by N. M. Silber
“I don’t think we should stay much longer,” he said, sounding very distracted. His eyes dropped to my body and his gaze slowly traveled back and forth from my boobs to my six inch heels. Several hundred times. He looked like he had just seen a miracle performed. What, did I normally look like a bag lady or something?
“We just got here,” I reminded him. “Jess and Lily aren’t even out of the bathroom yet.”
“Right,” he mumbled. Just then I heard someone call out to him.
“Braden! Where the hell have you been?” Two tall, well-dressed, exceptionally good-looking guys who were leaving the lounge came sauntering over. They had an air of wealth and good breeding about them, just like he did. When they noticed me, they stopped in their tracks. They both checked me out, but a bit more subtly than Braden, who was still checking me out.
“Well, hello,” said the blonde guy who had called out. The look he was giving me practically screamed ‘player’. I figured there would be a line coming momentarily.
“Girlfriend!” Cam suddenly exclaimed, sounding like he was shouting, ‘abandon ship!’
“This is your girlfriend, Cam?” the other guy, who had dark hair, asked.
“Mine? No! She’s just my friend! I swear!” The two newcomers looked understandably confused. Cam collected himself and went on. “She’s Braden’s girlfriend!”
“Ah!” blonde guy said, and they both nodded politely as if that explained Cam’s little outburst. “Wait, his girlfriend?” he asked dubiously looking at Braden for confirmation. Normally, this would have been the point where Braden would have come over to drape a possessive arm around me but he was still busy making the visual journey up and down my body. I think that he might have been experiencing some kind of fugue state.
“Gabrielle, this is Kurt van Ryland and Kevin Bryce. We grew up together,” Braden said still sounding very distracted.
“Evan. Evan Bryce,” said dark haired guy who Braden had grown up with, but whose name he apparently didn’t know, while reaching out to shake my hand. “We also went to college together.”
“Yeah, they went to Howard,” Braden mumbled.
“Harvard,” Kurt corrected with a smile as he shook my hand.
“Gabrielle went to Yale,” Cam put in. “That’s where we became friends. Just friends!”
Kurt and Evan were looking at Braden and Cam like they thought that maybe they were high or something. Drew decided to help out at this point. So, of course, things just went downhill from there.
“Kurt, Ev, this is Gabrielle Ginsberg, who’s Braden’s actual girlfriend. She’s like the only woman he’s sleeping with now. And Cameron’s not sleeping with her at all anymore.” Well, I was glad he had cleared that up. I saw Cameron look up at the ceiling. He may have been praying. Luckily, Braden still wasn’t really completely with us.
“Any relation to Ruth Bader Ginsburg?” Evan asked, tactfully avoiding Drew’s little revelation. Kurt was looking back and forth between Braden and Cam with what looked like confused amusement.
“Uh, no, sorry. Just Ben and Judy Ginsberg,” I said with a smile.
“Not Ben Ginsberg, the CEO of Marlton Radcliff?” Kurt asked, suddenly turning his attention back to me and looking very intrigued.
“Yeah, he’s my dad,” I answered and I saw Kurt and Evan share a surprised look. Then they looked at Braden like he had just become their new hero.
“Uh, wow. It’s nice to meet you!” Evan said with what sounded like suppressed excitement. “We read about that PoliCon case in the Wall Street Journal. Your dad’s really a brilliant man.”
“Yeah, we’re both admirers!” Kurt explained. “I work in finance myself and Evan is a legislative aid. That case is going to lead to some interesting business reform in New York.”
“What case was that?” Mark asked.
“PoliCon,” Kurt explained. “Marlton Radcliff was considering a buyout and when the CEO, Ben Ginsberg, took a good look at everything he figured out that the company had been involved in an incredibly complex money laundering scheme. The whole business was a front for illegal activity and nobody knew.”
“He tipped off the authorities and now he’s helping them to create some new regulations and legislation to make sure nobody else can ever do something like that again,” Evan added. “It’s really groundbreaking stuff.”
“Uh oh, we were supposed to meet friends of ours ten minutes ago,” Kurt said, looking at his watch. “I guess we had better run. It was a pleasure meeting you, Gabrielle, everyone. Nice seeing you guys, especially out together.”
