Though I did date men now and then. I had a preference for women, but every once in a while, I met a guy who caught my attention. But in those cases, I was the one doing the chasing and not the other way around.
Without looking him up and down, I tried to assess if I was attracted to him. He was cute, no denying that. His dark, long hair perfectly framed his very symmetrical face. He was objectively pretty attractive.
But, eh, he didn’t hold my interest. Not really. For a guy to win me over, there had to be some extra factor that drew me in. Or maybe I was just uninterested in him because I had a woman on the other side of me who I found way cuter. Either way, I didn’t want to entertain this.
“Sorry, I’m taken, actually.”
“Oh, that sucks,” he said, frowning. “Well, couldn’t hurt to ask. Have a good day.”
“You, too.” I smiled politely as he made his way back to his friend, shrugging at him as if to say ‘oh well.’
“Taken, huh?” Emily asked me.
Right, I didn’t really want her thinking I was taken because she was cute, and, even though I shouldn’t have been looking at girls, I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t want her thinking I was totally straight, either.
“If taken means uninterested in him,” I said, as I grinned mischievously at her.
She seemed to get my point, that I was a lesbian. Or, at least, mostly lesbian, I guess. Bisexual didn't feel like the right word to describe me, because while I was attracted to both genders, I so heavily leaned toward women.
She smiled back, and a look in her eye made me think she might ha
ve actually been interested in me, too.
“So, what brings you to Rosebridge?” she asked.
I had to think about how I was going to answer this. Should I lie so the conversation was kept more casual? Say I just moved for a change of pace?
Or did I answer honestly and admit I’d just had an awful break-up? It was too personal for a conversation with a stranger, but, at the same time, I wanted to vent a bit. And there was always the possibility I’d never see this stranger again, so, why not?
“Actually, just had a pretty bad break-up with my ex-girlfriend,” I said. “I mean, the break-up was mutual, but still awful.”
“Aw, I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said, sounding genuinely empathetic. “You wanna talk about it?”
I finished off my beer and turned to her. “You know, I actually do,” I said confidently.
I wasn’t feeling super confident about pouring my heart out to a stranger, but whatever, alcohol would help that. I asked the bartender for another beer.
“So, mutual, but bad?” she questioned me.
I nodded. “Mutual, but bad. You know when you’re with someone, and you love them, you care about them, but you realize you’re just not going on the same life path? Like, you wish you were, and you'd do anything to make that a possibility, but, no matter how you try, you’re just… not?”
She frowned. “Actually, I don’t know what that’s like… though, it sounds terrible!”
I laughed. “You must have had pretty perfect relationships, then,” I answered as I sipped my beer.
“Something like that…” she said, continuing with her Long Island.
“Are you in a perfect relationship now?” I asked.
“No, actually, I’m in a horribly toxic relationship with Beasley University these days.”
“Ahh…” I smiled. “A relationship you’re not ready to end, I take it?”
“Not yet, not quite. See, I’m a little financially dependent on the outcome of our relationship, so I’m waiting it out a year until I can get on my feet.”
I liked this kid; she was cute and smart. I liked a little wit with my flirting.
“A year until graduation, huh? And what degree, might I ask?”