"Yea. I noticed you checking out Michelle."
"Cyn. Stop it. I'm not interested Michelle, but you are right, I do think of her as attractive." She smiled up at Cynthia. "I know I'm not making any sense. I'm sorry. Just forget it."
Nicole started to walk away, but Cynthia caught her arm. "Nikki. It's ok. I understand what you're feeling." She pulled Nicole close. "The answer to your question is, I'm not sure."
"So you still consider yourself bi-sexual?" Nicole asked.
"Yes. Don't get mad, but I thought Collin was gorgeous. I wanted you more than him, but I still thought he was a sexy hunk of man."
"I'm not mad. Collin's a sexy guy." Nicole slipped her hand inside Cynthia's and they resumed their walk back to their suite.
"Nick's a good-looking guy as well Nicole." Cynthia said softly as they walked. "I enjoyed his company."
"So you do still find men attractive?"
"Yes." Cynthia said shortly. "I'm still attracted to men, but Nikki, no one has made me like you do. Man or woman. I don't know if that makes me a lesbian or bi-sexual or just confused; but I know I don't want anyone but you in my life."
Nicole squeezed Cynthia's hand. They walked back their suite in silence.
I wish I could say the same Cyn. You have no idea how much I wish I could just commit to you and no one else.
Nicole and Cynthia fell into bed, after they got back to their suite, and quickly fell asleep. The work-out in the fitness center, the work-out in the shower and all day in the sun, robbed them of energy.
"Nick." Collin stepped up to the bar next to him and motioned to the bartender. "You ready for this dude?"
Nick looked over at Collin and smiled. "Ready for what? You're going to work your magic, I'm going to bore the shit of them and by the end of the night we should have four new clients."
Collin laughed. "Pappy on the rocks." He said to the bartender before turning back to Nick. "I don't think that approach is going to work tonight bud."
"Why not?"
"One word. Karaoke." Collin rolled his eyes. "Fuckin' guys love Karaoke. They bash the shit out of each other on the field and how do they relax? Singing 80's and 90's tunes in Vegas."
"It's a white thing Collin." Nick said, barely suppressing a laugh.
He laughed. "I'd believe it, if a two of them weren't black."
"Different strokes." Nick replied.
"Hey, I meant to ask you, how are things with Nicole? Is she enjoying her vacation?" Collin asked.
Nick knew Collin was genuinely interested and there wasn't an ulterior motive.
"It's going great apparently. We've both been so busy, we've been trading voicemails." Nick took a sip of his bourbon. "Did I mention it's a lesbian-only vacation, or at least, it's a woman-only vacation? Nicole's not a lesbian."
"Are you sure?" Collin teased.
Nick clinked his glass against Collin's. "Positive buddy. I think you know Nicole isn't a lesbian."
"You're right. No way. Nicole likes men too much."
Nick nodded and swirled the liquor in his glass. Collin and Nicole had a brief affair. Nick was aware of it and approved of the affair. As a result, Collin had a better insight to Nicole than most people.
"Is it getting serious with Cynthia?" Collin asked.
"Yea. I'd say so. Cynthia told Nicole that she loved her." Nick replied softly.
"What was Nicole's response?"
"Nicole told her she had feelings for her, but that she wasn't in love with her."
"Wow."
"Yea. Wow."
"I guess Cynthia was ok with Nicole's answer."
"Yep. She told both of us that she didn't expect Nicole to leave me, but she wanted to be open and honest about her own feelings." Nick took another sip. "Cynthia's good people. I'm a little uncomfortable about her feelings for Nicole, but she hasn't put any pressure on her, or even hinted that Nicole should make changes in her life."
"Yea. Cynthia's good people all right. She's also damn good at her job." Collin took another sip of his whiskey. "What are the chances she'll come work for us?"
"Good question." Nick replied. "I'd say better than average. I think we ought to offer her a relocation package, so she doesn't lose money on her house. You comfortable with some sort of sign-on bonus?"
"Good idea. Let's do the relocation package." Collin took a sip of his bourbon and stared around the casino. Finally, he nodded. "A sign-on bonus? Y'know I'd be open to it, if we could keep it below $50k."
"Cool. Cynthia's going to stop by the office when she gets back and then I'll walk her through our offer."
"Great. Nick, we need her. We need Nicole too, but we really need Cynthia. Some of the doctor's she works with, are clients of ours and they all speak very highly of her. She's perfect for the job and I'm sick of seeing our clients go elsewhere for their real estate shit."
