Serious talent? Serious something...
Friday, September 4, 2009
Chapter 4: The Coldest Shoulder
“Where the hell is she? We’ve been waiting for like, half an hour.”
“Relax, dude. She’ll be here in a second.”
“Hey, Rip. Check it out.”
“What? Oh, that guy? Wasn’t he at Coffee Planet yesterday?”
“Oh yeah.”
“You like him? He’s kind of old.”
“He’s not that old. He’s got to be like, what? Twenty-nine? Thirty?”
“At least.”
“Whatever. I’m gonna’ go talk to this guy while you wait for your mistress.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“See ya’.”
Lee walked off towards the man ordering coffee at a kiosk on the ground floor of W&C, Inc. headquarters, leaving Ripley alone, sitting at the foot of the cubic fountain. Ripley watched his friend strike up a conversation with ease. Both Lee and the man were flirtatiously smiling, Lee constantly put a hand to his hair as if swiping invisible strands from his forehead. After a few minutes, the older man whipped out a cell phone from his pockets and took down what Ripley could only assume was Lee’s number. Lee did not reciprocate; he only rubbed the man’s shoulder graciously as he walked away and sat back down next to Ripley. The man walked towards the elevator with his coffee, turning his head around halfway through the lobby to smile at Lee. Lee flickered his fingers at the man who disappeared around the corner.
“His name’s Eddy, he works in accounting and he’s seen Bridget around before. He’s from Atlanta, Georgia, single and likes to hike.”
“Damn, Lee.”
“What can I say? I know what men want.”
“You didn’t get his number?”
“Oh, Ripley. He can call me. And trust me, he will.”
“Slut.”
“Virgin.”
“I’m not a virgin, dude.”
“Oral sex doesn’t count.”
Ripley stayed silent, not wanting to be tricked into revealing more about his sex life to Lee, who, Ripley suspected, enjoyed the details. As much as he liked Lee, Ripley would not give him his kicks and refused to divulge more than what he was comfortable with. Ripley decided to turn to tables on his meddling friend and pry into Lee’s sex life for once. Lee, however, did not seem to care, almost reveled in his sexuality’s attention.
“I thought you only loved one guy?”
“I did. But I’ve slept with others.”
“Older dudes?”
“Sometimes. Mostly just straight guys.”
“Right…”
“Honestly, you’d be surprised how many guys out there are bi-curious or experimental or closeted. Especially in college.”
Ripley was glad he spotted Bridget at this moment. He was starting to regret questioning Lee about his sexual history. Bridget emerged from the glassy halls with a cocky swagger, her hips shuffling from side to side. She smiled at Ripley, pulling back her dark hair behind her left ear.
Bridge reached the boys sitting on the fountain, placed a hand on her prominent hip. Ripley looked up at her and noticed how the sunlight illuminated the waves in her inky hair.
“Gentlemen,” she said. “I believe I just got a promotion.”
“Relax, dude. She’ll be here in a second.”
“Hey, Rip. Check it out.”
“What? Oh, that guy? Wasn’t he at Coffee Planet yesterday?”
“Oh yeah.”
“You like him? He’s kind of old.”
“He’s not that old. He’s got to be like, what? Twenty-nine? Thirty?”
“At least.”
“Whatever. I’m gonna’ go talk to this guy while you wait for your mistress.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“See ya’.”
Lee walked off towards the man ordering coffee at a kiosk on the ground floor of W&C, Inc. headquarters, leaving Ripley alone, sitting at the foot of the cubic fountain. Ripley watched his friend strike up a conversation with ease. Both Lee and the man were flirtatiously smiling, Lee constantly put a hand to his hair as if swiping invisible strands from his forehead. After a few minutes, the older man whipped out a cell phone from his pockets and took down what Ripley could only assume was Lee’s number. Lee did not reciprocate; he only rubbed the man’s shoulder graciously as he walked away and sat back down next to Ripley. The man walked towards the elevator with his coffee, turning his head around halfway through the lobby to smile at Lee. Lee flickered his fingers at the man who disappeared around the corner.
“His name’s Eddy, he works in accounting and he’s seen Bridget around before. He’s from Atlanta, Georgia, single and likes to hike.”
“Damn, Lee.”
“What can I say? I know what men want.”
“You didn’t get his number?”
“Oh, Ripley. He can call me. And trust me, he will.”
“Slut.”
“Virgin.”
“I’m not a virgin, dude.”
“Oral sex doesn’t count.”
Ripley stayed silent, not wanting to be tricked into revealing more about his sex life to Lee, who, Ripley suspected, enjoyed the details. As much as he liked Lee, Ripley would not give him his kicks and refused to divulge more than what he was comfortable with. Ripley decided to turn to tables on his meddling friend and pry into Lee’s sex life for once. Lee, however, did not seem to care, almost reveled in his sexuality’s attention.
“I thought you only loved one guy?”
“I did. But I’ve slept with others.”
“Older dudes?”
“Sometimes. Mostly just straight guys.”
“Right…”
“Honestly, you’d be surprised how many guys out there are bi-curious or experimental or closeted. Especially in college.”
Ripley was glad he spotted Bridget at this moment. He was starting to regret questioning Lee about his sexual history. Bridget emerged from the glassy halls with a cocky swagger, her hips shuffling from side to side. She smiled at Ripley, pulling back her dark hair behind her left ear.
Bridge reached the boys sitting on the fountain, placed a hand on her prominent hip. Ripley looked up at her and noticed how the sunlight illuminated the waves in her inky hair.
“Gentlemen,” she said. “I believe I just got a promotion.”
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