The Green-Eyed
Maid Inn

All three of my sisters were home when I got back to the house that eveningwhich surprised me a little, as usually Fiona and Kate stayed longer on campus with various projects that kept them busy. They didn’t even comment about me wearing lip gloss, which I unfortunately learned was color stay, meaning it wasn’t as permanent as the number scribbled on my hand, but it wasn’t just going to come off on its own easily, either. Thanks, Claire.

“Hey Rye,” my oldest sister Kate said first, as I went to the fridge for a leftover slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza. “You’re home early.”

“I should say the same,” I said. “How was school?”

“The usual boring lectures mostly,” she said as Megyn came into the room. I could hear the tank from the toilet filling - not that the bathroom was directly beside the kitchen, but that particular toilet, no matter how many plumbers we had look at it, sounded like a dying whale and was pretty hard to miss. Fortunately Megyn was used to it, being a long time family friend long before she and Avery started dating.

“Hey,” I said, glancing up. “Now that everybody’s here, I could use some advice.”

“What’s up?” Avery asked, as the conversations lulled, and Kate and Fiona looked over at me to hear what I had to ask.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” I said. “You guys have experience with people being, you know, romantically interested in you: like aggressively interested, right?”

“Oh, you sweet summer child,” Fiona giggled softly.

“Do we ever,” Kate laughed. “Boy trouble?” she asked genuinely. I shook my head.

“Thankfully, no. But I did meet someone today. A guest at the Inn, and, well...” I trailed off for a moment and showed them my hand.

“Whoa,” Avery said.

“Now that’s true love,” Kate teased, causing me to blush.

“I like her too,” I said and sighed. “But, she’s got kind of a reputation.”

“What kind?” Fiona asked, moving closer.

I blushed even more fiercely. “The angry punk rock lesbian kind. It’s um, it’s Shannon McQueen.”

“Holy crap,” Megyn blurted out. “Are you serious?”

I couldn’t help laughing, but nodded as I explained how it all started and how despite my better judgement I ended up spending the entire afternoon with Shannon and Sinead, how despite the ‘Will kick boys in the balls for fun’ reputation she had - well deserved in at least one case, she had been just the sweetest, friendliest, most upbeat and fun person to be around, and how I ended up with her phone number temporarily tattooed on my palm.

“Permanent marker, too,” Avery burst out laughing. “Wow.”

“I’m supposed to meet up with her tonight after the concert,” I said. “We didn’t plan anything, just, she asked if I wanted to get dinner afterwards and I said yes. I don’t want to hurt her, but I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

“So, let’s back up a bit,” Fiona said. “When and why did people start treating you like a girl anyway? I know you took the job at the Inn, but, like, give us the whole timeline. Maybe we can help you figure things out?”

“That is exactly what I was hoping you’d say, Fi,” I said, and brightened a little, going back through how this all even got started, seeing the help wanted ad, being just so tired of feeling useless at home while everyone else was out having a life, how I felt kind of swept up in the whole ‘Green-Eyed Maiden at the Green-Eyed Maid Inn’ thing.

“So,” Kate said thoughtfully as she raised her mug, taking a sip of her coffee before continuing, “Basically you’re saying, you applied for a job that was hiring girls specifically, and now everyone’s treating you like a girl.”

“I didn’t realize they were only hiring women,” I said, just a little defensively.

“But you also didn’t try to get out of it either,” Fiona said, not unkindly, but observationally. I shook my head.

“No, I didn’t. I can claim all day that it’s a tough job market or that I didn’t have any other prospects, or that I’m just a pushover who can’t say no, but I know that’s not entirely true either. I’ve really enjoyed this week. My boss Erika’s even talking about promoting me to hostess, making me the literal face of the GEM.”

“So,” Fiona said, “I’m premed, not pre-psych, but I have to ask. How does that make you feel?”

“Scared at first. I thought it was going to be more work. But when she told me it just meant interacting with the guests more than I - than we, all of us, already do, it kind of sounded exciting.”

“Well,” Fiona said, “There’s your answer.”

“What?” I asked.

“You enjoy being the literal green-eyed maiden,” she said. “But more than that, think about what you just told us. You were worried the job might be more responsibility. You didn’t say ‘Oh ick I don’t want these people calling me a girl how do I get out of this help!’” She grinned.

“I mean,” Megyn spoke up, “Not to put too fine a point on it, but you’re looking kinda hot in that bubblegum gloss, Rye.”

“Thanks,” I giggled. “It’s something Avery said last night about reminding people she’s a girl through her makeup. I was feeling very unfeminine, and borrowed a tube from my coworker Claire.”

“Because you wanted to deceive Shannon?” Kate asked bluntly.

“Oh my God no,” I blurted out. “Kate, why would you even think that?”

“Well,” Avery said, “Either you’re trying to deceive her by acting like a girl even outside your duties at the GEM, or you wanted to look cute for your first not really a date but kind of with a girl you like.”

I gave her a quiet nod. “I was caught up in the moment, not really thinking, but you’re right, Av. I just wanted to look cute, but not just for her. For myself, too. Changing back to my street clothes, I felt completely, I don’t know, off kilter. I didn’t feel like me anymore. Am I really deceiving her?” I asked, and I admit, I had to fight back a sob at the thought.