"Me too buddy."
Collin motioned towards the slot machines. "There they are, let's go."
"Game on!" Nick said quietly.
The men they were meeting were NFL players. They all played for the same team and they were new arrivals in the league. They'd all gone in the 2nd round of the draft and signed hefty contracts. Collin and Nick were entertaining them tonight. The goal was to have each one of them sign with Collin to manage their investments and Nick to manage their insurance portfolio. They had more money than they knew what to do with, so Collin would make it grow and Nick would make sure they didn't lose it.
Their four prospective clients loved the Karaoke bar and each one of them got up to sing several times. The Karaoke bar was on one side of a large bar and the other side of the bar had a stage for an actual band. Karaoke was first and then live music followed and closed out the evening. Collin and Nick suffered through it and even Collin got up to sing a few songs. When he sang "Brick House", he got a standing ovation.
As the night progressed, all four of the guys encouraged Nick to go up and sing. He declined each time. It was ok at first, but one of their prospective clients started to get upset. Karaoke was almost finished and the live band was completing their sound check when their one their prospective clients turned to Nick. He slammed his empty glass down on the table.
"Nick. Here's the bottom line." The large, very large, football player fixed his eyes on Nick and leaned forward. "Either you get up on stage and sing, like the rest of us, or none of us are signing with you and Collin tonight."
Silence descended on the table. The guy looked around at his friends and received nods of agreement. Nick glanced at Collin who shrugged his shoulders, then motioned at the stage. Nick sighed theatrically and looked around the bar for a moment, before he looked back at the football player.
"Ok. Here's the deal. I'll get up on stage and sing." Nick replied.
"Damn straight." The football player said.
"But." Nick said loudly. "When I fuckin' rock this place. All of you sign. Here. Tonight. No questions asked, no business managers and no fuckin' attorneys. I sing on stage, rock this motherfuckin' place and you guys sign. That's the deal."
Silence descended on the table again. The football players looked at each other for a moment. Nick had successfully raised the stakes of the game. Finally they all nodded and the big football player looked over and held out his hand.
"Done." He said. "But you have to rock this place."
"Done." Nick replied. "Now buckle your fuckin' seat belt!"
Nick walked in the direction of the live band, not the Karaoke stage. The band was getting ready for their first number.
"Nick!" Collin shouted. "The karaoke machine is that way." He motioned in the opposite direction.
Nick held up his hand and continued walking. He didn't see the confused looks at the table, but he didn't' need to see them. Success or failure. His plan was wild, it was un-rehearsed, and it was either going to succeed spectacularly or it was going to fail painfully. There was no other outcome.
"Hey guys." Nick said as he approached the band. He discreetly reached into his pocket and fished out his money clip. "I need your help."
A few minutes and several hundred dollar bills later, Nick smiled and the band nodded their agreement. Nick glanced back at the table and Collin looked thoroughly confused. He wasn't the only one, because the football players were shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders.
Nick stepped up on stage and took the microphone.
"Ladies and Gentleman." He stared smoothly. "Thank you for coming out tonight. We're going to start off with a little number for the guys in the back." Nick pointed to their table and the entire crowd turned their heads.
Nick looked back at the band members, nodded shortly and the drummer started them off.
Nick had a secret. No one else knew it, not even Nicole.
The only people who knew Nick's secrete, was the entire high school where he graduated. Nick was part of a band in high school and his band knew only one song. They sang it at a talent show in high school. Only one song, but they knew it cold. Nick and his band knew this song like salt knows pepper. Like forks know spoons. Like the beach knows bikinis. The lyrics were burned into Nick's soul and the rhythm of the song was like a lullaby to him.
The song?
I Drink Alone, by George Thorogood.
The drummer started the song and the band followed smoothly. Nick caught the rhythm and walked down it as thought it was a well-worn path through the woods. He knew every beat, every note and every word of the song. It was like coming home.
Nick opened his mouth and the words flew forth.
The bottom line? Nick sang the shit out of that song!
Nick added funk, he added soul, and he added a touch of bad-assery that George Thorogood himself never could have pulled off. Nick whipped the microphone around on its stand like Elvis, and the king himself, wished he could move his hips like Nick did on stage. Halfway through the song, the crowd was on its feet, cheering and clapping. Nick hadn't worn parachute pants in over 20 years, but that didn't matter. He dusted off his moon-walk and broke out a few break-dancing moves, not seen since the early-80's.
