College Roommates? Pt. 02

We usually talked almost every day. Rio didn't call for three days. I decided I needed to give him some space. Four days later, he texted me. "Are you mad at me?"

I called him immediately. "Of course I'm not mad at you. Why would I be mad at you?"

"It's just that you didn't call for days and usually we talk every day."

"I was trying to give you a little bit of space. We had a big night the other night and I just kinda felt like you'd want some time to yourself. I'm sorry if you thought, even for a second, that I was mad at you. That wasn't the case at all."

"I know I drank way more than I usually do; thank you for bringing me home. I was way out of it. Honestly, I don't even remember crawling into bed. I woke up the next morning sleeping in my costume. At least I wasn't too drunk to remember to take off my boots."

I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"You didn't crawl into bed, and you didn't take off your boots. I passed out on your couch. When I woke up you were asleep in my lap. I picked you up, carried you to your room, and put you to bed including taking your boots off."

"I-I-I was asleep in your lap?"

"Yep."

"I am SO sorry! I don't remember any of that."

"No need to apologize. It's all in the past. What do you say we go out to dinner tonight?"

Rio quickly agreed. We met at one of our favorite restaurants and had a good time. For the next two weeks, our relationship returned to normal. Best friends, both single, getting together often and having good times.

Then one Saturday morning, Rio called. "Brad, I have a huge favor to ask. I'll understand completely if you say no. It's OK if you don't want to do it. I don't want to impose on you...."

I interrupted. "Dude, quit apologizing for something you haven't even asked me yet. Just spit it out, will you?"

"I-want-you-to-take-Ria-out-on-a-straight-date."

"What? A 'straight-date'? What the hell is that?"

"Ria's never been out in public where almost everyone else is straight. She's only hung out with her LGBTQ+ friends and gone to alternative lifestyle places. I want to see what it's like to go out on a 'normal' date. Will anyone make me? How nervous will I be? I can't know the answer to any of those questions unless I actually do it. And I trust you, Brad. I know if you agree to do this, you'll be there for me, helping me feel at ease."

"Wow, you sure know how to spring surprises on a guy. You dress up as Uhura to a Star Trek party as your way of introducing me to Ria and now out of the clear blue, you ask me to take Ria on a date. Will you give me 5 minutes? I want to hang up and just have 5 minutes to digest this."

"Su-sure. I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Please Rio. Just 5 minutes. That's all I'm asking."

We hung up. I set the timer on my phone. I was conflicted. On the one hand, Rio wasn't asking me to make love to him. On the other hand, I've never been on a 'date' with another man before. Those two thoughts took center stage in my brain with variations but that basically summed up what I was thinking.

In the end, it came down to the fact that Rio was my best friend. If he'd feel most comfortable with me being there for him, I could do this for him. Her? WTF.

I called back with 9 seconds to spare. "Dude, I'm sorry if I caused you any extra angst for the wait but I hope you can appreciate me wanting at least a few minutes to think privately. Of course, I'll be your 'straight-date'. Of course, I'll go out with you. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?"

Ria decided she wanted to go out to dinner and then dancing afterwards. There was a large, upscale hotel not too far from the neighborhood where we both lived. It contained both a very nice restaurant and nightclub. We decided to splurge, and each get our own room. That way, neither one of us had to worry about driving under the influence if we were having too much fun.

We checked into our hotel rooms promptly at 3:00 pm. Our dinner reservation was for 6:30 pm. The nightclub opened at 8:00 pm. Ria agreed to meet me in the lounge at 5:45 pm. Per her instructions, I was wearing dress slacks, a button-down shirt (no tie!), and a blazer. I got to the lounge at 5:40 pm. I was starting to have second thoughts and felt I needed a drink to help calm my nerves.

I was sipping on my rum and coke at the bar when Ria walked into the lounge. I stopped mid-sip and just stared. She was wearing a pine-green mini-dress with a corset-style sheer bodice. Shimmering glitter and sequin designs cascaded from the plunging v-neckline down onto the skirt. It was fashionably tight. It had a bone waist design, which highlighted her full breasts and voluptuous figure. She was wearing taupe nylons, (I was betting they weren't pantyhose) and 4" pine-green open toe stilettos. Her plum-palette makeup was flawless.

