Last Petal on the Rose and Other Stories Read online

  I hated to hear about what happened to Ms. Pham. She was always a really sweet lady.

  Makana smiled, setting the letter down on the counter. 'Sweet' wouldn't have been the first word xe'd use—Aunt Linh had always been more of a soft-spoken tank. But none of the kids who'd come over to play had ever talked in-depth with xyr mother's friend. Makana took off xyr hat and plucked a piece of lint off the black veil. Xe hadn't even come back home to change clothes after the funeral before xe'd stopped at the post office to pick up xyr fan mail. It had always been a bright point in xyr day, and if any day could use brightening up...

  Xe picked the letter up again, hoping that Randy had some good news to share with xyr. Though, if he'd only written to give his condolences, that was still welcome. Alyce and xyr publicist were dear to xyr, of course, but they'd each come into xyr life less than five years ago, and they were technically xyr employees. Knowing that someone from the past still cared about xyr, about Aunt Linh, was a comfort.

  It really makes you realize how valuable everybody is, doesn't it? Randy's letter went on. No matter what happens in their lives, whether they get lucky and make it or stay at the bottom, everybody's worth something. And we rarely show them that until it's time for the eulogy. I hate that we've lost touch. I'd really like it if we met up for lunch sometime. We've got so much to catch up on. I haven't been as fortunate as you have, but I know that can change if we work together. The world would be a much better place if more people shared what they had instead of hoarding things, don't you think?

  I've run into a bad stretch of luck, Makana. They let me go from my job and I'm not sure how I'm going to keep my house. Then I thought of you. I mean, what with the success you've had, the money I'd need wouldn't even be a drop in the bucket. And Linh was always such a nice lady; I know she wouldn't want one of your old friends to be homeless.

  Jumping up from the kitchen table so fast that xe nearly cracked xyr knees on the underside of it, Makana grabbed an envelope and a piece of paper, so furious xe could barely copy the return address.

  How dare you ask me for money, let alone bring it up today, you insensitive prick, xe scrawled, and then xe stormed out to the porch and threw the letter into the mailbox, jerking the red flag up enough hard enough to nearly break it.

  Normally xe would've sat down on the swing xyr parents had hung from the tree in the backyard decades ago and taken a few moments to breathe. That usually helped xyr calm down. But now xe was afraid that all xe'd do was focus on the letter.

  He would've sent it a few days ago, xe tried to tell xyrself. There was no way he could have known xe would read the letter immediately after getting back from Aunt Linh's funeral. Simply bad timing and an awkward request.

  No, not awkward. Crass, unfeeling, manipulative...

  Enough, Makana thought. Tomorrow would be better. Tomorrow xe wouldn't have time to focus on anything. Xe had a costume fitting first thing in the morning and then xe was talking to potential bodyguards all afternoon.

  Aunt Linh had been bothering xyr for over a year to hire another bodyguard. Ever since xyr popularity had gone on the uptick again—who knew a two-hit wonder from the 80s could revive xyr career on YouTube?—and the awful comments and letters had started, Aunt Linh had told xyr that xe needed to do something to keep xyrself safe.

  "Have you seen what these people are saying about you?" she'd asked once, her dark eyes fretful as she peered at the computer screen.

  "They're twelve-year olds who think they're being funny," Makana had said, taking the laptop. "I'll disable comments, okay?"

  "You still need to think about hiring security."

  "There'd be no point. If someone ever threatened me, you'd pound him into the pavement before any bodyguard could even take a step."

  Aunt Linh had smiled. "True. But I could always use backup."

  Six months after that conversation, her body had begun to deteriorate. Now, she was in the ground.

  'Aunt' had been an honorary title, but one Linh had worn with pride. She'd been the maid of honor at Makana's parents' wedding and xyr first and only babysitter. She'd also been the one Makana had called when xe'd been fifteen and gotten drunk at a party with xyr friends, only to have those friends leave with their dates. Scared that xyr mother would be furious, xe'd called Aunt Linh, in tears. Aunt Linh had come to get xyr, given xyr some water and a little food, and then xyr first cup of coffee to help xyr sober up.

