Chimes ring quietly above me as I enter the bar, muffled slightly by the sounds of light rain outside. Shaking my umbrella before pulling it in behind me, I look up at the rest of the bar. A couple of eyes have strayed my way and I can feel them looking me up and down carefully. I shiver uncomfortably, pulling my umbrella in and closing the door behind me. I place my umbrella beside the door, taking an empty seat towards the middle of the bar.

The bartender excuses himself from a couple at the other end of the bar and sidles his way over to me. “Hey there, Jen.”

I smile up at him gently. “Hey, Art.” I turn my eyes to one of the small cardboard menus, my eyes glancing over it dismissively. “Can I get a… bloody mary?” I turn the menu away, choosing to order a normal drink instead.

Art seems to stare at me for a second and I meet his eyes impassively. After a second, he nods gently, reaching under the counter for something. “Take it that it didn’t go well then?” He asks gently as he starts putting my drink together.

I sigh, slumping over slightly. “You know it didn’t.”

He winces, nodding. “Yeah. Still, I was hopeful.” He’s quiet as he finishes up my drink, sliding it over the counter to me. The specialty drinks are nice, but Arts' bloody mary is my favorite. “Well, here you go. Enjoy the night, yeah? Holler if you need anything.”

I nod, taking a sip from my drink. It stings as it goes down, but it’s a good sting. “I will. Thanks, Art.” He returns to the couple at the end of the bar, two men that he’s clearly familiar with. More friends of his probably, being a bartender he tends to know a lot of people.

I sip absently from my cocktail glass, glancing around the bar at the few other patrons. I’m a bit early, but there are plenty of other people here that are clearly here for the LGBTQ+ night. Some of the more obvious patrons are wearing rainbow shirts or other casual apparel, while some others like myself have chosen to go the more subtle route. I idly fiddle with my bracelet as I look over the crowd.

“This seat taken?” I stiffen at the soft voice behind me. Turning back around, I glance to my other side to see a pretty girl.

“Oh, um, no. It’s not.” I avert my eyes back towards the bar and mumble into my drink as I take another sip. She sits down beside me carefully as I calm my heart.

Glancing over at her furtively, I nod to myself approvingly at her outfit. She’s wearing a very cozy looking long dress with plenty of riffles and flower designs. It strikes me as something a librarian would wear. As my eyes trail upwards, they meet her own. She’s looking me over the same as I am her. As she meets my gaze, she smiles at me sweetly and leans against the counter with her arm casually. I sputter a bit, turning back to my drink and taking another slow sip.

Art comes over briefly and she orders her own drink. Once Art hands her a drink, he leaves the two of us alone again. I chance a glance over to her and feel my heart leap into my throat. She’s watching me carefully as she sips from a long island iced tea. I gulp down another sip of bloody mary slowly before even attempting to say anything. “Um, hey.” I try, wincing gently at how lame that sounds.

She just smiles wider, still leaning against her arm on the counter. “Hey, yourself.” She takes another sip of her iced tea. She doesn’t say anything else though, but she hasn’t stopped staring at me. Seems like she isn’t going to give me any rope to reach for here.

I wrack my brain for something else to say, looking towards the window. “Um… Nice weather we’re having?” I offer.

She blinks rapidly at that, turning her entire head to look at the window. The rain is coming down a little bit harder than it had been when I first came in here. “It’s raining.” She replies slowly.

“I… like the rain?” I say lamely. I take another sip of my drink, beating myself up internally. How lame could I be?!

She chuckles to herself, the chuckles slowly turning into a full giggle. I can feel my cheeks heating up in embarrassment as I try not to stare. She’s really cute when she giggles. After several seconds of giggling, she starts to settle down, her eyes filled with a gentle mirth. “I like the rain too,” She says, “when I’m not in it, at least.” She holds out her hand as if to shake, “My name is Stella.”

I take the offered hand, shaking gently with nerves. Her grip is soft, but firm. “Uh, Jennifer. You can call me Jen.”

“Jen.” She smiles. “Pretty name.”

I chuckle at that, quirking an eyebrow slightly. “It’s no Stella, but I like it, yeah.” Her smile widens at that. She takes a slow sip from her drink, her eyes drifting away from me and towards the rest of the bar.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you at one of these before.” She says.

I shrug, following her gaze and looking at the bar. It’s more filled at this point, people finally starting to trickle in from outside now that it’s the actual start time for the event. “I’ve been around. Didn’t come the last couple of weeks. Had school stuff to worry about.”

At that it’s her turn to blush, looking down at her own drink. “Ah, yeah? What are you going for?” I can feel my blush spreading a little just from looking at her. God, she’s really cute.

“It’s really boring actually. I’m a history major.” I scratch at the back of my head nervously. “And nobody really wants to hear about that.”

She looks up from her drink, her eyes wide with surprise. “Really, history?”

I grimace, taking a sip from my alcohol and hoping the sting will save me from this embarrassment. “Yeah… I know, it’s kinda lame.”

“No! I mean, I think that’s really cool. I think history is kind of fascinating. I really like to learn about the histories of things like food and cultural events, it’s really fascinating.” She shoots me a smile and I feel my heart flutter a little in my chest.

“Yeah, I can get lost in old architecture and the day to day lives of people that lived thousands of years ago. Can’t help it really.”

She nods along in understanding, “Hope that school hasn’t been too rough then. I can only imagine what the homework for that must be like.”

I shrug, smiling as I take another sip. “Mostly just a bunch of reading, honestly. The essay’s write themselves. It’s the general courses like math that trip me up.” I lean back, “Don’t have to worry about any of that until next week though, for now I’m still on fall break.” I slump back down to the counter with a sigh. “Gonna try to enjoy the last of it.” She frowns slightly at that, her eyes on me. I sigh, sitting back up. “Sorry, I just had a bad day, came here to try to forget about it.”