"If that's the woman you're waiting for mister, you are one lucky man!" the bartender whispered to me.

She positively beamed when she saw me and hurried over to join me at the bar. Of course, her skirt rode up when she crossed her legs; I realized I would have won that bet with myself. She wasn't wearing pantyhose! "I'll have a lime daiquiri, please." she asked the bartender.

As he went away to mix her drink I said, "So much for being worried about blending in. You might as well have a big neon sign flashing over your head that says, 'Look at me!'"

Ria smiled at me with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "I can go back upstairs and change if you're worried."

"I'm not worried; it looks like you're not worried either!"

The bartender came back with Ria's drink; we just chatted for the next 45 minutes. It was as easy talking to Ria as it was talking to Rio. She was having so much fun, she was practically glowing. Every man that came into the bar stared at her for just a few moments longer than would have been considered polite. And it wasn't because they could 'make' her. Ria was just that beautiful.

At 6:30, I paid our bar tab. I tucked Ria's hand into the crook of my elbow, and we walked into the restaurant. Every head in the place, men and women, turned to look at Ria as we were led to a semi-private booth. Dinner went as flawlessly as our time in the bar. We took our time eating, we had both ordered relatively light meals. We each had another drink with dinner but sipped slowly. Ria began to tell me more of her story.

As puberty began to hit her and her friends in middle school, the rest of the boys all started getting really hairy. Not Ria, her skin stayed smooth and flawless. Additionally, as all the boys started noticing the girls and talking about going out with them, Ria noticed them in a different way. She would compare her looks, hair, and body to theirs. It made her sad that she didn't measure up. By the time she got to high school, she knew she was definitely different than the rest of the boys. She didn't want to date any of the girls the boys were making crude comments about, she wanted to be one of those girls.

It took her a little while to get up the courage but late in her freshman year, she decided to tell her parents how she was feeling about herself and what she wanted. She was stunned when her father got up and began to beat her. "Maricón! No son of mine is going to become some sissy faggot! I'll beat this shit out of you!" It wasn't until Rio's mother intervened, threatening to call the police, that his dad stopped.

His father left to go to the bar and get drunk. Rio's mother ran a cold tub and filled it with as much ice as they had. She had him lay down in it to stop the bruising and swelling. She covered his face in ice-filled wash cloths. She brought him three extra strength Tylenol to wash down with a shot of tequila to help kill the pain.

"I am so sorry, baby. Your papi can be such a bigoted asshole. You can't speak about this around him again or the same thing will happen. But whenever he is gone, I will help you find Ria, I will help you become Ria!" This was the first time anyone ever called him Ria and he liked it.

Rio's father was a roving construction worker and went where the work was. Occasionally, he might be gone for weeks at a time. Ria's mother kept her promise. She taught him all about clothes, makeup, how to practice walking in heels, how to talk, move, and act like a girl. If his father was out of town on an extended assignment, Ria would live like a girl at home.

He joined the track team. It served a number of purposes. First, it showed his father he was an athlete and his father backed off. It also helped with his body development and cardio. He became toned without becoming muscular. He was also in the boy's locker room and listened intently whenever they were talking about girls. He learned what they liked and didn't like and tried to incorporate their positive ideas into Ria's persona.

Just then, we heard the DJ start up the music. I paid our dinner bill and we walked into the lounge. I found a table for two fairly close to the dance floor. We sat down, ordered fresh drinks, and Ria continued to tell me her story. Ria's mother felt her 'daughter' had gotten proficient enough and confident enough to go out in public as Ria. She had offered to take her shopping at a mall in the next town from where they lived. They never got the chance to do that.

Her father had gotten home from a job that had kept him away for more than two weeks. He took her mother out for dinner. That was the last time she ever saw them alive. As they were coming out of the restaurant, which was located in a rough neighborhood, her parents became the innocent victims of a shootout between rival gangs. 'Collateral damage' the police called it.

Ria had to plan the wake and funeral for her parents. Luckily, she had just turned eighteen, so she was legally an adult. While not in the least bit wealthy, her parents had both taken out fairly substantial life insurance policies. She was able to finish high school and maintain the lease on her parents' apartment.

