It was a typical Friday at Scotty's, maybe even busier than usual, because most of us had had a stressful week. I'd been there only a half-hour and was already on my second beer. Andy, on the stool next to me, was bragging about the verdict that had just come in on a trial he'd been working on for most of the year. He'd won, which made him even more intolerable than usual, but at least the beers were on him.
By seven the crowd had mostly thinned out, and soon it was just me and Simone at the far end of the bar. She picked up her drink and moved to the stool vacated by Andy.
"So what happened with the Crestview property?" I asked. "You were on that call all afternoon."
"You won't believe it. Our idiot client wouldn't shut up, so by the time we were finished he ended up at six-point-five. I could have gotten him to maybe six-point-two, or even better, but I don't even give a shit at this point. At least the deal is done."
"More money than brains."
"You got that right. But, I love those billable hours."
Simone and I had always gotten along, mostly because we had the same perspective on combining professionalism with cynicism. Maybe because we'd both gone to Columbia Law. She was beyond beautiful, but we were just friends, although very close ones. Simone was almost as tall as I was, maybe five-eleven, with long, slender legs, perky breasts, and a mane of glorious blonde hair. She was gay, unavailable to any guy, but that didn't mean we couldn't appreciate her.
No Andy to pay the bar tab, so I bought the next round. Simone switched to a gin-and-tonic. I stayed with beer.
"What's up this weekend for you?" I asked.
"Headed up to Newport to hear my friend sing in a little club there. You should hear her. She's actually pretty good, and finally she has the right band behind her."
"Sounds relaxing. Wish I could get away, but my cousin's getting married in Huntington."
"Well, weddings can be fun, as long as they're not yours."
"Well said," I laughed.
I don't remember everything else we talked about, but with Simone it didn't matter. We just enjoyed each others' company, and kept on drinking. I was taking it easy with beers, but she was getting pretty sloshed.
"Hey, Cliff. Ciff-man. Cliffster-the-Hipster."
"Yeah, Cliff here. You OK Simone?"
"Never been better. I'm totally Lucy." She giggled. "Lucid."
"You stopped being that two drinks ago."
"No, I'm good. Listen, Cliff, you're my best man friend, and I have a favor to ask. It's big, and very personal. Will you do it?"
"What's the favor."
"I don't know how to ask this exactly. You, know, I've been gay for a long time, right?"
"No, only that you're gay now."
"Forever. I've known since middle school. Couldn't date girls in high school, so I didn't date at all. Maybe that's how I got into NYU and Columbia. No social life."
"And you're getting to this favor?"
"Yeah, I'm getting there. I need another drink first. And I gotta pee, too."
"You don't need another one, but I'm walking you home, so maybe just one more."
She returned to her stool with her third gin-and-tonic waiting, and she picked up where she left off.
"Well, OK, so what I'm getting to, and the favor I want you to do for me is this. I've never seen a penis."
That I wasn't expecting. Not sure how to respond, I just mumbled. "OK, so?"
"Can I see yours?"
"You mean now? I don't think so."
"No, silly, not now. I mean, can you come over next week and let me see it? Just for educational purposes. It's bothering me for some reason. I think I'm getting really serious with Scarlet, she's the singer, and then I'll never see one, ever. Not a full-grown man one, anyway."
"OK, you're drunk, so none of this means anything anyway, but you want me to come over and, what, stick my weenie out?"
"I'm not drunk. I'm looped. And, that's not exactly what I want. You get naked, and let me really see it. I mean, see it and touch it."
Now I was getting hard. Maybe it was the alcohol, but this actually seemed somehow exciting. "Simone, let's finish our drinks, I'll walk you home, and give you an answer tomorrow. I like being your friend, you know. This would fuck it up."
"It won't! I already know you have a penis. I just want you to let me play with it. We'll still be friends."
"Friends who've had sex, you mean."
"It's not sex. It's education. Besides, from what I know, you'll enjoy it."
She was right about that. I did finally get her to stop drinking, held her up when she almost fell getting off the stool, and walked her the three blocks to her apartment on Church Street.
On Saturday on my way to Huntington I decided to help out Simone. Just because she was gay didn't mean she wasn't sexy as hell, and the thought of her playing around with me was an incredible turn on. I called her.
"Hey, you in Newport?"
"On the train."
"How's the hangover?"
"Not that bad."
"You remember anything from last night?" I half expected she didn't.
"Everything. Will you let me play with your dick?"
"OK, yeah, probably a mistake, but I'm just crazy enough. When are we doing this?"
"I don't know. Maybe Tuesday after work? You come over around six, if we get out of there by then. I'll have some Chinese for you, too. Deal?"
"Yeah, deal."
"Cliff, can I ask you for one more thing?"
No idea why she'd need anything more than me being naked and fondled. "What more thing?"
"Can I bring Scarlet? My girlfriend. The singer."
Two of them! I'd never met Scarlet, but maybe she was as hot as Simone. And somehow with two of them it would be less personal between Simone and me.