by Jessica Cruz
All these memories tumbled around in my head. To think, Gloria Colon was the girl to change my life, my self-image, my everything. I’d forever be grateful for what she had given me, but what hurt is what this life had taken from me. From that first night on, I always wore a mask to protect my identity, like the worst superhero ever. Charlie had never let a girl do that before, but he said I brought in too much money to complain about it. I was truly living a double life, a secret world from my family and friends.
My phone started ringing, and I looked down at the screen. It was my mom. Yes, the perfect person to talk to when I was feeling down. I’m sure she wouldn’t take advantage of my wounded ego.
“Hey Mom,” with a roll of my eyes, I answered as brightly as I could. It sounded forced and strained even in my ears.
“Hello, Adriana,” she sang into the phone, ignoring my tone. “I forgot to tell you something yesterday!” Oh boy, what could it be?… “I’ve been talking to the perfect young man for you. His name is Wesley Holden. I gave him your number, so you should be expecting his call.”
“Mom, really?” I fumed. Nothing irritated me more than when my mother tried to set me up on dates. She thought that because I was nineteen and had never had a real boyfriend before that there was something wrong with me. Just because she and my father had run off at a young age to get married, didn’t mean I had to. After all, look where that got them. “You know I don’t like being set up on dates! It’s so awkward…and his name is Wesley. He just sounds like an asshole.”
“Don’t use that kind of language with me,” she scolded. “Wesley is quite the gentleman and extremely excited to see you tonight.”
“What do you mean tonight?” I shrieked.
“You told me you weren’t working tonight,” my mom said in a cool voice. She was really getting on my nerves. “I told him that you’d be available. Adriana, he seemed extremely excited. Please see him. I promise you it’s worth it.”
After ten more minutes of begging, I complied. I knew my mom wouldn’t drop this unless I went on the date. Whether or not it was tonight, she’d badger me until it actually happened. Besides, I really didn’t have any plans, and I was in no mood to sit in bored. Most of my friends, including Gloria, were back in college, so they’d probably be studying. I didn’t really think a night by myself was ideal, and I really didn’t feel like going into work. I was still beat over last night. My legs felt like Jell-O after the routines I pulled.
Wesley ended up calling me an hour later to plan our date. We decided on going to the Daley’s on 12th and Filbert. He wanted to try the wonders of fondue. I wanted to stick close to my apartment, so as soon as the date was over, I could get out of there as quickly as possible.
I sat in my pajamas watching TV when there was the familiar sound of the buzz from my door. I pressed the intercom button, “Hello?”
“Hello princess,” I immediately recognized Gloria’s voice. “Buzz me up!”
Gloria was upstairs within a couple of minutes, dressed in her purple and black Bebe yoga pants and matching tank top. Her dark red hair hung in curls in a ponytail landing on her tanned, exposed shoulder. She looked so gorgeous it hurt. Instantly, I felt like such a loser in my puppy dog pajama pants.
“I was at the gym, so I figured I’d stop by and grab that graphing calculator before I got back to work,” she stretched her toned arms in the air. “I don’t know how I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning for statistics. I have so much studying to do tonight.”
“You could always be a college dropout loser like me,” I giggled as I grabbed the calculator from the coffee table. “I’m living the life here. TV by day, stripping by night. You should be thoroughly jealous.”
“I’m getting your ass back into school next semester,” Gloria scolded. She was so angry with me when she found out I missed the deadline to sign up for classes. She was still holding a grudge. “What the hell are you doing with yourself? Look at you completely bumming it tonight. When was the last time you went out to have fun?”
“Actually,” I peered across the room at the digital clock on the microwave, “I have a date tonight in a couple hours.” Gloria cocked her head to the side with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. “Yup, another prospective boyfriend referred by Mrs. Isabel Darth. Clearly, he’s going to be a winner.”
“You’re kidding?” She asked. I shook my head. “Adriana, you’re not going anywhere looking the way you do.” She exhaled and put her things down on the kitchen counter. “I can’t let my best friend go anywhere looking like this.”
