Kai peered through the shot glass he was holding, and his vision of the world became distorted. The amber liquor in his glass swirled in golden ribbons like the colorful sheen of oil floating on a water puddle. Kai swallowed the contents, and the liquor burned a fiery path down his throat. The alcohol helped calm Kai’s nerves which were still jangling after having to deliver a speech on the methods and techniques of beekeeping at the entomologist’s convention. He was a man who preferred to putter in his garden with his roses and his bees, rather than be in the spotlight of attention. It hadn’t been easy for his fellow attendees to convince him to join them in going to the French Quarter where people were celebrating Mardi Gras. When Kai left his hotel with his group, an elfin sized doorman had warned them to be cautious, saying, “Beware, tourists have been mysteriously disappearing in the quarter.”
As the conventioneers walked through the crowds in the quarter, a group of revelers dressed as hobgoblins managed to separate Kai from his group. Strange creatures wearing masks and fantastic costumes swarmed around Kai and made the night seem surreal and frightening. Lost and confused, he wandered into a nightclub on Bourbon Street to escape from the craziness. Kai requested for the bartender to refill his glass and then turned to stare at the most gorgeous woman he had ever met. The long-legged woman wearing the short dress sat next to him and introduced herself as Queenie Snow. Her husky, sensual voice seemed to promise all types of erotic pleasures. Queenie must have been feeling the same instant attraction to him, because her hand repeatedly brushed against his inner thigh, causing Kai to stiffen with each encounter. With every sip of his drink, Kai became more enraptured with Queenie. He almost feinted when, Queenie leaned against him and whispered in his ear, “Voulez-vous couchez avec moi?”
In this exotic city among strangers, Kai suddenly did something totally out of character. He swallowed the whiskey in a single gulp and agreed to go with her. Queenie was leading Kai to a backroom staircase, when their path was blocked by Kai’s office assistant Gerda who had finally found her boss. Gerda looked from Kai to Queenie. As she assessed the situation, it was obvious that she didn’t like what she saw. “Kai, you have to come with me. Everyone is at Pat O’Brian’s waiting for you.”
After much persuading, Kai reluctantly agreed to join Gerda. Kai took one last longing look over his shoulder at Queenie and said, “Queenie was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Gerda laughed. “You’re kidding right? That wasn’t a woman, that was a man. Queenie is a drag queen.”
Queenie Snow sighed in disappointment as she watched Kai leave with Gerda. Kai had managed to slip through her grasping fingers, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that there would be other tourists that wouldn’t be so lucky.

Submitted by: Laura Fagot