“What presents? And don’t say it too loud or someone might follow you home, clunk you over the head and steal them. That someone might be me. Did I say that out loud?”
“Well, he thought I needed some new clothes for work and for each of the trips we’ve gone on.” I took a drink of water. “I now have eight bathing suits. I’ve got half a dozen cocktail dresses that I’ve only worn once and don’t have any idea where I’d wear them again. I’ve got three new watches, one more sparkly than the next. And this.” I held out my wrist and pulled up my sleeve.
Within an instant my wrist seemed to grab every ray of light and bounce it back into space, twinkling and blinking as each round diamond on the tennis bracelet shimmered brightly regardless of the dim lighting in Standees Diner.
“Oh my gosh.” Diamond took my hand and pulled it closer to her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many diamonds all together in my life. This could choke a pig.”
“Right?”
“And so, what is the problem?”
I swallowed hard. I pulled my hand back and covered up the bracelet under my sleeve.
“He has a brother.”
“So. Is he single? Can you hook me up? It would be the least you could do considering I am your best friend and I did save your life.”
“When did you ever save my life?”
“That time you almost gave that homeless guy your phone number.”
“Sean wasn’t homeless. He was a street performer. He did freelance work. He said he lived in one of those tiny-houses, you know. Smaller than a studio?”
“Is that was the local transients are calling their cardboard boxes these days. Tiny-houses? I saved your life. That guy was nothing but trouble. I could tell. Saved your life.”
“Well, believe me, I would fix you up if his brother wasn’t…Marty.”
I quickly covered my eyes with my hands. My cheeks were hot with embarrassment and I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry.
“Marty? Marty, your boss, Marty? The other successful billionaire you’ve been dating? They’re brothers?”
“Yes.” I said, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. “I don’t know why I’m crying, Di. I really don’t. But when I sit back and think of what has happened I feel like crying. So I do.”
Telling Diamond this weird twist of events had a very therapeutic result. I felt lighter and even though the tears rolled down my cheeks I wasn’t hysterical. In fact, for the first time I thought I might be getting close to sorting out my feelings. Thank goodness I decided to stalk Diamond today. I really needed her.
“Well, start from the beginning. Tell me how you first found out.”
I wasn’t even sure where to begin because it was a very peculiar night. I took a deep breath and let the words just fall out. Once I started I couldn’t stop.
“What is this benefit for?” I asked Joshua as I got dressed at his penthouse apartment in a new outfit he had picked out for me. It was a beautiful soft pink satin dress that clung to my
curves yet covered everything quite modestly. Since we had just finished making love the pink rosiness of my cheeks was the perfect complement to the dress.
“I’m not sure.” He said as he watched me get dressed. It seemed as if he got just as aroused watching me get dressed as he did watching me undress.
“You don’t know who you are giving money to?”
“I’m invited to a dozen of these things a year. Sometimes I go. Sometimes I don’t. But, now that I have this beautiful ornament to hang off my arm, you can bet I’ll be showing her off every chance I get.”
“Is that all I am to you? An arm ornament?” I teased. Joshua didn’t make me feel like that at all. He made me feel like a princess being escorted to the ball.
He stood up, walked over to me and without touching me with his hands leaned down and kissed my lips. How I wished he would have swept me back to the bed right then but he didn’t. It was funny. Whenever I felt like that was all I wanted to just be in his arms, to feel his weight and burn with his kisses he’d give me that smoldering look that he was giving me now. I couldn’t be sure if it was the kiss or the look that made me pant with desire but either way, I was a ball of sexual frustration by the time we got into the limo to head off toward the mystery charity event. Something told me Joshua liked that, too.
Riding in the back of the limo I had to admit it felt like prom. Here we were, all dressed up going to such a grown-up affair. Joshua, who never seemed to be nervous or excited about anything except, well, me. I looked out the window as he rubbed my thigh over the silky-satin of my bushing pink cocktail dress.
“Will you know anyone here?” I asked, wondering if I needed to prepare for any questions from an Aunt Winifred or Cousin Momo or maybe an ex-fiance who was a supermodel because aren’t they all supermodels?
“These are mostly going to be people who know my brother. He likes to socialize in small, controlled groups. Like a science experiment.” Joshua’s voice took on a sharp tone as he spoke about his brother.