The 28th fell on a Saturday. Em said that Halloweekend was one of the most popular nights for his drag shows. It wasn't my idea, but after a conversation Michael and Em had, Michael demanded we all go see Em perform. Everyone was in on it. Jerry used to do drag a long time ago, so he even volunteered to join even though he didn't get out much. Sasha was going to go, too, with her girlfriend. So Saturday, I got a cab with Don and Jerry (dolled in drag) and we went to the club where Emerson performs. We met up with Sasha, Sydney, Carla, Marion, Michael, and Emilio. To our delighted surprise, Emerson had reserved us two tables in the front row by the stage.
We started with a round of shots. I had a feeling I would need some alcohol in me to loosen up. The drag show started with the emcee, Claire Voyant. She did a number to I Put a Spell on You, really setting the tone for the Halloween themed show. Twinkie Taylor came on next, doing a custom mash up to Spooky Scary Skeletons and a Nicki Minaj song. Then, it was Emerson's time to perform next.
Em stepped onto the stage wearing a cloak like Maleficent's, a black hood up. The intro to Disturbia by Rihanna came on. He - or in this case - she, put the hood down as the lyrics began, lip syncing perfectly to the song. Then, when the chorus began, she flipped off the cloak to reveal a skin tight black bodysuit with a skeleton on it. I didn't realize Em was the dancing type of drag queen, but he was kicking and flipping and getting the entire crowd riled up with every split and move she did. Halfway through the song, like what the rest of the drag queens did, she walked through the crowd to collect tips. I held up a fifty for her to take. When she came by, she snatched the fifty out of my hand and crawled onto the table, getting in Michael's face. She stood up and hopped back onto the stage, finishing the song out with a cartwheel into a split, blowing kisses to the crowd.
The drag show went on for a couple of hours longer. Each time Em came on, she was in a different outfit, each with some type of Halloween theme to it. For her final song, Emmy performed to E.T. by Katy Perry. She came out like a pin up alien, with green fishnet tights, a silver and holographic bra, underwear, and corset combo, with green fishnet sleeves. Her makeup was done to have subtle hints of green like an alien. She looked good, and she danced to the song so well. I had to be honest, it was a rather...sexy performance.
After the drag show, Em came over to our tables, still dressed like an alien. By that time, everyone had a few drinks in them. I had only had two drinks in addition to the shot, but they were strong drinks. We were all feeling it, even Em because he had taken a few shots backstage. We sat around the table, talking for a bit, and then Marion suggested we go to a club that had a dance floor. When we went outside, it was sprinkling.
"We should get a cab and go to The Hole," Michael said. "It's going to rain harder."
"I think it's a little past our bedtime," Don said. "We will be hailing a cab and calling it a night for now."
"Yes, my feet are killing me. Good luck Emerson," Jerry said.
"So that leaves eight people for one cab," Carla said. "Order one of the deluxe sizes."
Emilio ordered a cab and we waited under a vestibule.
"Are you cold?" I asked.
Em was holding his arms tight. "Maybe," he said.
"Here, you can take my jacket," I said. I put my jacket over him. It was long enough that it came below his hips. He looked nice in it.
"Thank you," he said, zipping it up.
The cab arrived and the driver said he only had seven seats available, but that he was fine with four squeezing in the back. "Em, you're the skinniest, just sit on someone's lap," Michael said.
"No," I said. "No, we can call another cab."
"We already waited ten minutes," Michael said.
"He's not sitting on anyone's lap, okay?" I said, firmly.
"I can sit on Marion's lap," Carla said.
"No, my hip, remember?" he said.
"It's fine," Em said. He locked eyes with me. "It's okay. Can I just sit on your lap?"
"Are you sure?" I asked, searching for any resistance.
"It'll be fine."
"That settles it," Michael said. "Everyone in."
I stood close to Em, putting a hand on his lower back. "You don't have to if you don't want to," I whispered.
"It's fine, just as long as it's you," he whispered back.
I nodded and climbed into the back of the cab. It was a tight squeeze. Em came in and sat on my right thigh, turning a little so his leg was over my knees. "You good?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, just fine."
It was only a minute in when we were stuck in traffic already. Everyone else was talking over each other while Em and I sat silently. I couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable, but he was staring off to a far away place. I put my hand on his back and rubbed it in circles. He looked over at me and smiled softly, easing into me. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the fact that he was still cold, but as we started to move again he was leaning against me more with his legs over mine so he was truly, comfortably sitting on my lap. My arm was around his lower back. The blue hair from his wig kept brushing against my collarbone. We were sitting too close, but I didn't want to get out of the cab.
We arrived at the club and stumbled out of the cab, tipping the driver well. The club was one that had a line out the door, but we could use the VIP door in the alleyway, meaning we also had access to a private booth in the back corner. We squeezed around the circular table and ordered a round of drinks. Feasibly, the booth could fit six people, so we were all close. Em was against me, my arm around his lower back again. No one seemed to notice and he didn't seem to mind. I knew I shouldn't have, but he was just so soft. I still didn't understand how he was so soft and warm. It felt like holding a pillow against me.
