Current mood: determined

Hi Everyone,

So...I survived meeting my new boyfriend's brother and sister in law (like him, hate her - kidding!) and I even managed not to drown while waving in greeting to Steve's parents. I didn't think however that meeting his friends of all people might actually be my undoing.
It went down like this. He called me late last night (ten o'clock is late for me. I am no longer acting the class clown on loop chats, the dog is waiting for her last walk for the night and I am knee deep in writing).
Until I met Steve. Now, I pick up the phone when I see his number. Because he likes it. I think I've been accommodating and gracious to his quirks up until now and he seems not to mind when I get up at three am because my muse Kimo thinks a new sex scene should be written right now. But last night, I was working hard on my new Kimo and Lopaka book and Steve was insistent that I come and meet him and his friends for coffee.
"I'm in my pyjamas," I said.
"AJ, you don't own any pyjamas," he responded.
So, I headed down to the Horseshoe coffee house and there they were, his three best friends. I admit I didn't go in the best frame of mind. I had Kimo tethered to bed posts and he wasn't happy in that corner of my mind and here were Steve's best friends already giving me the I don't think so look.
"AJ writes gay erotic romance books," he told them.
"Yes, I know," his closest female friend said. "And I think it's disgusting."
I hadn't even ordered coffee yet and had barely sat down before she told me how romance is porn and I ought to be ashamed for producing filth.
WHAT?
"Er...I don't do porn. I just write it," I said.
"Same thing."
"No it's not," I insisted.
I was mad now. Romance writers - male, female, gay, straight, m/m, m/f, f/f, whatever - have all been tarred with a peculiar brush. I now understand why the few people I know who actually DO porn suffer torments in their real lives.
The women took turns telling me why writing/reading/perpetuating romance is a very bad thing.
"That's ridiculous," I said, ignoring the stern shaking Steve's head was doing. If he was going to sit there and let his friends attack me, somebody had to defend me.
"Let me ask you something," I said to the ring leader of Steve's girl gang. "I have written hard boiled thrillers under another name. They're all about a serial killer. Since I write these types of books, does that make ME a serial killer?"
Her eyes swiveled in her head looking for lost sheep...or something.
"It's not the same thing," she said finally.
But it is. It's exactly the same thing.
"Steve," I said. "I have to go. Kimo's tied to the bed. I think it's time I unleashed him."
He wiped a hand over his face and I suddenly felt like Phoebe in the episode of Friends , when she meets Mike's parents and gaily announces that she recently gave birth to her brother's triplets.
I gave Steve a finger wave and stomped down the street - alone - and wondered how the conversation went after I left. He didn't call me last night and I have no idea where we stand but he just met the real AJ and I wonder, if like Mike, he's still gonna want Phoebe.
Whatever, I still have Kimo and Lopaka. And I still have my love of Romance.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

Currently listening : E O Mai By Keali'i Reichel Release date: 1997-10-07