Gender Dysphoria: How it Feels to Live a Lie
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
24
Views:
4,477
Reviews:
70
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
24
Views:
4,477
Reviews:
70
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 19
Thank you...
Kasandra
Bookworm51485
BAMBI
Child of the Darkened Moon
fan slash
...for your reviews! You're all wonderful. Some questions will finally be answered here, and a major cliffie that'll leave you wondering over yet ANOTHER question.
My apologies for being late yet again. I just moved away to school and my attention has been going in various directions.
Slim's views on Las Vegas are his own, not mine. Frankly, I've never been to the city so.....
Chapter XVIIII
“Hello Mrs. Harris.” I said politely as a plump, middle aged brunette opened the door to her quaint, one-story brick home.
“Hello, Gwen, hon. Come on in. Slim is in the den watching tv.” I followed the woman down the hall to the den where her husband sat aimlessly flipping through channels.
“Slim, Gwen is here.” With a grin and pat on my shoulder, she walked back down the hall towards the kitchen. I looked at him and watched him place his remote down and look up at me with a loving smile. How he and his wife manage to still smile after losing their diner is beyond me. I guess faith has its place in situations.
“Hey there, kiddo, come on in and have a seat.” Complying, I sat in the arm chair next to the couch he was sitting at. “What brings you this way?”
“Well, I just wanted to come by and check on you. See how you were doing. I heard about the fire on the news last week. They said you lost everything.”
Slim ran his fingers through his buzzed off salt and pepper hair and nodded. His eyes carried a distant look, almost like he could still see the flames roaring, burning his building to the ground. “Yeah, it’s totaled.”
“How did it happen?”
“They are not quite sure to be honest with you. The fire department says it could have come from a spark in some old wiring I had. The funny thing about that is, I had a guy come in and check the wiring back there for me just last month and he said it was fine.”
“You can still rebuild the place, right? Possibly build a bigger, even nicer, diner…”
“Sadly no, kiddo.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Remember when we were in that slump for a while and I had to cut your hours in half?” I nodded. “Well I also had to drop the insurance policy I had on the place. With the little money that we had coming in at the time and the large costs to keep a policy, there was no way I could hold on to it. So when we started picking up again and got really busy, reclaiming insurance on the place slipped my mind totally.”
“Oh no.” Damn, so where the hell does that leave ME?
Slim flicked his hand. “Don’t worry about it cause I’m not. Slim’s Diner burning down was a major heartbreak for me, but it’s also a blessing. Since this diner has been up, I’d spent so much time there that I neglected family. So me and my lady are moving.”
“Really? Where?”
“To Pittsburg. She’s from there originally and she’s always had this secret desire to move back. I haven’t told her we’re moving yet, I want to surprise her, so lets keep that between you and me, eh?” I nodded. “To tell you the truth, I’ve gotten too old for Vegas. The place is so fast pace and filled with selfish, lying people, and I can’t stand it anymore. I need peace. Cause if you stay here long enough, the city makes it hard for you to stay true to who you really are.”
“You’ve been here a while, Slim. You seem to be okay still.”
“I seem to be, yes, but it won’t last much longer if I keep staying. My heart is not here anymore, kiddo, it’s in Pittsburg.” Slim leaned forward in his seat and looked me in my eyes. “Let me tell you something--you’re a sweet kid. I’ve never once had a problem out of you as an employee. You’re kind, caring, and a very friendly person. Stay that way. This city can be cruel, so don’t let it change you…”
“Don’t worry about me, Slim.”
“I know and I don’t. I’m just letting you know. This is Sin City. The whole place is filled with gamblers who are willing to do anything for a dollar. Don’t get thrown into that mix especially now that you need a job. Keep your head on straight, eh? And if things get too tough for you here, come to Pittsburg and find me, okay? I consider you one of my own, so I don’t want to see you struggling.”
I smiled. Since I first came to Vegas and worked at the diner, Slim has been the sweetest man I’d ever met. He also knows about my transition cause obviously I looked nothing like my application made me out to look like. He accepted me nonetheless and treated me like he would anyone else and for that, I’ll never forget the man. He’s been a father figure for me and I’m going to miss him when he leaves. “Okay. I’ll miss you, Slim.”
Slim gave this heavy rumble of a laugh. “I’ll miss you too, kiddo. Come’ere and give me an old man a hug.” We both stood and Slim embraced me in a large, bear hug that nearly took my breath away.
***
After the burning of Slim’s Diner, I needed to make money. So first thing Monday morning after leaving Slim’s house, I started filling out applications to various places. Nothing fancy, just a few retail stores and fast food joints……….the outcome was pitiful.
