Duel With the Devil, Chapter 20 of The Greatest Liar

“All that time and trouble to make this perfect pussy, and you still like it in the butt?”

“It’s where I learned to love the big D, and I never got over it.”

“The sports pros call it Big League birth control cuz it keeps us safe from wannabee baby mamas looking for a shiny new condo. And I’ve learned to love it too.

He put a rolled towel under my head, dimmed the lights, and I gazed at the lights of LA glittering in the basin below.

We cuddled in the eddies of his jacuzzi and I dreamed of an alternative life: me and Thad, the new Bel Air aristocrats. But I’m trans, and he’s Black, and that’s a dream that can never come true.

Take Notice
Thad’s snoring woke me up at 5, too late for an Ambient. I logged onto his network, checked my email, bad news from Phil. I called; he was already awake.

“The court prohibited you from complying with the Nevada NDA. You don’t have to fight the subpoena at your expense. But you have to testify and give notice under the Swiss NDA.”

“OK, fuck them. I’ll fight them from Switzerland.”

“Don’t overreact. You won half the battle, and you don’t always win it all in court.”

“What happens if I testify, and don’t tell him.”

“He sues. But if you disclose under the Swiss NDA that you are testifying under the DA’s subpoena and he sues under the Nevada NDA, you win.”

“Is Jason Crockett still involved?”

“He’s on the service list.”

“Then no need, I’m sitting in his neighbors mansion on the same block. My friend sees him walking his pug every day.”

“Perfect. Get a video of your giving him notice.”

“Gotta wait for Fido’s next walk. My host is still sleeping.”

“Goddamn, I wish that was me.”

“Duly noted, counsel. I’ll put you in my calendar.”

“In our afterlives.”

“At least after this case.”

Giving Notice
I dipped my toe in Thad’s pool: the water was warm. I didn’t have a swim suit, so I swam naked in its smooth waters. Palm fronds danced above me in a cerulean sky, gilded by the sun’s slanting morning rays. My breasts lolled with each rhythmic stroke of my back crawl. My fluttering feet stirred the waters. Thad grinned as he filmed my workout.