by Beth Burnett
For their second date, Davey brought him to her apartment for dinner. He got the joy of meeting everyone at once. Lynne was still in tears over a fight with Sarah. Leah was cooking a vegan version of one of her favorite Greek dishes. Leah’s sex class teacher, Dr. Sheila Ward, was invited, as well. I expected Danny to be shell-shocked, but instead of freaking out, he volleyed all of the conversation with aplomb. He was amused by Dr. Ward and her G-spot talk. He adored Leah, with her outspoken views and hippie sensibilities. He was kind to Lynne. And he tried to get along with me. But I wasn’t having it.
A girl walks up to our table and sits down, leaning toward me so I can see down the front of her tiny shirt. I must be getting old. These young girls with the skimpy clothing aren’t doing it for me anymore. Not that I don’t enjoy the sight of her breasts in my face, but I’d rather wait and see them in private than to have them laid out on the table in front of me. Nate, on the other hand, has no such qualms. He’s eying this new addition with interest.
“Hi, I’m Nate,” he says, holding out his hand.
The girl barely lays two fingers in his palm and turns her eyes back to me.
“I’m Cindy.”
“Andy.”
“Want to dance?”
“Not really.”
She pouts and leans closer, laying one hand on my arm.
“Want to leave, then?”
I shake my head. “Thanks anyway. I’ve got things to do tonight.”
She stands up and flounces off.
Nate looks flabbergasted. “What? Andy turning down a sure thing?”
“Nate, lately it seems as if they’re all sure things. I’m getting tired of it.”
Nate smirks sarcastically. “Yes, me too. I’m so tired of women throwing themselves at me. I’m not just a piece of meat, you know!”
I’m laughing. “Nate, come on. I’m just tired of all of these young girls. I went on a couple of dates with a twenty-something last month. Jana. She was crazy in bed.”
I pause, relishing the memory. “I mean, anything goes crazy. Absolutely wild. But I took her out for a few drinks with some of my friends and she refused to speak. I mean, she literally did not talk. Not even in response to direct questions. I’m tired of psychotics.”
Nate goes to get us more beer. I better stop after this one. I’m going to have to spend extra time at the gym as it is.
Jana. She was a bitch. Thinking about her has taken me right back to the night that Danny was outed. Why can’t I get him out of my head? I had brought Jana to Frankie & Betty’s, a chic little hangout with a mostly gay clientele. She was in a pissed off mood because she wanted to go clubbing and I wanted to hang with my friends and have a few drinks. I had told her we could go out after, but she was still pissed and refused to speak to anyone, including me. She was truly a demon in bed. That’s my only defense.
That night, regardless of Jana’s behavior, I was in rare form. When Davey and Danny showed up, I jumped the fence to the sidewalk and greeted them. Davey looked beautiful in a low-cut, but not obscene, red dress. I was even feeling friendly toward Danny. I shook his hand and greeted him warmly. Before we could walk around to the entrance, we saw Davey’s ex-boyfriend, Joe, walking toward us. There wasn’t much we could do other than dive over the fence to the patio, and I didn’t think Davey was up for doing that in her dress. Danny and I both moved protectively in front of her as he approached.
“Well, if it isn’t Davey and Andy.”
I could have punched his smarmy face just for looking like an asshole, but I held back. I was waiting to see what Davey would say to him. I didn’t just want to rush in and attack him for no reason. They continued to exchange words. Joe was saying something sarcastic and Davey was getting pissed. I was summing up the situation, not really paying attention to the details of the conversation when I realized that Joe had just called me a dyke. Before I could react, Danny’s fist flew past me and slammed right into Joe’s jaw. Joe barely rocked back before he was grabbing Danny by the collar. I threw a hard punch into Joe’s gut and while he was distracted by that, I kicked him in the balls and he dropped to his knees. Balls are fair game. There are no rules in street fighting. I grabbed his arm and yanked it up behind his back, essentially pinning him to the ground.
