RED was over.
It was finished. Finally. Taylor’s great tour had come to a close. It was done and there was only the future to look forward to.
I smiled as I finished downloading the rest of Taylor’s pictures from her last concert in Singapore. I did it- I had all the good pics from the tour. All 12,647 of them.
I looked at the last image of her in the final set. She was there, standing on the stage, taking a final bow before her approving audience. She is such a pro and looked it. She had danced that night for how long? 2 hours? 3? And her hair was somehow perfect– and amazingly, there was not a drop of sweat on her anywhere. How does she do that? Is she an android or something?
I smirked and pondered the possibility. Perhaps a Zordion had replaced her…
Nah.
I heard my cell ring, so I closed my laptop and stood up to grab my phone. As I pushed the top of my computer down, I caught an image. Taylor’s porcelain white skin and her bright red clothes and lipstick became a beautiful blur as the screen descended. She looked… pink.
I answered the phone and was stunned. Speak of the devil…
“Hi Tom!”
“Taylor?!?” Wow, this was unexpected. We hadn’t talked since that night. The one when I counted the quarters.
“Taylor… how are you?” I could feel myself warming up. My cheeks flushed pink.
“I’m great, thank you.” I could feel her fighting a smile. “So you got all my pictures huh?”
She must have registered a thought when I finished collecting just now. “Yes I did. Thanks Tay.” I needed to regain hand, so I paused. “I might use these tonight… or not. I mean, there’s a TON of stuff I need to do, you know? Necromancer stuff. Things I’m sure you wouldn’t understand.”
“I’m sure.” She said, respectfully. Best to not upset the vampire, I guess. Even if he loves you. Or maybe she was just being diplomatic. She’s so good at that.
“Tom, we haven’t seen each other in too long.” Yup. “Abigail is getting married in a month. And I figured that you might want to come down and visit. Everyone kind of wants to meet you.”
I froze. A… wedding. Uh oh. I was kind of hoping for another alien invasion. “Sure Tay! That sounds fun!” I was too chipper. “Um, I’ll need to clear it with my boss first, though. I don’t get vacation time as a contractor.”
“That’s fine. If it helps, I could pay for everything for you.” Ok, that was nice but a little insulting. Inadvertently, I’m sure.
“Um, thanks but I think I’ll be OK. You’ll just need to email me the info.”
“Sure Tom, I’ll do that.” She was so nice! “Oh, and Tom?” She paused. “Don’t overthink it. Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.” Ok, WTF?!?! As if I would EVER overthink something!
I smiled and laughed a bit. “Don’t worry!!!! I can’t wait to meet everyone!”
“OK, I’ll see you there! Bye love!”
“Bye Tay. I love you too dear.” I was already planning possibilities as I beeped off the phone.
——————–
I got the info I needed from Taylor after the call and planned everything out. I cleared the needed days off with my boss the next day and got plane tickets that evening. I was ready for everything, except for the waiting. I was nervous, yes. I knew that Taylor’s family would be there, of course. But who else? I knew who Taylor’s friends were but not Abigail’s. I doubted that too many Hollywood types would be there. Thank God.
But… there was only one way to find out.
A week after I made the arrangements, a pink envelope arrived in my P.O. Box. She knew I was coming, but Abigail sent an invitation out to me anyhow. That was a nice touch. It reassured me.
——————–
The plane ride was uneventful and boring. Good. I typed out some poems on my iPad and reflected a bit. It must be crazy to be one of my girlfriends. They practically live on these cramped planes, don’t they? Wow. Especially Taylor. It’s a side to them you never see except in the occasional twitter picture. Not such a glamorous life always, I guess.
The ride gave me a nice view. It’s humbling to look out a plane’s window. The Earth is a majestic thing and her people are really impressive… and numerous. The world is filled with people of every imaginable race, culture and background. There are billions of people, and all of them are different and unique. I’m sure that there are many people out there that would make me, Mr. Vampire, seem boring and unimpressive. It’s crazy when you really think about it.
It makes me wonder. What if I’m not special or powerful? What if there is a man up in the Himalayas somewhere who is a legitimate immortal with power and wisdom that would make mine irrelevant in comparison? I don’t know. Perhaps I never will.
The sight of pink clouds out on the horizon drew me out of my trance. It was twilight, and the plane was descending. I needed to get my mind back on track.
I left the plane and hurriedly looked for my limo. I found it and got in. The limo driver was an old man wearing an old, faded green uniform and a green visor. He was… wait. I KNEW this guy.
“Ummm hi.” I stammered. Did he remember me?
“Hello sir.” He dutifully said as he picked up my luggage. I guess not. What was his name again?
As I got in the limo and closed the door, I stole a glance at his info on the dashboard. Of course! I stored his name in my memory. I wanted to get close to Taylor’s neighborhood before I started talking, though. I had things to think about.
——————–
Abigail’s wedding was going to be held at Taylor’s Rhode Island home, probably because it was a paparazzi no-go area, and I’m sure because of the views. The image of the ocean off in the distance would make for some remarkable pictures. It really is an attractive place. It will be nice to see that house again.
