare from her sister. ” … oui … complique’!” Allison groaned in frustration. It felt like I was watching a foreign film without the benefit of subtitles. The only sense of relief I felt was I now knew who Allison had been speaking French to a few weeks ago.
“Qu’est-ce qui se passe?” Nicole pushed.
“Rien du tout!” Allison asserted. But Nicole just stared back at her in disbelief. “Mon ami.”
“Excusez-moi!” Nicole chuckled. “Pourquoi? Une belle femme. Vous etes d’accord, n’est-ce pas?”
“Oui.” Allison sighed as she looked at me. “Elle est vashement belle. Ce n’est pas bon.”
“Quelle dommage.” Nicole looked sadly over at her sister.
“Excuse me ladies.” I chimed in. Enough was enough. “I would like to point out that someone in this room doesn’t speak French and she is standing right here. Normally I wouldn’t mind but I get the distinct feeling that I am being talked about.”
“No.” Allison lied.
“Yes you are.” Nicole volunteered as she was greeted by an icy stare from her sister. “What? Well we were.” Nicole scoffed. “Get over yourself Amazon and take me to the lunch you promised me. Stephanie would like to join us? Stretch is paying.”
“Uh Nicole … I asked you to visit so I could discuss something with you.” Allison explained looking suddenly embarrassed.
“Okay.” Nicole began slowly. “So you want to talk about Stephanie when she is not in the room.”
“Couillon!” Allison spit out.
Nicole’s jaw dropped. “I’m telling Mom.” She threatened. Allison just glared at her sister. “Sorry Ally.” She said quickly. “Stephanie it was a pleasure meeting you. I’m sure that we will meet again.” Allison started to push her sister towards the doorway. “Hold on Ally.” She slapped her sister away. “Stephanie I want to apologize again for what I did to you before.”
“What did you do?” Allison flared angrily.
“I will tell you at lunch. Now feed me.” Nicole demanded.
I watched them arguing their way out of the doorway. They exchanged a few more phrases in French which I was quite certain should not be translated in public. “My God, their Mother must have the patience of a saint.” I thought to myself. “Maybe the brother is normal?” I said aloud.