‘Are you sure? I don’t want to suddenly hijack your social life. Feels a bit much.’
‘If she can cope with Jinx then she’ll be very welcome.’
‘Oh, she would love her.’ Especially if she carries on ripping into me. I turn back and complete my message.I’m in an amazing place at the moment and Saturday night sounds like it’s gonna be a good ’un. It’s only around the corner from you and you’d love it, love it. Drag cabaret sound fun for your birthday?
The response is immediate. Jas must be in the loo.
Oh my God, that would be awesome.Followed by love hearts, dancing women emojis, rainbow flags and cocktails. Cass knows exactly what her birthday night is going to bring.
With the message sent I turn back to Lily. ‘Will you not be here?’
She looks a little shifty, ‘Possible but unlikely. I have other ... um, plans.’
‘Okay,’ I say. A bit of me dips at the thought she won’t be here but on the flip side it will make things a bit easier for me with Cassie. I cannot begin to imagine the teasing should I turn up with the ‘lady from the lido’ for her birthday.
My eyes switch back to the stage and I see a queen dressed in gold lamé workout gear take the mic as Jinx heads back to our table. She taps it and then addresses us all.
‘I’m here to support my sister queens today, by showing you what it’s like to be physically perfect, toned in all the right places, and to let you know I have faith in y’all. Know that if I can look this good then I’m sure with a whole lot of effort –’ this bit said pointedly, in a tone that underminesanyclaim of sisterhood ‘– then you can also get yourselves into shape just like the Queen that Olivia was and I am today.’
She nods her head at the man working the sound desk across the bar and ‘Let’s Get Physical’ blasts forth as she starts to gyrate on the stage before dropping down into some side leg lifts.
‘The bitch, she did this to get at me, you know.’ Jinx slumps into a chair. ‘Cow. Listen to her –’ she raises her voice ‘– she can’t hold a tune but she sure can move her hips for a living!’
‘Don’t let her get to you. You slayed it up there,’ Lily advises.
‘You were pretty amazing,’ I agree although my eye has been caught by Dan, who seems to have been trapped by Eighties aerobic moves on his way back from the piano, his high energy a perfect match for the track currently being played. It feels a bit like those scenes inGleethat Cassie used to force me to watch. I genuinely expect someone to start handing out bandanas and the whole bar to launch into a choreographed routine.
‘You know she’s not actually singing.’ High Jinx addresses me with earnestness. ‘She may be great at lip syncing but she can’t hold a tune for toffee. I swear I love every queen on the scene, locally, globally, every one apart from that bitch. She is no sister of mine. Ooh look, there’s Adore. Now sheislovely.’
‘Get off the stage, you bitch, and let Adore Vajayjay up instead,’ Jinx hollers, earning herself a look from SyPhyllis. She shrugs and turns back to me. ‘She’s fab, proper drag queen tradition.’
‘Stop it.’ Dan is back at the table and sits down. ‘You just make yourself look insecure and give her more ammunition. More flies with honey.’ He pats Jinx’s arm and Lily nods in agreement as Adore approaches the stage.
‘Oh wow, She’s the spit of Doris Day,’ I say. I can’t help myself, but it does look as if Calamity Jane herself is here. Lily quirks a brow.
‘Are you sure you’re not a gay man?’ Jinx swivels and asks.
‘He never said he wasn’t,’ Dan adds.
‘You can have a knowledge of old movies and not be gay,’ Lily says and both her friends raise their eyebrows at her.
‘Yep, I’m straight,’ I say. ‘But I have a strong love of a musical and I can sew a net skirt in an emergency.’
‘Oh, you might be my dream man.’ Jinx runs a finger along my arm. ‘Fit, unattainable and able to sew. How perfect is that? You have done well,’ she says to Lily.
‘If you could refrain from touching up mycolleaguethat would be great. We’re here to work,’ Lily retorts.
‘I haven’t seen either of you do much work so far,’ Jinx replies. ‘Drink, tick, cackle, tick, watch God’s own favourite drag queen, tick, but work....hmmmmm.’
‘I haven’t managed to get a word in yet. You literally haven’t stopped since we arrived,’ Lily says and then turns to me and I feel a shiver. ‘But she does have a point. Do you want to head outside and go over those plans?’ Lily indicates towards my laptop and I nod my head; it is what I’m here for after all, not to get absorbed into her friendship group. Although I haven’t stopped laughing since they arrived.
‘Oh, stay and watch Adore, she does do a good Doris,’ Jinx says as she watches her friend. ‘But then it’s easy for her. She never had the parents I had. I bet hers are all liberal and have a huge house and shop through Ocado and allowed her to express herself however she pleased growing up, sewed Tinkerbell dresses for Book Day.’ This seems to have come from nowhere but Dan and Lily exchange knowing glances.
‘Well done, you’ve managed until now,’ Dan says. ‘You can have five minutes but then that’s it, isn’t it, Lils? After that we’re moving on. It’ll be fingers in the ears. If you push to ten minutes, Lily will make you homeless.’
I look at Lily quizzically. ‘Oh, Jinx’ll explain, don’t you worry,’ she says with a smile before making the universal gesture for another drink and I nod as she goes to the bar.
High Jinx turns to me and places her arm on mine. Her exquisitely painted face shows a tumult of emotion and I prepare myself to hear something grim. But as I catch a look across at Dan, who looks remarkably unsympathetic, then I wonder if I have misjudged.
