Chapter 6: Jade

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Opal and I walked arm-in-arm through the mall, bags of clothes dangling on our sides. My sister needed to go clothes shopping for college, and I was all too willing to help her. We’d met at my place and driven to Denver because the malls in the big city were way better. Opal worked through high school to save money for college. However, she’d earned a full-ride to multiple schools in Colorado, so now she had money to burn.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to my school!” I whined. “Think of how much fun it would be! Plus, the engineering program kicks ass!”

“Buffalo isn’t bad either.”

“Yeah, but we can hang out whenever you want.”

Opal pouted. “I’ve considered it. And I could still change my mind. I just ... ugh! I don’t want to be in your shadow.”

“You won’t be! I’m pre-med. You’re engineering. How is that in my shadow?”

“True...”

Opal and I were nothing alike. Despite being only a year apart in high school, we ran in different circles. I hung out with the drama and music crowd. Opal played sports and did jock stuff. She was a little taller and bulkier than me. Not fat. She was well-toned from volleyball, basketball, and soccer. She had bigger hips and boobs than me too.

My mocha-colored skin was almost a carbon copy of our mom’s. Opal’s skin tone was a shade lighter, closer to our Caucasian dad. But we both had the same light brown hair and similar gold-green eyes.

“Just think about it some more.”

“I will,” she promised. “But if I did go to your school, I’d want to live in the dorms, not with you. Would you be okay with that?”

I laughed. “Yes! I don’t have room for you in my tiny apartment.”

“Seriously. How do you even function in that place?”

“It’s perfect for just me. But I also have my privacy. You’ll have to hang up a sheet in your dorm anytime you bring a boy home.”

“Oh gawd!” Opal cried. “Don’t even!”

“Hey! You’re the one who swore off boys in high school so you could get your scholarship. Don’t tell me you’re not thinking about it.”

Opal gave me a sly grin. “Maybe ... But having sex with a guy while my roommate is on the other side of a sheet? Ew. No thanks.”

“What else are you going to do?”

“Maybe I could get my own little place like yours?”

I reminded Opal her scholarship wouldn’t cover non-dorm housing during her freshman year, and she would have to get a job if she wanted a place like mine.

“I could work with you at the library!” she suggested.

“I’d be your boss. Would you be okay with that?”

“Mmm. I’d have to think about it.”

Our conversation moved to other topics as we finished shopping and drove back to our parents’ house. I had to go straight to work, so I didn’t go inside to see my family. About two minutes after I pulled out of the driveway, my phone rang.

It was my mom. I debated answering, then accepted the call.

“Hey, Mom,” I said. “What’s up?

“Oh ... you know,” she answered lazily. “My eldest child doesn’t bother to come in and say hello, so now I have to call to see how she is doing.”

“I talk to you every Sunday for at least an hour, Mom,” I reminded her. Usually, I spoke to my dad and siblings on the same video call. “Every time we talk midweek, it means there’s a problem.”

“No, it doesn’t! Are you on your way to work?”

“I am.”

“Okay. Well, I won’t keep you.”

“Mom, what’s on your mind?” The question came out in an annoyed drawl because I could tell whatever this was about, she was already second-guessing her decision to bring it up. The line was quiet for a long time before she finally started to speak again.

“Sorry, I had to go to my bedroom so the other kids don’t hear me. What I’m about to say stays between me and you. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“I think your father is cheating on me.”

I slammed on my brakes and jerked to a stop. The car behind me honked, then honked again, and finally went around me. “What did you just say?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Mom continued. “It’s little things. Red flags. You know?”

“Like what?”

“We don’t have sex as much as we used to. I guess I have lost some interest in it.”

I closed my eyes and grimaced. The idea of my parents still having sex made me cringe.

“And a couple of days ago, I tried to start something with him, and he didn’t want to. That’s not like your father. I don’t think he’s ever turned down sex, even when he was sick. But he was late coming home from work again.”

I tried to picture my dad cheating on my mom and couldn’t do it. He loved my mom. He adored her. He was always doing over-the-top romantic gestures for her on Mother’s Day, their anniversaries, and her birthday.

“No way, Mom. Dad wouldn’t do that. Are you seeing other signs? Is he being secretive about using his phone?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“You’re worried because he declined sex one time after getting home from work late?”

“I don’t know, Jade...” she explained. “It’s just the feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. Did you ever get a feeling like that with Marcy?”

“No, because I knew about it right after it happened. Somebody told me it was happening, and I confirmed it with my own eyes.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry for troubling you. Maybe I need to stop being so paranoid.”

“Maybe,” I agreed, “and Mom...”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Maybe you should have more sex with Dad.”

I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth, but it needed to be said. Sometimes, I wondered if the reason Marcy had cheated on me was because I wasn’t having sex with her often enough after splitting my time with Kitt. She had gone from making love at least five times a week to less than three. Marcy had needs like everybody else, and I hadn’t met those needs for her. I’d left her vulnerable to the temptation of another woman.