“Yeah, it’s about time you two buried the hatchet,” Evan added with a smile and a glance at Braden and Cam. They waved and then turned and left.
Just then Jess and Lily came walking in and Kurt and Evan gave them an admiring look as they passed. Adam had been looking off in the direction of the lounge and when he turned and caught sight of Lily, he immediately did a double take. Even though he quickly hid it, the look he gave her appeared to be filled with more attraction than dislike. So, of course, he had to compensate.
“Why Lilith,” he said. “Do they let you out at night?” His body language reeked of cockiness and disdain. What a charmer he could be! I could see why the ladies flocked to him.
“Gentlemen,” Lily said. “Adam.” She looked at him dismissively. Lily knew how to give as good as she got and she wasn’t anybody’s little groupie. No wonder they didn’t get along. Although I wasn’t his groupie either, and I gave it back to him too. Same thing with Jess and we seemed to get along with him okay. Interesting.
“Your full name is Lilith?” Jess asked, looking at Lily curiously. “I didn’t know that.”
“No. Lily is my full name, but Adam finds it amusing to call me by the name of a female demon.” She threw him a sarcastic smile.
“If the shoe fits…” he said, returning the smile. As she turned away, though, he gave her a thoughtful look like he wasn’t sure that it was really her. She didn’t look like a mousy librarian tonight, did she, Adam?
Braden finally seemed to be getting over being in alcohol/lust induced shock and he moved over to stand by me and pull me to his side. He looked down into my eyes, gave me a sexy smile, and ran his fingers lightly up and down my bare back, making me all shivery.
“Lily,” Jess said, “that’s Cameron Clay and that’s Drew Pierce. Guys, this is Lily Adler.” Cam and Drew greeted Lily and she looked at Cam with fairly open curiosity. He seemed puzzled by the attention.
“I know that you’ve met Mark before but have you ever met Braden?” I asked, redirecting her attention before she got too curious.
“No, I haven’t, but Gab’s told me a lot about you.” She smiled at him and her eyes seemed to involuntarily drop to his package but she quickly ripped them away and blushed. He shot me a rather irked look and I smiled innocently.
“And of course you and Adam know each other already,” I added and both she and Adam cringed at the same time.
“Well, now we’re all assembled, let’s go check it out,” Mark said.
We went through the archway where Kurt and Evan had come from. There were tables built into alcoves along two walls and a long bar stood in front of a third. There was a circular dance floor in the center of the room surrounding a round opening with a railing where people could stand to watch couples gyrate on the main dance floor below. Hanging above the opening was a huge saucer-shaped object with blinking lights that I took to be a UFO. We all slid into a long cushioned bench seat that wrapped around a table in one of the alcoves.
“Braden, Cam! It’s Derek!” Drew said suddenly. Braden and Cam immediately followed his gaze to an exceptionally handsome guy at the bar who was presently feeling up a woman in a dress the size of a bikini. I could see the family resemblance right away. He was tall and he had classic good looks. His hair was a dark blonde, somewhere between Braden and Drew’s blonde and Cameron’s light brown. He had an air of confident sexuality and he surprised me. When Cam and Bra
den had spoken of Cousin Derek, the Larry Flint of the Main Line, I had pictured a greasy-looking guy, not this very sexy-looking guy. But then, he was their cousin, and they were both very sexy-looking guys.
“Oh shit!” Cam said and looked at Braden with panic.
“Just ignore him,” Braden said. “He’s busy. He probably won’t even see us.” We had only looked up at Derek for a moment, and now we were busy ourselves, staring at each other hotly and holding hands.
At that moment a bleach blonde waitress with boobs like watermelons spilling out of a skimpy silver space girl outfit came over to take our drink order. She looked like a cross between Dolly Parton and Barbarella. The second her eyes fastened on Braden I knew she recognized him. She gave him a flirtatious smile and licked her lips as she leaned down low to give him a good clear view of the melon match. He didn’t avail himself of her offer though. In fact, he turned nearly sideways to face me.
“So baby, I was thinking about having another beer.”
