Flotilla_The Temp

by Erik Schubach

  The dreamy expression on his face change to confusion as he looked between all of us and said, “But, Cap McCray says you hired a boy to do the running..." He stared at Reid, and I could see him picking out some of the more masculine traits in hir, though not as pronounced as hir feminine aspects.

  Then a confused disappointment crossed his features as he stood straighter and offered a hand, “I'm sorry mate. I just thought you were... I mean you look...”

  Tabby offered, “Cute?" At the same time, Paya suggested, “Adorable?" My redhead was blushing profusely at that.

  “What a fecking clusterfuck." I shook my head and muttered as Reid shook Bobby's hand and just shrugged.

  “It's a pleasure to meet you. TinTin has told me all about you.”

  This got Bob to cock an eyebrow at me and said as he said in an accusatory tone that almost had a tinge of McGrath's Irish in it, “Really now, did she? TinTin? And she's told me absolutely nothing about you.”

  I muttered, “For god's sake all of you. Fine, I was selfish. Yes, I'm dating Reid. Now back on point.”

  Reid was nothing but a beaming smile, and I had to roll my eyes at hir too. Ze had to know that what we were doing was dating. You don't just make out with random strangers, repeatedly, after all. Wait... was ze was teasing me like the rest. To a group chuckle, I muttered, “I hate you all." They were all picking on me, and we had more pressing matters. Mum was in town.

  Paya exhaled then put on that winning smile of hers. “Reid, if you're caught up with the runs today, then let's knock off a few minutes early. We're getting nothing done like this.”

  My imp opened hir mouth to argue, hir work ethic as ingrained as McGrath's and earned every quid she was paid. But Paya intercepted with an expectant, “The two proper answers are...”

  Reid chirped out like a student in lessons, “Yes Paya.”

  Paya said, “There's a girl... oh... ummm... what's the best way to address you in those instances, I don't want to offend.”

  Reid said to her, “Whatever feels appropriate. I answer to just about anything but late for supper. I know there aren't many alternatives except enby or gul and the like."

  Then I got shot a raised eyebrow, and I felt like I had just been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I knew I shouldn't have been talking about Reid's gender with others behind hir back, it isn't my place.

  I mouthed sheepishly, “Sorry.”

  I was saved by our resident Indian-Brit as she said, “Then, there's a gul." Paya was nothing but mischievous grins. Then she said, “Now shoo you three, the adults need to talk business.”

  We were pushed out to the stairs and the door shut behind us. Reid grinned. “I really like those two." Robert and I nodded agreement and then I got 'the look' as Reid said to me, “You, lady, are in the hot seat about now.”

  I hugged onto hir arm, “Sorry. They were just driving me mad trying to guess... they made the same binary assumptions I had, and I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable around them.”

  Again, ze shrugged in hir usual manner and then got a little grin on hir face as ze shared, “Most of the time it is tedious... but sometimes, it's a little fun.”

  I blinked as I realized my red headed obsession was inferring ze had been playing with them! I giggled. “You wretch. Now I don't feel as bad.”

  We had completely forgotten about Bob until he asked from behind us as we reached the bottom of the stairs and walked backward in front of us, “So you're like, not a girl? Or a boy?”

  I blurted, “For god's sake, Bobby!”

  We moved past him to the gangplank walk to the pier. Reid was blushing and burying hir face in my shoulder. “He's not normally this dense," I said as I shot a glance back accusingly. “Nor rude.”

  He whined, “What did I say? " We hopped onto the Elizabeth, where Bea was working below decks on the heating system.

  I waved to Benny and Margret, two of the children who lived in one of the cabins on the boat with their father, Bernard. They waved enthusiastically back and then swarmed my imp, little Margret said, “Reid, Reid! Daddy says we can go for a ride with you on your bike if you stay in the car park.”

  Reid smiled at them and said, “Alright then, tomorrow after you get out of school. But it has to be a short ride, I've lots of work to do for the Flotilla."

  I saw something I've never seen in hir face when the children squealed and ran off. It was almost a look of wonder and longing. My gul loved children! It was so sweet.

