Page 122 of Keepsake
“Can’t wait to celebrate itat the Gin Mill,” Kyle said.
Griff just shook his head.
“Sorry!” May called from the other room as her footsteps hurried toward the dining room. She skated into view a second later.
“Wow!” Lark said. “Vavoom!”
May spread a hand across her cleavage. “Do you think it’s too much?”
“I’m not known for my superior judgement in these matters,” I pointed out. “So I’d say go for it. You should have told me this was a dressy occasion. Where are we going?”
“Well.I’mgoing to a party,” May said, sitting down.
Grandpa interrupted this line of discussion by starting to say grace. I watched my girlfriend and May close their eyes respectfully until he said amen. Then both their eyes popped open and they continued where they left off.
“But you’re not coming, and neither is Zach,” May said. “I’m going to hang out with you guys for an hour or so and then I have a date.”
“Go you!” Lark interjected.
“With a woman.”
“Finally,” Daphne muttered, spearing a slab of ham off the platter.
Wait. What?That didn’t compute. Unless I’d misunderstood May? I glanced at the faces around the table, but nobody else had seemed to notice what she’d said.
“May, honey. Could you start the black-eyed peas?” Ruth asked. “They’re right in front of you.”
Frowning, May took the lid off the crock. She plunged the serving spoon inside, but then looked up, her eyes scanning the table. “I just said I had a date tonight with a woman. A date. I’m wearing a dress and everything.”
“Lookin’ good, too,” Kieran said. “Do the peas have bacon in them?”
“Have you met me?” Audrey asked. “Of course there’s bacon.”
May scooped some peas onto her plate. Finished, she lifted the crock, but then hesitated. “Isn’t anyone surprised? Am I not speaking English? I’m dating a woman. Well, not dating. Not yet. But maybe. Anyone?”
I raised my hand. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Thankyou! Jeez. I thought my queerness would at least be newsworthy.”
Kyle took the crock of black-eyed peas from May. “If your date had, like, four tits, that would be newsworthy. Does she?”
“No!” she howled. “She’s a very beautiful law student.”
“And you look very beautiful tonight too, dear,” Ruth said.
“Thanks, Mom,” May said tightly.
“Does anyone else have anything they want to share?” Dylan asked in a campy voice which made his sister’s scowl deepen.
“Actually…” I said, and everyone turned expectant faces to me. “I bought a truck today. Jude found it for me. It’s a 1997 Ford F-150.”
All the men’s faces lit up. “No way!” “Whoa!” “What’s the mileage?” “Does it need a lot of work?”
“Seriously?” May hissed.
“They’re men.” Lark soothed her with a pat on the hand. “Just tell yourself you made the right choice for the evening.”
“Obviously.”