Between the insurance money and partial scholarships she had gotten to our college (which included room and board), Ria never had to worry about college expenses. Then we became roommates. Very cautious at first, Rio and I soon became best friends. Remembering how her father had reacted, she never wanted to tell me about Ria for fear of ruining our friendship and possibly having to suffer the repeat of the beating she had suffered at her father's hands.

"And now Bradley, here we are." Ria said.

"Yes, here we are. I just want to make sure you understand that I am here for my friend Rio who asked me to be here for Ria."

Ria smiled at me. Just then 'Europa' by Santana came on. It was my favorite version and Rio's favorite version, the one with Gato Barbieri. Ria squealed in delight and held out her hand to me. I took it and led her to the dance floor. Rio's mother had taught him how to dance. He was an excellent dancer and passed those lessons on to me in our dorm room so I wouldn't look like some klutz at the college dances.

While never the equal of Rio as a dancer, I could more than hold my own with the majority of people. We began to glide around the dance floor in a slow, sensual Salsa. Ria spun, shimmied, shook, and showed off all her incredible moves. She trusted me in the layouts and even allowed me to pick her up overhead as she reclined, and I spun slowly to the beat. We were in a layout when the song ended, Ria completely reclined and the two of us staring into each other's eyes.

The lounge erupted in a standing ovation. I looked around and no one else was on the dance floor. Everyone had moved to the side and had just been watching us. Ria was beaming as I led her back to our table.

"Well?" I asked her, knowing full well what her response was going to be.

"Oh Bradley! I don't know how I can ever thank you. This entire evening has been so amazing. You're the best friend a girl could ever have!"

She was so excited, so confident, so grateful I could do nothing but smile back at her. "I'm glad I could help. It's early. Let's keep this good time going!"

We asked the DJ to go with an old-school R&B theme, he was happy to oblige. He told us most of the time, no matter what he played, most people just sat there drinking. "Well, then let's see if we can't help you get them out of their chairs!"

He started out with 'Boogie Shoes' by KC & The Sunshine Band. Ria and I were standing in the middle of the floor; no one moved to join us. I walked back to the DJ and motioned to him to give me his microphone. "Get up and join us. This isn't a competition. Let your hair down and have a good time. We'll help but we can't help if you aren't out here on the floor with us."

Slowly at first, a few people joined us. Some were really good dancers; Ria and I coached the others. The biggest idea we tried to get across to them was to just relax and have fun. More and more people continued to get on the dance floor until it was pretty full. Booties shaking, people laughing and encouraging one another, "Get down, brother!" "Shake that thing, sister!" Ria and I danced with lots of people, urging them to let go of their inhibitions and enjoy the music.

Then the DJ slowed things down, way down. He started playing 'I Do Love You' by GQ. Everyone on the floor looked for their partner and began to slow dance. I looked for Ria and she was stepping into the arms of some guy. She shrugged and I turned to find a gorgeous woman staring into my eyes.

"My name is Natalia. It looks like my boyfriend Sean, wants to dance with your girlfriend. I guess we're stuck with each other."

I tried to be polite. "I would never describe dancing with a beautiful woman like you as 'stuck.' Let's see what you've got."

We began to dance and as I led this woman through our steps, she threw her arms around my neck and began to grind her pelvis into mine. I looked across the floor and saw Ria in distress. Sean was pulling her into his crotch, grinding against her. She looked at me with a mixture of fear and disgust in her eyes.

"Please excuse me, Natalia. It looks like your boyfriend doesn't know the meaning of the word boundaries."

I let her go and strode across the dance floor, expertly dodging the dancing bodies in my way. His back was to me when I tapped on his shoulder and said, "Cutting in."

"You ain't cutting in on shit!" he said as he wheeled to face me.

"Oh, but I am, Sean. You're going to walk away and walk away now, or you won't be able to crawl away. I'll beat your ass until you can't walk out of here on your own. You'll need a gurney to take you to the ambulance."

Natalia was right behind me. "Let's go, Sean. We totally misread these straights. They're not into swapping at all. We don't need this shit. Let's go."

Sean looked me in the eyes and said, "You're lucky my girlfriend is here, or I'd beat your ass."

"Let's go, mother fucker. Let's go right now, you gutless prick. Grinding on my girlfriend who's just trying to be nice to you? Grinding on my girlfriend on a public dance floor in front of all these people? LET'S GO NOW!" I was screaming at him as everyone turned to stare at us.

