Several rounds in the sheets later, Casey lays passed out on the bed.

Jamie sits with her feet hanging off the bed. She checks her phone. A few missed texts from Matt and Danial, and a missed call from Marty. She’s probably wondering why the hell Jamie hasn’t called back yet.

Jamie signs and slips her shirt over her head. She had a really nice time with Casey. He was considerate, and kind… he didn’t make a big deal of things like guys in the past had. But that didn’t change the facts.

Jamie isn’t ready for a relationship. And she didn’t know when she would be ready either.

So, when the clock reads five, she slips on her shoes and sneaks out of the small house. It was going to be quite the walk home.

The small house Casey brought her back to was nestled back on a large piece of property near the bar. It was surrounded by a few trees and bushes, and was basically invisible from the road if you weren’t specifically looking for it.

Jamie hikes her way back to the bar, and then from there she takes her “morning jog” the full fifteen miles back to her childhood home. Luckily, she didn’t have to do it in the dress and heels she wore last night.

For once, Jamie was glad to have basketball shorts and Andy’s smelly t-shirt packed away in her bag. The run went by smoothly as she sped down the empty roads at the uncomfortable hour of five a.m.

It is six thirty when she reaches the long drive of the Shawford Ranch. She decides to walk down it as a cool-down.

Jamie knows she could have called any of her brothers to come and pick her up. They wouldn’t have minded in the slightest. But something about being the oldest made her feel like she had to be more self-sufficient from the rest. She didn’t know why, but Jamie would rather die than depend on anyone except herself.

She comes in through the side door, and is surprised to find Matt sitting at the counter. He’s sipping at a mug of hot coffee. His eyebrows shoot up when he sees Jamie, and notes the time on his watch.

“Wow, good morning.” Matt says with a teasing smile. Jamie’s too out of breath and sweaty to respond.

“Patrick’s coming to pick me up in a few for morning chores over at the Colgait farm. How was bartender guy?” Matt asks. Jamie shakes her head and pours herself a mug of coffee from the pot.

“Oh you know, the usual. Snuck out before we could face the reality of the next morning.” Jamie mumbles. Her eyes are downcast as she tries to focus solely on drinking the coffee without burning her tongue.

“One of these days you’ll realize just how stupid that sounds.” Matt tells her. Jamie already knows how stupid it sounds. Ever since she transitioned, it’s been her fear that someone would tell her that they can’t date her because they think her body is disgusting. So she never gives them the chance to even consider dating.

A horn honks outside, and Matt stands up. He collects his things and rushes out the side door. Jamie waves goodbye. She then goes to steal more of Andy or Ryan’s clothes. She needed a shower, and a new pair of clean boy clothes.

After a long shower, and the struggle of convincing Andy to let her borrow more clothes despite the arguments of “But you're a girl” and “I can never wear those clothes again after what you did last night”, she is finally able to call Marty back. Nothing in the world would prepare her for the ear damage she was about to receive.

“How dare you not call me back? Am I your manager or an ex-boyfriend you’re avoiding? Was your phone playing hooky? No, no, don’t try one of those lame excuses on me. I’ll have none of it. You’re scheduled for an interview at your local tennis courts in two hours, and after that, a class with some of the highschool tennis players. And don’t dare show up in anything but the cutest, girliest tennis outfit possible! I will have your boobs if you show up in basketball shorts!” Marty growls into the phone.

Jamie pulls her ear away from the phone when Marty reaches the highest octave the human ear could hear without going deaf.

In a too pleasant tone, Jamie responds with “Of course, of course, your highness. I won’t miss any more phone calls from you, I promise. Wouldn’t want you to ruin those new shoes in the Texas sand.” Jamie says as if she were an angel. Marty understood the sarcasm, but has decided not to hear any of it.

“Good, dear. Good. When do you think you’ll be back?” Marty asks with a sweet voice. None of the ear-wrecking shrieking anymore. Jamie smiles, knowing that her answer is not going to be what Marty wants to hear.

“I’m not sure, Marty dear. It’s just so good to be home, and since we’re on the off season and all… I was thinking maybe I’ll stay a little longer?” Jamie asks hesitantly. Instead of an answer, Jamie receives a long-winded sigh, and the sound of a phone disconnecting.

Jamie giggles. “She hung up on me!” She says in exasperation to no one in particular.

“Your manager?” Jamie’s mother walks into the room. The smile fades from Jamie’s face, and she’s quick to stare down at her coffee. She’s dressed in Andy’s sports t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts, so her mom won’t throw a fit for no reason.

“Yeah.” Jamie says shortly. She won’t get into it with her mom, she won’t get into it with her mom. She repeats this over and over in her head. She’s not going to argue with her, and she’s not going to make things awkward with her brothers around.

“I told you years ago that you needed a new manager. I don’t know why you insist on keeping her.” Jamie’s mother says. Jamie doesn’t argue out loud, but in her head, she supplies the reasoning very loudly. ‘It’s because she’s a nice person, doesn’t exploit my gender as an advertising or popularity tool, and because she’s my best friend’.

When her mom realizes that she’s not going to spark an argument with Jamie, she leaves the room with her mug of coffee.

Jamie sighs as every muscle in her body starts to relax again. It gets harder and harder to talk to that woman every day.