Read Online A Note From an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bill Walker
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puzzled.
Debbie nodded toward the dance floor. Two women were dancing—the only two people dancing, at the moment.
“The curly redhead on the left in the sequined cocktail dress.”
Brian stared, watching the woman dance, her lithe body moving with a fluid grace. A moment later her friend leaned in and said something, making the redhead convulse with laughter. Her smile was so carefree and natural, so ineffably sublime; it lit up her entire face.
“So what do you think?”
“Uhh, Deb, she’s dancing with another woman.”
Debbie glared at him. “She’s not—”
“How do you know?”
“Women know these things. She’s available.”
“And what makes you think she’s my type? You know her?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then what?”
Debbie turned and watched the redhead, her expression turning thoughtful. “There’s just something about her....”
Bob returned with the drinks, setting them on the table. “What’s going on?” he asked, sipping his gin and tonic. Brian was grateful for the interruption, taking a swig of his beer. It tasted especially sweet.
“I was just telling Brian that he should go ask that redhead to dance.”
Bob looked over at the two women and shrugged. “Hmm. Not bad.”
Debbie scowled. “ Not bad? She’s adorable, you dope.”
“Not as adorable as you,” Bob said, blowing her a kiss.
“Flattery will get you everywhere...later,” she said, turning back to Brian. “I think you should go for it. I’ve really got a feeling about her. She’s ripe for the plucking.”
He nodded, only half listening, his attention now drawn back to the redhead. From where he sat, she appeared to be about five-eight in her high heels, an effect accentuated by the mass of loose auburn curls piled atop her head. The cocktail dress she wore was a simple, flattering design, but it hid whatever curves she possessed, making her appear slim, almost lanky. Brian usually liked his women with more meat on them; however, something about this one stirred his emotions. Maybe a part of it was because she was having so much fun out there.
And then there was that luminous smile.
Even from thirty feet away, it made his heart pound and his throat go dry. He slugged back his beer, draining it.
The woman and her friend stayed on the dance floor through two more songs then took a break. By that time the floor was packed with undulating dancers, and Brian craned his neck, watching the two of them snake through the crowd toward the bar. He lost them behind one of the “Marias.”
“What are you waiting for?” Debbie said into his ear.
“The right moment.”
“The right moment is now, you schnook. You wait too long and some dickhead’s going to grab her.”
Brian held up his hand. “All right, all right, you win. I just need another beer.”
“Liquid courage?”
“You could say that.”
Debbie laughed. “Get the beer, then go get her .”
Brian wormed his way through the crush of people. It appeared his original estimation of the guest list was a bit shy of reality. There had to be more than four hundred people crammed into the club. About half of them seemed to have congregated at the bar. Pushing his way to the front, Brian caught the eye of one of the bartenders and held up his empty Sam Adams bottle. The man nodded, grabbed one from out of a cooler, twisted off the top and handed it to him. Brian tipped back the beer, letting the cool hops-heavy liquid glide down his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the redhead talking with her friend at a small table a few yards away. Butterflies swam in his stomach and his head felt as if it were swathed in cotton.
Oh, Christ, I can’t do this.
Yes, you can, you schmuck. Do it. Do it, now!
He started to move, stopping when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to find Cassie Bailey staring at him, a carnivorous grin on her pink-frosted lips.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she purred in his ear.
Caught off-guard,
Debbie nodded toward the dance floor. Two women were dancing—the only two people dancing, at the moment.
“The curly redhead on the left in the sequined cocktail dress.”
Brian stared, watching the woman dance, her lithe body moving with a fluid grace. A moment later her friend leaned in and said something, making the redhead convulse with laughter. Her smile was so carefree and natural, so ineffably sublime; it lit up her entire face.
“So what do you think?”
“Uhh, Deb, she’s dancing with another woman.”
Debbie glared at him. “She’s not—”
“How do you know?”
“Women know these things. She’s available.”
“And what makes you think she’s my type? You know her?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then what?”
Debbie turned and watched the redhead, her expression turning thoughtful. “There’s just something about her....”
Bob returned with the drinks, setting them on the table. “What’s going on?” he asked, sipping his gin and tonic. Brian was grateful for the interruption, taking a swig of his beer. It tasted especially sweet.
“I was just telling Brian that he should go ask that redhead to dance.”
Bob looked over at the two women and shrugged. “Hmm. Not bad.”
Debbie scowled. “ Not bad? She’s adorable, you dope.”
“Not as adorable as you,” Bob said, blowing her a kiss.
“Flattery will get you everywhere...later,” she said, turning back to Brian. “I think you should go for it. I’ve really got a feeling about her. She’s ripe for the plucking.”
He nodded, only half listening, his attention now drawn back to the redhead. From where he sat, she appeared to be about five-eight in her high heels, an effect accentuated by the mass of loose auburn curls piled atop her head. The cocktail dress she wore was a simple, flattering design, but it hid whatever curves she possessed, making her appear slim, almost lanky. Brian usually liked his women with more meat on them; however, something about this one stirred his emotions. Maybe a part of it was because she was having so much fun out there.
And then there was that luminous smile.
Even from thirty feet away, it made his heart pound and his throat go dry. He slugged back his beer, draining it.
The woman and her friend stayed on the dance floor through two more songs then took a break. By that time the floor was packed with undulating dancers, and Brian craned his neck, watching the two of them snake through the crowd toward the bar. He lost them behind one of the “Marias.”
“What are you waiting for?” Debbie said into his ear.
“The right moment.”
“The right moment is now, you schnook. You wait too long and some dickhead’s going to grab her.”
Brian held up his hand. “All right, all right, you win. I just need another beer.”
“Liquid courage?”
“You could say that.”
Debbie laughed. “Get the beer, then go get her .”
Brian wormed his way through the crush of people. It appeared his original estimation of the guest list was a bit shy of reality. There had to be more than four hundred people crammed into the club. About half of them seemed to have congregated at the bar. Pushing his way to the front, Brian caught the eye of one of the bartenders and held up his empty Sam Adams bottle. The man nodded, grabbed one from out of a cooler, twisted off the top and handed it to him. Brian tipped back the beer, letting the cool hops-heavy liquid glide down his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the redhead talking with her friend at a small table a few yards away. Butterflies swam in his stomach and his head felt as if it were swathed in cotton.
Oh, Christ, I can’t do this.
Yes, you can, you schmuck. Do it. Do it, now!
He started to move, stopping when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to find Cassie Bailey staring at him, a carnivorous grin on her pink-frosted lips.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she purred in his ear.
Caught off-guard,
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