Silver Lake Angel

He made an ugly show of visibly clenching his teeth, and quickly explained how Tony called earlier and had been dumped, which left him totally depressed. "Let's just have a couple of drinks, try to cheer him up, and then we can make an excuse to go somewhere else, OK?"

Great! Once again he'd put Tony before her. And given the circumstances, what could she have said about it without coming off as a complete bitch? Avery had really been hit-and-miss all evening.

He leaned over the mahogany wood bar and asked if she wanted a martini. "No way," she said, squeezing in beside him. She was already feeling the wine from dinner, and pointed to a Truchard Vineyards cabernet on the shelf against the mirrored wall.

As Avery talked with bartender, who slowly poured a headless Guinness, the guy on the next stool turned to face her. It happened to be the familiar face of the man who'd held the door for her. His legs were spread slightly and his eyes wouldn't let up. It became uncomfortably clear he wanted her, and she sensed something very animal about him, which made her grateful to have Avery beside her.

Finally deciding it would ease the situation if she spoke, she smiled and broke the silence with a chipper, "Hi!" But he only continued to stare at her like he knew her, or at least acknowledged her as a hot piece of ass. He finally waved a hello instead of speaking, and that only elevated the tension. She slid one of her suede boots backwards, but Avery was there and her ass bumped into his, the mere touch of their bodies making her feel safe again, and she looped an arm around his waist and he mindlessly hung one around her shoulder. The guy had a friendly face––he just exuded sex, but now that she was safely in Avery's arm, she could admit it was a little exciting to be in his presence. Add to it the vulnerable condition of being panty-less under a tight skirt, and she was met with a surprising lurid thrill. Panty-less and sandwiched by men––one pure animal and one pure love.

The guy held up his drink––a martini. "Should've gone with one of these!"

His voice had a kindness to it she didn't expect, and it gave her enough courage to respond.

"Well, if I was a whopping two-hundred-pounds I could probably handle that right now, but I've had an early start at dinner." She instantly realized how flirty and awful that sounded, but it was too late.

"One-eighty-five," he corrected.

"Oh! Sorry."

"Don't be."

The drinks were ready and she headed back to the booth with Avery. Tony had put away most of his pint in their absence and had a sleepy gloomy look on his face. She didn't waste anytime and inquired as to what the hell happened with his girlfriend Sue.

"I don't know, you know, Sue seemed nice, seemed like things were great, then she springs on me there's someone else. But didn't you guys think she was nice?"

"Of course, man!"

"Kim?"

"Not anymore."

"You're right. Fuck, the first decent girl in years and I end up getting told she's leaving for a fucking Porto Rican club manager. I'm tired of settling for pigs. It's just, I don't know how much lower my expectations can get, you know. And Avery's always throwing away these hot, crazy, wild chicks I'd give my left nut to keep around. Well not you, Kim––I mean you're totally hot––and I mean you're a total keeper––you're just not the type Avery's always kept in his stable. Fuck, you know what I mean. Or when I do meet someone I totally click with, like Jenny Swanson, Avery ends up banging her."

She knew he would to bring that up. For a guy who demonstrated little guilt with her, Avery was a total sucker for what he'd done to Tony clear back in high school, and boy could Tony milk it.

"Wasn't this Jenny Swanson completelyin lovewith Avery, though?"

"Well, that's what Avery's always said. I never really had a chance to ask after she spit in my face for calling her a splayed leg skank."

"Didn't she tattoo your name on her arm, Avery?"

"Yeah, with pen ink and a thumb tack."

"I don't know, Tony, sounds like she might have been a little in love with him."

"Doesn't really matter. I mean we were perfect for each other, even better than Sue and I, but it doesn't matter."

Avery held up his fist. "I was wrong for getting with her. I feel like dirt for that, man. Always have! And you know my offer still stands."

A little wine dribbled down Kim's chin when she heard that, while Tony bumped fists with Avery and halfway smiled. She wiped her chin and sent Avery the most evil vibe she could conjure, since his offer to Tony was an open invitation to bang his girlfriend should an opportunity arise. Of course they'd made this arrangement before Kim was ever in the picture,but still...

Tony snapped out his hands towards Kim, and completely smiling said, "Maybe if you'd stop dating super models I'd actually have a shot."

The guys laughed, and she tried to find some flattery in it somewhere, but just couldn't.

