Page 78 of Relief Pitcher

Seth smiled cheekily and adjusted his trendy, thick-rimmed glasses. There was something endearingly snarky about him. “We do share DNA, so I suppose, occasionally, we might have some similarities. For better or worse.”

The bartender took our orders, and when she left, Seth cleared his throat.

“I’ve got to say, you being around has made Ty a lot more tolerable. I want to murder him about fifty percent less often now.”

I tilted my head back and laughed. “I’m sure my best friend, Danita, would say the same about Ty.”

We were silent for a bit, and I bobbed my head to the upbeat song playing over the speakers.

Seth turned to me. “Are you bothered by my brother’s reputation?”

“Of course not. I get to benefit from all the tricks he’s picked up.”

He laughed. “Gross.”

“But seriously, I’m not bothered because it doesn’t matter. He’s been upfront about his past and preferences since I met him. He doesn’t seem bothered that I’m a widower who gets more than my fair share of pity, and I’m not upset that he’s touched more dicks than I’ve seen in porn.”

Seth’s mouth twitched. He looked deep in thought for a moment. “Okay.” A lot went unsaid in that “okay,” but he didn’t need words for me to capture what he’d left out.

I nodded once because there wasn’t anything for me to say. I wouldn’t say anything to Seth that I hadn’t already said to Ty. And there wasn’t much I’d said to Ty when it came to how I felt about him. I might need to fix that soon. Fortunately, the bartender returned with our drinks, and we went back to the table.

We’d barely sat when the Chamber of Commerce director, Mabel, went on stage and introduced the first act. She talked about the charities that would receive the proceeds for the night, then introduced the first act: a drag queen dressed in leather.

We had a great time cheering on the acts. There was a mix of drag queens and kings, solo performers, duets, and groups. Despite being an amateur show, it was clear some people had done it before, while others seemed brand new. Every act was amazing in its own way. It was incredible to see a community come together to watch people bravely put themselves out there like that.

Mabel returned to the stage. “Next up, we have the owners of Tap That Brewery here in town returning for their second year. Their beers are available on tap tonight. I’m especially fond of the Lipstick Lesbi-lager. Please don’t forget to tip your server. Now let’s give it up for Sporty Stout, Posh Pilsner, Scary Saison, and Baby Bock.”

“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls blared over the sound system, and the crowd went wild. Ty, Austin, Ethan, and Dom strutted—literally strutted—onto the stage. They each wore dresses that barely covered their asses and wigs that were reminiscent of the Spice Girl each represented. My attention immediately went to Ty. His dress was royal blue with white tracksuit stripes going down both sides, and his wig was pulled back into a tight and high ponytail. The makeup around his eyes was dark and shimmery when the stage lights caught it. He looked incredible.

I jumped to my feet and pulled the wad of cash from my pocket that I’d saved specifically for their performance.

Their performance started with each of them moving freestyle as they lip-synced their verses, but they eventually moved into group choreography I vaguely remembered from the music video. I tried to spread my attention among everyone, but it was impossible to take my eyes off Ty. He oozed confidence and sex appeal. I had a feeling I would find Ty attractive in any form. Knowing he wore panties that I bought for him? That thought alone sent my blood rushing south. Maybe he’d let me buy more for him. And damn, the man could walk in heels. New kink unlocked.

People approached the stage, waving their cash. Ty and Ethan were the most gregarious and took tips down the fronts of their dresses. Austin seemed more focused on not messing up the choreography while Dom was, well, doing his best. It was probably impossible to make that man appear at ease in heels. He was closer to the lumbering end of the spectrum than graceful.

Hayden waved a bill at Dom, who promptly ignored him as he marched with a wobble to the other end of the stage. Broad-shouldered marching in sequins and a red wig was a sight to behold. It took skill to look grumpy while lip-synching to an upbeat Spice Girls song.

Hayden wouldn’t take no for an answer. He moved through the crowd toward Dom’s new spot. When he passed me, I noticed the bill in his hand was a hundred. Ethan spotted Hayden, winked, and then pushed Dom toward him without missing a word.

Dom glared at Hayden while accepting the money, but he didn’t miss a word either. Hayden slid it under the strap of Dom’s dress, then winked at him. He held Dom’s stare for a long beat before Dom seemed to snap out of it and finish the song. Hayden shrugged at us when he came back to the table.

The energy was electric. Were all the Dahlia Springs Pride events so fun? I wanted to attend more of them next year. It felt like the entire town of Dahlia Springs was crammed into the bar, cheering on the brewery boys. We had to be breaking a fire code, but I loved every second. The high energy, the fun, the laughter. I wanted more of it. I wanted to be a part of it and the community right by Ty’s side.

* * *

TYLER

“That was amazing!”I walked around and gave the other performers high fives. Most were enthusiastic, including Ethan, but Austin winced before I even went in for the contact. I had a reputation for going hard with the high fives. Dom indulged me with a sigh. A drag king I didn’t know had a high five so perfect the sound of the slap reverberated around the room. “Epic!”

Ethan, Austin, and Dom all pointed at me, grinning wide. “Dammit. I’ll change the board to zero next time I’m at the brewery.” I’d worked up a streak of over three weeks without saying that word.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I chugged another bottle of water. It hadn’t let up since our performance ended about twenty minutes ago. Most people were still in drag and touching up their makeup before heading out to mingle with the audience. Last year, I hadn’t understood why people wanted to stay in the uncomfortable clothes and itchy wigs, but after going through it, I got the appeal. Putting in that much effort and money to look good? I sure as hell wanted to milk it as long as possible. And maybe atinypart of me wanted to gauge Coop’s reaction up close.

The performance had been a blur. I’d noticed Coop and his perma-grin, but with the flashing lights and cheers, I hadn’t gotten as much of his reaction as I’d hoped for. Wearing the special panties Coop had bought me had made the night even better. Moving on stage with his eyes on me, both of us knowing what I had on under my dress, had made me so fucking hot. If I didn’t know at least a quarter of the people in the building, I would drag him to the nearest dark corner.

“Want to grab a drink?” I asked the guys.

Dom nodded and followed me out. He kept everything on but swapped the kitten heels for his work boots. A look only Dom could pull off.

---