Episode 11
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Episode 13
Episode 14
Episode 15

Episode 11:

It's A Small World

Melissa Farnsworth. Of all the fucking Amazons on the planet! Tammy cringed and tried to hide behind a menu hoping she hadn’t already been seen. Of all the bitches she played ball with, Melissa had to be the worst. Senior, first string, voted MVP three years running, and she told people about it so much she might as well just have it tattooed on her forehead. It was Saturday and they were playing a home game that night. Tammy just wanted to hang out at Rhonda’s and The House till it was time for the pre-game warm up. She wanted to depressurize from having to deal with those bitches all week before the game.

            “What’s wrong?” Faye asked.

            “One of the bitches I play ball with is here. Melissa.” Tammy made a face.

            “The queen bitch?” Faye started looking around. “Where is she?”

            Tammy reached across the table and grabbed Faye’s arm. “No don’t look at her.”

            “Why? Will I turn to stone?” Faye asked with a smile.

            “Because I don’t want her to see me in here. I sure as fuck don’t want to talk to the bitch,” Tammy said.

            Faye nodded and stopped looking around. “Tell me where she is and I’ll look around casually.”

            “She’s at the table closest to the bar.”

            Faye turned and looked at her she looked back at Tammy, “She isn’t bad looking.”

            “As my mother always says, beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes all the way to the bone.”

            “All right then,” Faye said.

            “So… are you and Jan talking again?” Tammy asked carefully.

            “Not really. I don’t want to talk about it, Tammy.”

            Tammy nodded and wondered what they’d talk about if Jan wasn’t on the menu because that was all Faye had talked about for like the last week, and Faye was way too quiet. Tammy wasn’t the world’s most talented conversationalist. Faye usually did most of the talking or at least she picked the topic and then they were talking, but Faye was silent. Finally Tammy thought of something. “Stella called last night after Adrian and Frances got home.”

            “Really, what about?”

            “I think she just wanted to talk. Adrian was on the phone with her for about thirty minutes.”

            “How’d Frances react?”

            Tammy shrugged. “I don’t know that she had any reaction at all? What do you mean?”

            “Well, if my girlfriend got a call from a woman she’d been in love with for years I’d be fucking climbing the walls,” Faye said.

            Tammy shrugged again. “I don’t know that Frances even thinks about that. If she does she played it way cool. She didn’t seem upset at all. Adrian said that Stella said the tour was going well and that Toni was getting some really good footage, and when Adrian said Toni’s name her upper lip didn’t do that little curling thing it usually does when she says it.”

            “I guess Adrian’s completely over Stella,” Faye said thoughtfully. Then she grinned wickedly. “Of course maybe I could get over Jan if you’d quit being such a stick and fuck me rotten the way I keep begging you to.” She laughed at the uncomfortable look on Tammy’s face and then she looked over to where Frances was waiting on Melissa, shook her head and looked back at Tammy. “I’m glad Adrian’s happy and I really like Frances don’t get me wrong but… I still don’t get it.”

            “I don’t really know that I do either. I mean Frances had never in any way, shape, or form ever said or indicated that she was looking to have a permanent relationship with anyone, and then all suddenly she’s slung all her perverted ways aside and she’s doing this thing with Adrian and…  Well I guess it’s like Adrian always says, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

            Jerry brought their food out and he didn’t say anything which wasn’t really normal for Jerry. Faye must have noticed it, too because she asked, “You alright Jerry?”

            Jerry took a deep breath, let it out and said, “No, but I will be and there’s nothing anyone can do about it so, I’m sorry to be such a bummer.”

            “Geez, Jerry, we’re friends, not just fucking customers. Don’t sweat it. Do you need to talk about it?” Faye put a gentle hand on Jerry’s arm.

            “Not now but I’m sure I will later, thanks.” He walked away.

            “Damn, what the fuck is wrong? Is there just something in the water?” Then Faye grinned wildly. “We’re on some bizarro world where Adrian and Frances are in a committed relationship, Toni and Stella aren’t fighting all the time, and everyone else is spiraling out of control.”

            “You know you may be right,” Tammy said with a laugh, and then they started eating.

            “She sent flowers,” Faye said out of nowhere in between bites of food.

            “Who?” Tammy asked.

            “Jan. She sent me a dozen roses, half red and half white, with a card that said she was sorry and hoped I would forgive her for this latest atrocity,” Faye said. “So I went to her apartment to thank her and she was with some girl.”

