His Five Night Stand (7 page)

I stood in front of the full-length mirror and slipped into a pair of silver sling back heels. Holding my hair up I piled it on top of my head into a loose bun, tendrils framing my face, then I let it down so my hair reached past my collar bone. It covered the straps of my dress. Definitely up.

Was it too much? I felt out of my body again standing in that red dress with those impractical shoes. Callie Barron didn’t wear dresses like this. A dress like this looked made for drinks in dark corners—make out sessions against the wall. Both things I knew little about. It didn’t look appropriate at all. Was it too much? Was I taking all of my own sex’d up fantasies and infusing them into Odessa’s party? What if everyone showed up wearing jeans?

No. Odessa likes things formal. Theo had said as much.

I felt good in the dress. I felt sexy. I also felt like an imposter but if I was going to find the courage to walk into the apartment next door maybe I needed to wear a mask.

“Be someone else Callie,” I whispered taking some red lipstick and painting it on my lips. “Just for a night. You can do this.”

Before I put on the dress, I used my favorite citrus body lotion and slipped on a lacy black thong that still had the tags. I was happy the undies were new. I was tempted to burn every piece of underwear that had been on a wash and dry cycle in Henry’s condo.

The dress hugged my body and with the thong there was no panty line unless you stared at my backside. I figured if anyone was staring they deserved to see.

I painted my toenails black. I didn’t want to look too done up with red toes and nails. Remember I was going for sexy but not trying too hard which is incredibly hard to do. I went through several different earring and necklace combos before picking thin gold drops and deciding to go without a necklace. I liked the way the dress framed my neck and collarbone. I wondered why I’d taken this dress and shoved it into the back of my closet. Suddenly I remembered Henry telling me it hugged my gut and looked a little slutty.

At 9:15 p.m. I was dressed. Hair pulled back, loose but not overly done. I didn’t want it to look like I’d taken an hour to get ready, which I had. I’d redone my eye make up twice. The liquid liner had been a total disaster. Every eye shadow experiment seemed to end in the same smoky look but I finally landed on something that didn’t look like a raccoon.

I spun in front of the mirror. Screw Henry and his opinion about my gut; the dress hugged my curves. I felt good. I felt hot.

The sound of voices and laughter bellowed in the hallway. I cracked the door open and peeked outside in time to see Shea and Troy standing in front of Odessa’s door. Shea had her arms wrapped around Troy; he had a hand on her ass. Troy wore a black jacket and white button down and Shea a tight short green dress. It was hard to get a good look but I figured I’d hit the mark. This was not a t-shirt and jeans night.

I grabbed my key and slipped it inside the bodice of my dress; I had nowhere else to put it and didn’t want to bring a purse.

I ran to my little kitchen and grabbed a bottle of red wine. “Never show up without a gift, right?” I took a deep breath as I walked into the hall and knocked on Odessa and Theo’s door. It was time to go down the rabbit hole.

I heard a series of locks clicking open and then Odessa answered the door. She held a simple white mask in front of her eyes on a stick bound with black ribbon. Her long black dress plunged down to her belly revealing the curve of her breasts and a long gold chain that held what looked to be a diamond ring.

“Neighbor!” She said, dropping the mask.” I’ve been waiting for you, he’s here.”

He’s here.

My heart rate skyrocketed. I felt a surge of adrenaline, something that felt like fight or flight. What was I getting myself into? Maybe this was a horrible mistake.

Odessa’s deep brown eyes were lined with gold, her lips painted burgundy and her black hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She looked like a goddess. She raised her arms and pulled me into a tight hug before I could run. “I am going to make sure you meet everyone,” she said. “Then we’ll get you set up with your new friend.” She raised her eyebrows. “You ready?”

“I’m not really sure,” I stammered. “I brought wine.”

She took the bottle. “Aren’t you darling,” she said giving me a hug. “Now, come with me.” The gold bracelets stacked on her arms jingled and jangled as she took me by the hand down a hardwood hallway into a large open room filled with people.

Music and conversation filled the room.

Odessa’s apartment was decorated much too nicely for a brick apartment a block off University Avenue. It was a mix of antiques and modern, the furniture linear and spare, the carpets ornate and antique. I could tell at a glance the pieces were originals. I’d priced out rugs and paintings like these for clients. I began to wonder why someone who could afford furniture like this was living in an apartment one block up from the Ave.

There was a large crystal chandelier in the center of the room. The lights flickered, bulbs shaped like flames. The other unique piece was a series of empty birdcages hanging from what looked like a silver tree by the window. It was an extraordinary piece of art, an original I assumed. This wasn’t some mass produced Swedish piece of style from Ikea. The room was twice as big as my apartment and I realized that this was one of the oversized two bedroom apartments that Billie had described.

Speaking of Billie, she lay on a long leather couch, her head in the lap of a beautiful African American man who stroked her cheek. He laughed and leaned down to kiss her sometimes holding a gold mask to his eyes.

“Aren’t they beautiful,” Odessa said, holding my arm. She leaned her head against mine. “I know you already met Billie. That’s Vincent. He is delicious isn’t he?”

“Very,” I said, mouth dry as I swallowed.

“And do you like the theme?” She said. Turning she held her mask to her eyes. “It’s a night in Venice. I always have a theme. I like to go places in my imagination. I think other people do too.”

“You and your secrets,” Shea said, walking past. “Hi Callie,” she called over her shoulder, smiling. She looked gorgeous. Upon closer look the skirt of her green dress was shimmery and billowy but the bodice was tight. With her strawberry blonde hair, she looked luminous and ethereal. Troy stood beside her, his hand moving up and down her back as they talked. I wondered if he ever stopped touching her.

