1.1.1 - Despite All This
The closet doors swung open and Nora shoved a few shirts to the side to make room for the freshly laundered clothing. It was one of the tall blonde's least favorite chores.. She didn’t mind dishes or sweeping the floors. Hell, even cleaning the bathrooms and windows was preferable to doing her laundry. Yet, here she found herself every Sunday, separating and folding to make sure she had clean clothes for the week.
Turning to her bed, she grabbed the shirts and pants that were on hangers and put them away. Sighing, she wiped her hands on her jeans and looked around her room. It wasn’t the biggest apartment in the world, but it fit her just fine. She was one of three people that shared the two bedroom apartment. It sat amongst a set of apartment buildings that promised students of the University of New Orleans off-campus housing.
She’d been living here since she started at the university two and a half years ago. At twenty-one years old, Nora Marie Delany graduated with an Associates of Arts in Criminal Justice and was studying for the entrance exam to the New Orleans Police Department. With any luck, she’d have a beat and a badge this time next year.
Satisfied that the place was clean enough, she grabbed her keys and purse off her dresser and headed out. Running through the small list of things, she decided to swing by Tommy’s first and pick him up. They could hit the grocery store together before heading over to her parents' for dinner.
Traffic was light on a Sunday evening and before long she was double parked outside Tommy’s house. She honked the horn and he appeared a few minutes later. Slipping off her sunglasses she watched as his mother came out behind him and waved at Nora. Nora smiled and waved back as she waited for her boyfriend to get in the car.
“Hi babe,” he said as he slipped into the passenger seat and leaned over to give her a kiss.
Nora accepted the kiss, feeling the stubble grate on her cheek. “Hey you.” She returned his smile as she slipped her sunglasses back on. She signaled and moved her car back into the flow of traffic.
Signaling for a left hand turn, she asked, “So, did you happen to take a look at those apartments?”
He’d been living with his mother since graduating high school. While that wasn’t a complete area of contention, it had started to be an aggravating factor once he graduated from the trade school and landed a job as a full time mechanic at one of the best car dealers in New Orleans. She liked the man. They had been seeing each other for a little over a year and a half and Nora was finally feeling confident enough to consider moving in with him. Provided he could find adequate housing for the two of them.
Tommy shook his head. “I’d been meaning to go on my lunch break, but Andy had a couple cars that needed rushed.”
Nora nodded as she turned into the parking lot of the grocery store. She slid the El Camino into a spot half way down the parking lot. Signaling for Tommy to get out, she said, “Can you run in and get a couple loaves of bread? Mama asked me to bring it for tonight.”
“Sure, anything else?” Tommy asked.
“Nope.” Nora smiled as she watched him walk towards the store. Halfway up the lot he stopped and turned back.
He smiled sheepishly as he approached the open driver’s door window. “Uh, Nor, I’m sorry, but I forgot, I’m a little strapped until I get paid this comin’ Friday.”
Nora rolled her eyes and reached for her purse. Handing a ten dollar bill through the open window, she sighed. She watched as he made his way back towards the store, losing sight of him once he passed through the sliding doors. The blonde leaned her head back against the seat and shook her head. Tommy was cute, he was mostly nice and usually didn’t pull that ‘guy’ shit that her first boyfriend had, but he did have his faults. His management of money was definitely one of them. He was twenty-two still living with his mom and more often than not acted sixteen.
Growing up with three brothers, Nora was used to it. Hell, if she were honest, it was something that she’d come to expect from guys, but that didn’t make it less annoying. She fingered the charm bracelet he got her for her birthday this past January. It was sweet, but it was simple. To be honest, Nora’s girly wants far outweighed the tom boy that lived inside of her. She liked romance, she always had. She and her mom were the only two girls in a house of six. Growing up, Rosemary Delaney spent her Friday nights with her daughter, watching old films.
Nora grew up watching the classics; Casablanca, Gone with the Wind and other films with great, all consuming romances. Where the guy would come in and sweep the girl off her feet. Okay, so Casablanca was a little less sweeping than it was full of angst, but that didn’t detract from the overall message.
The passenger door opened and Tommy slipped in, placing the brown paper bag between the two of them. “Got two loaves of bread.” He smiled and shut the door.
