By Chance

Disclaimer: These characters are mine.

It was a short sweet parting the next afternoon as Rue and Quentin embraced outside of the apartment building. The two stood closely, words almost flowing naturally between them. Rue opened her arms to embrace her brother and his body met hers without stiffening or hesitation.

“You take care of yourself,” Rue said as she gave her brother one final squeeze.

Quentin pulled back, taking a deep look at her face. “I could say the same thing for you.” His hands didn’t stray from her shoulders, a slight smile curled his lips while he watched his sister…finally able to reconcile who he came to find and who he found. “Are you--” He started and stopped. “Are you happy, Rue? That’s all I want; I just want you to be happy and safe…If you say ‘yes’, I’ll believe it.”

Rue tossed a glance over her shoulder, back at the doorway where just the outline of a large figure was visible, Joe Vic waited for her. She looked up at her brother with a smile so bright he knew the answer without her saying it. “Yes. Yes, I’m very happy.”

“I’m glad, Rue.” Quentin took a step into the waiting cab. A last look at Rue, his eyes were stinging with a sheet of tears threatening to spill over. “I’ll be back. Make sure you tell your giant that!” He joked with a gorgeous smile that lit his entire face. That was as much of a goodbye as Joe Vic was going to get from the other man. If it made Rue happy to think there was some sort of peace between them, then Quentin and Joe Vic were glad to make her happy.

“I will and you better call on Thursday like you promised!” He nodded in reply and slid into the cab, closing the door and waving. “I promise!” He yelled. Then, the cab speed away towards the bus station.

Rue stood at the curb, watching the yellow car until she couldn’t track it anymore. All about her people moved, old people mostly walking. Across the street a group of old men sat playing chess and dominoes. A pair of old ladies passed her chatting happily, one graced her with a smile that she couldn’t help but return. Everything was so right. She had a home, a place she belonged to, a job, friends even, a family by way of her brother. Then why did she feel as though the world was about to come tumbling down again?

“You alright?” A heavy hand slid over her shoulder. Joe Vic stood behind her waiting.

She nodded quickly. Furiously, blinking back the tears in her eyes. “Come inside. I’ll heat up the leftovers from last night.”

Nothing would have made her happier if she could have cried. Just unleashed a slew of tears from her sadness. Her life was actually coming together, yet it felt so fragmented—like it was falling apart with or without her permission. She needed to say something and soon. “ You? In the kitchen? With food?”

Joe Vic snorted. “Yes, I cooked before you moved in and I certainly know how to use a microwave.”

She finally turned around. Her eyes flicked upwards before roving in every other direction but Joe Vic’s face. “Let’s go then. I’m ready to be wowed by your skills.”

Seeing the flush of her cheeks and how hard Rue was trying to keep herself together made him push forward and address what had happened prior to Quentin’s arrival. “About before--”

Rue’s gaze was staring off into nowhere. When his gravelly voice did penetrate her deep thoughts, she said. “Oh, Joe Vic. Don’t worry ‘bout it.” She was nervous he could tell. Her accent was more pronounced.

He could have just let it go. Pretended that could live with them not talking about it. But, he couldn’t live with knowing that he’d almost let his anger get the better of him, making him in effect no better than all the other people in Rue’s life. “I’m sorry about before. I mean before Quentin came.” He ducked his head, then brought his gaze back to Rue’s solid blue one. “He and I, well we didn’t get along, but we understood each other. He loves you and wants you to be happy and I--” He swallowed thickly. His hands felt too big as they found purchase on her shoulder and hip. “I.love.you. And I want you to be happy no matter what. If the surgery, the vagoplastic, aw you know what I mean, if it will make you happy then I’ll be right here.”

Everything else faded away: her feelings, the passersby. It was just them and three words that she’d never believed Joe Vic would come to say. “You love me?” He nodded silently. She found herself nearly crushed against him. Like flowers blooming after an ice storm, she melted against him and absorbed his warmth.

They stood together like a lone rock in the ocean. People walked around them until they ventured back inside the apartment building. By the door of Joe Vic’s apartment, too many feet away from the bed, they were made whole. He gripped her body and took her like a man possessed. And she drowned in him like she’d been denied water for a thousand years. And then, they slept as peace between them was restored.
***
Seven stores in two weeks and the only thing on Rue’s mind was where the hell could she find crawfish in this godforsaken city. With Christmas so close on the way, the year was proving by far to be the best one she’d ever had; her fight with Joe Vic still hung around in a dark corner of her mind, haunting it like a restless spirit, though less violent and more subdued and sad.

Bags creaked and shifted as Rue began to dig in her purse for her keys. “Now, where are those godless keys?” So many things needed to be done. She needed crawfish for the crawfish ettoufe, andoullen sausage for the jambalaya, and real lemons for the iced tea. Rue had been sick during Thanksgiving, her stomach rolling at the mere sight of food on television. Joe Vic had gone to Old Bill and Mary’s place all the same, and brought her a plate. Mary even sent a fresh pie for her to enjoy. That night when Joe Vic returned arms full of goodies, Rue called Mary to thank her and vowed staunchly to make Christmas dinner for her and Old Bill. Both Mary and Joe Vic tried to persuaded her not to.

