Free Repairman Jack [05]-Hosts by F. Paul Wilson Page A

of life. There's work, play, food, mind, spirit—lots of things. But I tell you, I run into so many people who seem to define themselves by their sexual preferences." "'So many'?"
    "Let's just say I don't hang with too many members of the middle class, and no members of the upper class. So yeah, many of the people I know do not have what might be considered 'normal' lifestyles."
    "'Normal' being within two standard deviations from the mean?"
    "Sure, why not. Everything's a bell curve, right? I'm talking about people on either fringe of the curve."
    "Give me a for-instance."
    He thought a moment, then remembered Ray Bellson.
    "I did a fix-it for this guy once who was totally into bondage. Always wore black leather, had a belt made out of handcuffs, paintings of tied hands and feet on his walls, furniture made out of chromed chain… it went on and on. You'd sit and talk to him and he'd be tying and untying knots in this piece of cord he always carried around. It had completely taken over his life."
    She sipped her G and T, then said, "Where do you think I'd fall on that curve?"
    Weird question for his big sister to ask her little brother.
    "Never thought about it, but I assume somewhere right in the middle. I mean, I don't see you squeezing into black vinyl and brandishing a whip."
    She laughed—her first real laugh tonight. "I don't see that either. But I'm just wondering what qualifies someone for 'normal' on your bell curve."
    Jack shrugged, not comfortable with pigeonholing people. "How did we get on this subject anyway?"
    "You brought it up."
    "Actually Dad brought it up."
    "How did you feel when he asked you if you were gay?"
    Jack noticed her eyes fixed on his, as if the answer were very important.
    "I remember being sort of glad he wasn't wondering if I was a rapist or a pedophile."
    "But you've never been attracted to a man?"
    "Never. I'm as attracted to guys as I am to sheep, goats, and chickens. Which is to say, not at all. Zero chemistry there. In fact the idea of getting cozy with a guy— blech!
    "But you're not a gay basher."
    "I figure everybody's got a right to their own lives. You may own nothing else, but you own your life. So if you don't tell me how to live mine, I won't tell you how to live yours."
    "You've got no problem with lesbians either?"
    "Lesbians are cool." He tried to draw out the c like Beavis. Or was that Butthead? He always got them confused.
    "Really." An amused smile played around her lips.
    "Sure. Look at it this way. I've got a number of things in common with lesbians right from the get-go: we both find women attractive, and neither of us is interested in having sex with a man. Now that I think about it, I've got definite lesbian tendencies."
    "You know many?"
    "A few. There's a lesbian couple who're regulars at this bar where I hang. It's a workingman's place and a couple of the guys weren't exactly welcoming at first; but these gals weren't about to let that stop them, so they kept coming back and now they're part of the family. Anybody tries to hassle them now will find himself nose to nose with those very same guys who gave them a hard time at first. Carole and Henni. I sit with them now and then. I like them. They're brainy and funny, and you can, I don't know… relax with them."
    "Relax?"
    "They know I'm not coming on to them, and I know they're not the least bit interested in me. Take sex off the table and a lot of games disappear."
    "So being with them is sort of like being with the guys."
    "Not quite. Guys have a whole different set of games. No, it's more like… like sitting here with you."
    Kate's eyes widened. "Me?"
    "Well, yeah. We may have a lot family baggage between us, but neither of us is trying to slap a move on the other."
    She narrowed her eyes and gave him a sidelong look. "You're absolutely sure about that?"
    "Hey, don't go weird on me, Kate," Jack said, laughing. "I'm the family weirdo, and one is enough."
    "You still haven't told me where you think I fit on