Seven
COLTON
Greg tells me over the phone the day after our dinner that the party is a masquerade, specifically with students and other people also invited.
It turns out the school just had someone donate a bunch of masks and they thought it would be fun to celebrate with them.
So I bought a mask, then laid out my suit for the night.
It’s a black suit with little embroidered paisleys on it.
The paisleys are black, so it’s hard to see, but if you touch them, you can notice.
There are plain black pants and a white dress shirt with a black tie.
It’s the day of the party, and I’m nervous. Knowing Pearl and her gorgeousness will be there as I try to tough it out in conversation with a bunch of people I don't know. I don’t know why I even thought this was a good idea.
I mentally kick myself for agreeing. Knowing how she turns me on, I don't know if I can handle being in the same room as her. I don’t know if I can be in public while having dirty thoughts about my best friend's daughter—with my best friend in the room.
I met Greg in college. I was seventeen and a dumb untrusting teenager with family issues who graduated early and wanted to study law at the university.
I wanted to teach law. I ended up as Greg's roommate.
Our mutual friend who had graduated already offered his room to me.
It was very nice, and I couldn't say no.
Greg took me under his wing. He was the senior who helped me study and brought me to dinners with him and Marie.
It was great. I got the best grades because of his help, and we became fast friends.
We had a lot of things in common, like music that we liked and superheroes we thought would make great politicians.
We were both bad at singing but did it, anyway. We loved old, run-down cars. He was the best and only friend I have. And now I was lusting after his daughter. What a great friend I am, huh?
I put on my jacket and wonder if Pearl knows it’s me she’s been talking to on the phone.
I recognized her voice the second she said, ‘hello.’ Part of me thinks she doesn’t know it’s me because she’s used to doing it all the time.
No one probably stands out as remarkable if she’s working with many clients.
But her actions at dinner raised some questions.
The way she looked at me while drinking her wine.
Or how she was touching her glass so seductively.
I got hard instantly. It was aggravating, but I didn't want her to stop.
Greg's voice took me out of my lustful state, and I just prayed he didn't see.
He hasn't said anything, so I think I got away with it.
Still, I couldn't help feeling the guilt. Guilt that’ll probably stay with me forever.
The thought of Pearl talking like she does to me with other men makes my blood boil. But I have to remember something—she’s not mine. I want her to be. I need her to be. But we can’t be. She has her whole life ahead of her, and I’m settling.
I take my keys, walk out my house door, and go to my car.
The air is cold and brisk. It’s the end of October in Chicago, and that’s when it starts to get really cold.
I look up into the sky and see it's pitch black. Seems like there’s nothing there, but I know from science class that there are billions of stars in the universe.
You only need to be at specific parts of the Earth to see certain stars and constellations.
A cold breeze whips through my jacket, and I shiver as I step into my car.
I start the engine, and it heats up. I place the mask next to me and stare at it.
Maybe if I stare at it long enough, this will be less painful.
It’s just a party. In fact, she’ll also be in a mask, so I maybe won’t even see her.
That thought calms me down, and I put the car in drive and head to the school.