Sitting at the Bar

By Tina Davis

Good fortune came my way recently, as I was working a multi-day event where my wife had decided not to volunteer. The timing was perfect, the day before I was leaving, she had a scheduled appointment that would allow me to access my stash and pack a separate bag with a dress, booties, and my makeup and accessories. That bag, along with my tripod for picture taking, went into the car and stayed safe for the rest of the day.

The next morning, I drove to the facility for my first shift. After that, I checked into the hotel and unpacked everything, hanging up the dress and laying out the makeup and jewelry I was considering. Then I made an appointment for a mani-pedi at a local salon for the next day before returning to the event for the evening. I shaved as much as possible except for my face and went to bed.

January 20, 2023 was a day filled with several wonderful experiences. After shaving my face and having breakfast at the facility, I went to the nail salon in male mode and picked out a dark purple OPI color called “Do You Have This in Stock-holm”, as my dress is predominantly purple. An hour and 20 minutes later, my fingers and toes were painted and dry. I gave the nail tech a big tip and went to the event facility for the day. I know people noticed the dark color, but no one said anything.

My shift ran slightly longer, so I was concerned about getting to where my friend Samm would be working. It is a 25-minute drive in good weather and no traffic, but this was Friday night and it was lightly snowing. When I got into my room, I quickly put my unmentionables on and started my makeup. I had three new items I was going to use, an eyeliner, eyelashes, and an eyebrow pomade. I had searched how to use the pomade online and was glad I did. It was very effective in defining my brows, and I didn’t need much at all on my angled brush to get the job done.

I finally heard from Samm about timing to get to the theatre where he was working. I had my dress on, a purple, white, and pink colorblock, with dark tights and heeled black booties. Remembering to take smaller steps in the heels, I confidently went down the elevator and out to my car. I was so glad it wasn’t slippery!

I arrived at the theatre and Samm was waiting out the stage door by his truck. We had a short chat, I received my package, we hugged, and I was heading off to the restaurant. I did have to park farther away than I was expecting, and the pavement was very rough. But I navigated the walk just fine and entered the restaurant. I asked the hostess if there was a seat at the bar, and she pointed me into the main area to check. They have a secondary bar too, but I was able to find several seats open. I sat down, crossed my legs, and waited for a bartender. A nice young woman came over and brought a drink menu. I checked it out but decided on a simple vodka martini over ice with olives.

I then asked for a dinner menu and looked over the list of appetizers. Deciding on a plate of aracini, I dug into the bread and oil provided and sipped my drink. Since I was sitting next to the opening of the bar where the staff came in and out, I was highly visible. I did not have any other customers talk to me, but I had several chats with my bartender, Brittany. I ordered another drink and finished the arancini, and then I was approached by a manager, who asked if everything was going well. I was happy for the interaction and complimented him on the restaurant. It is a newer version of a long-standing North End of Boston restaurant, so everything was top-notch.

I asked Brittany to take a picture for me with the bar as the background, and I took a couple of selfies. She was extremely helpful and treated me just like any other customer. I’m sure they all knew that I am not a GG, but I didn’t care. I had a fantastic time and enjoyed myself immensely.

I knew that two drinks would be my limit, as I had to drive back to the hotel. I paid my bill, leaving Brittany a good tip, carefully eased myself off the stool, and concentrated on taking small steps to remain steady in my 3 ½” block heels. I was glad I didn’t wear my 4″ stilettos!

In my next post, I’ll show you the dresses that I got from Venus on a BOGO sale (lower priced item free!). Yes, it’ll be another hotel room photo shoot!

Hugs, Tina