Always Belle

Our eyes were fixated on the giant TV, watching Real Madrid launch a blistering counterattack. Jardines carried the ball up the left wing and crossed it toward goal. Enriqué made a clever run toward it, jumping above everyone else. His head made contact with the pass, but he directed the ball waywardly, not even close to being on target.

"Aww c'mon man!" My uncles barked in unison.

"Told you, Cuzzo!" Colin snickered my way. "Your guy always misses the easy ones. Dude's cursed."

I sat silent on the opposite recliner from my cousin, unable to formulate a comeback.

Footsteps behind us came down the stairs. Belle had entered the basement-turned-game-room, holding a bucket of ice cold beers. I watched as she passed the pool table, igniting my seminal memory from the night of Uncle Artie's party.

"Alright boys, got some drinks here for ya," Belle said. "Hang tight on food. Just placed an order."

"Hey B, watch with us!" Uncle Artie said. "I bet you'll turn Madrid's luck."

"Yeah Belly, we're desperate here!" Uncle Frank added.

She nestled in between my uncles on the couch. "So which color should I be rooting for?"

"The guys in white!" Colin said, popping off the cap of his lager. "The other team is their main rival."

Uncle Artie poked her side, tickling her. "Don't you see the white jerseys the four of us are wearing?"

"Babe, you know I don't know about sports!" She poked him back with a cute smile.

Minutes later, Belle already seemed bored. "So Frank, what's new?"

Uncle Artie did his best to be polite. "Come on, B, the game's going on."

"It's cool, Bro," my other uncle replied, his eyes still glued to the TV. "Belle, we're actually going to Vegas next week."

"Who's we?" she asked.

"Me, Artie, Ox, Colin. Plus my friend Bryan."

"Hey! Where's

my

invite?" She lightheartedly nudged his arm.

"Sorry Belly," Uncle Frank ruffled the top of her head, like she was actually his younger sibling. "I'm celebrating my one-year divorce anniversary with a boys trip. And you unfortunately share the same gender as Olivia."

Belle smoothed out her blonde locks. "Which hotel are you guys staying at?"

"Valo, that new crystal tower looking one."

"Ooo, I've seen photos of it. It looks fancy! Wait a second, what about Ken?" Belle asked, before turning my way. "Are you not going?"

"I'm not really a Vegas guy," I replied, truly meaning it. The idea of people handing casinos their hard-earned money sounded so unappealing to the rational side of my brain.

"I've been trying to recruit him!" Uncle Frank added. "Come on Kenny, offer still stands!"

On the TV, the whistle blew for halftime, allowing us to stand up and stretch our legs.

"Hey Ken, can we chat?" Colin pointed his thumb toward the stairs, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

He and I exited the basement, where my cousin led me to the backyard, not saying a word until we got outside.

"Hey Cuz, so I've been doing some thinking..." He looked tense, hands buried in his pockets. "I'm a dumbass, dude... At that beach day, it wasn't until we were at Bitchin' Buns that I realized you and Eva had a thing going on."

"What are you saying?" I asked, wanting him to elaborate before I reacted one way or the other.

He exhaled a big breath. "Let me back up a bit. At Ox's barbecue, after you'd introduced me to Eva, you basically left me and her to chat one-on-one. You had me thinking you were just trying to be a good wingman. And then when you didn't leave with us at the end of that day, I was convinced that yeah, you

were

trying to set me up with her, by giving us space. Long story short, she and I ended up doing stuff in my car, but that was the only time, I swear! I'm sorry, Ken..."

I took a second to process Colin's confession, noting that his apology was genuine and heartfelt. Interestingly, his reasoning for how events had unfolded also matched Eva's, making me feel, perhaps justifiably so, that I was complicit in my own victimhood.

"Hey Col, it's cool, man. Appreciate you being honest with me." I extended a fist bump, letting him know we were all good. "At the moment, Eva and I aren't on speaking terms anyway. Let's leave it at that."

Colin nodded, not prying any further. "Hey, in other news, you should definitely come with us to Vegas! I don't wanna go there alone, 'celebrating' my dad's divorce of all things. I need someone else my age to hang out with."

"I'm curious, why do you even wanna go? You're still 20. Can't legally drink or gamble there anyway."

"True, but I just wanna soak in the vibes. Maybe I'll do some scouting for when I do turn 21. Come on Ken, we can just walk around and eat good food."

"You

really

want me to go?"

"Don't leave me stranded, Cuzzo!" Colin pleaded with prayer hands.

I debated the pros and cons, going back and forth in my head. Ultimately, the main draw of Vegas came down to the fact that I'd be with family. And at worst, it'd at least be an experience I could say I did once.

