Plus One

Business Sense

Chapter 5 - Plus One

Taking Jenna's suggestion, I moved some clothes to her place over the weekend. Daisy had taken to expressing her displeasure with my presence by always being in the same room as me, glaring from a corner. Never showing an active dislike toward me, just being a glowering presence. She broke from her vigil when Poppy would charge into the room and attack her. Then the two would be haring around the house until she gave her brother the slip and returned to giving me the evil eye.

Since Monday was my day off, but not Jenna's, I made dinner at her place, warming up some of her saved rotisserie chicken to add to her portion. She took advantage of it this time, which was good. I really didn't want her to feel she had an obligation to follow my restrictions.

I'd warned Jenna that I planned to visit the club. I asked her to join me, of course, and was pleased that she'd agreed, but my primary reason was to talk to Kayla, if she was there. This caused Jenna to raise an eyebrow in an expression that seemed quite smug.

The replacement bartender may not have known the full range of drinks his predecessor had, but he made a great virgin mojito. I picked up one for each of us.

Music was provided by a blonde DJ performing in what appeared to be lingerie with a wrap. At another time I might have found her interesting to watch, but she couldn't compete with the girl by my side.

Surprisingly, Jenna was the one to identify Kayla, who was dancing with a redhead whom I didn't know, but vaguely recognized. They were dancing very close, not quite touching, arms parallel in some kind of Latin dance. They were very good. Looking around again, I found Anita sitting at a table with Emma and Tiff. Taking Jenna's hand, I steered her in that direction.

Anita smiled when she saw us. I noticed her eyes flick down to our joined hands, and her smile seemed to grow.

"Room for two more?" I asked, when we arrived at her table. There were three chairs empty and two girls on the dance floor, but Tiff moved around to make room for one more chair, while Emma left to steal one.

"Of course, Fi," she said, indicating the chair beside her. "You can have my fiancée's place since she's away cavorting with my maid of honor."

"Oh, that's who she is?" I asked. "I think I've seen her before. Are you sure you can trust them? They seemed very close out there..." I smirked to show I wasn't serious. "The spouse and the MOH is such a wedding drama trope, you know? God, the number of trope pairings you could find at a lesbian wedding..."

"I know, right?" exclaimed Tiff.

"I think I'm safe," Anita said, with a smirk of her own. "I trust Kayla. And Allison is straight. She used to dance in competition, and Kayla likes ballroom dancing more than I do."

"Funny thing about straight girls," I said. "They're not always as straight as you think."

"Or as

they

think," added Jenna.

"You remember Jenna?" I asked Anita.

"I do!" she replied. "Nice to see you. You're... together now?"

"She keeps milk and eggs in my fridge," I said. "So, yeah."

"And my cats are getting used to hissing at Fi," Jenna said. "So, yeah, it seems so."

Tiff gave me a thumbs up, mouthing, "Told you so!"

"Will we be seeing you as Fi's plus one?" Anita asked.

Jenna's face flushed. The wedding was more than six months away. "I, uh, think you might," she said. I squeezed her hand, feeling warmth at the prospect of us still being together over half a year from now.

"If the redhead - Allison? - is your MOH, who's Kayla's?" I asked.

Tiff stood and bowed over the table. "That would be me."

"That's another trope subverted," I said.

Anita narrowed her eyes. "How's that?"

"The best man getting frisky with the maid of honor," I said. "Which I guess would be the two maids of honor, in context. No way anyone's going to come between Tiff and Emma and I wouldn't want to see what happened to anyone who tried."

"I don't know," interjected Tiff. "Allison's

cute

. And she's just the right height, unlike some..." She lowered her head, turning it to the side to look up at her girlfriend to emphasize their height difference.

Emma rolled her eyes. "That's not what you said last night, sweety," she said.

Tiff continued looking up at her. "I guess there are

some

things that a taller girl is good for," she said.

"You can eliminate the hijinks at the stag - slash - bachelorette parties, too," Anita offered. "Since we're having a joint bachelorette."

"Hmph. So much for drama... oh, I think we have visitors," I said, glancing up at Suse approaching the table. Alone, this time.

"Hey, Fi," she said. "You can stop looking panicked. I came to steal your girlfriend, not you."

"And that shouldn't panic me, why?" I objected.

Suse ignored me, turning to Jenna. "Val monopolized you the last time you were here. Dance with me."

Jenna gave my hand a quick squeeze, then left with my pushy friend.

Anita's eyes tracked them. Before she turned back to me, she said, "You asked if I could trust Allison and Kayla..."

Interrupting, I said, "It wasn't a serious question. I know you can."

She grinned at me. "Yes and no. Until recently I couldn't trust them not to stab each other." She took in my raised eyebrows before continuing, "Kayla thought I was dating Allison, while Allison was incensed that Kayla was seeing other women. We weren't dating, and Kayla didn't know I'd fallen for her, but it took a long time before those two were on the same page. Now they're friends, and I encourage it."

"It's good for me that she's here," I said. "When they're done

cavorting

I've an idea to run by you all."

Jenna was still with Suse on the dance floor when Kayla and Allison returned to the table. Kayla gave me a welcoming smile as she took the chair that Emma had added next to Tiff, while Anita introduced me to Allison.

After a few minutes' small talk, Anita mentioned that I'd said I wanted to talk to them.

"Right," I said. "I do. It's about work - and about the wedding."

I outlined my thinking about using

The Axe's Head

for an informal party. I wouldn't expect them to add the party to the official wedding schedule, but anyone local, or who wanted to arrive early, would be able to gather for an afternoon and/or evening drinking and axe-throwing, whatever schedule worked for them. That it would be no charge, other than for drinks, and that Shelby had given her approval. I told them how popular the bar seemed to be becoming for small parties, and explained how exclusive use on a closed day was something we hadn't tried, and that they would be my guinea pigs.

Jenna returned partway through my presentation. She shared how much she'd enjoyed her experiences at the bar, and how likable the staff were. We invited them to try a session at my expense. Though, I told them, I was pretty sure Shelby would void out the fees, so the offer was probably less generous than it sounded.

Kayla and Anita were tentatively enthusiastic. Allison was happy to hear that she wouldn't need to do any planning. Tiff, of course, was gleeful. "We could have Kayla's team duel Anita's with axes!"

"I hope you mean duel the

scores

on the

targets

," said Emma.

I sighed. "Do I need to hire a bouncer for the event? You'll probably want a head count, at least," I said. "If it turns out to be popular I'd hate to turn anyone away if we exceed the fire limit."

"You're still on board then?" asked Anita. I was puzzled for a moment, until I realized she wasn't directing the question at me.

"Fucking right I am," said Allison. "It's looking like I'll be single by Christmas."

Anita winced. "I'm sorry."

Allison shook her head. "You're not the one who turned into a bigot. And I'm glad I found out before

I

was the one getting hitched."

I tried to return a sympathetic but neutral look. This was obviously something personal and not my business. Jenna, on the other hand, looked fit to kill someone.

Allison looked up at us. "My boyfriend - my soon to be ex-boyfriend - doesn't want me in the wedding," she said.

"What the hell?" asked Jenna. "Why not?"

"Not because it's

Anita's

wedding," Allison said. "but because it's a

lesbian

wedding. He's an ally, mind. He'll tell you that three or four times in any conversation. But the 'mood of the country' is turning against LGBT anything, and I'll

hurt my reputation

by being publicly supportive. He's never liked me spending time with Anita. I used to think it was because he was jealous of the time I spent with her, which was bad enough, but now I realize he doesn't want me around gay people."

"What an ass," said Jenna.

"He's... not entirely wrong," I said, "but it's no excuse to join the bigots. If you

are

an ally, it's more important than ever that you stand with your friends."

"Like I said, what an ass," said Jenna. I had to grin.

"I thought he was just overreacting, at first," Allison said. "I thought he'd realize how much of an ass he was being, and apologize. But he's been doubling down. As soon as I figure out how to untangle my life from his, I'm gone. Within the next couple of weeks, at the outside."

"I'm sorry it came to that," offered Kayla.

