A Love Like This (Book 1) (16 page)

“
I was standing behind you the whole time.
 
You were so into the dance that you didn
’
t notice.
”

Kira
 
is actually from Cleveland but like Sarah she takes on different personalities as part of her life as a drama major.
 
 
Kira
 
and I talk about school for a few minutes then Sarah materializes with
Nickie, Topper and
 
Pookie
 
close behind.
 
They all pull up chairs and sit at the table.
 
All of their eyes are blood shot.
 
Nickie
 
is coughing as if she suddenly developed emphysema and they all smell like skunks.
 
Topper seems like a normal dirty guy now.
 
 
I guess whatever they smoked took the edge off but he
’
s clearly on something much stronger than weed.
 
They all order drinks and
Kira
 
suggests that we go to her friend Noah
’
s twenty-second birthday party at a techno club in the Sunset District.
 

It went on like this the whole night.
 
We
’
d go to one party meet someone then end up at another party or club.
 
I
 
spent the night babysitting and driving everyone around directed by Sarah who was surprisingly lucid considering the amount of alcohol she
’
d consumed.
 
And
 
Nickie
 
kept her word she had indeed become a brand new person.
 
Sarah ordered blow jobs at O
’
Conner
’
s bar near the Marina.
 
The drink was a mixture of Kailua and a bunch of other sweet brown alcohols.
 
It was topped with whipped cream that twirled high on the shot glass and drips down one side.
 
Sarah had to give detailed instructions about how to drink the shot.
 
She told
 
Nickie
 
to clasp her hands behind her back and lick the whipped cream that dripped down the side.
 
Next, she instructed her to wrap her mouth around the top of the glass and pick it up using only her lips.
 
By the time she tilted her head back to drink the shot she had the attention of half the men in the bar, several of which cheered and sent over more rounds.
 
After their fourth drink
 
Nickie
 
and Sarah got all Coyote Ugly and climbed up on the bar to dance.
 
I took pictures and sent them to Keisha because I knew she
’
d never believe it.
 
Before leaving O
’
Conner
’
s
 
Nickie
 
made out with a very handsome Asian guy, a short pudgy black guy and one person whose gender was undetermined.
 
Each time I
’
d push the man
’
s groping hands away and
 
Nickie
 
would protest and tell me how much she cared for the stranger.
 

Pookie
 
and Sarah were no better.
 
At another bar I found them sitting behind the building smoking the biggest joint I
’
d ever seen in my life with some white guy who had long blond dreadlocks.
 
Blond dreads of course became the next member of the group.
 
I was tired of babysitting, getting everyone in the car and cabs stopping for munchies.
 
The whole night was a bust.
 
Tyler
’
s party is the last stop.
 
I
’
m setting all of my new babies free to fin for themselves.
 
It
’
s going to be my turn to let go and be irresponsible.

Sarah told me that once a year Tyler Fergusson hosts a huge party and invites all of his old college friends and co-workers.
 
His house is a three story Victorian near the Marina in San Francisco.
 
The houses in the Marina are the most expensive in all of San Francisco.
 
Most of the houses have a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean.
 
They are considerably larger than a normal home in the City.
 
We find parking and I usher my horde of stoners and drunks up the stairs before entering the house.
 
The minute I walk over the threshold a tiny hobbit of a man wraps his arms around my waist and whirls me onto the dance floor. The man smells like he
’
s been rolling around in beer.
 
He is about three inches shorter than me round and squishy.
 
I can
’
t break his grip from my waist so I look around the room for
 
help but the group has all dispersed.
 
He holds me tight and rests his head on my chest swaying back and forth with his eyes closed.
 
The more I struggle the tighter his grip becomes.
 
I yell for
 
Pookie
 
but the music is too loud.
 

“
We should get out of here,
”
 
The man says.
 
 
“
You
’
re so pretty, I can treat you real nice,
”
 
He says and lifts his head to kiss me.
 
I block his face with my hands.
 
