Tartosan Sun: Journeys

Chapter Six:

Mimi sat in front of the mirror closely examining her look. Tonight was big and her look had to be on point. It wasn't the first time performing in drag. She had been grinding in any little club she could get a booking in since graduating from Oasis Springs High. She hustled odd jobs when the gigs weren't there. This was her dream and she wasn't going to be deterred. What ever it took she would grind her way to the top.

She'd networked with the queens in the Del Sol drag community. She got to know them and they got to know her. Mimi would show up on the Monday nights when almost no one else did. She cheered, pitched in and helped by collecting tips or taking photos if the queens needed it. She soaked up the advice and inspiration like a sponge. As she applied the finishing touches, she thought back to all that hard work. She was still a long way from the top, but tonight could open a lot of doors that would eventually lead her there. "This is what you were born to do. Tonight is what dreams are made of" Mimi thought to herself as she applied one last swipe of blush.

Venessa slipped on her favorite pair of strappy stilettos and took a tentative step. She winced as soon as her left foot touched the ground. It was no use, it had to be sneakers. If someone wanted to question her about wearing sneakers with a mini dress she'd drop a heavy sword on their foot and see how they reacted.

 She scolded herself. "It was your fault 'Nessa. No one made you twirl the stupid thing. But seriously what was that Laurent guy thinking? Play sword fighting with a small woman so she could get into acting school? Men!" she fumed. Her saltiness was the sore foot talking. It had been more than a week but her foot was still sore. She chose her pair of solid whites for their comfort. She might be committing a fashion no-no, but at the end of the night her feet would be happier. She was just thankful that she still had all her toes, no broken bones, and, she'd been accepted into acting school. 

Londyn couldn't make up her mind what to wear. Why was this even a question she wondered. She'd spotted the little black dress the other day and instantly thought of tonight. She slipped into it and topped it off with her black leather jacket. She usually didn't struggle with these decisions. She wasn't normally this distracted either. She couldn't shake thoughts of how long it had been since she'd had any romance. She'd always preferred quality over quantity when it came to lovers. Still, she craved some intimate fun now and then. She paused in front of the mirror, dreaming of undergarments hanging from the doorknob in the morning, and the scent of a lover's perfume to greet her, along with all the fun in between.

"Ready or not" Mimi called out after settling her wig in place. Londyn and Venessa were waiting when she emerged. Mimi turned the little bungalow into her personal runway. Shoulders back, hips swaying silkily, rocking in rhythm to a song only she could hear, Mimi sashayed into the room. 

"Work it Queen!" Londyn said.

For a brief moment Venessa's jaw dropped in amazement. "Oh. Em. Gee. Girl!" Mimi twisted and turned to show off the whole look.

 Venessa leaned over Londyn's shoulder, her eyes still on Mimi, "Would I be a bad person if I said it should be illegal to be that gorgeous?"

 Londyn turned to look at her with a bit of side eye. "Just kidding" Venessa said getting a playful push away by Londyn. "You really do look amazing sweetie!" Venessa added sincerely.

"Thank you" Mimi was beaming. From the heat in her cheeks she probably didn't need all those layers of blush. "We need to get going if we're going to be on time." The doors opened at 6 pm and they needed to be there when they did. Londyn drove while they discussed their plans for the night. They also tried to guess which song Mimi had chosen for her performance. Venessa and Londyn would take turns guessing, then all three would sing a few bars. It helped pass the time as they crept along in rush hour traffic. Anywhere else in the world three women in a car singing their hearts out might get a few odd looks from other motorists stuck at the traffic lights. In Del Sol Valley things like that went almost entirely unnoticed. They made it all the way without guessing what song Mimi had chosen. But she was going to keep them in suspense a little while longer.

Mimi was glad she'd gotten ready at home. She would still need to find a mirror to double check her look before going on. Still it was better than trying to pull everything together in a madhouse. Her dream was to someday have a regular gig at one club. When that happened then she'd have her own little space to get ready in. There was a little time left before she needed to check in so she hung out with the ladies and helped them stake out good seats.

Londyn brought her a glass of soft shadow avornalino figuring it would settle Mimi's nerves. The butterflies were working overtime in her stomach. The party was attracting a who's who of the LGBTQ  and entertainment communities.

 "No pressure girl. It's just the biggest moment of your life and it's only in front of half the celebs in Del Sol Valley" she thought to herself as she took a sip of the avornalino. It was just as well it was time to head backstage. It stopped her from ordering another glass. She had to keep her wits about her. As she got up from the table she said, "Wish me luck. And by the way, I chose to lip sync to Pink Pony Club."  

"I almost guessed that one!" Londyn said. "It's perfect for you! Now go slay!"

 The house DJ was setting the perfect mood. With the house lights still up Londyn and Venessa checked out the room. There was no shortage of women who caught their eye. Just like Londyn, Venessa was hoping tonight would lead to undergarments on the door and a night to remember with someone she hadn't met yet. Londyn took another sip of nectar. As her lips touched the glass Venessa suddenly envied that glass. She would have given anything to be that glass, to have those ebony lips on hers. Only sheer will power kept Venessa from diving over the table and passionately kissing her.

"Oh God! Where did that come from?" she said out loud, then froze.

"What? Where did what come from?" Londyn asked puzzled by Venessa’s outburst. She quickly glanced around the room. "What are you talking about 'Nessa? What did I miss?"

"Oh God, I just said that out loud!" she said, this time keeping to herself. She felt her face turning beet red.  She quickly reigned herself in before things got any weirder. "Nothing" she said out loud. "I think I had an extra strong glass of nectar. It must have gone to my head or something. Something like that." She was so embarrassed she prayed the ground would open up right now and swallow her whole. 

Her excuse sounded lame even before she opened her mouth. But she was powerless to stop it. Londyn was clearly perplexed by her little outburst, and she definitely wasn't buying her explanation either. Who would? Venessa's subconscious mind had picked a fine time to say hello. No use trying to deny what it was. She’d sort this out later. 

“'Ness are you okay? Your face is redder than your dress.” The concern was etched on Londyn’s face.

 “I’m ok." That was a bald faced lie. She wanted to dive under the table, curl up in a ball, and disappear. Or die of embarrassment. Take your pick. "Thank you for being worried, but I’m fine. I had a hot flash. That's all.”  As if someone sensed Venessa’s prredicament the house lights went down and the show began. Venessa breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully by the time the show was over she'd regain her composure.

Mimi had been relieved to learn she would be going on fifth. She wanted to perform early but she didn’t want to be the first. She wanted time to see and feel the crowd’s energy. They were into the show and she was mesmerized. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on stage. She suddenly became aware of the incredibly cute guy talking to her. He must be the stage manager. "God he's cute!" was the only thought in her head at the moment. He held her eyes as he walked away, smiling.

“Pull yourself together!" She only had a few moments to collect her thoughts and jot her name and number down on a post-it note. Maybe it was her imagination but she'd swear he flirted with her. Mimi had never been hit on while in her persona. Not by a total stranger who had never seen her out of character at least. It was flattering and intriguing. She wanted to explore the world of possibilities her mind was conjuring. Then she heard the emcee. “Let’s keep this party going! Give it up for our next performer, Mimi Eleganza!!!”  

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Mimi left her note on the wall. As she climbed that stairs she wondered if it would still be there five minutes from now...

...to be continued. 😇