“I should,” Mom said. “I do need to give more of an effort. It’s just ... after a while, you get into a rut. Then you want to fix things, but you don’t know how. And then you realize it requires an admission of guilt.”

That struck a chord with me because I wanted to fix things. I made a huge mistake last semester and was still too chicken to do anything about it. I’d told Fanny, but that was it. Whenever I thought about going to the dean and confessing, my stomach turned into a bundle of knots.

“Mom...” I started to say, ready to seek her advice about my dilemma. Then I instantly thought better of it and said, “You need to fix this with Dad. You’ll both be happier if you do.”

“You’re right. I know. I know. Okay. You go to work. Maybe I’ll do something special for Dad and try to right the ship. Any ideas?”

“Mom, no. I’m not having that conversation with you. Buy a book on Amazon.”

My mom laughed so hard it hurt my ears and then hung up. I sighed as the call ended. I regretted not telling her about what I did last semester to earn a better grade in physiology, but I also knew that even if she called me back, I still wouldn’t confess. Part of me wanted to bury myself in a hole and hide forever. The other part of me wanted to scream.

I clocked in at work. Velma arrived a few minutes later. My phone buzzed with a text from Hannah. She and I had been texting off and on since the semester ended. Chatting about her current vacation in Costa Rica, our summers, the orgy. Some of her texts were quite flirty, commenting on how much she’d enjoyed our time together and hoped it wouldn’t be the last. But the one time I’d gotten the courage to ask if she wanted to get a coffee, she said she would be out of town that day, and she hadn’t asked if we could do it another time. I took that to mean she was interested but not too interested. I texted her back, letting her know I was at work and could text later.

Marjorie came out of her office and said hello to us. She stopped at my station at the front desk and said, “Don’t forget we have our monthly meeting at 4 p.m.”

I nodded. I hadn’t forgotten. Now that I was the night shift assistant librarian, I had to meet with Marjorie monthly; this would be our first meeting since my promotion.

After Marjorie left, Velma walked by my station. “That’s one part about your promotion I’m not jealous of. I like Marjorie, but sometimes she gives me the creeps. I don’t know if I could stand being in an office with her for an hour.”

I shrugged. “I don’t have any issues with her.”

“Is Dan working today?” Velma asked, her Southern drawl more pronounced than usual since returning from her brief visit to Georgia to see her family.

“You don’t know his schedule? I thought the two of you were getting tight. Didn’t you go out with him last weekend?”

“We saw a movie. I think he was more interested in me than the movie. He got a little handsy. I had to ask him to slow things down.”

“How did he take that?”

Velma shrugged. “Seemed okay at first, but he didn’t text me the next day. I know he gets busy with dental school and tests and stuff.”

“Too busy to send a girl a text?” The skepticism in my tone was unmistakable.

“He gets really focused!” Velma’s face turned a shade of red. “I know you don’t like him, but cut him a little slack.”

“Fine,” I said. I thought about texting Fanny to see if she wanted to fuck after work, but then I remembered she was in Florida with her dad and her sisters. I turned back to Velma. “You want to grab a bite after work?”

“Where?” Velma asked, suddenly suspicious of me because we’d never spent time together outside the library.

“I don’t care. I’m starving. Wherever you want.”

“Are you asking me out on a lesbian date?”

“God, no!” I exclaimed. “Just hanging out as friends.”

“Okay. Just checking. Maybe. I’ll let you know.”

I let Velma run the desk while I shelved books. I used to hate shelving, but with no studying to do over the summer, I enjoyed getting away from the desk and walking around the library. It was better than sitting at a computer. I had been doing the books for about ten minutes when Fanny texted me.

Fanny: hey, love! how are u?

Me: good. bored. at work.

Fanny: I miss u

Me: I miss you too.

Fanny: Guess what????

Me: What?

Fanny: I hit 20k followers on Instagram!

Me: Cool! What does that mean?

Fanny: more money per marketing post

Me: Congrats!

Then my phone rang with a video call from Fanny. I rolled my eyes and suppressed a grin before answering. Fanny’s cute face peeked out at me from behind a lot of makeup and a shocking red wig. She wore a purple and white outfit, which reminded me of a school uniform in many ways. Fanny flashed me a peace sign.

“What is that?” I asked.

“My latest cosplay. High School DxD. The character’s name is Rias Gremory. I’m doing some TikTok and Instagram stuff tonight.”

“Gotta feed the beast, right?” I asked.

Fanny smiled. “I miss your face so much! I want to kiss you!”

I puckered my lips at her, and Fanny’s smile grew. “I could use a good kiss right now.”

“Are you still freaking about the thing?”