I audibly sighed. "Shit, alright dude... I'll go."

"Hell yes!" Colin slapped me five with both hands.

Belle was suddenly walking our way. "Hey boys, I'm heading out to pick up the food. You two are good with Peruvian, right?"

"Sure, I'll eat anything," Colin replied. "Oh Belle, before I forget, the book I lent you, the one that belongs to Melody. She actually asked me for it back."

"Oh, does that mean that you two are no longer..."

"Melody just got a boyfriend. She and I were always just a casual thing. It's no hard feelings."

"Okay, well, I'm happy as long as you're happy." Belle kindly smiled. "As for the book, it's too bad I never got to finish it, but that's okay. It's somewhere in my room, Col, probably on my nightstand. Make sure you leave with it. Plus a treat."

***

When halftime ended, we were all back in the basement, watching the second half of the match, enjoying tasty Peruvian rice dishes.

Madrid was losing 1-0 to Barcelona, but there was a glimmer of hope. Alvarez found himself dribbling past the defense on the right wing, laying a nice ground pass toward the middle. Enriqué rushed to meet it, swinging his strong right foot, making good contact, but his shot sailed way over the goal post, landing in the stands.

"Jesus, this guy's confidence is in the shitter!" Uncle Artie slapped his thigh in frustration.

"Why couldn't he aim it at the net?" Belle adorably asked.

"We've asked the same question all season!" Uncle Frank laughed.

"Aww, look!" Belle pointed to the TV, which had a close-up camera angle of Enriqué's anguished face. "He looks so sad for missing it. I feel bad for him."

"Ken, you're wearing his name on your back," Uncle Artie said. "Do some voodoo and pinch yourself, maybe he'll play better."

I tapped the Real Madrid crest on my Enriqué jersey, hoping to manifest some goals from him.

Colin then abruptly stood up. "Damn, I don't think the food's sitting well with my stomach."

"Restroom's right behind you, Col." Uncle Artie pointed in its direction.

"Nah, I don't wanna stink up the basement. I'm going upstairs." He started walking away, rubbing his palm over his abs.

"I've got stomach meds," Belle said, but Colin was already nearly up the staircase.

Ten minutes later, Real Madrid was still losing 1-0 and my uncles and I were getting antsy about their prospects. Adding insult to injury (literally), a Madrid midfielder collapsed on the pitch in pain, holding onto his knee. The referee stopped play and signaled for a stretcher to be brought out by the medical staff.

"Shit, not looking good." Uncle Frank brought a hand to his forehead.

His brother chimed in, "B, it's because of your red top and blue shorts. You're wearing Barcelona colors!"

"Babe, it's not my fault!"

"I'm just saying, you need to at least wear white to match our jerseys."

"Hey you know what," I said, "I've got an old Madrid jersey Belle can wear!"

"Go get it, Ken! Before they resume playing!" Uncle Artie said urgently.

I hurriedly booked it out of the basement, huffing up the second story to my room. After a frantic search inside my mess of a closet, I finally found the tattered jersey.

When I exited my room, something peculiar caught my eye... The master bedroom's double doors were oddly ajar. Curious, I gently pushed them open, only to find my cousin standing inside, facing away from me, suspiciously pushing something into his pocket.

"Col?"

He turned around, looking surprised to see me up here.

"Dude," I said, "I thought you needed to use the restroom."

"I did..."

"Uh, so you used the one in the master?"

"No..."

"Then what are you doing in here?" I pressed him for an answer.

"Um, I'm just grabbing Melody's book." Colin fumbled over to Belle's nightstand, picking up the item, raising it as proof.

I walked up to him, confirming the book in his hand was indeed the Kama Sutra one. Extending my hand out, I asked Colin if I could see it. As he handed it over, I pulled a fast one on him, quickly darting for his pocket, pulling out whatever he had stuffed into it.

What the

... I couldn't believe what was sitting in my palm: a red nylon bra, tangled with a pair of panties.

"Dude!" he screamed, snatching the garments back from me, burying it more securely in his pocket.

"What the hell, Colin! Do those belong to... Why do you even have those?"

"Ken, it's not what you think! I'm not stealing it from Belle."

"What are you doing then, borrowing them?" I countered, incredulous.

"Trust me, nothing inappropriate's going on."

"Put yourself in my shoes, dude. This is weird, Col!"

"I know, but none of this will make sense unless you have an open mind."

"Try me. I'm all ears."

"Shit..." Colin now looked hesitant, uneasy. "Can you at least promise me it'll stay between us?"

