Press Your Luck 39 (Patreon)

Several miles away in the empty dark, Danny’s phone rang out a screaming goat noise. Groggily Daniel answered the phone without even looking, “Hello?”

“N-nevermind.”

“Lucy?” Danny sat up quickly, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong?” He asked as he looked for his pants.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just…missed you.”

“Oh.” He chuckled, feeling his lips curl into a smile as his posture became less rigid.

“Don’t laugh at me.” Lucy whined. Even though he couldn’t see her he knew she was pouting, maybe even blushing.

“I wasn’t.” He said as he imagined gently running his thumb over her soft lips, “I was actually….I’ve missed you too. A lot.”

“Yeah?” She asked softly.

“Yeah.” He said just as softly.

There was a momentary silence before he heard the rustling of blankets and creaking of bed springs as Lucy shifted in her bed, “What have you been up to?” She yawned.

“Are you sure you want to talk about it now? You sound sleepy.”

“Mhm.” She cooed, “Who knows what’ll happen tomorrow, right?” Even tired as she was he could hear a heaviness in her voice.

“You got me there.” He said with a smile, sitting back on the bed, his naked back against the headrest. Something was weighing her down, something she didn’t want to talk about. But she was okay. He could wait to find out what was affecting her. For now he would tell her a story to help her sleep. “In that case…" he thought for a moment before chuckling, "I don’t actually know where to start?” he said with a chuckle after a brief pause.

“Like, how’s work?” Harlow asked, pulling the second pillow into him.

“Work is…good. I mean I basically just sit outside of a high school all day. It’s kinda boring actually.”

“Hey, boring is good. At least no one’s shooting at you. If you–” Harlow stopped himself, not wanting to put the painful thought of Daniel’s death out into the universe and jinxing his friend–“just, like, be bored and be safe. Elana’s great but, like, her dad isn’t, like, the best person.”

“I babysit a high school girl,” Danny laughed in the hopes of lightening the mood, “The worst I deal with are high school boys who get too aggressive.” Of course he was lying. If he told Lucy Elana’s father was in town or about the attempted kidnapping she would only worry more.

"That's good." Harlow flipped the pillow under his head, enjoying the coolness underneath him.

“I suppose. Problem is being bored and sitting on my butt all day long. I'm well on my way to having a beer gut like coach Neeson.” Danny laughed.

“I think you’d look hot with a dad bod.” Lucy giggled as she played with a strand of her hair.

“You thought coach Neeson was hot?” Danny smiled, hearing his girl’s laugh again after so long.

“You saw the man’s arms! He was a total gun show!” Harlow blushed, ‘Gawd! Why’d I say that?!’ His mind screamed at him as he bit his lip. ‘I…just miss teasing Daniel. That’s all.’ Harlow giggled nervously.

“I guess.” Daniel laughed, “He’s not exactly my type.” Pausing to flex his bicep, his eyes now adjusted to the dim light that spilled into his room from outside.

“What else is going on?”

Danny dropped his arm as if Lucy had caught him in the act, “Naomi asked about you?” Danny said, trying to change the subject.

“She did?”

“Yeah, well, Ray asked about you for her at the poker game. I think they want you to babysit again.”

“Do they now?” Harlow giggled and guessed the real reason they were likely asking about her.

“Yeah. Even Harry asked about you.”

“I bet.” He said with an eye roll, knowing for certain why he asked about Lucy.

“I think everybody misses you.”

“...yeah?” He asked softly. Did Daniel mean everybody? Did that include him?!

"Yeah. Elana talks about you a lot."

Harlow sat up in bed and bit his lip nervously, feeling his cheeks warm even more than they already were as he planted his heels on the ugly carpeted floor of his motel. "That's, like, nice…what does she say?”

“Just how you’re doing, if I heard from you, if we’re broken up, if we’re getting back together.”

“I promise, I, like, didn’t ask her to do that. Oh god that’s just, like, so totally embarrassing.” Harlow’s voice squealed in pained embarrassment as he buried as much of his face in his free hand as he could. “What do you say?” He asked after a moment, pacing around the room completely nude except for his heels.

Danny suppressed a chuckle, hearing Lucy’s voice raise at least five octaves. A sound he had gotten used to from his sister’s slumber parties and listening to Elana and her friends gossip about their lives. “I usually just change the subject.”

