CHAPTER TWENTY
At six o’ clock on the dot, the buzzer from downstairs sounded. Dex had been working for the last six hours getting the episode ready and it seemed like it was good to go and ready to be uploaded.
“I still would have preferred to have done an original soundtrack,” he said as he crossed the apartment, stretching his arms out at his side, shaking off the cramps from sitting before pressing the buzzer for Rebecca and Emily to come in. >
Jenn was standing in the kitchen, hastily (and begrudgingly) pasting goat cheese on a bunch of organic crackers that had the look and appeal of cardboard. I had thought about helping her with stuff but decided against it. Instead I drank a glass of the wine she bought and watched her as she worked. She was uncomfortable as anything, all fidgety and nervous, probably from my watchful eyes and the fact that she was going to be surrounded by a bunch of women she didn’t like.
Focusing my attention on Jenn and watching Dex work his magic in the editing studio kept my mind blissfully occupied for the day. The questions that arose on the tape(who was Declan O’Shea? Dex? And why would my parents know him? And how did Dex know Creepy Clown Lady, or Pippa?) were kept in the corner of my mind for the most part and the more of the wine I drank, the more I wasn’t dwelling on it. The only thing on my radar was the evening. That was it. I was going to have fun at the party, that was the goal, and watching Jenn squirm already was putting the night on the right path.
Something was missing though…
“We need music!” I exclaimed and booted it over to the stereo.
“No Lady Gaga!” Jenn called out. I actually wanted to put it on out of spite but instead I put on Peeping Tom. I thought some of the songs were acerbically appropriate. But she still sneered as the first song came on.
“This weird crap, figures. You’re just like Dex, you know,” she said, finishing off the last cracker and washing her hands in the sink.
Dex and I exchanged a smirk.
“So I’ve been told,” I said, joining him at the door.
There was a quick knock at the door and some giggles followed from the other side. Dex flung it open, revealing Rebecca and a cute, small blonde girl who must have been Emily. They both smiled at us and Rebecca let out a holler, holding a bottle of Jagermeister high in the air. Oh, God.
“Are you ready to party!?” she yelped, and then threw her arms around Dex, giving him a quick hug. She turned to me and did the same, smelling like all sorts of heavenly things.
She released me and looked over my shoulder at Jenn.
“Hey Jenny Jenn,” she greeted her with the slightest trace of amusement.
Jenn smiled, close-lipped. “Becky. Emily. I made some appies.”
She gestured to the plate on the bar counter but made no move to bring it over to us.
“So domestic, Jenn,” Rebecca said humorously. Dex took her and Emily’s coats from them (of course Rebecca’s was a luxurious black velvet that matched her hair) while Rebecca put her arm around Emily and brought her up to me.
“Perry, I’d like you to meet my partner Emily,” she said. I looked at Emily and offered my hand. She was about my height, maybe an inch or two higher, had a sweet round face and very pale blonde hair. Her eyes were an eerie shade of robin’s egg blue that seized your attention. I couldn’t make out if they were contacts or not, but they were mesmerizing.
She took my hand politely, but then pulled me into her and gave me a quick hug.
“I think we’re on hugging terms already,” she said in an angelic, breathy voice.
I looked the couple over. Rebecca was wearing a sequined red shift dress and fishnets while Emily was dressed a little plainer in a black skirt and patterned blouse.
“Are you guys dressed all ready? I thought we were going to get ready together?” I asked.
“Don’t you worry,” Rebecca said, picking up a huge pebbled leather bag from the floor. “I’ve got my clothes in here and I just need to convince Emily to put on something else.”
Emily rolled her eyes but smiled. “I like this.”
“For a job interview, sure,” Rebecca said, kissing her on the cheek. I noticed her maroon lips didn’t leave a mark. “But this is the party of the year!”
“OK, Rebecca,” Dex said with a chuckle as he walked over to the fridge and pulled a beer out of it. “I think you’re overselling this party just a bit. Don’t you remember last year?”
“What happened last year?” Jenn asked.
“Well of course you don’t remember, you passed out in the bathroom an hour into the party,” Dex said.
