satisfied, opened the passenger door and got in. He glanced around the interior of the black car as it pulled away. His gaze fell on the briefcase lying on the left side of the back seat; Julie's plane ticket and passport rested on top of it. He didn't comment on what he saw. He knew he wouldn't be able to convince his friend to stay at West Point. She had finalized everything.
The jeep drove through the empty streets of the city, heading toward the city center. The weather was becoming increasingly worse. The wind had picked up, and now the trees swayed with each gust, rustling merrily as if whispering the latest gossip. The familiar smell of fried fish hung in the air, as despite the recent heat, all the fish and chips shops were operating as usual.
Julie turned off the main road onto Melton's Street and, after driving nearly a kilometer, stopped in front of a large white house. Brauni was standing in the driveway. She was wearing a short skirt and a light-colored top. In her hand was a green sweater, which her mother had forced upon her before entering, fearing the weather would completely ruin her.
She smiled at the sight of her friends in the car, waved cheerfully to Chris, then climbed in, settling into the backseat. She kissed them both on the cheeks.
Julie turned the car again, and a moment later the Jeep was driving down Melton's Street again, then along the main road leading straight into town.
Six minutes later, they were in the city center. It was almost 3 p.m., and the streets were bustling. Some people were running nervously, while others, for a change, were leisurely strolling along the pedestrian mall, window-shopping.
"Pull in front of Sebastian's boutique," she shouted to Julie, showing her an empty parking space in front of the shop.
The owner of the boutique, who named it after his only son, had the best and most fashionable women's clothing in all of West Point. Unfortunately, these clothes also came at a price, sometimes too high for a well-off person. The advantage of this place was definitely the opportunity to dress yourself from head to toe. Mr. Berman, in addition to chic outfits, also sold shoes, handbags, and sparkly accessories.
The car parked next to the pedestrian walkway. The three of them got out, their eyes fixed on the large store sign. Brauni and Chris stood beside the car, waiting for Julie to lock all the doors.
"Oh my, it's so crowded here!" Brauni muttered, staring at the people moving in different directions along the sidewalk. "Just like a river, only a bit different.
" "Yeah..." The boy nodded, watching the young mother dragging a small, five-year-old boy, who clearly didn't appreciate her company. "Just a slight change in the weather and everyone comes out of their hiding places.
" "Like rats!" she said with a smile. "Hey, Jules! Did you lock up?"
Julie was just putting her keys into her black purse, taking small steps toward her friends.
"Yes, yes!" she said. She stopped and looked at the crowd and the store. "So? Ready for a big shopping spree?
" "Yeah!" her friend replied, laughing happily.
As one, they began to push their way through the crowd, jostling them from every direction. A long-haired blonde swept past Brauni, striking her in the right side. She didn't offer her an apology. The girl shook her head, rubbing her right shoulder and muttering,
"Christ! This is the real Saigon.
" "Not Saigon, but Capshaw. They're having a sale today," Chris corrected her, pointing to a store in the distance.
"Sale? They sell souvenirs for tourists there!
"
The wind slammed the unsecured shutter against the window frame in Daniel's room. The noise tore him from his concentration on a new computer game he was testing on his computer. He rubbed his eyes lightly. He was sore from staring at the constantly changing screen for hours. He rose from his swivel chair, stretched, and sighed loudly. He finally went to the window, opened it, and leaned over to secure the shutters in place. It took him a while, but he finally got them to stay put. The force of the wind surprised him. He thought of the approaching storm. He'd dreamed of it so much. The month-long heat was taking its toll. He left the window slightly open and returned to the computer. He unlocked the game and began controlling the hero again. He loved the game, even though his peers would surely find it ridiculous. Because who these days is so passionate about a game where a man fights a horde of zombies?
He was just dispatching the three creatures when the phone rang in the hall, followed immediately by his mother's voice coming from the kitchen on the ground floor of the house:
"Honey, can you answer? I can't, my hands are dirty.
" "Then wash yourself." He whispered angrily, then replied loudly, in an unnatural tone. "Yes, I'm answering!"
He paused the game again, stood up, and walked out of the room into the large hall. He walked to the dresser on which the ringing phone stood, then picked up the receiver.
"Hello!
" "Daniel?" A familiar voice spoke, but he couldn't place it.
"Yes, who's
this?" "What do you mean? You don't recognize your friend? It's Arthur!
" "Oh, hello." Daniel rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the chairs placed on either side of the dresser. "Is something wrong? I'm asking because you rarely call me.
" "I know, I know, Buddy.
"
Arthur sat in his car, talking on the phone inside. He stared straight ahead, clearly observing something.
"I usually call when I have business, but not this time!
" "Okay, you've piqued my interest. What's the matter?" he said, wanting to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
"I wanted to invite you!"
