Cesar continued to look skeptical. But instead of arguing, he said, “If I promise to don your rose-colored glasses and give love a chance, will you go put on your dancing shoes, remember you’re young and fun and living in one of the most exciting cities in America, and come to the club where you might meet Prince Charming? And if you’re really,reallylucky, maybe he’ll take you home and give you a couple of O’s that’ll turn that frown you’ve been wearing for the last few months upside down.”
“This frown has nothing to do with lack of O’s. For your information, I had an orgasm just last night.”
His mouth flattened until all she could see was the outline of his lip liner. “Reading a chapter from your alien porno novel and going a round with your vibrator isn’t the same as letting a man flick your bean until you scream.”
“It’s not a porno novel!” She crossed her arms in afront. “It’serotica. There is plot and characterization and snappy dialogue and…and…plot.Also, you realize the Kit Kat Lounge is the last place on Earth I’m likely to meet a man who has any interest in my bean, right? Drag shows are basically straight man repellent. They’re like Deep Woods Off for cishet dudes.”
“True.” He tapped one fingernail against his cheek. “Too much latex, Lycra, and sequins for them.”
“It’s not that. There’s plenty of latex, Lycra, and sequins in strip clubs, and heaven knows I’ve known plenty of guys to frequentthose.”
“So is it that our latex, Lycra, and sequins stayson,do you suppose?” Cesar tilted his head.
“It probably has more to do with the fact that seeing men dressed as beautiful women makes your average, everyday straight dude question the intractability of his sexuality.”
“Which would explain all the shootings and protests outside our clubs.” Cesar shook his head sadly.
“Mmm.” She agreed, but only partially. “I mean, I think the discomfort and anger has always been there for these Neanderthals. But their violence can be laid directly at the feet of the politicians who’re vilifying the entire community. These assholes can’t get elected based on their policies, so they have to get elected by giving people an out-group to hate on.”
“The jokes on them, though.” Cesar’s smile was heartbreakingly sweet. “In the end, love always wins out over hate.”
Hannah, who lived in terror that some crazy man with an AR-15 would burst into the KitKat Lounge and start spraying bullets, only sighed. “I love your eternal optimism, my friend. And I hope you’re right. Because The Lounge”—that’s how Cesar and his fellow performers referred to the club—“is the happiest place on Earth and I want it to stay that way.”
He wrinkled his perfectly contoured nose. “Isn’t the happiest place on Earth supposed to be Disneyland?”
“Nah. The Lounge has better costumes, better music, and unless it’s Friday or Saturday night, far shorter lines to get in the door.”
“True,” he conceded with a chuckle. “Itisa pretty magical place, even if I do say so myself. Which brings us full circle. Come with me tonight! We can go straight-guy hunting after my last set.” His brow furrowed. “Where does one go to pick up abro? A sports bar? A brewpub? God, please tell me we don’t have to go to one of those clubs that smells like Red Bull, Axe body spray, and toxic masculinity.”
She curled her lip. “I’m too old to be traipsing around town chasing dick until all hours of the morning.”
“You’re not eventhirty.”
“I will be in a month. Besides, I’m happy here. My erotica is better than any bro could hope to be. And my vibrator never finishes before I do.” She frowned. “As long as I remember to charge it. Also, I don’t want to go through that wholegetting to know youphase. I swear on all that’s holy, if I have to listen to another guy drone on about his ambition to conquer the world one Bitcoin at a time, or how rad his gaming buddies are, or how many flasks he has in his collection, I might—”
Boom!
It sounded like a hand grenade had gone off. The whole building shook. The ancient double-paned glass rattled in the sash. And a puff of foul-smelling smoke drifted in through the open bedroom door.
Hannah bolted off the bed at the same time Cesar leapt in her direction. They had their arms around each other, their hearts thundering in unison, when she whispered, “A gas line you think? Or maybe The L jumped its tracks?”
He didn’t have time to answer before a trio of men in Kevlar vests emblazoned with the letters FBI burst into the room. It was then she realized theboomhad been the explosives the agents had used to breach the front door.
“What the—” That’s all she managed before she was staring down the deadly ends of three evil-looking handguns.
“On the ground!”
“Hands in the air!”
“Don’t move!”
All the body-cam videos she’d seen of people being shot by authorities who couldn’t coordinate their shit flashed through her head.
“Which is it?” She was careful to keep her tone modulated even though adrenaline-fueled blood singed her veins. “Do you want us not to move or to get on the ground or to put our hands in the air?”
“Hands in the air! Put your damned hands in the air!” The agent closest to them shouted.
She was many things. A fool wasn’t one of them. She didn’t hesitate to comply.
