The Rooster Club_The Best Cocks in Town

by N. M. Catalano

  Michael took this moment while they had some degree of privacy to talk to Sylvia. They hadn’t had a minute alone without Paul stuck to their sides.

  “No big deal, Mike, you would have done the same for me. Yeah, if things had happened differently, it would have been horrible. But they didn’t. At the time I didn’t think they would, and neither did you, or you wouldn’t have asked me to help,” Sylvia said as she smiled at him.

  “True, if I’d had even the slightest feeling things weren’t going to work out, I would have gotten all of us out of there as fast as I could. Nothing like that is worth any amount of money. But,” Michael continued as he shook his head, “when I first saw the armed guards, I did start to freak out a little,” he laughed as he remembered seeing the guards for the first time.

  “Are you kidding me? When he asked you if we were planning to stick around and said that was a stupid idea, I almost vomited, I was so scared.”

  A hint of that residual fear flashed across Sylvia’s face as her hand flew to her chest, trying to hide it behind a nervous smile.

  “I know, I had to hold myself back from running out the damn door.”

  “I can’t believe we went through that,” Sylvia laughed quietly, not wanting to wake Paul, because she was enjoying this moment with just her and Michael.

  “That is something no one will ever believe, but nobody will ever know, except us,” he smiled at her, as the memories of that scary moment brought a sense of comradery between them.

  She reached her hand over and clasped Michael’s. A spark flickered between them, as both of them teemed with the strong emotions of what they had shared. Their eyes locked as it flared higher, and pulled them together. A new wave of adrenaline from that evening pumped through their veins. Their lips parted as their faces drew closer until their mouths locked. The fire of their adventure poured into that kiss. It was fierce and passionate, and wild with emotion. They moaned, and bit, and their nails dug into whatever surface they held onto.

  If they had been alone, they would have already been fucking like animals.

  Michael pulled away first, as clarity pierced his adrenaline induced lust.

  “That shouldn’t have happened,” he murmured. “I’m sorry.”

  He questioned himself. Was it him who had instigated it? Did he make the first move? Did he really want to kiss Sylvia? Was he attracted to her? She was a beautiful woman, sensual and seductive, you would have to be blind not to notice, but did he want her? He’d never thought about her like that before.

  Michael stole a slow glance at her.

  There was unmistakable desire in her eyes.

  “It’s ok, it was nice,” she told him, her voice low and husky.

  Guilt enveloped him as the realization of what really just happened hit him hard.

  ‘This is Natalie’s sister, for Christs’ sake, what the hell are we doing?!’ his mind reprimanded him as self-loathing formed in the pit of his stomach.

  “No, it’s not, Sylvia. Natalie doesn’t deserve it, I’m sorry.”

  Sylvia’s face blanched at Michael’s rejection. No one had ever denied her…except one man, and it was still a thorn in her side. Her expression took on a cold, calculated look as she went from being turned-on, to being insulted.

  A woman scorned is a very dangerous thing, no matter who she is.

  “It was just a kiss, Michael, no big deal,” she dismissed it, along with him, as she tried to hide her hurt.

  Michael got up to go to the restroom. He needed to remove himself, to put some space between what just happened and himself. And Sylvia. He needed to clear his mind, and let his emotions settle, so he could think clearly.

  Michael slid the lock into place in the tiny, stuffy closet of a bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, needing the shock to jolt him back to reality.

  He didn’t recognize the eyes of the man who stared back at him from the mirror in the dim light. Who was this guy who went down to Mexico and bought cocaine from a drug cartel? When did he become someone who went to shit-holes and got thrown into closets during a drug-bust? How did he turn into a man who fucked everything with a wet pussy? And who the fuck was the piece of shit who made-out it with the sister of the one woman who made him feel like the man he wanted to be, the only thing that was good in his life?

  “FUCK!” he swore, as his fist landed on the stainless steel counter top.

  He didn’t know who he had turned into, and it sure as hell made him sick.