The phones fell silent. Arthur even thought something might have interrupted the conversation, but finally Daniel spoke, quickly blurting out:
"If you're talking about a date, I'm very busy today.
" ***
Arthur's loud laughter echoed through the receiver.
"Are you crazy?" "Sorry, but I prefer people with bigger bumps than you. I want to invite you to a party tonight. On a yacht.
" "It's the second one this month," Daniel replied. "Sorry, but I didn't really like the last one. There were too many people, and by the time I got there, they'd already wasted it."
Arthur smiled to himself, then added:
"I think you'll like this one, because it'll just be a party with your closest friends. You, me, Julie, Brauni, Chris, Pres, and Anna. What do you think?
" "Hmm... I don't know, have you invited Anne yet?"
"No! I'll leave that to you, bro! So, are you okay with that? You don't have to worry about Julie; Brauni's probably already invited her.
" "Oh. Sure! No problem."
***
Arthur was pleased. Everything was going according to plan today. He gave Daniel his arrival time and told him how long the party would last. They chatted a bit more about the drinks Arthur had bought for the party, then hung up.
He got out of the car and looked at the ship rocking in the slightly choppy harbor water. Several crew members were bustling about. Some were carrying heavy crates aboard, others were supervising them to place them in their proper places. The interior of the Tabernacle was illuminated by a warm light. Even though dusk wouldn't fall for another four hours, the sky outside had grown darker, thanks to clouds rolling in from the west. The sixty-four-meter yacht was still in the harbor basin. It had a gleaming white hull with black trim, an incredibly sleek, streamlined superstructure, a V-shaped bow, and a wide, concave stern. Towering over the crew bustling along the dock was a four-story colossus that impressed almost anyone.
Arthur approached one of his father's employees, dressed in a neat white uniform.
"Hi George!" he said amiably, watching the man straighten up over a case of bourbon.
He was an older man with a light touch of gray in his hair. He smiled his toothy smile at the boy.
"Hello, Mr. Whopper." "There's enough alcohol here to feed an army. We're getting ready for a big party.
" "No, George!" he smiled warmly, his hands fiddling with his cell phone. "A small, intimate party, but a three-day affair. Do you know what time you're off?
" "Yes, yes, Mr. Whopper. We're supposed to be gone after 8 p.m. Can you handle everything?
" "Sure." He glanced at the yacht. "I've been sailing and steering this ship since I was ten. I can handle it now. How long will it take you to load?"
George glanced at his men, then at the crates containing the rest of the alcohol and food, calculated mentally, and said,
"Probably another hour to get it all in, and another to set it all up. We'll start cleaning around 6 p.m., and that won't take long." Arthur
nodded in satisfaction. He thanked the older man and then headed back to his car. On the way, he dialed another number and waited for someone on the other end to answer.
Pres's villa was bathed in a peaceful darkness and silence, slightly broken by the sound of running water from the shower. The bathroom was the only place in the house currently lit. Steam wafted through the room, escaping from the slightly ajar shower door. Pres was rinsing the suds from his naked body when his phone rang in the bedroom next door. He didn't bother rushing to the phone; he knew the answering machine would soon pick up.
He wasn't wrong; after six rings, the machine began to speak. "This is Pres Heatherly. I'm probably not home, or I'm not answering. Leave a message after the beep, and I might call you back."
Pres smiled when he heard his own voice. This message always discouraged the pests who offered him ever newer and, unfortunately, increasingly worse job offers. This time, however, no one decided to record it.
He shrugged, turned off the hot water, and reached for a towel hanging on the wall. He stepped out of the shower, leaving wet footprints on the floor. He went into the bedroom and, glancing at the answering machine, made sure no messages had been left. He dried himself thoroughly, then returned to the bathroom and mopped the floor. He draped a towel over the small pipe of the wall heater, which was now icy cold. He returned naked to the bedroom. He grabbed the glass of soda he'd placed on the dresser and drank the rest of it. He set it down and went into the wardrobe, where his most important clothes were. He grabbed a navy blue Calvin Klein light suit, matched it with a matching long-sleeved shirt and a light blue tie. He arranged everything on the large double bed and went to the dresser, where he took out his favorite teddy bear boxer shorts and socks. In an hour, he had a rehearsal at his TV station, and he also had to discuss a few things with his buddy, Dan Campion, considered the biggest influencer at KML after Collins.
He didn't feel like putting on a suit in the muggy weather outside. He'd happily stay in his favorite Adam outfit for the rest of the day. He put on his boxers and then started putting on socks when the phone rang again. Taking advantage of his proximity, he picked up the receiver after the first ring.
"Pres Heatherly.
" "Hi, Pres, this is Arthur Whopper."
Pres sat on the edge of the bed and tried to pull on his other sock with one hand.
"Arthur?" He was a little surprised, as they'd barely spoken. They'd met at a meeting with Arthur's father, where Arthur's eyes were twinkling, putting on a good face for the bad game of listening to his father's boring conversation with the KML representatives, of which Pres was already a member. "How are you?
