The Soiree

Just then they both heard the sound of Brad’s hearty laughter outside the door of the apartment. With a panicky glance at Dave, Kayla turned and darted into the bedroom, slamming the bedroom door shut behind her.

Conscience-stricken, Dave stepped inside and closed the sliding glass door. He fervently hoped that he had not offended Kayla too badly. He’d hate to lose her friendship over a carelessly made remark.

Brad, Todd, and Denise noisily entered the room with several other couples in tow. Almost immediately, Dave realized that Brad had been drinking already. That did not bode well. Brad would only get more and more belligerent the drunker he got. Perhaps it would be a good idea to leave now, just in case Kayla decided to mention his indiscretion. Brad was notorious for his double standards: It was perfectly acceptable for him to fuck around on Kayla but there was no way he’d let any woman of his fuck around on him.

"Hey, Dave! Look, Todd, it’s our cousin Dave!" Brad roared. "Come on, let’s go say hello."

Dave and Todd eyed each other coldly. Neither one of them liked the other; nor did they bother to conceal their ill will. Nevertheless, Brad chose to ignore their acrimony, pretending all was well as he crossed the room and clapped Dave on the back.

"Hey, buddy, what’s up? Where’s the rest of Goddog?" Brad asked, referring to Dave’s band.

Dave shrugged out from under Brad’s restraining arm. "Tate and Joey said they’d stop by for a little while when they get off work and Sherry Rose might show up later if Kenji wants to come, but Trixie’s not going to be here because she’s singing with Mock Turtle tonight. Their vocalist came down with laryngitis a couple days ago and he hasn’t got his voice back yet," Dave explained.

"Well, fuck! I’m going to miss seeing that little bitch Trixie! I like the hell out of her!" Brad exclaimed. "What’s a party with no lesbians? Every good party needs a few lesbians. Right?"

Dave winced at Brad’s crass remarks about Trixie. On more than one occasion, Brad’s boorish behavior had nearly driven the feisty singer of Dave’s band to violence. That’s why she never came to his parties anymore, even when she didn’t have other plans. So far no one, including Trixie herself, had been able to convince Brad that he shouldn’t say those things about her.

"Well, hey! Why the hell am I standing here without a drink?" Brad demanded. "Todd, make yourself useful. Go fix me a drink."

Todd hurried to do his older brother’s bidding, leaving Dave with Brad and Denise and the rest of their friends.

Turning to Denise, Brad asked, "Have you met my cousin Dave yet? Dave, this fine-looking little honey here is Denise." With a wink, he added, "I believe you’ve heard me mention her name a time or two." Brad drew the voluptuous brunette into a passionate embrace and groped her ass while she giggled inanely, much to the delight of the couples they had arrived with.

"Brad, sugar, I’m Todd’s girlfriend for tonight," Denise admonished him, as she pushed his hand away from her ass. "Remember, you’re with what’s-her-name."

"Kayla," Dave supplied, crisply.

Denise’s reply was flippant, "Yeah, whatever."

Dave felt his anger growing. He had to get away before he lost his temper and said something out of hand. Disrespect for Kayla from an unfaithful asshole and a home-wrecking little whore was unconscionable and Dave hated the fact that he had to tolerate it. He was so tired of Brad’s philandering; he wished he could just drag everything out into the open.

Dave extracted himself from the knot of people surrounding Brad and drifted into the kitchen. He finished his beer and grabbed another, downing it quickly to cool his ire. As the rest of the guests began to arrive, he mingled with them, doing his damnedest to avoid Brad and Todd and Denise. Finally, Tate, the bass player for Goddog, and Joey, the band’s other guitarist, showed up. Dave got into a discussion with them about some lyrics for a new song they’d been working on and for a little while he managed to forget the fact that Brad was cheating on Kayla in her own home.

Kayla floated around in a daze. She had tried, with less than successful results, to put Dave’s comment out of her mind. Did he actually want to make love to her or was it just one of his casual flirtatious remarks, something he’d said on the spur of the moment and was now regretting? Kayla didn’t know, but even so she found herself hoping.

As the party wore on, Kayla’s gaze was drawn again and again to the enticing figure Dave made in his black turtleneck sweater and leather pants that fit him like a second skin. She scrutinized him thoroughly, painstakingly comparing all his attributes to Brad’s, hoping to find some flaw that would end her fascination with him.

