Party ! A Day Late

I spent some time today with "Beth". We went out to lunch and to use my Christmas present. Tickets to the Titanic exhibit. Our Museum of Science is hosting the exhibit temporarily. I had seen the exhibit twice in Chicago when I was dating Brain. Beth went with me once to that one. Since Louisville is a smaller city I knew the exhibition would be smaller. It was nice, not anywhere near as grand as the one in Chicago. I was somewhat disappointed with the gift shop . There was a whole gift shop that sold Titanic merchandise in Chicago. Our gift shop had 3 shelves maybe 3 feet long per shelf. Not much space, not much to put on the shelves. I did pick up a couple things very reasonably priced. We spent a lot of time today chatting about my past. That brings me up to the day in the past that changed everything. New Year's Day 2005.

I had spent New Year's Eve with my friends at Beth's apartment. We played games and watched the ball drop in Times Square. A good time was had by all. The next night Beth and I decided to hit our spot. The Redneck Bar. Deep down I was hoping to see HIM. It had been a couple of weeks. I was the driver again by choice. As we entered I heard the chorus of our names. Then I was passed from person to person for hugs and wishes of a good New Year. I was drowning in the scent of cologne. Everyone wearing something different. I was not paying a lot of attention while being turned, hugged and passed to the next set of arms. I stopped dead in my tracks when I almost landed straight into His arms. I had made it through my waiting crowd and he was on the fringe. All I could do was stare. His face split into a mischievous grin when he spoke to me. "Hey, How's it going?" I almost swallowed my tongue. If it had not been glued to the roof of my mouth I might have done it. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and knew I was blushing bright red. A barely audible "good" is all I could manage before I was pulled back to reality by another friend vying for my attention. I stumbled away to my usual table.

Tonight was different. Very different. Yes we had been in the bar together before but he had never spoken to me. Also he had always been accompanied by a woman, I assumed was his wife or girlfriend. Tonight she was no where to be seen. Interesting, very very interesting. Most of the night I spent mingling, singing and trying not to stare too much. Beth was up singing a song when I looked to my side and there he sat. Same smile on those lips. I took a deep breath and kept my cool. Just my luck. He was asking me about Beth. He wanted to know if she was married or had a significant other. It was really no big surprise. Most guys preferred Beth to me anyway. She was lively and vivacious, full of life and fun. I was more quiet and reserved, self conscious. I did take some pleasure in letting him know she was married and he had no chance. Hee hee hee my little devil rejoiced. He did not seem to upset with the news just switched gears and asked about my availability. I informed him I was not seeing anyone at the moment. He just smiled and got up to sing his song. Beth had finished and he had been called up by the DJ. At the time I was kind of bummed. Ok I was really bummed. Another guy who preferred one of my friends over me. It happened a lot with Jill, sometimes Beth, occasionally Lynn. I decided that was ok. I could still look.

A little later in the night I was sitting toward the end of the table by myself while Beth was chatting with the DJ. He came strolling back over. Sat down next to me with his Coronoa in hand and looked in the direction I had just been staring. He finally introduced himself. I will call him Marc, since it was one of his favorite alias. I introduced myself and he started asking the basic questions. How long have you been coming here? What do you do for a living? Do you live around here? How old are you? Any kids? We were both chatting away when a woman walked by. She was not a regular there. She was dressed more for prostitution than clubbing. Her short black miniskirt barely covered her ass and the abdomen revealing halter top left no doubt she was not wearing a bra. Fishnet stockings and 3 inch stilettos finished the outfit. I would not have taken such notice of her except one of the very drunk patrons at the bar propositioned her. Twenty bucks for a blow job in his car. It was the look on her over made up face that made me remember. She was offended. She was so offended she reached back and smacked the guy across the face letting him and anyone in the vicinity know she was not a whore. She was not easy and would not be having sex with anyone tonight , thank you very much.

I crossed my fingers hoping a fight would not break out. It didn't. Both Marc and I had seen the exchange and I could not contain the laughter. He was soon laughing with me. Then we got into a discussion not knowing where it was going to lead me . I wondered out loud., " Why do women who dress like that get so offended when they get propositioned in a place like this? Yes she has a right to dress however she wants, but if you wear an outfit screaming sex why would you act like a virgin schoolgirl when someone says something. You are in a bar." Marc agreed with me and expounded upon it with, " Yeah, so many people can be prudish about sex these days." I was getting bolder by the minute because I really did not think he was interested in me. He was fast becoming another one of my bar friends. I was comfortable and became myself, out of my shell and responded with, " I know exactly what you mean. Everyone has sex. Most people enjoy it. Why would you act like you don't. I know I do. I like sex. Hell, I like it all ,oral as well. I have no problem saying I like to give head." By this point he was laughing so hard he was crying but shaking his head in agreement. He responded with' Yeah I like sex too, and I like to eat pussy." I do not know if I was just overly tired or had really turned off my radar because I just kept going. " See, see what I mean. Everyone likes it." was my response. Marc then got a very thoughtful look on his face and I wondered what a drunk guy could be thinking so hard about at almost 3 in the morning. So I asked. He started to say something then stopped. "What? What were you going to say?" I had to know. He gave a half smile and said he couldn't , he really did not want to offend me now. Now I had to know. I pressed the issue. He looked me dead in the eye. His face as serious as a judge and spoke the words, " Would you let me eat you?" MY heart stopped.

