CHAPTER 11 #2
“Mel, come on,” Myra said, walking over to a stool and sitting down. “We’re here to talk about your wedding.”
“Please; we did that already. We just all wanted to hang out, and wedding planning is a nice excuse to get everyone together. What happened?”
“I’ll let you two talk. Soph and I are probably going to head out, but thanks for the pep talk, Myra,” Bryce said.
“No problem,” Myra replied before Bryce rejoined the group.
“Pep talk?” Melinda asked.
“It’s nothing.”
“And this thing with Elisa is nothing, too?”
“No. I don’t know.” She shook her head.
“Spill, Myra,” Melinda said.
“She’s gay.”
“Who’s gay?”
“Elisa.”
“You said she was straight.”
“Well, I was wrong. ”
“Why do you look not happy, then? You like her. This is a good thing.”
“She’s never been with a woman, Mel, and things are complicated. She’s got her kids about to leave for college, her house that she’s worried about, a job that she has to find, an ex-husband who–”
“Excuses,” Melinda interrupted. “Tell me the truth.”
“I almost kissed her,” she blurted out.
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because she was so nervous, Mel. She was shaking all over. I asked if she felt it, too, and she didn’t say anything back.
She said nothing. Not that she didn’t feel it, that I was wrong, or anything else.
Just no words. Then, the food got there, so I went to grab it for us, and things were awkward after.
We hardly talked at all while we ate, and I decided to go because it was too much, being there, knowing it, and not being able to really talk about it. ”
“Why couldn’t you talk about it with her? I get her being nervous if you’re going in for a kiss, but you still could have talked , Myra.”
“I guess, yeah. But I asked if she was feeling it because I think she is, Mel. We flirt a lot. And now that I know she’s gay, it’s not just me thinking she’s flirting and she’s not.
It’s changed things. I don’t know that she’s ready, and I don’t want to pressure her or make her think that she has to do anything she doesn’t want to do or isn’t ready to do, at least.”
“That’s her thing to tell you, though, not your thing to put on her,” Melinda suggested and crossed her arms over her shoulders. “If she’s not ready, she’ll tell you.”
“I don’t know.”
“Explain.”
“It’s probably bad to think this, but she didn’t exactly tell her ex-husband that she wasn’t ready when they had sex for the first time.
We talked about that a little. He wanted to.
She didn’t. They did anyway, and she got pregnant.
So, I don’t want her to go with it because she thinks it’s what I want.
I’m definitely not going to be anything like her ex-husband, who sounds awful.
If I were a violent person, I’d find him and–”
“Myra,” Melinda interrupted, laughing a little.
“You’re not like whoever that guy is, but you also can’t assume that the situation is the same.
She was young then and maybe just gave in to her boyfriend because it was easier.
I know a ton of girls who did that, and it doesn’t mean they’re incapable of acting differently now.
I’m sure if you actually talk to her like the mature adult you are, she’ll explain how she’s feeling and tell you what she’s ready for and if she’s interested in something with you.
Maybe she isn’t and got nervous telling you, which is why she shut down. No offense.”
“None taken. But I don’t think that’s it. I’ve never seen someone shake like that, Mel. And I don’t think it was because she doesn’t like me. Besides, I wasn’t exactly planning on meeting someone.”
“So what?” Melinda asked like Myra’s last point didn’t matter at all.
“So, things are busy right now at work, and I lost someone before because I spent too much time working and–”
“You’re still making excuses, and they’re the lame ones, too.
” Melinda rolled her eyes at her. “You’re better than that, Myra.
Stop trying to come up with reasons not to at least talk to the woman.
If she says no, it’s no, and you’ll know then.
You’ll just finish the work on her house and maybe see her around the neighborhood or be friends if that’s what you both want.
If she says she wants to go out, you can take her out to a decent restaurant and get to know her more.
You can take the physical stuff as slowly as she needs. ”
“She’s beautiful, Mel,” she said as she smiled. “In a cute dress or a pair of sweats. Just beautiful.”
“Then, talk to her and stop being annoying.” Melinda laughed.
“Do you think it was easy to just give myself to Ky? I first saw her one night at a bar and thought she was just…” Melinda faded out as she looked over at her fiancée.
“Then, she’s on one of my tours, so she didn’t even live here.
She had a ton of family drama to deal with, and I had no clue we wo uld ever get here, but we’re planning a wedding together now.
I’m not saying that’s in the cards for you and Elisa, but maybe it is.
Who knows? You just have to take a chance first to see if there’s something really here or not.
You’ve gone on a few dates since I’ve known you, but I’ve never heard you talk about any of those women how you talk about Elisa, and you haven’t even gone out with her yet. ”
“I just like her,” Myra said. “She’s…”
“Beautiful?” Melinda teased her and laughed. “Yeah, I got that part.”