At six-four, Brad was three inches taller than Dave and outweighed him by a good seventy pounds. Brad was built like a bull, brawny and powerful, while Dave was nothing but wiry, sculpted muscle. Brad wore his dark-blond hair cropped close to his scalp while Dave kept his long; the burnished-gold locks flowing free past his shoulders in thick waves. Brad’s manner was often brusque, sometimes downright rude, while Dave, on the other hand, was always gentle and soft-spoken, rarely going for long without one of his engaging smiles. For the most part, the two were complete opposites; there were only two things they seemed to have in common: eyes as blue as the ocean and the fact that they both disdained facial hair, preferring a clean-shaven look. None of those observations even came close to helping Kayla find fault with Dave; if anything, they merely increased her interest.

Kayla knew she shouldn’t allow herself to be drawn to Dave, to feel the emotions he provoked. It was deceitful, and it cheapened the bond she shared with her fiancé. She was happy with Brad. So what if he sometimes ignored her or said things that hurt her feelings. Everyone had problems. Relationships weren’t meant to be perfect; that’s why you had to work at them. Even so, Kayla couldn’t deny the temptation Dave presented for her.

From across the living room, Dave met Kayla’s gaze and their eyes locked. Kayla felt goose bumps erupt across the flesh of her arms and legs. Her nipples hardened as her pussy flooded with moisture. Her pulse sped up and she felt herself blushing.

God, she thought, this is so embarrassing; I’m acting like a giggly high school freshman experiencing her first crush. She knew Dave. They had been friends for years and while she was attracted to him, she had never before felt this rush of sexual excitement merely from looking into his deep, blue-green eyes. What was wrong with her?

"Honey!" Brad shouted, startling her. "Where’s my Kay-lee girl?" Brad made his way through the crowd to Kayla’s side. "We’re all out of bourbon, hon. Can you run down to the liquor store and get some for me and Todd?"

"But, Brad, it’s freezing out," Kayla said. She noticed, uncomfortably, that many of the guests, alerted by Brad’s raised voice, had focused their attention on the two of them. "Can’t you just drink beer? There’s plenty of that."

"Aw, come on, Kay, don’t be such a bitch. Just run out and get us another gallon of bourbon like a good little girl." Brad patted Kayla on the ass and moved away into the crowd. She stood rooted to the spot, furious at him for embarrassing her once again in front of their friends. He turned back, surprised that she hadn’t obeyed his command yet. "Go on, God damn it, I’m thirsty and I don’t want to wait all night for another drink."

Kayla felt a hand on her elbow and turned to see who it was. "I’ll go with you, Kayla," Dave said, giving her elbow a reassuring squeeze. "Get your purse and your coat and I’ll meet you by the elevator."

Without protest, Kayla did as she was told; anxious to get away from everyone’s pitying looks and whispered comments. Moments later, she stood at Dave’s side as they rode the lift down to the lobby. They exited the building into a bone-chilling wind, which carried a hint of sleet. The temperature had dropped several degrees in the past few hours and the weather was beginning to take a turn for the worse.

"I can’t fucking believe that asshole was going to send you out alone in this," Dave snarled. "What the fuck was he thinking?"

"It’s okay," Kayla replied, trudging along steadily beside Dave on the slippery sidewalk. She was used to defending Brad’s self-centered behavior and did it now without thinking. "He’s just a little drunk. He didn’t realize."

"Fuck that. Anybody in their right mind would not have sent their fiancée out in weather like this for a bottle of liquor. Brad is a thoughtless, self-absorbed bastard." Dave bit back on his anger, knowing that if he didn’t stop now he’d say a lot more than he should.

Kayla started to respond to Dave’s observations about Brad, but at that moment her shoe hit an icy spot on the sidewalk and she slipped. Only Dave’s lightning fast reflexes saved her from falling. He held her tightly until she regained her footing.

"Thanks," Kayla said, shakily. Her heart pounded in her throat, from the proximity of Dave’s body or the near fall she couldn’t say.

"Yeah. Maybe I should keep my arm around you until we get to the liquor store, just in case you slip again." Dave’s arm went around her waist and his hand rested on the swell of her hip. "It might help, too, if you put your arm around me; then we can prop each other up."

Unable to form a coherent reply, Kayla merely complied with Dave’s wishes and slipped her arm around his lean torso. They continued on toward the liquor store, their bodies brushing together intimately as they walked side-by-side.

