We’ll Meet Again Someday

Audra inserted the key into the lock of Riana’s door as she balanced the packages on her hip. She stepped into the cool, dim room and closed the door behind her. Next, she dropped the packages on the unmade bed. Riana had won some clothes and shoes, along with caramel truffles and a variety of flavored gourmet coffees. She glanced around the room, which smelled perfumey. She stepped toward the bathroom and glanced in, then focused on the main room again. Her eyes scanned the contents that were out in the open, even though she’d seen most of them before. She slowly moved in front of the dresser and opened the top drawer to find half a dozen sports bras in various colors and about a dozen pairs of panties, also in a variety of colors. She touched a black pair, then a pink pair, enjoying the soft, smooth, satiny feel of them. She picked up a purple pair and let her imagination paint a picture of Riana wearing them. She enjoyed this for a moment or two, then carefully replaced the panties and slid the drawer shut. Next, Audra approached the desk and accidentally bumped the side with her foot. The iMac Riana had won lit up like a Christmas tree. “Damn,” Audra muttered to herself, hoping it would go back to sleep so Riana wouldn’t know she’d done more than just deliver the packages. Audra was about to turn away but did a double-take, startled by what she saw on the screen. It wasn’t just a journal—it appeared to be online. And her name was mentioned! She quickly tore a Post-it from the pad on the desk. Surely Riana wouldn’t notice one sheet missing, would she? She also grabbed a pen and jotted down the website’s address, as well as Riana’s username. As anxious as she was to read the journal, it was almost time for Riana to return for their dinner date, so she decided to head out, relieved to see the monitor blackout as she did so. Riana was just entering the backyard as Audra stepped out into the dry desert heat. “Hey!” she exclaimed in a chipper tone. “You’ve got some good wins waiting for you in there, and as usual, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek.” “Oh, great!” said Riana, walking her bike up to the side of the guesthouse and leaning it against the wall. Audra studied her. Riana’s eyes darted from her to the guesthouse and back again. She seemed pleased to know she’d won something but wary about the idea of Audra entering her turf without her present. Did she really have anything to hide? Audra couldn’t wait to find out, but she also didn’t want to rush the “date” she wouldn’t admit was sort of a date. “Let me just take a quick shower, and then I’ll either meet you at the back door, or you can come and get me.” “Why don’t you just go around to the garage when you’re done?” “Okay. See you there soon.” Riana disappeared inside the guesthouse, and Audra entered her own house. It was all she could do to keep from firing up the laptop she and James used in the corner of the living room. Instead, she freshened up, went over her own mail, then headed out to the garage once she saw Riana leave her place from the kitchen window. In the garage, she hit the button on the wall to open the door, unveiling the sexy little diva that was her “date” for the evening. Even though Riana was casually dressed and wore very little makeup, Audra could see how just about any straight man or gay woman would find her appealing. Even with the few extra pounds and years, Audra felt utterly ordinary in comparison. They got into the Camry and backed out of the garage. Audra hit the button overhead to close the garage door, and they were on their way. “So, do you like your latest wins?” Audra asked. “Yeah, they’re nice. I’m just not sure the clothes will fit properly, although I really haven’t had a chance to try anything on yet.” “Bet you have no doubts at all about those truffles, though.” Riana chuckled. “Nope, no doubts there.” They didn’t say much on the way to the restaurant, but this was mostly because it was only a few minutes away. Once they were seated and had ordered, Riana studied Audra, still not sure what to make of the situation. She seemed to hate me for so long, and now we’re good buddies? Interesting. Just really interesting. Audra sensed a hesitancy in Riana and wasn’t sure what to say. Finally, it was Riana who broke the silence that was beginning to feel awkward. “So, how does it feel having the house to yourself?” “Well, I guess it’s different since I usually don’t have it to myself.” Until their meals were served, they spent the next ten minutes or so making small talk. Audra spoke of some of the inmates at the jail, while Riana spoke of the various sweepstakes and contests she’d entered lately. “What’s the difference between sweepstakes and contests? I thought they were the same thing.” “Not quite,” Riana explained. “Sweepstakes are simple forms you fill and submit, which are my favorite. Contests, however, require a little more work. Those are usually for essays, videos, photos, or recipes that are judged, as opposed to random drawings.” “I see,” Audra said, slowly nodding. The waitress approached and spoke with a heavy Chinese accent. “Pork fried rice?” “Right here,” said Riana. The waitress placed the plate in front of her, then served Audra her chow mein, smiled, and asked, “Can I get you anything else?” They said no and dug into their feast quietly, which gave Audra more time to think. She couldn’t wait to check out the journal, but she didn’t want to cut her time short with Riana either. She tried to think of ways to get Riana to talk more about the things she did without sounding prying. She knew that if she brought up journals or anything connected to writing, she would appear suspicious. Audra decided to surprise Riana instead. “So, can I ask you something?” “Sure,” said Riana. “I don’t mean to sound nosy, and you can tell me to mind my own business if you want.” “Yeah?” “Have you ever been with guys?” Riana nodded as she finished chewing, swallowed, and said, “I think just about every lesbian fools around to a degree with guys when she’s really young, if only to affirm her orientation.” Audra nodded slowly, still amazed that Riana had brought the subject up on her own. She wasn’t even sure she would have this discussion with Judith. “It’s different with different people,” Riana continued. “What is?” “Some women like only women, some like mostly women, some like mostly men. Same for gay guys. Some are gay all the way, some are some of the way. There aren’t any set