Heat of the Night Pt. 03

Siobhan has agreed to go out with Lisa for dinner with her friend, Diane who has recently come out as gay. Lisa however feels as if the date is a step too far, especially when she stays overnight at Siobhan's place and then she makes a surprise discovery.

The date night drew nearer and with every day, Lisa felt as if she was being pulled by invisible strings and yet surprisingly it wasn't as if she was resisting. Rather, she was almost bemused by the idea of going out on a 'date' with a lesbian. Granted it was just a dinner date with three women, but with Siobhan's sexual orientation locked firmly in her mind it almost felt as if she was going out on a date with a guy. This was summed up in her choice of outfit for the night, a pale cream dress with a draping ruffle attached to the neckline. The ruffle stopped just shy of her breasts and the dress hugged her figure quite nicely and included a gold-coloured belt fastened with two brass rings. Granted, it was the kind of dress she'd wear on a date if she was hoping to impress the man, but here she was, ironing the dress ready for the date the following night.

Lisa frowned as she rested the iron in the stand and tried to think of another dress that might be more appropriate for a night out with Siobhan. However, nothing came to mind, there were dresses that might better fit the occasion but they were very casual items that you'd wear if you were at home. Maybe a skirt and a top? She briefly thought of a short-sleeved blue blouse paired with a flowery skirt but it was made of chiffon.

Perhaps with something under it, she held the dress up and smiled crookedly, yeah, what would I wear, a chastity belt?

The phone rang and she hurried to pick it up before the answering machine took over.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me, Diane."

"Diane," she twirled a lock of hair around her finger, "what's wrong?"

Diane didn't reply for a few seconds and Lisa swallowed.

"It's mum, she's, it's all just fucked."

"What's wrong?" Lisa sat down hurriedly, "how did it go?"

"I thought it was okay, I mean she kind of said okay when I told her but after I'd been outside for a fag she was in the living room talking to one of her friends on the phone. She was saying don't worry it's just a phase, give her a few months and it'll all be over. She didn't know I'd come back inside," she paused, "look, I don't know if I'll be much company tomorrow, sorry."

"Don't you dare back out now," Lisa replied, "I've just ironed the dress, Siobhan is looking forward to meeting you. I can't change the way your mum thinks but sitting around thinking about it isn't healthy. Come out with us, you don't have to be much company anyway, we'll have a meal and piss off to the pub. You can't sit there in your own shit and misery, if she thinks it's just a phase then good luck to her but you're coming out with us even if I have to kidnap you."

There was a long silence and she actually thought Diane had hung up for a moment when there was a click but then Diane came back with, "sorry, I dropped the phone, are you still there?"

"I am, so, you'll be ready tomorrow night?"

"Okay, okay, I'll come out. I'm sorry, Lisa. I just didn't expect her to go behind my back with that kind of shit."

"She's trying to process it I think, she might come around in the future but right now you've got things to do, like getting ready for Henrietta's arrival."

"You're not wrong, I was kind of hoping to have her here but how can I when mum thinks it's just a phase?"

"Well, there's a spare junk room here, not sure if it's big enough for both of you but if not I'll move my sewing stuff into the smaller room and give you guys the old sewing room."

"I couldn't do that to you."

"Well the offer is there, but talk it over with Henrietta when she arrives. When is she arriving?"

"The end of next week."

"Okay, so you've got some thinking to do. If it comes down to it, she can stay here for a few days while you work something out. That much I can pretty much do right away, okay?"

"Okay, thanks. I really appreciate it."

"No worries," she farewelled her and ended the call.

Lisa sat staring at the dress on the ironing board.

"What a fucking bitch," she spoke into the emptiness.

Siobhan was a little more sanguine when Lisa told her the next day as they sat outside smoking cigarettes.

"On the bright side, she didn't send her off to the nunnery. My Auntie Ezzie was convinced that the only cure was a stint in a church finishing school where they'd beat it out of you. That's what I love about this country, no one gives a fuck what you believe as long as you're not shoving it down their throats," she glanced at her.

"Listen to you though," she nudged Lisa's leg with her knee, "even I couldn't mount such an heroic defence of gays and I'm one of them."

"It's just such a pitiful excuse, instead of admitting she doesn't understand she has to write it off as some teenage crush."

