Life As I Know It

Post Four—Bomber Jacket

“What the fuck?” Lise said as soon as she saw me later that night. What the fuck was right. My own head was still reeling from what I’d done. Basically, I looked completely different. My hair wasn’t long anymore. Now it was a messy boyish cut with auburn highlighting the dark brown. I’d gone in to see Marian’s hairdresser. I wasn’t sure yet if I was regretting the decision. I liked the way it looked but it didn’t feel like me yet. I merely shrugged in answer to Lise.

“Well at least you look hot,” She said, grabbing my hand and started swinging it as we walked down the sidewalk to the Gaga. We got more than a couple looks from guys in line. I attributed them all to Lise, who once again looked amazing. The looks from the girls, well, most of them anyway, I could take credit for. I’m a lesbian magnet, I tell ya. I don’t know if it’s the amount of plaid I occasionally wear or the fact that I’m a lot more butch than all my friends but lesbians love me.

“Thanks. Maybe a guy will ask me out this time,” I laughed.

“Whatever. Guys are so overrated. They’re only good for one thing,” Lise said, making me laugh. I kind of agreed before I thought about Penn. Then again, Penn didn’t feel the same way I did about him. “What’s up, bitch?” Lise asked me after I’d been silent a little too long. I might as well tell her. She’ll find out anyway.

“Penn is on a date right now,” I said, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice and my face blank.

“Oh,” Lise said. Normally she’d joke around but she knew when to be serious with me.
“Her name’s Janie. I can’t even fucking hate her because her name’s JANIE,” I groaned.

“OH!” I looked at Lise.

“What?”

“Well…I always thought, you know, that Penn batted for the other team,” Lise explained as I looked at her shocked for a second before laughing my lily ass off. “I thought that’s why he’s never showed an interest in you,” That made me shut up. “But you’re right about the name. You can’t hate someone called Janie,”

“No, he’s never shown an interest in me because I’m an undesirable excuse for a female,” I said with a smile, as if that would make how I felt any easier.

“No you are not. Penn’s just oblivious and why would all those lesbians always come onto you if you’re so undesirable?” Because they’re lesbians? No offense to lesbians but I were attracted to women, it wouldn’t be women like me I’d be after. “You just haven’t met the right guy. Tonight, baby,” Lise swung my arm up and pulled us closer to the entrance, skipping the crowd of people waiting semi-patiently. “Tonight you will meet a man. Not a boy like Penn. A man,” I groaned, picturing myself getting set up with some 30-year-old guy thanks to Lise.

“No, no. I’ll just take care of it myself,” I said as we entered the club. We came in so often that Owen, the bouncer that work Saturday nights knew us by name and always let us in. As long as we tipped well, the club had no problem with serving minors, especially us. Lise always drew a crowd. She should really get paid for all the business she brings in. I’m generally just along for the ride but because I’m seen so often with Lise and I use so much of Marian’s money at these places, I get in basically anywhere.

“Suit yourself,” Lise said as we nabbed a table near the stage, waiting for the show to start. A waiter came and took our drink order (Tanqueray straight up for me, Skyy vodka and 7-Up for Lise) and a minute later we were on our way to another glorious night and another horrendous hang over. “Check it out,” Lise said a minute later. She motioned to a table towards the middle of the room. Normally our taste in guys differed but tonight Lise and I could agree that the guys at that table were exceptional. One in particular caught my eye. Shaggy black hair, tan skin, vintage bomber jacket. Hot was all my brain could interpret at that point. Granted, he was no Penn and this guy was probably an asshole but he sure had it going on. And I don’t even use that phrase.

“Fuck yes,” I heard Lise say under her breath as one of the guys made his way over to our table. She waited for him to make the first move before introducing herself and me. I glanced in their direction to show that I was listening but really I was watching the guy I’d first noticed. He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned his head toward me and met my gaze. Surprisingly I didn’t blush or look away. I just kept on watching him watch me watch him. Eventually I smiled and turned back to Lise. Yes, he was definitely hot.

“This is Collin, Tes. He’s invited us to go sit with him and his friends,” Lise waited for me to turn Collin down, like I normally would. It made no difference to Lise. If she didn’t prey on Collin then it would be some other guy. Shocking both myself and Lise, I replied in the affirmative.

We took our drinks over to Collin’s table (Lise hiding her surprise under a sultry smirk) and on the way there I kept my eyes on Bomber Jacket, staring him down in a manner I didn’t know I was capable of. Apparently he didn’t mind because when we got there, he pulled out the chair next to him and motioned to me.

Oh boy.

-T.