Girlfriends (Patrick Sanchez) (27 page)

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine. Actually, I’m pretty damn fine,” Peter responded, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. “He looked pretty bad, didn’t he?”

“I think they might have to take him to the hospital.”

“I guess you might say he’s
afflicted?”
Peter said.

“I guess,” Cheryl said. “I guess you would.”

A Ride Home

“I
need another drink. You guys want anything from the bar?” Gina asked the gang, figuring the evening was a wash. She’d have another drink or two and then just go home and try to forget about it.

“Nothing for me,” Dennis said. Linda and Rosa declined the offer as well.

Gina got up from the table and made her way through a maze of familiar faces. Several guests smiled at her and almost attempted to engage her in conversation, but she just ignored them. The night was now a disaster. She was probably the laughingstock of the party. The only thing worse than coming to your reunion without a date was coming with a pretend date and getting busted. She was lost in thought when she ran into Karl Mullins.

“Oh, excuse me . . . ?”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” Gina said to Karl.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m going to be honest with you. I can’t quite remember your name, and I can’t imagine how I could forget someone as radiant as you,” Karl said, tilting Gina’s name tag up. “Gina Perry. Oh, yes. Now I remember. Thank God for name tags, huh?”

“Well, with any luck, I’ve improved with age. Honestly, you look familiar to me also, but I can’t quite place the name,” Gina lied. She knew damn well who he was. She had only yearned for him for most of her high school career. He played varsity football and was salutatorian of their graduating class. He had a solid build, light brown hair, big brown eyes, and was just over six feet tall.

“Karl . . . Karl Mullins.”

“That’s right. Karl.”

“Were you going to the bar?”

“Yes, I was. You?” Gina asked.

“I am now.”

Gina smiled as Karl followed her to the bar. As they stood in line, they continued to catch up.

“So what have you been up to?” Gina asked.

“I live in D.C. . . . Georgetown . . . just bought a house on P Street. I’m a lawyer with a firm downtown. They work me to death, but I enjoy it for the most part. How about you? What have you been doing for the last ten years?”

“Gosh. Where to begin? I went to college at American University. I live over near Dupont Circle.”

“What kind of work do you do?”

“I’m in management with Premier Bank of Arlington.”

“A banker, eh? That’s cool. So, did you come with anyone?”

“Yes, I’m here with a friend. You?”

“No, I came solo. I just finished law school last year and I’ve only been back in town about six months. It’s hard to meet people in this city.”

Tell me about it! “Oh, not at all. I’d be glad to introduce you around.”

“I’d like that.”

When they finally got their drinks from the bartender, Karl asked, “Are you much of a dancer?”

“I guess. I dance some.”

“Well?” Karl asked, pointing toward the dance floor.

“Lead the way.”

Eighties music seemed to be the theme of the evening and Debbie Gibson’s “Shake Your Love” was blaring from the speakers. They laid their drinks on one of the speakers and hit the dance floor, with Gina trying not to stare at Karl. He was so good-looking, and he could actually dance. Good-looking and rhythm—how often did that happen? They stayed on the dance floor through Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Janet Jackson’s “Nasty.” Eventually, the music slowed as the deejay played the New Kids on the Block’s “I’ll Be Loving You Forever.” There was an awkward silence when the song came on until Karl raised his shoulders, smiled, and gave her a look that said “interested?” She was definitely willing and met him in the middle, putting her arms around his neck.

They swayed to the music as the dance floor got more and more crowded. All the guys who wouldn’t dream of dancing to an upbeat song were usually willing to suffer through a slow tune with their significant others. As space tightened, it gave Gina and Karl an excuse to move closer together. By this time, Gina’s mouth was dry, and her heart was slightly palpitating. Karl felt warm and strong and just plain good. When the song ended, they slowly pulled apart and exchanged smiles. At this point Linda, waving her hands from the table, caught Gina’s attention. She had forgotten all about Linda and the rest of the group.

“You remember Linda . . . Linda Collins? We came together,” Gina said, walking toward the table and gesturing at Karl to follow.

“Hey, Linda. Remember Karl?”

