“So what’s on the agenda for today?” Em asked as she entered Reny’s sunny kitchen. Reny smiled and removed her feet from a chair so Em could sit down.
“Well, since we’re the only ones without steady jobs, we’re going to bum around the house until Jacks and Maebee get off work and then we’re all going to dinner.”
“Are Sean and Andy going to come tonight?”
“I hope so. I miss Baby A.” Em laughed as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.
“I can’t believe you still call him that.” Reny shrugged.
“Force of habit. Anyway, do you maybe want to go see a movie this afternoon? If we go early there wouldn’t be any crowds to recognize us. Although I doubt any one would recognize us the way we look now.” Em struck a pose.
“Speak for yourself Re. I’m still gorgeous.”
“Yeah.” The women laughed and moved into the living room where they each reclined on a plump couch. The radio played softy in the background. An old Boy 2 Men song came on. It was “I’ll Make Love to You”. “Oh my gosh Em. Do you remember Jacks’ birthday?” Reny said laughing.
“Oh man, how could I forget? I thought I was gonna die!” Both of them stated laughing hard enough to have tears in their eyes.
****Flashback****
It was Jaclyn’s birthday and they had all gathered to help her celebrate. Scattered about the girls’ living room were all the members of Unison, Sean, Mae, Jacks, Kit, Reny, Mandi, and Em. Everyone knew that Sean had something planned for his girlfriend’s birthday, but no one knew for sure what it was. Nothing spectacular had happened during dinner, nothing during the small party that had followed, and now it was just the group of friends. Sean pried himself away from Jacks and signaled to the other guys to follow him. The girls just looked at each other with confused faces. Just then, music started playing.
“Close your eyes, make a wish. And blow out the candlelight. For tonight is just your night, we’re gonna celebrate, all through the night.”
Sean and the others came into the room wearing silk robes and dancing as seductively as was possible for them. The girls burst out laughing.
“Pour the wine, light the fire. Girl your wish is my command. I’ll submit to your demands. I will do anything. Girl you need only ask.”
They acted out the words and lip synced while giving the girls smoldering glances. Reny was the first one to hit the floor when she fell out of her chair. Kit had tears streaming down her face, and Mandi’s knuckles turned white from holding on so tightly to the arm of the couch.
“I’ll make love to you, like you want me to. And I’ll hold you tight, Baby all through the night. I’ll make love to you, when you want me to. And I will not let go till you tell me to.”
Now the boys moved throughout the room, shaking their hips slowly in front of each of the girls. Then they positioned them selves in front of one of them. Sean and Jacks, Alex and Mandi, Andy and Reny (still on the floor), Jamie and Kit, Scott and Mae, leaving Anton with Em. Then it was lap dance time. All the other girls were laughing but at least enjoying their dance. Em, on the other hand, was dying a slow and painful death by blushing.
“Girl relax, let’s go slow. I ain’t got nowhere to go. I’m just gonna concentrate on you. Girl are you ready, it’s gonna be a long night.”
Now the girls were pulled to their feet and taken to the middle of the room. Slow dancing commenced.
“Throw your clothes, on the floor. I’m gonna take my clothes off too. I’ve made plans to be with you. Girl whatever you ask me, you know, I’ll do.”
The phone rang mercifully and Em ran to get it, very happy to be gone from the room.
“Hello?”
“Hi. What in the hell is going on?” Em laughed.
“Hi Kelly. It’s Jacks birthday and the guys decided to pull a little prank on their girlfriends.”
“Freaks and weirdos. Hey, did you get the trampy one yet?”
“Kelly.” Em said in a warning tone, as though Anton had heard.
“Just wondering. Hey when are you going to grow some balls?”
“Never. Being a wussie has served me very well, I don’t see why I should change.”
“Because if you don’t you might miss out on the one guy that your prudish little brain has allowed you to be sexually attracted to?”
“Other than that.”
“Oh, other than that nothing. Have fun being lonely.”
“Ok. I will. Now, was there any other reason why you called, or was the torment enough for you?”
“The torment was enough. Love you Babe.”
“Yeah, I love you too.”
“See ya Sweet cheeks.”
“Bye Sugar lips.”
“Was that your boyfriend?” Anton asked as he walked into the kitchen. Em laughed.
“No. Come on Anton, you know I don’t have a boyfriend. And not like you guys don’t have girlfriends either, I’m telling the truth.” He stuck his tongue out at her. And she smiled. “Sorry, but it’s about time someone called you on your shit.”
“And you’re just the right girl to do that, aren’t cha?”
“Yes, yes I am. Now let’s venture back into romance land and see if we can get everyone back to normal.”
“I didn’t mind it the way it was.” Anton said stepping closer to her. “I only left because I was without my partner.” Em raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, and God forbid you should be without a hoochie for the evening.”
