Chapter 60 Chapter Sixty - Gabriella
“Are you okay?” Derrick asks me while zipping me into my dress. I simply nod as I put my earrings on, my mind stuck a million miles away. Derrick turns me around, looking intently at me through his voluminous fake lashes, as his eyeshadow glitters in the light. “Bullshit, and I know this isn’t because they dared use green spotlights in rehearsal today.”
“I really do hate that colour,” I sneer.
“You’ve been acting weird since you came back from your vacation. Did something happen? Did he hurt you?” he presses.
I smile shaking my head, “Jartre was amazing. It was the most incredible experience of my life. I still need to show you all the pictures I took.”
“Yes, you do, but that's not the point. If you're not upset about the getaway, then what is wrong? I know you, Ella, something has you distracted.”
I sigh, leaning back against the makeup station. “If you had to make the hardest choice of your life, what would you do?”
“I guess that depends on what I’m choosing between.”
“Well, right now I’m stuck between a rock and a rock, and I just don’t know what to do,” I lament.
“Care to elaborate on this one?” Derrick urges.
I look up, admiring the transformative ability he has when it comes to drag. A few hours ago he was just Derrick Allan, now here he stands, a majestic fantasy in heels. He doesn’t even look real. It’s what I love about drag; through clothes and makeup, you can become anything you want. Connie Heiress is this heightened version of Derrick that can be as expressive as she wants because it’s a fantasy and there are no rules or limits in fantasy. I’ve envied that about Derrick, yet here I find myself in a living fantasy and suddenly it’s not as glamorous as it seems. I have Gods at my door and each one brings with them a new revelation that turns my world upside down.
I shake my head regrettably, “Sorry, I can’t.”
“Okay…not giving me much to go on, but here’s what I can tell you.” He grasps my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes as if to hold my attention in his very hands. “You have an instinct I would kill for. You never doubt yourself and I live with doubt all the time. I act strong and confident, but I needed a wig and a dress just to learn how to be me, which is ironic. You are able to step into any situation and take to it with gusto and no one and nothing can tell you otherwise. You are fierce and someone I have always looked up to. You’re strong and resilient and the best person I’ve ever known. I don’t know what choice you have to make, but I know whatever you choose, it’ll be the right choice.”
I suck in a shaky breath feeling the tears sitting on my lash line, teetering on the edge.
“Thank you for always being someone I could turn to, even when you didn’t think you were helpful, I promise you were.”
“Look, now is not the time for either of us to be putting on the waterworks, I am not redoing this mug,” he says, gesturing to his gorgeous face. “And you have to go on stage in a minute, so you can’t go out looking like a fucking racoon.”
I chuckle and look around, grabbing a tissue and carefully letting it soak up my tears while avoiding my makeup. “How do I look?”
“You’ll do,” he shrugs with disinterest.
I smack his arm, “Bitch.”
“Why thank you,” he smirks.
I turn to the mirror, making sure my makeup isn’t completely ruined and admire the gorgeous dress I’m performing in. Derrick outdid himself this time. It is the most stunning thing he has ever designed for me. It’s a figure-hugging, silver turtle-neck dress covered in large, mirrored sequins that just manages to sit below my ass, with exquisite fringe sleeves that flow down to my shins. My hair is straight as a pin, flowing down my back while my eyes are blessed with a fierce wing that could cut a bitch and enough highlighter on my cheekbones to light up Vegas during a blackout. My legs are bronzed, and my heels are understated strappy, silver 6 inch pumps. I’m ready to wow the crowd.
“We’re ready to knock them dead!” announces Owen, adjusting the silver harness around his chest.
Sean walks in behind him, adding a little more oil to his body, looking like he fell into a vat of the stuff. He adjusts his silver, scrunch-leg, harem pants matching Owen’s, then holds his arms out for me to assess him.
“How do I look?”
“Like you’ve been dipped in enough oil to the point that those stage lights are going to cook you like a deep-fried banana,” Derrick teases.
“Oh, with ice cream?” I chirp.
“I told him not to add a third coat,” Owen chastises.
“I like to glisten under the lights,” Sean pouts.
“Hey, I don’t mind you guys glistening, I’m just worried you’re going to be so slippery I’m going to go flying out of your hands during a lift and slide across the bar like a damn slip ‘n’ slide,” I explain.
