Goodbye Isn't Forever (16 page)

“I
don’t know why we have to wear these suits,” Toni complained, pulling at the
crotch of her red one-piece swimsuit.

“Because
no one wants to see you naked, Tone,” Kate retorted.  “No offense, Drew.”

Drew
laughed at the look on her roommate’s face.  “None taken, Kate.  I
don’t want to see her naked, either.  My brother, on the other hand,
apparently does.”  I guess Toni is an acquired taste.”

“I’ll
have you know, Drew, that plenty have acquired this taste!” Toni defended.

“Yeah,
how many?”

“Well,
not
that
many…not, too many…almost none really.”

“You
can’t count the ones in your dreams, Toni,” Kate joked.

“I’ll
have you know,” Toni began, and stopped when she saw Kate mouth PWJ.

“Know
what?” Drew prompted.

“Oh,
nothing.  I keep adding those damn imaginary lovers from my dreams. 
So silly of me.  Thanks for the reminder, Katey,” Toni answered, glaring
at Kate.  “Yeah, those just don’t count.  I keep forgetting.”

Toni
kept mumbling as she walked around the room, still pulling at her red
lycra-covered crotch.  “Damned bathing suit.  Rubbing me raw! It’s
going to make me useless for anybody!”

Kate
let out a wolf whistle as Gaddy strode into the room.  “Wow, Gaddy! 
You look great!”  Kate admired the skimpy gold colored bikini.

“Down,
girl!” Toni teased.  She looked Gaddy up and down and then glanced at her
attire.  “Seriously, Gaddy, why do you get to dress like that and we
have,” Toni gestured at her suit, “this?”

Gaddy
grinned as she walked by Toni.  “Toni, you know that I keep some of my own
clothes here, and this bikini is the only one that I like.  Besides, you
look perfectly fine in your swimsuit.  Red is a good color for you. 
Doesn’t everyone agree?”

Drew
had already been feeling bad for giving Toni such a hard time.  “I have
always liked Toni in red,” she agreed.

Toni
grinned at Drew’s response.  “Really?  Do you think that thought runs
in your family?”  Toni was already thinking that she might get one if it
would impress James.

Drew
walked over and gave Toni a pat on the back.  “I’m sure my brother would
approve,” she agreed.

“Well,
maybe I should put on a little show for James in this suit?  I can do a
run through and see what you all think,” Toni offered.

Kate
was on her feet after Toni’s last question.  She didn’t want to witness a
floor show featuring Toni.  There were just some things that close friends
should never share.

“Later,
Tone.  Much, much later.  Come on girls!  It’s been some time
since breakfast, and I, for one, am getting hungry.”

Toni
put her arm around Kate and escorted her to the door, “What are you in the mood
for, Kate?  Maybe a little cake?”

“As
a matter of fact, Toni, I think that cake would be wonderful right now.”

Gaddy
laughed as she opened the door for her friends.  “I agree that cake does
sound tempting, but I, for one, want to see what’s inside of it.”

“And
if you say presents again, Drew, so help me…,” Toni interrupted as Drew tried
to speak.

Drew
shrugged.  “Fuck what’s in it, then.  I just want to see the
stripper.”

Kate
and Gaddy burst out laughing while Toni could only stare with her mouth wide
open.

Kate
patted Drew on the back as Gaddy replied, “Yes, fuck it, then.  Let’s go
see the stripper!”

#

Alex
rolled off her lover exhausted.  “Zand,” she breathed huskily, “I don’t
think that I’m in shape for this.”

Zand
laughed softly as he regained his breath.  “It’s a good thing we opted for
the bed rather than the pool.  I wouldn’t have had the strength to stay
above water.”

Alex
laughed, “Nor would I.  But what a way to go!”

Before
Zand could reply, his stomach rumbled loudly.  Embarrassed, he sat up,
hoping to at least muffle the noise.

“I’m
surprised that you are still hungry after all of that.  I must not have
filled you up, Gabriel.”

Zand
leered at Alex.  “I wouldn’t say that, Kensington.  I could just pull
up a chair and dine at that buffet all day!”

Alex
laughed and swatted Zand’s leg.  “Well, right now, I think the buffet is temporarily
closed for a late lunch break.  What do you think?  Do you want to
order in or go out?”

Zand
stretched lazily.  He grinned at Alex as he let his eyes travel down her
naked body.

Alex
bounced off the bed and grabbed the phone.

“Order
in it is!”

#

“Is
it me, or is this elevator really slow?” Toni complained.

