Irma laughed. "You've got to be kidding, Judy. None of those grease-monkeys will have a thing to do with your withered old ass, anyway." She tilted up her drink and drained the glass.

Looking over at the group that came in, Kay's eyes widened when she recognized one of the "grease monkeys". Just great. Why is it my luck never seems to change? She felt eyes on her and looked at Irma. "What?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering, since you don't have a boyfriend, do you have your sights set on Richard? After all, he does own the company. Be a nice way to get out of working, don't you think, ladies?" She looked around to see if the other women agreed, but no one else said a word. Glaring back at Kay, she snarled, "Well?"

"Shut up, Irma," Lucy snapped. "Leave the woman alone." She patted Kay on the hand. "Don't listen to her, honey. She's always cranky."

Mary, the quietest of the group, looked up at Lucy through her wire-framed glasses. Her dark curly hair framed her face, and she kept playing with the napkin her glass was sitting on. "He does seem to dote on her, Lucy. We've all seen it." She gave Kay an apologetic shrug. "No offense."

Unable to help herself, Kay laughed. "You think I'm after Richard?"

"Well, what do you expect us to think?" Judy asked. "We've seen how he acts around you. And we've never seen you with a boyfriend, or heard you speak of anyone else. You've got to admit, it does sound fishy."

Kay rubbed her forehead, feeling a familiar ache. These women are just like my aunt. Always seeing what they want to, and never listening to reason."You've never heard me speak of a boyfriend because I don't have one," she tried to explain. She looked over at Lucy. "I'm really going to have to get home, if that's okay with you."

"Sure," the dark-haired woman agreed. "Let's go." She looked at the other women around the tables. "You should all make it a short night, ladies. Tomorrow's a work day."

"Yes, mother," Irma grumbled. She waved the waitress over and ordered another round of drinks.

As they worked their way through the maze of chairs, Kay tried to keep Lucy between her and the boisterous table, hoping that she wouldn't be spotted.

The two women were almost to Lucy's car when her cell phone rang. "Hold on." She dug it out of her purse and flipped it open. "Hello?" Listening for a moment, she shook her head. "No, you listen to me. You tell Cindy that if the dishes aren't done by the time I get home, her ass will be grounded for a week!"

Kay stood and tried to keep from listening to Lucy's conversation, when a tap on her shoulder caused her to turn around. "Oh. Hi."

"Hi there yourself, Katie. Didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon," Beth commented. She looked over at Lucy and frowned. "Got you another one, all ready? What ever happened to that obnoxious bitch with the Corvette?"

"Like it's any of your business, but Randi is back in Fort Worth," Kay explained. "And Lucy is just a co-worker. Several of us went out for a drink tonight, that's all."

Beth grabbed Kay by the arm and pulled her closer. "Quit being such a smartass, Katie. I care about you, and I don't want to see you hurt."

The smell of beer on her breath almost caused Kay to gag. "Let go of me, Beth." She was trying to twist away when Lucy turned around and saw the burly woman holding Kay by the arm.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"None of your damned business, lady. Katie and I are old friends." Beth squeezed Kay's arm until she cried out.

Lucy shook her head and waved her cell phone in the air. "I don't think so. Let her go, before I call the police."

"Tell her to get lost, or you'll both get hurt," Beth whispered angrily to Kay. She released the younger woman's arm and stepped back. "See? Just a misunderstanding, that's all."

Not convinced, Lucy flipped her phone open. "Get out of here."

The muscular woman glared at Lucy, but started to walk away. "I'll talk to you later, Katie," she called, before she stepped back into the bar.

"What was that all about?" Lucy asked, as she helped Kay get seated in her car. "How well did you know that drunken woman?"

Kay rubbed her arm where it had been grabbed. Going to have a bruise there, I bet. She sighed. "Too well, I'm afraid," she admitted. "Turn left at this light. I live a couple of miles past the cemetery," she directed.

"Okay." They drove along in silence for several minutes before Lucy's curiosity got the better of her. "Just how well is that?"

"What? Oh," Kay watched the passing scenery for a moment, then looked back over at the woman driving. "We lived together for several years. She's my ex-girlfriend."

Lucy was quiet for several minutes. When she was stopped by a red light, she turned in her seat to look at Kay. "Girlfriend? As in--"

"Lesbian," Kay supplied. "I'm gay."

"Oh." The light changed, and the car hurried down the road. "So, I guess that's why you're not interested in Richard, huh?"

Kay nodded. "Pretty much. Does it bother you?"

Thinking for a moment, Lucy frowned. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "I've never known a lesbian before."

"You probably have, they just didn’t tell you," Kay offered.

"Gee, that's a nice thing to know," the dark-haired woman spat sarcastically. "Were you ever going to tell us? Or were you just going to keep it a secret?"

"What does it matter? Why should I have told you?"

Lucy cut her eyes over at her passenger. "You just should have, that's all."

"Do you go around telling everyone that you meet that you're heterosexual?" Kay asked.

"Of course not!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't have to," Lucy retorted.

Kay wasn't going to give up. "Why don't you?"

"Because they already know it, that's why." She turned the car onto the cemetery road and slowed down.

"Do they? Are you absolutely sure?" Kay pressed. "Or, do you just assume that because you're heterosexual, everyone you know, and all of your friends, have to be, too? Isn't that a little narrow-minded?" She looked up and pointed down the road. "My driveway is up there next to that mailbox."

Wordlessly, Lucy pulled her car into the graveled driveway. She stopped and put the vehicle in park, but wouldn't look at Kay.

"Thank you for the ride." Kay got out of the car and turned back before closing the door. "I'm still the same person, Lucy. Just think about that, all right?" Not getting an answer, she closed the car door and started for the porch. The vehicle didn't leave until she was inside the house, but Kay realized with a sad heart that she just lost another friend.

***************

Exhausted, Randi walked out of the operating room and smiled at Ms. Crawford. Before she could speak to the woman, the door to Dr. Wilde's office opened and the furious man stepped in front of her.

"In my office at once, Doctor Meyers," he commanded in a cold tone.

Randi glared at him. "In a minute, Dr.--"

"Now!" he barked, then turned and stalked back to his office, slamming the door behind him.