Etta’s jaw clenched, but she did not lose her manners. “A lot more than you offer.”
“You sure about that?” Ira called. “We’re some of the richest dumbasses around. One of us alone could buy you all five of these girls for the night. In fact, it’s your party, so we insist.”
Applause appeared again. Some guests toasted, others got out their wallets, asking the girls and Monique how much it would be to secure them all for their friend Etta. “At least a hundred grand,” she coolly said, before returning to her Shirley Temple. “Don’t worry about cash. I have all your credit cards on file.”
“Split it however many ways here!”
Kennedy flicked Grace’s chin as she not-so-covertly rubbed her breasts against her patron. “For the bachelorette, my dear. Make sure she’s happy tonight. There’s always next time for you and me… and my wife.”
“Anderssen has the right idea,” another guest said. “They and that harpy of theirs have fucked half of us in this room as it is! That’s what you need to do, Coleman. Get that new wifey of yours on board with amistress of your own. Keep the fervor going forever.”
“I wish my wife would go for that,” Richard sighed. “I get tired of hiding my charming gal in London. Would be so much easier if Francesca knew and didn’t divorce me for it!”
Jamie was amazed –yet not at all – at the number of guests who admitted to cheating on their significant others.At least it’s none of them I know…aside from Richard. Ira was given shit for not touching another woman since they first royally boned Kathleen under a year ago. Jem admitted that she often looked, but would never touch. The consensus around the room was that such a thing was acceptable.
Even Etta nodded, and she was on her third glass of scotch.
Monique returned from wherever she had gone for a few minutes. She bent down and whispered something in Helen’s ear. They both glanced at the peephole and then at Etta. Whatever they were going to do didn’t have a chance to transpire, for the room erupted into a frenzy of tasteless jokes and naked women everywhere.
“I’m tired of being ignored!” Holly announced, leaping on the table in front of Etta. “Are you going to get handsy with me or not, Ms. Bachelorette? I wanna see what you’ve got under those clothes of yours.”
Adele was the only one who widened her eyes. She quickly took another drink of scotch and briefly fanned herself as Holly stripped off the rest of her clothes, set to the low hum of a wordless beat coming from somewhere.
The girls took turns stripping in the center of the room while the guests smoked, drank, and gazed upon the bodies slinking around them. More than one lamented that the girls had already been reserved for Etta later. Monique sweetly insinuated they may be available later that night and was brusquely asked if she gave discounts for the sloppy seconds. The awful glare she leveled at the guest in question made them shrink into the shadows.
“Everyone,” she announced around nine, when the guests were laughingat graphic descriptions of sex with their partners and mistresses, “the next phase of the party will be held in the Cigar Lounge. I hope you enjoy the other talent I’ve hired for tonight. And cognac. Both things are waiting for you there.”
Most of the guests got up and followed Monique out of the room. She and Helen exchanged one last glance before the wife got up and kissed Kennedy Anderssen on the cheek. Both of them held Etta down in her seat.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Helen said. “It’s your bachelorette party. We’ve politely paid for these women to be yours tonight, and we intend to make sure our money isn’t wasted.”
Etta looked about as amused as a cat trapped in a cage. The five girls surrounding her chair – and butting Adele out of the way – either crawled or sauntered straight up to her. Most of them barely had thongs on.
“Look, coming from two married bitches,” Kennedy said, trying not to make eyes with her mistress as she rubbed one of Etta’s shoes, “take our word when we say you need to seize this opportunity. Isn’t that right, Warner?”
“Don’t tell Monique, but I had all sorts of fun on my bachelorette party.” She was bold, saying that in front of Monique’s employees… and in front of Jamie, whom Helen knew was watching.So, she’s probably lying. “There was this one fox of a woman… Anneke, I think her name was… she did things with her tongue I’ll never get to experience again.”
“I should kick your ass for admitting that.” Did Etta actually look angry? Even Jamie had to admit her fiancée needed to lighten the fuck up.
“Either way, I may be a dirty swinger,” Kennedy continued, “but even I can’t deny how good it feels to be single, and that was ten years ago. Take our word for it, Coleman. You’ll never have this chance again. I can vouch for Grace’s talents. You should go for her first. I don’t mind.” She laughed. “Need an upper? I know your ex-girlfriend stocks it here.”
“Excuse me, that’s my wife,” Helenreplied.
“See how small our circle is? Come on, nobody will say a thing. Jamie will never know.”
Etta didn’t say anything out loud, but her glare at both women said everything.
“I’m… going to excuse myself. See what’s happening in the other room.” Adele got up, eyes lingering on someone’s bare ass as she backed out of the room. “Have fun, Etta.” She ran.
“Now that we’ve scared off the other ex-girlfriend,” Kennedy said, hand squeezing Etta’s shoulder. “We think it’s time you enjoy one of your last nights as a free woman. Remember, we won’t tell Jamie.”
“Nope. Nobody will tell her a thing.”
Helen and Kennedy left after that, murmuring to one another. The moment the door closed a final time, June took over, the queen bee of the working girls.
“You are one of the sexiest women I’ve ever seen,” she cooed, draping her naked body across Etta’s lap. “What can we do for you, ma’am?”
Grace popped up, her smaller breasts jiggling right next to Etta’s face.Don’t make me come kill any of you…“We’ve heard rumors about you, Ms. Coleman.”
