This is a sequel to
Exploring His Bi Side
. It serves as a stand-alone story, so there is no real need to read the first unless you just want to familiarize yourself with the characters.
*****
Janine Bingham stood outside Lipstick and Lace. It was a rather cool night, but Janine wore a strapless evening gown that perfectly accentuated her body. Most of the people who passed her said nothing, but a few did speak. To them all, Janine simply smiled and nodded, offering nothing more. She checked the time. It was 7:58. She continued to stand outside the lesbian bar. She heard a voice to her right. She looked over to see a beautiful Latina walking her way, accompanied by a cute red-head and a light-skinned black woman. The Latina smiled at her a mere moment before entering the bar. Janine thought the woman was very beautiful; she resembled Salma Hayak.
8:40 and Janine was still standing outside. The door opened and out walked the Latina with her two friends. The Latina looked over at Janine, whose face was a mess of anxiety and self-doubt. Even still, she thought the woman to be very attractive. She estimated her to be mid-forties, and she still had a nice body. "Are you okay?" the Latina called out. Janine just stared at her, then quickly shook her head. "I'll catch up with you later," the Latina told her friends, then she made her way to Janine's side. She said nothing at first, not for about fifteen seconds, then she asked, "Aren't you going in?"
"I ... What if someone in there knows me?" Janine asked. She seemed to just realize she was still wearing her wedding band. She clumsily made to cover it with her right hand.
"You poor dear. This is your first time, isn't it?"
"I ... I'm not ready," Janine said as she turned her back to the woman and walked to her car. The Latina followed.
"Hey. Hey! Wait a minute," she said as she trotted over.
Janine turned. She looked the woman in the eyes, then turned her gaze downward. "Oh, who am I kidding? I should just repress my feelings like I always have and continue to be the doting wife and mother everyone knows and loves."
"That's the
last
thing you should do," the Latina said. She placed a reassuring hand on the stranger's shoulder, then let it slide down to her hands. She lightly grasped them both in hers, then said, "Look, I don't live far from here. If you'd like to go to my place andβ" The woman's eyes darted quickly onto the Latina's face again. "No, no. I'm not coming onto you," the Latina said. "It's just that I see you're conflicted. Perhaps if you had someone to talk to in a more controlled environment it would make things easier for you?"
"I ... Maybe you're right," she said with a small smile. "My name is Janine, by the way. Janine Winthrop." She gave her maiden name so as to protect her identity.
"And I am Rosalinda de Luna Veracruz. So, my place?"
"Yes," Janine responded. "That would be nice."
"You'll have to drive since I came with the two women you saw me with earlier," Rosalinda said. "Come on. I'll give you directions along the way."
The two entered Janine's car and Rosalinda began to give instructions as she pulled her phone out. She dialed a number, then said, "Hi. You guys go on without me. Well, it's that woman we saw when we exited the bar. What?" She looked at Janine. "No, it's not a hook-up. She just needs a friendly ear, is all. I'll call you tomorrow. Okay then. Bye." She killed the connection, then said, "They think everything with me centers around sex."
"Does it?" Janine asked.
Rosalinda laughed. "Usually, but not tonight."
Janine looked over at her, said, "I don't know if I should be honored or disappointed," smiled, then returned her eyes to the road. She didn't see the small smile playing on Rosalinda's lips, but she could almost sense it.
"Turn left at the next light, two blocks down, then right into the first driveway," Rosalinda said. Janine followed the directions, and a minute later she was pulling into Paytee Condominiums. Without a word, she followed Rosalinda up one flight of stairs, then into her home. "It's not much, but it's mine."
"It's beautiful," Janine admitted.
"Make yourself comfortable," Rosalinda said as they entered the living room. Then, "How about some wine?" Janine nodded. "Red or white?"
"Either is fine with me."
Rosalinda disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared a few minutes later. She passed a glass to Janine, who took a sip then said, "Woo. What is this?"
"Sangria," Rosalinda responded.
"I've never had Sangria like this before."
Rosalinda laughed. "Truth be told, I added a capful of vodka to it. I prefer it that way."
"Well, I'm not complaining," Janine said. "It just caught me by surprise, is all."
Silence, then Rosalinda said, "So, tell me about tonight."
Janine sighed, took a sip of her wine, then began. "That wasn't the first time I have stood outside that bar. More like my fifth or sixth. I can never take that final step of entering, though."
"You spoke of repressing your feelings," Rosalinda reminded her. "How long have you had homosexual desires?"
"I first became aware of them when I hit puberty," Janine answered. She paused, as if to choose her next words carefully. "I have always thought the female body was beautiful, but we were raised in the church, and we were told that homosexuality was a sin. I tried to not dwell on my desires, but they were always at the forefront. I did what most women do, though. I got married, began a family, and tried to move past it, but it's always there, even after twenty-one years of marriage."