“I’ll quickly powder my palms. I promise I’m not going to drop you,” Sean swears, walking over to one of the makeup vanities and dusting his hands with some setting powder.
“You drop my girl and I’ll drop your ass out the door,” Derrick warns.
“Aww, he’s like my fairy godmother,” I coo, leaning my head against Derrick’s shoulder.
“Emphasis on ‘fairy’,” Owen sniggers.
The current performers make their way backstage grabbing their water as they drip with sweat. The assistants quickly rush out to collect the tips from the stage and I immediately feel the air around me shift. I smile to myself as my body feels infused with energy; my very nerves electrified alerting me to Jartre’s presence. I knew he wouldn’t stand me up, but just being able to feel that he’s near brings me both comfort and butterflies.
“You three get into position and I’ll announce you,” declares Derrick, kissing my cheek as he grabs the mic and makes his way onto the stage.
I take in a deep breath, “Alright, boys, let’s do this.”
I grab my microphone and with Owen and Sean trailing behind me, we make our way to the far back of the stage, a thick, black curtain now the only thing separating us from the crowd. I take centre, striking a pose as Owen and Sean take their positions behind me. I take in a deep breath, soaking up the moment, letting any jitters melt away. This is what I love to do. I’ve done this a million times…I’ve just never done this for Jartre.
“Hello, gorgeous, now do you know why this microphone has such a long cord?” I hear Derrick ask someone in the crowd.
“No!” they shout to be heard.
“So it's easier to retrieve when I shove it up your ass.”
The crowd goes crazy, applauding with “ooohs” at Connie's read as the three of us snigger behind the curtain.
“Now enough of this bullshit, it's time to give it up, for my favourite girl, the one, the only…ELLA!” Derrick announces, the crowd erupting in cheers as the music starts.
The curtain rises, I lift my mic to my lips and as if drawn by a magnetic pull my eyes meet Jartre’s. Silver eyes shine bright amongst a sea of faces drowned out by the spotlight. I’m blind to everyone in the crowd, but him I see clear as day. His long, luminous hair draped in a plait around his shoulder, his eyes fixed on me filled with love and adoration. Even if I couldn’t see it in his eyes, I can feel it in his soul. I give him a sly smile and throw him a wink as I begin to sing the lyrics to Kylie Minogue’s Supernova.
“A thousand light-years; you call to me. It's supernatural; your energy. New horizons. New galaxy. I'm coming for ya; your gravity.”
I see a surprised smirk grow on Jartre’s face as he takes in the lyrics to the song. Tonight I’m performing for him. Tonight I’m singing to him about the otherworldly love and energy he has brought into my life because I think this song says it better than I ever will. He leans against the bar, watching as Owen, Sean and I dance in perfect unison just as we practised.
On the second chorus we dance our way through the crowd, interacting with patrons as they step out of our way, my voice not faltering on a single note. We make our way to the bar and with ease, they lift me onto the bar top. As the music slows down, I move down to my knees, crawling my way over to Jartre – one-handed, of course – my eyes never leaving him as I sing directly to him. He smiles in captivation, hanging on my every word as I sit up on my knees, caressing his cheek as my voice envelopes us. As soon as the beat drops, I jump up onto my feet, now joined on the bar by Owen and Sean, the crowd screaming and singing along as we dance, hitting every single beat like we’ve been doing it our entire lives.
I hit my final note, pass my microphone to a surprised Owen, and with adrenaline rushing through my system, turn my back to the crowd and leap off the bar. I smile wide when I feel inhumanly strong arms catch me with ease, igniting my body with heat as they cradle me close. I smile as I look up at the panic-stricken face of my sexy thunderbolt. I wrap my arms around his neck and place a deep, passionate kiss on his lips. He returns my kiss without a second thought, his lips caressing mine with familiarity.
He reluctantly pulls away and rests his forehead against mine, the cheers and hollering of the crowd drowned out as I focus on him.
“That wasn’t funny,” he admonishes me.
“I knew you’d catch me,” I say confidently, caressing his chiselled cheek.
“What if I hadn’t?” he argues.
I raise a ‘come on, now’ eyebrow at him. “In what universe would you let me hit the floor?”
He smiles in amusement, shaking his head. “There’s no universe or lifetime where I would ever let you fall,” he vows, once again placing his lips on mine
I cup my hand to his cheek, returning his kiss, letting my lips linger on his as I bask in the sensation of them.
“I know.”