Sex and the Social Network (15 page)

Saturday night couldn’t come fast enough. I had been fantasizing about Todd all week, and my anticipation had my heart racing at a fever pitch. The timing was perfect; Saturday night was Liz’s birthday party. I’d make a quick appearance, take a few photos—I couldn’t have asked for a better alibi.

I had casually mentioned to Steven that all of my girlfriends and I were staying at the hotel and I’d be back Sunday around noon. He was all for it and told me to have a great time. I couldn’t believe how easy cheating on him was going to be; it was almost too good to be true.

On Saturday evening, Steven was leaving to take the girls to the movies. He kissed me on the cheek. “Have fun, sweetie.”

I hugged him quickly. “Thanks, honey.” I turned my affections to my girls. Kerri and Katie were giddy about having “date night” with Daddy.

“I love you girls.” I hugged them tightly, both at the same time. They were truly beaut
iful. They both favored their father so much, taking after the Irish side of his family with their blonde, bouncy curls and pale blue eyes. They were my sweet Irish twins, born just eleven months apart. And they were the lights of my life.

I scooped Katie up in my arms and nuzzled her neck. At three years old, she was getting big and suddenly didn’t seem like such a baby anymore.

“I love you, Mommy. When are you coming home?” she asked in her tiny little voice.

“Probably not until tomorrow morning, but I’ll be home for breakfast, and if you want, we can even make Mickey Mouse pancakes.”

She hopped up and down. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Kerri, my big girl, reached for me to pick her up. Suddenly she looked a little sad.

“Mommy, I don’t want you to go.” Her eyes glistened with the tears she was trying to hold back.

“Why, lovey?”

“Because I miss you too much when you’re gone. I want to be with you forever.” Her tiny arms grabbed my neck tighter.

My heart swelled. For all the pain I’ve endured in my life, I felt like God made it up to me a little by gifting me the two most precious girls in the whole world.

“Aww, baby, we’ll be together forever.” My eyes welled with tears, and I kissed her all over her face and neck until she giggled.

“Okay, we’d better go, girls. We don’t want to miss the movie.” The girls skipped over to the door where Steven stood, and they all turned and blew me kisses.

I pretended to catch them and blew my own back at them. They left smiling, and for just a moment, my heart was happy.

As soon as they left, I shifted gears and went over to the cabinet where we kept our liquid courage. I grabbed a large tumbler, filled it with ice, and made myself a vodka and tonic. I took the drink upstairs so I could get ready to go out and get ready for Todd.

I decided to wear my True Religion jean skirt—it was snug fitting and showed off my curves something fierce—with black leather boots that went up to my knees and a tight black top tucked in, all finished off with a leopard print belt.

I curled my straight bob so it had some bounce, applied my fake Mac eyelashes, and spent ten minutes making my lips look as hot, pouty, and kissable as possible. First a little foundation, then red lip liner, matted with powder, then two coats of Ruby Red Mac lipstick, finished off with some shiny gloss. I put on my favorite pair of silver hoop earrings and finished my look off with a chunky cross that landed exactly where my cleavage started. I spritzed myself with some Lancôme Tresor perfume, gave myself an approving glance in the mirror, and headed out the door.

The party was supposed to start at seven o’clock, so I made sure to arrive fashionably late. The room was already packed, but I wasn’t surprised; Liz was a doll and she had tons of friends.

I watched Liz from across the room before she spotted me. She looked stunning in a low-cut little black dress. Though I adored her, I have to admit I was a little jealous of her. She had it all: a doting husband, beautiful kids, a great job. I wondered if her life was as great on the inside as it looked to everyone else.

Liz was a little older and wiser and had become a good friend of mine at work. She had warned me not to get involved with Todd, but the great thing about her was that I never felt like she was condemning me. Liz looked so happy to be surrounded by friends and family; she was positively radiant.

I felt devious, but smug about my secret. I looked around at all her friends laughing, drinking, and dancing. I wondered if any of them was cheating on their spouses. I was sure some were; I just didn’t know which ones. I was grateful that I didn’t have to wear a scarlet letter, al
though some days I felt like such a tramp that I was sure it was written all over my face.

“Hey! Gabby!” Liz spotted me and came running over. She gave me a big hug and told me how happy she was to see me. She was one of those people who made everyone feel special, even me. Her friendship had been such a gift.

