her breath. The voice sounded young, not like anyone she could identify. “How ex?” the woman asked. “Very ex.”
“How long have you been with Neely O’Hara?”
“A little over a year.”
“I love her records. My mother was a huge fan. I can’t wait to tell her I got a tour of Neely O’Hara’s house.”
“It’s my house. Her house is in Los Angeles.”
I should get up right now , Neely thought, but she stayed cross-legged on the floor of the closet, leaning forward a little so she could see them both through the open door.
“Well,” the girl said. “She’s a very lucky woman. I bet they were falling all over you, after you split with your wife.”
“Not really.”
“Oh, come on. An attractive guy like you? I bet you had to fight them off.”
“Not really.”
Neely watched the woman push the bedroom door closed and twist the lock.
“Hey,” Dave said.
“Hey yourself,” she said. “You know I’m really attracted to you. You have a really … a really powerful presence.”
“I can’t do this.”
“I know you feel it, too. I can tell when you look at me.”
“We should go back down.”
“All right.” She leaned against the wall and began hiking up the green dress, over her knees, up past her waist. “I just want you to see what you’re missing.”
“Come on, this isn’t the time.”
“I can make you come in two minutes.” She slipped a hand into her lace bikini. “I’m already wet just thinking about you.”
“Hey, come on. I think you’ve had a little too much to drink.”
“And it was such lovely champagne.… mmm. You can just watch if you want.” She closed her eyes and began breathing through her mouth. Dave moved toward her, undoing his trousers. She wrapped a leg around his waist and clasped her hands behind his neck.
It didn’t even take two minutes. She pulled down her dress and smoothed the back of her hair.
“I can’t believe we did that,” Dave said.
“I knew I was going to fuck you the minute I saw you.”
“I have to get back to the party.”
“Right, the party. Hey, how well do you know Jamie Walters?”
“Well enough. We’ve worked together on a couple of things.”
“I’m auditioning for him next week. A cable show, women’s lifestylestuff? Gardening, cooking, decorating, like that. Maybe you could put in a word?”
“I thought you lived in Phoenix.”
“I’m thinking of moving back here. If I got this job. We could be neighbors. You could come by and borrow a cup of sugar any old time.”
“Let me think about it,” Dave said, unlocking the door. “You wait a minute here, I don’t want anyone seeing us together.”
The woman went to Neely’s dressing table and fluffed up her bangs. She picked up a few perfume bottles, examined their labels, and then dabbed some Chanel No. 22 behind her knees. Neely lay down on the floor of the closet. It wasn’t fair; it was her party and everything was turning out wrong. All the vitamins in the world couldn’t make this feeling go away.
D ownstairs, Anne had snuck into the back bathroom behind the kitchen to pop another half tab of Xanax. She ran the tap water with the lights off, drinking from her cupped hands.
Through the open window she could see the couples dancing, hear the old Cole Porter tune that Lyon used to hum in her ear. She watched Stella and Arthur taking a dip in the corner of the floor. She watched people who had called once or twice, inviting her to a lunch or afternoon at the ballet. She watched people who had invited her daughter over for a play date, sharing a quick and awkward cup of coffee with her when she came to pick up Jenn. She watched people who had never called at all.
Not that she had found any of these parties so thrilling when she was invited to them. But now, leaning against the cold porcelain in a small, dark bathroom, she felt the bright red rage of a woman who has been overlooked. She was Cinderella without glass slippers,without a Prince
“How long have you been with Neely O’Hara?”
“A little over a year.”
“I love her records. My mother was a huge fan. I can’t wait to tell her I got a tour of Neely O’Hara’s house.”
“It’s my house. Her house is in Los Angeles.”
I should get up right now , Neely thought, but she stayed cross-legged on the floor of the closet, leaning forward a little so she could see them both through the open door.
“Well,” the girl said. “She’s a very lucky woman. I bet they were falling all over you, after you split with your wife.”
“Not really.”
“Oh, come on. An attractive guy like you? I bet you had to fight them off.”
“Not really.”
Neely watched the woman push the bedroom door closed and twist the lock.
“Hey,” Dave said.
“Hey yourself,” she said. “You know I’m really attracted to you. You have a really … a really powerful presence.”
“I can’t do this.”
“I know you feel it, too. I can tell when you look at me.”
“We should go back down.”
“All right.” She leaned against the wall and began hiking up the green dress, over her knees, up past her waist. “I just want you to see what you’re missing.”
“Come on, this isn’t the time.”
“I can make you come in two minutes.” She slipped a hand into her lace bikini. “I’m already wet just thinking about you.”
“Hey, come on. I think you’ve had a little too much to drink.”
“And it was such lovely champagne.… mmm. You can just watch if you want.” She closed her eyes and began breathing through her mouth. Dave moved toward her, undoing his trousers. She wrapped a leg around his waist and clasped her hands behind his neck.
It didn’t even take two minutes. She pulled down her dress and smoothed the back of her hair.
“I can’t believe we did that,” Dave said.
“I knew I was going to fuck you the minute I saw you.”
“I have to get back to the party.”
“Right, the party. Hey, how well do you know Jamie Walters?”
“Well enough. We’ve worked together on a couple of things.”
“I’m auditioning for him next week. A cable show, women’s lifestylestuff? Gardening, cooking, decorating, like that. Maybe you could put in a word?”
“I thought you lived in Phoenix.”
“I’m thinking of moving back here. If I got this job. We could be neighbors. You could come by and borrow a cup of sugar any old time.”
“Let me think about it,” Dave said, unlocking the door. “You wait a minute here, I don’t want anyone seeing us together.”
The woman went to Neely’s dressing table and fluffed up her bangs. She picked up a few perfume bottles, examined their labels, and then dabbed some Chanel No. 22 behind her knees. Neely lay down on the floor of the closet. It wasn’t fair; it was her party and everything was turning out wrong. All the vitamins in the world couldn’t make this feeling go away.
D ownstairs, Anne had snuck into the back bathroom behind the kitchen to pop another half tab of Xanax. She ran the tap water with the lights off, drinking from her cupped hands.
Through the open window she could see the couples dancing, hear the old Cole Porter tune that Lyon used to hum in her ear. She watched Stella and Arthur taking a dip in the corner of the floor. She watched people who had called once or twice, inviting her to a lunch or afternoon at the ballet. She watched people who had invited her daughter over for a play date, sharing a quick and awkward cup of coffee with her when she came to pick up Jenn. She watched people who had never called at all.
Not that she had found any of these parties so thrilling when she was invited to them. But now, leaning against the cold porcelain in a small, dark bathroom, she felt the bright red rage of a woman who has been overlooked. She was Cinderella without glass slippers,without a Prince
Similar Books
