I shook my head. “A wise woman once told me it’s all in the reveal.”
Mabel grabbed me, squeezing my head against her bosom. “He’s all grown up. If I wasn’t wearing mascara, I’d cry.”
My worlds had collided. I should be nervous. Would Firefly continue proving itself a progressive small town nestled in the backwoods of Maine? It hadn’t let me down so far. If I could win over the committee?—
“Auntie M, Auntie M!”
A young queen came running, her black-and-white striped dress billowing in the wind. Yet another of Mabel’scoven had sported white face paint, complete with a red dot on the tip of her nose. The red ruffle around her neck completed the look. Most impressive were the high heels and her ability to run through the green without breaking an ankle.
“The committee is here!”
It was time to face the powers that be.
“Thank you, Hella,” Mabel said. “By the way, your lashes are absolutely divine.” Hella curtsied. “You’re on dunk tank duty. When a sexy man shows up, let us know.”
“Sexy men?” Hella smirked. “Mabel wasn’t lying. This town is filled with delicious studs.” She winked at me before heading toward the library. I didn’t recognize any of Mabel’s volunteers. Had she rallied every drag performer on the East Coast? I couldn’t express my gratitude. I’d be writing thank-you notes well into next year.
“Jon?” I stiffened at the sound of Gladys’s voice. “What is going on?”
I couldn’t tell by her tone if she was relieved or angry.
“You’ve got this,” Mabel whispered. “Fairy godmother knows best.”
“Jon, how did you pull this off?” At least Laurel was on my side. I hoped this didn’t turn into an age situation. The older folks of Firefly were slow to change. Drag Reading Hour had been a leap, and I had been pleasantly surprised. I crossed my fingers, sliding them into my pockets.
I spun around to see the four members of the committee. “We needed man…peoplepower. I found people!”
“Who are…” Her words trailed off as Mabel waved.
“This is Mabel Syrup. She’s the one helping Tyler at the library. I figured since Drag Reading Hour went so well, we’d have her back.”
“Fibber,” Mabel whispered.
The foursome wore our bright orange t-shirts. Harvey and Walter were all grins. Both pulled off their caps and bowed in front of Mabel. When she offered them each a hand, they gave her a quick kiss. They jumped on board without prompting. That left Gladys and Sheila.
“Mabel,” Sheila squealed. “It’s been a hot minute. Are you cheating on me with another stylist? Is this because I convinced you to get a bob?” When they hugged, I breathed a sigh of relief. That left the matriarch of our committee.
“I promised a carnival.”
Mabel pushed me to the side and leaned down, inspecting Gladys’s face. Were they about to exchange words? Gladys took a step back. Mabel tended to be forward, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her cussing out a sweet lady.
“What shade is your lipstick? It’s positively radiant.”
Gladys paused before the edges of her lip curled. My fairy godmother had a way about her. Abrasive and delightful shouldn’t be a winning combination, and yet, Gladys’s red cheeks said otherwise.
“Summer rose.”
“Gorgeous,” Mabel said. “We’re going to need to talk beauty routines.”
Gladys couldn’t hide the smile. Mabel had done it.When Gladys gave me a slight nod, I knew I had won her approval. If we could charm her, then the rest of Firefly didn’t stand a chance.
“Auntie M! Auntie M!” Hella charged up the sidewalk, hands flailing in the air. “There’s an emergency.”
Oh, no. Not now! If anything went wrong, Gladys’s newfound approval would go south. Hella reached the table, huffing and puffing. When she caught her breath, she straightened her back, striking a pose.
“The slushie station can’t find the flavored syrups.”
Oh. I should have guessed. With a queen, no inconvenience would be minor.
