Erika works two blocks from Tower Centre she ask me to meet her at The Sidebar, it’s a bar where all the attorneys and judges hang out. I’ll meet her for a quick one and then we can head back to my place, Christopher is meeting us at my house for dinner, then we’ll all head down to the concert together.
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“Hello, hello,” I greet her.
I have not seen Erika is weeks, she looks too young to be a judge but she is. Tall blond hair blue eyes, she is a Goddess and heavy with the gavel. I sometimes tread lightly with Erika; she has been known to go ape-shit crazy on me over Tristan Bach in the past.
She jumps off the bar stool and throws her arms around me.
“It’s so good to see you, Aria you look amazing, shit you are positively glowing, well Ian really agrees with you” I go to sit and I wince, ouch I mime as I very gingerly sit in the high boy at the bar. I know I am going to get shit for this.
“Too much Ian?” she says with a saucy glacial tone in her voice, boy is she way out in left field on that one, shit this is gonna be an interesting evening, I can see her wheels turning already.
“What can I get you?” the bartender greets me fondly
“I’ll have what you’re having?” I say innocently.
“Club soda with lime” gosh is this the drink of choice nowadays? Bartender returns with my cocktail of choice these days, and I think if I would have had this on Friday maybe I wouldn’t be sore today.
“Cheers to you and Ian and your new life together” we clink our glasses together and I take a sip, yeah this is definitely the anti-sex-drink, gotta keep that in mind.
“Hmm…let me see your ring! I have not seen you since he popped the question, and the way you are siting funny and that beautiful glow on your face, he popped something else!” She gives me the one eyed glare of hers, I blush immediately as she taunts me with having sex for the first time, but wait till she hears the real story, ten to one she will throw something at me.
“Well it’s just perfect look at you Aria, I am so happy for you” I nod agreeing not saying too much I don’t want to talk here, me and bars bad places to talk.
“Come Erika we gotta get going!” We settle the tab and get in my car that is illegally parked of course. We make it to my house in good time. Ian and Christopher are in the back yard making burgers on the grill.
Ian gives me a hug and kiss’s me on my temple, Erika and Christopher are all over each other, shit they might need the guest room!
These two have been married a little over year, but were high school sweethearts. They lost contact and found one another only to live together then marry once she became a judge and he made partner in his law firm, they are my inspiration, they found one another and love was still there for them, so that was the big deciding factor when I said yes to Ian, but who am I kidding a man gets down on bended knee and gives you a Cartier ring you say yes.
I fumble with my food, I push it around, Erika catches me zoning out and when Ian speaks of the wedding a chill run through me. Shit its next Saturday! I stand suddenly while they are talking and I don’t look like the happy bride-to-be, Erika mouths what’s wrong? I begin cleaning up and making myself busy, why am I so disoriented? Is it because I have not seen him today, is it because whenever I move just as he said I am reminded of him, because he indeed did brand me. My feelings are all over the place, is it melancholy? Or is it guilt of what I did over the weekend? I mean it was all fine and good while I was in his arms, but in reality, here in my life Tristan can’t exist, I am looking at three people who will go ape-shit-bananas-on-me and they have every right too. I know I went through hell and they were right there with me as they witnessed my demise at Tristan’s hand. I was the naïve girl who was used and abused by the bad boy from Wall Street. I can’t take it anymore I need to get some air and of course change out of my work clothes.
“Um guys we are going to change we’ll be right down” Erika stands and follows me upstairs to my closet, I change into my new black skinny jeans and my slinky white camisole. I don’t look like the naïve little girl from high school anymore I look like the doomed courtesan. As I glance at myself in the three way mirror a poetic notion haunts me ‘oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive’ I believe Sir Walter Scott knows the depths of my deception maybe he too was having illicit sex with an ex? I believe he and Tristan share the same birthday September 21, as a matter a fact.
Erika comes out of the powder room she shuts the door and I know I am in the judge’s chambers.
“Ok Aria, what’s going on?” she messes with her hair and puts it up in a ponytail.
“What?” I am looking at her and I know she knows something is up. It is a waste of time to hide it from her as I finish glossing my lips because they hurt so bad.
“You know what!” did I mention she is a very stern judge and quite intimidating.
“Tell me or I will start with the accusations!” I have to tell her because little white lies always lead to a case of the blues for me.
We walk to the sitting area of my closet she sits in the Bergere chair and I lay on the chaise lounge.
The thought does cross my mind that we look like we are in a psychiatrist office, how befitting since I have been acting like a sex crazed lunatic all weekend with my ex whom I have not seen in over two years. But a thought about the room we are in, my closet is huge, I gotta come up with a better name for this room than my closet it’s bigger than the damn kitchen for goodness sakes!
“No judging Erika!”
“Aria I am a fucking judge! Tell me what is going on with you!” she is speaking very assertive and very calmly and I know she cares for me and is worried that I am in trouble.
I gotta tell her, we have been best friend since we were 15 years old. I take a deep breath and let it out.
“Erika, Tristan Bach, came into my store last Friday and I spent the weekend with him at The Ritz Carlton!” Yeah that just about sums it up.