“Oh.”

Danny frowned, he could tell that wasn’t the answer she was hoping for but like Elana he didn’t want to get her hopes up just for things not to work out. “I mean, she’s got enough to worry about with homecoming coming up and all without worrying about us.” He couldn’t tell Elana just how after over a month he still had trouble falling asleep without feeling Lucy’s warmth next to him or just how much he missed the taste of her on his lips as he drove to work or how much he missed the smell of her perfume as she sat in his lap every night.

“Yeah.”

Danny scratched at the beard he had allowed to grow in Lucy’s absence as he thought about the last homecoming he had dragged Lucy to when she was Harlow or still went by Harlow and he…she had basically sat alone while Danny spent time with his girlfriend. Danny knew Lucy was trans now, but he still wasn’t certain how to refer to her past self. He had gotten mixed results from the internet. Some said to never even bring it up. Some said to acknowledge the person she used to be and the journey she’s been on. Some said to let her tell him. Some said she was always who she is now…but Harlow was not the same person as Lucy that Danny could see. They had the same problems but Lucy seemed…happier since she came out as Lucy. Even with everything that happened.

“Do you ever think about…some of the stuff that happened in high school?"

“Wh…I mean I guess, like, in what way?” Harlow anxiously bit his lip.

“About…you…you know? How things played out in high school. With you…and me.”

“Oh.” Harlow sat back on his bed in silence as he thought about Daniel’s question. If he hadn’t gotten Danny drunk then he would likely have won the game and gotten the scholarship he desperately wanted. But then maybe they never wouldn’t have gotten together. But Danny would be happier. But Harlow would have been all alone to deal with Jefferson…maybe none of this would ever have happened. “...There’s a lot I would have done differently.” he finally whispered. “I wish I could, like, start over knowing everything I know now.”

“I’m sorry.” Danny said softly, “I shouldn’t’ve brought it up. There’s no point in dwelling on the past when there’s nothing we can do to change it. All we can do is keep moving forward and try to do better.”

“I suppose.” Harlow pouted and curled into the pillow at his side, “I should let you go.”

“Are you sure?”

Harlow nodded, “Yeah, I’m getting tired.”

“Oh…okay. Well if you feel like talking again, you know where to find me.”

“I do. Thank you. G’night Daniel.”

“Good night, Lucy.” And with that Danny’s room fell back into darkness. The light that once graced his room seeming weaker without her voice to amplify it somehow. Turning in his bed he wrapped his arms around Lucy’s pillow and pulled it into his chest, filling himself with her scent once more before allowing sleep to take him.

The next few days of work blurred into one endless stream of faces, drinks, and people. Harlow leaned against the bar, giving everyone behind him a great view of his bare legs and Tommy, the bartender, an even better view of his cleavage which was on more of a display than normal due to the sparkling gold corset Harlow wore to work. “Can I get; one whiskey, one heineken, a cosmo, and a…, like, a…something?”

“The first two I can help you with, the last you’re on your own.” He smirked as he poured whiskey into a glass.

“It was…ugh, like, one of those named after a city?”

“Great, that narrows it down to about two dozen cocktails and eight I know how to make.” The half naked bartender sighed as he poured out a cosmopolitan, “This is the fifth time just tonight, why don’t you try writing this stuff down if you can’t remember.”

"Come on, don't make me go back and ask again. Can't you just, like, guess?" Harlow asked with a pout and wide eyes.

“Guess?”

“Yeah, you said you knew how to make, like, eight of them. Pleeeease!” Harlow bounced on his heels as he begged.

“Fine.” He shook his head, popping the top off of the green bottle, “But don’t blame me if I guess wrong.”

“I won’t, I promise! Thank you so much!” Harlow said with a smile he didn’t feel. Tommy quickly grabbed two bottles and a small glass, pouring the quickest cocktail named after a city he could think of and less than a minute later Tommy placed a glass in front of Harlow, “Thank you so much! What is it?” Harlow asked.

“An Irish car bomb.”

“That’s a terrible name.” Harlow shook his head, picking up the glasses and bottle onto a tray before turning to leave.

“Yeah, hey! Hold on.” Tommy called Harlow back, slapping a small notepad and pen on the bar. “This is the last time I’m guessing, okay? It costs the bar money every time I make a drink. You think Carl’s gonna blame the sexy new girl?” Harlow’s face flashed with anger before dropping into a pout. Nodding, Harlow took the pad and pen, tucking the pen behind his ear and the pad against the waist of his skirt.