  He breathed deeply as he tried to regain a sense of a calm.

  There was a light tap on the door.

  “I’ll be right out,” he answered it.

  “Are you ok in there?” came a female’s voice.

  “Yes, thank you,” Michael replied, keeping his voice level.

  ‘Things have got to change, I’m losing control!’ he warned himself as fear and self-loathing gripped him.

  He swore, ‘This is it! This is the last deal, I’m finished after this, no more of this hell. I am NOT this man! After we get rid of it, I’m making everything right!’

  He hoped with everything in him it wasn’t too late. Especially with Natalie.

  ***

  Formal was the following weekend.

  They were arriving home from San Diego today.

  Natalie teetered constantly on a rollercoaster of emotions, going from angry, to doubt, to giddy, then to dread. She was a total basket-case.

  Natalie was so grateful she had procrastinated buying her outfit and everything she would need for the dance until the last minute. She needed distraction, and needed it badly. Her mother insisted they go into Manhattan to buy her dress, something they’d never done before.

  She wanted to kiss her.

  Maybe her mother knew more about what was going on inside Natalie than she gave her credit for.

  They went to Macy’s, then to Bloomingdales. Natalie fell in love with that store instantly. Before they knew it, five hours had passed before they walked out with the most spectacular dress slung over Natalie’s shoulder in a Bloomie’s garment bag. The shoes were to die for, they were the sexiest pair of stilettos she’d ever put on her little feet.

  Afterwards, they sat at a corner table covered in white at the Plaza Hotel in their Tea Room, Natalie in her jeans, T-shirt and denim jacket, her mother in loafers, black stretchy pants, a polo, and wind-breaker. They stood out like sore thumbs, but they didn’t care, this moment of just the two of them was long over-due.

  “Are you looking forwarding to going to Formal?” her mother asked with a cup of decaf poised at her pink lipsticked lips.

  Reality came crashing down on Natalie with her question, and pulled her into its whirlwind filled with images of impending doom.

  Natalie sighed heavily, “No!” and slumped back in her chair.

  She raised the porcelain cup to her lips again and took a slow slip, leaving her pink impression on the rim.

  “Why not?” her mother asked quietly, her eyes reading into Natalie’s soul, knowing all that was there and she wouldn’t say.

  Natalie shrugged her shoulders, “I’m glad Joe’s taking me, but I feel like I’m using him.”

  Another slow slip.

  “Did you promise him more than just taking you to the dance?”

  That question was so loaded, Natalie didn’t know which part to answer.

  Finally, after a lot of thought and going over everything that had passed between her and Joe since they had started talking again, she was able to answer.

  “No, I didn’t, that was it really.”

  “So, a guy is going to take you out for a few hours, someone who enjoys spending time with you, and you him. Simple. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not like you’re getting married, it’s just a few hours,” her mother said, still holding her cup.

  Natalie felt the weight she’d been carrying on her shoulders lift just a little. But the storm cloud named Michael that cracked thunder and lightning in her life still loomed heavily ove
r her.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” she smiled at her.

  “You might as well get the most out of a situation and enjoy yourself, even if you’d rather be somewhere else,” her mother said with an innocent shrug to her shoulders. Then a slow smile spread across her timelessly beautiful face. “I think Joe taking you is great…for everybody,” her mother said with a sassy look in her eye.

  Natalie realized what she’d meant by ‘everybody’. Her mother thought it would be good for Michael to know she was going with Joe, it would give him a taste of his own medicine.

  Her mother was brilliant.

  ***

  The whisper of black fabric that was Natalie’s dress slid down her skin, over her body, and draped on her feet, with red polished toenails peeking out. She looked down at them and wiggled her toes, loving the feel of silkiness caressing them. She smiled with the giddiness, unable to stop it from bubbling up inside her.

  She was happy, genuinely happy. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time and that made her happier.

  She’d picked Joe up at the bus station earlier. It was really good to see him, he was like a breath of fresh air, and she inhaled deeply. He had a calmness about him that was contagious, and it immediately soothed her nervousness. He’d already used the shower and was getting dressed in an empty bedroom.