  I shot hir a questioning look as Bobbie held the door for us like a proper gentleman. He still had that puppy love twinkle in his eye that almost made me forgive him for being so brazen earlier. Ze blushed and said, “I caught the wee ones hiding below decks, spying on Beatrice before my last run. They were whispering about superheroes. Then I looked over to see Bea picking up that portable generator on wheels like it was a laundry basket and understood what they were saying. That lady has muscle to spare!”

  Then ze added, “They were all full of questions about my bicycle when I hauled them above deck to find their father. When they asked if they could ride it, I thought I was letting them down easy by saying they had to ask their dad. My folly it seems." Ze didn't look upset by it one iota, what with hir beaming smile and all.

  We reached the equipment room which was much roomier than the old retrofitted barges like the Persephone, there was plenty of room for and the mechanical systems and the huge diesel engine since the new barges had been designed this way from the keel up.

  Bea was just holding some sort of mechanical box up to some ductwork like she was just holding a child's toy. She flicked her head, and the welding screen flopped down over her face. We all looked away instinctively before she welded the unit in place.

  When she was done, she looked over at us, raised her visor, then gave us a dazzling smile. If you had told me that a big Amazonian woman who was ninety percent muscle like she was could be cute and almost girly even, I would have just rolled my eyes at you. But our Beatrice was all woman. Scary as hell how strong she was, but all woman. She cocked her head as if asking what we were doing there.

  I said, “Paya sent us to fetch you early. She's being all motherly since she heard mum contacted Bobbie.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of mum then grinned in the direction of the Persephone. I nodded. “Yeah, sort of hard to argue with our Miss Doshi.”

  Bea's grin widened, shaking her head, then she fluttered her lashes then rolled her eyes. Bobby grinned and agreed, “Yeah, she is far too cute at times. We all have that same weakness." Then he looked around and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “You think anyone has ever said no to her?”

  The blonde mechanic cocked an eyebrow at me and I asked incredulously, “No, you really think?" She just nodded. I couldn't imagine.

  Reid looked to be at a tennis match, hir head bobbing between us as we were conversing like that. Then Reid squeaked, “No offense Bea..." Ze turned to me. “You know what she's saying? She used a notepad with me.”

  I just chuckled, and Bea looked at the time, sighed and started packing her tools away. She pulled out her mobile from time to time, and her thumbs flew over the screen. I smiled, knowing she was texting Melinda if the smile on her face was any indication. The woman loved her wife with a burning passion that one could only dream of. And Bea was sort of addicted to texting.

  She grabbed her “go bag," the tool kit she carried with her at all times. It was a present from Meli on their wedding day and swung her chin toward the door. Robert and I saluted, chiming out simultaneously, “Aye aye ma'am.”

  We started to turn when an eager Bobby, moved over to Bea and took her go bag in both hands, straining under its weight. I had to snicker and wonder if there was anyone he didn't have a crush on as we headed up to her van. Bea just grinned at him, ruffled his hair, and grabbed her steampunk looking lunch box as we left the equipment room.

  Reid's hand in mine gave me a reassuring squeeze as my anxiety started s
piking over the prospect of seeing mum again as we climbed the stairs.

  Chapter 9 – Mum

  It was a tight fit in the panel van, with the four of us and Reid's bicycle wedged in among all the pipes, tools and other various metal doodads. It had been Beatrice's work vehicle when she worked for Hart Heating. The owner, Karl, was such a good sport about losing his most productive worker, and I'm pretty sure he saw himself as a surrogate uncle to her.

  He had told her to take the van, and they could square it up with each other at some other time. I was quite sure that some other time was never. It still has the faded Hart Heating logo painted on the side. She helps him out from time to time when he is in a tight spot making a deadline, without accepting a single quid from him. That was something I liked about my new family, they all looked out for each other.

  I realized the folly of riding with them as Bobby peppered Reid and me with a million questions about Reid, our relationship, and why I kept it so hush hush. Bea interjecting with easy to read expressions and various versions of her cockled eyebrows.

