Their drinks arrived swiftly, and soon conversations bounced all around the table. Jamie couldn’t keep up with half of them, either because she couldn’t hear them or because she was distracted. Not just at the table, either, although these people always made dressing up look so effortless, whether they wore suits, sweaters, dresses, or designer jeans – although nobody wore jeans to Midnight.
No, Jamie was distracted by everything and everyone. The place was packed. She was used to seeing it busy, but this was a different level. Midnight hadn’t been this busy since Jamie came to watch Helen and Monique perform in front of everyone. Now those two relaxed at a table with friends, Helen’s arm wrapped languidly around Monique’s shoulders as she leaned back and kept her hands on her stomach. She probably wasn’t the only pregnant woman in the house, but she was definitely the only one with a bulge that big.
“You don’t come here often enough,” Jem said to Etta from across the table. Most of the talk died down as everyone turned their attention to the woman in question. “Whenever I do see that tempered face of yours, I have to double-take and consider calling you, telling you that I have finally found your doppelganger.”
“I’m a busy woman,” Etta said with her casual droll. “Unlike you.”
“Touché.” Jem stretched her arms above her head, and Gwenythsank against her partner’s chest with a smile on her long face. “Still wouldn’t be bad seeing you around often.”
The look on Etta’s face probably meant nothing except to Jamie and Monique, who exchanged glances.This is another reason she doesn’t come often. Etta got along with other people fine… in small doses. She preferred them in a business setting. In public – or private – she was constantly reminded of her position as “new money.” Even if the “old money” people liked her well enough, they still treated her differently. They probably didn’t realize it, but there were subtle tells, like referencing their school days and Etta awkwardly saying,“We didn’t have AP classes,”or “We didn’t have a music program in high school. Or soccer.”Jamie caught her girlfriend up late one night reading the rules for lacrosse on her tablet, one day after she admitted to a business associate that she knew nothing of the sport that rich kids were so fond of.I had never even heard of it until I went to college.Not that Jamie knew anything about it… other than the players tended to be hot.
“Now, now,” Lara interrupted. “Ms. Coleman is the hardest-working butch here. Next to Kenny and me, of course.”
Kathleen slapped her hand over her mouth. When Lara gave her a harsh look, she said, “You’re a butch, huh?”
Kennedy pinched her wife’s cheek and brought her in for a whiskey-laden kiss. “She’s the butchest butch I have ever met! You should see her with a strap-on!”
Half the people shifted awkwardly in their seats. Jem, however, hooted.She isn’t fazed by anything.And Gwenyth always looked at her as if she were the most interesting person in her world.I hear they’ve been together for years. Never married. Not even engaged… but people did not question whether they loved and were dedicated to one another. When Jamie glanced at Etta, she wondered if people would be saying the same thing about them in another five years.
“The day I see your wife with a strap-on is the day I take a long drive to Honolulu,” Helen said. “She might be coming for me, you know.”
“She would certainly not be as gentle as your wife.”
Monique neither blushed nor flinched. “Well, of course, I must be gentle. I’m almost six months pregnant. I must think of the baby.”
“Perhaps I should start my monthly show here,” Lara said, after finishing her drink. “Take volunteers and make them weep from the power of my hips.”
“Weeping? There’s supposed to be weeping?”
“It’s more like the sweet sounds of a submissive sweetheart having the most unexpected pleasure of their life.” Now it was Lara’s turn to pinch her spouse’s cheek. “Isn’t that right, Kenny? It’s good for one to be adventurous and ready to try new and exciting things.”
Jem coughed into her arm. “In the ass.”
“You hear that, hon?” Kathleen said to Ira. “It’s good for someone to be into new and exciting things. Somethingsomethingass.”
They hid their paling face behind a glass of red wine. “One birthday at a time, sweet.”
Jamie had no idea what to say. She didn’t know how to banter like this – not without embarrassing herself and possibly offending someone. She didn’t know what limits people had. She still got tongue-tied when Monique point-blank asked about her and Etta’s sex life.I’m lucky they’re not bothering me.They probably wouldn’t either, if Etta kept looking like she just consumed something sour. Was her bourbon that bad? Or was this a case of uncomfortable conversation in front of others?
Jamie took quick stock of the table. Her, Etta, and Monique for sure did not grow up privileged. She didn’t think Gwenyth did either if the rumors of her being a bartender before meeting Jem were true. Yet Gwenyth seemed to fit easily in with these people, and Monique had a chameleonic personality. Etta was cut-throat in business… and Jamie was still trying to catch her bearings in this world of “stuck-up rich kids” by day, “naughty partying assholes” by night.
“So, did you hear about tonight’s show?” Jem asked, finally changing the subject from strap-ons. “Apparently, this gal is a real Michelangelo at bondage.”
“The whole reason we changed plans tonight was to see this shit,” Lara answered first. “I’ve always liked a good bondage show, but most of the ones they have here are the same-old, ‘Tie ‘em up and watch ‘em squirm,’ variety. Don’t get me wrong. That’s hot, but after a while, you don’t really care unless you’re absolutely in the mood for it.”
“Plus, let’s not forget who is doing it,” Kennedy continued on her wife’s behalf. “I hear this is the couple who helped take down Xan Ravenwood.”
A shudder went around the table. Jamie had barely kept up with that news. Something about a billionaire out west being caught in a whole slew of lies, deceit, and murder. Sounded like something for a network television drama, not so much real life. Jamie couldn’t figure out why people were shuddering, though. Even Monique looked like she wanted to be sick.
“Well, they must be pretty formidable, then,” Helen said. “Mr. Ravenwood was ruining and ending lives for years. Glad I never had any dealings with him.”
“Oh, we did,” Lara said. “Same business, you know. Not the pharmaceuticals, obviously, but the real estate he liked to do on the side. He came out here once or twice to look into our markets. Never bought anything and kept to his side of the country, but we had dinner with him a time or two. Apparently, he was heavily into kink as well. Not the fun kind.”
Monique made the worst face at the table. Helen stroked the back of her neck without even glancing at her.He was that kind of guy, huh?Sounded like he would get along with Jacqueline Love, whatever that shithead was doing now.
“Didn’t you and your father have a falling out with him?” Kennedyasked over her wife’s head. That voice hit Ira within a few seconds. “I could’ve sworn.”
“Falling out? I think you mean he was one of our key investors on our major project last year and he completely fell off the face of the earth. When we found out it was because he was under investigation and then died during the raid… well, glad we didn’t touch the guy’s money.”
