“Hey,” I protested, “I didn’t steal Daphne. And if I did, I gave her back.”
“In slightly better condition, too.” She laughed. “I’ll give you that.”
“Speaking of Daphne… How is she? Any news yet from whatshisname?
Austin?”
“Nothing new. She’s talking about getting a place of her own, though. I think he’s pushing her to move in with him. Sounds like he isn’t ready to commit yet but doesn’t want to let her get away. He isn’t stupid. He knows she won’t be single for long if he doesn’t tie her down.”
“She isn’t single now,” I said.
“Well, you know that, and I know that, but he still thinks I’m just her roommate.”
“She hasn’t told him?”
“No. She…” She sighed. “I always knew it would end like this. Daphne was never in it for the long run. Not with me, at least.”
“I still think she loves you.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. She keeps her real self locked away.”
“I guess she has to.”
“Yeah. If you’d been through some of the stuff she has…”
“I can imagine. Or I can’t. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. Anyway, let’s change the subject. Talk about something happier. Like your little princess, Christy.”
“Yeah, that’s right!” I laughed. “You called her that.”
“It’s what she is. She doesn’t act like it, though, which makes her easy to like.”
“It does.” I didn’t mention any of the other reasons I liked her. Curse you too, Wren! “So,” I said instead, “what were you and the little princess talking
about? She mentioned a show?”
“Yeah! A gallery owner in the Castro saw some of my work and wants to include me in a show of female photographers. Only four or five pieces, but it’d be good exposure.”
“No pun intended.”
“Huh? Oh, no.”
“And you’ll find out Friday?”
“Hopefully.”
“Fingers crossed,” I said.
“Yeah, and Christy was telling me about her exhibition at the show next week. She’s nervous but really excited.”
“Her main piece should be awesome.” I told her about it.
“Wow. Very cool idea. Doesn’t sound like her, though. She had help?”
“Yeah, a friendly book nerd suggested it.”
“I dunno if I’d call you friendly,” she laughed, “but the rest fits.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
“I’m just teasing.”
“I know. I can tell when you’re really angry at me. You cuss a lot more.”
“Fuck you very much.”
“See?”
“So… things are going good with you and Christy?”
“Yeah. Heating up, actually.”
“Oh? Something happen?”
I told her about the kiss and everything leading up to it.
“Meeting her family already?” Sara laughed. “And she told them you were dating? Do I hear wedding bells in your future?”
“Hardly! She barely knows a thing about me.”
“She likes what she does know, though.”
“Yeah, but she hasn’t really scratched the surface.”
“Deep, dark secret hidden in your past?” she teased.
“More like several.”
“No shit?”
“No. For starters, my family are nudists.” I paused and blinked at the sense of mental whiplash. Had I really told her, just like that?
“For real?
“For real.”
“That makes sense, I guess. You didn’t have a problem posing for me.
That’s usually the biggest challenge with a new model, getting them to feel comfortable taking off their clothes. So how’d that happen? You being a nudist, I mean.”
I sketched out the story of my family and camp.
“Cool. There are a bunch of nude beaches out here. I’ve thought about going, just to work on my tan, but I never seemed to have the time, and now it’s too cold.”
“Yeah, sometimes I forget you’re sort of an honorary nudist.”
“Yep. Dance naked in front of enough people and you kinda lose the taboo.”
“See? I knew there was a reason we got along so well.”
“Had nothing to do with the fact that you tried to steal my girlfriend,” she said dryly. “Tried and failed, I should add.” She fell silent and then sighed.
“Change the subject again. Tell me something fun. About you and Christy.
Or you and the other girl, Gina. Hold on a second… just how many girlfriends do you have?”
“None at the moment. Gina’s an ex-girlfriend. Christy’s a future ex-girlfriend.”
She laughed.
“But I only want one. Tried the two-girlfriend thing once. It didn’t work out.”
“Another dark secret buried in your past?”
“Actually, yes.” I paused and decided if I really want to take the plunge or not.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said. “Heaven knows I keep enough secrets from you.”
“Well, this secret is a bit like you being a lesbian.”
“Oh? How?”
“Well… remember how you said my sex life was perverted?”
“I’m really sorry about that. I was just joking.”
“Well, it’s sort of true. I don’t think it’s perverted,” I said quickly, “but Ronnie and Queen Nancy might disagree.”
She laughed. “More perverted than being an unnatural ho-mo- sex-ual?”
I laughed too. “Hey, we all have our kinks, I guess.”
“So you know what mine is. What’s yours?”
“Promise you won’t laugh?”
“You didn’t laugh when you found out about me,” she said quietly.
“Yeah, true.” I took a deep breath. “All right… here goes. My family are swingers too.”
She was silent for a long time.
“Finally shock you?” I said at last.
“No! I was just… trying to think of exactly what you mean. I know what I think it means, but…”
“My parents have sex parties with other couples. Not random people.
Close friends. Gina’s parents, for example. She and I started coming to the parties when we were old enough.” I didn’t mention how old. “And now that I have close friends my own age, we’re carrying on the tradition.”
“Yep. That’s what I was thinking. Wow. No wonder you’re pretty liberal.
I mean, being a lesbian is practically normal compared to you.”
“I told you,” I warned, “don’t judge me.”
“No, no, I don’t! I’m not. It’s just… a lot to take in at once.” She mused in silence for a moment. “Wow. You are complicated.”
“Told you.”
“And now I think I understand you better.”
“I thought you might.”
“It also explains why you were never jealous about me and Daphne. I mean, most guys…”
“I’m not like most guys.”
“No fucking kidding.”
We fell silent as she digested everything I’d told her.
“Wow,” she said again. “Just… wow.” Then she chuckled.
“What?”
“I was just thinking… we have the same taste in women.”
“Yeah, I guess we do.”
“You aren’t the jealous type, either.”
“Definitely not.”
“And you’re one of the few guys where I don’t feel like I have to guard myself when I’m naked around you.”
“Um, no. I understand the difference between just nude and nude for sex.” I followed her logic and laughed. “So you think I’d share girls with you?”
“We already have, when you think about it.”
“But now it’s my turn to share? Is that it?”
“Well… Christy’s really cute and all. And my girlfriend is ready to leave
me for a husband and kids.”
“Christy and I barely just kissed.”
“Yeah, but you’ll seduce her in a jiffy once you set your mind to it. Get busy!”