Chapter Text
There was a bigger turnout than last year. Ouiser looked around and tried to figure how many people were in her yard or off by the boiler at the side of the house. Most of the men were standing next to the vat of crawfish and seasoned potatoes, corn and mushrooms with their beers talking about their predictions for the Demon’s baseball season. The women were in linen shorts holding sweating glasses of various drinks intended to fight the humidity and keeping eyes on the few children in attendance. It must be that her cousin Julia was there that year with her loud and abundant brood of children. When they had politely declined the invitation last year because of a cruise planned months before, Ouiser was pleased to receive the RSVP “no”. Taking in the crowd from the porch, she noticed Clairee on the far side of the yard holding Jack Jr.’s hand as he toddled around and staring at her. Their eyes held each other's gaze until Truvy called Ouiser over to the table she shared with M’Lyn and Annell.
“Ouiser, who is that gentleman talking to Thomas Lincoln by the cooler?” Truvy asked with a crooked smile and raised eyebrows.
“ That is Mike Davis from Monroe. He worked with Bill at the plant. He used to come every year but moved to Monroe, I guess probably around 15 years ago. He wrote and asked if I still threw the boil and I invited him to come.”
Ouiser’s tone left little room for more conversation but Truvy never missed an opportunity to tease, so she quickly replied, “At least he waited the appropriate five years to invite himself back.”
“He is just here as a friend of Bill’s. He can eat crawfish with people he doesn’t know anymore if he wants to, then he can go back home. It’s as simple as that Truvy.”
“Well, he sure is handsome. I don’t mind him standing around.” M’Lyn added as she took Jack Jr. into her lap. Clairee asked who they were talking about.
“Mike. I was just telling Truvy that he’s only in town for the day. He’ll be heading home after the party.”
“Thank God. He always gave me the creeps. He seemed to always want to get me alone in kitchens at dinner parties. Do you remember that Ouiser? No wonder Ginger left him.”
“That’s a shame,” M’Lyn sighed in mock distress.
Ouiser stood up. “I’m going to get more tea from the fridge in the garage. Y’all stay here and speculate.”
“I’ll give you a hand” Clairee, who had been standing behind Ouiser’s chair, said as she steadied Ouiser who stumbled over a hidden root under her seat. Ousier felt Clairee’s hand on her arm for longer than she thought necessary and thought that if it had been anyone else’s hand, she would have pulled away in shame or embarrassment. She smiled slightly at the realization of how comfortable she was with Clairee, but it would be silly not to be after over 50 years of friendship.
They were stopped by a few guests asking about the status of the food and after Ousier told them all off for their impatientance, they finally made it to the garage. Ouiser was hunched over, grabbing the premade pitchers of sweet tea when Clairee said, “I can’t believe you let Mike Davis come. He was nothing but a total sleaze the whole time he lived here. I thought we both agreed it was a blessing when he left. As I recall, Bill wasn’t even very fond of him.”
Ouiser slammed pitchers into Clairee’s arms. “Maybe he’s changed. Maybe his old old age has matured him. And besides how was I supposed to tell him no?”
“I must be going crazy! You were afraid to tell him no? You have no fear of making anyone else upset or uncomfortable. What’s so special about Mike Davis? You know damn well he hasn’t matured. ‘Men don’t mature. They rot .’ I believe it was you who said that not three days ago.”
“I don’t know why I told him to come, ok. He asked, and I just didn’t see a good enough reason to tell him no, ok? He’s only here for the day! How many times do I have to reiterate that point? I didn’t ask the man to move in with me. He’s here for crawfish and beer, for Hell’s sake!”
“I would think him attacking your best friend would be enough reason not to want him eating your food or drinking beer” Clairee said with so much anger in voice and visible tears in her eyes as she stormed out of the garage slamming the pitchers on the workbench.
“Well shit,” Ousier thought. She shouldn’t have gotten so upset with Clairee. She was just hot and frustrated with the chaos of throwing the party. She and Clairee had had such a good time that morning setting up and making the tea sitting abandoned on the table. Now she would have to apologize, one of her least favorite activities, because Clairee was right. It had been almost twenty years ago when Mike had cornered Clairee in her own kitchen and covered her mouth while putting his unwelcomed hand up her skirt. At the time, Ouiser had been mad enough to seriously consider the crimes she often threatened. Clairee had broken down and told her the next morning after their husbands went to their respective offices. Ouiser held her devastated best friend and wondered which of the new knives she got on Labor Day sale would deflate Mike’s tires the easiest. After what could have been five minutes or two hours, Clairee leaned up, looked into Ouiser’s eyes and asked her to forget the whole thing had happened. She said she had just needed to get it out of her system and that she knew Ouiser was plotting something and to just let it be. She would be more careful, she said. And she had been for the last few years Mike lived in Chinquapin Parish. Ouiser hadn’t forgotten that morning in her kitchen, but she assumed Clairee wouldn’t have a problem seeing him again in such a large social setting. They had, after all, stayed in the same circle after that incident for years.
Damnit! She hated when she was wrong, but hated hurting Clairee more.
