Unstuck (23 page)

“Thank you,” I said turning around and found Patrick smiling. Black caramel apples.

“Let’s go,” he said putting his hands together and the apples were gone. I went and got my purse and before I knew we were already in the limo on our way to the gala. That was one weird exchange.

When we got there I realized that wasn’t a gala, it was a huge fancy party. There were reporters everywhere and a red carpet. When I looked out the window I could see Regina talking to all the reporters and posing for the camera like a pro. She looked amazing she was wearing a burgundy, long, flapper dress that was completely see through on the shoulders and back. She could easily be walking the catwalk.

“Ok, go,” I said to Patrick looking for my lipstick on my purse.

“We go,” he said grabbing my knee. I laughed out loud.

“No, mister, I’m the assistant. We don’t need more pictures of us together,” I applied a bit of red on my lips.

“But you are my plus one,” He gave me the sad puppy look.

“And I will be... once we are inside,” He smiled and nodded.

“Fine,” he tapped the window to let know the usher on the outside to open the door “See you in the other side,” he said.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I smiled and he stepped out of the limo. I could see a thousand flashes that were blinding me. I couldn’t tell what was going outside.

“So, Mike, this kind of galas… are they a regular thing?” I asked while Patrick tried to walk away from the cameras. He was not posing and waving like Regina did.

“Not at all, Lucy. The galas that are going to be more party than gala are never for Mr. Maynard. He never attends,” I nodded wondering what we were doing there then.

“Well, here I go,” I said stepping out of the limo while one or two flashes went out. They were expecting someone fabulous and they got me.

I walked slowly to where Patrick was giving an interview and I stood behind him. He was talking about E-course and that reminded me of the sort of scrapbook I was preparing for him. I nodded at everything he said then stopped. I didn’t want any attention on me.

After a couple of interviews we finally went inside and to the party. Once we were inside he offered me his arm and I surrounded it with mine. We walked together to the table we were ushered to.

The venue, as well as the table, was all in black, gold and white. Lots of pearls and feathers and so many, God so many, flapper dresses.

“Champagne?” asked Patrick as I looked around the place not taking my seat yet. No one was sitting; everyone was mingling and talking to everyone.

“Sure,” I nodded and he picked two flute glasses from the tray a waiter was holding. He handed it to me and I immediately took it to my lips.

“Delicious,” I said and he nodded “So,” I said and he looked at me “do you know anyone in here besides your sister,” He nodded while swallowing the sip of champagne he had.

“Yes, at one point I have made business, partied or...” he stopped himself and looked at me “Slept with,” I finished for him and he just shrugged “with almost everyone at this party,” he finished.  Of course, these are all socialite; he knows them all.

“Lucy,” I heard my name and turned to look who was calling me. It was Stacy that was wearing a horrible royal blue flapper dress. She could’ve done so much better.

“Hey,” I said hugging her.

“You look amazing,” she said giving a sip to her champagne.

“Thank you! So do you,” NOT! I mean she looked beautiful. The dress was hideous.

“I didn’t think I would see you here! This is not Patrick’s scene, not a place to close business deals. If you know what I mean,” she winked at me. I didn’t know what she meant.

“Regina begged him to come,” I said shrugging. She nodded.

“Who did you come with?” I asked her.

“No one,” she smiled looking away.

“What?” I asked and her smile grew wider. “What?” “I’m sort of seeing Nick,” she blushed and I laughed out loud.

“No, Stacy, Nick doesn’t see someone, he sleeps with someone,” I said and she giggled. Oh no! She was in trouble.

“I know that! It’s just that lately we’ve been sleeping together quite often,” she couldn’t stop smiling. Often? How often? Nick didn’t sleep with the same girl more than two times. He once slept with a woman, 15 years older than him, 3 times. By the third time he was worried and deleted her contact on the phone. So often is not a word in Nick’s dictionary.

“Often? What’s often Stacy? How many times have you slept with him?” I asked skeptically.

“This week?” She asked OH MY GOD! This was news for me.

“Yes this week,” still not showing my internal screams.

“Almost every day. I slept over yesterday,” WHAT? “Well, yeah, that’s sort of seeing someone,” I said trying not to reveal the importance of this in Nick’s life. I needed to find what he was up to with my friend. ASAP.

“Let’s take our seats,” I felt Patrick’s hand on my waist before I heard his voice. I just nodded. I was too shocked by Stacy’s revelation to say anything else.

As every gala the food wasn’t what you would expect. It didn’t matter that this gala was full of teenagers that were too drunk for their age before the dinner was served. The food still sucked. I was ready to chew on my arm by the time dessert was served. The dessert was good but it was the size of a grain of rice and left me wanting to chew my other arm.

“Want to dance?” I heard Patrick say and I had to laugh my ass off. Even though it was a Great Gatsby party/gala, there was no 1920’s music. “Weirdest gala ever,” he said in my ear and I nodded while laughing. Stacy, who was next to me, was looking at me weird. “I’m going to go talk to someone over there. You’ll be ok here?” Patrick asked while placing his hand over mine. I nodded.

“Stacy’s here,” He gave a squeeze to my hand and went to talk to some men that were standing near the bar.

“You are still with Brian?” Stacy asked me and I nodded. “How is that going?” “I don’t know Stacy. Like I’ve said to Patrick, I love my friendship with Brian too much to ruin it with sex,” I shrugged.

“You haven’t had sex yet!!” she said a little loud.

“Shhh!” I said looking around “Why don’t you say it a little louder,” I sighed “We haven’t,” “What kind of adult relationship is that, Lucy?” she asked me really worried. I guess it was kind of sad that two adults in their 30s have a relationship where no intercourse is involved.

“I don’t know,” I said looking down at my hands “we’ve done almost everything else,” I looked at her.