For the next hour, Gloria did my hair and makeup. My hair was normally poker straight, absolutely no body, but somehow she managed to get it looking full and luxurious. She also did my makeup in a way that made my clear blue eyes stand out. She had a true skill for making any woman look beautiful.
“What do you have in here that looks presentable?” She asked as she walked into the second bedroom. I had turned that into a giant closet for all my clothes. I had a bit of a shopping addiction, courtesy of Isabel. “This would look cute.”
She pulled out a black, bandage mini dress by Guess. The V neck made my boobs look huge, well even bigger than they already were. I loved it and immediately slipped the thing on. Next, she dressed me in silver pumps and matching jewelry. I looked way more put together than what I had intended. Leave it to Gloria Colon to force me into putting in some effort for a first date.
There was a buzz from the intercom out front, so I ran to answer it. I cleared my throat and greeted, “Hello.”
“Hi, it’s Wesley Holden,” his voice sounded over the intercom system. I rolled my eyes at the use of his whole name. Jackass. “I’m here for our date.”
“You can wait in the lobby. I’ll be down shortly,” I replied a little curt. I turned to Gloria. “Want to walk downstairs with me and check him out?”
“I’d love to,” Gloria responded as she gathered her things and put the calculator into her bag.
We walked downstairs, and I looked around in either direction. Several people were mulling around the lobby, reading newspapers, drinking Starbucks, talking, etc. In one of the love seats, a man in a suit sat, gawking in my direction. He made me feel like I was his prey. Instantly, my dancer instincts kicked in. I frowned slightly. No, I am the predator. I’m the one in control.
He stood up and walked in my direction with a few long, graceful strides. He looked me up and down, assessing my appearance, making mental notes for himself. He stuck out his hand, “Hi, you must be Adriana. At least, I hope you are.” A crooked grin tugged at the side of his mouth.
I rolled my eyes but then nodded politely when Gloria pinched me from behind, forcing me to be somewhat respectful. I shook his hand and introduced myself, “Yes, I’m Adriana. This is my best friend, Gloria Colon.”
“Hello, Gloria,” he smiled politely revealing a set of pearly white teeth. He extended his hand to her. She shook it. “Do I get the pleasure of having two gorgeous women to dinner?” I frowned again. That was extremely cheesy, and yes, I decided I was annoyed by it.
“Not quite,” Gloria said while running her hand through my hair, making last minute adjustments. “I was just stopping by to borrow something. I hope you both have a great evening.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” he returned with a purr.
“Yes, go have fun you two,” she pecked my cheek and ran out of the building, leaving me in the lobby with this guy to fend for myself.
For the first time, I chose to examine this perfect man of my mother’s eyes. He had to be over six feet tall since I was 5’6, and, in heels, he still stood above me. His hair was dark and wavy with a little length to it, but it was combed back professionally, very business chic. It matched the slight stubble on his chin. His eyes bore into me. They were the same green as the bachelor’s and a sudden chill raced over my skin, feeling like he knew my secret and was judging me for it. I shook away from his stare, noticing the three piece suit and matching ti
e. It looked expensive. He had great taste.
“Are you ready for dinner, Wesley?” I asked, deciding that I was mildly attracted to him. Granted, I still didn’t want to go on this date, but it helped that he was cute…okay, he was hot, very hot.
“Please, call me Wes,” he said while putting his hand on my lower back and guiding me out the lobby. I rolled my eyes. Somehow his name became even more douchebag sounding, Wes Holden.
Great, this was going to be one long night…
Chapter 3
“Welcome to the Daley’s. Do you have reservations for this evening?” A short African American woman with a sleek bob greeted us. Purple eye shadow and dark red lipstick adorned her face. I loved that color on her.
“Yes, it’s under Wes,” he said before I could open my mouth.