The blonde nodded and started the car up. Pulling back out into traffic, she pointed her car towards her old neighborhood. A few minutes later and she took the turn that led her down into familiar old roads.. The open window of the El Camino allowed a fresh breeze to blow through and her nostrils flared at the scent. She smiled a little as fond memories of growing up flittered through her mind. The people may have changed and moved, but the place stayed the same.
Pulling up to the curb across from her parent’s house, Nora killed the engine and stepped out into the unnaturally tepid early summer evening. They approached the front door, when she saw her father’s head peek out. The door swung wide and his stout frame filled the open space. She smiled and rushed to give him a hug.
“Hi, Dad.” Nora said, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing.
“Hi there, pumpkin.” He let go of her and stretched a hand out to Tommy. “Tom.”
The man took the offered hand and shook. “Hi, Mr. Delaney.”
Ushering the two inside, Nora’s mother’s voice rang out from the kitchen, “Nora is that you?”
“Yeah, mama.” Nora answered as she hung her purse by the door and took that bag of bread from Tommy. She watched as her father ushered Tommy into the living room to watch T.V. while Nora went to find her mom.
Nora waited patiently in line, paperwork in hand as the clerk worked impossibly slow. She’d been down at the Academy’s office since nine in the morning filling out the requisite information for the background, credit and criminal history check. Her father, a retired N.O.P.D. Lieutenant, had offered to push her paperwork through, but she had declined. If she was going to get in, she would get in on her own. The only problem with that was that now, three hours later; she was still waiting in line and developing a headache.
Sighing, she shifted the weight on her feet and leaned back. As she leaned back, a body behind her responded. Standing straight, she turned and offered an apology, “Sorry. Excuse me.” A hint of color tinted her cheeks as the woman behind her shrugged.
“It’s okay.” The woman held out her free hand in greeting. “We’ve been in line for about the same time. I’m Ann.”
Nora shook the offered hand and laughed. “Nora. Are you applying to the force?”
Ann waved the packet of forms in the air and smiled. “Yeah, but I think the wait to drop the paperwork off may just do me in.”
Blowing the bangs from her eyes, Nora nodded. She turned to the line in front of her and counted. “Well,” she said, standing sideways to talk to the other woman, “there are only three people ahead of us. Maybe by the end of the year?”
“Ha! Sweetie, we’ll be lucky if we get out of here by the end of the century.”
She warmed at the smile as she quietly appraised Ann. Slightly taller than herself, she was trim, fit. One could even call her lanky with soft, shoulder length brunette hair and warm blue eyes. “Considering it’s only eight years away, you may be right.”
They chatted aimlessly as they waited in line. Slowly shuffling forward across scratched and stained linoleum, Nora presented her paperwork and found herself wanting to wait on Ann to finish up. Five minutes and two-hundred-eighteen tiles later, Ann sidled up to a distracted Nora.
Feeling brave, Ann poked the other woman in the side and smiled at the startled look. “Well, I promised them my first born, but barring anything hugely damaging on the psych eval, I’ll be starting in the August group.”
“Then I guess that means we’ll be seeing more of each other?” Nora asked, hopeful. In the short time they stood together in line, Nora felt comfortable around the woman. Considering the blonde didn’t have many friends finding someone that she felt a connection to was rare.
“I guess so,” Ann replied. “Hey, what are you doing the rest of the day?”
Nora ran through her “To-Do” list and realized it was pretty complete. Shaking her head, she said, “Not much.”
“Look, I…,” she stopped and fidgeted with the strap of her purse before continuing, “I know we just met, but uh, how would feel about getting some coffee?”
Nora’s hesitation caused the brunette to rethink her offer, but stopped as a small smile pulled at Nora’s lips. “That’s not a bad idea.”
Ann’s face lit up and she tugged on the arm of the blonde. Moving down the hall, she led them outside into the stifling July heat that only New Orleans seemed to be able to offer.
Nora pressed the phone to her ear as she listened to Tommy whine on the other end. She stood up from where she was seated and shut the door so her roommates couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation.
“Nora, I just don’t see why you gotta do this. I know your fam-“his petulant voice sounded in her ear before she cut him off.
