Teledrama!

Jordan finally made it back to their apartment and practically ran up the stairs and flung the door open, before he could speak he saw Eric, who immediately picked him up in a big bear hug with a great big smile on his face. "How was the interview? Do you have the job?!"

Eric swung Jordan around, his short legs dangling freely and his shoes fallen to the floor. "N-n-not yet. Put me down ya bear!"

Eric put Jordan down still smiling, "Sorry man, I'm just so excited. I really hated having to say all that stuff to you so I'm glad your interview went well."

"Uh yeah...about that, has anyone called you?"

"No, why?"

"Okay....okay, there's a tiny issue with the job." Jordan bit his lip nervously.

"What? You didn't ask about letting your band play at some office party did you?"

"No, dang I should've though, but no see she wouldn't really let me get a word in and I couldn't correct her and cause I had to wear all this-"

"Hey, yeah! Is that my jacket...dude? Are those Becky's pants?"

"I had no clothes! And you're such a big mo...man. I couldn't fit into anything but her old clothes and I borrowed your jacket to at least try to cover it up only now..."

Eric sat on the couch, his large frame making it seem even smaller, "Now?"

"Now she thinks we're...that we're...me and you are...a couple." Jordan couldn't bring himself to say they were gay. His male pride simply wouldn't let him.

"What?!"

"She's going to call you today because you're my reference please just go along with it," Jordan begged, grabbing Eric's hands in his. "I was afraid to-" Just then Eric's phone rang, "please!" he begged once more.

Eric answered his phone, "Hello?"

"Hello dear, this is Bridget Gunther with Mega-corp calling for Eric Morrison."

"This is he." Eric looked at his friend and the desperation in his eyes. Jordan was trying, and he did say he'd help him. What did he care if strangers thought he was someone's boyfriend.

"That's great!" She said cheerfully. Now, you recently were put as Jordan Applegate's reference, I'm calling about an administrative assistant job Jordan has recently interviewed for. Can you tell me a little bit about your girlfriend?"

"Oh um,...yeah," They thought Jordan was a girl? Well with his height...and his clothes...was he skinnier? "Jordan is great, kind, funny, a hard worker, really motivated for uh, upward mobility, and willing to do any job no matter how hard." Most of which was true, but he didn't say for how long before his motivation returned to his music.

"Well, that's great. I do have one more question."

"Okay?"

"Is she standing right beside you?"

Eric looked at Jordan, who still held his hand, his face a mix of desperation and hope. "Definitely."

"Then perhaps, could you put me on speakerphone?"

"Okay?"

Eric held the phone between them, "Jordan?" Mrs.Gunther crackled cheerfully over the speaker.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Based on the interview and the recommendations from Tiffany, your friend Janet, and your boyfriend Eric, I would like to extend a happy and hardy welcome you to Mega-corp."

Jordan bounced up and down on the couch, "Really?!"

"Yes of course my dear!" Mrs.Gunther laughed over the phone as she heard Jordan cheer happily. "I'll expect you here at 9 a.m tomorrow morning to sign your employment contracts and give you a tour of the office and your duties."

"Oh, that's just great Mrs...Bridgette! I will be there with bells on!"

She laughed again, "Well have a good day dear, we'll talk more in the future."

"Goodbye!" With that, the line went dead and Jordan threw his arms around Eric's neck. "Thank you, thank you so, so, so, sooooo much!" Jordan was alight with happiness, he didn't have to be homeless, he didn't have to lose his best friend, he wouldn't be abandoned again, he'd have money!

Eric was shocked by Jordan's reaction, he knew his friend didn't want to be homeless, no one does, but he looked close to tears. "Jordan." Eric tried to pull Jordan free but he had a viper-like grip. "Jordan, we need to talk."

"No talks now, only hugs. Hug me fuzzball!" So Eric hugged, it had been so long since he had seen his friend even a fraction of close to this level of happiness. He wouldn't spoil it yet. They hugged quietly on their couch for a long time before Eric was able to extract himself from Jordan.

"Jordan." Jordan was still all smiles as he looked up to his friend like a helpless puppy. "When you said 'couple', what exactly did you mean?"

Jordan winced, "Yeah, she thought I was...ya know...gay cause of how I was dressed, but don't worry I'll just make up some excuse if there's ever an office party or something."

"I don't think she thinks you're gay."

"Really? But she thinks I'm your boyfriend."

"No...no she doesn't. She thinks...she thinks you're my girlfriend." Jordan's smile fell apart like a broken mirror.

"What? How?"

"You haven't looked in a mirror have you?"

"I mean not since I did my make...no." Eric held up his cellphone using the camera app like a compact mirror. "Okay, my hair's down, it got blown around by the wind..."

"And you're wearing women's clothes."

"I explained that."

"And you smell like a girl."

"You were out of body wash."

"And you're wearing makeup."

"I...barely slept. I didn't want to look like a racoon..." His voice trailed off as his brain came to slowly accept what Eric was saying.

"You're my girlfriend."

"No, no, no!....no! No!" Jordan stood up pacing back and forth, "They can't, it's one thing they think I'm, I'm, I'm gay! But a woman? I can't! At least a gay guy can wear pants! What am I going to do!?"

"Well, you could tell her the truth and risk the job or..."

"or what?!"

"Pretend to be the woman they already think you are."

"Are you outta your cotton pickin' mind?! I can't do that! I'm not some, some, I don't even know!"

Eric stood and hugged Jordan again, this time warmly wrapping his arms around his friend as Jordan buried his face in Eric's chest.

After a long hug and an even longer nap, Jordan had settled down and sat at the dining table while Eric cooked thumbing the number he got today. 'She probably thinks I'm a girl too.' Jordan reasoned even she didn't and he was found out he could lose his job for misrepresenting himself or worse. "Hey, cheer up, man." Eric placed a BLT in front of his friend. "We should be celebrating. You got a job." Eric cheer into his voice.

"As a woman."

"So what? It pays money." Eric tried soothing his friend by rubbing his back with one hand. "It's not the end of the world."

"I'll have to dress up, and wear makeup, every day."

"So, you remember that time you told me some of your favorite bands wore makeup. And it's not like you haven't worn it for your band before."

"Yeah but I wasn't pretending to be a girl, I was just...adding some color."

"So think of it like that, add some color and some clothes and poof, you go from Jordan to...Jordan."

Jordan sighed, "Fine. Think I can borrow a couple bucks to get something that actually fits? If I'm going to be a woman, I'm going to be a butch woman."

Eric tried to ignore the irony of his statement, "I told you, I gave the last of my cash away for ."

"Well, what am I going to do? All of mine are sealed up in my room!"

"You could grab something of Becky's and use that. It worked before." Jordan groaned and dropped his head on the table with a heavy thud.