Chapter 56
At first, they said nothing to one another, Adele reclaiming her seat adjacent to Etta’s. Neither of them looked like they were having a good time, if Etta’s frustrated frown and Adele’s contemplative demeanor said anything.
Finally, she broke the silence, picking up the Balvenie and pouring out the last drops. “They spared no expense on you. This stuff is hard to get, even for us.”
Etta grunted, sinking farther into her chair. “I can’t remember what it tastes like. All I smell is that one girl’s perfume.”
“You sure that wasn’t her other perfume?
” Adele leaned back with her glass tucked against her chest. Her black scoop-neck dress with the wide white belt made her look better suited for a business meeting than a bachelorette party.
“I saw five naked girls leave here and decided to check on you. This is your sendoff, Etta. You should be enjoying yourself. Instead, it’s like you found out your favorite grandma died. What gives?”
“Remember what I used to be like?” Etta said, deliberately choosing her words. “Back when we dated?”
“How the hell could I forget?”
“I’m worse now.”
“No kidding.”
That got the smallest hint of a smile out of Etta. “Who could have guessed that I would be sitting in one ex’s place of business for my bachelorette party while my other grills me about not cheating on my current fiancée? Nobody prepared me for this in Yale.”
“We want you to have a good time, Etta. You’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. I was at Jamie’s bachelorette party. You should have seen the amount of bare ass she had shoved in her face.” Adele downed the scotch. Jamie began to seethe. Don’t you dare spread stories about me.
“I’ll pass on that, thanks.” Etta eyed the empty bottle as if she wanted more. “On that note… never mind.”
Adele scooted forward, her face somber. “I’m sorry if this isn’t what you wanted. I had a hard enough time as it was trying to figure out what you like. Sometimes, I’m convinced you don’t want to have fun at all.”
“My idea of having fun doesn’t include a lot of people.”
“Just the perfect girl, right?”
Etta didn’t respond.
“You’re such a romantic,” Adele said, her sigh making her whole chest heave. “Can only imagine what life would have been like if we had married instead of just working together.”
Her head turned toward her.
“You know what I mean.”
“No. Do go on.”
Adele looked as if she had stepped into a hornet’s nest. She couldn’t find any water to drink fast enough.
“Just… never mind!” Was she blushing? Was she thinking about being married to Etta, about all she turned down when she rejected her marriage proposal?
They both claim they feel nothing for the other…
Jamie believed her fiancée. Did she believe Adele?
Etta sat up, as if about to chase Adele across the room. “Why did you say no?”
The groan filling the lounge was dreadful. “Don’t ask me that.” Adele pressed her hand against her forehead. “Anything but that.”
“I just did.”
“Fuck you, Etta.” Before she could protest, she opened her mouth again. “No, you know what? Fine. You know why I dumped you? Because it would have never worked. We were barely hanging on as it was.”
“It didn’t feel that way to me…”
“Well, it did to me. I was merely putting off breaking up with you because I was selfish and didn’t want to deal with the mess. In a way, you did it for me.”
“I see.” Etta didn’t sound like she did. “That doesn’t answer my main question, though.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
Adele sat back again. “You want the short version? You are too masculine for me.”
The room was silent. What? That’s possible? Jamie had never thought that about Etta. If anything, she was the right amount of masculine. Then again, Adele was a woman who ran around with submissive guys and hardass femmes for lovers.
“I’ve never gotten that one before, that’s for sure.”
“That’s not a slight against you. It’s… I prefer my lovers to be… softer. I don’t want to necessarily be in control, but I prefer more balance than what you’re offering a woman. Jamie clearly loves it. Fancy that. We’re not the same person, she and I.”
“No, you sure aren’t.”
“There’s nothing more to it than that.”
Adele stood, eyelashes fluttering in Etta’s direction. “I did love you. I still do, if I’m perfectly honest. Just not like that.”
Etta looked up into her eyes. “You sure about that? Because I don’t want any drama between us going forward. I doubt my wife does either.” She called me her wife, and we’re not even married yet! “She already chewed me out when I brought you on board.”
“Well, can you blame her?” Adele tried to toss her hair behind her shoulder… except it was coiled on top of her head. “Look at me.” She laughed at her own joke. “But yes, Etta. I’m sure. I don’t have any interest in you like that. Want me to prove it to you?”