The drive to Tay’s neighborhood brought back memories. The lush foliage and the green of the trees seemed as inviting as ever. As we got closer, the green of the public trees yielded to the pinkish blossoms of the dogwoods and lilacs favored by the residents here. It was beautiful, and the softness of the colors let me relax.
I thought about the wedding and reran possible scenarios to try to ease my nerves. It didn’t work. I guess I’ll do as Taylor suggested- be myself and don’t overthink it. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
I decided to break the ice with the limo driver.
“So, how’ve you been, Mr. Worthington?”
He was surprised by my familiarity. “Oh, fine, fine. How’ve you been, sir?” He didn’t remember me.
I fished the plastic green Ked’s sunglasses that I got from Taylor out of my pocket and put them on. And then I smirked.
“YOU!” He laughed. “NOW I remember you! How’ve you been?”
“Awesome, thanks! I can’t complain. Is Taylor still treating you well?”
“Oh, she’s great. I’ve met her a couple of times. Nice girl.”
“Yeah, she’s awesome. Really. She’s just the best.” I sighed and removed the sunglasses, and then took out my proper pair and put them on. They were a pair I “stole” from work when one of my coworkers left and forgot them there. My former coworker was a girl, but her sunglasses could pass for men’s in a pinch. The red tinting on the lenses made the outdoors look even look even pinker than before.
“You’re her friend, but you don’t see her much, do you? I remember the last time we talked… you talk with her over the internet?”
“Yeah, basically. To be honest, I kind of love her I think.”
“It seems like it. That surprises me a bit to hear you say that, though. Until just now I thought you were gay.”
Ummmm… OK WTF?!?! “Oh!” I blushed. “Well, I’m not gay, though I suppose I could see how you would think that.” I could, guess. This wasn’t the first time this happened, but it was unexpected coming from an old man.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to make embarrassment. A lot of guys I think are gays go to Taylor’s house is all. You know, dancers, musicians.”
“Oh, I understand. No harm, I guess.” Wow.
We pulled up to Taylor’s place. I collected my luggage and approached the door- but before I rang the bell, I turned around to watch Worthington’s limo drive away. No going back now.
I rang the doorbell a few times and waited. And waited. And then waited some more. By now the pink hue of the twilight had disappeared and all was dark around me. I pocketed my sunglasses.
Uh oh. I rang the doorbell again. Um, Taylor SAID she’d be here at this time. What the fuck?
I rang the doorbell again. This time, the door opened. In front of me stood… Abigail? It was a familiar girl with disheveled curly hair, jean shorts and a pink cutoff T-shirt.
What did Taylor say? Just be yourself. Right. “Abs?” I asked.
She looked at me strangely.
“Abs?…” I asked again.
She looked down at her stomach. And then burst out laughing. “Um, excuse me?”
Abs is my telepathic nickname for Abigail, which is apparently NEVER EVER good to use in person. I blushed a reddish flush. “Sorry. Abigail, I mean?” I’m going to KILL Taylor, I swear to God!
“Yes, this is Abigail. You’re Tom, right? I think I remember you.” Then she laughed again. Oh well, way to make a first impression, Tom! “Sorry. I’m just reeeeally tired.” She said. “I was up all night last night making sure everything was OK with the wedding and I just fell asleep watching TV. You woke me up with the doorbell.” She smiled. She started spinning her engagement ring- a pretty platinum band with a pink stone. Tourmaline? She smiled. “Thanks for coming. I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry. Nice to meet you, Ms. Anderson.”
“Come in, here.” She took one of my bags and carried it in. Her eyes twinkled a bit as she became familiar with me. “You can call me Abs if you want.”
“No, that’s OK. I’ll leave that to telepathy I guess.”
“Sure. Wow, I can’t believe it’s you! This is so crazy. Taylor was right about you. You’re nice and very normal. You’re just like a regular person!”
“Thanks.” I think. “Where’s Taylor?”
“She’ll be here tomorrow morning. She had some stuff to do in New York tonight.”
“OK, that’s cool. You know, I’m tired too. I’ll just put my stuff up in my room so we can both go to bed now if you want. I’ll deal with it tomorrow morning before your wedding. Oh…” I paused and smiled. “Congratulations.” I’ll never marry Taylor, will I? Abigail sure is lucky.
“Thanks.” She beamed. “I can’t wait to get married.” She smiled. “It’s going to be fun tomorrow, but there’s a lot to do. You’re right, we should go to bed now.” Abigail led me upstairs to one of Taylor’s extra bedrooms. I remembered the room well. It was the one that had the green dress from the Easy A premiere where Ashley and I… hmmm… was Ashley going to the wedding?
“Abigail… who is going to be here tomorrow?”
“Oh, just some friends and family. It won’t be many people.”
“Oh, good.” I sighed. “I was kind of worried. I thought that maybe some of my, uh, girlfriends, I guess, would be here.”
“Oh, they’ll be here.”
Wait, WHAT?!?!? My eyes opened.