  She'd been the last person Makana had known for certain would never try to take advantage of xyr, never use their fondness for each other as an excuse to ask for money or other favors. She'd never lost sight of Makana among the stage persona of Snow White; had kept xyr grounded during so many rough days.

  At least she was with Mom again. The two of them had been inseparable since they were in kindergarten; some days xe'd thought Haunani's death had hit Linh even harder than it had hit xyr.

  Makana looked at the small stack of mail on the kitchen table, and then decided to ignore it. Odds were it was just a few photographs people were looking to get signed, maybe an actual fan letter or two. But the idea that the pile might hold another request for money or a 'how dare you corrupt the children' rant made xyr decide to wait until tomorrow.

  *~*~*

  Six interviews in, Makana was certain all these people had been sent in from Central Casting and xe was secretly being filmed. Most all of the applicants had opted for the 'Secret Service Agent from a bad 90s movie' look: slicked-back hair and sunglasses, suits and black ties. The first time, xe'd been able to ignore it. By the fourth one, Makana had had to try very hard not to roll xyr eyes.

  "Deep breaths, sweetie," Alyce said.

  "I know," Makana said, smiling as xyr manager gave xyr shoulder a squeeze. They were in Alyce's office, a bright, sunny space accented by colorful wall hangings. Xe sat at a polished mahogany desk at the back of the room. Alyce always said that the desk made her feel like a powerful tycoon. Makana felt dwarfed by it.

  Xe looked down at the next application. Patrick Cortez.

  "Okay," xe told Alyce. "Send him in."

  Alyce opened the door. "Mr. Cortez?" she asked.

  Alyce ushered him inside, and Makana barely kept xyrself from staring. He was young. Every other person who'd applied for this job had been at least 40.

  Well, at least no hair gel and sunglasses. His black hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and he wore a white dress shirt and dark slacks.

  Handsome, too, a traitorous part of xyr mind noted.

  Alyce shut the door behind him, and then moved to stand next to the desk.

  "Hi," he said, holding his hand out to xyr. "I'm Patrick."

  "Pleased to meet you," xe said, glad that his handshake wasn't too tight. So many people xe'd encountered, including three of the previous applicants, seemed to think of a handshake as a short competition rather than as a type of hello.

  Xe realized then that xe'd held onto his hand a few seconds too long, and quickly let go. "I'm Makana. This is Alyce, my manager."

  "Good to meet you," he said, shaking Alyce's hand. Then he sat down across from xyr, and Makana smiled.

  "You're lucky number seven," xe told him.

  "I take it it's been a long day?"

  "Very.”

  "Dare I ask what you've had to deal with?"

  He seemed genuinely interested, which was a distinct improvement from Applicant #6. He'd spent the entire interview looking like he'd been sucking on a lemon, and any attempts xe'd made at humor or idler talk had just been met with a stern look. Xe knew that xe didn't have to be best friends with xyr bodyguard, that they just had to be able to do their job well, but some level of personal compatibility was necessary.

  "Well," xe said, adjusting xyr curly, white wig, "the second, third, and fourth applicants were quite uncomfortable dealing with me. The fifth actually said as much. Told me he was used to protecting big-name people who were 'respectable' and that he didn't even think I needed a bodyguard at this stage of my c
areer."

  "And you let him live?"

  "It was a close thing. Not even sure why he applied, really, except to let me know how awful I am for America's youth."

  "Yes, I can see that," he said. "Absolutely a corrupting influence."

  Xe smiled. "So what made you want to become a bodyguard?"

  "Rebecca Schaeffer."

  Makana nodded in understanding. Rebecca Schaeffer had been stalked by a 'fan', and eventually, he'd obtained her address and murdered her. Afterward, California had changed its laws regarding what kind of personal information could be given out by the DMV.

  "Only thing she did was open her front door," Patrick continued "The guy'd been stalking her for three years; something should've been done."

  "You can't be old enough to really remember that case."

  "True, but I read about it," he said.

  Makana regarded him for a moment, trying to tell xyrself that xyr instincts were right this time, that xe wasn't about to put faith in someone else who didn't deserve it. "Do you know what happened to my last bodyguard?"

