On Friday, Alex and his big mouth came to dinner at Eleanor’s. He had brought two bottles of Eleanor’s favourite sherry, that, and his company, made Eleanor’s tongue lose all its restraint. They didn’t spare anyone in their mocking banter, especially not Lucy.
“So, Lucy, you didn’t waste any time snatching up old Lee, then,” Alex said, “she didn’t give me all the details yet, but from what I heard you sure move fast, especially for a straight woman.” Lucy, not used to playing second fiddle in the conversation department, just popped another roast potato in her mouth and tried to stare Alex down.
“Well, you can’t really blame her, Alex. In my short life I’ve left a whole slew of crying women in my wake. If you want to get with me you’d better hurry up,” I said, winking at Lucy. She didn’t smile.
“God Lee, you’re usually so modest. A couple of days with Lucy and you’re a different person already,” Eleanor said, “next thing you know, she’ll have gone completely lezzie on you.”
“Can you pass me the wine, please, Alex. I don’t expect this heckling at my expense to stop any time soon, so I may as well have my own party,” Lucy said.
“Of course, but I hear the last time you got cracking on the wine, it didn’t end so well,” Alex said.
“Oh, don’t you worry about me and my drinking habits. I’m learning from the best,” Lucy said, a strained smile developing on her lips. She was not enjoying this. Her eyes were dull, she clenched her fingers firmly along the stem of her wine glass. Maybe she was thinking about the enigmatic Ali, the woman who had destroyed a good part of her life. She had refused to divulge any more information on Ali, she wouldn’t even give me her last name, preventing me from doing an exploratory Google search. I was beginning to think she regretted telling me about Ali at all. Under the table I reached for her knee and gave it a little squeeze. If she felt it all, she didn’t acknowledge it.
“I’m training her, ladies, it’s taken care of,” I said.
“The ways in which you corrupt my poor niece, Lee, if I had known I would never have let you into my house,” Eleanor said. She must have been puzzled by Lucy’s behaviour. Fuelled by dry sherry, and spurred on by Alex’s flamboyant presence, she tried to coax a reaction out of her niece.
“I can’t take credit for all of it, Eleanor. Alex taught me how to drink. When I moved in with him he bought a million bottles of gin and he made me drink them all. I’m just passing on my knowledge.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Alex said and raised his glass.
“I’ll be off then,” Lucy declared out of the blue, “long day at the office. I’m tired.”
“Come on, Lucy. It’s not even nine yet. I made brownies for dessert.” Eleanor tried to change her mind.
“I’m not nine years old anymore, Auntie. You can’t bribe me with chocolate.”
“Just stay a little longer, we have a guest, it’s not polite.”
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun without me.” She got up from the table, causing my hand, that was still resting on her knee, to slide down like a dead weight.
“Why don’t you go up to my room? I’ll be up in a bit,” I said.
“I’d rather go home tonight if you don’t mind, sleep in my own bed. You stay.” She kissed me on the top of my head and squeezed my shoulder, hard. What was she trying to say? That I should go home with her? We’d only been shagging for a week, I didn’t have her body language figured out yet. She said her goodbyes and walked to the front door, which was in a small hallway next to the living room where we sat.
“More brownies for the real gays then, right, Eleanor?” Alex joked. Suddenly, Lucy stood back in the living room, her body leaning against the wooden doorframe.
“For your information, dear Auntie Eleanor, dear Alex,” she calmly spoke, “I am just as gay as you are, and I have been all my life.”

To be continued…