“Well hello there young lady,” A slender red headed woman in her thirties said to me as I walked into a retail store in Vegas. She wore a black polo shirt with the store’s logo stitched on the pocket in green script lettering. “could I help you find anything?”
“Actually, I saw the sign in your window about help wanted. I was hoping I could fill out an application.”
The woman smiled. “Of course you may.” She went in the back room of the store and came out with a sheet of paper. “Come on over to this check-out desk and you can fill out your application here if you’d like.”
I took the paper and smiled kindly towards the woman. “Thank you.”
“No problem. My name is Kathleen and I’m the store’s manager. So when you’re done, just come to the back room and I’ll give you an interview.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Sitting down in a chair she pulled to the check-out desk for me, I began to fill out the application:
FULL NAME: Gwendolyn Ashley Pillman
ADDRESS: 8904 xxxxxx Las Vegas, Nevada
AGE: 20
SEX: Female
YOU OWN A DRIVER’S LICENSE: Yes
ARE YOU LEGALLY ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THIS STATE: Yes
Then just as I was about to finish, I got to the last line that said:
I hereby promise that all information I have given is true to the best of my knowledge. I also recognize that any false information I may have given will result in a penalty and automatic termination of my application.
Signature____________________________________
My conscience got the best of me. I couldn’t sign the damn thing. I had to tell the truth. I mean I go by Gwen but it’s not legal, nor is my sex. Not wanting to be penalized for lying on my application I went back, changing my name to George Ashley Pillman Jr. and my sex to male.
Here goes nothing. Sighing, I get up from the chair and walk to the back room, knocking lightly on the door.
“Come in.”
I opened the door and saw Kathleen flipping through some papers at her desk. She smiled when she saw me walk in. “Hello again, did you get it finished?”
Oh God. “Uh huh.”
“Great.” I handed her my application. “First lets do a short interview, okay? Have a seat here.” Nodding, I sat down on a chair and nervously started twiddling my thumbs. “So tell me some things about yourself. What type of person are you?”
The type you probably wouldn’t want to hire once you take a look at my application. “Well, I’m friendly, personable, easy-going…Um, I learn pretty fast, I’m punctual…..”
Kathleen started scribbling something on a piece of paper. “Okay, okay. That’s good. This store calls for an employee to of course do sales as well as do maintenance, like changing light bulbs and unloading boxes. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes, I have no problem with doing that.”
She wrote more stuff down. “Good. There have been times where we’ve had to deal with customers coming in and stealing things. Even going as far as getting confrontational when you call them on it. If you saw this happen, do you think you could handle taking care of it?”
“Yes, mam.”
“You’re sure?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
She smiled and kept writing. “Awesome. Now for the last question. The infamous: Why should we hire you?”
“Because I’m a hard worker. Every penny of money I’ve ever received, came from me working. I’d also like to think I know what it takes to do a job and do it well. And to be honest with you, I’m in need of a job and I’d never take working here for granted if I get it.”
The red head smiled brightly at me. “I have to tell you, that has got to be the best answer I’ve ever heard in the 7 years I’ve been here. You’re the picture image of what I’m looking for in an employee. You passed the interview with flying colors, young lady.”
Have I, now? “Thank you.”
“Now let me take a look at this…” She grabbed my application off her desk and read over it. Sitting and waiting for what would inevitably come, I watched Kathleen’s once smiling face suddenly drop into a puzzled frown. I bit my lip as she looked up at me confused then back down at the paper. Then after a few agonizingly slow seconds, she sat back, comprehension showing all over her face. This chick is a dude! Yeah, lady, I know you’re thinking it. She grabbed her pen again and started scribbling. A lot this time. “Um, you’re name is George Pillman?”
“Yes, mam.”
“You have a boy’s name?”
“Yes, mam.”
“So you’re……you’re a crossdresser?”
“No, mam, I’m transgendered.”
Her eyes widen, trying to make her obvious shock less noticeable. “…….I see. Well, I will call you after I have spoken with all three references you wrote down. You should hear something from me by Wednesday, okay?”
Yeah right. I smiled. “Okay. Thank you.” I rolled my eyes as I walked out the store. This was gonna be one long afternoon.
***
“You’re looking awfully down over there. Did the job hunting not go over too well?” Marcus asked me as we met up at a Subway for lunch. Dressed in navy blue windbreakers and a white t-shirt, he ate the remainder of his sub.
“Nope.” Having long since finished eating my BMT, I sipped my lemonade through a straw. “They all love me until they finally look over the first two lines of my application.”
He winced. “Wow. Sorry, babe.”
