by Hammond, T.
“The necklace is perfect with the dress, Lover. Perfect on you. I wanted you to have beautiful things to accent the dress. When I got to the store, this style was the only one that stood out. I fell in love with the whole set.”
“I’ll ask Red to give me a visual later this evening. Thank you, Sweetheart.”
He drew me in for one of my favored, full-body hugs. “Thanks for graciously accepting the gift and not making a big deal out of it.”
“Well, making a fuss would make me a lousy gold-digger, now wouldn’t it? I have a materialistic reputation to uphold” I teased. I caressed a hand over his face, cupping his cheek, softly crushing his beard to ensure I had his full attention. “Money is not an issue for you, therefore, I refuse to blow this out of proportion. I appreciate the gift, but more than that, I appreciate the thought you put into selecting something special for me; something in line with my tastes.”
“You look absolutely stunning, Teresa.” He stepped back. “But, I better touch up your lipstick before Janey kills me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Whether by design or coincidence, my lipstick was the smudge-resistant type that was easy to freshen up. David had to run a quick wash rag over his face, so I assumed he had a little color transfer during that hot kiss in the master suite. So worth it!
Bas, David and I were going over final details for the evening, when Janey wandered out of the second bedroom of the suite. After fixing up my face, she had applied her own makeup in the adjoining guest bathroom.
“Oh My effing God,” Janey exclaimed, laughing. “That is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. Red, you look so handsome.”
“Hear that Teresa? I’m adorable,” Red’s tone was smug, and I’m sure he must be puffing out his chest like a prize fighter.
“Does anyone want to let me in on what she’s talking about?” I asked the room at large.
Janey’s laughter was still edging her voice as she explained, “Bas dressed Red in a doggy tuxedo. A red cummerbund has been fashioned into his dog harness, and his collar has a dickey attached that looks like a ruffled dress shirt front with a black bow tie. I saw the outfit laying on Bastian’s bed earlier, but this is the first time I’ve seen Red wearing it.
“I’ve got to get a picture of this,” she said. “I’ll use my cell phone, it takes great photos. This is your Christmas card family photo, right here,” she promised. I could hear the tap of Janey’s shoes in the foyer as she darted across down the hall (to get her purse?). Geez, when did Janey’s stilettos start to sound like the clicking nails of a Pomeranian? I wondered, as she scurried her way back to us.
“Ok, David and Red, go stand next to Teresa.” It took her a few moments of direction before we were posed to her satisfaction against the window with the San Francisco skyline behind us. “Perfect,” she said after making us stand there for a solid five minutes of snap shots. “I think I got some great pictures.”
“Bas come over here.” I reached out a hand toward the couch where he had been sitting, “You need to be in a few of these too.”
“Hey, those are your Christmas pictures, you don’t need my ugly mug in them,” he protested.
“Bas, you’re my family too,” I told him gently. Then added with a tough edge, “So, get your ass over here and let Janey take my picture surrounded by handsome studs.”
David chuckled as Bas grudgingly joined us for a few additional poses. “You know better than to argue with her.”
“Yeah, but these pictures should just be of you three,” Bas said, referring to David, Red and me.
I balanced against one of his bulging biceps and dropped a kiss in the vicinity of his face, landing on his jawline this time. “You are family too, Bastian. It is important to me that you are in our family picture. The only reason I didn’t insist Janey be in it is because she’s wearing her slutty, club clothes. Standing next to our sartorial splendor, she’d look like the poor, trailer-trash relation. We’ll have to retake some together later, with all of us, for a nice family portrait.”
“Hey! I heard that,” Janey protested. “I do not look slutty.”
“You kinda do, Sis,” Bas told her. “There’s more real estate showing than you’d ever show if Mom or Dad were here. That top is cut so low, I think I can see your navel.”
David had already given me the rundown on the outfit when Janey showed up over an hour ago to help me with my hair and make-up. It’s an outfit she had worn once, a month before my accident, when we went clubbing together in Seattle. Black leather mini skirt and halter-top, accessorized with a pair of kick-ass, thigh-high boots perched on four inch spiked heels. Her curvy figure had been turning heads that night, both male and female. “I have to agree with your brother on this one, Janey. That outfit is pretty wild, but it will be perfect for big city clubbing. Just be sure to wear panties this time.”
My throw-away line had the desired effect when Bas choked out, “What? The Hell, you say!”
“Ha ha,” Janey retorted, intelligently (yeah, just kidding about the intelligent part). “She’s yanking your chain, Brother Dear. This is appropriate for where we’re going tonight. Jason says it’s the perfect thing to wear for the drag show.
There was a considering pause before Bas replied, “Yeah, I’d believe our gay, cross-dressing, leather fetish-wearing friend picked that outfit. I’m even willing to bet Jason tried to talk you into loaning it to him; although, the boots would be too small for those humongous feet of his. Where I’m struggling is that he apparently found it in your closet.”