            “How do you know that?” Tammy asked.

            Faye looked at her like she was a retard. “I know what Jan sounds like when she’s fucking.”

            “Well… you aren’t a couple any more, Faye,” Tammy said gently. “Just because she had some bimbo in her room doesn’t mean she wasn’t sorry.”

            “You think I’m being unreasonable?”

            “I didn’t say that,” Tammy said, “but I think if the two of you are going to retain a friendship you’re both going to have to stop reacting to each other like you’re still a couple. If she’s just your friend, then she’s allowed to fuck other women, and if you’re just her friend she needs to stop flipping out every time you’re with anyone else and she can’t expect you to give her a sexy massage.”

            “She gets upset when I’m with someone else?” Faye asked curiously.

            “You should have seen the look on her face when you took Frances back to your room.”

            “If I live to be a hundred I’ll never fucking understand Jan Shears,” Faye said.

            Tammy smiled.

            “What?” Faye asked.

            “Is this not talking about her?”

            Faye laughed and just started eating again.

            Tammy finished eating and was just drinking coffee and talking to Faye. Tammy’d forgotten she was even in there till she was standing at their table looking down at her.

            “So Tammy who’s your little friend?” Melissa asked, checking Faye out.

            “Faye, Melissa, Melissa, Faye,” Tammy said without much feeling, and Faye smiled at her. Melissa pulled a chair up to their booth and sat down.

            “So, what brings you to this part of town?”

            It was the way she said it that got on Tammy’s last nerve and she said before she had time to think about it. “All the pussy, what about you?”

            Faye cracked completely up. Melissa just smiled back as if she didn’t understand and said, “They make a really good sandwich here.”  

            Now she might have been there just for the food, truth was Rhonda’s had a large straight clientele for an obviously gay business in an obviously gay neighborhood, but Tammy doubted seriously that Melissa was just there for the sandwiches. “You should try the hair pie it isn’t bad either,” Tammy said no doubt because Faye was laughing at her and as she guessed she started laughing louder.

            “See, Tammy, I thought you were in the closet.”

            “Gee, I thought you were, too, but here you are on B Street ‘eating,’ so I’m guessing not so much.”  Cocky, that was what she was feeling, cocky.  She had been putting up with shit from Melissa and all her snotty friends all season and now suddenly she had no trouble standing up to her at all, giving her some shit back. Why? Tammy smiled, because Melissa was in her space now, surrounded by Tammy’s friends.

            “If I were you I wouldn’t assume anything,” Melissa said coldly, her eyes narrowing to slits.

            “And if I were you I wouldn’t fucking try your usually pissy crap on me here because I may be all alone on the court and you ass holes can shove me and push me all you like, but you’d better not fuck with me in here.”

            “Oh really,” Melissa said in an arrogant hiss.

            “Yeah, really,” Tammy said.

            “You know I have slept with the bartender right?” Melissa said haughtily, and then Faye started laughing so hard she was holding her side. Melissa just glared at her, and Tammy smiled sweetly.

            “Gee that’s an exclusive club,” Tammy said sarcastically. Faye laughed harder.

            Melissa stood up. “You can’t treat me like this. I’m going to talk to the manager.”

            “Hell why don’t you talk to the fucking owner? After all you fucked her, right?” Tammy pointed at Adrian.

            Melissa got up and stomped over to the bar. Tammy heard Adrian say, “No I don’t remember you, sorry,” followed shortly by… “Oh, yeah, sorry. “ And then she shrugged.

            Faye was still laughing. Tammy grinned wildly. “It’s not that funny.”

            “Oh yes it is.” Faye stopped laughing long enough to try to imitate Melissa, “I have fucked the bartender you know.” Then she started laughing so hard she could hardly catch her breath. Then finally bringing herself back she said. “What’s that even supposed to mean?” Then she just started laughing again. She shook her head and tried to stop. “I come here for the pussy… Try the hair pie it isn’t bad either.” She laughed harder.

            Adrian walked over with Melissa. She looked at Tammy, trying to look stern but obviously on the verge of laughter herself yet still managed to say with a completely straight face, “Tammy, is this bitch bothering you?”

            Melissa’s face crumbled and she looked at Adrian with total disdain. “She was bothering me.”

