Page 27

Jude

Jude fidgeted on the corner of Bleecker and Seventh, putting her hands in her pockets and then taking them out again, her head swiveling every few seconds to check if Kat was coming down the sidewalk.

She hoped this would work. And that it wasn’t overly cheesy. And that Kat didn’t hate it. And that she didn’t get upset that Jude had done this without asking. And—

Nope. It was too late. She’d already asked Kat to meet her here, and she couldn’t back out now. Thankfully, she spotted Kat turning the corner at that moment, which spared her from further spiraling.

“Hi!” Jude opened her arms and Kat stepped into them, but Jude could feel tension in her shoulders.

“Hi there.” Kat smiled, but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. “So, what’s this mysterious date you have planned for us?”

“You’ll see.” Jude gestured for Kat to follow.

As they walked, she asked Kat about the luncheon and her meeting with Jocelyn, but Kat seemed distracted.

Jude wondered if her manager had been upset about that photo of them at the gala leaking to the press.

She really hoped not. She didn’t want their relationship to make Kat’s life more difficult.

When they turned the corner to The Next Chapter, Kat rolled her eyes.

“Okay, I know I like books and all, but I don’t think going to the bookstore where you work counts as a romantic surprise date.”

Jude turned her head to keep her smile from giving something away. “Just wait and see.”

Jude unlocked the front door and ushered Kat in, then locked it behind them again.

The lights were off except for the under-the-shelf ones they kept on all night to deter potential break-ins, filling the store with shadows as she led Kat through to the back.

She paused in front of the door to the storeroom, trying to think of something to say that wasn’t overly earnest.

She settled on: “If this is weird, just let me know.” Kat gave her a confused look, but she went ahead and knocked on the door—three times fast, then three times slow, as prearranged.

The door creaked open just a little bit, making Kat jump.

“Password.”

Jude leaned in and whispered, “Marsha P.” The door swung open. Jude held it for Kat so she could walk in first.

Kat looked around, her mouth slightly open. “What is this?”

Jude cleared her throat. “Um. When we were at the diner, you said you wished you could go to a queer bar but you’re too afraid of getting recognized. And I really wanted you to have that experience. So…” She gestured around the storeroom. “Welcome to Kat’s.”

Jude had spent most of the day transforming the storeroom.

She’d swept and de-spiderwebbed the whole space, then used the boxes of books to form a makeshift bar, which she’d covered in a dark red tablecloth and lined with string lights.

She’d placed a few stools on one side and installed L.J.

on the other, dressed in suspenders and a white button-down shirt.

In front of the bar she’d set up a few small tables, where Rhys and Talia were waiting.

She’d set a lamp on each one to give the dingy storeroom more romantic lighting.

She’d covered the walls with large pride flags in every variation she could find and framed photos of historic lesbian bars from around New York: from long-closed ones like Meow Mix and the Sea Colony, to the currently operating ones like Ginger’s and Scissors.

Over the bar she’d hung a large paper banner painted with the words “Kat’s Queer Speakeasy. ”

Kat turned back to Jude. “You put all this together?”

“Yeah.” Jude shrugged, as if she turned her workplace into a code-defying speakeasy all the time. She ran her hand through her hair. This was too much. She’d gone too far. She had weirded Kat out by being too intense and—

Kat reached out and grabbed Jude’s hands. Her eyes were shining. She squeezed once, then didn’t let go.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Jude beamed at her. Suddenly the bar didn’t look like an embarrassing mess anymore. Suddenly the lighting actually felt romantic. Had she gotten taller in the last few seconds?

“Would you like a drink?”

Kat laughed and shook her head, gazing around at all the decorations. “Yes, of course.”

Jude led her over to the bar.

“Hi, welcome to Kat’s queer bar,” L.J. said in a resentful monotone. “What would you like to drink?”

“L.J. is playing the role of the hot bartender who’s far too cool to care about you or your friends,” Jude said to Kat. “But also, they’re just kind of like that.”

L.J. flipped Jude off, and Jude winked.

“Kat’s is a divey queer bar, so there are no cocktails. Just well drinks and beer,” Jude explained.

