Triptych
Fourteen
IT WAS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME to get everything legally set up. As our lawyer, John MacDonald, said to us, “Nothing about your relationship is covered under Washington State Law. You aren’t married. Therefore, we have to have documents that spell out everything. Your partnership has to be a business partnership as domestic partnerships are limited to two people just like marriage. You’ll have a stated business purpose of owning and investing in businesses and property. For everything else, we need separate papers—power of attorney, medical power of attorney, wills, trusts, child guardianship, and anything else we can think of—all have to be covered and documented.” We were afloat in a sea of paperwork.
One of the documents that had to be modified was my contract with Clarice. I took her the amendment on Thursday.
“So you want all income from your painting paid to the partnership?” she asked.
“That’s right.”
“Tony, do you realize that you could be giving up a sizeable income here? It makes no difference to me because I’m still only representing your works and where the money gets deposited is a moot point. But you stand to have an income of over $50,000 within the next 12 months while going to school full time. Who knows what that could become when you start truly painting as a career? You don’t want to split that income up, do you?”
“Yes, actually I do. In addition to my painting, Melody and Lissa are on the brink of some phenomenal income. The only way we can all work on everything and feel good about it is to share it all equally.”
Clarice signed the addendum and handed my copy back to me.
“Now, let me see what you are working on.”
I showed her photos of the canvas and progress that I’d made on Sharon’s portrait. Each photo was date and time-stamped so there was a continuous record the way she wanted it kept. Even though it currently was only a stretched canvas with a pencil drawing on it, it showed steady progress on the client’s project. She was pleased, both with the project and with the records I kept.
Of course, when there was no client involved, I didn’t need the record, but while we were on our date to the zoo concert, Melody had been snapping photos and captured my initial drawing while I was doing it. She also shot some reference photos of the setting that I didn’t know about until after the fact. I handed Clarice the watercolor pencil drawing/painting that I did and she looked at it critically.
“This has some promising qualities, Tony,” she said. “I like the direction it’s taking. You’ll do a full-size painting of the piece, won’t you? It should be about the same size as the Rhapsody Suite painting. This particular subject could be done in watercolor, but you know I prefer oil or acrylic for a better price. You need more pieces like this. Open up and let them flow. But only one or two of any given subject. If you paint 250 Water Lilies canvasses like Monet, I’ll never be able to sell any of them. Pictures like this, but not the same subject. And don’t paint this instead of figures. Paint it in addition. I want anyone to look at your collection and see at least one painting they could imagine in their home—or museum.”
“It was a unique setting,” I said. “I don’t know that I’ll find any others that have the same feel. I don’t want to be out painting ferries or the Space Needle.”
“I agree. Every Seattle artist has painted the Space Needle or the ferries. What makes this unique is that every Seattle artist has not painted this scene. And that you’ve captured something here that is beyond the setting. You caught the vibe. That’s what you need more of. Up to this time all I’ve seen of your work has been people that you connect to. This is a scene—an urbanscape—that you connected with. Keep connecting.”
“That’s hard,” I said. “It isn’t just that it’s hard to find scenes like that, but that I get so caught up in it that I exhaust myself before I think to even breathe.”
“Well, I’d like to say that will improve, but I doubt that it will. If you want to be a great artist, you are going to have to keep pouring yourself into the connections that bring your work to life.”
Before I left Carmine’s, I stopped to talk to Wendy. She was still looking kind of worn out and I was worried about her.
“Oh, things are getting better,” she said. “I’m just in a rough spot. I thought I had something and it really hit me hard when it all went up in smoke.”
“Hey, I’ve got an idea. Do you work Sunday?”
“Of course. But shift’s over at three o’clock after we clean up from lunch. Carma closes the restaurant at two on Sundays.”
“Why don’t you come over for an afternoon barbecue?” She raised an eyebrow at me. “I promise; no nude posing.”
“Drat! Here I was hoping,” she grinned. She sobered almost immediately. “I don’t need a hand-out, Tony.”
“I wasn’t offering one. I see you almost every week now, but Lissa and Melody only saw you on Lissa’s birthday. You know,” I said in a hushed tone, “we share everything. That means you, too. They’re beginning to think I’m stepping out on them.” This time it was my turn to grin. I hadn’t seen Wendy that flustered since the first night we met.
“Well, okay,” she said. “If I come straight from work, would it be okay for me to grab a shower at your place?”
“Sure, but shower at your own risk. You can never tell how many people will be in there with you at our house.”
She gave me a gentle punch in the arm and said she’d see us Sunday. I rushed home to tell the family.