            “You walked over to her table,” Adrian said. She looked at Faye, smiled and said, “Breathe, Faye, breathe.”  Which just made Faye laugh all the harder. “You’ll have to excuse our friend Melissa; she’s one of God’s special people.” And then Faye just laughed harder and you could almost see the steam coming out of Melissa’s ears.

            “Aren’t you going to do something?” Melissa demanded of Adrian.

            “I’d laugh, but I think Faye has that covered for everyone,” Adrian said with a shrug. “Listen lady...”

            “Melissa!”

            “Whatever, bitch. Listen I don’t allow this sort of crap in my place. Tammy’s one of my best friends and she’s my room mate, so if I’m going to kick someone out of my caf� it ain’t gonna be her. So I suggest you get down to the nearest proctologist and have the needle removed from your ass before you come back in here or it punctures your colon.” Melissa left in a huff and Tammy laughed. She knew Melissa would make her pay for it on the court, but she just flat didn’t care right then. Hell half the people in the caf� were laughing now. Even Jerry was smiling and seemed to have forgotten that he was in a bad mood.

            Adrian reached down, took Faye by the shoulders and sat her up. “Faye you have to breathe,” she said with mock distress. Faye just laughed harder. “Faye, don’t go into the light.” She shook her.

            “Quit,” Faye gasped out, still laughing.

            Jan walked out of the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. She smiled when she saw Faye laughing and Tammy knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jan was crazy in love with Faye because her whole face smiled when she saw her.

            Frances had just walked in to start her shift. “What’s going on?” she asked, smiling as she walked over.  So Tammy guessed it was true what people said about laughter being contagious.

            “It was something Tammy said,” Adrian said smiling up at Frances. “Something about pussy.”

            Faye laughed harder.

            “Quit!” Faye laughed out.

            “Or was it when the giant Amazon-type woman said she’d slept with me like it was some big deal?” Adrian asked.

            Faye just lost it again.

            Jan laughed, then said, “Adrian, seriously, quit. She’s going to have some sort of spasm.”

            “Or wind up on the ceiling singing some Disney tune,” Adrian suggested

            “Quit,” Faye laughed

            “What’s going on?” Frances asked.

            “Adrian, seriously,” Jan said, putting her hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “She’s going to piss herself. You know how she is when she gets like this.” She looked over at Tammy smiling. “Silly bitch will actually laugh till she’s sick.”

            “All right,” Adrian let go of Faye, stood completely up, looked at Jan, and said, “Buzz kill.”  Which made Faye laugh more, which Tammy was pretty sure was the reason Adrian said it.

            “Quit it Adrian,” Jan said, a warning tone entering her voice.

            “What the hell happened?” Frances now demanded to know.

            “She walked over…” Faye laughed out, “and then Tammy said…” and then she was laughing so hard she couldn’t finish the sentence. Frances sighed threw up her hands and went to the kitchen to clock in.

            “Adrian, go back to the bar,” Jan ordered.

            “Why?” Adrian asked with a smile, never apparently even thinking to remind Jan that she was Jan’s boss.

            “You know why.”

            Adrian looked at Jan, laughed, threw her hands up, and went back to the bar. Jan glared at Tammy. “Don’t say anything else funny till she calms down.” Faye laughed then pointing at Jan, and Jan threw up her hands and headed back to the kitchen so that Tammy almost started laughing because now it seemed to be a ritual.

            Tammy just didn’t say anything or even look at Faye until she seemed to calm down. Finally Faye quit laughing, took a deep breath and said, “Thanks I needed a good laugh.”

            “You all right?” Tammy asked with a smile.

            “I feel better than I have in a long time. Some people need a good cry, but that never really does me much good. A good laugh on the other hand… fucking priceless.”

Frances had gotten the story from Tammy just before she left for practice and it was funny but probably the funniest part was that Faye just kept laughing hysterically. Apparently Faye did this from time to time. Something would crack her up and then anything the least bit funny would just keep her laughing. Apparently Adrian was pretty good at just keeping her going which Frances could believe because Adrian was damn funny.

            An extremely fat girl with strawberry-blond hair walked in looking nervous and sat down in a booth against the outside wall. Frances went to wait on her. “Welcome to Rhonda’s, can I take your drink order?”

            “I’d like a beer.”

            “ID,” Frances said. The woman showed it. “We have Busch, Busch Lite…” She ran the beer list down, ending with, “and we have Miller and Miller Lite on tap.”

            “A Miller Lite sounds good.”

