Chapter 10 #2
“Not a lie.” Jeremy laughed then his expression turned dark, his tone ominous as if we planned to drag him into a meth lab. “We need to get home and changed to make it to the jazz club, if we’re still going.”
Barrett shook his head, putting his arm around me to guide me forward. “So go do something else. We’re not dragging you to see one of the great voices of our time.”
“Not of our time. From a time long ago, a relic borrowed from another time,” Jeremy said then laughed. “I’m not letting the three of you take her out on a date without me. That’s ridiculous. If we’re group dating this week, I’m part of the group.”
Group dating. I rolled the word around in my mind, trying it on for size, since I never thought about it that way.
We play house and we are going on a group date.
A thrill shot through me, since if I was honest, I loved our situation.
I loved them, even if I couldn’t say the word.
Saying the word will make everything implode.
“Okay.” Jeremy walked backward, his gaze trained on our faces.
I reached for his shirt, tugging at the fabric. “Don’t do that. You’re going to get hit by a car.”
“No, I won’t. I have mad walking skills, Princess.
” His smile was infectious, so I grinned back.
“If we’re group dating, then we’re also going to solo date.
We agreed to the routine for sleeping—Phoenix won that one too easily—and now we need to date her one-on-one.
Otherwise, Phoenix just wins at solo time, since you actually get to see her in class, too. ”
Their youngest brother shook his head. “While I am not going to disagree with me winning, being kidnapped as a child probably means I’m the opposite of lucky.”
Julian slung an arm around Phoenix. “Absolutely true, but admit it…Having that as the ultimate backup excuse has really turned your negative into a kind of winning.”
To my shock, Phoenix threw his head back and laughed. Something about the moment sparkled, imprinting itself indelibly on my mind, the image of what life meant when it could be good.
I pulled out my little black dress once we got back to the apartment, a sleeveless number that stopped right above my knees.
I didn’t have to ask about appropriate wardrobe, which gave me a sense of pride as I got dressed.
All summer, I’d stuck to shorts, pants, or skirts when we went out to eat, so I delighted a bit at taking the extra steps to primp myself and make sure I looked good.
When Dina had picked the dress, I loved it from the moment I saw it, so I thrilled at getting to wear it finally.
My pink pearls from Jeremy in the Hamptons finished off the look, so I let my hair fall down in reckless curls. Hopefully, I wouldn’t regret the decision because I became frizz lady later. Sliding my feet into black heels, I couldn’t even find a thing to hate about my reflection in the glass.
When I emerged from Barrett’s bedroom where I prepped, everyone looked up from their phones to stare at me, and honestly. . .they took my breath away.
They pulled out all the stops for that evening.
Dressed in uniform black, the matching color seemed striking on each of them.
All managed to give their outfits personal touches.
Phoenix wore a blazer over an open collared shirt and black pants.
His skater vibe seemed hotter in this nighttime version.
Barrett adjusted his tie under a black blazer, his suit neatly tucked and buttoned up.
His slicked back hair reminded me of something out of the past, but then again, he always struck me as comfortable in his formality.
The twins didn’t bother with jackets, but both wore collared black shirts and dark jeans. Something about them each stuck out, perhaps in the collar, because Julian’s scooped down in a way unlike Jeremy’s.
“You guys look incredible.” I confessed honestly.
“I think you’ve rendered us speechless.” Jeremy offered his hand, so I took it. “You look gorgeous.” He spun me in a circle, so I giggled and almost tripped, so unprepared for actual giggling. I’m not a big giggler, if I’m honest, but they could make anyone flustered and flattered.
They called a car, so soon we sped toward the club. Jeremy ran his fingertip over the pearls, occasionally touching my neck and meeting my eyes. Each time he stroked my flesh, a shiver rushed through me. He gazed down at his phone, and I wondered if he even knew he affected me so much.
“What you said before about it being a bygone era? About her voice?” Barrett said from the backseat. “You couldn’t be more wrong. Some things are eternal.”
Phoenix glanced back from his seat next to the driver. “Are you two going to do this all night?”
