"There was a definite process by which one made people into friends, and it involved talking to them and listening to them for hours at a time. Rebecca West (1892 - 1983)
Day 2
Scarlett awoke early, as was her habit. She had showered and made herself a cup of coffee before she remembered there was one giant stumbling block in her daily routine: a large locked door. She groaned and flopped down on the couch. She was going to be locked in this tiny apartment with...her. Her temples started to throb just thinking about it.
Ugh! What was it about that woman that got on her ever-loving nerves? She couldn't quite put her finger on it but, like a loud noise to a rabid weasel, it drove her insane! No one had gotten under her skin this bad since Suzy Kliengen in the fourth grade.
She leaned her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She could do this. It was just a few days. All she had to do was avoid the woman, and everything would be all right. She was an adult. This would be easy. She had all but convinced herself everything would be fine when she heard Lady Jaye's bedroom door open. OK, maybe it wouldn't be so easy. With a sigh, she prepared to do her best to ignore the source of the pain in her ass.
Maybe today will be better, Lady Jaye thought as she entered the living room where her roommate was stretched out along the couch. Perhaps the two women could sit down and have some sort of civilized conversation. They were adults. They could get through this like enlightened human beings. Well, here goes nothing.
"Good Morning," Jaye said as cheerfully as she could.
No reply came as one blue eye opened and then closed again.
Well, so much for starting the day off right. The least Scarlett could do was speak. It wasn't as if this was all cake and pie for Lady Jaye either. Well, screw it. She would be damned to hell in gasoline panties before she tried to start the next conversation with the redhead. She turned to head into the small kitchen they shared when she heard Scarlett's voice.
"Good morning," came the somewhat sincere reply.
"Have you had breakfast? If not...well, I guess I could make us something," Lady Jaye ventured hesitantly.
At this, Scarlett raised her head to peer at her over the back of the couch.
"You? Cook?" came the incredulous reply.
Lady Jaye's hackles rose. She was no Emeril, but she would bet her trust fund Scarlett was no Iron Chef either.
"Forget it," she replied in a clipped tone.
"I wasn't making fun. It just surprised me is all." Scarlett stopped her, "I never would have guessed you would offer to make breakfast for me."
By now, Scarlett was on her knees leaning over the back of the couch.
"Why not, and I won't even charge you for the poison," Lady Jaye smiled to show she was joking, and was rewarded with a smirk. It was a start. A slow one, but a start nonetheless.
Since Lady Jaye had made breakfast, which despite the mess was rather good, Scarlett cleaned up. They had spoken very little during the meal and even less during the extensive cleanup. After putting the last dish away, Scarlett leaned against the counter and turned to where Lady Jaye appeared to be contemplating her thumbnail. For the first time, she realized perhaps this wasn't easy on her either. Suddenly curious, she found herself wanting to know what the brunette disliked about her. How to approach the subject, though, that was the question. Scarlett was not known for being able to take personal criticism well, especially not from someone she didn't even know.
"So now what?" Lady Jaye's voice broke into her thoughts.
"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked cautiously.
"What's next? Do we go back to not speaking to each other, or do we at least try to start to resolve some of our very obvious differences?"
"Where do you suggest we begin?" Scarlett asked as she sat down and folded her arms across her chest.
"Hmm...why not tell me a little about yourself for starters," Jaye smiled.
"What would you like to know?"
"Anything or everything."
"Anything is too vague, and everything is a bit too much," Scarlett smiled.
"Spoken like true counter intelligence," Jaye leaned forward, "Look, just tell me whatever you want me to know, and I'll do the same."
Scarlett hesitated. It was not in her nature to just open up to people. She was a much better listener than talker. What could she say to this woman? For that matter, could she even trust her? The very idea made her just a bit uneasy. She was about to tell her to forget it when she remembered something her mother had told her long ago about trust: Trust your instincts to the end, though you can render no reason.
Scarlett had been quiet for so long that Lady Jaye was beginning to think she wouldn't answer. She must have pushed a little too far. She was about to tell her to forget the whole thing, when Scarlett began to speak.
"Well, my name is Shana Marie O'Hara. I have three brothers, two sisters-in-law, three nephews, and what I hope is a niece on the way. If not, make that four nephews. They all live in Atlanta. Well, all except the youngest brother, Sean. He teaches at Tulane University in Louisiana," she smiled wistfully as she thought of her brothers and their families.
"What about your parents?" Jaye asked when it was obvious Scarlett was at a loss for what to say next.
"My father lives in Atlanta also, but my mother...she passed away when I was a little girl. My father never remarried."
"I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been hard for you," Jaye said sincerely.
"It wasn't, at least not until I got a little older and wanted to start dating and all that stuff. It was kind of painful seeing the other girls go shopping for homecoming and prom dresses with their mothers, while I had to go with Uncle Chad."
"Uncle? Why not an aunt?" Jaye asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I don't have any aunts, and Uncle Chad really is the closest thing to an aunt I have, if you catch my drift," Scarlett replied.
When it became obvious Lady Jaye had no clue what she meant, she leaned in a little closer and said, "Let me put it this way. Uncle Chad and Uncle Ricardo have lived an alternative lifestyle together for quite sometime."
She laughed at the look on Lady Jaye's face when her meaning finally hit home.
"Really? They were...I mean he is...er... rather they are," Jaye sputtered.
"Yep. Your turn," was Scarlett's reply.
Obviously, Scarlett had shocked her. The woman always seemed so cool, calm and collected. It was a treat to see Lady Jaye a little flustered. Uncle Chad and Uncle Ricardo always did the trick.
"My turn, huh? Well, let's see...my name is Alison Jeanette Hart-Burnett." She held up a hand before she continued, "I know, I know, it rhymes. My parents weren't very creative. I have a twin brother named Alexander, a sister-in-law to be, and no nieces or nephews. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts. My parents are twice divorced, from each other, and are now remarried to other people. They live in Boston, and due to my choice of careers, neither is currently speaking to me. Everything I know about my family, I get through Alex."
"Wow," was all Scarlett could say, "Twice divorced from each other?"
"Apparently, they didn't make each other miserable enough the first time around," Jaye waved her hand dismissively.
They talked more about their families until well after dark. It was beginning to look like the two had more in common than either one first expected. Only once did their discussion break into an argument. Both, however, chalked it up to having been up far too long and talking far too much and decided to agree to disagree. Each woman decided to retire to her respective room and call it a night. They had already come a long way, but both knew they still had a long way to go before anyone would call them friends.
TBC