I Kissed a Girl Ch. 07

"Mmm, Kat. That was lovely," Jenna purred and gave me a lazy smile, drawing me back to the present.

I held up my hand and wiggled my fingers, grinning back at her. "Ready for round two?"

###

"Kat, it's illegal!"

I had never seen Jenna so upset. Well, maybe the night that I had punched Danny in the face and broke my hand, but this was completely different. And she had every right to be mad. Problem was, I wasn't all that upset, and the situation concerned me.

Maybe I had just expected it to happen, so it wasn't all that big of a surprise when it finally had.

"Why are you so calm about this? We could sue them!"

I exhaled loudly and plopped down on the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"They can't fire you for being a fucking lesbian, Kat! Hell, they made a fucking movie out of it. Haven't you seen 'Philadelphia' with Tom Hanks? Granted his law firm fired him because he had AIDS, but Denzel Washington made it clear that if Tom had contracted the disease by some other means, like a blood transfusion, they would have been more lenient than to find out he was gay and had gotten it from anonymous sex."

I sighed again. "That's not the reason they told me I was let go. And yes, I've seen the movie."

Part of me had wanted to lie to her. To make up some reason like they were cutting other people's jobs as well. But I knew I needed to be honest with her. Now instead of later when she found out from someone else. She was like that mother who knew everyone, so it was better to be upfront than suffer the consequences when the truth eventually came out.

Finally, she stopped pacing and sat down, taking my hands off my knees so I had to turn towards her or let my legs fall off the couch and sit cockeyed. I acquiesced and faced her.

"What happened, Kat?"

I shrugged. "I don't really know. One of the girls noticed my diamond. She told me congratulations. Another girl overheard and said the same thing. And then another and another. It's been a month. You'd think they would have noticed by now."

"That sounds innocent enough."

"They asked for details, but I said we hadn't set a date yet."

"When you say 'we,' did they realize you meant you and I?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't elaborate. I guess they just assumed I was talking about a guy. I'm not really open around them, so it wasn't any big news that I hadn't shared I was dating and engaged again. They didn't ask, I didn't tell."

"So what happened next?"

"That was this morning. Right before lunch, Mr. Andrews stopped by my desk. He said he hadn't realized I was seeing Danny again, but he was glad we'd made amends and wished us luck. I had to correct him. I didn't want any rumors spreading. So I told Mr. Andrews the truth. That I wasn't marrying Danny."

Jenna gripped my hands tighter. "And?"

"I can't remember all that I said, but it included your name and that I was very happy. I also said I wouldn't be taking another leave of absence for a honeymoon, if he was concerned about that."

"I'm sure that shocked him."

"His face went kind of pale. He said 'I see,' and told me to enjoy my lunch." I looked down my lap and then across to where Jenna held my hands. Her thumb rubbed absently over my ring. "When I got back from lunch, Mr. Andrews called me into his office. He said he had been wanting to talk to me about my annual review from last year, but things had been busy with the tax season upon us."

"So the basic cover-up...you weren't meeting their expectations so you were let go, when he really fired you for being a fucking lesbian."

I cringed at her language. She always got that way when she was upset. I did see her point. But there was also some truth to what Mr. Andrews had said. "Honestly, I see where he's coming from. I got dumped by my fiancé and then went on an extended fake honeymoon. I wasn't there as much as the rest of the personal bankers, so I wasn't able to make my quotas in the fourth quarter. They have rules, and if you don't meet quota, there is a risk you may get let go."

"Honey, I know you're trying to be the nice girl you are, trying not to believe people can have a mean streak even if it's blatantly waved in your face. But I'm sure that other personal bankers have gotten married or had kids or even gotten sick and had to take an extended leave. And they weren't fired because of it."

I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop the tears from forming in my eyes and trickling down my cheek.

"Shh, Kat. It's okay." Jenna pulled me into her arms. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not suing," I sobbed against her chest, gripping at her suit jacket. She hadn't even been able to change after she'd gotten home from work herself. She'd found me staring blankly outside, a cardboard box of my personal possessions from work on the storage bench in the bay window's alcove. "That's what everyone does these days when things don't go as they planned. It's stupid and meaningless and greedy most of the time. A waste of taxpayers' dollars so a wronged-person can cash in. Yes, I know I'm in the right here, and I would probably win, but for what? To make a big deal out of the fact that I'm a lesbian? Maybe it's what others would do, but it's not who I am. And I don't want them to be forced to take me back. I don't want to work at a place where I'm not wanted because I like to fuck a chick rather than a dick."

