His Fair Lady (14 page)

What was she supposed to do now?

She stood, tucked herself back in, pulled up her jeans and underwear, and flushed. She walked to the mirror and examined her reflection. Crap, her shirt was buttoned crooked. She fixed it, then looked around for a comb. Of course there was none to be found. She used her fingers and water from the tap to try to untangle the rat’s nest on her head.

Mark’s mother said, “Did I interrupt something, sweetheart?”

Uh-oh. Even if hiding in the bathroom felt like the easier course, she couldn’t leave Mark swinging in the breeze with his mom.

Josie finished her rudimentary grooming—it would have to do—pasted a smile on her face, then went to the door and opened it.

Mark and his mother turned as one in her direction. His face showed relief; hers showed blatant curiosity.

A petite woman of around fifty, her honey-blonde hair was cut boyishly short. It framed a face, which, while still attractive, must once have been stunning. It was easy to see where Mark’s good looks had come from.

“You must be Josie.” Mark’s mother stepped forward and held out her hand. “I’m Carolyn Talleo. It’s wonderful to meet you. Mark’s told me a lot about you.”

He did?

Josie took Mrs. Talleo’s hand. It was tiny like the woman herself and was swallowed up in Josie’s larger one.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Talleo.”

“Oh, call me Carolyn. Mark, this room is a mess. How could you have your girl over with it looking like this?”

She was Mark’s girl. Josie smiled as a warm glow suffused her entire body and brought heat to her cheeks.

“It’s Masterson. He’s a pig.” Mark looked down at his bare feet.

Josie followed the direction of his gaze. That was when she saw it, a hint of pink peeking out from under the bed. The missing bra. Hopefully Mark’s mom wouldn’t see it.

“Somehow I don’t think David is the only messy one living here.” Carolyn Talleo walked to Mark’s bed. With a few deft movements, she straightened the sheets and blankets, then fluffed the pillows before she yanked the comforter up over the whole thing.

“Mom, stop. I’ll clean up later.”

“No, you won’t. I know you, honey. You and David won’t clean up until there isn’t a clean article of clothing in the entire place.” Finished with the bed, she bent and began gathering up socks and underwear.

“Mom—”

“What’s this?”

As Josie and Mark watched, his mom pulled the bra from under the bed and held it up.

“Oh.” Carolyn Talleo’s cheeks turned a pretty pink. She glanced briefly at her son, then turned her attention to Josie and held out the bra. “This must be yours, hon.”

Chapter Ten

Josie hurried down her street and up the front steps of the house. She stuck her key in the lock and let herself in. In the tiled entryway, she stopped in front of the row of mailboxes. She inserted the small silver key in the box and opened it. Kyle must have already gotten the mail. She closed the box and turned toward the stairs and her phone chimed, signaling the arrival of a text. She pulled it from the case on her belt and checked the screen. It was from Mark.

Mom wnts u 2 come 2 dinner on Sunday.

She texted back.

Why?

Seconds later Mark’s answer popped on the screen.

It’s my b-day. Will u plz come?

Simply amazing!

After the mortifying experience of accepting her pink, satin pushup bra from Mark’s mother’s perfectly manicured hand, she’d been convinced the woman would think she was a big fat ho. And now here she was inviting Josie to dinner.

But Mark’s mom had been very cool about the bra thing. After handing it over, she’d gone back to neatening up her son’s room and chatting pleasantly as if she hadn’t just found women’s underwear under his bed.

Josie, on the other hand, had wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. The most difficult part of making her exit had turned out to be convincing Mark she’d rather walk home than be driven. Surprisingly Carolyn Talleo had proven helpful in that regard too, telling her son to
“quit being such a nag”
and
“let Josie walk if she wants to walk.”
It was totally unexpected and pretty great having her as an ally. Still, dinner was…well, dinner.

Oh, what the hell. She texted.

Yes I will come.

Josie stared at her answer, then tapped Send before she could change her mind.

At the top of the stairs, Josie found the apartment door unlocked. Pausing on the landing, she took several deep breaths to calm her still jittery nerves. She reached for the knob, and the door opened.

Kyle glared at her. “Where have you been?”

