"Whoa, Kim! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you so upset. Please forgive me. Since you have, or rather recently had, a serious relationship with your boyfriend, I know you couldn't be a lesbian. That's why I said you answered my question. Therefore, I assumed you must be bisexual."
I think the alcohol was helping me to be more than a little pissed at her innuendos. "And why the hell would you assume that. You invited me to your table. While I do find you nice and attractive, I haven't made a pass at you. I am not a lesbian and am not bisexual either! I also resent you implying the possibility that I might be. Shit, all I did was accept an invitation to join you for a drink. I am going back to my hotel." Kelly grasped my wrist lightly when I stood. I was glad she did. Truthfully, I really didn't want to leave. Yet, in my own stubborn way, I said, "Please let go."
Kelly just stared at me for a long while before replying. "Come on, Kim. Please sit down. I sincerely apologize. I know one should not assume. Let's start over. If you aren't lesbian or bisexual, tell me why you picked this particular place to drown your sorrows."
I missed her emphasis on the words "this particular" and told her that the hotel concierge recommended it. "O.K., that's a start. Exactly what kind of place did you ask her to recommend?" When I told her what I said to the concierge, she laughed. "Oh, shit! Now I understand. I hate to be the one to tell you, but she must have misunderstood your request or just figured she was doing you a favor by recommending Lisa's."
"Kelly, what are you talking about? You're confusing the hell out of me; or maybe the alcohol is causing me to be confused."
"Damn! First of all, and quite frankly, I must say that I am deeply disappointed. I was beginning to think this might turn into a great evening for me. Look around you, Kim, and tell me what you see."
The restaurant was almost full now, and several people were sitting at the bar. "OK, I see a bar, a bunch of tables, a dance floor, a raised platform full of musical instruments, and a room filled with people. So what! I didn't expect the place to be empty. I simply didn't want some guy trying to pick me up!" My tone was more indignant than I had intended, but I didn't even think about apologizing.
"You're missing my point. I can virtually guarantee that you won't have any guys trying to pick you up here. Look again. How many guys do you see?"
I looked around again before it suddenly hit me. "Oh, shit. This is a gay bar."
"Ladies, she's finally got it.
"Since you came here alone, Kim, I just assumed you were looking for...well, some female companionship. Allyson probably assumed the same thing. She should have dug a little deeper into your soul. I will be having a discussion with her about that."
I interrupted her by commenting, "Then you must be a..."
"... yes, I confess. I'm a lesbian," Kelly quickly said, interrupting me. "Personally, I dislike the word 'gay.' I prefer lesbian or bisexual. I already said that I once had a boyfriend. Now my sexual partners are exclusively female, Kim. She paused to see my reaction. "I hope I haven't shocked or upset you."
"No, not really. I do have a couple friends who are lesbian. I just didn't expect you to be one... I mean..."
She laid her hand on mine again. My heart skipped a beat at her touch. The contact felt different this time. I didn't know why but realized that she was affecting me like no woman ever had. "Don't worry. I know what you meant. It's like that adage, 'You can't tell a book by its cover.' You couldn't identify me as a lesbian any more than you could tell I am a Doctor of Letters.
"I apologize for the misunderstanding. Just for the record, though, I was bisexual, and my boyfriend had no problem with it. Some people do not differentiate between the two terms where women are concerned, but I do. I won't be offended if you still want to get out of here, but I would like very much if you would stay and talk. At the least, it would be nice if we could become friends."
I was enjoying her company and, as I indicated, felt comfortable being in Lisa's, even though I'd never been in a lesbian bar. If I left, I would just go back to the hotel and be alone. I didn't want that. I would end up crying myself to sleep, again. I finally realized that there really wasn't any real reason to leave.
"Well, as you said, I won't have worry about any guys trying to hit on me if I stay," I laughed.
"And I promise I will protect you from the women," she joked.
"Yea, but who is going to protect me from you," I teased.
"Now, I will not make any promises there," was her reply. A shiver went up my spine as we stared at one another.
The silence was soon broken. "Another round of drinks, Dr. Peters?"