Three of my guy friends jumped the fence as soon as they realized there was a fight going on. Chuck is about the size of a semi-truck and all muscle. I thought it was safe to release Joe at that point. I had let go of his arm and he was ready to move on, when he turned back and made one last comment about Davey being a bitch. Danny’s arm shot out again and slammed into Joe’s face again. He threw himself on top of Joe, knocking him down. Before I could react, he had thrown a couple more punches. Steve and Erik jumped on Danny to pull him off of Joe, while Chuck and I positioned ourselves between them. I aimed another hard kick at Joe’s nuts while he was on the ground, and he rolled onto his side, groaning. Steve and Erik were trying to hold Danny back, but he was livid, struggling against them, trying to kick at Joe, or break free so he could attack again.
I touched Davey’s arm. She looked shocked. “Baby girl. Get Steve and Erik to take Danny around to the entrance. By the time you’re in, we’ll have taken care of this.”
The four of them disappeared around the side of the building, and I turned back to Joe. He had gotten unsteadily to his feet and was hobbling away. Chuck looked at me and shrugged.
“He’s not worth it.”
I agreed. “He probably won’t be able to pee for the next few days anyway.”
Chuck and I hopped back over the fence and sat down to watch the rest of the group thread their way through the crowd. We were on a high that comes from winning a fight against a complete asshole. I grinned at Jana and she looked back sullenly. Chuck’s boyfriend Tim gave him a huge kiss and hug.
Danny was grinning sheepishly by the time they got to the table, and I had to grudgingly admit that I was starting to like him a lot. The rest of the night was a blast. Jana was being a bitch, but I had already decided that I was going to ditch her after this, so I wasn’t worried. Leah showed up with Lynne and they were in high spirits. Davey and Danny were glowing. I was torn between anxiety and pride. All I have ever wanted in life was for Davey to be happy. And she was ecstatic. Until one of Danny’s ex-girlfriends showed up and let the cat out of the bag.
She stood at our table rambling about Danny being a freak. I didn’t know what her problem was, but she was making Danny uncomfortable and Davey was getting upset. Besides which, she was killing my buzz. So I stood up to tower over her and told her firmly that she was going to have to leave our table. She looked me up and down with a sneer.
“Are you just really butch or are you a tranny like Danny?”
There was dead silence at our table, and then the little bitch started yammering again. I grabbed her arm and told her to get the fuck away from our table. Danny looked devastated and Davey was in shock. Lynne was being an all-out bitch, pointing her finger in Danny’s face and accusing him of bolstering the patriarchal ideas that keep women oppressed. Chuck and Tim, to my great surprise, jumped on with Lynne, asking ridiculous and intrusive questions about Danny’s body and his use of strap-ons. I was gobsmacked. I guess you never know people until you confront their bigotry, but I was sickened by these responses. Davey couldn’t speak, and Danny was near tears. I finally looked at Lynne and told her that she was being deliberately cruel. She ignored me and continued to harass Danny. Steve and Erik were trying to defend him. Chuck and Tim were bombarding him with rude questions. Lynne was railing about the FTM conspiracy to make all women hate their own bodies. In Lynne’s world, all female to male transsexuals are just women with deep mental health problems. She thinks changing women into men is part of some deeper scheme to continue fighting a war on women. Leah finally ended it by slamming her hand down on the table and yelling at everyone to shut up. Since Leah so rarely yells at anyone, everyone stopped talking.
Leah was pissed. She lowered he
r voice and glared around the table. “I am bitterly ashamed of you, Lynne. You are a lesbian. You are considered fringe by people who want everyone in the world to be the same. You know what it’s like to be outcast and discriminated against because of something that you cannot help!”
Lynne didn’t know when to shut up. She continued to argue with Leah until Danny finally stood up, asked Davey to come with him, and left. I watched them go in a state of shock. Lynne and Leah continued to argue about the subject of transgenderism after they left. I glared at Chuck and Tim.
“Chuck. You and Tim are part of the BDSM community. You are considered freaks by people who don’t know any better. I can’t believe you can possibly be so bigoted against trans people.”