“Yes. Hi, Karl,” Linda replied, offering Karl a distracted smile. She then looked back at Gina. “Gina, Rosa’s really sick.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“She just got nauseous all of a sudden. Dennis is with her now. They’re outside. We’ve got to take her home.”

“Take her home?”

“Well, we can’t have her spend the evening outside puking in the courtyard. Why don’t Dennis and I take her home, and we’ll come back and get you. I know this night means a lot to you.”

“No, not at all,” Gina said, embarrassed by Linda’s comment. “It’s not a big deal.”

“If you want to stay, Gina. I can take you home,” Karl interjected.

Yes! Yes! Yes! “Oh, I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Believe me. It’s no trouble.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s settled, Linda. I’ll take Gina home.”

“Okay. Have fun, kiddies.” Linda smiled and winked at Gina before walking out into the hallway.

Opening the Candy Store

“T
hat’s Gomez, my dog. He’s a little monster,” Gina said in reference to the barking coming from the other side of her apartment door. Before Gina got her key in the door, Gomez would somehow always know she was home and immediately start barking in anticipation of being let out of the kitchen.

“A dog? What kind?” Karl asked, following Gina into the apartment.

“He’s a miniature dachshund. He’s perpetually in trouble. Couldn’t behave himself to save his life.”

“He’s so cute,” Karl said, watching Gomez run in circles around his feet.

“Thanks. Listen, why don’t you have a seat and make yourself at home while I run him outside for a walk,” Gina suggested to Karl while she attached the leash to Gomez’s collar. She wasn’t thrilled with the idea of leaving him alone in her apartment, but he was a former classmate, and scooping poop wasn’t exactly the way she wanted Karl to see her at that moment.

When Gina got back inside with the dog, Karl was sitting on the sofa with the television on.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, passing him on her way to the kitchen.

“No thanks. I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Gina replied, filling a glass with water for herself and replenishing Gomez’s water dish. She had been rather parched the entire evening, and sipping the cold water provided some relief. The night had gone splendidly. So she was at her reunion with her gay hairdresser, and everyone probably knew it. Everyone also watched her hit it off with Karl Mullins and leave the party with him.

How about them apples, Gina thought to herself before returning to the living room.

She sat down next to him on the sofa but kept a slight buffer zone between the two of them. She wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. She wanted to sleep with him but knew it was probably in her best interest not to. Guys always had more respect for girls who waited awhile before “opening the candy store.” She looked down at the floor and saw that Karl had taken his shoes off—a sure sign he was getting comfortable.

“He’s so funny,” Karl said, gesturing toward Gomez, who was now lying on the chair opposite them. “I think he’s lost interest in me.”

“He does that. When guests first walk in the door he’s all over them, but the novelty wears off really fast, and then he basically ignores you.”

“Well, as long as his owner hasn’t lost interest in me,” Karl said, moving in closer and pecking Gina on the lips. Gina just smiled and gazed at him. He kissed her again and moved his body closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his chest against her.

Gina melted and took a deep breath as he kissed her neck. Any thoughts of being a good girl that evening were history. Well, Gina thought. Guess the candy store’s open for business.

Karl continued to passionately tongue her neck as he reached for the zipper to her dress. Gina held tightly on to his back as he slowly maneuvered the zipper down. With her dress now loose on her shoulders, she flipped up from underneath him and sat on his lap to more easily unbutton his shirt. As she loosened the buttons, an exquisitely cut chest and solid abs emerged from the fabric. Gina massaged his chest firmly with her hands until Karl decided to help her get out of the dress. She stood up and let the dress flow to the floor as Karl watched her. He pulled her toward him and shifted Gina onto her back. He tossed his shirt off and then reached up under her slip and delicately pulled her stockings down to her feet and off onto the floor. As he started to lie back on top of her, Gina unbuckled his belt and loosened his pants. Karl then finished the job himself and pulled his pants off and laid them over the sofa arm. He lifted Gina’s slip up above her breasts and pressed his nearly naked body against her. He firmly grabbed her buttocks and teased her mouth with his tongue. Gina was enmeshed in pure pleasure until she reached her hand down into his boxers and felt a small, flaccid penis.

