A Midsummer Night's Scene, Chapter 6
Rating: 🍦 | Shakespeare knew what he was doing when he made Titania the Fairy Queen. She’s not just a beautiful face. She’s a woman who knows what she wants and takes it.
Foxi’s Fancies: A Midsummer Night’s Scene
Copyright © 2025 Linn Rhinehart - All rights reserved
NSFW: Content warnings
Chapter Six
Present Day
The silence that followed my tale was complete. Anna’s heart was beating steadily against my back, and the way her arms tightened around me spoke of pride and love.
“Bloody hell,” Steph said finally, “that was quite a story.”
“A beautiful story,” Linn agreed.
“Far more interesting than arguing about dead poets,” Maddox said with a sheepish grin, and we all laughed. The earlier academic posturing seemed ridiculously unimportant now that we’d shared something real.
“And hot as lava,” Gianna added with a cheeky grin. “No wonder you kept going back for more, mama.”
“I did. About once a month after we moved here, then more often. Divine and Destiny became my fairy godmothers. They taught me how to be confident in my own skin and owning my sexuality. About the difference between performing femininity and embodying it.”
“And the club?” Maddox asked, leaning forward with the writer’s hunger for a full story. “What happened there?”
“It became a sanctuary,” I said simply. “If the photo studio was my classroom, the club was my playground. Both allowed me to embrace my inner Titania and figure her out without having to explain myself or apologise to anyone. I learned what it meant to be powerful, to be desired, to be in control of my own pleasure and other people’s fantasies.”
“But you still returned to Anna?” Maddox asked.
“Of course I did. She’s my person, but we both had a lot of growing up to do. So much we needed to figure out. So much trauma to unpack and shit we had to learn to live with.”
“And I had to marry you to get it into your thick skull that you’re my person,” Anna said, holding me a little tighter.
“Yeah, I still think that goes a long way to prove you’re incapable of making rational decisions,” I joked, and we all laughed again.
“So, when did that happen?” Maddox poked, still convinced there was more to this story. “When did you get married?”
“Well, I proposed when we had Finn,” Anna said, her fingers playing with the black wedding band on my finger, “and then we argued about it for three years before she finally ran out of excuses and said yes.”
“New Year’s Eve.” Linn said. “Seven years ago now, and we were all there. That’s the happy ending you’re looking for, Sir.”
“I don’t think so, pet.” Maddox chuckled, pleased to have stumbled across a juicy bone. “There’s more to this story. She doesn’t even have a club yet.”
Knowing he wouldn’t rest before he had all the details, I decided to extend the story time a little.
“Alright, you nosy parker, you’re family now, so you’ll find out sooner or later, but I guess we can share some of the rungs on my highly questionable career ladder.”
“It wasn’t exactly a straight line,” Anna giggled behind me.
“It began when Divine and Destiny retired, didn’t it?” Steph prompted.
“No, I think it was that night at Joe’s.” Linn turned to Gianna. “When was that? Your first date?”
“August 2012,” she said, “but I think the pub was the starting point.”
“Good guesses all, but you’re wrong. If anything, the transition began as dawn crept through the windows of the club that morning. I knew Destiny was right. I had found something there. Sure, the physical experience was extraordinary, but that wasn’t it. I’d found something deeper—a part of myself I knew was in there somewhere. I just didn’t think I could let it out.
“But the thought of this beautiful, impossible place and the people there who’d welcomed me with open arms… I don’t know… It gave me a vision of what I could become. It was bold and brazen and scared the shit out of me, but that’s where the first seeds were sown.”
“And seeds are all well and good,” Anna said, “but Linn’s right. Taking over the blog and getting involved in her party business was the first rung on your ladder. Without that, I don’t think we would have taken over the studio.”
“You bought the studio and the club?” Maddox asked, incredulous.
“Not exactly. Destiny and Divine said they wanted to retire, and my practical wife turned into a soppy romantic. She couldn’t bear the thought of the studio closing, of all that magic just ending.”
“So she bought it for her!” Gianna beamed.
“I had money to invest, but we bought it together,” Anna corrected. “I knew what it would mean to her to give them the retirement they deserved and to keep their legacy alive. Plus…” she teased, pressing a kiss to my shoulder, “I had to make sure she didn’t bankrupt us buying every piece of vintage lingerie in Brighton.”
