phone and puts it away.
And then he’s in my personal space, his hand going to the back of my neck and pulling me to him. “And now I want my dessert.”
I hum my approval and he whisks me off to the living room couch.
An hour—and multiple orgasms—later, we sit naked under the blanket with reheated apple crisp on our laps, laughing at something on the TV.
I haven’t had any of . . . this.
Sometimes that makes me angry, which is where I go in my head when I think about what I missed out on. A boyfriend, someone who loved me so deeply. Nights filled with food, great conversation, amazing sex, and . . . love. No sadness. No limitations.
Nights like this is what I’ve yearned for and missed.
Because it can’t get any more perfect than this.
Twenty-Eight
Noah
The Parrot Lounge is packed when we get there Friday night. Chloe leads the way, and I keep my hand on her lower back as we make our way through the crowd.
When we make it to the far side of the bar, I’m glad there’s an empty spot.
I put my arm around Chloe’s waist and lean close to her ear. “Why are there so many people here?”
Chloe smirks. “Rosa is on tonight. She always draws a big crowd.”
Before I have a chance to ask who the heck Rosa is and why she draws a crowd, someone taps the microphone near the stage. “Welcome to Drag Night.”
The whole bar erupts in cheers and hoots, and Chloe chuckles when I look at her with wide eyes.
She mouths “Surprise,” and I want to kiss the damn smile off her face, so I do.
This was supposed to be a quick, mostly chaste, kiss, but fuck, she’s intoxicating. The way her tongue plays with mine, the way she nibbles on my lips. If I don’t find the willpower to pull back soon, this night will end with blue balls for me.
“Hey, kids. I thought that was you, Chlo, but I couldn’t tell for sure with all the . . . you know, face-sucking and all.” The guy on the other side of the bar is older than us, but it’s impossible to tell by how much. The dim lighting isn’t helping either. He also looks strangely familiar.
“Hey.” Chloe untangles herself from me and chuckles before leaning over the small partition to give him a hug. Then she turns around, with one arm still around the man’s waist. “You remember Francesco? He’s now officially my uncle on paper too.”
Now the whole Checco comment Cody made the other day at the hospital makes a lot more sense.
“That’s awesome, congrats.” Then I hold out my hand to him. “Good to see you again.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Noah.” His handshake is strong, his expression amused. “And thank you. I’m glad you were able to make it out here with Chloe tonight.”
“I didn’t tell him.” Chloe leans into his chest and chuckles.
Francesco’s eyes glimmer. “Oh boy. Well, you’re in for a treat. The house is always packed when Lady Rosa is in the house. She’s the best in all of Northern California.”
Chloe nods. “She really is amazing. I’ve seen countless videos of her over the years, but it’s nothing compared to seeing her live.”
Someone calls Francesco’s name and he lets go of Chloe after kissing her cheek. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll send someone over to take care of you, okay?” Then he turns to me and winks. “Enjoy the show, Noah.”
And then he’s off, and a guy on the side of the stage announces Lady Rosa. The crowd goes wild once more as an Amazonian walks onto the stage, taking her place in the middle of it. Everything is quiet for a moment until the music almost explodes around us and the Weather Girls’ It’s Raining Men starts playing.
One song turns into another, then a few more, and I have to admit that even though I’ve never seen a drag show before, this is entertaining as hell. Chloe has one hell of a time too, dancing in the small space in front of me and taking big gulps of her water in between.
When the waiter came over with a large glass of something sparkling for her—complete with an umbrella and a bright pink loop straw—she told me that this is her uncle’s way of being supportive and taking good care of her. Cody joined us a few songs ago, and it’s been a fun evening.
Once Lady Rosa is done, the