Janey snickered, “He told me he has these FAB-ulous heels that would go PURRfectly.” My girlfriend’s exaggerated cadence was almost a spot-on imitation of Jason’s flamboyant speech pattern when he assumed his female persona, Jinx. Jason had coached us in proper etiquette of using his female name when he was ‘in the zone,’ so to speak. We were also told that it was appropriate to refer to him as a ‘her,’ when he… err, she was in drag. So confusing, but hey, Jason was our friend, so we could get into the spirit of things.
There was a loud knock on the suite door. “Oh great, that’s probably Ken and the hussy now,” Janey said. “Jinx insisted on coming by when Ken picked me up, to make sure I got your eye shadow done correctly. Sheesh, you’d think she could trust me to do it. Such a Diva.”
“Oh My effing God,” Jinx drawled in her throatiest fem fatale voice. “Girlfriend, you are to DIE for! That gown, and OH MY GOD, the BLING, are simply stunning on you. And Red, you look so handsome in those ruffles.”
“Am I the only one concerned that Janey and Jinx are stealing each other’s dialogue? I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what Janey said when she walked in,” David mused.
We were introduced to Jason through David, who had befriended him when he was staying at the hotel where Jason worked. I was aware that his sexual preference didn’t define Jason as a person, but I’d been around enough bigoted people to know that it was usually the masculine men seemed the most threatened by a hint of homosexuality. It was a pleasant surprise that David and Bas didn’t fit the stereotype. You didn’t get more masculine than two six-foot-plus, ripped and cut ex-Navy men, or more out of the closet than over-the-top, Jinx. Not only were my guys comfortable enough to invite Jason over to the house for barbeques and occasional dinners, we had even gone out clubbing as a group. Good natured David and Bas even took their turns escorting Jinx out on the dance floor. They did draw the line at slow dancing though- I guess macho does have its limits, I grinned.
“It’s just not fair that you guys are straight,” She complained, with an exaggerated, heavy sigh. “Hearts are breaking all over the city.”
“Hearts, my ass,” David muttered. “By the way, you look great, Jinx. You’ve got the sexy, pouty, Marilyn Monroe look down perfectly. That doesn’t excuse the wandering eyes, though. My face is up here,” he directed, good-naturedly.
“If I haven’t said it already,” Jinx said, suddenly serious, “I really love all of you.”
“Vixen.” Jinx tested the word and seemed to roll it around in her head for a moment. “I think I like that.”
“Well, Jinx, you Vixen you, we need to get going if we want to get you signed up for the drag show,” Janey said. “Check Teresa’s makeup and let’s get our asses out the door.”
The carpets muffled the footsteps as Jinx approached me to check my face. “Great job, Janey.” Jinx leaned in to give me a quick hug, and a kiss on the cheek. She whispered in my ear, “Your man has excellent taste in diamonds, Sweetie. And, even better taste in women. You look gorgeous.”
In my mind, I heard a softly spoken, “Lights on.” Just as I returned the hug. Red flashed a visual of Jinx dressed in her Marilyn dress. “I’m sure you’ll knock ‘em dead at the show. Good luck,” I mumbled back, distracted by the sudden onslaught of visual detail. Red panned the room, so I got to check out everyone’s outfits and watch the hugs and kisses as our group split in two.
Ken and Janey were both dressed in leather, ready for their night out on the town. Ken extended his elbow out on both sides, allowing Janey and Jinx to latch on as they strolled together from the suite.
Bas and David, side by side, were heart-stoppingly gorgeous in their tuxedos. Bas was letting his hair grow out again, and its blond length brushed his collar. I was surprised to see he was growing a goatee that framed his suggestive smile. He looked a little bit like Brad Pitt, only sexier. Yum. His tux did nothing to disguise the bodybuilder width of his shoulders and the well-toned body beneath the jacket.
David was a couple of inches taller and leaner, like a basketball player or a runner. His shoulders were not quite as broad as the man standing next to him, but it was easy to see he was in great shape also. He moved with an elegance at odds with Bas’ abrupt, controlled strength.
My dog, pointedly standing where he was reflected in a floor length room mirror, did look effing cute in his tux. I signed a discreet, Thank you, to Red for flashing me the mental images and caught the soft wag of his tail before he gently withdrew from my mind. For the first time in memory, I didn’t immediately regret the loss. My heart was full of friendship, and love, and enough visual candy with everyone gussied up that I was content to savor it all from memory. Filing the images away as if my mind were a treasured photo album.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It had been arranged to meet Dex and Fritz at the event, where we would be introduced to their partners in a formal setting. Since David, Bas, and Fritz were already acquainted through their jobs in the Navy, it would not be suspicious for them to all meet and greet. In fact, it would be more telling for them to ignore each other.
One of the guys, or maybe Lt. Mercer, had reserved a limo to pick us up at our hotel and take us to the Gala (come on, we were all dressed up – it seemed wrong to refer to it as the BAWHG, at this point). It was a little chilly, so I was especially grateful Janey had found a waist length crimson velvet jacket to wear with the gown.
