Lumen Cove

by Dianne Frost

  Alex and Drew’s faces had taken the same blank expression and once Fitz got over the alien nature of the freakish sameness he craned his neck over his shoulder to see the woman striding towards him. His eyes widened.

  “Hilary?” he asked as she approached the table, a smug smile on her lips. “What are you doing here?”

  Hilary blinked at the accusation in his tone, her smile turning strained. “I heard you guys were coming here tonight. Thought I’d join.” Her smile began to fade all together as Fitz sighed down at his glass.

  “Glad you could join us, Hilary” Drew said, pulling himself out of the booth to stand next to her. “It is Hilary right?” he confirmed, his hand touching her arm lightly and she beamed up at him, her eyes studying his face minutely.

  “Yes,” she said her voice distant before she blinked hard and shook her head at herself with a giggle. “Yes. You must be Drew.”

  “The one and only,” he said smiling all teeth as he held out his hand for hers. She gave it to him and shook once before he turned her hand in his and brought it to his lips. Hilary raised her eyebrows a fine blush creeping up her neck. Alex watched them with narrowed eyes. “You need a drink,” Drew said definitively and guided her to turn towards the bar before resting his hand on her lower back. “You guys need another? On me.”

  Fitz grinned and drained his glass. “Yup thanks man.”

  “Lex?”

  Alex was still regarding him through narrowed eyes, not liking the innocent look on his brother’s face. “I’m fine.”

  Drew shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  Alex watched them sashay towards the bar, Drew’s hand still firmly on Hilary’s lower back, his head inclined to hers and her horse laugh echoed throughout the bar.

  “Did you tell her we were coming here?” Fitz asked and Alex turned his face to him, blinking at his friend’s angry expression.

  “No,” Alex said and Fitz looked over at Drew and Hilary who were now leaning against the bar and chatting easily. “Why? Is it a problem she’s here?”

  “No,” Fitz said shrugging his shoulders. “I just… sometimes it’s nice to have guy’s night you know. Like be able to have a couple beers without her throwing herself at you all night.”

  Alex’s head shot up. “Huh?”

  “Oh please,” Fitz said flopping back against the back of his seat, the booth giving an ominous creak. “Don’t even act like you don’t notice.”

  Alex pressed his lips together and looked down at his hand on his phone, his forefinger tapping against it again. Truth be told, he had noticed but did his best to ignore it. He liked Hilary just fine but he wasn’t attracted to her in any kind of romantic way. Even now when she was at the height of her femininity he merely felt she looked better than she normally did. Looking at her stirred no emotions, gave him no pangs of longing. His forefinger stopped it’s tapping as he felt it vibrate under his hand.

  He glanced up at Fitz who had his face in his own phone and cautiously flipped it over, tucking in his elbows to keep the screen near his chest should he need to shield it.

  This party sux.

  Alex fought a smile, tapping back a quick reply. Why’s that?

  Near instant reply, All frat boy dude bros. I just watched sum1 do keg stand. I didnt no that was real thing.

  Alex shook his head. Be careful.

  Yes Dear was her reply with the kissy face emoticon which he returned with a pang of humiliation. Kissy face emoticons. Jesus.

  Alex looked up again, surveying the bar. It was pretty packed, the more respectable members of Lambency mixing with the seedier regulars with ease. Alcohol seemed to be the great equalizer. Drew was still chatting up Hilary at the bar, seeming to have forgotten his offer to buy a round and Fitz was fiddling with his phone. Alex was just about to look down at his phone again when a large cheer from a back booth caught his attention and he saw Sullivan Charming with his arms in the air, wedged between two women in one side of a booth. Whoever was across from him launched out of it and scurried the few feet to the men’s room amidst gales of laughter from the other three. A woman slinked out a moment later looking sullen and annoyed.

  Alex bit his lip, eyeing his phone for a moment, tapping it a few times and then grabbed it, sliding to the edge of the booth. Fitz looked up finally.

  “Bathroom,” Alex muttered slipping his phone in his pocket and Fitz nodded waving a hand at him.