“It
does seem to be taking its time,” Gaddy agreed.

“I
wonder what Alex and her friend are doing?” Drew asked.

“Where
did that come from?  We were talking about the elevator,” Toni asked.

“Just
trying to change the subject.  You know, a talked about elevator is always
slow,” Drew explained.

“What?”
All three girls exclaimed.

“Oh,
maybe it’s a watched elevator…slowly…boils…,” Drew shrugged.

Kate
shook her head, grinning, “Drew, I think you mean a watched pot?”

Drew
looked confused.  “Why, are they slow, too?”

The
elevator chimed as it reached its floor.  Toni looked exasperated. “Saved
by the ding from the ding dong!” Toni muttered as the doors slid open.

The
girls, suddenly rejuvenated, scrambled out of the elevator and practically ran
down the hall to the pool.

Drew
caught up with Toni and draped her arm on her shoulder.  “I want to have
fun, but not too over-the-top, okay?  I don’t want to be caught in the
middle between you and James.”

“Over-the-top? 
Whatever do you mean?” Toni started and then saw that Drew was serious. 
“Oh, alright.  I’ll try to not be too over-the-top.”

Drew
grinned as they approached the pool area.  “Thanks, Toni.  This is
going to be so much fun!”

The
girls entered the pool area and looked around in amazement.  It had been
completely transformed.  Lanterns were strung about, casting a soft glow
on lavishly decorated cabana-style seating areas.  Food buffets were
strategically placed and alcohol was flowing freely from large, three-tiered
ice sculptures.  The overhead roof now resembled a starlit sky due to an
electronic cover that slid into view.  With sunlight streaming through the
stars, the effect was phenomenal.

Kate
looked around in awe.  “This is incredible, Gaddy.”

“It
really is,” Toni agreed, looking around.  “It’s looks like something out
of a travel magazine.  Quite impressive, Gaddy.  It’s
Cuba-meets-Hawaii styled.  I like it!  But enough about
decorations.  Are we getting a stripper or some type of exotic dancer?”

“Do
you really care, Toni?  As long as he is hot and something comes off?”
Gaddy asked.

“Put
that way, I don’t care at all.  Is this all for us, or are there more
guests coming?”

“Well,
I did take the liberty of inviting a few friends that I socialize with
occasionally here at the hotel.  They should be arriving shortly.”

Kate
perked up.  “Hopefully a few gorgeous guys, Gaddy?  You do know a lot
of attractive ones.  And if there is a blonde, then he is…wow!
 That’s one big-ass cake!”  Kate’s attention was drawn to the center
of the stage area.  Smiling, she added, “It would only be polite to
share.”

Gaddy
laughed as she eyed the cake.  “It is quite large.”

Toni
had been wearily eying the cake.  “I just hope that big-ass cake doesn’t
hold a big-assed guy.”

Gaddy
rolled her eyes.  “Be nice, Toni.  I am sure he will be just fine.”

Kate
turned as she heard the sound of the glass doors opening.  She stared in
appreciation as Gaddy’s guests arrived. “You forgot to say, Gaddy, that your
friends are mostly models.  It is very obvious who is in a board room all
day.”

“Kate,
you are never in a board room!  That is what a conference call is for, and
you look amazing as you bloody well know,” Gaddy corrected her self-deprecating
friend.”

To
her new arrivals, Gaddy welcomed, “I’m so glad you could join us.  Please
help yourselves to the buffets and as you may have noticed, we have a special
dessert.  I hope you will save room for the cake.”

As
Gaddy made the introductions, Kate was mentally doing the math.  She would
be generous and give Gaddy two male models, still leaving two for her. 
That was fair.  If Gaddy didn’t want two, then she would graciously take
the other one off her hands.  She glanced at the cake.  She had
forgotten about the guy in the cake.  Oh, what the hell, Toni and Drew
could share.  With that settled in her mind, Kate smiled and took a step
toward a stunning, muscular blonde.

Gaddy
was the perfect hostess.  She mixed and mingled with each group and made
sure there were no lags in conversation or awkward silences.  She knew she
was mixing two different worlds, but did her friends really fit into any preset
categories?  She grinned as she considered how eclectic they were. 
Successful in their own right, but when they were together, well, the maturity
level seemed to fade away.  Except for Alex.  She was always the
grown-up.  Gaddy just shrugged the thought away.  Someone had to
be.  But not today.  Alex was missing out on the chance to go
crazy.  As this was probably the most unorthodox party that she had ever
thrown, Gaddy decided it was time to let the craziness begin.  She ushered
everyone to the area surrounding the cake.  They may as well get this
party underway.

