The Featherette 2

Rodger was fighting for a solo show, Kenny Alton and I were all for it. “You can’t carry a show by yourself. Either it’s the three of you or no show.” Hank barked at Rodger. All of a sudden Rodger got this Henry Higgins from “My Fair Lady” spirit in him and looked us over like we were sides of beef. “You’ll have to shave” Rodger told Kenny Alton. “I can’t shave! My boyfriend loves the mustache.” Hank told Rodger it would be funny if he did the show with a mustache. “What show?” I chimed in. hank wanted us to perform, but we never performed. Kenny and I had no desire to be on stage, much less be on stage in a dress! I told Hank the woman in my family weren’t pretty hoping this would dissuade us from having to do this. He wasn’t having any of it. Hank took Rodger to the office to discuss the details and Kenny Alton and I went to Sammy’s bar, the big bar downstairs, to drink our problem away.
Wrong person to drown your troubles with before Kenny Alton and I could get our shots half the bar knew of our dilemma. Kenny Casper came over to congratulate us, on what? The ruins of our reputation! “You reputation could use a little scandal lil Miss Sunshine.” Sammy snickered at me. Kenny Casper wanted to know what songs we were doing. Kenny Alton and I just looked at each other. We had no idea what we were doing, or even if we were doing it. “Well, Mary find out! No one wants to watch a queen who doesn’t know the words to their song.” “We’re not queens; we are men being forced to do something we don’t want to do.” Kenny Alton snapped back at Kenny Casper. “That’s it I am not doing this.” I was determined to tell Hank off and get control of my life again! Until Sammy reminded me that the last person to say no to Hank got 86’ed. “Say good-bye to Johnny Angel now.”
Good-bye to Johnny Angel, how could I do that? I actually never got to say hello yet, never mind good-bye. Why does life have to be so complicated!
Kenny Alton and I went through the pros and cons. One pro was making Hank happy and free drinks, con was our reputations. Pro -no one knew who we were so we really didn’t have a reputation, con – people looked down at guys who wore dresses. Pro- Free drinks, con- we were men in dresses. After finishing our shots Hank came over to the bar with Rodger. “We’re going to have a patriotic theme night” hank informed us. “I have a large selection of the Andrew Sister’s songs at my place.” Rodger added. “Who are the Andrew Sisters?” Kenny and I wondered. “I have a thousand of their songs running through my head. I have to go home and put some songs together for us to learn.” Rodger stated as he started to exit. “God Bless America! ”sarcastic Sammy snorted. ““That gives me an idea” Hank was on a roll and added Sammy into the show as Kate Smith singing “God Bless America”.
Before Rodger left he gave Kenny Alton and me his phone number. “We can get together tomorrow and put together the show at my place. I’ll make lunch for us. We can also try on some outfits to wear. We might have to go to some drag shopping.” Drag shopping-my vocabulary was about to change and expand and I am not sure it was for the better.
Sammy, Kenny Casper, Rodger, Kenny Alton and I were all together and that image is frozen in my mind. The five of us had just paid the price for the ride of our lives.
Till Tomorrow Be Kind.