Nice Girl (20 page)

“I think there is someone that Grace has her eye on.  It’s just a feeling but I sense something.”

“Sorry Eve.  Don’t quit your day job.  You aren’t sensing anything.”  I lie.

“Grace, what exactly are you holding out for?”  asks Janie.

“Someone who can deliver her hot lusty sex without the one night stand.  She already admitted that earlier.”  Says Dee, direct as ever.

“More.”  I say and then even I am shocked by this outburst.

“More?”  Eve looks surprised.  “Please explain Grace.”

“I can’t.  I’m not sure what I meant by that.”  And now I am telling the truth.

Chapter 20

After my ridiculous outburst last night, I realized I needed to get my head back in the game.  Eve reminded me of my declaration when I started this journey.  My goal was to get strong and gain confidence.  I was here in New York City to get my graduate degree.  I needed to focus on getting the highest grades so that I could get into the doctoral program. 

I didn’t need to be concentrating on silly notions like sex or orgasm……or Vinnie.

He already made it clear that he wasn’t interested in me in
that way
.

Holding out for more?  What the hell was I talking about? 

Life was going pretty damn well.  I had a feeling I was going to have a successful semester.  The guys at A and V were great guys to work with.  Anthony was a flexible understanding boss when he wasn’t having sex out in the open.  Jamie and Luke were quickly becoming my best friends.  Jamal always made me laugh and his fiancée, Ivy was a ton of fun to talk to.  Vinnie was looking out for me like the brother I never had.  If there ever is another social work function, I can be rest assured that I will be safe from any drunken loser’s unwanted advances.  

I had lost 15 pounds.  I was happy with my body for the first time since I could remember.  I was exercising regularly which I never used to do.  I felt healthy.  I felt good.  Everything is just fine. 

It was time to play by the rules I set for myself.

The six weeks flew by.  I guess that is the beauty of surrounding yourself with ambitious work.  The last half of the semester burned me out.  A few times I actually questioned if I was ready for doctoral school.  But then I’d get back that research paper or assignment with a big red “A” and I knew I could meet the challenge. 

The guys at A and V were up to their eyeballs in new cases.  Some days I only saw each of them for a few minutes.  Jamie and I actually had to schedule time to go out for coffee. 

Vinnie was distant but professional with me.  He didn’t necessarily ignore me.  He was friendly but I could tell he was guarded.  I didn’t like being uncomfortable.  I decided, then, to be the one who initiated the conversation.   I won’t forget the two times he came to my aid when a man made me feel unsafe.  He was a good friend and I was determined to be the same to him. 

I still lusted after him.  I don’t think that will ever change.  He was just too alluring for my senses.   Whenever he walked in the office, I reached out first.  Sometimes I just needed to fill him in on his workload.  I always tried to add a funny comment that usually made him laugh.   I loved to see him smile.  After all, I had come so far with him.  He was the one I never thought I’d be able to practice strong confident woman with. 

I actually liked the fact that once he considered more with me.  I agree that I wasn’t ready for a tough street wise man like him.  He was too domineering for me.   However, the fact that he looked and he liked, well, it was a boost to my self esteem.  It made him even more endearing to me. 

The day after my last final, I walked into A and V and there was a small cake on my desk.  It was decorated by a pro.

Luke! 

I ran into Jamie’s office.  He was meeting with Jamal but his door was open. 

“Grace, you are done!” Jamie exclaimed.

I gave him a big hug. 

“I can’t believe with all the late nights you guys have been working, you remembered!  I love you.  Tell Luke I love him too!”

“Do you love me too?”  Jamal asked.

“Grace, don’t answer that.  He’s been trying to get into that cake all morning.  He is extremely untrustworthy.”

Jamal over dramatized a sad face.

“Jamie, don’t be so cruel.  You know what Luke’s baking does to Jamal.  Don’t worry, Jamal, I will share.”

“Yes!  How about right now?”  asks Jamal as he stands up and starts darting out of Jamie’s office.

“Jamal, it is 9am in the morning and you want cake?”  I ask incredulously.

I peek down the hall and see that Jamal is already on his way back from the kitchen with plates and forks.   Well, what the hell.  It was morning which meant I had all day to burn off the calories.