When the final note was played, the drummer hit his last drum and the cymbals finally quieted. The only sound in the bar was the sound of applause. Real, genuine applause. Nick replaced the mike and smiled as the crowd clapped loudly. Shouts of "Encore" filled the room.
It was a rare moment and Nick savored it for several seconds, before bowing and thanking the crowd. The band members patted him on the back and Nick said his thanks, before he left the stage. He made his way through the crowd, enduring slaps on the back, kisses on the cheeks, and returning high-fives.
He was the fucking MAN! If only for a moment.
Finally he made it back to the table to find Collin and their prospective clients clapping loudly. Nick grabbed his drink and downed it in one large gulp. He looked at their prospective clients expectantly. No words needed to be said. Collin joined him and they both stared at the football players.
The big football player smiled, glanced at his friends and nodded his head.
"Where do we fucking sign?" He said.
"Nikki." Cynthia sighed as she looked on from the doorway. "You look amazing. Can we go now?"
"Just a second." Nicole hissed and checked her make up one last time. "This dress isn't too short is it?"
"No. It's perfect. You're perfect. Your body is like a rollercoaster. Everyone wants to ride it." Cynthia laughed softly.
"Bitch!" Nicole replied playfully.
"C'mon. Let's go dancing."
"Yayyyy!!"
The nightclub was surprisingly crowded. The music was loud, but not pounding, and Nicole and Cynthia found a table and ordered drinks. Nicole surveyed the dance floor and enjoyed watching the dancers. Happiness was everywhere. The ladies dancing were having a great time and the good mood was infectious.
"Dance with me." Nicole begged.
"Let's go."
They walked to the dance floor and started dancing with each other. Nicole slipped up next to Cynthia and let their bodies move together. The dresses they were wearing slid easily against each other. It was erotic and Nicole enjoyed every second. Cynthia slid her arms around Nicole and they swayed and danced in time to the music. They didn't make it back to their table for several songs, but when they did, their drinks were waiting for them.
"This is so fun!" Nicole gushed.
Cynthia kissed her cheek. "I know right. It's nice just to get out and dance with each other, without seeing loads of guys staring at us, like we're steaks in a supermarket. I hate the way women become some sort of spectacle for men. It's like enough already, we're not interested, we're not for sale and you can't watch. Go the fuck away!"
Nicole laughed. "You're so right."
"It's hilarious." Cynthia made a face. "The guy's faces go slack and you can just see their fantasies playing over their faces. It's like they're slaves to their cocks or something."
"Ugh. Can we not talk about men tonight?" Nicole asked and rubbed herself against Cynthia. "I'm here with my girl tonight. NO men. No cocks and no slaves. Although you can tie me up later, if you want!"
Nicole and Cynthia danced almost every song together. The slow ones were the best. Nicole enjoyed laying her head against Cynthia's chest and dancing with her. Their bodies pressed together and moving with the music. Cynthia held her softly, ran her hands over her body and kissed her while they danced. It was intimate. Erotic. Beautiful.
"I'm having so much fun." Nicole said when they got back to their table.
They ordered more drinks and smiled at each other. "Me too." Cynthia replied.
Their drinks arrived and shortly thereafter they had a visitor.
"Hi." Nicole and Cynthia looked over to see a tall, black woman standing next to their table. She was gorgeous. Taller than Cynthia, with long wavy hair and beautiful eyes. Her body was similar to Cynthia's in that she was lean and curvy. Nicole thought she was probably an athlete. She smiled at Nicole and Cynthia. "Mind if I join you two for a second."
Cynthia smiled. "Not at all. Please."
"Thank you." She smiled at Cynthia and Nicole. "You two are gorgeous and I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Candace."
"Cynthia." "Nicole."
They shook hands and Nicole added. "You're beautiful."
"Thank you honey." Candace replied. "I noticed you two on the beach today and I just had to meet you."
"Awww." Cynthia said happily. "You should have stopped by earlier and said 'hi'."
"Sorry. I'm shy."
Nicole looked for a bracelet, but didn't see one. "Are you here by yourself?"
"No. I'm here with my girlfriend." Candace replied and motioned for someone to come over. "Do you mind if she comes over? Just for a second."
Cynthia smiled and nodded. "Sure."
Candace's girlfriend joined them and Nicole smiled at her nervously.
"Hi. I'm Jean." She held out her hand to Nicole.
"Nicole." She shook Jean's hand. It seemed like her hand disappeared inside Jean's.
"Cynthia."
