Jeff hurts many women before learning that being faithful in a committed relationship is a choice that she can handle. Amelia Jefferson affectionately known as Jeff to her friends has always known she was different. She hated being fussed over and put in girly dresses even at the young age of four. Her monied parents spent most evenings drunk and Jeff decided early on that she would not be a drinker. Fiercely independent, she also hated spending Sundays in church. She viewed her parents as hypocrites as they monitored her behavior on the church pew while they covered the smell of alcohol with mints.
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At seven Jeff and a childhood friend are caught lying under sheets together and both girl's mothers admonish them. Jeff only wanted to feel a hug and to feel wanted two things her mother never afforded. At sixteen Jeff falls in love with a neighborhood friend. Angela was pretty and the boys were after her to be their girl. Angela's father an immigrant owned a candy shop he ran with the help of Angela's mother. Many afternoons and weekends Angela was expected to help out. Jeff often dropped by and tired of Angela's mother asking if she had acquired a boyfriend. Clear to Jeff, Angela's mother didn't approve of her clothing, sports activities or the amount of time her daughter was spending with Jeff.
While Jeff didn't get the emotional love she desired from her parents they did have money for her to attend college. When she and Angela are caught by a neighborhood janitor kissing he threatens to tell the candy shop girl's father. He also throws out to Jeff, that she is a “dirty queer” like her dad. Jeff had no idea that her father was seducing young boys, but she concluded that his excessive drinking was attributed to his unhappiness at being gay and not being able to voice it.
Angela wants Jeff to come out to her parents and she does. They put her trust fund on hold and refuse to pay for college at all. Angela believes her father loves her enough to simply want her to be happy. She is shocked when he and her mother stand united in placing her under lock and key until she comes to her senses.
Jeff rents an apartment and elects to start with night school to earn her degree so that Angela can move in with her when she finishes high school. It will only be a year and they will have to make do until they can wake up together on a daily basis.
Jeff spends a lot of time at Glady's restaurant. She is comfortable there and comes out to Gladys when she is catches a black eye. A gift from an ex of the girl she is messing around with. Gladys tells her it isn't her business who people get down with. Over the years she is privy to the different women Jeff gets involved with.
At eighteen Jeff is in the process of defining who she is as a lesbian. She cheats on Angela with her night school instructor a woman ten years her senior. She also has an affair with a straight African-American woman who is interesting in seeing how the other half lives.
Jeff's parents come around and agree to pay for college happy that she is moving into the dormitory. On campus Jeff falls for Ginger a who has been dancing all her life and is studying to tour.
Gladys and has a mastectomy is granted a few more years before she passes. Jeff is devastated her non judgmental older friend is gone. To make matters worse Ginger is off traveling and Jeff has to go to the funeral alone. Jeff needs her partner but Ginger always goes home for the holidays alone. Gladys had tried to help the two women learn to cook so that they could host their own dinners. Despite her offer, Jeff declines preferring to act as bartender when they entertained and Ginger was just to much of a dancer to put time into measuring and boiling.
They spend a decade together until Ginger grows weary of Jeff stepping out on her. She travels more and opens a dance studio. Her desire is to live the life of an artist.
It seems Jeff wants to be a player and experience as much sex with an many different women as possible. They spend a decade together until Ginger grows weary of Jeff stepping out on her. She simply isn't willing to forgive her again.
Jeff employs her former lover Lili Ann to make a few calls in efforts to locate Ginger. To no avail the relationship is dead. Ginger has hooked up with Mitchell an old lover and is not labeling herself as bi-sexual. She tried it on the lesbian side, by giving her heart to Jeff and it got stomped on. For Ginger life is simply easier as a heterosexual. Jeff has the nerve to be hurt behind it, as if she had been faithful. Jeff had loved Ginger and it took losing her to understand that a woman needs to feel special.
Jeff thinks about her father who has slowed his drinking down and wonders if he too has made peace with his sexuality. They have never discussed the rumors that she believed to be true.
When Jeff meets Dawn and they spend time together she decides that this is the one. It has taken Jeff a long time to find a woman who will stand with and for her the way she needs to feel wanted. Dawn is clear about her expectations and what she needs in a relationship and she isn't afraid to let her feelings show. Dawn gets Jeff, and for once Jeff feels she won't stray. There isn't a need to stray. Dawn offers the mature love she's been searching for since coming out at sixteen.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked the Jeff was willing to get honest about her commitment to a relationship.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene was when Jeff and Dawn connected
Opinion about the main character:
I disliked that Jeff didn't see how she was hurting people by cheating.l
