"You don't have to remove me. We are leaving," Dixie said as she grabbed her purse and hobbled out on her one good shoe. Her photographer reached down and grabbed the floating wig, which left a trail of water droplets as they headed out the gate.
The crowd stood there silent until Athena yelled, "Haven't you ever seen a wounded duck waddle around?" Everyone laughed and the moment of drama had passed. Athena went back into the garage dressing room to clean up and the DJ announced over the beats that show time was in five minutes. Not bad for ten bucks. A wrestling match and a drag show.
Once the show started, it moved along swiftly and professionally for a backyard show. It was full of glitz and glamour as promised. It was very interesting to watch because I had never seen any of the contestants perform anywhere before. Mary Jane said that this was most of the girls’ first time ever competing for a title and that they usually just did drag for fun.
Her friend, Heather Lockless, did great in presentation, but then it came time for talent. Heather was a skinny girl who put in some padding to give her some curves, so she looked great. But she decided to do a song that wasn’t that well-known-"Put Your Hands On Me," Sinead O’Connor. Most people knew Sinead from her Prince cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U," but after that, they had no idea of what her music sounded like. Heather got out there and really worked the runway and patio, but she just didn't generate many tips. In this pageant, you got bonus points based on your tips, and since it was a fundraiser, it really helped Athena out for the contest. The crowd clap at the end was more of a golf clap instead of a roar. I remember that feeling from my first couple of performances and how that feeling passed as I got a little more practice.
The pageant finished up with the evening gown portion. The gowns were beautiful. I wouldn't have minded having a couple of them for my wardrobe since I thought I could do them some justice.
The places were announced and Heather Lockless finished in the middle of the pack. "Not bad for a first time out," Mary Jane said. "Enjoy the rest of the holiday. I'm out." Mary Jane gave Germaine and me hugs and headed down to congratulate her friend.
"This was very interesting," Germaine said.
"What do you mean?"
"There was nobody here I knew. We must have been at the wrong party."
"At least you had a good time. That's what's important," I said. "Time to go home."
As we headed to the car, we could hear the fireworks from Westfield Mall going off in the background.
CHAPTER 53
Kit and Biff kept true to their threat to fix me up on a date. It was a blind date. I had never gone on a blind date before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Biff gave me Robert's number and I called him up. He was very nice and polite on the phone and we agreed to meet for dinner and drinks and see how the night would progress from there.
"Robert is a very nice boy and he comes from money," Germaine said. "His family is very connected in banking up in Tennessee."
"Are you sure he is right for me? It sounds like we have nothing in common."
"Just remember to be yourself and have a good time. It's just dinner. If you have a great time, even better, but if you don't, then you have only lost an evening of your time. It's not like you are interviewing to be the boyfriend of someone who isn’t very well off."
"How do I look?"
"You look splendid. I see everything I picked out fits you to a ‘T.’”
He was right. He had picked out my entire outfit even down to the shoes, which were a little more formal than I usually was. Robert suggested meeting at Franco's, an Italian restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road. “I like Italian,” he said. The food was excellent so it should be a good time. I just needed to remember to be myself.
"Just remember to not get anything on your shirt," Germaine said as I headed out the door. I was already nervous and didn't need the extra pressure of getting stains all over my clothes. I think Germaine even had my dress shirt pressed and starched, which chafed my neck a little.
It was a quick drive over to the restaurant and there was ample parking. Robert had said he would meet me out front, and when I turned the corner of the building, I could see a very handsome gentleman at the entrance. He fit the description - medium build, sandy hair, little taller than me, and really well put together. I headed his way and before I could say anything, he said, "Tyler?"
"Yes, it's a pleasure meeting you," as I shook his hand. He had a very firm grip and his skin felt very soft. He smelled fantastic.
"I made a reservation for us and got a table on the patio. Is that good with you?" he asked.
The patio was covered and glassed off. There was even a window unit A/C, so the room was quite cool even though it was the middle of July. It was very romantic with black table clothes, white linen napkins, candles on every table and soft Italian music in the background. The waiter led us over to a table. Robert, being the gentleman he was, pulled out my chair for me. So far bonus points for him.
"Would either of you care for something from the bar?" the waiter asked.
"May we see the wine list, please?" Robert asked.
The waiter gave him the list. Robert quickly perused the list and made the decision for both of us. "Two glasses of your Cakebread Chardonnay, please."
"Good choice. I'll be right back with your drinks.
"I hope I wasn't too forward," Robert said. "I thought a little wine would relax us both."
"You are being a perfect gentleman. I have to admit I am a little nervous since I've never been on a blind date before.”
"Don't worry. I've had several blind dates, and they can be a lot of fun. Why aren't you dating anyone?"
I thought that was a little forward since we had just met, but I decided to give him an answer. "I just haven't met the right person yet. It's hard with working and doing the contest to really meet anyone. Most of the people I meet know me as Desiree and have no idea who Tyler is. Plus, have you ever tried to get a date when you're in drag?"
The heads at the table next to us quickly spun around.