Abigail was taken aback. “Yeah, you know, some of Taylor’s friends will be here. I mean, not all of them are famous, of course, but I know you know some of them… Dianna Agron and Selena Gomez are coming. Demi Lovato too. If Ashley can make it she’ll be here too. I think that Selena is bringing some of her friends too. Samantha Drake should be here.”
“Droke?”
“Yeah, Droke.”
Uh oh. I smiled at Abigail. “Oh, that’s great! I can’t wait to meet them!! We’ll have so much fun!” Oh my God, I shouldn’t have come! This is going to be insane! I smiled warmly. “This is going to be great. We should go to bed. We’ll both need energy for tomorrow.”
Abigail smiled. “You’re right, we should go to bed. It really is nice to meet you, Tom.”
“Same here.”
We separated and I closed the door to the bedroom. The old green wallpaper of this room had been replaced with an upbeat pink and white floral pattern. For some reason, the change made the room terribly stifling.
As I lay in bed, my eyes caught the sight of a faint, dark pink stain on the white carpet. It was near the door… it was where I bled when Ashley bit me earlier.
Somehow, I got to sleep. Somehow.
——————–
I awoke the next morning to the sounds of laughter downstairs. It was 9:13 am according to the red LED clock next to me. Wow, I sure slept like the dead. Fitting thing for a vampire, I thought, as I stretched in my bed.
The early sun was shining through Taylor’s enormous tinted windows. The tinting caused the rays to take on a pinkish hue that bathed the room in a pretty feminine glow.
I closed my eyes, opened my mind, and concentrated on the laughter below. Who was down there? There was Selena, definitely. I heard Dianna’s distinctive laugh and words coming from some young men and women I’ve never met. Taylor’s measured empathy was mixed in there as well. Taylor’s mom and dad were also there. I think I also detected Demi Lovato’s presence.
There was nobody upstairs but me.
I grabbed my clothes and raced to the bathroom. I needed to shower and get ready for the day before anyone saw me.
I quickly shaved, showered, and brushed my teeth. Just to be on the safe side, I also put on my tuxedo. I was a bit insecure about my looks. I mean, Taylor has T-shirts that cost more than my entire wardrobe. I didn’t want to look out of place.
I walked in front of the full length mirror next to my bed and checked myself over. Good. I looked like a model. I’ve always been photogenic, and never more so than in dress clothes. I couldn’t think of any way to improve my appearance. Thank God.
After I got ready, I sat on Taylor’s bed and waited. Did they know I was up here? Surely Abigail told them… should I eat one of my breakfast bars in here or go down and ask for breakfast? I was starving… I don’t know. Am I thinking too much? I need to make a good impression, but everyone down there already likes me, I think. Why am I nervous about meeting them?
I heard a set of footsteps coming up the stairs. Softy. Like socks on carpet. I listened as they rounded the corner to my room.
I stood up as my door opened.
In walked Demi Lovato, who was not expecting me to be there.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” she said. “I didn’t know… Oh… TOM?” She was stunned in several ways. I was, well, Tom. And I was there in person. And I was way tall, and, of course, in dress clothes.
“Hi Demi.”
“Um, wow.” She said, surprised. Then she looked me over. “Um, wowww.” She repeated. She smiled approvingly. “Hiii Tom.”
“Hi, um, nice to meet you Demi. Can I help you with something?”
She ran up and hugged me. I hugged back. “Thanks for coming Tom.”
“Oh, no problem… I’m glad to be here.”
She broke the hug and turned around. “I just need to use the mirror really quick.”
“Oh, OK.”
Demi checked herself out. I was surprised at how short she was. I’m not being mean, but it was just so different to see her in person. Her pink highlights and tattoos were really striking. I never see much of either where I live. Her highlights matched her pink dress. I guess everyone downstairs was already dressed up too.
“How do I look?” She said as she inspected herself.
“Amazing. I like the highlights.”
“Thaaaaank you! You know, you should talk to me more. Whenever you want, you know? Just go ahead.”
I just wasn’t sure of what to say. Demi and I have a history, a long one, even though I freaked out and dumped her after she became known for cutting and eating disorders. All of that hit too close to home for me. As someone with a problematic history of cutting and anorexia myself, I distance myself from those things when I see them. It’s an instinctive reaction and one that I can’t stop.
As I watched her, I could see a faint scar on her wrist as she moved around.
A lot has remained unsaid between us. For now, I’d like to keep it that way.
“Sooo… is everyone ready?” I asked.
“Pretty much but they’re still getting the flowers and stuff set up.”
“OK. How do I look?”
“You. Look. Amazing! Really Tom. Wow. You look really good in person.” She touched her pink hair strands seductively and smiled. Odd. Didn’t she know I dumped her? “It’s a good thing you got ready early. You have some time to waste. I do, too.”
“Yeah, that’s nice…” Was she trying to come on to me? Nah, I’m overthinking it. Surely she wouldn’t. Not right now, anyways.
“It’s very, nice actually. Tom, I’d like to get to, you know, talk a bit and spend some time together while you’re here. I think we should, you know? I mean we’re friends you know?”
I smiled. “Of course Demi. I’d like that.”
