Diva
Seventeen
“OH MY GOD!” she gasped. She stood studying the painting. “Oh my god,” she repeated. She moved back from the painting and then moved forward again.
“Oh my god.” She sat on the foot of my bed. “She’s crying for you. God, Tony, why is your girlfriend crying for you. She’s begging you. Oh my god.” Tears ran from Beth’s eyes.
“Beth. Hey Dumpling,” I said as I stroked her shoulder. “That isn’t my girlfriend…exactly.”
“Exactly? What does that mean? Wait!” Beth hadn’t stopped looking at the painting since she sat down. I’d seen her look at my paintings before and she was looking for what I’d hidden. I often put shapes in the leaves of a landscape or hid treasures among the rocks I painted and Beth had become an expert at finding the hidden images. I’d been surprised that, as far as I knew, no one had found the shadowy figure in the doorway of the Rhapsody Suite painting during the gala. I didn’t do it as much anymore, but I knew she’d spot what I’d put in the painting of Allison. “They’re watching her. No. They’re watching you and her. They love her. They love you both. Tony, what happened?”
“It’s not a tragedy,” I reassured her. She could see the images of Lissa and Melody I’d painted into the shadows. They were always there when Allison and I were together. I don’t know if Allison could see them, but everywhere I looked I saw my lovers. I’d painted them into the picture because they were as much a part of it as Allison was. “I’m going to call them now, so please be patient while I get them on the line.”
“Them? You have more than one girlfriend, Tony?”
“Hey, I’ve changed a lot, but I’m still your Pogo,” I said, “just like you’re my Dumpling.” I dialed Melody first and her sleepy voice answered on the third ring.
“’Lo?”
“Hi, darling. I know it’s late, but I need to get you and Liss on the line and introduce you to someone.”
“It’s one o’clock in the morning,” Melody said. Then she seemed to spring awake. “Is she with you?”
“Just be patient, Meddy,” I said. “I’m going to put you on hold and dial Lissa now.” I did and Lissa was considerably more awake.
“Hello, Lover,” she said. “Kate and I are sitting on the deck watching the stars. Are you home from your party?”
“Hi, sweetheart,” I said. “Yeah. Let me connect Melody. I want to introduce you to someone.” I cut her squeal off before I connected to Melody. When I was sure I had them both I put them on speaker so Beth could hear and I sat beside her.
“Okay,” I started. “Lissa and Melody, I want you to meet my best friend from high school, Beth Carpenter. Beth, these are my girlfriends, Lissa and Melody.”
“Hi, Beth!” Melody shouted. “We saw your picture. Wish we were there with you.”
“Um… Hi… I guess,” Beth said.
“Oh yeah, I’m Melody, out in Boston,” she said.
“And I’m Lissa, back in Seattle,” Lissa added. “It’s nice to meet you, Beth.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Beth said. “Are you really Tony’s girlfriends?”
“Sure are,” Lissa said.
“Beth, we’re all in love with each other,” I explained.
“You always were an odd one, Pogo,” she answered.
“Who’s Pogo?” Melody asked.
“It’s a nickname. We grew up calling each other Pogo and Dumpling,” Beth said. “You two are in the background of the picture, did you know that?”
“What picture?” Lissa asked.
“Well, I was saving it as a surprise,” I said. “I’ve been working on an oil painting of Allie. And yes, the two of you are benevolently watching over her.”
“That’s not it, Pogo,” Beth broke in. “It’s not benevolence. I can see the love in their eyes. How do you do it?”
“Do you mean how do we love each other?” Lissa asked. “It’s just so easy.”
“Do you know anything about art, Beth?”
“Wait. Who is that?”
“Oh, sorry. I’m Kate.”
“Are you a girlfriend?” There was some giggling on the other end of the line.
“Not exactly,” I explained. “I’m not sure any of us have figured out what Kate is.” I heard a raspberry being blown. “Kate, you know you’re going to hear stuff that’s… you know… intimate, right?”
“Well, if Beth can listen, can’t I?”
“Of course you can, Kitten,” I said. “As long as you know. Now what were you saying?”
“Did you call me Kitten?”
“I’m sorry, Kate.”
“Don’t be sorry! I love it! I’m a Kitty Kate.”
“Um… yeah.” I heard the definite sound of a kiss over the phone and as far as I knew, Lissa and Kate were the only others who were together.
“Okay, so Beth,” Kate said. “Have you ever seen a triptych?”
“That’s one of those three panel paintings, right?” Beth asked.
“That’s right. Well, you have to think of Tony and Lissa and Melody like a triptych. Each panel is a complete painting in itself. But if you don’t see all three panels together, you never really see the whole picture,” Kate explained.
“But you all know about Allie in this painting?” Beth asked.
“Yes,” Lissa answered. “Allie is dear to all of us. I can’t wait to see the painting. Is she crying?”
“Yes. She has her hand held out to him and it’s like she’s just opening herself, so vulnerable, so… oh, god. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“You haven’t seen what else Tony has painted this year,” Melody said softly. “We’ve all modeled for him. I’ve seen your picture. You should model for him, too.”
“About that,” I broke in. “I think I’d better send you a new picture.” I had Beth stand up and snapped a picture of her. We’d never stopped to pick up our shirts at the volleyball pit. I hit send and in a minute I heard Melody exclaim, “Wow! What a fox!” Beth blushed.
“I want to see pictures of you!” Beth said. I woke up my laptop and launched my “girlfriend” slide show, pointing out which one was Lissa, which Melody, the two boys, Kate, Allie, and so on. I had pictures of everyone and about half of them were nudes. The pictures of my paintings were in the mix and Beth was exclaiming over them.
Finally, I heard Lissa over the phone.
“Lover,” Lissa said, “it’s time for some girl talk. Just leave the phone with Beth and go get yourself some nice warm milk or something, okay?” I could hear the tease in her voice. But I wanted to make absolutely clear that both Kate and Beth heard what I had to say next.
“Lissa, I love you. Good night, darling. Melody, I love you. I’ll talk to you in the morning, okay? Oh. And Kate, I think about you a lot. You know how special you are to us, right?”
“Goodnight, Tony,” Kate said. “I know.”
“Goodnight, love.”
“Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”
I handed the phone to Beth and left the room.
I was nodding off at the kitchen table when Beth came into the room. It was nearly two in the morning. I stood up to greet her in that kind of half-awake and half dreaming state. Beth handed me the phone and said, “Sorry, the battery’s dead.”
Then she kissed me.
All through school and growing up, I’d had… maybe… a dozen kisses ranging from experimental pecks to my first, second, and last, French kiss before leaving for college—the first one an experimental disaster between Beth and me. But this kiss was so full of friendship and love that I couldn’t help but respond. I closed my eyes and just let myself be lost in the experience. I was aware that my hand stroked up and down her back and, as if it had a mind of its own, it had glided to the front to cup her huge breast.
Beth broke our kiss, but held my hand against her breast for a minute. She looked up at me and met my eyes.
“I’ve decided to save myself a little longer,” she said. “But someday soon, Pogo, you’re going to paint me.”
She pulled away from me and I watched her red pick-up drive away before I dragged myself to bed and collapsed.
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