It could, in fact, get worse. Liang was leading my former friend and his companion in our direction.

The two of them were evidently the reservation for the table next to us and Jeff was clearly a bit ticked that he didn’t get the seat by the window. His shoulders were stiff, his lips were pressed tightly together, and he couldn’t stop glaring at our table. His date didn’t seem to notice, her large brown eyes drifting around the interior of the restaurant, admiring the decor, and largely oblivious to the other patrons. 

“This place is so lovely!” she exclaimed with a genuine smile.

Liang grinned in response and said, “Thank you very much! I let my wife make most of the decorating decisions. My original vision was far less sophisticated than what we have today!” He pulled the seat out for the young woman who sat down with a polite nod of thanks. 

Jeff seated himself with his back towards us, clearly trying to give us the cold shoulder. Whatever. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of getting under my skin. Instead, I took another moment to study his date. She was pretty young, looked like she was fresh out of high school. Something about this setup irritated the living hell out of me.

I turned my attention back to my own table. Min had arrived with our appetizers balanced on a large platter while another neatly-dressed server arrived with our drinks. Apparently, I had underestimated just how hungry I was, because my stomach growled menacingly as the scents of the food drifted into my nostrils. Granted, potstickers and egg rolls could be obtained from virtually any Chinese restaurant, but something about the pan-seared browning of the potstickers and the crispy yet pliable wrap of the egg rolls screamed “fine dining.” Then again, maybe it’s because I was accustomed to the local takeaway place that tended to overcook everything.

At any rate, the generous servings of appetizers were placed upon the table as well as several small plates so that we could take our own share. We were each given a glass of water and Maggie also received her tea, the teapot set within arm’s reach so that she could refill as desired. Mom smiled and gestured at the appetizers. “Help yourself, kiddos!”

As I began to load my plate with a bit of each appetizer, I could hear Jeff’s voice loudly proclaiming, “Order anything you like, Madison. If you have any questions about the food, let me know. I’ve eaten the best from this menu and I can give you honest reviews.”

For her part, the girl named Madison simply nodded and flipped past the first page to some of the less pricey meals which, coincidentally, also bypassed a lot of the seafood aphrodisiacs. I suppressed a smile. Clever girl.

“Are you sure you don’t want the giant clam? There’s also dungeness crab, scallops, shrimp, and lobster. Those are back on the first page,” Jeff seemed to insist. “I may go with the Peking Duck - it comes with caviar.”

Madison replied, “It’s a first date, Jeff. I’m really happy that you’re treating me, but I’ve known some guys who feel that you owe them something after an expensive meal. I’m not saying you’re like that, but, y’know. Besides,” she continued with a grin, “this wok-fried lamb sounds delicious.”

I spluttered into the glass of water I was sipping from as I tried to keep from laughing out loud. What were the chances she would be interested in the same dish as me? Was she my female doppleganger? 

The potstickers were amazing. As I lifted the second one into my mouth to take another bite, I heard a sound that was becoming all-too-familiar by now. I squinted at Maggie, but she was not the one holding up the phone. My eyes darted back to Mom, who was holding her oversized premium smartphone in my direction, snapping pictures.

“Mom!” I exclaimed, dropping the pot sticker back onto my plate. “What are you doing, while I’m eating?!”

She smiled nonchalantly. “You looked so happy with your food experience, I just wanted to capture the moment! Don’t worry, I got Maggie, too.”

I blushed, embarrassed to be caught on camera while stuffing my face. “Whatever, just don’t post them to social media, okay?”

“Look, sis, if I can tolerate a few candids for Mom’s sake, so can you,” Maggie snarked.

Mom waved away my concern. “Please. Have a little faith in your Mother, Lauren.”

That seemed to be the tipping point for Jeff. I heard him smack his menu down on the table and push his chair back with a clatter. He turned to face me with a mix of fury and incredulity warping his features into a macabre facade of humanity. “Are you kidding me? You’re going to parade around in public in that outfit and using that name like it’s natural? Like it’s normal?”

He turned and stormed off towards the entrance where Liang and other staff were having a discussion. I blinked speechlessly as I slowly placed one end of an egg roll in my mouth to take a bite. I figured if I yelled or made a scene, I was sinking to his level. Instead, shakily chewed my food without really tasting it and set the chopsticks down on my plate. 

“Are you okay?”

It wasn’t my mom or Maggie. It was Jeff’s date, Madison.

I forced a smile. “I’m fine, it’s just a bit of bad blood. We were friends until recently,” I explained, my trembling voice betraying my anxiety. I could feel the eyes of other dinner patrons on me and my anxiety began bubbling up.

“You don’t look okay,” Madison replied. “In fact, you look pretty upset.” She stood up and walked toward our table.

Mom moved her chair next to mine and wrapped an arm protectively around my shoulder. “Sweetie, what’s going through your mind? What are you thinking?”

What was I thinking? Why was I upset? Jeff was right, in a way. Wearing women’s clothing and using feminine names was fine for some people, but I wasn’t those people. My name was Michael. Was a man, the son of Monica and Mark. Maggie’s big brother. I wasn’t the tallest, I wasn’t the strongest, but I was still a man. This wasn’t natural for me. This wasn’t normal.

