Semblance

by Logan Patricks

  As we headed towards the door, Bria had a look of confusion on her face.

  “Has anyone seen my jacket?”

  From the second we set foot in the Diamond Lounge, we were immediately treated like rock stars. The club’s personal security escorted us to the exclusive VIP area, which so happened to be on an elevated platform right dead centre in the club, overlooking the dance floor. It was as if we were drunken goddesses at the epicenter of the dancing universe and the sea of clubbers—bumping and grinding to the heavy beats of a cute, tattooed blonde DJ—were at our feet, worshipping us.

  At first, I sat there in the slick white leather lounge chairs, bopping my head and sipping generously on my vodka. Every time I finished my drink, another one found its way into my hands and I just couldn’t say no. Four stiff drinks later, I was standing at the edge of the platform and dancing like it was my first time clubbing—full of enthusiasm and moving like no one was watching.

  “Those guys have been checking you out all night,” Calisto whispered into my ear as she snuck up behind me and pointed in the direction of two men who were built like trucks.

  “They’re kind of cute,” I said, though I couldn’t tell for sure. My vision seemed to have been clouded by the Oval Swarovski Crystal Vodka that clocked in at seven thousand per bottle.

  “Let’s give them something to watch,” Calisto said as she spun me around until I was facing her. Before I could protest, she was dancing with me seductively, her silky body rubbing up against mine.

  My first instinct was to take a step back but when I did, Calisto was quick to draw me back to her.

  Fuck it. It was time to free myself of my inhibitions.

  I followed her lead and moved to the music seductively, following her rhythm. We were two girls in control of our sexuality, and making everyone all around us jealous—including Bria who sat by herself on the couch, staring dully into her drink.

  “I think she’s bored,” I pointed out to Calisto.

  “Fuck her,” Calisto replied. “I can’t babysit her and her mood swings all the time. Take your eyes off of Bria and turn your attention back to Sergeant Sexy and Admiral Arousing.”

  I did. Both of them were watching us with the intensity of hungry animals, which only served to fuel us even more in our provocative display.

  Calisto turned her back to me and brushed up her rear against mine, her arms reaching back and taking hold of the back of my neck. I ran my hands gently down the curves of her breasts, and then held them around her waist. The entire time, Calisto was focused in on the two guys, while the rest of the club focused in on us.

  “We’re stealing the show honey,” Calisto said. “How does it feel to know that at this very moment, all women want to be us and all men want to be with us?”

  “Pretty damn hot,” I replied. “I feel like a sex symbol.”

  “You are a sex symbol,” Calisto emphasized. “Make no mistake about it; from this point on in your life, there will be men who will masturbate thinking about you.”

  “Gross,” I said.

  “Embrace it. Half the thrill of being a sexual creature is knowledge that someone wants to fuck you—not the act of fucking itself.”

  “You do know that I’m committed to your brother, right?” I said.

  Calisto turned around and faced me again, putting one arm over my shoulder and another around my hip. She used one leg to push apart my legs slightly.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I expect you to make my brother happy. That’s very important to me,” she said, “And I know that you’ll never break his heart. You’re not one to flash your vagina around like a cock-magnet, unlike me. But at the same time no one will fault you if you play the seduction game and steal men’s hearts as they lust after you. It’s highly addicting.”

  “No thanks,” I said. “One man lusting after me is all I need.”

  Calisto smiled. “I’m so glad Shadow chose you,” she said. “Just between you and me, but I had some strange feeling he would gravitate towards you. You fit his type.”

  I thought now was a good time as any to keep my end of the bargain with Lincoln and try and steer Calisto’s thoughts towards him.

  “You never had thoughts of finding one man and settling down with him?”

  “Maybe if I’d find one worthy enough,” she said, “But for now I’m perfectly content on tasting a different piece of meat every night.”

  “What about Lincoln?” I asked. “He seems like a pretty good guy. I saw you guys talking at Shadow’s party.”