"Fine. Go on then."

"So uh, Belle and I have an agreement... Where she lets me have certain articles of her clothing, from time to time."

"Um, okay... why?"

"She and I were chatting one time, and I shared some personal stuff about me. Told her I have this fetish... For underwear."

"Hers?"

"Not necessarily, but yeah... Belle was totally understanding, willing to offer me some of hers, telling me she had so many pairs from her shoots, her endorsements. And that her giving me some was okay, that it wouldn't be any different than her donating them to charity."

Jesus

... So when Belle had casually said "plus a treat" to Colin earlier,

this

is what she'd meant!

He continued, "Listen Ken, I know this all probably sounds crazy. But you've gotta keep this between us. Belle's sworn me to secrecy."

"Why would she think this is even appropriate?"

"Truthfully, I think she just wants to see our family happy. I mean, she's literally gonna be part of it," he said. "Anyway, that's the extent of what's happening here. Nothing more."

I stared at Colin for a long time, noting the sincerity in his eyes, his body language. It was like when he'd confessed to me about Eva. He was telling the truth, at least his portion of it.

"We should head back down," I said.

Colin and I began walking together, carrying an awkward silence. As we passed the hallway bathroom on the second floor, I impulsively stopped to open its door. A pungent scent wafted into my nostrils. Colin hadn't lied about his toilet business.

"Everything cool, Cuz?" he earnestly asked.

"Yeah. Come on, let's catch the end of the match."

When we finally returned to the basement, the game was nearly over. I handed Belle my jersey, which she put on over her top. Unfortunately, it made no difference in the end. Madrid eventually lost 1-0 to Barcelona.

Belle sensed our collective disappointment in the room, but it didn't stop her from being her cheery self. "Hey guys, you'll never guess what my agent texted me during the match. Sol just booked me an appearance at Valo next week! On Saturday."

"Hey, same day we'll be there," Uncle Artie said.

"Valo is unveiling their nightclub that night," Belle said. "It's called Roost. Sol said the hotel's owner saw my red carpet pics at Eden, and really wants me on their guest list."

"Belly, you sure this isn't you being clever, trying to tag along on our boys trip?" Uncle Frank asked, teasing her.

"Oh please, Frank, you know that my job involves appearances." She scoffed. "I'll be too busy to hang out with you guys anyway."

"B, you sound like Annette when Frank and I were growing up, trying to play it cool whenever we didn't include her. No offense, Ken." Uncle Artie chuckled, taking a playful dig at my mom.

"Whatever. If anything, you boys should be thanking me," Belle said. "Since Sol knows Valo's owner, I got him to promise free upgrades to whatever rooms you booked. And access to all the hotel perks. You're welcome, Bro!" It was Belle's turn to ruffle my Uncle Frank's hair.

***

A week later—Saturday night.

Uncle Artie, Ox, and I had landed in Vegas, with the rest of our party expected to arrive on another flight.

We took an Uber to the hotel. On the drive over, I lowered the car window, letting the humid air hit my face. I marveled at all the activity along the Strip: the towering hotels, tourists packed on the sidewalk. It truly felt like another world.

Now the three of us were standing at the reception counter in the luxurious Valo lobby, ready to check-in.

"Evening sir, how can I help you?" A young man in his twenties greeted Uncle Artie.

My uncle eyed the staffer's name tag. "Hey Jarrod. My fiancé, Belle Adelson, she told me my party's reservation was updated under her name."

Jarrod typed into his computer. "Ah yes, I see the note here. For six guests. Looks like you've been upgraded to the deluxe suite. And then on the same floor, another room with two beds." Jarrod continued to scan his screen. "Sir, I also see here that Miss Adelson has checked into her own separate suite. Is that a booking error on our part?"

"Nope, that's correct. She's here for work, making an appearance at Roost's opening. Rest of our party is here for leisure."

"Perfect, sir. About your upgraded reservation, it comes with full access to all the amenities here at Valo. That includes the high-roller room and the beach club."

"What about that nightclub opening tonight?" Ox cut in to ask.

"Unfortunately, I believe that's a private event at Roost." Jarrod kindly slid forward tiny envelopes of key cards. "Gentlemen, is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"Thanks Jarrod." Uncle Artie smoothly slid him a folded $20.

The staffer's eyes lit up at the generous amount. "Much appreciated, sir!"

As the three of us drifted toward the elevators to head up to our rooms, we heard a voice shouting our way. Uncle Frank had his hand up, flagging us down. His friend Bryan was with him, but no one else.

