The power ballad came to a close and with one last burst of energy Anya threw herself into an aggressive backwards dip and froze, holding the position. The lights went down and she was able to straighten up, panting and gasping as though she’d really been reaching those high notes and not just lip syncing. 

She smiled just in time for the lights to come back up and grinned out at her audience. She pulled her hands to her lips and then back out in a sweeping motion, sending kisses out into the crowd. She even sent out a wink that several people would be heard swearing it was for them. 

Anya introduced the next guest and bounded off stage towards the bar. Dina and some of the other girls were there already, schmoozing the customers and filling that tip jar. 

“Darling!” Dina said, “come say hi to- Jason? Is it Jason?” At the same time Sue Flay and Dixie Rect started cooing over her set. Sue was a non binary person wearing black lipstick, black eye liner and with zero eyebrows. They were an incredible performer and if they admired your set that was a compliment you could take to the bank. 

Dixie was a bubbly short Latina with a flat chest and a bubblegum pink pixie cut. They resembled an R rated fairy or something else out of a debauched reimagining of a fairy tale. 

Jason, if that was his name, was an affable looking chap with his hair brushed into a bouffant to rival Anya’s own. He was hair product, fake tan and fashionable glasses all stuffed into jeans one size too big for him. He stared up at Anya like he was a drowning man and she was a goddess carrying water. 

“J-Jason yeah, that’s me!! Ms Anya, you were incredible!” Jason stammered out while ducking his head. He smiled nervously when Anya met his eyes and didn’t flinch, not even when Dina started stroking the side of his neck. 

“Thank you sweetheart” Anya drawled “Aren’t you just a gem? Dina love, leave the sweet boy alone. He’s just a baby.” 

Jason looked no younger than Anya but everything about him from his shiny hair to his jeans hanging low on his waist (out of necessity not fashion) just gave him the air of a young boy on his first ever night out. 

Dina drew back with a pout. Dixie let out a bark of laughter and pinched Anya’s cheek. She had to reach up from her considerably lower vantage point. Even in heels Dixie only came up to Anya’s shoulder. “Puddin’ just because you’re ancient doesn’t make others babies! What are you, 50ish? Jason and I were having a lovely time before you came over!” 

“You’re fifty? You look amazing! I’m twenty one and I-“ Sue cut in before Jason could dig himself a deeper hole, “sugar, Anya is only twenty nine. Dixie was just kidding” 

To say that Jason paled would do him a disservice, the colour drained from his head so quickly that it was a miracle he remained standing. 

Dixie laughed again, not all together unkindly “I was just joking doll. Anya’s only a baby herself! I’m thirty four and Sue here is thirty three” 

The colour suddenly came roaring back to Jason’s face, his already tanned face turning ruddy and he looked somewhat close to tears. 

“I just-just really love your show and your look and your hair and your..yeah..” 

Anya smiled not unkindly and thanked him. “Now now, I have an ego that won’t quit already, we don’t need you inflating it any further. You, order me a martini while I go change into something a little less fabulous” 

Oliver didn’t really drink, maybe the occasional beer or two for birthdays and Christmas but Anya, a much more extravagant creature, drank things like martinis and complicated cocktails that made bartenders sigh when they heard the order. 

Oliver wiped off his brows and squinted at his pink scrubbed face, he tried not to look too closely. Cleanser, toner, moisturiser, serums, spot creams. There wasn’t a single product that wasn’t somewhere on Oliver’s otherwise bare face. 

Oliver popped his glasses back on, opened another button on his shirt before swiftly closing it again. He was nervous for some reason. He didn’t normally have drinks with fans, especially as Oliver but Jason seemed sweet and would count towards Oliver’s “get out of your comfort zone dammit” agreement he had with Dina. 

He walked to the bar, head held high but eyes downcast. Jason was standing nervously holding two drinks that were definitely not martinis, not even martini adjacent which made Oliver a little glad. 

Once up close Oliver realised with a sigh that he was now a good 3 inches shorter than Jason instead of the towering goddess that had made Jason stammer and sweat. He stood close up him and said quietly “hi” and then cleared his throat and tried again with a more solid and up beat “hi!!” 

Jason looked over Oliver’s head before his eyes slid downwards. “Hi,” he smiled in a clipped strange way “sorry but I’m actually waiting for someone so I’m not interested” he looked Oliver up and down and smirked. Oliver recoiled like he had been slapped. Dina caught his eye from the other side of the bar and mouthed “need help?” 

Oliver shook his head. 

“Sorry I was just saying hello because you looked familiar, I’ll leave you to your business” Oliver cringed at how weird and formal he sounded. He cringed at how much it upset him and he cringed for thinking that this was a good idea. 

Jason wasn’t someone Oliver would ever get to know, Jason wanted Anya. He wanted the glitter and the bouffant and the stacked heels. He didn’t want a short anxious boy man in a button up too loud for him. 

Oliver walked out, head no longer held high, eyes even more downcast. Anya commanded a room, Oliver couldn’t even command his pet, a chubby cat named Stephen (Sondheim of course). The burning sensation that usually led to tears started all up Oliver’s sinuses, embarrassment clouding his memory already and irritation at his own reaction pushing him ever closer to full on open mouth sobbing