Riding back into my neighborhood I look at Amir. Once again he looks like a beautiful woman. His pony tail has dried and is flying freely in the wind, and if it is not my imagination his cheeks are even more rosy looking then when I first saw him.
He feels my gaze and looks at me and smile, "You live in this place of big houses?"
"Yes, I do."
"How much further to your house?"
I nod my head forward and tell him, "At the top of the hill."
He smiles at me and says, "America, I love it!"
I laugh and take off, sprinting ahead of him.
I hear that musical laughter of his and then he is beside of me once again.
We roll into the circular driveway of my house. The house that belongs to Justine and me. It is funny that now is the only time that I think of Justine since I have found Amir.
I open the door and roll my bike into the house with Amir behind me. I yell out "Justine!"
"George?" I hear from the bowels of the house then I hear her feet as she walks towards where I am.
When she sees me she runs towards me and I open my arms. She does not notice Amir.
She tells me while her face is buried between my neck and shoulder, "George I was so afraid that you were not coming back. I didn't know what I would do if you left me, and I didn't want to find out."
"It is okay baby. I home again. I brought us a friend."
Her head snaps back and for the first time she notices Amir. I can almost see the daggers flash from her eyes as she rakes them up and down Amir. I almost expect hissing and spiting, then she pulls in her claws, and smiles at Amir.
I almost laugh out loud as I know, without a doubt, that she thinks Amir is a woman. I have been there and done that, and I smile to myself.
"Justine, this is Amir. Amir, this is Justine."
Amir holds out his hand to Justine and says, "I am very much please to meet you."
Justine reaches out with her hand, tentatively and with a puzzled look on her face, and responds with, "I am pleased to meet you too."
Justine looks at me and ask, "George have you known Amir for long?"
I smile and tell her, "No, we just met a few hours ago while I was mulling over what you told me this morning. I must admit that if it was not for Amir I don't know if I would be standing here at all."
Justine looks at me puzzled. Amir is just looking at Justine and then me with a little smile on his lips like this was just normal American discourse between a husband and wife.
"Justine would you please take Amir to the guest bedroom. We could both use a shower, and since Amir's only clothing is cycling gear would you be so gracious as to place them into the washer. I will put them into the dryer when they are ready. Thanks baby." I kiss her on the top of her head and head to the master bedroom with a smile on my face.
I almost laugh out loud thinking of Amir's words as we rode into my neighborhood, America, I love it.
Removing my cycling clothes I get into a very hot shower and sing my way to cleanliness. I don't know how long I have been in the shower but I am surprised that my cycling clothes are still on the floor. Justine would have picked up my cycling clothes and washed them with Amir's. Strange. I dry off and put on shorts, a t-shirt and my Teva flip-flops, and that is when I hear sounds from Justine's bathroom.
There are two voices coming from her bathroom. I try and open the door but it is locked. I knock. "Justine?," I call out.
The sound from Justine's bathroom stops, then Justine speaks, "George, if you don't mind please put Amir's cycling clothes and yours into the washer. You will find his clothes in the guest's bedroom. We will be down in a few minutes."
Strange. What a strange fucking day this has been. I flip-flop back to my bedroom, pick up my cycling clothes, and flip-flop on down to the guest's bedroom. With an arm load of cycling clothes I head down to the washing room, where in a few minutes dirty clothes are being transformed into clean ones. I laugh again with the thought, America, I love it!
Then I flip-flop to our little bar and find the J.D. Black and make myself a very stiff drink as today may get more interesting. Shit I can use all of the help I can get as the J.D. makes it way down my throat as I noisily make my way to my chair. What are those two up to, I think as the amber liquid finds it way to my lips.
"George?"
"I'm in the library Justine," I shout back as I look towards the door as she comes in. "Where is Amir?"
"Amir is gone."
"Ya right," I look up at her with a smirk on my face, "He took off butt naked on his bicycle, through our neighborhood. His cycling clothes are in the washer," I remind her.
She smiles at me and walks towards where I sit. Then like a cat she folds her body as she slips into my lap. Smiling at me, she has my J.D,. takes a small sip and calls out, "Mira."
"Mira?"
Justine looks at me briefly, smiles and then looks back at the door.
I look at the door too. My mouth falls open as what walks through it is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Justine is no slouch and has never been but this woman who walked through my library door is cover girl material. What I call magazine women with all of the magic of makeup and special studio lights, you know no one ever looks that good, but damn I have got to eat my words as I look at what looks back at me. Words leave me, and that is not easy as I am an attorney.