Seriously, I dislike my best friend’s husband. Yes, another four months have passed, and we’ve been through the shower, the rehearsal dinner, and the actual ceremony. A week ago Jane became Mrs. Jerry, and I still don’t get it. I think I get him, but I can’t figure out the why of them.

But what do I know? Lately I’m a straight woman with a crush on a woman.

Mel is Jerry’s older sister. I had no idea. I didn’t meet her till the shower, and I was put off by her then. She’s a big girl with a big personality. The woman just oozes self-confidence. At first she seemed to be a blowhard like her brother, but on further acquaintance one discovers a humility and sweetness in her that is astounding. Looking back on it, I think her personality was just too large for the private room we rented for the shower.

Melanie is gay. I now know from Jerry that she used to go with men, but she was always attracted to guys who were smaller and shyer than she is. When she realized her true orientation, she sublimed from maladjusted straight woman to drag king. There’s no middle ground for Mel.

She’s a big person, tall and substantial. As I learned at the wedding, she’s a fine man.

She and Jerry have always been close. He asked her to be his best person for the wedding, and Mel did herself proud with tux and attitude.

But that was our third exposure to one another. As I said, the first was the shower, and there I thought she was too loud and as full of affectation as her brother.

She came to the rehearsal dinner in a sleeveless black cocktail dress. That showed off an impressive amount of ink. I’m not normally into tattoos or piercings but she wore her sleeves, her chest, her back with style. She made a circuit of the room, charming everyone she talked to, including me.

Mel has a way of looking at you like you’re the only person around. Her face is open and attentive, her eyes are bright, her posture is confident, relaxed, reassuring. I enjoyed talking with her. Afterwards I kept replaying our conversation. I’ve never done that before, about a female.

I wondered if I’d just met a person as willful and powerful as myself.

The tux covered her ink on the wedding day. But nothing hid her charisma. The peak experience was after dinner, after toasting, when she walked to the stage and took the mic. She murmured to the band and then launched into her own cover of “You Can Leave Your Hat On.”

I’ll admit it: I felt seduced. I knew it was a woman singing, and she was singing straight to me, and I felt a melting receptiveness that I hadn’t experienced … ever.

The feeling hasn’t left me. It’s led me to new thoughts and strange impressions. I’m still straight. I still despise Jerry. But I’m really looking forward to the dinner Mel and I arranged. Tomorrow night.