When the pair reached us, I curiously engaged my uncle, "Right on time, Uncle Frank! Where's Colin?"

"Oh, the kid felt sick last minute. He was in bed all day with a migraine. He told me he'd texted you, Kenny."

I immediately checked my phone. Shit, it was still on airplane mode from the flight. After toggling it off, I saw the message: "Hey Cuz, I owe you big time! I know you only went to Vegas because of me, but I wasn't feeling too well. I'm sorry, dude! But when you get back, dinner's on me!"

Ah, seriously Colin? What the hell!

"Well Ken," Uncle Artie said, "looks like you get a private room all to yourself. Let's all head up, drop off luggage. Then we'll hit the casino."

Once we got off on the 20th floor, Uncle Artie told me to meet back at the elevators in five minutes.

Alone now in my hotel suite, I flung my duffel bag on the bed, staring out the tinted window of my room, wondering what I'd do now without Colin here. I guess I had no choice but to hang out with my uncles and their friends. It wouldn't not be fun, but it'd be different, being with adults basically twice my age.

Man, how sick did Colin have to be to miss this trip? After catching him last week in Belle and Uncle Artie's master bedroom, I speculated if he was just too embarrassed to spend time with me, knowing what I knew about his underwear fetish.

Wait a fucking second, Ken! Remember Uncle Artie's party?!

I recalled that particular night, when Colin and I had been smoking in the pool house. Having pressured my cousin into emptying his pocket, he had revealed a white bra and panties. Holy fucking shit! Those were probably Belle's!

Also, earlier that night, I had exited my room at the same time Belle had emerged from hers. There was a sound from inside her master bedroom, prompting her to completely close her door shut. Jesus, could that have been Colin in there? Taking his sweet time perusing her drawers?

I couldn't help but imagine a ridiculous scenario of how their interaction that night might've gone down:

With everyone partying in the backyard, Belle would've invited Colin upstairs to her room, making him sit down like he was in a college lecture. Then she'd present garment after garment to him, pedantically explaining the varying qualities of her underwear. Like which bras deliciously boosted her cleavage, or which panties gave her obvious camel toe. She'd educate him so that he could make a well-informed decision on which pair to choose, to best feed his fetish.

I had to ask myself: Did I think Colin was secretly hooking up with Belle? Honestly, no. And I believed Colin when he'd said as much. To that end, I doubted he was secretly here in Vegas, sneaking "quality time" with our pending aunt-in-law. That'd be too outrageous, even for my cousin. But I'd be lying if the thought didn't arouse me. It wasn't necessarily about Colin himself. It was more the taboo of it all.

***

Uncle Artie, Uncle Frank, Ox, Bryan, and myself—the five of us guys were now walking the casino floor, passing aisle after aisle of slot machines, inundated with the endless clanging of artificial bells and coin sounds.

Ox stopped at the entrance to the poker room. "Hey Frank, fancy your odds?"

"You read my mind!" Uncle Frank replied.

We all entered the enclosure, which featured about two dozen poker tables. My Uncle Artie made a pit stop at a cashier window and came back with a tray of poker chips. He then handed them to his brother.

"This one, fellas!" Bryan called the group over to an empty table, where he'd apparently been speaking with an attractive red-headed dealer about to start her shift.

"Good evening gentlemen. Shall I deal you all in?"

"Cherry," Uncle Artie said, catching her name tag. "We're all part of the same party, here in Vegas celebrating my brother, Frank. Is it cool if we watch him play others, root him on?"

"Sure, I'll make an exception for your handsome group," she said. "Just no helping him, keep it classy, gentlemen."

"Of course, hun," Bryan added, his eyes roaming over Cherry in her fitted uniform, looking like the horniest man in the casino tonight.

A tall Black man then randomly walked up to our table, dressed in a navy suit, suave and well-groomed. "Hey y'all, cool if I play here?"

"Sure, as long as you're not some pro in disguise," Uncle Frank joked.

The man chuckled. "Naw boss, just a guy enjoying his Vegas trip with his girl."

"Touché. Take a seat, my friend." Uncle Frank warmly welcomed him.

"Name's Jordan. Nice to meet you."

"Frank." He nodded back. "Don't mind my entourage."

"All good. Y'all seem like a friendly bunch." Jordan smiled.

Cherry took a hold of the deck. "Alright gentlemen, looks like we've got some head-to-head action. The game's No Limit Texas Hold'em."

Bryan rubbed his hands together. "Shuffle up and deal, baby!"

***

Four hands later, Jordan and Uncle Frank had each won twice, alternating back and forth. We all had a front row seat, our butts filling the rest of the chairs around the oval table.