"So, what are you going to do? Give up a spare room?"

"Not sure yet, I made the offer but to be honest they're better off just finding their own place, but in the short term it might work."

"The family across the road from me are looking for someone to move into a house they bought in Camberwell."

"Oh, okay? You should tell her about it tonight, how much is the rent?"

"Not entirely sure, they bought it all on negative gearing so taking a wild stab in the dark I'd say they're trying to recoup their monthly payments, but even if it's not in her bracket there's plenty of choice out this way," she traced some graffiti on the table.

"Just don't tell the landlord you're gay."

"It's changing," Siobhan replied, "and don't forget it's two women applying to move in, landlords tend to be more biased towards women, unlike employers who want you to make the grade," she butted out the cigarette and stared into the middle distance.

"And talking about that, there's been movement on the interview. You haven't been told yet so act surprised when they tell you, but you'll be up for an interview on Monday morning."

"Oh, shit," Lisa winced, "that's, sooner than I expected."

"You've got this weekend to iron out the wrinkles, maybe we'll go over some questions just to get you comfortable," she glanced at her.

"Unless you'd rather wing it?"

"Any help would be great," she exhaled, "thanks."

"No worries," she nudged her again, "and on that pleasant note I'd better love you and leave you before they start gossiping about us," she rose, "see you later."

Lisa smiled and felt the colour in her face, suddenly conscious that the office windows looked out onto the rear carpark reserved for employees. There had been several people outside having lunch or a quick cigarette but now they were alone.

I need to get back to work, she made sure the cigarette butt was out, what must they think?

However it occurred to her as she went back inside that she wasn't actually concerned about her colleagues thinking she might be dating Siobhan, so what was she afraid of? Lisa was still mulling over this when Harry, from Siobhan's section, came into the open-plan office to tell her that she was to be interviewed for the position on Monday morning.

"It's nothing to worry about," he reassured her, "we know you're a hard worker, this is more to see how you fit in with the rest of the team."

What does he mean do I fit in? Lisa stared after him as he exited the room, the term seemed rather too politically correct, as if she was supposed to come up to some yet to be defined standard.

"It's the new word for the month," Siobhan merely shrugged as they made their way out to their cars, "it's all about the team, you'll basically be put through imaginary scenarios to see how you might react under pressure. Harry will be one of the interviewers and they'll have a woman in there as well."

"Like you?"

"I um, I dropped myself from the list, seeing as I put you up to it in the first place but if Dottie can't make it then I'll be the other interviewer."

They stopped at Lisa's car.

"Well, I'll see you later, about half past six?"

"Yeah," she unlocked her car, "I'll pick you up, we'll take my little chariot."

Lisa spent longer than usual getting ready for the dinner date. Most of the time was spent on hair and makeup, she tried on three different shades of lipstick before settling on a lip gloss and toning down her eye-shadow to a subtler colour that highlighted her rouge. It occurred to her when she finished that whilst she'd go to this much trouble for a man it seemed a little strange doing this for a woman.

Am I doing this for a woman?

Lisa studied herself in the mirror once again, the dress clung to her hourglass figure and she made a minor adjustment to the belt. The outfit definitely looked good, better than good, she decided, she looked hot but was this sending out a signal when instead she should be just trying to keep a low profile?

"You're complicating it," she told herself.

Some five minutes later she was heading out onto the highway to pick up Diane who was still trying to find herself a decent second hand car. A Dukes of Hazzard style car horn alerted her to the dark blue Monaro going past her. The passenger leaned out the window and shouted something that was lost in the slipstream but the meaning wasn't lost as he inserted his finger into the shape formed by finger and thumb in a fucking motion. She kept her eyes on the road ahead and braked when the lights turned amber. The driver of the other car however didn't stop in time and tore through just as the lights turned red. A camera flashed and she managed a crooked smile.

Karma is a bitch.

Diane looked pretty nervous as she slid into the passenger seat. She was wearing a black dress and black jacket, her hair had been done sometime in the last week or so.

"Thanks for picking me up," she fastened her seatbelt, "I'm still on the lookout for a car but the prices are too high."

"I'll ask my dad," she replied, "his mates are always selling cars, you never know they might have a sin bin for sale."