She throws a pillow at me that is shaped like a purse and I catch it and hug it. Didn’t I say she’d throw something at me, normally it’s accusations and the third degree.
“Aria what are you doing?” She is serious and very stern I guess she doesn’t share my humor.
“I don’t know? I replaced the fear of the unknown with curiosity”
“What possessed you to do this?” she is mad, let down, no just mad that I fucked around.
“Because, I have been in love with him for over two years!”
“What about the man downstairs?”
“I know! That is why I had to tell someone!”
“I’m afraid, I’m a mess, I don’t know what to do!”
“Are you thinking about leaving Ian for Tristan?”
My silence is confirmation that yes I am embracing these thoughts.
“Well that would explain why you are walking funny” I blush as the red scarlet letter “A” is now glowing on my chest.
“What do you mean?” now I am clutching the purse pillow and on my side looking at her.
“Oh come on Aria, we all know how well-endowed Tristan is, and compared to Ian well let’s just say that when you got engaged you went on and on about your Cartier engagement ring but when I asked you about the sex you said it was nice”
“Oh you are shrewd Erika!” I turn onto my back and put the pillow over my face, suffocation might be better than facing her.
“Aria I’m your best friend, you fucked one man while engaged to another, you are playing with your life here. I want you to be happy whom-ever it is, but please remember it’s for life, this isn’t high school where you are having lunch with Ian one week and then Tristan is walking you home the next. You have to make some adult decisions; you slept with Tristan, so how was it?”
“Amazing, I now know what the big fuss is all about, it was mind-blowing to say the least”
“Well now I know why you are having second thoughts, if it’s bad sex oh well, but when it�
�s good, earth rattling sex it ups the ante” I throw the pillow back at her and she laughs.
“So, what now Aria?”
“I told Tristan I need time to think”
“I don’t mean to burst your bubble over there bride-to-be, but your wedding is next Saturday!”
“I know, I know, I know!”
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Aria, Erika, will meet you in the car.”
“Ok Ian, we’ll be right down.”
We stand up and she hugs me hard, I love her so, it felt good to tell someone.
“I love you Aria, who would have guessed you with a fiancé and a lover, most brides it’s the same guy, but whom-ever you chose I’m here for you, I will see you at your wedding. I just hope I know who the groom is?”
“Erika!” I hug her hard
“Thanks for being here for me.”
“I’ll send you my bill” she makes me smile.
“Come on lets go have some eighties fun with Hall & Oats and Tears for Fears”
then we both start singing.
“‘EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD’” we giggle like two school girls down the stairs, hell we are still the same two school girls who never fucked around, we were the goody two-shoes, well now I’m our tenth grade reading assignment THE SCARLET LETTER. Shit shit shit, oh I am so in over my head.
Chapter 17
THE EIGHTIES MUSIC MONTAGE
The only way to see a concert in the summer in Cleveland of course is downtown in the flats outside on the river it is amazing, the river traffic, the bars, the crowds, it’s the best time ever.
The concert is a huge draw, the energy, the wind blowing through our hair, it is the time of our lives, we are kids again, laughing and singing to all those old songs from our high school days.
A word about my dear friend Erika, with her being a judge she doesn’t drink in public, you know civil duty and all, Christopher her husband is a very prominent attorney, he made partner in one of the leading firms here is Cleveland, Christopher can get you out of just about anything, he is a great trial attorney and he is also my attorney for my store. He and Ian met first in tenth grade back then high school was tenth to twelfth.
A word about our little crew, Ian of course was our very own Karate Kid he still reminds me a bit like the sixteen year old I met. I love his dark hair and those dark eyes, he is tall, over six feet, skinny as a rail and a real sweetheart. Christopher was the Zack Morris of the school always being ‘Saved by the Bell’. No wonder he became an attorney, he is blond, blue-eyed and a silver tongue devil in the courtroom trust me when I say you want him to defend you, to represent you, and to fight for you…that is why Erika finally gave into him and they have been happily married for a little over a year now.
Erika was Judge Judy holding court over Ian and me as we argued and debated all through school. Sabrina was Samantha from her favorite show “Who’s the boss” we all thought she would go into modeling, who knew she would be one of Cleveland’s leading child psychologist, and then there is me I was Carol Sever from Growing Pains, me and my two brothers still at home we had our parents in check, as we got away with murder, we have all shared such great memories, been friends since we were kids and as we faced adult issues and problems we are all still here for each other.
I smile as I look up at Ian and remember him in his members only jackets, hi-top tennis shoes, donning his polo shirt with the collar-up, they were the cool guys that Erika and I hung out with back then, and let’s not forget the Lagerfield cologne they were great smelling guys. I am brought back from my high school thoughts as we take our seats.
The outdoor stage is on the west-side of the flats area with downtown in the distance, you can see Tristan’s restaurant ,The Theatrical Grill to the left just across the river… just making an observation, not planning on going there tonight or anything like that.