I sat down on the bed, and she immediately leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. I froze. Surely she wouldn’t? Then again, she is a rock star…
She whispered to me. “We could, you know, spend some time together right now.”
“I guess we could…” I said asexually. I wasn’t sure of what to do. Was this smart? When was the wedding? This wouldn’t be cheating on Taylor, would it? No… it wouldn’t be because Taylor and I weren’t physically together anymore. I decided to give the lead to Demi.
She kissed me on the lips and unbuckled my belt. She could do what she wanted, of course. I trusted her completely.
She kissed me again, more forcefully this time, and put her hand underneath my shirt. I had tight washboard abs, which surprised her.
“Woah. What happened?” She smiled approvingly.
“Oh, that happened awhile ago. I just wanted to make a change for the better. And for us, you know. I mean, you’re my girlfriend and all…”
“I just LOVE being your girlfriend, Tom.” She smiled and started unbuttoning my shirt. She couldn’t untuck my shirt because my pants, once loose, were now super tight. As Demi maneuvered on top of me, my cock started rubbing against my tight, silky slacks. It felt REALLY good. This was going to be fun! I couldn’t wait!
There was a knock on the door. “Demi, can I use the mirror?”
“Shit! Fuck!” Demi whispered. “Tom…”
“I know.” I recovered and made myself presentable. Demi grabbed the bed sheets and smeared them on my face to wipe off her lipstick. The smudges left a wet pink trail on Taylor’s sheets that I tucked underneath the comforter.
Demi opened the door. Dianna Agron was standing there impatiently. “Demi other people need to use the mirror too you know!”
“I KNOW. I was JUST talking to TOM.”
“Tom?” Dianna’s eyes met mine. “Tom!”
“Um, hi, Dianna.”
Dianna laughed. “Oh so this is where you are! Everyone is looking for you!”
“I’ve just been in here talking to Demi.”
“Oh OK!”
“Demi-“ Dianna started. “Selena wants to see you.”
“Alright, fine.” Demi kind of pushed Dianna’s shoulder out of the way as she left.
Is it just me, or do these two not get along all that well?
Dianna closed the door after Demi left.
“Hi Tom!” Dianna warmly hugged me. I hugged her back. I LOVED this woman. Whole heartedly. More than anyone else, maybe. We both melted in each other’s arms. She was so soft.
This time, I took the lead and separated us. “Dianna, when is the wedding?”
“Noon I think.”
“Is there something to eat downstairs before then? I’m so starving.”
“Oh yeah, anything you want! Come down with me after I use the mirror.” She squeezed my hand.
She checked herself out in the mirror. She looked perfect, of course. Her hair and makeup were professionally done and her pink dress fit in well with the room’s new décor.
She looked at me. “I was going to say you should get yourself looked at by our hair and makeup guys, but there’s no reason for that I see.” She winked and pinched my cheek. Or, at least, she tried to. Her fingers slipped off because my cheek was still wet from Demi’s kisses.
She looked at me quizzically. She checked me out again. I was still hard.
“Oh, is THAT what you two were doing?” She was appalled. “I should have known!”
“It wasn’t anything!” I stopped. “I mean, we didn’t have sex or anything.”
She glared at me.
“No, honest! We didn’t really have sex. I mean, we were about to but…”
She scolded me with her eyes. She was clearly very angry and maybe a bit jealous. There must be some bad blood between Dianna and Demi that I don’t know about. “Fine!” She shouted. “If that’s what you’re about then I guess I’ll just finish what that Demi started!”
She pushed me backwards onto the bed. I was stunned. I thought it inappropriate but I didn’t want her to stop. She quietly took my still hard dick out. She slipped off her panties and slipped me inside of her. The pink of her dress enveloped me as she fucked me fast and hard. It felt so, so good. We both loved it. Our twin bodies became embroiled in unbridled ecstasy. It was a blissful and beauteous coupling that shook us both to the core and caused unprecedented spasms of unbelievable pleasure.
It was a struggle to not scream out when we exploded in orgasm, but we managed it. Somehow.
We both collapsed, exhausted. As I lay there, I felt satisfied with myself. That was really good and fun, albeit worrying. I had had run ins with 2 of my girlfriends thus far, and both times, they forcefully tried to fuck me. Is this what the whole day is going to be like? It better not be. I better be worth more to them than just that. I became more upset with her and Demi the more I thought about it.
Dianna was spent and had closed her eyes. Her dress had come undone during the frenzy and exposed her nipples. God, she was HOT. I saw an opportunity and reached for my phone. “Smile!” I said, as I took a picture of her tits.
“TOM!!!!! What is your problem? Don’t you ever stop?”
“Don’t worry, I’m done, but I’ll want this later. And don’t you be all high and righteous. I’m starting to think that this ‘wedding’ might be an excuse for all of you to take advantage of me.”
“Oh, come on.” She was incredulous. “I didn’t take advantage of you.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just kidding. I would never think of such a thing. Not sure where I got THAT idea from. Whatever.”
I stood up and fixed my clothes. Dianna looked hurt. “Sorry.” I said.
“It’s fine.” She sighed. “You’re not going to delete the picture, are you?”
