was.
“Thirteen,” she yelled, and I peeled the bills from my money clip and stepped into the smoky neon haze, surrounded suddenly by the flash of naked skin as skirts fluttered and raised, revealing sweaty thongs and hips gyrating to the relentless electronic grind of the music. I moved quickly, hugging the wall as I avoided the dancing, surging throng, navigated the rows of tables along the outskirts of the dance floor, and finally slipped behind the railing that separated the liquor bar from the rest of the club.
I saw Elisa, standing at the bar and sipping something blue, obviously alone despite the fact that she was surrounded. She was wearing the dress, despite her protestation that it fit better last year. It was black, of course, satin, no larger than a pillowcase, baring her entire back, her skin as pale as moths’ wings. It was short, sheer, and sleek, the hem floating about her thighs, the banded tops of her coffee-colored nylons just visible. Elisa saw me in the mirror over the bar and watched me as I made my way toward her, a slow smile creeping across her face as she smoothed the satin to her body with her palms, her hips swaying, her legs long and slender in five-inch patent spikes. Perfect. She returned to her drink as I approached.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not,” Elisa said. “Late, that is.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Not long,” she lied. Elisa sipped from her drink and then leaned into me, kissing me softly, leaving behind an intoxicating scent of alcohol and perfume. She gestured with her drink toward the crowd outside the bar. “They have a table. Let’s go.”
Elisa and I made our way around the dance floor, one of her hands tucked into my arm, the other holding her drink carefully away from stray dancers. Trinh and Trey were seated at a small table near the DJ’s booth, and Trinh spotted us and waved with a flick of her tiny wrist. Trey rose as we approached, extending his hand. “Good to see you again,” he said, a little louder than he had to.
“You remember Trey,” Trinh told me. I nodded and smiled, and took Trey’s hand and shook it.
“Hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” I said to Trey.
“Not at all,” Trey smiled and everything about him seemed to almost shine; his blond hair, his golden skin, his silk shirt, even his fucking teeth. We sat and a girl with pink hair instantly appeared to take our drink order. Elisa showed the girl her blue drink and I ordered a beer, as did Trey. Trinh told the girl she wanted a cosmo and got only a confused look.
“A cosmo politan ,” Trinh snarled, leaving the girl to walk away muttering “cunt” to herself, not quite loud enough for Trinh to hear her over the music’s incessant throb. Trinh lit a thin, exotic-looking cigarette and smiled, either unaware or unconcerned she had just been insulted.
Our drinks arrived mercifully fast and after tasting hers, Trinh let out a little laugh and said to Trey and me, “Maybe you two should get to know each other.” I drank my beer and listened to him convincingly enough, nodding and responding when appropriate, and based on very little conversation, I decided that we had absolutely nothing in common except Elisa. Trey began to tell me how lucky I was to be married to such a beautiful, intelligent woman and I could see Elisa blush.
“Let’s dance,” Elisa abruptly interjected. She was up and ready, pulling me by my wrist, tugging at me like a child, her voice insistent. I pantomimed my protest, exaggerating my reluctance as I held fast in my chair until Elisa took Trey by the hand, and said, smiling, “You, then.” Trey needed no encouragement and Elisa led him onto the floor, checking over her shoulder as the pulsing crowd absorbed them, making sure I was watching. I was.
As Trinh and I watched, Elisa and Trey began to dance, their bodies pressing into each other as they moved to the music, Elisa’s little dress twitching about her thighs. Watching them
“Thirteen,” she yelled, and I peeled the bills from my money clip and stepped into the smoky neon haze, surrounded suddenly by the flash of naked skin as skirts fluttered and raised, revealing sweaty thongs and hips gyrating to the relentless electronic grind of the music. I moved quickly, hugging the wall as I avoided the dancing, surging throng, navigated the rows of tables along the outskirts of the dance floor, and finally slipped behind the railing that separated the liquor bar from the rest of the club.
I saw Elisa, standing at the bar and sipping something blue, obviously alone despite the fact that she was surrounded. She was wearing the dress, despite her protestation that it fit better last year. It was black, of course, satin, no larger than a pillowcase, baring her entire back, her skin as pale as moths’ wings. It was short, sheer, and sleek, the hem floating about her thighs, the banded tops of her coffee-colored nylons just visible. Elisa saw me in the mirror over the bar and watched me as I made my way toward her, a slow smile creeping across her face as she smoothed the satin to her body with her palms, her hips swaying, her legs long and slender in five-inch patent spikes. Perfect. She returned to her drink as I approached.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not,” Elisa said. “Late, that is.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Not long,” she lied. Elisa sipped from her drink and then leaned into me, kissing me softly, leaving behind an intoxicating scent of alcohol and perfume. She gestured with her drink toward the crowd outside the bar. “They have a table. Let’s go.”
Elisa and I made our way around the dance floor, one of her hands tucked into my arm, the other holding her drink carefully away from stray dancers. Trinh and Trey were seated at a small table near the DJ’s booth, and Trinh spotted us and waved with a flick of her tiny wrist. Trey rose as we approached, extending his hand. “Good to see you again,” he said, a little louder than he had to.
“You remember Trey,” Trinh told me. I nodded and smiled, and took Trey’s hand and shook it.
“Hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” I said to Trey.
“Not at all,” Trey smiled and everything about him seemed to almost shine; his blond hair, his golden skin, his silk shirt, even his fucking teeth. We sat and a girl with pink hair instantly appeared to take our drink order. Elisa showed the girl her blue drink and I ordered a beer, as did Trey. Trinh told the girl she wanted a cosmo and got only a confused look.
“A cosmo politan ,” Trinh snarled, leaving the girl to walk away muttering “cunt” to herself, not quite loud enough for Trinh to hear her over the music’s incessant throb. Trinh lit a thin, exotic-looking cigarette and smiled, either unaware or unconcerned she had just been insulted.
Our drinks arrived mercifully fast and after tasting hers, Trinh let out a little laugh and said to Trey and me, “Maybe you two should get to know each other.” I drank my beer and listened to him convincingly enough, nodding and responding when appropriate, and based on very little conversation, I decided that we had absolutely nothing in common except Elisa. Trey began to tell me how lucky I was to be married to such a beautiful, intelligent woman and I could see Elisa blush.
“Let’s dance,” Elisa abruptly interjected. She was up and ready, pulling me by my wrist, tugging at me like a child, her voice insistent. I pantomimed my protest, exaggerating my reluctance as I held fast in my chair until Elisa took Trey by the hand, and said, smiling, “You, then.” Trey needed no encouragement and Elisa led him onto the floor, checking over her shoulder as the pulsing crowd absorbed them, making sure I was watching. I was.
As Trinh and I watched, Elisa and Trey began to dance, their bodies pressing into each other as they moved to the music, Elisa’s little dress twitching about her thighs. Watching them
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