The show starts with none other than Bananarama, we loved them they take the stage with ‘I heard a rumor’, and Erika and I go crazy she and I would sing or should I say scream the lyrics to this song, we both loved this song. ‘Venue’ was the great dance hit and Ian and Christopher got up and danced with us, ‘Love in the first degree’ was a cool hit of theirs. But without a doubt their best song hands down ‘Cruel Summer’, I had the forty-five and the cassette single tape. I know a lot of you don’t know what I am talking about, ask your parents. This is before cd’s and mp3 players. The concert is great, Ian and I have fun, and all thoughts of my weekend liaison with Tristan Bach are put away as I get lost in the music.
This concert is great, I am sitting on Ian’s lap as the ships go by, he looks so happy and points out to me some of the people dressed from the eighties with the hair and makeup.
“Aria look your favorite, you have always loved George Michael” This guy here is wearing the black jacket the five o’clock shadow, the earring oh wow he is Wham.
“Ian look Boy-George and culture club” but the best was a Madonna that Ian spotted at the bar with the hair and the makeup, dressed in a bustier, how fun.
“Aria how about Pat Benetar?”
“Yeah, that would be great to go to one of her concerts” I turn around as he holds me in his arms
“Thank you so much for this what a great night out”
“I would only do this with you Aria” I kiss him sweetly as he holds me tight, he is a pretty special guy.
The bands take a break and Erika and I go get something to drink and find a rest room.
“Aria isn’t this the best time ever?”
“Yes the best, this was the perfect night out, thank you so much, Ian told me how it was your and Christopher’s doing”
“Yeah it was our last night out before you two start your life together, but who knows it might be all of our last nights out together ever”
I look at her and I know where she is going with this, and I know what she is saying, and I can’t scold her for it, it might be, she might be right.
“Let’s just have a good time ok?” I hug her hard and we pee and grab some nachos and some light up earrings that we just have to have, than head back to the guys as we grab some beer for them.
Looking back over the crowd, Jeez back then we were not legal to drink, but our poison back then was Peach Schnapps and orange juice, a fuzzy navel was my drink of choice… the good ole days.
We get back to the guys just has Hall and Oats take stage, they are amazing as ever, I mean back then you could not turn on a radio and not hear a Hall and Oats song, fast forward twenty some years and they are better than ever, great sound, great band, no dubbing, they actually are singers who sing, go figure, which today I guess is hard for some of the now singers to handle.
We sing along to ‘Private Eyes,’ we got up and dance to ‘Man Eater’ and ‘Your Kiss Is On My List’ and Erika teased me all through the song…‘Rich Girl,’ a bit before our time but a good tune nonetheless. When ‘Method of Modern L*o*v*e,’ started we all got to dancing, Ian and I had a ball, he twirled me around and held me tight and we were sixteen again.
Christopher and Erika basically this was their song, they have been together for more than half their life they are very happy together, these two had their shares of ups and downs, he was an asshole for a while, then she was a bitch for a bit, but now they are two grownup people who are a dynamite couple who love and adore one another. I mean their marriage is so wonderful, loving and honest I am so happy for them, they are proof if you put in the work you will work through it. Erika has always worried about me being so naïve that she is a bit over protective, I don’t tell my family what I have been through because Erika has always been the one who I turn to, that and of course Christopher and Ian, we have always been there for one another, I don’t want to lose them if I decide not to marry Ian where does this leave us? That notion saddens me as we all wanted to be the fab four again.
“Hey Aria you favorites are taking the stage” I smile as Ian holds me tight and we check out the one and o
nly eighties band that I was obsessed with, yes I did wear Calvin Kline Eternity for a bit then went to Chanel’s Coco in college when I went to Paris I was hooked on Chanel.
Now I gotta give props to Ian and my favorites Tear for Fears as they take the stage the crowd hears just a few bars and we all yell “SHOUT! SHOUT! LET IT ALL OUT” this was Ian’s song, with his member’s only jacket and his book bag…jeez he still looks the same although now he carries a coach brief case and he ditched the member’s only jacket for one of mine, thank you very much.
“Aria you look just the same as you did when we met?” He holds me tight and kisses my cheek.
“I was just thinking the same about you” Ian and I have always been the best of friends even in the worst of times and now we are engaged to be married go figure.
“Oh this is my song!” the band started ‘EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD but back then I thought the words were Everybody wants to fool around! Well maybe not everyone…is it just me? I am not going to think of him, I am with Ian and my friends; this is our night to be together. I will deal with my dilemma tomorrow. Just keep telling yourself that Aria, it’s gotta start sinking in sooner or later.
Any who, Ian and I always sing my version. He kept me by his side and we danced and we are sixteen again, it is the best, a great time for all of us. The smile on Ian’s face calmed me, we had a blast, he was fun and entertaining and I have to say he dotes on me, which I am getting use to. He doesn’t kiss me the way I want to be kissed, but I guess we will have to work on that.
They even did SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE it was a cool song and Christopher loved it maybe it spoke of what he went through, anyway we all got up and Ian held me close as we danced.
Ian and Christopher loved seeing the tall ships on parade just spectacular vessels, amazing to see in this day and age as they look so old world I immediately think of Christopher Columbus and his quest for America as he decided to go exploring, when I see them sail by. They will be here for the next two weeks and with Ian being the history buff it would be fun to take him to see these massive ships.
A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) Page 22