“So, you’ve met Shea,” Odessa said. “She has a very interesting story. She comes from apple country. She’s a farm girl at heart but can take on the biggest suit from Wall Street. That’s how she met Troy but that’s a long story, you have no idea.”

She was right I had no idea.

“And there is Bella,” Odessa said, nodding at the curvy Italian I’d briefly met that first day in the hall. “Do not get on her bad side. She would take a bullet for any one of us. Once she gets to know you, she’ll consider you part of our tribe. She was also engaged to a prince.” Odessa sipped her drink. “I think there was some trouble with the law over that one, she’ll tell you someday I’m sure.”

“I only met her once, on the first day I arrived,” I said. “We’ve said hello, no talk of princes.”

Odessa reached out and grabbed Bella’s arm. “Honey this is Callie, my neighbor. We are going to be the best of friends and you will love her too.”

“Of course I will,” Bella said. She stood on tip toes and took my face between her hands kissing me quickly on each cheek. I was pretty sure she’d left a red lipstick stain. “You’ll be a good neighbor to Odessa. You know I lived next to her when I first moved in until I decided I needed a bit more ahem . . . how do I say this . . . peace and quiet.”

“Oh please,” Odessa said, rolling her eyes. “I am not a quiet woman at times. I hope it isn’t bothering you.”

“I haven’t noticed,” I said, feeling as though the ground beneath my feet had turned to a plate of very thin glass.

“And she’s polite,” Bella said, laughing. “No one lives next door to this woman and doesn’t hear her every moan . . . I mean word.”

“I don’t apologize for pleasure,” Odessa said. “No woman should.”

“I tease you, amore, because I love you,” Bella said. “We all have a right to pleasure. Don’t you agree Callie?”

“Absolutely,” I said, suddenly wishing for a drink. These women had real lovers, I had an imagination and an increasingly concerning addiction to eavesdropping. I wondered if I’d made a mistake accepting the invitation. Maybe I was better off at pizza and movie night with Cara and Josh.

“Callie has a broken heart,” Odessa said, pouting for dramatics and nodding in my direction.

“Madonna, no,” Bella said, grasping my hand. “Where is the son-of-a-bitch? I’ll tear his fucking throat out.” She looked fierce, her black eyes throwing sparks. A vein throbbed in her forehead.

“He’s not here, it’s all right,” I said, wanting to diffuse this tiny firecracker of a woman. “He doesn’t matter. And I don’t know if it’s actually broken.” Liar, liar pants on fire. My heart was in pieces.

“You look like it’s broken, it’s your eyes, they are so sad,” Odessa said making me even more self-conscious.

“Did he betray you?” Bella said, her chest puffing up.

“Yes, well not officially, he showed restraint but he’s probably done the deed by now.” Why was I explaining so much to these women?

“Give me his name,” Bella said, lowering her voice. “I know people. I’ll have him cursed. Don’t worry, it’s not illegal, it’s not murder, but it’s very, very effective.”

Odessa nodded, her face stone cold serious. “You should give her the name.”

“I’m not so sure,” I said, again feeling like I’d entered an alternate universe where curses might just reign true.

“She’s not ready. It’s okay, later,” Bella said, nodding to Odessa. “Are you finding her someone . . . ?”

“Already done,” Odessa said. “In five nights, she’ll be just fine.”

“Ah yes, five nights. You get your heart fixed, then you come see me,” Bella said. “We will right all the wrongs in your world darling.” Bella gave my hand a squeeze and then disappeared into the crowd of beautiful people.

“Isn’t she just amazing,” Odessa said. “Beautiful and powerful. She is a reminder to all women. We are strong.”

“Absolutely,” I said, wishing again for that missing drink, many of them actually. At least I’d worn my red dress, I would have been totally under dressed in jeans or god forbid my go-to little black dress with its matching sweater. If I didn’t feel like I belonged, at least I was dressed the part. The women and the men here were all wearing tight clothing regardless of the shape of their bodies. Everyone sparkled and glimmered. They were radiant and oozed sexuality as they moved in circles to the steady beat of the DJ.

“Don’t worry, you look beautiful,” Odessa said, as if reading my mind. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “You are going to feel so much better when he’s through with you. Trust me.”

When’s he’s through with me? My pulse quickened and I felt a surge of fear and excitement. What kind of heartbreak healing was she talking about here? I assumed she meant sex. That had to be what she meant, right? But I wasn’t about to ask her like an idiot.

I scanned the room, nervous energy racing through my veins. I searched the faces unsure of what I was looking for, a familiar smile? A bolt of electricity shot through me as my eyes locked with a handsome stranger? That was idiotic. People fell in love over time, it took years to get to know people, accept their quirks. I knew that from Henry. He had told me once that it took years for him to love me, but he also assured me that meant our love would last forever.

And look how that turned out. Maybe you just need to fuck a stranger, a voice inside me whispered. You need to be more like Odessa, be free, let yourself feel something without thinking everything through for once.

“I think I need a drink,” I said, feeling extremely thirsty and way too sober. I was well aware that I had been self-medicating a little too much lately but I felt entitled. I needed something to calm my nerves.

“Of course you do, honey.” Odessa led me to a tall, gorgeous blonde woman and man who looked like twins. They stood behind a leather bar in the corner of the room. Odessa picked up a beautiful crystal martini glass and handed it to me.

“What is it?” I asked, not used to hard alcohol. “Do you have a cabernet?”

“Please. You are not drinking cabernet. This is a Sapphire Blue and it’s exactly what you need,” Odessa said. “Drink darling. Trust me.”