Read Online Friends and Lovers Trilogy 02 - Charmed by Beth Ciotta - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Beth Ciotta
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worried about Lulu.”
Jean-Pierre nodded, his expression perplexed. “Earlier tonight she was so … preoccupied. Now she is most, how do you say, wound up.”
On cue, Lulu waggled her fingers at her dance partners and zigzagged through the crowd to get to her friends. “I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun!” She kissed Rudy on the cheek and plopped into Jean-Pierre’s lap. “Thank you for letting me tag along.”
“But of course,
Chaton
.” Jean-Pierre smiled at her, and then turned to Rudy and shrugged.
Hmm. If he didn’t know better he’d think the mutual friend they’d dubbed “kitten” was hammered. But he knew better, and so did Jean-Pierre, hence, their bewilderment. Lulu didn’t drink. She didn’t flirt. She didn’t date. She certainly didn’t bump and grind with half-naked men. Of course, these men were gay, hence, safe, but still.
“No, seriously,” she shouted over the blaring music. “You’re the best.” She pursed glossy pink lips around a straw and noisily slurped the remnants of her soda. Then she poked Jean-Pierre in the shoulder and sprang to her feet. “Let’s dance!”
The Frenchman stared up at her, his brow crinkling with concern. “You have been dancing for one hour straight,
Chaton.
Sit. Catch your breath.”
She threw her hands in the air and waved her arms in time with the pulsing rhythm. “But I
love
this song.”
A club mix from the
Queer As Folk
soundtrack. “Do you even
know
this song?” Rudy asked, mildly amused.
“No,” she said, seemingly entranced by the colorful laser lights bouncing across the mirrored panels of the upper level. “But so what? It has a great beat.”
She wiggled her hips seductively, catching the eye of a nearby femme. Not wanting the woman to waste her time, Rudy smiled and waved her off before she made her way over to proposition Lulu. Then he looked to his own partner for help.
Jean-Pierre rose and maneuvered Miss Happy Feet into a chair. “The next song, I promise, I am all yours. Just now I need you to keep Rudy company while I purchase another round of drinks.”
“Why don’t we all switch to water,” Rudy suggested, worried that although she’d downed three sodas, she might be in danger of dehydrating. Her face was flushed, and her cartoon T-shirt was damp with perspiration.
“Whatever,” she said, shimmying in her chair while tightening her springy pigtails. She’d been dancing non-stop and still had the energy of a six-year-old, making him feel twice his age and then some.
Jean-Pierre mouthed, “Keep an eye on her,” and then reached over and gave Rudy’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze before elbowing his way toward the three-person-deep bar.
The heat of the Frenchman’s touch lingered, and he found himself staring after his sexy lover, possible soul mate. He
wanted
to believe they were lifetime partners, but Jean-Pierre was several years younger than he, and realistically, they were still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship. He jammed his hand through his spiky hair and sighed. How many self-help books was he going to have to read before he actually got the hang of this commitment thing?
“I know,” Lulu said, misinterpreting his befuddled expression. “He’s so gorgeous and
soooo
sweet.” She clasped her hands together and giggled. “I could just eat him up.”
Rudy tapped his fingers on the table, trying to discern if they had a problem. As she was naturally warm and enthusiastic, he wouldn’t have given Lulu’s blinding vibrancy a second thought, except earlier this evening she brooded about Sofie’s mystery admirer. Then when they’d first entered Ruby Slippers, she’d elected to sit at the table sipping her soda while he and Jean-Pierre danced. Now they couldn’t keep her off the floor and she was anything
but
reserved. Had someone bought her an alcoholic drink when they hadn’t been looking? Had she been too polite to refuse? For a teetotaler, one strong drink
Jean-Pierre nodded, his expression perplexed. “Earlier tonight she was so … preoccupied. Now she is most, how do you say, wound up.”
On cue, Lulu waggled her fingers at her dance partners and zigzagged through the crowd to get to her friends. “I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun!” She kissed Rudy on the cheek and plopped into Jean-Pierre’s lap. “Thank you for letting me tag along.”
“But of course,
Chaton
.” Jean-Pierre smiled at her, and then turned to Rudy and shrugged.
Hmm. If he didn’t know better he’d think the mutual friend they’d dubbed “kitten” was hammered. But he knew better, and so did Jean-Pierre, hence, their bewilderment. Lulu didn’t drink. She didn’t flirt. She didn’t date. She certainly didn’t bump and grind with half-naked men. Of course, these men were gay, hence, safe, but still.
“No, seriously,” she shouted over the blaring music. “You’re the best.” She pursed glossy pink lips around a straw and noisily slurped the remnants of her soda. Then she poked Jean-Pierre in the shoulder and sprang to her feet. “Let’s dance!”
The Frenchman stared up at her, his brow crinkling with concern. “You have been dancing for one hour straight,
Chaton.
Sit. Catch your breath.”
She threw her hands in the air and waved her arms in time with the pulsing rhythm. “But I
love
this song.”
A club mix from the
Queer As Folk
soundtrack. “Do you even
know
this song?” Rudy asked, mildly amused.
“No,” she said, seemingly entranced by the colorful laser lights bouncing across the mirrored panels of the upper level. “But so what? It has a great beat.”
She wiggled her hips seductively, catching the eye of a nearby femme. Not wanting the woman to waste her time, Rudy smiled and waved her off before she made her way over to proposition Lulu. Then he looked to his own partner for help.
Jean-Pierre rose and maneuvered Miss Happy Feet into a chair. “The next song, I promise, I am all yours. Just now I need you to keep Rudy company while I purchase another round of drinks.”
“Why don’t we all switch to water,” Rudy suggested, worried that although she’d downed three sodas, she might be in danger of dehydrating. Her face was flushed, and her cartoon T-shirt was damp with perspiration.
“Whatever,” she said, shimmying in her chair while tightening her springy pigtails. She’d been dancing non-stop and still had the energy of a six-year-old, making him feel twice his age and then some.
Jean-Pierre mouthed, “Keep an eye on her,” and then reached over and gave Rudy’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze before elbowing his way toward the three-person-deep bar.
The heat of the Frenchman’s touch lingered, and he found himself staring after his sexy lover, possible soul mate. He
wanted
to believe they were lifetime partners, but Jean-Pierre was several years younger than he, and realistically, they were still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship. He jammed his hand through his spiky hair and sighed. How many self-help books was he going to have to read before he actually got the hang of this commitment thing?
“I know,” Lulu said, misinterpreting his befuddled expression. “He’s so gorgeous and
soooo
sweet.” She clasped her hands together and giggled. “I could just eat him up.”
Rudy tapped his fingers on the table, trying to discern if they had a problem. As she was naturally warm and enthusiastic, he wouldn’t have given Lulu’s blinding vibrancy a second thought, except earlier this evening she brooded about Sofie’s mystery admirer. Then when they’d first entered Ruby Slippers, she’d elected to sit at the table sipping her soda while he and Jean-Pierre danced. Now they couldn’t keep her off the floor and she was anything
but
reserved. Had someone bought her an alcoholic drink when they hadn’t been looking? Had she been too polite to refuse? For a teetotaler, one strong drink
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