I looked away before he saw me but with quick glances I watched him go to the bar, get a beer and then station himself next to Lee and Eddie at the wall.
“Work it, woman!” Tex boomed at the Drag Queen and I jumped, looked away from Hector, luckily before he caught me watching him and, I couldn’t help myself, I smiled at Tex. His big head was bouncing to Gloria Gaynor and, well, this big, crazy guy getting into a Drag Queen lip syncing to Gloria Gaynor was just plain old funny.
I suspected Eddie had called his brother but I could deal with that too. I’d watch the show, drink my lemon drops and when it was over get Buddy and Ralphie to get me the heck out of there.
Simple.
* * * * *
At lemon drop number five, I realized it was high time I bought a round.
The Sadie-I-Wanted-to-Be would buy a round. Wouldn’t she?
I leaned into Tex. “I’m going to go get a round,” I told him to gauge his reaction to my friendly gesture.
“Budweiser,” he boomed in response without taking his eyes off the stage and the Queen who was singing Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”.
My eyes scanned the table and there were different-sized glasses with different-colored liquid scattered around. How was I to know what everyone wanted unless I asked them?
Impossible!
Then I had an idea and I leaned back into Tex. “What about everyone else?”
He tore his eyes from the stage, spared a glance at the table, looked back at the stage and boomed, “Shots.”
I looked at the Rock Chicks. They were all singing out loud (and it was a very loud out loud) and dancing in their chairs with their arms over their heads (except Ally and Ava who were both standing by the stage, singing, dancing and waving dollar bills at the Queen).
Obviously, they didn’t mind anymore what they drank. Shots it was.
I got up and went to the bar and when the bartender asked for my order, I turned to the table and counted then back to the bartender and said, “Eleven shots and a bottle of Budweiser.”
“What kind of shots?” the bartender asked.
Oh no.
What kind of shots? I didn’t know what kind of shots. I’d never been out with girls who drank shots. What kinds were there?
“Shots of liquor,” I answered.
The bartender blinked at me then said impatiently, “I didn’t think you wanted shots of orange juice.”
Well, he didn’t have to be mean about it.
This New Sadie thing was hard. The Ice Princess would have had him in cryo-freeze by now.
I shook off my desire to zap him with The Ice.
“What are my choices?” I asked.
He blinked again then started listing them off fast, “Tequila, sambuca, Kahlua, Jägermeister, anything like that. Then there are the mixed shots, B-52, fuzzy navel, sex on the beach, blowjob, screaming orgasm, quick fuck –”
“Stop!” I yelled, putting a hand up to emphasize my need for him to stop talking just in case he missed it from my yell. Then I pointed to our table. “It’s for them.”
The bartender’s eyes went beyond me to the Rock Chicks and he said, “Eleven screaming orgasms, comin’ right up.”
Phew.
All right, fine. That wasn’t so hard.
I could do this. I could buy shots for the girls. Maybe, when I got back to the table, I might talk to one of them, even introduce myself to the black-haired lady.
It was then, another bartender came up to me and handed me a piece of paper.
“This came from that lady down at the end of the bar.” He pointed to the end of the bar. I looked in that direction but I didn’t see any lady. There were just a bunch of gay guys hanging around.
When I looked back, the new bartender was gone and my old one, Impatient Snappy Bartender, put Tex’s Budweiser in front of me and started to line up empty shot glasses.
I opened the paper and nearly fainted at what I read.
Sadie,
I’ve been looking all over for you, baby, then once I found you, waited to get close.
It’s your mother.
Don’t make a scene, go to the back like you’re heading toward the bathroom and then leave out the backdoor.
It isn’t safe for me to approach you. It isn’t safe for anyone to see me.
But I can’t wait to hold you.
Come alone and make sure you aren’t followed. -Mama
After I finished reading the note, my heart beating a mile a minute, I scanned the bar, looking for anyone that might be my Mom.
My Mom!
In a gay bar!
I didn’t care where I saw her; I just wanted to see her.
There were women here and there but most of them were sitting at the Rock Chick table.
Then, I thought, why on earth was I hanging around?
I dropped the note and, without delay, I headed toward the bathroom. But I didn’t even bother acting like I was going to use the facilities. I walked straight to the end of the hall, pushed open the back exit door and I was outside.