Intensity

by S. Briones Lim

  Ruthie glanced over her shoulder at the closed bathroom door. Rolling her eyes, she pounded on the wooden door with the side of her fist. “Oh come on, Celine. You can’t look that bad!”

  “Did you help Cash pick out this dress?” Celine’s voice yelled from the other side.

  “Yeah…well, no,” Ruthie admitted. “I did pick out the store, though!”

  “I’m not wearing this,” Celine replied through the door. “No way. I’m just going to wear that extra dress I packed.”

  Ruthie eyed the simple black empire styled dress that hung in the closet. With a shake of her head she replied, “No, Cash said he picked that out specifically for the party tonight. You don’t want to show up underdressed do you?”

  The bathroom door suddenly flung open, revealing a very scantily clad Celine. A (very) tight red tube dress hugged every curve of her body. Some she didn’t even know she had! The front was cut in a sweetheart shape and the edge of the skirt came to her mid-thigh.

  “I can’t wear this,” Celine said in horror, walking towards the full-length mirror. “I would never even have worn this in college!”

  “Don’t lie.” Ruthie laughed. “We all know what you wore back in the clubbing days.”

  Without a word Celine grabbed her black dress. “LBD always wins out,” she exclaimed adamantly.

  Ruthie practically pried the dress out of her hand. “You look good! I promise I’d tell you if you looked like a slut.”

  Celine’s mouth dropped open. “Well, the fact that you just hinted at it means I do look like one!”

  Ruthie laughed again. “No, you look beautiful. I think it’s an awesome dress.”

  Celine eyed Ruthie up and down. “Is Cash going to be mad that you went ahead and bought another dress yourself? You know, because he didn’t get to dress you the same way he’s trying to play dress up doll with me.”

  “He’s not like that, Celine! He won’t care I picked out my own outfit.” Not that she had any other choice as Cash had driven away with all her new clothes. “As for your get up, he bought what he thought was nice. Just wear it.”

  Celine turned and examined her reflection in the full-length mirror. She had to admit, the dress made her feel sexy. However, being sexy wasn’t something she wanted to feel, especially when her fiancé was all the way on the other side of the country.

  As if reading her thoughts, Ruthie placed her hands on her best friend’s shoulders. “You look fine, I promise. I’m sure Noah would think the same thing.”

  Celine bit her lip and began to smooth out her hair.

  “Listen, if this party bombs, we’ll leave early okay?” Ruthie offered.

  Celine snorted. “I somehow doubt you’ll be leaving Cash’s party early.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ruthie asked, feeling somewhat offended.

  Celine rolled her eyes. “Come off of it, Ruthie. You know I’m right.”

  “I also know that I’d love nothing better than ordering a huge pizza pie and watching a movie in the comfort of our hotel room.”

  The corner of Celine’s mouth worked up into a smile. “Fine. If the party’s bad, we’re leaving, okay?”

  “You have my word.” Ruthie grinned. “Now come on. The limo’s going to pick us up soon.”

  “I have to admit, it’s sweet Cash rented us one.”

  “I told you that he’s a great guy,” Ruthie beamed.

  Celine struggled to keep a straight face. “Yeah. I bet.”

  Chapter 33

  The limo parked in front of what looked a very “popping” club. A pair of searchlights bounced through the night sky as if inviting extraterrestrials to join in on the fun. The pounding bass echoed from inside the strobe-lit club, somewhat mirroring the pounding of Ruthie’s heart.

  “Are you ready?” she whispered, gripping onto Celine’s hands.

  Celine looked at her friend curiously. “Are you scared or something?”

  Ruthie looked out the tinted glass windows and watched what looked to be two supermodels pass through the velvet rope. “No,” she lied. “Not scared at all.”

  Celine laughed. “What are you worried about? I’m the one dressed in a dish towel.”

  Ruthie giggled. “You look awesome, Celine.”

  “So do you. If you’re worried that Cash’s attention will be elsewhere, trust me, it won’t be.”

  “How’d you know?”