  After she strapped the rhinestone stilettos around her slender ankles, and checked her makeup for the hundredth time, she went out to meet him.

  Joe was sitting at the kitchen table talking with Natalie’s dad having a conversation. Which shocked her. Her father wasn’t not the most social butterfly in the garden, but Joe had him engaged in a conversation about politics, something of which she knew nothing about, nor did she care. But just the fact that he was interacting with Joe on an intellectual basis floored her. She was so impressed with her father at that moment, her heart swelled with pride. He was the most intelligent person she knew, but it was knowledge he’d gained from life, not from books.

  The sight of Joe dressed in a sharp black suit, looking drop-dead gorgeous, stopped her in her tracks. This man had style, the kind you couldn’t learn, it was a part of him, like his voice, and the way he looked at you.

  The man was beautiful.

  They turned to look at Natalie when she walked in. Her father’s words stammered, and Joe stopped talking, his mouth was left hanging open in mid-sentence.

  “Wow, look at you,” her father muttered shyly, she thought it was so cute.

  Joe stood and moved to stand in front her.

  “You are the most stunning thing I have ever seen,” he said so quietly, only she could hear him.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” Natalie replied just as hushed.

  “Natalie, I’m glad you’re ready. You look beautiful.”

  Natalie spun around at the sound of Michael’s voice as shock washed over her.

  “What the hell are you doing here?!” she growled at him.

  “I’m here to go to Formal with you,” Michael answered smugly, with that mischievous smirk on his beautiful face.

  The anger, and the shock, of seeing him hit her hard. Natalie sucked in a breath and blinked at him, not believing he was here, and that he had the nerve to say that.

  Her mother came out of the kitchen at that moment with Sylvia right behind her.

  “Michael, you bad boy, where have you been? I haven’t seen you in weeks,” her mother scolded him affectionately, and gave him a tight, motherly hug.

  “Mama, you know I went to San Diego with your little boy,” he returned her affection, and embraced her just as tightly.

  “You haven’t met Joe, Natalie’s boyfriend. He came all the way from Queens to take my beautiful baby to the party. Don’t they look gorgeous?” she asked him.

  “Yes, don’t they make a beautiful couple,” Sylvia added in.

  Michael saw in Sylvia’s eyes what no one else did. Payback. It was a snide statement, and it was meant specifically for him.

  “She is always beautiful, Mama, you know what I think about her,” his words were directed at Sylvia, while his eyes were on Mama. Michael turned to Joe and extended his hand, “Hi, I’m Mike. Welcome to the family.”

  Michael wasn’t stupid. He made it clear that he was a fixture in Natalie’s life, and family, and that was something Joe couldn’t top, even if he was looking perfect in his suit.

  “It’s nice to meet you. Yes, Natalie is a beautiful woman and I feel honored that she asked me to accompany her tonight,” Joe replied smoothly.

  Michael almost visibly winced at the dig. There was nothing he could say that wouldn’t make him look like an asshole.

  Vinnie came in and held his hand out to Joe, “Good to see you, I’m Vinnie, Natalie’s brother. Take care of my sister tonight.”

  “I intend to make sure she has the best night of her life tonight,” Joe answered him, his innuendo was clear as he glanced at Michael.

  Michael shot him a momentary glare before he turned to Vinnie, his look saying, ‘What the fuck?’

  “What are you doing here, Michael,” Natalie asked again, her patience spent from the game they all were playing.

  “I told Vinnie to bring him for dinner. Everyone sit, dinners almost ready,” her mother cut in.

  “We have to go, Mom. We’re meeting Lisa and her date at La Petit before going to the dance,” Natalie told her quickly, as she leaned in to peck her cheek with a kiss. She walked over and kissed her dad who had been sitting silently through the entire exchange, taking it all in.

  “Wow, La Petit, very impressive,” Michael mocked.