“Oi! My costume collection is an investment in client services,” I protested, grinning.
“Your costume collection is an obsession,” Anna said fondly. “But you’re not just someone who sees the magic in old things, you see it in people too, and you know how to help them bring it out.”
She turned to Maddox, who was the only one who didn’t know the details of our backstory.
“Music was my calling, but I wouldn’t have a studio today if it wasn’t for Foxy. When I bought this place, she didn’t just want to renovate the buildings—she wanted to create something truly magical for me. In buying the pub, I saw a chance to do the same for her.”
“Ahh, so you didn’t buy the club,” he said, understanding dawning in his voice. “You recreated it?”
“No, we did something better,” I broke in. “We took the concept and improved it. Made it more accessible, more welcoming, more... intentional. The Den of Desires gave me the dream, and Paradise Hotel became my way of bringing it to life. But the real magic isn’t in the club or the costumes. It’s not even in the fantasies. It’s watching someone discover who they really are, underneath all the fear and shame and expectations. Seeing them step into their power for the first time, the way I did in my Midsummer night’s scene.”
“As Titania,” Gianna said.
“Exactly. Shakespeare knew what he was doing when he made her the Fairy Queen. She’s not just a beautiful face. She’s a woman who knows what she wants and takes it. That’s the kind of transformation Paradise Hotel has to offer. We have the first photos Destiny took of me on one of the walls in the studio. Right where every new guest can see them.”
“I like the fact that you discovered it on Midsummer,” Linn mused, “when the veil—”
“between the worlds is thinnest,” Anna finished. “It makes it even more perfect. You were always a creature of magic, my love. I knew it the first time I saw you.”
I leaned back into her, feeling the solid warmth of her love like a protective charm.
“I still have moments when I can’t believe it’s real,” I admitted. “That the awkward, terrified girl who got on a plane to run away from home could find herself and become... this. Me.”
“And now you’re basically a fairy godmother yourself,” Maddox concluded.
“I suppose I am. Though I prefer to think of myself as someone who knows what it’s like to be lost. Who knows what it means to find someone to show you that magic is possible. In that sense, I suppose I’ve become a queen helping other queens claim their thrones.”
“To my Queen,” Anna said, raising her wine glass with mock solemnity. “Ruler of Paradise, granter of fantasies, and the most wonderful woman I’ve ever had the privilege to love.”
“To you, my Queen,” I said, raising mine. “To Midsummer magic, and to all of you brilliant, chaotic, loving souls we’re proud to call our family. Thank you for listening to my story without judgment. Thank you for understanding.”
“To Foxy,” the others chorused, raising theirs.
Anna turned slightly in her chair as we lowered our glasses. “I’ve always known you were brave, but tonight... sharing that story... it takes real courage to be that honest.”
“It does,” Linn agreed. “Thank you for trusting us with your truth.”
The stars wheeled overhead, and the Midsummer magic hummed in the air around us as we drank another toast. I snapped a picture of us all with our glasses in the air and sent it to the two drag queens who’d become a part of our family. They couldn’t join us this year as they’d gone on a well-deserved cruise.
When everybody started chatting again, I just sat there feeling blessed to be surrounded by so much love and acceptance. Isn’t it funny, I thought, “how the most profound changes happen when we’re brave enough to say yes to our deepest desires?
“Thank you,” I mouthed to the woman who’d given me this extraordinary gift.
“Always,” she whispered back, and leaned forward to kiss me.
[Last updated: 05 July, 2025]
Hi, Linn here. Like all the stories about our Spoonie Sisters, this one touches on something deep. If you’ve ever wrestled invisible illnesses and hidden desires, you’re not alone. Wanna talk about it? Message me or drop an email to linnea@aswewrite.com
Foxy’s first story has come to its conclusion, but it doesn’t end here. Watch this space or join our mailing list and you won’t miss the second book in the series. And if this one left you swooning, consider telling your favourite bookish spoonie about it.
Where Do You Want to Go Next?
🏠 A Midsummer Night’s Scene
⬅️ Chapter 5
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