  “I am your best friend.” Celine threw her a knowing wink and placed one high heeled foot out of the car to an onslaught of camera flashes. Keeping her head low, she exited the vehicle, careful not to flash her underwear, and quickly stepped to the side, giving her friend room to get out. She’d hide behind Ruthie for as long as possible.

  “Hey, it’s Legs!” a photographer shouted.

  Celine blinked in confusion and eyed Ruthie in wonder. “Legs?”

  Ruthie rolled her eyes and nudged Celine forward. “Let’s go.”

  The two couldn’t get into the building quick enough. Especially since the familiar bodyguard stood in their way to victory. “Hey girl,” Jude clucked at Ruthie. He eyed her up and down and licked his lips hungrily. “Haven’t seen you since VIP.”

  Ruthie blushed and subconsciously wrapped her arms around her body. “Um, can we get in?”

  “Of course.” He winked, undoing the velvet rope. As Celine walked past him he let out a wolf whistle. “Who woulda thought you had all that, Sweetie?”

  Celine groaned and stomped into the club.

  The music was deafening. Each beat of the music felt like a jackhammer to the chest. The two women looked around, unsure of what to do. Ruthie was right about one thing—all the clubbers were definitely dressed to the nines. Suddenly feeling insecure, she began to doubt her choice in outfit. If Celine wasn’t so much shorter than she was, she would have traded dresses in a snap. Unfortunately, Celine’s dress would be more of a top for her than anything.

  “Hey! You made it.” Cash’s voice rose above the barrage of music, sounding like a choir of angels.

  Ruthie had to consciously stop herself from running up to him. Dressed in a perfectly tailored pair of pants and a tight, knitted sweater he looked like New York’s answer to Adonis.

  “Hey Beautiful,” he clucked, taking Ruthie into his arms. He pressed a wet kiss on her lips, leaving her swooning in his arms. As if seeing Celine for the first time, Cash whistled. “Wow, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

  He stepped away from Ruthie and brought Celine in for a hug. Celine could have rolled her eyes at the fakeness. It was amazing to think that only a few weeks ago she had held Cash on such a high pedestal. Smirking, Celine lightly hugged him back. Her eyes brightened when she noticed Brian behind him, staring at her intently.

  “Whew, I sure know how to pick a dress, don’t I, Brian?” Cash crooned.

  “Thanks for the lovely dress, Cash,” Celine interrupted. It almost pained Celine to thank him, but her good manners won out until the end.

  Cash threw a quick glance at Brian. With a sly smile he grabbed Ruthie’s waist and pulled her in to his body. “Well, we got some mingling to do. See you around, kids!”

  “But wait!” Ruthie began to protest as Cash began carting her away. “I promised Celine—”

  “It’s okay,” Celine ground out. She wasn’t stupid. She knew Ruthie would rather spend the night schmoozing with Cash than stay with her. Forcing a smile, she said, “I’ll be right here. Go mingle.”

  Ruthie looked at Celine questioningly. She wasn’t dense enough to think everything was fine and dandy. “No, I’ll stay with you,” she insisted.

  “It’s okay,” Brian said kindly. “I’ll keep her company. I know there’s a bunch of people Cash wanted to introduce you to.”

  “Yeah, it’s fine.” Celine pressed her lips together and nodded.

  Cash didn’t need to be told twice. Before Ruthie could protest he swept her away towards a growing crowd of people. Like amoebas, the crowd seemed to reproduce, swallowing
the two whole.

  “Wow. Did not think I’d see the day where uptight Celine donned a…a…well, that,” Brian joked, pointing to her dress.

  Celine abruptly crossed her arms over her chest, but realizing it only accentuated her cleavage, she dropped her arms to the side. “Yeah, don’t get used to it. Ruthie made me wear it. She basically alluded that I’d be hurting Cash’s feelings if I didn’t.”

  Brian laughed sarcastically. “Yeah, I don’t think anyone could ever hurt Cash’s feelings. His head is so far up his ass that I’d think he’d be oblivious to it all.” With a smile, Brian peeled off his black blazer and placed it over Celine’s shoulders. “Here.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded and grinned. “I can tell you’re majorly uncomfortable. You might as well enjoy yourself while you’re here.”