  “Lincoln?”

  “Yes. He’s pretty funny, charming, intelligent, and extremely cute,” I pointed out. “I mean if he strolled into the club tonight, I’m sure he’d have half the women eating out of the palm of his hand.”

  “Granted, Lincoln is quite the fine candidate in bed,” Calisto began, “And he does know how to satisfy me, it’s the after-sex that puts me off.”

  “What’s the after-sex?”

  “He wants me to spend the night, or if I have already, he wants to make me breakfast,” Calisto replied.

  “What’s wrong with breakfast? I eat breakfast. Damn, I don’t remember the last time anyone made me eggs and toast.”

  “I can’t explain it Aria,” Calisto said. “Believe me, I tried to figure it out before, but I just can’t. The more someone pines after me, the more I don’t want to be around them. I don’t want a man who will look after me—I can do that for myself. I want a man that can break me apart.”

  “I don’t get it,” I said.

  “Believe me Aria, I don’t either.”

  “So there’s no interest in Lincoln then?” I asked.

  “I won’t say ‘never’,” Calisto said. “But he’s not what I want at the moment—emotionally anyways. Physically, he’s a like a roller coaster. You always end up holding on tight and screaming.” She winked at me.

  The song finally ended and we broke apart our sexy dance. Calisto motioned to the club’s private security to bring the two studs over, and they did.

  The taller one tried to make friendly banter with me, continuously flirting despite me informing him that I had a boyfriend.

  However, he was relentless, proclaiming how he was an all-star defensemen for a hockey team that I couldn’t care less about, and how he won something called the Norris Trophy last year. He seemed surprised when I asked him if the Norris trophy was named after Chuck, and if he won it because he punched in the most teeth down on the ice.

  I tried to direct his attention over to Bria, who I genuinely felt sorry for. The entire night, she seemed left out and spent most of the time quietly sipping her drink and making herself look invisible.

  When I introduced Mr. Hockey Star to her, Bria seemed to perk up, but was devastated when the guy brushed her off and returned his attention to me without even a ‘hello’.

  “Look Aria, I can feel chemistry between us,” he said, as I watched Bria rise from her seat to leave. “Let’s just forget about your boyfriend for one night and have a good time. After all, how many girls can say they got to sleep with a Norris trophy winner?”

  I was getting fed up. “Look, I don’t know where you get this delusional idea from that I’m interested in how many pucks you block with your jock strap or how many hits you deliver on the ice,” I said. “But to be quite frank, I have no interest in you whatsoever, so it’s best you just leave me alone.”

  “Why don’t you like me?” he asked.

  Man, this guy was persistent. I needed to tell him something that would get him off my case for good.

  “Because,” I began, and I annunciated each of the following words with absolutely clarity, “You’re beneath me.”

  The look of shock on his face indicated that my words had worked, and he rose from his seat next to me and headed towards his buddy, who was busy tangled up with Calisto.

  “Come on,” the hockey star said. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  “Why?” his buddy asked.

 
; “The girl’s a bitch.”

  “Come on, can’t you see I’m enjoying the wonderful company of Ms. Calisto over here?” his buddy moaned.

  “Now, now boys, I have more than enough tight spaces to satisfy both of you,” Calisto said, as she motioned for Mr. Hockey Star to take a seat on the other side of her. She flashed me a wink, and then began kissing the Norris Trophy winner. Meanwhile, the other guy shoved his hand underneath her dress and cupped her breast while gently kissing her neck.

  The security guards at the club seemed to turn a blind eye to the fact that the centre stage was about to turn into a porn scene.

  Calisto let out a soft groan as Mr. Hockey Star spread open her legs with his right hand, and then reached down to explore her sex, his mouth still wrapped up in hers. The other guy had already pulled down the top of her dress, exposing her left breast and he began suckling her nipple.

  Surprisingly, witnessing this live, sexual display aroused me.