She hums slightly, scooting her stool closer. “No, tell me about it.”

Our eyes meet and I’m startled by the determination there. I shake my head gently, shivering slightly. “No, it’s… it’s not something you’d want to hear about. Just family issues.”

She takes my hand gently, her eyes shifting up to look at mine for a moment. She waits, as if waiting for permission. I don’t say anything, my breathing slowing to a crawl as she holds my hand carefully. “If it’ll help, tell me. I’m a good listener.” She smiles gently, her smile piercing through my last wall.

Sighing, I acquiesce. “I came out to my family today, and it pretty much went how I expected it to.” I look down at my hand in her own. She’s stroking the back of it slowly with her thumb. “Don’t know where we stand at the moment, but I’m not hopeful. Far as I know, the last Queer person in my family to come out was disowned and they haven’t been talking to her for years.”

Stella’s smile drops slightly at this. “Shit, Jen, that’s… That sucks. I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”

I shrug, taking my hand back so I can take another sip of my bloody mary. “Eh, I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid talking to them about it forever. Surprised I got away with it for as long as I did.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, that’s their loss. Beautiful and intelligent woman like you will be fine without them. I’m sure you already know that, though.” She smiles at me confidently and it takes everything in me not to melt into a puddle right in front of her. I steel my nerves and return the smile, my face feeling like it’s on fire the whole time I do so.

“Um, thank you. Y-you’re uh, really pretty too.” I stutter back.

She chuckles lightly to herself, taking a slow sip of her drink. "I appreciate that dear, even if I am a bit past my prime." She swirls her drink idly in thought.

I pause at that, looking her over more critically. Her prime? She looks like she's no older than twenty five. That's not something I'd really expect a twenty five year old to say, though.

She turns to glance at me, making me realize that I've been staring. I turn my eyes back to the bar, losing myself in my thoughts. After a few seconds, I make up my mind. "Um, this might sound rude, but how old are you?" I ask delicately.

She quirks an eyebrow at me, her face measured as she takes another sip of her long island iced tea. "Thirty two."

"I- what!" I clamp my hand over my mouth, biting down on my tongue before I make a fool of myself. Her gaze is flicking across my face in amusement, clearly enjoying my struggle. I slowly unclamp my mouth, more quietly this time saying, "You look like you're in your low twenties!"

This time, she blushes, but she holds her composure. "I assure you that I'm quite in my thirties. But, uh, thank you. You flatter me."

I avert my gaze, turning back to the bar. "Sorry, I was just surprised." My thoughts whir gently as I feel myself calming down. She's just being friendly then. There's no way she'd be interested in a girl like me. I sigh, taking a deeper gulp of my drink.

"Um," I turn slightly to look at Stella as she tries to get my attention, "I'm not great at this, but would you like to ditch this place and get something to eat? My treat." Her smile is gentle and her eyes are hopeful.

My eyes go wide as I stare at her. I snap my mouth shut after a few seconds, composing myself. "What, like a… date?"

"Um, no. It doesn't have to be. If you want, it can just be as friends. You've had a bad day and I'd love to help you have a better one." She says calmly.

I gulp gently, turning my eyes away. "Um, you know that I'm… You know." I fiddle with my bracelet.

Her face goes pale. "Oh god, you're not straight are you? I'm so sorry, I-" I stop her before she can continue.

"No! No, uh, no." I look her up and down, glancing away, blushing brightly. "Definitely not straight. No, I'm… Trans?"

She looks relieved at that. "Oh, that's what you mean. Yeah, I know." She gestures to my bracelet, the pink, white, and blue ribbons threaded through it intricately. "All I see is a pretty young woman. Like I said though, it doesn't have to be a date. I realize that you might think I'm a little too old for you." She shrugs dismissively, turning back to her drink and staring into it. I feel a small thrill of happiness run down my spine at her casual declaration and affirmation of my gender.

I gulp the last few drops of my drink, throwing some cash on the counter to pay for it and standing up confidently. She looks up at me and I shoot her a gentle smile. "Too old? All I see is a pretty young woman. Where are we going?"

Her eyes light up, mirth and amusement dancing across every inch of her visage. She stands up, not bothering to finish her own drink. She places some money down too, holding out her arm for me to hold. "I know a place down the road. If we're quick we won't get too wet."

Her smile is infectious. I nod, too busy admiring her eyes. After a few moments, she rolls them, tugging on my sleeve gently. "Come on then, cutie. Get your coat on."

I giggle, pulling it on obediently. "Yes, ma'am."

She scowls at me and I worry for a second that I'd said the wrong thing, but her scowl is quickly replaced by a good natured shaking of her head. "Goodness, I can tell you're going to be a handful."

I quirk an eyebrow, catching her gaze playfully. "Oh? Plan on handling me much do you."

She meets my gaze challengingly. Her eyes piercing my soul and making me feel weak in the knees. "Only if you'd like me to."

I take her arm delicately, clinging to her side carefully. "Handle me gently, then." I whisper, low enough that only the two of us can hear.

"Oh, I can be very gentle." She says, dropping into a quiet and more sultry tone. Instantly, she straightens up, pretending like nothing had happened. "Let's go get some food first though, I'm starving." I nod eagerly, hanging off of her affectionately as she leads us to the front door. I glance back at Art to see him giving me a proud smile and a thumbs up as we leave.

Wistful-Shiver

Hey, this story is basically done, so I'll be uploading it slowly over the next couple of days. It's gonna be five chapters long and all I have left to write is the last chapter. Enjoy.