"Let's go dance," Sasha said. Sasha, Sydney, Michael, Carla, Marion, and Em went onto the floor to dance. Emilio and I sat behind, watching them tear up the dance floor.
"Are you having fun?" Emilio asked me.
"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've been out," I said.
"Good, you look like you're enjoying yourself. It's good to see." He took a drink of his beer. "Emerson looks very cute as a girl."
"He's quite convincing, that's for sure," I said, watching Em flip his hair around like it was second nature.
"I like Emerson. I'm glad you hired him. He's brought out a side of you I haven't seen in a long time," he said.
"He's great, but I fear the line between boss, assistant and friend has been crossed."
"So what? We're friends and work together," Emilio said.
"Right, but I can't fire you and you can't fire me. I can fire Em if I wanted to. The power dynamics will always be skewed in my favor," I said. "We had a bit of a fight a few weeks ago. Personal feelings got in the way. I was close to firing him."
"So make it so you can't fire him. Add in a clause to his contract that states the c-suite would need to approve a request for termination," he said, shrugging.
"I shouldn't have to do that in the first place. I never should've let him stay with me or get close to me in a way that I can't stay objective," I said.
"Well, it's too late, so don't worry about what you shouldn't have done. Focus on what you can control. Also, it's okay to show some type of care towards your employees. Bosses should be more humanized. They should show compassion and sympathy instead of not caring about their employees."
I sighed. It didn't feel like the type of care a boss should show towards his employees. It was a different type of care, one that muddied the line between a healthy work and life balance. I didn't tell Emilio this, though. Still, his suggestion to add a clause was smart. I had anger issues. Even though Em listening in on my phone call was a fireable offense, he wasn't doing it maliciously. He acted impulsively because he also cared about me in a way he shouldn't. Emilio was also right in the fact that we shouldn't focus on what was already done. We could only care about what we could do.
I ordered a round of shots for everyone when they came back to the table, sweaty from dancing. Emilio and I hopped on the dance floor the next time the rest of the group went out. We danced for what seemed like hours, until it was well into the middle of the night. We left the club, walking to a bodega and getting some snacks. Sasha and Sydney lived close by, so they walked back to their apartment. Carla and Marion lived in the opposite direction, so they got their own cab to their house. The rest of us got a cab together. Emilio and Michael were dropped off first, saying their goodbyes as Emilio practically carried Michael up to their front door. Even after they were gone, Em still sat close against me in the back seat as we went to his apartment.
"Your place is closer, you should get dropped off first," he said quietly, looking up at me. His face was very close.
"No, I'd rather make sure you get back okay," I said, also quietly. I brushed his blue hair out of his face and behind his ear. My arm seemed to be glued around his lower back any time we sat next to each other. My hand rested on his hip.
"You're so warm," he said, resting his head on my shoulder and closing his eyes. He had put my jacket back on when we left the club.
"It's the alcohol," I said, smirking, moving my hand up and down his hip and thigh without even thinking.
"No, I'm always cold," he said. "Alcohol doesn't warm me up."
"You're always warm. I mean, you're cold, but you're warm to the touch."
Em glanced up at me under his false lashes. The way he looked at me, it sent a flutter through my chest. He was intoxicated. So was I. If this had been any other night, any other person, anyone other than my assistant, I would have kissed them. I couldn't do that, though.
"We're here," I said. "Do you need help getting up?"
"No, I think I should be fine," he said.
I got out first and helped him get out of the car. "Text me when you make it into your apartment," I said. I watched him walk up the stairs of his apartment, making sure he got in without anyone following. Then I got back into the cab. "Can you take me to a different address?" I asked the driver. I told him the new address, reading it off of my phone.
A few minutes later, I was knocking on an apartment door I had never visited before. Footsteps sounded on the other side. A latch was unlocked. Then the door opened to Marcus, who looked the same as he did five years ago. He was only wearing a pair of underwear, his hair wet, water droplets still sliding down his chiseled torso. Before he could say anything, I pushed him into his apartment, slamming the door behind me. I grabbed him from under the chin, kissing him. When he put his hands on my hips, I grabbed his wrists and held them down to his sides, against the wall I shoved him against. He liked it rough and he liked to be told what to do, so I told him to get onto the bed and take his underwear off while I stripped down. Marcus was ridiculously handsome. Strong jawline, dazzling smile, ripped body. He was a model, after all, but he was arrogant and selfish. Sometimes I thought I actually hated him because of how annoying he was, how passive aggressive he could be. Still, the sex was always good.
When Michael said he was moving back into the city, I had no intention of contacting him, but after the events of the night, and after what Emilio said about controlling what I could, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. I couldn't think about how soft and warm Em was, or how kissable his lips looked, or the bedroom eyes he was giving me in the cab. I never really had to get over anyone because I never cared that much about anyone like that, not even my exes. So, the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else. In this case, though, Marcus was under me.