Rebecca laughed sharply and Jenn glared at them both.
“Like you guys were any better,” she sniveled. “I just remember it being boring.”
“It was boring,” Rebecca said. “Until Dean brought out the 151 he snuck in the restaurant. We didn’t have to pay for any drinks after that.”
I grimaced at the idea of drinking 151 under the table. Even the bottle of Jagermeister looked sinister. I couldn’t let myself get too drunk tonight. I felt like I needed my wits about me.
“Don’t worry,” Emily said, noticing my expression. “We’ll both be Shownet party virgins.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I have no idea what to expect.”
“Don’t expect much,” Dex advised us, eying us both. “Jimmy is cheap as hell. I guess you already know that, kiddo.”
“Kiddo,” Jenn repeated. “Why do you always call her that? She’s not that young.”
Dex slowly turned his head to look at her. She was leaning back against the stove, sipping daintily from her glass of red wine. She raised her thin brows at him.
“It’s a term of endearment,” he said deliberately. “Jennifer.”
While Dex and Jenn had a weird little staring match, I looked over at Rebecca and Emily. They looked as awkward as I felt. Rebecca bit her lip briefly and raised her eyes in a “yikes” gesture. Then she lifted up her heavy bag and said, “OK then, how about we start getting ready. That way we don’t have to rush later.”
“Sounds good,” I said, and the three of us went over to the den as Rebecca added, “Let’s see what you have planned to wear, Perry.”
I could feel Jenn and Dex’s eyes on us and as I closed the door to shut them out, I heard Jenn mutter under her breath to him, “I bet they’re all going in there to make out.”
I rolled my eyes in annoyance and shut the door. Honestly, I didn’t know how Rebecca was still a Wine Babe after all of that.
In the room, Emily was staring up at the posters on the wall while Rebecca was already perched on the bed and staring at me expectantly.
“What the hell is going on out there?” she cried out in a hush.
“I…” I started; then wasn’t sure what to say. Did I want to tell Rebecca that I told Dex about her theory? “It’s a long story.”
“You can cut that tension with a butter knife,” she said. “It better be a long story.”
I leaned against the door and sighed until my body was more relaxed. “Dex knows about Jenn and Bradley.”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What about Jenn and Bradley?”
“Well, I kind of told him you had a theory about them.”
“I never told you what the theory was.”
“I guessed. I’m not dumb.”
“No, darling, you’re not dumb.” She didn’t look mad. I explained to them what happened when I went clubbing with Jenn on Wednesday.
“And last night when we were locked in the basement,” I continued, “she wasn’t answering the phone. And it all kind of came out. Verbal diarrhea.”
“Oh boy,” Rebecca said. She exchanged a look with Emily then looked back at me expectantly. “Do you know what he’s going to do? I mean, he has to break up with her now if he knows.”
I shrugged. “That…that I have no freaking idea. I wish I did. I told him he should but…”
“He’s a scared little boy,” she put in. “Honestly, I don’t know how you’re dealing with this. It can’t be easy.”
I eyed Emily nervously. She caught it and smiled reassuringly. “Bex told me about…your crush. It’s cool. I only just met you, but for what it’s worth, I think he’s an idiot if he doesn’t feel the same way back.”
I blushed at her kind words.
“OK, Ems, you’re turning her into an awkward pile of mush,” Rebecca said, getting off the bed and rifling through her overflowing bag. “And we can’t have mushy Perry tonight. We’re getting sexy Perry, isn’t that right, darling?”
I nodded slowly, feeling a bit on the spot. About an hour earlier, Ada had texted me with last-minute advice about tonight. Mainly to “just work the shit out of the dress.”
“So what are you wearing?” Rebecca asked with her hands on her hips and a carrying kit of makeup in front of her.
I walked over to a stack of boxes where I had laid out the dress so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. I picked it up and showed it to her, the teal color catching the light, making it look inviting enough to swim in.
“Ooh, that is gorgeous. And with the shoes, too! Good choice.”
I beamed at that. Finally, it seemed I had fashion sense.
