Chapter 13. The Party, at last.

I drove home in a daze, this morning I had resigned myself to waiting patiently for Wishes to decide where she wanted this to go. This afternoon she had been all over me and so willing to express her love in public. I just didn't know what to expect from tonight. I somehow thought that amongst her own friends she would be a bit more reserved, but I could accept that.

At a quarter to eight I parked outside of Wishes' house. I walked up to the door feeling self conscious about my dress, I had never worn anything this revealing in public before and I was trembling with nerves.

Alhana answered the door almost before I knocked.

"Linda," she gave me her warm smile and pulled me into a hug. "You look beautiful, you make such a lovely couple."

"Thanks Alhana. Um, has Wishes said anything about this afternoon."

"Come on in darling, don't stand on the doorstep. She's still upstairs getting ready. Your dress is beautiful and so is the one you bought Wishes, clever move love."

"Wishes said you talked today and that I knew about you both," Alhana tried to look stern but the corners of her mouth kept twitching so I knew she wasn't really angry with me.

"I'm sorry Alhana, but Wishes was so worried that you would be angry with her, I couldn't let her worry about it all day."

"I know darling and I think it's sweet that you worry about her so much. You didn't tell her anything else about our chat did you?" I could see that she was serious about this.

"No, I didn't think it would be helpful if the woman I loved thought I had lost my marbles."

"I think that would be best kept between us. Ok."

"Ok Alhana, I won't say anything."

About a minute later a copper haired vision descended the stairs dressed in green. I noticed that Sally had found a dress that was almost identical to mine, but where mine had a strap on the left and sloped down to the right, Wishes dress had the strap on the right and sloped to the left.

"Wishes, you look beautiful!" I gasped as she came towards me.

"And so do you my love. Thank you for this," She said indicating the green dress.

"You both look wonderful," Alhana stated. "Now go and enjoy yourselves."

We both hugged Alhana and headed for my car.

Arriving at the party we made a hell of an entrance. We didn't hold hands or anything, we just walked in; but the crowd couldn't help noticing the way we were dressed so alike. After we had been there for a few minutes we split up to mingle with the crowd. I didn't really want to part from Wishes' side as I didn't know anyone there but I was trying to give Wishes some space to greet people she knew. Even apart our eyes kept meeting across the crowded room.

I had just returned from the kitchen where I had picked up a bottle of beer when I heard raised voices from the living room.

"Why the hell did you have to invite that fucking dyke Chez?" it wasn't hard to recognise Mark's voice.

"Because she's my friend, and I wanted her to come ok!" I could hear the restrained anger in Wishes voice and I hurt for her. I wanted to go to her, to offer her my support but I thought that would probably make things worse.

"Fucking hell Chez! You're spending so much time with that fucking bitch everyone is going to think you're turning into a fucking dyke as well!"

"Yeah well maybe I am!" Wishes had lost her temper now and her voice rose in pitch. "Maybe I am a fucking dyke Mark. All I know is I love her. And you can go fuck yourself."

I didn't even realise that Wishes knew I was in the doorway but she headed straight toward me, the crowd parted in a way that would have been comical at any other time.

Reaching me Wishes threw one arm behind my head and pulled me into her. She kissed me fiercely, all around us the room went quiet.

"Fucking Dyke bitches." Mark's voice rang out loudly against the silence.

"Give me a moment." I murmured to Wishes.

Disentangling myself from Wishes I walked across the room to Mark. I looked up at him, he was at least six foot three and looked like a powerful guy.

Back when I was known as Graham Pearce, the quiet bank manager I had a past that I never talked about. During the war I was in a protected profession and could have sat it out at home. At the time I didn't feel I could do that, Maddie didn't understand when I volunteered for officer training. I was singled out as a bit of a loner during my basic training and they sent me to the Special Operations Executive. Oh I learned a lot in the months I spent training before my first job. Then there were more training sessions between every job. They were skills I had never even told Maddie about after the war. I think that the Graham that went to war was a much different person from the Graham that returned to the bank. They had never met, they didn't move in the same circles, so it wasn't necessary to explain the things that Major Pearce had learnt how to do. They were old skills, not used for more than half a century, but they were so deeply learnt that they were always there, waiting.

I smiled up at Mark.

"Big words Mark. Big words from a big guy, to hurt a poor little girl."

"So fucking what. Fucking dyke bitches. What the fucking hell did you have to bring the fucking slag here tonight for. Fucking dyke sla..."

Before Mark could finish his sentence he was on his knees, one arm was twisted up behind his back. My other hand had grabbed his family jewels through his trousers and was applying enough pressure to let him know I would rip them off if he moved.

"If you ever speak to my girlfriend like that again you will spend the rest of your years as a fucking eunuch!" My voice was flat and emotionless like cold steel rasping across a whetstone. One of the instructors had spent weeks teaching me how to sound that way and I found it seemed to work even better as a contrast to my new feminine voice.

"Do you understand me Mark?" Steel slid across the whetstone again.

"Yes, yes, now get off me." he gasped in pain, fear showing in his voice.

As I released his arm I gave him a nudge forward, already off balance he sprawled to the floor.

I ignored him and walked slowly over to Wishes and gathered her into my arms kissing her lovingly.

"Watch out!" I heard a male voice call out. Without turning I slid Wishes slightly to one side of me, hearing the rushed step I swung my arm out palm flat at what I judged to be the right height. There was a jarring impact on my arm and the sound of a body hitting the floor. I didn't turn to look, I just carried on kissing Wishes as I heard whistles and cheers around us.

When we came up for air we were greeted by half a dozen excited young women who all seemed to want to talk to us at once.

Hearing movement behind me again I turned and saw Mark was being helped to his feet by four angry looking guys. I swallowed hard, I knew I could take on any one or even two of them but four, this could get very painful.