“Have you given him a blowjob?”

“Oh my god, Stacy!!!” I was no prude but this was not the place to talk about my sex life “No,” I whispered.

“Oh Lucy, dear, you need to end it or fuck him. You can’t be in the middle of this, having a high school relationship,” she said taking my hand.

“That’s what Patrick said,” I said still not looking at her.

“Go figure,” she said.

I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. “I need to go to the bathroom,” “Sure, I need to say hi to my family’s friends’ sons and daughters. I hate it,” she got up and went to a table nearby and I went to the bathroom.

After a line of easily 40 minutes I finally had the chance to do my thing. Two girls, about Regina’s age, asked me if I had come with Patrick and when I said yes they said I was so lucky. I just laughed. Once I was out of the bathroom I decided to go outside to call Nick because I was in need of some serious explanation.

“Sugar,” I heard his voice after two rings on the phone “What the fuck,Nick?” I said immediately.

“Wow, what did I do now?” he asked amused.

“What are you doing with Stacy?” I asked leaning on a column while looking out the garden at the back of the building. There was no one out there so I could speak freely.

“Right now? Nothing?” I could clearly listen the laugh he was trying hard to contain.

“Asshole! Where are you?” I asked suspiciously.

“Home.”

“What are you doing there on a Saturday night?” I was about to lose all patience “Relaxing,”

“Relaxing my ass, Nick,” I said.

“That would be good for your ass once in awhile,” I had to laugh at that.

“You are waiting for her, right?” I asked worried. Worried for him but mostly for Stacy.

“Yeah, she is coming over after a gala she is in. How did you know?” I heard him relax a bit.

“I’m in said gala.”

“Of course you are,” he said and I just nodded. We had a short silence and none of us said anything.

“Don’t hurt her, Nick,” I pleaded with him.

“I won’t. We both know that this is for fun and while it lasts,” Something in his voice threw me off.

“Do you know that, Nick?” I asked

“I’ve said it to Stacy so much that I am starting to believe it,” he sighed. He was in deep shit.

“Are you falling for her, Nick?” I closed my eyes waiting for the answer.

“I don’t know, Sugar. It just happened that we had amazing sex and then I wanted to see her again, and again, and again. And now…. I have no idea what I am feeling. I just know that she is the person I have the most fun with even with our clothes on.”

“Thanks,” I said smiling.

“Oh, you know what I mean, Sugar.”

“I know,” Of course I knew, “There’s hope for me then,” I said that out loud but that was exactly what I was thinking.

“Maybe. I’ll let you know,” he sounded confused indeed. We exchanged a couple of words and promised each other to talk more often then we hung up. I sighed. I hoped he could make a relationship work. I really did.

“Where were you, Pepper?” I felt his hands on my waist. Black caramel apples.

“I’ve been here,” I said still not turning around to look at him.

“No, you weren’t here,” He said really soft.

“I was on the phone with Nick. He is in sort of a relationship with Stacy. I was thinking that if he has found someone to have that, maybe there’s hope for me,” I sighed again.

“It’s not about hope or trying to have a relationship, Lucinda. It’s about finding that someone that makes you want to be in a relationship,” I turned around, finally, and looked into his eyes. He had this intense look. I just nodded. I had nothing else to say. I didn’t want to pass on my pathetic mood on to him.

“Want to go home?” he asked and I just nodded.

“So good,” Said Patrick as we both licked our spoon. We were both on the floor in the kitchen eating what was left of the kiwi sorbet Brian had brought the night before.

“I know!” I said leaning my head on the cabinet behind me.

“Although,” said Patrick mimicking my movement, “I don’t think Brian intended for this sorbet to be eaten by other man that wasn’t him,”

“He had a bit yesterday,” I said closing my eyes.

“I wouldn’t want to share it. If I had something this good I would want it with me all the time, and I would devour it until I knew everything about it,” Were we talking about the sorbet?

“Maybe he doesn’t want it that much,” I looked at him and he looked at me.

“Then the sorbet it’s not meant for him,” I nodded. “Tomorrow,” He finally said getting up from the floor “I want to go shopping for winter clothes.”

“Ok,” I nodded.

“We should go early and avoid Sunday crowds,” we walked together to the foyer, “Sure,” I said again but he kept looking at me. I thought he wanted some other answer from me but I couldn’t find one.

“Women like you, Lucinda,” he said putting his hand on my cheek “You, Lucinda,” he smiled down at me, “don’t need a relationship to feel hopeful. Ok?” He lowered himself a bit so his eyes were at the same level as mine. I nodded and he kissed my forehead.

“Tomorrow then. Shopping,” he went up the stairs.

“Good Night, Patrick,” I said walking towards the garden “Night, Pepper.”

Next morning I was up at 7 so I could get ready and have a decent breakfast because for some strange reason I was starving. After a shower I gave up looking good in exchange of eating so I let my hair down and wet and went to the kitchen.

“Good Morning, Lucy,” As always Miranda was already there ready to begin her day and our day.

“Good Morning,” I said sitting on a stool. I was not waiting for Patrick to be ready to have breakfast. “Is he up?” I asked.

“Yes, he is already at the gym,” she nodded and I was relieved to know I didn’t have to wake him up. “What are you having?” she smiled.

“Eggs. I need protein,” I smiled while pouring OJ on a glass.

While having breakfast, Miranda and I went through the list of Patrick’s basic clothing needs. Socks and underwear. Patrick could remember to shop for winter clothes but not for socks and underwear. To this day, Patrick has never, ever, bought his own boxer briefs. EVER.

We were in the middle of going through the black socks department when he appeared on the kitchen’s door and then went to the dining room. I raised my eyebrows and Miranda prepared the tray with coffee. Lately he had been waking up in a horrible mood.