“Hey, beautiful. Happy birthday!”

“Thanks, I’m so glad you made it. Come with me. I want to introduce you to my friend Julia.”

Liz told Julia that I was also a Sig Kap Beta, and we had some laughs over sorority stuff. A group of us decided to do some shots, and I toasted Liz. It made my heart swell when I saw her crying happy tears. It was her night; I was glad she felt so loved.

I wondered if I would ever feel that way.

After a couple drinks, I told Julia about Todd. She wasn’t happily married either, and although she didn’t admit as much, I’d bet money she was messing around too. She had an “I’ve just been fucked” look about her, and I doubted her opera-loving hubby was giving her much to sing about.

I snuck out without saying goodbye. Liz was busy having a great time, and I didn’t want to have to answer any questions about where I was going or why I was leaving early.

After a lovely dinner, Ty and I headed to Liz’s party. It was at Caramella’s, a swanky restaurant that had just opened downtown.

So that we wouldn’t raise eyebrows, I walked in while Tyrone waited outside for a few minutes; arriving together would have made people ask questions. I spotted Liz from across the room. She looked stunning in a simple black dress with a plunging neckline, a patent leather belt, and matching shoes.

“Liz! Happy birthday, darling.” I hugged her and gave her two air kisses.

“Julia! I’m so glad you made it. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, Liz. You too. You look as good as you did while we were in college.”

We were fawning all over each other when one of Liz’s oldest friends came over to us. Classically beautiful and radiating sexuality, Maria knew how to turn heads. Her emerald green dress hit at about mid-thigh, and this girl had some legs! Her long, blonde hair was styled in perfect, loose curls, and her ample breasts were exposed tastefully.

“Julia, this is Maria. Maria, this is Julia.” I had heard so much about Maria I felt like I knew her. All of Liz’s high school stories were, “Maria and I played volleyball together and M
aria and I got really drunk behind the school and our friends got arrested and Maria and I shared a prom house and blah blah blah.”

“So nice to meet you, Maria.” I went to shake her hand, but she pulled me in for a hug.

“Julia, give me a hug. I feel like I already know you. Liz has told me so much about you. All of her college stories are “Julia and I got drunk at Santa Fe and Julia and I stayed up all night studying and Julia was the most fun girl in my sorority.”

I laughed and felt happy that Liz had shared as much about me with Maria as she had told me about her. Something caught Liz’s eye, and she looked at the door. I turned around to see Ty walking in. My heart skipped a beat. I had to act natural and not let her know what was going on between us.

“Oh, good. Tyrone just got here!” Liz was clearly excited to see him.

He walked right toward us, but I looked down so my expression wouldn’t give anything away.

“Hey, here comes Tyrone. I bet he’s dying to meet you,” Liz whispered in my ear.

“Ty!” He gave her a huge hug and she was gushing.

“Happy birthday, gorgeous.”

“Thanks, Ty. I’m so glad you made it!” She faced me, and I looked up to find Ty already gazing at me.

“Ty, this is Julia. Julia, this is Ty.” I thought I was going to pass out trying so hard to act naturally.

Ty extended his hand to meet mine. I was fixated on his hand, remembering how incred
ible it felt exploring my body.

I managed to put my hand out and murmur, “Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” He sounded strong and confident.

Liz didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness, which was a huge relief. She spotted her friend Gabby and hurried over to greet her, leaving Ty and me alone.

“So just stand here, baby, and pretend we’re making small talk,” he instructed me.

I immediately relaxed. “Good plan, Ty. So how do you know Liz?” This was truly a question I didn’t know the answer to.

“We met at the gym a couple years ago. We kept running into each other, so I finally said hi, and we immediately hit it off. Now sometimes we work out together, grab lunch at the gym café, or go out for drinks. She is a great listener and has become a really good friend.”

I sighed. “Yeah, Liz is a great friend. We were in the same sorority, and we both went through a lot with boyfriends, classes, family, and work. I don’t know how I would have su
rvived college without her.”

Ty smiled. “That sounds just like my Liz.”

“Your Liz?” Suddenly I got nervous that Ty had feelings for her.