  Alex walked cautiously through the sea of tables, inching closer to the back booth where Sully was holding court, the two girls leaning into him and giggling at whatever he had to say. A part of Alex knew this was probably a horrible idea. As far as he could remember he’d never even spoken to Sullivan Charming, but he could see Kelsey’s face clearly in his mind, that jutted out chin, defiance in her eyes and a determination not to let the fact that she didn’t have a father to present her to society bother her one bit. He’d seen right through it but doubted anyone else had. Kelsey’s shell was diamond hard and her skin was thick. She was amiable and friendly but he’d never realized how careful she was until he’d seen her trust him, squeezing him tight when he told her he wasn’t going to leave.

  “Mr. Charming,” Alex said as he approached the booth and the three occupants looked up at him, blinking without recognition. “I’m Alex Danvers. I’m Kelsey’s English Teacher.”

  “Oh oh oh, yeah. Yeah!” Sully said finally, waving an arm at him. “Sit down, sit down. We’re playing quarters.”

  “Well we were until Jimmy lost his cookies,” one of the women replied, her voice a cigarette rasp and Alex gave her a tight smile as he slid into the booth across from them. “You wanna play?”

  “Uh… no thanks. Actually I’m just here to talk to Mr. Charming about his daughter.”

  “Mr. Charming…” The younger girl on the other side of Sully teased leaning more into him and giggling. Alex tried to keep his face neutral but felt his mouth turn down in distaste. If she was legal drinking age he’d be surprised. “Look at him calling you Mr. Charming.”

  “Well that’s how civilized folks talk darlin’” Sully said as he inclined his head towards her and reached for his glass of bourbon, sipping at it. “You can call me Sully. What’s Kelsey done now?”

  “Oh, she hasn’t done anything,” Alex replied instantly.

  “Cause she was making bombs awhile back and the Sheriff hauled her in,” Sully said looking down into his glass contemplatively and Alex blinked as Sully looked up at him with a grin. “Guess she’s got a little of her daddy in her after all.” He gave a spastic chuckle.

  Alex gave him a tight smile. “Nothing like that. She told me…” Alex stopped trying to think of how to phrase this without implying intimacies. Sully tilted his head to the side and regarded Alex with a curious albeit hazy gaze.

  “You sit here you gotta play the game,” Sully said, motioning towards the bar and a bartender immediately stepped over with a clean glass in her hand. “Thanks darlin’” he said as an aside and handed her a bill which she smiled and accepted. “You want anything else?”

  “Oh I don’t-”

  “Thems the rules, Mr. Danvers,” Sully said, reaching for the half full bottle of tequila on the table. Alex wondered if they let him bring his own or if he was really buying entire bottles at the price of six dollars a shot. “You wanna chat about my girl you gotta sink a quarter.”

  “Uh…” Alex looked from Sully’s smirking face to the amused bartender and sighed. “A beer is fine, thanks,” Alex said, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans under the table. He didn’t understand why he was so nervous. The bartender nodded before slinking away again.

  Sully filled his rocks glass a third of the way full and did the same to the one the waitress had set in front of Alex. Alex eyed it with consternation but reached for it all the same. Sully slid a quarter across the table to him.

  “Guests go first,” Sully said with a hospitable grin and Alex gave him a weak, closed lipped smile in return.

  He sighed,
staring hard at the glass in the middle of the table and rolling the quarter between his fingers. He was aiming when the bartender came back with his beer and jumped as she plunked it down next to his arm. He fished a five out of his front pocket and handed it to her before she walked away. He furrowed his brow turning back to the task at hand. Alex aimed again and tossed watching the quarter bounce off the table and sink right into the glass, sashaying from side to side before settling against the bottom.

  The ladies clapped politely and Sully let out a booming laugh. “Well I’ll be goddamned…”

  “Beginner’s luck,” Alex replied modestly as one of the girls fished out the quarter and handed Sully the glass which he took and threw back without so much as a grimace. He set it down the other woman filled it again.

  “Now what’s this about my kid?” Sully said gesturing for Alex to go again and the girl reached to hand him the quarter.

  “Uh… well it’s about Cotillion-“

  The younger girl cackled and quickly suppressed it with a manicured hand. “Sorry,” she said waving a hand and looked at Sully. “You’re going to debut your daughter?”

