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  WHIRLWIND

  Reese Morrison

  Whirlwind

  Copyright © 2019, 2020 Reese Morrison

  Three short stories in this book were previously printed as Waiting for You, Here for You, and Game for You. They have not been modified in this version beyond minor typographical corrections. Two stories, Back for You and Time for You are completely new.

  All rights reserved. No part of this story may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except for brief quotations embodied within critical reviews and articles.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, locales, or actual events is purely coincidental. The use of any real company and/or product names is for literary effect only. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

  This book contains sexually explicit material and consensual kink which is suitable for mature readers only.

  Author’s Note

  What can happen in a single night?

  This book started out as an exploration. I was looking for more books with trans and genderqueer characters, and thought, why not just write one myself?

  I ended up with not just one book, but six five. (There’s a secret one that got taken out of the series for later use as a longer novel, and a few other books got in the way.) In this collection, I’m finally putting all of the stories together as I originally intended. Each story revolves around a day or two—a whirlwind romance—when pieces of the past and the future bring two (or three) people to a moment in time where something sparks.

  All of my books feature trans and genderqueer characters, but more than any of the others, I think of this one as a celebration of queer love: queer bodies, queer identities, queer kink, and queer relationships.

  I hope that this book serves as a mirror for some, to see themselves reflected in the pages. For others, I hope to provide a window into other ways of being in the world. I live in a glorious community of queer and trans folks, and this is what I’ve tried to write into these pages. I hope that you enjoy the journey with me.

  Happy reading!

  -Reese

  Waiting for You

  Prologue

  Charlie

  Charlie looked around the bar with pride. The new lettering on the windows that stretched across the entrance—backward from where she was reading it—looked good. WHIRLWIND was written in big block letters, black with gold edging to match the updated barstools and booths she’d just installed. She couldn’t have been more pleased with how it came out.

  But it was the people inside that made Whirlwind special. When she’d opened it nearly twenty years ago, there had been slurs graffitied on the walls, and, once, a rock thrown through the window. And even though there were now several other gay bars in town, plus the kink club around the corner, her place was still where folks went for a relaxed evening with their buddies. She’d wanted it to be a place where anyone would feel welcome and safe, and judging by the number of young men in tight dresses on one trivia night team in the corner, it was living up to her dream.

  Tonight it was packed. There were a few queer families enjoying burgers with their kids before they’d head home for early bedtimes, a few games of pool going on around the corner, and about eight or ten trivia teams getting their orders in before things got rolling.

  Charlie usually stayed behind the bar on busy nights, but she decided to personally deliver the pitchers and wings to her favorite table of regulars. They greeted her with cheers and gave her a toast. This was why she loved her job.

  “What’s your team name tonight, guys?”

  “We’re thinking about the bachelor’s club,” Parker suggested, his chair tipped back at a dangerous angle. When he first started coming, back when he went by a different name, she’d thought about telling him not to sit in her chairs that way. But they were sturdy wood and she’d let it alone. She’d never seen him fall.

  Charlie snorted. “The bachelor’s club?” It was a wonder to her that none of them had paired up already. Sparks always flew between Parker and Ben as they spurred each other on with their ridiculous antics.

  And Julio seemed to be playing the field—she’d seen his hook-ups try to reconnect when they bumped into each other—but his eyes only followed Taylor.

  Eric was the only one who seemed to be single and happy to be that way. He had a hard-eyed glare for anyone who approached him, and casually mentioned hooking up at the nearby BDSM club, but he would be a good catch when he decided to settle down.

  Overall, she thought there was a little bit more romance and a bit less bachelorhood than they were willing to admit.

  “To the single life!” Eric raised a glass and everyone drank, though Charlie thought that Taylor looked a little morose. He covered it up quickly and was soon laughing with his friends.

  Come on, Julio, she thought, he’s waiting for you.

  Charlie laughed along with them, raising a hand with an imaginary glass. She’d tried a relationship once before, and all it had brought was heartbreak. For her, at least, the single life was really for the best.

  She did hope that her “bachelor’s club” had better luck, though. She sent up a little wish that each of them would find what they were looking for.

  As for her, the bar was all that she needed. She had her regulars and there were new friends coming in the door every day.

  She certainly wasn’t thinking of Carla, who had just picked up the microphone to get trivia night rolling. Surely Carla was destined for someone younger and trendier. Another ray of sunshine instead of a gloomy cloud like Charlie.

  Yes, she thought as she wandered back to the safety of observing from behind the bar, love was for the young. She wished Julio and Taylor the best of luck.

  Chapter 1

  Taylor

  Taylor ducked behind one of the cars he’d worked on that morning, then eased slowly around it. He knew he was being creepy, but at least in the garage there were plenty of excuses. He might be looking for a tool or checking someone’s tires. He inched closer.

