Then it came to him. “Bella Bottoms! What’s that?” He reached for his drink.
“Stick to water,” William said. “We’ve got a little more than thirty minutes to sober you up before Bella takes the stage. And shortly after that, you’ll be up there with her.”
“WHAT?”
William ignored Matt, spoke to Evan, who was watching the dance floor below. “How’s our other debutante doing?”
“Excellent!” Evan reported. “He danced two songs with the guy in combat boots, then started dancing with that wild, shirtless guy. See them in the center of the floor?”
Matt followed Evan’s gaze towards the middle of the dance pit. Sure enough, there was Paul, dancing with the guy who looked like Adam! Matt was jealous.
“At least one of my pupils gets a gold sticker,” William groused.
“What did you mean when you said I’d be ‘up there’ with that Bella person?”
“Onstage, dahling, assuming we can get you sobered up a little.”
Matt blanched. He did not like stages.
“Thanks for looking out for Matthew,” William said to Evan. “Will you ask Jake to watch Paul? I’ll keep this one in timeout until Bella’s show begins. You and Luke can enjoy the rest of the evening.”
Evan patted Matt’s back encouragingly, then left.
“What did I do that was so wrong?” Matt asked William.
William pushed more water Matt’s way. “Let’s see. Things Matthew did wrong. Matthew drank too much. Matthew started a third dance with the same guy. Matthew was a minute—two minutes max—away from leaving to fuck that guy.”
“I thought that was the point of the evening?” Matt said. “Finding fuck buddies.”
“Not before midnight!” William was horrified. “If you’d left with that guy at, what, 10:30, your reputation would be in tatters! Slutty is one thing. That’s what we do. Being an easy slut? Well, dahling, there’s no recovering from that!”
Chapter 28: Bella Bottoms
Saturday, October 21, 1995
Matt clapped politely when Bella Bottoms came onstage, but, honestly, all he wanted was to drain his bladder and then drain his balls. He’d needed to pee for the last hour. He’d needed to fuck for the last five weeks. Both needs were causing him physical discomfort.
It was 11:00p.m. Dancing was paused ‘til midnight. The announcer welcomed Bella back to Oklahoma City for this limited engagement. The crowd roared.
Not Matt. He didn’t understand drag, and, while he’d previously been aroused by Todd and the fishnet stockings and garter belt, he’d be fine if he never saw a guy in women’s attire again. He just wanted to pee, get his buzz back, pick Mr. Right-Now and maybe Mr. Right-After, and get down to sucking and fucking.
Bella Bottoms was an eyeful. She was at least 6’5” in her bare feet. Add 3-inch heels and a towering updo of a wig with French twist and curls, and she probably had to stoop to get through a doorway.
Bella’s wig and heels were hearse black. Her blood-red dress dripped down her frame and pooled at her ankles. The skirt had a gaping slit for one leg.
Bella took the microphone off its stand and waited for the applause to die down. Beside her was a small table with a bottle of vodka, a blue Dixie cup, and a tube of lipstick. Behind her sat a guy at an electric keyboard.
Oh yeah, there were also five empty chairs on the stage. Arranged side-by-side like all they needed was contestants to fill them.
Matt had not forgotten William’s earlier statement that he would be up on stage with Bella. It didn’t take a clairvoyant to see where this was headed.
“Where’s the restroom?” Matt stood. He wasn’t a kid. Wasn’t asking permission. He was going to the restroom like the adult that he was—where, after peeing, he would hide in a stall if he had to, until this Bella business was over.
William shook his head. “The restrooms are in the hall, which means you can’t get back in here without proper i.d. And you’re underage—as you know, dahling.”
“So, go with me, mommy,” Matt said. “Wave your pixie dust or whatever you did to get me in here in the first place. To get me liquored up—even though I’m underage.”
William shrugged. “I’m fresh out of pixie dust. Sit down and enjoy the show.”
