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Liam locks up his red pickup truck and pockets his keys in the front pocket of his Levi 505s. He is a few blocks down from Horan’s Pub. Main Street is already packed with cars. The show started an hour ago, but he had to close up the shop before he could drive into town.
Liam squints against the bright sun. It’s very hot and humid, the summer solstice just a week off. He’s lucky he shaved his head a few nights ago, or he’d be covered in sweat by the time he reaches Horan’s. He can already feel the sweat beading under his plaid western shirt.
The pub is crowded. Liam shoulders his way past a few groups of people, heading for their usual spot. Louis and Harry are already in the corner booth waiting for him.
“Liam! You made it!” Harry shouts.
“Wouldn’t miss Zayn’s act for the world,” Liam says, sliding into the booth beside Louis. He grabs the pitcher of beer and pours a glass. “I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”
“Oh, how the times have changed,” Louis laughs. “Remember your first fundraiser, how you walked in?”
“I’ve never seen anyone look so lost in a place they’ve been hundreds of times,” Harry joins in.
Liam flushes red as they tease him.
“He was so confused!”
“What a misunderstanding!”
Liam throws up his hands. “I didn’t know! But, it brought me to Zayn, so it worked out alright.”
Louis teases, “I remember your first drag show like it was yesterday…”
The shop door chimed as Harry and Louis entered Payne’s Farm & Fleet. They were regulars, often stopping by every week to pick up new supplies. Between Nick’s ranch and the Tomlinson land, there were always equipment to repair, fences to mend, animals to feed. Work on their farms never ended.
They spotted Liam at the back of the shop stocking bags of pet food, but they knew their way around the shop. They gathered up all the items on their list and made their way to the front of the store with a cart-load of supplies.
At the register, Liam greeted them. “Hey guys. Where’s your third half?”
“Hi, Liam,” Louis said. “Nick is busy with setting up for the fundraiser tonight at Horan’s. He’s going to be the emcee.”
“It’s going to be awesome!” Harry added. “You’re coming, right?”
“What time does it start?”
“It starts at seven, but you can stop by any time.”
“The shop closes at eight, but I’m free after.”
“We’ll save you a seat.” Louis said.
Liam finished ringing them up. “See you tonight!”
They hurried back to the farm, finished up their daily chores, and got ready for the night. Harry pulled on a new designer silk blouse that Nick had ordered for him last month, and his favorite pair of tight-fitting jeans. Checking himself out in the full-length mirror, he knew Nick would have a hard time keeping his hands off him later, once he’d finished the show and got a few drinks in.
He was in the bathroom doing his hair when Louis came dressed in a simple, black outfit that still managed to steal Harry’s breath. The black jeans and a black polo were not much of a shock, but he’d styled his hair up. Without his usual baseball hat, his grey hair was prominent, and the styling accented his sharp jaw and high cheekbones. He was stunning and Harry could hardly look away.
They were some of the first to arrive at Horan’s Pub. The decorations around the room looked great. Pride flags, colored streamers, and sparkly garlands brightened up the place. Tables had been pushed closer together to make room for the platform stage at the front.
Louis grabbed their usual corner booth while Harry went back stage to check on the show. This was only the second year of the fundraiser that Harry had convinced Niall to host in his bar, and he wanted to make sure everything was going to plan.
The bar was filling up when Harry returned to their booth. Just as he sat down, he spotted Niall, who was dressed to the nines in his own drag persona for the occasion. A short green halter dress skimmed the top of her thighs, showing off fine fishnet stockings underneath. Harry waved, and she came over.
“Hi, Hurley Quinn! Good to see you tonight.” Harry said.
“Hey boys!”
“Great turnout tonight! The place is packed.” Louis said.
“Yeah, this will be our biggest year yet.”
“It’s so exciting to see this idea grow. And for such a good cause too.” Harry was so proud that this idea he brought to Niall could have become so important for their community in such a short amount of time.
Louis asked, “Is Sticky Wicked here too?”
“Of course! She’s around somewhere. Last I saw she was helping the others get dressed in the back. She’s the first act, so you’ll see her soon.”
“I like the new hair,” Harry added, noting that this blonde wig was tied up in a high ponytail with a blue bandana wrapped around holding any fly-aways down. It was a more pared down version of her normally voluminous blonde wigs.
Hurley shook her head and laughed. “I got too much beer in the wig last year. Those are not cheap to replace so I had to change it up.” Niall glanced back at the bar where his two other bartenders were trying to keep up with the start of the night’s rush. “Well, I’ve got to get back. Enjoy the show!”