            “I’ll come back with a menu.” Frances took the drink order to Adrian because she was too young to actually serve alcohol. She was there, so she leaned over the bar and kissed Adrian on the cheek. Adrian smiled at her.

            “What was that for?”

            “Because I could,” Frances said with a seductive smile. Adrian grabbed her by the collar of her T shirt, pulled her forward and kissed her hard on the mouth, and Frances kissed her back.

            When they parted Adrian answered the question on Frances’ face with, “Because I could.”

            Frances sighed, blew Adrian a kiss, and then went to find the menus. She drew a glass of water and by the time she got back to the table Adrian had already brought the woman her beer. Frances set the glass down and handed her the menu,

            The woman asked, “The bartender, is that Adrian Bar?”

            Frances looked at her like she was from Mars. Was it possible that there was someone on B Street, much less a woman, that didn’t know Adrian? “Yes,” she said carefully.

            “Wow, she’s really hot,” the woman said, licking her lips in a way that Frances took immediate exception to, and she felt an emotion she didn’t recognize but that made her want to smack this girl upside the head. She handed Frances a dollar bill. “Could you tell her that’s from Amy?”

            “Amy who?” Frances asked. Wondering if the woman had any idea how big an ass she was making of herself sending the owner a one dollar tip like she was doing her a favor.

            “Just say she knows me intimately I’m sure she’ll know who I am.”

            “That’s not really going to narrow things down.” Frances said.

            “What do you mean?”

            “Hey,” Frances yelled out getting every ones attention in the now fairly crowded caf� and making the woman flinch. “Raise your hand if you’ve slept with Adrian.” Hands went up around the caf� including Frances’. “See, hon, that isn’t really going to narrow things down for her.”

            “Just tell her Amy Duncan.” She said embarrassed and as if she was sure it held some deep meaning for Adrian.

            Frances stomped over to the bar she handed the dollar to Adrian. “Some fucking bitch told me to give this to you.” She pointed at the table where the woman sat.

            Adrian gave her a confused look then looked towards the table. “I don’t know her. Did she do something to piss you off?”

            “That’s a good question.” Frances thought about it and then she smiled. “You know I think she made me jealous.”

            “But the army of women who raised their hands when you took your poll didn’t?”

            “I know it’s insane, it was just… well she’s slimy and it was the way she was talking about you like she could just walk in and have you, like she was sure she meant something to you.”

            “Well I don’t know her,” Adrian said, filling a glass with beer and handing it to Jerry.

            “She said she knew you intimately,” Frances hissed.

            Adrian looked again then made a face. “I swear I never screwed anything that looked like that. Fat girls I’ve done, got no trouble with fat chicks, fat chicks are fun, but I don’t do skanks that look like they just stepped off a greyhound bus.”

            “Her name is Amy Duncan.”

            Adrian looked thoughtful. “Amy Duncan, Amy Duncan.” Obviously it wasn’t ringing any bells, and then her eyes got big and she said, “Damn that’s Amy Duncan?” Then she laughed. “Oh she looks like five miles of rough, rocky road… Serves the bitch right.”

            “You do know her?”

            Adrian grabbed her by the collar again and pulled her close.  

            Frances smiled. “You know I think I like it when you get a little rough.”

            “Well duh,” Adrian said, then nodded her head and pointed at the woman. “That’s the bitch I got caught with in Slocum.”

            Frances had no idea what she was talking about, and then she remembered that Adrian was from Slocum, and then she remembered the story. “The cunt who said you forced and seduced her and got you kicked out of the house?  See… I knew I didn’t like her.”

            “Well fuck her, look at her now. I wouldn’t fuck her with Jerry’s dick.”

            “You going to talk to her?” Frances asked.

            “If she wants to talk to me she can walk her fat ass over here. I’m busy,” Adrian said.

            Frances nodded and Adrian let her go. She walked back to the table. “Can I take your order now?”

            “You don’t have like a cheeseburger?”

            “Nope.”

            “Then I’ll just have a ham and cheese sandwich. Do you have white bread?”

            “Nope.”

            “Whole wheat I guess then.”  She sighed.  “So did you give Adrian the tip?”

            “Yes,” Frances grated out, and she disliked this woman so intensely she wondered if she was premenstrual.

            “What did she say?”

            “She said if you wanted to talk to her you could go to the bar.” Frances walked away to take the order to the kitchen.