“Okay. I’ll take a vodka soda, then.”

L.J. turned to the globe behind them, popped it open, and got to work. Kat leaned into Jude slightly, her shoulder brushing against Jude’s side and sending a little sizzling thrill through her entire body. “Who are these people?” she whispered.

“They work at the bookstore with me,” Jude said. “But they’re like my family. They promised me they won’t tell anyone about this. And we all left our phones in the other room so you don’t have to worry about pictures. I want you to be able to enjoy this.”

Kat bit her lip and looked like she was about to say something, but she was interrupted by L.J. handing over her drink. She said thank you and took a sip, then gagged.

“Oh my God. This is, like, all vodka.”

Jude laughed. “That’s the queer bar way. Straight vodka in a plastic cup.”

Kat eyed her doubtfully, making Jude laugh again. “Come on,” she said, putting her arm around Kat’s shoulders. “Let me introduce you to the rest of the gang. Here we have Rhys, who has chosen the role of ‘old butch who is always at the bar, no matter what day or time you come.’?”

Rhys had really committed to the bit, with a short-sleeve button-down and a bow tie. He’d even put in gray hair dye. “Come sit by me later and I’ll tell you stories about going to West Village queer bars back when it was illegal,” he called.

“And finally, we have Talia, who has chosen to portray ‘the high femme so hot and glamorous you feel deeply insecure and briefly consider leaving the bar altogether.’?”

Talia stood up and curtsied. She’d done her makeup to the nines and borrowed a long, glamorous wig to compliment her red dress. “I may look intimidating, but I’m secretly a sweetheart,” she whispered. “Also, I’m a top.”

Jude glanced down at Kat, hoping she wasn’t overwhelmed.

“Of course, if this was a real queer bar, we’d also have two people you’ve kissed before, someone you saw on TikTok once, four people you’ve swiped left on on dating apps, one person you swiped right on and then had a weird conversation with, and one really hot person who you’d make eye contact with all night and then never actually speak to.

” She dropped her arms. “However, we had limited resources here, so we’re making do with what we have.

Also, Rhys said we couldn’t invite anyone who doesn’t work at the bookstore, because we’re ‘operating an illegal speakeasy without a liquor license.’?” She made her fingers into air quotes.

“And could ‘get a huge fine.’?” She looked back at Kat. “So…what do you think?”

Kat didn’t respond. Instead, she squeezed Jude around the middle so tight she may have damaged some sort of crucial organ.

Jude didn’t mind. She put her arms around Kat and squeezed, too.

“This is so thoughtful,” Kat said, her voice muffled into Jude’s chest. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before. Thank you.” Then she reached up and kissed Jude hard.

When she pulled back, Jude blinked at her, feeling dazed. Her cheeks already hurt from smiling, and the night had barely begun.

“Seriously,” Kat said. “Thank you.”

Jude kissed her again. Just because she could. Just because she had this gorgeous girl in front of her and Jude had made her happy and Jude got to kiss her whenever she wanted.

At the bar, L.J. turned on the speaker and “Like a Prayer” started blasting through the room.

“Hey! Young ’un! Come sit next to me and hear about the time I rode my motorcycle all the way to California and then went straight to a sex club!” Rhys called.

“Not before she hears about the time I killed a man with nothing but a tube of lipstick and a set of keys,” Talia called in a high falsetto.

“Hey, keep the rowdiness down in here. I run a respectful establishment.” L.J. glowered at them all. “Don’t make me get the bat out from under the bar. I played D-1 softball in college, you know.”

Jude rolled her eyes. “Everyone took fleshing out their backstories a little too seriously,” she said.

“So if you don’t ask them a hundred questions about their characters, they’re all going to be deeply offended.

But also dyke drama at the queer bar is a big part of the experience, so please feel free to offend them. ”

Kat laughed, a deep unselfconscious laugh that Jude had never heard her use before. Her eyes sparkled, and her smile filled her entire face. She looked positively giddy. She grabbed Jude’s hand and pulled her over to the others.

“Well, we have to make my first queer bar experience memorable, right?”