Page 31 of Pity Parade

I nod my head sagely like this makes all the sense in the world. “She might still be a girl.”

“I just wouldn’t want it to get weird if she’s not.” Then, like a much nicer human than I can ever be accused of being, he adds, “I don’t want to hurt her feelings or anything. It must be tough feeling like you’re in the wrong body, and people should be able to change that if they want to.”

I lightly punch Trent’s shoulder. “You’re a good man.”

“Well, you know, do unto others and all that,” he says. Then he walks over to Jamie to say goodbye.

Jamie approaches me a short time later. “That was strange.”

My only option is ignorance, so I ask, “What?”

“Trent just left. He said he forgot he’d made other plans.”

“Maybe he did.” Or maybe I’m going straight to hell without even passing “Go.”

“I can’t imagine. Anyway,” he says, “I hear via the girlfriend grapevine that you and Trina went out once before in Chicago?”

“We did,” I tell him.

“Why only once, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I got the feeling Trina was looking for more in a relationship than I was.” Than I am, but for some reason I don’t clarify that.

“She definitely seems like the kind of girl to marry,” he says. Then he furrows his brow while asking, “You’re not interested in getting married again?”

“I work too much.” Like that’s any kind of excuse.

“I never thought I’d get married again either, but then I met Missy.” He smiles at her like a besotted fool before returning his attention to me. “You might not think you want to, but take it from me, it’s worth keeping an open mind about.”

“You and Missy certainly seem to be in love.” And while I don’t say the next part out loud, the truth is that there is no one in this world that I’d be willing to crawl through hell again for. No one.

I spend the rest of the night watching Trina talk to Nick, all the while getting more and more irritated. I try to focus my attention on everyone else, but my heart isn’t in it.

At nine thirty, Nick announces that he has early tennis lessons in the morning, so he needs to get going. Trina says, “I’ll walk out with you.”

“I’ll join you!” I loudly declare. This causes Trina to glare at me, but I pretend not to notice.

After saying goodnight to our hosts and other guests, Trina, Nick, and I walk out the front door. Nick and Trina head toward her car while I follow closely behind.

When Trina notices me, she pointedly tells me, “Good night, Heath.” I don’t take the hint.

Nick looks a little uncomfortable by my presence, but he still manages to suggest to Trina, “Maybe we can get together some time.”

Reaching out toward her, I take ahold of her arm and announce, “We’d love to, Nick. We don’t know a lot of people in town yet.”

Trina rams her elbow into my side so hard I nearly crumple. “What are you doing?” she demands.

“Just telling Nick that we’d love to get together.” I smile at the other man and suggest, “How about tennis?”

“I … um …” He points between me and Trina and asks, “Are you two a couple?”

“No!” Trina sounds like she’d rather date a meth addict.

Ignoring her, I tell Nick, “We’ve dated.”

Trina’s head looks like it’s going to start spinning around in circles before blowing off her shoulders Looney Tune-style. “We have not!”

“We have too,” I say. “We went out in Chicago, then we had supper at the club, and then …” I wink at her. “We had coffee on the dock early this morning.” I purposefully make it sound like the club date lasted until this morning.

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