Byline chapter 10

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Copyright © 2021 Peregrine
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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I was bored the next evening. I decided to go to the bar for what I called Andrea’s experiment. Going to my closet, I found a nice, just above-the-knee-length sleeveless red dress. I thought it would do the trick. I put the lingerie I had purchased on my shopping trip with Andrea on the bed. I put a pair of open-toed sandals that matched the dress on the floor. I thought a black bag would go well with the outfit. With my outfit ready, I went to do my date night routine.

~~0~~

It seemed the bartender came over within seconds of me sitting down. My crossed legs were hanging down from the high stool. I ordered a cola. I did ask if they made milkshakes. The bartender referred me to the restaurant.

I was familiar with this hotel bar. I think I mentioned Matt and I would come here with the intention of picking up girls. Our success rate had not been as high as we would have liked. Looking around, I noticed my reflection in the mirror behind the bar. Damn, I looked good. I could not get over how much I looked like Abbey. Even with my own style, I still would have been mistaken for her twin. I started thinking maybe I’ll learn some new pickup lines tonight.

Fifteen minutes after sitting down, a guy sat two stools away from me and ordered a beer. Two sips of his beer later he started talking with me. I tried to be sure not to give him any of the subtle signals indicating I was interested that Andrea had taught me. He got the idea and left. Five minutes later, his spot was taken by another guy who ordered a whiskey on the rocks. He started to try to make conversation. I was polite and told him I was waiting for my boyfriend. He didn’t look pleased as he left the bar. I could see him watching me from the table he went to.

I found out that a good-looking, well-dressed woman at a bar gets offered drinks. During my first 45 minutes, I had politely refused three drinks. An hour and fifteen minutes into this experiment, the guy who ordered the whiskey came back to the bar. He took the stool right next to me and put his drink down between us.

“It looks like you’ve been stood up darling. How about we go somewhere and have a good time?”

“You might be right,” I said. “It seems I have been stood up. Thanks for the offer but I’m going to head on home.”

I got my bag and prepared to get off the stool.

“What’s the rush, honey? The night’s young. Let’s get dinner and you can tell me all about it. I can be a sympathetic ear.”

“Thank you but not tonight.”

He grabbed my arm. “I’m not used to taking no for an answer,” he said.

I tried to pull my arm away from him. As I did, our arms hit his glass spilling whiskey all over my dress and his pants. The glass crashed to the floor. I got off the stool and looked down at my whiskey-stained dress.

“That wasn’t very nice. You owe me,” he said.

The bartender came over. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, thanks. Please get the gentleman another drink.”

I reached into my purse and put the money on the bar. The bartender arrived with his drink.

“You owe me more than that darling.” He grabbed my arm again.

I was about ready to try pulling away again. With these heels on, I couldn’t get enough leverage. Suddenly a guy came between us.

“I believe the lady said she was going home for the night. I suggest you let her leave.” He took the guy's arm in his hand and pulled it away from me.

“This ain’t any of your business. She owes me!” the whiskey guy complained.

“She bought you another drink. I think the debt's been paid. Why don’t you take the drink and leave.”

“These pants are ruined, I’m going to have to get them dry cleaned.”

My benefactor took out what looked like fifty dollars and stuffed it in the guy’s shirt pocket.

“Buy yourself another pair. I don’t want to have to tell you again to leave.”

The whiskey guy looked undecided. He took his drink and thought it was better to retreat.

“I’m sorry about that. Someone like him gives men a bad name. Are you alright?”

I looked up as he turned. “Yes, thanks. I don't know how…” I stopped in mid-sentence.

“Abbey? What are you doing here?” he said. There was an awkward silence.

I almost died. I knew him. I knew him because Abbey knew him. It was her old boyfriend, Glen.

“Glen! um… It’s so good to see you. Thanks for your help.” I made sure I still had my bag. “I’m sorry. I just want to get out of here.”

“Sure, How about we go to the coffee shop down the street? We can catch up.”

“Um… sure.”

“That’s the last place I expected to see you,” Glen said as we walked to the coffee shop. “Were you waiting for someone? I heard him say you had been stood up.”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you after we order.”

We ordered our drinks. I got an iced vanilla latte. It’s the closest thing they have to a milkshake. Glen refused to let me pay. I felt I at least owed him the money he gave to the whiskey guy to get new pants. I found a table while he waited for the drinks. I could smell the whiskey on my dress. I smelled like a bar. He came back and set the drinks down. He still thought I was Abbey.