She scanned the list, “Oh, here you are. Please follow me.” We followed the woman to a crescent shaped booth and took our seat. In front of us there was a flat burner mounted into the top. I couldn’t wait. I loved fondue. “Your waiter, Franco, will be with you shortly. Have a great evening you two.”
Wes turned his complete attention to me. Suddenly, I felt a little uncomfortable. It was very difficult for a man to make me feel that way. Jersey could handle that like a pro, but Adriana was still having some problems. He grinned, “Your mom was very persistent about me going out with you.”
“Let me apologize for that,” I rolled my eyes at the idea of my mother’s intrusion in my love life. Just thinking about her made me cringe. “She’s crazy sometimes. She thinks I should be on the road to marriage or something, and she hates the idea of me being single. How do you even know my mother?”
“Don’t apologize. I’m happy I came,” he said while stroking my hand with the pad of his thumb. He had a very commanding presence. I didn’t like that. I had to stay in control. “I own a bar in Cherry Hill. Your mom and dad came in to speak with me. I met with them a couple times, and your mom insisted I meet up with you.” He laughed as I gritted my teeth together. He couldn’t tell how much this bit of information annoyed me. “I was really shocked after the first time we met. I gave her my normal speech of delight for their choice to do business with my facility, and all of a sudden, she started babbling on about her gorgeous, single daughter.” He peered at me through his thick, black eyelashes and shot me a look that would have made any other girl instantly wet with arousal. “She was right about her daughter being incredibly gorgeous.”
“First of all, Dennis isn’t my dad. He’s my mom’s second husband,” I corrected with a snarl. “Second, I’m not surprised my mom met you at a bar…She has quite the appetite for alcohol. I’m sure her interest lies more with your establishment than in the hopes of a relationship budding between the two of us.” Memories of my mom gulping down glasses of vodka on a regular basis throughout the day plagued my mind. When I was seven, she used to send me into the kitchen to prepare her drinks. I was a master at making shots and martinis by the time I was ten. All of her friends thought it was so adorable, the sick bitches. “I guess that’s how she became so bold as to ask out someone she barely knew for me on a date.”
Sensing my discomfort, Wes shifted a little bit in his seat. His sexually charged confidence instantly faded into oblivion as he struggled with the words tumbling out of his mouth, “Adriana, I think your mother’s intentions were pure. We’ve spoken a lot recently. It does feel like I’ve known her for longer than a couple weeks.”
I gritted my teeth together until my jaw hurt. I couldn’t believe my mom set me up with a perfect stranger just to have easy access to a bar full of booze. I shouldn’t really be surprised by this, and that thought only made me angrier, “How old are you?”
“Thirty,” he answered with a gulp. “I was a little nervous to tell you that. Your mom never told me your age. Clearly, when I saw you, I could tell you were young. I didn’t know if that’d be an issue.”
“Age is just a number,” I mumbled to myself. After all, Isabel would know. She had a reputation for dating much older men with extremely large bank accounts. Of course, she wouldn’t mind setting me up with a guy who was more than ten years my senior. “I’m nineteen if it matters to you.”
Our waiter finally arrived, a gorgeous Cuban man with dark, sexy features. He made me blush slightly. Hey, maybe I could find some joy out of this meal because the idea of being here with Wes Holden was seriously killing my mood.
The waiter greeted, “Hi, I’m Franco. Have you been here before?” We both nodded. “Can I get you something to drink?”
We both ordered our drinks and meals, and Franco disappeared quickly, obviously sensing the tension. I was still hot over this. This was so like Isabel. She literally set me up with a stranger at the first sign of access to alcohol and financial status. She never thought I could take care of myself, but clearly, I could. I owned the night. I owned half the men in the tri-state area. I didn’t need someone over ten years my age to pay my way the same way she did. No matter what, I refused to follow in her path.
“What are your intentions with me?” I asked boldly. I was used to this game. The only difference between here and Lux is that my body was completely covered up. Despite his presence, I was still in control. No longer did his chiseled looks leave me blushing. I was far passed that when he announced his relationship, or lack thereof, with my mother. “Why did you come here?”
