The Good Life

Chapter 16

Marla sat next to her mother on her couch who was flipping through a People magazine.

“So, this is him?”

“Mhmm.” Marla nodded her head as her mother pointed to the picture.

“El Más Bello debajo 25 años, huh? Que cute. And he kisses well?”

“Mama! That’s gross!”

“So that’s a yes.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. He’s incredible mama…”

“He looks Puerto Rican. Can he speak Spanish?” Her mother, Analisa, was always fishing for the perfect Puerto Rican man for her. She always wandered around the city asking for her youngest daughter.

“No. But he can sing it.”

**

Marla’s phone rang while she was wandering through clearance clothing items at Saks Off Fifth with her best friend Fiona. It was one of their favorite past time activities, looking at clothes they could usually never afford, but picking up the occasional item they could. “Oh! Look at this one!” Fiona picked up a short yellow dress and twirled it around as Marla grabbed her phone from her purse. Fiona threw down the dress and ran over to Marla’s side of the rack to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“Oh! You’re going out tonight? Umm…yeah? I don’t know. I don’t know what I would wear. Or…I…you’re right…don’t press your luck, Bruno. I’m coming! I will. Okay. 11. Yes. And plus how many? Okay. No. I’ll see you then!” she turned off her phone and turned to Fiona. “Fiona, hand me that yellow dress. We’re going out tonight.”

“Where are we going? And with who? Wait? Is it that guy you won’t tell me about? The one from the auction? Jaime’s little brother? Oh! God! He’s hot, right?!”

“Just calm down. You’ll meet him. Buy the red dress in your hands and come to my house while we get ready. And call Whitney she’s coming too.”

Whitney brought over her twin sister Lindsey to go to the snazzy club where they would meet, dance, drink and enjoy Bruno’s last night in Los Angeles.

Whitney looked at Marla’s outfit and then at her. “So you’re really doing him? Like really doing him?”

“He’s not just Bruno Mars, Whitney. He’s more. You’ll see tonight. It’ll be good. I promise.”

**

The girls arrived at the brightly lit dance club, drove around the parking lot looking for parking – which was nonexistent on a Friday night at 11:15 pm. They were all scrabbling looking for spots. She grabbed her phone and texted Bruno’s friend Phil.

“I can’t find a place to park….help!”

She got a text back quickly which said, “Valet it. You’ll be fine.”

She read the text out loud. “Valet it What the fuck? Really?”

“Marrrrlaaa! We’re never going to meet this guy if you don’t just do what he says!” Fiona yelled at her shrunched in the back seat of Marla’s car.

“Okay, fine. But if it’s like $25 you’re paying for it.”

“Dude you pay after.”

“You know I don’t have that money!” she said as the girls opened their doors and handed over her keys.

“Good luck getting in ladies, Bruno Mars is in there. It’s crazy.” the young valet told them.

“Oh! Will I be able to see him?” Lindsay screamed. “He’s so fucking hot. Like I’d totally hit it.”

“Oh, I would too….” Marla trailed off as she bypassed the crowd.

“Where are you going, Mar? The lines back here?” Whitney called.

“Trust me….Marla Gonzales plus guests?” she asked the large bouncer. He glanced down at the list with his fingers and nodded his head. There was a note.

“Upstairs and to the right, ma’am. Have a fabulous evening.”

Marla’s friends were in awe. To be honest, she actually was too.

“Hold hands until we get up there. Don’t get lost. I don’t think we’ll be able to hear our phones in here…” Marla said as she grabbed her friends’ hands and led them upstairs. She saw several familiar faces, but couldn’t put names to the faces. They all smiled at her, apparently they knew who she was as well. Drinks were handed to the girls as ropes opened for them. It wasn’t nearly as crowded upstairs as it was downstairs. The girls let go of each other’s hands.

“Where is this guy?” Fiona asked.

“Kenj!” Marla screamed.

“Why hello beautiful!” he hugged and looked at her friends. “Let me introduce you to my friends, “Whitney, Fiona and Lindsey.”

“Nice to meet you, ladies.” Kenji said. As they began to introduce each other noise started to come from the left of the VIP section. They all turned that way to make sure nothing too crazy was happening. “Well, I mean…you know Bruno…” he said.

Marla saw Bruno near the edge of the VIP section where girls were screaming at him. Another girl- with dyed blonde hair who looked younger than both of them started dancing toward him. Everyone started staring knowing they were getting closer to each other…dancing. He wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear. She couldn’t make out what they were saying to each other but she Marla started to turn around out the VIP section. “No hay nadie mas my fucking ass.” she said loudly slamming her down her drink on the table. The glass shattered with the rum and coke she was handed on her way upstairs spilling on the carpet.