“Thanks.” I took a sip. I saw some lipstick on the straw. I still was getting used to seeing that. I'm going to have to use more lip primer and lick my lips first.

“When did you start drinking iced lattes’? That’s more C J’s style.”

I smiled and took another sip.

“It’s really good to see you. It’s been a while,” he said. “So what’s this long story?”

“Glen, I’m not Abbey.” He looked surprised.

“You’re not Abbey? But you look just like her. You know my name. Are you a cousin? She never told me she had a look-alike cousin.”

“Glen, I’m C J.”

I could see the shock on Glen’s face. He was suddenly speechless as words caught in his throat. He tried to process the news as he leaned back in his chair. He took a sip of his coffee. He soon recovered from the shock.

“You’re C J? I would never have believed it. When did you decide to, um, switch sides? Don’t get me wrong. You look great. Almost a spitting image of Abbey. I never would have known.”

I told him about me getting a job at the magazine, the idea for the article and how it evolved. I told him I was asked to write the article, about my training and why I was at the bar. He sat there taking it all in.

“You’re doing all this for an article? It’s like you’re an investigative undercover reporter.”

“You could say that. They expect it to be a feature article.”

“So you’re living as a woman for a year. Your sister told me you were going out with a guy for a while. That’s why I thought… and seeing you like this...well you know.”

“She Told you? She wasn't supposed to tell anyone. I’m gonna get her for that.” He laughed at me. “No offense. I can understand it,” I said.

“This experiment, as you called it, you should have had someone with you.”

“You’re right. It seems so obvious now. But that’s hindsight. I can't tell you how glad I am you were there. How did I get so lucky? What were you doing at the bar?”

“I’m speaking at a conference tomorrow morning. The conference is paying for the hotel. I’m staying there rather than fight the morning traffic. I was leaving to get dinner. I’m going to try the restaurant about a block from here. I’m glad I was there to help.” He paused as he finished his coffee. “This is going to sound strange since I was going to get dinner, would you like to join me? You could get back at your sister by telling me what she’s been up to.”

“It does seem a little weird,” I said. “I’m not Abbey.”

“Yeah, sure, I know. I’m only looking for the company. You're a familiar face, even if it is Abbey’s.”

“I have one condition. I pay for my meal.”

“It’s a deal,” he said. “Damn, you even sound like your sister.”

“I still smell like whiskey though.”

“Not a problem. It’s my favorite drink.”

Outside the coffee shop, I took his arm as we walked to a nearby restaurant. He didn’t seem to mind. I guess I overdid it a bit. I thought it would seem strange if I was walking beside him without holding his arm. I wondered if I was breaking some girl code by going to dinner with my sister's ex-boyfriend. It was just dinner. He only wanted company. I might ask Andrea about that.

At dinner, I told him all about Abbey’s apartment problem. I might have accidentally let it slip about her meeting Gil. It was an honest slip.

~~0~~

After dinner, Glen waited while I got a cab. We said our goodbyes. I thanked him again as the cab pulled away. I decided to call Abbey from the cab. I felt guilty about having dinner with Glen. She was home and said I could come over. I used the code to get into the building but knocked on the apartment door. Abbey let me in. I looked around. To my surprise, I didn’t recognize the place. Abbey had decided to totally redecorate. I mean everything. It really looked great. I wasn’t going to tell her though.

“Wow, what happened here? It looks so different.”

“I hope you don’t mind. It’s just… the apartment wasn’t feminine enough. I didn’t feel comfortable bringing a date here. I didn’t want to explain I was living in my brother’s apartment.”

“It certainly has your personality. Where’s my stuff?”

“I packed your personal stuff, neatly, in some storage boxes and put them in the closet.” She bit the right side of her lower lip. I knew next was news she didn’t want to tell me. ”I gave the furniture to goodwill.”

“You what? You gave it away? That was my furniture!”

“Casey, you got most of that at yard sales and flea markets. Nothing went together. You’re letting me stay here rent-free so I bought you new furniture.”

“You could have told me.”

“If I had, you never would have let me do it. You would have said I didn’t need to pay you back and you liked your stuff. Doing this made me feel good. This is my way of letting you know I appreciate you letting me stay here. Now it looks like a woman’s apartment when I bring a guy here.”

“Wait, you brought a guy here? Eww, I don’t want to know.”