She touched Emily’s arm and pointed at the door. “We’re going to go into the bathroom and get that all ready with hair tools and makeup. The gorgeous station, we’ll call it. Come out, shoes and all, when you’re done and we’ll finish you off.”
They both left the room, and I was alone for the first time today.
I locked the door behind them in case Dex decided to mosey on in, and I stripped down until I was totally naked. I couldn’t wear a bra with the dress but thankfully there was enough support in the corset that I didn’t need one (a first) and the material was that shiny, thin kind that picked up every bump. I was very (and surprisingly) fortunate that I didn’t have a lick of cellulite anywhere on my body but it did mean I wouldn’t be wearing any underwear. Oh well, no one had to know I was going commando.
I slipped the dress over my head and to my surprise, it fit even better than when I first tried it on. I guess it came from not eating much this whole week. I had originally feared I would have gained weight from not working out but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. I was able to reach behind and do up the zipper on my own and without holding my breath.
Next came the shoes. Unfortunately, I knew they weren’t going to get more comfortable, unlike the dress. But I managed to stand in them now without wobbling and I made sure to stash a bunch of Band-Aids in my evening bag in case I got a bunch of blisters.
I walked to the door and poked my head out, not wanting Jenn or Dex to see me until I was absolutely ready. The door to their bedroom was closed and no one was in the apartment. The idea that they could be having sex in there made me feel momentarily sick. Rebecca had said that was what their relationship often came down to, just sex.
“Perry,” Rebecca said from the bathroom, opening the door a crack and peering at me. I could see Emily behind her also trying to get glimpse.
“Oh my f*cking goodness,” she exclaimed, her eyes focusing on my rack. I guess I’d have to get used to that. I eyed the bedroom door nervously and she waved her hand at me quickly.
“Get that fine arse over here,” she said, opening the bathroom door and ushering me inside.
She closed the door behind me, locked it, and clapped her hands together excitedly.
“Lesbian orgy in the bathroom!” she cried out, then quickly squeezed my shoulder with her hand. “Kidding! Seriously, you look amazing.”
“You really do,” Emily added from the other side of her, giving me the thumbs up in approval while fiddling with a curling iron.
“What the hell happened here?” Rebecca asked suddenly, grabbing my arm and flipping it over to show the welt. She eyed my hand too. “I noticed the hand before but I thought it was the lighting. What happened?”
“Wasps,” I said, turning around, flipping up my hair so she could see the one on my neck. They both gasped dramatically.
“Where the hell did you find wasps at this time of year? Did you feel how cold it is outside? It’s supposed to snow tonight,” she informed me.
“Again, it’s a long story. Let’s just focus on making me look hot,” I said, not wanting to talk about it.
“Darling, you are already hot. We’re going to push you over the edge. Now sit up on the counter here,” she said, patting the space between the two sinks.
I did as she asked, making sure to keep my legs together (commando, you know). Rebecca got the large makeup kit out and started to attack my face with it. I relaxed and put my trust in her hands. After all, she looked amazing herself.
I eyed Emily without moving my head. “Does she do this to you too?”
Emily laughed. “Well she tries. I’m not a makeup wearer.”
“Ems is lucky she has those eyes of hers. They are just like yours, Perry. Except Emily does need some mascara from time to time.”
“She doesn’t like me looking too butchy,” Emily spoke up and frowned at the awkward curl the iron produced.
“I don’t think you could ever look butchy,” I told her, trying not to move my lips as Rebecca rubbed foundation on them (for some reason). “Not that there’s anything wrong with looking butchy. I mean, I don’t know what you..um, lesbians are looking for but I mean…”
“Perry,” Rebecca said sternly, interrupting my mindless stammering. “Stop talking. It’s OK, we aren’t easily offended. I like feminine women. So does Emily. It doesn’t always work out that way but it does with us.”
“OK, I-”
“No, seriously, stop talking. You’re messing me all up.”
I clamped my mouth shut and closed my eyes. I sat still for the next few minutes while Rebecca and Emily talked about some new vampire show on HBO they had started watching together. Eventually I heard the bedroom door open and Jenn’s heels on the floor heading to the kitchen. >
“Guess they are done making up in there,” Emily said. My eyes opened and fixed on her.
