“That’s not what I had in mind.”
I hadn’t noticed the piano had stopped until I mentioned the kitchen floor.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, getting out of the booth before I had a chance to explain that I wasn’t ditching him or manipulating him. I’d let Gabby go off by herself, and I didn’t know if she’d seen me with him and taken a cab home.
I ran into Theresa in the hall on the way to the dressing room.
“I am so sorry,” I said. “I was rude and unbecoming.”
“My brother’s an asshole, so I don’t blame you.” She said it with a smile, taking my hand and squeezing. “We both loved your voice.”
“Thank you. I have to go. I’ll try to see you on the way out.”
I got into the dressing room just as Gabby shouldered her bag.
“I was looking for you,” she said.
“I was talking to Jonathan. You ready to go? I want to see him on the way out.”
“He’s here? Oh my God, Mon, he can help us get an agent or something. Another manager. Anything.”
“He’s not in the business, Gabs, please come on.”
She tugged my sleeve. “Wait. First of all, everyone’s in the business, even if they’re not. Okay? And what are you hiding from me? What?” She was a few inches shorter and looked up at me like she could pierce me with her eyes.
“Nothing.”
“Monica.”
“I want to go home.” I took a step toward the door, but Gabby leaned against it. I dropped my bag, giving in. “Fine, he wants to make this bet, and it has to do with sex, and I’m not hanging out with him tonight, I’m hanging out with you.”
“Cancel with me.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because Darren would kill me.”
“God damn the two of you!” she shouted.
“Gabs, please. Give me a break.”
“No, you guys won’t leave me alone to take a dump and you think I’m too stupid to notice? Now you have the chance to get the ear of a major fucking player—”
“He’s not—”
“Shut up. Because you don’t know anything. He teaches business at UCLA where Janet Terova heads up the Industry Relations board, and you know who that is, right?”
I sighed. I felt like I was taking a quiz.
“Arnie Sanderson’s ex-wife?”
“Eugene Testarossa’s boss. Right. Him.”
“Gabby, if something happened because I went to have sex with some guy I barely even know…”
She put her hands on my arms and looked up at me with those big stinking blue eyes, the ones that had rolled to the back of her head and could only be brought back with a slap in the face, and said, “I promise I will not try to kill myself tonight.”
“Your word is the last thing I should believe.”
“I tried to kill myself because I felt hopeless. You do this, I have hope. Okay?”
“You’re whoring me out.”
“Am I taking a cab home or not?”
I had to admit, the temptation was painful, almost physically so. Here she was, not only giving me permission to leave her alone and promising not to hurt herself, but pushing me out the door.
The exquisite ache between my legs grew to a distracting level when I thought about being with Jonathan. The afternoon’s frustration had turned into a longing that seemed bigger than my body.
Right then Darren’s face showed up in my mind. He looked disappointed and angry.
I pushed past Gabby and went out to Jonathan and Theresa, who had moved to the bar. He put his hand on the back of my neck when I got close enough, and I whispered in his ear, “If I win, you cancel your flight and see me tomorrow night.”
“And no Tiffany?” he asked, smirking.
“Yes, Tiffany. If you win, I’m at your command until sunrise. And after the sun comes up, I’ll scrub your floors.” He laughed. I didn’t know exactly what he was laughing at, unless it was the presumption that he didn’t already have a team of people to sterilize his house, but I smiled back at him because it was a stupid offer and I knew it.
Gabby situated herself at the end of the bar and ordered something. I hoped it
I hadn’t noticed the piano had stopped until I mentioned the kitchen floor.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, getting out of the booth before I had a chance to explain that I wasn’t ditching him or manipulating him. I’d let Gabby go off by herself, and I didn’t know if she’d seen me with him and taken a cab home.
I ran into Theresa in the hall on the way to the dressing room.
“I am so sorry,” I said. “I was rude and unbecoming.”
“My brother’s an asshole, so I don’t blame you.” She said it with a smile, taking my hand and squeezing. “We both loved your voice.”
“Thank you. I have to go. I’ll try to see you on the way out.”
I got into the dressing room just as Gabby shouldered her bag.
“I was looking for you,” she said.
“I was talking to Jonathan. You ready to go? I want to see him on the way out.”
“He’s here? Oh my God, Mon, he can help us get an agent or something. Another manager. Anything.”
“He’s not in the business, Gabs, please come on.”
She tugged my sleeve. “Wait. First of all, everyone’s in the business, even if they’re not. Okay? And what are you hiding from me? What?” She was a few inches shorter and looked up at me like she could pierce me with her eyes.
“Nothing.”
“Monica.”
“I want to go home.” I took a step toward the door, but Gabby leaned against it. I dropped my bag, giving in. “Fine, he wants to make this bet, and it has to do with sex, and I’m not hanging out with him tonight, I’m hanging out with you.”
“Cancel with me.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because Darren would kill me.”
“God damn the two of you!” she shouted.
“Gabs, please. Give me a break.”
“No, you guys won’t leave me alone to take a dump and you think I’m too stupid to notice? Now you have the chance to get the ear of a major fucking player—”
“He’s not—”
“Shut up. Because you don’t know anything. He teaches business at UCLA where Janet Terova heads up the Industry Relations board, and you know who that is, right?”
I sighed. I felt like I was taking a quiz.
“Arnie Sanderson’s ex-wife?”
“Eugene Testarossa’s boss. Right. Him.”
“Gabby, if something happened because I went to have sex with some guy I barely even know…”
She put her hands on my arms and looked up at me with those big stinking blue eyes, the ones that had rolled to the back of her head and could only be brought back with a slap in the face, and said, “I promise I will not try to kill myself tonight.”
“Your word is the last thing I should believe.”
“I tried to kill myself because I felt hopeless. You do this, I have hope. Okay?”
“You’re whoring me out.”
“Am I taking a cab home or not?”
I had to admit, the temptation was painful, almost physically so. Here she was, not only giving me permission to leave her alone and promising not to hurt herself, but pushing me out the door.
The exquisite ache between my legs grew to a distracting level when I thought about being with Jonathan. The afternoon’s frustration had turned into a longing that seemed bigger than my body.
Right then Darren’s face showed up in my mind. He looked disappointed and angry.
I pushed past Gabby and went out to Jonathan and Theresa, who had moved to the bar. He put his hand on the back of my neck when I got close enough, and I whispered in his ear, “If I win, you cancel your flight and see me tomorrow night.”
“And no Tiffany?” he asked, smirking.
“Yes, Tiffany. If you win, I’m at your command until sunrise. And after the sun comes up, I’ll scrub your floors.” He laughed. I didn’t know exactly what he was laughing at, unless it was the presumption that he didn’t already have a team of people to sterilize his house, but I smiled back at him because it was a stupid offer and I knew it.
Gabby situated herself at the end of the bar and ordered something. I hoped it
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