Jenna's laugh started low and grew louder until her whole chest rumbled and made me shake as well. "Oh, Kat."

I sniffled and took a deep breath. "What?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Absolutely nothing." She hugged me tight and laughed again.

"No. What?" I tried to look up at her, but she had rested her chin on top of my head.

"I've just never heard it worded that way. You, my dear, are an enigma. Don't ever change. I love you just the way you are." She kissed my hair and relaxed against the arm of the couch. "So we're not suing for wrongful termination."

"Nope. I'll figure something out."

Jenna just laughed again. "We will figure it out together. I do have an idea, but I'll need to make some calls. Do you think you'll be okay staying home alone the rest of the week?"

"Do I have a choice?" I sighed.

"No, not really. Just don't do anything drastic."

"Like what? Pierce another part of my body?"

Jenna went stiff beneath me.

"Uh, I was only joking."

"I am going to say this once and only once. I would not be opposed to you piercing another part of your body with the exception of your nose, lip, or eyebrow. I will not be married to someone who looks like they could be in a rock-and-roll band from the nineties."

It was my turn to laugh. "So you're thinking what? Tongue or nipples?"

She hugged my tight, and I felt her shuddering exhale. "You are going to kill me, Kat Jenkins. I swear."

###

"What do you think of moving?"

I looked up from the Chinese takeout Jenna had brought home on Thursday night. "To where?"

"Northampton, Massachusetts."

"Come again?" A lump of food stuck in my throat, and I had to take a sip of soda to help wash it down.

"It's the largest city for lesbians in the United States, per capita. Same-sex marriage is legal there. It's closer to the ocean making it a shorter trip if we want to go back to Europe. And it's also where my younger sister, Meredith, lives."

We had discussed her only sibling before. I knew she was a lesbian, lived somewhere on the East Coast, and they tried to see each other once a year, but that was about it. "What about your job?"

"We actually have an office in Amherst near the Five Colleges. Tim is more than happy to accommodate me to work from there. And I'd be happy to not have to face his ugly mug on a daily basis. Granted, I'd still need to travel when he needed me to, but it's less than ten miles if we live in Northampton."

I set my fork down and crossed my arms on the table. "You've got this all figured out, don't you?"

"I told you to give me some time and make some phone calls."

"You don't have to do this. I can find another job here."

"Sweetie, there's nothing keeping me in Chicago. As long as I'm with you, I can live anywhere."

"Do you want to move to Northampton, Jenna?"

"Honestly? I think it would be a great place for us to begin our life together. A place to start over. To get away from," she waved her hand in the air, "things here."

"You mean like Danny and Lauren? And homophobic bosses?"

"Well, yes. We have an opportunity, and I think we should take it. But it has to be something we agree on. Don't do this just because I brought it up and went through all of the trouble of—"

I pointed my fork at her now. "Don't say something you'll regret, honey."

She held up her hands in defeat. Then she smiled at me. "Think about it. You don't have to give me your answer yet. But I will need to know by next week. Meredith put a bid on a duplex for us, so if we don't go, I need to let her know. She's going to send me some pictures and the specs. I'm sure you have lots of questions. And I'll try to answer them as best as I can."

"No, I only really have one."

"Really?" She took our empty containers to the garbage and turned back to me, wiping her hands on a towel. "What is that?"

"Well, two, I guess." I pushed my chair back from the small table we'd squeezed into the kitchen area and sauntered over to her. I wrapped my arms around her neck and leaned in until our lips were barely touching. "When are we leaving? And do you have a preference for when I get to marry you?"

###

For the second time in the past year, I boxed up all of my belongings and loaded them into a moving van.

It was a little bittersweet, saying goodbye to Chicago. And I was finally getting upset about the loss of my job. But I took out my aggression in my packing. It gave me something to do all day. Although there were times that Jenna would come home to find me crying because something had triggered a memory and I'd gotten distracted to the point that I'd curled up on the couch or the bed or even just the floor.

