And now here she was, staring out at the crystal clear pool, a pool that was tended to twice a week by three bronzed gym rats who enjoyed parading around in nothing but their Speedos as they cleaned pool after pool here in the hills of northwest Austin.
In a fit of defiance, Jay ripped her T-shirt over her head and dropped her shorts where she stood, diving naked into the pool. She didn't care that their neighbors, with their three-story home, could see into the backyard. She didn't care that it was nearly noon, a time when Katherine said she'd be home. And she didn't care, period. She swam the length of the pool, her arms moving powerfully through the water, then kicked the wall and swam back. It felt good, the cool water, the activity. She felt the blood flowing, felt some of her earlier bitterness fade. This was her life now, the life she'd chosen, a life with Katherine. And another of her grandmother's sayings came to mind ... you made your bed, now lie in it.
She stood in the shallow end, a smile turning into a laugh. She slicked her hair back and looked around. No, this certainly wasn't the life she'd chosen, not this huge house and this gorgeous pool. She sighed, her smile fading. They'd both changed, no doubt, but the woman Katherine had evolved into was nowhere near the woman she'd fallen in love with all those years ago.
But she'd made her bed... and this was her life now.
"For better or worse," she murmured, finally getting out of the pool and picking up her discarded clothes.
Despite the heat, Jay couldn't stand being cooped up inside her tiny office. So she hauled her laptop, her design book, and her pile of swatches out to the covered patio, turned the ceiling fans on high, and sipped on a tall glass of iced tea as she worked.
And as the clock ticked nearer to two, she'd given up on Katherine. Noon had come and gone with no sign of her, and no phone call. She wasn't surprised. Katherine had no doubt forgotten all about their plans for the weekend.
That was why, a few minutes later, her head jerked up when she heard the garage door open.
My God, she's actually home.
But the backyard door to the garage didn't open, so Jay looked for her inside, watching her walk to the double doors, standing there gazing out. She was still striking, despite being only months away from forty. Her long blond hair was thick and shiny, her features as flawless as the day they'd met. It still surprised her that some thought of them as sisters, both being blond and blue-eyed. But Katherine was always much more attractive, carrying herself with a confidence born of money and prestige, something Jay knew nothing about.
Katherine paused at the door, looking at Jay through the clear panes. She finally pushed them open and Jay noticed the smile Katherine forced to her face. She realized she was doing the same.
"What in the world are you doing outside? You must be miserable."
Jay lifted up her shirt, revealing her swimsuit. "I take a dip to cool off, then sit under the fan. It's not bad. But you must be miserable. A suit? On a Saturday?"
Katherine shrugged. "Habit. Let me go change. Actually, a dip in the pool sounds pretty good. I think I'll join you."
Jay watched her go, her smile turning into a frown. It was the first time she'd seen Katherine outside in the daylight in weeks. She looked tired. Her eyes were nearly lifeless. Jay shook her head. No one could exist on four hours sleep a day indefinitely. Apparently, it had caught up with Katherine.
She set her laptop aside and followed Katherine into the house. "You want something to drink?" she called up the stairs. "I have a pitcher of tea."
"I'd prefer something stronger. Something cool for outside. How about a Tom Collins?"
"Sure." Gin? At this hour?
Jay went to the bar, finding the gin and Tom Collins mix. She sliced up a lime and stuck that on the side of the glass, then took a lime wedge and added it to her iced tea. She took both drinks outside and waited for Katherine to return.
And when she did, standing there in her swimsuit, Jay's eyebrows shot up.
"My God, how much weight have you lost?" she blurted out without thinking. Katherine looked nearly gaunt.
"I know. I haven't been eating. Stress."
"How much longer can you keep this up, Kath? You're killing yourself."
She flashed a charming smile. "Hardly killing myself. But it won't be much longer."
"Is making partner worth all this?"
"Partner? Oh, that's in the bag, sweetheart. Has been. But in another month, I will have brought in more clients and more money than anyone ever has in the history of the firm. Old man
Mills about has a coronary each week when he looks at the numbers. I love it."
With that, she dove into the pool, swimming underwater until she reached the other side, then floated on her back as she kicked her legs lazily.
"And after I've sucked all his clients from him, I'm going to start my own firm. Won't that be great?"
"Wonderful," Jay said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you who I ran into yesterday at lunch. Do you remember me telling you about that girl I met in law school? Jenna White?"
Jay nodded. "Your first, right? She ended up being straight?"
Katherine laughed. "She wanted to be straight, yes. Anyway, I saw her at Juan's yesterday during lunch. She's been back in town for five months already. I can't believe I haven't run into her before now."
"Really?" Lunch? She takes time for lunch? "What's she doing back?"
"She's divorced. Seems being straight didn't work out for her," Katherine said with a laugh. "She's working at Bateman."
"What a coincidence."
"Yes, I thought so." Katherine swam closer. "We're going to hook up next week for lunch one day to catch up. I thought it'd be nice to maybe have her over for dinner one night. Would you mind cooking?"
"Of course not. But will you be joining us?"
"Very funny. Of course I'll be joining you. I'll just have to make it a point to leave work early."
Jay wasn't sure if her sudden burst of anger was based on jealously or not. But really, did Katherine even hear what she was saying? She meets her at lunch, yet can't ever break away when Jay suggests they meet for a quick bite. And dinner? When was the last time Katherine made it a point to get home early for dinner? No, she was just too busy to make time for Jay. But for an old girlfriend? Sure, no problem.
"It's funny, really," Katherine said as she splashed around in the water. "In law school, she would have just died had anyone said she was gay. You should see her now. She's all out there, you know. She said being married opened her eyes. She couldn't stand having to answer to a man." Katherine laughed. "Now she's working for Bateman. Talk about a control freak. She won't last there the year."
"Well, if you start your own firm, perhaps you can bring her on board," Jay said lightly.