Renae: Today o n my regular interview blog spot, I thought it may be fun to interview my characters. I’ve never done it before, so I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out, but I’ve invited Davo and Lee to come down and chat with me today, and tell me a little bit more about their story.
But... **looks hopefully at the door** ...they haven’t turned up. **Checks her watch**
Umm...
Okay, look – perhaps we’ll start with the blurb while we wait.
Blurb:
Davo’s a pretty average guy. He has a decent job, owns his own home, and spends his weekends at the pub. He fully accepts that he’s gay, but doesn’t want to be one of those gays, who are femme and girly. He likes football and other masculine pursuits, and firmly avoids anything that could be seen as femme—including relationships that last beyond fifteen minutes.
Then Davo’s friend and gay idol not only gets a boyfriend, but also adopts a baby girl. Davo is seriously spooked and scuttles down to the pub in fright. That’s where he meets Lee, who is cute from her cherry-red hair, to her pretty little dress and pointy red shoes. Davo is charmed—but how is that possible? He’s gay. Isn’t he? Then Lee tells him he’s actually a guy—he just likes to wear women’s dresses occasionally. Thoroughly confused about an attraction that’s out of character for him, Davo begins the long journey to where he can accept himself without caring what everyone else thinks.
Renae: So I thought it would be fun to ask Davo and Lee a little bit more about... **hears a noise and looks up** Davo! Lee! I’d just about given up on you. Come on in and take a seat.
Davo: Sorry we’re late. There was... uhh... traffic.
Lee: **rolls his eyes** You can tell her the truth, Dave.
Renae: The truth?
**Lee and Renae look at Davo, who just grits his teeth**
Lee: **sighs** Look, the truth is we’re late because Davo accidentally told me that we had to be here at ten-thirty.
Renae: **confused** But you did have to be here at ten-thirty.
Lee: **nods** Which is why you should always tell me ten o’clock.
Davo: I didn’t accidentally tell you. I told you ten. You snooped and found out.
Lee: Yes. I did find out. And I also found out that you lied to me and told me the wrong time.
Davo: **affronted** But you just told Renae to lie to you and tell you the wrong time.
Lee: That’s because I don’t know her. I know you. And now that I know that you lie to me, I have to go behind your back and check the real time, so that I know.
Renae: But even when you found out the right time, like today, you’re still late.
Davo: **chuckles**
Lee: **glares at Renae** Whose side are you on?
Renae: **looks nervously between Lee and Davo** Umm... The side of whoever is going to make people turn up to things on time?
Davo: Exactly! Who made us late to Maxine’s baptism?
Lee: We were only a couple of minutes late.
Davo: **mutters**
Lee: **shrugs** Okay, so we were fifteen minutes late. We didn’t miss the important bit, did we?
Renae: **interjects before it gets any further** How about we start the interview? We’re now thirty minutes behind.
**More muttering from Davo which she ignores**
Okay. My first question is for Davo.
Davo and Lee together: Dave.
Renae: Huh?
Lee: Dave.
Renae: I though he...
Davo: **flushes** Leave it, Lee.
Lee: No, it’s alright. Renae will understand. “Davo” is only for friends. Male friends. He prefers if the ladies, his family and workplace call him Dave.
Renae: But you called him Dave earlier on.
Lee: I have special-special privileges. I’ve earned them.
**Renae and Dave both blush**
Renae: Righto. Moving right along. So, Dave. The first time you met Lee, you didn’t realise he was a guy. Why not?
Davo: Because he was wearing a dress.
Renae: So?
Davo: So guys don’t wear dresses.
**Lee elbows Davo who winces**
Okay. Sorry. I used to think guys don’t wear dresses. I now know better.
Lee: Yes. I’ve taught him well. He can now see a lot of advantages to the custom of me not wearing pants.
**Renae and Dave both blush again**
Renae: **clears throat** Moving along again. Lee, this time, you. Why were you wearing a dress?
Lee: **shrugs** Why not?
Renae: Oh, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it, I was just wondering if there was a special occasion as to why that night?
Davo: He was meeting another guy. A straight guy.
**Lee elbows Davo harder**
**Renae thinks she heard an “oomph” that time**
Lee: Shut up. You’re skewing the situation. Renae is going to think terrible things now. Yes – I was meeting another guy--
Davo: Who is straight.
Lee: —but not like you think.
Renae: You mean I’m not thinking why would a gay guy dress in women’s clothing and go to a pub to meet a straight man?
Lee: Fine. You are thinking. But Bobby – the guy I was meeting – is trans. That’s why I was in a dress.
**Renae thinks maybe she got out of the wrong side of the bed and ended up in a parallel universe or something **
Lee: That still didn’t come out right, right?
Davo: Only a third left-hand turn could be more right.
Lee: Shut up. **heaves a sigh** You see I work for this youth centre, and my special interest is in counselling trans youth. Bobby is trans, and was trialling going out in public as the opposite gender to what he was used to. So I dressed as the opposite gender to support him. So yes I was meeting a straight guy while I was in a dress, but there was nothing sexual about it.
