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rsadelleThe rough draft of my big bang is due on Friday. So of course I've been writing other things. This is one of them. I will forewarn you that this requires some suspension of disbelief.
Naomi meets Emma at the gym. Carol from her aerobics class says, "You should meet this girl. She's Australian and she's a vegetarian or vegan. I forget."
Naomi is of the opinion that it takes more than that to build a friendship on, but she lets Carol introduce them, and finds that she really likes Emma.
They become friends, in an intimate but compartmentalized way. Naomi knows that Emma's a personal assistant, but not who she works for. Emma knows Naomi's husband is in a band, but not which one. Naomi knows that Emma wants to be a producer. Emma knows that Naomi still doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up. Naomi knows that Emma is tired of settling and wants to date someone who makes her heart sing. Emma knows that Naomi both wants and is terrified to have kids.
*
Sometimes Michael is away, and sometimes Emma is, and Naomi doesn't realize how dependent she's become on Emma's company until they're both gone and she's terribly lonely. She talks to Michael every day, and Emma sends long emails.
Emma tells her, I met a guy. We've been on dates in four different cities.
Naomi writes, Does he make your heart sing? and Emma sends back, YES!!!!
*
Michael comes home, and says, after they've spent some time relearning each other's bodies, "Mike's in love."
"He find a new beer?" It's not that she doesn't like Mike - she does - she just can't fit Mike and in love into the same thought.
"No, a woman. He actually quit smoking for her."
Naomi tries to imagine that. "Is he good enough for her?"
"Not by half."
*
Emma comes home, and they meet for lunch. Naomi is surprised by just how lit up by love Emma is.
Emma confides in her that she's worried. "He's in a band, and I travel with guys in a band. I know what they're like."
"They're not all like that," Naomi says. "Michael isn't."
"But how do you know? You're not there."
Naomi knows Emma is just scared, but she's still sharp when she says, "I know. I trust him, and I know our relationship is as sacred to him as it is to me. It's been like that since before we got married."
Emma says, "I'm sorry. I'm just," and then asks Naomi to fill her in on the gym gossip she's missed.
*
"Mike's coming out to visit his girlfriend," Michael says. "He wants us to have dinner with them."
They don't have other plans, so Naomi says yes, and it goes into her calendar.
She dresses nicely, but not nicely enough to be intimidating; she has no idea what a woman Mike is in love with might be like.
She sees Mike first, and he's in slacks and a button down instead of his usual jeans and t-shirt. She sees Emma second.
"This is your Michael?" Emma says, and Naomi says, "You're Mike's new girlfriend?"
They both laugh, and the whole story comes out over dinner, how they know each other and how Emma met Mike on tour.
When Naomi and Emma excuse themselves to the ladies' room, Michael says, "You know they're just going to talk about us."
Naomi kisses the top of his head and says, "We're having lunch on Tuesday. If we didn't do it now, we'd only do it then."
While they wash their hands and check their makeup in the mirror, Emma says, "I'm sorry about what I said. You were right about Michael."
Naomi pats her arm and says, "And that means Mike has a good example."
When they're leaving the restaurant, Naomi catches up to Mike and says, "If you ever break up with her, I'm taking her side."
Mike laughs. "If I ever break up with her," he says, "I'll probably take her side too."
Naomi meets Emma at the gym. Carol from her aerobics class says, "You should meet this girl. She's Australian and she's a vegetarian or vegan. I forget."
Naomi is of the opinion that it takes more than that to build a friendship on, but she lets Carol introduce them, and finds that she really likes Emma.
They become friends, in an intimate but compartmentalized way. Naomi knows that Emma's a personal assistant, but not who she works for. Emma knows Naomi's husband is in a band, but not which one. Naomi knows that Emma wants to be a producer. Emma knows that Naomi still doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up. Naomi knows that Emma is tired of settling and wants to date someone who makes her heart sing. Emma knows that Naomi both wants and is terrified to have kids.
*
Sometimes Michael is away, and sometimes Emma is, and Naomi doesn't realize how dependent she's become on Emma's company until they're both gone and she's terribly lonely. She talks to Michael every day, and Emma sends long emails.
Emma tells her, I met a guy. We've been on dates in four different cities.
Naomi writes, Does he make your heart sing? and Emma sends back, YES!!!!
*
Michael comes home, and says, after they've spent some time relearning each other's bodies, "Mike's in love."
"He find a new beer?" It's not that she doesn't like Mike - she does - she just can't fit Mike and in love into the same thought.
"No, a woman. He actually quit smoking for her."
Naomi tries to imagine that. "Is he good enough for her?"
"Not by half."
*
Emma comes home, and they meet for lunch. Naomi is surprised by just how lit up by love Emma is.
Emma confides in her that she's worried. "He's in a band, and I travel with guys in a band. I know what they're like."
"They're not all like that," Naomi says. "Michael isn't."
"But how do you know? You're not there."
Naomi knows Emma is just scared, but she's still sharp when she says, "I know. I trust him, and I know our relationship is as sacred to him as it is to me. It's been like that since before we got married."
Emma says, "I'm sorry. I'm just," and then asks Naomi to fill her in on the gym gossip she's missed.
*
"Mike's coming out to visit his girlfriend," Michael says. "He wants us to have dinner with them."
They don't have other plans, so Naomi says yes, and it goes into her calendar.
She dresses nicely, but not nicely enough to be intimidating; she has no idea what a woman Mike is in love with might be like.
She sees Mike first, and he's in slacks and a button down instead of his usual jeans and t-shirt. She sees Emma second.
"This is your Michael?" Emma says, and Naomi says, "You're Mike's new girlfriend?"
They both laugh, and the whole story comes out over dinner, how they know each other and how Emma met Mike on tour.
When Naomi and Emma excuse themselves to the ladies' room, Michael says, "You know they're just going to talk about us."
Naomi kisses the top of his head and says, "We're having lunch on Tuesday. If we didn't do it now, we'd only do it then."
While they wash their hands and check their makeup in the mirror, Emma says, "I'm sorry about what I said. You were right about Michael."
Naomi pats her arm and says, "And that means Mike has a good example."
When they're leaving the restaurant, Naomi catches up to Mike and says, "If you ever break up with her, I'm taking her side."
Mike laughs. "If I ever break up with her," he says, "I'll probably take her side too."