“I know that look, Lauren, so don’t even start,” Maggie said abruptly. “You’re overthinking things again. You’re probably believe that epic douchecanoe was right in calling you out.” She placed both her hands on the table and stood up. “Well he’s not. He may have money and he may have connections, but he doesn’t have a fucking clue.”

Madison looked between us with confusion written plainly on her face. “It’s probably not my place, but what’s going on? I mean, I just met this guy a few days ago, so if there’s some red flags I should be worried about…”

“I’ve known Jeff since freshman year of high school. We had the same homeroom class and-”

“Wait, you’re not still in high school?” Madison interrupted.

Maggie burst out laughing at the look of shock on my face. “No, she’s twenty-one, believe it or not!”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose. Too much was happening and my brain didn’t know how to handle it. What’s the protocol in a situation like this? I didn’t have too long to ponder that because Jeff came strutting up with Liang in tow as I opened my eyes.

“Yeah, there he is. The one in the skirt. Not only did you give my table to that crossdresser, but you put me and my date next to him so we’d have to listen to their bullshit conversations! I want him out. You know how much I spend here. Who would you rather serve?” Jeff practically shouted. “My date and I can’t enjoy our meal when we’re being distracted by this… this drag queen!”

Liang looked at me, with my mother’s arm wrapped around me. He glanced at my sister, standing with her hands still on the table. He looked at Madison, standing nearby and clearly troubled by all the commotion. Red bloomed across his cheeks and turned his face crimson. Liang was furious.

“You’re absolutely right, dear customer. We cannot let you sit next to a family like this!” Liang’s voice rumbled angrily. He turned to face his staff and waved them over.

Jeff smirked. It was the same face he made when he challenged me to the bet - the face he makes when he knows he’s about to win again. My stomach dropped. I knew in my heart that I would get chased out of here, out of Mom’s favorite restaurant, the place she shared with Dad. Everyone in this room now knew I was a crossdresser. My social life in this town was doomed. Why did he have to do that? Here? I could feel tears of panic welling up in my eyes.

Madison stepped between me and Jeff. “All right, look. I don’t know what your history with this girl is, but you don’t just go throwing around words like that out of the blue!” 

Jeff’s hand shot out toward me. “That’s not a girl, that’s a dude in drag! Just another low-class fag stinking up the joint!” He turned his head to look at Liang next to him. “You’re actually going to serve people like this? They can’t even afford half the shit on the menu!”

I don’t clearly remember what happened next. One moment, Jeff was yelling about me. The next moment, barely a blink later, he was lying on the floor. I didn’t see the movement that led to it. I only got the vaguest impression that Madison wasn’t directly in front of me anymore. Honestly, I’d never seen a person in high heels move so quickly before. She stepped away from him, nursing the knuckles of her right hand.

Liang leaned over Jeff’s prone form while two of the male servers stepped close. “If you do not get up and leave my restaurant, I will call the police and have them escort you out. You are banned, and you are not to return.”

“What the fuck?!” Jeff shrieked as he sat up. “Why are you taking his side? Do you know who you’re pissing off? My dad is Randy Henderson! He built half this town!”

“I know who Randy Henderson is. He is not you. You are nobody. Get out,” Liang growled.

Jeff scrambled to his feet, his eyes drifting toward Madison uncertainly before stalking out the front door of the restaurant accompanied by the two male servers, leaving his date behind. Madison, who was feeling equally unsure of herself in that moment, walked toward her table to retrieve her purse. 

Liang bowed his head toward us. “I am incredibly sorry, Monica. Lauren. If I had known, I would never have-”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Liang. You had no way of knowing. It was just pure coincidence, nothing more,” Mom said as she pushed away from me to stand up. “Here, I can pay for our meal and we can go…”

“No!” Liang exclaimed. “I wouldn’t dream of it! Please, please sit down,” he said, motioning with his hands.

Mom returned to her seat and gave me an encouraging smile. “All right then. We’ll stay as long as Lauren’s okay with it.”

I nodded numbly. “I was… really looking forward to that wok-fried lamb,” I stated in a quiet tone. “But we made such a scene, and I really don’t want to impose.”

Madison laughed, purse in hand as she paused from walking toward the entrance. “Honestly, that looked really good to me, too! But I’ll have to try it another time, if I’m welcome back.”

“Do you wanna join us?” Maggie asked. She had been quiet since Jeff had returned, so hearing her voice again startled me. “There’s a fourth chair at our table. I think we can cover yours, too, if Lauren and I chip in.”

“Are… Are you sure?” asked Madison. “I mean, isn’t it kinda weird to have dinner with your sister’s ex-boyfriend’s date?”

“I never dated him! I just played basketball with him!” I cried.

Madison's eyebrow shot up curiously. “Wait, so he’s not just throwing a tantrum because you broke up with him? Seeing you next to me, I got the impression I was his rebound.”

What.