Unaccustomed to Kyle’s anger, she stepped back. Her heels teetered over the edge of the top step. She swayed, her heart leaping into her throat, and caught her balance on the railing only a moment before she would have gone ass over teakettle down the stairs.

“Jesus!” Kyle grabbed her arm and hauled her forward, reminding her how strong he was. She braced for him to slam the apartment door, but he closed it softly, then turned, his eyes filled with temper and accusation.

“Well?”

“I was at the library.” Josie set her laptop bag on the desk, then slipped out of her jacket.

“Girl, your pants are so on fire.” He mimed beating out flames. “I went to the library. You were not there.”

“Last time I checked, you were not my dad, so—”

“No, I’m not, and you better be grateful, ‘cause if I was, you would be in a shitload of trouble.”

Josie opened her mouth to tell him where he could stick his “shitload of trouble,” but he plowed right over her.

“Did you ever think me and your mom would be worried when you didn’t answer your phone? We both called and texted, and what did we get? Goddamn crickets. It was all I could do to get Geri to stay here while I went to the library to look for your sorry ass. Then I had to lie and say you were still working so she wouldn’t flip out and call the cops and report you missing. So the least you can do is tell me where the hell you were all freakin’ day.”

This whole speech was delivered just above a whisper, which oddly seemed to increase its impact.

Suddenly all the fight seemed to run out of her. She propped one hip on the desk and shoved her hair back from her face.

“I was with Mark. I’m sorry you were worried.”

“Where?”

“In his room. Until his mom showed up, anyway. Then I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.”

“I don’t even want to know what you were doing when his mom showed up.”

“You’re such a liar. You totally want to know.”

Kyle grinned, all the anger melting from his face and stance. “I do totally want to know. But I’ll take a rain check. You need to deal with your mom right now. She was crying, Joes.”

Oh, not that.

“Where is she?”

“In the bedroom. I made her tea and told her to lie down. That I’d wake her when you came in.”

As if on cue, her mother’s voice floated from the back of the apartment.

“Josie, honey? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Mom.”

A moment later, her mother emerged from the hallway. Her hair stuck out at weird angles, and her eyes were puffy and red. She hurried to Josie and hugged her tight.

“I was so worried when you didn’t answer your phone.” She held her daughter at arm’s length and studied her as only a mother could. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“I have to go,” Kyle said, already closing the door after himself.

“Where?” Josie and her mother both asked at once.

“Uh, I have to…meet somebody. I’ll be back.”

Before she lost her nerve, or was it guilt, Josie started with her apology. “I’m sorry you were worried.”

“It’s all right, hon. I know you have work to do.” Her mother smiled, but the strain was still clearly evident around her eyes.

“Mom, there’s no paper. There was never any paper. I lied because I wanted you to go home.”

Hurt flashed in her mother’s eyes and was quickly concealed. But not quickly enough. Josie felt it like a knife in the heart. She had done that, put that hurt in her mom’s eyes. She was a slug.

“I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean? Why would you lie like that? And why don’t you want me here?”

She hardly knew where to begin.

“Can we sit down? I have stuff to tell you.”

“Should I make some tea?”

Making tea was her mother’s response to stress. Josie thought she might choke if she tried to drink tea right then.

She shook her head. “Let’s just sit and talk.”

Her mother sat on the couch. Josie sat beside her, then, because she wanted the contact, turned sideways and took her mother’s hands in hers.

“Mom, Mark is my boyfriend. I was with him today, not in the library.”

Before her mother could interrupt, Josie told how she’d gone to the library, how Mark had come looking for her and how she’d gone back to his room.

“Josie, does he—”

“He doesn’t know I’m trans.”

“Oh, honey.”

“I know I have to tell him. I just…”

“Don’t know how,” her mother filled in.

“Mom, I think I really like him. I just don’t want…” Her throat clogged, and her eyes filled. But when her mother let go of her hands and reached for her, Josie shook her head. She had to say it. “I don’t know if I can stand it if he doesn’t want me after, you know? I guess that’s why I haven’t told him.”

“I know, baby,” her mom whispered and gathered Josie close.

The tears spilled over, and Josie let them come, taking comfort in the familiar warmth and scent of her mother’s embrace.