“Okay. Did you want me to order it for you?” I wasn’t sure where he was going with this.
“No, sweetheart, that’s okay. Heineken in the bottle and whatever my girlfriend wants.” He glanced up at the barmaid and returned his attention quickly to me.
“I’ll have a white wine spritzer, thanks.” Dollarella gave me an unfriendly look and then slithered off. I didn’t know about anybody else, but I wasn’t leaving her a big tip.
“Did you know that waitress?” I asked Braden curiously.
“She used to work at another place I used to go to. I think she kind of liked me.” I had a feeling that was the understatement of the century but I didn’t pursue it. I didn’t have time to pursue it, truthfully. I looked up and saw Cousin Derek approaching our table. Uh oh. Things were getting better and better. Maybe Braden had been right about the club thing not being a great idea.
“Hello, Braden,” Derek said in a voice that sounded like he should have been saying “Hello Clarice” instead. It was kind of mesmerizing, though, and I found myself staring at him, almost fascinated. “I haven’t seen you out and about in quite a while.” His eyes traveled over to me. “And who is this lovely woman with you?” He gave me an almost boyish look, but with an obscene undertone, and then he raked his fingers through his hair in a very Braden-like way that surprised me and threw me off balance. He was almost like Braden’s evil twin.
“This is my girlfriend, Gabrielle,” Braden answered in a slightly menacing tone. “She’s not only lovely, she’s an intelligent, accomplished, fellow attorney, for whom I have the greatest respect. We’re a very happy, monogamous couple.”
“Uh, hi?” I said, trying to sound friendly. After all, he was a relative even if he did have some obscene tendencies. Every family had a black sheep. In my case it was my grandmother.
“A pleasure,” Derek replied. “And a surprise. It’s been some time since Braden was half of a ‘monogamous couple’. I’m not sure that he’s ever been part of a ‘happy’ one.”
“Gabrielle is exceptional,” Braden responded coldly.
“She does seem rather extraordinary. And not only beautiful but brilliant and accomplished too. I must confess that I’m jealous.” His voice was silky and his gaze was hot. He was looking at me rather like that snake from The Jungle Book. I half expected to see those little swirly things in his eyes.
“Well, we’re enjoying the, uh, monogamy. And happiness! We’re happy too. Happily monogamous! And stuff,” I said. True, it was rather an awkward thing to say, but my tone was upbeat! At least I was a friendly weirdo! His eyes raked over me unashamedly and then he moved on and I released the breath that I hadn’t realized I had been holding. I wondered if my eyes had those little swirly things now.
“And Cameron is here too. You, I have seen recently. Good thing you decided not to go to that party after all. Things didn’t turn out too well for the guests, as I’m sure you’ve heard. I must confess that I wasn’t heartbroken. They’re not my favorite people, even though I’m obviously a patron. And, is this lovely lady your …” He shifted his leer to Jess.
“Friend,” Cam answered. Derek was looking at Jess like he might want to devour her. Jess looked like a deer in the headlights. A brave little deer, but no match for a Buick. Then Derek gave her a cute grin that looked a lot like Cameron’s cute grin and I became convinced that he had evil superpowers and could morph into every woman’s dream guy. “Very close friend,” Cam added with a warning tone in his voice, grabbing her hand in his. Jess seemed to snap out of it then and looked at Cam with a smile. Derek nodded and then his eyes fixed on Lily with distinct interest – even beyond interest in getting her naked.
“I recognize you,” he said, making it sound dirty. A slow Grinch-like smile spread across his face. Uh oh.
“You do?” she asked dubiously. She gave him a thoughtful expression, like she was trying to place him. I wondered what Lily had been doing to research those steamy novels.
“From a book signing event in New York. Many women who I’ve known find your novels very stimulating.” I was pretty certain he meant women he had ‘known’ in the Biblical sense, and ‘stimulating’ in the, well you know, stimulating sense.
“Legal thrillers?” Adam, who had wound up sitting next to Lily, asked with a smile. I have to admit that I almost laughed out loud at the way he said it. I had a sneaking suspicion that Adam didn’t like Derek very much. I can’t imagine why not. Without answering, Derek shifted his gaze to him.