On her list of other things, Rue personally needed another month’s worth of hormones. She was running low and her low life of a dealer was hiding out somewhere. If worst came to worst, she’d have to break down and ask for a prescription from her shrink. Christmas was just another step in her process. Being a woman wasn’t singularly about looking pretty and being feminine. It also included caring for and loving one’s family, establishing one’s place in the world. Rue wanted to do that by cooking a large dinner for Christmas. Things went according to plan, Quentin would also be joining them.

The cool slide of metal stuck her finger and her fingers curled around the cluster of keys and yanked them out of her bag. “Got ya, ya lil bastard,” the frustrating moment brought her accent out to full clipped prominence.

“God, how I missed hearing your voice,” the voice said in her ear. If it hadn’t been the cologne, then it was the raspy purr that allowed her to know who was behind her.

The keys almost slipped from her fingers. Her body was vibrating with sudden tension, if she refused to turn around she could hide from the fear. Shivers skittered across her back and shoulders as a single finger began to twine the edges of her loose black curls.

The key was in the lock, one flick of her wrist and she could be free. But, she stopped herself by saying, “Rick.”

“I’m glad you still remember your friends, my sweet southern peach.” Just like he did everything else, he glided before her, leaning against the door effectively blocking her path.

“We were never friends.” Rue shifted the loaded bags in her arms and mustered a glare that she hoped belied the tenacious fluttering of her stomach.

Rick smiled, all white teeth between pink lips set against a firm square jaw. His skin was clear-- a shade above fair, light masculine sculpted brows arched coyly, neat and tidy like his eighty dollar hair cut, he had a succinct power of making anyone feel crowded despite a mile radius between. Rue knew the tactic, steeling herself as he moved into her. His nose trailed along the long road of skin between her head and shoulders, stopping only slightly as he reached the junction of his collar bones.

Rick drew back after deep whiff of Rue’s perfume. “What’s with the lies?” He tried to touch her face and she jerked back. “We were friends once upon a time.”

“Such great friends that you showed me to the nearest corner to help you out right?”

He ignored her. His face shifted to a soft look, “When you didn’t come back, I started to worry. These streets…and a girl like you, the trouble you could be in.”

“I remember the trouble clearly. What do you want, Rick?” She wasn’t in the mood to take a stroll down memory lane, especially not with him.

“I really was worried. I heard a rumor you’d been carried off by some fucking giant like out of the stone ages or something--”He paused. “ You remember Robbie--” One of Rick’s other friends, a trick. “He said he saw someone that looked like you over in Haxton, working in one of those glitzy salons…Then, I met this fine southern gentleman, who is on a noble quest of finding his brother. And I just happened to realize he looked a hell of a lot like my missing friend Rue. Being the good friend that I am, I found you, though you didn’t bother to tell me—bad girl, bad,” Rick hissed teasingly. “You know how it ends. You had fun time with your brother and then you went back to playing housewife…”

Rick smiled softly. His leather encased arms crossed over his chest, a lone finger traced the edge of the grocery bags. Their eyes locked. “You’ve really changed. Pretty, that’s what you were before, now you’re just gorgeous…I miss you.

Rue sighed. “I’m sorry you miss me. But, whatever it is that you’re looking for. I can’t help you.” She was only so strong, she needed Joe Vic and soon.

That razor sharp jaw was set in a tight line. His dark eyes shown with a light of completely unyielding seriousness. “I want you back….I miss you and I miss us.”

“There was no us. Just me turning tricks for you--”

“No. I’m not asking you, Rue. I’m telling you.” A flash of pink tongue rolled over dry lips. He chuckled dryly“ You have a nice set-up here, playing housewife and all. But, honestly, haven’t you heard? A whore can’t be a housewife, especially not one like you that doesn’t meet the qualifications of what it means to be a wife in the first place.”

Rue was struck speechless and in her unguarded moment, Rick struck like the venomous viper that he was. Hitting her hard with malicious barbs to damage her. “ You never struck me as a liar, Rue. Naïve, yes—a liar, no. You think this big ox of a man, this knight in shining armor, will still want you in a couple of years as you age and the novelty of being half woman-half man wears off? What happens when he wants children, uh? You magically gonna get a uterus surgically inserted.” He patted her trembling shoulder. Leaning in, the airy breeze of his breath felt like claws on her skin. “Be honest with yourself. You know I want get tired of you. I expect to hear from you right before Christmas.”

One last lingering look and Rick shoved off the door and continued down the hall. Rue stayed outside of the door. Her hands trembling, keys jangling like metallic whine, her heart drummed a hyper march. A minute or two later, her fingers found the dexterity to open the lock. She walked in and the grocery bags descended to the floor. Rue found herself sliding, moving closer and closer to the floor, until she was leaning against the closed door. Then, she wept.

TBC

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