“You think I’m sexy?” he giggled nervously.

Forcing a smile to his face Harlow brought the drinks to the men sitting around a blackjack table, placing the whiskey beside one man and the cosmopolitan for the woman in red who hung on the man's shoulder. She thanked Harlow, raising her glass to him and popping the gum in her mouth as Harlow placed the beer in front of another woman who grunted her thanks. Walking around to the other side of the table she tried to place the drink in front of the last man and run away before he could say anything.

"Thanks." He said taking the glass out of Harlow's hand and bringing the drink straight to his lips. For a second Harlow thought he got lucky and Tommy had somehow guessed right until the man pulled away. "What is this?" He asked.

"An…Irish ca-it's your drink isn't it?" He asked innocently, biting his lip.

"I asked for a white Russian."

"Oh! Russia." Exclaimed.

"What?"

"Sorry, I, like, totally got my tables mixed up." He giggled, "I'll be right back with your actual drink." He lied, bending at the hips more than was necessary to take the glass from the man.

"You're fine." The man smirked and unabashedly ogled Harlow's chest.

Hurrying away from the casino floor he stopped Dianna and asked her to bring the man his correct drink, not wanting to face Tommy or the man again. Instead he hurried into the changing room. Sitting at the small folding tables one of the girls had placed in front of the lockers so they could eat in peace Harlow anxiously twisted the ring on his finger as he nursed the free drink. Tommy was right. Harlow was finding it impossible to concentrate on anything for long today. He had considered calling in sick or just not showing up and lying in bed. After his side job he had enough money on hand that one day away from the real world wouldn’t hurt him financially but he needed to get away from that tiny room and allow himself to be distracted with work. He was sure if he stayed he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Daniel and his question.

The only saving grace was everyone already thought he was an airheaded bimbo and cut him some slack. But that was obviously reaching its end. How long before he lost this job?! He did have Candy, or Rosemarie’s, offer as a backup but even over a week after his first date as an escort and another planned for tomorrow night he needed to pool as much money as possible as quickly as possible to get what he needed and that meant keeping this job. 'Another date, maybe two and I can, like, write my own ticket to a normal life. That isn't so bad and it is only sex. And, like, it's not like I'm really attracted to men or something.'

Not long after Harlow had hidden away in the break room Dianna followed, knocking on the door as a courtesy before immediately opening the door like she always had. “Hey, girl.” She said gently, “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”  Harlow nodded, "Then why did I have to take yet another one of your tables?” Dianna asked loudly, her voice stern but underneath was a thread of concern, “I don’t mind the tips but you’ve been screwing up orders the last couple of days. If something’s going on I need to know. If you can’t do this job then…” Dianna frowned and left her sentence unfinished.

“I can do the job.” Harlow said quickly, “I just, like, needed to take a break. That’s all.”

“You’ve been needing a lot of breaks the last couple of days.”

“I’ll be fine. I promise.” Harlow pouted and looked up at Dianna with his big eyes.

“Don’t pull those cute little puppy dog eyes on me.” Dianna crossed her arms, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Look, I like you. Everyone here likes you. But that only goes so far. If you can’t do your job and I let you slide, the other girls have to pick up your slack, then it looks like I can’t do my job. And I can’t have that. I got bills.” Harlow nodded, staring at the ring on his finger rather than Dianna. A few seconds later he felt slender fingers lifting his chin upwards to meet her gaze, “I meant what I said. I like you. So I want you to go clock out and go home. If you’re still feeling funky in the morning, call me and we can talk. But if you’re here I need you here.”

“Wh-what about Carl?”

“I’ll tell him you’re on your period.”

“I’m not.”

Dianna resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead gave Lucy a hug. “We’ll keep that between us girls. Go home and sort out whatever’s going on.”

The next afternoon, after another fruitless night of sleep, Harlow met Rosemarie at her favorite nail salon to discuss his upcoming date. “Lucy!” She cheered as she approached the feminized redhead by the door, immediately throwing her arms around him.

“Hey, bossy lady.” Harlow reflexively faked a smile back, “Thanks again for helping me get ready for our–my date?” he shook his head in an attempt to sort out his brain.

