Does Simon stumble across the truth and will Cathy come clean, and I don't mean in the shower?

Easy As Falling Off A Bike.
by Angharad & V Pendleton.
part 77 (Sunset Strip?)

I stood waiting for the kettle to boil while Simon changed his undies. I still had a smile on my face but the realisation was dawning upon me that perhaps I had been a trifle impulsive. Now I was blushing, had I done something stupid? It seemed to be a habit these days - I mean who else would lock herself out of the car and the house at the same time? Herself, I just described myself as herself. It slightly shocked me, it was about the first time I had used the term while talking to myself in my head. I blushed some more.

"Can you get your dad to buy Calvin Klein's next time," Simon put his arms around me from behind.

"If his don't suit, you can always borrow some of mine," I offered as the kettle switched itself off.

"No these will do."

"They are brand new."

"Yes I appreciate that."

"And Marks and Sparks make good underwear."

"Do you buy yours there?"

"Erm, no." I felt myself blushing again.

"Well then."

"If you had controlled yourself, you wouldn't have had to change."

"Hah, I'd like to see you stop yourself from coming when you are being kissed and touched up by a beautiful girl."

"I think I could manage it."

"Oh yeah, what about if it was beautiful young man?"

"That's two questions, that's not fair." I took the moral highground in a facetious way, but it showed that I could make decisions, or I hoped it did. "Anyway, if you bring me the dirty ones, I'll wash them for you."

"Ah, that's okay." Now it was his turn to blush. I nearly shot myself in the foot by misquoting an old joke, 'Underpants, not the best thing in the world but close to it!' I was glad I had refrained. I'd indulged myself already.

"Are you going to see your dad today?" Asked Simon as I made the tea.

"I have to I'm afraid."

"Don't apologise, I'd like to meet him."

I nearly dropped the teapot, "Why?" I asked instead of asking him to repeat his shocking statement. Scenarios of Daddy somehow managing to say, 'She wasn't always Cathy, until two weeks ago she was Charlie.'

"I'd simply like to meet your father."

"He's had a stroke, he can hardly talk, let alone converse with you. He's quite poorly," I lied but how was he to know any better.

"Stella said he'd abused you," he hesitated while saying this as if he wasn't sure if he should be mentioning it.

"He beat me a number of times, he won't do it again." I felt my stomach flip over and I almost wanted to be sick.

"He won't if I have a word with him."

"No Simon, if I need your help I'll ask for it. Please let me do this my own way." Please Simon, God knows what he'd tell you if you threatened him. "Besides, since my mother died, he needs me more than I need him." And that puts me in the driving seat for the moment anyway.

"If ever he lays so much as a finger on you, I'll rip it off and shove it so far up his arse it will give him a sore throat." There was coldness in the statement, I believed he really meant it.

"You're frightening me Simon, you can't bash Daddy just because you don't like his underpants." It was an attempt to change his mood.

"No one hits women and gets away with it while I'm around, I can't abide it."

I nearly told him I wasn't a woman when I last got hit, and even had a punchline, I was only a child. Well I couldn't say little girl, could I? But then, the idea of beating up a child is even worse that hitting a woman. "I can handle it Simon, he's no longer the monster he was and I can now hold my own if necessary."

"When did he last hit you?"

"I can't remember," I lied, I could almost tell him to the minute when it was.

"Stella tells me you ended up in hospital."

"Not for that."

"Oh, what else was it then?"

"Nothing important." I felt quite angry that Stella had told him bits and that he was assuming he was my protector. I wasn't even sure if I could describe him as my boyfriend, because we had hardly been out on dates and hadn't had sex unless you consider the little flirt in the hallway half an hour ago, sex?

I think my irritation showed, because he looked sheepish and said, "Sorry, I mean it's not as if you were having a sex change or something."

"Would it be important if I had been?" I glared at him.

"Erm, I was only joking love."

"Answer the question, please."

"This is a nice cuppa," he blushed as he changed the subject.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so assertive? I didn't feel encouraged by his embarrassment, and I really did wonder if he could cope with the truth. Maybe Stella was right after all, this might just fold before we get to the stage where it becomes essential. So I'm living a lie and deceiving him, so what?

It's quite bizarre how I've spent most of my life trying to prevent others discovering my inner femaleness, now I'm trying to stop them uncovering my outer maleness. How time changes things?

"When are you going to see your dad?"

"Anytime after two, why?"

"I wondered if we could find somewhere to have lunch."

"I'll cook something if you want," I offered, albeit weakly.

"If we had more time, I must just have let you do that, but there'll be plenty of time for that, won't there? In the future I mean."

"Will there, how should I know? You might get fed up with me."

"I don't think so."

"Maybe I'll get fed up with you," I could have cut my tongue out the instant that was out of my mouth. Simon went from looking self assured and confident to suddenly looking very unsure of himself. Sometimes I was a real bitch! "I know a nice little pub, but we might have to book," I said brightly trying to change his mood and the subject.

"Yeah, maybe you will, just like all the others."

"What, book a pub lunch?" I asked looking puzzled even though I knew exactly what he meant.

"No, dump me after a short time." He looked like a little boy lost.

"Simon how can I dump you, we're hardly a couple yet are we?" I tried to keep it real.

"There see, I thought we were. I just don't understand women. Maybe I'd better go."

"Simon!" I said loudly and he stopped in his tracks. "Please stay," I said more quietly. "We hardly know each other, so how can we say we're a couple? What I see of you and the more I know, the more I like you, but there are things you don't know about me and I suppose there will be things I don't know about you."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he looked sheepish again. "My trouble is I'm in too much of a hurry. I think I like you a lot." He blushed and looked at the floor - I was glad I'd washed it yesterday.

I was also glad he didn't look at me because I was blushing as much as he was. "I think I like you too." I placed my hand under his chin and lifted up his head, then I kissed him gently on the lips.