When I was 23 I worked in the Men’s Sportswear department at Macy’s.
It was another time back then, when sales people actually helped customers select clothes.
There were about 12 of us selling Izod shirts, khaki chinos, and valour sweat suits to anyone who would walk into the store. I was on 3% commission and desperate to afford my rent……..and/or cute sweaters and Calvin Klein fragrances. That motivation made me a pretty aggressive salesman back then and all the others knew to stay out of my way when I was selling.
All the others except for Kylie.
Kylie was in a Work/Study program for her High School – It really didn’t matter what, or how much, she sold; because she made the same measly hourly wage regardless…… she was only there to earn an “A”.
This was during her “Robert Smith inspired – Goth Stage” and she wore nothing but black layered clothing and patent leather “dominatrix” boots that laced way above her knees and somehow made her appear even shorter than her 5′ frame already did. The only color we ever saw her wear was the meticulously selected shade of “Blood Red” lipstick on her pale, pale face.
Kylie was only 15 when the HR department assigned her to Men’s Sportswear to help with floor coverage. To me, “Floor Coverage” meant she was only there to direct customers to the restrooms, or a fitting room, or, most importantly here, a commissioned salesperson – like myself – to ring their purchases.
But Kylie didn’t quite see it that way. Every time I turned my back, that little B#%$& was ringing-up another big sale.
What the Hell?
That little girl bugged me to no end. Yet, she saw me (who was SOOOOOO old to her) as no competition what-so-ever……Basically, because I wasn’t.
Then, one day she did something totally unexpected for a Mortal Enemy to do….she gave me a Christmas card, with a photograph of a ghost town cemetery on it (seriously, a cemetery, on a Christmas card)……and in the envelope, a tiny little sand dollar – because, she thought I’d like it.
Nail. On. The. Head.
Flash forward through 20 plus years, several jobs, a couple relationships, some bad decisions, and a few good ones too.
Friends ever since.
BTW, I still have the card and the sand dollar.
But, of course I do,
For all those unsuspecting straight guys out there, if your girlfriend has that special gay …..”You get the gay too”. It’s a packaged deal…and there’s no debate…….so just accept it.
Every girl needs a gay man in her life just to escort her to her X’s wedding and make fun of the bride’s terrible taste, and to gently remind her that she’ll never find a new boyfriend if she continues to leave the house in a pony-tail and Ugg’s.
And when she does land a boyfriend, there are always those early moments of feeling the other guy out. Both guys are thinking,” Just who is this Dude hanging around my girlfriend, and what exactly are his motives?” That’s certainly what I thought when she started dating Gert. He was a (slightly taller than me) German who had spent his entire life in El Paso, Texas. He moved to Dallas after college and was charmed by Kylie the moment he met her. Ohh, and everything he knew about gays he had learned from TV.
Our first interaction was at a group dinner out. Afterwards, another friend asked me if Gert spoke much English because he had only said about 5 words the whole evening….placing his order.
He didn’t have much to say……..He was busy feeling me out.
One night, Gert (prompted by Kylie, of course) took me to dinner to thank me for taking care of his Guinea pigs while he was out of town. Like anyone would ever have to pay me back for Guinea pig sitting.
It was the first time the 2 of us were together without Kylie.
He rushed back to tell her that “Pleated shorts were O. U. T.” and he wasn’t sure who Taye Diggs was before, but now he knows “that he is a tall drink of Hot Chocolate”.
He had found in me a friend to truly hang out with. I now had someone to drink beer with and we both had Kylie to drive us home after all that hanging out beer drinking. But most importantly, I knew he was someone who could be everything for her that I couldn’t be.
Now, years later, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without either one of them in it.
They got married on Maui a few years ago.
Of course Jamie and I were there ……. and then we stuck around for the honeymoon as well.
All of it. We honestly didn’t mean too, but we did.
Packaged deal, remember?
Here are several gratuitous pictures of the 4 of us eating…….In Puerto Rico,
On our Caribbean Cruise,
and my birthday…..
There are a LOT of pictures of us eating……
When I heard that they were expecting a baby in April – I was just about to bust.
