Gigi

by Red Haircrow

Too effeminate, too soft, too brown, Darren was a disappointment to his ex-military father almost since birth, but growing up in a small-town Alabama middle-class family, he lived a comfortable if lonely life ... until coming out. Soon homeless with little more than the clothes on his back, he found work in a convenience store, living in the moment, shell-shocked and quietly hurting.

Rob barely survived the foster care system and set himself the goal of becoming a special agent, keeping others safe and protecting those in need. A job at the gas station is a means to that end, paying for his college courses while he hones his body and mind. Focused, driven, and disciplined ... until he meets Darren. Will he risk his future to teach the vulnerable young man survival skills of the heart and body, or is there no chance for them to have a happy ending?

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2024

About the author

Red Haircrow is an award-winning writer, educator, psychologist and filmmaker of Native (Chiricahua Apache/Cherokee) and African American heritage. Their first career was in law enforcement, and they hold a Master’s in Indigenous/Native American Studies and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology.

Their research and support focuses include Autistic Spectrum Disorder, GLBTIIQ needs and suicide prevention, and inter-generational historic trauma of marginalized and minoritized groups. In 2023, they were the winner of the Ma’iingan Scholarship Award winner as an early career psychologist in Two-spirit, LGBTQ+, gender fluid, nonbinary and other gender expansive support work.

Current projects include a RPG educational adventure video game focusing on original and Indigenous peoples, continuing research on stigma and prejudice relating to psychological disorders and conditions such as ASD, and the short documentary on those themes, ALMOST.

Reviews

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gigi was a short read but a good one, a story of making connections, discovering one's self, and making the most of the moment. Darren is an effeminate young man, cast out by his homophobic father, and barely clinging to his job as a convenience store clerk. Rob is the man he's been secretly admiring, a coworker who proves to be bisexual - and very interested. No commitments, no promises, but he's happy to help.

Although this is my first literary encounter with Red Haircrow in over a decade, it's written with the same sophisticated easy I remember. The characters have remarkable depth for such a short tale, and not only is the sex eminently satisfying, but there's a surprising sense of closure.

https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...