Josephina whipped her head to me and sang right at me. My eyes widened but my smile lifted. She swayed her hips and I stared in awe before I snapped a quick pic on my phone.
I should have taken hot girl lessons from her instead, I texted Wyatt.
Typing dots appeared and his response popped up.
You out there having fun without me, bookworm?
I grinned at my phone. Yep. Sitting alone at the bar, like you taught me. Having the best time!
Attagirl. Can抰 wait to hear all about it.
My stomach flopped and fluttered. Josephina finished her set and disappeared through the curtain.
The blue-haired bartender returned to the stage. 揕et抯 give Josephina another round of applause!?
I clapped along with the other patrons. Next up was Rockstar Anise, who wore a huge eighties hair-metal mullet wig, fishnet stockings, and gave her everything to an air-guitar rendition of More Than a Feeling by Boston. The music boomed from the speaker system as she lip-synced the lyrics. I was smiling so hard it hurt.
揟hank you, Rockstar Anise!?The bartender glanced at the black curtain. 揥e抳e got an old favorite here tonight, it抯棓
I gasped as the curtain swished aside, and a drag queen with a Union Jack minidress and giant red wig strode out. My hand came to my mouth.
She even had the red platform shoes.
揥oooooo!?I screamed, clapping as hard as I could.
The queen glanced at me, paused with a little coy smile, and the opening notes of Say You抣l Be There played. My heart dipped as she sang and I danced in my seat.
During the chorus, she pointed at me. I sang along with the lyrics and everyone around me cheered.
I watched with fascination and admiration while she rocked her performance. She knew all the choreography from their music video and my smile reached ear to ear. She winked at me before she left the stage, and while I was clapping hard, familiarity struck me. I narrowed my eyes.
揂nother pink drink??the bartender asked, and I nodded with a big smile.
Two more queens performed in the little bar and I couldn抰 look away. I抎 have to bring Avery here, she抎 love this. Maybe Max and Div would want to come along. We could make a night of it.
揌i,?my idol dropped onto the stool beside me.
My eyes widened. 揌i.?I was breathless. Her makeup was exquisite. Harsh, swooping brows, full red lips, insane lashes, and precise liner. She was perfection.
She waved at the bartender. 揅an I get a water, please??
That voice. I knew that voice. It clicked and I gasped.
揇iv??My jaw was on the floor.
She smirked at me.
揃ut you棓 I shook my head, taking her outfit in. 揌ow did?I didn抰 know. Oh my god.?I beamed. 揧ou抮e amazing.?
She grinned a little wider. How could I have not seen it before? It was in the smile. The bartender set a water and my second pink drink on the counter.
揅ome on.?She gestured for me to follow. 揟his wig is itching.?
Through the black curtain, the other queens were in various states of disassembly. Div gently removed the voluminous red wig before setting it in a case. From a nearby stool, I watched as he pulled out wipes and removed his makeup in front of a mirror leaning on the wall.
揥here抎 you learn to do makeup like that??
He shot me a quick smile before he smeared off an eyebrow. 揧ouTube, mostly, but sometimes the queens help each other out before or after shows. Teach each other things, stuff like that.?
揥hy did you choose her??My voice was awestruck.
One of his shoulders lifted and he studied the makeup wipe a moment, before he peered into the mirror and worked at removing the rest. 揝he抯 girl power, she抯 femininity, and she doesn抰 care what people think.?
I nodded. 揟hat抯 why I love her too. She抯 so sexy.?
We exchanged a smile that felt like friendship. 揝he is, isn抰 she??
揃ye, honey,?one of the queens called as two of them left. Div waved in the mirror at them. 揃ye, new girl.?
I flushed. I was a spectator here in their world, but it was nice to be seen instead of invisible.
揥hy do you do drag??
Div finished wiping off his makeup before he answered. He left the lashes on. 揂 couple years ago, my therapist asked me what I did for fun.?
揂nd what did you say??
He let out a flat laugh. 揘othing. I didn抰 know what to say. I thought it was a weird question. I worked. All I did was work. And before that, I went to school and studied.?His throat worked and he tossed the wipe in the garbage. 揑t made me realize, what抯 it all for? If all I do is work, and I don抰 do anything purely for me, what抯 the point??
The last queens waved goodbye as they left and Div and I were alone in the stockroom. Music from the bar filtered through the curtain, and it swayed as the front door of the bar opened and closed.