“Tom,” she said as quietly and forcefully as possible, “this conversation that we’re having now isn’t going to happen. You knew what I was going to do when we started seeing each other over a year ago.”
“I know, doll, I just want you to be safe. Cop jobs aren’t known for safety.”
The blonde twisted the phone cord in her hand as she rested against her dresser. Sighing, she rubbed the throbbing vein on the left side of her forehead. With her starting at the Academy three months ago, he’d become increasingly competitive and Nora, despite her best efforts to be understanding, was at her wits end.
She pushed off her dresser and moved to sit on the bed. She sunk into the mattress and fell backwards. Dreading the words she was about to say, her teeth ground as a slight twitch in her right eye began. “Tommy,” she interrupted his ranting, “We really need to talk. Meet me over at Perk’s in a half hour.” Knowing that he would be there, she didn’t bother saying goodbye, just placed the receiver in the cradle.
A half sigh, half raspberry sounded in the room as she slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed her keys, some money and a jacket. A casual wave to Kristina and Beth in the living room and she was out the door. November in New Orleans was cool. It had rained the last three days and today the threat still loomed. She looked up into the sky and saw the outline of the sun straining through the heavy gray clouds.
Slipping on her jacket, she started towards the coffee shop. Hoping the rain would allow her a reprieve, she walked quickly. The café was the halfway mark between Tommy’s mom’s and her apartment, officially making it a nice meeting spot for the two lovers if time was an issue. It was also semi-neutral territory where she knew he wouldn't make that much of a fuss.
Truthfully, he had to have seen this coming. After his stalling with finding them a suitable place to live and ultimately his reluctance to leave his mother’s house, Nora knew it was just a matter of time. Since August, he’d grown a tad sullen and his temper began showing itself more and more. He picked fights when she couldn’t meet with him and pouted when she had to leave in the morning.
Her head was bent as she watched the blocks of concrete pass underneath her. As she came to an intersection she looked up and realized that she was already at the corner of the café. She stepped through the door, thankful to be inside. Spotting a two person table by the window to her right, she slid into the chair to wait.
Nora’s head rested casually on her hand as she watched customers come and go. She saw Tommy walk in a few minutes later. She waved him over and tried to smile. A lame attempt, but her soon-to-be-ex’s was only slightly better. He slouched down, offering her only a quiet hello.
Unsure of how to start, she decided coffee was in order. “I’m going to grab something to drink. You want anything?” she asked as she stood to get in line. He shook his head and she trotted off. The line was short and the grungy looking clerk behind the counter offered only a slight nod as she was handed her coffee.
Quietly she made it back to their table. The small trip giving her the chance to steel herself for the impending conversation. Setting the cup down, she slipped back into her seat. “Tommy, we need to talk.”
His only response was his arms folding across his chest as his lips tightened into a thin line. Nora shook her head and forged ahead, “There isn’t really, this isn’t easy, Tommy.”
He snorted and spat, “It’d be easy if you remembered what the hell it is that you are.”
Her eyes narrowed as she said, “What is it that I’m supposed to remember?” She suppressed the anger and hoped he wasn’t gonna say what she thought he was.
Foolishly, he carried on, “Nora, I thought we were on the same page.” His arms unfolded as he ran his hand through thick blonde hair. “You’re a girl, Nora. You ain’t a guy like your brothers. You should leave that shit to the men in your family. Your mom’s got the right idea.”
Nora’s jaw clenched as she gripped the mug of hot coffee in her hand. Ignoring the burns her palms were suffering, she launched out of the chair she was seated in. Before she knew what happened, Tommy was alternating between cussing and screaming in pain as the coffee ran down the front of his shirt. She snatched her jacket off the back of her chair and spun around to watch as he tried to soak up the dark liquid with napkins.
Tugging on her Jacket, she stopped in front of him and dug the point of her index finger into his chest, shoving him back into his chair. “Lose my number Tommy LeBoux. Pretend you never met me.” The threat in her voice clear, she turned to leave.
A hand clamped around her upper arm and spun her around. His face was red and the usually calm blue eyes were alive with rage. “You ain’t goin’ anywhere you dumb cunt,” he hissed.
A fist clenched at her side. “Let me go, Tommy.”
