squealed.
"Honey… Jack isn't the one for you. Casanova Jones is. Don't be fucking this all up."
"Dominique," I said through gritted teeth. "I haven't even met him for a damn cocktail yet."
"Don't get snappy with me, just 'cause I know what's best for you."
"All right, Miss Know-it-all, if you know what's best for me, do you think I should leave the band permanently? Look for a jazz gig?"
Dominique sat up. "Pass me a tissue. I can't think with all this cold cream on my face."
I handed her the box.
"Honey," she sighed. "I'd love to hold on to you forever… But remember when I left for New York?"
I nodded. Though, of course, Dominique hadn't left for New York. Damon had.
"I'll be lost without you," I had wailed.
Damon shrugged, sticking his hands deeper down into his pockets.
"I'm suffocating in this city, Georgia. I know I'm gay. But I don't know what that means."
"It means you like men. What kind of a statement is that?"
He wore a loose pair of Levi's and a crisp white oxford, a pair of penny loafers. His father had thrown him out of the house, but Damon still ironed everything as if it was going to be inspected. Every crease was so sharp, they looked as if you'd cut your finger on them. His only rebellion was a single earring in his right ear. Small. A tiny rhinestone stud that I'd bought him—the piercing was courtesy of me, too.
"Georgia, except for knowing I'm gay, I don't know what that means for me. Am I going to live 'out'? Am I going to go crawling back to my father… ? I miss my mother. I miss my sister. Of course, they hide behind him. They won't dare go against him."
"So why can't you just stay here with Nan and me?"
"Because it's something I have to figure out alone. As a… gay man. I need to go to New York City. Rob is there."
Rob was Damon's first and only lover. When Rob left for NYU, they'd split up but remained friends.
"What will you do?"
"Get a job. Take some courses. Get laid. A lot." He grinned. "Figure it all out. Every time I drive through town, Georgia, I find myself gripping the steering wheel to keep from driving home to see my sister. I feel like running in there and telling them, 'I was only kidding! Can't you all take a joke?' But I can't do that. It's not a joke."
"Just promise me New York won't change you."
"Cross my heart." He had winked at me.
Two years later, he came back as a drag queen.
"I'd miss you." I looked at Dominique.
"Of course, candy lips. I'd miss you, too."
"I'll muddle through this all."
"You always do. With a little kick in the ass from me."
I kissed her on the forehead. "You know, when you came back, you were just a
little
different. What if we hadn't been able to stay friends?"
"Georgia, a little thing like phony tits on a man wouldn't stand in the way of real friendship. If you leave… we'll all go on. And when you come back, we'll just open our arms and welcome you home. That's how it works."
I stood. "You still have cold cream on your chin." She reached up with a tissue. "What a woman does for beauty… Now go to bed."
Alone in my room, I put on a blues album. Softly. Nan was right. The blues make you crave someone to love.
----
Chapter 12
Tuesday night, Jack came into my room, and we laid in bed and kissed slowly.
"Jack, we can't keep doing this. It's stupid. The band will pick up on it, and it's just not what I want right now."
"You wanted it the other night." He grinned.
I slapped his hand playfully. "Jack, we've been friends a long time now. Let's not fuck it up."
"All right. You win." He rolled over and slipped on his gym shorts. "What were you and Tony talking about last night?"
"Honestly?"
"No, lie to me. I really enjoy that in my relationships."
"You're an ass… We were talking about getting out of the wedding business. It's not what I want. You know it. Everyone knows it but Gary. He knows it but won't face it. Tony wants out, too."
"Tony plays with that other band some. What are they called? The Blues
"Honey… Jack isn't the one for you. Casanova Jones is. Don't be fucking this all up."
"Dominique," I said through gritted teeth. "I haven't even met him for a damn cocktail yet."
"Don't get snappy with me, just 'cause I know what's best for you."
"All right, Miss Know-it-all, if you know what's best for me, do you think I should leave the band permanently? Look for a jazz gig?"
Dominique sat up. "Pass me a tissue. I can't think with all this cold cream on my face."
I handed her the box.
"Honey," she sighed. "I'd love to hold on to you forever… But remember when I left for New York?"
I nodded. Though, of course, Dominique hadn't left for New York. Damon had.
"I'll be lost without you," I had wailed.
Damon shrugged, sticking his hands deeper down into his pockets.
"I'm suffocating in this city, Georgia. I know I'm gay. But I don't know what that means."
"It means you like men. What kind of a statement is that?"
He wore a loose pair of Levi's and a crisp white oxford, a pair of penny loafers. His father had thrown him out of the house, but Damon still ironed everything as if it was going to be inspected. Every crease was so sharp, they looked as if you'd cut your finger on them. His only rebellion was a single earring in his right ear. Small. A tiny rhinestone stud that I'd bought him—the piercing was courtesy of me, too.
"Georgia, except for knowing I'm gay, I don't know what that means for me. Am I going to live 'out'? Am I going to go crawling back to my father… ? I miss my mother. I miss my sister. Of course, they hide behind him. They won't dare go against him."
"So why can't you just stay here with Nan and me?"
"Because it's something I have to figure out alone. As a… gay man. I need to go to New York City. Rob is there."
Rob was Damon's first and only lover. When Rob left for NYU, they'd split up but remained friends.
"What will you do?"
"Get a job. Take some courses. Get laid. A lot." He grinned. "Figure it all out. Every time I drive through town, Georgia, I find myself gripping the steering wheel to keep from driving home to see my sister. I feel like running in there and telling them, 'I was only kidding! Can't you all take a joke?' But I can't do that. It's not a joke."
"Just promise me New York won't change you."
"Cross my heart." He had winked at me.
Two years later, he came back as a drag queen.
"I'd miss you." I looked at Dominique.
"Of course, candy lips. I'd miss you, too."
"I'll muddle through this all."
"You always do. With a little kick in the ass from me."
I kissed her on the forehead. "You know, when you came back, you were just a
little
different. What if we hadn't been able to stay friends?"
"Georgia, a little thing like phony tits on a man wouldn't stand in the way of real friendship. If you leave… we'll all go on. And when you come back, we'll just open our arms and welcome you home. That's how it works."
I stood. "You still have cold cream on your chin." She reached up with a tissue. "What a woman does for beauty… Now go to bed."
Alone in my room, I put on a blues album. Softly. Nan was right. The blues make you crave someone to love.
----
Chapter 12
Tuesday night, Jack came into my room, and we laid in bed and kissed slowly.
"Jack, we can't keep doing this. It's stupid. The band will pick up on it, and it's just not what I want right now."
"You wanted it the other night." He grinned.
I slapped his hand playfully. "Jack, we've been friends a long time now. Let's not fuck it up."
"All right. You win." He rolled over and slipped on his gym shorts. "What were you and Tony talking about last night?"
"Honestly?"
"No, lie to me. I really enjoy that in my relationships."
"You're an ass… We were talking about getting out of the wedding business. It's not what I want. You know it. Everyone knows it but Gary. He knows it but won't face it. Tony wants out, too."
"Tony plays with that other band some. What are they called? The Blues
Similar Books