  Alex felt a hot flash of anger and bounced the coin off the table, sinking another one which Sully glared at.

  “No I ain’t going to no debut,” Sully grumbled, reaching for the glass and fishing the quarter out before throwing it back. Alex cursed inwardly.

  “That was actually why I wanted to talk to you,” Alex pressed undeterred. “She can’t go to Cotillion if she doesn’t have someone to present her.” Alex took the quarter as one of the girls reached to hand it to him and the glass was refilled.

  “Sounds like her problem to me,” Sully replied as he gestured for Alex to take his turn again and this time he missed, shocked by the sheer indifference in his voice.

  “HA!” Sully exclaimed and the girls cheered a little more enthusiastically. Alex glared at him and threw back the shot, the yellow liquid scorching its way down his throat and instantly curdling his stomach. He reached for his beer and took a swig but it barely quelled the flames. “You took it like a man. Good job, son,” Sully teased reaching across the table to pat his shoulder and Alex felt uneasiness prickle his skin at the endearment.

  “Thank you,” Alex said his voice pulled from the back of this throat. The women giggled as they set up for Sully again. “Mr. Charming I wish you would reconsider about attending Cotillion for Kelsey.”

  Sully was aiming when his eyes jumped to Alex’s in astonishment. Then he palmed the quarter, his dark eyes going angry. “Now, why would I do that? What has Kelsey done for me lately?”

  Alex blinked at him. She’s your daughter she’s not supposed to do anything for you, rolled through his head like a freight train but he bit down on it and replied. “As I understand it she’s letting you stay at the condo. I’m on the HOA,” Alex added quickly when Sully raised his eyebrows at him.

  “Yeah,” Sully snorted, taking aim. “Letting me stay in my own damn condo. Real nice of her.” He sunk the quarter and Alex sighed, throwing back the shot and returning the quarter.

  “Mr. Charming-“ Alex said evenly, trying to control his temper which was now simmering hotly.

  “Call me Sully. Mr. Charming was my father and I hated the bastard.” Sully sunk another quarter and pumped his fist. Alex growled but took his shot.

  “Sully,” he said thickly, wiping his mouth. “This is an important rite of passage for…” he paused almost saying Kelsey’s name but switched tracts quickly, “…for girls at the school. She’s taken the Etiquette class all four years of high school-”

  “Only so she didn’t have to take another English class,” Sully snorted and his eyes met Alex’s. “You’re her tutor you know how stupid she is with that.”

  “She’s not stupid!” Alex exclaimed, his temper boiling over and Sully missed his shot. “I’m sorry Mr. Cha-Sully. Your daughter is the opposite of stupid.”

  “Yeah, yeah. She’s a science prodigy,” Sully muttered rolling his eyes. “Go.”

  Alex bounced his quarter into the glass with no effort. “Sir, I’m asking you to please considered escorting Kelsey to Cotillion.”

  Sully snatched the glass up and downed it but held the glass up to his lip, tapping it against his mouth as he regarded Alex over it.

  “What’s in it for you?” Sully asked, setting the glass back down. Alex blinked. “Don’t look all innocent why are you so hellbent on getting that kid to Cotillion?”

  “I’m not,” Alex said shifting in his seat and taking the quarter as it was offered to him again. “Kelsey and I have spent more time together this year - because of the tutoring - and she… I mean she wouldn’t ever admit it as you probably know,” Alex said with a gesture and then sunk the quarter again. Sully cursed under his breath. “Her friends are all talking about dresses and gloves and all that girl stuff. I know she would never ask you herself…” Sully snorted as he threw back his shot. “But, it would mean a lot to her if you did.”

  Sully set his glass down, running his tongue around inside his mouth then sucking at his teeth. When one of the girls moved to refill the glass he held out a hand stopping her. “I dunno, man,” Sully said leaning his elbows on the table in conference and Alex leaned in as well. Sully rubbed his mouth. “I mean renting a tux and all that… I’m between jobs right now…”

  Alex blinked at him unable to believe the audacity of a man who would spend God knows how much money in a bar with two women but couldn’t part with fifty dollars for an event with his daughter. Sully was looking at him plainly and it took a moment for the fact to sink in that Sully was asking him for money. Alex tried to keep his voice even.