The show started promptly at seven. Nick’s voice came over the speakers. “Welcome everyone to the second annual Grundy County Drag Show! Thank you to Horan’s Pub for hosting us again! I hope you’ll join me in supporting this fine establishment by ordering lots of drinks tonight. As a reminder, twenty percent of every purchase tonight will go toward our fundraising goal for the Rainbow Direction Youth Center! Also, the queens are generously donating a portion of their tips as well!”
He reminded everyone of the various options to donate and gave a quick run-down of the night’s activities. “And now, let’s get on with the show! Our first act of the night is the fun, the fabulous, the flirtatious… Sticky Wicked!”
Lights flashed and the crowd cheered. Sticky took the stage. She raised her arms over her head, pumping up the crowd as she got to her mark. The intro music transitioned smoothly into Britney’s ...Baby One More Time, earning an enthusiastic cheer from the crowd.
The lip-syncing number borrowed heavily from the music video, with sporty nineties fashion and iconic choreography. Dressed in a tight yellow tank top cropped above her belly button, baggy red sweatpants, and platform high tops, Sticky pranced across the stage with quick footwork and sweeping motions. Despite her extremely tall stature, she tackled the difficult dance routine with ease.
Harry and Louis clapped and whooped from their booth as Sticky wrapped up her song.
“Incredible! Give it up for Sticky Wicked!” Nick said. “Next up is sure to be a show-stopper. It’s the glamorous Veronica Stardust!”
When the crowd’s cheers settled down, the spotlight switched on. Veronica glowed at center-stage. Her red floor length gown caught the warm light, shining like a ruby. Long black hair draped down her back like a satin ribbon. Striking makeup accentuated her delicate nose and warm eyes, and a bold red lip pulled the whole look together.
On the table, Louis’ phone lit up with a text from Liam. I’m here.
He looked across the room, spotting Liam just inside the doorway. Louis nudged Harry in the side to get his attention, then pointed toward Liam. He was frozen in the doorway, wide eyes locked on the stage. Louis suddenly wondered if inviting Liam had been a bad idea. While Liam had never had a problem with Louis, Harry, and Nick’s relationship, their conversations with Liam never really ventured into discussions of sexuality and gender identity. Louis held his breath, watching and waiting for Liam to react.
Veronica reacted faster. “You lost, honey?”
“Uh…” Liam stammered, looking around himself self-consciously.
“First time? It’s alright, we’ll pop your cherry.”
“My cherry?” Liam stammered, looking like he wanted to crawl into a cave and disappear.
Veronica cocked her hip and asked, “Honey, are you straight?”
In a strangled voice, Liam responded, “I don’t know.”
The crowd roared with laughter, including Louis and Harry.
“Ahh, you’ve got time to figure it out. Why don’t you sit and watch the rest of our show. Nick, hit it!”
Louis and Harry stifled their laughter and put on kinder faces, ready to comfort Liam as he slid into the booth. His face was beet red and he looked embarrassed and more than a little confused.
The instrumental opening of Beyoncé’s Halo filled the bar. The crowd clapped in time to the beat. Holding a wireless mic in her gloved hand, Veronica owned the stage. She was one of the most vocally talented acts in the Midwest, singing her own songs over the backing track she’d mixed herself. Harry and Louis had seen this act a few times before and were always blown away at the power of her voice. Liam, however, was just experiencing it for the first time. He didn’t know what was yet to come.
Liam’s eyes never left the stage, following her every move as she belted out note after note. She engaged the crowd, encouraging them to join along in the final chorus. The whole bar was swaying along and singing “I can feel your halo” at the top of their lungs. As the song came to an end, the instrumental mix seamlessly transitioned from the beat of Halo into the opening snaps of the next song, Whitney Houston’s So Emotional. Again, she captivated the audience with the older dance tune just as easily.
Veronica was on fire. The lyrics spilled from her red lips like honey, and she nailed the final high note as if embodied by Whitney herself.
Then with a few waves and a final bow, Veronica Stardust left the stage.
Nick returned to move the show along. “Remember to refill your drinks and throw some tips around. All the money tonight is going to a good cause. Rainbow Direction Youth Center needs your support. Next up, it wouldn’t be a true Iowan drag show if she wasn’t here, please welcome the wonderful Miss Poppy Corn!”
