"I've never done anything like that," I had said, not su
re I even wanted to.
"It makes sex even more incredible. Just wait and see," Gwyneth had purred, and that was all the convincing I needed. She'd been right, and after that night, my heart was in her hands.
She’d convinced me that I could be anything I wanted to be and do anything I wanted to do. She was the one who gave me the courage to strike out on my own when I'd quit Krueger.
"You've always had money. You don't know what it's like to wonder how you're going to come up with next month's rent," I'd told her, with my head in my hands. "Maybe I should go to Krueger and beg for my job back."
"Fuck him." Gwyneth had sounded so confident as she came up behind me, naked. She wrapped her arms around my chest, and I could feel her naked breasts against my back as she kissed my neck. "You don't need to go crawling back to some asshole who doesn't respect your creative genius. You can manufacture your designs without him."
"Yeah, right. How?" I scoffed. "You got a spare $100,000 you can give me?"
"I don't, but the banks do. Go apply for a business loan. Then, you can start your own motorcycle company and be your own boss."
"Do you really think I could?" I had asked, but my heart was already pounding and my mind was already turning with ideas. She had planted the seed within me, but I was the one who turned it into a thriving orchard.
Those happy days of Gwyneth playing the supportive girlfriend were long gone, though. They'd been replaced by memories of a harping, nagging bitch, watching my every move, complaining constantly, always judging, and continuously telling me what to do.
"You're the biggest fuck up God ever made. Everything is turning to shit around you, and if you keep going the way you're going, you'll never amount to anything," I remember her screaming at me at two o'clock in the morning.
The neighbors had called the police that night, but by the time they got there, the fight was over and Gwyneth had moved out. That was the last time I saw her until years later. I'd thought I'd gotten over her, but seeing her again just brought back all the memories, all the feelings, and all the pain.
After that, I avoided her at all costs. We still had some of the same friends, so if I knew she was going to be at a particular social event, I’d make up some excuse not to go. Most of our friends knew it and respectfully didn't invite us both to the same events. A few of them made a point of doing the opposite and intentionally trying to bring us together in attempt to mend old wounds. It seemed Vick had become one of those.
Gwyneth seemed to be reading my mind as we swayed out on the dance floor in time to the music. In an almost apologetic voice, she smiled and said, "Vick means well. Let's just give him this one dance to show that we tried, and then we can go back to avoiding each other."
"I'm not avoiding you," I objected just a little too quickly, making Gwyneth smile.
"Actually, I was talking about me; but now you have me wondering if I'm not the only one."
"You're saying you've been avoiding me?" I was genuinely surprised. Gwyneth had the kind of power, sophistication, and charisma that she didn't have to avoid anyone. She commanded any room and it was up to others to clear in her wake. I couldn't believe it was possible that she might have felt intimidated by me.
"Didn't you wonder why I didn't go to Krista and Jeremy's wedding, or to Vick's house warming party?" she asked with large eyes.
"No because I didn't go to either of those because I thought you'd be there," I said, and we both laughed with chagrin. It felt good to genuinely express an emotion of joy with her, and all the unease between us was dissipated in that moment. The band started playing a slower ballad. I pulled her into my arms with a grand twirl, and we danced cheek to cheek, smiling as we spun around the dance floor wrapped in each other's arms.
"Well, I'm glad Vick tricked me to coming here tonight," she giggled as the song came to an end and a faster tune filled the air. "He told me we were going to an art exhibition. I nearly punched him when the limo pulled up in front of this hotel, but by then I couldn't refuse to get out the car, so I had to come in."
"Well, I'm glad you did. I'm sorry I've been avoiding you, and I'm really sorry for everything that happened back when..."
I didn't need to finish the sentence. Gwyneth put her finger to my lips in a shushing gesture and smiled softly. "I know. I'm sorry, too."
"Well, let's go thank Vick for our resolution of conflict." I led her from the dance floor to find my oldest friend standing by the bar. I slapped him on the back in a hearty hug and the three of us toasted to the good old days and times past.
"I knew that if I could just get the two of you in same room for more than five minutes that you'd work out your differences," Vick said.
"Yeah, but don't think that just because Gwyneth and I have made up with each other that we're both not still mad at you about it," I said, holding up a fist in mock anger.
He passed us both a champagne glass from the bar and held his up in a toast. "To old friends."
"To old friends," I parroted as we clinked glasses, but as I brought mine to my lips I stopped just short of taking a sip of the sparkling white wine within. Staring at me from across the room was the one woman I'd been searching for all evening: Kayla.
She looked radiant in the mermaid-cut evening gown made all in white with delicate crystal beads shimmering all over. It made her look like an angel just descended from heaven. Her long, blonde hair was swept up in a pile of curls on top of her head, with just a few, soft tendrils left loose to frame her beautiful face. Her make-up was subtle, with just a hint of pink gloss to highlight her kissable lips and a swish of mascara to darken her lashes. She didn't need anything more. She looked absolutely stunning, but she also looked upset.
There was an almost imperceptible crease in her brow that told me she was withholding negative emotions and the smile on her lips was only on the surface and didn't shine through to her eyes. I knew her well enough to see the truth behind the facade.
What was wrong? Had she seen me dancing with Gwyneth? Did she think I had betrayed her as my date? I wanted to run to her, to pull her into my arms and tell her she was the only girl for me, but the very thought had me frozen in place, helpless to move as Vick continued to tell his tale and Gwyneth laughed all around me.