Page 49 of In Her Own Way
“What the fuck are you doing here, Brianna?” the woman asked from across the room. “Oh, wait, my mistake. It’s Brian now, isn’t it?”
Tillman’s breathing had changed. A quick glance confirmed Victoria’s suspicions. Tillman was fuming.
“That’s your ex?”
“No, that’s Bobbie,” Tillman said with a laugh. “Jasmyne is the bitch hanging off her arm.”
Victoria looked again. A femme woman with a tight red dress and heels hung onto the arm of the bigger woman. Damn, she was hot. “Wow.”
“I know,” Tillman said.
“What’s the problem, Brianna?” the big woman taunted. “Not man enough to say anything back?”
By now, the entire bar was silent. The only exception was the music playing over the speakers. Lauren looked ready to bolt over the bar. The security woman stood passively at the door, arms folded, as if enjoying the show.
Tillman grunted and stood up, but Victoria was faster. “Hey, I’m starving. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Sure.”
Victoria leaned over to the woman she’d been flirting with and said, “Maybe next time?”
“Sure,” the woman said.
Without a backward glance, Victoria led the way to the front door. The back of her neck prickled. She knew without looking that all eyes were on them.
“Look at that,” the big woman taunted again. “There’s two of them. Fucking infestation. We don’t want your kind in here. No men allowed.”
Victoria was pissed when she heard some of the women voice their agreement. The security guard simply turned as they left and watched them walk to the parking lot. Enlightenment had not made it to Indiana, apparently.
“That was a lot,” Victoria said.
“Were you serious about getting something to eat?”
“Yeah. Rose’s Diner okay?”
“Love that place,” Tillman said, her voice softening a bit.
They walked toward the parking lot in momentary silence until Tillman started laughing.
“What’s up?” Victoria chuckled, not knowing why.
“You got some game, man,” Tillman said. “That woman was totally going to let you take her home. I’d have put cash money on it. Bobbie messed it up. You were about to score.”
“She was cute, too,” Victoria said. “The woman. Not Bobbie.”
Tillman grunted, stopped walking, and threw an imaginary object on the ground. She stood tall and said, “Flag on the play. Cliterference. Ten-yard penalty.”
Victoria burst out laughing. She clapped Tillman on the back and said, “Oh, yes. We’re going to be good friends, Tillman.”
“Ah, maybe not,” Tillman said, suddenly serious. “I still have to tell you the tale of a little girl who knew all along she was a boy.”
“Cool,” Victoria said. “Over grilled cheese. I’ll meet you there.”
Chapter 14
Jessica
The mask would hide a good part of Jessica’s face, which was a good thing. She wasn’t sure who would be at this Halloween/Birthday party, and she always ran the risk of seeing one of her students’ parents at these things. She stood in her bedroom and took one last look at her steampunk hooded dress in the full-length mirror. She smiled. The black with blended orange V-neck blouse revealed a lovely amount of cleavage, appropriate for this kind of party. The hood was perfect, too, if she needed to hide quickly. The black lipstick completed the look.