Adrian took a deep breath and filled the glass she was holding then filled another and another as she watched Amy slowly making her way across the room. She looked worse the closer she got, and Adrian didn’t know what she might say to her when she got there.

            Amy dropped on a stool across the bar from her. “That blond waitress is a little rude.”

            “She’s my girlfriend,” Adrian said and handed the tray of beers to Karen.

            Amy laughed. “I guess that explains everything including the show of hands.”

            And suddenly Adrian didn’t have to wonder how she was going to handle it because it flat didn’t matter. Adrian had it all, a sexy girlfriend, a home, a business, and from the looks of her Amy would be lucky to pay her dinner tab. “What can I say? Before Frances came along I used to be quite the dog about town.”

            “She is extremely attractive.”

            Adrian smiled broadly. “I had noticed that.”

            “Adrian, a pitcher four glasses,” Jerry said, walking up to the bar and then he was away. He was actually the best waiter she had and made the tips to prove it.

            Adrian pulled a tray filled a pitcher and put it on the tray with a stack of four glasses. Jerry came back got the tray and took off again.

            “Wow, this place is really jumping.”

            “Actually it’s a little slow for a Saturday but we don’t have any entertainment because there’s a drag show at Changes and we try not to compete with them. Keeps the community from bickering over nickels and dimes.”

            Jan walked up to her. “Ryan’s in the kitchen, so I’m clocking out.”

            “Good have a great set.”

            “You coming by later?”
            “Can you get me in?” Frances asked at Jan’s shoulder, but from the way she was looking at Amy she was mostly just marking her territory, which Adrian thought was sort of cute.

            “Sure, Tammy too as long as you promise you won’t drink I’ll say you’re twenty-one. Don’t want to cost the club its liquor license.”

            “We’ll be there as soon as the game is over,” Adrian said.

            Jan nodded and left and Frances reluctantly went back to work.

            “Game?” Amy asked.

            “One of our friends plays ball at the college,” Adrian said simply. “In fact Franny and I are going to leave as soon as more staff comes in.”

            “Sounds like you’re going to have a full night.”

            “Yeah,” Adrian smiled and nodded.

            “You know Adrian… I’m really sorry I…”

            “Don’t sweat it. I didn’t know it at the time, but Amy you did me the world’s biggest favor. I had planned to leave but I don’t know that I would have grown the gonads to do it if the shit didn’t hit the fan like it did.”

            “Boss, guy at table five wants a beer doesn’t have ID says you know him,” Karen said.

            Adrian looked up and nodded. “Yeah, Ted’s all right.”

            “He wants a Bud.”

            She got one out of the fridge and handed it and a glass to Karen.

            “Boss?” Amy asked.

            “Yep. I own Rhonda’s and the apartments behind it and I have the extremely hot girlfriend. So like I said… You did me a huge favor.”

James came in to take over for Adrian and a new girl Adrian had just hired named Trish came in to take Frances’ place. They showered and changed. Adrian looked at her watch. “We’re going to be late.” She smiled at Frances. “You always say that showering together is going to save us time and it never does.”

            Frances looked at her in mock horror. “I just don’t get it.”

Adrian kissed her gently on the lips and then she got on and kick started the bike. Frances got on behind Adrian as soon as she’d settled and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist resting her head on Adrian’s back.

The first time she’d ridden with Adrian was the first time she’d ever been on a motorcycle, yet she hadn’t been the least bit scared and not just because it was her nature to dive into new experiences. That alone doesn’t keep you from being scared shitless. It was the way Adrian drove; she didn’t drive like a maniac, she was careful. So Frances could just enjoy the thrill of riding on the powerful machine hanging onto Adrian tighter than she probably needed to because she wanted to, not because she had to.

Even with the bike they had trouble finding someplace to park but because they’d gotten there after the first quarter was over they didn’t have to wait in line. Faye was already there and she waved at them. They stumbled through the crowd to find their seats. Tammy had actually gotten them pretty good seats on the fifth row.

They sat down and Frances looked for Tammy but found her on the bench.

“They haven’t played her yet?” Frances asked.

“No,” Faye said. She sighed, “And I hate watching sports almost as much as Adrian does. I just want to see Tammy play. And these seats are really not very fucking comfortable.”

“You hate watching sports?” Frances asked Adrian.

“Yes mostly. I like to play them, but hate to watch them,” Adrian said. She shrugged. “So do I lose a bunch of butch points?”

