By Chance

Disclaimer: These characters are mine. Any reflection on real life people or situations is a total coincidence.

They’d settled for the night with Rue finally going to her room and Joe Vic going to his. As he lay in his bed, his mind did one of those recaps that you usually see on television shows. In the past two months: he threatened to maim a total of three different guys outside his standard bar arena, he’d gotten a roommate, started eating the best meals of his life and his gorgeous sometimes bruised female companion was not in fact female.

Overall, it seemed like he was on the plus side of things.

He scratched his head, also making a mental note to go see the Mr. Mackey the barber. Joe Vic lay there trying to listen to any sound of movement in the apartment. Rue was exhausted after crying for what seemed like an hour.

He honestly didn’t know what to do as she cried. As he grew up, he learned that the only thing tears did was fill your mouth with a bitter taste. Of course girls or sensitive boys or boy-girls, she was definitely a girl; as the analogy said if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck it must be a duck, were always more sensitive.

He closed his eyes hoping that his thoughts would settle and leave him alone for the night. Joe Vic closed his eyes, but still had this nagging feeling tickling the back of his brain. Just because he was big as an ox and as mean as a bull didn’t mean that he was stupid. He read the newspaper and he read magazines. At the barber’s he always read Time magazine, so he felt he was pretty informed.

Rue wouldn’t have to worry about him kicking her out. With personal experience in experiencing that sort of thing, you really didn’t wish it on your enemies or your friends.

The rain was falling again. Hitting the glass panes of his window. He didn’t realize he was asleep until he felt the morning sun greeting him.

He lay in bed for a few extra minutes, his body protesting the slight reduction in normal sleeping time. Joe Vic rolled out of bed stretching, and then dropping to the floor to do his morning workout rituals. He honestly didn’t expect Rue to be up or to cook breakfast, but while he showered minutes later the smell of her coffee whiffed and over powered the smell of his soap. Joe Vic finished showering then proceeded to clean up. After brushing his teeth, he dropped the empty tube into the trash can where it landed on something made of glass.

Joe Vic bent down to investigate. A small bottle was wrapped in toilet paper. Its top was silver and still sealed; the only way you could tell it had been used was by the emptiness of the bottle and the small puncture in the top. The label stated many things, the only thing within the science mumbo jumbo that stuck out to him was the word ‘estrogen’.

So, he had his evidence. Joe Vic was more concerned about breakfast.

Rue was moving a like a little busy-bee in the kitchen. Joe Vic heard the unusual sound of things dropping to the floor. He shrugged it off, assuming she was still rattled from the night before.

“’Morning.” He called, more pans dropped to the floor. “Morning.” She gritted in frustration.

He was nearly dressed. “Need some help in there?”

“No! I’m fine. ” Like a snap, she was out of the kitchen with a plate of grits and scrambled eggs in one hand, while the other carried toast and sausage. She began to buzz back by him, but he snagged her arm lightly. She stopped, her eyes staring off into a distant corner; her body was tight with tension.

Joe Vic swallowed hard. He hooked his finger her chin to pull her face upwards. She met his eyes, steely and rich royal blue irises, stared back defiantly. “You need to put some ice on that bruise.” He didn’t touch the swollen darken place along her jaw. He felt that would be too much. “Does it hurt? ‘Cause if it does, then you need to go to the hospital?”

Rue smiled shakily. “Naw. It’s okay. Thanks for asking,” she called over her shoulder. Joe Vic nodded to no one in particular and sat down to eat. Rue joined him after getting him a glass of juice.

Rue looked deep in thought. Not really, more like she was ready for the other shoe to drop and for to have to make a quick escape from the apartment if necessary. He continued to eat, but it wasn’t as much fun with her being distracted. “What is that?” He pointed with his fork.

Rue jumped slightly. “What’s what?” Joe Vic pointed to her coffee. “Oh, the coffee…well, it’s a special blend that’s popular down in New Orleans.” Her accent definitely showed as she pronounced ‘Orleans’ as ‘Or-leans’. “It’s called chicory.” She looked at the cup. “You wanna try some?”

Joe Vic raised his brows in consideration. “I guess so.” She slid her cup over and he took a hearty swallow. Before looking at her like she were insane, “How do you drink that?! Man, that’s strong…”

Rue giggled lightly as Joe Vic stuffed some buttered toast into his mouth to rid it of the taste. “I thought about what you said last night…”

He looked at her. “Really?”

She nodded quickly. “ I really need to find a better line of work. There’s no gain in being anyone’s punching bag.” She smirked before taking a sip of her coffee. He also wanted to mention spreading your legs for the wrong person, but that was one of those unspoken things even he didn’t feel comfortable with.

Joe quit eating to talk to her. “So, do you know-do you have an idea about what you want to do?” He leaned back into his chair with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. Rue looked him square in the eye. “I started looking it last week. I found this salon over in the …what is it again? Hubert…Hisbert…Histon?” She pondered.

“Haxton?” He offered. She nodded excitedly. Of course, she went over to Haxton. That was where are with all the fags and dykes, no that wasn’t right….it was the area with the gays and lesbians. No one in his crew went over there, mostly because they couldn’t afford it.

“Well, I found a salon that needed a shampoo girl and a shop that needed a cashier for weekend shifts…so I thought I could do that.” She put her mug down. “If you want me to pay rent, I’ve got no problem doing that or paying half of the other bills-”

Joe Vic actually cracked a smile. He stood from the table. “That’s okay. I can take care of the bills, they’re not that bad anyway,” Before he turned to go, he looked back at her, “I’m glad you decided to do something else. And like I said before, you’re welcome here. I’ve kinda gotten used to our arrangement.” Joe Vic graced her with a rare smile that Rue couldn’t help but return.

He walked out, ready to start a new day. He didn’t hear Rue’s released breath, but he would have probably smiled either way.

TBC

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