"	Gene's Story or How I Gained a Cousin A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright 2016

CHAPTER 26

We returned to the office in Ginny's new ride and carried our lunches inside. I haven't had a roast beef sandwich in a long time, and this one had my mouth watering.

After doing everything except eating the wrapper, I was content to sit back and look at the bay and the wheeling seagulls, but Ginny had other ideas.

“Ellen, can we talk about my future? I mean, I can't follow you everywhere like a dog; I need to do things on my own,” she said, interrupting the silent communication I was having with a large seagull attempting to break a muscle shell on the roof of my Explorer.

“Ginny, keeping in mind your status, you can do or go wherever you wish. You could've asked to use my car. I would have let you.”

Ginny started to speak, but I interrupted her. “But please don't try to go clubbing alone! I'll go with you. That's how girls like you get badly beaten, by disappointed bar pickups, when they find out your secret. It's dangerous for me, but three times worse for you.”

“I hear what you are saying, but what can I do? I'm going crazy staying in the house at night all the time.”

“Were you a playboy when you were Gene, or is this something new?” I asked her. “Just lay low for awhile,that's all I ask.”

She looked at me, shrugged, and said “I'm sorry Ellen, you're right. I need to just chill, at least for a while. I'll be good.”

I looked at my phone, saw the time, shut down the desktop, yelled to Ginny that there was no overtime, and to pack-up and head home. As we started home I asked if we needed to stop anywhere. Ginny suggested we stop at a supermarket, so she can get the fixing for a couple of nights' supper. I headed for the Stop and Shop in Vinin Square.

Ginny found a cart and headed for the meat department. She got a roast beef, a small turkey, and a canned ham. While she was doing this, I got a package of burger patties, chicken wings, and Italian sausages. We went to the Deli counter, took a number, and waited our turn.

As I stood there, from behind me I heard, “My day has improved, look who's here.”

Kevin!

Ginny turned around, all thoughts of potato salad and cold cuts forgotten. “Your day? You just put mine over the top.”

All thoughts of our conversation yesterday went out the window. Looks like there was no avoiding this, we had to have a serious talk with him, and now.
“Kevin are you doing anything for supper?” I asked, “If you're free, why don't you follow us home and eat with us, Ginny's a marvelous chef.”

With that, he perked up. “Thank you, That sounds great. Chef? Not cook?”

“I went to gourmet cooking school in Cambridge,”she said. “I can make a fancy entrée from hotdogs and beans.”

“Hey, what's wrong with franks and beans?” he said. ”I grew up on that along with brown bread.”

“I'll guarantee, no hotdogs tonight Kevin,” Ginny promised.

While this was going on, I just stood there rolling my eyes, thinking what did I do to deserve this?

“Kevin, we'll do the supper and desert, why don't you pick up some red wine? Do you like cheese cake? The bakery here does a great cake.”

“Who doesn't like cheese cake. I'll head for the liquor store now and meet you at the bank across the street.”

We quickly finished our shopping, Ginny almost running from one aisle to another. We went through the checkout headed for the car, hardly speaking a word. Once inside, I decided to break the silence.

“When Kevin gets there, please don't act like a she dog in heat. We'll have a drink, while you start cooking. This will give me time to lay the groundwork for what's to come. He's going to be shocked, but I think he'll listen. He's too good a friend to loose.”

“She dog in heat?” she shrieked. “What do you mean by that?”

“You know what I mean, look how you act. It's like he's an ice cream cone, that you want to lick.”

“Yeah, I could do that,” she grinned, “Am I that obvious? Okay, I'll tone it down, you do all the talking tonight, cuz.”

We passed Kevin's truck, and headed home, with him close behind. We pulled in to the driveway, I headed to the front door, while Kevin and Ginny got the groceries, and unloaded them in the kitchen. With three of us working, things were put away in a jiffy.

I headed for my bedroom to change, while Ginny entertained Kevin in the living room. I was back out in record time, not wanting to leave those two together too long. Ginny changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, and headed for the kitchen.
“Kevin, we've known each other for quite a while, I consider us good friends. We trust each other, don't we?”

