Chapter Two - Strange Urges
Dan watched Becca walk away, and continued to stand and stare into the empty space he had now vacated for a considerable amount of was until a smiley guy with impossibly tight jeans sidled up to him.
"Why hello there handsome. You look kind of lost."
"Oh, I, um..."
It was true, Dan had lost his bearings. He was in an unfamiliar place, he had just had his first encounter with a cross-dresser and he couldn't even remember what he was doing there in the first place.
He shook his head and forced himself to think straight. His first thought was to ask the guy whether he had seen the group of people whom he was looking for, but as surely as the thought had come to him he changed his mind. He had the strangest urge to find Becca, to talk to him. For a reason unknown to Dan he wanted to ask him whether he had seen Phil or the others.
"I uh, I'm fine thanks. Just looking for someone. Tall guy ... girl ... guy, blonde hair. Becca?"
"Hhhmmm I can see why you're interested honey, but I'm not sure Becca swings that way. Even so, that's him over there." He pointed to a corner sofa away from the dance floor.
"Uh, thanks..." And with that Dan turned and walked over.
What was he doing? Maybe it was the bright lights, all the sparkles. He had never acted this irrationally in his life. Before he knew it his feet had stopped in their tracks and he was standing in front of Becca, who was sat with another man dressed in elaborate drag.
Becca looked up, recognised Dan from five minutes beforehand and flashed him a smile.
"Wow, back again so soon? I knew you'd be interested when I first saw you. You're having doubts, confused? I understand that, but it's really liberating, trust me."
"Wha-?" Becca was correct, he was confused. That was until he, rather belatedly, realised that he thought Dan was interested in dressing in drag. "No, I'm, I came to ask if you'd seen a group of people, my friends, I mean I came here to find them..." He was rambling in his nervous state. He didn't like to admit it but Becca intimidated him. He was so confident, and slightly scary. "... Black hair, side fringe, I don't know if they'd be here..."
"I'm sorry babe but I can't say I've seen a group of people matching that oh-so-lovely description" he cooed mockingly.
"Right, okay, well, I'll be on my way then, um..."
"Oh, going so soon? Well, be sure to come back some time to visit me."
At that point Becca's friend, going by the name of Penelope Jane, piped up.
"And make sure to bring this 'Phil' guy with you. He sounds ravishing"
As awkwardly as only Dan could possibly make it, he shuffled to turn around and managed to escape the club. He should have called a cab, but his mind was filled with deep, confusing thoughts as he made his way home by foot. It didn't even cross his mind to continue looking for the bar Phil et al were in.
"Dan! What happened to you? I tried calling but you wouldn't pick up. I thought you would be joining us, I didn't realise you would be staying at Jodie's all night."
When Dan arrived an hour later at the apartment, Phil was waiting for him slightly concerned, and rightfully so. He never usually fell off the radar like that, not even for one night.
"Oh yeah, um, battery died..." He was still in a dazed state. What the hell was going on? He didn't feel himself at all. He considered telling Phil about Pink Punters and his brief encounter with Becca, but something told him this situation was different to usual.
Normally Dan would have come through the door laughing and told Phil the ridiculous tale before planning a video about it to film the next day. ("Hello Internet, so yesterday... I got mistaken for a guy who looks like he likes to dress in drag..." *dramatic pause whilst staring into the camera in annoyance*) but Dan had no desire to laugh about the strange night he had must had. He and Phil were as close as best friends could possibly be, and even when he was feeling as strange as this he should have felt like he could talk to him about it.
But he really didn't want to.
Brushing off Phil's attempt at a conversation, he walked to his bedroom, got into bed and fell straight asleep, hoping the weird aura that was currently surrounding him would pass by the time he woke up.
"Do you want a drink?"
The next day and Dan was at Jodie's apartment to hang out for a while. They weren't exactly an item, they had only kissed a few times so far, but they were definitely starting to move out of the awkward 'getting together' stage.
Dan was still feeling weird about the night before and didn't particularly feel like spending time with Jodie, but he realised that he was being stupid and that if he ever wanted things to work out well he was going to have to put aside strange nightclubs and mind-boggling cross-dressing men.
"Please," he smiled, and she walked off to the kitchen.
A minute later and Jodie's doorbell rang. Another minute and she popped her head around the door into the main room of her apartment where he was sitting.
"I'm sorry, my neighbour needs some help with something, I'll try not to be too long, is that okay?"
Dan told her it was fine with another smile (she really was one of the prettiest and kindest girls he had ever met) and pulled his phone out of his pocket so he could pass the time on tumblr.
He hadn't been alone in her apartment before, and had never had a chance to properly look around. His eyes wondered and fell on something he could just see through the gap in Jodie's slightly open bedroom door. A bra.
Dan wasn't immature or creepy in the least, but for the second time in 24 hours he had the strangest urge to do something. He got up from the sofa where he was sitting and walked the length of the room to the bedroom door. Edging in he found himself standing by Jodie's bed, looking down at the underwear laying there.
It's really liberating, trust me
Becca's voice rang through his head as his thoughts became muddled...
Gently, he reached down and picked up the bra, spending a few minutes just holding it in his hands...
...and then Jodie was at the bedroom door...
... And he was wearing the bra.