Within minutes the three of us were stuffing our faces.  At that moment, I could care less about what I weighed and how I would pay the price tomorrow.  Sometimes you just had to enjoy a rich sour cream chocolate cake with fudge filling and vanilla butter cream frosting and ……not think twice about it.

“Damn, Jamie.  Your man can bake.”  I was in heaven.

Jamal couldn’t even talk.  I had given him a second piece and he just closed his eyes and inhaled it.

“Well, you can thank him tomorrow night.” 

“What’s tomorrow night?”  I was also eying a second piece and getting really pissed off at myself for thinking about it.

“It’s my anniversary!”  Jamie says proudly “Five years.”

“That is too cute Jamie!”  I truly meant it.  He and Luke were the most adorable couple ever.

“While Jamie is with the love of his life, the rest of us get to work.”  Jamal says quite crabby considering the sugar rush he just had.

“On a Friday night?”  I ask.

“There is a big surveillance planned.”  Jamie explains.  “A and V is scouting out a Friday night football game to see if a parent who lost custody shows up at his son’s game.  Anthony wants the entire staff there.  He thinks the guy might be dangerous.”

“Jamie gets the night off because of his anniversary.”  Jamal adds a little angrily but then his face lights up as I relent and cut him another piece of cake.  Where does the guy put it?

“That doesn’t surprise me that Anthony would give Jamie the night off.  He’s understanding about stuff like that.”

Jamal doesn’t answer.  He is too busy shoveling cake in his mouth.

“So Grace.  Luke and I are going out to dinner but then we’re meeting a group of friends out.  We would like you to meet us out later too.”

“Okay, I am up for a celebration.  Where?”

“Club Francisco.”

Jamal starting laughing hysterically while walking back to his office.

“What’s his problem?  Besides an overload of sugar?”  I ask.

“Club Francisco is a gay bar.  Are you okay with that?”

“I guess so.  I’ve never been to a gay bar.  Should I not be okay with it?”

“Straight people are there all the time.  It’s a fun place.  We always have a good time.  Plus, we will be with a group of people.  I think India and Mindy will be there too.”

“Why not?  A straight girl needs to go to a gay bar once in her life, right?”

I had a feeling there would be another story to share with my girlfriends very soon. 

Chapter 21

What does a straight girl wear to a gay bar?

I was excited to go out to a club without any pressure to meet a man.  This was going to be a truly celebratory night.  I was done with school for four whole weeks!

In order to keep my graduate housing, I had to sign up for summer school.  I wasn’t that upset by this.  Summer school would allow me to get ahead considering I started a semester late.  My only worry was that college summer courses tend to be concentrated because of the short semester.  Therefore, there was the potential of the workload being more challenging than I just experienced this past semester. 

I was wiped out and now I was about do it all over again but in a more condensed version. 

Still, I had four weeks of relaxation and kicking back.  I was determined to read those trashy novels that Dee keeps recommending.  I was going to go out to dinner more often with Luke and Jamie.  I had a shopping date planned with Ivy.  It was going to be a glorious four weeks.

There was Ivy and Jamal’s wedding to look forward to in June.  It was the weekend before summer classes started.  It would be my last weekend to party before it was time to get serious again.

Yes, I was in a good mood.  I couldn’t wait to drink tonight! 

Now I just had to figure out what to wear.  I decided on a pair of form fitting red pants that ended just above my ankles.  They weren’t exactly capris but had the perfect summer look when paired with my black sandals that packed an obnoxiously high heel.  I chose a lacey black shirt with a sweetheart neckline.  During all my walks to and from work, I had gotten a little sun on my face.  I loved the way a light suntan looks when I’m trying to be more dramatic with my makeup.

I made sure my hair was long and curly again.  I hadn’t worn it down in ages and was excited to take the time to curl it.  I did get a little daring with my makeup.  Since it was night, I decided to use black eyeliner to create a more dramatic effect with my eyes.  I used a red lipstick I would never wear during the day.

I looked in the mirror.  I loved it!  No angelic innocent girl here.  Ha!  Back at you, Vinnie!   