I was so not expecting that. For a minute I could not say anything at all. I know my eyes had to have gotten huge and my mouth had fallen open in shock ,because he got a regretful look on his face and started to apologize for offending me. I came into my head and quickly reassured him that I was not offended , not at all. He didn't look like he believed me so I answered his question. " Yes, yes I would let you." His eyes smoldered with the one word from his lips, "Tonight?" It was what I wanted. I went for it. " Yes , tonight." We agreed that I would go back to his place with him after I dropped Beth at home that night. He asked me to dance and we swayed close together on the dance floor. I was not paying attention to anyone but him, the sound of his voice as he sang in my ear, his scent that was filling my head and scrambling my senses. He kissed me on the dance floor and I knew it was right. The Earth moved.

I told Beth what I was going to do after I dropped her off. The way I had been acting lately I don't think I surprised her, although she did look concerned. The night wore on and we closed the bar down. I dropped Beth at her apartment and made the trip back to Marc's place. On the way he told me about his ex girl friend, the one I had seen him with. Then he asked if I had ever been in love. Odd question to bring up right before sleeping with someone, but I was honest. I told him about Brain. He proceeded to tell me about Jennifer. We had the same name. She was not his most recent ex ,but his ex fiancee. I understood where he was. He understood where I was. Great. We pulled into the drive of the house he was spending the night at. No one was home. He led me into the kitchen and played host, offering me something to drink or eat. I declined. I was looking around and not paying a lot of attention to what he was doing. When I returned my attention to him he was leaning over a small glass mirror on the counter cutting something up with a razor. On further inspection I knew what he was cutting. Cocaine. I had never seen anyone cut a line of cocaine before. Only in the movies ,never in person. I had seen the drug from patients personal belongings in the hospital, but it was always in a baggie. I was staring. He looked up , smiled and offered me a line. I declined, telling him I was randomly drug tested at work and could loose my nursing license if I tested positive. He was satisfied with the response and did not push. He did his line with a rolled up dollar bill, just like in the movies. My brain was just not processing what I was seeing. I was anti-drug, I had a brother in prison due to drugs and despised them. It still was not computing in my brain. He took my hand and led me back to the bedroom.

I think he could tell something was not right. I am sure he assumed it was nerves. It was really me trying to figure out if I was going to stay or go after what I had seen in the kitchen. Then I decided. I am not marrying the guy , I am just sleeping with him. I wanted a bad boy, someone a little dangerous, someone as far away from straight laced Brian as I could get. Well here he was staring me in the face, wanting me as much as I wanted him. Marc put in a movie and we were laying on the bed snuggled together watching the beginning. He leaned down and kissed me again and that was all it took. Things were starting to get pretty heated when my cell phone went off. The first thought in my head was Beth. It had to be her calling me at four in the morning. I had just dropped her off a little while ago. He stayed snuggled next to me, kissing my neck when I reached for the phone. I did not even look at the caller ID. I just answered with a breathless, "Hello." It wasn't Beth. The blood that had been running hot in my veins turned to ice. It was Brian. Beth and I had called him earlier in the night to chat and he was returning the call thinking we may still be together. Marc stopped kissing me the second he heard the other man's name and a look of surprise crossed his face. I told Brain that I had already dropped Beth off and we were no longer together. Usually we would have chatted for a few but I was in a bit of a hurry to get off the phone. Brian figured out I was kind of busy and I think he was as anxious to end the call as I was. How awkward is that, making out with a man when you ex calls to chat. Oops.

Marc was very gracious after I got off the phone. He asked if I was ok and if I wanted to leave. Why would I want to leave? Brain was in Chicago and we were ancient history and I had Mr Sexy right here. Hell no I did not want to leave. I told him as much. We continued where we had left off. I am not going to get into the actual action, but lets say he made good on his request from earlier in the night, plus some. More than once. He held me next to him through the rest of the night, occasionally waking me with a kiss or a touch for a repeat performance. Later that day we made plans to meet that night. I left him at the door with a kiss. Flying high.

Today I wonder about the encounter. I have no doubt if Beth had been single he would have been over there trying to get her to turn his way. I am not sure she would have but he would have tried harder than he did. Now, something tells me, he was never really interested in Beth beyond a good time. I was his Mark. Every con artist scopes the lay of the land before making a move. I honestly think he knew Beth was married before he ever asked me. I also now believe he knew I was single and had taken the break up with Brian very hard. Anyone who knew us in the bar could have told him about us. My guess is he had already asked around. I thought I had him in my sights, but I was really in his. We were just not playing the same game.