I shook my head.
"Bourbon, rye. what?"
"I don't drink." I said.
"Sure you don't," he replied with a laugh. "Hey, don't worry. I don't tell my sister about my dates, if that's what's troubling you. Your mother's not going to know anything from these lips," he promised.
I didn't say anything, so he opened his door and got out. Now that we were away from Mama's eyes, he didn't come around to open my door for me. Gone were the "Yes, ma'ams" and "No, ma'ams," too. I noticed.
When we stepped into the club, his friend checking IDs looked me over from head to toe, nodding with a smile so sly and licentious he made me feel naked.
"Nice," he told Shawn, "You're late," he continued. "Everyone got here already in your party,"
"We'll make up for it," Shawn told him and ushered me into the club.
Right off the entrance to the right was a long bar with tinsel over the mirrors that made it look like Christmas. The stools were all occupied and the bartender was so busy, he could barely raise his head. I noticed that the men were dressed well, jackets and ties, and most of the women were wearing expensivelooking clothes, too.
On a small stage, a five-piece jazz combo played a Duke Ellington number I recognized. Shawn led me down the aisle to a table in the front at which three other young men in army uniforms sat with three girls-- all looked years older than I was. The moment the men saw us, they started shouting and laughing, which I thought was impolite, considering people around them were enjoying the music. Of course, that drew a great deal of attention to us, especially to me.
"Where the hell you been? We thought you went AWOL on us.," the tall, red-headed young
man on the right cried. The girl with him looked unhappy, almost in pain. She had very short, dark hair and a mouth so soft, the lower lip looked like it was unhinged in the corners.
"Had to do the please-the-parent-thing first," Shawn explained. "This here's Ice, Ice meet Michael," he said nodding at the tall, red-headed man. "Buzz-y." he added pointing to a stocky African-American man who looked older than everyone else. -.and Sonny," he continued.
Sonny looked the youngest. He had a caramel complexion with dark freckles peppered on his cheeks and forehead.
They all said. "Hi," and then Michael
introduced the other girls. The one with him was Jeanie and the one with Buzzy was Bernice. She was stout and big busted with light brown hair that not only was the color of straw, but looked like it had the texture of it grass.
He paused before introducing the girl with Sonny and said. "What was your name again. honey?"
Dolores," she said, very annoyed that he didn't remember. She looked Latin. maybe Mexican. I thought she was the prettiest of the three because of the dazzling color of her dark eves that flashed when she showed her temper. She got over it quickly, however, and continued moving in her chair, enjoying the music. "When are we going to stop all this talking and dance?" she cried.
"Sonny, get up and dance with the girl, will you?" Michael said. "Her engine's been running at high speed all this time and you're in park."
They all laughed.
Shawn took my coat off and put it over my chair. All of his friends stared at me as hard as the one at the club's entrance. It made me wonder if I had done something wrong. Mama had insisted on my wearing one of those wonder bras. I know I was showing a lot more cleavage than I would have liked.
I sat and Shawn quickly ordered a gin and tonic for himself and then looked at me and said. "Give her the same."
I didn't say no. but I thought I wouldn't drink it if I didn't like it.
"Why are you called Ice?" Buzzy asked leaning over the table, "You don't look cold to me."
They all laughed again, even Jeanie who seemed incapable of smiling. "She's not cold," Shawn said. "She's cool."
"Ice, you can dip your finger in my drink anytime." Sonny quipped. They all laughed again.
"How long you know this work of art?" Michael asked me indicating Shawn.
I thought a moment.
"Twenty minutes." I replied and he roared and told everyone else what I had said. That seemed to be the funniest thing they had heard their whole lives. I thought the laughter wouldn't end.
The music stopped and the audience applauded. Our drinks came and Shawn nearly finished his in a single gulp.