Allison shrugged, her expression turning bleak. "Yeah, me too, but better to know now."

~~~~~

We were already into December, and low temperatures had been around freezing. Christmas wasn't far away. The bar had several small parties to manage, but Shelby insisted that I delegate. Welcoming and looking after the party was the job of the staff, and she claimed I needed a break. I tried to argue, but she wasn't wrong. I was running myself ragged, I needed to ease myself out of direct customer interaction, and I'd sacrificed any potential break at Thanksgiving. Since we closed on Thursday anyway, I couldn't even count Thanksgiving Day as time off.

It was time to make a trip to see my parents, as much as the idea didn't thrill me. Since Jenna wouldn't be joining me, my mother would be free to drop hints about how great it would be to settle down with a man. I would have to set her straight - pun intended - about my new relationship, and find out how supportive she really was.

Jenna's friend Abby invited her to a pre-Christmas dinner party. We hadn't seen Abby and the rest of the friend group since the faire. She asked if Jenna was still single, and when she found out we were dating, she added me to the list. Enthusiastically, Jenna claimed, which pleased me.

The party was on a Friday, and since I still hadn't transitioned to working office hours, I had to leave work early to prepare. I'd found a new dress online for the occasion - black midi-length with spiderweb lace sleeves and a corset-style top - and spiderweb tights, wearing them with my black ankle boots. I was a little less heavy-handed with the eyeshadow than I could have been, though my dark emerald matte lipstick probably undid any attempt at being more subtle. At least Jenna couldn't claim it was fuchsia.

A Christmas outfit, it was not.

I'd offered to play designated driver. If Jenna wanted to drink with her friends, she would be free to. I'd also found a hostess gift that I thought Abby would like - a set of bottles of olive oil, dark balsamic vinegar and white balsamic vinegar. Jenna had warned Abby of my diet, and had asked if I could bring my own food, but Abby had insisted that she could make up a fully-vegan plate, which was beyond kind of her.

The evening was cold, and was predicted to drop below freezing, so I wore my heavy coat, though the car heater worked well. I collected Jenna, plugged Abby's address into CarPlay and asked Jenna about her friendship with the group while I drove.

Abby was a couple of years older than Jenna. She'd been just out of college when they'd first met, living with her then-boyfriend, and landscaping their small house. She'd met Jenna at the garden center, had taken her advice, and after a few visits they'd struck up a friendship. The others in the group had mostly been Abby's friends, though they took to Jenna immediately, including her in board game evenings, Netflix nights, and occasional girls-only bar visits.

We had to park a couple of houses away from Abby's place. She'd moved from the small house she'd been living in when Jenna first met her. Now she lived in a large two-story in a cul-de-dac.

Abby greeted us at the door, taking my coat. I handed her the gift I'd brought. She seemed slightly surprised as I thanked her for inviting me.

The gift was in a decorative bag, but unwrapped. Abby lifted the box out of the bag, seeming genuinely pleased to receive it.

Jenna hadn't seen my outfit, though she'd noticed the green lipstick in the car. Her small appreciative grin and the nod of her head were all the approval I needed.

This was also the first time in the evening that I'd seen her without a coat. She was wearing a strapless midi dress, dark hose and heels. The dress was cobalt blue, but the color of the skirt faded to light turquoise at the hem. Her short hair was curved in above her chin, with a silver decorative pin on the left, and she wore dangling silver earrings.

Taking her fingers in mine, I leaned close to whisper, "You look beautiful." Honestly, I didn't tell her that often enough, but tonight she especially deserved the comment.

"So do you," she whispered. I was sure she meant it, but she far outshone me.

I recognized only one of the two people in the large living room. Janet turned away as soon as she saw me. Ah well.

Abby's husband, Terry, asked what we wanted to drink. Jenna chose wine, while I contended myself with apple juice. I'd wait until we ate for my single glass.

Terry had been Abby's boyfriend when Jenna had first met her, and was now in his mid-30s. He interrogated me amiably about the bar.

There were several plates set up around the room with appetizer finger foods. Terry pointed out the ones Abby had told him were safe. He let me know that Abby had checked the ingredients for the French bread, and it contained no milk.

Paige arrived without a partner. She let us know that Megan wasn't going to be able to make it, as she was at her husband's office party. She and Jenna began a good-natured argument about football, and though I tried to keep up for a while, my eyes started to glaze over when Terry joined in. I decided to head to the kitchen to refill my apple juice.

"Why the fuck did you invite Miss Doom and Despondency?"

I heard the voice before entering the kitchen, and stepped aside so that I wouldn't be seen. It didn't take much imagination to know who Miss Doom and Despondency was.

If there was a reply, I didn't hear it, but then I heard the first voice again, harsher than before. "Her

girlfriend

? She's one of

them

now?"

This time I heard the tones of who she was arguing with, and though I couldn't hear the words, they were clearly angry.

"Fine!" said the first voice, clearly in a huff.

I stepped back to avoid being caught eavesdropping, but when no one left the kitchen for several seconds and no other voice was audible, I entered the door as nonchalantly as possible, a smile on my face.

Janet glared at me, setting down a bottle of bourbon. Abby gave me a welcoming smile. "I'm looking for the apple juice," I said.

Abby broke from arranging dishes to take the juice from the fridge. "Help yourself," she said.

"Is they anything I can do to help you?" I asked.

Abby shook her head. "I'll be pressing Terry into service soon," she said. "Just relax."

"Sure," I said. "Thanks." I was certain I could feel Janet's eyes biting into me as I left.

In the living room, I rejoined Terry, Paige and Jenna. Football chat was over, and Terry called over a couple who'd just arrived. He introduced Leanne, a co-worker, and her husband Paul. They were maybe a little older than Terry, early forties, perhaps. Paul had a hint of grey at his temples. They were genial, and good listeners, when they asked Jenna and me questions.

While Paul was talking with Terry about drama at his wife's office I took a moment to look around the room. It was tasteful, not opulent, but elegant, and huge. This whole house was enormous. Comparable to Shelby's. Jenna and I would never be able afford anything like...

Wait. Back the fuck up.

Jenna and I

? Where did that thought come from?

You've been dating less than a month and you're ready to buy a house with her?

"Fi? Are you okay?" Jenna's shoulder pressed into mine. "You went pale."

"I'm fine," I said, blinking. I was, though my stomach felt a little queasy from the sudden jolt. "I was just thinking what a lovely house this is?" Which was true enough.

"Thanks," said Terry. "I like the space, and Abby loves hosting dinner parties."

