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Oh, my sweet, beautiful Jeffrey. “I wish to stay with you, to hold you and pleasure you, to watch movies and play Sudoku with you.”
He laughs. “I wish that too. That means you have to make sure it happens, right?”
“I will do everything in my power to ensure it does.”
We lean toward each other for another kiss—when an eruption of noise sounds from outside. Voices, one louder than the others as if on a megaphone.
Mrs. Sherman’s voice, however muffled, is distinct.
“What the hell?” Jeffrey hurries out of bed. “Um… I wish we were dressed and presentable.”
I grant it, and although Jeffrey looks distraught to have to face whatever awaits us downstairs, he runs around the bed to take my hand and drags me after him to the main floor.
Outside Madame Mattie’s is exactly what loud voices and one on a megaphone sounded like. Mrs. Sherman leads a group of protesters, currently gathered outside our front door.
To continue granting Jeffrey’s wishes, I may have to eliminate that woman sooner than planned.
Chapter eleven
Jeffrey
“It’s a matter of pride in our community! Pride in our neighborhood! Pride in having some say over what influences our children and how visitors from other cities and other countries view us! And what we do not want is for those views and influences to be centered around immoral livelihoods, practices, or history!”
I seriously could have wished for Mrs. Sherman to drop dead in that moment.
The crowd outside with her cheers. I don’t recognize any of them, but I have a guess that most are probably from St. Mary’s.
“What would you have me do, Jeffrey?” Odai asks beside me.
“I don’t know. I’m guessing I can’t wish for them all to just leave?”
“I’m afraid that would be—”
“Against their natures. Yeah.” I steel my resolve. I didn’t actually tell Odai what to dress me in, just to make us dressed, but I am beyond relieved he conjured something normal from my closet. If I’d been in that cropped zip-up right now, I would not be able to open the door. “I wish to not let her walk all over me. I can do that, even if I usually eventually crumble, so you should be able to help with that, right? And just be supportive beside me?”
“Of course, Jeffrey.” Odai places a hand on my shoulder, and I feel a zing from it that fills me with confidence I usually lack.
No, that usually falters, but I do have it. I can do this.
I open the front door.
“It’s about having pride in—”
“Mrs. Sherman, there is no pride in what you are doing!” I shout over her, which isn’t too difficult, even with the megaphone, since she is standing right outside the door and jumps from me yelling in her ear. There aren’t that many people with her, maybe between one to two dozen, but I let all of them turning their glares on me—Mrs. Sherman included—fuel how pissed I am right now. “Just because several business owners retracted their signatures from your petition—”
“I am well within my rights to protest here, when your establishment has the ability to negatively impact my business!” she shouts back, thankfully not through the megaphone, or I might have smacked her. That would only give her ammunition though. “As do the concerned citizens with me.”
“Then do so in front of your business,” I snap. “All any passersby are going to see from this display is a small mob ganging up on a queer-friendly establishment.” I say that part louder and thrust my arm toward the window with our Pride flag—something to actually have pride in.
“This is not about your lifestyle preferences,” Mrs. Sherman looms over me, literally toe to toe, and I feel Odai’s hand on my shoulder tighten. Her eyes flash to his, and she takes a step back. “This is about the immorality of promoting a brothel.”
“We do not promote what happened here. We tell its history. And history,” I keep speaking before she can try to interrupt, “should not be stifled. Plus, there is nothing wrong with sex work. What someone does with their own body—”
“You see!” Mrs. Sherman whirls around and lifts her megaphone again. “From the tour guide himself whose entire repertoire for their sordid midnight tours is spouting filth—Mad Madame Mattie’s believes that sex work should be legal!”
“I didn’t say—”
“Rest your voice, Jeffrey,” Odai says close at my ear. Then he calls to Mrs. Sherman, “We will simply call the authorities to handle this attack.”
