Chapter Seventeen
It was the end of the week and, somehow, Danneel had managed to talk Jensen into taking over for Sandy for the entire duration of Long Lost Friends Week, reasoning that if they were to switch up now the park higher-ups would know something was wrong and the whole charade would be for naught.
A week of Jensen not only wearing a ridiculously poufy dress in front of thousands of people a day, but also Jared. Also Jared who had persisted in making Jensen join him every night for dinner. And somehow, in that whole week, Jensen had not been able to say no.
“Well, we did it,” Genevieve pulled off her wig and fell into the chair sitting at her vanity. “We did it and I cannot thank you enough.”
“Sandy better appreciate this is all I can say,” Jensen had already taken off his makeup and was starting the long process of redoing it so that he could leave the tunnel undetected. “This is the last day that I am doing this and I cannot be done soon enough.”
“Oh, she does. I think she finally has all the annulment details ironed out now and she’s just glad to put it behind her.”
“I can’t wait to get back into a nice pair of pants and flirt with the women out there by Amanda’s side. Never thought I would say that, to be honest.”
“You earned the right,” Danneel pinched his cheek and smiled down at where she stood over him. :But aren’t you going to be sad losing your boyfriend?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, right, you didn’t realize you and Jared were dating, did you?”
“We weren’t dating.”
“Then what would you call it?”
“We were just getting dinner after work. Dinner every day. Oh shit. We were dating.”
The women took a moment to laugh at Jensen.
“Well now, what the hell am I going to do? I was planning on walking out of here and acting like I had a plane to catch after dinner tonight.”
“You’re going out with him tonight?”
“Well, I was going to, but now I just don’t know.”
“You are going to break that boy’s heart.”
Jensen frowned, it might be that he was dating Jared and it might be that Jensen was going to break his heart, but it had to be done. Jensen couldn’t keep up this charade much longer, it wasn’t fair to anyone.
By the time he had changed into the clothes he had resolved to wear this one last time, Jensen had made up his mind for sure. He was just going to have to tell Jared that it was over and that Mackenzie was needed elsewhere. And nothing the girls or Jared said to him was going to change his mind.
**--**--**
It had been three weeks since the first time Jensen put on the dress and here he was still wearing the girliest clothes he could get ahold of. And he was doing it all to spare Jared’s feelings. Sure, as Jensen and Jared they were really great friends, but as Mackenzie and Jared there was something else. And Jensen wasn’t sure he wanted to name what that something was, if only so that nothing could mess it up. But enough was enough and Jared had been spending all his time not at the park wining and dining and basically being a perfect gentleman to Jensen. And it was really shitty of Jensen to be so selfish and hog all of the time that Jared could be spending with an actual woman who was worthy of all this time and affection that Jared was wasting on him.
Jensen had chosen today, of all the days, because it was a good day to tell the truth. At least Jensen felt like it would be when he picked the date at random over a week ago, but now he was having his doubts. He had booked a really nice meal at a local restaurant and not one in the park like he had been tempted to do. But he had weighed his options so carefully that there was no way he could go back on this now and still continue to consider himself a decent person, a person that could look his own mother in the eye.
Jensen was still lost in his own thoughts when Jared snuck up behind him and pulled him into a full body hug. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Jensen shook his head. “No, let’s just go eat, okay, I’ve had kind of a rough day.”
“Sure, sweetheart, whatever you want.” Jared took Jensen’s hand and walked him to the passenger side of the car before opening the door and helping him in. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Jared asked, once he was in the car and belted.
“Yeah,” Jensen lied before feeling like he couldn’t go along with the charade anymore. “Jared.”
“Yeah, Mac?”
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“You can’t do what anymore? Ride in cars? We can walk if you want. Or catch a bus.”
Jensen shook his head and undid his safety belt, “No, Jared this.” He motioned between the two of them. “I was going to take you out tonight and tell you after dinner, but I lost my appetite. I’m sorry, I guess I should have told you sooner.”
Jensen opened the door and got out as a stunned Jared waited a moment to process before joining him.
“No, wait!” Jared said, causing Jensen to turn. “Look, is it me?”
“No, Jared, it’s not you. It really is me in this case.”
“Is it because I am a man?”
“No.” Jensen couldn’t believe how far off base and yet oddly close Jared was. “It’s not you or anything you are or did.”
Jared looked at the ground for a moment before trying one last time. “It is because you’re a man?”
Jensen froze. A real deer-in-the-headlights pose. “What?”
Jared came around to where Jensen was standing, afraid to move. “I asked if it was because you were a man. Is that it or not?”
“Uh…”
“Well it’s either that or something else. Are you ashamed of what you are? Because, over these last few weeks I have gotten to know you and you are the most wonderful person that I have ever met. And it doesn’t bother me one bit that you are a man. I don’t care that you like to cross dress and use a different name either. You’re gorgeous no matter what you do.”
“Wait, you knew I was a dude?”
“Yeah.”
“And you didn’t tell me? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it never mattered. Now shut up and kiss me.”
And so Jared and Jensen shared their first real kiss, just outside the gates to the Magic Kingdom. What better way to start a magical life together after all, than in the Happiest Place on Earth?
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