Page 96 of In Her Own Way
“I get that, because I see it in you, too. So being genderfluid means you aren’t stuck in that binary definition.”
“No, I guess not,” Victoria said. “Some days I feel genderless. It’s hard to explain, but I feel like gender isn’t a thing that concerns me.”
“It sure seems to concern a lot of other people, though,” Jessica said, thinking about her non-woke mother and latest stepfather. “But that last thing you mentioned hits on non-binary. You know? A non-changing identity. One that is neither female nor male. It is neither of those two things. It is not binary. It is non-binary.”
Victoria laughed and then laughed harder. “Sounds like you’re trying to make it make sense.”
“I am,” Jessica said. “I want to understand. It’s not something I know personally, but I can’t discount the experiences of other people just because I don’t know it in my own bones. You know?”
“Yeah,” Victoria said. “Very empathetic of you.”
“Empathy,” Jessica said out loud. “Try it.”
“We should make t-shirts,” Victoria quipped. “So, I guess if we must classify me, we’ll go with genderfluid.”
“I wish labels weren’t a thing,” Jessica said. “But they are, and there you go.”
“There you go,” Vic said. “So, to turn this around. I’m assuming Jessica Bennett is a cisgender female?”
“Yep,” Jessica said. “And this female is liking this genderfluid woman sitting next to her.”
“Good,” Vic said. “What now?”
“Dump the boxes and then take me home and have your way with me. You mentioned a strap-on earlier? Did I hear that right?” Jessica ran a hand down Victoria’s thigh.
As the sky turned dark and their conversation finished momentarily, Jessica turned to her phone. She looked up schools in or near the Denton Heights area, including her own, for security or maintenance positions.
“Oh, shit, babe,” Jessica said, waving her phone.
“What, what, what?” Victoria said with a laugh. “You almost made me drive off the road.”
“There’s a daytime security position open at PUA. That’s my school. Phillips University Academy.”
“No way,” Vic said. “Read it to me.” Satisfied with what she heard, she said she’d apply the next day.
“There’s an online application,” Jessica said. “Let’s start it now.” And they did.
~~~
Not only did Victoria get the daytime security job at PUA, but she also received benefits and a competitive salary. Their house hunting began in earnest with help from Miss Hayley, one of Rowena’s friends, who was one of those famous realtors whose face graced bus stop benches. Was Jessica worried that it was all happening too quickly? Yes, of course. But the more time they spent together, the more she knew Victoria, AKA Vic, AKA Daddy Cheese, was the right one for her. And as far as she could tell, Victoria felt the same.
Second semester had started and Jessica sat in her empty classroom during her lunch period. It was the first Friday in January of the first week back from winter break. The next day, Saturday, wasn’t exactly their one-month anniversary, but it would be exactly four weeks since the masquerade ball. Theywould be celebrating with their friends down at Dominique’s the next day after going out to the Elm Street Diner, a diner she knew well from her Blackwell College days. They were on a quest to find grilled cheese sandwiches as good or better than Rose Diner’s.
A familiar face appeared in the small window in her classroom door. Jessica beckoned Victoria to come in.
“Your lunch, Madam,” Victoria said, delivering the bag she’d forgotten in the pickup truck that morning. “No delivery charge.”
“My hero. Thank you.” Jessica did her best not to ogle the tight green trousers or the masculine white long-sleeved shirt with the word ‘Security’ emblazoned over the left chest pocket. She’d ironed the shirt herself the night before, so Victoria would look professional. Not that Victoria needed help in that regard. The way she carried herself was proof enough.
“Madam,” Victoria said in a low voice, “I do believe you’re ogling the hired help.”
“Am I?” Jessica made a show of wiping drool off her face. “It’s so tempting, though.” She tilted her head to check out Victoria’s ass in the tight pants. “Mmm, I may have to tap that.”
“HR!” Victoria stage-whispered, then laughed.
Jessica hated to see Victoria go, but they each had their respective jobs to do. She ate her sandwich while grading grammar worksheets, grateful that she no longer had cafeteria duty. She was productive in her grading, mainly because she didn’t want to take anything home. Her afternoon classes flew by, and she tidied up her room, waiting for Victoria to swing by so they could head home.
Once back at Jessica’s apartment, they decided on leftovers on the couch in front of the TV. It was all so very domestic, and Jessica loved it. Misty seemed to love it, too, and made a beeline for Victoria’s lap, a place she seemed to rather enjoy lately.
