Chapter Five
Darcy glanced at her watch as she walked. Six o’clock on the dot. Since she was only a block away, she didn’t think that classified as late. Even if it was late by her standards. The entrance to the restaurant came into view and she realized Emerson was standing just to the side of the door. Looking even sexier than she did the night of the wedding, if that was possible.
Dark jeans and a white oxford, untucked, hair artfully disheveled. Combined with the aviator sunglasses, she looked like some kind of hot dyke model. Whether she sensed being stared at or just happened to glance in Darcy’s direction, Darcy couldn’t be sure. But she turned her head and offered Darcy a slow, easy smile.
“Sorry if I kept you waiting,” Darcy said.
“You haven’t. I just got here.”
Even though she couldn’t see Emerson’s eyes behind the dark lenses, Darcy got the impression Emerson was looking her up and down. The gaze made Darcy feel sexy. If nothing else came of the evening, she appreciated the chance to feel sexy. “Oh, good. I hate being late.”
Emerson chuckled. “Why does that not surprise me? You look great, by the way.”
Darcy soaked in the compliment. The dress, a black halter with cherries on it, had been a present to herself that she hadn’t yet worn. “Thanks. You, too.”
“Shall we?”
Darcy nodded. Emerson pulled open the door to the restaurant and motioned for Darcy to lead the way. The hostess smiled at them and greeted Emerson by name.
“Hey, Laurel. How’s it going?”
“No complaints. You?”
“I am fabulous.”
Laurel showed them to a table near the bar and left them with a pair of menus and a wine list. Darcy perused the selections, settling on an unoaked chardonnay before handing it Emerson. “Would you have a second glass if I ordered a bottle?” Emerson asked.
“Half glass, probably, since I’m driving.”
“Close enough for me.”
Emerson put in their drink order while Darcy looked at the dinner menu. “Do you share?”
“Excuse me?”
Darcy lowered her menu and made eye contact with Emerson. “I asked if you share. As in, order a few things and share them.”
“Oh, um, yeah. Sure.”
“First we have to see if our tastes are compatible.”
Emerson shook her head, but smiled. “Why do I get the feeling this is a test?”
“That’s ridiculous. I mean, if you don’t like calamari, I’m leaving this restaurant right now and not looking back, but otherwise, totally ridiculous.”
“Oh, well if that’s all, I’m good.”
Darcy laughed at Emerson’s deadpan response. “That’s a relief, because I’ve really been looking forward to dinner.”
They settled on the calamari, along with a couple of other small plates and a salad. Darcy asked Emerson about her work, mostly subject matter and style. She’d taken art history classes to satisfy her fine arts requirement in school, so she knew enough to be curious. “I haven’t wandered the galleries in a long time,” she confessed. “I usually book it home to meet Liam when he gets off the bus.”
“That’s understandable. He’s eight, right? That’s a little young to be dragged along.”
Darcy considered. “You know, I hadn’t thought to bring him. He might be into it. We’ll have to plan a field trip.”
“Well, if I can ever play guide for you guys, you let me know.”
Darcy nodded, unwilling to agree, but not wanting to dismiss Emerson out of hand. She probably didn’t really mean it, and would forget anyway.
“So, did you grow up on the Cape?” Emerson asked.
“I did.”
“Did you leave and come back or have you always lived here?”
“I went to college in Boston. I planned to live there, at least for a while, after I graduated.”
“But?” Emerson’s interest seemed genuine, not just requisite date banter.
“But I got pregnant my senior year. Logistically, it made sense to come home. After Liam was born, the idea of living in the city lost most of its appeal.”
“I can imagine.” Emerson nodded in that way that told Darcy she was dying to ask more questions, but wasn’t sure if she should.
“Would you like the rest of the story?”
Emerson laughed. “Was I that obvious?”
“It’s more that I’m used to it.”
“Then, yes, but only if it’s not too personal.”
In Darcy’s experience, “personal” was code for “unpleasant.” Since it wasn’t, she smiled. “Not at all. My gay best friend and I got drunk one night and decided that, if we were ever going to sleep with someone of the opposite sex, it should be with each other. Not being accustomed to the ways of the het world, it never occurred to us to use protection. Well, that and the fact we were shit-faced.”
Emerson nodded. Technically, she knew some of that story from Alex, but it still struck her. “Wow.”
Darcy laughed. “Yeah.”
“Did you know right away that you wanted to keep the baby?” Darcy sighed and Emerson regretted not thinking about the question before she asked it. “Sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”
Darcy shook her head. “I don’t mind. When I first found out, I totally freaked.”
“Understandable. I know I would.”
