Page 12 of July Skies
Ah, yes, the only time when Karen and Sissy tended to see eye-to-eye about anything was when Pride was afoot.Because besides being civil servants, the only thing she and I have in common is queer woman status.Yet it stopped there. Sissy was a lesbian, and Karen was openly bisexual, like the good governor. They couldn’t even agree on how much they liked men!As long as she’s not also here to whine about Hibiscus Films…
No, but they were definitely brought up halfway through their morning meeting about Pride. While Karen went over yetanotherparade – this time with a rainbow theme, as opposed to the ol’ red, white, and blue – Sissy raised her hand and asked, “Will the film crew be there for this one, too? I’m assuming they care more about Pride than this weekend.”
The corners of Karen’s mouth twitched, yet she stopped short of thumping her pen against her desk. “I would suppose so. I haven’t talked to Dahlia in a few days.” That both suited her fine and infuriated her. Dahlia was rather captivating, wasn’t she? With her devil-may-care style that suited working on a film set more than going out on a date with anyone she fancied… and the cold, stern stare she always emitted when someone twisted her words or suggested she do something some other way. Dahlia was a woman very much in charge of her destiny, let alone her career. Karen admired that in women. One of the things to make her realize she was better suited dating women instead of staying chained to her ex-husband was meeting a no-nonsense CEO who waved her hand and got whatever she wanted. This was a woman with three kids of her own. And a wife. A stay-at-home wife, not that Karen needed one of those anymore.Raised my own kids myself after we moved here over a decade ago.People loved to tell her how strong and reliable she was. Honestly, she simply did what had to be done.
So did Dahlia, probably. Did she have kids? Hell, did she have a girlfriend?A woman so invested in Paradise Valley, let alone one who wears capris to her sets… oh, please tell me she’s gay!Karen could survive the news that Dahlia was already coupled if that other person was a woman. That’s how it worked, of course.
“I hope they get my good side this time.” Tom sighed, pencil falling from his hand. “If they insist on filming me, that is. There were a few shots of me at the parade. They let me review the film, but I only signed off on it because… well, what else was I supposed to do?”
I wish Wanda were here.Not only should the parks commissioner talk about pride, but she was much better than Karen at keeping Tom and Sissy focused. Those two could ramble and digress like nobody else.
“Is it me,” Sissy said, prepared for one of her digressions, “or does it seem weird that a bunch of straight people, let alone men – no offense, Tom – are doing the brunt of the filming and interviewing.”
The smile fell off Karen’s daydreaming face. She may or may not have been imagining Dahlia lifting a boom mic all by herself.Just slapping it over her shoulder and strutting across the atrium like a badass.Karen didn’t know if that was a proper way to carry a boom mic, but she didn’t care. Fantasies didn’t follow the rules of good handling.
“Come again?” she said.
Sissy looked askance at her. “The film crew. It’s all straight people, and dudes.”
“What are you talking about? Ms. Granger is… you think she’s straight?”
The only thing keeping that laughter in Sissy’s face was decorum. Had to be, otherwise she wouldn’t think twice about letting a cackle slap Karen on the cheek. “What? You think she’s queer? You’re kidding, right?”
“I…”
“Just because you cross this city’s limits, doesn’t make you a card-carrying member of the Rainbow Alliance.” Sissy finally let a guffaw choke her right in the throat. After she was finished covering her mouth and brushing the sounds away with her fingers, she continued, “That woman is as straight as an arrow. Even when I didn’t overhear her talking about all her male exes with one of those guys, I can tell. Really, Karen, you need a better gaydar.”
Tom looked between them, eyes widening. “Why would the mayor care if the woman is gay or not? Unless you think she’s…”
They both turned to Karen, who was blushing so hard she swore Sissy reallyhadslapped her on the cheek. “I don’t fancy her, if that’s what you’re about to accuse me of thinking.”
“Fancy. That’s one way to put it. Come on, Karen,” Sissy settled into her seat, that smug look amusing Tom, “you’re going to deny that you have some of the hots for her?”
“Excuse me. That would be grossly inappropriate.”
“Why?” Tom asked. “It’s not like you hired her for something. She cameherelooking to get into our town.”
“Why? Because… well, it would simply be inappropriate. It’s a conflict of interest.”
That made both commissioners raise their eyebrows. “Explain?” Sissy said.
It took a lot to fluster Karen Rath, who often faced hard-hitting questions with the determination of a woman who had never backed down from a challenge. Yet here she was in her own mayoral office, sputtering words she didn’t know the meaning to, and swearing to God and his Holy Son that she had never,everbeen attracted to a woman in her life. That was blasphemous! Everyone knew that if a mayor wasn’t already engaged or married, then she was destined to be celibate for the rest of her incumbency. That’sjusthow it worked.
Probably. It had been seven years. Things might have changed in the 2010s.
“I have to remain neutral, you see?” Yes, that sounded good. Surely, Sissy would understandthat.“I can’t be seen paying the film crew any favors.Anyfavors. I’m already up to my ass in complaints.” Susie Pate counted as more than one complaint. The commissioners would understand. “If people get wind that I might ‘fancy’ the woman in charge of the cameras around town, there’s going to be hell to pay. I would greatly appreciate it if neither of my commissioners in this room spread that unfounded rumor.”
Sissy slouched as if she been told she couldn’t go to Disneyland that year. “You’re not fun, Karen. I’m poking a bit of… never mind. Honestly, you doubling-down like this only makes you look guiltier, but it’s no skin off my back.”
Yes, Karen understood how it looked when she vehemently denied an attraction to somebody like Dahlia.Great. They’re on to me.She needed to quash any thoughts she had of Dahlia. Any that could be misconstrued as attraction.
Any thoughts at all.
As they proceeded to talk about Pride, however, Karen found it increasingly difficult to follow that manifesto.
Chapter 8
DAHLIA