I shrugged. “I’ll find something…..I guess.”
“There’s a guy that tunes up my car for me. He’s looking for a mechanic at his garage. I don’t suppose you know how to filter oil and change tires, do you?” He asked, being funny…….which I didn’t find the humor in.
“Does it look like I can change a tire?” Marcus laughed. “You’re supposed to be supportive, you smart ass.” I threw my balled up sandwich paper at him.
“Okay, okay. I’m only picking. If I see any openings while I’m out, I’ll let you know about it.”
“Thank you.”
“How much more longer you gonna stay job hunting, you think?”
“I don’t know. Probably for a few more hours. I’ll probably be home by 6 or 6:30.”
“You still coming over tonight?”
“I planned on it.”
“Good. Cause I’m in dire need of some attention today…”
I blinked. “You are ridiculous.”
“What, it’s true. After those long weeks of being alone during our little rift together, your boy is horny as an ex-con.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and laughed. “Aww, poor baby,” I leaned over the small table and kissed him. “I guess mama’s gonna have to fix that tonight, won’t she?”
My lover nodded solemnly. “Uh huh. Make it better.”
“Oh I will…..but first,” I sat back down and grabbed the remaining oatmeal raisin cookie that came with Marcus’ combo. I took a big bite out of it. He shook his head, smiling.
“You and food.”
I winked at him.
Savannah was gonna need her car tonight so she and Ian could go out, so I made plans with Marcus to come to my apartment and pick me up. After our lunch date was over with, I set back to job hunting. It was pretty pointless, all this searching I’d been doing. No one’s gonna hire a tranny. By the time I needed to head back home to pack some overnight clothes and wait on Marcus, I had filled out 12 applications and received 12 “I’ll call you and let you knows”.
I was walking down the crowded sidewalk, back to the parking lot I left Savannah’s Honda in, when I heard some one say, “Excuse me!” It sounded like it was directed at me. I stopped walking and looked around me. Just a bunch of pedestrians walking by me; some looked kinda pissed that I stopped smack in the middle of the sidewalk like that, making them walk around me. Just when I was about to started moving, I heard it again, “Excuse me! Over here!” I looked to the sidewalk’s edge and saw a man in a dark suit standing in front of a new black Lincoln Town Car. He was waving his hand for me to come over. Unsure if the man was even looking at me, I did one of the most corniest things you could do in public—I pointed to myself. He nodded. “Could I have a word with you?”
Slowly walking near to the middle aged man with dark brown hair and sunglasses, but still at a relatively safe distance, I asked, “What is it?”
“Are you…” Pulling out a piece of paper in his pocket, he read, “Gwen Pillman?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
Reaching into his jacket pocket, the man pulled out a wallet. Flipping it open, I saw an ID with his picture on it………..then the letters F.B.I. written in bold blue. My eyes bucked out and I froze.
“My name is Detective Wallace Jenner, FBI. You can relax, Miss Pillman, you’re not in trouble…”
“Then what do you want with me?”
“I need to talk to you about something first, then I will answer any questions you may have. But not out here…” He opened the back door to the black car. “If you would please…” Complying, I climbed in the back of the car and Det. Jenner came in behind me, shutting the door. In the driver’s seat was another man, a blonde, who introduced himself as Detective Hawthorne. Det. Jenner began talking. “Just to be clear that we’ve got the right person, you ARE Gwen Pillman, who’s legal name is George Pillman Jr., correct?” Reaching into the black leather briefcase by his feet, he opened the flap and pulled out a manila envelop. Opening it he pulled out three 8x10 black and white pictures and handed them to me. “This is you?” I flipped through the pictures. They were snapshots of me and Marcus. One was a picture taken outside an ice-cream shoppe we were eating at. We were at a table and I was laughing at a spot of whipped cream Marcus tapped on my nose. The second picture was of us walking down a sidewalk in Vegas. His arm was around my shoulder and I had reached up to lace my fingers with his. We were sharing a kiss. The last picture was taken the night Marcus bought me the journey diamond necklace. He had just started playing that old record by Billy Fitzgerald or Ella Holliday—WHOEVER—and I was opening his shirt, kissing his chest. Oh my God, they didn’t see everything that night, did they?
I nodded slowly. I was so nervous. I had no clue what was going on…….or even if these two guys were really FBI. You never know nowadays, they could be killers. “Yes.”
“You’re Marcus Corel’s lover?”
“Yes….I….what’s the—“
Suddenly, the mood on the detective’s face got serious. He removed his sunglasses. “Miss Pillman, where is Marcus?”