“I wouldn’t even go to this thing tonight if it weren’t for Kate,” I complained to Lissa as we drove home from the club.
Our Friday afternoon workouts tended to be the toughest of the week. Today was even tougher because John had located another mixed doubles team to play us. Individually, Sally and Tomas were no competition for either Lissa or me. But together, they had a lot of doubles experience that Lissa and I couldn’t match. We were tripping over each other and constantly forgetting our rotation. Twice, I returned one of Lissa’s serves. We played five games over two hours as Sally and Tomas carefully schooled us in the art of playing as a team. It made me think about teachers and students in general. Especially in the arts. It was a reminder that a person doesn’t have to be as good, skilled, or talented as you are to be able to teach you. I learned a lot from those two and Lissa and I walked out having not won a single game. I’d rushed through my shower so I could get ready for my date with Kate.
“If it weren’t for the date with Kate, we’d all just go home and collapse in bed,” Lissa agreed. “But then, there’s the date with Kate.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I just wish I was taking her someplace fun instead of to a party where I don’t know anyone.”
“Well, you’ll have to work together,” Lissa said. “Come on. You’ll have fun. After all…”
“…I’m going to be with Kate,” I finished for her. We both laughed.
“So what are you and our wife going to do?”
“Melody said she was planning the evening. Molly left the boys at Jack’s tonight, so we might just leave the bedroom door open and fill the house with ecstatic screams all night.”
“Not all night!” I said. “Don’t forget I’m bringing Kate home after the party. We don’t want to scare the poor girl.”
“Ooo. I wonder if that means we all get goodnight kisses tonight.”
“Uh-uh. I think it’s only fair that since it’s my date, I get to collect the goodnight kisses and distribute them later.”
“Aww!” Lissa pouted. “I suppose. It is kind of fun to act as the… What did you call it? Transfer agent?”
“Yeah. Makes it sound like one of Melody’s fabric dyes, doesn’t it?”
“Well, you’ll have fun. And so will we.”
I should have known that I wouldn’t just dress and leave, though. Melody had clothes laid out for me on the big bed and insisted that I take another shower so she could inspect me. She did a very thorough inspection, most of it with her lips and tongue.
“Melody,” I said as I pulled on the short sleeved sport shirt she laid out for me. “Don’t you think that I’m sending mixed messages? I mean wearing a bright green shirt? I don’t want Eric to think he should be hitting on me.”
“You’ll understand later. Just wear the damn shirt.”
“Yes ma’am!” I snapped back. She’d been feeling pretty mellow after we’d both come in the shower. “What’s up?”
“I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just jealous. I wish I was going to the party.”
“You should have said something, darling. I offered to take you and Lissa.”
“I don’t mean with you,” she said. Oh.
“I bet you’ll have your one-on-one date with Kate in the next few days. You know we’re not limited to weekend dating—especially this week with the boys at Jack’s,” I soothed.
“Oh, it’s okay. The suspense is killing me, though. I get to hold her hand at the ballgame.”
“I’m sure she’ll be okay with that. What are you and Lissa doing tonight?”
“I’m taking her dancing.”
“What?”
“There’s an over-eighteen club in the U-District and I’m taking her dancing. I’m told there’s lots of same-sex couples who go there.”
“So cool! If the party is a bust can we come and join you?”
“If the party is a bust, find a quiet place and make out with our girlfriend,” Melody answered. “That’s what I’d do.”
I parked and went up to Kate’s room at the dorm to knock on her door. It wasn’t a formal occasion or a fancy party, so I didn’t really have anything to give her—like flowers or candy. But I felt like it was important to call for her at her door and not phone from the car. When she opened the door and smiled at me, I was breathless. She was such a knockout!
She already had flowers that she’d woven into her hair. And she was wearing a ‘Melody Special’ sundress that was deep green with leaf patterns bleached out of the fabric. Instead of having her hair in a ponytail, it was braided around the flowers. She was wearing makeup and looked so sophisticated I could hardly believe it was Kate. Even her nails were repainted and instead of her customary purple polish were a soft pearl.
“Wow! You look incredible!” I said.
“Thanks to Melody. She came over and helped me get ready this afternoon. I took the afternoon off work.”
“And she brought you a new dress? I’m going to have to talk to her about how she spends the family’s money.”
“Don’t be harsh, Tony. It was so sweet of her,” Kate said. She almost looked frightened that I’d really come down hard on Melody.
“Hey,” I said seriously. “If she’s going to spend money like this, I want to encourage her!”
“Oh!” Kate laughed and then leaned in to give me a lovely soft kiss. “Did she help you get ready, too?”
