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Behind them sat Elijah’s best friend, Amelia, with their mom and dad next to her, all three of them standing up and throwing a shower of singles onto the stage. Kimmy Mowry as Reggis Fillme had a fucking money gun, which sent a stream of bills in our direction. Blue Divine blew them a kiss as one of the barbacks came around and collected all the money in a silver bucket.
Blue looked stunning—only word I could really use to describe her. She had a big blond wig that had been styled by the same wig designer used by A-list celebrities, the silky golden hair falling down onto her bare shoulders. She wore a strapless red velvet dress that hugged her (padded) curves tight, her hips and ass looking like a full-course meal. Next to her was Majesty Divine, the newest member of the family.
If you told either of us that one day Elijah would stand onstage next to Walter Hooper in drag, we would have laughed off that possibility and gone on with our days.
But a lot changed after Billie took his dramatic exit. Elijah no longer lived in constant fear, and that allowed him to drop the sharp and defensive facade he had adopted from the years of having to look over his shoulder. His smile came easier, and his light shined brighter than ever. It was a beautiful transformation to watch, and I felt lucky to be standing next to him on the stage, knowing that I’d be lying down next to him later tonight, holding him in my arms.
I felt like the luckiest fucking drag queen in the entire solar system.
“All right, all right,” Jen said over the clapping. “I know they’re gorgeous, but please, keep it in your pants and save the claps for the clinic.”
That earned a room full of laughter. The clapping died down as Jen handed the mic over to Blue, stepping to the side of the stage.
“Thanks, Jen. And thank all of you beautiful angels for coming out tonight! This was an incredible night, and it’s about to get even more incredible.”
I glanced at Blue, my drawn-on eyebrows inching together.
Wait a second, he doesn’t know, does he?
I swallowed a bundle of nerves. The thrill of performing and being onstage helped me deal with the other thing I’d been anxious about ever since I had the idea. The last few nights were mostly sleepless as I tossed and turned, going over the plan in my head over and over again while Elijah gently snored next to me, completely oblivious to what I was planning.
At least, I thought he’d been oblivious. Had I slipped up? Had he seen me googling ring sizes? Or did he find the box? I could have sworn I hid it well, but Elijah had shown that he had some detective creds of his own.
“Jen, you’ve got the numbers?”
Ah, good. So it wasn’t about my plans. I was in the clear.
“Sure do.” She came over with an envelope in her hand. She handed it to Blue Divine and stepped to the side.
“All right, so in here,” Blue said as she slipped a nail under the seal. “I’ve got the results, and wow, I’m sorry, Sunshine, but you in fact are the father.”
I feigned a look of shock, crouching down on my knees, forgetting I was wearing a knee-length dress that rode up and gave everyone a view of the boxers I was wearing. Majesty came to my side and started to shout, “I knew the baby had your chest hair! I knew it was yours!”
It got a huge laugh from the crowd.
“Now, for the real announcement,” Blue said, taking back control of the crowd. “Tonight, between all the tips and the silent auction, you all raised a total of—holy shit.” Blue’s eyes opened as wide as a pair of full moons. “You gorgeous fucking creatures raised a total of a hundred thousand dollars!”
If the cheering had been loud before, it was rapturous now. Everyone was up on their feet as the screen changed behind us, depicting virtual confetti that matched the actual confetti falling from the ceiling. Blue looked stunning, a hand on her mouth. I came over and kissed her.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.”
The clapping and cheering vibrated through my chest. Majesty was crying, along with Jen and a few others in the crowd. The number seemed unreal, and it all happened because of Elijah and his drive to make a difference. Coupling that with his star power, and you got a life-changing night for so many.
A night that still held some surprises.
I grabbed the mic, the crowd still clapping. This was the moment. I knew it had to happen now. Like some invisible force had their hands on my shoulders and was pushing me forward. I looked to Jen and gave her a subtle thumbs-up, like we had practiced. She gave me a nod and disappeared into the DJ booth.
