From the first offer of breakfast mimosas, Jens Radda knew Lachie was a kindred spirit – but he was cautious. Then a mutual friend confirmed his feelings
During Melbourne’s sixth lockdown in 2021, I was bored out of my mind in my suburban sharehouse and craving connection. I’d been following an Instagram account for a drag performer called Iva Rosebud at the behest of a mutual friend who felt our work was similar.
I’d been watching them from a distance for some time when one Friday night a message arrived suggesting a collaboration. Obviously it piqued my interest; it’s not like I had anything else to do – who knew how long the lockdown would go on for?
I said I’d be keen to talk more and was instantly invited for 10am mimosas in the park. I knew then I was dealing with a kindred spirit.
The following day was sunny and crisp as I arrived in the park excited to meet a new friend.
Jens and Lachie at a friend’s wedding in Sweden in 2023. View image in fullscreen Jens and Lachie at a friend’s wedding in Sweden in 2023 Lachie was wearing sunnies and a singlet with a shirt over the top that draped off his shoulder. He looked like a skater, so too-cool-for-school. But I knew from Instagram he could also be this incredibly glamorous woman. I didn’t quite know what to make of the juxtaposition, but I was intrigued.
We lay on the grass, listening to Ella Fitzgerald and eating buttery croissants and delicious pastries. Well, I thought they were delicious; he gave me some sass for buying them at a supermarket while he had invested in a very nice bottle of sparkling (I’d come to learn his father is a wine chemist, so he had an advantage).
We discussed jazz, golden era movies and the one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty, which he’d watched at least 10 times. He was really passionate about it! The conversation flowed easily, the feels were feeling and then he asked if I wanted to go back to his to watch it.
He assured me we wouldn’t break any Covid rules, but suffice to say we didn’t make it far into the film before social distancing became an abstract concept.
We met up again two days later, then again the day after. The following weekend we had back-to-back engagements for four days. After two weeks of being in each other’s pockets I was really falling for him, and I realised I needed to get an outside perspective on who I was getting so close to so quickly.