(13) I am what I am

~ Quinn ~

Even though I knew the help at the Pink Pelican had already been quizzed about who Ward might have left with, I asked again just in case. And got the same responses. None of them had been aware enough of him to notice. Hell, most of them didn’t even remember him, other than the waiter who’d taken his drink orders. But even as he was telling me Ward had been there alone something came to him.

“He was over there,” the waiter nodded to one of the tables, “most of the evening but the last time I got his drink he’d moved and was sitting with some young poser.”

“Can you describe him?” I asked; my pen poised over my notepad.

“Let me think. Early twenties I’d say, dark shirt and pants which worked real well with his hair.”

“How so?”

“It was real pale blonde, streaked and tousled. Sexy as hell if you ask me.”

“The hair or the guy?”

The waiter laughed. “Both.”

“Did he and Ward leave together?”

“Not that I saw, no, but then it was very busy here so I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Anything else you can remember about this guy?”

He thought about that for a long minute before answering. “I got the impression he wasn’t tall, well not for a man, and he was sort of delicate looking if you know what I mean.”

“I do. Fem or just delicate?”

“Not at all fem, from what little I saw of him. No wrist flicking or pouting, you know what I mean.” His tone of voice said he was asking gay to gay, not gay to cop.

So I nodded that I did, figuring his gaydar was working overtime. He must have caught something in my attitude because he chuckled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“It’s not really a secret, I just don’t flaunt it at work, for obvious reasons.”

“Yeah I bet.” He looked me over appraisingly before asking, “When do you get off work?”

“The twelfth of never it feels like, especially when I'm on a case.”

“I hear you. But if you ever do, and feel like hooking up for an evening…”

I smiled. “If that happens I drop by here again.”

Hell, he was cute and interested and didn’t sound like he was looking for more than a quick roll in the hay. But right now I had to start talking to customers, always a bit of a touchy thing since a lot gays were leery of cops. After thanking him for his help, and reiterating that I might come back at a later date when I was free, I put on my game face and set to work.