Jazz and Steam

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I sprinted across the living room but got the phone just as it stopped ringing.

“Damn.”

Setting it back on its base, I saw the red light come on after a second. Picking it back up, I hit the message button.

“You have one new message, recorded today at 6:25.... ‘Hey Flower, this is Jazz. Look I know that our... last encounter was a bit of a shock to your system but if you would I would love to hear from you. I have an idea you might like. Kind of my surprise and a bit of an apology for what happened with your friend. Well, call me if you will.”

I listened to the number, my mind filing it away.

Do I call or not? Setting my purse down I sunk into my favorite end of the couch and pondered that question.

I wanted to. I wanted to so badly but things were only now starting to get back to normal for me with Julie. She was surprisingly not at all understanding about what happened. She said it was everything from depression to break up blues to too much steam. The absolute denial that she went into when I told her that I was a lesbian was still even more shocking.

We hadn’t talked for a week. Then she gave me a call with the name of a guy that she had already promised a date with me. She said he was so nice that one date with him and such silly thoughts would vanish.

I told her I would.

I grabbed up the phone and hit the call back button. I listened to the tones as they played her number for me. I tried to make my breathing quieter. I might make her think I was a phone s*x perv

“JJ”s Salon.”

“Hey Jazz.”

“Hey there Flower.” I could hear the smile through the phone. “I had hoped you would call me back. Um look, I have something I promised I would do this weekend. It’s a B.R.A. thing. I was wondering if you would like to come and join us. There will be a lot of us getting together Saturday for the Holiday.”

Looking over at my cute puppies’ calendar, I didn’t see any holiday mentioned.

“What holiday is this Saturday? My calendar doesn’t show it.” I got up and went to it. I glanced at the ridiculous Shar-Pei puppy with his thousand wrinkles. “I’ve double checked and still don’t see one.”

“It’s National Nude Day.”

I just held the phone as what she said bounced around in my head for several seconds.

“I’m not sure I heard you right?” I finally had to ask.

She chuckled. “Yes you did. I said National Nude Day.”

“There’s a holiday to get naked on?”

“Nude,” she said quickly.

“What’s the difference?” I asked, confused.

“Nude is what you can be in front of strangers, naked is what you are with your lover.”

I thought about that for a second and both still seemed embarrassing to me.

“Okay, so what are you going to do Saturday?” I asked not sure I want the answer. “Are you going to a nudist colony or something?”

I heard the deep throaty chuckle.

“No, my dear Flower. We are going to march in a parade.”

The image of dozens of naked... sorry, nude people walking down the street in a parade came to mind then. I was also suddenly hit with the idea of a giant Macy day style float of a... never mind.

“I don’t know, Jazz. That sounds like a bit too...”

“You don’t have to get nude. Just come down. Meet a few of the other ladies. Talk with them for a bit. I think you’ll have fun. I would advise maybe not standing to close to us once we start the parade though.”

“Why?” I asked after a second.

“Well, we may all end up getting arrested.” I heard a light playfulness to her answer that at the same time let me know she was serious.

“So you’re going to go do this knowing you may be arrested?” I made myself not add ‘are you crazy?’

“If you don’t have clothes on and there’s not some chance of going to jail, where would the fun be?”

I chuckled hearing her say it like she got nothing between her ears.

Then she got serous. “Yea, we just might. There is something very wrong with this country when a person without clothes on is arrested. Things need to be changed. You can see someone killed on TV every night but you have to go to a late night cable channel just to see someone without clothes. You can watch a cop show where they tell you about someone being raped nine ways to Sunday but you can’t see someone having consensual s*x? If I have to go to jail for a bit, maybe pay a fine to help try and change that... well, so be it.”

I paused. I felt an urge to go and be a part of something then. I didn’t like the idea of jail... I mean, I’ve never even had a speeding ticket.

“Jazz, I’ll...”

“Come on, Flower, what are you worried about? That they might arrest you and put you in jail where there are a bunch of dykes?”

I had to laugh at her tone.

“Just come down. If nothing else you might like the paint jobs.”

“What?” I asked, even more confused.

“Oh hell, I forgot to tell you. We will be wearing body paint. We have this guy who does airbrush. He can do all kind of things that are cool as hell. I’m thinking about having him do me in blue, red and green... maybe getting some peacock feathers and gluing them between my butt cheeks.”

I had to move the phone away from my ear at that. The image of that sexy lady her hair rattling with every step, strutting feathers down the street...

“Jazz, I’ll be there, if only to see that.”

“I said I was thinking. He has so much talent I might just let him have his way with me. Be about the only time I would ever tell a guy that,” she said with a chuckle. “So you’ll be there?”

“Yea. I’ll be there.”

“Oh I love you, my little Flower. I’ll see you Saturday. Come to the shop.” I heard her smack a kiss through the phone.

I suddenly wished I could feel it.

“I’ll be there.”

“Bye,bye.”

I held the phone till the tones started to beep. Setting it down I started to get up and go to maybe fix me a damn strong drink when the phone started to ring again. Smiling I grabbed it up.

“What did you forget?” I asked chuckling.

“I forgot to tell you what restaurant Craig will be taking you to Saturday,” said Julie, laughing.

Hearing the joy in her voice I felt what I did settle around me. I swallowed against the taste of it. It was bitter as bile.

But the idea of another worthless night out with a man I had no interest in was a far bitterer pill. “Julie, I don’t think...”

*