“Yeah. She had this shirt and… Oh.” Kate was giggling. “You talk about everything, don’t you?”
“Don’t you?”
I kissed her again and then took her hand to go to the party. Who really cared where we were going?
The party was actually pretty much fun. There was plenty of beer, but Kate and I chose to stick with Cokes. We met up with Eric and he introduced us to several other people. It would take me a few repeated introductions before I remembered everyone’s name. But Kate was really into learning about what was happening with Tent City and in less than an hour at the party she’d committed to organizing a team from PCAD to make up backpacks of supplies to have available when the residents moved in. I volunteered to work the security detail one evening a week. It wasn’t really security, but was more like the SCU/Tent City help desk. I’d be there and available for either students or residents to ask questions and get help. I’d also have 911 on speed dial on my cell phone if there was an emergency of any kind. In case of severe weather, I’d open the Athletic Pavilion so people would have shelter. Kate and I were having a great time.
When the snacks on the table ran low, we volunteered to run to the kitchen and replenish. We needed more liquid, too, and decided that plain water would be better than downing a dozen Cokes in the evening. I was filling a chip bowl from one of the several bags on the counter while Kate poured us water. I turned to take my glass and met her lips. I melted. That kiss was so warm and loving and inviting, if I hadn’t had a bag of chips in my hand I wouldn’t have been able to restrain myself. She broke the kiss and smiled at me.
“Uh… maybe I should collect Melody’s and Lissa’s now, too,” I suggested.
“Oh, you can share that one if you want to,” Kate said. “But it was just for you. I’m so happy you are volunteering.” That really pleased me. I leaned in for another of her kisses when I heard a voice behind me.
“You fucking shit.”
At first it didn’t register that the words were directed at me. I was surprised to recognize Bree’s voice and thought she was in trouble, so I turned to help. She was standing in the kitchen doorway looking at Kate and me.
“You fucking shit,” she repeated. “You couldn’t come to the party with me, but you can with her? What am I? A leper? No. A leper you’d feel some compassion for. I’m less than that. You fucking asshole.”
“Bree,” I said, “take it easy.”
“Easy! Hell! You talk about your holy trinity and how you are all tied up with Lissa and Melody. But you slept with Allison in Chicago and now you’re out with this skank. So much for your threesome. So why not me? I can’t be beneath your standards. You don’t have any. You won’t fucking give me the time of day. You’ve known from the first time we met I’d do anything for you. Why do you treat me like such shit?”
All right. I’d had enough. Bree was way off the deep end again and I was sick and tired of it. What did she know about Chicago or Kate? Skank? God damn her!
“Fine, Bree,” I said as I unzipped my pants. “Here. Get it out; get it up; and get it off. Then you can put another notch in your pussy and say you fucked every athlete at the school. Isn’t that what you want? That’s all it is to you. Just do it and then get the hell out of my life.”
She sank to her knees in front of me. For a minute I actually thought she was going to reach for me, but she kept sinking down until she was curled up on the floor crying. What a way to ruin a great evening. I grabbed Kate’s hand and left Bree there. I was practically dragging Kate out the door.
“Tony.”
I just kept going. I didn’t even speak or wave to Eric on our way out. I just shut the door behind us.
“Tony!”
I turned toward Kate.
“I’m sorry, Kitten. I didn’t know she’d be here. We were having fun and then she ruined it all. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“Tony!” It finally sunk in that she had something to say to me and I looked into her eyes. Kate was crying.
“Oh my god!” I said. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled Kate to me. She sobbed against my chest for just a moment before she pushed me away.
“Tony, please… I don’t know… I can’t…”
“Oh Kate, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I’m so sorry.”
“No.” She caught her breath and pushed away. “I don’t know how to say this. I don’t have any right to say it. And I don’t want you to hate me. I understand what happened and how you reacted. But Tony, please go apologize to Bree and make up.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. If anything Bree owed Kate an apology.
“There’s something else going on, Tony. I don’t know what it is, but I could see it. I know she rubbed you the wrong way and I understand how you reacted, but please. Something terrible will happen if you don’t make up with her. Something is really wrong. If anything bad happens, it will tear us apart. Maybe all of us. Please, Tony. I love you. Please go back.”
I was processing everything she said a couple of phrases after she said it. I was mostly concerned that Kate was upset. It didn’t make any sense that something bad would happen. But… I love you? Oh my god!
“Kate, I love you too. I won’t let anything bad happen.”
“Then please go back, Tony. Please find out what’s wrong with her. I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes. Please, Tony?”
