"Are you sure I can't bring you anything other than water while you wait?" the server asked sadly, refilling the water glass.
"No, thanks. I'm sorry. She should be here any minute."
The server gave her a sympathetic smile. He had seen this before. It was obvious that her date had stood her up.
"She's always late…"
Of course she is, the waiter thought as he glided away from the table.
"Oh – wait! There she is now!"
The waiter turned to the opening door and gave the diner a smile, as if he had known all along that her date would show up.
The smile of relief faded into a look of confusion when she saw that the girl wasn't alone.
"Hi, Shana." Paige's expression was confused, too, when she noticed that there were only two seats at the table.
"Oh… Sorry. I didn't realize you'd be bringing your girlfriend." Shana turned to Emily, trying to mask her disappointment. "So, it's Emily, in the flesh."
Emily nodded, acknowledging Shana's greeting, or whatever it was. Looking back and forth between the two of them quickly, she offered, "Why don't I give you two a minute?" Paige didn't let go of her hand. Emily squeezed Paige's hand and continued, "I need to freshen up, and it looks as if the two of you need to talk."
Emily wasn't worried about leaving Paige alone with her ex. But she and Paige had no idea that Shana was expecting a one-on-one meeting. Since Shana was desperate enough to try something like that, Emily reasoned that it would be best to let the two of them talk; to get everything settled once and for all.
Paige pulled Emily in for a quick kiss before she let go of her hand, and motioned the server over to ask him for another chair before she sat down.
"I… wanted to let you know. I came out to my parents."
Paige's face lit up. "That's great, Shana! I'm really happy for you."
"I have you to thank for it."
"Me? What did I do?"
"You made me realize that some things were worth fighting for." Paige dipped her head. Shana reached across the table, stopping herself before she touched Paige's hand. She didn't stop herself because she realized how inappropriate it would be to hold Paige's hand when Paige was with someone else. It was force of habit. Shana was used to restraining herself from gestures like that in public.
"I wish I had fought harder for you," Shana said, looking away to shield her emotions from Paige's view. She added, "I should never have let you go to that wedding with her."
"Shana," Paige said as patiently as she could, "Emily's not the problem here."
"I get it." Shana shook her head. "I messed it up."
"You weren't ready, and that's okay."
Paige's phone buzzed. "Is that Emily?"
Paige picked up her phone, although she didn't think that Emily would be so insecure as to text her to check up on her. When she opened the message, she smiled. "No." She showed Shana the picture of Abby and Brendan that Marlene had texted her. Shana smiled half-heartedly.
Paige ran her fingers through her hair. She wanted to give Shana some sympathy and understanding, but this play that she had made was way out of line. "Shana, what, exactly, were you hoping to accomplish here?"
Shana looked down at her place setting. "I guess I was just hoping that, somehow, things weren't all that serious between you and Emily."
Paige scowled. "No. You know that I brought her here to meet my parents and my kids."
"I know, I know." Shana still couldn't look up. Her voice and her expression were sullen. "But you asked me what I was hoping for. I guess I was hoping for a second chance."
Paige squeezed Shana's wrist. "I'm sure you'll get that second chance, Shana. But you have to realize that it's not going to be with me. You're going to find somebody…"
Shana laughed bitterly. "Don't do that, Paige. At least leave me with my dignity."
Shana put on her best face when Emily returned. When she caught a glimpse of Emily's ring, she forced a smile. "Congratulations," she told her before turning to Paige. "I didn't know." Her eyes were asking Paige to understand that she wouldn't have tried anything like that if she had known that the two were engaged.
"Yeah, that's why we came out here, to let the family know."
Paige started to get up, offering to sit in the empty chair next to Shana, rather than making Emily sit next to her. Emily put her hand on Paige's shoulder to let her know that she didn't need to bother. It was going to be uncomfortable seating arrangement either way; either Paige or her fiancée next to her jealous ex.
Shana was on her best behavior throughout dinner. She was even smiling as she and Paige reminisced about old times. Emily didn't begrudge her that. She actually laughed out loud, gaining lots of new material to tease Paige about later.
It was more like two old friends than to ex-girlfriends reminiscing; a consequence of how far in the closet Shana had been. And maybe that's why Emily was so okay with it. Paige kept looking over to confirm that Emily was okay, but she really didn't need to bother. Emily was secure in their relationship. Paige had given her every reason to be. And, after all, she had given her a ring.
"So, has she shown you her 'baby?'" Shana asked over dessert. Emily gave a confused stare, so Shana elaborated. "That death machine out in the garage?"
"Oh, yeah!" Emily's legs reflexively squeezed together a bit at the memory of biker-chick Paige. "So, you're not a fan of it, either?"