  Joe waited for Natalie at the door. She whispered to Michael as she passed him, “Some people know how to appreciate a woman, and not abandon and humiliate her.”

  Joe slid his arm around her waist to rest on the bare skin of her back that was exposed by the plunge of the dress. He turned to everyone before they left and said goodnight, “Have a nice evening everyone, I know we will,” then he closed the door behind them.

  Natalie let him hold her in that intimately possessive way. She wanted Michael to see him claim her, even if it was just for tonight. She wanted to hurt Michael the way he’d hurt her, to feel the pain she’d felt so many times.

  Michael fumed silently as jealousy raged inside him.

  “He’s a nice boy, don’t you think Michael?” Mama asked as she placed a beer down in front of him.

  “He’s a punk,” Michael mumbled.

  She chuckled, “A nicely dressed punk who came all the way here just to take Natalie out.”

  “Hrrmmph,” Michael grumbled.

  Vinnie smirked at Michael’s hurt pride. He enjoyed watching his sister finally have the upper-hand over his friend. He wasn’t stupid either.

  Michael wasn’t prepared for this playboy to be so damn perfect. He felt inferior to him, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, while the guy was decked out to the nines. The visual hit of their image together was almost too much for him to take, because they did look good as a couple.

  And he hated it.

  In Michael’s mind, it was the first time he saw Natalie. She was standing there, so beautiful and pure, he had to have her, everything about her pulled him to her. At first, he wanted to claim her, put his mark on her, fuck her and make her his before anyone else did. Then he got greedy, he wanted all of her. At some point, he needed her to love him. He hadn’t planned on falling in love with her too.

  But that’s exactly what he did.

  And he fucked everything up.

  Joe ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon for the table. The bubbles made Natalie light and carefree, which was exactly what she needed.

  “So, Michael was a boyfriend?” Joe asked Natalie.

  Natalie almost spat out the champagne she’d just sipped.

  She looked at Joe before answering, studying his expression.

  It was cool and calm, and unfettered. He waited patiently for her reply as he eyed her over the rim of his champagne glass.


  “Yes,” she told him truthfully. “I’m sorry about before, I didn’t know any of that was going to happen,” the words rushed from her mouth. She was still embarrassed by the games everyone had played.

  He laughed. “Its fine, I thought it was funny. The guy still has a thing for you, and I can’t say that I blame him. I actually enjoyed seeing him squirm because I was with you,” he said, and lifted the champagne glass to his lips again, taking a slow slip. He set it down and brought his mouth so close to her ear, his warm breath seemed to stroke her all over. “I’m glad I’m here with you. Just remember…I’m not him,” he whispered, before his tongue caressed the sensitive shell of her ear, sending a shiver through her.

  Joe’s words penetrated Natalie, along with their truth.

  He wasn’t Michael.

  But she wished he were.

  ***

  The next day, Natalie dropped Joe off at the Greyhound bus station. Before he got on the bus to go home, he leaned in and kissed her tenderly on her cheek.

  “I’m glad I came, thanks for asking me.”

  “Thanks for coming Joe, you made the night great.”

  “Not as great as I would have hoped, but next time. Keep in touch, Natalie,” Joe told her before climbing the short steps of the bus. His expression was tender, but his words told her he was disappointed.

  It was a sad goodbye, and Natalie felt guilty for everything that had happened, and didn’t happen. She wondered what the night might have been like if Michael hadn’t shown up. Anger began to fill Natalie again at Michael’s cockiness, appearing out of nowhere as if nothing had happened, like he hadn’t done anything wrong.

  She got in her car, and before she knew what she was doing, she was banging on Michael’s door.

  “Hi Natalie,” Paul answered the door in his underwear.

  “Where’s Michael?!” Natalie almost yelled.

  She was in full blown fury mode by this time.

  “He’s in the shower,” Paul answered with a confused expression.

  Natalie stomped towards the bathroom.

  “Put some clothes on! Have a little respect, for Christ’s sake!” she shouted at Paul over her shoulder.