“Dare I ask how?”
Jamie barely had time to catch her breath when Adele bent down and kissed Etta – right on the mouth!
I’m gonna kill her! And Etta, but that was beside the point.
Jamie leaped off her chair and nearly banged her head against the other side of the narrow passageway.
When she finally regathered her bearings, she stole a look through the hole and found those two assholes still locking lips! Until Etta gently pushed Adele, anyway.
“See?” Adele said, shrugging. “Nothing. Not a single thing. Not on this end, anyway. I could do it again and add some tongue if you want.”
“That’s quite all right,” Etta said curtly. “I see your point.”
“Good. I’m guessing you didn’t feel anything either?”
“Just the foreboding sense that Jamie is going to kill me.”
Adele laughed. “You two are cute together. I’m sure you’ll be happy for a long time.”
“Unlike we would have been?”
“Are you kidding? We’re going to be happy together for a long time, too. You make me money… I make you money… see? Happy.”
“All right. Just never kiss me like that again.”
“Like I don’t have other people to be kissing, anyway.” Adele nicked her knuckles against Etta’s jaw. “Do try to have some fun tonight, dear. There’s no sense moping about at your party. Why don’t you join us upstairs? They’re all just giving you a hard time.”
“I might. Thanks.”
Adele escorted herself out of the room, mumbling something.
Etta sat back in her chair and contemplated the air before her. She looked lost. Tired. Hardly a woman enjoying the fruits of her labor and the thrill of the night. Would she have fun if I were with her? Or is she doomed to forever be like this…
She should have anticipated Monique appearing beside her. “That’s your cue,” she said. “Although I wasn’t expecting Ms. Prissy-Pants making a scene…”
Don’t remind me. Jamie turned to Monique, unable to face Etta’s attitude.
“Go on. Make me some money.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t hire you for nothing, Cindy.” Monique winked at her. “There’s a woman miserable at her bachelorette party. Shouldn’t you be doing something about it?”
Jamie didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, exacerbated.
The door to the lounge opened with nary a sound. Jamie lurked in the frame, draping her body from one end to the other as the bright lights of the hallway illuminated the black sequins on her jacket – and on the masquerade mask she wore to cover half her face.
Etta barely acknowledged her. She was texting on her phone, and Jamie didn’t want to know how much her purse was vibrating as the guilty bachelorette confessed to things she didn’t have to feel guilty about. Where’s my text from Adele, though, hm? Some people’s exes…
Here goes nothing. Jamie sauntered into the room.
Etta must have thought it was her business partner again, for she looked up with a face to damn the ages. When she caught sight of the new woman, however, she merely looked… tired.
“I’m not interested,” she mumbled, going back to her phone. “I hear there’s a rowdy party upstairs. You’d probably have better luck there.”
Jamie continued her approach, opening her jacket and making sure her wavy hair framed her breasts as they bulged from her corset. “You’re the bachelorette,” she said, utilizing a sultry voice. “I was sent in to make sure you have a good time, Ms. Coleman.”
Etta glanced at her, taking no note of her for the first second. Then she looked again, frosty eyes the size of the rest of her face.
Just like that, she regained her composure.
Was I made? Jamie expected Etta to recognize her in an instant, but if she wasn’t expecting…
why would she think to look for her? As far as Etta knew, her fiancée was at home, or maybe going out for the night with some friends.
Nothing scandalous… like coming to her bachelorette party dressed like one of the girls who worked for Monique.
I may not be a pro, but I know this woman better than anyone.
Yes, even better than Adele. Maybe Monique.
“My name is Cindy,” Jamie was quick to say.
There was a reason Monique had given her a fake name.
Surely, Etta would recognize her. Why the hell wouldn’t she, especially when she was barely tipsy, if that?
This is a role-play her ex-girlfriend, of all people, has set up.
The only thing Etta would enjoy tonight is a good time with her fiancée – the woman she was supposedly getting away from for a weekend.
The only way one could make that better is if they upped the kink… and did something new.
Jamie had seduced her girlfriend before, once upon a time in a hotel.
That was as herself. She had never pretended to be someone she was not to get into Etta’s pants.
I’m not Jamie. I’m Cindy. Cindy was a professional woman.
Her goal was to make Etta as happy as possible, so she got as much money as possible. That made everyone happy.