On the big day, we first took a trip down to the storage unit where the majority of my furniture was, and then we stuffed the rest of my things—as well as all of Jenna's—into a space that was about the size of a small shipping container. I couldn't believe how much stuff we had accumulated between the two of us. I prayed our new home was bigger than Jenna's current apartment.

We agreed to sell my car as it was over ten years old. We were driving hers out east, and I would look for a new car when we got there. I thought the long road trip would give us practice with patience. I mean, we had gone to Europe together, but this was different. We would be stuck in the same car for hours on end. Granted it wasn't as long as a lifetime together, but it was a good test.

As Jenna pulled away from the curb and headed toward the Interstate, she asked me, "Kat, are you sure about all of this? You're not reconsidering? The move? The marriage?"

Seriously? Did she really think I would have packed up my life if I wasn't going to go through with this? I gave her a sideways glance and grinned.

"Ask me again when we get to Massachusetts."

###

We survived the first leg of the trip okay. We stopped overnight in Ohio and had a hot shower together before we crawled into bed and fell asleep in each others arms, too tired to do anything but make out for a couple of minutes.

In the morning as we got ready, I wondered what our new bathroom would be like. Meredith had only sent us pictures of the main living areas, but she had said there were two bathrooms. One had just a toilet and sink—a powder room, she'd called it—but the master bath had both a shower and a soaking tub. From what I could tell, everything looked and sounded modern, but I knew from experience that realtors sometimes embellished certain features to sell a place. Seeing would be believing.

After grabbing our complimentary breakfast down in the lobby, we gassed up the car and headed back out on the road. The guys with the moving company had decided to keep driving last night for a few more hours, so they should be arriving before us. Meredith had taken the day off of work to get everything ready for our arrival and greet us. I wasn't sure what time we'd be rolling into town, but it was comforting to know we wouldn't be completely alone.

Jenna had entered our destination into the GPS, so I read magazines or talked to her as she drove. But as we entered our new state, I started getting a little giddy. And the way she kept grinning at me, I knew Jenna was, too.

"I'm glad we're doing this." I patted her on the knee and she jumped.

"I'm just a little nervous. And anxious." She reached over to squeeze my hand, and the car swerved a little. A vehicle honked then sped around us. Jenna cringed. "Oops!"

"So am I. Just don't run us off the road with your excitement. Or get a ticket," I added, noticing the needle on the speedometer as it hovered at least ten miles over the limit. I closed my latest magazine and reached for my bottle of water. "Just think. Tonight, we'll be sleeping in our new house. Our first place that we got together. The beginning of our new life."

She slowed down to turn off at our exit and glanced at me. "Do you remember how we christened Scuderia Apartment in Tuscany?"

I felt the sparks ignite deep in my belly remembering how she'd laid me back on the kitchen table and buried her face between my legs. I nodded and cleared my throat.

"I think we should do the same with our new place."

I took another gulp of water. "You know, I'm sure if the police pulled us over, we could convince them we were ignorant of the speed limit. Us being from Chicago and all."

Jenna grinned at me, and the card sped up as we merged back into traffic.

###

Our new place was beautiful. It was a gray, two-story duplex on a quiet street lined with trees. Jenna thought the best part was two-car garage. I was just thrilled to have a place all of our own without people above and below us. Not that I hadn't liked living in the city, but this seemed more up my alley. It was very idyllic.

A privacy fence separated our house from the one next door and enclosed our small but sufficient backyard. We had a wooden deck where we planned to put a grill. A tiny balcony upstairs off the master bedroom would give us a wonderful view of the stars at night.

The moving van was sitting out front when we arrived. The men were already unloading furniture and boxes onto the front lawn. A red-haired woman in jeans and a white parka was directing traffic with a clipboard. Meredith. She had the same narrow face and perfect, pouty lips as Jenna, but she was a little shorter. I knew she was in her late twenties, but she looked like she was just a kid. In any regards, she had gotten her older sister's good looks. I half-wondered if she'd dyed her hair, or if Jenna had a different parent.

I laughed. "Looks like we're late to the party."