“Nick was completely cool. Short of offering to marry me, he supported whatever decision I made. I did a lot of soul searching, talked with my parents. They were great, especially given the fact that, with a lesbian daughter, this was the one thing they probably figured they’d never have to deal with.”
Emerson thought about her own parents. She couldn’t even fathom how they would have handled such news. Even as she chuckled at the thought, her chest tightened. Emerson shook it off. Since she hadn’t even given thought to having kids, it was a silly thing to feel badly about. “I’m sure having that support meant a lot.”
“It meant everything. I lived with them while I was pregnant, then for a whole year after Liam was born. They helped with money and taking care of him, and still play a huge role in his life.”
“And Nick?” Again, Emerson realized after she’d spoken that she was asking deeply personal questions.
“We’re still super close. He works in PR in Boston. Now that Liam is older and Nick is more settled down, Liam visits him one weekend a month and for a couple of weeks in the summer.”
“That’s really cool.”
“It works. And Liam is happy and loved, which is what matters most. As much as I couldn’t imagine being a mom at twenty-two, now I can’t imagine life any other way.”
Emerson knew a thing or two about life not turning out like you imagined. Probably not long after Darcy wrestled with the decision to become a mother, Emerson faced the reality of life without her parents. The loss made her rethink everything and ultimately change the course of her future. And as dramatic as the change had been—medical school to semi-starving artist—she couldn’t imagine her life had she not made that decision. Rather than putting all that out there, she settled for, “I know what you mean. So how did you end up working for Alex?”
Darcy shrugged. “Not a lot of demand for graphic designers out here. I thought about starting my own business, but I wanted something more stable than that. I worked kitchen prep in high school, so it wasn’t completely out of left field. My friend told me about the opening. The hours were perfect and Alex decided to give me a chance.”
“That’s quite a story.”
“It’s funny. I picked graphic design as a major because I liked the idea of being creative, but can’t draw or paint to save my life. Cooking is different, but it satisfies that need. Between that and being a mom, I never have the chance to get bored.”
Emerson appreciated the analogy. She also admired Darcy. Really, she’d admire any woman—or man, for that matter—who braved parenting primarily on their own. But Darcy was more than that. She’d built a life for herself as much as for her son. Emerson knew plenty of people with much easier circumstances who’d not managed to do that.
“What about you? How did you end up here?”
Emerson considered how much to share. “When I decided to pursue art full-time, Provincetown is the only place I seriously considered.”
Darcy nodded. “It is a place like no other. Where did you grow up?”
“Maryland, just outside of D.C.”
“Did you visit P-town as a kid?”
Emerson laughed. “Sadly, no. I discovered it in college. One of my girlfriends was from Boston and brought me for Memorial Day weekend. I’d never been surrounded by so many queer people. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”
Emerson talked a little more about herself before steering the conversation back to Darcy. She asked about Liam. Apparently, he was an earnest kid, nerdy even. In a lot of ways, he sounded like Emerson as a kid. Will had been the free spirit while Emerson took everything seriously.
Darcy’s eyes sparkled as she spoke about him and Emerson found herself overcome by an unfamiliar longing to meet him, to spend time with the two of them. Maybe she could make that happen. Darcy would probably appreciate not having to get a babysitter every time they went out. Assuming they went out again, which Emerson hoped they did.
As they exited the restaurant, Emerson realized that the Darcy she’d just spent the last two hours with was the Darcy she’d sensed when they first met. Maybe the borderline anal Darcy only came out in texts. Or when ironing out the specifics of plans. Whatever it was, the unease of wondering what she’d gotten herself into was gone. In its place, a salient desire for more. More time, more conversation. Then there was the physical desire. That was an entity unto itself. “Could I talk you into coffee and dessert?”
Darcy glanced at her watch. “I told Lia and Alex I’d pick Liam up in about half an hour.”
“How about ice cream, then?” Relief shone on Darcy’s face and Emerson wondered if she’d been expecting more pushback.
“Sold.” They bought cones and meandered toward The Flour Pot. When they arrived, Darcy stopped and turned to face Emerson. “Thanks for dinner. I had a really nice time.”
“Thanks for saying yes. I had a great time, too.”
“I’ll see you around the café?”
Although Darcy didn’t say as much, she was clearly ending their date. Not wanting to jeopardize her chances of getting a second, Emerson followed her lead. “Absolutely. I didn’t get any of that Buffalo mac and cheese, and I’ve been craving it ever since.”
“I’m planning to do it on Tuesday. You’re welcome to visit the kitchen again if you’d like.”
The invitation eased any worry that Darcy hadn’t enjoyed herself. Emerson decided not to press her luck with anything else. “I’ll be there.”