Dave’s nearness put Kayla’s senses into overload. She could smell the sweet scent of his cologne engulfing her, feel the warmth of his body and the strength of his muscles when he moved, and from the corner of her eye, see his handsome profile as they passed into an area where the sidewalk was illuminated by a streetlight. Kayla wished that it wasn’t so cold; the experience of being held so closely by Dave would have been even more pleasurable without her winter jacket getting in the way. With her mind in such a whirlwind of delightful sensation, Kayla would have walked right past the liquor store if Dave hadn’t guided her through the doorway. In a daze, she purchased Brad’s bottle of bourbon, barely comprehending the cheerful conversation that Dave had with the clerk. Mutely, she accompanied Dave back out into the chilly darkness, grateful that he took the package from her and that he no longer seemed interested in having his arm around her. Kayla didn’t think she’d have been able to make it back to the apartment if he had insisted on doing that again. As it was, all she could think about was how it might feel to have Dave’s long, callused fingers caressing her naked body as she urged him to make love to her. Those thoughts made her so hot she barely felt the stinging sleet on her face.

As they stepped into the elevator car, Dave knew, at that moment, he had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Kayla. His whole body trembled, not from the cold, but from covert desire. If something didn’t happen soon to release the tension between them, Dave was certain that he’d suffer a meltdown – like a nuclear reactor, which had gone critical at the core.

When he pressed the number for their floor and the door slid shut, Dave immediately turned to look at Kayla. She stood beside him with her eyes closed, her bosom rising and falling rapidly with each breath she took. Even in the unflattering illumination from the fluorescent light overhead, she was gorgeous.

"Kayla," Dave said quietly, as he hooked his index finger beneath her chin and raised her face towards his.

Kayla’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing her pale-green eyes. Her pupils dilated as she gazed up at him hungrily. Her coral pink lips parted in an unspoken invitation and without thinking, Dave lowered his mouth to hers.

The bell alerting them that they had arrived at their destination sounded and the elevator doors slid open. Dave reached out and pushed a button on the panel causing the doors to close. He wasn’t going to let anything cheat him out of this time alone with Kayla.

His mouth found Kayla’s once more, questing for the touch of her velvet tongue. A feeling of satisfaction surged through him as she responded passionately, pressing her body against his. His left hand moved to her lower back, drawing her closer.

When she felt the hardness of Dave’s cock pressed against her abdomen, Kayla groaned. Her hands slid over the smooth leather encasing his haunches and without thinking she thrust against him. A painfully sweet yearning burst within Kayla, spilling shards of pleasure into her hungry pussy. She wanted, no, she needed Dave to fill her with his hard cock.

Suddenly, rational thought re-exerted its hold on Kayla. Oh, my God! What am I doing? She thought, frantically shoving Dave away. She grabbed the bottle of bourbon from his right hand, opened the elevator door and fled down the hallway to her apartment.

Dave followed her at a more leisurely pace, marveling at the fact that she’d responded so readily to him when their lips had met. The evidence of her desire for him was irrefutable. Try as she might, Kayla would never be able to deny the fact that her hands had willingly reached out and caressed the cheeks of his ass as she allowed his tongue to explore the recesses of her sweet, succulent mouth.

Then reality brought him back to his senses. A moment ago he had given in to his desires and made out in the elevator with his cousin’s fiancée who had responded with unexpected ardor. That could have cost him his inheritance if they’d been discovered; but kissing Kayla and holding her in his arms had felt too good for him to worry about something minor like that. Dave grinned at his facetiousness – losing a quarter of a million dollars over a woman was not minor unless you were Donald Trump.

But what about the way Kayla had reacted? Her behavior in the elevator had been completely opposite from how she had acted when they were alone together on the balcony earlier. Could it be that she actually was attracted to him as much as he was to her? Was it possible that she had been hiding her true feelings in the same way?

Dave had so many doubts running through his mind. Were his emotions strictly honest? Was his passion for Kayla authentic and untainted by the complex tangle of feelings he had for Brad and the rest of his family; or by putting himself into a position to end Brad and Kayla’s engagement was he seeking some sort of twisted vengeance on his family for making him feel like an outcast because of what his mother had done? Did he have some insane desire to ruin his life, and the lives of everyone around him, just so he could feel better about being the illegitimate son of the town whore? Dave was afraid to examine his motives too closely for fear of what the answers might be.