“Oh our date?” Rosemarie giggled, “Are you already planning to sleep your way to the top?”

“Shut up.” Harlow giggled back.

“Seriously though, I’m so glad you decided to keep working for me.” Rosemarie said with a cheerful smile.

‘I’d rather work under you, or you under me, or between your...’ Harlow thought with an awkward giggle, “Well, duh.” He giggled less awkwardly as he followed the beautiful redhead into the salon, “The money’s good and the boss is, like, totally amazing.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere. But butt kissing will cost extra.” She winked playfully before checking in with the receptionist. After a few seconds of conversation Rosemarie turned back to Harlow, “She said Julie and Amber will be right with us.” She hooked her arm around Harlow’s and the two sat in a row of seats lining one wall beside the entrance. “So tell me what’s wrong?”

“Who said anything’s wrong?” Harlow did his best to fake his usual smile even more than usual.

“Because you made enough from your last client you didn’t need me to come and pay, you clearly know how to dress sexy enough, and the girls at the casino talk.”

Harlow pouted, he hadn’t known Rosemarie long but already he could tell she would only keep bugging him for the truth. So he relented and told her everything that had happened at work, the mixed up and forgotten drink orders, the dropped glasses, the angry and rude comments the less than forgiving customers had slung at him. “And last night I totally got chewed out for forgetting orders by Dianna and I'm probably gonna lose my job soon if I don’t do something drastic.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Rosemarie gently placed her hand on Lucy’s, “Everything’s gonna be okay. Losing a job sucks but you have options. You just need to find a way to de-stress.”

“I wish I could.” Harlow shook his head, “But…thank you for letting me vent.”

“Anytime.” She smiled, “You feel any better?”

“A little actually. You’re, like, a really good listener. Normally I’d talk to Elana but, like, some stuff happened I just know she wouldn’t keep to herself and, like, she so doesn’t understand working as a cocktail waitress…or, like, working at all, really.” Harlow laughs to himself. Not long ago that would have been true about him as well, but with far less money than she had.

“Always happy to be a second choice.” Rosemarie laughed.

“I didn’t mean it like that. You’re, like, a really good listener but you’re also kinda, like, my boss now so isn’t it, like, illegal to be friends with your boss or something?” Harlow giggled nervously, refusing to meet the freckle-faced beauty’s eye.

“Hey, I’m only teasing. I’m always happy to make new friends.” Rosemarie smiled, “And if it’s illegal then we’ll just be outlaws.” She giggled and gave the girl at her side another wink. Harlow couldn’t help but join in. It was funnier than she likely realized. Rosemarie had gone from Candy, an escort he hired and slept with to his boss and friend without her ever realizing.

“Who knows, maybe this next guy will, like, clear my cobwebs outta my head.” Harlow giggled nervously, “Don’t get me wrong, Richard was totally nice but, like, all we did was sleep.”

Rosemarie laughed, “I’m sorry,” she apologized as she continued laughing, “I get what you mean, I really do. But in my experience very few clients have ever left me satisfied.” Her laughter finally died down as she continued,  “Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you can have fun, like the time I made one of my clients wear my panties.”

“You did not!” Harlow gasped, “Why would a man let a woman, even as sexy as you, talk him into something like that?”

“It takes all kinds.” She giggled at the memory, “Oh the best part was when his wife came home and he tried to make me hide in the closet so she wouldn’t catch us.”

“Did you?!” Harlow asked with a giggle and a broad smile on his face.

“I did. For a price.” She winked and laughed again. Rosemarie’s infectious laughter sent Harlow into a fit of giggles of his own.

“Did she catch you?” Harlow asked, on the edge of his seat.

“That’s the thing, his wife knew I was there the whole time!”

“No way!” Harlow’s gasp continued into a fit of giggles.

Rosemarie nodded, “She even bought my shoes off of me and made him wear them.” She laughed even harder.

“Oh my gawd!” Harlow continued to laugh at the poor man’s punishment. Rosemarie’s laugh, like her smile, was simply infectious and even if he was in a worse situation than the husband in her story it was still nice to have someone to laugh with again.

After their laughter died down Rosemarie continued, “So yeah, it’s better to not expect much from these guys and be pleasantly surprised when they give you a thrill or two. Anything else you’re better off with a little self-TLC and keeping your battery operated boyfriend fully charged."