David escorted me to the elevator, with my hand tucked in the bend of his elbow. Bas had already left a few minutes earlier to take Red down to sniff and anoint a multitude of bushes in the dog area behind the hotel. We decided to wait on the mind vision to keep Red fresh in case we were at the ball longer than anticipated. We were confident that Red could switch to mind speaking if he couldn’t hold the sight connection. So far he had not shown any adverse effects to holding a speech link for an indefinite amount of time.
On the elevator ride down, David pressed a gentle kiss to my temple. He smelled of cedar, lime, and the faint citrus scent of his shampoo. I’d need to check with the shop in Coeur d’Alene to see if they could blend up additional products in the lime cedar scent he and I both preferred.
The elevator doors whooshed open, introducing the scent of lemon polish, old cigarettes, sweat, and perfumes, layered one over the other, from the multitude of bodies moving around in the lobby. With my hand, once again, secured in the bend of his arm, David ushered me out to the valet area where the limousine awaited us at the curb. “Ten feet to the car,” David directed. “Looks like Bas and Red are already inside waiting.”
Red briefly warned, “Lights on.” As I approached, so I was able to see my way into the vehicle without mishap. I arranged my skirt modestly around my legs, trying to be careful of the heavy beading around the hem.
“Thanks Red,” I said. “I appreciate the help getting in, but save your sight for later, okay?”
“It was Bas’ idea. He said it might be awkward for you because the seats were facing the wrong way.”
“He was right,” I agreed. “Thanks, Bas. It would have been harder to figure out the seating.”
It was a ten minute drive to the Gala, but we were in the limo for another fifteen minutes while the vehicles in front of us dropped off their passengers, and circled out of the event venue’s long driveway. There was another five minutes or so before it would be our turn to disembark, when Red decided he needed to visit the bushes outside the vehicle window.
“Really, Red?” I complained. “You just went at our hotel. You had five minutes of lawn time to take care of business.”
“But, Teresa, I really have to go,” he whined.
“You two stay here. I’ll take Red out so he can explore new and uncharted territories, and we will meet you when you get to the entryway.”
“Bas is the greatest!” Red said, ecstatic over getting his way. Actually, he would be working hard for the next few hours, so it was nice of Bastian to spend some outdoor time with him and let him be a regular dog for a few more minutes.
“Thanks Bas. And, Red says, thanks, too.”
“No problem.” There was a sound of the door opening and the dinging of a warning bell. Bas slid out, with Red right at his heels. Shortly after the door slammed closed, the limo inched forward one car length.
“Looks like there are six vehicles ahead of us,” David told me, answering my unasked question. “Red has managed to claim the whole front garden for his domain. A dog should not be able to hold that much urine.”
I chuckled, “He’s so darned excited, like a little kid. I’m glad Bastian doesn’t mind walking with him before we all go inside.”
“I forgot to mention, I got an email from Lt. Mercer,” David said. “Colonel Spencer had a small turf patch brought in for the balcony area, so that Red could relieve himself, or have an excuse to relieve himself, during the party without us having to leave the ballroom.”
“Well, that was considerate. And, a really good reason to have Red in that area without raising suspicion. We need to make sure we take him out to introduce him to the grass area, so that it will look natural for him to seek it later.”
The limo inched forward again, and I felt the transmission set into ‘park.’ David shifted on the seat beside me, sliding towards the car door. Our driver must have opened it from the outside, because I didn’t feel David reach for the handle. One of David’s hands slid into mine, and he helped guide me out of the vehicle.
“Lights on,” Red warned, and soft artificial light flooded my mind. It was night, so the light bulbs and flood lights cast less intrusive brightness in my head. I watched myself fold out from the backseat of the limo, to stand next to David. Wow, he looked good in his tux. And let me say, the beard really enhanced the line of his jaw, drawing a woman’s gaze to his mouth. He watched me settle my hemline over my shoes. His eyes followed the movement of my hands, and he smiled as I settled my beaded purse over my right wrist. My heart almost stopped at the love I saw in his face as he gazed down on me, curling his hand around my waist. I reached a hand to his face, cupping his cheek while lifting my mouth for a quick kiss.
Show time.
Bastian took the lead, while Red fell in step to my left, leaving David to my right. Red gave me an unimpeded view of Bas’ backside, and for the record, it was a glorious sight. Unlike David’s smooth, gliding, runway model saunter, Bas walked
like he was claiming territory. He strode with an economy of movement, no wasted gestures; his step firm, shoulders back, and head high. I watched his head move from side to side as he followed the actions of the people surrounding us. He walked like a soldier, purposeful and confident.
There was a chill in the air, accompanied by a dampness very different from the drier, crisper cold I was used to in Spokane. It was probably fifty degrees and I felt goose bumps crawling up my arms. At home in the same temperature, I’d be wearing shorts, a short-sleeved t-shirt, and flip flops.