Fanny’s tone implied she was asking about my confession from a few weeks ago. We had discussed the subject several times, but each conversation ended with her telling me to let it go and move on with my life.

But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

“I’m still figuring it out,” I said. “What are you up to besides playing dress up? Aren’t you going on a trip soon?”

“Dress up!” she repeated dramatically. “Shame on you. And yes. The trip starts this weekend. My dad is taking us to Europe for a while. I probably won’t be around as often, but I’ll check in on you when I can.”

“Oh good! You know how badly I need babysitting.”

“I wanted to suggest something,” Fanny said. She bit her lip nervously but still had the same sweet smile. “An idea I had.”

“What?”

“What if we were to room together next year? I know your contract has to be renewed in August, so I figured you should think about it now.”

“Room together?”

“Yeah. In my place.”

“But you only have one bedroom at your place.”

“I know. I don’t mind sharing my bed with you.”

The wheels turned in my brain. Fanny had been making it more and more apparent that she wanted more from me than just being friends who occasionally fuck. She had feelings for me. Strong feelings. And I felt something for her, too, but it wasn’t a desire to date exclusively.

“I have to think about it.”

Fanny laughed and blew a puff of air out the side of her mouth to get her red wig’s hair away from her face. “Duh! That’s what I said. I like you, Jade. And I want to show you by being the best friend I can be, however you need me. Emotionally, sexually, whatever. The type of friend you deserve. I don’t need you to be exclusive with me. Let me know when I come back from my trip?”

For better and worse, Fanny was honest to a fault. She liked me. She wanted me. And she had no problem figuring out how to make it easier for her to have me. And I liked her and wanted her. But moving in with her was something else. It could change the dynamic of our study group.

On the other hand, Nicholas said I was supposed to gather witnesses. Fanny was the perfect choice. She was loyal above all else. I had already “released my essence,” as Nicholas would say, into two of her receptacles. And I couldn’t deny the pull toward her ass I felt. The urge had been so strong. I could take her ass and make her my witness. She would be bonded to me. It was what she wanted.

“Thank you, Jade. I gotta go. Livestream is starting soon.” She blew me a kiss. “Love ya!”

The video chat ended, and I tucked my phone into my pocket. I turned and saw Velma, less than ten feet away, shelving books. She watched me with a disappointed expression.

“Is Fanny your girlfriend now?”

“Listening in on my conversation?”

Velma shrugged unapologetically. “Maybe you should wear earbuds next time. I couldn’t help but overhear. You two sound like you’re girlfriends.”

“Stop...” I grumbled. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“She wants to be.”

I raised an eyebrow at Velma. “Since when did you become interested in my lesbian drama?”

Velma rolled her eyes and looked away. “I’m not. There’s just nothing else to talk about.”

“How about where we are going to eat tonight?”

“The diner?” Velma said. “They have good cheese curds.”

“Sure. Drive together or separate?”

“Separate,” Velma said at once.

Marjorie’s voice came over the intercom in a soft, quiet tone. “Jade Seymour, please report to the front desk.”

“My meeting!” I said. “Gotta go. Will you finish shelving?”

Velma rolled her eyes.

I went into Marjorie’s office and sat. She closed the door behind me. My boss had always been an enigma to me. She was brilliant. I’d seen her reading medical textbooks at her desk more than once. Yet she worked as a librarian earning what I guessed was a middle to high five-figure salary. She was very attractive and had a noticeable undertone of sexuality. Yet she was single and had been for as long as anybody knew. She never mingled with her employees and had no social life of which we were aware. Yet she always seemed busy on the weekends. Once or twice, I’d thought about asking her to hang out with Marcos, me, and a few other coworkers after a weekend shift, but I found her to be slightly intimidating.

We chatted for a few minutes about how I was doing with my new assignments and whether or not I was getting pushback from any of my coworkers. I reported I was handling the assignments fine and that there were no problems with coworkers.

“Any problems from Velma?” she asked. “She wanted the job, but you got it. Is she being respectful?”

“Velma’s great.”

Marjorie adjusted her glasses higher on her nose and typed a note on her laptop. Our conversation turned to other parts of my job. Marjorie showed me parts of ordering books from other libraries, handling outstanding claims, and other things I would gradually be trained to do.

I’d been in her office for almost an hour when she brought the meeting to a close and asked, “Do you have any questions?”

“One,” I answered. “My sister, Opal, is considering attending school here instead of UC Buffalo. She would be looking for a job. Could she potentially have a spot here?”

Marjorie thought for a moment. “Do you two get along? Would there be problems?”

“No. Opal and I are friends. She’s amazing.”

“Goodness me. Now I’m interested. Have her complete an application. I’ll see what I can do.”

It occurred to me then that Marjorie might be somebody I could ask about my dilemma in a roundabout way and get decent advice from.

“One other thing. This is unrelated. Can I count on your confidentiality with a question about a friend?”