The rest of the party went smoothly. Ouiser kept a more critical eye on Mike to make sure he was minding his manners, and although he seemed to be, she wasn’t going to take another chance to disappoint Clairee. The kids had recked her yard while she was preoccupied and Louie Jone’s joint could be smelt from the side yard. Ouiser thought about making a scene but figured Truvy had enough on her plate with that one, and honestly, even Ouiser had to admit the whisky she slipped into her tea wasn’t strong enough to shake the disarray of the party that had drug out way into the night. Finally, as people were filtering out, Mike came up to Ouiser as she told another couple good bye and quickly said his thanks and wished a good night. He hadn’t lingered or tried to make conversation, which Ouiser was incredibly thankful for because she knew Clairee, wherever she was, had also been keeping a close eye on Mike. Eventually, the last few guests did their best to help move folding chairs and tables into the garage and dump coolers.
“Thank God for southern kindness. It would have taken you forever to clear this mess up without our help, Ouiser,” Drum Eatenton teased as he and the boys made their way across the street. M’Lyn had left much earlier to help Jackson get Jack Jr. to bed and left Ouiser to spar with her spouse without a referee. Ouiser didn’t have the energy to fight Drum anymore tonight. There would be plenty of time to humiliate him later.
“Thank you Tommy. Johnathan. Y’all have a good night.”
“Yes ma’am. Thank you,” they said in unison.
Clairee giggled right behind Ouiser, surprising her and making her turn around faster than she should have. Clairee had to catch her again.
“I thought you had slipped out without saying goodbye,” Ouiser said with a sadness that almost scared Clairee. Vulnerability was obviously not a common Ouiser emotion, but it was not completely foreign to Clairee.
“No, I didn’t. I want to talk to you.”
“Good. I want to talk about it too… I’m sorry. I really am” she grabbed Clairee’s hand and held it in both of hers. Clairee would not look her in the eyes. Ousier could see the shock on her face, but hoped desperately that she knew her apology was sincere.
“I know you are sugar. It was a long time ago. I’m a big girl. I should be able to be around a man that hasn’t bothered me in years, but honestly, I hadn’t thought about him in so long and it was just a shock to see him here without warning.”
Ouiser was relieved to know that Clairee wasn’t as mad as she should have been. The last few hours had been miserable. She knew from years of fighting and friendship that they couldn’t go more than four days without breaking down and talking again like nothing happened, but the thought of those four days was terrifying to Ousier.
“I should have said something” her face was so serious it made Clairee turn away.
“Please stop being so damn apologetic. It’s weird, Ouiser!” Her slight giggle and exaggerated distress helped break the tension. “Come on. We both need to sit down a minute. That was some party. We’re getting too old for these things.”
“You’re telling me. This is the last one I throw.”
“That’s what you said last year.”
They both plopped onto the porch swing at the same time, eliciting a violent screech from the chains. Clairee grabbed Ouiser’s glass from her hand and took a long swig. As she swallowed and handed the glass back, her face twisted in surprise at the strength of the contents.
“That’s why you were so nice to me.”
“No, it’s not” Ouiser took her hand again and held it for a long time as they calmly rocked back and forth together.
Clairee broke the silence first.
“Why then?”
Ouiser had been waiting for her to ask. She had been waiting to tell her. She couldn’t tell when she decided. Maybe it was last month when Clairee had gone with her to her mammogram because she knew it terrified her and that she would happily go on not taking care of herself if not for Clairee’s instance. Maybe it was those months after Floyd had died and Ouiser practically moved in with Clairee to keep an eye on her and keep her company. Maybe it had been when they were both pregnant at the same time and were able to complain about their struggles with motherhood without shame or fear of being judged for being uncomfortable and unhappy. Maybe it had been when they were teens and Clairee started going steady with John Write and Ouiser could hardly contain her jealousy, although she couldn’t determine just what it was she was jealous of. She couldn’t stand John. Whenever it had been that it really occurred to her, she knew it for certain now.
“Because I love you” she hoped her tone conveyed what she didn’t think had the strength to say aloud. She searched the other woman’s face for understanding, not knowing what she would do if she found it. Then it was there. Accompanied by a smile.
“I know you do. I love you too, Ouiser.”
Before either of them could think about it, Clairee leaned over and kissed Ouiser square on the mouth. Surprised, Ouiser returned the kiss, then realizing what was happening, tried to pull back. Clairee pulled her back, and neither pulled away for a long moment. Eventually, they broke apart and stared at each other, trying to catch their breath.
“Well, shit,” Ouiser said under her breath. Clairee burst into laughter that she could not control. She clutched to Ouiser as she hunched over, trying to regain control.
“What the hell is so funny, Clairee? You just kissed me like a teenager, for God’s sake, and now you’re giggling like a little girl.”
“You of all people should see the humor in this,” she snorted through laughter. “Of course I kissed you!” she regained her composure. “It makes total sense and absolutely no sense at all. That's what’s so damn funny!”
“Well…” Ouiser started to giggle too, “I guess you're right. Can you believe we’ve never done that? In the half of a century we’ve known each other we’ve never done that.”
“We better make up for lost time then,” she leaned in again and did her best to suppress her giggles and after only a few seconds, was consumed by a totally different emotion. “God, I hope she doesn’t want to talk about this yet,” she thought while Ouiser was thinking, “Thank God she isn’t asking any questions yet!”