Whatever Your Heart Desires Part 4

They had all been out "catting around" with me in one nightclub or another in the past, not to mention frequent after-work "Happy Hour" excursions to this and other pubs. I knew the most intimate, detailed knowledge of their love lives; the who, what, when, and how many times. It wouldn't have occurred to me not to share this momentous change in my love life with them as soon as I arrived at work that morning. I knew I could trust them to be 'cool' about it. When I invited them to join Danni and me for drinks, wild horses could not have kept them away.

'Cool' was an understatement. After the consensus "Oh, my GOD!", all three piled out of the booth to get a better look, head-to-toe. Hugs and enthusiastic praise go a long way towards salving a bruised and fragile ego. After re-seating ourselves – Danni between Gwen and me, Jackie and Beth on the other side – and two rounds of drinks, my sweetheart felt a little more like one of the girls.

Naturally, the subject of Danielle and her 'coming out' dominated the conversation. There were a lot of questions, as I knew there would be. I hadn't prompted any of it.

My office mates were naturally curious, yet sensitive to the impact of so emotional a subject on a girl who was 'new to the game'. To her credit, and my unvoiced encouragement, Danni answered freely and frankly. I could tell she danced around certain questions – particularly about any attraction she might feel towards men. The important thing was, she was facing the issues and her own emotional responses to them – something she had to do if 'Danielle' was to grow as a person.

I made certain she and I went alone to the Little Girl's Room to powder our noses. I knew she would have something to say in private, and had a firm idea what it would be.

She didn't disappoint me.

"How could you do this to me?" she burst out incredulously. "I almost died of shame!"

"Baby," I responded, "it was never my intention to humiliate you. I can only say what I have said before; you have nothing to be ashamed of. You cannot hide in the closet forever. You have to get out, meet people, and let them meet you. You were fine with Lexi, Celine and the girls at the salon. You also had no problem with the people at the clubs we went to last weekend."