Dot and Sam 28

Dorothy Philpot. Landlady of The Harbour Light pub
Sam Philpot. Drag-queen and lifelong companion of Dot’s.
Billy Parkins Doorkeeper.
Jessica Merlot The town’ and county archaeologist.
Josephine MacDonald The town and county archivist.
Richard Drummond Town planning inspector
Robert Vincent. Junior planning inspector.
Georgina. (Georgie) Homeless Transgender girl previously known as George.
Bobby Gay boy on the school bus.
Marty Girl on the school bus. (She becomes Georgie’s best friend and lover)
Jack. Marty’s twin brother (Keen runner).
Trevor Aitkins, Georgie’s Biological father.
Lucinda Aitkins Georgie’s biological mother
Terence Georgie’s step-dad
Peter Terence’s homophobic son.
Allison. Old school friend of Trevor & Retired Solicitor
Fred Allison’s husband
Elizabeth Aitkins (Beth) Georgie’s younger biological sister. Later proves to be sympathetic to her ‘sister’
Jonathon Aitkins (Johnny) Georgie’s younger biological brother.
Rosie the Rivetter Terf Gang Leader on campus.

As the party at The Harbour Light was going full swing, Trevor felt a tug at his arm. On turning he met his ex-wife’s worried face as she expressed her concerns.

“I would have thought George would have been with you tonight, Elizabeth and Jonathon both tell me he lives down here in the South-West.”

Trevor shrugged and tilted his head as he made a slightly wry smile.

“No. There’s nobody named George here that I know of.”

“You’ve met our son though, haven’t you? In London according to Jonathon.”

“Yes, I met all three children in London, then our oldest child said goodbye on Paddington station, whilst I drove our two youngest back to you as per the custody order.”

“Do you know where he lives?”

“I know where she lives,” Trevor corrected her.

“She?” Lucy squinted doubtfully.

“Yes, she; and you know she’s changed her name and gender as per the law, because both Beth and Johnny have told me that they’ve told you. So why do you persist in using male pronouns?”

“He’s a boy; born a boy so always a boy.”

“Biologically, yes; but it's what between her ears that makes her human. Keep on like that with the male pronouns and she’ll never reconcile with you.” Trevor advised her then continued. “If you expect her to ever associate with your new partner Terry, then that goes double. You can say goodbye to your child. Don’t forget now, she’s eighteen and a legal adult.”

“Aren’t you disappointed you’ll never have grandchildren by him?”

“I can correct you there,” Trevor smiled tightly, “before George transitioned he had his sperm frozen and his partner was fully agreeable. When the two are ready both mentally and financially, they’ll try for children.”

“What!” Lucy almost squealed.

“You heard. When they’re ready, they’ll have kids.”

“What sort of family will that be?”

“A family where a child is not knocked about by a bullying, transphobic step-father.”

“The boy needed some sort of parental guidance. He was like a mincing queer.” Lucy protested.

Trevor lowered his voice but a note of menacing censure conveyed his feelings perfectly.

“Listen Lucy! Dot showed me the hospital photographs and Georgie’s horrific injuries were days old when the police surgeon took them. Don’t talk to me of ‘parental guidance’. Terry is a vicious, homophobic bully. That’s why Dot was allowed to foster Georgie and I had unrestricted parental access returned to me.”

“Was she living here when Dot was fostering.”

“Yes.” Trevor replied briefly to avoid any more interrogation.

“So where is she now?”

“She attends college in London.” Trevor replied disingenuously.

“But it’s the college vacation. Are you saying she’s staying at college.”,

“Where she chooses to stay is something neither you, nor I, nor Dot has any control of; nor any right to know. As I said, Georgie is eighteen and an adult.”

Lucinda stalked angrily away for it was obvious Trevor was not going to say where their oldest child was. As she resumed her seat, she concluded angrily, that she might yet have lost her oldest child forever; then she caught herself thinking of her son George as ‘her child’, not ‘her son’ and she bit her lip thoughtfully.

“What did he want?” Terry asked Lucinda as she rejoined him at their table..

“He didn’t want anything; it was me wanting to know where my oldest is.”

“Did he tell you?”

“No. All he said was that if she was ready, she might contact me.”

“She?!”

“Yes Terry! Apparently she’s gone the whole nine yards, gender surgery, name change, the whole caboodle. She even registered at college in London; as a woman apparently.”