“A couple.” Frances smiled but now she found that she was jealous because Faye knew things about Adrian that she didn’t know. She moved closer to Adrian and took her hand covertly. “I don’t like watching sports, either, and you already know I can’t play worth a shit. I like to try though.” She saw Tammy’s parents sitting on the first row. “There’s Tammy’s mom and dad.” She pointed.

“They’re a lot younger than I thought they’d be,” Adrian said thoughtfully.

“We should get cardboard cut outs of ourselves and put them in our seats,” Faye said, “then come back in an hour and get them. Tammy will never know the difference. They look like nice people. Think I should ask their permission to fuck their daughter?”

“I think that might ruin her whole closet thing. They are really nice people,” Frances said.

“I don’t think a human can get more bored than I am at this very minute.”

“Ah come on Faye, this isn’t so bad,” Adrian said. “Come on let’s do the wave.”

Then Frances watched with amusement as they stood up, raised their hands over their heads and then sat down again.

“What, are you too good to do the wave?” Adrian asked Frances with mock aggravation.

“I wasn’t ready,” Frances said.

“All right we’ll do it again. Do the wave.”

This time the three of them stood up and then sat down and the guy sitting next to Faye felt it was necessary to tell them, “You do that when we make a basket.”

“I’m sorry,” Faye said. We don’t know the game. We’re just silly girls.”

“We’re actually down two baskets,” he told them.

“Guess he thinks we can’t do math either,” Adrian whispered in her ear. Frances smiled and pressed her shoulder into Adrian’s. They started to half-ass watch the game, just talking and having a good time till finally Adrian said. “Let’s make them put Tammy in.”

“How?” Frances asked.

            Adrian stood up cupped her mouth and yelled, “Put 24 in!” over and over again and Frances and Faye started to help her. Soon half their section was doing it and Frances could see Tammy’s parents doing it, too. Tammy was squirming down on the bench all but trying to cover her number, but then they actually did put Tammy in and they all went wild cheering and then sat down.

            The Wild Cats won the game, so they screamed their lungs out and went to find Tammy. Tammy said she’d promised to spend time with her parents who had gone to find their car. So she couldn’t go with them to the club and Faye said she just wanted to go home and get some sleep which Frances guessed meant she didn’t want to go see Jan play.

            “Let’s wait for the traffic to die down a bit,” Adrian said. She took Frances’s hand and pulled her into some shadows out of the way of traffic, both vehicular and human. “Truth is if we’re talking gay people on B Street I don’t care if we’re packed in a room nuts to butts. But these people – you don’t know what hate they’re carrying around – and I’m not really comfortable having to actually touch them.”

            Frances just nodded as if that made perfect sense. She didn’t really care as long as she was with Adrian. She didn’t know why she was so clingy tonight, didn’t know what had changed.

            And then the light caught Adrian’s eyes just right and Frances’ heart started beating a little faster, and it wasn’t lust. I’m actually completely connected to myself and I’m so in love with her that her breath is my breath and my heart does feel huge in my chest just like you read about in books. I feel like I could actually burst from absolute bliss, and all we’re doing is holding hands in the dark.

            “I love you, Adrian,” she said.

            Adrian kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too. Come on, let’s go on to the club.” Adrian held her hand tighter and started pulling her towards the bike. As they reached the bike Adrian let go of her and handed Frances the leather jacket she had given her for Christmas and that had prompted Jan to laugh and say they were twinkies. She put it on just watching Adrian as she donned hers. It wasn’t really cold but on the bike it was and Adrian bore the brunt of that.

Frances wondered that Adrian didn’t understand the enormity of the moment. She looked at Frances. “Something wrong babe?”

Frances just grinned what she was sure was the most moronic smile and said with a sigh, “No, nothing’s wrong.”

Adrian had turned the key and was starting to kick start the bike when a voice called out, “Frances?”

Adrian was so startled she missed the kick starter and was barely able to stop herself from falling over, which looked really funny.  Frances laughed and Adrian just grinned back.  Then Frances turned and looked at the two people about to get into the car next to them.

            “Mom, Dad?”

            “Frances, I thought that was you,” her mother said. “What are you doing here?”

            “Tammy was playing,” Frances said. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Adrian quit straddling the bike and just started to mill around it like she was checking on the engine. The look on her face was sort of funny – or would have been if Frances didn’t realize that she was probably thinking about the last time she got caught with someone’s daughter. “What are you guys doing here?”