A short, round queen dressed in denim overalls took the stage. Everyone knew and loved the iconic drag mother that had built up the scene across Iowa since before Harry was even born. One of the stage hand volunteers had set out a stool for her and she took a seat with the mic.
“Good evening Grundy County! Oof, what a performance by Veronica! That will be hard to follow up. I’m not sure why the organizers thought y’all would want to listen my dusty old jokes after as stellar act like her. The range!” She fans herself. “I think I orgasmed just from that last high note.”
The crowd, including Liam, roared with laughter. Liam found himself laughing along to all her jokes, and enjoying the other queens that took the stage after. Without Veronica to watch, he began to take in everything else around him. His head kept swiveling from side to side, taking everything in like a kid at Disney World. Horan’s was nearly unrecognizable with the brightly colored decorations that didn’t usually line the walls and tables of his local watering hole.
Between acts, Louis leaned over and asked, “How’re you enjoying your first drag show?”
“It’s not what I expected to be doing tonight. I’ve never seen anything like this; it’s incredible!”
When their pitcher of beer ran dry, Liam grabbed it. “Next round’s on me. I’ll be right back.”
He slid out of the booth and turned, suddenly face-to-face with a pair of big, round breasts in a little yellow top. Liam craned his neck. With thick platform shoes and her natural height combining, Sticky towered over Liam’s average frame.
“Sorry, excuse me,” Liam apologized.
Sticky smiled down and patted him on the head. “Oh, hun. You’re fine.”
Louis and Harry laughed.
Hurley walked up to the table, a fresh pitcher of beer already poured for them. “You better not be flirting,” she glared at Sticky. She set the pitcher down, slapped Sticky’s bum, and headed back to the very busy bar.
Recognition flashed across Liam’s face. “Greg?” He whipped around to look at the other queen as she was strutting away. “Niall?”
“Not tonight, sweetheart. You can call me Sticky Wicked. And she’s Hurley Quinn.”
“Oh,” Liam said. He sat back down in the booth and found he couldn’t look away from Greg, curious about how he’d known Niall and Greg for years without knowing about any of this. He tried to wrap his head around all of the ways his world had shifted tonight.
“Are you done for the night?” Harry asked Sticky.
“No, I’ve got one more number. I just came out to say hi and grab a drink,” Sticky said, “I’ve got to get back soon. Talk to you boys later!”
During the next act, Liam found himself singing along to a rendition of Shania’s Man, I Feel Like a Woman with as much passion as he could muster. He was having a blast!
Then, the night was coming to an end. Nick took the stage one last time. “Thank you, renowned patrons of Horan’s Pub, for your support of the Rainbow Direction Youth Center. Tonight was a blazing success and with your generous support we have raised $28,532!” The crowd erupted in the loudest cheer of the night. Nick waits for it to die down before closing out the show. “We have just one act left until next year, so enjoy it while you can. This is the most anticipated duet of the night. Please welcome back to the stage, Poppy Corn and Sticky Wicked!”
Sticky came out dressed like Dolly Parton in a short, glitzy silver dress and high heels. Beside her, Poppy sparkled in a coral Nudie suit. The beginning of Islands in the Stream played loud over the bar, quieting down the raucous cheers. The crowd laughing at the charismatic duet as they played off of each other’s silly characters, no one more captivated than Liam, who leaned forward in his seat as if to get closer to the stage.
“Wow,” Liam whispered to himself as they finished up and took their final bow. He stood to clap with the rest of the audience as the show came to its end.
The crowd quickly thinned out, people headed home now that the night's entertainment was over. The bar would stay open for a few more hours, and the real work of cleaning up all of the decorations would wait until tomorrow.
Nick and Sticky joined their group, relaxing into the corner booth.
“Great show, babe.” Louis congratulated Nick with a quick kiss.
“You did such a great job,” Harry added, giving him another kiss. “This was the best year yet. I’m already excited for planning next year!”
“Hold on there,” Nick chuckled. “Let me enjoy this before we have to start planning again. You know how much work this is, and some of us aren’t as young as we used to be. I need a recovery period.”
“You do this every year?” Liam asked, eyes wide.
“I hope we can keep it going,” Harry said.
A man approached their table, dressed in grey sweatpants and a faded band t-shirt. His shaved head and bare arms were covered in tattoos. Liam was amazed at his beauty, admiring him in a way he hoped wasn’t too obvious to the group.
“Hey, Z,” Louis greeted him. “Done already?”