“I can keep a secret.” I smiled.
“I know. Fine. Let’s go downstairs before people wonder.”
I had already had my fill of drama for the day, so I no longer cared. I had no nerves, no apprehensions. I just walked downstairs with Dianna. Being with her made me strong.
Dianna led me to a tall, thin blonde girl in a pink dress with a pink floral headband. Her back was turned to me, but it was obvious who it was. As I approached, she turned around. She was ecstatic to see me. “Oh Tom! Hiiiiii! So glad you could be here!” She wrapped her arms around me in a polite hug. I did the same and told her thanks for inviting me.
Taylor led me around and introduced me to everyone there. It was really cool to see Taylor’s non-famous friends. It reminded me of how much of a person, and not a picture, she really is. It was also surprisingly fun to meet her parents. They were really nice people.
Taylor’s house was all gussied up for the wedding, of course. Pinkish flowers were everywhere, filling it with a sweet, romantic aroma. The morning sunlight glistened off the watered flowers, creating a kaleidoscope of pink hues. It was interesting just to walk around and take in the sights and aromas.
Abigail and I got a chance to meet again and we talked a bit about our lives, and when nobody else was listening, about Taylor, too- it’s good to get the inside scoop when you can. She also gave me a boutonnière of pink flowers for my breast pocket, which I totally forgot about. Oops.
After mingling, I ate some hors d’oeuvres and drank a glass of fantastic pink wine. Whatever it was that I drank, it must have been expensive. We don’t get wine like that at the corner liquor store, that’s for sure. I poured myself another glass.
In a corner, talking in a circle with a couple of Taylor’s band members, was Selena and Sammy Droke. Yes yes, I was in love with them both but they were just friends now. The Biebs was nowhere in sight. Thank GOD.
I sat down and had a nice convo with them. For awhile, they talked about the “other” side of the entertainment industry, the day to day stuff that I don’t see. I, in turn, I told them about the exciting, fast-paced life of database management. Yeah, they quickly tired of that. The highlight of the convo for me was a zinger I got in about Selena’s turn on Barney. She was cute, but she was the one that my friends and I made fun of. Inappropriate? Yes; but funny. Selena laughed.
After more talking, I needed to head upstairs. I had expended all of my social energy and needed a recharge. Also, the flowers were nice, but affecting my allergies and I needed to get away from them for a minute.
I went into my room and lay down on the bed. As I relaxed the door opened and in walked in one of Taylor’s dancers. He looked like me, except a bit shorter and stronger.
“Hi, I just need to use the mirror.” He said.
I waved him toward it. “Go ahead.”
“Close your eyes.”
I did as instructed for about 5 seconds. When I opened my eyes all he wearing was his pink shirt. He was nude from the waist down with his pants around his ankles.
Yeah, I peeked.
He must have noticed. He smiled. “Get a good look?”
“Um, sorry. It’s just, you know, not something I get to see all that often.” What was I doing? I wasn’t gay… but I was curious, and surprisingly extroverted. Dianna must have done something to me. Or maybe it was all the wine.
“It’s not magical, but it’s served me well.” He said.
“I’ll bet!” I reached out and grabbed it. It fit and felt nice in my hand.
“Hey! What the FUCK? You perv!”
“Oh, come on dude. It’s nice. Let me appreciate it.”
“Ummm…”
I shushed him. “You’re gay, right? Come on, let me do this as a favor to me. I’ve always been really curious. Just this once. Please?”
He smiled. “As a favor to you? Sure, anything, sir.” I gave him a handjob. He loved it. I was a master of that, after all.
I loved how his pink dick felt in my hand. Smooth and firm, yet so soft. I touched it all over, everywhere. It was fascinating and fun. I jerked him off slow, then fast. Then slow again. Right before he came I aimed his cock at my mouth.
“Ooooooh… Yes… touch me… ooooooooh… Yes FUCK!!” He came in my mouth and I got it gummed up in my teeth.
Ummm, yuck. It tasted like salty protein, which is I guess what it was.
He smirked at my sour face. “How is it?” He asked.
It was still gummed up in my mouth, but I wanted to be clever. Just be yourself, Tom! “Proteiny.” I tried to say, but it was garbled when it came out. I repeated it. “Ro-teeny.”
“What?” He looked confused. “Tinny? Creamy?”
I put up the index finger and thumb up of my right hand. He was so close, I tried to tell him.
He turned red. “Well, FUCK you! I’m sorry but we can’t all be perfect little whores like you are!”
I looked up, alarmed. I swallowed quick. “Huh?”
“Teeny, huh? Right, you’re a real bastard, Tom. Fuck you. And you know what? It must suck to be biggest slut in the world. Really, it must.”
“Wait, no! I’m sorry! I meant proteiny! You know like protein!”
He angrily pulled his pants up while glaring exasperated at me, and then started throwing his hands around as he continued yelling. “That is the biggest bunch of SHIT I have ever heard. I knew you had an attitude. Everyone knows you’re a self-absorbed little slut but I didn’t realize how bad it was. Fuck you. If that’s…”
There was a knock on the door.
