Page 95 of Protecting Mr. Fine

Kradle began to introduce us onstage.

Derek winked at me over Jude’s shoulder before leaning down and kissing his ear. “Break a leg, Bluebell. I love you. You’re going to be amazing. You always are.”

Jude turned to kiss him on the lips while I tried my hardest not to look at Bear, who was standing quietly next to me. I hated that hecouldn’t participate in this conversation as my partner, and I wondered how long it would take to convince him that was the role I wanted him in.

Watching Jude and Derek reminded me that this was exactly how the two of them had ended up together. Derek had been Jude’s close protection specialist, and the two of them had fallen in love.

Jude and I moved forward toward the stage and away from our bodyguards. “Can I ask you something later?” I asked Jude quietly.

He turned to me with a look of concern on his face. “Of course. Anything. Anytime. I hope you know that.”

I nodded and gave him a smile of thanks. He reached out for a fist bump. “Let’s kill this. And don’t let me fall, or I’ll take you down with me to make it a bigger story.”

We jogged out onstage laughing, took the mics, and began our performance. Jude started with a heartfelt thanks to the giant crowd.

“Thanks to you, we’ve raised over two million Euros tonight for LGBTQIA+ youth around the world,” he said. “Thanks to you, fewer children will go without much-needed support of psychologists and therapists. Thanks to you, at-risk teens in our community will be more likely to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the line. Thanks to you, LGBTQIA+ kids who need food, shelter, clothing, medication, hormones, and any other essential needs will get it. And thanks to you, the youth in our community will know just how much we value every single one of them for being exactly who they are. This show is for them. Please help me welcome my friend Zee Barlo. Zee and I are going to sing a new song for you tonight if that’s okay.”

The crowd screamed and cheered their heads off while Jude grinned at me. My heart was so full, and my lungs felt like I could sing for days.

“Let’s do this,” I shouted, pulling the guitar around from where it had been hanging on my back.

It was a song we’d written especially for this event. Because both Jude’s and my schedules had been so hectic this year, we’d had to collaborate over emails, texts, and Zoom, butwe’d finally put it together. Jude had arranged for us to record it in a studio in LA next week so we could release it by Christmas.

His idea had been to record it with as many big-name performers as we could gather and then donate the proceeds to the same charity initiative the concert was benefitting. Between the two of us, we’d managed to pull in a powerhouse list of names for the recording, and I couldn’t wait to meet them all in the studio.

As the chorus came around the second time, the crowd began to pick up on it and sing along. By the third time, thousands of voices joined ours.

You’re my brave, my light, my truth.

The world shines brighter because of you.

Stand tall, let your colors show.

You’re the brightest light, never let it go.

I sang with my whole heart. For men like Jude who’d waited a long time. For kids like Auden Salling who might never be able to come out. For women like Aria & Velvet who’d been out since the beginning but still struggled with prejudice and hate. For myself and all the times I’d felt like I wanted to help kids like me.

I was grateful to have a record label that supported me. An agent and manager who were on board with my goals. And now… now an actual boyfriend. Someone who was in love with me and who valued my career and my dreams as much as I did.

As the last chord echoed against the screams of the crowd, Jude and I shared a knowing look. This was good work. We were so fucking lucky to be able to live this life.

We went right into singing one of his songs together before I stepped offstage while he sang a solo about his husband called “Break Away.” It wasn’t a new song, but I still couldn’t help but glance at Derek, who wore a lovesick expression on his face. Jude was so lucky to have him. Derek was famous for going all soft for his famoushusband, and he was also famous for continuing to guard Jude Marian with his life, despite his middle age.

I was here for all of it. The two of them had the life I wanted, and I realized maybe Jude was the one who could help me figure out how to get it.

Once Jude’s song ended, he introduced a popular German band and said we’d be back with more songs shortly. When he returned to the wings where I was standing with Derek and Bear, Jude walked into Derek’s arms for a big hug.

“Good job not falling on your face, Bluebell,” Derek teased. “I already texted Rosie, ‘so far, so good.’”

Jude punched him lightly in the stomach before reaching out to fist-bump me. “They loved it. Great job.”

“I didn’t have the guts to tell you this when we first met,” I confessed. “But you were an inspiration when I was growing up, not just for your music. Watching you thrive being out and proud in front of your fans encouraged me to be out from the beginning. I made sure I had an agent and a label who supported me because I knew it was possible from watching you.”

Jude placed his hand over his heart. “You have no idea how much that means to me. I wish I could say I should have come out sooner, but I can’t. If I’d been out sooner, I’m not sure I would have ended up with Derek the way I did.”

I shrugged. “Maybe it happened that way for a reason.” I wondered if the Ventdestinians had a point when they put their faith in the winds of fate.

“And now you can be that inspiration for the ones coming up,” he said with a smile.

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