Chuck had shrugged. “It’s just weird. They’re not one and they’re not the other.”
I had stood up. “Leah, do you need a ride home?”
“No, love. I have Davey’s car.”
I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I hugged Steve and Erik and left without saying anything else to Lynne. Regardless of her personal politics, I couldn’t believe that she would throw Davey under the bus like that. It was rude and demeaning. I made a note to have a talk with her about it later. In the meantime, I had just been ditched by my date. I had pulled out my cell phone and debated about whether to call one of my old standbys.
“Andy!” Nate is done with his beer and drinking mine.
“Hey, sorry.”
“You seem a little out of it.”
“I was thinking about Danny.”
“Danny? Not Davey?”
“I really like him. That’s part of the problem. If he was a jerk, it would be easier to take.”
“Because you could fight for her?”
“Because she would eventually wise up and leave him.”
“But she did leave him.”
“She did. For a little while. After she found out he was a transsexual, she left him. She said she understood and she loved him, but she didn’t think she could be in a relationship with him.”
“What happened?”
“She came to her senses.”
“Tell me more about the twenty-something who was crazy in bed.”
“Stop it, Nate.”
“Want another beer?”
“I’ll go.”
I get up to get the beer, and I see Heather standing at the bar with some big, jean jacket wearing dyke. Heather is wearing low slung jeans and a slinky shirt. Her hair is loose and swinging around her shoulders. She turns to look over her shoulder and our eyes meet. She nods at me and turns back to the woman at the bar.
I slide in next to her. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Want a drink?”
“I have one.”
I nod and hold up two fingers to the bartender. She brings me the beers.
Heather gestures to the two beers. “Are you here with someone?”
“A friend. How about you?”
“A friend. Just came in to enjoy the band.”
The woman next to her clears her throat, but we both ignore her. I run my finger along Heather’s neck down to her collarbone. She looks up at me and licks her lips.
I lean down and whisper in her ear. “Want to leave?”
She leans back and smiles at me. “Nope.”
“No?”
“No. I have to work tomorrow.”
“Where do you work?”
“Smith’s.”
“In Bay?”
“Yes.”
“That’s my favorite grocery store. Why haven’t I seen you there before?”
“I just transferred a couple of months ago from Avon.”
“Are you a cashier?”
“No, grocery.”
“You stock shelves?’
“Among other things.”
“I’m going to look for you.”
She grins. “Do that.”
“I’ll see you later then.”
She looks at me pointedly. “Give me a call sometime. We’ll go out. You know, like on a date.”
I nod and turn away. I know she’s watching me as I leave, but I don’t turn around to look.
Nate’s waiting when I get back. “Who was the hottie at the bar?”
“That’s Heather.”
“The girl from last night?”
“Uh huh.”
“Nice.”
“Yep.”
“Going home with her tonight?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Drink your beer, Nate.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Chapter Four
I love Monday. It’s my second Sunday. One of the advantages of being a trust-fund baby is that I don’t ever have to work. I enjoy working, but I enjoy my time off, too. When I offered to work at The Book Nook, my caveat was that I never worked weekends. Or Mondays. I jump out of bed and do a hard, boot-camp style work out in the living room. It’s ab day. I love exercising and I love sports of all kinds, but I hate ab work. There’s nothing fun about it.
After a shower, I decide it’s time to replenish the pantry. Now seems like a great time to stop in at Smith’s and wander around the aisles. If I run into Heather, I can ask her on a real date. I’m sure that’s what the problem was last night. She didn’t want me to see her as a booty call, so she turned me down. I’m fine with that. Some women are into sex and only sex and some need to be in a forward progression.
Leah calls as I’m getting in my vehicle. “Andy, what are you doing today?”
“Shopping. What about you?”
“Can you pick up some flaxseed for me?”
“Yep.”
“Also, do you want to have lunch today?”
“Sounds good.
“Polly’s.”
“Maybe not. It’s a bit close to Danny’s house, and it is Davey’s day off.”
“Fine, come get me at one and we’ll go somewhere from here.”