“Well good riddance to it I say. Just be grateful you’ve got two normal kids plus your adopted kids.”

“She’s still my kid Terry. I still want to meet her.”

“What? Curious are you? See what sort of freak he’s turned into?”

Lucinda’s eyes blazed angrily and Allison noticed her friend’s distress. Thoughtfully, she stood up, caught Lucy’s eye and motioned discreetly towards the loos.

“D’ you want to go back to ours?”

Lucy let out a sob as she stumbled into the lavatories then explained. “No I’ll not spoil the evening, I’ll stick it out to midnight, just let me touch up my slap.”

They emerged after long minutes as Lucy recomposed herself, then Allison returned to their table first. There she took it upon herself to take Terry to task just as he was about to ask what the hell was keeping his wife.

“Never mind what’s keeping her. Just stop harping on about Georgie. She’s stressed enough as it is. Just shut up! Okay!”

Terry pursed his lips pugnaciously before responding.

“She should just accept the fact that her son is some sort of queer or tranny and she’s going to have to cut the apron strings.”

“That doesn’t help at all Terry! George is still her son. A mother doesn’t just let go and wave goodbye forever; and besides, the apron strings are well and truly cut!”

“What! When the boy’s just a mincing, prancing queer attracting all sorts of unwarranted attention.”

“If you carry on like that Terry,” Alison warned, “you’re going to lose Lucy.”

“I doubt it,” Terry scoffed, “she’ knows she’s got it cushy at our house and I see the kids right for money and stuff. The others are all treated fairly, I make sure of that.”

“You didn’t treat George fairly.”

“Yes I did, he got the same allowances. He just wasted it on make-up, dresses and stuff.”

“If you were treating him fairly, why did he run away. Trevor tells me that you or that oaf of a son of yours, Peter beat him up.”

“Hey up, she’s coming back. Say nothing now, we just want to keep things calm.”

Allison glanced across the bar to see Lucy approaching. Behind her was one of the serving girls in a showgirl leotard and tights. As Lucy sat down the girl produced her tab with a flourish and looked up expectantly.

“Is it the same again?” She smiled.

“Yes please,” Fred confirmed as he glanced down at the girl’s feet. “Still in your heels I see. Well done girl; are you going to win?”

“I dunno,” she grinned, “it’s a toss-up between me and Blondie over there. The skinny bitch isn’t carrying so much fat.”

Both Fred and Terry exchanged appreciative grins as they watched the girl return to the bar whilst doing her utmost to hide the pain. Alison gave both men a thump on the arm as she scolded their licentiousness.

“Hey! You dirty old buggers. She’s only just stopped being jail-bait!”

Both husbands smirked guiltily at Alison as they returned to their drinks. She wagged her head with classic female despair.

‘Men never change!’ She mused.

A few hours later the party reached its New-Year crescendo and after the wild celebrations, Dot got a grip on the evening. Prizes were awarded for best outfits and the waitresses were awarded for their endurances upon the heels. Marty won the honours while Georgie came third. For Georgie, the biggest prize of the night was not being recognised by her mother and step-father as she stood on the drag-queens stage to receive her modest award. Her flamboyant, drag-queen make had perfectly disguised her face.

As the partygoers slowly and indeed reluctantly, started to make their ways home; Georgie and Marty paused from the bottle-collecting and flopped down onto the bar stools now vacant as the bar emptied. Marty sighed sympathetically for her partner Georgie as she rubbed her feet.

As they grinned at each other, Dot approached with a satisfied look.

“Did you have a good night girls?”

“My feet don’t think so,” Georgie grimaced as she fingered a blister on her toe, “but my head does. Can we leave the cleaning to the morning?”

Dot nodded ‘yes’ as Sam finished locking up and securing the pub for the night.

“Are we opening tomorrow?” Marty wondered.

“Yes but not until two o’ clock.” Dot grinned then added. “Most will be hung over anyways.”

Thus relieved of their duties, the pair carefully picked their ways upstairs and collapsed happily on the bed while sighing with relief for their sore feet. As their mutual pains subsided both girls savoured the moon shining on their bodies before tugging the double duvet around them and snuggling together, as calm descended on the riverside pub.

Their last delight was lying snuggled together on their tummies under the duvet whilst watching the moon reflecting off the river before setting behind the trees.

