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Chills flowed over my arms and down my back, and heat spiraled in my belly melting into a liquid pool of desire between my thighs when he spoke. I’m thankful for the crimson dress that I’m wearing tonight. I’d initially wanted a black sleeveless gown, but Kenneth was outraged at the thought of everyone seeing the tattoos on my arms, neck, and shoulders.
The gown that I’m wearing has long sleeves and a plunging neckline that cuts a deep path between my breasts. The cut is so deep that I don’t wear a bra, but after he worried that people might see my nipple piercings, I conceded to wearing pasties.
On the other hand, the slit in my gown is high enough that depending on how I turn, you might see the beautiful African American woman with long, flowing braids on my thigh. She’s my vision of the symbol of Virgo which is my zodiac sign.
Kenneth’s hand wraps around my waist, and as I stare at him, he gazes over my head. I’m only a couple inches shorter than him in the heels which reduces our height’s six-inch disparity to two inches.
“What the hell was that all about?” he asks me through clenched teeth.
“What?” I ask, playing dumb.
“You know what. The Italian lover spoke to you in a language only you and he understood.”
“I didn’t understand him, Kenneth. It’s presumptuous of you to believe that I understood him when you and I both know the only language I speak is English.”
“You seemed comfortable with him, and he seemed awfully familiar with you.”
My gut is clenching and twisting me inside out with what I need to share versus not sharing with him. Before I can make up my mind one way or the other, Judge Parks taps Kenneth on the shoulder and says, “Senator Umboldt is here.”
Kenneth’s eyes light up, and he smiles. “We’ve been waiting all night for him.”
“Exactly. This isn’t an introduction that you can afford to miss,” Judge Parks says.
“I’ll be right back, honey,” Kenneth says, kissing me on the cheek.
Standing in the middle of the dance floor alone, I see people dancing, drinking, and chatting. I hurry off the dance floor as my cheeks redden with humiliation. The least the asshole could have done was escort me off the floor or take me with him to meet whomever he was meeting. I guess he’s embarrassed by what happened earlier.
I don’t give a shit. I sit at the bar, and Massimo sits next to me moments later. I can tell them apart because Massimo wears his hair in a much shorter cut than Marco’s, and he wears a grey suit tonight and Marco is in all black.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I nod, and he signals the bartender.
“What are you drinking?” Massimo asks.
“A cosmopolitan,” I reply, hoping my choice of drinks doesn’t embarrass my fiancée.
“A cosmopolitan for the lady and a scotch on the rocks for me,” he says.
When the bartender leaves to make our drinks, Massimo turns to me. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks, glancing at my trembling hands. Thankfully, he can’t see the butterfly storm parading in my belly.
“I will be. I just...it was uncomfortable, you know?”
“My brother did not make that any easier for you, I presume.”
“No, he did not. I don’t understand why he would do something like that. I mean, I left him alone. He went on with his life, and I went on with mine. It was foolish of me to become involved with a married man all those years ago, but I don’t want to go down that road again. Besides, I’m about to get married myself, and I don’t need Marco ruining that for me.”
The bartender returns with our drinks.
“Thank you,” I say softly. He nods and goes to attend to another customer.
Massimo is staring at me and there’s sadness in his eyes.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Why do people say that when there really is something?”