Diane laughed at that and the atmosphere lifted somewhat, the conversation was only interrupted when Lisa slowed for the feeder road that led to Siobhan's street. A Holden station wagon had been parked on the nature strip with a For Sale sign on the windscreen.

"Do you want to write down the number?"

"Yeah, why not," Diane took a notepad out of her handbag, "although knowing my luck it's out of my budget range."

Diane's eyes widened a few minutes later when Siobhan stepped out of the front door and she was not the only one. Lisa was also staring at Siobhan's outfit. She was wearing a black leather, pinafore dress over a short-sleeved white blouse, black, knee-length boots completed the outfit.

"Wow, you sure hit the jackpot," she undid her seatbelt and opened the door, "I'll sit in the back."

However Siobhan merely smiled as she reached the car.

"It's fine, I'll sit in the peanut gallery," she opened the rear door.

Lisa waited until they were both sitting down before making the introductions.

"Top of the mornin' to you, even though it's evening," Siobhan remarked, "I can't wait to fill ma' boots."

The look on Diane's face was priceless and it was all Lisa could do to keep from breaking out into laughter as she headed back to the highway. Siobhan craned her head to look at the station wagon as Lisa came to a stop at the stop sign.

"Gavin nearly sold that that bucket of bolts tonight."

"You know the guy selling it?" Lisa glanced at her in the rear view mirror.

"Know him? He practically proposed to me the day I moved in, I had to drop a hint as in I don't sleep with men hint to get him to back off. Gavin's a decent bloke but the train doesn't go all the way to the last stop. The car wasn't going too bad until his mate did the LPG conversion and he's had problems with the conversion thingamajig ever since."

"So, it's not a good buy?" Lisa glanced at her in the rear view mirror."

"Not unless you're a qualified mechanic or fucking one. Why? You looking to buy a new car?"

"Not me, but Diane is."

"Ah, well in that case you've come to the right place. Melissa from my gym is selling her little Corolla, it's a few years old but she services it more than I service myself. I can give you her phone number if you like."

"Thanks," Diane managed, "and she wouldn't mind you giving it out?"

"Oh Melissa wouldn't mind, she gives out a lot, just not to me more's the pity. Now that woman is a lesbian's wet dream."

She's not the only one, Lisa nudged the accelerator.

The restaurant they'd picked was at the top end of Bayswater and while there were definitely nicer restaurants around, this one was quiet and laid back and it was the perfect environment for Diane to reveal more about her search for meaning.

"I always thought of myself as being straight, I mean I wasn't homophobic, well not much as I defined it but had this idea drummed into me by my mother, my auntie and friends. They thought it was the result of peer group pressure or maybe seduction, it was never a valid lifestyle."

"My ma' and da' were the same in their own way," Siobhan smiled crookedly.

"I remember a few weeks after I came out and before Auntie Ezzie came around to offer her feckin' help. Ma' wanted to know if I was sure I didn't fancy any of the boys around here? I nearly choked on my tea and said, have you actually seen the boys around here? She kind of looked hurt and said, well you could always find nicer boys elsewhere."

"But she accepted it in the end," Lisa spoke up.

"She did and all, but it was only because I stuck to my guns but even now she still has this queer idea that I just have to meet the right man," she propped on her palm.

"But it's always gone on, even back in my grandma's time. There were women who lived together, one might be a boarder and while no one asked questions, people still suspected but now that it's all out in the open they're suddenly acting like it's some kind of new plague."

"So, what should I do about mum?" Diane asked her.

"Just keep doing what you're doing," Siobhan glanced at Lisa, "I call it the drip feed method, you don't have to try and convince anyone, you've got your partner coming out next week and you'll have your hands full showing her around and getting her settled. Don't try to be the heroine of someone else's story, be the heroine of your own story."

"That's quite, profound," Lisa murmured.

"I know," she rolled her eyes, "sometimes I even surprise myself," she eyed the nearly empty bottle of wine, "but now that we've solved the problems of the world how's about we do some serious drinking? I'm shouting the first round down the pub."