She
sat in the middle of the arranged chairs and motioned for everyone to join
her.  With Kate to her right and Toni and Drew to her left, she nodded for
the unveiling to begin.

Gaddy
grinned to herself as the realization sank in that she had indeed just coerced
a five-star hotel to arrange a party featuring a scantily clad man popping out
of a massive cake.  Bollocks!  Judith will make her pay for this
one!  But for now, let there be cake!

Spotlights
started to flicker across the audience as an attractive brunette with a microphone
approached the cake and suggestively trailed her finger in the icing, making a
show of licking it.

“Delicious,”
she announced to her enraptured audience.  “But, ladies, what is waiting
to be revealed is even more decadent.”

She
licked her finger once again for effect and moaned.  “Is anyone else out
there in a mood for a piece of cake?”  The response grew louder as the
girls enthusiastically agreed.

“Oh,
that is good to hear.  I enjoy something sweet, myself, but this
confection is really special.  Creamy and sweet on the outside with a
moist center.  Does that sound good, ladies?” the announcer teased. 
She put her hand behind her ear, “I can’t hear you,” she coaxed.  The
claps and shouts grew louder and more raucous.

“Oh,
I think that you are more than ready!  Let’s welcome, The Kandi Man, the
sweetest, most delightful dessert that you’ll ever have.  He truly melts
in your mouth.”

“Ladies,
if you will help me count down: five…four...three...,” the announcer stepped
back from the cake.

Everyone
was on their feet as the countdown commenced and dramatic music could be heard
from hidden speakers.  The pounding of the drums from the speakers almost
matched the beats of anticipation resounding in each girl’s ears.

“One!”
The beautiful announcer screamed as the top of the cake exploded loudly. 
Amidst a cloud of smoke, a sun-kissed dancer was slowly rising out of the
cake.  It was a phenomenal sight as the audience watched.  The rising
pedestal that he stood on was not visible, so the effect was an astonishing
illusion.  He held out his arms to thunderous applause, and turned around
as he was lowered to the ground, seemingly on a puff of air.

Whistles
and clapping became louder as the back of his costume became visible.  A
feather-laden type of pants was tied at his waist and a matching body-hugging
shirt completed his outfit.  He wore a very large cowboy-style hat that
held the same style of feathers, but seemed surprisingly appropriate.  He
was interesting, to say the least.

“I
didn’t know The Village People had a son,” Toni joked.  “Seriously, how
did he get that gigantic hat in there?”

“I
don’t know, Toni,” Kate retorted.  “I guess that’s why the cake was so
big.  He didn’t need it for his ass, that’s for sure.  That is one,
well-toned ass!”

“I
noticed.  Damn!  And the rest of his body is just…damn!” Toni added.

“I
couldn’t agree more.”  Gaddy looked him up and down as he danced on
stage.  “He really is one gorgeous hunk of something.  I am not sure
what, yet, with his rather bizarre choice of attire.”  She glanced at
Kate.  “Do you know him, Kate?”

Kate
just grinned.  “Not yet.”

Toni
nudged Gaddy.  “Why do you think that if there is a hot guy around that
Kate would be the one to know him?”

Gaddy
looked at her friend curiously.  “No particular reason, except that she
usually does.  Why?  Do you know our ‘Kandi Man’?”

Toni
took another look at the dancer.  With his elaborate head gear, some of
his features were hidden.  The stage smoke was swirling, effectively
creating a haze that made it hard to get a decent look at the dancer.

Drew,
listening intently to the conversation couldn’t help but add, “Why, Toni? 
You said that there were hardly any.  At least that is what James seems to
think.”

Gaddy,
grinning, turned away as Toni stammered.

“Right. 
That is what I said.”

“Come
on girls, this is a party.  You can talk later,” Gaddy interrupted. 
She approached the stage and soon had all the girl’s clapping and screaming,
“Kandi Man, Kandi Man, give us a treat!”

Kandi
seemed to revel in the shouting and his dancing took on a more erotic
tone.  He played and flirted with his audience as he came close to the
edge of the stage.  The shirt had been removed and tossed, as he gyrated
to the seductive beat of the music.  Icing had found its way to various
parts of his body, and he leaned into some of the girls as they licked it off
his shoulder.