He pulled her closer and before he knew it, Nora’s fist came up connecting squarely with his jaw. She watched as his hand let go of her left arm and he stumbled back. He scrambled, waving his arms as he crashed into the table they were just seated at. He landed on top and tried to stop the table from tipping over. Instead, he crashed to the floor as Nora took off out the door.
The clink and clatter of the restaurant provided a steady back noise for Nora and Ann as they sat at their booth. They had been studying for the past two hours, firing questions at each other. The final written exam was in two days and for both women, preparation was key. Thankfully, the place they were at was used to students taking up tables for study groups. Currently, the two had been through a dozen drinks and a dinner. Picking at her left over fries, Nora popped one in her mouth and waited for Ann to fire the next question.
She watched the brunette skim over the list of questions and answers. Over the past eighteen weeks, Nora and Ann had developed a friendship that Nora had a hard time labeling. Since her breakup with Tommy, Ann had become almost a constant fixture. They went out when time permitted to the movies, clubs and restaurants. Some nights they stumbled into one another’s apartments tipsy and fell into bed.
A slight blush rose to Nora’s cheeks as she remembered the last two times she had spent with Ann. Nothing overt had happened, but Nora couldn’t deny the flush of arousal and mild embarrassment as she lay cradled in Ann’s arms or like the last time, she had woken up spooning the other woman. She had also recognized that much to her annoyance, it had felt right.
Ann had filled a void in her world that she didn’t think was there. They shared the intimacy and friendship that she had yearned for with Tommy. The conversation and responsibility of maintaining the relationship came off more as an even split between her and Ann. That irony was not lost on Nora. The fact that she wasn’t an overtly touchy-feely person, but would not shy away from the hugs, hand holding or the head resting that Ann was accustomed were strong indicators that Nora could not ignore.
The only problem was that she didn’t know what it meant. Her roommates had casually joked with her, but she had denied them up and down. Stating that they were good friends and nothing more. It was, unfortunately, their light teasing that forced her to step back and take a look at the friendship, for her own feelings towards the brunette. Reflecting, Nora noticed a myriad of small things that added up to creating a nervous confused mass of blonde
From the way the worries of the day seemed to fall away when they were together, the smile that stuck with her for at least two hours after they had left each other’s company, to the strong desire to just be around Ann because watching her talk and laugh made Nora feel better with just about everything. Nora let out a small sigh as Ann looked up from her notes and grinned.
“I think,” Ann said, setting the notes down and leaning back in the booth, “that we should call it a night.”
“Getting tired, Flemming?” Nora’s eyebrow rose as she smirked.
“Sweetie, it takes a lot more than a couple of hours studying to make me tired.” Ann’s face lit up with a smirk of her own, letting the entendre linger in the air.
Refusing to rise to the bait, Nora asked, “So, now what?”
She watched Ann shrug and run long, graceful fingers through her hair. “Desert?”
Nora shook her head and looked at the table top not covered in notes and books. The entire table to her left was stacked with dishes. Ann had put away the appetizer, the salad, soup, mashed potatoes and her open faced pot roast sandwich and yet she was still thinking about desert. Norahad absolutely no idea where the girl put the food. Ann had a runner’s body and pianist fingers. “You do know that that food goes places, right?”
Ann shrugged, “I’m twenty-one years old. I have a metabolism an eight year old would be jealous of and…” she wiggled her eyebrows as she finished up, “Any weight I gain goes to my boobs or my butt.”
For good measure, Nora chucked a cold fry at her head. She winced as Ann dodged the projectile and watched it sail through the air, landing on the neighboring table.
“I really don’t know what to do with you.” Ann laughed. “I can’t take you anywhere. Throwing food around. Making a scene. Didn’t your mom ever teach you better?”
“I’ll have you know that my mama taught me right, you are just a horrible influence!” Nora grinned back.
“Well then,” Ann said, fishing a twenty and a ten dollar bill out of her back pocket and throwing them on the table. “I say we blow this joint and allow me to further influence you in all the decidedly naughty ways my pretty little head can think of.” She stood and began tossing their things into her backpack. She grabbed Nora’s hand and led them out of the restaurant into the cold January night.
1.1.2 - Despite All This