  I wanted to reach down and touch myself in order to satisfy the longing ache I felt as I watched the two men ravage Calisto with their mouths and fingers.

  Luckily common sense prevailed—along with the unruly feeling that I was being a perve witnessing this carnal act against my boyfriend’s sister—and I decided to take my leave. I figured Calisto could manage by herself for the rest of the night.

  I exited the club doors and took a deep breath, welcoming in the natural scent of the air outside. I walked towards the edge of the sidewalk, and raised my hand with the intent to flag down a cab.

  “We have drivers, you know.” It was Bria, who was standing on the corner of the street, huddled up in her jacket, which looked a little dusty from the floor. Her face and eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

  I felt terrible. I had said some cruel things to her tonight, which was normally out of character for me.

  “Bria,” I began, “I’m sorry…”

  “Sorry for what,” she snapped. “You’re Shadow’s girl, the woman next in line to inherit the Tremaine estate. You don’t get to be sorry. It’s your right to trample all over me, if that’s what you want. After all, I’m just the stupid bitch with the attitude problem.” I heard the self-loathing in her voice.

  “Honestly, maybe it’s just best that we started over,” I said.

  “Fuck you,” she snapped. “I know you’re feeling sorry for me right now. I know you’re trying to be the better person, but I don’t need your sympathies or your holier-than-thou attitude. I’m perfectly happy if you continue to treat me like shit. At least that gives me an excuse to do the same to you.”

  “What do you want Bria?” I asked.

  Tears were streaming down her face.

  “For you to go fuck yourself,” she said as she wiped the moisture off her face.

  “I’ve already done that today,” I replied. “Now tell me, what do you really want?”

  She opened the door to one of limos that was waiting outside the club.

  “Oh you stupid girl,” she said, smiling. “I want what any other girl in this world wants: To be noticed, to be popular, to be loved, to be beautiful,” Bria paused, and just before getting into the vehicle, she added, “To be Calisto.”

  Chapter Twenty

  There was nothing more brutal than trying to understand the theories of harmony at eight in the morning while enduring a pulsating hangover migraine.

  Today’s lecture involved dissonance and its place within modern compositions. Every note that the professor hammered out on the grand piano as an example of unpleasant chords was an assault on my brain and I found myself massaging my temples, like a psychic hack, on more than one occasion.

  When it was finally over, I decided to skip the rest of my classes for the day and go home and sleep off this unholy terror.

  So this was what being a university student was really like—nights of compromised self-control leading to regretful mornings while sitting through boring lectures.

  I wasn’t missing out on much.

  When I finally arrived back home, I collapsed on my couch, face first, and passed out.

  I awoke to the sounds of the doorbell. Bleary-eyed, I glanced at the clock and realized that it was now nine o’clock. I had slept for over twelve hours.

  The doorbell rang one final time, and then there was silence.

  I forced myself to sit up and stretch. Whoever was at the door could probably catch me another time. I felt like ass and probably looked like it too.

  My cell phone, lying on my coffee table, buzzed, indicating that I had a text message. Whoever was trying to contact me was persistent.

  It was Shadow.

  ‘Are you home?’ his text read. ‘I just got back and wanted to see you.’

  Oh god, not now. I must have looked like hell and I had dragon breath that could lay waste to an entire village.

  However, the thought of not seeing Shadow for one minute longer was too much for me. I desperately wanted to be in his arms again.

  ‘I’ll be home in an hour. I’d LOVE to see you then? XOXOXO =P’

  My text reeked of desperation but fuck it. I wanted Shadow to know exactly what I was thinking.

  ‘Okay. I’ll buy us some dinner while you get yourself ready in there,’ he texted back.

  Busted.

  Fuck how did he know? Oh well, I was starving and dinner sounded wonderful.

  I jumped in the shower and cleansed myself of any vodka and sweat residue left over from the club. After I was done, I attacked my face with makeup, doing my best to mimic the styles that Kara had showed me last night.

  I wanted to look nothing less than perfect for Shadow.