“Bye Leah.”
I pull into the parking lot at Smith’s and go inside. I do love this store. They have the best fresh produce, and no one has ever given me a weird look for being a big, muscled, bald dyke. I grab a cart and wink at the manager as I walk past the front desk. She smiles and waves her fingers at me.
“How you doing, Andy?”
I give her a thumbs-up and a big smile as I head toward the produce section. After filling up on fresh produce, I head over to the organic meat. I’ve always sat on the fence with vegetarianism. Davey’s been one for years, but it never truly appealed to me. I told her that if she moved in with me and did all of the cooking, I would become a vegetarian for her. As it is, I try to only eat local, organic, cruelty-free meat. It makes me feel better in some small way.
I turn around a corner looking for flaxseed and see Heather stocking shelves at the end of the aisle. She’s got her head thrown back and is laughing with the guy next to her. Her hand is on his forearm. I size him up. Tall, dark hair, good looking, but not edgy. Good smile, clear skin. Looks pretty young, but then everyone does to me lately. I could definitely take him in a fair fight. I move closer until Heather looks up.
“Hey, Andy.”
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here?”
I lean in and whisper conspiratorially, “Grocery shopping. But don’t tell anyone.”
The kid laughs. I glance at him, and he holds out his hand. “I’m Carl.”
I shake his hand and nod.
“Anyway, Heather, I’m looking for flaxseed for Leah.”
“Come on,” she says. “I’ll show you where it is.”
“Nice meeting you,” Carl says as we walk past.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Wow,” Heather grinned as we got around the corner. “Who peed in your Wheaties today?”
“What?”
“Could you have been a little colder to my coworker?”
“He’s a child. I was worried
he wouldn’t understand me.”
“He’s very literate.”
“I’m sure.”
“Charming and intelligent.”
“He’s twelve.”
“He’s twenty-two. And he quotes poetry.”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?”
“Is it working?”
“No. I never get jealous.”
“Hmmm.” She leads me to the flaxseed, and I pick up a bag for Leah. “What time do you get off work today?”
“Four.”
“Want to have dinner tonight?”
“I can’t. I have homework.”
“Are you in school?”
“I am.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
“Apparently.”
She grins. “How about Friday?”
“Friday? I can’t make plans that far in advance.”
“It’s four days from now.”
I lean back against a shelf and look at her. Even in her stupid grocery store uniform, she looks adorable. I reach out and brush my hand over her cheek. She smiles at me. All right. I could use a distraction right now, and she is beautiful. Not to mention being pretty amazing in bed.
“Friday. What time?”
“I’m working until seven. How about eight?”
I nod and kiss her on the cheek. For some reason, I’m in a great mood as I head for the checkout. I even smile and wave at Carl, the grocery boy, as I pass him.
By the time I get home and put my groceries away, I’m full of energy and itching for a run. I do a couple of miles at an easy pace and come home for a shower. I’m looking forward to my lunch with Leah, but I hope she doesn’t spend the whole time talking about Davey. She has always treated me like family, but when it comes down to it, Davey is her daughter. And she thinks Danny and Davey are perfect for each other.
Leah is a strange one—in and out of Davey’s life for so many years. She loves Davey and is good to her, but she doesn’t have that maternal instinct. She’s never believed that a child needed the care of just one parent. Leah honestly believed that leaving Davey with Gram and Gramps while she went off on her spiritual quests was perfectly fine. And it was. She was able to provide Davey with a fantastic home in the form of her parents. They did a phenomenal job of raising Davey and, in some ways, me. I think they always knew I was different, but they care about me, so they didn’t let it get in the way. But Leah was the one who was always able to step up and make me feel better about being such an outcast. She was the original cheerleader of the “It gets better” campaign. She swore to me over and over that once I got out of high school, I would make great friends and be popular with the kind of people I wanted to be around. She was right, of course. College was an eye-opener for me. I was finally away from the snooty cliques of high school and into a whole world of people who cared about books and ideas as opposed to whether or not someone had the perfect clothing or the right style of hair.