  "I didn't know anybody else had ever had the job."

  "He was fired in 1986. Which was probably before you were born." Makana watched his face carefully, but there was no defensiveness. In fact, there might have been the hint of a smile there before he schooled his expression back to neutrality. "He took pictures of me in my home, including several of me sleeping, and sold them to the papers."

  "I'm sorry."

  "As was Makana, but not as sorry as he eventually was," Alyce said. "You are proficient in firearms, I trust?"

  Patrick nodded. "I have a Taser, and a Carry Concealed Weapon license."

  Alyce looked to Makana, who gave her a brief nod. Alyce sighed, and then spoke. "Xe would rather you not carry a gun, actually."

  "That's fine."

  "Hand-to-hand experience?" Alyce asked.

  "Plenty of experience when I was a scrawny kid," he said. "Then when I got older I took Krav Maga classes and actually learned what I was doing."

  Makana cleared xyr throat. Xe still wasn't comfortable bringing this up directly and doubted xe ever would be, but it was important to discuss. "I'm genderfluid, as I'm fairly certain you've read. I use xe/xyr pronouns. I don't expect you to get that perfect right away, but I do expect to be treated respectfully." At the beginning of xyr career, when various interviewers had insisted on misgendering xyr, xe'd tried hesitantly once or twice to correct them, and then tried to ignore it. Now, xe walked out of the room if they didn't listen.

  "Of course," he said. "And I think I can get a hang of the pronouns before too long. My cousin started transitioning 4 years ago. I know that his situation and yours aren't exactly the same, but he told me every time I missed a pronoun he was going to hit me with a flyswatter. Which he did." He grinned. "I learned fast."

  "I'll buy a flyswatter, then," Makana said. Of all the applicants, he seemed the most relaxed, carrying himself with an easy confidence that said more to xyr than a resume ever could—though the resume itself was nothing to sneeze at, especially for someone his age. "You're hired."

  *~*~*

  "You have anyone else on staff?" Patrick asked, as the two of them entered the elevator. Alyce had stayed behind in her office for a 3:45 meeting with another client. "Housecleaner, caterer, gardener?"

  "No," Makana said. "Not a big enough house to need any of that. Alyce will email you a schedule tomorrow morning."

  "Sounds good."

  "Okay," Makana said. "I know we've got some more details to talk over and a contract to sign, and we'll get to that once we're at the house. Right now, a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappucino is calling my name. My weekly vice."

  "So you don't like actual coffee?" he teased, as they walked out of the building.

  "I love it," xe laughed. "A bit too much. Doctor told me a few years ago that I had to cut back. And then, to add insult to injury, she said bacon had to go, too."

  "Ouch."

  "Tell me about it. You want anything?"

  "Is it going to bother you if I have coffee?"

  "Not at all," xe said. "But thanks for making sure."

  "I'll take a Caffe Americano, then. Thanks."

  Xe smiled and hurried into the Starbucks across the street, and Patrick watched people's reactions to xyr. Xe was wearing a black pantsuit with spiked-heel stilettos, a chunky red necklace that stood out brilliantly against xyr dark skin, and xyr white hair curled and fluffed every which way. Some people gave xyr odd looks, some ignored xyr altogether, and one small child pointed and then clapped with glee when he caught sight of xyr hair. He couldn't blame the kid at all. Patrick knew that xe'd made it onto more than one Worst-Dressed list over the past year and yeah, the clothes themselves could get a little weird. But somehow, seeing xyr, they fit perfectly.

  Xe hurried back across the street a few minutes later, holding two drinks.

  "Here's your caffeine jolt," xe said, smiling quickly as xe handed him his cup. "You can follow me back to the house. In case you lose sight of the car, here's directions," xe said, taking a printout out of xyr front pocket.

  "Thanks,” he said, a little baffled and a little charmed by the fact that xe'd handed him an actual printout instead of just giving him xyr address so he could map the route out on his phone.

  He got into his own car, pulling out into traffic behind xyr. After a forty-five-minute drive, they arrived at Makana's house. It was about twenty minutes away from his apartment, so at least it wouldn't be a huge commute every morning.

