“You know, a simple call to question my whereabouts would have sufficed. You didn’t have to come snooping around.”
“Considering you’d already lied about staying in for the night, what possible reason would I have for believing you?”
As I stared into Addison’s mustached face, the absurdity of the moment hit me. Reaching over, I grabbed the right side of the mustache and ripped it off. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how well it was glued on.
Addison shrieked in pain as her hands flew to her face. “What did you do that for?”
“I couldn’t have a serious conversation with you with that thing flapping at me.”
She glared at me through her watering eyes. “Could you not have simply asked me to take it off?”
Remorse filled me at the sight of her reddening skin. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little wigged out right now.” At the sight of the mustache still in my hand, I quickly tried to toss it to the floor, but it wasn’t going anywhere. I spent the next few seconds flapping and flailing my hand to try to get it off.
“What the hell is going on in here?” a voice boomed behind us.
I spun around just as Estrella marched into the room. She’d exchanged her Cher costume for a Dolly Parton one, and for a moment, I was completely transfixed by her enormous tits in the revealing dress. She shoved Ty and me out of the way with the strength of a linebacker. Placing her hands on Addison’s shoulders, she questioned, “Are you okay, Addie?”
“I’m fine, E.”
Estrella threw a suspicious glance at us over her shoulder. “And just who are they?”
“That would Barrett, who I’ve been telling you about, and his bodyguard, Ty.”
Recognition flickered on Estrella’s face before she whirled around and came over to me. “Oh my God! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.”
“I guess you’ve been following us on the campaign trail, huh?”
“Of course, but it’s also more about the fact that Ginger—the redhead in the opening act—has a poster-size picture of you and your junk on the wall in one of the dressing rooms.”
While I laughed, Addison shrieked with mortification. “Did you have to tell him that, E?”
“I was just stating a fact.” Estrella thrust out her hand. “I’m Estrella here at the club, and I’m Evan in real life.” She—he jerked his chin back at Addison. “I’m her older brother.”
I glanced between the two of them. “Ah, now it makes sense.”
“What makes sense?” Estrella questioned.
“Why Ty thought Addison might be a man.”
Addison’s eyes widened at Ty. “Excuse me?”
I laughed as a flush filled Ty’s face. “It’s just we didn’t know why you would have snuck off to somewhere like this. Then you and Estrella looked a lot alike…” Ty smacked my arm. “He thought it, too,” he tattled.
“Seriously, Barrett? After all these months together, you still thought I could be a man?”
“Come on, you two do look alike.”
Estrella laughed. “While I’m honored you thought I could really pass for a woman, Addison should be insulted because you thought she was a man in drag.”
I held my hands up. “For the record, it was a paranoia-induced thought on both of our parts.”
“You’re both idiots,” Addison huffed.
“Trust me, after your Cher performance, I know without a shadow of a doubt, you’re a woman.”
As her cheeks reddened, Addison ducked her head. “Whatever.”
“You looked good out there.” When Addison looked up at me, I winked. “Real good.”
“Thank you.”
A guy with a headset on appeared in the doorway. “Estrella, you’re on in three minutes.”
“Coming, Monte.” Evan reached out and cupped Addison’s chin. “I just needed to check on my baby sister for a minute after I heard two strange men were after her.”
“I’m fine. You can put your terminator side away for now, big brother.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He jerked his chin at the door. “Go on and get out of here.”
“You don’t need me to help close up?”
Estrella snorted. “Honey, the last thing you two need is to get caught in this club.”
Addison gasped as she turned to me. “He’s right. We’ve got to get you out of here before the crowd leaves.”
“Why just me?”
“I came to the club disguised, so I can easily sneak out. You, on the other hand, are an entirely different story.”
“We can always disguise him, too,” Evan suggested with a wicked grin.
I shook my head quickly back and forth. “Oh hell no! Don’t you even think of sending me out in drag like they did to Gene Hackman in The Birdcage!”
“I think you would look good in a dress,” Estrella remarked as she eyed me up and down.
Addison nodded. “He already has his chest waxed, so a plunging neckline won’t be a problem.”
“For your information, I had laser hair removal on my chest,” I protested.
Addison and Estrella laughed heartily while Ty said, “Seriously dude?”
“Shut up,” I grumbled. Thanks to my comment, Ty would be giving me shit for days about being such a metrosexual. “Look, as long as I’m seen here with Addison, what does it matter if I’m in a drag club? If any pictures surface, we can simply say we were enjoying a night out by supporting the arts.”