“Probably.” Jer didn’t look up.
Actually, I knew they wouldn’t. If they followed suit with former trips, they would sit at the table Barrett reserved for us, and no one would check our IDs. As expected, I followed them to my seat and ordered a drink.
I leaned over to Barrett while I sipped my ginger ale. “You must have really helped them out of a financial jam for this to be so easy all the time.”
“I did.” He kissed my cheek. “And I liked it so much, it’s all I want to do now. I would just open and help music clubs and teach, if I could, but that’s not likely.”
The music started up and a beautiful woman in her seventies took the stage.
Despite her obvious advanced years, she stood with the ease and confidence of a woman half her age.
What was more, she owned the crowd, but then Celeste Demille was famous.
My uncle loved her. Although I had few good memories from San Francisco, I didn’t regret learning to love jazz.
She gripped the microphone and winked at the crowd, earning immediate applause. I joined, prepared for my hands to hurt by the time the night ended.
“Well, New York, I am bringing you some love from New Orleans tonight.” The applause roared through the room again. “Tomorrow night, you can find me at Lincoln Center, but you? Y’all are my people.”
The music started and I sailed away on the sound of her voice wailing between soulful notes.
I meant to turn to share a grin with Barrett, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
She owned the audience with her talent alone, and I sighed, the weight of being in the same room as greatness settling around my shoulders like a mantle.
I once heard a late night comedian in Chicago talking about an actress’ entrance, and I dismissed his description as exaggeration.
Back then, I never experienced the likes of Celeste Demille.
Unlike some, I recognized my privilege came from the Lents, so I glanced at the brothers in gratitude.
Soon we surged to our feet with the rest of the audience, everyone moving as a unit.
She varied between old classics and new songs I’d never heard before.
Occasionally, she let us know she was trying out a new song on us, so if we didn’t like it?
Well, she would play it again and again until we did.
I just loved her, grinning at her flair and sass.
All too soon, the show ended. She lasted honestly longer than I probably would’ve, and she would appear again the next night at Lincoln Center. Twice, the crowd applauded her off the stage before she took her final bow and exited the stage.
I sank back into my chair as if someone removed the solidity from my very bones. “Wow.”
“You loved that.” Barrett plucked me up out of the chair and into his arms. He squeezed me so tightly, I could feel him vibrate against me.
“I meant to say you loved that as much as me. Sweetheart, where have you been my whole life? How have I lived without you? Because I never thought—I mean, I didn’t dream it could be so much better just because you loved it, too. ”
I laughed. “She was…everything.”
“She was amazing. A dream. But you’re everything.” He kissed me then. Despite being in public, right then, we didn’t care at all.
I kissed him back like he was air.
Finally, Jeremy tugged on us, breaking our kiss. “Let’s go. I actually loved the show, too, both because of your enjoyment and also because that woman. Just…wow.”
Barrett pointed at him. “If she can win you over, she can win over anyone.”
The autumn night had chilled during the show, so I wished I’d brought a sweater for our walk home. I rubbed my arms and two seconds later, Phoenix’s jacket covered my arms. I grinned up at him, my mind literally swimming with happiness. What a day this was. Maybe my best ever.
Is it tomorrow now? I checked my phone to see the time hit just after midnight. My lips curved into a smile at the idea of having not one, but two great days in a row. It was more than I dared dream of even a few months ago.
“Despite the fact that it’s late,” Phoenix began, “I would like to point out it is actually also early. Some people are just going out, and I got invited to a party that is starting up now. Would anyone want to drop by with me?”
Julian cleared his throat, shooting me a glance.
“I’m game if Alatheia wants to go. If she prefers bed, I’m up for that, too.
Basically, I want to go with my girlfriend.
” He met my gaze. “I also want to kiss you in public like Barrett did sometime, to tell people you’re my girlfriend.
I just want to say it out loud to someone. ”
Barrett knocked his shoulder into Julian’s. “I lost my head,” he confessed.
“You did, but I don’t have a problem with it.” He smiled at me, even as he spoke to Barrett. “What do you want to do?”