He
smiled seductively and rubbed some of the icing down his still adorned
pants.  This set the audience aflame as the girls yelled for the pants to
be removed.  As he danced and teased, Kandi focused on his group of
admirers and strutted closer.  He smiled as he reached behind him, and
teasingly rubbed his backside.

Amidst
the chants, he removed his headgear and shook out his silky, brown hair. 
Still clutching his hat, he stood at the end of the stage, and turning, bent
over, shaking his ass at the gawking girls.

Gaddy
jumped up and smacked the gyrating ass.  The friends laughed and cheered,
encouraging more crazy antics.  Kandi turned around, and after teasing
them with a peak of his well-endowed front, he loosened his pants, letting the
feather-covered chaps fall onto the stage.  Clad only in a black,
feathered G-string, he moved gracefully as the song changed and he continued to
teasingly entertain his audience.

As
the dancer let his eyes adjust in the swirling smoke, he couldn’t help but
notice the antics of the crazy blonde in the front. Since he liked to include
the audience in his performance, especially when he danced, he gyrated to the
edge, and pointed to her.

Gaddy
noticed first and nudged Toni.  “I think he wants you to join him.”

“What? 
Me?  Oh, no, no, no,” Toni tried to refuse.

“Toni,
it is your cake.  Get up there and enjoy it.”  Gaddy saw the look on
Drew’s face.  “Take Drew with you.  You want cake, don’t you, Drew?”
Gaddy shouted.

“What?” 
Drew couldn’t hear over the loud music.  “No, I haven’t ate.”

Gaddy
laughed out loud.  “Good, go with Toni.  Get up there and have cake!”

She
put her hand behind Toni’s shoulder and gave a shove, sending her toward the
stage.

Toni
looked around in terror, and, making a quick decision, grabbed Drew’s hand and
tugged her along.  They climbed on stage and watched as the Kandi Man
showed off some new moves and encouraged the duo to mimic them.

Kate
and Gaddy could only laugh hysterically as Toni tried to copy Kandi’s
moves.  Clearly, her mouth ran a lot smoother than her hips.  It was
painfully obvious that Toni was in dire need of either a lubrication or a
massive amount of alcohol.

Drew
decided to come to her friend’s aid as she started to mimic the moves with
surprising accuracy.  Gaddy’s guests started to cheer for Drew as she
displayed quite a knack for dancing.  Soon, Kandi joined Drew as the two
moved in amazing sync.

Toni
stood still as she watched in awe the moves her roommate possessed.  She
had never seen Drew dance sober before, or maybe she just hadn’t been sober
while she watched.  Toni couldn’t decide.  But, either way, this was
an interesting aspect.  Who knew Drew had it in her?

While
lost in thought, Toni had made her way to the cake.  She couldn’t resist,
and dipped her finger in the icing.  That’s really good, she
thought.  Realizing she was getting hungry, Toni kept eating more icing
off the fake cake.

Drew
was having a great time dancing with Kandi, but, she wanted Toni to dance with
him, too.  She glanced around while she moved, and saw Toni eating the
icing off the cake.

Drew
winked at Kandi, and started some free-style moves that she hoped would bring
her closer to Toni and the cake.  She was getting a little hungry herself.

Gaddy
and Kate had watched appreciatively at the moves their one friend
possessed.  However, these new ones that Drew was exhibiting were
confusing.

“Is
she trying to do a moon walk with the, what do you call it?  The jerk?”
Gaddy asked Kate.

Kate
kept her eyes peeled on Drew while leaning over, “I’m not sure.  Have you
really seen someone do the jerk, lately?”

“I
think Mum has before,” Gaddy began.

“Yeah,”
Kate interrupted, “in the sixties!”

“Kate,
this isn’t looking good.”

Both
girls watched as Drew was moving faster and faster.  Her moves were no
longer looking smooth and fluid, but rather oddly unbalanced.

Drew
was focusing on Toni as she tried to take longer strides.  Just a few
steps more, she thought.  The music suddenly changed and Drew lost her
train of thought.  She tried to focus on the beat and continue dancing
toward the cake, but her limited coordination couldn’t handle the constant
switching from jerking twists to slides.  Drew’s eyes widened as she
realized she was losing control.

Toni,
still licking her fingers, turned back to watch Drew dance and was shocked to
see her sliding toward her.  What kind of move is that, Drew? Toni
wondered.  It’s a good thing dancing isn’t her choice profession, she
thought, amused.  She would clearly starve!  Toni laughed to herself
and turned back to get another scoop of icing.

Kate
and Gaddy, seeing the disaster that was about to unfold, climbed onto the
stage.