After that first night, I kept going back. What had unsettled me in the beginning slowly became familiar. The drag shows I had once watched with wide-eyed shock started to feel fun, sharp, and strangely comforting. I began to see more than the spectacle. There was humor in it, confidence in it, and a kind of freedom I had not known how to read the first time.
What unsettled me more was the attention I seemed to draw. It always seemed to come from older men, and at that age, I did not know what to make of it. Part of me felt flattered. Part of me felt even more unsure of myself. I was still trying to figure out what I wanted, what I feared, and what it meant to be noticed that way.
Over time, the staff began to recognize me. They were warm, easy with me, and made the place feel less intimidating than it had at first.
Especially one bartender.
