No, my only regret was that we were currently embroiled in a scandal, and that only a confrontation with my stepbrother could de-tangle the mess of our lives.
17
Mason
I slumped in a chair in my agent’s office.
“Fuck,” I muttered to myself, sinking even lower in the sleek white leather. “Fuck fuck fuck.”
Jim swept into the room like a hurricane, slamming the door behind him.
“Fuck is right,” he sniffed. “What the fuck were you thinking? A transgender woman? Really? You think you’ll sell Wheaties if people know you’re banging a transgender chick?”
My head jerked up.
“Stop being such a fucking prick. It doesn’t matter that she’s transgender,” I snorted. “Get with the twenty-first century.”
“Oh yeah?” screeched Jim. “So you banged a hot transgender chick and not some ugly cis-gender ho. Okay, well look at it this way: your endorsements are gone either way!” He was now wildly gesturing as he screamed, his arms waving spastically. I thanked God he had a cushy office with triple-thickness glass panes so that no one could hear what we were saying. I was embarrassed for Jim and his backwards thinking, to be honest.
“Look,” I grunted. “It’s not just about endorsements, okay? There’s more to life than pleasing my sponsors.”
Jim shook his head resignedly.
“You really don’t get it, do you?” he asked wearily. “You’re the boy wonder, a double Gold medalist at the last Olympics. People want an American hero and that was supposed to be you! And now you’ve thrown it away,” he said disgustedly.
“Well, what’s wrong with dating a transgender woman?” I asked. “If anything, this should make me even more appealing, given the current climate. If it were true, that is,” I added hastily.
Jim snorted.
“What rock have you been living under? This is Wheaties and Crest we’re talking about. This is about family values, and they’re just not ready for this! Not to mention Viagra,” he said grimly. “You’re supposed to be the epitome of masculinity to them. They’re practically shooting themselves in the head right now because their poster boy is so fucking weird.”
Now I really had to set the record straight.
“It’s not weird to date a transwoman,” I said frigidly. “People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and their personal preferences should be respected. Nonetheless, I never dated Vanity. I chatted with her online, yes, and paid her some compliments, but I never touched her. That’s all lies.”
“Well you swiped right, didn’t you?” sneered Jim. “You swiped right and then flirted with her, and it just goes on from there. Pretty soon, you’ve got four children together at the rate this gossip is going.”
I sat back in my chair, stumped. Seriously, I’d just texted with someone with long blonde hair. I never expected her to be a man, much less a publicity hound. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to matter because the court of public opinion moves at light speed.
“What matters is that you swiped right,” concluded Jim unhappily. “And now I’ve got voicemails from your sponsors, who probably want to terminate you.”
I glanced at his phone and sure enough the old school landline had a red light that was flashing furiously, like a siren gone mad. Fuck this debacle.
“Listen,” I growled. “I can fix this. I’ve been with another woman this entire time, and she can vouch for me. I date cis women, and not transwomen, okay?”
This was the first piece of good news Jim had heard in a while and his ears perked up, his expression hopeful.
“Oh yeah? Who is this woman? Why haven’t I heard of her before? Seriously Mason, you shouldn’t keep secrets like this from your agent,” he said, shaking his head.
“Well you know her actually,” I said slowly. “In fact, you’ve worked with her before.”
That took Jim by surprise.
“Really?” he snorted with disbelief. “Who is it then? Is it Amy from the women’s swim team?” he asked, more to himself than anyone. “Some sponsors said she looked too masculine with her bulging muscles and square jaw, but we can work with that. Fit and buff is trendy right now.”
Now it was my turn to be exasperated.
“No, it’s not Amy, and I don’t appreciate you turning my dating life into another commercial opportunity.”
But Jim still wasn’t listening.
“How can Amy help us?” he muttered to himself. “What can she do to rehabilitate your image?”
I’d had enough.
“Jim, you’re not taking anything from Amy, and you’re not going to force her to do anything because the woman in question is my sister Janie. She’s the one I’ve been dating. We’ve been a couple for a while now.”
Jim turned stark white, the blood draining from his face in seconds. He sank limply to the couch, his flabby body resembling a rag doll.
“Mason,” he said, his voice thin and raspy. “Tell me it isn’t true.”
“It is,” I insisted. “I’m in love with Janie and she loves me, too.”