What Rhymes With Orange

Two Faces

As soon as the rain stopped, we started heading back to the house. I crossed my fingers hoping that our shoes were fine as we approached the slope. And they were. They sat there the same exact way as we left them, except for when Adam had to empty his shoes like water buckets. On our way back I tried to squeeze as much water out of my sweater as I can, and the whole thing still weighed down on my shoulders. I looked at Adam and noticed how his damp shirt clung to him. He was drying his socks when he asked, "Do you think you can lend me some clothes? I'd appreciate anything that fits me, really." I laughed, thinking of how my shorts would look on a man's body and he glared at me. "You're lucky," I said, "because James forgot to wait for his laundry before he left. So I actually had some fresh man clothes delivered to me when I got here." Adam chuckled triumphantly. "Well, what do you know? I'm sure he won't miss those." I agreed. "I called him about it and he told me not to bother sending the damn things. I didn't insist, I was glad he said no because it would cost me for shipping." Did I just really tell Adam that? "Don't tell James I said that," I pleaded. He grinned. "Are you kidding? I'm the one trying to steal his clothes."

When we got back to the house I immediately ran up the stairs into the bedroom to get some towels. I gave Adam two large ones so he won't freeze to death while waiting for me to finish showering. "Turn on the stove if you have to, just don't die in my house, please," I begged as I headed up to the bathroom. "Can I die outside?" Adam asked. "Yes!" I screamed from the shower. I moved quickly, frankly because there was sand in my butt crack, but also because I was concerned about the shivering man sitting at the bottom of the stairs who probably also had sand up his. The moment I got out, I told him to hurry and get in. "There's hot water," I said, "and your clothes are in there so you can change right away." He got up and headed for the bathroom, saying, "Or I can walk around here naked." Ha-fucking-ha. "Sure," I said, "until the cops shoot your ass with a tranquilizer dart." He chuckled and I heard the water running.

The moment I heard him shut the water off I started making tea in the kitchen. He came downstairs and walked up behind me. "What's that?" He asked. "I made tea to warm us up. Want some? It's Earl Grey." I poured a cup for myself and added sugar. "Okay," he replied, "thank you." He offered to pour his own tea and I told him he could find milk in the fridge if he needed it. He sat down with me in the dining. "So we're back here, huh?" He asked. I smiled. "Yeah. Where else would we be?" Adam looked at me. Then he sat up. "Oh, your girlfriend left you a note on the foyer." He handed over a piece of paper, sliding it on the table. What girlfriend? "Who?" I asked confusedly. "Marilyn," he said. Oh, girl-space-friend. The note said, "Dropped by to chat but you weren't here. Left wine bottle in the fridge. Will come back soon. - M." I thought the message ended there but at the bottom was, "PS. Why is there a man's wallet on the couch? I left it on the coffee table." I craned my neck to check the living room. "Don't worry, I got it." Adam said, taking his wallet out from his (or James's) back pocket and quickly waving it for me to see before putting it back in. Only then did I notice how perfectly the clothes suited him. He had a plain white t-shirt and khaki board shorts AND most surprisingly he was wearing slippers that fit him, too. Oh, so NOW he's dressed for the beach. Where the hell did he find those? "Where the hell did you find those?" I asked, looking at his feet. He chuckled and said, "In the bathroom corner. You never noticed?" Seriously? "No. Never. God, James didn't clean up too well, did he?" I said. "Neither did you," Adam replied. "Shut up." He smiled and finished his tea. I checked the time. 4:02. "So," Adam said, looking at the note, "Is Marilyn coming back today?" I glanced at the piece of paper and folded it in half. "No. She usually drops by once every week and lately she's been doing it twice or three times even. I think she just needs someone to talk to. Or... maybe she thinks I need company here." Or wine. Or both. "She's very kind, you know. She brings me wine a lot." Adam laughed. "She really likes you, Sylvia." I shrugged then nodded. "I like her, too." This is my chance. I recalled how the fortuneteller told me I cannot help Marilyn, but I was determined to defy her expectations. I continued, "I mean, you do like her, too. Don't you?" I sipped tea and stared at Adam, anticipating his response. He chuckled. "You don't understand. She LIKES you, Sylvia. She's a lesbian." I froze, staring at Adam like he was the grim reaper. When I regained my senses I struggled not to spit my tea back into the cup in shock. Adam was just laughing at my reaction. "You are wonderfully dense, did you know that?" He said. My brain rebooted and I finally swallowed the lukewarm tea in my mouth. "But, she just told me she liked YOU, Adam," I said. He grimaced. "That can't be true. You must have misunderstood. Or she lied to you. Because she told me something else." What? How? "She said you guys never talked since we got together at the farm," I argued. "Right," he replied, "that's when she told me. Sort of." Sort of!? "You can't just blurt that out and then tell me you're not sure, Adam." I was beginning to doubt what he said, but his expression was determined. "Okay," he said, "let me explain." And he told me what happened that night.