The Better Side of Me - Jerry Cole Page 0,16

paid,” she sang. “One week in Hawaii, free of charge. Hotel. Flights. Food. Everything! Oh, what a dream!”

"All right, all right,” he waved her down. “And in between the pancakes, did he happen to tell you who has been selected to go?”

“They’ll choose in two months, just before the Symposium. Whoever goes has to host a seminar, of course – their choice of topic. I think it's pretty obvious who they’re going to pick though. So, don’t bother with getting your hopes up or any of that nonsense.” She flicked her hair and puckered her lips. “I’ve never been to Hawaii before. Oh, I can’t wait!” She clapped her hands together excitedly.

“I bet you can’t,” Kirk said bitterly.

“Oh, don’t worry.” Clarice purred and stroked at Kirk’s chin. “I’ll send you a post card.” She then giggled, turned on her heel and fled the room.

And as for Kirk? He was left staring. Where did a woman like that get off with that much self-confidence? It boggled the mind.

Kirk would have loved to have gone to Hawaii. He would have loved to have been given a chance to speak at that Symposium, to host his own seminar! And most of all, he would have adored the chance to rub Clarice’s fat face right in it. But Kirk was also a realist and he knew, despite himself, that he would not be chosen. That’s just the way it was.

***

“You’re a fool!” Jessie slapped the table as hard as she could. “A darn fool! And you’re short too!”

“Hey!” Kirk complained. “Was the short thing really necessary?” He poked at his food with a fork, having lost his appetite long before the food arrived.

“No,” Jessie shrugged. “But required – to get you off your ass for once!”

“And how was it going to do that exactly?”

“I don’t know?” Jessie shrugged. “Tough love?”

Kirk and Jessie were at the café just down the road from where Kirk lived. It was the same day that Clarice had told him about the convention. The moment that Clarice had tumbled from the auditorium Kirk had called up Jessie to meet. She declared that she would be ready within the hour, and so she was.

Kirk had known Jessie since university, since before he had even come out. They had bonded over their mutual love of the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and continued to bond over just about everything else since. Plus, seeing as Kirk was gay, there was never a chance of something as trivial as sexual attraction ruining the friendship.

And besides. Even if Kirk had been straight, and had been into Jessie, she would have been so far out of his league that he probably would have felt bad for her, if she’d fallen for him.

Jessie was tall. She was also lean, yet still somehow had curves! Her eyes were bright green and the shape of almonds, her nose was petite while her lips were thick and luscious. Her blonde hair flowed down her back like pure silk, and her sense of humor was so malevolent and wicked that it would make Satan cringe. Men loved Jessie, and she always loved them back.

But despite all that, she always made sure to save a little love for Kirk. They were besties after all.

“You know Clarice,” Kirk sighed. “She’ll get it. Heck, she’d fall to her knees and beg the board until they caved in. Plus, I just found out she’s having intercourse with the Head of the Department.”

“Intercourse?” Jessie raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t want to say the word... or anything that makes me think of it,” Kirk cringed. “Intercourse is somehow more PG.”

“Oh, please.” Jessie leaned across the table and slapped Kirk on the back of the hand. “You know that you’re twice the professor that that intercourse having cow is. You also know that if you tried even a little, they’d give it to you. Easy.”

“I don’t know that—”

“Yes, you do!” she slapped him again. “The only thing you’re missing, Mr., is a little self-confidence.”

“Well when you find some, be sure to let me know, will you?”

“Ha!” Jessie cackled. “How is the gym going, by the way? You’re practically coming out of your shirt! Either that or a bee stung you.”

“Funny.” Kirk was barely paying attention. He was staring into his food, stabbing at it while imaging it to be Clarice’s fat head. Strangely, it actually made him feel a little better.

“Seriously, though. How is it though? You look good!”

“It’s fine,” Kirk sighed. “I trained with someone new today.