A Moment's Indiscretion by Peggy J. Herring

Author:Peggy J. Herring [Herring, Peggy J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Lesbian, Contemporary, Romance
ISBN: 9781931513593
Google: l41MPgAACAAJ
Amazon: B0053ZGC4U
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 1998-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

D.J., Carla, Valerie, and Jackie were out by Jackie's newly-repaired and recently-filled pool as steaks and ears of corn cooked on the grill. D J. and Carla were floating on air

mattresses, holding hands and sipping margaritas while Valerie and Jackie dangled their

feet in the water from the pool's edge.

"Are you sure you want to sell this place?" Valerie asked. She looked around at the new grass and perky shrubs. The fence, house, and workshop had fresh paint, and the sidewalk

leading to the garage and workshop was bone white in the late afternoon sun. The place was

looking good.

"You're the second person who's asked me that."

Valerie leaned back and propped herself up with her arms. Jackie's foot rubbed along her

calf in the water.

"Wel ?" Valerie prompted.

"Wel what?" Jackie said. "It's close to work and there's plenty of room here, but I don't like this neighborhood. Since my ex-lover found me again, I've never really felt safe here."

"Then sel it," Valerie said just as her beeper went off. She tugged at the waistband of her shorts to check the number on the digital display. Oh, shit! Its Benny! "I need to use your phone."

They had agreed not to page each other for anything except a Magda emergency. Valerie

grabbed a towel and dried her legs off at the back porch, and from the phone in the

kitchen dialed the number. Benny answered on a half ring.

"Lunch in Austin tomorrow," he said. "Can you make it?"

"If it keeps her out of San Antonio," Valerie said, "then yeah, I can make it."

Benny let out a deep breath. "Bless you. We'll leave around ten. Thanks a mil ion," he said, and laughed wearily at his own tired joke.

Valerie smiled, knowing how hard it must have been for him to call her on a Saturday

afternoon. "I'll see you in the morning." She hung up just as Jackie came in.

"Everything okay?"

Valerie stuck her hands in her pockets. "I need to go out of town tomorrow. Please make

me get out of here by eight in the morning."

"What's the occasion?"

"It's a family thing."

"Help me make a salad," Jackie said. "The steaks are almost done."

Valerie got a large bowl from the cabinet and took some fresh vegetables from the

refrigerator.

"Tell me about your family," Jackie said. "You never talk about them. Do you have any siblings? Are you out to your parents?"

"I'm an only child, and I told them I was gay on my fourteenth birthday."

"Oh, dear," Jackie said. She pulled the head of lettuce apart and began washing it. "You've been at this a while, haven't you? How did they take it?"

"Good. About like I expected. I should probably interject here that my parents aren't

ordinary people," Valerie said. "They were young hippies in the late sixties, and they're still liberal Democrats and avid environmentalists. They've got the usual SAVE THE WHALES

and RIGHT TO CHOOSE bumper stickers on their cars. When I was a kid I was

embarrassed to bring my friends over because my dad played his Janis Joplin albums so

loud. When I was still in diapers I knew all the words to Down on Me.

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