Suddenly, they were all caught off guard as a figure appeared at the end of their booth. Kim turned to face a large pewter belt buckle reading S-M-O-K-E. It was the blonde with the cleft chin, and he held two martinis, sipping from one and offering her the second slender-stemmed glass, carefully balancing the clear liquid inside the shallow cup atop. She accepted, saying, "Why thank you!" Avery and Tony were starring at the guy in disbelief. "But you know I'll never be able to finish this."

He turned to Avery for a moment and pointed his thumb to the bar. "Karl's pouring two Guinness right now. I heard your order at the bar earlier."

"Hey man, thanks. What's the occasion?"

"You tell me," he inquired. "You two are the ones looking like you've had an evening."

"He sold his car," Tony blurted out, and having the news come from Tony made it sound like they were Meth addicts cashing in their lives for cheap drugs and alcohol, effectively killing any further notions of class.

"We're not that dressed up."

"It's more than the clothes." He pointed to the picture of Ingrid Bergman hanging at the end of their booth. "You two brought in some class, and it's been awhile since this place has seen any. Just thought I'd show my appreciation."

This guy was barely thirty, way too young to be living in the past, and given that he wore only jeans, a tee-shirt, and black boots, she hardly felt he was an authority on class, but nevertheless, she wasn't going to let any of that ruin the thrill of being told such a thing.

"Well I'm Avery, that's Tony, and this is my girlfriend Kim."

Ha, Avery actually felt the need to mention she was his girlfriend. He did have his limits.

"Well I'm Ray."

"Howdy Ray!"

Then Ray did a curious thing, he tilted his head and looked at Kim with one suspicious eye, until he finally pointed to her and said, "Does the name Christina Sabbath mean anything?"

Tony burst out laughing, and Avery, after unsuccessfully trying to hold it back, joined him. "No," she said, letting it trail off as she glared towards Avery and Tony and shook her head at them for being such assholes. Ray quickly recognized he'd caused a problem. "Whoops. I kinda counted on everybody being clueless if I'd made a mistake."

Avery leaned into Kim. "Christina Sabbath is the porn star who looks just like you."

She suddenly felt sick, because this hot guy who'd been so taken with her all night had actually believed she could be a porn star.

"Sorry, but I don't actually look like her."

The guys were busy laughing again, and Ray gestured if he could take a seat opposite her, next to Tony. She half heartedly shook her head and he sat. "I didn't mean any disrespect, Kim."

It was the first time he'd said her name, and his voice gave it a quality she'd never heard before––a stab followed by a hum. He'd even turned her name into sex. She drank from the martini, pushing her wine aside. It was cool and wicked on the throat, and a quarter of it was gone with one sip.

"Iamsorry. But forget that she makes adult films––she's still one of the prettiest ladies around, period. I couldn't have paid you a higher compliment mistaking the two of you. I mean it."

He followed the compliment with a really great smile and she eased up a bit, which was good, because if things had continued to go the way they were she might've cried. She took another long sip of her martini, which also helped to heal the wounds.

Ray scratched his head and hesitated for a moment. "I'll tell you something more––she was the one whose beauty I-Sly couldn't resist. She set off his whole scandal."

Tony overheard, and cried out, "Bullshit, I'd have remembered that. Gimmie your iPhone Avery!" Avery handed it over and Tony started fumbling with it. Within minutes he'd found something. "Holy shit, it is her!"

"I-Sly's a big celebrity," Ray said across to her. "You've heard about it, right?"

She jiggled her head yes as she took another good size sip.

Avery and Tony were both huddled to the iPhone, looking at the pictures. She couldn't believe this was happening,again!

"Oh man," Tony laughed, "So I-Sly let's them film on his estate where he keeps all his cars, and like in the movie plot she's washing them for charity, but then two chauffeurs start hanging around checking her out and end pulling a train. I-Sly's watching all this off camera, and at some point he says he just couldn't take it and had to get some of that." Then in Tony's very horrible rapper impersonation, "I'm gowna make me abigcontrobution to cherty."

Avery held up the iPhone for her. "Wanna see what you'd look like doing a famous rap star?" On the little screen glowed a close-up of Christina Sabbath with her mouth stuffed and a slobbery chin. I-Sly was one rapper she hated––'Blah, blah, bitches-and-hos, blah, blah, bitches-and-hos!'––so Avery's comment really hit a nerve. She looked away and finished her martini, then set the sleek empty glass down and pushed it towards Avery. He understood, and she let him out of the booth to get her another while fetching the two Guinness still waiting for him at the bar.