He laughed deeply. “Relax, boo. Liz is like a sister to me. I can tell her anything, but I don’t like her like that. Anyway, she is happily married, and even if I was interested, which I am not, she would never even consider it.”

I breathed out strongly. “Phew, glad to hear. I’m going to mingle, grab a drink. What’s our plan?”

“I will leave around ten o’clock and wait for you at a restaurant halfway down the block. I think it’s called
Neeters or something. Leave fifteen minutes later and meet me there. Text me when you’re coming out so I know to look for your beautiful face.”

“Do you think two hours is enough time? Is there some rule about how long you should stay at party?” I asked him.

“I don’t know, Julia. Be careful taking my advice. You know I have a different set of rules.”

“Oh, what are those?”

“That I have none.” We cracked up at the same time. I loved the rebellious side of him. No rules: that sounded amazing.

“Okay, then. I’m going to see who else I know here. See ya later, baby.” As I walked away, Ty gave me a wink. I walked away smiling, off in my own world, when I ran into Liz.

Liz had been watching us from across the room. “So it looks like you and Ty hit it off pretty well.” Her voice had a hint of sarcasm.

“Uh huh. Um, yeah. He seems nice.” I was stuttering to get my words out.

Liz’s eyebrows got all scrunched up, and she scanned my face. Liz knew me too well; I should have predicted she would know something was up.

“Oh. My. God!” Her mouth lingered open after she said those words. Then her voice got very low and scolding. “Julia Goldenblume. Please, please tell me that I am wrong. Tell me that you and Ty are not involved.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, a bad habit I have had since I was a kid. I couldn’t say it out loud. I knew Liz would know I was lying anyway. My silence spoke volumes, but just to make sure she leaned in. “Well…”

“Holy shit, Julia. I cannot believe this! How long? Where, when?”

My eyes pleaded with hers not to be angry. “We became friends on Facebook the night after I met you for lunch to ask about him. We hit it off right away, and from there we started chatting, texting, talking. But yesterday was the first time we actually met in person.”

Liz was nodding as I was talking. “So you met yesterday, which means you drove down here and stayed the night at his place, didn’t you? He lives pretty close to here.”

I nodded, waiting for her to yell at me. “Uh huh,” was all I could get out.

Liz looked sad, but she straightened up and took a swig of her white wine. It appeared that, in true Liz form, she was trying not to pass judgment. A devious smile crossed her lips. “So, how was he?”

I had braced myself for a lecture and was so relieved when instead Liz asked me how it was. “He was fucking unbelievable.” I was so happy being able to tell someone. “Liz, I lost count of how many times we fucked.”

Her jaw dropped before she spoke. “Holy shit. Wow, amazing. I have to tell you though, I am not surprised. That man oozes sex from every pore in his body. That’s why I warned you not to become friends with him. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist. Listen, I am not here to judge you, Julia. I know you’ve been unhappy and bored for a while now. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Thanks, Liz. That means a lot to me. Tyrone has been incredible. He has breathed new life into me. And he’s not just an amazing lover. He is funny and thoughtful and sweet, and he has the most sensuous lips I have ever felt.”

Unconsciously, I licked my lips thinking about how incredible his mouth felt on mine.

Liz smiled at me, and I leaned in closer. “And he is hung like a fuckin’ horse.”

Liz started cracking up. “I am not one bit surprised. He looks like he would be. If you’re happy, Julia, then I’m happy for you.”

Tears formed in my eyes. I
was
happy. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly content. I reached my arms around Liz, and we hugged for a few seconds. “Thanks, Liz. That means a lot to me. You really are a great friend.”

“You’re welcome, Jules.” I always smiled when she called me that. That was what Kevin had called me in college. Liz used to poke fun at us for all the pet names we had for each other. But when she called me Jules just then, it didn’t feel like she was making fun of me. It was like she was reminding me of all the history we had together, as though in one word she told me she loved me no matter what.

“Oh, good. Gabby is here now!” Liz told me she’d be right back. She ran over to say hi to her friend and brought her over to meet me.

“Gabby, this is Julia. You two have a lot in common,” Liz told us.
 “Julia, get this: Gabby was a Sig Kap Beta also, but at the University of New Jersey. We’ve compared notes, and it’s hilarious how similarly the chapters do things. Sorority meetings on Mondays at seven o’clock, the dresses you have to wear, the Hell Week activities. And just like us, Gabby knows how to party.”

