Page 135

“Yep. Drag queens like a lot of hair.” He joined me, glancing down at me with a sly grin. “Want to try one on?”

I laughed. “Sure, okay.”

He stepped back and gestured at the shelves. “Take your pick, handsome. Except that one,” he added quickly, pointing at an enormous pink wig styled into an elaborate updo. “That’s Corey’s. He’ll know if someone else has tried it on.”

A few minutes later, I was staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror, a huge mint green wig on my head.

“Damn, it’s heavy.” I tried to keep still, scared it might tip off my head under its own weight. “But I kinda like it.”

“Looks good, kitten.” Dan’s reflection appeared beside me. He grinned, reaching over to fuss with a tiny bit of hair. “Suits you. You could ask Corey to put you in drag.”

I laughed, which made Dan’s grin widen as he watched me in the mirror. “I definitely wouldn’t be able to walk in heels. And don’t they… I don’t really want to pull my dick back and tape it down or anything.”

Dan chuckled and raised his brows as he carefully took the wig off my head. “Yeah, that ain’t too comfortable. Take a seat, handsome.”

“Have you been in drag?” I asked as I sat in the chair in front of the mirror, getting comfortable. I watched Dan’s reflection as he settled the wig back on its mannequin head.

“Uh-huh. Gabe put me in drag once.” He grabbed the bag and pulled over the little cart, appearing behind me in the mirror.

“Uh, I brought stuff. Like, uh, gloves and stuff.” I flushed when I said it, because it was weird how much I was looking forward to seeing him in those black latex gloves again. “But I guess I didn’t need to.”

“We’ll still use your stuff,” he said easily, taking it all out of the bag. “It’s what you’re used to using.”

Something pierced through my belly as I gave him a tiny smile in the mirror. Dan was far more perceptive than I’d ever given him credit for. I was kind of shocked by how relaxed and at ease I felt around him, now that we were actually spending time together, not just bickering as neighbours.

He seemed to get me. I appreciated it. A lot. More than I was probably able to verbalise.

“So, um… Gabe and Corey do drag?” I asked as he got busy preparing everything. “Like, they perform?”

“Yep. They’re both great, but Corey is phenomenal. He has a lot of loyal fans who’ll come watch him wrestle too. I think a lot of Goliaths’ success is down to the audiences he pulled in when it was just starting. He’s been with Holt since the beginning.”

“He seems nice,” I said with a nod, even though I didn’t think I’d ever actually had a conversation with the orc. “Me and my friends went to watch the wrestling years ago—before you were there or, um, had moved in here. We were all really impressed by him, even though it wasn’t really our thing.”

Dan chuckled. “He’s a true performer.”

“So you’ve been to watch his drag shows?”

“Oh yeah, lots of times.” In the mirror, I saw Dan glance at me quickly as he poured pink hair dye into a bowl. “We could go to one. If you’re interested in seeing it.”

“Yeah, okay,” I said quickly, my belly clenching with excitement I tried not to show. “That could be fun.”

“And I mean, obviously you could invite your friends,” he added with a tiny shrug, keeping his eyes averted now as he reached for a comb. “So you’re more comfortable. I know you don’t like being around a lot of people you don’t know.”

My chest tightened. Suddenly, I wanted to spin the chair around and hug him. Or something.

And I never wanted to hug anyone except my friends, so it was weird.

“Well, it… I’d probably be okay if it was just…” I swallowed, my face heating. “Me and you. As long as you didn’t wander off and leave me alone,” I added quickly.

Dan paused, then shot me a huge, brilliant grin in the mirror as he stood behind me and gently pulled my hair back to start combing it. “I wouldn’t, kitten. And okay, let’s do it. I’ll find out when Corey’s next show is.”

I found myself grinning back at him. “’Kay.”

“This was a good idea, Rafe,” he said with a smile as he combed the tangles out of my hair. “It’s calming me down after the stunt those shitheads pulled.”

My lip curled. “Have they stolen your head before?”

“Yeah.”