Jacqueline wrapped her arms around herself, sinking to her knees. The bra she wore slipped off her shoulders, hanging loose. She revealed more of her chest than she liked due to the shirt riding high and hanging low, which made the empty bra more obvious. The skirt was short, and for some reason, she had no panties. Her feet ached to be free of the boots that seemed to crush her toes inside them.
“You!” A man came out of the construction site and seized her by the shoulders, picking her up. She shrieked. His work shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a hairy, muscular chest and abs. He was strong, strong enough to really hurt her. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been beaten for her gender identity, but she screamed and hoped someone would help her.He set her on her feet right away. “You aren’t her. Where did she go? A girl with dark hair. I’m going to kill her.” He stormed away and Jacqueline shook. She looked at her hands, half-expecting them to be unfamiliar. She couldn’t remember leaving the apartment, but she had a sinking feeling she knew who the girl with dark hair was.
Her car sat within sight. She stripped off the boots, relieving her pinched toes. Barefoot, she drove home.
David sat with a bowl of soup. “Hey. Good night?” he asked, lifting the spoon to his mouth. “Is that a new shirt? I like it.”
Jacqueline put her hand to the fabric, bunching it. The soup was stock she had started what seemed like days ago.
“Are you okay?” His chair scuffed as he pushed it back and came to her side. “You weren’t answering your phone, either. I just figured you were doing something fun.”
She put a hand to head. “No, not exactly. Something…” She shook her head and stuck to the truth, what she could remember. “A construction guy yelled at me. Shook me up.”
David hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head. “Well, you’re home now and you’ll probably never see him again.”
“You’re right. I’m going to change.”
“Sure. I’m going to watch TV. Let me know if you need anything. I can find another construction guy and punch his lights out,” David suggested, grinning broadly. It made her smile.
“No, that’s not necessary. But thank you.”
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