The three of us stood there cracking up like silly college girls.

“This calls for shots,” Gabby announced.

“Awesome, I could definitely use one. Do you think anyone else would be up for it, Liz?”

“Hmm.” She scanned the room. “Maria, Melanie, Jennie, Kym, Amy, Nicky, Sharona, Tia, JoJo, Jen, Smith, Stacey, Teri, Anita, Missy, Maureen, Melissa, Johnny, Sean, Grinch, Grenade, Joe, Arty, and Tyrone. Yeah, that’s about it. Maria, can you call them over to the bar for me while I tell the bartender what we need?”

“Sure.” Maria seemed to know everyone and got the party crowd to meet at the bar. Liz had ordered a tray of lemon drop shooters. Sugar, shot, lemon wedge—we were all ready.

“Wait!” Gabby got up on the ledge so she was a bit higher than everyone. “I’d like to propose a toast to our birthday girl. Everyone, raise your glasses please.” We all got our shots ready. “To the luckiest girl and bestest friend around. We love you, Liz. Hope your day is really special, and here’s to many, many more.”

Liz got teary eyed, but quickly wiped the evidence away. We all circled around her and raised our drinks. “To Liz.” Her smile was so broad and so bright, it was reflected in everyone in the room. The love in the room was palpable.

Ty was across from me and gave me a huge smile. Liz’s husband, Braden, walked up. “Hey, let me get a picture of the birthday girl with all the cool kids.” We all put our arms around each other, Liz in the middle. “Smile and say ‘Liz.” Braden snapped a few shots and then hugged her tight.

Liz looked so happy. She was one of the lucky ones who’d married a guy who actually gave a damn. They made such a cute couple. I was jealous, I so wanted that in my life, but I wasn’t resentful towards Liz. She was truly a great catch and deserved someone like Braden.

I made sure to take a few more pictures, some with just Liz, others in group shots. The party was a great alibi; the photos were all I needed to cement it.

After the crowd scattered, I was still standing with Gabby. “So are you here with your husband?”

Gabby crinkled her nose. “Nah, he’s not really one for parties.” Gabby looked nonplussed at the mention of her husband. “How about you? I didn’t see you with anyone either.”

“Same here. Aaron’s idea of a good time is following his stock portfolio and watching opera on PBS.”

“Ugh, for real?” Gabby looked pained at the idea of enduring an opera.

“Yeah, no shit. We’re not exactly in a good place right now,” I confessed to her.

Gabby breathed a sigh of relief. “Wow, so nice to hear some fuckin’ honesty. All I ever hear from everyone is how great their marriages are, how wonderful their jobs are, and how their kids are the smartest and best athletes in the whole world. Gimme a fucking break.”

Gabby was cracking me up. She was a little rough around the edges, but I loved that she was real.

“Yeah, my marriage sucks too.” Gabby didn’t even seem that sad about it. She was slurring a little, so I suspected the booze was helping loosen her lips. “In fact, I’m sort of having an affair.” She smiled—but just a little—when she said that.

I wasn’t sure if I should admit I was too. Gabby just seemed like she wanted to unload.
 “You are? With who?” I acted surprised.

“Yup, with this guy Todd who I used to work with. And oh my God, he is so fuckin’ hot. We’ve been texting and Facebooking, and tonight I’m meeting him at Illusions. After that? We’re gonna fuck all night long.”

Gabby’s eyes rolled into the back of her head like she was thinking about some steamy sex, but I felt bad for her. She was saying how hot this guy was, but she wasn’t really smiling. There was something deeply sad about Gabby, and my heart hurt a little for her.

She swayed a little and then mumbled she was going to get another drink. I was about to try and stop her when I felt my phone vibrate.

It was a text from Ty.

Hey baby, say your goodbyes. I need to feel your lips on mine.

I smiled at my phone and looked up to see Liz just inches away from me.

“I just saw Ty leave. Let me guess: he’s texting you to meet him.”

My smile confirmed her suspicions. “Yup, you know us too well. I’m going to head out now. I had a wonderful time. Happy birthday, Liz.”

“Thanks for coming, Julia. I’m so glad you could make it. Listen to me…” She waited until my gaze met hers. “Promise me you will be careful.”