by
Ivan Reznik’s been part of the drag act at the Pink Pussycat Lounge for five years when Jaime Rivera joins the cast. They both worked as extras for a scene in an action comedy filming in Las Vegas; between the daily tests and the thrill of making a movie, a round of hookups was inevitable. Now 2020’s almost over, and Ivan can’t help wishing his new year might include more of Jaime. But first he has to tell the truth about something big.
Jaime’s whole life changed with the lockdown. His roommate situation fell apart; his job went away; he had to move home with his parents in Phoenix; and his life of carefree casual sex seems to be over. He’s barely begun to think about what might be possible when he wakes up on Ivan’s couch to face a day full of upsetting truths.
Ivan and Jaime decide to find out if the truth opened the door for a new way to look at the future. Could that be the holiday gift they both wanted most?
- 1 Read list
Publisher: JMS Books, LLC
Editors:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 3
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 36-45
Protagonist 2 Age: 36-45
Tropes: Sex Buddies Become Lovers
Word Count: 19130
Setting: Las Vegas
Languages Available: English
Holding the pose again, trying not to huff and puff again. The whole experience brighter and more intense, because this time she was a hundred percent sober, as she hadn’t been for the previous dress rehearsal. Hymen waited for their director to say “Cut! Good job, girls!” Then she relaxed and let her gaze drop from the light-obscured lounge to the front of the stage, where Imago was laughing with Likadik. Now was not the time to consider why seeing Imago laugh like that made her smile. She stepped down off the riser and helped push it to the back of the stage. They used a pair of three-step movables so they could fit nine queens on stage for the big ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ finale. Likadik was always at center in her white tie and tails, with four Marilyns on each side. It looked like a proper Las Vegas number.
READ MOREWith singing, dancing, and comedy, the monthly show kept the club popular with locals, as well as visitors. For Hymen, it was the best of both worlds. She could pose and stunt her way through something whack like ‘Diva Dance,’ or she could sing and dance a solo like tonight’s ‘Cheek to Cheek,’ or she could simply be part of the troupe. They were talking about adding a number inspired by the fashion show set piece from Singin’ in the Rain, brought up to date and twisted. Beautiful girl, ha. And she’d be here to do it.
Maybe she’d still be seeing Imago.
The thought lingered as they crowded backstage to get out of drag and clean up. Where had it come from, this sudden acceptance of change? She’d been angry about it at first. The collapse of the Four Queens living situation, losing her job, moving home, facing the fact that it simply wasn’t safe to be the Top Slut anymore. All her freedoms, gone at once.
Drinking let her pretend nothing was different, but she’d taken it too far, and she didn’t want to pretend. She wanted to be a real professional queen, right here at the Pink Pussycat, with Imago and the rest of these talented girls. A whole new life, and what was more free than that?
“What’s on your mind, honey?”
Wig off, Jaime stared at himself for another second, then transferred his gaze to Louis. “Have I told you how much I love your dancing?”
Louis blushed. Fluttered a little, trying to cover it as a search for a makeup-remover wipe. After a second he cleared his throat and said, “Thank you.”
“I actually really admire what all of you do here,” Jaime added. “This is way beyond what we ever did in LA. We were all too busy trying to make a living to think about being in a real show there.”
“Bitch, preach,” Louis said. “This is only ten years old, you know. Benny and Trish had a party one time, invited all us queens over to talk about the little things we were doing here and there. Then it was like, what if we went to the club and said, we could do a regular show for you. We had to get more professional about it. More like the old days.”
Jaime continued cleaning up as he listened. “What did you do before?”
“Before I started working in a casino’s legal department? Legit ballet dancer. Did the Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for a few years.”
“Like Brooke Lynn Hytes? That’s so cool.” Jaime made a mental note to look the troupe up again, enough to have an informed conversation. Then his current preoccupation with the B word made him ask, “Did you meet Carlito on the job?”
“Sure did. I was in booking and contracts, he was in development. You know,” Louis paused to scrub a towel over his head. “God, that’s better. Next time we have a gathering, you should come.”
They made eye contact in the mirror. Jaime smiled. “I’d love to. Thank you.”
“And bring Dori, ’cause Carlito is thirsty.” They both cackled.
COLLAPSEThe Pink Pussycat Lounge in Vegas is making a slow come back after the disastrous pandemic. The HVAC and distancing upgrades have come along nicely, and the Drag Queens are finally able to get back to performing with live audiences.
Ivan Reznak, aka Imago Postale, is one of the dancing queens at the Pink Pussycat, and has been performing at the lounge for five years. Life had taken a turn for all tyhe performers – six months of boredom lead to many hook-ups, and life had changed. Ivan has no trouble making friends and he’s very well liked in this little group, but he’s alone. Unfortunately for Imago Postale, she is not able to perform in the last show, due to a minor accident when she was doing a favor for one of the other Queens. Without regret, she enjoys watching the show from the side lines.
Jaime Rivera, aka Hymen Uranus, is new to all of it. He’s never performed in a live show like this – and one produced for TV too. He lives with his best friend and roommate Dori, who he has known for a long time, but he’s only known the other drag queens at the club for a couple months. He’s also working to get his dental hygienist license, necessary if he is going to stay in Vegas. He has a habit of drinking a lot after the shows, and has almost blacked out a couple times.
Tonight, he’s looking for Ivan especially, as he will be driving home to visit his family in Phoenix. Jaime had hooked up with Ivan but didn’t consider it significant.
Jaime asks Ivan to walk him to his car, and steals a kiss. He plans to see Ivan when he comes back for dress rehearsal before the New Year show.
Not having anywhere to go Christmas, Ivan attends to the traditional Merry Dickmas barbecue at Louis’ and Carlito’s place, a gay couple who just tied the knot. The group is very open about sharing what goes on in their personal lives, but Ivan is hiding a secret, his crush on Jaime.
Dori, Jaime’s roommate, tells Ivan that Jaime just isn’t the long-term boyfriend type. Dori and Jaime are both on their way to being forty, and set in their ways. For his part, Ivan rarely went out on hookups, and wants someone to be in a committed relationship with.
Two days after Christmas, Jaime returnes to Vegas, and doesn’t realize where he is when he wakes up. In the bathroom, he finds himself staring at the contents of the medicine cabinet and recognizes what the prescriptions are for. When reality hits him, he confronts Ivan and is very rude.
Ivan explains that he’s not the one with the problem. That’s on Jaime, with his blackout drinking and always waking up in a stranger’s bed. Ivan tells Jaime how he protected him during their hook ups.
Ivan’s friend Benny tells Ivan it’s not his fault – there’s no law that says he has to tell everyone his secret. Ivan decides that he needs to confront Jaime, but only when he’s sober. Will Ivan be able to make Jaime see that he never meant to put him in danger? Will Jaime realize he has a problem with alcohol, and just how serious it is?
Fishnets and Tinsel is an interesting, unique written story by Alexandra Caluen, filled with humor, friendships and a special connection that these amazing queens have built with one other. I loved the relationship that Caluen created between Ivan Reznak and Jaime Rivera.
The author uses the pronouns “he/him” and “she/her,” depending upon the given name/drag name they use in the conversations that take place in the book. All the drag queens are special in their own way, and they are all employed in the medical field. They share their problems and opinions about their jobs, HIV, alcoholism, and their everyday lives.
Some are also married or have partners. Besides Ivan and Jaime, the author introduces Benny, Tommy, Dori, Louis, and Trish. Their drag names are very colorful and descriptive.
I highly recommend Fishnets and Tinsel – very entertaining, in its own unique way.
FISHNETS & TINSEL features a main character living with HIV and is set in the real world of 2020.
