She sighed, “Tell you what. If you insist on paying rent, then on top of half the groceries and cooking dinners, you pay me whatever you can afford each week. It can be $20 this week, $10 next week, $100 the week after. Doesn’t matter. If you are going to insist, then that’s the only way I’ll consent.”

I looked up at her, then glanced at Tina who had been hanging back watching this exchange. She nodded her encouragement to me. I looked back at Bette. “There’s just one thing…”

Bette sat back in the chair, chuckling slightly, “Another condition you are insisting on? I thought I would be the one making all the rules. Go ahead, what’s the one thing?”

I looked around, anywhere but at either of them. “I can’t cook.”

Bette laughed, “What do you mean you can’t cook?”

I looked at her, pain in my eyes, “You don’t exactly have kitchens on the streets. I don’t know how to cook anything but cereal.”

Realising why that small confession was a big one for me, she nodded. “OK, well, I’m assuming you can use a phone and order take out?” I nodded, smiling a bit. “Well fine. We’ll start with take out and I’ll teach you how to cook. As you learn some dishes, we’ll mix up the cooking with the take out.”

Seeing what a huge offer this was for me, I didn’t know what to say. A real home. Even if it was short-term, I was being offered a real home.

“OK, but I’m only staying till I can find something that I can afford myself.”

Bette banged her hands on the table and stood up. “Deal. Now, if you will excuse us, I’m wishing you a good night, you know where everything is. I’ll see you in the morning.” She took Tina’s hand and led her towards the hallway.

Tina shouted over her shoulder as they walked towards the bedroom, “Good night Shane, it was wonderful to finally meet you!” I heard a door close and was suddenly left alone in my new place… for now. I meant it when I told her it would only be till I found something else. But holy shit, how things change quickly. I went back outside and had a cigarette before heading to the guest room, for now my room, and tried to figure it all out while falling asleep. Tina and Bette were good together, I was able to see that instantly. A bit of ying and yang. Tina was definitely new to the whole lesbian thing, but she wasn’t wasting anytime catching up with the rest of us. And she had this sort of protector vibe going for her, that made me feel instantly comfortable around her. And Bette. Man, I didn’t know what to think of that woman. She was amazing, plain and simple. I wasn’t falling for her or anything, although she was quite hot and when she smiled just so, she lit up a room. But I just couldn’t get over what she was doing for me. It was one thing to let me use her address and phone so I could get a job, but to offer me a place to live, knowing what she knew about me?! Sure, she didn’t know the half of it, but she met me down on my tricking grounds. She could see all the little street fags I hung around with, it wasn’t hard to figure out what I was doing down there. And yet she still invited me into her home, into her life.

If my luck could just hold through these job interviews, I may be on my way towards an actual life. Maybe I won’t come in last place this time around…