  Julio stood there in the driveway where anyone could see him. A slim, blond man with pretty lips rested a hand on his shoulder, then moved it seductively down over his chest. With the industrial fan running Taylor couldn’t make out their words, but the movements said enough.

  Julio, of course, was the perfect specimen of rugged masculinity. His rough mechanic’s pants were just tight enough to give a sense of his muscular thighs, and his arms bulged under the up-turned shirt sleeves of his garage shirt. His bronzed skin seemed to shine, the thin sunlight catching on the rich dark hair of his arms.

  Even though he was short, a result of his Mexican heritage, he held his body with visible power and control. He said something to the twink, who looked down, and then looked up flirtatiously under his eyelids even though he was taller than Julio.

  Julio gave the twink a stare like he was going to eat him alive, and the man looked like he was ready to offer himself up on a platter.

  Not a man, though. Julio would probably call him a boy. As in, get on your knees, boy. They’d barely talked about it in their decade of friendship, but Taylor knew that Julio liked to frequent a certain club. He had a pretty good idea of what he did there, too. It involved handcuffs and whips.

  But while they never talked about it, Taylor had spent a lot of time “researching” it online. With his hand on his dick. Julio, ever-confident Julio, would probably be more than happy to talk about it. />
  But Taylor was too shy to ask, and too nervous that he would give himself away. He’d shut down any sexual conversations with Julio as soon as they started.

  Julio probably thought he was a prude, but really the idea of Julio with a whip in his hand brought blood rushing to Taylor’s cock. Images of Julio standing over him, making him feel small, filled his dreams.

  Today, with the pretty little boy practically making out with his best friend in the driveway, the idea just made him feel nauseous.

  There was no way that Julio would ever look at him with that hungry gaze. No way that Julio would look at his broad shoulders, pot belly, and dirty brown hair and see anything worth touching. And especially, no chance that Julio would see his demented little secret as anything but disgusting.

  Taylor had been caught trying on his mother’s dress exactly once in his teen-aged years, and that was enough to last a lifetime. He’d bluffed that it was a joke, that some of the other guys were doing it, but his parents had never looked at him the same way again.

  He’d been strongly encouraged to play football the following year, and he’d acquiesced mostly to get them off his back. He wasn’t particularly good at it, but even warming the bench seemed to do the trick.

  The only good part about football had been that he got to take the late bus home. Because that’s where he’d met Julio. Confident, self-assured Julio who was half his size, but had won enough fights that no one thought twice about messing with him for being openly gay.

  He was in the photography club and on the wrestling team, he had blue hair and a pierced ear, and the cutting remarks that fell from his mouth when someone tried to give him shit were legendary.

  Taylor had been drawn toward him like a moth to a flame. After a few days of maneuvering, he managed to sit next to the sexy spitfire on the bus.

  He’d drawn up his courage to strike up a conversation and been shocked to find that they had a lot in common. And that Julio was willing to listen to him talk about it. And invite him over to play video games after school. And help him with his essays in exchange for some tips in physics.

  They’d quickly become best friends, and then business partners, taking over the garage when Taylor’s father died. Technically, Taylor owned the garage and Julio was the employee, but they worked together well as a team. Taylor did all the bookkeeping and Julio did the marketing and most of the conversations with customers, using his bubbly personality and winning smile to keep them coming back.

  Taylor gave both of them the same salary, which seemed only fair since they really did the same amount of work. Taylor lived above the garage, so he was saving up to buy a beautiful house someday. Maybe with a dog and… He tried not to let those thoughts go too far. It was depressing.

  Julio was using his to pay for college, which was taking him six years instead of four since he was working full time. He still had another year to finish his business degree, which had given Taylor a sense of comfort until a few weeks ago when Julio casually mentioned that he’d be taking an internship in the fall.

  Taylor had tried to be positive, but inside he was quaking. If Julio worked at the garage part time next year, it made it much more real that in the following year he’d be leaving. Even if he didn’t move to another city, they wouldn’t see each other every day. And then what would he do?

  Right now, they spent most of their days together, and many evenings too, watching movies or hanging out with friends at a bar. Taylor always told himself it was enough. Because he seemed to have used up all his courage in that one conversation on the bus ten years ago.

  Julio knew that he was gay, though. He’d confessed one night after far too much cheap booze, but nothing ever came of it. Julio didn’t pin him down and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t pull his bulky frame onto his lap and hold him tenderly. Instead, he joked with him about picking up guys together. And started flirting with Taylor shamelessly and meaninglessly the next day.

  At last, the little twink turned to leave, looking coyly over his shoulder. Julio smacked his ass. Taylor’s stomach turned. He’d never be able to pull off that coy look.

  He’d felt Julio’s strong hand on his ass before, though. Twice. But only in friendship. “Of course, you’re hot. Get out there and find yourself a man.” Slap. He’d relived the memories late at night, the pleasure-pain of the slap and the searing pain of Julio’s disinterest.

