Page 95 of In Her Own Way
“Five thousand.”
Jessica’s jaw dropped open. “Whoa.” To distract herself, she divvied up the gooey grilled cheese sandwiches from the to-go bags, making sure Victoria could eat hers without making too much of a mess while she drove.
Victoria took a bite and then stole a glance at Jessica. “It’s a lot of money, so I’ll ask for advice from Rowena. She knows money, but this still feels dirty.” She sighed and added, “But, hey, this is the Addison family. What doesn’t feel dirty when it comes to my family?” She seemed embarrassed.
“Aww, babe,” Jessica said and rubbed Victoria’s arm. “It will be okay. We’re okay.” She took a bite of her own sandwich and moaned.
“We’re more than okay,” Victoria said. “We’re golden. And, I know, Rose’s Diner is the one thing I’m going to miss from Indy.” She devoured her sandwich, and Jessica tucked away the greasy wrapper.
“Babe?” Victoria asked.
“Yes?”
“If we have any energy left after dumping all this at Rowena’s, do you want to go home and have a little fun?”
“Fun?” Jessica teased. “Like going on another bird count? Or going to Miss Shasti and Madison’s to play more card games?”
Victoria laughed. “Madison loved that food fight game you got her for Christmas. Taco something?”
“Taco versus Burrito,” Jessica said. “I love my new friends and love that you already knew them.”
Victoria nodded as she pulled onto the highway. “I think I needed you to help me see how much I needed other people, chosen family, community.” She groaned. “Whatever you want to call it.” She glanced at Jessica after merging into the traffic. “I’m not used to being so touchy-feely. Dr. Sumner says it’s okay to feel vulnerable like this.”
Jessica simply picked up Victoria’s hand and kissed the back of it. She turned it over and kissed the palm.
“Better stop,” Victoria warned. “I might need to pull over and have my way with you.”
Jessica moaned and then confessed her fantasy about being taken over the hood of a sports car in broad daylight, with traffic going by.
“I’m not sure how to make that one come to fruition, babe, but it sounds like a hot scene.”
They then spent the better part of the two-hour return trip talking about their fantasies. Jessica was ready for Victoria to pull over and woman-handle her. She even made the suggestion,but Victoria simply grinned and said, “Good things come to those who wait, my precious.”
In the quiet that followed, Jessica thought about the power exchange dynamic she was entering into with Victoria. A lot of it took place outside the bedroom with small things. Like Victoria holding doors open for her, placing her hand on the small of Jessica’s back to guide her, and letting her know she was safe. And, on the flip side, Jessica made sure Victoria got the proper amount of nurturing love she seemed to need. That one was easy.
“Vic?”
“Yeah?”
“So, I’m safe in assuming that Brian is transgender, right? I mean, it’s up to him to let that be known, I guess, but…”
“He is,” Victoria said. “He’s not hiding it now that he’s in Denton Heights.”
“I’m so glad he got that job at Tyttle Foods,” Jessica said. “He seems more relaxed.”
Victoria grinned and said, “Things are looking up for the two of us vagabonds from Indy, isn’t it?”
Jessica laughed and then asked something she’d been wanting to ask but didn’t know how. “Erin called you a tomboy.”
“Mm hmm,” Victoria said. She changed lanes to go around a slow-moving dump truck.
“I don’t know how to ask this, but how do you feel about your gender? I mean, you move smoothly between masculine and feminine auras, as Shanice would say.”
“I’ve thought about this,” Victoria said. “I am kind of genderfluid, I guess, but I’m a woman. A woman who needs to be able to move smoothly through masculine and feminine moments. I don’t want anyone telling me how to act or dress based on my biological makeup. It’s my fucking life, you know?”
“I do know.”
“I mean, I do like a good strap-on, but honestly, I don’t want a 24/7 penis. I mean, it makes me feel powerful when I’m with you, but I don’t need it all the time. Subs would sometimes call me ‘Sir,’ and I was okay with that. Same for ‘Ma’am.’ And I’m okay with that, too. It’s what the sub is seeing in me at the time, I guess.”
