Victor made his way over there. “Hey Jim. What’s new?”
“Not much,” Jim said, “except I’m worried about Loretta. I was telling Andy.”
“We haven’t heard much from her.” Victor and Andy exchanged a glance. “Is it that Ernesto douchebag?”
“Yeah, I think so. I got a message today from a new number. She changed it. She shut down her social media too. There was some of that if I can’t have you nobody will bullshit.”
“Fuck!”
“Yeah.” Jim looked upset. “I asked her if she wanted me to come out.
Haven’t heard back yet. I don’t know if that would make things better or worse.”
Another silent consultation between Victor and Andy. Victor said, “You being there might escalate the situation. On the other hand, it might not. And if you being there made her feel safer,” he stopped. Shrugged.
“I don’t know how much use I could be,” Jim said. “I’m not a big tough guy. I don’t know how to fight. But at least I could be there.”
“Sometimes that’s enough,” Andy said. “My mom has a one-bedroom condo with a big-ass couch. She knows Loretta. I know she’d be happy to have you stay while you figure things out. If that doesn’t include you staying with Loretta.”
“I think I’m going to go. Tomorrow,” Jim said. “I have a job starting on the fifteenth that I can’t really afford to blow off, but maybe by then this will be resolved.”
“Okay. I’ll text you Mom’s number and her address, I’ll get in touch with her, and we’ll tell Loretta you’re on your way. And you call us if there’s any fucking thing you need, right? Weapons, attack dogs, assassins.”
Jim huffed out a laugh. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Thanks,
Andy. Thanks, Victor. I’ll text you when I touch down.” They all shook hands. Jim went to speak to a few more people. They saw him head out shortly after.
That conversation took a lot of the fun out of the evening. It was a little too close to home, in more ways than one. They made the rounds, congratulating performers again and resolutely dropping no hints about ‘Spy Games.’ Everyone there seemed to know they would be dancing in it.
Everyone promised not to spill the beans. “Somebody’s totally going to spill,” Andy said on their way out. “We might actually want to hire security for the trip next time.”
“Or maybe that’s the Loretta situation talking.” Victor thought about it, though, on the ride home. Once they were safe inside, with Molly walked and the doors locked, he said, “No. Let’s tell the car company to send a team. If nothing happens, which it probably won’t, it’s only a few extra bucks. And if something happens there’ll be another pair of eyes and hands to help us deal with it.”
Andy brushed a hand through his husband’s hair. Kissed him, and said,
“Thank you.”
The next day they were back in Hollywood at Molest Shoes, and Victor was cracking up. “Oh my fuck,” he said. “How does anybody walk in this shit? Dude, help.”
“Call me Rowena. Get your weight back over your heels, sweetness,”
said the salesdiva. “Hips forward, shoulder blades in your back pocket. Oh honey yes.”
“Mercy me,” Andy said, somewhat faintly. “I could die happy if I saw you in the lace-up thigh-highs. You have no idea what those are doing for your ass.”
“He really doesn’t,” Rowena agreed.
“Shut up!” Victor couldn’t keep a straight face. He walked around a little, paying attention to his alignment, trying to ignore the yummy noises.
After a few minutes he started to get the hang of it.
“Get him those ankle boots, please? The ones with the buckles.” Andy was truly enjoying this.
So was Rowena, who knew exactly who they were. “Is this for a purpose
other than fun?”
“Yes it is.” They were alone in the store, so Andy told him. “A dance thing. I’m in drag and he’s not, but we want to minimize the height difference because it’s not a comedy routine.”
“Not that it would be funny,” Rowena said gently, with a face that said
‘except it totally would be.’ Andy managed not to crack up. “The ankle boots. Coming right up.” He gave those words a special emphasis, and shot Andy a speaking look. “Do not even go near those,” he warned, seeing Victor heading toward something that appeared more stable and also more Frankenstein. “You are not permitted to wear those. Oh no honey. Walk away. Yes, walk that way.”
Andy giggled along with Rowena, watching Victor move. He was actually handling the seven-inch heels really well, considering. “Come over here, baby.” Uh-huh, he thought, when he saw Victor’s eyes widen at the fact that he was now looking down at Andy. “How do you like that?”
“Uh.” Victor was not sure if he should be honest here. Then he realized Andy was shaking with silent laughter, and said, “Yes, okay, I like it. I like being taller than you. The shoes themselves are a nightmare. I can already feel the cramp I’m going to have. Is there any possible way I can dance in these fucking things.”
“Give it a try.” So they did a little bit of tango around the store, and it went better than Victor expected. Andy had to help him out once or twice, when a direction change got hung up due to the heel-management situation.
Andy had his hand around the back of Victor’s neck. He played fair and didn’t let his