I sagged with relief when one of them, I remember being introduced to him as Mark's friend Paul, winked at me. I must have looked relieved because his face cracked into a grin, I had to grin back.

They carted Mark out of the room and returned a few minutes later. Paul headed my way, he was smiling so I wasn't too worried.

"Linda, I'm sorry about that. I would have said that we don't let a guy beat up on a girl at one of our parties, but you didn't give him a chance for that. That was impressive, where the hell did you learn to do that."

I smiled at him, he was obviously impressed, he was also the first man who looked at me as if he wasn't mentally undressing me.

"Oh just some training I had a few years ago. I don't like to talk about it, if you don't mind." I was expecting more questions that could have been awkward to answer, but Paul just shrugged his shoulders.

"How did you do that last bit, you didn't even see him coming."

"Simple enough." I said "Mark's about six three so leaning forward as he charged he would have stooped so his larynx had to about here." I indicated with my hand. "The rest is just using your ears and timing."

"It was incredible, you want to watch out for him though. Mark can hold a grudge for a long time."

"I think he probably would if I was guy, but I don't think he will risk being embarrassed by a girl again. I'm sorry about your party Paul, I don't usually pick fights when I'm invited out."

He gave me a hug, much to my surprise, I was even more surprised that my skin didn't crawl. I think I just knew it was only a friendly hug nothing more.

"Linda we all saw it. You didn't pick the fight. Mark started it, you finished it. And you're welcome to any party I have and I think I can speak for the others when I say welcome to town."

Suddenly everyone wanted to talk to me, it was just too weird for a lonely old man to take in.

When I finally got near my copper haired beauty she grabbed my arm and kissed me hard. Cheers broke out around the room as she claimed me as her hero, or should that be heroine.

Eventually the music started again and the party atmosphere returned to the room. As soon as the music slowed down a bit I lead Wishes to the centre of the room where some couples were dancing. Holding her close to me I started moving slowly to the music.

"So," I said into her thick hair "I overheard you saying you loved me. Is that true?"

Wishes pulled her head back and looked for a long time into my eyes.

"You know I do. Linda Pearce I love you with all my heart. But after this dance I want you to take me home."

We danced close sharing quick kisses and murmured endearments with each other as the crowd looked on. They accepted us! I think it was the idea that I would fight a man almost a foot taller than myself to defend my love that appealed to the romantic in even the toughest man there. And there was no way they were going to stand for any guy beating up on a girl even if I hadn't been able to whip him.

At the end of the song Wishes held me tight and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Take me home love." she whispered.

My heart sank, even with the fight I had still enjoyed myself. But I could understand that it had been quite a night for Wishes.

"Ok babe."

I took my love in my arms and called goodnight to everyone as we walked towards the door. It took us a long time to get to the door, I think everyone in the place wanted to pat us on the back and wish us luck.

Eventually we were at my car. I held Wishes close and buried my face in her copper coloured tresses inhaling the scent of her hair.

"I'm sorry love, I shouldn't have done that to Mark. It wasn't fair on you for me to announce to the room like..." Wishes put her finger to my lips then when she was sure I had stopped apologising yet again she replaced it with her sweet lips.

"I've told you so many times," she said as we parted. "You don't have to apologise for something that's not your fault." she smiled, I imagine she was thinking back to the event

"If I remember rightly, Mark asked why I had brought 'that fucking dyke' to the party. And I think I said something like 'Maybe I'm a dyke Mark. All I know is I love her.' which I think let the cat out of the bag long before you said I was your girlfriend. You were amazing. How did you learn to move like that?"

My mind flicked back to a moment from Graham's life. It was outside a small warehouse in Italy, a young Italian boy in an ill fitting uniform was slumped against a wall after I had broken his neck, the small pool of urine spreading around him showed where he lost control when he could see his fate in my eyes. It had been the first time that I had killed someone just because it was convenient. I had already killed three men and a woman that night, but those had been ordered from high up. For this poor boy it was just more convenient for me to kill him than to try to go around him. At the time it seemed no more important than someone picking up the milk on their way home because it would be more convenient than having to go out in the morning to get the milk before breakfast. I hadn't felt it at the time but after the war that boy's face haunted my sleep for years before he eventually faded into the past.

I shook my head to clear the image, my smile at Wishes was shaky at best.

"It's a part of my past I don't want to think about too much. Anyway I had to sign a piece of paper that stops me talking about it for a long time," It wasn't a total lie, after the war our government had been a little embarrassed at some of the things they had us do. Before we were demobbed we all had to sign the forms that tied us to the official secrets act. I know the fifty years were up by now, but to Graham, and now for Linda it might as well have been yesterday. Sometimes it was best to let the past alone, a strange thing to say in my position I know.

"You'd best get in the car if you want me to take you home," I tried to sound cheerful but it was breaking my heart to have her part from me again, but I had promised to give her time.

Wishes kissed me on the tip of my nose again before opening the car door. When she was seated I shut her door and ran around to my side.

We were both quiet on the drive back, lost in our own thoughts. Until I slowed to turn into the lane that lead to Wishes' house. She gently put her hand over mine as it rested on the steering wheel.

"No Linda, take me home please," she said quietly. My heart soared at her words, Wishes wanted to go home with me, I couldn't believe it.

"Are you sure love. We don't have to if you need more time," I was stopped on the road by then. I desperately wanted to drive past the lane and take her back to my house, but needed to be sure it was what she wanted.

Wishes leant into me and gave me a slow kiss filled with promise.

"I need you more than anything at the moment. Anyway," She grinned at me, "we've told a lot of people that I'm gay tonight, you wouldn't want to make me a liar would you."

Grinning back at her I put the car into gear and drove home, I wanted to rush and had to force myself to keep my speed down.