“Is everything OK in there? I hear people yelling…” It was Taylor.
I quickly opened the door, hoping that she could become involved and defuse the issue. I did it without thinking. Considering what the issue was, this wasn’t smart at all.
“Josh hi. What’s wrong?” She asked.
My eyes pleaded with him.
He glared at me, and then turned to Taylor. “Why don’t we have Tom explain the issue? I’m sure that he could do it better than I could.”
“Ummm…” I began. I cleared my throat. I could still taste the cum. Yuck.
I heard a yell from downstairs. “You guys, the wedding is about to begin!”
Thank GOD.
“Are we OK now?” Taylor asked. We both nodded.
She turned to leave. As she left, I grabbed Josh’s arm. “Sorry, it was all a misunderstanding. I didn’t really say that.”
“It’s OK. We’re fine. I’m sure I just overreacted.” He rolled his eyes and walked out.
I followed them both downstairs and took a seat in the backyard with the others. The actual ceremony was short but nice. It was cute to see and made me pine a bit for one of my own.
As the minister recited his lines, I scanned the audience. It looked like I was in the middle of a chessboard filled with black and pink pieces. It seemed like I’d met everyone here already, save for a group of people to my right, who were probably Abigail’s family. When I made eye contact with them, they smiled and waved. Did they know me? I waved back.
After the vows, rings and applause, the crowd gathered for pictures.
The rest of the day was taken up with more mingling inside, which I’m okay at, but only in short bursts. These 4 hour mingling marathons aren’t my thing.
I decided to leave but NOT to my room upstairs. I had had enough of THAT place, thank you very much.
I went out in the backyard and devoured some more hors d’oeuvres. They were really, really good. Tay’s got it nice.
I ran into Taylor’s brother by the punch bowl, who was fascinated by the whole “evil wizard” thing. We gabbed for awhile about that while eating some of Abigail’s pink wedding cake. He was also interested in *shock* *gasp* software development. I mean, not in pursuing it himself, but the occupation in general. I wasn’t sure if he was just being nice or what, but it was refreshing to actually talk about that to someone who seemed to have a genuine interest in it. In turn I learned at bit about him and his world, apart from Taylor and the rest.
As we gabbed a perky, pink haired vixen sauntered up to me. She was in shorts and a black T with what I think is a band logo on it. There was writing and tats on her arms. I couldn’t quite make out what it said on account of all of her bracelets. She wasn’t here earlier and she certainly wasn’t dressed for a wedding…
“Hi.” She gave me a knowing look. “I just wanted to see you in person.”
“Um, hi.” Mmmm hmmm. Yup. It was her and she was of course inappropriate. What would her mother say, to see her at a proper affair looking like this?
She glowered a bit. “I just got here.” She said, a bit defiantly.
“Oh, you look fine! Sorry.”
“Hi Hayley.” Austin said.
“Hi Austin.”
Austin looked around. “It’s getting hot out here. I think I’ll go back inside. It was nice meeting you, Tom.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you!”
As Austin left, I offered Hayley some punch, just to have something to say. As usual, what do I do in these situations?
She laughed. “No I’m cool!”
You know, Austin was right. It WAS getting hot out here. I was starting to sweat a bit underneath my heavy clothes.
She stood there, smiled, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She was waiting for me to say something… or she just liked seeing me uncomfortable. Not sure which.
“So, you just got here?”
She nodded. And smiled a bit. And waited.
“It was a pretty nice wedding… it’s unfortunate that you didn’t get here earlier, but that’s OK.”
She just smiled and stood there, shifting her weight around. OK, she WAS trying to make me uncomfortable. This is intentional, right?
“It’s pretty amazing to see you.” I said, even though it wasn’t, really. I was over the shock of meeting celebrities by now.
She just stood there.
OK, if she wasn’t going to SAY SOMETHING, I wasn’t sure WHAT I’d do. For real. I mean, I had literally no idea. What did she want? Anything? Was she mad that I was standing in front of the food? What the fuck?
“So, uh…”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to see what everyone was talking about.”
I was suddenly even more uncomfortable. Maybe she could go back to not talking? I gave a blank expression. “What do you mean?”
“Well, everyone’s talking about you and I just wanted to see why, that’s all. Come on!” she grabbed my hand and pulled me indoors.
——————–
And so the day went on. After a bit more gabbing, we gave Abigail and her husband our presents. I gave them a blender. It was the cheapest of the presents, but I didn’t care. It was true to my class, and something she could use. And Abigail seemed to like it. After that was more gabbing, this time with music. I stayed downstairs until my watch hit 3:00.
At that moment, I headed upstairs. I had to leave. Tomorrow I had a big meeting with the plant manager in Italy, and I needed to be at my desk and on the phone with him at 8:00 am. No excuses.
I took off my clothes and packed them away. After that, I sighed and sat down on the bed to relax. Social situations were always draining, and this had been a long day.
As I sat down, I felt a strange, furry lump under the sheets. Suddenly, something very sharp dug into my back.
“REEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWEEEERRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“OH, FUCK!!!” Oh my God, I squashed Meredith! I shot upright. “OW!!!! Sorry!!!!”