Natalia was pulling Sean away. "You better let Natalia take you out of here or you'll leave in an ambulance, you fucking coward."

Sean blustered but let Natalia pull him away.

Everyone was staring at me.

"I'm sorry." I said to the crowd. "I apologize for my behavior right now. But I won't stand by watching while a man mistreats a woman, any woman. If Sean had treated your woman that way, I'd have been just as angry. Bartender? The next round of drinks is on me. The entire lounge? Put their next drinks on my tab. DJ? Restart the music! There's a whole lot of people in here who want to tell each other, 'I Do Love You!'"

I took Ria into my arms and began to dance with her.

We didn't say anything for a minute. Ria looked at me and said, "Did you mean that?"

"Of course I meant it. I'd have kicked his ass all over this dance floor, even if it meant I was going to jail. I'm not going to let anyone treat my best friend that way!"

"Best friend?" Ria asked. She looked crestfallen. "You said 'girlfriend' when you were yelling at Sean?"

"Ria! What did you expect me to say? My best friend who likes to dress as a woman? You asked me to take you on a 'straight-date,' not to blow your cover."

"Y-You-You're right."

"Ria??!!!! Are you telling me you want to be my girlfriend?"

She wouldn't look at me. I put my finger under her chin and gently lifted it until she had to look at me. "That is SO unfair of you. I have done everything I can to support you. Not once have I done anything to indicate that I have a problem with you or your chosen lifestyle. The least you could do is support me in my lifestyle choices."

She began to cry. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. You're right. You've been nothing but Rio's best friend, you've been nothing but a good friend to Ria. Maybe you should take me back upstairs to my room."

I held her tightly in my arms so she could finish crying on my shoulder. "I will if you absolutely want me to, but I think we should finish our 'straight-date.' I think YOU should finish your 'straight-date.'

Ria stopped crying and sighed. "I'm going to quit being a big baby. I will stay downstairs. I will finish our date." And so, we did without another bump in the road.

Rio and I hung out the next couple of weeks. We were supposed to go to the museum one afternoon. They had a Star Trek exhibit. When I showed up, Ria answered the door. She looked great. She was wearing an off the shoulder red silk sweater top with skinny jeans. She had a wide black leather belt holding her trim waist in even a little tighter than usual. And she was wearing the same black leather stiletto boots she had worn with her Uhura costume.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Rio couldn't make it today. I hope you don't mind that Ria would like to go to the museum with you."

I smiled. "Ria, my dear, it would be an honor and a privilege to escort you to the museum and the Star Trek exhibit. I'm surprised you're not going as Uhura!"

"Um, this IS a family museum and exhibit. I'm not sure very many of the parents would appreciate 'Uhura' showing up dressed like that!"

Then I laughed. "Oh, I'm betting any number of horny dads and teenage boys loaded up on testosterone would more than appreciate Uhura showing up dressed exactly like that!"

Ria elbowed me in the ribs on the way out the door. "Smart ass!"

Although we took as much time as we could in the Star Trek exhibit, we enjoyed the entire museum. At one point, Ria intertwined her fingers with mine. I looked at her again with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, knock it off. If this is another 'straight date', it's perfectly natural for a boyfriend and girlfriend to be holding hands."

I stared at her for just a second, winked, squeezed her hand and we continued touring the museum. At one point, I excused myself to go to the bathroom. There were three teenage boys already in there. While I was relieving myself, I could hear them whispering behind me. I turned to wash my hands. They were between me and the sinks.

"Mister?" the one closest to me said.

"Yes. Is this a stick-up?"

They looked at one another, confused.

"No. Not at all. Nothing like that."

"Then how can I help you?"

"Is that your girlfriend? The smoking hot lady in the sexy red top, skintight jeans and high heeled boots?"

"Yes, she's my girlfriend. Why do you ask?"

"We just wanted to tell you what a lucky dude you are! She isn't just hot, she's on fire!"

Then the three of them ran out of the bathroom without even looking back. I laughed out loud as I walked up to the sink to wash my hands.

I was still laughing to myself when I left the bathroom and found Ria waiting for me nearby. "What's so funny? I saw those three boys running out of the bathroom. They almost knocked me down and stumbled all over themselves apologizing. What did you do to scare them like that?"