  I finally broke, “Gaahhhh! Stop with the third degree you two!" I pointed an accusing finger and squinted my eyes at another one of Bea's cocked eyebrows, it was her amused expression. “Yes, you too Miss Nosy! Don't pretend you haven't been egging poor Bobby on to be your foil.”

  Reid giggled out, “It's fine, really TinTin. I'm curious too, why you haven't told them about me."

  Gah! And another one gangs up on me!

  Bob chimed in, “Yeah 'TinTin'.”

  I pointed at him and shook a finger as I growled out, “Don't call me that. Only Reidster can get away with that." I turned to the overly amused trouble making imp and then blushed and looked down at our hands where they were clasped in the bench seat behind the front seats. I said in all honesty, “I... well, I wanted you all to my self.”

  Reid looked two parts bashful, and one part excited about making me say it out loud like that. I knew ze didn't think I was hiding our relationship... such as it is... because I was ashamed or anything. My eyes widened in realization that the smug little snot just wanted to hear me say it. I again narrowed an eye then smiled and gave hir a peck on the lips.

  From the front seat, Bea cooed out, “Awwwww.”

  Reid did a double take and blurted in surprise, “You can talk, Bea?”

  The Amazonian mechanic shrugged and grinned as she turned her attention back to her driving. I chuckled. “Of course she can talk... but only when it is important.”

  That was that, and the attention finally turned from Reid and me to our unorthodox means of transportation in the back of the van. I noted that when she lifted the contraption into the vehicle, Bea's eyes were looking it over with keen interest.

  I listened as Reid discussed it in more detail than ze shared with me. I just saw Melody as a motorized bicycle, a tool, a means of transportation, and had never thought to ask the specifics. Just like I'd never ask about a car I was riding in. I quickly found it was more fascinating than I would have thought.

  It turns out that Reid and his best mate, Dominick, were out junking on the outskirts of the city in an abandoned lot. They saw a tire sticking out from under some refuse that was dumped there. They pulled out a busted up bicycle that had a motor over the back tire.

  It took them the better part of the day to get it dragged back to Reid's as the tires were flat and rims bent. After some research, they discovered it was an old 1958 Raleigh All Steel Cycle with a Trojan Mini-Motor.

  Dominick's father was a mechanic, so Dom himself had a bit of a knack for mechanical things. With some tinkering he got the motor working again, and they replaced the rims and tires and put an extended seat on it so they could both ride. Then they had found the freedom to terrorize the neighborhood.

  Dom maintained it, and Reid kept it at hir place until Dominick had moved away. And without him maintaining it, we know what happened to it then. But now the beast was running again, and I could understand the love I saw in Reid's eyes for it now. I looked back at the weathered machine and smiled at it. A living memory. It really was something, wasn't it?

  I had a lot of respect for Dominick, and if I'm completely honest with myself, a bit of jealousy. It seems that Reid has had many passing acquaintances but really only three real friends in hir life. Not many understood Reid and felt ze was rebelling and was androgynous by some sort of choice.

  But you can't choose the sex you know yourself to be, any more than you can change your eye color. It is just who you are. And from what ze has shared, it sounds to me like it wasn't the kids who wanted to be friends that were the problem, but their parents telling them they didn't want them hanging out with someone like that, the freak.

  This unfortunately just fueled the fire for the kids that picked on hir endlessly. Marie in primary was hir biggest advocate back then until her family moved to Sussex, then one day at a park, Dominick was there with friends from school, and they needed a fifteenth for their team to play a rugby match with a rival neighborhood.

  Reid had been walking by, and Dom called out to hir, thinking hir a boy. When Reid turned to see, the other blokes started complaining in disappointment that it was just the 'little poof freak.' But Dominick had rebuked his friends, calling them all a bunch of tossers and asked Reid if ze wanted to play.

  The other team teased that they had a girl or a fruit on their team. But that was when they all found out something I knew about Reid. Ze was strong and fast, and athletic. What ze lacked in mechanical ability, my gul more than made up for with athleticism.