" "Everything's fine. I heard you've been neglecting your friends lately.
" Pres laughed cheerfully. The sock had slipped onto his leg, so he started putting on his pants.
"Who told you that?"
"Nobody, but it's noticeable. We haven't seen each other in ages.
" "Yeah, right..." He thought for a moment, then added. "It's been three months since your party in June.
" "Exactly. Listen, would you like to come on my yacht today? I'm throwing a small party with friends. It would just be me, you, Chris, Brauni, Julie, Daniel, and Chris's sister.
" "Such a big yacht for seven people, it's a crowd!"
Arthur laughed, then quickly replied,
"I know, I know, but sometimes I get tired of all the rabble swarming to my parties just to see what the Tabernacle looks like inside."
"Right!" Pres replied, pulling on his shirt. He hadn't buttoned his pants yet, which made him look like a slob now. "Listen, Art. I'd love to come; you know how I like your parties. But I can't today. I have a rehearsal in the studio in an hour, and then I have to record tomorrow's show." I doubt I'll be home before four in the morning. I'm so sorry.
" "Too bad!" Arthur said sadly. "But you're not getting away with another one. Remember, we still have a trip to the Caribbean to pick up girls. "
Pres burst into laughter.
"No problem, mate! I'll remember that." He glanced at his watch. "Listen, I'm having a great time talking, but I still have to get dressed, get ready, eat something, and get to the studio. I have to go.
" "Sure, hang in there, mate. See you in three days," Arthur said.
"How much?" the boy asked, surprised, but the only sound in the receiver was the buzz of the interrupted call.
He put it back in its place and went back to buttoning his shirt, muttering under his breath,
"Three days, that's a good party."
***
The high prices of clothes at Sebastian's Boutique meant that few people were around. The store was located in a vast room with several rows of racks of clothes and three large dressing rooms, each with benches set up for husbands waiting to try on dresses. As soon as they entered the store, Brauni and Julie went wild. They scattered in search of their dream outfits, leaving poor Chris in the middle of the store. He sat on one of the benches in front of the dressing rooms, waiting for his friends to choose something.
Brauni and Julie decided to put on a real fashion show for Chris by acting as models. They ran into the dressing room with a mountain of clothes off the racks and began emerging one by one in a variety of outfits, leaving Chris with mixed emotions, from delight to tears of laughter at the sight.
Julie struggled with a large feather boa, which was stuck in her mouth. She spat it out in all directions before colliding with Brauni. Then they performed as vamps in tight leather outfits. They ran away to the changing room when the owner appeared.
They also didn't miss trying on evening wear. Brauni put on shoes with too high a heel and a moment later collapsed onto the floor, dragging Julie with her. When Chris tried to help them, they pulled him to the floor, laughing. They also tried to fit a few clothes onto their friend. They put a short skirt and an elegant blouse over his trousers. They stood aside, admiring their handiwork. Chris looked like a child from a country that had been at war for years. Brauni realized his sneakers didn't match the skirt, so she matched him with elegant heels in his size. Something still didn't seem right. Julie disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with a blonde wig and placed it on her friend's head. They both roared with laughter. Chris suddenly lunged at them angrily, and, as is often the case with boys wearing heels, sprawled on the floor. Julie and Brauni decided to lift him, but he used their earlier trick and made the girls land on their asses. They laughed and played for over an hour.
When they finally left the store, Chris breathed a deep sigh of relief and looked at his friends lugging large shopping bags.
"I'm never going shopping with you again. I've never been so embarrassed as I was today.
" "Did you also think Mr. Berman would throw us out?" Brauni asked teasingly, winking at Julie.
They both burst out laughing.
Chris shrugged and headed for his friend's car. Using the keys he took from Julie, he opened the trunk of the Jeep and helped the girls load all the bags, which in Brauni's case held two dresses, a pair of shoes, and a few trinkets, and in Julie's case, two dresses, two pairs of shoes, and even more trinkets.
"Where are we going now?" the boy asked after locking the trunk.
"Shall we go?" Julie asked in surprise and looked at her friend, who was showing all her teeth in a smile. "You meant to say 'Let's go,'"
Chris made a questioning face, looking from Julie to Brauni. They stood before him as if they were about to hurt him.
"What are you up to?"
They didn't answer. Brauni raised her hand and pointed to a point behind him, which made the boy turn on his heel and look in the indicated direction.
He saw another shop across the street with a large "Fearless" sign and a small inscription underneath proclaiming that the place was the largest collection of fashionable men's clothing.
"Oh, no!" he said, almost screaming. "You won't drag me there."
But before he could do anything, the girls grabbed his hips, blocking his arms, and with incredible strength dragged him across the street, giggling gleefully.
Brak komentarzy:
Prześlij komentarz