  With my face complete, I finished off my makeover with a pint of mouthwash while slipping into a spring dress that showcased my assets.

  In one hour, I had transformed myself from drunken hobo Aria into sexy Aria.

  The doorbell rang once more, and I practically threw myself at the door, opening it with the desperation of a deep sea diver surfacing for air.

  He looked amazing, as always, wearing a black v-neck t-shirt that fit snuggly against his jacked frame and paired with his ripped jeans, Shadow looked like a model out of a fashion catalogue. His eyes shined as he looked at me.

  “Aria, you look…”

  But before he could finish, my mouth was already on his, tasting the sweetness of his lips. I wanted to devour him. He returned the kiss, his tongue pushing against mine as they intertwined.

  After a long, passionate kiss that left me flush, Shadow pulled away and exhaled, out of breath.

  “Missed me much?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah,” I replied.

  I was about to dive in for another kiss, but stopped just shy of his lips as my stomach gave off a rumble that could have been measured on a Richter scale.

  We both glanced at my belly for a second.

  I was embarrassed.

  “You’re in luck,” Shadow said as he raised a brown bag in his hands that gave off a mouthwatering aroma of cooked meat. “I brought us dinner. I hope veal sandwiches are okay.”

  I pushed my finger against his lips and hushed him.

  “Let’s not have words ruin this moment,” I said.

  My stomach growled again.

  “Instead, let’s succumb to the allure of your Italian sandwiches.”

  We sat in front of my kitchen island, the messy but delicious veal sandwiches on our plates accompanied by a glass of red.

  “So Calisto told me you girls went out last night,” Shadow said in between generous bites. I nodded as I savored the warm, breaded veal in my mouth. I was still a little hung over and it felt so good to get something into my stomach to soak up the alcohol. It was the best veal sandwich I ever tasted—though at this point I could have eaten a crayon and loved it.

  I was that hungry.

  “You enjoy yourself at the club?” Shadow asked.

  “Very much,” I replied, “Though I could have done without Bria’s company.”

&
nbsp; “Yeah, she’s a bit of a head case. I try to stay away from that one,” Shadow agreed. “She’s rather aggressive in her…advances. But anyway, I’m glad you had a good time with Calisto. It’s important to me that you two get along.”

  “She’s a lot of fun,” I said. “Calisto really knows how to party.”

  “It’s her form of release from all the stress as a result of the hard work she puts into the family business. She is the main reason why the Tremaine Empire still prospers.” Shadow said. “Lord knows I haven’t been focusing my full attentions on it. Finding my parents killer will always be my first priority.” He paused to take sip from his wine. “I often feel bad for dumping everything onto Calisto.”

  “She seems pretty smart and good at what she does,” I said.

  “Calisto is brilliant. You should see her manhandle investors and executives in the board room. She almost has it down to an art.”

  “She mentioned you guys were working on a hotel and casino chain?”

  Shadow nodded. “The Inferno,” he said. “It will be the Tremaine’s first big venture into the entertainment business. We used to invest in high tech companies exclusively but with all the uncertainties in the technological sector, we decide to branch out and explore new options—entertainment in particular.” He finished the last of his sandwich and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “There’s always money to be made when you focus on people’s vices.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about having a casino open up in the city,” I said. “They tend to attract the seediest types of people.”

  “It’s a genuine concern,” Shadow agreed. “But I’m fairly confident we can regulate the hotel and casino in such a manner that it remains exclusive to only the upper class. We’re looking to bring in the New Vegas type of crowd while filtering out the rest. Picture it more as a club and hotel, with gambling.”

  “When’s the grand opening?” I asked.

  “Construction is almost finished. Calisto has everyone on a tight schedule,” Shadow said. “I fear for anyone who misses one of her imposed deadlines. She can get very nasty.”

  Shadow dumped his empty plate into the kitchen sink, stretched, and then walked towards the grand piano and glanced at the sheet music resting on top of it.