“What? What are you—”
“We know you know where he is, so just tell us. Your boy’s time is up.”
“What do you mean ‘his time is up’? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie, Miss Pillman!”
“I’m not lying to you! What the fuck is going on?!”
Det. Jenner blinked. “Do—do you not know what your boyfriend does for a living?”
“No, I don’t. He won’t tell me, but I can assume that you know.”
“Mr. Corel is involved in the drug trade.” He caught my shocked expression and continued. “Based on your expression, I think it would be best that perhaps I give you a background on him. Marcus came from a poverty stricken neighborhood in Florida. He was born with a prostitute for a mother and an abusive pimp for a father. His mother’s name was Eva Corel, there’s no record of what his father’s name is…”
“You mentioned ‘was’…”
“Yes, his mother died when he was 12. A drug overdose. He lived on the street for two years, earning a living breaking into cars and stealing radios to sell. And because of that, he spent a year in juvie. He was 15 when he got into the drug trade. He started out working for a guy in southern Florida for 3 years, dealing cocaine and playing his hitman when need be. But soon he grew tired of that and decided to start his own operation. Marcus grew up to become one of Florida’s largest cocaine kingpins within mere months. He had two vacation homes and one mansion, a fleet of cars, and enough henchman working for him that would make Donald Trump jealous…” I placed a hand over my mouth. I was at a total loss for words. “Five years later, things started to get uneasy for him. Rival dealers were cooperating with the police about his operations and the IRS was on his tail. Dumping the houses and ridding himself of many of his henchmen, Marcus and a few others moved here to Vegas to hide out. But once a dealer, always a dealer. He’s been selling in Nevada, Seattle, and California, using a rundown warehouse just outside Las Vegas as his station. He may not seem like he’s nothing more than an average joe to you, but your boyfriend is a multimillionaire…”
“How did you find out he was here?”
“One of his men has been acting as a contact for us. Every few weeks he reports to one of our detectives in an undisclosed location in California and gives us information…”
Marcus came out the bathroom and slipped into a pair of black briefs when I sat up in bed. “Where are you going?” I asked.
“David, one of my helpers, drove to California to pick up some supplies that just came in.” He said as he put on a pair of jeans. “He drove by himself and he hasn’t come back yet. I’ma go help find him.”
I nodded. “Oh.” I didn’t know whether to believe that or not. “I hope you find him.”
He pulled a blue shirt over his head. “So do I.”
“…We’ve known he’s been here for almost two years now. We’ve been collecting and collecting enough data on him that will put Marcus in prison for a long time. That day has arrived, Miss Pillman.”
Reopening the manila envelop again Det. Jenner pulled out another picture and handed it to me. The picture made me want to throw up. There was a dead body laying limp on dirt ground. The face was so bruised and bloody and swollen, that the person was unrecognizable. The body was engrossed in a puddle of blood.
“Who is this?”
“That’s Carlos Esperanza. He was killed just a few days ago. By Marcus and a few of his men. There were boot marks on him but for the most part forensics specialists say a metal bat was used. He was your former lover, am I right?”
“Gwen? Someone’s on the phone for you.” I heard Savannah say.
“Tell’em I’m…” Marcus leaned down and ran his tongue over my neck. “busy.” I kissed him.
“Okay, but he says it’s important.”
I groaned and Marcus pulled back. “Go answer the phone.”
“But—“
“No it’s alright. I need to go anyway. I have some errands to run.” He pulled my shirt back down and got off the bed.
“Will you be back?”
“Of course………..
“OH MY GOD!” I dropped the picture down and as I sat back in the seat, I immediately grabbed at my stomach. Det. Jenner touched my shoulder.
“Are you alright, Miss Pillman?”
“No! Look, this is all too much, what do you want with me?!”
“We plan on taking him in. And in order for us to do that, we need someone close to him to keep him at home. That’s where you come in. Do you have any plans to meet him this evening?”
“He’s supposed to pick me up today and take me to his place. I’m spending the night.”
“Excellent. By any means necessary, keep him there, we’ll—“
“Wait a minute, who said I would help you? I don’t want to be involved in this.”
“Miss Pillman, you’re dating one of the nation’s largest drug lords. There are pictures of you and Marcus together, evidence that he’s bought you various gifts, and—“
“But that doesn’t mean I knew about this! I didn’t know!”
“Yes, I know that—now. However, the judge may not see it that way. Marcus Corel is guaranteed 40 years in prison for his long list of crimes, and you could get 15 for being an accomplice.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Then show the courts that you’re innocent—help us bring him in. Me and a group of officers are coming to his home at exactly 11a.m. Exactly 11. You must keep him there until then. Can you do that?”
