Page 86 of Maybe Some Other Time

Thelma was so caught off guard by Gretchen’s gentle teasing of how she talked that she jabbed her in the side. “Don’t be so silly! Two people together having the potential to get married and not talking about it at least… how else do you know if it’s going somewhere?”

“I’d say I feel like this is a hint toward me, but we’ve only been actively dating for a couple of weeks.”

“And what a couple of weeks it has been.”

“And only two dates.”

“But I remember the last one quite well, Ms. Stewart.”

They were two inches away from kissing right there in the middle of the walkway, with a woman in a wheelchair swerving around them and a family with two young children hopping through. Nobody cared that Thelma and Gretchen gazed at each other through a light haze of cigarette smoke.

“Only you can call me that without it sounding like you’re my high school teacher.”

“What?Ms. Stewart?”

“I still prefer Gretchen.”

“Speaking of Paris…” Thelma allowed her arm to travel up Gretchen’s torso as they continued their walk, hand snug beneath the band of her date’s bra. “I could call you Gigi.”

“Oh, my God. You’re kidding, right?”

“What? I like it. Adds some feminine sophistication to your lovely aura.”

“Again, I think I would die if anyone else called me that…”

“But I’m okay?”

“Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.”

She promised Thelma that there was a surprise waiting for her as soon as they found a place to sit to chat that wasn’t blocking anyone else’s way and out of the cigarette smoke. They found a French-style bench in the walkway between Paris and Bally’s next door. Once there, Gretchen revealed that all representatives of construction companies at her conference had been presented with a pair of Ferris wheel tickets. Nobody else in her company had wanted them, but once she heard that Thelma was in town, Gretchen had jumped on them. Why not?

“The Ferris wheel! You mean the one just outside?”

“The very same. You wanna go? Since you’re apparently graciously letting your cousin have some ‘private’ time, premaritally, I might add…”

I can think of many fun things to do premaritally.In a way, Thelma was a pro. When it came to women, anyway. “Normally, I’d say I’m much too scared of heights for that, but I just flew in a plane yesterday. And will again tomorrow.”

“So you should go on the Ferris wheel tonight to make sure you’re set for tomorrow.”

“Are you also going back to LA tomorrow?”

“No. Monday.”

“Then let’s make the most of it.” Thelma’s stomach growled. “Maybe after an early dinner? We could beat the rush.”

“All right, but on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

Gretchen leaned her head in toward Thelma. “I get a kiss before we get up.”

“You cad!” Yet Thelma was so impressed with her date’s forwardness that she kissed her right there and then.In front of God and everyone.What was the modern era doing to her?

Whatwasn’tit doing to her?

What if…She would follow that trail. What-ifs and all.

They scrounged a small table outside the Paris that overlooked Las Vegas Boulevard and the Bellagio fountains across the street. Thelma no longer heard theboomsor the modern pop music that drove her up the wall now that she was with Gretchen, being treated to French-American food fit for Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire.