She didn't say a word until she was dead even with me. "I'm going to get you shut down. Mark my words on that," she said.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Enjoy your last minute in the spotlight."
I let it go at that. I really didn't want to get stuck in another useless conversation with her. I didn't even dignify her last comment with any response. Just best to walk on.
The three of us hopped into Germaine's Cadillac and off we went for Chinese food. Chinese was Miss Gigi's favorite food, so I had better get used to eating where she wanted to go. We ended up at Dim Sums Chinese Food and Bakery. Odd name for a restaurant, but I was told they had the best noodles in town and it was Miss Gigi's favorite restaurant.
We sat down and Germaine and Miss Gigi laid out their plans for me. "This show is your chance to become a star," Miss Gigi said. "This is your moment that will transform your life forever and send you onto the A Gay list. I never had that opportunity, and I don't want you to waste it."
"How do you know it will get me there?" I asked skeptically.
"There is no doubt in our minds that you have that star quality," Germaine said. "I recognize a lot of things in you that I had, but I unfortunately succumbed to the bitchy queens who drove me from my hometown. I don't want to see that happen to you, and we are here to make sure that doesn’t happen. Think of me as your Mama Rose."
"Who's that?" I asked.
"My child," Miss Gigi said. "Give me your gay card."
"We just need to educate you on some gay history, which includes Broadway. I'm sure in that backwoods Barbie hole-in-the-wall place you came from, you never had the opportunity to experience the Great White Way."
"Why do I want to be in the A Gay crowd?"
"Sweetie, you just don't get chosen to be in the A Gay crowd. You have to earn it. That's what makes it so great when you achieve it," Germaine said.
"Let's talk about your career path," Miss Gigi bluntly stated. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
"I don't know. I didn't think this evening was going to turn into a job interview."
"You need to think about these things. You can't be at the hotel five years from now. You have to want better for yourself," Germaine said.
"What about you?" I asked. "You're still at the hotel."
"That was never my intentions, but life was cruel and left me stranded in that cavern of shame. You don't have to be stranded there," Germaine finished.
"Yes, you have so much potential and you need to grab it while you have the chance. Not everyone has people behind them who will help you achieve fame," Miss Gigi said.
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be famous, but if the opportunity was here, who was I to turn it down? A lot of people become famous doing what they like to do so maybe it was just my natural progression. So I sat quietly while they laid out the plans for my world domination. It was a little intoxicating to have people gloat over me for the first time in my life.
CHAPTER 49
The club let us know the show was sold out, which floored me. These were people who were coming to see me. Suck it, Athena.
As a very last minute surprise congratulatory gift, Germaine got us tickets to go see the hottest insult drag queen comic there was-Torino Del Grand- tonight. She rose to fame on a drag queen reality show, “The Guys As Dolls Show,” winning her season quite handily. She was my favorite from the first time I saw her on the show, as she slayed the competition week after week. She was fierce and funny, which made her invincible. They played the show at the club every Thursday, and the boys, Marjorie and I would go out, have drinks, and have a ball watching it. It was off season now so I wasn't missing anything right now.
"We have meet and greet tickets, so we will need to be at the theater no later than 6 to get in line to meet Torino, and we need to pick up Gigi on the way there," he said.
"How were you able to get tickets? The show’s been sold out for weeks."
"I had confidence you would sell out, so I bought these when they went on sale. That is how much I believe in you."
"What should I wear?" It was June, but the temperature was already in the 90's, which was way too hot for Atlanta this early. We may have the nick-name Hotlanta, but normally this heat didn't kick in until July.
"And the show is at the Hot House Theatre," Germaine said.
"Where is that one? I've never heard of it.”
"It's the Burgundy Ballroom, but its nick name is the Hot House Theatre because the A/C never works properly in that building."
"What should I wear? I've never been to an event like this," I said which was absolutely true.
"Well, since the people who bought the meet and greet tickets are the A Gays, you need to wear dress pants, a dress shirt, and a nice pair of loafers. No tennis shoes. You need to make a good impression on them, and you need to be dressed properly to meet Tornino.”
"Will you pick out my outfit for me?" Should I go in drag?"
"Never go in drag to a show headlined by a drag entertainer. It will appear as if you are trying to upstage her. I've already picked out your outfit. It is hanging on the hook on the back of your closet door. You need to be shaved and showered and ready to go no later than 5:30. Now scoot along and get ready. I don't want to keep Gigi waiting."
I looked in the closet and there was my outfit for the evening. The shirt and black pants were in their dry-cleaning bag, so he had been planning this for a while; the shoes were freshly polished with the pair of socks I was to wear were already in the shoes. The only thing he hadn't picked out was my underwear. At least I knew I could pick out a comfortable pair for the evening.
I looked at my watch, and I still had some time to kill. It was only 4:30, so I decided to check my email. My inbox was a much busier place, but I wish my love life had gotten to this pace. I sat at the computer and opened my Gmail account. It was the usual crap email, but one did catch my eye. The subject was "Hey" and nothing else. I didn't recognize the email address that it came from, so at first I thought it was spam email. I decided to click on it just to see.
"Sorry it took so long to work up the nerve to email you on your private email," it read. "Let me know when your next video session will be. Would love to talk with you again. Leatherman.”
I stopped dead and stared at the screen. I had dreamt of this moment for so long, but thought it would never happen. I felt a warm glow from inside. I was terrified of how to respond, so I called Sheila.
"What should I say to him?”
"Look, he obviously has some level of interest in you since he finally responded. Either that or he is a total chicken shit because of the line he had to work up the nerve to email you. Who needs to work up the nerve to email anyone these days? It is the most anonymous thing that you can do. Either that or he really is married," she said.
"I don't think he is married."
"How do you know? The only conversations you have are when he is staring at your hot body on line. He could be a total whack job and you would never know it."
"He doesn't sound like a whack job."
"That's because you only see what he types. All people lie online. If you are going to respond, which I'm sure you will, take baby steps. Just let him know the next time you will be online. That way you can ask him some more questions."
She was right. He could be a nut job, but at least he emailed. He did make some effort. "Thank you, sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow."
I placed my fingers on the keyboard and typed away.
"My next show is tomorrow around 9 pm. I hope you can join me." Very short and to the point. Let's see if he turns up.
I heard a yell from down the hall. "Time is ticking away. I don't hear the shower running," Germaine yelled.
"Yes, mom. I'm hopping into the bathroom right now." He was like a mother. Definitely a mother and not a father.
I slipped of my sweaty clothes from the day and turned on the shower. I was still getting used to the water here taking no time to get hot,
versus at Marjorie's place where it seemed like an hour before it even got tepid. All I could think of while I was standing there naked was Leatherman, and I started getting hard. The shear thought of him gorged my dick, and this wasn't even someone I had met in person. He could have been a total troll for all I knew, but the thought of someone wanting me just for me made me hard. I stepped into the shower. The hot water felt good as I shoved my head under the spray and let is wash all over my body.
I had to take care of myself, so I began rubbing my nipples as the water warmed my entire body. Rubbing my nipples made my dick even harder because there is a direct link between the two. If my shirt rubbed them just right it would start to get me aroused wherever I was, so I had to be careful of a good stiff breeze. I stood back a bit so the full force of the water landed directly on my hard cock, causing it to bounce up and down. I finally grabbed my rod and started stroking it slowly. Thoughts of Leatherman flooded my head as I imagined this hot man ravaging my sweaty hole. Fantasy was all I had, and I was going to enjoy every moment of it. I turned the shower head to pulse and positioned one hand on the tile wall and lifted my ass up so the water pounded away at my pink fuck hole. With each pulse, I imagined his dick going in and out of me, slowly at first and then building up speed. I grabbed the shampoo bottle and squirted a load onto my dick so that I could stroke away as the water puckered up my hole. In and out was all I could think about and Leatherman's big hairy arms pulling on my shoulders as he pounded my ass and then pulling and turning my head so that he could shove his tongue into my waiting mouth. I stroked harder and faster as my balls got tighter and tighter until my body shuddered and my load shot out and hit the tile wall. I felt a wave of ecstasy flow through my body and as quickly as it came, it vanished. I wiped the wall down with a wash cloth and turned the shower head back to spray. Now I was going to be totally relaxed for the evening.
I dried off and managed to get myself dressed and ready on time. I took one final look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place. I thought, “I really am a handsome young man.”
I didn't know if my rich fantasy life was the best thing for me because sometimes I thought I built up my imaginary sex life too much, which then didn’t let me meet a real person. I spent too much time investing myself in someone that I hadn't even met yet, which is never a good thing. If Germaine wanted to introduce me to the A Gay crowd, then maybe I would meet a real live person there who would want to go out.
"Are you ready, sweetie? We've got to get going," Germaine yelled down the hall. I looked at my watch and didn't realize how much time had gone by. We loaded into the car and off we went. Gigi was in her boy clothes and was patiently waiting for us inside her apartment building lobby. She was someone who knew how to dress to impress.
"You look wonderful tonight," she said to me.
"Thank your boyfriend who got me coordinated tonight."
"He has such a good eye for fashion. Thank you, honey. You did a great job," Gigi said as she hugged Germaine. It was very sweet.
We arrived at the Burgundy Ball Room. There was already a line of gay men dressed in long pants and long sleeve dress shirts waiting to get in. God knows why, because the minute I got out of the car's air conditioning, I started to sweat. It was 90 degrees, for heaven’s sake. They all had on their fake faces as they greeted everyone who came down the line and hugged and air-kissed. Germaine was no different. He did his sashay down the line until he found his friends, Kit and Biff. They had been holding our spots until we got there.
"It's about time," Kit said. "They are getting ready to open the doors soon. You do have the tickets right? Is this your protégé?"
"Kit and Biff, this is Desiree, also known as Tyler," Germaine said as he introduced me.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," I said.
"You didn't tell us how handsome he was out of drag. I'm Biff," he said as he stuck out his hand to shake. "A firm grip. I like that.”
"You two skanks better be nice to him," Gigi said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kit said. "Gigi, I see you have managed to cover up that hump on your back nicely."
"That hump managed to find its way into the front of my pants," Gigi said as she grabbed Kit’s hand and pushed it up against her crotch.
"It feels like two rotten cantaloupes down there. That's what that smell must be, and I thought it was the cologne from all the sweaty bears here in line."
"How have you been, darling?" Gigi said as she hugged on Kit.
"Don't forget me," Biff said as he hugged Gigi. "It's been a long time since we've seen you. What have you been doing?"
"I have been working on our ‘Bombshell’ show at the club," she said.
"I haven't heard anything about the show. And here I didn't think you had a talented bone in your body," Kit said. "Even including that Vienna sausage you call a dick."
"Just for that I'm not putting you on the guest list. Plus it's not just me. Here's your star," Gigi said pointing to me.
"I've been telling you things about the show for weeks," Germaine said.
"But you’re not hot like your little friend here," Kit said. "Put us down for two tickets for the next show.”
It was very strange that they were talking about me, but not talking to me.
"Germaine, you've really upped your standing there," Biff said.
"Oh look, they're opening the doors. Thank God because I was beginning to melt out here," Kit said.
"Bitter doesn't melt," Gigi said, and they all laughed.
All I knew was I needed a drink.
"Are you guys talking about ‘Smash’?" the person in line behind us asked.
"No, we are talking about ‘Bombshell,’ the show we are doing at Club Cabaret," Germaine said. "You need to come and see it."