Hope it was worth the wait. More to come soon.....hopefully.
Kasandra
Bookworm51485
BAMBI
Child of the Darkened Moon
fan slash
...for your reviews! You're all wonderful. Some questions will finally be answered here, and a major cliffie that'll leave you wondering over yet ANOTHER question.
My apologies for being late yet again. I just moved away to school and my attention has been going in various directions.
Slim's views on Las Vegas are his own, not mine. Frankly, I've never been to the city so.....
Chapter XVIIII
“Hello Mrs. Harris.” I said politely as a plump, middle aged brunette opened the door to her quaint, one-story brick home.
“Hello, Gwen, hon. Come on in. Slim is in the den watching tv.” I followed the woman down the hall to the den where her husband sat aimlessly flipping through channels.
“Slim, Gwen is here.” With a grin and pat on my shoulder, she walked back down the hall towards the kitchen. I looked at him and watched him place his remote down and look up at me with a loving smile. How he and his wife manage to still smile after losing their diner is beyond me. I guess faith has its place in situations.
“Hey there, kiddo, come on in and have a seat.” Complying, I sat in the arm chair next to the couch he was sitting at. “What brings you this way?”
“Well, I just wanted to come by and check on you. See how you were doing. I heard about the fire on the news last week. They said you lost everything.”
Slim ran his fingers through his buzzed off salt and pepper hair and nodded. His eyes carried a distant look, almost like he could still see the flames roaring, burning his building to the ground. “Yeah, it’s totaled.”
“How did it happen?”
“They are not quite sure to be honest with you. The fire department says it could have come from a spark in some old wiring I had. The funny thing about that is, I had a guy come in and check the wiring back there for me just last month and he said it was fine.”
“You can still rebuild the place, right? Possibly build a bigger, even nicer, diner…”
“Sadly no, kiddo.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Remember when we were in that slump for a while and I had to cut your hours in half?” I nodded. “Well I also had to drop the insurance policy I had on the place. With the little money that we had coming in at the time and the large costs to keep a policy, there was no way I could hold on to it. So when we started picking up again and got really busy, reclaiming insurance on the place slipped my mind totally.”
“Oh no.” Damn, so where the hell does that leave ME?
Slim flicked his hand. “Don’t worry about it cause I’m not. Slim’s Diner burning down was a major heartbreak for me, but it’s also a blessing. Since this diner has been up, I’d spent so much time there that I neglected family. So me and my lady are moving.”
“Really? Where?”
“To Pittsburg. She’s from there originally and she’s always had this secret desire to move back. I haven’t told her we’re moving yet, I want to surprise her, so lets keep that between you and me, eh?” I nodded. “To tell you the truth, I’ve gotten too old for Vegas. The place is so fast pace and filled with selfish, lying people, and I can’t stand it anymore. I need peace. Cause if you stay here long enough, the city makes it hard for you to stay true to who you really are.”
“You’ve been here a while, Slim. You seem to be okay still.”
“I seem to be, yes, but it won’t last much longer if I keep staying. My heart is not here anymore, kiddo, it’s in Pittsburg.” Slim leaned forward in his seat and looked me in my eyes. “Let me tell you something--you’re a sweet kid. I’ve never once had a problem out of you as an employee. You’re kind, caring, and a very friendly person. Stay that way. This city can be cruel, so don’t let it change you…”
“Don’t worry about me, Slim.”
“I know and I don’t. I’m just letting you know. This is Sin City. The whole place is filled with gamblers who are willing to do anything for a dollar. Don’t get thrown into that mix especially now that you need a job. Keep your head on straight, eh? And if things get too tough for you here, come to Pittsburg and find me, okay? I consider you one of my own, so I don’t want to see you struggling.”
I smiled. Since I first came to Vegas and worked at the diner, Slim has been the sweetest man I’d ever met. He also knows about my transition cause obviously I looked nothing like my application made me out to look like. He accepted me nonetheless and treated me like he would anyone else and for that, I’ll never forget the man. He’s been a father figure for me and I’m going to miss him when he leaves. “Okay. I’ll miss you, Slim.”
Slim gave this heavy rumble of a laugh. “I’ll miss you too, kiddo. Come’ere and give me an old man a hug.” We both stood and Slim embraced me in a large, bear hug that nearly took my breath away.
***
After the burning of Slim’s Diner, I needed to make money. So first thing Monday morning after leaving Slim’s house, I started filling out applications to various places. Nothing fancy, just a few retail stores and fast food joints……….the outcome was pitiful.