Meredith bounded out of the bed, insulted but not hurt. I touched my back. It was definitely bleeding. The rivulets of blood oozed onto the carpet in the same place that I bled earlier, when Ashley bit me.
Meredith hissed at me and then ran out of the room.
I heard Taylor out in the hall. “Meredith? Are you in…” Taylor walked in and almost tripped on Meredith as she bolted out. “Meredith!?” Taylor’s eyes opened wide when she saw me. “TOM?!?!”
“I sat on Meredith and then she bit me. Can you help?”
Without a word, Taylor raced to the bathroom. I followed her. She got out her bandaids and disinfectant, and then put some soapy water in the sink so she could clean the wound first. She was quick. It only took her a couple of minutes to clean the bite and bandage it.
“So Tay…” I raised my eyebrow comically as she finished bandaging me. “Is this a normal thing? You know, your guests being horribly wounded and such?”
She looked at me, annoyed but apologetic. “When my guest is you, apparently so.”
I frowned. “Sorry I sat on Meredith. I didn’t hurt her.”
“I know. It’s OK. Meredith always goes upstairs and into that bed whenever she gets scared, or when there are too many people downstairs. I should have told you that, I guess.”
We were interrupted by the sight of a tiny pink cat wandering in. WTF?!?!
“Olivia!?!?” Taylor was stunned.
“Merower…” Olivia Benson had been licking up my blood from the carpet. It had gotten all over her white fur and turned her pink in spots. She was dragging the blood across the white carpet and wallpaper, leaving a pink trail behind her.
I laughed. I mean, it was kind of funny.
Taylor laughed too. “It’s OK. I’ll have someone come and clean the carpet.” Taylor beckoned at Olivia. “Olivia… come here Olivia.”
Olivia tiptoed in, closer. She was wary of me.
When she crept close enough, Taylor quickly snatched her up and deposited her in the sink.
“REEEEEWWWWWEEEERRRRRRRR!
MMMEEEWWWRRRR! RWWEEERRRRR!!!!!!”
“Hold still Olivia!!!”
Olivia was having none of it. She kept squirming and squealing and she shook all the water out of the sink, spraying the room with soap, water and blood.
“REEEWWWWWWEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!” Olivia bounded out of the sink and rocketed out the door and downstairs.
“DAMN IT!!!! OLIVIA!!!!!”
I heard a few people coming upstairs. They were talking amongst themselves and wanted to know what was going on.
“Oh FUCK.” I murmured as they rounded the corner to the bathroom. I was still naked. Of course.
It was Abigail and her husband. And Taylor’s parents.
They just stood there, gawking at, well, everything.
“Um, hi…” I started. “Can someone get me a towel, please? Sorry. As you can see, I’m kind of naked.”
Taylor looked sheepishly at everyone. “Sorry. It’s a long story.” She had splashes of blood and soap all over her. As did I, of course. My back was hurting again. When I flinched to dodge Olivia’s spray I must have re-opened the wound.
Taylor’s mom looked at her, blankly. And then she looked at me. And then back at Taylor. She was confused and concerned, and a little offended. “Taylor? What is going ON here? Are you OK?”
“I’m fine.” Taylor said.
“I’m fine too, thanks.” I said, as I bled profusely onto the floor.
“Ohmygod, you’re bleeding!” Abigail yelled.
By now a crowd of people was coming upstairs.
“Quick, close the door!” I yelled.
Abigail and Taylor pushed everyone out, closed the door, and locked it.
“Taylor, open this door!!!” Her dad yelled.
“Not yet, dad!”
“We just want to help!”
“Find Olivia and clean her up, then!”
Taylor informed Abigail of the situation as they got to work helping me. With the two of them working together, everything was stabilized quickly. Just to be sure, they took turns compressing the wound to make sure it stayed sealed.
When it was Abigail’s turn, Taylor sat back, relieved.
“Wow.” She said. “Only you, Tom. Only you.”
“Sorry.”
Taylor and Abigail laughed.
“It’s OK. It happens.” Abigail said.
Taylor suddenly turned serious. She studied me as I lay there. I got the feeling that she was debating whether she should tell me something or not. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she spoke.
“Tom… Did you have sex with Demi?”
I froze. She knew something had happened but she didn’t know what. OK, decision time. Should I lie or not? How much did she know? As I turned to face Taylor, I must have given her something inadvertently.
She nodded and sighed. “OK.”
“No, wait. I didn’t have sex with Demi.”
Abigail didn’t move or say anything. Odd. She must have known that something went on, too. But how? I had been too slutty. I mean, you can’t have sexual encounters with three different people at a wedding and not have anyone else know. God, that was STUPID.
There was no easy way out of this, was there? Taylor could read some of my thoughts… I can’t lie to her, can I? I didn’t know what to say, but she was already convinced that I had had sex with one of her closest friends. Did it matter much if the truth was that it was a different one of her closest friends?
I told her the truth. About everything. I told her about Demi’s seduction attempt and Dianna and everything else… except the gay dancer.
