Every time they noticed a new look, like his pierced ears, theycomplimented Terry on it, adding that indeed he would be a new person byretirement. T...eir comments bolstered Terry's confidence and made Terrywant to speed up his transition. Terry couldn't wait to get home andtell Sue what his co-workers said. Terry was so thrilled with his newimage. This new image stirred strange feelings within Terry. Sue waselated and ready. That night she gave Terry a new permanent and put on anew coat. But Effie had always said no. I had once told her, teasing, "You are the first African woman I have ever known who has not had a cock in her bum." It was true enough, but I remember thinking that I was taking my life in my hands by saying such a thing. Fortunately, she hadn't killed me. But I think she had wanted to. So there we were, my head on her lap, me thinking how much I wanted to fuck her. In her bum, deep. And she was still saying, "No, not my bum." I rolled over and looked into her. And you have bought lunch the last two times we've been out. Maybe I should just stay home," she said, dejectedly. "Oh c'mon hon! It's okay, I'll buy lunch. Besides I want to talk. Please?" "Okay, I guess. I do need to get out of the house," Donna said, giving in to her cheery friend. Sitting in a quiet corner of the coffee shop, Lisa began by asking her how the job hunt was going. "Pathetic, Lisa, just pathetic! I can't find anything, anywhere. I have tried the supermarkets, I have tried the. Like the sword you would have been hard put to place her age, sort of mid-twenties going on timeless. ‘I could tell_’ she said, ‘That you were deep in thought. I sometimes feel like that at this time of the morning. That’s why I come here. I can think. What brings you out?’ Something in my head was telling me not to answer, to shut up, to leave it, let it go. Vampire queens looked like this woman, ageless, used, but beautiful. Strong, lithe, hard, deadly, but somewhere in the night I had.