Renata stretches’ when she wakes up. She had slept like the dead last night with no nightmares at all. She goes about her morning business and call in to see if she needed to show-up at her full-time job. Luckily, the waitress she had traded with showed up today. Which meant she had to work on Thursday for the other waitress she traded with. Renata gets her stuff ready and waits downstairs for Lady Bird to show-up.

Lady Bird shows up already done up at twelve thirty. The suv Lady Bird drove was already loaded up with two other drag queens she knew from the club that she performed at. Renata didn’t mind their company. It made the drive fun to say the least. It took two hours to get to the new club, but the drive was worth it. It was brand new and had an outside service area where people could sit down and still see the stage and have dinner as well.

Once they were shown to the dressing room and given the order they would appear on stage. Everyone got ready and once they were shown to the stage, they got down to business. All night long they rocked the place. The owner of the new club was so happy with their performance, that they were given hotel rooms for the night and ask if they would perform again for the club. Renata said she would, since she didn’t have to be at her full-time job till Thursday. All the other girls that came along with her, also agreed.

Some of them went to the hotel with dates that night. Renata didn’t. She went to her hotel room by herself. Once she settled in for the night. She had a hard time sleeping. The pounding of the speakers and the music she sung and the energy she felt in the club had energized her. It was hard for her to just relax and let sleep take her away like last night. Renata stays awake till five in the morning before finally falling asleep.

She is awoken around nine the next morning by a knocking sound on her door. Renata glances towards her cell phone to see what time it was. Once she saw what time it was, she groans and crawls out of bed. Renata grabs her robe that went with her night gown and was putting it on as she opens the door.

“Carmen, I hope I didn’t wake you.” Ichiko comes walking into Carmen’s room.

“No, not at all Ichiko. What brings you here at this hour?” Renata shuts the door and walks over to start some coffee. The room they had been given had a small kitchenette in them. Which came equip with a coffee maker, toaster and several small pots and pans, along with a compact refrigerator.

“I was wondering if you were heading back after the performance tonight?” Ichiko sat down in a nearby chair.

“Yep, I have too. My full-time job is expecting me to show-up tomorrow morning. So, I must leave tonight after the performance. Lady Bird, is my ride. Why do you ask?” Renata fills the coffee pot and put the coffee pouch in the basket. She pours the water from the pot into the machine and let it do its thing.

“How about if I give you a ride back? That way Lady Bird can stay and help her friend out some more?” Ichiko figures Carmen would take the offer. If things go the way she figures, she’ll get the money she was promise.

“Let me check with Lady Bird to see if she plans on staying. I thought she was going home tonight.” Carmen picks her cell phone up and dials Lady Bird’s number.

Renata waits till she hears Lady Bird’s voice “Carmen, what can I do for you?”

“Good morning Lady Bird, I was wondering if you are heading back tonight after the show like we planned?”

“Well, if you don’t mind. I was thinking about staying and helping my friend out. I know I promise to take you home, but I figure we could do it tomorrow morning.” Lady Bird didn’t want to go after the show tonight. She was having too much fun and her friend needed her to stay to help out.

“I can’t stay overnight Birdie. I have my full-time job tomorrow I have to be at.” Carmen really didn’t want to call her boss.

“I know Carmen, but my friend really needs me tomorrow. Can you make other arrangements?”

Carmen sighs” yes, I can find another ride. Have fun tomorrow Birdie.” Carmen hangs up.

Renata turns back towards Ichiko “looks like I’ll be taking you up on your offer for that ride tonight Ichiko.”

Ichiko just smiles. Her plan was going according to plan.

“We’ll leave after the club closes for the night. That way you can have some fun, before we head home.” Ichiko stands up from the chair she was sitting in and heads to the door.

“Sounds like a plan. Do you want me to load up before I perform or just before we leave?” Carmen figure she’ll have some time.

“After will be fine. I’ll see you at the club tonight.” Ichiko leaves Carmen by herself.

Renata just shakes her head and turn the television on to watch some news and then a movie afterwards. While she is watching the movie, she checks the costume she was going to wear tonight and make sure there weren’t any rips or lose seams in it. She had one custom rip wide open one night while she was in the middle of a performance. Like her drag mother told her when she was learning the trade just continue with the performance and make the audience think it’s part of the show.

Once Renata was done with checking her costume. She watches the rest of the movie. It was a movie she had hope to see, but never got the chance. It had come out when she was living on the streets. At the time she was more interested in surviving then going to the movies. When the movie was done, Renata changes her clothes and put on her jogging outfit. She might as well get some jogging in before she performs tonight. The fake state identification card she had said she was old enough to work at bars and such. It allowed her to buy beer and wine if she wanted it. So, it made it easier to socialize with the crowd.

Renata follows a jogging path that looked to be popular with joggers near the hotel. She thinks about her drag mother and what she was up to. She knew her drag mother was a chief at an up and coming restaurant and that she had been the one to give her the name Carmen after the famous French opera about a Spanish gypsy girl. Unlike that Carmen, she wasn’t interested in finding and seducing a gentleman. She
wanted to have the operation first to removed the birth defect she had been born with at birth.

The Carmen that had been her nurse in the hospital had been nice to her. She had learned that, that Carmen had two older brothers that were in the military and were station overseas. She didn’t care for the current president right now and she was working on becoming a head nurse either at the hospital she was working at or at another one. That Carmen loved to help people, so that they could become healthier. Renata wouldn’t have had mind having an older sister or mother like her. That Carmen didn’t mind that she was transgender and that she wanted to be a girl. Unlike Detective King. That man had been a jerk from the first day she met him. She wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he works for one of the local gang leaders.

Carmen just let herself get lost in the rhythm of the music she was listening to and the peacefulness of the path she was following. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. By the time, she gets back to her room she was soak with sweat and thirsty. She cools down before heading into her room and once inside. Renata strips out of her jogging clothes and takes a nice shower.