Chapter 76

The Martini Room in the small town of Thun had a reputation of being gay, which it was. Shirtless and beefy waiters took drink orders at two-person round tables. Feathery drag queens entertained on the small stage, singing Celine Dion or Barbra Streisand covers. The floor was a burgundy carpet and the walls were a merlot hue and made of what I thought to be shag. Patrons included the young and old, but not every person in the lounge was gay. Cougars sometimes visited the place and straight guys (both college-aged and older) went in search of those women, sniffed them out, and enjoyed the lounge’s comforts.