I let out my breath in a sigh. Shit. When you really rip someone a new one, the last thing you want to do is go apologize for it. Besides, she really deserved it and I didn’t feel sorry about it. But I also realized that I’d do anything for Kate right now. I’d never seen her cry and it broke my heart.
“Okay.”
Bree was still lying on the kitchen floor when I went back in. Kate followed behind, but she stayed in the living room. Eric was in the kitchen trying to get Bree to talk to him, but she was curled in a ball and just kept crying.
I grabbed one of the glasses of water that Kate had poured and left on the counter and knelt beside Bree. Eric backed away.
“Should I call an ambulance?” he asked.
“Not yet. Let me see if I can talk to her,” I said quietly.
Damn it! I didn’t mean to totally destroy her. I didn’t even think it was possible. Bree was always so brassy and bold. But she looked so much like Melody. I couldn’t stand to see her lying there crying. She looked so brokenhearted. I scooped her up in my arms and held the water to her lips. She slurped down a swallow before she realized she was being helped and moved. When she looked up at me she broke out in a fresh round of crying. She was too weak to fight me, though, and I held her against me.
“I’m sorry, Bree. I had no right to yell at you like that. I’m sorry.” I just rocked her back and forth. Our host came into the kitchen with Eric behind him and asked if everything was okay.
“Could she lie down for a few minutes?” I asked. “On a bed?”
“Sure,” he said. “You need help carrying her?”
“No. She’s a little peanut. I can carry her.” There was a sputter against my chest as Bree choked something between another sob and a snort. I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. They shut the door behind us.
“I’m so… sor… sorry,” she gasped. “No wonder he hates me.”
“I don’t hate you,” I said. Apparently, she hadn’t realized it was me she was talking to. “I’m just a little overwhelmed by you.”
“Not you.”
Huh?
“Who hates you, Bree?”
“M… my… my father.”
Holy shit. She grabbed onto me and hugged herself into my chest in a new wave of tears and sobs shook her. I petted her hair and tried to calm her down. Somewhere in the back of my head I was telling myself that Kate was right.
“Your father doesn’t hate you,” I said. “I don’t know what all’s happening, but I know he cares for you.”
“He likes you better than he likes me,” she sobbed. “I thought if I was with you, he’d like me again. He’ll never like me again. He hates me.”
“Bree, why do you think your father hates you?”
“I tried to be good and I was terrible. When Mommy died. I lived. And I was terrible.”
“How did your mother die?” I asked.
“Childbirth.” Fuck.
“Bree, that doesn’t make it your fault. It’s not your fault.”
“But I was terrible. I tried to take care of the house and my father and help him with recruiting, but I miss my mommy. I thought that if he liked the players so much he’d like me better if I was with them. But he didn’t. I disgust him. I tried to do better, but then you came along and I saw him look at you with the enthusiasm he used to have. He was bringing a new sport to SCU and I thought this time if I was with you, we’d be able to make him proud of us together. And you were so… you wouldn’t… I hated you, too. But I have to make the team successful. He’ll never like me if I don’t keep the team happy and we win.”
“You’ve got things so messed up, Bree,” I whispered. “Your father isn’t your responsibility; you’re his. I know you are all grown up now, but he’s still the one who should be taking care of you. You don’t have to make him successful. Is that why you quit cheerleading to manage the racquetball club?”
She nodded her head against me.
“Bree, you need to talk to somebody. I mean a professional. I’m not the answer to the problem. I seem to just be something that aggravates it. You need to talk to your dad and tell him how you feel. He cares for you, Bree. I could hear it when we were talking the other day. He wants… in fact, he is proud of you. I bet he’s just as upset as you are.”
We sat there on the bed and she held onto me like I was a lifeline. I was pretty sure I would have bruises in the morning. It took a long time. I was worried about leaving Kate alone, but she said she’d wait for me. This was important to her, too. Bree quieted down and for a while I thought she’d fallen asleep. Then she looked up at me and spoke softly.
“Will you take me home? I don’t want to drive.”
“We’ll take you.”
I supported Bree with my arm around her when we came out of the bedroom and Kate left a conversation with two guys who seemed to be really into her to come and help me. When she approached, Bree looked at her mournfully and Kate just hugged her.
“I’m sorry, Kate,” Bree said. “I have such a foul-mouth. I didn’t mean it. Please forgive me.”
Kate, of course, did more than that. She helped Bree into the back seat and sat with her as I drove her home. We went in with her and made sure she was safe and all right. She seemed better and said that she would go straight to bed. Kate wasn’t satisfied and went up to her room with her, made sure she was in bed, turned out the lights, and came back down to say she thought it was okay to go now.
We got back to a dark house half an hour before midnight.
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