  They won the match, and after that, Dom and hir were the best of mates, no matter how much ribbing they got from others. Life was so much better for Reid in school after that as most people were afraid of Dom's imposing size.

  But my jealousy was quelled by the knowledge that they were just best mates, that Reid had never had any romantic notions toward Dom. Ze had as much admitted that when my smiley redhead had shared that what ze felt around me was something new and exciting for hir.

  I found that I really wanted to meet this Dom. He had been Reid's protector and the one that got into all sorts of shenanigans with hir. If he was hir friend, then I knew I'd get along with the bloke brilliantly.

  Part of my unwarranted jealousy was seeing the picture album that Mimi pulled out once to show me pictures of them growing up, and Dom was a pretty young man. Well toned and with one of those classically handsome carved granite jaws and dark curly hair. How could someone not appreciate that?

  We pulled up to Highland Station and was pleasantly surprised that Melinda was there already, leaning up against her TD replica car. It was a work of art that reminded me of some sort of Victorian steampunk Rolls Royce.

  I cocked an eyebrow in suspicion at the back of Bea's head. She must have texted Meli that we were leaving early. She wouldn't have been here for another half hour otherwise. She started moving over to us, using her forearm crutch for stability, a huge smile on her face for our muscular blonde chauffeur who hopped out of the van and with a bashful look, offered an apple to her new bride.

  One might think it awkward that an apple is Bea's way of expressing her feelings to her girl, but it melted me inside every time I witnessed it. You just wanted to run around hugging yourself after witnessing it, especially the look of love and wonder in Melinda's eyes each and every time as she accepted the offering.

  I blushed as Reid's hand found mine the moment we got out of the vehicle. She had that “Daww," look on her face too, as she was channeling her feminine side big-time at the moment.

  We almost hopped over to the girls, and Melinda's eyes were wide in curiosity. I noticed a little tremor in her hand from her cerebral palsy. She must have had a long day. We needed to get her home.

  I started proudly, moving Reid forward like an offering, “Melinda this is my...”

  Bobby blurted, “This is Reid, the person Tina's been dating behind our backs.”

  He was all grins as I shoved his sh
oulder for robbing me of my thunder, muttering, “Twat." This just turned his grin into the toothy variety of the species.

  I looked at Melinda who looked entertained by our antics as I straightened and said, “Yes, this is my Reid. Reidster, this is one of our pseudo sisters and Robert's current legal guardian for the next couple weeks, Melinda Stafford-Abbott.”

  Reid looked at me and stated, “I'm still not answering to that," before turning to Meli and shaking her hand. “It's a pleasure, Mrs. Stafford. Umm... Abbott.”

  Meli's eyes twinkled as she shook and said as she apprised Reid with her eyes, “Melinda. Please. And no, the pleasure is all mine, finally getting to meet the one traipsing around our back yard with our Tina here." Then she made a show of looking around my gul and talking behind her hand, “A real cutie, this one. Well done.”

  I squeaked out in protest, “Meli!”

  They all got a good chuckle at my expense as Reid buried hir face in my shoulder. I just added to hir embarrassment by simply hugging hir and agreeing, “Yes, ze is.”

  The redhead mumbled into my arm, “I hate you."

  I nodded staunchly in agreement.

  Then Reid gathered hir wits and stood aside and asked in all earnestness, “Right then. TinTin says you all live on a train when she isn't living on a barge." My gul furrowed her brow and turned to ask me, “You ever live in a flat?"

  I shoved hir shoulder before pulling hir back to my side by our still clasped hands.

  Ze looked toward the station then gave me a knowing look. Yes. This was 'our' station when we went for our walks in the Parkland.

  Meli said, “You're right Bea. We should get a move on and clean up before Mrs. Elgin arrives."

  I must have missed a look from the towering blonde.

  Bobby nodded and started toward the station, full of teenaged energy as usual. I made an ushering motion to my cuddly companion, who gave a humorous curtsey to me before letting me lead hir along. The more adult-y adults followed behind, the rhythmic crunch of Meli's crutch setting the pace for us.