  “If I provided you with the means to get a tux would you take her?” Alex asked and didn’t miss the flash of a grin that crossed Sully’s face as he leaned back before it changed to one of thoughtfulness.

  “I mean that might make it possible. ‘Course she’ll want a corsage and I’ll need one of those pocket things…”

  “A boutonniere,” the older woman replied with a nod and Sully pointed at her and nodded.

  “That’s right. A boutonniere. I mean I don’t wanna embarrass the girl,” Sully said with a chuckle. Alex ground his teeth together.

  “What number are you thinking, Mr. Charming,” Alex said and the warning in his voice wiped the smile off Sully’s face, the girls going quiet.

  “Three hundred should do it,” Sully said evenly and Alex nodded beginning to stand from the booth.

  He didn’t bother to say he’d be right back, just stalked across the bar to the ATM by the door. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took deep breaths as he inserted his card into the machine and punched in his pin. He felt his front pocket vibrate and fished his hand in accepting the service fees with the other and requesting $300.

  He looked down at his phone and was surprised to see a slew of texts from Kelsey.

  “Reva is ALL over this guy. If she bails as my ride home I will kill her.”

  “What are you drinking tonight?”

  “Have you ever had something called a Pink Panty Dropper?”

  “Party better now.”

  “Leeeeeeexiiiiiiiiiiiii wut r u dooing?”

  “I dunno wjats n yhis but is v. good”

  “Aleeeeeeeeeeexxxxxxx stop ignoring meeeeeee.”

  Then a picture of - his eyes widened - the tops of her breasts spilling out of a lacy black bra between the half unbuttoned sides of her shirt. The photo was cropped just above her mouth, her lips slightly parted and glistening.

  “Wgen I get homr u r n big truoble mr”

  “Srsly r u ok?”

  Alex snatched his money from the machine and shot a quick text back. “Sorry phone was in my pocket. Didn’t feel it vibrate. Are you okay?”

  It buzzed almost immediately and he stopped in the middle of the bar as he read. “Yes fune, allmose hme. Meet me their????”

  “Who’s driving?” he fired back immediately feeling as if his fe
et were rooted to the floor. He growled when she sent him back a line of crying laughing emojis.

  “Guy frm our ladt of snows. Is weird catholic Schppl named that bc it neber snows here.” More crying laughing emojis. “Srsly meet me home.”

  “I’m almost done here I’ll meet you at your place.” He texted back and shook his head walking back over to Sully’s booth.

  He was alone now, drumming his fingers on the table and looking around blearily. He sat up straighter as Alex approached, not bothering to sit. He held out the folded over wad of twenties and Sully reached for it but Alex didn’t let go right away. He leaned down closer, locking eyes with Sully.

  “We have a deal now Sully? You’ll be there for Kelsey?”

  Sully tried to look offended. “Of course! I ain’t not damn thief. Just down on my luck is all.”

  Alex continued to hold on to the bills as Sully tugged. “Cotillion is December 18th, 7pm. Please arrive early.” He finally released the money and Sully almost tipped backwards in the booth. “I’ll let you surprise her with the news,” Alex added and gave him a tight smile before turning and walking away, shaking his head. He checked his phone again and stopped dead in his tracks, blinking hard at Kelsey’s last words.

  “Naked? Will you b naked? Cuz I wsnt u naked.” Followed by a bunch of kissy and winky faces.

  “Jesus,” Alex muttered to himself, shoving his phone back into his pocket but feeling a thrill run down his spine.

  Drew and Hilary were back at the table with Fitz who looked miserable.

  “Hey guys I gotta-“ Alex started but cut off abruptly when he saw Drew’s arm around Hilary and his nose nuzzled into the curls by her ear. She was flushed and giggling, an empty rocks glass in front of her. “What are you doing?”

  Drew looked up at him and smirked. “Hey bro, where you been? Getting yourself acquainted with a pretty little brunette?” Drew winked at him.

  Alex glared back. “Hilary are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Hilary replied enthusiastically and Drew grinned at her with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, we’re all fine here Lexi. In fact, we’re about to be more fine because I’m getting another round. Fitz? My treat.”