“Emily,” Rebecca admonished. She looked at me apologetically, her poreless nose just inches away from mine as she brushed powder on my cheeks. She lowered her voice. “Sorry Perry, could be old habits die hard in there. Or perhaps Dex has grown a pair and cut Jenn off for good. You never know. I don’t know how he’d even want to touch her after learning she’s been with Bradley.”
“No kidding,” Emily shot in, making a disgusting face. I noticed her hair was all done and she was pinning it to the top of her head.
“Well you’re all done…kiddo…as Dex would say,” Rebecca said. “But before we turn you around, I’m going to do something with your hair.” She picked it off of my shoulders and tossed it back. “Very nice hair too, very soft. Usually Italian hair is quite wiry.”
“Must be my Swedish side,” I said, my lips moving slowly from the heavy applications of gloss.
She frowned at my locks, pursing her perfect mouth and drumming her long fingers against her cheek. Then she took a few bobby pins from beside her, brought out a small comb and did something to my bangs and sides of my hair.
“Half up, half down. Shows off your face, hides the bite on your neck.”
“Can I look now?”
She and Emily looked at each other and smiled. “Yes!”
I hopped off the counter, my ass having gone to sleep, and rubbed at it while I turned around.
I couldn’t believe the person who was looking back at me.
It was me, of course, but had I not put on the dress beforehand, I would have really been thrown for a loop because I had never looked like this in my entire life. And probably wouldn’t ever again.
It wasn’t a ton of makeup, but it was enough to make me look, well, a million times better than normal. My eyes looked huge but for once they weren’t too cutesy. They were almost…sexy. I think it was the copious amounts of mascara and liquid liner that winged out on the sides. The shadow above it was a smoky blue that matched the dress but didn’t look garish. My cheekbones were well defined; my cheeks had a natural pink flush, thanks to different types of blush swirled together, and my lips were a rosy-nude color that made them look a full size bigger.
“Holy…” I trailed off, unable to form words. “I look…weird.”
Rebecca laughed and shook me lightly. “You don’t look weird, Perry; you look gorgeous and like you’re going to a party. I wish I could do the same to Ems here.”
“Ha,” Ems said. “Let’s let the night belong to Perry. Not everyone has to be your Doolittle.”
“Point taken,” Rebecca said. “Now if you’ll excuse me Perry, I think I need to use the loo and get ready myself.”
She unlocked the bathroom door and poked her head out. Jenn was in the kitchen drinking her wine again. She had changed too, but from where we were I couldn’t see what she was wearing.
“OK go, I’ll join you soon,” Rebecca said, and I cautiously stepped out into the apartment. I noted Dex’s door was still shut.
I slowly walked toward Jenn, my heels clicking on the floor. At the sound, she looked up at me and spurted wine out of her mouth. That was probably the best reaction I could have hoped for.
“Oh my God,” she said, and muffled into the cloth as she wiped her face and hands of the wine.
“What?” I asked na?vely, standing beside her and looking her over. She looked good, of course. When didn’t she? She was wearing a very tight black, body-con Lycra dress with strategic cut-outs down the side. Her shoes were high and a patent nude color, which naturally made her skinny legs look amazing. Her hair was down and on the frizzy side and she didn’t have her makeup on yet. For the first time ever, I felt like I might be a bit of competition.
“Nothing,” she sputtered. “You just took me by surprise. Are you sure you should be showing so much cleavage, though? I mean, it is a work party, after all.”
And this was coming from someone who looked like her dress was painted on.
I just smiled at her, hoping my gloss didn’t catch on my teeth. “Well, I always say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Now, where’s my wine?”
I brushed past her and picked up my glass and filled it half-way with the wine that was out beside her. I took a huge gulp, careful not to choke like she did. Though I may have sounded brazenly confident, I was still shaking slightly from the altercation.
“Fair enough,” she said, slowly, and shot me a suspicious look. She was probably wondering where I had stashed Perry Palomino. Then she shook her head and let out an annoyed sigh, her eyes shooting daggers at the bathroom door. “How long are they planning to hog the bathroom? I should have known two extra girls over would put me out.”