“Is she your girlfriend?” I could see that Lily was annoyed with how he had asked that question. It sounded kind of like he was asking him, “Is this your car?”
“Arch nemesis,” Adam said with a smile and I felt Jess kick him under the table. “Just kidding, Lily and I are very close,” he said, putting his arm around her. At least it was true in a literal sense. Derek gave Adam a look that seemed almost like a challenge but he moved on.
“And is this your close friend, Drew?” he asked, looking at Mark. Drew and Mark looked at each other and then quickly back at Derek as understanding of his implication dawned.
“Good buddy,” Drew answered in a deeper voice than usual, slapping Mark on the back. “Just hanging out here. Doing guy stuff.”
“Talking about women. And sports. And beer. And uh …” Mark added.
“Condoms,” Drew added and I rolled my eyes. Brilliant.
“I see,” Derek said. “Well, I left a good friend of my own at the bar and she’ll be rather annoyed with me if I keep her waiting too long. Fun chatting with all of you. Ladies … perhaps I’ll see you on the dance floor.” And with that he left and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. I saw Adam let go of Lily. Was it my imagination or did he look a little reluctant to do it? Cam held on to Jess’s hand for a couple more minutes which was very promising. The waitress came back with our drinks and Braden suddenly dropped a coaster under the table until she left again.
“Did you know her well?” I asked a little tensely, wondering if she was someone he had actually hooked up with.
“No!” Braden answered reappearing from beneath the table. “She flirted with me a lot but I always got a weird vibe from her.” He got a weird vibe from her. Because, you know, he wasn’t acting weird at all at the moment. People hid under tables all the time in these places.
“So Derek seems kind of … alarming,” Jess said with a smile.
“It would be best if you ladies stayed close to us when he’s around,” Cam said, glancing in Derek’s direction. I followed his gaze and saw that Derek had his hand up his ‘friend’s’ miniscule dress and she was grinding against him. Charming.
“Looks like you and Lily are a couple,” Mark said with a smile to Adam.
“And so are you and Drew,” Adam replied with a smile of his own. Mark and Drew both looked at him menacingly and I suspected that they wanted to grab the first club chick who walked by and demonstrate their raging heterosexuality right here on the table.
We decided to split up an
d look around a little to check the place out. Braden and I went exploring with Adam. Lily, Cam and Jess headed off together and Drew hung out with Mark - as buddies – and fellow sports fans, beer drinkers and condom consumers. Finally we all made it back to our table, without anything very interesting to report. It was a club. Kind of a cool one, but just a club. I wasn’t really sure what I had expected to find here. Obviously, the cocktail napkin was just some drunken fireman’s forgotten trash.
“Let’s dance,” Lily said and I got up to join her and Jess out on the dance floor. You know, alcohol did really seem to improve my coordination and balance. Or more likely it just made me think it did. We danced to a fast song, and looking to my right I noticed Derek dancing with the woman from the bar, who had been joined by another one who looked amazingly similar. They both had big hair and were dressed in very skimpy outfits. Actually, I would classify what the women were wearing more as fabric swatches than outfits and what they were doing more as writhing than dancing. Derek himself had plenty of good moves. He seemed to have natural rhythm and he moved his hips well. What a surprise.
He must have sensed someone watching because he looked in my direction and smiled when he saw me. I looked away quickly. Oh fuck! I hadn’t been checking Derek out! He was just interesting to me because he was Braden’s cousin and apparently the black sheep of their family. It was too late though. The damage was done. Derek started subtly dancing the trashy twins over in our direction. Great!
I made sure not to look at him again. That’s what Braden had said and I think I had seen that in a wildlife documentary somewhere too. Never make direct eye contact with the deadly panther/poisonous snake/wild rutting pig/Derek. Unfortunately, that meant that I didn’t have any idea where he was or what he was doing. Too late I realized that “where he was,” was right behind me, and “what he was doing” was moving his hips against me. Derek was as tall and well-built as Braden and he felt disconcertingly similar but I knew it wasn’t Braden behind me. I would have just known anyway but it was a dead giveaway when Derek leaned down and spoke into my ear and he was all Derek-sounding.
