To be honest, I am looking forward to it. I like Karen well enough. She’s usually pretty nice. As Sam pointed out, she does dress like a lesbian golfer, but she’s pretty. She works at the resort with Sam and I know from past conversations that she doesn’t have too many close friends on the island. I’m not sure if that’s because she has a bit of a loner thing herself, or because she is neither a scuba diver nor a drinker. I’ve tried to hook her up for play dates with Susannah, but the two of them just didn’t click. It’s too bad because if Susannah became BFFs with Karen, I wouldn’t have to deal with Olivia quite as much. Karen’s husband is gorgeous. Sam and I have agreed that if either of us were ever to switch teams, it would be for this guy. He’s tall, slender, dark-skinned, and soft-spoken. He mostly seems content to be quiet in groups, but when he does speak, he is well-reasoned and intelligent. I’ve spent a few evenings at their house talking about everything from women’s lib to gay marriage to civil rights with him, and I have yet to find a subject on which he is not well-informed and eloquent. Unlike my ex, who is also extremely intelligent, he doesn’t talk down to the rest of us in order to make sure everyone knows it. He’s just a smart, humble, and good-looking guy. If he wasn’t already married to Karen, I’d be petitioning my sister, Jamie, to come visit so I could set them up. Of course, I don’t actually know what kind of guy Jamie is interested in, or if she even dates men, but I just love the idea of Rick being related to me.
Sam interrupts my internal fawning with an elbow in the ribs. “Remember that woman who was hitting on me?”
“Which one?”
“The singer from the east side of the island.”
“The big one from Sparky’s?” I’m trying to remember who she’s talking about.
“Yes.”
“I remember.” I don’t have a great picture of who she’s talking about, but I’m pretty sure I remember the woman. Sam and I ventured to the other side of the island one night and ended up in the island’s one gay bar. The band was all female and pretty good. Sam kind of flirted a bit with the singer until we realized that her wife was in the audience. After that, she backed off. We stayed for the next set and took off. Pretty unremarkable night, if you ask me.
“She’s here,” Sam says.
“Yeah? Is her wife here, too?”
“I don’t know. But she was at the Sands the other night. I stopped in at the bar to have a couple of beers after work and I swear, she was coming on to me again.”
“I don’t know.” I’m dubious. Sam is pretty slow about women. “She was probably just being friendly.”
“She kept rubbing on me.”
“You are pretty touchable,” I grin.
“Shhh. Here she comes.”
We both half-turn as the singer walks up. She’s taller than Sam and solidly built. Wearing dark jeans and a tight black muscle shirt that shows off not only her breasts, but her muscles as well. I can’t tell if she’s butch or just a muscular femme, but either way, she’s hot. She puts her arm around Sam. “Hi. Remember me?”
“Of course,” Sam says. “And this is my friend, Dana.”
“I’m Nan,” she says, putting her other arm around me. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you.”
She squeezes us both and continues on, in the direction of the bathroom.
“See?” Sam says after she passes.
“See what? You’re totally imagining things. Did you see how she put her arm around me?”
“Yeah, and?”
“She’s obviously just a touchy-feely kind of person.”
“We better go over and sit with your sister for a while.”
“I guess.”
We gather a couple of beverages and head toward the table. As we’re standing there arranging our drinks and chairs, the singer comes out of the bathroom and walks past us to get to her table. As she walks behind Sam, she reaches her arm over Sam’s shoulder and puts her hand directly onto Sam’s crotch. Sam makes a kind of blerting noise and the singer laughs. Giving Sam one squeeze, she removes her arm and walks on. We’re all quiet for a moment, and then Sam glares at me.
“She’s just a touchy-feely kind of person, huh Dana?”
“Sam. Sammie-Sam Sam. You’re being paranoid.”
She laughs and we turn back to the table.
Esmé is wearing a pale yellow sundress that shows off her slim shoulders and her hazel eyes. Sitting down next to her, I offer a quick hello and turn my attention to the dark beach. The view of the stars from my deck is better. I should have stayed home. Esmé leans in close and puts her mouth next to my ear.