arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm a needy, damaged mess for being attracted to you?"
"Not if you're not straight, Gen. These are the girls who rabidly flirt with me but don't actually want me. Those girls are looking for an ego boost, and me returning their interest is the safest validation they can get. They get to reject me on the spot once I return their attention. Also, Mike thinks I remind them of the boys they wanted to date in high school but didn't get to."
"That's nuts."
"Oh, cher, I never said it was sane, remember they are needy, damaged messes. I'm just saying that it happens so much that I don't trust flirting to mean interest."
"How do you remind them of men. I mean, yeah, you're on the butch side, but you don't look like a man."
"No, I don't look like a man, what I look like is a fifteen year old preppy boy with boobs. I'm the soccer-captain-class-president that was super nice to them but never wanted to date them when they were sophomores, minus the Y chromosome ... and other things."
Gen laughed. "Well, it works on you."
Jules smirked. "Thanks."
"And that's why you're such a hit with the girls at work."
"Ugh, that is so tiring, and yeah, probably. You are just extremely lucky you teach at an all-girls school. You'd have way too many hot for teacher situations from guys at a co-ed school with your whole sexy librarian thing." Jules realized what she'd said and blushed taking a long pull on her beer to shut herself up.
Gen blushed. "Thank you. So, how does this turn into bad gaydar?"
Jules swallowed her drink. "Between not trusting 'wishful thinking mode' and the mixed signals I've always gotten from straight girls, unless I meet a girl at a gay bar, see her actively making out with a woman, or am introduced to her by a mutual friend who's told me she's gay, I figure she's straight."
"Still sounds like a flimsy story, but I'll let it slide." Gen smiled and took another bite of her pad Thai.
They finished their dinner talking about students they had in common, and their own families. Once Jules had taken the plates, Gen turned to her. "How about that tour?"
"As you wish." Jules gave her a warm smile and stood, leading the way. "You've already seen the living room, dining room and kitchen." She opened a door and pointed into it, it was empty except for a rowing machine, treadmill, bowflex, and a TV. "Sitting room, when it was Auntie's house. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, so I just stuck my workout equipment in here for now."
"You didn't keep it as a sitting room?"
"No, I sit just fine in the living room." Jules lead her down a hallway. "Utility room, downstairs powder room, storage closet, and stairs." She motioned for Gen to precede her up the stairs; Gen smiled at the gesture. Once they'd reached the top of the staircase, Jules touched Gen's shoulder lightly to stop her and they turned toward a door.
"Guest room," Jules said opening the door and showing Gen the old daybed in the room. They kept walking down the hall. "Upstairs bathroom," she said opening another door to a very sterile looking bathroom. She opened the next door. "Guest room, again." They kept walking and Jules stopped next to a door and placed her hand on the door but did not open it. "Extra room, currently housing a bunch of my crap I haven't figured out where to put yet."
"What kind of crap?"
Jules blushed. "All kinds. It also has some of Auntie's papers and stuff I haven't gone through yet. I went through a lot as I got rid of furniture, but there are still plenty of family things in there too. It is an absolute pit and my mother would lecture me to death if I let a guest see it."
"Fair enough. What's left?"
"My room," Jules said opening the door to the master bedroom and motioning for Gen to feel free to look around. The room was painted a French blue, with white crown molding and baseboards. There was a faux finish on the walls that made them look like homemade paper, flecks of darker blues, lighter
"Not if you're not straight, Gen. These are the girls who rabidly flirt with me but don't actually want me. Those girls are looking for an ego boost, and me returning their interest is the safest validation they can get. They get to reject me on the spot once I return their attention. Also, Mike thinks I remind them of the boys they wanted to date in high school but didn't get to."
"That's nuts."
"Oh, cher, I never said it was sane, remember they are needy, damaged messes. I'm just saying that it happens so much that I don't trust flirting to mean interest."
"How do you remind them of men. I mean, yeah, you're on the butch side, but you don't look like a man."
"No, I don't look like a man, what I look like is a fifteen year old preppy boy with boobs. I'm the soccer-captain-class-president that was super nice to them but never wanted to date them when they were sophomores, minus the Y chromosome ... and other things."
Gen laughed. "Well, it works on you."
Jules smirked. "Thanks."
"And that's why you're such a hit with the girls at work."
"Ugh, that is so tiring, and yeah, probably. You are just extremely lucky you teach at an all-girls school. You'd have way too many hot for teacher situations from guys at a co-ed school with your whole sexy librarian thing." Jules realized what she'd said and blushed taking a long pull on her beer to shut herself up.
Gen blushed. "Thank you. So, how does this turn into bad gaydar?"
Jules swallowed her drink. "Between not trusting 'wishful thinking mode' and the mixed signals I've always gotten from straight girls, unless I meet a girl at a gay bar, see her actively making out with a woman, or am introduced to her by a mutual friend who's told me she's gay, I figure she's straight."
"Still sounds like a flimsy story, but I'll let it slide." Gen smiled and took another bite of her pad Thai.
They finished their dinner talking about students they had in common, and their own families. Once Jules had taken the plates, Gen turned to her. "How about that tour?"
"As you wish." Jules gave her a warm smile and stood, leading the way. "You've already seen the living room, dining room and kitchen." She opened a door and pointed into it, it was empty except for a rowing machine, treadmill, bowflex, and a TV. "Sitting room, when it was Auntie's house. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, so I just stuck my workout equipment in here for now."
"You didn't keep it as a sitting room?"
"No, I sit just fine in the living room." Jules lead her down a hallway. "Utility room, downstairs powder room, storage closet, and stairs." She motioned for Gen to precede her up the stairs; Gen smiled at the gesture. Once they'd reached the top of the staircase, Jules touched Gen's shoulder lightly to stop her and they turned toward a door.
"Guest room," Jules said opening the door and showing Gen the old daybed in the room. They kept walking down the hall. "Upstairs bathroom," she said opening another door to a very sterile looking bathroom. She opened the next door. "Guest room, again." They kept walking and Jules stopped next to a door and placed her hand on the door but did not open it. "Extra room, currently housing a bunch of my crap I haven't figured out where to put yet."
"What kind of crap?"
Jules blushed. "All kinds. It also has some of Auntie's papers and stuff I haven't gone through yet. I went through a lot as I got rid of furniture, but there are still plenty of family things in there too. It is an absolute pit and my mother would lecture me to death if I let a guest see it."
"Fair enough. What's left?"
"My room," Jules said opening the door to the master bedroom and motioning for Gen to feel free to look around. The room was painted a French blue, with white crown molding and baseboards. There was a faux finish on the walls that made them look like homemade paper, flecks of darker blues, lighter
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