ransvestia

has been a girl all night. I'd like to introduce him to you." There was an expectant hush. Marty was looking down at the stage, the extra thick, dark lashes hiding his eyes. Even to David's inexpert gaze, Marty seemed flushed.

"Could you tell who it was?" Nadine was actually challenging the audience. There were cries of "no" from several sections. "Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Marty Salter." She turned and stepped over to Marty, leading him forward. There was applause like the troupe had never heard in that little theatre, or never had to that point, anyway. Ace, the next man in line, looked in amazement at David.

"Now, take off your wig, darling," said Nadine. Poor Marty, thought David. He could do little else but oblige.

It wasn't until they were back in their dressing room, Marty having gone with the girls, that David realized that the show's closing had not been announced. Perhaps she forgot about it, he thought, not daring to think that The Great Shoot-Out might actually be extended.

"Hey, have you seen the reviews of Marty's performance?" Rosalie Hammond threw the paper onto the crowded lunch table at Fatima's.

"Have you seen Marty?" growled Ace, his dark glasses covering the ravaged appearance of his eyes.

"After the way you guys treated him last night?" Sally was still angry. The troupe had teased David and Marty unmercifully about the kiss in the hooker scene, Cindy being the worst. When she asked Marty how much he charged, and if he'd recommend David to Marty's new friends, Marty had finally had enough. He'd hardly said a word anyway after the show, or at Fatima's. But after Cindy's question, he'd almost run out of the coffeehouse with Sally chasing after him, leaving several nasty expressions about Cindy's parents behind her.

"It was all in fun," said David placatingly.

"Fun!" snapped Sally Rader.

8