“So what if he does like me? That’s no reason for me to jump into bed with him.”
“Why not? That’s what I’m going to do with Rocky.” She glances at her watch. “Who, by the way, should be here any minute.”
“You invited him here?”
“Sure I did. Wanted him to join in the celebrations. Maybe me and him end up in the bathroom and get jiggy with it, as the kids say.”
“Please, never say that again.”
She laughs, glancing across at the door as it opens. Rocky comes in, spotting her at once and waving. The bar goes silent. Everyone looks at him, including the staff. Cathy doesn’t seem to notice. “Would you excuse me,” she says, getting to her feet. “I have a man I’d like to ride.”
“Yeehaw.”
I watch as she goes over to him, putting a hand on his chest within moments of their conversation beginning. It’s effortless, how she does it. I wish I could do things so easily.
Slowly the conversation resumes but no one seems happy to see him except Cathy who is as chilled as I am nervous.
I seem to be nervous all the time since I met Vincenzo.
All I managed in Mr. Felici’s office was to feel on edge. Could I ever relax around him?
I doubt it, not that it matters. It’s not going to go anywhere. I can tell. He’s the type of man who could get any woman he wanted. Why would he even consider asking me on a date?
What about tomorrow night?
The voice in my head asks the question but I already have an answer. It’s not a date. It’s a charity auction.
Why’d he arrange for you to sit for Tracy Benn?
I decide the best way to shut these questions down is to finish the bottle of wine. That done, I fetch another bottle from the bar and bring it back to the table.
Cathy and Rocky are already sitting together in a booth, talking like they’ve been dating for months. I look around me at all the people talking, and all of a sudden I feel very lonely.
A man appears in front of my table, smiling at me. “Get you a drink?” he asks. “While your friend’s busy with that asshole.”
I shake my head. I look at him and feel nothing at all, same as with all men before I met Mr. Felici. All I get is a flash of anger about how he just described Rocky. “No, thanks.”
“Come on, don’t be a prick tease. I’ve seen the way you’ve been flashing your legs at me. You Felici girls are all the same. You come here because you want a real man for once.”
“Flattered but not interested, thanks.”
“One drink.”
I sit up straight, raising my voice. “Listen, bud. I’m not interested. Leave me the fuck alone.”
“Wow, you fucking Felici girls are all the same, you prick tease.” He walks away without another word while I dig out my cellphone.
It’s because I’m looking at my phone that I don’t see it happen. I only know when it’s too late to do anything about it. Or maybe it’s because the place is busier and I don’t notice all the back and forth past my table.
Cathy comes back over to me a couple of minutes later, looking pissed. “What’s up?” I ask her.
“He had an urgent call. Had to leave.”
“Oh. That can’t be helped, I guess.”
“I bet it’s his wife or something. Shit, the best ones are always spoken for.” She pours out two more glasses from the bottle on the table. “Sorry for leaving you on your own.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I take a sip and I get her talking about her plans for the office again, hoping to distract her from getting too sad about Rocky leaving.