Page 57 of Cognac Secrets

“So let me get this straight,” she said. “He’s been skulking around and being cagey and sneaky this entire time not because of another woman but because hebought a freaking house?”

“Not just that,” I said. “He bought a shelled-out wreck of a house in the ninth ward that’s been empty since Katrina and woo boy, does it needa lotmore work.”

“So he’s not cheating. He’s working on a house…” True looked bewildered and I nodded slowly.

She picked up her cup and took a long healthy sip of her coffee and setting it down said, “Well, damn. Now I feel like an asshole.”

I laughed and shaking my head said, “I don’t know about all that, I’ve dated some real winners in the past… this is different.”

“Way different,” she said dryly and looked thoughtful. “Did he saywhyhe just all of a sudden decided to buy a house?”

“Primarily so we would have a place to hang out that was safe for me,” I said and when she opened her mouth to say something, I held up my hand. She closed it and sat back in her chair as the café bustled around us, and I said, “Partially because his club’s VP talked him into being his neighbor. He did the same thing with the house next door. Bought it, renovated the bedroom and a bathroom up to livable standards, then just kept right on going until it was done. The whole club gets together and helps on projects. Hex is at the helm, and he’s really super handy. What he doesn’t know, one of the others is sure to and so they take turns dealing with and diagnosing certain problems and work through it together.”

“That sounds… nice…” True said and I nodded.

“It really is! The women are just as capable and the things they’re doing… it’s like a family. Like you and me, only bigger.”

“Chosen family,” she said and nodded slowly herself.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “That’s not all, either…” I told her how Bennie had helped me and how he hadn’t reacted negatively at all to my violent mood shifts when it came to my period and she listened carefully.

When I was done, she was smiling and all she could do was raise her cup and say, “To Bennie, and most of all to you for finding arealman this time.”

I laughed at that, and clicked my paper cup against hers, sipping before setting it down. She picked up one of the pillowy beignet and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

“Think any of them are single and wouldn’t mind that I still had my extra bits?” she asked hopeful.

I sighed and sat back and she gave me a wry look, “Hey, a girl can always hope.”

“You’re not —” I was cut off by a blur of denim, black and white, swiftly turning the chair beside us at the four seater table around and a lanky biker dropping down to straddle it.

“Hey, Sandy! I thought that was you!” Louie’s smile was genuine, warm, and full of what I can only describe as little boy excitement at having recognized a familiar face in the crowd.

“Hey, Louie!” I reached over and he wrapped both arms around me as I hugged him one-sided with one arm.

“How you doing, girl?” he asked.

“Good! True, this is Louie. Louie, this is my best friend True.”

True smiled at Louie and Louie smiled back, almost doing a double take – which who could blame him. True was tall where I was short, model thin, where I had curves, and was far enough along in her transition that there was no mistaking her for anything other than the gorgeous woman that she was.

Her outsides matched her insides all except for that one major detail that most red-blooded American southern good ol’ boys got hung up on. It was dangerous for her to get intimate with anyone and it was especially hard for her and me to gauge who would freak out and who wouldn’t. It was always such a dangerous crapshoot.

“Nice to meet you, True.” Louie took her offered, perfectly manicured hand and rather than shake it, kissed it.

True blushed a bright beautiful pink and immediately turned awkward… she loved every aspect about a relationship and wanted one, so badly,butfor the fact that she had absolutely zero sex drive and wasn’t interested in fuckingat all… She just didn’t get the appeal.

She liked to cuddle and be held, but that was about as far as that went and even that was sort of pushing her comfort zone and only occurred with someone she was really attracted to and got along with. I’d only ever seen it once, myself.

“So, what’re you ladies up to today?” he asked.

“Just coffee and beignets, catching up on all the girl things and maybe going shopping,” True answered.

“Oh, nice!” Louie said.

“What’re you doing here?” I asked out of genuine curiosity.

“Oh, the club just had me swing through a place or two on a little bit of club business is all. I happened to be walking by and thought I saw you sitting out here.”

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