Wildflower by Prudence MacLeod Page B

wistfully, Abby watched them go then she
pulled the gun from her purse. “Well little buddy, you’ve done your
job well,” she said as she pulled the trigger. A flame leaped from
the muzzle and Abby used it to light a scented candle in the living
room.
     
    Roomies
     
    “New boyfriend Hazel?” asked Sharon, Hazel’s
favorite hairdresser.
    “Naw, same old boyfriend Sharon, you know
that,” laughed Hazel as she hung her coat on the rack.
    “So how come I never see you out together?”
asked Sharon as she settled Hazel into the chair.
    “Because he’s gay and I’m lesbian. We just do
the boyfriend/girlfriend thing when we don’t want to scare the rest
of you natural folks.”
    “Oh my god, Hazel,” laughed Sharon as she
held on to the side of the chair, “whatever did you have for
breakfast today? I swear you’re full of beans this morning. So tell
me the truth now, is that your boyfriend?”
    “High school sweetheart, we spent the night
together at a hotel because he just broke up with his gay partner
and was lonely.”
    “Hazel, stop it for crying out loud. Do you
want to make me slip and have to cut all your hair off?”
    “Ok, I’ll be good,” said Hazel grinning at
Sharon in the mirror, “but just remember, I’m really lesbian and
I’m watching your butt in the mirrors.”
    “Stop it Hazel,” giggled Sharon. Everyone
else in the shop was having a good laugh with them now. “I swear
I’ll dye you blonde if you don’t behave.” Hazel continued to tease
Sharon good naturedly while she worked, and everyone was laughing
and having fun with it all.
    As Hazel was finished and waiting at the
counter to pay Sharon, Tina, one of the other hairdressers, called
her attention to the window. “Hazel, Hazel, look over there,” she
hissed with a look of pure mischief, “there is the woman for you;
isn’t she gorgeous?” Hazel glanced out the window to see an
absolutely exquisite blonde load her car with groceries then climb
behind the wheel and drive away. The look on Hazel’s face was the
giveaway.
    “Oh my god Hazel,” gasped Sharon softly as
she reached out to touch Hazel lightly on the arm, “you were
telling the truth, weren’t you?”
    “Yes I was,” replied Hazel evenly as she
brought her eyes back to Sharon’s, her defenses rising to the fore.
Dammit, Sharon was the best and Hazel liked her.
    Sharon met Hazel’s eyes for a moment then
slowly nodded her head. “It’s Ok by me. Are we still buddies?”
    “I’m fine,” replied Hazel relaxing a bit.
“Are we cool?”
    “We’re cool,” grinned Sharon, “just keep your
hands off my butt.”
    “I’ll try, but you know it will be sheer
torture.” Hazel was completely at ease again.
    “Ah, the price of irresistible beauty,”
sighed Sharon as she turned back toward another customer. Hazel
laughed and waved as she stepped through the door. With a light
spring in her step, she headed for home to find Tommy waiting there
for her.
    “What is it Tommy?” she asked as she saw his
face. He was sitting glumly on her futon, staring into space as she
came through the door.
    “I’ve just talked to Jack. He was all apology
and contrition until I refused to come home with him. I mean, just
think about it, why would I want to go back there where his sister
and brother-in-law are right over my head? They all ganged up on me
once, they would surely do it again. I said I wanted some time to
think, and I suggested that he do the same.”
    “So he blew up at you again, right?”
    “That was it,” he sighed as he leaned forward
to rest his elbows on his knees. “I never really took a hard look
at that part of our relationship before, but I think Jack saw
himself as the dominant male. He wanted to move off campus, so we
moved off campus. He wanted to come back to Newfoundland, so back
we came. I guess he thought I would always do as he suggested.”
    “Well, you always have so far Tommy,” Hazel
said gently as she sat beside him on the