Jenna gave me a quick kiss then jumped out of the car and ran over to the woman, hugging her tight.

I pulled on my coat, grabbed another one from the backseat, and joined the two women. I tossed the second coat at Jenna. "Put this on or you'll get pneumonia."

Jenna obliged and then took my hand. "Mer, this is Kat."

"It's good to finally meet you," I said as I reached out my other hand.

"None of that bullshit. We're going to be sisters." Meredith gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she stepped back and smiled. "Congratulations to both of you. We can make chit-chat later. It's freezing, and the guys could use some help now that you're here."

I rubbed my hands together. "I could use some coffee. We should have packed the Keurig in our car."

"Not to worry," Meredith said. She pulled out her phone, held it up to her ear, and said, "They're here, sweetheart. Okay, see you in a few."

I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Jenna. Then I laughed. Jenna had her fists on her hips and a pout on her face. It was so darn cute.

Meredith pocketed her phone. "Reinforcements are on the way with refreshments."

Jenna cleared her throat. "Sweetheart?"

Meredith's cheeks were already red from the winter air, but they darkened even more. "Uh...yeah. Did I forget to tell you about Joanie?"

Jenna had her arms crossed now. "Joanie, as in your intern?"

"Um, maybe we should continue this inside, girls?" I said, starting to jump up and down to keep warm.

"Good idea, Kat." Meredith looped her arm through mine and turned toward the house. "I'm so glad you decided to move here. I know we're going to be good friends. It'll take a little bit, but you'll adjust. I can take you downtown tomorrow and show you all around. Oh, and I have the paperwork for Smith College. The job is yours, it's just a formality."

"Sounds good. Thanks for all of your help. I don't think we could have done this without you, Meredith."

"Don't mind me. I'm just your sister," Jenna huffed behind us, but I heard her footfalls crunching on the lawn as she followed. "And you are going to answer my question, Mer."

We ditched our coats in a closet and gathered around the kitchen island—a real island with a marble top and a butcher-block section, not the little lunch-counter/jut-out like we'd had in our apartment. Our conversation got postponed as the movers had trouble getting Jenna's couch through the front door. I suggested going through the garage and taking off the door that led into the house that way as it wasn't as heavy as the front door. Weren't these professionals?

The men stared at each other for a moment, shrugged, and then backed up again.

I went over to close the door when a girl with a black fedora, short black hair, a black parka, khakis, and black Doc Martens walked up the sidewalk with two bags in one hand and a drink carrier with four paper cups in the other.

"If you're Joanie and that's coffee, I love you." I grinned and took one of the bags as it started to slip from her fingers. "Come on in, the show's just starting. Apparently Meredith has a lot of explaining to do to her sister regarding you. I can't wait to see Jenna's reaction."

"Thanks. You must be Kat. Glad to finally meet you." Joanie nodded and stepped past me. She toed off her shoes as I shut the door, then held up the items in her hands. "Where do you want these?"

"The kitchen is fine. Just throw your coat in the closet over there."

"I did not jeopardize my job, Jenna. I just told you. We waited to do anything until after her internship was over. Geesh, will you just lay off me?" Meredith's frown turned into a wide smile as we joined them in the kitchen at the back of the house. "Joanie! Please explain to my sister that you were not having an affair with your boss."

Joanie glanced at me and laughed. "You're right. I'm just in time."

"Joanie, it's good to meet you," Jenna said, coming around the island to give her a hug. "I have nothing against you two dating, I'm only trying to protect my little sister. That's all."

"We did everything by the book, Jenna. Nothing to worry about." Joanie patted her on the back and removed one of the cups from the carrier, handing it to me. "We waited six months after my internship before we started dating, and I got a job at a different office."

"Out here, sis, things are different. You'll see. It's easier for girls like us. Not so uptight and worrisome that someone will find out we like chicks and we'll lose our jobs. Not with a good portion of the city being lesbians." Meredith gave me a soft smile. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. But I agree with you. I think you did the best thing by not pursuing legal action. And don't worry, they won't hold your sexual preference or your reason for dismissal against you at Smith."

"Thanks, Meredith. And thank you, Joanie." I took a sip of the hot coffee and sighed, relaxing against the counter. "I think I'm going to like it here."