It had only been three hours since the final meeting of the quarter for Chox, Inc. and Adam Milligan was already dreading the after-hours bash that his boss, Theresa, always insisted on. Adam had worked for the firm for two years and every quarter; they did the same damned thing.
"Milligan?" His boss always insisted on using last names.
Just like the Army, I guess
. Adam quickly framed his toothy smile at Theresa's approach. "Yes, Chandler?"
"
Tres bien.
You will be attending
mon petite soiree
this evening? At my new place,
N'est pas
?"
What's with the fake French accent
? Adam lowered his raised eyebrows. "Eh… Oui, of course, wouldn't miss it."
Theresa flashed expensive orthodontia and sashayed her sizeable behind towards another pathetic middle manager in the corner. Adam dashed for an exit and fished a smoke out of his coat.
* * *
The lights of the city flew by as the car zigged left and rolled right through Friday rush-hour traffic. Adam had gotten a ride from Darren in accounting to get to Chandler's place, but neither of them could remember where her new digs were.
"Hey… Hey, Adam?"
Adam snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"
"Was that West Tenth Street or what?"
Adam fished around in his pocket for the Mapquest printout. "I don't know, it just says Tenth on the…"
"Fine. We'll find it."
The car made a hard left up a well-lighted street and trolled to a stop, looking for curb numbers. A lively Stop-N-Go rolled into view.
"Naw, it ain't West Tenth. Not unless Chandler's partyin' in the walk-in cooler or somethin'."
"Hey, pull in here for a sec, anyway." Adam felt in his pockets.
"Get me a beer, will ya?"
Darren found a space on the side of the building, double-parking behind a semi. Adam hopped out, rounded the corner and ran smack into a huge pair of breasts, face first. The woman fell back to the wall by the payphone.
"Hey, watch it!"
Adam's face paled. A very tall black woman held her chest and stared daggers at him.
"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry." Adam reached a hand out toward her to help.
The woman looked at his hand, then back at him. Her face softened and she grabbed his hand.
Adam helped her up. "I'm sorry, I just… I have this stupid party I have to go to, and I…"
"Damn, you’re a nervous little thing, ain't ya?"
When the woman stood up straight, she was a good five inches taller than Adam. Her hair was tinted red and in long braids framing a striking face - almond eyes, full lips, high cheekbones - she looked like a model, but for her too large boobs.
Adam grew silent for a moment as he took her in, his eyes flashed from her beautiful face to her breasts and back again.
She smiled. "You okay?"
He inhaled suddenly and quickly looked back up at her face. "Oh, I… Sorry."
"Yeah, so you said. Just slow down some, little man. Take it easy." She smiled and walked on.
Adam watched her jeans grind away for a moment, closed his eyes, then slapped his forehead. "God, what a fuckin' idiot."
Inside the store, he grabbed a pack of Camels, a beer for Darren and went to the counter. A young Pakistani man sold a couple of six-packs to a petite woman, then looked to Adam. "That be all, sir?"
"Yeah, and matches, if you got 'em." The young man bent down and felt below the counter, never taking his eyes from over Adam's right shoulder. He looked nervous. Adam turned, spotting a curved mirror hanging in the corner. In the mirror, four young men with big coats were cutting up in the last aisle of the store, loudly cursing and challenging each other.
"No, you man."
"Get the fuck out. I ain't gonna…"
"Here you are, sir." Whipping back around, the matches were in Adam's face. He took them, paid and dinged out the door.
Darren pulled a U-turn in the street and headed east down Tenth into a dark neighborhood. Streetlights were commonly shot out in this older part of the city. Run-down duplexes and old homes with peeling paint, tin siding and in need of years of yardwork led right up to a new walled-in set of brightly-lit condominiums. From the fourth condo to the right of the entrance, loud music thumped into the night, echoing off the surrounding houses.
"This be it, Adam. I'll let you out here and find a place down the street. Cool?"
"Cool. Okay. Thanks, man. See you inside." Adam hopped out and the car moved slowly down the block, looking for a space.
Adam walked up the lighted pathway amidst sculpted grassy hills and several thousands worth of imported tropical plants. A big guard wearing a vest behind the gate eyed him warily.
"I'm here for the party in 1278."
The guard frowned, pointed to his ears and shook his head. He pointed to Adam's left. There on the wall was a list of apartments with lighted addresses beside them, and a bell for security. Adam smiled, flashed an "okay" sign and pushed "1278." A phone rang through the speaker, then music poured out of it.
"Chox Incorporat… I mean, Theresa Chandler's residence."
"Amy? That you?"
"Yeah, who's this?"
It's me, Adam. I'm out front. Can you buzz me in?"
"Yeah, just a second. Sorry, Chandler put me to work as soon as I got here. This isn't quite the same as the switchboard… Ah, here we go!"
The door buzzed and Adam pushed it open. "Thanks," he said, but the speaker was already quiet.
Following the booming music, Adam walked through the pretentious structure, then climbed stairs past an impressive fountain to 1278. He knocked and waited. He knocked again. He tried the knob, letting himself in.
Adam squinted as the music slammed into him like a living presence. The party was in full swing - bodies jumping and diving in disco light just inside the entryway, and stairs leading down to the main room crowded with friends, couples and sharks. Adam leaned close to one shark nearby.
"Where's the bar?"
The man took his eyes off the legs of a woman Adam knew from shipping long enough to jerk a thumb towards the kitchen.
"Thanks!"
The kitchen was more of the same, bodies sitting on and leaning against every counter - the men downing beers as if in a contest and the women trying to balance goblets of white wine away from the traffic moving by.
I wish she'd at least get a bigger place.