~~~~~

The final couple arrived a few moments later. This was Frank, a friend of Terry's, and his wife Barb. After briefly welcoming them, Terry was spirited away by Abby for final dinner preparations, and soon we were ushered into the dining room.

The dining table was huge, with places for ten, yet it wasn't uncomfortably large in the room. There was a small handwritten card before each chair. Mine had my full name, Fiala, placing me next to Terry, who was on my right at one end of the table, and across from Jenna. Leanne was to my left, and Janet, across from Paige, was at the far end, beside Abby. I had a feeling that placing Janet as far as possible from me was a strong factor in Abby's seating plan.

Abby served me first, taking my plate away to do so, returning it with nut cutlets and veggie gravy. Janet's eye roll when she saw me receiving special treatment wasn't a surprise, but the loud tut she made with her tongue clearly signalled her distaste to all. Abby froze for a second before setting my plate before me.

"Everything's okay except the herb butter for the carrots," Abby said to me, in a quiet voice. "The potatoes are roasted in olive oil. You know I'll put your gift to good use."

I turned to smile up at her. "I appreciate you making a special effort. It's why I got something for your kitchen."

She returned my smile, then bustled away to slice the roast prime rib for everyone else. Serving me nut burgers with gravy made my meal about as close to everyone else's as it could be, and I appreciated Abby's thoughtfulness.

Leanne asked the question I always dread. "Do you choose to be vegan, or is it a necessity?"

I thought for a moment before answering. I didn't sense any malice in her question. I explained about corporate greed promoting consumer greed, and how I simply wanted to step aside from that.

Before Leanne could respond, Jenna jumped in with, "She's not one of those vegan extremists. She's very laid back about it. She just doesn't use animal products. She'll cook meat and dairy for me."

I gave her a grateful smile.

"I see," Leanne said, "and I don't think those are bad reasons. I was just wondering."

"This beef is locally sourced," interjected Terry. "Grass fed from a local farm. Not that I would suggest you change your view, but at least we're not clearing the rainforest for dinner."

I grinned at him. "That's good." I

didn't

mention how much more environmentally friendly it would be to grow crops for humans rather than grass for cows.

"We often eat bison rather than beef," he added. "Regrowing bison herds seems better than adding more cows."

"That's true," I agreed. "As far as red meat goes, bison is much less problematic than cattle."

Jenna was watching me, and I smiled at her again. She seemed to color slightly and lowered her eyes to her food.