Page 49 of The Happy Month
The surprised look on her face made me explain. “I’m looking into a murder from 1949. We think Melchor knew the victim. A woman named Vera Korenko.”
“Well, he didn’t kill her,” she said, reflexively. “I mean… people said he hated women, but I don’t think that was true. I think he only hated lesbians. I can’t say why. But the woman who got me work at Monumental was named Betsy Carter—her friends called her Bob. I was a very good seamstress and I could pattern. Anyway, she talked about how much Ivan hated her. To the point where it sounded paranoid, but I saw him snub her once. Probably the coldest shoulder I ever saw.”
“And there was no real reason for their feud?” I asked.
“None that I ever heard of. He just didn’t like lesbians.”
I couldn’t help but feel that had something to do with Vera Korenko. But what could she have done that made him hate lesbians so much? While I was thinking that the subject changed.
Ronnie was saying, “You’re such a wonderful mother, supporting Doug like this.”
“I don’t think I deserve credit for that. I knew so many gays when I worked at the studios. It was always a safe place for them. Doug came out to me when he was in high school. Not that it was a surprise really. The only thing I said, and maybe I regret this, but I told him not to tell anyone until he was through college. Fortunately, he ignored me and joined a gay fraternity in his senior year.”
“I think you still deserve a lot of credit,” Ronnie said. I could tell he was thinking about his own mother who deserved none.
Then it was time to sit. We got more champagne. There were a couple of toasts before we went up to the buffet. A couple of times I thought about the invitationto the Westin I’d received. I hadn’t decided if I was going or not. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell Ronnie about it, to ask his opinion. Which meant I had to stop drinking. I poured the rest of my champagne into his glass.
He gave me a sidelong look and said, “You don’t have to get me drunk to take advantage of me. You know I’ll volunteer.”
“Down boy.”
He slipped his hand into my lap, saying, “I don’t think anyone here would really mind.”
“I think you’re probably wrong about that. But let’s not find out, okay.”
And then it was time to go up and get our dinner. When I picked up a plate, I noticed that I still had paint around my nails. It has been hard to get out, but I should have tried harder.
We ended up at a table with Brown and Melissa, Robbie and his boyfriend, Kyle, and another lesbian couple whose names eluded me even as they were introduced. We talked about how good the food was, how we all knew Doug and Robert, which parts of the country we were originally from, and current events. The grooms stopped by and said hello for a few minutes.
Honestly, the whole thing was a bit overwhelming. Fifteen years ago, something like this would not have happened. Certainly not like this with an actual minister and mothers walking their sons down the aisle.
I said to the table, “In seventy-eight or -nine, I don’t remember which, but I went to a ‘gay’ wedding at a Howard Johnson’s. A flight attendant was marrying his best girlfriend so she could get free trips. Halfway through the reception, he went upstairs to screw the best man while shewent to her room to bang the maid of honor. That’s what a gay wedding used to be.”
“You’re right, you’ve had too much champagne,” Ronnie whispered to me. He was right, of course.
Later, when the tables had been cleared and it was time to dance, the DJ played a cover of “Unchained Melody,” and Ronnie and I danced. As he slipped into my arms, I realized it was the first time we’d ever danced like that.
“Do you want a commitment ceremony?” I asked him.
“Oh no. I have your name on a deed. There’s nothing more committed than owning real estate together.”
“That’s not very romantic, though.”
“You want to do something romantic for me?”
“Sure, I do.”
“Tell me the truth. All of it.”
Well, I wasn’t going to do that.
After a very long, very awkward pause he said, “That’s what I thought. It’s fine though. Here’s what’s important. I love you; you love me. That’s all we need.”
“And as much real estate as we can afford.”
“That’s a given, darling.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