Taylor just listened. As I finished, she gave a side eye to Abigail. Why? What was Taylor thinking? Abigail and I were here together last night, alone. Surely she didn’t think that…
I’m NOT a whore. I shook my head “No” and glared at Tay with my vampire eyes. How dare she even think that?
I decided to lay it all out and then told her about the dancer, too.
Taylor laughed. “So THAT’S what you were doing together. Oh my God, Tom.”
Abigail laughed too. “Soooooo… how was it?”
I blushed. “Um, OK, I guess.” I wanted to just go home, honestly.
“So what now?” Taylor asked me. “Are we still together?”
Ummm… yes? I looked up at Taylor. Were we even together when I got here? I decided to be sure of what we had. “Yes, we’re still together.”
“You promised me you wouldn’t have sex with any of my friends in this house again.”
Abigail looked back at Taylor. She seemed surprised, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t know about Ashley, I guess. As she compressed the wound, though, she looked at me and grinned to herself mischievously. Overhearing all of this was fun for her.
“Yeah, sorry. Taylor… I’m not a slut, you know.”
“I know. It must be difficult having so many girlfriends.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll figure it all out.”
Considering what I had just explained, Taylor seemed oddly nonchalant. It was… weird. It seemed like she almost expected it, which was kind of worse than if she would have freaked out. Is it good or bad when you have sex with your girlfriend’s best girlfriend, and then happily jerk off one of your girlfriend’s best guy friends, and your girlfriend just doesn’t seem to care?
Maybe she was just tired from the wedding. But, yeesh.
“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” She said. “I mean, I’m not giving you what you need… ”
“Oh, that’s OK…”
“No, it isn’t. I don’t blame Dianna or Demi. If I was them, I would have done the same thing. I mean, I always talk about you like you’re my boyfriend but I’m never really there for you.” She stopped. “I mean, I know you want to talk to me, I know you need to, but it never happens and that’s my fault. You always say you’re sorry, but I never do, do I? So, sorry.”
It felt good to hear that. She was right about not being there for me in that way.
“We’re OK, Tom. I love you.”
Abigail beamed. She seemed proud. “You two are amazing. I can only hope that my marriage is as strong as what you two have.”
By now, Abigail was holding onto the compress just to have something to do.
“I think the wound is OK. Thanks!!!!” I said. Abigail nodded. “Um, I need to leave. My plane doesn’t leave in too long because I have a meeting tomorrow morning.”
“Ok.” Taylor nodded. “You’ll be OK going back like this?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just move carefully.”
Abigail removed the compress, which had turned pink with watered down blood. She threw it away.
I put the bandage on myself and quietly crept back into my room, where I carefully put on my clothes.
After a minute longer in the bathroom with Abigail, Taylor walked in and helped me pack. She also brought in some Tylenol for me.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” She replied. “Say, Tom, am I the only person here you didn’t kiss?”
I laughed and turned a bit red. “Close to it.”
“Let’s fix that.”
She kissed me, but not too hard. We gently caressed each other’s lips for a good five minutes.
After that, we looked into each other’s eyes. And then hugged. And then, we looked into each other’s eyes again. And then… Taylor raised her left hand.
Odd. Oh, interesting…
She was wearing a pretty platinum ring that she wanted me to notice. It had a nice big pink stone… tourmaline? It looked like… Abigail’s engagement ring. The one I saw when I first met her. No, it WAS Abigail’s engagement ring.
Why?
“That’s… Abigail’s ring.” I said.
“She just gave it to me. It’s mine now. Ours, really.” She smiled. “If that’s OK with you, that is.”
I smiled and grabbed her dress. I pulled her in close and kissed her hard.
“Sounds fine to me. When?”
“We’ll see.” She coyly smiled. “We need to get you home, first.” She pushed me away.
Hmmm… agreed. I needed to leave. This will have to wait. For now.
Taylor and I brought my stuff downstairs, where everyone was waiting. I checked outside through the windows quickly before turning to the crowd. Worthington was there, standing outside his limo having a smoke.
I said my goodbyes to everyone. Everything was cordial and enthusiastic, thankfully. Apparently Abigail explained the bathroom situation to the crowd before I came down, as there were plenty of comments about taking it easy on the way back.
I was tired and I kind of wanted to leave… but not really. Maybe this is where I really belong.
Outside, I could see darker clouds overhead. They muted the sun’s effect on the flowers downstairs, which now looked reddish and dark. Nothing was as bright anymore.
After more goodbyes I gave another congratulations to Abigail and her husband and left. As I walked out I heard the door close behind me with a sickening click. This IS where I belong, isn’t it? Or… no. Not yet. Even now, not yet.
I took my time going downstairs with my bags. My back STILL hurt. As I slowly labored to the limo, Worthington looked at me and chuckled under his breath.
Instead of asking, he just shook his head this time. Some things are better off unknown, I guess.
As the car drove away and Taylor’s mansion faded into the distance, I took one final look at the pink flowers of the dogwoods and lilacs that were everywhere in her neighborhood. Who knows if Taylor’s promise will ever hold. This might well be the last time I see her.
But… I smiled. I doubt it.