Ren and Aurora looked up at the neon blue lettering above the bar front. The Big Bird was tucked in an alleyway in between Old Compton Street and Greek Street. You would probably miss it if you didn’t know it was there, that or think it was some invitation only jazz bar.

There was a tattered rainbow flag sticker on the front door that someone had patched up with multi-coloured sharpies. The queue didn’t look as bad as some of the ones they had passed and it wasn’t long before a large and bored looking bouncer was eyeing them up and down asking for I.D.

Ren always felt nervous being I.D’d. He was always waiting for someone to tell him that it was a fake, that he was surely an imposter.

“Thanks!” Aurora trilled happily as the bouncer stamped them both on the hand with a blue inked bird sticking on a disturbingly phallic looking branch.

“Have a good night,” the man nodded, already moving on to the next set of people.

“Oh wow I forgot how quaint it is in here!” Aurora exclaimed as they passed through a small corridor and out into the main area of the club. It was mostly wood paneled, dark and mahogany with embroidered tapestries hanging on the walls. The layout was spread across three different levels, a seating area with tables, a stage and then a lower area in between for dancing. The lower level was also where the bar was.

“It looks almost like a speakeasy doesn’t it?” Aurora beamed as they descended down the couple of steps and made a beeline towards the bar. Ren noticed there were a few people there already, laughing and chatting. The prices weren’t too bad and Ren ordered a vodka coke whilst Aurora went for a Malibu cocktail.

“Ooh – an act is starting!” Aurora whispered excitedly.

Ren glanced up across the milling body of the crowd. Sure enough, there was silhouette moving about on the darkened stage, the sequins of what was bound to be an extravagant garment catching in the dim lights. Aurora dragged Ren slightly forwards to get a better view. Ren inadvertently nudged shoulders with one of the people on bar stools.

“Sorry,” Ren said quickly, turning to look into dark brown eyes that were gazing at him curiously. The man looked like one of Ren’s fantasies come to life. He had short dark hair that was clearly styled and his face was tanned and angular with a chiseled jawbone.

“Gabriel?” one of the man’s companions, a beautiful red-headed woman was holding out a pint glass and nudging at his chest.

“Hm? Yeah,” the man, Gabriel, laughed and turned back away from Ren without a response.

“I see they’re allowing kids in nowadays,” the woman snorted in a lilting French accent. Ren flushed angrily, it wasn’t his fault he still looked so young despite taking regular Testosterone injections.

“Ren – what are you doing?” Aurora hissed, yanking Ren back forwards again and motioning excitedly up to the stage.

“Boys, girls and the best bits in between,” a sultry voice oozed out from the microphone as cheers and whoops emanated from the audience. “I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to the Big Bird tonight, now come on darlings –fly away with me!”

The music started up, loud and booming as the spotlights flicked on in sequence.

“Holy shit!” Aurora squealed giddily, grasping Ren’s arm hard enough to bruise, “It’s her!”

Ren grinned as he realised it was in fact Jabari Ayman up there on that stage. Only he looked very far from being a Classical Studies professor right now.

“I’d like to introduce myself,” the queen announced, “I’m Kliofatra and your host for this evening, but get on my good side and you can call me Klio.”

Klio was incredible, she was wearing a floor length white gown encrusted with faux precious jewels such as rubies and emeralds. There were thick, golden snake bangles up either arm and her braided black wig was threaded with rhinestones.

Aurora let out a loud whooping cheer, causing Klio to look their way. Her eyes alighted on Ren’s and sparkled with mirth. “Well, well it is lovely to see some familiar faces in the audience!”

Klio stuck out a jeweled talon-esque finger nail at Aurora and Ren. “Bartender, those two’s tab is on me!”

Ren blushed furiously as everyone in the club turned to look at them whilst Aurora screeched delightedly and began blowing kisses towards the stage. Ren glanced round to notice that the man from before, Gabriel was also staring at him with an amused expression.

“And now for some music,” Klio winked before the track transitioned into an eighties power ballad.

“Best damn night of my life,” Aurora garbled, spinning round to the bartender and immediately ordering two more cocktails.

“We don’t want to bankrupt our professor!” Ren protested weakly.

“Shut up and actually enjoy yourself for once,” Aurora snapped, shoving a tall glass of swirling orange and pink liquid towards him. “Trust me baby boy, this will do you some good.”

Ren eyed the drink dubiously before taking a sip and immediately coughing. “How many shots are in this?” he spluttered, gesturing to the bartender who was still staring in admiration at Aurora.

“Never mind,” Ren shook his head as Aurora noticed the attention and turned her lips into her most flirtatious pouting smile.

“I’m going to go try and get closer to the stage,” Ren announced, shaking his head with a huffed laugh as he picked his way through the crowd, attempting to avoid the jostle of dancing, sweating bodies.

By the fifth cocktail that the bartender had whipped up, clearly now just trying to impress Aurora with his mixing skills as he kept making the most extravagant ones possible, Ren was feeling pretty good.

The lights, the pulsing music, watching Klio strut her stuff, it was all quite intoxicating. During a break in between sets, the drag queen had even disembarked from the stage on some kind of sedan chair, supported by men in ridiculously short togas.

“Excuse my Mark Antonys won’t you my dear?” Klio winked exaggeratedly as she ordered them to stop beside Ren. She jumped down from the chair and shooed the attendants away.

“You enjoying yourself?” Klio asked, pulling Ren into an embrace and smacking her rouged lips theatrically on his cheek.

“You were amazing up there,” Ren replied truthfully, “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Confidence darling, just a shot of confidence,” Klio reached over to grab Ren’s drink and took a hearty swig. “Jesus Christ what’s in this? It could knock out a racehorse.”

“I’m not sure,” Ren grinned sheepishly, “Your bartender friend gave it to us.”

“Hamza?” Klio laughed. “What a ridiculous show off. Well don’t have too many of those that you don’t show up to my lecture Monday morning.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it Professor,” Ren giggled, swaying on the spot slightly. He watched as Klio raised her hand in the hair and snapped her fingers, huffing impatiently as the four strapping men came rushing back with the sedan chair.

“Duty calls my little Renzo,” Klio purred, “enjoy the rest of your night! But I’m keeping this ridiculous drink, just looking out for my students’ well being you understand?”

Ren laughed and glanced around, the club had really filled up in the last hour and the dance floor was now a throbbing mass of bodies.

“Confidence huh?” Ren repeated, glancing back up to where Klio was now re-ascending the stage to the first loud beats of a Cher song, it was one of Aurora’s favourites. Ren moved to extricate himself from the crowd and make his way back to the bar to find her.

“Hey cutie,” a voice came hot against Ren’s ear whilst a sweaty palm rested on his hip. Ren squirmed away from the touch and swiveled round to see a man, probably in his late twenties, grinning at him.

“Sorry,” Ren shook his head, “I’m going to find my friend.”

“The blonde girl?” the man frowned but didn’t seem deterred, “she went to the bathroom with that bartender five minutes ago.”

“Huh?” Ren glanced over to see a different to the bar that was now being manned by someone else.

“Every time Aurora,” Ren muttered through gritted teeth, still moving to get away from the other man.

“Come on, just one dance? I’m Colin,” the man grabbed Ren’s wrist, his fingers too tight and his hot breath too close to Ren’s neck. He reeked of sweat and alcohol.

"Hey, I don't think he's interested in dancing with you,"