by Jack Wallen
I felt at home. I felt like part of a warm and real family. And even though tomorrow I was going to be serving time in dispatch, right now everything was perfect.
We sat around and got to know each other. Most were married and had children. Some were alone. One man, wearing a lovely pink Gap twin set and wool skirt, even asked me out on a date; I gladly accepted. Skip showed a touch of jealousy but was happy for me all the same.
The party finally wound down, and Skip and I were left to our own devices.
“Well, darlin’, you did it.” Skip put his arm around me.
“No, Skip. We did it.” I kissed his cheek.
We sat in TUC for another hour or so and then finally said good night. I still didn’t bother to tell him that he would be working with one of the many wankers of the force starting tomorrow. There was no reason to ruin his day.
I got in my car and started toward home. Before I reached my house, I pulled out my phone and gave Shannon a ring. I wanted another sleepover with my best friend. Sharing the same air and the same dreams with that woman was the best medicine I could think of.
But before I could dial a single digit, the phone rang. For some strange reason, I was overcome with a case of not again. I just knew it was going to be news that the killer had escaped or, worse yet, that the man Skip and I had caught wasn’t our man.
I succumbed and answered the phone.
Craig Wayne was on the other end. One step closer to bad news.
“Jamie, hi! How are you doing?” His voice was smiling, friendly.
I couldn’t speak. My voice was trapped somewhere between heartbeats.
“Jamie? Hello?”
“I’m sorry, Craig. Hi. I’m fine, just a little surprised.”
“I just wanted to know if you were interested in having dinner with me tomorrow? I realize this might not be the best…”
I didn’t catch the rest of his sentence. I was too lost in the thought of finally getting that date with a straight man, and not only a straight man, but a damned fine-looking straight man.
I must have been lost in daydream-ville, because Craig had to once again yank me into reality.
“I hope you’re not trying to figure out how to turn me down again.” Craig was sooooo cute when he needed to be.
“I’d love to have dinner with you, Craig. I’ll even let it be your treat.”
We shared a laugh and agreed on a time and place for our first date. I hung up the phone feeling happier than I had felt in a long, long time.
As I stepped into my house, I went through the usual ritual: keys, shoes, hair, kitty, and kibble. I tried to recall the last time I had had dinner with a straight man. It had been a long time. To be honest, I was starting to get worried. After my last encounter with Shannon, I had been starting to think that I was going to migrate from Shirts to Skins.
I rubbed Raja Kitty’s back for a bit as she ate. We chatted about what I should wear on my date with Craig and whether or not I should kiss him. Raja Kitty advised against it; she didn’t want me to be too forward on the first date.
I bypassed the TV and shower and went straight to bed. It was late, and I was exhausted. Besides, I wanted to get plenty of rest in hopes of getting rid of the luggage that was currently residing under my eyes.
As I slipped off to sleep, my thoughts drifted to those melt-away eyes of Craig’s. Images of his strong, clean hands holding my breasts, his breath hot on my neck, and our bodies entangled in a sweaty passion flooded my brain. I could feel the smile on my face growing brighter and brighter as I drifted off to sleep.
Life was getting interesting…in a perfectly normal way. Finally.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jack Wallen is an award-winning technical writer who began his career as a writer of fiction over a decade ago with his first book in the Fringe Killer series, A Blade Away. Since then he has been busy writing about various killers, zombies, transgender super heroes, and just about everything in between the folds of reality he is capable of manipulating.
Born in New Castle, Indiana, Jack made his way through BS and MFA degrees before he embarked on a two-decade long career as a professional actor. After performing on Broadway and a long stint with one of the most highly acclaimed theaters for young audiences in the country, Jack finally retired from the stage to focus on his writing. Jack is outnumbered in his house, one male to two females and three humans to six felines. With the odds stacked against him, he manages by riding his mountain bike as often as possible and disappearing into the worlds and characters he has crafted.
For more information (a.k.a “Blathering”) visit Get Jack’d at http://www.monkeypantz.net or following him on Twitter (@jlwallen).
