Four adults sat in a suite at a luxurious hotel in Paris, staring at each other.
"That was fun. Now what do we do?" The only woman in the group asked, rather rhetorically.
"You got us into this, you get us out." The oldest man responded with a faint hint of humor in his voice.
The entire group chuckled, remembering a few short weeks ago when those lines had been spoken by the opposite person to who spoke them this time.
"Go back to America?" the man who was sitting next to the woman asked.
"No!" Surprisingly, it was the burliest of the four who spoke up.
"Squash?" the second man asked, surprised.
"I don't want to go back to hiding what I am! I've liked being able to be more open about my preferences, and not feeling like everyone disapproves. Besides, I want to stay with Toddy, and I don't think he wants to go back." Squash was adamant.
"No, I don't. I am in Paris for a reason. I gave up my American citizenship. Queens are not accepted well. Gays, period, are not accepted well. However, we have to have a way to make a living. King, did you actually sell your half of the club to Sal?" Toddy had been thinking while the discussion went on around him.
"Yeah. I "convinced" him, or rather Squash did, that he should give me the full value of my half. It's amazing what a man will agree to when he's dangling half a foot off the floor, being held there by a hand around his throat."
"Toddy, what are you up to?" The woman, Victoria, looked at her mentor suspiciously.
"I heard that Labisse has put his club up for sale. It seems he doesn't have the funds to fix it up after the last brawl."
"And?" Victoria wanted him to spell it out.
"King could buy the club, you could perform, I could emcee and perform, and Squash could be our bouncer."
"I don't think I have enough to buy the club and fix it up. We broke it up pretty good."
"Maybe Andre would like to get in on it. Give him something new to promote. He was a little upset that Victoria wasn't really Victor."
"That might stop him from suing me for breach of contract. He would still have exclusive rights to promote me, and would have them for the club. Also, Toddy, the audience really loved you in drag."
"It could work!" King felt better knowing that a possibility existed that would keep him together with Victoria. He was starting to like Toddy. The man was flamboyant, but had a good head on his shoulders. He and Squash had known each other for years, and were good friends.
"King, are you sure you don't want to go back to Chicago?" Squash wanted to make sure he wasn't overriding his friend's wishes.
"Not really. If I go back, you won't be there to be my bodyguard. You're the only one I trust. Plus, if I go back, I will most likely run into Norma and Sal. No thanks. Victoria is here, or in England. I will be with her."
Victoria put her head on his shoulder. When he looked down at her, she gave him a brief kiss.
"One more thing." King looked at the other two briefly, then back at Victoria. "Victoria, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"
Victoria's eyes filled with tears, and she nodded vigorously. The other two in the room cheered. King fished in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a ring box. He opened it and removed a two-carat diamond solitaire gold ring, and placed it on the ring finger of Victoria's left hand.
Toddy called room service, and ordered a magnum of champagne. When it arrived, the four toasted the impending marriage, and the new venture the four were embarking on. It was a wonderful end to what had been a not-so-good week.