It was a night unlike any other Lisa had known. Prior to that Friday night she'd always feared that particular pub because of its rowdy reputation. It was not nicknamed the 'bloodbath' for nothing but Siobhan seemed quite at home trading barbs with some of the male clientèle, much to a barmaid's amusement. Lisa had heard about Siobhan's hard drinking but that night she saw the evidence for herself, the Irishwoman could certainly hold her own and still seemed relatively sober until they left the pub dead on closing time. It was only then she managed to drop her lighter when she tried to light a cigarette in the wind, it caused her to break down into laughter as she tried to pick the lighter up.

"I think I have had a little too much," she finally picked it up.

She quietened down on the way back to Diane's and when Lisa was halfway there she noticed that Siobhan had fallen asleep with her head propped against the rear sill. She came to quite suddenly when Diane closed the car door.

"Where the feck?" Siobhan muttered.

"You're still in Melbourne," Lisa reassured her.

"How long was I out for?"

"Fifteen minutes I think, you're gonna wake up in the morning with a mouth like the bottom of a birdcage."

"You want to come in for a bit?" Siobhan asked a few minutes later.

"Um, I don't know."

"You don't have to sound so enthusiastic," Siobhan pushed the back of the seat playfully.

"I am, enthusiastic," she protested, "I just thought you wanted to crash out."

"Oh I'll be crashing soon enough but not for an hour at least, the night's still young."

This was said as Lisa pulled into the driveway behind Siobhan's car. She contemplated backing out into the street but because she really only intended staying a little while she parked behind her car and made up her mind.

"Okay, one hour and then I'll let you get to bed."

"Sounds like a plan."

It was a good plan but like many plans it all went to pot, literally when Siobhan produced a gram of weed she'd scored from a guy outside the toilets at the pub.

"It's been nearly twelve months, I swear on the saints and all the angels," she held the bag up to the light, "he was selling it cheap," she opened the bag and sniffed it.

"Smells strong," their eyes met, "you fancy a smoke?"

"Maybe not but I could use a drink."

"Ah, drink I have in abundance, the benefits of being Irish and Catholic, I'll have you so drunk you won't know your own name."

A proud boast but as it turned out she was as good as her word, although it had a lot to do with the fact that Lisa wasn't a big drinker, thus a few glasses of Bundy and Coke saw her pleasantly pissed and when the inevitable bong was brought out she even had her first toke. She reacted predictably, coughing her lungs up on the first toke, much to Siobhan's amusement but the second pull saw her taking in a mouthful of smoke and not long after she had to lie down on the couch.

Despite her initial wariness about leading her on, Lisa found nothing wrong with resting her head in her lap and staring at the ceiling. She was trying to work out why her mother's light shade had mysteriously appeared in Siobhan's house only to realise that she was in Siobhan's house and it was actually her light shade. But that brought her back to the troubling question of what the hell was her mother's light shade doing in Siobhan's house?

When she finally broached the question Siobhan burst out laughing.

"Oh,you are as stoned as a mullet," she ran a hand through Lisa's hair, "I think the worm has turned for you, that's for sure."

Lisa didn't reply to that one as she closed her eyes, she felt herself drifting as Siobhan kept playing with her hair. It felt both forbidden and enticing at the same time and the thought occurred to her that if Siobhan's hand went down to her breasts she wouldn't resist.

"Is this how it happens?" Lisa finally murmured.

"It would if I was capable of doing anything," Siobhan slapped her face lightly, "but I'm so feckin' wasted that if I stay here much longer I'll fall asleep right here," she slipped her hand under Lisa's head and eased herself away from her.

"I'm going to bed, if you want to sleep on the couch tell me now while I'm still capable of making the feckin' bed, otherwise you can sleep with me."

"Okay," Lisa sat up slowly.

"Okay what?" Siobhan stared at her, "the couch or the bed?"

"Bed," she nodded abruptly, "but first I have to piss."

The cold toilet seat brought her back to reality. Was she really going to climb into bed with a gay woman and just sleep? Somehow a thing that had seemed an impossibility was now within reach and she knew it had more to do with the mixture of alcohol and marijuana but even so, could she not just change her mind? Logic told her yes but her emotions said otherwise and besides, when she came back through to the living room Siobhan was stretched out on the couch with her eyes closed. Lisa coughed and the other woman opened her eyes.

"Fancy seeing you here," she looked past her, "my turn now."