Page 2 of Room for Elijah

After a few more sips, Vanna turned wide, heavily made-up eyes toward Elijah. “Hi. You’re new.”

Elijah wasn’t sure how to respond. Swallowing his food, he forced himself to meet the queen head-on. Her eyes were an even brighter shade of blue than Dermott’s. This close, he could see that her makeup was more elaborate and exaggerating than anything he’d ever seen before—not that the women of his family ever wore any. The elder women had always condemned it as sinful, as had their church—just one more thing he’d silently disagreed with. The contouring and shading of Vanna’s face gave an illusion of it being more feminine than it probably was, although Vanna was drop-dead gorgeous by any standard. Elijah was fascinated at how little it took to make the transformation.

Not wanting to be rude, he looked away. “I’m Elijah. I just arrived in Boston and was looking for work.”

“Oh, mama, you’ve come to the right place.” Vanna leaned over some. “You have great bone structure. And you’re so petite. Men are going to lap you up with a spoon.”

Before Elijah could form a response, Dermott returned. “Easy, baby. The kid literally just got off the bus, and he’s not here to learn how to be a queen. Are you?” He trained his eyes on Elijah.

He could feel another blush coming on. “No, sir. I don’t want to be an entertainer. I couldn’t be as good as anyone here, anyway.” His glanced at the stage, where another queen was prancing to Tina Turner in sky-high heels. The queen was as impressive as Vanna had been, although this one was darker all around and was wearing a corset cinched impossibly tight. Her hair was a mass of ropey curls that shook as if they had a life of their own.

Vanna giggled. “That’s what Medusa said when she first arrived. Remember? And look at her now!” Vanna leaned over toward Elijah again and said, “She can corset her waist to nineteen inches. Can you believe it? Scarlett O’Hara would be green with envy.”

Elijah shook his head, understanding that he was supposed to be impressed. And he was, but he was also starting to think he’d made a mistake. This world had always appealed to him when he’d caught glimpses of it on TV and the Internet. Now that he was wading into it, his insecurities flared, and he wasn’t sure this was where he belonged at all. His conservative, rural upbringing hadn’t prepared him for the intensity of the attention he was getting—nor was he able to handle the emotional and physical reactions he was having toward Dermott and, surprisingly, Vanna. Although virile men had always been his go-to fantasy, it was weird how attracted he was to someone so overtly female. Girls had never interested him. And he’d always been careful to hide his erections and was stingy with his own hand. Right at the moment, however, he craved somewhere private where he could take care of his disconcerting arousal.

But he had made a bargain, sort of, with Dermott. He owed the man labor for the meal, and he wasn’t one to run out on an obligation. Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he slid off the stool and grabbed his plate and empty glass. “What can I do to help, sir?”

By way of answer, Dermott pulled an apron and plastic tub out from under the counter and placed them in front of him. “You can start by bussing your own stuff, then go clear that table in the corner.”

“Yes, sir.” Putting his plate and glass into the tub, he got to work.

Chapter Two

“This is the last of it, Antonio.” Elijah placed the tub of dirty dishes on the counter next to the dishwasher that the guy was filling. He was exhausted, yet also totally stoked. Whatever else his life in Boston had in store for him, at least he’d found some work and would be leaving with more money in his pocket than he’d arrived with.

“Thanks, man.” Antonio started adding the stuff to the final load. “Good thing for all of us you were here after Joey ghosted us at the last minute.” He shook his head. “That boy is as flighty as they come. The boss isn’t going to give him another chance.”

Wiping his hands on his apron, Elijah asked, “Is there anything else I can do?” Joey’s loss had been his gain, so he wasn’t going to fault the guy for failing to show up.

“Nah, we’re good.” Antonio shot him a grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Elijah gnawed at his lip. “Oh, um, I don’t think I’m going to be here after tonight.”

“What, you have another gig?”

“No, but Mr. McCarthy hasn’t offered me a job. It’s a temporary thing.”

“You sure about that?” Antonio turned to him with raised eyebrows. “Something tells me the boss has other ideas. Go talk to him.”

“Okay.” Elijah took off his apron and left the kitchen, trying not to get his hopes up too much. A job at the club, even if it were only bussing tables and mopping floors, would be a godsend.

The last of the patrons were leaving, laughing and talking about finding somewhere else to keep the party going. Given that it was after one in the morning, he couldn’t imagine where they would go and how they’d find the energy to do anything other than go to bed. He was beat, himself, although he had no idea if there was a place out there for him to crash. There might be a homeless shelter, but maybe he could find a cheap motel to spend the night. The boss could probably give him some advice on that point. It didn’t take long to locate Dermott. The man was still behind the bar, wiping the counter.

Vanna and Medusa sat on nearby stools, sipping drinks through straws and giggling at each other. Although he’d been working when Medusa had finished her first set, Elijah had still caught sight of the queen joining Vanna. It was impossible to miss how both boys received the same welcome and affection from Dermott when they’d finished a performance. And despite what looked like a rivalry situation, they flirted and showered equal attention on each other. It was jaw-dropping to see that, instead of showing any kind of jealousy, Vanna had embraced Medusa and delivered a kiss of her own. The two queens had spent all their downtime with each other and interacting with Dermott whenever he wasn’t busy.

It seemed impossible that two guys could openly date the same man, let alone want each other, as well. He knew people weren’t always monogamous, no matter what his pastor preached, yet he’d also never seen it on full and shameless display, either. He envied the queens’ openness, although he didn’t think he was cut out for that kind of social life. Whenever he’d pictured the future he was hoping for, it had always involved making a home with one man. These boys obviously had a different take on life, perhaps because they were performers. Maybe their public displays of affection were part of the act—except the patrons were gone and the boys were no longer in their drag queen personas. They were now dressed in gender-neutral street clothes without the elaborate wigs and with no obvious makeup on. They were both still gorgeous, and their natural hair was somewhat like the wigs they’d worn in the same color, but without the flair of curls and teased out strands. They seemed just as intimate with each other as they had been while wearing drag.

Dermott smiled as he approached. “Ah, Elijah, I was about to come looking for you.” He placed a short stack of bills on the counter and pushed them in his direction.

Somewhat embarrassed, yet equally thrilled to be paid, Elijah picked up the money and gasped. “This is a hundred dollars!”

“Well earned. I believe in paying my staff more than minimum wage, and with Uncle Sam ignorant of this transaction, I can afford to be more generous than usual. Tomorrow, however, we will have to fill out some paperwork to keep the man happy.”

Elijah couldn’t help bouncing on his toes. “You’re going to hire me for more work?”

“Of course. I’m sure you’re aware that I’m a man down with Joey gone. He texted me to say he’s on his way to Florida with a guy he has met.” Dermott shook his head. “I hope he’s being careful, but I’m not his father, so… Anyway, the job’s yours if you want it. Full time, although most of the hours are, as you’ve seen already, not your typical nine-to-five. Are you okay with working nights?”

“Yes, sir.” Elijah wasn’t going to quibble about any of the employment terms. He was too relieved to have landed on his feet so quickly—except for one thing. “Um, do you know of a…hostel or somewhere I can sleep until I have enough money for an apartment?”

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