Femme

“Hi nice to meet you. I’m Giordano!”

Giordano stood there with his hand out waiting for his date to reach out to shake his hand and was instead left in mid handshake. His date had been one hour late and getting reservations at the restaurant was not easy, but he figured that acting unphased by the man's actions would lighten up the mood. The average height man looked at him and then responded “Why don’t we sit down and order food?”

Giordano had not been on a date in a while and was not sure how to respond to someone disregarding his gesture of kindness but, he gave him the benefit of the doubt and proceeded to the table. The two ordered food then did not speak a word to each other. Finally, Giordano got irritated by the silence and asked a question.

“So what do you do for a living? I am pretty sure whatever it is you are fabulous at it.”

“Fabulous?”

“Yes, Fabulous. Based on what you told me over our text messages you seemed like you really enjoyed your job,” said Giordano.

“I don’t discuss work. I have a life outside of it. I’m not one of those people who talk about their job. Work, to me, is work. That is all.”

“Well I do not know much about you and I am just trying to start a conversation. I am not a fan of silence. If you do not want to talk about work then tell me more about you. I am sure we can find something. A gorgeous man yourself I am sure is involved in much more.”

“Since obviously I don't know how to inquire about anything let me show you how it’s done. Do you have any siblings?”

“I have 11.”

“I am assuming you are the youngest.”

“No, actually I am not. I am actually the second oldest of us all. Why do you assume I am the youngest? I…”

“Nothing. You just give off a young vibe.”

“What?”

“So I have to say I didn’t want to come here tonight especially after our phone call.”

“We spoke for less than a minute..”

“That's beside the point. You seemed very feminine on the phone. I’m not attracted to femmes.

“Femmes?”

“You know, Femme men. I prefer masculine men. You seemed really feminine on the phone and I lost interest. Which is why I didn’t speak to you for a couple of days.”

“I’m a little confused. Then why are you here?”

“I didn’t want to do this over the phone. I figure if I told you in person it would be better for you and me.”

Giordano felt triggered inside and his stomach began to ache. He excused himself from the table and went to the restroom. Giordano entered the restroom and looked at himself in the mirror and began to cry. He then felt a buzz in his pocket from his phone and checked it in hopes that it was a message from someone he had messaged two weeks ago. It wasn’t. It was just a notification from his wireless carrier. In more disappointment, he watched his own tears fall into the marble sink and as they began to slide down the sink into the drain he heard a voice.

“Hey you!”

He looked behind him and saw no one was there. The voice spoke again.

“Hey you!”

Giordano looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror talking to him. Giordano for the most part was always well kept. He had shoulder length hair that had loose curls, and he always had a dapper fashion sense. The reflection in the mirror he saw was no reflection of that. It showed him with his hair pulled up into a loose fitting bun and in loose fitting attire.

“Oh no, what do you want?”

“For you to stop acting like the oversensitive puss you are.”

“Leave me alone! I thought I got rid of you.”

“You could never get rid of me! I just left you alone a bit so you could see how much you need me.”

“I never needed you Gio and I do not now!”

“Oh really, so you don’t need me? Look at you in here crying like a teenage girl that got stood up at prom. Find your balls already!”

“What do you care! This has nothing to do with you!

“You are right. I’m not you therefore it has nothing to do with me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you out. What do you say we have some fun GiGi?”

“Don’t call me that! My name is Giordano!”

“Okay…GiGi! You are in here crying like a little bitch instead of dealing with that sack of shit at the table.”

“You saw that?”

“Of course I saw that. I will never leave you GiGi. You need me GiGi. I am the one who always protected you and it’s time you let me do it again.”

“No, I am different now.”

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit.You are weak and always will be weak. So weak that the one person that called themselves dating your pitiful,passive ass left you high and dry.”

“Don’t you dare speak on that!”

“Listen, I am sorry, okay. I just hate seeing you like this. That ass hat out there needs to be taught a lesson or two and you know that I am good for teaching him exactly what that is. I am here to protect you. Let me protect you Giordano.”

Giordano felt stressed and tired of feeling the pain of rejection. He dropped his head and gripped the side of the sink in utter exhaustion. His heart was pounding hard and he felt deep anxiety. The tips of his fingers felt numb and his face felt heavy. All he heard was screams in his head and every voice was hollering in unrecognizable chatter. He just wanted this feeling to go away and then in that brief moment of chaos he lifted his head and said to his reflection.

“Make it stop….please.”

Gio then responded with a small grin.

“It’s my turn now.”

Giordano erupted from the restroom with his hair pulled up in a loose bun and the sleeves ripped off his maroon button down shirt exposing his scorpio sign tattoo. As he erupted from the restroom, time seemed to slow down. Giordano was no longer there. Only Gio was present.

“Hey you! ASS HAT!”