My pants were still loose even after my pig out on cake for breakfast yesterday.  Loose pants are important when you plan on drinking beer.   I was ready to go.

I had to cab it to the bar because it was in a different neighborhood.  I wasn’t upset.  Besides some splurging on clothes, I was pretty careful with my money.  Plus, I definitely deserved a night out.

The taxi pulled up to Club Francisco.  From the outside, it didn’t look like a gay bar but then again, I really didn’t know what to look for.  Once I got in the door, I was well aware of where I was. 

Starting with the bouncer checking ID’s.

To say he was a large man was an understatement.  He was at least six foot three.  He also had to be over 300 pounds.  He had flaming pink hair that reached his shoulders.   He was wearing a pink tank top that showed off his many tattoos that were all of various flowers.  He was a walking florist shop.  I couldn’t believe I thought I was being risky wearing black eyeliner.  This guy’s eyeliner put mine to shame.  Yes, I was definitely in a gay bar.

My first reaction was that he would comment on why I was even here.  The cool part was he glanced at my license and said “Welcome little hottie.”  And let me pass through. 

Now the most fun will be to try to find Luke and Jamie or India and Mindy in this crowd.  It was jam packed.  I had no idea where to even start. 

I was completely intimidated by the crowd.  Not that I felt threatened, just incredibly underdressed.  I felt like the fool that didn’t get the message on Halloween that it was actually a costumed party.  Dog collars, flamboyant hats, and lots of leather.  People were dressed bizarre. 

It was at least eighty percent male.  Although what was male, I considered that discretionary.  With low cut shirts that showed lacey bras, some were dressed more female than me.

I saw a pattern that many of the men either had their shirts open all the way to show off their chests or had taken off their shirts completely.  I suppose it was hot in here or that was the style for gay men.  I’d have to ask Jamie. 

The women that were here were obviously gay.  I didn’t get that impression by how they were dressed.  I didn’t see a single woman that wasn’t making out or having her hands all over another woman. 

I was pretty sure I was the only straight person in here. 

I tried to show no reaction on my face as I had to walk around men grinding against one another as they moved to the music.   It was like those haunted houses I used to go with my girlfriends.  The minute you displayed fear, the actors targeted you.  I refused to show that I was actually freaked out by the rampant displays of groping right in front of me. 

Then I saw Mindy getting a drink at the bar.  Thank god!

“Hey Mindy!”  I had to shout even though I was right behind her.

“Grace, you did come!”  She seemed surprised. “I bet you’re the only straight girl in this place.”

Damn!  I knew it!

“Yeah, well, anything for Jamie and Luke.”  I looked around.  “And I guess I mean anything.”

She laughed.  “Come on.  I’ll show you where they’re all sitting.  Don’t worry it is a little quieter at the back tables.” 

She took my hand.  I’m sure it was to protect me.

Jamie lucked out with a table in the very back.  Mindy was right.  It was removed from the dance floor so it was a little quieter.  I recognized India right away in an intense conversation with an African American man with his shirt off.   Other than that, at the table was Jamie, Luke and one other man I didn’t recognize.

Jamie and Luke immediately jumped up from the table to hug me.  I could tell they both were a little tipsy. 

“Luke, our Grace is here.  Now our night is complete!”  slurred Jamie. 

I had to laugh just by looking at them.  Everyone is this place was dressed like sex on a stick.  These two had on casual khakis with button down shirts.  They looked like the Hardy Boys. 

Then I remembered.  “Hey, how was your anniversary dinner?”

“Oh, puhlease, don’t ask.”  Luke couldn’t be any more dramatic.  I noticed the last time he drank, his voice raised an octave.  “The food could have been better.  But I loved the company.”  And he kissed Jamie quite romantically.

I smiled.  They both were so cute together.

“Now Luke, not in front of the children.” Jamie joked.

I rolled my eyes.  “What are you becoming like Vinnie now?  Thinking I am some innocent child?”

Luke and Jamie gave each other a look.  Then they both burst out laughing.

Did I just say they were cute?  Now I found them annoying.

“I’m getting a drink.”  I grumbled.

“Wait Grace, don’t be mad.  Luke and I just know it’s only a matter of time.”