“I’m sure they’ll give you your de-frizz cream and anti-frizz iron if you ask,” I said smoothly, trying to hide my smile behind the glass. I just had to throw the word frizz in there twice.
She patted at her hair anxiously and made a sound that sounded like a “harrumph.”
“What was that?” I asked, leaning in closer to her.
She frowned at me, utterly confused. I loved knowing something that she didn’t know. And she could tell. That upper hand kept me from taking her frizzy head in my hands and bashing it against the kitchen counter.
I noticed the Peeping Tom album was over and the CD player had switched onto something autotuney. I took another quick sip of wine, being careful with my gloss, and went over to the player. I scoured the stack of CDs lined up alongside it. Only Dex (and I) would still have a lot of CDs.
“Please, nothing weird,” Jenn muttered. I decided to indulge her for now. I selected Beastie Boys Ill Communication and stuck it in the player. I pressed play, the barking dog of “Sure Shot” shooting out from the speakers.
As I did so, I heard the bedroom door open and the sound of dress shoes walking across the floor.
“Tie or no tie?” Dex asked.
I straightened up, turned around and stared.
Dex was standing in front of the bar counter facing Jenn. He was wearing a sharp black suit, shiny dress shoes, a white-collared shirt that wasn’t buttoned all the way up and had a black tie in his hand. His shiny, ebony hair was lightly spiked up at the sides and off of his expressive forehead. His face was smooth, his moustache and chin scruff trimmed down to an inch of their existence. He looked…beautiful.
He noticed me staring at him and turned his body over to look. Our eyes met. They sparkled more than ever. Now he just looked insanely, devilishly handsome. He took my breath away.
And apparently the feeling was mutual. Because he didn’t say anything either.
His eyes fixed on me in absolute surprise. He looked at my chest first, then my waist, my hips, my legs and then back at my face. And when he saw my face, his look intensified. I thought he’d look at me and laugh, considering how different I felt I looked. But he didn’t.
“God, Dex, take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Jenn sneered, placing her wine glass down on the counter with a clank. He barely paid attention as she stormed past him and started pounding on the bathroom door, demanding Rebecca and Emily vacate immediately.
“Perry,” he croaked out. “I didn’t…”
“Recognize me?” I filled in. “I didn’t either.”
I walked over to him so he could get a better look and stopped a foot away. He looked even better close up. My hormones were on fire and making me feel funny all over. I made another mental note to not drink too much.
“Yeah,” he breathed out. “You look…nice.”
I smiled at that. “As long as I don’t look as ridiculous as I feel.”
He was still awestruck. “You don’t look ridiculous. You look…beautiful.”
I blushed on command. I noticed the pounding on the door had stopped and the bedroom door slammed. Jenn was probably attacking her hair in there, de-frizzing the crap out of it even though she didn’t really need to.
“I’m serious,” he added, wiping at his chin and giving me the once-over again. The way his eyes glued to my form, they caused goosebumps to pop on my arms. I hoped he wouldn’t notice. I wanted nothing more than to be beautiful enough that he’d pick me up in his arms, carry me into the den, throw me on the bed and have his damn way with me.
“Well, give Rebecca credit,” I said nervously, waving my hands all over my face. “This was all her magic.”
“It’s not magic, Perry. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known and before you say anything, you’ve always been that way to me.”
My mouth dropped open a little bit.
“And I’ve been with a lot of women, Perry, so I know. Believe me. And you have to learn how to accept a compliment, you got it?”
He reached for my shoulder in a rather awkward manner, then ended up sliding it down my arm, reaching for my hand and holding it in his, his thumb caressing around the welt on it.
I was still speechless but I nodded because I could see how sincere he was. That was maybe the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me. Aside from the “and I’ve been with a lot of women” part.
“What do you think?” Rebecca’s voice interrupted my thoughts. Dex dropped my hand and turned to look at her. She and Emily were both changed and dolled up. Emily looked cute, albeit slightly uncomfortable with her empire-waisted grey dress, but Rebecca looked wonderful. Her dress was a deep red, to her ankles and slit quite low between her breasts.
