Page 7 of Shadowman
I’d taken a few massage classes to pass the time, so I decided to throw my hat into the ring as a sort offill-in, in case someone called out sick. A week later, they were giving me clients and allowing me to bring in my own.
The money is good, and I enjoy what I do, but the city is expensive. Outside of Zen, I tend to pick up odd jobs here and there for extra cash. Tomorrow, I’m walking dogs, next weekend I’m house-sitting for a woman in my building, and in two weeks, I have a gig filling in as a teacher for a poetry writing workshop at the local community center.
None of these things pay in private islands, but I’m sure if I keep flitting around, using my skills and my charms wherever I can, I’ll find enough work to support myself. I’ve been doing it my whole life…
Finding ways to get by.Surviving.
By the end of my Bikram class Saturday evening, I’ve agreed to meet Alice for dinner at some Korean barbecue place she’s been dying to try. Scuttling my way back home, I’m showered, dressed, and ready for a date in under an hour.
Inside the restaurant, I spot her right away, sitting at the bar. She’s wearing a red dress that looks great with her tanned complexion and heels that accentuate her long legs, dirty blonde hair blown out and flowing like a sumptuous mane.
She’sstunning, and honestly, I often find it hard to understand why she’s chosen to dateme… After all, we’re very different people.
Alice is from Colombia. She moved to the States with her twin brother, Andres, when they were children, after their parents died tragically. Apparently, they had family here, but they weren’t very accepting of Alice, being that she’s known she was transgender since she was young. She had to quit school to get a job to support herself after moving out on her own. But as soon as she was able, she got her GED, put herself throughcosmetology school, and even began studying to become a social worker.
Despite her complicated upbringing, Alice Alvarez is a force. She doesn’t let things get her down. In fact, she manages to rise above pretty much everything the world throws her way.
Simply put, she slays.
And that’s not to say I’ve let life beat me down, because I, too, had a complicated upbringing. Not that it’s a contest, but I think I’ve had the most fucked-up life of anyone I know,includingAlice. The shit I’ve been through brought me to where I am today, and all things considered, I think I’m doing great. But I wouldn’t say I’m crushing it, like Alice is.
She inspires me. Dr. Love is right… I want this relationship to work out, because Alice Alvarez is the most brilliant person I’ve ever met.
Unfortunately for me, I’m not certain I have what it takes to hold on to her.
She’s way too good for me.
“Why hello, beautiful stranger,” Alice croons to me as I step up to her side, kissing her cheek.
“Hello, angel.” I grin back. “You look lovely, as always.”
She smirks, showing off the little diamond studs in her dimples. “I ordered you a fancy drink, but you took too long, so I drank it.” She gestures to the empty glasses.
I chuckle, then tease, “You know I have to be fashionably late. If I can’t make a grand entrance, what’s the point in showing up at all?”
Giggling, she tosses her hair over her shoulder. “So you’re justnevergoing to get a car?”
I shrug casually. “Why do I need a car? I have perfectly functional legs.”
“Or you’re afraid to learn to drive…” she mutters, grinning.
I slap my hand over her mouth. “That’s enough out of you.”
She’s laughing beneath my palm, shoving me off of her. “Ugh! Lipstick, you cretin!”
“Sorry, sorry.” I assess her mouth. “Still perfect.”
She hops off of her seat, taking me by the arm as we follow a hostess to our table. Peeking down at Alice, I can’t help remembering how we met…
How I followed her around for a good three weeks before she finally noticed me and askedmeout.
My personal belief is that she finds odd behavior charming. It’s something that happens a lot. People are too trusting.If I met myself, I’d be rather wary of me.
Even so, I’m glad that Alice wasn’t creeped out or repulsed by the lurking emo giant who kept popping up everywhere she was. So far, she’s shown it to be the opposite. I think shewantsto be much closer than we are, and I’m the one always putting on the brakes.
“Going into any relationship, after what’s happened to you, and what you’ve done, will be extremely difficult… There’s no real way to know if your nightmares will manifest themselves into a reality…”
Dr. Love’s words ring in my brain as I sit down to a nice meal with Alice. Mygirlfriend…?
