Finding Jamie or Party Down (Part 3 of 3)

Brendan will be there… His new girl will be there or old girl, or not his girlfriend, who knows nowadays… He already told me he regrets making the wrong choice with “Ohio chick” With a little guilt and a lot of begging Miranda will be there with her new boyfriend or as I like to call him, Mr. Green-Jeans. Oh and then there is Megan, my kind of on again, off again daughter and of course Jessica.

I ordered some pretty awesome posters to proudly display Kendra’s first birthday party. The party was shaping up to be an event more than a simple gathering.

And as promised, Jamie and Marcie was there early in the afternoon to help.

I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, seriously, but I was already beginning to like Jamie, there was something intelligent and sincere about her and to be honest it kind of felt like she belonged. And yea, I think I was already deciphering the group’s identity.

Kimberly the, well, I will get back to that one, but Marcie was already entrenched as the mother figure. Go figure the youngest in the group stepped up in a big way. Jamie, well she is most definitely the professor, the smart one. Well, the group was already overloaded on IQ points but there was something more to her, as in she had all the bases covered.

Ah the joys of being a writer and having Attention Deficit Disorder, I get to ramble a bit one of the biggest attractions I had to Kimberly, my wife, was that she was intelligent, I’ll be it an intelligent hippy, but bright all the same. Marcie also, I was drawn to her, especially in the beginning because we could talk effortlessly. I guess I have always surrounded myself with gifted people.

Anyway, Jamie had a slick composure and was able to handle my unconventional wit flawlessly. The minute she started giving it back to me as fast as I could give it to her, I knew she was the professor of the group…yes Jamie, “you are so smart.”

So there we were, Marcie, Jamie and I getting ready to out shopping for my party. I posted an announcement on Facebook, “anyone, anywhere was welcome to join us.” Even so I was sure that it would just be my family and my close, new friends.

Party store was first on the list of course followed by the liquor store and finally grocery store…yeah shrimp, grapes yum. I was ready.

I noticed Jamie picking through some things she had picked up, checking prices, comparing, couldn’t have had it in better hands. We paid for everything and I slipped my hand into Marcie’s hand and watched for Jamie’s reaction. Yep, I was testing her and nothing, I felt a little more relaxed about the situation, almost like she understood how important Marcie was to me.

“Poor Jamie, stuck with Kendra, forever.” I whispered in her direction.

“Yes, we are all stuck with Kendra…Just kidding.” She responded and it would not be long before I realized just kidding was her theme song, it was all a part of the package.

Did I mention Jamie cooks? No I don’t mean throw stuff in the oven and cross your fingers in hopes that it would turn out okay, I mean cooks as in poor Marcie will put on twenty pounds over the next year (unless she has far more restraint than I do)

And Maxine came, and Georgette came and Teri, Gabrielle and my kids with their partners and Kimberly with her friends, Jessica, Megan and Billy and well, who knows because by the time people started arriving and handing me gifts that I did not expect, I was well past a half dozen shots of bourbon and beers.

And then the segregation began, the younger crowd on the deck out back with the music and the pot. Kim’s friends and the straight people somehow gathered in the kitchen and us transgender girls overtook the living room.

I spent my life thinking that no one would like the “real” me. I hid in the closet, denied, became someone I knew I wasn’t and as I collapsed on the couch next to Marcie. I just wanted to cry because I realized that people cared, people I never knew cared.

Marcie put her head on my shoulder and I put my arm around her and my soul was alive, probably more than it ever had been. I looked over at Jamie across the room who was in a deep conversation about Fetlife with Teri and she realized I was listening and smiled back at me. I was discovering that she was a lot like I was when I was younger.

I was luckier than anyone deserves to be.

Jamie barged her way into my little circle of friends and against all odds. I am absolutely sure she knew I would not be welcoming, Marcie had to tell her about me but even so, she was there and continued to be there. At this point there was no going back, ever. I loved her.

Instead of having a nemesis I had a new friend, another friend who I didn’t deserve.

Still, being drunk, I really didn’t have any choice.

“Jamie.” I said as I wrapped my drunken-self around her and purposely getting into her space. “I love you girl but if you ever hurt my girl, we will have ourselves a problem.”

She chuckled, “I love you too Kendra.”

#Marcie #Jamie #Brendan #Miranda #Kimberly #Jessica #dave