“We went to college together. That was a long time ago.”
A knowing chuckle rose from Ellen’s mouth as she touched up her lipstick. Bianca was too tickled by this forbidden knowledge. Mom’s never mentioned anyone named Ellen before. Then again, Vivianne never talked much about her time in college. Her life stories were either from the time she married her husband or when she was a little girl. Because ‘wife and mother’ had been the only real identities Vivianne Black espoused.
Ellen gave Bianca a curious look. “Does your mother know you spend your time going to gay clubs? It’s just that from what I’ve heard, she hasn’t made your older sisters’ lives very easy, the poor things.”
“Yeah. She didn’t know about me until I came out to her last week. It didn’t go so well. My mom isn’t the most understanding person. She’s really stuck in the past with some of her ideas.”
“Oh, sweetie.” Ellen put away her lipstick and closed her purse. “It’s such a shame. And it’s so strange to me. Your mother was a wild girl back in the day. Probably had more fun than either you or your sisters. The stories I could tell you…”
Bianca cocked her head. Her mother, wild?
“I won’t go into details, but it was on the cusp of the 80s. Things were changing. People saw the 80s in a way they didn’t see the 70s. Experimentation with sex, drugs. Your mother was quite the party girl.”
Was Ellen insinuating that Vivianne used to do drugs? 80s drugs? So like, coke?
“Wow. I had no idea,” Bianca said. “So you knew her well, then?”
“I used to,” Ellen replied. “But it’s been decades since we’ve talked. We had a falling out shortly before graduation. It was unfortunate.”
“Well, it’s been a while. Maybe the two of you could repair things.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice? I’ve recently moved to the area, you see. I retired, then I decided I didn’t want to be on the east coast any longer, so I came to Seattle. But my social circle is much smaller here.”
Bianca was about to suggest she build a bridge between Ellen and Vivianne when Sam suddenly appeared in the doorway. Ellen took one look at her and pulled her purse off the counter.
“I’ll see you around, Bianca.” Ellen gave her a wave as she left the bathroom. “Enjoy the party.”
Sam waited for the door to close before looking at Bianca. “What was that about?”
Bianca shrugged. “Apparently, she’s an old friend of my mom’s. Actually, I met her at Bar Rainbow that night I snuck out.”
Was that why Ellen and ‘Vivi’ weren’t friends anymore? Because her mother was homophobic?
Sam interrupted her thoughts. “I can’t take this anymore.” She stepped closer to Bianca, wrapping her arms around her hips. “You’ve been teasing me all night in that dress. If I can’t tear it off you, I’ll have to make do with kissing you.”
Giggles coursed through Bianca, who suddenly felt like a teenage girl again. “I don’t know… Isn’t this going to distract you from your job?”
“No. It will help me keep it in my pants and focused on my work until we get home.”
Bianca let her body brush against Sam’s. “Well, if you insist.”
A kiss was already on her lips when something buzzed in Sam’s ear. At the same time, raised voices in the ballroom beyond the bathroom door reached them.
“Shit.” Sam straightened up, turning her earpiece on again. “What’s going on?” she barked, her authority echoing in the tiled bathroom. It did nothing to settle the desires rising inside Bianca’s body.
But the mood was short-lived. Sam ordered her to stay put before rushing out into the gala. But Bianca wasn’t going to stay behind and not know what was going on.
She stepped out into the main ballroom, where a crowd was gathered nearby, watching a scene unfold. Bianca pushed her way forward to find her mother confronting a guest, who was being held back gingerly by security. As Sam approached, Trevor and Brent stepped aside, giving Bianca a clear view of the guest, a familiar middle-aged woman…
Is that Ellen?
Bianca had been talking to her only moments ago. What was going on?
“Is there a problem?” Sam asked, strategically positioning herself between Vivianne and Ellen.
Red-faced, her mother shot a shaky finger in Ellen’s direction. How many drinks has Mom had?
“This woman…” she said. “This woman is not allowed here. She is not on the guest list.”