“Ellen, what are you leading up to? Is something wrong? Are you or Ginny sick? Just ask, I'll help in any way I can.”

Damn, after that, I felt sick telling him, but I had to! “Kevin, you must have an open mind about what I'm going to tell you. Do you know who Caitlyn Jenner is? And who she used to be?”

He gave me a funny look, “Bruce Jenner was an Olympic Athlete who decided he was really a woman and decided to live as one. He also had surgery to enhance his appearance, I'm not sure if he had the surgery to make him a complete woman though. Wait a minute, you can't mean, I mean, you look like, ah hell, Ellen, I will still like you, even if you were once a guy. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But tell me, what was your name before, well, before you became Ellen?

I almost hit him. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry , I mean, I'm the woman here. Ginny must be really be chuckling in the kitchen if she heard this. Oh well, here goes nothing!

“You can't be that thick. I'm not talking about me, you blockhead!”

“Well then who? You certainly don't mean your cousin!” He stopped, looked at me, looked at Ginny, looked back at me, “No, you're kidding, it's impossible! You two are playing a joke, you mean Ginny is a man?”

“Well, you flatterer, I don't mean me, for goodness sake. Wow, how to ruin a girl's confidence. You have been around horses too long. Of course I mean Ginny. She started out as Gene, but she's not him any more, and please don't call her anything else but Ginny or Virginia.”

About this time Ginny joined us, and sat beside me on the sofa. “Did you tell him? Is everything okay?”

“Ask him,” I said. “You're doing something right, he thought I meant me!”

With that, she started to laugh, looking back and forth between Kevin and me, tears of laughter running down her cheeks. “You, oh no. That's priceless.”

Poor Kevin, he sat frozen in his chair, mouth wide open, staring at my femme fatale of a cousin.

He finally came to life, got up, headed for the bottle of bourbon I had left on the counter, grabbed a glass, poured a generous amount and swallowed it in one move.

Returning to his chair, he finally spoke. “You fooled me. Sorry Ellen, between the two of you, I chose wrong, will I be forgiven?”

I got up and made Ginny and I a drink and refreshed Kevin's.

I asked, ”You must have a million questions, now's the time, fire away.”

He looked at Ginny, “Are you a transvestite?”

“No,” Ginny said.

“Are you gay? I mean you seemed to be very attracted to me sexually, I could feel the vibes, and responded back. Now I feel embarrassed, crap!”

“Oh, Kevin, I feel terrible, I'm not gay and neither are you. This is difficult, you see, inside, under this skin, I am a female, just like Ellen. She was born with the proper plumbing, I wasn't. So when you kissed me, it was a girl you were kissing. This is so hard to explain.”

At this point, I jumped in. “Do you know the term 'transgender'? This is now becoming a term used to describe people like Ginny. There are horror stories of parents attempting to 'cure' their children with this 'affliction'. There have just been laws passed to prevent the restraint and 'treatment' of children who are 'confused'.

“Ginny is a woman as much as I am, it's now up to you to accept this, or reject her and head home.”

“Wow, This is a lot to digest. Ginny, how do you feel about me?”

Ginny took a deep breath, let it out and said, “Oh, Kevin, I think I was falling in love with you. That's over I guess. I never felt attracted to a man before this. Don't hate me.”

“Hate you? I was falling for you, I love you! I love Ginny, with or without the correct plumbing. What does that make me?”

Ginny stood walked across the floor and kissed him on the cheek, “It makes you human.”

“I hate to break this up kids, but my nose tells me dinner may be ready.”

Ginny shrieked, and ran to the oven. “Quick, give me a pot holder, something, I've got to get this bird out of there before it's ruined.”

While she played Julia Child, I refreshed Kevin's and my drinks.

“That makes you a great guy,”I told him, “I hoped you would react this way.”

He then got a kiss from me too.

To be continued.

Many thanks to Bronwen for fixing the typos and grammar.