  Even though xe'd said the house wasn't big enough to require a full staff, Patrick had heard people say that their place was 'modest' before, only to find out they lived in houses so large that his family's house could fit in their living room.

  Makana's home wouldn't have looked out of place in his neighborhood. It was one story: a three-bedroom, two-bath, with deep blue siding that was cracked in a few places.

  Patrick walked around, committing the layout of the house to memory. Front door opened into a large living room. Door into the living room led into the kitchen, which looked out over the fenced-in backyard and also had a door leading out there. Hall out of the living room led to the three bedrooms and one bath; the largest bedroom had a bathroom of its own.

  The spare bedroom and the living room were neat as a pin. The kitchen and xyr bedroom were clearly where xe spent most of xyr time; they were filled with clutter. Fortunately, it was clutter of the paper-and-clothes-and-knickknacks type, not the dirty-dishes type. Otherwise, he might've had to walk out the door. He'd lived in an apartment with a roach infestation once, and was determined to never do so again.

  Xe was messy and possibly a bit of a scatterbrain, he thought, but not a slob.

  "I keep joking that once I really hit it big, I'll just move everyone I like into one huge mansion," Makana said, as the two of them headed back into the living room. "But..."

  "Old family home?"

  "Yeah. Mom sold it right after Dad died. Went up for sale about a week after I got my first record deal and I thought, that's a sign."

  "Anyone else live here with you?" he asked. "Boyfriend, girlfriend?"

  "Nope."

  He felt a twinge of satisfaction at that answer, and shoved it away. "Security system?"

  "I used to have a dog."

  Xe looked pained at that. Maybe the loss hadn't happened very long ago, Patrick thought. "I'll take that as a no. Might get a security system installed, just in case."

  "All right," xe said. "Hang on, I'll show you the basement." Xe flipped what seemed to be a light switch on the wall, and part of that wall slid to the side to reveal a staircase.

  His mouth dropped open. "You have a secret door going to your basement?"

  "Oh, yeah. The couple who built the house loved stuff like this. There's a hidden door going from mom and dad's old room into the kitchen, a cubbyhole in my room..."

  "Please tell me there's a library with a fireplace that spins around."

>   Xe couldn't help a laugh. He seemed as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, his dark eyes shining with glee. "Unfortunately, no, but I'm thinking of adding on. And, I do have this." Xe went into the kitchen and came back holding a flyswatter. "Just in case."

  *~*~*

  You'll be sorry. When you're choking on your own blood. You ruin lives. I'll ruin yours. I'll slit your throat open.

  Makana stared at the staccato words, thinking that it would be better if each letter was cut out of a magazine to make it look like an old-time ransom note. At least then it would seem more cinematic, less real.

  If this were a movie or TV show, xe'd just turn the typewritten note over to some CSI team that would immediately dedicate all of their time to xyr case alone. They'd identify the specific printer and the case would be wrapped up within two days.

  However, since xe was currently standing in xyr kitchen instead of hanging out on a movie set, about the only thing xe could do was file the letter away with the two others xe'd recently received.

  It was probably time to tell Patrick about this.

  Xe sighed and headed outside, waiting for a few moments on the porch until he arrived. "This came in yesterday's mail," xe said, handing him the yellow envelope, trying to sound blasé and failing. "Don't worry too much about it. Far from the first weirdo to send me mail. You know back when I first got famous, I had some guy who used to sign his name in blood?"

  "Just because those amounted to nothing doesn't mean everything will," he said, eyes scanning the letter. "Have you gotten any others?"

  "Two," xe admitted. "Within the past two weeks."

  "You do realize that protecting you is why you hired me?"

  "Is that why? I thought it was the sarcasm."

  "That's just a bonus. You still have the other letters?"

  "Yeah."

  They headed inside, and Makana walked to one of the spare bedrooms, which xe used as an office. The bottom drawer of xyr filing cabinet had a folder dedicated to threatening letters. Xe found the other two yellow envelopes easily, and handed them to Patrick. The first one said that xyr eyes would be carved out. The second said xe was a liar, and deserved to be hung by xyr own intestines. Xe handed them to Patrick without a word, watching his face as he read them.