Emerson expected Darcy to turn and walk away, but instead she paused. “Hug?”
Emerson was tempted to laugh, but resisted. She had a feeling that the Darcy from the text messages was making an appearance. Maybe it was because they were in such close proximity to her son. That at least made sense. “Yeah.”
Darcy closed the distance between them and they exchanged a hug—not a lingering one, but more than what you’d give a family member you didn’t really like. Darcy’s hair smelled faintly of jasmine. Emerson tried to commit the fragrance to memory, along with the feel of Darcy’s body pressed against her.
“So, I’ll see you Tuesday.”
“Tuesday.”
Darcy waved, then turned and walked down the side street that led to the back of the café and the entrance to Alex and Lia’s apartment. She smiled to herself. That was fun. At the door, she rang the bell and waited. A moment later, she heard footsteps on the stairs and the door opened. Lia stood on the other side. “You’re here early.”
“I said nine o’clock. It’s eight fifty.”
“I didn’t think you really meant nine o’clock.” Lia’s eyes darted left and right. “Where’s Emerson?”
“On her way home, I imagine. We said good-bye on the street.”
Lia narrowed her eyes. “You know she could have come with you, right?”
Darcy smiled. “I know. It wasn’t you I was avoiding.”
Lia cocked her head to one side. “Huh?”
“I like to keep Liam separate from the people I’m dating. It’s neater that way.”
“Ah.” Lia turned and headed back up the stairs. “I guess I already think of Emerson as part of the fold.”
Darcy followed. “Yeah, I felt a little awkward not having her come up with me, since she’s your friend, but that’s how I always do it. It seemed weird to do something different.”
Liam sat at the table with Alex, a game of Sorry spread out in front of them. “Hi, Mom,” he said with enthusiasm.
“Hi, honey. Did you have a good time?”
“Do we have to leave already? I’m winning.”
It would be well past his bedtime by the time they got home, but they had nowhere to be in the morning. “Well, if Lia and Alex don’t mind.”
“I haven’t given up the ship, yet,” Alex said. “Lia, it’s your turn.”
Lia hustled back to the table and rolled the dice. The roll got one of her pieces home, but she had two barely starting out. Darcy sat in the open chair and watched as the game continued. Liam took his turn, getting his third guy home, then looked back to her. “Did you have fun on your date?” he asked.
“I did. We had dinner together, and then got ice cream.”
“You had ice cream without me?” Liam’s tone reflected both disbelief and disapproval.
“Hey, we had cookies.” Alex gestured with both hands.
“Sorry.” Liam looked at Alex sheepishly.
Alex punched him gently in the arm. “It’s okay, buddy. I was only teasing. Ice cream is serious business.”
“I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. Promise.”
“Two scoops?”
Darcy laughed. “Two scoops.”
Liam won the game. Alex and Lia insisted he did so fair and square. Given how quickly his chess skills were developing, she believed them. She helped him gather up his things and they said good night to Lia and Alex.
On the drive home, Liam told her all about his evening, which in addition to Sorry, included grilled cheese sandwiches, a display of his karate moves, and a brief dance party. Darcy was going to have to tell her usual sitter, Sara, to up her game. When they pulled into the small lot of their building, Liam freed himself from his seat belt and climbed out of the car. “I think you should go on more dates,” he declared.
Darcy couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is that so?”
“You had fun, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Me, too. It’s good for us to mix things up, Mom.”
“Mix things up?”
“Yeah. You know, do something different.”
“Where did you learn that phrase?”
“Sensei Le used it at karate last week. She said that having a ritual is important, but it’s also important to mix things up so you don’t get bored or lazy. Then we did class all out of order.”
Darcy wondered why she was only hearing about this now, then remembered that their after-class conversation had been dominated by the fact that he was officially working toward his orange belt. “She is a wise woman.”
“So, you’ll go on more dates?”
She knew his underlying motivation was to spend more time with Alex and Lia, but Liam’s words of encouragement rooted in her mind. There was no getting around the fact that she was majorly attracted to Emerson. And if she wasn’t reading things wrong, the feeling was mutual. It would be good for her to get out more, especially if Liam was getting to the point where he truly liked spending time away from home, and from her. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Excellent.”
“Since it’s already past your bedtime and tomorrow is Saturday, how about no bath tonight?”
Liam pumped his fists in the air. “Double excellent.”
Darcy unlocked the door and Liam charged into the living room, running in a circle with his arms over his head. “Pajamas and teeth brushing, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He might be a serious kid, but he was still a little boy. And Darcy wouldn’t have him any other way.