 
“
Come on let
’
s get out of here,
”
 
he says pulling me towards the door, his foul breath stings
 
my eyes.
 
I
’
m terrified of what will happen if he gets me outside.
 
I know I have to do something fast so I angle my heel and stomp on his foot with all my might.
 
He releases me, I step away ball my fist and punch him right in the nuts.
 
He doubles over in pain.
 
His eyes bulge as he gasps for air,
 
“
You bitch, what
’
d you do that for?
”
 
he says and
lunged for me but before he reaches me Tucker
 
appears out of nowhere
 
hoists him up by his shirt and lifts him two feet off the ground.
 
While he hangs suspended in the air swinging his arms and legs like an angry puppet I punch him again with such force I
 
stumble backwards and nearly fall.
 
 
Pookie
 
yanks me back before I can hit the man a third time.
 
Sarah and
 
Nickie
 
appear, wrapping their arms around me as we all silently watch Tucker toss the man out the front door as if he weighs nothing.
 
Tyler
 
who is a lot smaller and rounder than I pictured comes over to see what
’
s happening.
 
Sarah assures him that everything
’
s taken care of. I
’
m all set to yell at everyone for leaving me alone to be attacked by a troll.
 
But my attention is drawn to Tucker.
 
He walks over to the crowd that
’
s gathered,
 
reaches for my hand and gently pulls me away.
 
Sarah does a happy dance.
 
Nickie
 
and
 
Pookie
 
wave their hands in front of their faces and fan.
 

_______

After a nose job, fat injections in her lips and two breast augmentations Amy Carrington is still not satisfied with her looks.
 
She
’
s rich, charismatic and has tons of friends but no one has ever called her beautiful.
 
Dating the men that every other woman wants is what sets her apart
 
and makes her feel special.
 
 
When she
 
met Tucker at a party she
 
was instantly drawn to
 
his
 
rugged good looks and easy going attitude.
 
The fact that his father was a real estate developing mogul and Tucker had recently inherited an inordinately large trust fund was a bonus.
 
She and Tucker had several friends in common having grown up in the same gated community in the hills of Marin County.
 
She
’
d see him at social events but other than the occasional glance at her breasts
 
he wasn
’
t the least bit interested in her.
 
So she did some research and found out that his
mother owed a nonprofit organization in Marin.
 
She made a large donation to the company
 
and signed up to volunteer.
 
She tried to get information about him from his mother but that didn
’
t work because the woman hated Amy from the moment she met
 
her.
 
So she did a little more digging and found out that Michael Dubois was Tucker
’
s best friend.
 
As luck would have it Mike was applying for a job at an agency where Amy
’
s father sat on the board of directors.
 
Once she had Mike in her grasp getting Tucker was easy.

Tucker finally asked Amy out because Mike bet him floor seats at the Lakers game that he couldn
’
t get Amy into bed on the first date.
 
Once they started dating exclusively Tucker was kind and attentive and Amy quickly fell in love with him.
 
She managed to keep the relationship going for over a year--- but she had to keep sweetening the deal for Mike.
 
He needed lots of incentives to keep her informed of Tucker
’
s whereabouts at all times.
 
But Tucker was never truly committed to their relationship.
 
He never looked at her the way he looks at Leila.
 
When he broke it off with Amy he didn
’
t come right out and tell her that he wasn
’
t in love with her. He gave her the old,
 
‘
it
’
s not you it
’
s me
’
 
speech.
 
He said,
 
“
I love you but it
’
s just not the right time for us.
 
I have to focus on my dissertation and work so there
’
s no room for a relationship right now.
”
 

What Amy heard was,
 
“
right now, I can
’
t be with you right now.
”
 
She looked at him hopefully and said,
 
“
Okay, I
’
ll give you space to pursue your dreams.
”
 
 
Tucker kissed the top of her head left her apartment and never called again.
 
However, Amy Carrington was not accustomed to being told no.
 
She waited until his dissertation was complete and resumed her pursuit.