When she sat down again, Ray grabbed her hand. "When I'm tense, this works." He pressed both of his large thumbs into her palm. She began to pull away, but hesitated when she felt the hard round tips grind into her meat, which forced her shoulders to drop and her spine to go limp.

Tony still had Avery's iPhone and stared wide-eyed at the little screen. He'd found another group of pictures featuring the same girl and occasionally felt the need to describe the images before him. "Man, I don't care what they're paying her––she's earning every single penny."

So Kim let Ray massage her hand during their semi private moment, and he continued working wonders. His arms were lean and strong, the muscles rolling like snakes as his thumbs mashed her hand like a small lump of clay. Her eyes closed, she couldn't help it, and her head fell against the laminated seat cushion.

Fuck Avery and Tony! Why was she even letting them get to her?

The whole thing reminder her of being eleven and coming home to find her two brothers and their friend watching a porno movie in the living room. The curtains were drawn, allowing the TV to illuminate the whole area, and beer bottles were all over the coffee table, so the bottom of the screen was obscured by their tops. Albee was four years older than her and Josh was five, and although she typically felt herself incredibly mature to be caring for a house full of men, she'd become a complete child in this situation. When she tried to say something, Josh snapped. "This is the birds and bees, Kim. If mom were still alive she'd explain." The big TV had a lady getting her hair pulled by a guy who was shoving his penis into her so hard she screamed. Then another penis was pushed into her mouth and choked her so she couldn't scream anymore.

"I know about thebirds and the bees,but why are they hurting her?"

"Because she wants it." Albee and their friend laughed.

"No she doesn't."

"It's all about the birds and the bees, Kim! You'll understand someday. And it's what men like, so get used to it quick if you ever want to find one, twerp."

Twerp was the one name she hated the most. They'd called her every derogatory, sexist name they could think of, but twerp struck a nerve. It made it clear she was the youngest, something she couldn't compensate for, and the youngest always gets bullied around. Being a girl just added to the thrill of it.

That day haunted her for weeks. She hated her brothers––all boys, and she obsessively cut the hair from the heads of her old dolls. Then one night, as she lay in bed, the sights of the porno replaying on her dark ceiling, her hand moved into her panties, and she touched herself.

Her steel-blue eyes instantly tore around the room when Ray's thumbs dislodged from her palm. Avery carried over two martinis and set them down, then went back for the Guinness. My god, this was getting out of control!

Across the table Ray peered right through her, the only one aware that she was starting to smolder inside. She'd been wrong, he wasn't a sexual animal––he was a maestro of sex––a fucking Hollywood Don Juan! He didn't prey upon her desire, he filled her with it.

"Guys, I mean come on. Look at this!" Tony scratched his mutton-chops along his cheek, and held up the iPhone with yet another picture of Christina Sabbath in action. "She looksjustlike Kim! I meanexactlylike Kim!"

Avery returned with the last of the order, balancing two shots of tequila in between the pints. Kim got up to let him slide back in. "What I'd miss?"

"Nothing. Tony's little wee-wee is still getting off on a girl who he thinks is me."

"Just look at her."

"You sick little Italian! I'm a blonde. She has dark hair."

"She's dyed it,comeon!"

Avery sat down. "Well, does the carpet matches the drapes?"

"No carpet! She has a tattoo on her ass, though––a carrousel horse. What about it, Kim? Got a tattoo?"

"If I say 'no' are you going to believe me?"

"Avery, does she have a tattoo or what?"

"Will you even believe me at this point?"

"Then give us a peek, Kim!"

"Are you even for real, Tony?"

Avery grabbed her hand and tilted his head towards her in defeat, with a subtle expression that she took to mean she should just get it over with and shut Tony's silly ass up.

She returned a look that read, 'Really?' He kissed her cheek and touched her thigh. "Then fine!" Avery was always in for the daring, and for the first time since they'd arrived, she felt they were aligned on something. And the idea of showing her ass to this Ray character just seemed so out there. She brought her knees up on the padded bench seat to kneel, putting her butt just above the table. It left her facing the open bar, and when no one was looking, she placed one hand over her crotch in order to keep her tight dress down, and grabbed the hem around back with the other. She then peeled the skirt up her back, exposing her panty-less flesh. The way she arched her back jutted out her ass, making it rounder, and fuller, and so very powerful. And nowhere was there a tattoo, just clean, smooth, white, skin.