She laughed at my comment.

“Sure I had a guy here,” She pointed at the rug. “We had sex on the rug...”

“Stop it!”

She pointed to the couch. “…and on the couch.”

“I’m not listening!”

“We might have had sex on the table too.”

“Abbey!”

She was laughing so hard I thought she would fall over.

I was wondering how I was going to tell Abbey I had dinner with Glen. How could I tell her I might have mentioned something about her meeting Gil. Okay, I did tell him. Did I break another girl code? She finally finished laughing.

“I’m glad you came over. You know I love spending time with my sister. Who I love.” She smiled at me. “You know, I kind of wish you had been my sister all my life."

"It's only for the year, sis.” I paused. I bit the left side of my lower lip. “You might not be so happy with me."

“What are you talking about?”

"I’m not sure, I was going to ask Andrea..."

"Ask her what?"

"If I broke some sort of girl code."

"Girl code? What girl code?"

I hesitated and bit my lower lip again. Damn, Abbey does that on the other side when she doesn't want to tell me something.

"Come on Casey, out with it."

"I kind of had dinner with Glen."

"You what!? How do you kind of have dinner with my ex-boyfriend?”

“Okay, I had dinner with him.”

“Where did you see him? Did he ask you out? Wait, did he know it was you or did he think it was me?"

"Abbey, let me explain."

I told Abbey about the night’s events. "Then he said he was going to dinner and asked if I wanted to come."

"You could have said no."

"I was hungry. I told him who I was right away. He knew it was me. All we did was talk. I paid half the bill."

"First, that was a stupid thing to do."

"I know, I should have said no."

"I'm talking about going to the bar by yourself. Why would you do such a thing?"

"I'd been there before when Matt and I would go out on a Friday night."

“Second, you shouldn’t go out with any of your girlfriend’s ex-boyfriends. Especially your sister's ex-boyfriends. But I don't have a problem with it. I'm not mad. Glen and I mutually agreed to stop seeing each other. I don't have to worry about you and Glen having a relationship, do I?"

"No, not ever. I think all he kept seeing was you. Even though he knew it was me. I think he pretended he was out with you. He even used your name a few times. I want any person I hook up with to want me."

"You didn't say any girl."

"I'm still working on that."

"Does that mean you'll go out with Dave when he comes to town?"

"Sure Abs. For you, I'll go out with Dave on a double date. I’m still not going to like it." I bit my lower lip again and began twirling my hair. "I think I told Glen you were seeing someone."

"You what! You told him about Gil?" I ducked as a pillow whizzed past my head. She laughed. "How did he react? Was he jealous?"

We talked about Glen, Gil and Dave for a while.

I got ready to leave and stopped when I realized something Abbey had said. “Abbey, you said you redecorated because you wanted to bring guys here. Have you brought someone here?”

"Gil's in town," she said. “He never really left.”

"He’s here? Is Dave in town also?" I didn't know why I asked about Dave. It sort of just came out.

"No. They bought a house outside of Philly in Ardmore. Dave had to get back. Gil stayed to finish the paperwork.

"He's been here all week? Wait. Is he the guy you brought here?" She bit her lower lip.

"Maybe."

"Abs, Eww. I don't want to know."

"Case, he's really nice. During our time together, I found I really like him. I had to make it look like my apartment. How could I explain I had a brother? Especially now. With that chest, it would be hard to pass you off as my brother. You should have seen the poem he sent me."

"A poem? He sent you a poem?"

"Here, let me show you."

She found the email and handed me her phone. I began to read,

Soft Warm Lips*

Whose lips are these? I think I know.
Their owner is quite happy though.
Full of joy like a vivid rainbow,
I watch her laugh. I cry hello.
She gives her lips a shake,
And laughs until her belly aches.
The only other sound's the break
Of distant waves and birds awake.
Her lips are soft, warm and deep,
But she has promises to keep,
After cake and lots of sleep,
Sweet dreams come to her cheap.
She rises from her gentle bed,
With thoughts of kittens in her head,
She eats her jam with lots of bread.
Ready for the day ahead.

"Oh my God. That is so bad. You don’t even like cats."

"I know but he wrote it for me. I think it's sweet. And I do like kittens."

"You've got it bad Abs."

~~0~~

*Thanks to the quick poem generator website found here:

https://www.poem-generator.org.uk/quick/

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Thanks for reading. Comments welcome.

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Photo Composite by Peregrine