            “We were with a client of mine, his daughter’s on the team,” her father said, and he was checking Adrian out with a wary eye.

            “I thought that was Tammy,” her mother said, and now she was checking Adrian out, too, and Frances realized why.

            “Ah Mom and Dad this is my…” she looked up at Adrian who had walked up beside her and saw the deer caught in headlights look in her eyes and said, “friend, Adrian Bar.”

            “Bob,” her dad said shaking Adrian’s hand.

            “Ellen,” her mother said and Adrian shook her hand too. She looked Adrian up and down with an air of contempt that instantly pissed Frances off. “I’ve been meaning to call.”

            For what about six months? Hell I had to call you guys for Christmas and by the way no fucking present from you thanks for that. Frances thought but forced a smile and said. “Really, what’s up?”

            “I’m doing a lot more work at home now and I want to turn your room into an office so if there’s anything you want…”

            Adrian must have seen the steam coming out of her ears because she took her hand and whispered in her ear. “I can get some one else to handle things in the caf� and we could go tomorrow, Franny.”

            And what Frances heard was. It doesn’t matter, because you have me now and I love you and if you want your things there is plenty of room in our house for them. So Frances smiled sweetly at her parents and said, “We’ll come and get my stuff tomorrow.”

            “There are some storage units just down the street – very reasonable – I know your dorm room must be small,” her mother said. Of course she didn’t know because she’d never come by to see it. Hell her mother had probably thrown a cocktail party to celebrate her empty nest.

            “We have plenty of room,” Adrian said, an air of contempt in her voice that gave Frances a feeling of power she’d never felt with her parents before.

            “I don’t live in the dorms. I live off campus with Adrian. We have plenty of room.”

            “You work then?” her father asked as if he expected that Adrian didn’t just from the look of her.

            “Yes sir,” Adrian said.

            “Adrian owns a caf� and an apartment building,” Frances said coolly.

            “Really,” her mother’s entire attitude seemed to change, “where?”

            “B Street and Vine,” Adrian said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

            “Well Frances you seem to have found yourself a very ambitious young man,” her father said, no doubt happy that he wouldn’t have to worry about her coming home for money, as if she would have trusted them to help her anyway. Then what he said finally registered and she looked Adrian up and down. Adrian was just grinning now like a Cheshire cat, and Frances grinned back and then turned back to her parents and smiled.

            “Adrian’s not a man are you blind?” Frances laughed. “Adrian’s a woman.”

            Both of her parents seemed to take in a deep breath and let it out. Then her mother turned to her father and said in a tone that nearly screamed, you remember this is the kid who does nothing but embarrass us. “Frances is a bisexual, remember?”

            “Oh yeah,” her father shrugged. They just flat didn’t care. Caring might have taken some effort on their part.

            “We… we need to go,” Adrian said, and explained to Frances’ parents, “Franny and I are supposed to meet friends. They’ll be waiting for us.” Adrian let go of Frances’ hand and walked over to start the bike.

            “We’ll see you tomorrow then,” her mother said. “Maybe I’ll order in lunch.” She walked over and hugged Frances as if it was some experiment and then her father did the same. The bike started and Frances practically ran to get on it. She hugged Adrian tighter than ever as they took off. She laid her head on Adrian’s back and started to cry.

Adrian pulled into the park, stopped the bike, and peeled Frances’ arms from around her. Then they both got off the bike and Frances fell into her arms crying.

            “Oh baby,” Adrian patted her back. “It’s all right. Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish heads.”

            Frances just nodded her head. “I don’t need them. I just need you Adrian, only you.”

            “Well I’m right here, baby, and I’m not going anywhere,” Adrian said gently, and kissed the top of Frances’ head. “We can just go home if you want.”

            “No.” Frances sniffled. “I want to go out with you, dance and see Jan play. I don’t want to let them ruin our evening.” Adrian reached into her pocket and pulled out her dew rag and handed it to Frances.

            “It’s dirty,” she warned.

            Frances wiped her eyes and her nose then she looked up at Adrian and smiled. “It smells like you.”

            Adrian smiled at her. “Is that good or bad?”

            Frances sniffled. “It’s good.”

            Adrian laughed and then answered the question in Frances’s eyes.

            “It’s a small fucking world ain’t it?”

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