She noticed Ray, whose eyes were fixed on her treasures. He smiled towards one side of his face in a way that tilted the cleft in his chin. She didn't just feel naked, she felt spread wide open.

"Fucking awesome, Kim!" Tony shouted, loud enough for everyone in the bar to hear, and Kim brought her dress down in panic.

"Satisfied!" She plopped her butt on the seat again, feeling oddly proud and seriously turned on.

"Yeah, well it could be one of those temporary tattoos." He was just being funny now.

Avery then whispered into her ear, saying she was too fucking hot. From across the table, and without using words, Ray told her the very same thing, and she wished she could do it all over again.

"You could have mentioned temporary tattoosbeforeI showed you my ass."

"What? Am I stupid? That just made my night!"

She took a big sip from her fresh martini, and when she set it down, Ray pushed it away. "Maybe another one of these is a bad idea."

His boldness took her breath away. Even Avery had noticed. And she probably would've been pissed about it, except he was right––the first one had just now started to hit her.

An unsettled silence followed as she let it go and Tony went back to browsing images on the iPhone. "Let's see if we can't figure out how to prove this Christina Sabbath thing once and for all."

Ray then spoke up, "Hey Tony, look up Ray Smoke on that thing."

A minute later Tony hit pay dirt, and shouted, "No fucking way, dude!You'rea porn star!"

Everyone appeared shocked, especially Kim.

"Holy crap, dude, you're like twelve inches!" Tony held up the iPhone, and there was Ray, a huge dick weighing on the hands of a pigtailed brunette.

"Eleven and a quarter!"

"Christ man!" Avery shook his head in disbelief. "Where are you hiding that?"

"Ha! Well, Kim showed us hers so I thought I might as well show you mine."

The sight of it left Kim's cheeks a scarlet red and suddenly ashamed of playing into his hands. Seeing all the images of Christina Sabbath with overly endowed lovers, and then having unintentionally toyed with a real tool of the trade, well that would surely blur her own persona with Christina's in a way Avery and Tony would never let go. Her stomach sank as something lewd crept through her like a parasite. She suddenly got a head rush, putting her hands on the table and closing her eyes. Maybe it was time Avery took her home.

As the blood rushed past her ears she barely made out Tony's voice. "Dude, I'm sitting next to guy and looking at pictures of his cock––how wrong is that?"

This time Ray laughed the hardest.

"Wait, here's your bio, dude. 'A Los Angeles native born in1978, Ray Smoke has become one of the more sought after male stars in recent years. Shooting less than four films a year has earned him only ten films to his credit, but they are all ranked high in Hustlers top fifty, with 'Schindler's Tryst' coming in at number two. Avoiding the raunchier side of the industry, his films lean more towards the erotic than hardcore, and he appears to consistently invokegenuineperformances from his costars. In an online interview, Sasha Grey said that Ray Smoke was the performer she'd most like to work with again.'Fuck, you did Sasha Grey?"

"Yep!"

"Mother-fucker!"

Avery nudged his hip against Kim, and she got up to let him out. She asked if he was ready to go. Without answering, and without warning, he pulled her around to the alcove leading to the restrooms, the only private area in the bar. She was still a little dizzy when he started to kiss her hard. He forced his tongue into her mouth and pushed his hand through her short blonde hair. Her tongue quickly took to the warm intruder and curled against it. The kiss brought her completely back, and when she opened her eyes, Avery's face was practically touching hers, as he held her shoulders and pressed her against the wall. Releasing one shoulder he brushed her long bangs from her right eye. "I know I've been a little bit of a jerk tonight. And I know I sometimes have trouble taking things seriously. And I am sorry if I let things get carried away. But I love you, baby, and I've never told you this, but I've never said those words to another girl."

He certainly looked serious in that moment. His lip even trembled. Her boyfriend was always such a relaxed cool guy, so she loved when he grew that intense. "I love you too, sweetie."

"So I know you're aware Ray's been working you all night."

"I think everyone's aware of it. You could have said something––do you just not care?"