Davo: **mutters**
Lee: Pardon?
Davo: I said, your thoughts may not have been sexual, but any guy that saw you in that dress...
Lee: **gives a coy smile**
Renae: **squirms uncomfortably** Ok. So obviously the dress turned Dave’s head. What about you, Lee? What drew you to Dave?
Davo: Hey – how come he gets all the questions?
Lee: Because you hogged the whole book. People find out so much about you, but I don’t get the spotlight at all.
Davo: Who has a whole stripping scene at the end of the book?
Lee: **smiles reminiscently** Oh, yeah. True. It was a good scene, wasn’t it?
Davo: Yeah. Definitely.
**Renae thinks that maybe she should give up and leave the room**
Renae: Ahh...
Lee: Sorry. What was the question again?
Renae: Don’t worry. How about we move on? Dave – what is one thing about Lee that annoys you.
Davo: Tell me, Renae – did you notice us turn up on time, or not?
Renae: Uhh – right. How about you Lee? What does Dave do that annoys you?
Lee: He talks to my dad.
**awkward silence**
Renae: And that’s a bad thing?
Lee: Yes! They talk about things that I don’t understand. Like splags and sputters.
Davo: **drops his head into his hands** It’s slag and spatter. And they’re welding terms, Lee. It’s nothing hard. I told you that I would teach you how to use the oxy if you want. But you refused. You also refused to learn how to make a good batch of cement, how drill a hole in a wall, and how to use a hammer without hitting your thumb.
Lee: But I don’t need to drill a hole in the wall. You can do it for me. And you’re still are banned from talking to my dad. He rings our house to talk to you. It’s like I’ve been demoted in my role as son.
Davo: But didn’t Jake ring you to ask about a recipe this morning? He’s my friend, yet called you.
Lee: He’s our friend now.
Davo: And you can’t share your father?
Lee: No.
**Renae wonders if she’s superfluous to this interview**
Davo: Why not?
Lee: It’s a rule somewhere. I’ve seen it. I mean, next thing I know is that Dad will be coming around to pick you up to go to Bunnings. And you two will go off and look at tools together.
**Davo looks at the floor**
Lee: **screeches** WHAT? You’ve gone to the hardware store with my dad? When?
Davo: **looks really chagrined** You work some Saturday mornings. I was bored. And when Howard offered...
Lee: Why didn’t you tell me?
Davo: Because I knew you would over-react. Like now.
Lee: I am NOT over-reacting. **Lee crosses his arms**
Davo: Lee?
**Lee refuses to answer**
Davo: Lee? Look. I’m sorry. I’ll wait until you’re home next time Howard rings and the three of us can go together. And I promise to not say a word if you have to buy coffee while you’re there.
**Lee still doesn’t answer**
Renae: What’s wrong with buying coffee at Bunnings? I do it all the time while I wait for my husband.
Davo: Exactly. Only people who are bored in Bunnings buy coffee. So Lee buying coffee when he goes with me, is telling everyone he’s bored. It’s embarrassing.
Renae: So you don’t stop and buy coffee there?
Davo: Never. I’m too busy rushing home to play with my new toys. **Looks at his boyfriend** Lee?
**Lee pouts**
Davo: Fine. **Looks at Renae** Sorry about that. This interview will go a lot smoother now that Lee’s not talking.
Renae: **tries to hide a smile** Right. Umm, where was I up to in my questions. Sport! Yes. Now I understand that the two of you go for different football teams? That could make things a little hard when the two teams play each other.
Davo: Ha. Super hard. I mean, I at least go for a decent team. Lee goes for Sydney and they--
Lee: Are the best team ever. Hello? Who else has a double Brownlow Medal winner playing on their side?
Davo: **gives Lee a sideways look** Welcome back. Did you have a nice sulk?
Lee: Who sulked after their Melbourne lost to my Sydney in Round six?
Davo: I didn’t sulk.
Lee: Did.
Davo: Didn’t.
Lee: Did. I was banned from watching my foreign films on your TV for a fortnight. It was rather petty of you, if I must say.
Renae: Shall I tell you I’m a Dockers fan and we’re on top of the ladder at the moment? So really, my team beats both of you.
**Lee and Davo both glare at Renae**
Lee: **whispers to Davo** Shall we leave now?
Dave: **continues to glare at Renae** Yes.
Lee: I knew there was a reason we were late.
Davo: I should’ve trusted you. **stands up**
Renae: Wait? What about the interview? Where are you going?
Davo: We’re going to Bunnings. C’mon, Lee. I’ll buy you a coffee.
**Takes Lee’s hand and leads him from the room**
Renae: Hey!
You Are the Reason releases on Friday, 7th of August.
Dreamspinner
Amazon
ARe
In order to celebrate my release of You Are the Reason, I’ve organised a scavenger hunt. I will be releasing ONE WORD as the hunt item on several stops of my blog tour. In order to WIN an eBook copy of the book, follow along the blog tour and find a minimum of FIVE unique words. Email the five words to me at [email protected] before August 16th to be in the draw.
Today’s word is: BUNNINGS
I look forward to hearing from you.