rules.” “Have you ever known any straight people who had just a one-time attraction during their lives?” Riana nodded. “I once had a neighbor who was strictly dickly.” Audra smiled at that description. “Then one day, she stepped out of a stall in a public bathroom to wash her hands, and she told me. At the sink next to her was the most gorgeous woman she’d ever seen. Said it was her first and last attraction for another woman. She told me this when she was around fifty and that it happened when she was in her mid-twenties.” “Have you ever been attracted to a married person?” “Well, of course. Haven’t we all?” said Riana. “Is that a no-no for you?” “Usually it is. Unless the couple has an open relationship or at least agrees it’s okay to see that one person, and as long as the people involved don’t expect any strings attached. I got together a few times with this married chick in my early twenties. The husband knew, and he didn’t care because I was a woman. All he cared about—and this is pretty common—was that it was never with another man and that the person didn’t interfere with their marriage in any way.” Audra thought about James’ reaction to her wanting to see Riana on the side occasionally, assuming Riana was okay with it, of course. James was easygoing, and Riana had a point about other women versus other men. She could understand that if she were asking to see another man, James would be quite unhappy. But another woman? Would he really care? Probably not. But what about herself? Would she feel guilty even if all parties involved agreed? And what kind of “arrangement” could there possibly be? While Audra was truly attracted to Riana, this wasn’t so much about the sex as it was about simply having her around. As they ate in silence, Riana wondered what Audra was getting at and hoped it had something to do with it, whatever it was. “The food here is really good,” Audra said. “Thanks for the invite.” “It is good, and I’m glad you came along,” Riana agreed. “You’re not so bad after all.” Audra chuckled. “After all, huh?” They didn’t talk much more from there, both lost in their own thoughts. They finished their food and left the restaurant, this time with Audra taking care of the tip. The sun was setting, and all was calm and quiet. Riana didn’t even hear the guy approach her as she waited at the passenger door for Audra to unlock it from the driver’s side. “Gimme your fucking purse now or die!” they suddenly heard. Riana spun around to face the guy—black, Mexican, she couldn’t tell in the gloom. All she could tell was that he looked crazy and reeked heavily of booze. The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion: a flash of metal whizzing toward her, a loud pop, sirens, flashing lights, and a frenzy of commotion. She and Audra gave a statement to the cops on the scene. The perp had suffered only a minor injury to the shoulder when Audra, who Riana hadn’t even known was armed, shot him from across the roof of the car before he could use his knife on Riana. Roughly half an hour later, they pulled out of the parking lot. Riana admired Audra’s calm demeanor. She was still shaken up. Audra sensed this and asked, “Would you like to hang out at the house with me for a while until you feel better?” Riana nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Although Audra was pissed to have one more hassle to deal with in her life—which would mean her eventual testimony in court—she was glad it gave her more time with Riana, even if it meant having to wait longer to check out her journal. Audra’s phone rang as soon as they entered the house. It was James. Audra filled him in on everything that had happened. “She’s fine. Just a little shook up. I thought I’d let her hang out here for a while.” A pause, then, “Oh, good. That’s great to hear.” Another pause, then, “Okay, then I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow at four. Me too. Bye-bye.” Riana stood watching Audra as she ended the call. “Just James checking in,” she told her. “I heard. Is he having fun?” Audra chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about fun, but he’s surviving. I’m going to use the bathroom, then watch a movie. You’re welcome to stay if you’d like and watch it with me.” “Okay,” Riana said. “Just make yourself comfy in the living room.” Riana settled on the couch, arms folded in front of her. She felt chilled even though it was actually a bit warm. Audra reappeared a few minutes later. “So, what would you like to watch?” Riana, still in the same position, shrugged. “Whatever you want.” “Well, what kinds of movies do you like?” “Mysteries, usually, or some type of thriller.” “Something suspenseful, huh?” said Audra, browsing through her DVD collection. A minute later, she chose a movie and described it to Riana. “Sounds entertaining enough,” Riana said. “Want some popcorn?” “Sure, that’d be nice. Want me to make it?” Audra told her where it was, and Riana popped it in the microwave and brought it back in a large bowl for them to share. After the movie, Audra noticed Riana yawn. “Getting tired?” Riana nodded. “Well, you’re welcome to stay here if that’d make you feel more comfortable.” “Okay. First, I’ll go back to my place, check email, get comfortable, that sort of thing.” “Think you can make it yourself, or are you too spooked to go alone?” “No, I’ll be fine.” Riana changed into a T-shirt that reached midway down her thighs and headed back to her house after locking the door behind her. “You can head on up any time you want. Just be sure to take the far side of the bed.” “Okay,” said Riana, now spared from having to ask whose bed she was supposed to be getting into if she wasn’t simply supposed to stay downstairs on the couch. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she found her way through the gloom into Audra’s bedroom. She settled on James’ side of the bed and fell asleep much faster than she thought she would. At some point later, she was vaguely aware of a soft light being turned on, then Audra settling into the bed next to her and turning the light off a moment later. Riana’s bladder woke her around three. She was momentarily confused at first until she remembered where she was. Something heavy was draped over her side. It took another minute to realize it was Audra’s arm. As gently as she could, she slipped out from under it and went to empty her bladder. She sleepily returned a moment later and once again settled under the blankets. Audra again placed an arm over her and pulled her closer.