She cried, sobbing as she had not let herself sob in longer than she could remember, until she had cried herself dry and the sobs turned to hiccups, then finally to quiet exhaustion.

They sat like that for a long time, Josie resting her head on her mom’s breast, her mother gently stroking her hair. Her mother was the first to speak, her tone gentle but firm.

“You have to tell him, honey, before things get serious. Are things getting serious?”

Josie nodded. She sat up straight, sniffed, then wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

“Oh, honey, here.” From the pocket of her skirt, Josie’s mom produced a tissue. She held it to Josie’s nose. “Blow.”

Josie blew; then she laughed.

“What?”

“There’s a line in
My Fair Lady
where Henry says to Eliza, ‘This is your handkerchief and this is your sleeve. Don’t confuse the two.’”

Her mom smiled. “It’s good advice. But let’s get back to you and Mark, okay?

“Okay.”

“I think after seeing you together, he does care for you. I know I only saw you together for a few minutes, but I got a vibe from him.”

“You and your vibes.”

“I’m usually right, am I not? So don’t knock it. Anyway, if you care for each other, I think you need to be honest with him.”

“But—”

Her mom shushed her.

“You know I’m usually the last one to tell you to advertise your identity as a transgirl. You know how I worry about your safety. All the stories in the news…”

Her mother shuddered and rubbed her arms as if she were chilled.

“I don’t think Mark would ever hurt me, not like that.”

“I hope you’re right. I think you are, but I still worry.”

“So what should I do?”

Her mom sighed. “I wish I knew. What I do know is if he were to find out some other way—I don’t know how—it could be very bad. He might at least be very hurt by your lack of honesty.”

“You never wanted me to tell anyone or call attention to myself before. What’s different now?”

“I guess I’m starting to realize you’re all grown up now, and I can’t protect you the way I used to.”

“Oh, Mom.”

“Don’t
oh, Mom
me, missy. I know you have to live your life, but I’d like to know you have someone who will love you. And share that life. That shouldn’t be too much to ask, should it?”

* * * *

“Happy birthday dear Mar-ark. Happy birthday to you!”

“And many more,” Mark’s older brother Chris and his boyfriend Kevin sang with a flourish as Mark blew out the candles.

The last candle flickered stubbornly.

“C’mon, honey, you can blow harder than that,” Mark’s mom said.

Chris and Kevin exchanged a look and both burst out laughing.

“Oh stop it, you two. You’re like a couple of twelve-year-olds.” Carolyn made a face at her older son and his lover but couldn’t quite keep her lips from twitching into a grin.

“Sorry, Carolyn.” Kevin sipped his water, struggled manfully for control, and lost. He spluttered, then coughed into his napkin while Chris thumped him on the back.

“You are such a suck-up.” Chris poked him in the side, and the two of them were off again in guffaws of male hilarity.

“Kevin, dude, I thought for a minute you were going to treat us to a nose fountain.” Mark laughed.

Carolyn sighed, leaned over the table and blew out the last candle, then turned to Josie. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to have another woman in the house. All this testosterone gets to me sometimes.”

“I really appreciate you inviting me, Mrs. Talleo.”

She found she really meant it too. It felt good sitting there around the dining room table with Mark and his family, better than she’d anticipated even having met Mark’s mom already. Mrs. “Please-call-me-Carolyn” Talleo had been welcoming and gracious from the moment Josie and Mark arrived. Mark’s brother, Chris, and his boyfriend, Kevin, were friendly and easy to talk to and made her feel at home almost immediately. Besides that, they were an adorable couple. Every time they looked at each other, the love shone like a beacon in both their faces. It warmed Josie down to her toes to see it and the honest affection Mark’s mom showed for her gay son’s lover. It lit a tiny glimmer of hope in her heart for her own relationship with Mark. If there was ever a family besides her own who might be able to accept her for who she was, the Talleos were it.

“Will you have coffee with your cake, Josie? Or would you prefer something else?” Carolyn pushed back her chair and stood.

“We’ll both have coffee,” Mark said.

“I’ll get it.” Chris stood, then headed for the kitchen while his mother took dessert plates from the china cabinet.