RANSVESTIA

The lights were out when I opened the door save for a soft glow from Valerie's room. I burst in to turn it off and the movement on the bed was the first indication I had that someone was in there.

"Valerie?" I said, flicking on the main room light.

"Don't," said Valerie's husky voice as I was moving towards the switch. With the room flooded with light, I wished I'd listed to the voice. The two figures were not yet into the bed, but from the way that they were intertwined, I had no doubts that they'd soon be be- neath the sheets. For a moment, the person who was partly covering the sparsely clad Valerie didn't register with me at all. And then I realized she was a woman. Valerie was on her bed with another woman. Valerie sat up and pulled herself away from the woman who was most reluctant to let her go.

"This is Natalie Birdwell," Valerie said shakily. "A friend of mine."

"That I can see," I said dryly. "But a woman?"

Natalie sat up, too. She was wearing a green blouse and a dark green pantsuit. "I thought she knew about you," she said accursingly to Valerie.

"She does," there was insecurity and nervousness in Valerie's voice and manner that I'd never seen before.

Natalie looked at me. "So why are you so cynical?" she said in a challenging tone. "Terry may be a transvestite, but he's not queer. He's had many other girlfriends."

My whole body registered the shock of that remark. I was paralyzed. Valerie came rushing from the bed to take my hand. “Oh. I didn't want this," she said desperately. "But now that you and Roy are fixed up, I needed someone, I needed Natalie badly."

My senses were still reeling from the assault on my perception of the order of things. “No,” I said. "Roy and I agree to be friends, not to be married."

It was her turn to be astonished. She was lost for words. "Well," I shrugged and backed away. "I'll see you later. I'm supposed to be changing for dinner at the Lewises. Aren't you working?"

-18-