"So you are Desiree," the gentleman said. "I enjoyed the show very much. You have a great voice. I'm trying to get more friends to come to the next one. Keep up the good work."
"That is very sweet of you," I said. "Please have your friends come. It is for a good cause."
"That was a little rude," Robert said.
"It is fine. I appreciate that people get what the show is about. That is the greatest compliment I could get."
"So back to me now. Where were we at? Oh yes, I can honestly say I do not know how me doing drag would go. I've never done drag. Not even for Halloween," he said.
Since he asked I, figured it would be a fair question back, "Why are you still single?"
"I work a lot, and I like to travel, and just haven't found anyone that I feel compatible with. Friends tell me that I'm a little too picky. I just tell them I know what I am looking for.”
"And what are you looking for?"
"Someone I can have a conversation with. There are too many men out there who only want to fuck. I like sex as much as the next person, but I want someone who is intelligent, funny, and creative. That's why Biff thought we would be a great fit. He told me how much of your time and energy you poured into your show. I really need to come and check it out."
"You need to. Just let me know the date, and I can put you on the guest list."
"It's nice to know someone in such a high place. I will definitely come and check it out."
The waiter returned with our wine and a special shot. "This drink is for you from the boys in the corner. When they heard it was you, they wanted to let you know how much they enjoyed the show. It is a shot of cowboy cocksucker."
"Tell them thank you very much." I downed the shot and waved thank you.
"I see you really are a popular girl," Robert said.
"I didn't think people would recognize me this much out of drag.”
"Neither did I.”
We both too
k a sip of our wine, and Robert took the opportunity to order some Calamari Fritti, which I had never had before. "What is calamari?"
"It is deep fried squid cut up. Be adventurous and try something new. It tastes a lot better than it sounds. It is one of my favorite items here. I promise you will love it. Some other great items here are the Veal Parmigiana, the shrimp in wine sauce, the Italian crab cakes, and the chicken with capers."
The conversation continued to flow at a rapid pace, but most of it was coming from Robert. I think I had heard his entire life story before the appetizer arrived. It was hard to get a word in edge-wise. I was hoping he was as nervous as I was and maybe that was why his mouth was running a mile a minute.
Our waiter served the calamari with the marinara on the side. It looked good. I'd always enjoyed fried food, so hopefully this would be no different. I took my fork and scooped a couple of pieces off the plate and took the spoon and piled some marina on top. I tried to stab the calamari with my fork, but it seemed a little rubbery, which I wasn't expecting. I tried it again and succeeded on my second attempt. I could feel Robert's eyes on me as I lifted the fork. I put the piece into my mouth, and at first, all I could taste was the marina, which was very good, but when I bit down all I could feel was something rubbery in my mouth. I felt like someone was playing a trick on me. I tried chewing it some more, but it wasn't getting any better. I finally gave up and spit it back out onto my fork. This was not my most ladylike moment.
"Didn't like it? For some it is an acquired taste. I'm sure it tastes different from the fries and onion rings you are used to."
I wasn't quite sure how to take that comment, so I decided to let it slide by. "I think it is a texture thing. I don't like mushrooms either, but that has a lot to do with them being kind of rubbery also."
"I love mushrooms. Especially stuffed mushrooms. You don't know what you are missing."
The rest of our food was excellent so this was a good choice. Robert even surprised me by picking up the tab.
"I have some friends who are having a get together, and I would love to take you over there and introduce you. Nothing big. Would you be interested?"
"That would be lovely.” It was early so I might as well enjoy my time off.
"They live just down the street. You can either ride with me or follow me over there. Your choice."
"I better follow you in case you want to stay out past my bedtime.”
"Don't worry. I wouldn't let you stay out past your bedtime. My bedtime is probably earlier than yours.”
He was driving a Lincoln MKZ hybrid, which meant nothing to me when he described his car, so he finally said to follow his silver car. So I hopped into my car and followed him from the parking lot. He wasn't kidding because his friend's home was just down the street on Welbourne. There were more cars here than I was expecting for a small get together. I just parked at the end of the line of cars along the curb, hopped out of the car, and walked up the block to where Robert was waiting for me in front of a very sprawling contemporary. I didn't see Robert's car so I wasn't sure where he ended up parking.
"You think this is impressive, wait till you see the inside.”
He held my hand as we headed up the walk way and into the party. This small gathering turned out to be over a hundred people. "I thought you said this was nothing big.”
"This isn't anything big. His last party was over two hundred people. Come on, I want to introduce you to some people." Again, he took me by the hand as we mingled among the crowd.
"Artimis, this is my friend, Tyler. You might know him better as Desiree from ‘Bombshell,’" he said.
"That was you in the show? I saw it and thought it was brilliant. Robert, you finally brought someone not as boring as yourself. Tell me, Tyler, how do you get yourself prepared to sing live? It is just so different from what the other girls are doing out there. Where are my manners? Let me get you a cocktail."
