"...I think people might be staring," I whispered to Ophelia as we walked through the cramped shopping centre.

"What they wish to do with their eyes is their business, not ours," Ophelia replied, holding her head high even as every head we passed turned to look in our direction.

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled as I tried not to let my cheeks go too red.

Smoky Corners 6-V: JC Salinger

Whoever heard of Smoky Corners, Montana? You can’t even find it on a map, unless you are looking for it. It’s perfect…

I needed a place serene, someplace to get over… Well, get over everything. My wife, Sophie, had been shot in front of me by her lover. She had obviously been cheating on me. I couldn’t write anymore. My publisher was begging me for another book; I was empty. I don’t know what drew me to an old road atlas. Google seemed to have taken over the map, literally. I remember driving through the northern half of the US in my youth. I was trying to find myself. Jack Clay. Well, that was who I was when I started out. Funny, that’s who I’m trying to find again. So, Jack Clay, welcome to Smoky Corners, Montana.

The man, who appeared to be about 55 years of age with silver coloured mid-shoulder length hair, wearing a medium brown lightweight woollen suit with vest and a hideous bright orange tie that made it look like he was about to burst into flame, sat in his usual chair in front of the roaring fire at the back of the small but cozy bar in the Midwest college town that he had been frequenting for almost six years now.

I loved watching the beautiful trees go by in the fall when I ride in the car. I felt dreamy and a bit overwhelmed but happy on multiple levels. I was just caught looking at a pair of pantyhose in Macy’s by this girl who is in my math class. She never talked to me before and when she saw me looking at the pantyhose package, I thought my life was over. However, she treated me with kindness. She is very pretty and I think I like her a lot. Now that I have her phone number, I will call her and hopefully we can become friends.

Even though it was a Holiday for most people, I still had to work. This was going to be the first day back to work since last Friday. When I had left here three days ago, I had just been presented a release form that the owners of the coffee shop wanted me to sign releasing them from any liability if I was harassed. I don’t think I had ever been as mad as I had been that day. Luckily Jenny had a calmer head then I did. She immediately called her Grandmother who had lined up an attorney for us from the firm she uses.

Chapter 3

The weekend passed like it usually did with Amber locked in her room hiding from the world and her family. She talked to them at dinner and on Saturday she had listened to Amanda tell the story of the volleyball match and how they had won in the fifth set having to win 3 straight. Amber for a small second had wished that she had been there to watch Amanda play.

Tina's mom reheated some manicotti and fixed a fresh garden salad.

Tina's dad handled the grilling.

“So how long have you two known each other?” He stared at me.

“It feels like a lot longer that it's actually been” Tina laughed. “It's really just been over a month, but it's like we've known each other forever. Sometimes someone comes along and you really click.... you know?”

Tina's mom nodded smiling. Her father almost hid his grimace.

“You met at work.” He said dryly.

Tina Shepherd was in the final stages of dying a slow death due to cancer when she met the Martins and their friends.

This story is another episode from the ‘Hotel’ run by LGBT people that first featured in this story.

http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/60571/you-again

The problem with running a Hotel that is part of a larger group is that you have to attend corporate functions and even worse, ‘corporate training’. No excuses, you as the manager have to go and be indoctrinated in the latest corporate ideals/edicts and messages. Then it is your duty to pass all this corporate wisdom onto your staff.