It was Saturday afternoon near the end of May. Francis was preparing for a night out with her husband, Patrick, and their friends, the Smiths. As she undressed in the master bathroom, she considered her body in the mirror above the sink. She cupped her ample bosom, imagining what they would be like full of milk. She pressed her hand against her stomach and pictured it swollen with pregnancy. Patrick and her had been trying to conceive for a year now with no luck. The doctors said that a chromosomal defect prevented Patrick from impregnating her. Patrick suggested artificial insemination, but that just didn't seem fair. How could she carry a child that was not his? Adoption seemed like a better option, but Francis did long to feel new life kicking inside her. They had kept putting off a decision. At 29 years of age, Francis did not have much time left for indecisiveness. Francis jumped into the shower. The warm water washed away her concerns.
Francis was lost in her shower when a knock on the bathroom door brought her back to reality. It was Patrick. "Baby," he shouted, "we are going to be late. I still need to shower."
"OK," responded Francis as she dried off. "Did you hear from the Smiths yet?"
"No. I'm expecting Richard to call my mobile with the location of the restaurant." Patrick entered the bathroom already naked.
Francis gave him a peck on the cheek on her way out of the bathroom. She selected a velvet black evening gown from the bedroom closet. While she struggled with the zipper in the back of the dress, she heard Patrick's mobile phone ring on his dresser. She tried to hurry, but the zipper was stuck. By the time she got it loose, the ringing had stopped. Frustrated, Francis listened to the voice mail on her husband's phone.
The female voice in the message shocked her. "Hello," it said. "This is Isabella, Benjamin's friend. I called to clear up a misunderstanding. You most definitely are fuckable. Benjamin has been dreaming of you ever since he met you in New York City last fall. In fact, he wants to make love to you all night long with his big, Black cock. Just be at the Albany Yacht Club for diner this Monday at 4 pm. Benjamin will provide the chocolate desert afterward."
Francis felt numb. The sound of the shower from the bathroom stopped, telling her that she did not have much time alone. Francis hastily wrote down the caller's number from the mobile phone screen. Then she deleted both the voice mail and any trace of the call from the call history. Francis pasted a calm smile on her face in time to greet Patrick when he emerged from the bathroom. She looked at him nervously as he dressed in a dress shirt and slacks.
Another ring from Patrick's mobile broke the tension. Francis picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hey there. It's Richard," her friend said from the other end. "We've settled on an Ethiopian restaurant in the city." Francis mechanically wrote down the address and directions that Richard gave her. After saying goodbye to Richard, she turned to her husband. "Patrick, could you clean out the car while I check the map on the web? I want to make sure I have the directions straight."
"Sure," agreed Patrick, oblivious to her distress.
While Patrick was in the garage, Francis got on his computer. She searched the history on his web browser. The URLs brought her to pictures of naked men and gay couples. Francis fought back tears. In their three years of marriage, Patrick had never shown any hit of being gay. She wondered how this could possibly happen. Determined to brave this trial, she went to join Patrick in the garage. Soon, they were on their way to diner.
Richard and Ann were waiting for them at the entrance to the restaurant. Inside, the aroma of exotic spices welcomed them. Woven baskets and wooden carvings accented the orange walls. The foursome got a table near the window. Richard ordered a platter for the group to share. Then he turned to Francis. "Ann tells me that you're going to start helping out at the LGBT center."
"Yes," replied Francis. "MUFF is sending me there to help couples navigate the same-sex marriage laws. C-38 may be the law of the land, but the news hasn't trickled down to everyone. Some of the couples still face discrimination when they tell others that they are married."
Ann spoke out, "I didn't realize folks around here could be that backwards. What type of problems do they face?"
"Sometimes it's a hospital that won't let a homosexual make medical decisions for his incapacitated spouse. Other times it's funeral parlor that refuses to release the remains to a widow. The prejudice usually shows up at the worst possible times," Francis explained.
Patrick placed his hand on Francis's arm. "That's my honey, always there for those in need."
Francis removed her husband's hand. "Thanks," she said dryly.
Over dinner, Ann and Patrick engaged in shop talk from their genetics lab. Richard tried to engage Francis in a political debate, but she was to distracted to give more than a few brief replies to his questions. At a lull in the conversation, Francis announced that she needed the lady's room. Her look to Ann signaled that she wanted her friend there with her.
"Me too," Ann said. "I need to freshen up my lipstick."
Once the ladies were in front of the bathroom sinks, Francis asked her companion for advice, "Ann, what do you do when you think that Richard is hiding something from you?"
