Dragged by Kendall Grey

Author:Kendall Grey
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781947830288
Publisher: Howling Mad Press
Published: 2020-03-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Sunday/Sun’s Day

While my boys wait their turn, round three of the Drag and Bone pageant begins with drama. Frazzled and agitated queens flit hurriedly around us, spraying their wigs with sticky shellac, replacing dropped eyelashes, and adjusting the fake boobs they glued under their extravagant dresses. Helga Boomslang and her unsavory ilk flash threatening glares and obscene gestures my way as they storm past in a hot fury to get to the stage, but I’m not concerned about them or their petty jealousy. I’m focused on us.

This morning’s “lightning round” (the term gives me the shivers, especially with Darryl Donovan in the house) of auditions focuses on stage presence. Participants must charm the audience on the “catwalk” with not only their outfits, hair, makeup, and accessories, but also confidence and style.

While Alex and I put the finishing touches on Gunnar Magnusson’s wig, we overhear gossip about the first queen who stepped onstage—Helga.

“She twisted her ankle as she walked down the runway,” a woman wearing a turquoise mermaid outfit gushes. I thought runways were exclusive to airports. Apparently not. “She fell and split her dress from her cakes to her knees. Girl, you shoulda seen it. Them chicken cutlets spilled outta her gown, and her crusty wig launched off her head like a drunk purple peacock trying to beat his hen home to the nest.”

A shot of unfettered glee races through me. One down, many more to go. But I’ll take this small victory.

“So, she’s out?” another queen asks, a little too excitedly to be disappointed by this turn of events.

“No,” the first one says. “Can you believe it? Damien didn’t eliminate her.”

What the Hel?!

Freddie’s head snaps up. He targets the gossips, narrows his eyes, and quietly says, “How the hell does a mean queen who crashed her own heels party and busted her ass get to stay when Alex’s performance was flawless?”

I sigh. I know the answer. “It might’ve been my fault,” I admit. “I was sitting next to Damien when Alex made his debut. Damien cut him on purpose. Because of me.” Though I’m still not sure why he would. At that point, I hadn’t rejected Damien’s advances yet. Thanks to him, I was building up to a climax to end all climaxes when Alex was onstage. Unless Drakkar dismissed Alex to toy with me.

But why let that bitch Helga through? She’s been throwing her weight around since we arrived, and I’m not the only one she’s harassed. She yanked off another girl’s wig after chewing me out in the queue on Friday. Freddie said he’s pretty sure she sabotaged someone’s makeup case on Saturday, and there are rumors that she’s behind the mysterious food poisoning that knocked out two contestants.

“I doubt it’s your fault,” Alex murmurs.

I start to ask him why, but loud dance music interrupts me. Heath Saxon weaves among the contestants, telling everyone to get in line and be quiet.

Darryl Donovan is number twenty-five, and Freddie is second from the last at thirty-one. I wish them luck, and they take their places.

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