“Yeah, I hate to run so soon after a show, but I have to drive up to my sister’s in the morning.”
“Fine. I guess seeing your sister is important.” Louis quipped. “Can you at least stay for one round? Liam, slide over. Make room for Zayn here.” Louis demanded.
“Sure,” Zayn shrugged.
Liam slid over. There was barely room, and Zayn’s thigh pressed against the length of Liam’s.
“Great show tonight!” Harry complimented Zayn before handing him a freshly poured beer.
“Thanks!” Zayn took a drink.
“You performed?” Liam gasped, glancing obviously up and down skeptically at Zayn’s casual attire.
“Yes, I’m Veronica Stardust. Sorry, I hope I didn’t make you too uncomfortable before.” Zayn apologized to Liam.
Recognition flashed across Liam’s face. Liam was shocked, jaw dropping open. “That was you?”
Without the flashy gown, makeup, and long black hair, it’s hard to notice, but Liam could see it. He’d been mesmerized by the way her hips swung, the warmth in her voice, and of course the incredible high notes. And as Zayn had walked towards their table, he had been similarly captivated by the way he’d walked and how he’d talked to Louis.
“No, I wasn’t uncomfortable. I just didn’t realize this is what Louis invited me too. I was expecting something boring, like bar-go or a meat raffle.”
Nick laughed, “Well, I bet Veronica would raffle your meat any day.”
The whole group laughed at Nick’s crude joke. Liam flushed crimson, but couldn’t hold back his own laugh, too.
“You know, I might.” Zayn said, surprising the whole table. “You caught my attention from all the way across the room. What do you say to going on a date?”
Liam smiled. “As long as it’s anything but a meat raffle, I guess I could give it a try.”
“Deal.”
“That first show was amazing. I’ll never forget it,” Liam reminisces.
“Of course it was, I planned it.” Harry says cockily, then sips his beer.
“Hush!” Liam shushes their table as Nick comes back on stage to introduce the next act. “Zayn’s on!”
Nick announces, “And now, please welcome the fabulous Veronica Stardust!”
Liam is so excited to see Veronica’s new set she’s debuting tonight. The new songs are Dua Lipa’s New Rules and Kelsea Ballerini’s Miss Me More. When they’d done rehearsals with some friends the previous week, Louis pointed out that those songs were about not needing relationships. But Liam has never felt stronger, more solid, in a relationship than he has with Zayn. He’s not worried. Veronica Stardust is just a character. If she wants to sing anthems about breaking up and moving on, Liam will be right beside her to help pick out new outfits and plan the choreography.
Soft music begins to play. It’s not the song Zayn had been rehearsing. Liam bites at his cuticle, worriedly. He scans the room, trying to gauge how Zayn is reacting to the mix-up. He hopes the wrong song doesn’t throw off Veronica’s performance. She’d practiced her new routine so much, it’d be a shame for it to go badly.
Veronica takes the stage. Instead of the cute new outfit he expected, she’s wearing a familiar ruby red dress. Liam gasps, slapping a hand over his mouth.
“Hello everyone! Thank you so much for coming out tonight for this great cause! This is a big night for me. I have something planned. Liam, will you come join me up here?”
Frozen in their corner booth, his mind spins with a hundred questions. What happened to the act she’d rehearsed? What did Zayn have planned? Was he asking Liam to sing with him? Liam has sung duets plenty of times at karaoke nights, but always with Zayn, never with Veronica.
Louis and Harry have to push him out of the booth, and Louis shoos him, “Go, go.”
Liam is nervous, not used to being in the spotlight, but climbs onto the stage anyway. Veronica reaches for his hand and holds it tightly. Looking into Liam’s eyes, but speaking into the mic, she says, “It’s almost three years to the day that a country boy from Grundy County wandered into this pub, looking like he’d fallen into another dimension. He caught my attention from the back of the bar. And I was lucky enough to catch his, too.”
Careful of her full skirt, Veronica gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring box.
Liam covers his face with both hands, tears springing to his eyse.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” he shouts as the happy tears start falling.
She slides the band on his finger then jumps up on her heels and hugs him. Liam twirls them around. Veronica’s red dress whooshes around them as the audience claps and cheers. As they kiss, the cheers are loudest from the corner booth at the back.
“Alright,” Veronica lets go of Liam and turns her attention back to the audience. “Thank you for indulging me. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. This one’s for you, my angel.”
To Liam, Halo has never sounded sweeter.