When we first met it was a friend's birthday. Forty-five minutes in and I was still the first to arrive to the party. Doing my best to keep the despairing birthday girl from having an utter meltdown, the carefully curated birthday playlist braying on and on in the background as I poured shot after shot down her throat. Chanting,"Biiiiiirthday GIRL!Biiiiiirthday GIRL!Biiiiiirthday GIRL! Biiiiiirthday GIRL!" as we quickly tossed them back in union.
"Lesh jus face it, none is gunna come," she burped after her third, turned around in her chair to peak out the floor to ceiling window once more, just in case someone was rounding a corner, or pulling up in their car, or was walking up the block, or aimlessly walking looking for the place, or waiting for their friend who said they'd meet them outside and go in together beca-
"GIRL," I firmly placed my hands on the sides of her head, covering her ears counter-intuitively, and peered into her face with narrow concentration. "Your friends will come and you will enjoy the fucking shiznits out of your birthday, even if I have to self-sacrifice and make myself the night's entertainment, I will do it. I will get up on this bar-top and Coyote Ugly the heck outta this joint—I'll do the worm and everything, don't try me, you know I will."
"But its been like sish houuurs in, like who the fuck is gonna come? No one called me all day, like the way my phone has been, itz like it's practicing one meeeeeaaaawn Jimmy Cricket routine, like I would I know the differenz."
"Read my lips," I enunciated carefully, "this will be the best birthday yet or so help me, sweet Mother Theresa, I will start a wet t-shirt contest up in this biiiiiaaaatch just so you can win something and get all the attention you deserve. So relax, have another shot, trust me, people are late to parties all the time." Waving down the bar tender, I slid another shot in front of her.
It was when I tilted my head back once again, eyes tightly shut against the poison I was preparing to swallow, that you came in. Jay Blue.
The birthday girl saw you first, as I was still recovering from the fourth shot of tequila making its way to my stomach. "Hey! Jay, you came! I didn't think you would!" She greeted her friend, punctuating her enthusiasm with yet another burp.
You laughed, "Happy birthday, I was worried I was late but it seems I came just in time! Who's this?" you gave me a lingering smile, eyes trailing the outline of my breasts which were put front and center on display (it was a party, I mean). Southern charm oozed out of my flashing dimples as I warmly welcomed you, locking eyes as our friend got up and offered you the stool she was sat upon. Sitting beside me, so now you, Jay, were sandwiched in the middle of the us two girls, our eyes never straying from each other's. "Tell me, how do you know the birthday girl here?"
"I've known her for most my life, we're family," I drawled dismissively with a flick of my hair.
"Well, gosh, that sure is awkward." You chuckled gutturally.
"I'm sure you spend most of your life feeling awkward," I didn't bother to glance at you, I had stated enough before I remembered how cool and nonchalant I was. Instead I waved the bartender down for another drink.
"I just don't remember seeing you at the last family reunion. Must be my blasted memory." You were a satisfied smirk as I turned to face you properly.
"You're family?"
"According to our mothers."
"Uh...I didn't know...b-but...."
"Its okay, me and my cousin don't hang out much. She doesn't like me hitting on her pretty friends, she makes a point of hiding me from the prettiest."
YOU ARE READING
The Veil: a short story
Short Story...a seductive lie, Was it by denial? Or does Love only destroy? ...the world seemed illuminated by the wondrous, the sublime, and your name was joy, an image, outlined and defined. When we first met this seemed a romance to be filled with hear...