This was totally new to her. At this stage of the game, all the guys she’d ever been with were hard as a rock. She couldn’t recall ever feeling a limp dick
before
sex. She played around with his soft member for a few minutes to no avail, somewhat baffled by the circumstances. Finally, Karl broke away from her and with a look of frustration said, “I don’t know what’s the matter. This has never happened before.”

“It’s okay. It happens to guys all the time,” Gina lied. It wasn’t okay, and she had never known it to happen before.

“Well, this is a first for me. But it has nothing to do with you.”

Me? Who said anything about it having to do with me? “You just need to relax,” Gina said, pulling her slip back down and feeling a little ridiculous.

“I guess you’re right, and I know something else that might help. Please don’t take this the wrong way. But did you have onions for dinner or something?”

“What? No. Why?”

“I’m sorry. God . . . there’s no polite way to say this . . . but your breath is just sort of foul. I think that’s why I’m not performing up to speed.”

“Oh, my God!” Gina said, putting her hand to her mouth as she scurried toward the bathroom. She frantically brushed her teeth and rinsed with some mouthwash before returning to the living room.

“God, that is so embarrassing. All this time I had bad breath. I could just die.”

“No, really, it wasn’t that bad. I’m just supersensitive to smells. It’s more me than you. Anyway, where were we?” Karl asked before leaning in closer to her and giving her a kiss. He then pulled away and said, “You know what, Gina? I just don’t think this is going to work.”

“Oh?”

“It’s just not happening for me. You’re very nice and . . . oh, nothing.”

“No . . . what? What is it?”

“I don’t know. I usually do okay with women with small breasts, but . . . oh, I don’t know. I think I just need to go,” Karl said, grabbing his pants and beginning to get dressed. “I’m really sorry.”

Gina was mortified, and she wasn’t about to beg him to stay. “Small breasts? Funny thing for a guy with a small dick to say.”

“Oh,
that
was necessary. I’m outta here,” Karl snapped, pulling his shirt off the floor and heading for the door without bothering to put it on.

“Don’t let the door hit ya in—” Gina couldn’t finish before the door shut behind Karl. She sat there, staring at the door, upset and confused. She was totally stunned, and all of a sudden her mind flashed to that fateful night with Griffin. She thought about how she had felt that night and how disgusted she was with Griffin and with herself. She had just wanted to kick him out before the sex was even over. God! Was that how Karl felt about her? Did he take her home and suddenly decide he was too repulsed to have sex with her? Was she that horrible that a guy had to run out on her right in the middle of a heated encounter? Dennis had just told her how beautiful she was a few hours earlier. How was she supposed to believe that? She felt like Mia Farrow in
Rosemary’s Baby
. Of all the billions of people on the planet, why had the devil picked her to torture?

As Gina sat upstairs, hopelessly trying to understand what had just happened, Karl slipped his shirt on in the elevator and walked out of the lobby. As soon as he was outside the building, a beat-up Ford Escort drove up next to him, and the driver rolled the window down.

“Get in. How did it go?” called a short lesbian with a bad perm from inside the car.

“Exactly according to plan,” Karl responded.

“Move over, Silky,” Annie continued, picking up the cat and putting her in the backseat to make room for Karl.

The Truth Comes Out

D
ennis had dropped Linda and Rosa off a few hours earlier. The couple were lying on the sofa, watching
Saturday Night Live.
Rosa was feeling much better.

“Thanks for including me tonight. It meant a lot to me,” Rosa said.

“I’m glad you went. I had a good time,” Linda said, glad to be home. She really had had no burning desire to go to the reunion in the first place, but she knew she’d catch hell from Gina if she didn’t go. Linda was generally content to stay at home and watch television or curl up with a good book.

This is where she was happiest—lying on the sofa with Rosa, totally relaxed. It was nice to leave events like her reunion with someone—to have someone to talk about the event with on the way home, and someone to snuggle up with after it was all over. She and Gina used to talk about how you could always tell who was single at social events. The single people were always the last to leave. The married couples might show up and make an appearance, but they would only stay briefly because they had someone to go home with. Half the time the janitor had to sweep the single people out with the trash to get them to go home.