STARTING AGAIN
AMELIA
"Ruen!"
"Wait, what? Your wife?" Rachel turned to me for confirmation.
"Whose wife?" John asked, confused.
"Lia's."
The woman in question sat on the couch, taking her heels off, "Mim, just get some sleep here before you leave. It's a long drive back."
All of us were standing, apart from her, who sat relaxed and comfortable.
Mim, Miranda, her best friend that I met at the wedding.
The pianist!
"Mind if I sit?" Miranda asked me then looked at her friend with doting eyes. "Only 'I' seem to still have my manners intact." She sat when I nodded in assent. I turned my attention back to the woman always managed to wind me revelations.
She's the violinist. For real?
This woman never fails to surprise me.
"Hi, I'm Rachel. Nice to finally meet you." My friend introduced herself, "I'm Lia's manager. This is John her PA."
Ruen greeted them, "Hiya, John. We've met again. Hello, Rachel. I guess I'm 'the wife'."
"In the flesh!" Rachel said, amused.
"Her wife?"
"Rachel!"
John and I shouted at the same time.
"You married her?" John exclaimed, moving me to face him.
"Yes, I'm married to a woman, John," I told him. I tried to say more but he wouldn't let me.
"Not just any woman, Lia!" He let go of me and kneeled in front of Ruen, taking her right hand in his. "You're married to 'her'."
He was gazing at her, mesmerized, and rubbing her hand tenderly.
I wanted to yank him away from her and kick him in the gut for touching her like that.
Whoa! Where did that come from?
"You're so sweet." Ruen fondly smiled at him.
What the—?
Is she batting for both teams?
I glared at them.
With a serious voice, she bent closer to John and said, "But you should let me go before Amelia skins you alive." She patted his cheek with her left hand.
Having said this, Rachel, John, and Miranda turned to look at me.
John immediately dropped Ruen's hand as if afraid I'd physically harm him.
Miranda covering her mouth with her hand as if trying not to laugh.
Rachel, who I expected to be laughing louder than everyone here, just looked as if she has just realized something I didn't.
"What?" I asked facing Rachel.
"Nothing." She said and laughed.
"I was just admiring Ruen." He said, standing up now.
Well, you could admire her at a safe distance of fifty meters and keep your hands to yourself!
What's gotten into me?
"I am a fan, you know." He said, placing his hand on Ruen's shoulder.
Her bare shoulder!
I moved quickly and snatched his hand off her. "Yes, you're a fan. Of a d-u-o. There's the other half." I said, pointing to Miranda. "But I don't see you fawning all over her!"
John gulped.
Rachel stopped laughing and Ruen just looked up to me smiling with a brow raised.
"I'm offended. Should I be offended?" Miranda asked in all seriousness.
"Don't be, Mim. My 'wife's' just showing her acting prowess by portraying a caveman," Ruen told her friend.
"Or a cave-woman," John said, taking his hand off of my grasp and rubbing it.
"A possessive cave-woman," Rachel added, amused.
Possessive? Of Ruen?
I'm just a little protective, that's all.
"Now, now... let's stop teasing the tiger and get some rest," Ruen said, taking a hold of my hand.
"There are two rooms here." Rachel said, pointing to a door behind me. "Lia and Ruen, that's yours. Miranda, you're with me over there." She added, pointing to the room across us.
I'm bunking with her?
"Why don't we partner up, Rachel? Miranda and Ruen can share. Better yet, I'll take the couch." I told her.
"I don't want to room in with Ruen!" Miranda exclaimed.
"Wow! Really, Mim? I guess it only takes sharing a room to know who your real friends are," Ruen said in mocked hurt.
John eagerly offered, "I'll share it with you!"
"Sure, John. Come on." She gave him a huge smile and then, with exaggerated sadness, said. "My friend won't put up with me. My 'wife' doesn't want to sleep with me. Nobody wants me."
She glanced at us with glistening eyes, lowered her head, turned, and headed to the room.
'My wife doesn't want to sleep with me'?
Really, Ruen?
"I do!" John told her.
One more word, Johnny. You're walking on a thin line.
"Hey, I just don't to wake up in the middle of the night because of you. I need to sleep, Rue," Mim said defensively.
Wake up in the middle of the night?
Mim knows about her nightmares!
"Ok, it's decided then," John said, more than happy at the prospect of sharing a room with Ruen. He started to follow her to the room.
Remembering how she snuggled close to me that first night, I was moved into action. I pulled him backwards by the collar. He lost his balance and fell on the floor as I moved past him. "Not on my watch, Johnny!"
Annoyed, John screamed, "Oh, come on!"
I closed the door and locked it as I entered. Ruen sat on the bed releasing her hair from the bun. Her wavy locks fell free and I almost choked on my tongue as if I was seeing her differently for the first time. Recovering my wits, I remembered that I didn't like her playing with my besotted friend. "You shouldn't encourage him like that!"
"Relax, Amelia." She faced me. "It's nothing serious. Just a little teasing between friends."
"Friends?" I said incredulously.
Men and women can't be 'just friends'!
"So, you don't think of me as a friend?" She said in a low voice.
"That's not what I meant! I—"
I stopped talking when a knock on the door came.
My irritation level rising, I yelled, "Just fuckin' sleep on the couch, John!"
I turned to Ruen and tried to open my mouth to explain when another knock came.
"Seriously, John? Give it a rest already or I'll throw you out!" I warned him as I walked to the door and opened it.
"Hey! Stand down, Lia!" Rachel said, presenting me a couple of shirts, a pajama, shorts, and a bowl of wet towels.
I stepped aside and let her in. I mumbled an apology and took the bowl from her.
"I thought you were John."
"He's already settled on the couch and down for the count." She put the clothes on the table. "Ruen, there's only one bathroom here and it's the door next to our room. Do you want to wash? Or you could just use those towels for tonight if you're too tired."
"Thanks, Rach. I'll take those towels."
"No. Thank you for taking Lia out there."
"It's ok. You should thank Mim. She's the one who drove hours get us here," she said.
"I'll thank her later but now I'm thanking you. Thanks, girl."
"Couldn't leave my wife behind for them to pounce on. I haven't pounced on here yet and I'm calling first dibs on that. So," She paused and said, "no. No need for thanks, it was totally done with selfish motives on my end." She said with all seriousness.
Pounce on me?
"I succeeded in getting her alone in a room and, sooner, in the same bed. I am reaping the benefits," She winked at Rachel.
I shook my head in resignation. I bent and took a shirt and shorts from the table.
Sassy mouth.
Rachel laughed, then leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You're really something, Ruen. It's great to finally meet you."
"You too, Rachel."
I walked out of the room with Rachel and continued our talk.
As we neared their room, she said, "You've got something good right in there."
I looked at her not understanding what she meant.
"Not just a wife, you have a wonderful friend in her." She placed her hand on the knob but didn't open the door. "Are you really going to be ok?"
"I'll try, Rach," I said, looking down.
"You know I've got your back—sides, front and center, right?" She said, trying to make me feel better.
"I know," I said finally, looking up. "I'll bounce right up."
She hugged me and kissed my cheek. "That's my girl! Goodnight, Lia."
I hugged her tightly for a minute and let go. "Night."
After she entered her room, I made my way to the bathroom to change and look for the med kit. Before heading back to our room, I washed all traces of make-up off my face, my arms and legs, and changed my clothes.
Ruen was just pulling her pajamas up when I entered.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were still changing." I said, turning to give her some privacy.
"Ok. I'm decent. You can turn around."
I did as she said.
I turned and saw her in an article of clothing less than when I initially entered.
"Ruen!"
I turned and covered my eyes as she laughed.