She looked down at them and smiled at Dex and me. “I couldn’t let Perry be the only one on display.”
I was grateful for that. What Jenn has said earlier about it being a work party had been gnawing at my esteem a bit. Rebecca was ensuring I wouldn’t be the sluttiest-looking one there.
When I found my voice, I said, “You both look amazing.”
“Good enough,” Rebecca said, flashing her white teeth at us. “As do both of you.”
She walked over to Dex, her heels stomping across the floor. She took the tie from his other hand and said, “No tie. It doesn’t suit you.”
Then she undid another button his shirt. “You don’t have too much chest hair; you can get away with this.”
If it wasn’t Rebecca up in Dex’s face like that, I would have felt a pang of jealousy.
She peered down at me from the lofty perch of her heels, her hands still around Dex’s collar as she straightened it out. “What do you think of Perry here?”
The question was obviously for Dex.
“I might prefer the way she normally is,” he said to my surprise. “But I think she looks stunning.”
“Damn right,” she said, giving his collar a final tug. “She doesn’t need the makeup, really, but goodness she needs to show off that body more.”
I glanced down at my boobs and the rest of me. From my angle, I looked huge, as always.
I looked back up and saw Rebecca, Dex and Emily all looking at me rather rapturously. I smiled cheesily at them, the awkwardness just flooding my pores, and said, “I think now is the time to do shots.”
Rebecca let out a hoot and she and Emily ran behind the counter, pulling out the Jager, which ended up in the freezer where it belonged.
Dex patted me lightly on the back as we walked over to join them.
“Relax, kiddo,” he said, his voice low and gruff.
I shot him a quick smile. I just felt totally out of my element, yet I was enjoying the novelty of being “hot” at the same time.
Rebecca fished out four glasses from the cupboards and poured us each a shot. We raised them to each other and clinked.
“Wait!” Emily cried out and quickly brought out a tiny camera from her purse. “Pictures!”
“Ems is a mad photo taker,” Rebecca explained.
“And pure evil when it comes to tagging photos on Facebook,” Dex said, half-glaring at the blonde-haired cherub.
She paid no attention, but held the camera out and attempted to get a picture of us all in mid-shot. The flash flared out blindingly.
We all finished the shots, the Jager burning only a little. Emily flipped the camera around and squeeled.
“It worked,” she said, and showed us all. Though Rebecca’s head was half cut-out, it was Dex and me with the shot glasses to our lips and Emily at the corner. It was a rather cute picture considering the subject matter, but that said I unfortunately realized it was the only picture that had ever been taken of Dex and me together. I know I had been called “Paparazzi Perry” in high school, but for some reason taking pictures of Dex and me seemed…weird. I guess because we always had the video camera out. I made a mental note to get a photo of just the two of us later.
Jenn burst out of the bedroom and looked us all over with disdain, her hair piled high on top of her head. “Seriously? Jagermeister? How old are we here?”
I raised my hand. “I’m twenty three!”
I could have sworn a little vein in her head was about to pop. I tried not to smile at that.
“OK,” she said, picking up the cordless phone. “I think we should call a cab now and head over. They did say to be there by 8 and we’re pushing it now.”
Probably promised to meet Bradley at a certain time, I thought. And from the look I caught on Rebecca’s face, I could see she was thinking the same thing. As for Dex, though, I couldn’t tell. He was trying hard not to look in my direction and winning at it.
I grabbed my leather jacket from the coat rack and hustled into the den to grab my little evening purse that Ada had lent me. When I came back out, everyone was at the balcony window and staring outside. >
“What is it?” I asked, coming over without tripping over my heels.
“It’s snowing,” Rebecca said incredulously. I guessed it was as rare in Seattle as it was in Portland.
I poked my head out to join them at the fogged-up window pane. Dark clouds, lit up orange from the city glow, had rolled in over the past few hours. Little, miniscule flakes of white were falling from them. So it was snowing after all. Another thing that made me think tonight was going to be different from any other night. This was going to be memorable.
It already was.