I have been collecting baby clothes for them since their wedding. Honestly, almost about to give up and donate everything to “designer clothes needing” children when they finally broke the news. I was beginning to have this fear of dying and my family being thoroughly “creeped out” by finding boxes of baby clothes in my garage. A LOT of boxes.
…. and all little girl’s clothes.
I just knew they would have a girl.
…and yesterday, They did just that….
We welcome Madeleine Maurine Peck into our lives……
( She has no idea just how spoiled she is going to be )
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
What an incredibly beautiful story with a wonderful baby addition along the way! Congratulations to all of you! And God bless each of you as you love and guide this sweet baby girl along on her newly charted journey!i couldn’t help weeping with joy!
congratulations!! she is gorgeous!!!
I have to admit I’m a little weepy. That is the sweetest story!
I wish my gays were closer, but maybe I’ll make new friends in our new residence. It is Seattle, after all.
Love this story of long-term friendship and a precious baby to add to the joy!
A wonderful story about lifelong friendships that come from unexpected places. Thanks!
Oh my, what a sweet way to start my Saturday! Congratulations to all, and what a fortunate little girl 🙂
Wow!!!!!!!!!111 Thanks for the wonderful post and congrats to the new parents…such joy. So if you are every traveling to Colorado (SE, Delta, Grand Junction, Utah area) please stop in and say hi and have lunch, and I feel like I KNOW YOU…oh, and by the way, I design, the cutest little girl outfits you can imagine…Rosalyn
That’s the sweetest! Congratulations to you all!
A sweet and completely beautiful continuing story…my dear genteel Highland Park grandmother had James and Peter…my grandfather adored them, as well, and he was grateful for the many weddings, deb balls, etc he didn’t have to attend with her! I knew them from my earliest memory and their home on Beverly was the most fun place ever. (They also gifted 7 year old me with my first dog, a Cairn terrier puppy we happily took back to Denver and adored for many blissful years.) Now, I am blessed to have my own “James and Peter”- my funny, kind, snarky, generous cousin and his wonderful partner of 17 years in Seattle. My husband and I are counting the days until their glorious wedding/celebration this August on Whidbey Island; they are such an important part of our lives and I only wish they lived closer….although the Pacific Northwest is a great place to visit. Two years ago after my husband and our friends left me in Kauai, I called my cousin to come join me for the last week….it poured – monsoon poured – every day. We never cared, staying up late, laughing, eating, drinking, reminiscing – cant imagine another soul who would have enhanced a potential wasted vacation situation like him. You are five lucky, lucky people!
What a lovely touching story of love, friendship and families (beautifully written). Wish I had a “James and Peter”,
What a wonderful story. I am so Happy for all of you and that is one Lucky Little Girl to have you in her life. Have a great weekend.
What a deliciously wonderful story of lasting friendship. You all are so very lucky to have each other.
We truly are Janet, we truly are….
What a great story! Congratulations to the Pecks!
Well, gosh — looks like I’m not the only one with tears in her eyes. So sweet! But so funny, as always! LOL @ pleated shorts are out!
K A Y
When we watch the Super Bowl…he is all about the action, and I hush everyone during the commercials
Seriously, isn’t anyone going to comment on the fact that they went on someone else’s honeymoon??? That’s really, really funny!
We kept saying, “Do you have plans for breakfast?, Snorkeling?, Lunch?, Shopping?, Shaved Ice?, Dinner?, Cocktails?,” Next thing I knew it was 5 days later and we were all on the plane back to Dallas together.
Love it when a story leaves me smiling like this one!
Oh, the honeymoon thing. My sister and my brother in law went on the honeymoon of my x husband and his new wife….Now that’s memorable.
Oh My God, Robin, I love that!!!
Glad that I could make you smile, I smile every time I read this story too…
Taye Diggs…be still my heart. There was a time I wished myself to be Idina…
I love this post as a tribute to passing years and everlasting friendships. Beautiful.
I really hate to sound “that gay”, but it’s true, he did tell Kylie that after our dinner. I also loaned him clothes (shorts and a Hawaiian shirt) that night because he showed up at my house in a suit directly from work. In true German fashion, he cleaned them before he returned them to me.
Aww love this! Yay for amazing times ahead with that precious little one 🙂
You better believe it …like she has 3 dads!
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