“Well hello there young lady,” A slender red headed woman in her thirties said to me as I walked into a retail store in Vegas. She wore a black polo shirt with the store’s logo stitched on the pocket in green script lettering. “could I help you find anything?”
“Actually, I saw the sign in your window about help wanted. I was hoping I could fill out an application.”
The woman smiled. “Of course you may.” She went in the back room of the store and came out with a sheet of paper. “Come on over to this check-out desk and you can fill out your application here if you’d like.”
I took the paper and smiled kindly towards the woman. “Thank you.”
“No problem. My name is Kathleen and I’m the store’s manager. So when you’re done, just come to the back room and I’ll give you an interview.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Sitting down in a chair she pulled to the check-out desk for me, I began to fill out the application:
FULL NAME: Gwendolyn Ashley Pillman
ADDRESS: 8904 xxxxxx Las Vegas, Nevada
AGE: 20
SEX: Female
YOU OWN A DRIVER’S LICENSE: Yes
ARE YOU LEGALLY ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THIS STATE: Yes
Then just as I was about to finish, I got to the last line that said:
I hereby promise that all information I have given is true to the best of my knowledge. I also recognize that any false information I may have given will result in a penalty and automatic termination of my application.
Signature____________________________________
My conscience got the best of me. I couldn’t sign the damn thing. I had to tell the truth. I mean I go by Gwen but it’s not legal, nor is my sex. Not wanting to be penalized for lying on my application I went back, changing my name to George Ashley Pillman Jr. and my sex to male.
Here goes nothing. Sighing, I get up from the chair and walk to the back room, knocking lightly on the door.
“Come in.”
I opened the door and saw Kathleen flipping through some papers at her desk. She smiled when she saw me walk in. “Hello again, did you get it finished?”
Oh God. “Uh huh.”
“Great.” I handed her my application. “First lets do a short interview, okay? Have a seat here.” Nodding, I sat down on a chair and nervously started twiddling my thumbs. “So tell me some things about yourself. What type of person are you?”
The type you probably wouldn’t want to hire once you take a look at my application. “Well, I’m friendly, personable, easy-going…Um, I learn pretty fast, I’m punctual…..”
Kathleen started scribbling something on a piece of paper. “Okay, okay. That’s good. This store calls for an employee to of course do sales as well as do maintenance, like changing light bulbs and unloading boxes. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes, I have no problem with doing that.”
She wrote more stuff down. “Good. There have been times where we’ve had to deal with customers coming in and stealing things. Even going as far as getting confrontational when you call them on it. If you saw this happen, do you think you could handle taking care of it?”
“Yes, mam.”
“You’re sure?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
She smiled and kept writing. “Awesome. Now for the last question. The infamous: Why should we hire you?”
“Because I’m a hard worker. Every penny of money I’ve ever received, came from me working. I’d also like to think I know what it takes to do a job and do it well. And to be honest with you, I’m in need of a job and I’d never take working here for granted if I get it.”
The red head smiled brightly at me. “I have to tell you, that has got to be the best answer I’ve ever heard in the 7 years I’ve been here. You’re the picture image of what I’m looking for in an employee. You passed the interview with flying colors, young lady.”
Have I, now? “Thank you.”
“Now let me take a look at this…” She grabbed my application off her desk and read over it. Sitting and waiting for what would inevitably come, I watched Kathleen’s once smiling face suddenly drop into a puzzled frown. I bit my lip as she looked up at me confused then back down at the paper. Then after a few agonizingly slow seconds, she sat back, comprehension showing all over her face. This chick is a dude! Yeah, lady, I know you’re thinking it. She grabbed her pen again and started scribbling. A lot this time. “Um, you’re name is George Pillman?”
“Yes, mam.”
“You have a boy’s name?”
“Yes, mam.”
“So you’re……you’re a crossdresser?”
“No, mam, I’m transgendered.”
Her eyes widen, trying to make her obvious shock less noticeable. “…….I see. Well, I will call you after I have spoken with all three references you wrote down. You should hear something from me by Wednesday, okay?”
Yeah right. I smiled. “Okay. Thank you.” I rolled my eyes as I walked out the store. This was gonna be one long afternoon.
***
“You’re looking awfully down over there. Did the job hunting not go over too well?” Marcus asked me as we met up at a Subway for lunch. Dressed in navy blue windbreakers and a white t-shirt, he ate the remainder of his sub.
“Nope.” Having long since finished eating my BMT, I sipped my lemonade through a straw. “They all love me until they finally look over the first two lines of my application.”
He winced. “Wow. Sorry, babe.”
I shrugged. “I’ll find something…..I guess.”