"Nice to meet you two." Jean said.
Jean was a striking contrast to Candace. First, Jean was white. Second, Jean was just as tall, but built completely differently than Candace. Jean was masculine. Nicole couldn't think of another way to describe her. Jean had a really short haircut and she was apple-shaped, with a thick mid-section. Jean wasn't fat and there was no hint of a belly, she was simply thicker through the waist than most women. She had a nice smile and pretty green eyes. Jean wore a very nice blouse and slacks to the club. Her makeup was simple and it accentuated her features nicely.
Candace looked over at Cynthia. "I wanted to ask you to dance and Jean wanted to dance with Nicole. Is that ok?" She smiled. "We don't want to be pushy, but we just think you two are so gorgeous."
Cynthia looked at Nicole. Nicole looked at Cynthia. They smiled at each other, then Cynthia looked back at Candace. "Sure. I'd like that."
Nicole smiled up at Jean. "I'd love to."
Jean smiled happily. She slipped her hand around Nicole's hand and led her to the dance floor. A slow song had just started and Nicole stepped into Jean's arms. This was the first time Nicole had danced with a woman other than Cynthia. Jean's body felt nice against Nicole's and Nicole found herself smiling back at her dance partner.
"Thank you for dancing with me." Jean said softly.
"You're welcome." Nicole replied. "Is this your first Olivia event?"
Jean blushed. "Yes. Candace insisted that we come and I'm glad we did. It's fun."
"Why didn't you want to come?" Nicole asked.
Jean smiled down at her. "I was worried I wouldn't fit in. I'm a lot more Butch, than most women and that can be awkward, even for lesbians."
"Ahh." Nicole replied. "I see." She looked up at Jean. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'm enjoying the dance Jean."
"Thank you Nicole. That means a lot to me."
"Can I rest my head on your chest?" Nicole asked.
"Sure, I'd like that actually." Jean replied.
Nicole leaned into Jean and let the big, but sexy, woman lead her for the rest of the song. It was nice. Jean was nice. The song ended too soon in Nicole's opinion. They walked back to the table and Jean held her hand on the way. When they arrived Jean passed her hand back to Cynthia.
"Thank you." She said sincerely to Cynthia.
"You're welcome." Cynthia replied and took Nicole's hand and winked at her girlfriend.
Candace and Jean thanked them again and walked back to their table. Cynthia looked slyly at Nicole.
"You and Jean seemed to get along really well."
"She's really nice." Nicole replied and sipped her drink. "She's honest, open and comfortable with who she is, as a person. That's rare." She shrugged. "I enjoyed the dance."
"Me too." Cynthia replied.
Nicole narrowed her eyes at Cynthia and her girlfriend laughed. "Not like that, Nikki. Stop."
"I'm going to keep my eye on you." Nicole teased and then turned serious. "Are you ok if I dance with other women? I think we'll both get asked again, so I just wanted to check."
Cynthia took a sip of her drink and looked at Nicole over the rim of her glass. Hesitation, laced with a little fear, was written on Cynthia's face. Nicole nodded. "That's fine Cyn." Nicole replied to Cynthia's silence. "I don't want to dance with other women, I just thought I'd check with you, so I can respond if I'm asked, ok?"
"I'm sorry I'm so jealous." Cynthia said quietly and put her drink down. Nicole leaned against Cynthia lightly. "Cyn, it's ok. This vacation is about us anyway, so let's relax and have some fun. I'm all yours!" She stepped back and nodded her head to the dance floor. "Now take me to funky town."
Cynthia laughed and rolled her eyes. "Let's go you sexy beast!"
Dancing with Cynthia was fun. She had a lot of formal dance experience and being a former cheerleader, she knew a lot of cool dance moves. Nicole sometimes wanted to just stop and watch her gorgeous and sexy girlfriend dance.
I'm an ugly duckling next to her, she thought. I love to dance, but Cyn's just so much better.
Almost 10 fast songs went by, before another slow song played and Nicole stepped excitedly into Cynthia's arms.
My favorite place, she thought.
A second later, Cynthia stiffened and Nicole looked up. Another very masculine lady had apparently tapped Cynthia on the shoulder. She didn't look as warm or as friendly as Jean and Nicole squeezed Cynthia's arms discreetly.
"Mind if I cut in?"
Cynthia smiled warmly. "Actually, I do. Sorry, but tonight is all about us. Maybe another time."
"Awww. That's too bad." She smiled at Nicole. "Maybe some other time."
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