“I was going to say the same thing.”
“You were the first gay person I met… or at least the first to come out. I’m not saying you led the charge, but you made a path for the rest of us.”
“I had help.”
“Real-talk time.” Amanda never pulled her punches. I’m not sure how she could get any more real. “You’ve never been the loud and proud kind of guy. You’ve always had a soft stand-your-ground approach. I don’t think you see how big a change you’ve made.”
“I haven’t changed.”
“Not you.” She leaned back, looking me in the eye. “Firefly. There’s a Gay-Straight Alliance in the high school because you helped push for it. Now you’re helping keep it alive. The town might not be progressive, but their attitudeschanged because they love you. I wish you saw yourself the way we do.”
She held up the badge, spinning it between her fingers. I watched as the image of me in a superhero costume came and went.
“Be the face of Firefly Comic Con, Jason. You’re the hero the town needs.”
Real talk apparently meant an arrow to the chest. Amanda had a way of cutting through the red tape and getting to the heart of the matter. I couldn’t always see the changes in our little town. Sometimes, it required a friend to point it out.
“Since you’re in real-talk mode, can I ask you a question?”
I walked over to the loveseat and plopped myself into a flattened cushion. It was by far the most uncomfortable couch I had ever sat on. It stayed in the loft because we didn’t want to throw it into the store below to drag it out. No amount of throw pillows could stop a spring from poking me in the ass.
“Does it have to do with a mysterious blonde woman?”
“Has the rumor mill already started?”
Amanda spun about in her chair. “No, and that’s what has me interested. Somebody with legs like that and the blue hairs aren’t talking trash? Consider me curious.”
“It’s Simon’s ex-wife.”
Amanda’s eyes widened. “Well, that makes things interesting.”
“I brought Lucas home from school, and she waswaiting for him. I thought she was off somewhere saving the world.”
“Gorgeous and a do-gooder. I’m seeing the appeal.”
“Calm your tits, missy.” Amanda didn’t need to say anything. I’m sure she was already imagining her naked. If she drooled, I’d slap her for good measure. “I don’t know how to handle the situation.”
“Did you talk to Simon?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“Then you’re making an issue where there isn’t one.”
“But—”
“It’s in your head.”
“What if?—”
“Stop it.”
I frowned. Amanda wasn’t providing the support I expected. Then again, she had a way of saying what I needed to hear. Was I making this a bigger problem than it really was? Maybe my discomfort with a new situation needed more time to process.
“Simon didn’t seem to mind you dancing with Jon.”
“That’s different.”
“Is it, though? Jon isn’t nearly as gorgeous, but it’s kind of the same thing.”