I didn’t want to drag any of them anywhere if they were tired. “You two? Any thoughts?” I asked Barrett and Jeremy before making my call.
Jeremy lifted his arms over his head. “Let’s take our girlfriend to a party for an hour before bed. Unless it’s weird for Barrett to go to a high school party.”
“It was weird for me to go to a high school party when I was in high school, so I don’t think much changed because of graduation. I’m not leaving Alatheia. Who is throwing the party?”
I was glad he thought to ask, since I never remembered to care.
Phoenix smirked. “Not Joe, so chill your asshole. I kept it together pretty well tonight, I think, and you should be proud of me.” He lifted his chin. “Murial Monk’s house, the brownstone on Seventy- Eighth without a doorman. Easy peasy.”
Murial Monk. The name didn’t ring a bell for me. “Should I know her?”
“No,” the twins answered together. Julian added, “But her parties are legendary in our circle. If Phoenix got an invite, we should go.”
Julian held up his phone. “I got one, too.”
Jeremy pulled his phone out of his back pocket and frowned at the device. “Oh, what the fuck? I didn’t get one.”
His twin grinned at him. “Looks like I’m winning the popularity contest this year. How did you piss her off?”
“The fuck if I know. We’re going, so I can just ask her.” Jeremy pushed buttons on his phone, texting quickly to someone. It sounded like they decided without me.
Barrett put his chin on my shoulder, his breath hot against my ear.
“Murial’s mother is a fashion icon. She used to be a super model who married a billionaire.
Rumor has it, Murial hasn’t seen her in a decade, which makes our parents’ neglect look like active parenting.
With the rich, sometimes it gets out of hand.
Let’s go for an hour. If they want to stay longer, that’s fine, but I want to sleep and I think you do, too.
” He paused. “Unless you want to stay? Or go home now?”
I didn’t know yet, but it seemed likely he would be right, if I was honest. Marco’s party during the summer wasn’t my scene, so I doubted I would fit in better at Murial’s. Everyone else at least wanted to stop there, though, so I could tag along for a bit.
“Jer’s already called us a car. It would be a shame to screw up his rating on the app by canceling it.” I grinned. “So instead, let’s go find out why he didn’t get an invitation to Murial’s. Don’t stress. If it gets to be too much for me, you said you'll leave with me.”
Phoenix took my hand, squeezing my fingers gently. “I will, too.” Then he smirked. “I am happy to have a curfew and a bedtime if the privileges include sleeping with you.”
Jules poked him in the shoulder. “Not our fault if you miss out then, so own it.”
We climbed into the large SUV in our requisite places, as if we assigned a seating order for car rides. I sat sandwiched between the twins in the middle, Barrett chose the back, and Phoenix sat up front with our driver. I smiled, enjoying the routineness of it all. Same can feel safe.
I wondered if they kept the seating order from the times before I joined them, so I asked Barrett, “Where do you sit when I’m not here?”
“In the car?” He shook his head. “I don’t go that many places with them, if I’m honest. We were all starting to sort of live separate lives until Julian found you.”
The blue-eyed twin took my hand. “I did and I will gladly take credit for it. Still, if you want to be technical, Granny found her. I just had the good sense to wake up and pay attention when I met her.”
I blushed, flattered at the sentiment, but it was hard for me to picture them apart.
They functioned so much better, and seemed more at ease, as a unit.
It begged the question, though—would Barrett be happier just going to college?
Without all the added family drama, surely his freshman year would’ve been full of adventures he would miss out on if he stayed at home.
Would Phoenix have felt less pressure if he didn’t have to cover up his relationship with me?
Are the twins missing out on something, too?
I chewed on my lip, the familiar guilt making me worry.
I worried over whether I should feel guilty over taking all of their attention just for myself.
Surely it was at the very least greedy? Insecurity was a constant presence for me, regardless of the topic, though, and I knew it as a weakness I needed to find a way to conquer.
Maybe someday I would have the kind of security of Celeste Demille and Dina.
I’m not anywhere near there yet.