Confusion

Chapter 1


         She sat in the local coffee shop, sipping her favorite herbal tea, listening to her mother rant and rave.  The girl signed and rolled her eyes.  Her mother loved to rant and raved, about two things in particular:  how the girl’s father was a fucking lying cheating bastard and how the girl was a lesbian.  As if, the girl thought to herself, dad would never cheat on her, even if he thought she was a motherfucking bitch of a psycho.
         The girl let her thoughts and eyes wonder around the shop, never focusing on any one thing, but still taking in everything.  From  Mr. Greene who would order the same thing everyday of the week, depending on the day.  Today being Thursday, she knew without looking that it was an apple cinnamon scone, honey nut bagel with fresh blueberry cream cheese and a tall white-spiced coffee.  The girl also noticed Mrs. Kimberly, who was the town’s local author, who spent no less and no more than three hours typing away on her computer, already working away on her next novel, even though the previous one had just been published the month before.  The girl breathed in the heavenly scents of the shop: brewing coffee, baked goodies, fresh fruit smoothies and lastly her favorite scent of all:  the orange lemony smell of the cleaner the shop used.
The girl did not look up when the chime above the door dinged to annouced the arrival of another customer.  She did not notice the new arrival, until they passed her table on the way to the front counter.  The girl gasped in shock.  In walked the hottest boy she had ever seen, and that was definitely saying something, since she was a lesbian. 
The boy was tall, easily 6’0.  His hair was a blonde curly mess that he made no attempt to try and tame.  His skin was a dark olive tone, with faint patches of pale ghostly white, like he was constantly in the sun, but had also spent quit some time indoors.  And his eyes were a piercing sapphire blue that made it seem like he was looking into your soul and you into his.  He was very well toned too.  His biceps were very visible, but not overbearingly.  Through his tight shirt, you could see his perfectly chiseled abs, like something straight out of a movie or magazine.
“Ashley Nicole Parker, did you hear what I just said?”  Ashley’s mother asked, irritated that she was not getting any attention.
Ashley’s did not both to respond, she just sat staring at the boy.  Finally, Ashley’s mother followed her daughter’s gaze.  She gawked.  They boy in question was cute.  Wait, scratch that he was HOT.  Yes, he was probably was a good 20 years younger than her, but age is nothing but a number, right?  If given the opportunity she would definitely take the chance to teach him a thing or two about a real woman.
“He is too good for you.  Plus remember, you like girls,” she sneered not caring who overheard.
“For your information, the correct term is lesbian.  And just because I am one does not mean I can not look.” Ashley retorted, not even caring what the consequences for her remark would be.
Before her mother could even open her mouth to respond, Ashley’s friend Patrick walked up.  Her mothers quickly switched from bitch mode into I have a perfect family mode, including the huge phony grin she had on her face.
Patrick like most of Ashley’s friends was gay.  Patrick was African and proud of it.  Ashley admired him, because she knew it was not easy for him to come out to a lot of the people he came out to.  He was not afraid of anything, not even when his boyfriend Thomas (who also happened to be the school’s star basketball player) decide to come out and tell the whole school that the two of them were dating.  In fact everyone, including his parents, knew that Patrick was gay.  Well, almost everyone knew.
“Hello Patrick, how are you and Victoria doing?” Ashley’s mother asked sweetly.
Ashley rolled her eyes and trying to hide her laughter by taking a drink, but she ended up spewing it all over the table, receiving one of her mother’s evil death glares in return.
“Um..Actually we broke up,” Patrick responded timidly, while looking down at the floor feeling ashamed that he still had to hide who he truly was from some people.
“Oh my god I am so sorry.  But she didn’t deserve you anyway.  You will find someone much better who deserves you.”  She comforted, mistaking his shame for feeling shameful for causing the breakup.
Turning to Ashley, Patrick playfully baited her, “Hot guy six o’clock.”
“Well if you think he is so hot, why don’t you ask him out?” she responded.
Before Patrick could respond, Dylan, Ashley and Patrick’s boss called them over.  They quickly left, but not before Ashley promised her mother that she would call home for a ride after work, so as to not burden Patrick. 
As soon as they were out of earshot, Patrick finally replied, “As much as I want to, though he is clearly straight, you know how Thomas feels about “mutiple dating.”
Ashley just nodded.  Patrick was right.  Before he started dating Patrick it was not uncommon to see him with a different guy every couple of days.  When Thomas and him started dating, Thomas made him swear that there would be no more “multiply dating” as he called it, otherwise he would be gone.
When they got to their boss, Ashley and Patrick were surprised to see to see that the mystery boy was standing next to Dylan.  They look at each eyebrows raised.  Dylan never hired new people unless he personally had the time to train them, so as to not burden his staff. 
“I bet you are wondering who this is and why he is here?” Dylan asked, not bothering with the usual chitchat.
Ashley and Patrick just nodded, know better than to ask anything for Dylan would explain in due time.
“His dad and I played football together in high school and college.  His parents recently got a divorce and his mom, younger sister and him moved back here.  His dad then called and asked for a favor, so I hired him.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, he playfully nudged the boy in the ribs.
“Oh yeah by the way, I am Justin.”  He responded pretty much ignoring Patrick but giving Ashley a wink and award-winning smile.  Ashley’s heart skipped several beats and she started to get butterflies in her stomach.  What did that wink and smile truly mean?  Did he like her, a lesbian?  And why was she reacting the way she was?  A guy had never in her life made her feel this way, only girls did.  Um…this is going to be interesting. She thought to herself.  Little did she know just how interesting Justin was going to make her life become.