“There’s a guy that tunes up my car for me. He’s looking for a mechanic at his garage. I don’t suppose you know how to filter oil and change tires, do you?” He asked, being funny…….which I didn’t find the humor in.
“Does it look like I can change a tire?” Marcus laughed. “You’re supposed to be supportive, you smart ass.” I threw my balled up sandwich paper at him.
“Okay, okay. I’m only picking. If I see any openings while I’m out, I’ll let you know about it.”
“Thank you.”
“How much more longer you gonna stay job hunting, you think?”
“I don’t know. Probably for a few more hours. I’ll probably be home by 6 or 6:30.”
“You still coming over tonight?”
“I planned on it.”
“Good. Cause I’m in dire need of some attention today…”
I blinked. “You are ridiculous.”
“What, it’s true. After those long weeks of being alone during our little rift together, your boy is horny as an ex-con.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and laughed. “Aww, poor baby,” I leaned over the small table and kissed him. “I guess mama’s gonna have to fix that tonight, won’t she?”
My lover nodded solemnly. “Uh huh. Make it better.”
“Oh I will…..but first,” I sat back down and grabbed the remaining oatmeal raisin cookie that came with Marcus’ combo. I took a big bite out of it. He shook his head, smiling.
“You and food.”
I winked at him.
Savannah was gonna need her car tonight so she and Ian could go out, so I made plans with Marcus to come to my apartment and pick me up. After our lunch date was over with, I set back to job hunting. It was pretty pointless, all this searching I’d been doing. No one’s gonna hire a tranny. By the time I needed to head back home to pack some overnight clothes and wait on Marcus, I had filled out 12 applications and received 12 “I’ll call you and let you knows”.
I was walking down the crowded sidewalk, back to the parking lot I left Savannah’s Honda in, when I heard some one say, “Excuse me!” It sounded like it was directed at me. I stopped walking and looked around me. Just a bunch of pedestrians walking by me; some looked kinda pissed that I stopped smack in the middle of the sidewalk like that, making them walk around me. Just when I was about to started moving, I heard it again, “Excuse me! Over here!” I looked to the sidewalk’s edge and saw a man in a dark suit standing in front of a new black Lincoln Town Car. He was waving his hand for me to come over. Unsure if the man was even looking at me, I did one of the most corniest things you could do in public—I pointed to myself. He nodded. “Could I have a word with you?”
Slowly walking near to the middle aged man with dark brown hair and sunglasses, but still at a relatively safe distance, I asked, “What is it?”
“Are you…” Pulling out a piece of paper in his pocket, he read, “Gwen Pillman?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
Reaching into his jacket pocket, the man pulled out a wallet. Flipping it open, I saw an ID with his picture on it………..then the letters F.B.I. written in bold blue. My eyes bucked out and I froze.
“My name is Detective Wallace Jenner, FBI. You can relax, Miss Pillman, you’re not in trouble…”
“Then what do you want with me?”
“I need to talk to you about something first, then I will answer any questions you may have. But not out here…” He opened the back door to the black car. “If you would please…” Complying, I climbed in the back of the car and Det. Jenner came in behind me, shutting the door. In the driver’s seat was another man, a blonde, who introduced himself as Detective Hawthorne. Det. Jenner began talking. “Just to be clear that we’ve got the right person, you ARE Gwen Pillman, who’s legal name is George Pillman Jr., correct?” Reaching into the black leather briefcase by his feet, he opened the flap and pulled out a manila envelop. Opening it he pulled out three 8x10 black and white pictures and handed them to me. “This is you?” I flipped through the pictures. They were snapshots of me and Marcus. One was a picture taken outside an ice-cream shoppe we were eating at. We were at a table and I was laughing at a spot of whipped cream Marcus tapped on my nose. The second picture was of us walking down a sidewalk in Vegas. His arm was around my shoulder and I had reached up to lace my fingers with his. We were sharing a kiss. The last picture was taken the night Marcus bought me the journey diamond necklace. He had just started playing that old record by Billy Fitzgerald or Ella Holliday—WHOEVER—and I was opening his shirt, kissing his chest. Oh my God, they didn’t see everything that night, did they?
I nodded slowly. I was so nervous. I had no clue what was going on…….or even if these two guys were really FBI. You never know nowadays, they could be killers. “Yes.”
“You’re Marcus Corel’s lover?”
“Yes….I….what’s the—“
Suddenly, the mood on the detective’s face got serious. He removed his sunglasses. “Miss Pillman, where is Marcus?”
“What? What are you—”
“We know you know where he is, so just tell us. Your boy’s time is up.”
“What do you mean ‘his time is up’? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie, Miss Pillman!”