"Are you Desiree from the show?" he asked.
"Yes, she is," Germaine said. "This is one talented entertainer."
"I didn't realize that was you. I caught the first performance. You were incredible," he said.
"Thank you," I said remembering my manners. "Tell your friends to come and see it."
"They already have tickets for the next show. I'll have to text them that I met you. Can I get a picture?" he asked.
"Sure you can," Germaine said, grabbing the guy's cell phone to take a picture and pushing me over next to him. I stood there and smiled and Germaine took several shots.
"Gotta go, honey. The line is moving," Gigi said. "Give him back the phone and let's move."
"I need to buy you a cocktail when we are inside," the fan boy said.
We entered the theater. Germaine was right- the temperature in the lobby area was just about as bad as it was outside. It seemed like everyone went from one line outside straight into a line inside. This was the meet-and-greet line for Tornio, who was inside the ballroom already waiting to greet everyone.
"Do I have time to grab a drink?" I asked.
"No," was the resounding response from the entire group.
"You can get a drink after we get our photos," Germaine said. "Now remember to be very polite to Torino."
I didn't know what he thought I was going to do. I respected Torino for her talent because she put her self out there and made me laugh. As we entered the ballroom, we could see Tornio in all her glory standing there hugging and mugging for photos with everyone who wanted one. I was kind of surprised how personable she was. She made everyone feel right at home. On the show they never showed how generous a person she really was. It was incredible to learn this about her.
We finally got to the head of the line. We each introduced ourselves, Germaine had to expel my talents to her. "Torino, this is the next up and coming star out of Atlanta."
"What do you do, honey?" she asked.
"I'm currently in a show at Club Cabaret where I get to sing the life of Marilyn Monroe," I said.
"That sounds incredible. You aren't going to be one of those queens who is going to start putting out music, are you? Everyone from
the ‘Guys As Dolls Show’ has a single or an album out."
"No plans for that yet," I said.
"Well keep working on your craft. It will keep you sharp as an entertainer," she said.
We all got a chance to take pictures with her and thank her for her time. Her handlers kept us moving because there was a huge line still waiting to get their turn with the entertainer.
Now that we were done, we could return to the bar in the lobby. I was mighty thirsty, and this was a great opportunity to people watch. I grabbed a drink and a spot on a very comfy couch while the rest of the group went to the restroom. As I looked around everyone was in their own clique. If anyone ever strayed from their group it was only to go over and air-kiss someone in another group. It was very strange behavior that I didn't understand.
The boys finally returned, and I had to ask, "Are these the A Gays?"
"A Gays?" Kit said like I had asked him why his vagina smelled like chicken of the sea.
"Sweetie, if you have to ask you are definitely not one," Biff replied.
"Is that like the Gay mafia?" I asked.
"No, that is completely different because the Gay mafia does not exist," Kit said. "Where did you find this one, Germaine?" he asked.
“They put on all the incredible parties that you will probably not be at," Biff said.
I felt like a shrinking violet at this point. I didn't know why Germaine was even friends with these two.
One of Germaine's former hotel co-workers came over to say hello. He was smartly dressed in a long-sleeve, denim, button-down shirt and a pair of tight pants that cupped his ass exquisitely. He was accessorized with a braided tan belt and sharp tan shoes. His outfit was perfectly put together. After he and Germaine exchanged pleasantries, he went back to his group of friends.
"I didn't know braided belts were back in. Or is he trying to make a fashion statement?" Biff quipped.
After what seemed like several hours of torture listening to these two assholes, the doors of the ballroom opened up for the general admission patrons to come in. As I watched them come in, I recognized several of them from the club who had been to my shows. I felt like these were my people coming in to rescue me. These were the beer drinking, shorts-wearing, rowdy boys and girls who were there for a good time. They weren't there to be seen, but instead to enjoy the show, since isn't that what this really was all about?
The Crown Is Mine Page 20