Everyone bought my story for Felix without comment. It was a sign of how well he was liked that no one questioned that he would drop everything for a ‘family emergency.’ I knew that the office would run just as well without him, but I felt like the wind just went out of the room, leaving stale air I tried to rally, and picked out an outfit that was more outrageous than I would usually wear. Susannah gave me a look of approval, and Meredith looked at me like I was an alien. I took that as a good sign, since it was only for one night.

Thom and I headed out with Susannah and Beth, and Thom dropped me off last. I decided to check in and ask him how his time off went. I remembered him saying something a few weeks ago about wanting to get something done.

“Hey, Thom, what ever happened on your time off? When your sister came to help you out?” We were bumping along in his cheap, tinny, frigid car, always such a joy to be seen in. There weren’t many things I was proud of in my life, but one of them was not driving a car like this. I shuddered internally.

Thom looked at me blankly for a moment. “Oh, right. Yeah, she came and looked after Mom, and we had a big talk. I sent in some paperwork. For a…school.” He looked uncomfortable.

“That’s great news! A break, and a change, huh? Have you heard back yet?” I asked.

“No. Still waiting.” Thom pulled over in the Castro, and waved me out. Short but sweet. I wanted to ask him more about the school, but he didn’t want to talk about it, so that was that. I stepped out, adjusted my tray, and headed off down the street.

Most of the night was without incident, which worked out well, since my mind was on Felix constantly. There was a large demonstration in front of Badlands bar, with protesters, gawkers, signs, megaphone shouting, and crowds spilling into traffic, causing congestion around the neighboring businesses. I stopped one of the sign-carriers, and asked what was going on. He told me they were protesting the bar’s blatant racial discrimination. I looked around at the seventy or so people, and shook my head in amazement. Must be a pretty charged up topic, to get this many people out here. I skipped Badlands, and headed into Blush.

I walked up to two gorgeous patrons right as one was saying to the other, “Apparently this Brazilian guy had a cock like this.” He held his forearm straight up in the air, fist clenched, while cupping around the bottom of his elbow with the other hand. I had to join this conversation, it was classic Castro.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I laid it on thick all night, swerving and surfing, dipping and flirting, wiggling cash out of reluctant hands, liberating the lonely with a compliment or even a peck on the cheek. I nodded and smiled; I brushed lightly past, and lingered briefly. No one chased me or insulted me. No one threw items. No one grabbed me. No one tried to steal or swindle. It was a remarkable night, in that nothing bad happened. It was the first time ever that things went effortlessly. The evening felt charmed.

I didn’t hear from Felix for three days. He called me from the road briefly to let me know it was done, and he was on his way back. I wanted to pepper him with questions, but he sounded beyond exhausted. I went to bed early on my Sunday night, after curling up with one of the Indiana Jones movies, and decided to go visit my dad the next day.

I had talked with him on the phone a few times since my birthday, but that was back in July, and it was now Labor Day weekend. While I was driving to Modesto, my phone rang, and I picked up on the second ring.

“Hey there Daisy chain,” a still-tired, but more playful Felix said, and I exhaled loudly.

“Pining away for me, were you?” he joked.

“Hardly. Just worried you had to pay down Audrey’s debts by stripping. No one needs that tragedy,” I shot back, grinning through the phone.

He chuckled under his breath. “Don’t worry,” he said, wryly. “It hasn’t come to that. Yet.”

“Where are you?” he asked.

“On my way to Dad’s. Want to see how he’s doing,” I replied.

Felix reassured me that everything was taken care of, and he was happy to be home. We bantered back and forth, and talked about another picnic and beer date, since the Bay really had its summer right around now, lasting from September to late October, sometimes even into November.

As I got to my Dad’s house, and climbed out of the car, Felix was telling me a bit more about the poker game and Audrey, when I noticed the house was eerily quiet. I walked through the kitchen’s back door, toward the living room. My dad was lying face down on the floor in front of his easy chair. The TV was muted, and showing some infomercial.

A crack from somewhere below me? Then splitting. A rushing sound roared in my ears, and I could barely hear Felix. He sounded very far away, and I watched as my feet stepped closer to Dad, and I saw my knees fall near his hand. I was drowning in water, icy cold flooding my lungs. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see. I shook my head, and heard the water icing rapidly over as I reached to check his pulse. Felix was a muffled brush of air. The plates of ice grew thicker, forming layer upon layer, drawing me away from life, drawing me away from pain, from agony. I stopped struggling, lying still next to my Dad’s vacant, lifeless gaze.