“I’m not lying to you! What the fuck is going on?!”
Det. Jenner blinked. “Do—do you not know what your boyfriend does for a living?”
“No, I don’t. He won’t tell me, but I can assume that you know.”
“Mr. Corel is involved in the drug trade.” He caught my shocked expression and continued. “Based on your expression, I think it would be best that perhaps I give you a background on him. Marcus came from a poverty stricken neighborhood in Florida. He was born with a prostitute for a mother and an abusive pimp for a father. His mother’s name was Eva Corel, there’s no record of what his father’s name is…”
“You mentioned ‘was’…”
“Yes, his mother died when he was 12. A drug overdose. He lived on the street for two years, earning a living breaking into cars and stealing radios to sell. And because of that, he spent a year in juvie. He was 15 when he got into the drug trade. He started out working for a guy in southern Florida for 3 years, dealing cocaine and playing his hitman when need be. But soon he grew tired of that and decided to start his own operation. Marcus grew up to become one of Florida’s largest cocaine kingpins within mere months. He had two vacation homes and one mansion, a fleet of cars, and enough henchman working for him that would make Donald Trump jealous…” I placed a hand over my mouth. I was at a total loss for words. “Five years later, things started to get uneasy for him. Rival dealers were cooperating with the police about his operations and the IRS was on his tail. Dumping the houses and ridding himself of many of his henchmen, Marcus and a few others moved here to Vegas to hide out. But once a dealer, always a dealer. He’s been selling in Nevada, Seattle, and California, using a rundown warehouse just outside Las Vegas as his station. He may not seem like he’s nothing more than an average joe to you, but your boyfriend is a multimillionaire…”
“How did you find out he was here?”
“One of his men has been acting as a contact for us. Every few weeks he reports to one of our detectives in an undisclosed location in California and gives us information…”
Marcus came out the bathroom and slipped into a pair of black briefs when I sat up in bed. “Where are you going?” I asked.
“David, one of my helpers, drove to California to pick up some supplies that just came in.” He said as he put on a pair of jeans. “He drove by himself and he hasn’t come back yet. I’ma go help find him.”
I nodded. “Oh.” I didn’t know whether to believe that or not. “I hope you find him.”
He pulled a blue shirt over his head. “So do I.”
“…We’ve known he’s been here for almost two years now. We’ve been collecting and collecting enough data on him that will put Marcus in prison for a long time. That day has arrived, Miss Pillman.”
Reopening the manila envelop again Det. Jenner pulled out another picture and handed it to me. The picture made me want to throw up. There was a dead body laying limp on dirt ground. The face was so bruised and bloody and swollen, that the person was unrecognizable. The body was engrossed in a puddle of blood.
“Who is this?”
“That’s Carlos Esperanza. He was killed just a few days ago. By Marcus and a few of his men. There were boot marks on him but for the most part forensics specialists say a metal bat was used. He was your former lover, am I right?”
“Gwen? Someone’s on the phone for you.” I heard Savannah say.
“Tell’em I’m…” Marcus leaned down and ran his tongue over my neck. “busy.” I kissed him.
“Okay, but he says it’s important.”
I groaned and Marcus pulled back. “Go answer the phone.”
“But—“
“No it’s alright. I need to go anyway. I have some errands to run.” He pulled my shirt back down and got off the bed.
“Will you be back?”
“Of course………..
“OH MY GOD!” I dropped the picture down and as I sat back in the seat, I immediately grabbed at my stomach. Det. Jenner touched my shoulder.
“Are you alright, Miss Pillman?”
“No! Look, this is all too much, what do you want with me?!”
“We plan on taking him in. And in order for us to do that, we need someone close to him to keep him at home. That’s where you come in. Do you have any plans to meet him this evening?”
“He’s supposed to pick me up today and take me to his place. I’m spending the night.”
“Excellent. By any means necessary, keep him there, we’ll—“
“Wait a minute, who said I would help you? I don’t want to be involved in this.”
“Miss Pillman, you’re dating one of the nation’s largest drug lords. There are pictures of you and Marcus together, evidence that he’s bought you various gifts, and—“
“But that doesn’t mean I knew about this! I didn’t know!”
“Yes, I know that—now. However, the judge may not see it that way. Marcus Corel is guaranteed 40 years in prison for his long list of crimes, and you could get 15 for being an accomplice.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Then show the courts that you’re innocent—help us bring him in. Me and a group of officers are coming to his home at exactly 11a.m. Exactly 11. You must keep him there until then. Can you do that?”
Hope it was worth the wait. More to come soon.....hopefully.