Page 186 of While You Were Trending

He kisses my forehead, and then?—

Then he gets to work being my hero.

36

DRAGMAIDS

Declan

“Oh my goddess,you really brought her!” My brother’s in full drag makeup, hot pink wig poofed higher than heaven, and a white slip, and he’s ushering us backstage to the dressing room half an hour before the show.

He bypasses me to hug Ginny to his breastplate, his normal voice replaced by his drag voice, already leaning into his Cherry Slapstick drag persona. “I thought he was tormenting me the way those dumb jocks love to do. Look at you! Your hair isfire, darling. And that dress brings out your personality so well.”

Ginny changed into the blue-and-green dress that highlights her eyes during the ten minutes that we were back at the winery and has her hair pulled up in a messy bun now. And her stomach did half of the talking for her once we rolled into the city.

The woman’s hungry.

“Myhair?” Ginny says while I head to the takeout containers waiting for us on a side table in the dressing room. “Look atyourhair.”

“Ugh, she’s misbehavingsobadly.” Zander rolls his eyes up toward his hairline. “Aren’t you, Fuchsia Fallenout?”

“I’m not the problem, you are,” the wig replies with moving lips and all.

Ginny retreats with a gasp.

“Isn’t she marvelous?” Zander says, patting his wig. “She just learned to talk last week.”

“I forgot you could do that.” Ginny’s hand is still over her heart, and she’s gulping air like a fish out of water.

Zander hooks a thumb in my direction. “Goddess knows you couldn’t trust this guy to remind you either. He’s such adude.”

“Not all of us can be divas,” I say while I pile chicken strips and fries onto a plate for Ginny.

Oatmeal walnut chocolate chip cookies might be her favorite comfort food, but she’s a sucker for chicken strips and fries after she’s been sick.

“And thank fuck for that,” Zander agrees. “I couldn’t handle you if you were a diva.”

I pass the plate to Ginny, whose eyes go a little shiny before she smiles brilliantly at me, and then I finally get a hug from my brother as well.

A kiss on the cheek too. “It’s good to see you, you oaf,” Zander says.

I clap him on the back. “Good to see you too, you drama queen.”

He grins, then turns his attention half to Ginny, half to doing touchups on his makeup.

“Tell me everything,” he says to Ginny. “How’s life? How’s your love life? Your boobs arefabulous. Definitely don’t let any puckboys touch them unless they earn it. And what’s this about a glittering hairball and a stowaway cat?”

“My boobs are unblemished since the last time I saw you,” Ginny replies. “Life is good. My love life is entirely too much toput on you before a show. I’ll email you about the cat when I’m emotionally ready. Is Fuchsia Fallenout your first talking wig?”

“Second, darling. My poor Ruby Regina had a run-in with a robot vacuum and had to be put down. I cried for weeks after her funeral.”

“Can confirm,” I say.

“Confirm but not feel endless guilt and shame for turning that robot vacuum on in the first place?”

“Nope. No guilt. If I’d had a wig like Ruby Regina, I never would’ve left her on the floor of my brother’s apartment while he was on a road trip.”

Zander smirks. “He’s just jealous because he knowswhyit was on the floor.”