"Oh, God, no!" Shana all but shouted. Paige threw her hands up in surrender, obviously outnumbered in the discussion. "Did she take you out for a ride?"
"Not yet!" Emily's response was more enthusiastic than she had expected. "Just in the driveway, with the kids."
"Oh, yeah. That." Shana scoffed. "She couldn't even get me on it for that." Shana leaned in a little, her voice getting deeper. "Don't take this the wrong way, but it's just a little too cliché for me, if you know what I mean."
Emily rolled her eyes. There was really no right way to take that. Still, she was glad that Paige had never taken Shana out for a ride. It was silly, but, somehow, Emily's brain made the connection between riding Paige's bike and sex. And she definitely wanted to think that Paige had never gone riding with Shana.
They had never discussed it. It didn't make sense to think that Emily was Paige's one and only riding partner. Paige certainly handled the equipment like a seasoned pro. And it wasn't as if Paige had been Emily's first. Still, Emily didn't like to think about the others; didn't like to think about the fact that there had been any others.
Emily took comfort in knowing that Shana was hundreds of miles away, back when she and Paige were pretending to date. She didn't think that she could handle the knowledge that, through all their hand-holding, dancing, and kissing, Paige was going home to someone else's arms; to someone else's bed. Even though they were fake kisses; even though the whole thing had been fake, the thought that Paige could have slept with Shana and still been so convincing with Emily would have been devastating.
Paige and Emily stopped by Paige's parents' house too pick up the kids, but the kids were fast asleep. Nick and Marlene had worn them out, loading them up with sugar and letting them chase around the yard until their sugar-highs wore off. They decided that it would be best not to wake them. They just looked in on them, kissing their sleeping heads, before they headed back to the hotel.
Emily placed her hand on Paige's thigh as Paige drove back to the hotel. "How do you feel?"
Paige looked over with a smile. "I feel good," she said. "How do you feel?"
Emily smiled back at her. "Good."
"I'm sorry about dinner, Em. I swear, I had no idea..."
Emily squeezed her thigh slightly. "I know." Paige smiled weakly. "Paige, I know that this was about closure for her, not for you."
Paige nodded. "God - what was that comment about motorcycle-riding being too much of a cliché?"
Emily patted her shoulder. "Right? Is she even gay?"
Paige shrugged her shoulders. "When you left, she told me that she came out to her parents."
"As what?" Paige laughed out loud. "I mean, I don't want to trash your friend, Paige, but - I don't know. She just seems like one of those girls who likes the thought of being with a woman, but not the nuts and bolts of being with a woman, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah." Paige chuckled sadly. Emily didn't know the half of it.
As they lay in bed that night, Emily tapped Paige on the shoulder. "Paige?"
Paige rolled over and gave a sleepy, "Yeah?"
"I know that it's none of my business, but..."
Paige ran her fingers over Emily's hair. "You can ask me anything."
"I was just wondering whether you and Shana were..."
Paige scoffed. "No," she said softly, shaking her head. "You know that comment about motorcycles?" Emily nodded. "Well, that's not the only thing she thought was too cliché. I mean, she was okay with kissing and making out, but when it came to 'Gay Stuff'- " Paige made air quotes around the phrase and let the thought hang. "She was more than happy to receive, but..."
"Oh, Paige!" Emily gave Paige a hug, kissing her as they separated.
"Yeah, I know."
"You deserve so much better than that."
Paige chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I guess I knew that, but... Sometimes, you stick with a situation, even though you know it sucks, because, you know... what else are you going to do? I mean, in a small town like this, it's not as if I had a lot of options."
As Paige looked away, Emily took her by the chin and held her gaze. "I'm so glad that you moved to Rosewood, then."
"Not half as glad as I am," Paige said, kissing her. A moment later, she continued. "You know, I think that part of the reason that it was so hard for me, back when we were pretending to be together and we kissed, was that I knew that feeling... starting to get - worked up, and knowing that I needed to cool it down, because she 'wasn't ready.'"
Emily rolled her eyes. "But she was ready when it was her turn."
Paige smiled sadly. Emily regretted having started the discussion. She knew that it was hard for Paige to have to relive it, and embarrassing to admit. And, yet, she was glad to have a little more understanding - not just about why Paige behaved the way she did when she ran away after those fake kisses that got too intense - but more understanding about Paige's past in general. Emily grabbed Paige behind the neck and began kissing her desperately. Before Paige could ask what was going on, Emily whispered sultrily in her ear, letting her her lips glide against its lobe, "I'm going to get you worked up the right way."