Artimis had the server bring over a tray of drinks, one of which one was a screwdriver, so I was very happy as we settled into his over stuffed couches. On one side of me I had Artimis, and on the other was Robert who decided to rest his hand on my thigh.
"I have some vocal exercises that I run through before every show," I said. "I met with a vocal coach who gave me pointers on my voice and how to breathe while I sing. It really helps. She also put some of them on a CD so that I wouldn't forget them and could practice along with them."
"You sounded beautiful. The entire cast did. I enjoyed it so much that I'm sure I'll be coming back for a second helping," he said. "Robert, have you seen the show yet?"
"No, Artimis. I have not yet, but it is on my list."
"Not surprising, sweetie. You need to get out there and experience the culture this city offers," he said as he turned back to me. "I hate it when people say they are bored in this city. There is always so much to do and so much to see."
We sat there for awhile as Artimis dished the dirt on many of the party-goers. "I think these people only hang with me because of my trust fund," he said. "It is the cross I bear, but there are a handful of people here who would come if I needed them and said bring a shovel with no questions asked. Come on, let me give you a tour of the house. My idiot contractor just finished all the renovations so this is the house warming party. Come on, Robert, you can come too."
Again, Robert grabbed my hand as Artimis led us from room to room, extolling the virtue of marble over granite and pointing out all the architectural details. I didn't mind Robert holding my hand. It was nice to feel wanted.
Along the way, I met so many people my head was spinning. Robert kept introducing me as his friend Desiree from "Bombshell," which was great because he was helping spread the word about my show. If all of his friends showed up, that would be one sellout with very little work involved.
Artimis led us to the back screened-in deck that overlooked his in-ground pool. There were people milling about as the servers circulated with drinks, making sure everyone's libation was overflowing. "It took me a year to get this house just right," he said. "The former owner had tried to do some things, but didn't succeed very well. Thank God they had the intelligence to not screw it up too badly."
Our conversation got interrupted by one of the servers who whispered something into Artimis' ear. "If you will excuse me there's a catering emergency in the kitchen. Darling, this is Tyler," Artimis said to the server. "He is a special guest here tonight so please get him another screwdriver and keep his drinks flowing all night. He deserves them for putting up with Robert. Enjoy yourselves. I'm sure I will see you later. Robert, this one's a keeper." Artimis winked at me and off he went.
I was starting to get a little chilly and overwhelmed by everyone around me. I think Robert sensed that as he put his arm around my shoulder. "Do you want to go to my place for a night cap?"
"Sure.”
Robert led me through the party and we said our final goodbyes. I only got a chance to wave goodbye to Artimis, who looked deep in conversation but managed to wave back.
"Let me get my car, and I will follow you," I said once we were out front. "Where are you parked?"
All Robert did was point to the house next door. "I'm right there," he said pointing to his house, which was a two-story traditional with a garage. That's why I couldn't see his car.
I felt safe because if anything did happen, I could always run back over to the party plus in the front window I could see a small dog staring out at us. It started barking as we got closer to the door. "That's Eubie, my little child.”
Robert opened the door and Eubie about wet himself. "He is very excitable, so I need to let him out before he gets any attention, otherwise he will wet the floor. Come on in and make yourself comfortable on the couch." Robert went to the back of the house and let the dog out. I got to sink into the comfy couch, which faced a mammoth flat screen. On the coffee table were some table books. I started thumbing through the one that had photographs of the naked male form. These men were sexy a
nd beautiful. I knew my body would never be in as good a shape as theirs were.
"I see you have a good eye. They were all shot by a local photographer. What would you like?"
"A screwdriver please."
"Coming right up." And off he went to the kitchen. "Turn on the TV if you like. It's the small remote on the left."
I grabbed the remote and hit the power button. It drove me nuts when people had ten remotes for their TV, cable, and sound system. I just hoped I got the right one. The screen fired up, but instead of your regular programming it was an X-rated channel showing two naked men going at it. I was extremely surprised and dropped the remote onto the floor. When it hit the ground, the volume went up and all I could hear was the heated moans coming from the surround sound with the occasional “fuck me hard.” I quickly grabbed the remote off the floor and started pushing buttons. Damn remotes.
"What's all the commotion out here?” Robert asked coming with two drinks in hand. “I didn't know it was that kind of an evening." He grabbed the remote and quickly muted the TV.
I think I was turning a bright shade of red as I could feel the heat radiating from my face. "I'm so sorry. I just turned it on and that's what was on."
"Don't worry, I was just enjoying some extracurricular activities earlier and didn't realize I had left the channel on," he said as he sat down beside me without turning the channel off. "Take a sip of your cocktail. I'm sure that will help calm you down."
I grabbed the screwdriver and chugged most of it down. I was kind of embarrassed, but I was also turned on by the video. Robert slid up closer beside me on the couch and started rubbing his hand on my thigh. Here was a rich hot guy hitting on me, and it was a huge turn on.
Robert turned and looked directly into my eyes. "Tyler, you are a very handsome man. I know it is only our first date, but I really want to kiss you."
The Crown Is Mine Page 23