“Did you invite anyone?” I ask Crystal while she parallel parks.
She sticks her tongue out as she wedges the car between the lines. “Yeah, but I don’t think anyone from work is going to come.” She kills the engine and pulls the parking brake up. “Everyone at the rec center is pretty square. Maybe it’s the polos.”
“Or the khakis.”
“Those too.”
“You shouldn’t have told them it was a drag show.”
“Hah. What was I supposed to say?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Bible study class?” I check the time on my phone. “We should hurry. It’s starting soon.”
Crystal unbuckles her seat belt. “Eh. These things always start late. Half the crowd won’t even get there till fifteen minutes past.”
We leave the car and head down the sidewalk to Micky’s. There are a few people outside, but the place doesn’t give off the packed vibe I thought it would. We pay the cover charge and slip in.
A top forty hit plays as people mill about, covering close to half of the floor. The makeshift stage in the middle is cut off from the crowd below it by a red velvet rope.
The ripped man shaking a drink mixer behind the bar catches my eye. I grab Crystal’s arm. “The bartenders aren’t wearing clothes,” I hiss.
She laughs. “Look closer. They’ve got speedos on.”
I look again and catch a bit of black between the man’s thighs.
“Sydney!” someone calls.
It’s Dana, winding her way towards us. She’s got on more makeup than she usually does and is dressed more casually too, with a t-shirt bearing a kitschy photo of a cat. In her hand is a glass tumbler of some kind of liquor.
“Hey!” I shriek, genuinely enthused. “You came. That’s so awesome.”
She nods and tucks a pink strand behind her ear. “It’s neat here.”
“Dana, this is my roommate, Crystal.”
They wave their hellos to each other.
Dana sips on her tiny black straw. “Are you going to get a drink? When does the show start?”
“It’s supposed to be in five minutes,” Crystal says.
“So in thirty.”
“Right,” Crystal laughs. “I’m going to the bar. Sydney, do you want anything?”
“No thanks.” I wave her off. “I don’t really feel like drinking tonight.”
Dana edges closer to me after Crystal leaves. “Do you know when your roommate is up?”
“He said that he’s third, I think. There are six contestants all together.”
“I mentioned this to Chuck and Daniel again today.”
I laugh. “And what did they say?”
“Nothing bad.” She pauses. “But I’m willing to bet they’re not coming.”
“That’s fine. I knew they probably wouldn’t. Oh, that reminds me.” I pull my phone from my pocket. “My friend Brendan is coming.”
“Have you heard from him?”
“No,” I murmur, slipping the quiet phone back in my jeans. “He’s not usually late to things.”
“Is he a special friend?” She sucks on the end of her straw and winks at me.
“Many, many moons ago.”
“Aw. Sorry. That’s sad.” She cocks her head and sways on her feet.
“It’s okay.” I wonder how many drinks she’s had.
Dana crinkles her nose. “Hey, that guy looks like…” Her mouth falls open. “Oh my God! It is him!”
“What?” I whip my head in the direction she’s staring. The only thing there is a dark wall and bobbing heads.
She grabs my arm with her free hand. “It’s Mr. Mulroney!”
The words spin around in my head, soon followed by the floor and the walls of the nightclub. “Wh-what?” I stutter.
I start to turn around again, but she grabs me and hauls butt behind a large column. “Ugh. Don’t let him see us. What’s he doing at a gay club anyway?”
I open my mouth, hoping all the cotton balls that seem to be stuffed in there will come tumbling out. Instead, it just gets drier. I have a feeling Mr. Mulroney’s appearance at Micky’s is anything but coincidental.
“I don’t want him to know we’re here,” Dana continues. “I’ve had enough of him for one day. I had to wait around at the office till he got there. It was, like, seven before I left. I barely had time to go home and shower…”
She presses herself further behind the column. “Oh my God. You know what? Maybe he’s gay. I never thought about that. He probably comes here to pick up dudes.”
“I don’t think he’s gay.”
“Then what? He’s here to see the show?”