“I meant you Em.” She started to leave the kitchen.
“So did I.” She blew him a raspberry and flicked the lights off, leaving him in the dark.
All the couples were still pressed close together as the romantic music continued. Em stood off to the side for a minute with her arms crossed in front of her. “Ok,” she said rather loudly. “Who’s got enough love for a third?” Everyone laughed, and Reny and Andy opened their arms for her. She snuggled in with them and the three swayed and giggled.
****
“That was a fun party.” Reny said finally.
“Yeah. Anton was pissy though.”
“Because you blew him off. I swear, for as much as you wanted that boy, you sure treated him like crap.”
“He needed to be put in his place. Not every woman was just going to swoon and drop trow over Anton Gilberti.” Reny snickered.
“Well, not right away anyhow.” Em blushed a little and threw a pillow at her friend. Both began to laugh.
“I wasn’t that mean to him.” Em protested.
“Oh no? What about that night in, where were we, Dallas I think.”
“Oh come on, that’s not even fair. You and Scottie have had your share of fights.”
“Yeah, but I never made him cry.”
“Anton cried? Over what I said in Dallas? Why didn’t anybody tell me?”
“I only found out about it a year ago. The guys never told on him, but you really struck a nerve that night Emmy. Didn’t you notice him change after that?”
“Now that I think about it, yeah. But at the time I had no idea.”
****Flashback****
Unison and Spark had all piled into one hotel room after a particularly grueling day and were winding down by watching a movie. Em sat on the floor rubbing her knees to keep them from spasming. Andy, Alex, and Reny shared one bed, while Jamie and Scott lay across the other. Anton was suspiciously absent from the group having found a scantily clad fan in the lobby. He walked in halfway through the movie, a wide grin on his face. Em was not amused.
“I see you’ve taken a break in your whoreing for the evening.” Em said dryly.
“Shut up Em.” Anton replied, his smile long gone.
“Oh I’m sorry.” Em said sarcastically. “Have I offended you?”
“Yeah, you have.”
“Poor Anton.” Em stuck out her lip. “I feel real bad for you. Almost bad enough to not make fun of you.” She paused. “Almost.”
“What is your problem huh?” He asked, standing over her. Not one to like being lorded over Em climbed painfully to her feet.
“My problem is that you spend more time fucking bimbos than you do on anything else. Including rehearsing. I saw you out there tonight; you forgot half the moves and quite a few of the lyrics. No wonder you never sing leads.”
“What business is it of yours what I do?”
“It’s my business because this isn’t just your tour. It’s our tour too. If you screw something up it reflects badly on all of us.” Em gave a sweeping gesture to the other occupants of the room. They were all silent; hoping neither Em nor Anton would turn on them.
“I still don’t see what that has to do with who I choose to associate with. Unless of course, you’re just jealous.” Em’s eyes widened and grew black.
“Ah shit,” Reny mumbled under her breath as she buried her head in a pillow.
“Jealous? Ha! I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. God only knows what kind of diseases you’re carrying around. Not to mention that any girl you’ve ever slept with hasn’t even seen you again unless she pays for another ticket to another concert. I’m sorry, but I have more respect for myself than that.”
“You also don’t have a boyfriend. What does that tell you?” Now it was Jamie’s turn to remark at Anton’s low blow as he sucked in a quick breath.
“It tells me that all the good men are taken. It tells me that the only ones left are the sluts that I’d rather leave to groupies and moronic singers who write songs about them and put it on their albums. It tells me that there is something about me that drives away all the ‘playas’ and for that I thank my lucky Goddamned stars! You aren’t worth my shit Anton; so don’t stand there all smug like you’ve won, because you haven’t. You’ll never win. Because in order to win you’ll have to out live me, and since you’ve probably already been infected with A.I.D.S. I really don’t see that happening.” And with that Em turned and limped hurriedly out the door. Reny quickly followed her, mumbling her goodbyes to the guys. Anton turned to face his friends, but quickly turned back and also went out the door. Scott sighed and went after him.
****
“I still don’t see what made him cry.” Em said sheepishly.
“Cheezits Em, I mean, not only did you tell him that he wasn’t any good at performing, the one thing he loved. But you told him that all the women that had ever been with him were worthless little skanks and that he probably had A.I.D.S. Do you see how that could be kind of upsetting coming from the girl you not only respect but like?”
“Ok, I see your point. I feel really bad now though.” They laughed.
“I’m pretty sure he’s forgiven you.” Reny said eyeing Em’s belly.
“Well he should have! I was right.” Renee shook her head.
“How stubborn are you Em?”
“Just a little.” They laughed again and then started to talk about what movie they wanted to see.