Page 51 of Cleats and Pumps

He hung up before I could reply. Okay, this was suspicious. Something felt off, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I mean, I had plenty to hide. Amos and I had hooked up again, but no one except Owen knew we’d ever hooked up before, and I’d been extra careful to shut the blinds the night we’d hooked up in New Mexico. So, no, it wasn’t likely anyone could prove we had been anything but friends and former roommates.

Oh well, I was making a mint on this article, or articles, so I couldn’t complain, and I didn’t have anyone breathing down my throat either. That was a major plus.

I made a couple more edits to the article and sent it off to them. Mostly, this was a fluff piece. But it did explain what had happened to Amos this summer. There would be a lot of questions now, like why he wasn’t practicing with his team. But, that wasn’t for me to report on.

Maybe that was why the boss had been so strange. Maybe they were going to expose the benching. I was sure someone must have disclosed this by now. My article would be a great way to augment the drama. I could almost write the headline:Amos Clark Benched For Doing Drag, Other Players Let Off Scot-free.Then the next article:Amos Clark Volunteers To Coach High School Team in the Desert As His Team Gives Him Cold Shoulder.

The team, if the article was written correctly, would look like the jackasses they are. Amos would have to navigate the landmines himself, but I’d run into Erissa Smith, his manager, before, and the woman knew her way around a scandal. I’m sure she’d do well for him.

Regardless, I couldn’t be responsible for where this went.

I slumped back on the sofa and thought about Amos. I hated how I ended it with him. I hated that I didn’t give it one morenight. I missed him and hated myself for that. Now that we’d reconnected and had gone there again, well… now I wanted him all over again. Fuck me…

Regardless, I was determined not to stand in his way. It just wasn’t right, and he would resent me eventually if I did.

Oh well, I’d be seeing him in a few weeks anyway. We’d rehash all that later. Or maybe he’d just tell me he was done. Either way, resolution would happen.

36

Amos

“Fuck,”Fordsaid,causingme to look in the direction he was turned.

“That asshole is over there showing off. Look at that bitch on his arm. How old is he, fifteen?” I asked, letting my inner bitch out.

Ford had been sulking next to me ever since Dorian had walked in with the twink on his arm. Of course, if Ford paid a little attention he’d see that the twink was looking at every man in the room except Dorian. They may be together, but they were certainly not… together.

If I were to guess, the twink would be in the bar’s bathroom within the hour getting his ass pounded by some random stranger.

It was karaoke night, and I’d been here before when all the Broadway singers had taken over the stage, singing their hearts out. No regular person would dare sing karaoke at this bar… not with all the talent swirling around us.

“So, want me to go kill him?” I asked Ford and got a laugh out of him. Dorian looked our way, and his eyes squinted everso slightly, showing just how much he was struggling with Ford pretending to be on my arm.

Before Ford could respond, Dorian stormed up on stage, took the microphone from the guy who was running the karaoke machine and said,“You Oughta Know” to the guy.

The man looked at the playlist and at the fifty or so people in front of him, then shrugged before putting the song on. Dorian could sing, like really sing, and no one outsang him, maybe not even Alanis Morrissette.

As Dorian began, Ford basically froze next to me. The anguish coming from him caused my stomach to churn. I wish Ford could’ve gone up and blasted him with an equally good hate song, but the poor guy couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. I didn’t hesitate; I rushed over to the karaoke guy and said, “Play ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’.”

He started to say something, and I shook my head. “Listen. I’m going to sing that song a cappella or with music. I recommend you do it with music ’cause I don’t sound good without it.” I saw his expression change and wanted to laugh ’cause, for real, with all the divas he dealt with on karaoke nights, I was sure this wasn’t uncommon.

I’d heard this performed on stage here a couple years ago when I’d first met Ford. I’d loved the song and used it in my own drag performances, so I knew the music, and it was so full of attitude, I knew it’d get the effect I was hoping for.

Dorian gave Ford a pointed look as he walked off the stage, and the timing between songs couldn’t have been more perfect as the next song began and I marched out on stage. Not in drag, but performing as myself.

I used the first few verses to garner attention from the crowd and before I knew it, a couple women had jumped on stage and were singing the background parts for me.Perfect… I thought, then began strutting my stuff.

When I got to the main part, I changed the lyrics to “don’t lose your man.” Even though this was about King Henry’s wives, I wanted to make a point… It seemed to have landed, because when I looked Dorian in the eye as I sang to tell him that I hadn’t meant to hurt him, I saw his expression change.

I continued to perform as I saw him walk over toward Ford. I smiled to myself, knowing my game had worked. They’d be back together before the night was over. I continued singing, letting myself lose control now, turning and twerking as the music moved into its regular beat.

Of course, the crowd screamed. Damn, I’d missed performing. I looked around the audience and knew they had no idea I could sing or perform. To them I was some overly built football player. Tonight, they got to see my moves.

Before I left the stage, I looked at Dorian and Ford and said to Ford, “You better take that shit to his place ’cause I’m not listening to you two all night.”

Ford blushed and looked down. Dorian leaned back and gave a full-hearted laugh. My work here was done.

I was clapped on the back several times as I went toward the bar and got myself a drink. I saw Ford and Dorian slip out the front door a few moments later. “Hey, you’re really talented,” someone said from behind me.

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