"Ismail, come on, man, you think I look like a dyke, right?" Riley Tremblay said, and she stood there, hands on her hips, staring down a certain burly Ghanaian. Six feet tall, with short, spiky dark hair, a curvy build, and tattoos everywhere except her face, the Ottawa-born, butch-identified forewoman had quite an impressive presence, and she knew it. Her steely blue eyes never wavered as she awaited her friend and co-worker's answer.
Clad in dirty blue overalls over an old black T-shirt, her face covered in soot, giving her a raccoon-like look, especially around the eyes, Riley looked like she meant business and knew it. At this hour, the old warehouse was pretty much deserted. Having sent her crew home hours ago, Riley, as the site forewoman was sticking around to inspect their work, and also await the first morning shipment. With the night passing so slowly, Riley found herself engaged in deep conversation with Ismail Tsegah, the site's security guard.
"Honestly, Riley, I don't think gay and bisexual women come in just one package, they're human beings, not caricatures," Ismail Tsegah replied thoughtfully, stroking his goateed chin. Clad in his dark blue security uniform, the towering, dark-skinned West African guardsman looked at Riley and smiled, and warmth suddenly flooded his golden brown eyes. Not a bad-looking man, Riley thought, and she chastised herself for even thinking along those lines. One, the guy was way older than her, and two, Riley was strictly queer.
"Very PC of you, Mr. Ghana, but come on, most guys think I'm a dyke, I can see it in their eyes whenever they look at me, and they either tease me or ignore me, why are you being so nice?" Ripley replied, a challenge in her voice. She'd been working at the busy warehouse in the Trainyards area of Ottawa, Ontario, for quite some time, and had heard every joke that her male co-workers and even management made at her expense. Apparently, women weren't supposed to drive forklifts, go figure...
"Well, Riley, I don't know your orientation for sure but I know a thing or two about being different, as a black man in largely all-white environments, I do attract the stares and the occasional unkind words," Ismail said, and there was a haunted look in his eyes as he spoke. Riley nodded soberly, as it dawned on her that while the other guys at work teased or ignored her, they found Ismail's presence quite threatening. He was big and tall and black, foreign-born, with an accent, and Muslim on top of everything else...
"Oh, yeah, um, I'm sorry about that," Riley Tremblay said, smiling sheepishly and not knowing what else to say. Ismail nodded and smiled, but said nothing else. Riley would be the first to admit that she didn't know about being black, if queried on this particular subject. In the eyes of the world, she was a tall and socially awkward, chubby white female with dark hair and a penchant for male clothing. As hard as the world could be on gays, lesbians, bisexuals and other 'transgressors against the sexual norm,' their plight was nothing compared to how the world treated black folks.
"You've got something on your mind, Riley, my daughter Amina is about your age, give or take a few years, so come on, out with it," Ismail said, sighing deeply. Riley looked at him and smiled. The taciturn guy was quite insightful, to say the least. Ismail Tsegah didn't look a day over forty, even though Riley suspected he was much older than that if he had a daughter her age...
"Alright, my gal and I split, and I miss her," Riley said softly, and Ismail nodded, urging her to continue. Growing up in a conservative Roman Catholic family within the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Riley Tremblay knew that she was different. Her parents Michel and Nadine Tremblay wanted a son, and got a tomboy instead. While other young ladies fancied dresses and dolls, she liked to wear male clothing, and played football with the other young guys in her neighborhood. Even in those early days, Riley Tremblay embraced being different and knew she had to follow her heart.
After her days at Saint Marcel Academy ended, Riley Tremblay enrolled at the University of Ottawa, where she played varsity rugby. The University of Ottawa was the place where Riley's life changed. For it's where she met her first female lovers. Riley met her very first girlfriend, Zahra Camara, while walking around the campus library, looking for the last Intro to Mechanical Engineering book on the shelves.
"I saw this one first," Zahra said haughtily, looking Riley up and down. Riley looked at the short, slender, brown-skinned young woman with the stylish Afro and enchanting smile, and her heart skipped a beat. She's so beautiful, Riley remembered thinking, and that's when she knew, what she'd always known and secretly feared. I love women, Riley realized, and Zahra returned her smile, and looked into her eyes.
"We could share this one, if you want," Riley offered, smiling faintly, and Zahra shrugged, and licked her lips. A curt nod followed from Zahra. Riley extended her hand and Zahra shook it. Thus they met, completely by random chance. Zahra was a newcomer to the City of Ottawa, Ontario, by way of Senegal, and she was still learning her way around the University of Ottawa campus. Riley offered to be the lovely lady's guide in the capital region...and so much more.
"You make me feel so alive," Zahra said to Riley, during their first night of love. They'd come home after a particularly hard day. The University of Ottawa women's rugby team got trounced by a visiting team from the University of Guelph, and the blowout loss left a bitter taste in Riley's mouth. Zahra took her home to comfort her, and after a few passion-filled hours, sports were the furthest thing from Riley's mind...
"You are a unique woman," Riley panted, as she lay in Zahra's arms. Taking Riley's face into her hands, Zahra kissed her tenderly. Riley hugged her back, and gently caressed her breasts. Grinning, Zahra tugged on Riley's nose ring, causing her to laugh and wince. Just like that, they resumed making love. Riley moaned softly as Zahra sucked on her breasts and slid her hand between her thick thighs. Zahra's sleek, knowing hand began to pleasure her, and Riley finally let go, relaxing and enjoying herself for the first time in ages...
"Let go of your fears, babe, and let me take care of you," Zahra cooed softly as she thrust two fingers into Riley's vagina. Riley looked into Zahra's soulful brown eyes and nodded, and a smiling Zahra continued to finger her. Riley had always known that she found the female form attractive, and craved sex and love like everyone else, yet she was afraid of penetration. Well, until she met the lovely and fearless femme known as Zahra, of course. A butch's prayer and greatest fear, that's what a woman like Zahra can be...