  Celine laughed in relief and placed her arms through the sleeves. The jacket was huge on her small frame, but she couldn’t care less if she looked like a seven-year-old playing dress up. It covered up her body and for that she was thankful.

  “Psh, what a dud,” Cash snorted.

  Ruthie followed his gaze and spotted Celine wearing what looked to be Brian’s blazer. Figures her best friend would go to any lengths to cover up her body. For some reason, she’d always been so weird about it.

  “I go out of my way to pick that dress for Brian’s sake and he goes and covers it up! So lame,” Cash said with disappointment.

  “Wait, what are you talking about?” Ruthie asked, pulling her head away.

  “Oh come on, Ruthie. It’s obvious that they both have feelings for each other. I just thought I’d hurry it along,” he replied nonchalantly.

  “No, they don’t!” Ruthie protested, even though she wasn’t entirely sure.

  Cash raised a condescending eyebrow. “Either you’re lying or you’re completely gullible. Of course they do. I haven’t seen Brian act like a lovesick puppy since Crystal.”

  “Wait, you knew Crystal?” Ruthie frowned. She hadn’t heard Crystal’s name since high school.

  “Of course I knew her,” Cash snorted. He took a deep breath and shrugged. “Maybe that’s why I wanted to help this whole Brian and Celine business along. To make up for ruining Brian’s past relationship.”

  Ruthie took a step back and eyed Cash questioningly. “Wait, how did you—”

  “Cash!” A fairly drunk woman casually walked up to him, bumping Ruthie out of the way. “How I’ve missed you!”

  “Stella! Still a beauty!” Cash responded, giving the woman a light hug.

  Ruthie felt out of place as she watched the strange, beautiful woman basically molest Cash in front of her. Catching her eye, Cash gently pushed the woman away.

  “Have you met Ruthie? She’s my date this evening.”

  This evening?

  “Pleasure,” the woman replied, extending her hand. Ruthie reached out and shook it, noticing how limp the handshake was.

  “Have you known each other long?” Ruthie had no idea why she even asked such a question.

  “A long, long time,” Stella responded seductively. She gave Cash a wink and said, “Call me when you want to have some fun, Tight Buns.”

  Tight Buns?

  Cash laughed and scratched the back of his head. Once Stella was out of earshot, he grabbed Ruthie’s arm and motioned towards the floor. “Wanna dance?”

  Ruthie scanned the club and noticed envious looks being thrown at her. These looks didn’t bother her as much as the ones that appeared to be poking fun at her. Was she missing something?

  “Well?”

  She nodded and answered, “Yes,” but still felt a bit uncomfortable.

  Oblivious to her internal struggle, Cash grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. “Let’s show these people what sexy looks like.”

  While Ruthie and Cash tore up the dance floor, Celine wove her way through the rich looking crowd until she found a table in the corner of the room. Never one to make a spectacle of herself, she figured sitting quietly would suit her nicely. Brian walked behind her, acting almost like a body guard. Celine found the whole thing ridiculous, but couldn’t help but feel touched by his protectiveness. Finally reaching the table, she propped herself onto the chair and immediately took her feet out of her shoes. She stretched her toes and sighed with relief.

  Brian sat across from her and laughed. “I take it you don’t dress up very often?”

  She smiled and shrugged. “Perk of working from home.”

  Brian grinned. “Speaking of that. Tell me more about that character of yours. I think Bryson was his name?”

  “Yeah, yeah, he was based on you. Actually that whole story was based on how I felt in high school. Are you happy now?” Celine muttered.

  “Ecstatic,” he responded, his shoulders lifting in amusement.

  Celine shifted uncomfortably and looked around for Ruthie. She wasn’t stupid; she knew she’d lost her best friend for the night. Nonetheless, she was surprised, not to mention a bit disgusted, to spot Cash and Ruthie dirty dancing in the middle of a club.

  “You think they’d at least wait and get a room,” Celine muttered in annoyance.

  Brian followed her gaze and cringed. “Yeah, that’s a bit much for me.”

  “Yup,” Celine responded with a pop.

  “I like this though,” Brian admitted, sitting back into his seat. He gazed at Celine’s profile, wondering how he was able to stand the duration of high school without her on his arm.

  “Like what?” Celine asked, still preoccupied with the show Ruthie and Cash were giving.

  “Just having someone to sit around and talk to. You’d be surprised at how difficult it is to find these days.”

  Celine felt a slight prick in her gut. She knew how hard it was. That was the reason why she felt extremely lucky to have Noah. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Interpersonal communication is a toughie.” She tried to nonchalantly place her left hand on the table, drumming her fingers once her palm hit the cold surface.

  Brian frowned at the diamond. “I never got to ask you, how’d you meet your fiancé?”

  “Um, I was actually looking for a dog. I had adopted one in college and he passed away.” Her heart still pinched, thinking of her lovely mutt, Niko. “I wasn’t really ready for another dog at the time, but I wanted to look. So, as odd as it sounds, I headed over to the dog park to dogwatch. I must have looked like a weirdo, standing there at the dog park without a dog.” She chuckled. “Anyway, Noah had a lab mix named Rocky who just happened to take a liking to me. Rocky kept fetching whatever was in front of him to gift to me. It was only a matter of time before Noah followed him and boom, that’s how we met.”

  There was a certain glow that washed over Celine’s face whenever she spoke about Noah. She always felt it and she was pretty sure others saw it, too. The way Brian gazed at her was all the validation she needed. The Noah Glow had once again worked its way to her face.

  “Sweet story,” Brian replied with no hint of enthusiasm on his face. “Yeah, guess we would never have met that way.”

  Celine thought it was strange he’d even say such a thing, but found herself asking, “Why?”

  “I own cats,” he replied.

  “I’m allergic,” Celine responded. She frowned slightly and turned back towards Ruthie. She felt a bit voyeuristic watching the raunchy exchange on the dance floor, but it was way better than the awkwardness that blanketed the table.

  ***

  “Did everyone ever tell you how great of a dancer you are?” Cash told Ruthie as he grinded against her body.

  “Please…” She laughed. “I am definitely not a great dancer. I’m surprised I can even keep up with you!”

  Cash grinned, gyrating his hips. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

  “Wait, what?” Ruthie asked. Before Cash answered, he spun her around so that her back was pressed against his chest. She shivered, feeling the growing bump in his front. He took her hands i
nto his and entwined his fingers between hers, pressing his palm tightly against hers. They moved to the rhythm of pounding drums and Ruthie immediately became lost in the sensuality of it all.

  “Do you want a drink?” Cash asked in her ear. They were so close that his lips brushed the top of her ear, sending another shiver down her body. Without waiting for her to answer he whisked her away to the bar. “Please pick your poison.”

  Ruthie didn’t really drink that much, but recalling Celine’s admission to getting drunk the night before, she responded with her old college standby, “Vodka tonic.”

  “Nice,’ Cash replied, ordering two.

  About twenty minutes later, Ruthie felt great—GREAT! Cash continued to spin her around on the multi-colored dance floor, but she chose to ignore the slight dizziness that began to creep up.

  “Ruthie,” she vaguely heard Celine’s worried voice. It sounded like a mouse amidst the loud music. “Ruthie,” Celine repeated.

  “What?” Ruthie snapped in annoyance. She never let go of Cash and threw her head back into his chest, relishing the feeling of his beating heart. She glanced up and saw Brian and Celine with similar frowns on their faces.

  “Ruthie, I think it’s about time we leave,” Celine said sternly.

  “You can leave!” Cash snapped in annoyance. He shook his head and took a swig from his bottle. “You literally just got off my crap list. Don’t you start again.”

  “Come on, Cash,” Brian told him firmly. “I think Ruthie has had enough. Let her leave with Celine.”

  “Well, what do you think, Ruthie?” Cash asked. His voice dripped in boredom almost as if he didn’t care either way. “Have you had enough? If you want to leave, go ahead.”

  “I’m fine, Celine,” she hissed as she continued to sway along to the music. “You guys can go if you want to, but I’m staying here.”

  Cash threw Brian a triumphant smile. “She wants to stay.”