Kayla leaned against the kitchen counter and swallowed a shot of vodka, wincing as the liquor burned its way down her esophagus to her stomach. She cursed herself steadily for letting her lust get the best of her in the elevator with Dave. Sure, she was horny as hell, but why had she let herself cross the line between right and wrong? She’d acted like a common slut, rutting after Dave that way.

Tears stung her eyes as she watched Brad laugh uproariously with Todd and Denise, the girl Brad had fixed Todd up with. Brad caught her looking, gave her a saucy wink and mouthed, ‘Love you, babe,’ from across the room. Guiltily, Kayla looked away.

How could I have betrayed his trust? She wondered. We’re engaged. We have an agreement that will soon lead to marriage. And I cast that all aside for the momentary pleasure of groping Dave’s ass in the elevator. I’m disgusting. I don’t deserve someone like Brad.

Kayla brushed a hand across her eyes, willing her tears not to fall. Wouldn’t that cause a delightful scene, if everyone saw her crying in the kitchen while Brad laughed it up with Todd and his girlfriend? She felt the old resentment rise up within her and wished she could just let go and do what she wanted to do – but that was impossible. Her parents had done their job too well, conditioning her to put up a cheerful façade in spite of how she felt. "What would people say?" had been their mantra for as long as Kayla could remember. It would take a lot more than one reckless act in an elevator to make Kayla break tradition.

Upon returning to the apartment, Dave tried to avoid Kayla but he was unable to stay away; her presence drew him. He wanted to take her in his arms again and discover all the secrets her luscious body had to offer. He wanted to spend the rest of the night holding her and making love to her. He wanted to know how she really felt about him. But every time he got close to her, Kayla would find a way to elude him. Dave was on the verge of doing something drastic, like grabbing her and dragging her out of the apartment, when his cousin Todd approached him.

"How’s life been treating you, Cousin?" Todd asked. His snide tone wasn’t lost on Dave.

Dave tore his eyes away from the sight of Kayla standing in the kitchen chatting with a group of friends and glared at his younger cousin. Todd was a smaller version of Brad, a spoiled brat who’d always been given the best of everything. For the longest time, there had never been anything between Todd and Dave except animosity, simply because Todd resented the fact that his father had taken Dave in when Dave’s mother died.

"If I thought you really cared, I might tell you, Todd, but I know you don’t, so why bother," Dave snapped. He turned his back on Todd hoping Todd would get the message and go away.

"You know, it’s too bad you don’t have the intelligence and couth the rest of us have, Dave. If you did, maybe then you wouldn’t embarrass yourself, hanging out around here waiting for my brother and me to throw you some scraps. Our family doesn’t need a low-life, bottom-feeder like you. Why don’t you do us all a favor and get lost? Maybe you could swallow a bottle of pills and a pint of vodka like your mother and make it a permanent arrangement."

Already frustrated by the situation with Kayla, Dave was near the end of his patience. He rounded on Todd. Poking a finger in Todd’s chest, Dave said, "Listen, you little fuck, I never asked your family for anything. Uncle Gary came to me after Mom died. I would have been perfectly fine on my own, if he’d just left me alone."

"Yeah, right. Dad should have left you in New York with that queer your Mom was living with before she killed herself. You think you’re so great, big rock-and-roll star wannabe. You’re nothing but an embarrassment to me and my family."

Enraged, Dave balled up his fist and drew back to punch Todd.

Suddenly, Kayla was there, pushing between the two of them. "Stop it, right now, both of you." Her voice was low, but it held a tone of command that brought Dave and Todd up short. "I will not have the two of you ruining this party. While you’re here, you will put aside your differences or you can leave."

Dave couldn’t help but notice that the latter part of the statement had been directed at Todd. He flashed Todd a patronizing smile. Todd drew himself up angrily, and started to say something, then thought better of it. Instead, he merely sneered at Dave before he turned and walked away, rejoining Brad and Denise across the room.

"Kayla," Dave began, but Kayla immediately cut him off.

"No, Dave. I can’t talk to you right now. I’m so confused; I don’t know what I’m doing. Please, just give me some time to figure this out." With one last angst-ridden look at Dave, Kayla returned to her friends in the kitchen.

Dave’s heart soared. Kayla had said she was confused. That had to mean that the kiss in the elevator had affected her as much as it had him. Perhaps there was a chance for them to be together after all. Elated, Dave entered the kitchen, telling himself he needed another beer, but in fact, what he really wanted was to be close to Kayla.