  The implications were pretty clear in Taylor’s head. Julio wasn’t interested. Moreover, Taylor was a big guy, so he should be the dominant one in the relationship, the top. It was the last thing he wanted. So he’d stood by the bar, week after week, watching Julio dance with the twink of the day.

  He’d stopped going out to the gay dance clubs with Julio a few years ago because it just hurt too much. So now when Julio went out clubbing—or to the other club—Taylor stayed at home and tried to pretend that he was happy.

  Julio was still standing in the driveway, watching the twink’s perky butt as he sashayed away. Then he turned to Taylor, looking smug.

  Taylor rolled his eyes. “Do you even know his name?”

  Julio shrugged. “It sounded like my place at nine.” Then he grinned. “It’s Ralph. What an un-sexy name for such a sexy guy.”

  That was the other thing about Julio. He was generally kind and helpful, and fiercely loyal to Taylor, but the things that came out of his mouth were sometimes just cruel. Funny, but thoughtless. That was one of the other reasons Taylor had never mentioned his own dirty secret.

  Years ago, Julio had broken up with one of his flings because the guy had asked Julio to buy him pretty panties. Julio didn’t quite turn up his nose at the idea, but he waved the man off as being too high-maintenance. And Taylor didn’t want to be waved off.

  Julio walked past him, intentionally bumping his shoulder although there was plenty of space between the cars. His arm burned where Julio’s light, compact body had touched. “You could use a little bit of action, Taylor.”

  Taylor shrugged. He’d tried dating for a while, but it never worked out. Even if he hadn’t been in love with his best friend for ages, when he tried to date other people, he wasn’t confident enough to ask for what he wanted. His fat, ugly body made that impossible.

  “You haven’t been on a date in years. You’re smart, you’re cute, any guy would want to snap you up.” Except the one standing in front of him. Who was clearly only complimenting him out of sympathy.

  “It’s too much work.”

  Now it was Julio’s turn to roll his eyes. “You’re telling me that it’s more work to go to a club than Whirlwind?”

  Whirlwind was their favorite queer dive bar, welcoming a wide range of folks for low-key drinks and basic food in good company. They went there most Tuesdays for trivia night with a handful of friends. “Or how about Grindr. That takes about two seconds. You, like, swipe or something and men show up at your door.”

  “I don’t think that’s quite how it works. And it’s too much work to find what I want.”

  “I could help you with that if you ever told me what your type was…”

  They’d had this argument many times over. At least Julio just thought he was a prude, instead of the far more embarrassing alternative. “The problem is that I’m not anyone else’s type.”

  Julio sighed. “I know you think that just because you look like a bear, you have to act like one.” That was hitting a little too close to home. Damn Julio for being observant at just the wrong time.

  “But I promise, the right guy is out there for you. If you won’t tell me, at least put up a profile on Grindr. You don’t even have to use your real name. You just fill out the little fields with all of your kinky little secrets,” he winked, “and guys will send you invitations to meet up.”

  “I don’t think it’s that classy. I think they send you dick pics. Have you even used Grindr?”

  “I don’t need to.” He pretended to buff his nails on his shirt. “But seriously, it can’t be that h
ard. I’m sure there’s some kind of Grindr 101 page online that tells you what to do, what not to do, and all the little tips for making the best profile. What can it hurt?”

  Julio knew him so well. If he ever did make a Grindr profile, he would totally read all of those tutorial pages first so he didn’t screw it up. “Listen, I’m actually going to do some work. That lady’s coming back for her Toyota in an hour.”

  Julio made kissy noises at his back. Fucking Julio. He had work to do. At least that’s what he told himself.

  ***

  But that night, several hours after Taylor should have been asleep, he was still thinking about it. He had kind of poured over all those Grindr advice pages on his phone while he was eating dinner. There seemed to be a lot of assholes out there—with whole pages dedicated to shaming them—but the real world was like that, too. He just needed to keep his expectations low, be cautious, and not try to mislead anyone.

  So what if he did join Grindr? No one would know it was him unless they met up. And if he was actually honest about what he wanted, they wouldn’t meet up unless they were interested in the same things.

  He would just put the whole messy situation out there. He was fat and unattractive. He liked to dress up in feminine clothing and probably wanted to be tied up and… more things like that.

  If anyone messaged him back, there might be hope for him. And if not, he could go back to his sad, solitary lifestyle. It would be like… a test. He didn’t even have to meet them.

  He flicked on his bedside lamp and grabbed his phone. He downloaded the app, which was the easy part. Then he stared at it.

  The whole profile that he had to fill out only took up a single screen. Thank God. But, display name? How was he supposed to think up a display name?

  And what the hell were tribes? It didn’t take long to figure out that none of them were big guys who want to dress up like ladies—in fact they all sounded pretty much the same. All masculine. And he definitely wasn’t trans.