“Your mom talked highly of you,” he cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. Clearly, it was a nervous habit for him. I had broken the man and sitting in front of me was a little boy. I glared icy daggers at him. “I wanted to meet the girl your mom discussed. I was hoping for a fun time. That’s it.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Please, tell me what you and my mom discussed exactly. What did she say about me that made me sound so intriguing?”
“She said you were an independent, intelligent, beautiful person,” he shrugged, calming his voice, attempting to hide his growing nerves. I didn’t lighten up even a little bit. “She said I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”
I rolled my eyes, “That’s Isabel, sales woman of the year.” Just then the waiter came to deliver our drinks. I batted my eyelashes at him. “Excuse me, Franco, would I be able to get an apple martini instead, please?”
His eyes glanced down at my cleavage. He blushed quickly as if remembering that my date was sitting right next to me and then nodded with a quick exit. The only good thing about Wes is his presence made our waiter too uncomfortable to card me.
Wes chimed in, “He’s been checking you out all night. I don’t blame him.” I shot him an unamused grin. His efforts to rescue tonight were pathetic. I could admit that the loss of this evening truly wasn’t his fault, but that didn’t matter. I was done with tonight. I couldn’t give my mom the satisfaction of enjoying my time with the owner of a local bar. Sorry Isabel, looks like you’ll have to continue to buy your booze like the rest of us. “Your mom told me you were in school. What are you studying?”
“I’m in the Wharton Business School. I just started my sophomore year there. It’s going well,” the words ran fluidly out of my mouth, sounding rehearsed…because they were.
Just then, Franco returned with my martini and dinner. A simmering pot of herbs sat in front of us. Franco gave a rushed speech about how to prepare our meal. He was definitely intimidated by the unpleasant vibe coming from our table. Wes and I each took turns setting raw chicken and steak into the pot until it cooked and then dipped them in sauces. It was heaven. At least the food was good here.
“That school has a fantastic reputation. You must be extremely gifted,” he sounded genuinely impressed. He grabbed some cooked steak and ate a bite, savoring the tender juices. I had to admit; a full stomach was putting me in a slightly better mood.
“Dennis actually helped out a lot with getting me in,” I said, feeling compelled to tell the truth. “I went to a fantastic high school with mediocre grades and an exemplary list of extra circulars. That combined with a donation
and letter of recommendation from his friend, a former dean, secured my place.”
“You were helped out in getting in, but actually working there is a feat in itself,” he switched tactics for getting on my good side. “What is this exemplary list of extra circulars anyway?” He scratched his chin, reminding me of that sexy stubble.
“I played a lot of sports in high school,” I sort of missed those days. High school itself was bullshit but my life revolved around sports. If it weren’t for that, I probably would have talked my mom into homeschool. “Softball and basketball pretty much consumed my life in high school. I also played some soccer, but that was mostly to keep in shape for the other sports. My mom hated it. She said I had manly arms because I pitched. I didn’t care though. It was my life. It’s what I was good at.”
“So you went from softball pitcher to bartender?” He laughed. “Maybe I can convince you to work for me. I’d have the pleasure of an extraordinary view, and I’m sure my sales would skyrocket.”
There it was again, that cheesy, borderline creepy flirtation that he gave a full on demonstration of when he picked me up at my apartment. Two could play this game of discomfort. I ordered another martini and slung back the first. Staring him straight in the eye I asked, “So, Wes, how many girls have you fucked?”
He was drinking when I asked this. He nearly spat it out everywhere, but somehow managed to swallow. I stared him down, refusing to back down from the boldness of my question. I waited patiently until he chuckled awkwardly, “Wow, you just went straight for the gold. I wasn’t really expecting that.”
“Well, now you are,” I cocked my head to the side finding amusement in this little game. “Sex is a natural thing. I have no problem disclosing my number if you wanted it. If you have nothing to hide then you should have no problem telling me.”
