“You’re the best,” Mads said. “Thank you for today.”
“Can’t wait to hear about the flag football event,” Kyle chimed in with a grin.
I flipped him off, and then I left.
And I definitely didnotthink about the fact that I’d be seeing Emily Huxley again in just two short weeks as I drove home.
Emily
“Oh, my God! This is the best day of my life!”
Darcy Meyers squealed those words loud enough to nearly be heard over the pulsing bass and the roar of the crowd around us. The drag brunch venue was packed wall to wall, every table crammed with glittering cocktails and half-eaten stacks of pancakes, the air thick with the scent of syrup, citrus, and bacon. We’d snagged a small round table just a few feet from the stage — close enough that when the queens performed, it felt like they were dancing for us.
Darcy had officially accepted my roommate proposal, and since then, Marcus and I had been delighting in showing her all Seattle had to offer before our season really swung into full gear.
Darcy was an adorable little thing — five foot two and tan with bleached-blonde hair that fell down to the middle of her back in soft, straight strands. A twenty-two-year-old from South Dakota, she had lived a pretty sheltered life up to this point.
And then Marcus and I entered the picture.
Marcus smirked from beside me, tilting his mimosa to his lips. “See? Drag brunch is magic.”
“It’sincredible,” Darcy said with reverence, her eyes as wide as coasters.
The lights shifted in washes of pink and gold, catching on sequins and rhinestones as the current performer — Ivana Adore — spun and twirled beneath them, the DJ shouting her name over the speakers while the crowd whooped and whistled.
“I have never seen anyone move like this,” Darcy exclaimed.
Marcus grimaced a bit at that. “You poor thing.”
“You act like she’s a feral cat with her tail missing,” I teased.
“I mean, are they that far off?”
“Do you think she could teach me how to twerk?” Darcy asked, her eyes still filled with stars.
“Twerkwhat, exactly?” Marcus teased affectionately. “Love you, babe, but that ass is as flat as the pancakes this place serves.”
“Hey!” Darcy laughed, swatting his arm before she stood up and offered her cute little ass for us to assess. “It’sat leasta fluffy pancake. Maybe even a waffle.”
“Come to the gym with me,” I said. “Some hip thrusts and split squats will get you firmly in the scone category.”
“Only if you seriously promise to teach me how to shake this ass once you help me build it.”
“And you teach us how you do five backflips in a row without breaking a sweat,” I said, pointing at her.
“Deal!”
Darcy plopped back down into her chair with an excited clap just as Ivana Adore leapt up and held fast to the rafters above us, dazzling the crowd with magnificent body waves and fan kicks. She waited for the beat drop and promptly let go, falling all the way to the floor and landing in a perfect split.
Marcus and I flew to our feet, clapping and whistling as Ivana Adore bounced in that split with a smirk like it was nothing. Darcy was apparently stunned speechless, orgaggedas Marcusexclaimed (and assured her he’d explain later). Her mouth was hanging open and her blue eyes were unblinking.
I chuckled as I took my seat next to her, “Life changing, isn’t it?”
“I’ve never felt more inspired in my life,” she said with awe. “I want to go to the VMAC right now and try to be worthy of existing in the same space.”
“Please,” Marcus said, draining the last of his mimosa before he refilled his glass with the open bottle of champagne in a bucket between us. He added the tiniest splash of orange juice. “Tuesday and Thursday nights are plenty for me to be held hostage at that training facility.”
“Don’t act like you don’t love it. You’re always the first one there, and Iknowyou’ve been working on those high kicks,” I said.
