Twelve keys and a lot of anxious eyes. The mood in the room is curious, nervous, excited, amorous, adventurous.
Looking around the room, motives are both hidden and obvious. Take Joe, for example: it's clear that his brother Adam- who is clearly ecstatic with glee to be at this particular event- dragged him into this charade. Then there's David's girlfriend, Alexis, who's in tears; worse off than poor, timid Joe, she is. For my part, I'm fairly relaxed. If some strange girl (and there are plenty of them to go around) ends up going home with my boyfriend Tony, I pity her more than anything. I hope she doesn't mind being spanked!
"Everyone," Monique calls. "It's time."
The sound of heartbeats racing is almost overbearing, or maybe that's just the fast paced, train-wreckage occuring in my own chest.
Tonight is everything.
Tony and I agreed that a little spice couldn't hurt...and then he met
him
. Our relationship has been a bit shakey, at best, and I can't help but feel it's because I don't have the mandatory equipment of the other. Oh well, that's biology (and life!).
So here we are at Monique's key party.
"Paulie, baby," Monique coos to her girlfriend. "You pick first, show them how it's done. I do love you!"
I roll my eyes as "Paulie" (Pauline, when her woman isn't trying to dote on her with sickening childish pet names) steps up to the nondescript jar of keys and confetti. Her usually jovial manner is sedate as she reaches a petite hand into the mix and plucks forth a sparkling (read: presumably new and expensive) gold key and grins.
"Who owns this...and me?"
A loud gulp emits from Joe's throat.
Next, Angelina extracts a fairly mundane key and smirks brilliantly. Clearly, the key belongs to her part-time obsession, Adam. Funny that the brothers should be the first two men sent off to their new fates, I think, as I stare across the spacious living room and into the eyes of my Tony.
My Tony.
I'm uneasy at the thought of sharing him. Had it not been a mere hour ago that I was sure of myself and this...situation?
Keys disappear, as do the brothers, Christopher, Jerry, and Michael. With them gone, I'm left with bizarre odds. I could go home with Tony and gain absolutely nothing, though my losses would be equally null. Then there's David, Alexis would surely decapitate me tomorrow- just the thought kills any possibilities of coital bliss. Paul doesn't look too kinky, more like a stoned teddy bear, in fact. And Matt being Tony's cousin, I wince as I reach into the jar and say a small prayer.
My prize is a simple, plastic-topped silver Toyota key on a Coors keychain. I stare at the object, realizing that this wasn't such a brilliant idea.
This is not Tony's car key.
"Ahem," comes a sly cough. "That's me. I mean, that's mine."
My gaze transfixes on Matt, as he smiles warmly and winks. I nod my head slowly and begin to look for my coat and purse.
"NO!" Tony screams. "NO!"
His lithe body lunges off the sofa in a matter of seconds, though the dive toward his cousin is thwarted in mid-air by Paul and Monique. He fidgets as they bring him to the ground, getting Matt's attention as he bellows forth a plethora of cusses.
"That's my girlfriend," he shrieks. "I love her."
Matt nods and takes my hand to leave.
"Matt, please?"
"It's just one night, Tone," he frowns as we step out into the bitter cold.
* * *
As we sit in the bubble bath, his erection pressed firmly against my lower back in a sensual manner, he begs me to forget the promises. Forget two months worth of avoidances, secrets, and even a bevvy of white lies.
"Tell me?" he pleads.
He brings our small loufa up and across my shoulders, hot water racing down my back as he massages and cleans. Soft, gentle, so unlike the person I had once known, had loved and made my boyfriend. He'd changed since that night, as I had changed. To go back, to relive it through memories....was it a good idea, I wondered?
"Please?" he whispered, reaching a hand down into the water between my parted thighs.
