The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 54

"How do I look?" I asked the girls when I greeted them at my door in my tight black leather pants and a hot pink sequin top.

"You look gorg!" Briya told me. "But you need to change shoes."

I looked down at my black flats. "Why? These are cute and it's gonna be a long night."

"It's New Year's Eve so you're wearing heels!" she instructed.

"Ugh. No! I haven't worn heels in ages." Ever since we'd quit working the cruises, I stopped putting my feet through that pain.

Fallon laughed. "Those shoes are fine. We're going to a queer bar anyway, so unless you're up for something new, you aren't looking to hook up."

We were ringing in the new year at a club called Lavender Menace. There were tons of gay bars in Toronto since the city had a big LGBTQ+ community, but this place drew more queer, bi, and lesbian clients. Fallon had been before, and when they suggested it, I was all in. Most clubs were a total meat market with overly aggressive guys, so I welcomed a break from that.

We arrived at the door around ten and were able to bypass the line since Fallon knew someone who worked there. After finding a small table, we ordered a round of drinks and then hit the dance floor.  For the next hour, we alternated between slamming shooters and dancing our asses off to the amazing remixes the DJ was spinning.

While we took a break and sat down, I remarked, "No one has tried to dance with me. Should I be insulted?"

"You give straight vibes, so no," Fallon explained.

"I do?"

"Yeah, but you're straight so it's okay."

I pointed at our petite friend. "What kind of vibes does Bri give off?"

"Let's just say I wasn't shocked when she kissed me," Fallon said with a wink.

"I've always thought girls were hot," Briya told me. "I suppressed that side of myself because it was scary. I don't even know what my label is at this point, but I'm really happy with how things are." She gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips.

"Was your family cool at Christmas?" I asked.

Briya shrugged. "I wouldn't say they are ecstatic about me coming out, but they're slowly accepting it. Obviously it helps that they've known and loved Fallon for years."

"I'm really happy for you two, but I am also totally envious! It must feel so good to be with someone who feels the same way you do."

"Oh, boo," Bri pouted. "There's a man out there for you. You know the saying...every pot has its lid."

I laughed. "That's actually a saying?"

"Yes! 2023 is going to be the year you find a lid that fits you perfectly!"

"I'm pretty sure I'm a misshapen pot, so that's gonna be tough." I lifted my glass and downed the rest of my drink. "Next round is on me."

Several drinks later, everyone was on their feet waiting for the countdown to start. The entire room clapped, cheered, and used noisemakers to celebrate when Toronto entered into the new year. I had no one to kiss so I closed my eyes and made a wish.

I stumbled into my apartment around two in the morning, drunker than I'd been in a long time. "Happy New Year, Inky!" I said to my sweet feline friend. She meowed in response and ran over to her food bowl, hoping for a snack.

After getting undressed, I went through my bathroom routine and got in bed. I pulled my phone out of my purse and opened up social media because I was curious to see if a certain someone had posted. He hadn't, but I saw in my explore feed that he'd been spotted at a club in Los Angeles. It wasn't even midnight there yet, which meant we were living in two different years. That blew my inebriated mind.