“I don’t think you’re deceiving anyone but yourself,” Avery said as she smiled. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but you’ve honestly changed over the last week.”

“I have?” I asked. “How?”

“You’re more open, for one thing,” Megyn giggled. “Usually when you greet me it’s a ‘Hey Meg,’” she said in her best male grunt. “But yesterday you whole ass hugged me for the first time in years. Last night you cried with me and Avery over pizza and RomComs.”

“I feel more... I don’t know,” I sighed. “More open, just more everything. Being treated like a girl has changed how I move through life. That’s why I came to you guys tonight. So I can talk to Shannon after her concert, so I’ll know what to tell her about what I’m struggling with.”

Someone knocked on the frame of the kitchen archway. I looked up to see the Shannon McQueen I knew as the Midnight Dolls frontwoman, standing there. Her sandy blonde hair had been tortured and teased into a wild spray of waves that would make Whitesnake look tame by comparison, and she was wearing more fishnets than I’d seen outside our uncle Cam’s fishing boat, with a distressed hot pink tank top and black acid wash jeans that completed the look along with her platform black boots and signature pink glove.

“Hey,” she said. “I’m not intruding on anything am I? Because I can wait outside.”

“No, not at all,” I said as I walked over to her. “We were just talking about you actually - well, you, and me, and... life in general.”

“Hey what’s wrong? If I came on too strong, you know we don’t have to make this an actual date.”

“It’s not you,” I said. “I have to just be honest and upfront with you because I am scared to absolute death that I’m going to hurt you. I don’t know how much of a girl I really am, and if the tabloids found out you went on a date with me there’s no telling what they’d have to say.”

“Riley,” she said, looking me right in the eye as I felt her hand slip into mine, “Is that what this is about?” she asked, shaking her head. “Look, as long as you’re honest with me, you aren’t going to hurt me. I don’t give a flying weasel’s tits what the tabloids have to say.”

I heard Avery and Megyn giggling behind me at that.

“‘I’m attracted to you,” Shannon said. “My bandmates think I’m completely touched, and maybe I am, but I really don’t care what they think either. If you’re a guy, you’re the most gentle, kind, compassionate, caring guy that I’ve ever met. If you’re a girl, copy paste it,” she said, grinning. “I like you. Period.”

“I like you too,” I said. “I talked to Sinead this afternoon after you went up to your room, and she told me everything. I know life’s been rough for you, but when we got to talking, there was just this-”

“Connection,” she said. “Yeah. I felt it too. Why do you think I dropped so many hints that I wanted to meet up with you later?” she said, blushing softly now. “Although, I am sorry about your hand. That um, that was really dumb.”

I cracked a smile and laughed now, showing her the smudged marker. “I managed to smudge some of it off, so if someone sees it you won’t get weird phone calls and texts from total randos at least.”

She giggled softly, even covering her mouth politely, which with the juxtaposition of looking like that, and yet acting so polite, I admit my heart skipped a beat.

“Hey,” she said thoughtfully. “How would you like to help me really mess with the trash rags for a change?”

“Sure,” I said. “What did you have in mind?”

She held up her hand, and the sequins that spelled out her initials, ‘S. M.’ on the back of her fingerless glove sparkled in the light of the kitchen behind me. “Wear this for me tonight,at the concert?”

“But... You never take that off,” I said, stunned. “You’ve been wearing it since your first underground gig at Darcy’s.”

Shannon giggled. “Exactly. Everyone’s going to go crazy wondering if I lost it, or if it was stolen, and there in the front row is going to be a mystery ginger and if they want to come too, her sisters hanging out and cheering, before being escorted back stage between sets and at the end of the show.” She winked.

“Oh my God, you’re devious,” I laughed as she took off her glove and pulled it into place over my hand, covering up the damn permanent damn marker smudge nicely. It fit perfectly, too.

“Hey,” Avery spoke up, “I’ve got some glow in the dark pink nail polish that’s close to that shade.”

“Do we have time?” I asked Shannon, who gave me a huge grin.

“It’s not like they can start without me. Besides, Harvest of Hearts is doing their opening set. I’ve already warmed up the crowd singing a duet with Elizabeth to kick off the show. I snuck away to see if you wanted to come catch the rest.”

“You guys have fun,” Kate said. “I have to study.”

“I’ve got a date, myself,” Fiona giggled. “Just killing time until I have to get ready.”

“How did you even know where to find me?” I asked, as Megyn joined Avery heading upstairs to get ready and find the nail polish.

“Oh,” Shannon giggled again. “I kind of pulled a diva move and pulled some strings. I figured it would be more fun to surprise you.”

“I am very surprised,” I laughed, but hugged her. “But I’m really happy we had a chance to talk like this too.”

“Me too,” Shannon said, as Avery and Megyn returned, wearing matching Midnight Dolls concert tees. “Oh I love it,” Shannon giggled. “That’s from our Brats Gone Wild tour! I’ll get you guys new ones from this tour tonight,” she said, and as we walked to the front door, she pulled it open. A big white limo with tinted windows sat parked on the street in front of our house, and I could see the neighbors across the road, trying to peek out of the upstairs windows without being noticed.

“By the way, ladies,” she said, beaming as she led us down to the waiting car, the driver standing next to the invitingly open door, “Dinner is my treat tonight, wherever you want to take me. Just, please, no sushi?”