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“Happy New Year! Lazy bones. Rise and shine!” Dot exclaimed cheerfully through the heavy, ancient bedroom door..

“How does she bloody do it?” Marty groaned to Georgie as they stirred reluctantly under the duvet.”

“She’s a robot I tell you.” Georgie giggled as she reached for her robe.

“Come on!” Dot called again through the door, “part of the bargain was helping to clean.”

Marty released a long melodious yawn and swung her legs seductively out of her side of the bed as she made the fastest move to the loo. By now however, all inhibitions between the girls had evaporated and Marty didn’t even have time to flush the pan before Georgie followed immediately. They giggled as they shared a body shower without soaking their hair and were soon tumbling downstairs where Dot had already laid the breakfast table while Sam was cleaning the ashes in the huge inglenook fireplace.

“What time are the rest of the girls coming to open up?” Georgie asked Dot.

“They’re scheduled for twelve, the chef will be here as well, so if we can finish cleaning by then it means you’ll be full time waitressing the moment we open. More tables, more tips.”

Both girls exchanged grins over the rims of their coffee mugs, then they were soon stuck into cleaning.

“Thank God for stone slab floors and quarry tiles,” Marty observed as she sluiced the next pile of floor suds out through the door and onto the cobblestoned forecourt.

“Yeah, could you imagine if this was like the University union Bar, all carpeted and sticky.” Georgie agreed.

“Carpets are unhygienic where lots of booze is served.” Dot added as she stepped aside to let Georgie continue mopping.

Once all the floors were mopped, the four of them shared another cup of tea to let the floors dry before replacing all the tables and chairs. They finished just after twelve and as the catering staff arrived and started laying up the tables. Finally, Georgie and Marty restocked the lavatories then joined Sam bottling up behind the bar.

“So, are we waitressing or bar-keeping Georgie asked as the whole team assembled at two.

“One of you can be barmaid while the other joins the table girls,” Dot explained as Billy busied himself unlocking the main front door in the porch.

Georgie and Marty had Sam toss a coin for the Barmaid job and Marty won.

“It’ll be your first time behind the bar serving drinks,” Sam observed, “so if you’ve any problems like mixes or cocktails, don’t hesitate. It isn’t usually busy on New year’s afternoon; the rush comes tonight.”

Marty smiled her thanks for the help and immediately took station beside Sam while Georgie initially assisted with setting up the carvery before the restaurant filled up and she was needed as a waitress.

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In the tumult of the mid-afternoon, Georgie was returning a tray of empty wine glasses to the Bar where Marty was busy filling the glass-washer. Marty, naturally, was smiling at Georgie as she arranged the wine glasses by shape and style to speed up Marty’s loading the washer. As they exchanged amused grins Georgie suddenly noticed Marty’s grin fade quickly.

“What?” Georgie asked.

“They’re here.”

“Who?”

“Who d’ you think. Your stepdad.”

Georgie craned her neck to locate the front door in the bar room mirror behind the bottles then her own face drained in colour as she recognised her mother with her new partner Terry and their friends Allison and Fred.

“Fuck it! What shall I do?” She whispered hoarsely yet loudly enough to catch Sam’s attention.

Sam turned at the sound of Georgie’s urgent question and quickly grasped the situation. Quickly she offered her advice.

“Brazen it out girl. Billy’s here to stop any trouble. Just ignore them and avoid their table.”

“That’s tricky,” Georgie protested. I’m waitressing and bottling so I have to collect glasses as and when between serving.”

“I’ll swap with you if you want babe’s,” Marty offered. “You come behind the bar.”

Georgie exchanged a long nervous glance with Sam who stared intently before saying.

“Now’s the time to face the beast love. You’re surrounded by friends and Billy’s here.”

Georgie paused for some moments then growled to give herself courage.

“You’re right Sam. I’m gonna have to do it some time. Tell Dot.”

“Okay. I’ll let Billy know as well. Do you think Terry might get violent?” Sam asked as she stepped out from behind the bar.

Georgie shrugged and toyed nervously with the glasses until Dot emerged from the Kitchen.

“Are you up for this?” Dot asked softly.

“As good as I’ll ever be.” Georgie confessed. “D’ you think I should go up and take their order. They still don’t seem to have recognised me.”

“They’ve hardly sat down yet. Let your waitressing take it’s course and if you find yourself looking like serving their table, just tip the wink to Sam and Billy.

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