Obscure Attraction: 2015

A couple of hours later the presentation and speeches are well over. Elle with company is well in the bag. When Jamie reappears, "Damn it baby I'm getting kind of worried we booked a guy who suppose to be here by now." He's looking at the piano with no one behind it, "we been trying to get a hold of him for the last leg of this thing." Now he's looking at Cynthia Sheridan whose looking more irritated with each passing minute. She expects no mistakes not if he is to get Sutton Place. Yes Model Dave sealed the agreement but Sutton is contingent that this event is flawless.

"Everything is as planned, now this at the tail end? I'ma strangle him."

All eyes turn to Rio, Jamie is disconcerted but catches it, "Wh .. What?"

"Its me, I play the piano... and sing. I mean that's what I do for a living...write music and sing."

Melanie butts in, "the girl is being modest she's a musical Einstein, she was a prodigy as a kid plays about five instruments."

In her uber lyrical soft tone, "she exaggerates but I can play that piano up there... what do you have in mind?"

"Nothing in particular, do your own thang." Jamie talks into his bluetooth asks for someone to assist her.... when Rory shows up he explains the situation, he guides her through the crowd .. "Rio you sure? I'll pay for your services."

"No, no you've been awfully nice to us James, your security transports us, you comp us drinks...its the least I can do."

Meanwhile Elle is in a corner going at it with David its round 1 of their nonstop battle of wills, "you'll come to me, I'll be there waiting, I won't turn you away. You're still upset, bitter but there will come a time.... "

Elle rares back, "you wish. Don't hold your breath waiting for me you insufferable asshole."

"It turns me on when you talk dirty to me." Model Dave has had enough insults the gentle in the austere English man is gone, "I'm sick of your little arse you went under in a very nasty way let me save you." For once he walks off then pivots backwards like he's on the runway.

"Elizabeth it'll be soon too ... but ....in the meantime," he tilts his head towards the blond.

"Why you lowdown...how dare you bring up my sweet Preston in the context of your dumb ass trick." She gives him the finger then makes way to the bar just as Melanie and Angie catches up to her.

"I will do things to your body you will wish you had the strength to deny. But not before you beg me to." David Gandy

"Elle you need to rethink this....up your game before you lose out. Time slips away we only have now it can’t always be the perfect time, and place...stop these childish tantrums. Sometimes, you have to just go for it if any of us knows that better than anyone it should be you a person who deals with life and death everyday. You always say this life isn't promised its too fragile to wonder what could've been. Look don't end up like me and Jamie, you can be with the man you want to be with right now. We all know you've got serious feelings for David and you know it too."

Elle stares away, "OK you're all right, I'm attracted to him and I want to have sex with him but that's it, no relationship he's been the only one since ... that I've responded to... you know.."

"that rings your bell," says Melanie.

"In a sexual way; if I can go through with it, if I still respond .. to ... sexual stimuli," Elle stutters out.
An experiment, just like her when in a quandary to go scientific whatever she wants to call it, bottom line, she wants to do him.

"Well say so get him out your system."

"Angela you can't expect me to walk up to that man to say I'm just like all these other women world wide that just want to fuck him. I just don't have it in me, I can't do it."

"Yes you can." when Elle turns around its James St. Patrick. "Look I don't know either of you very well but he's yours if you want him that much I know...so if you do... go get yo man."

She stares him down without a trademark snappy retort. James doesn't understand it his lifestyle's label is of what she's tried to avoid 'privileged.' She picks up a program reads his bio what it says he "fancies" in this snippet of his life is too close to how she grew up, private. Clubs, schools, yachts, islands, streets, private this and that. She reads the agencies that rep him...London, Milan, Brussels, Paris, Barcelona, Seattle, New York, Miami, Los Angeles. Next he'll come at her with some jet set shit.   Her friends know she's impressed but will never admit it and Elle knows her friends just as well, she asks,

"So what is your scheme? That we all hold hands and take a house together by the sea? We'll sit by the fire with our children all around and live our happily ever after? Let me know when you are done with this nonsense. I'm headed back to prep for a surgery tomorrow, have a nice nite."

Melanie gives it one more try, "Elle you're tipsy and you never schedule a surgery after a night partying. There's 1.90 meters of pure male satisfaction, enough to make your toes curl yours for the taking. Take it Elle you need it."

"I'm not interested in this male."

Angela can't help it this has gone way too far for too long, since finding her way back to Jamie she has to press Elle forward, "yes you are. You're in love with him and if you don't stop this bullshit it'll be too late. He won't wait eighteen years for you I'm surprised he's waited this long."

Elizabeth stops in her tracks. "My own homies he's turned against me. Just for the record, its only been a little over a year good nite best friends."

"Its peeps homies is so 1990's," Rio yells out she found her way back after seeing Elle in a meltdown.

"What is this some kind of intervention? I had two miserable relationships, how do I know this won't be the same?"

"You can't know Preston died its not like that relationship itself was miserable."

"The outcome was." Elle begins to cry, "He died unnecessarily a passenger at the mercy of another man's ride and its all that bastard's fault he was going too fast for the conditions of the mutherfukin road in that tiny wretched ass death trap. My sweet Preston was a passenger and didn't have a chance. He's gone I'll never be the same without him he was perfect."

Funny after someone passes away how people forget the day to day. Yes, Preston was madly in love with her but it seems he hesitated to marry. Yeah he gave her a ring maybe eventually they would have but it seemed every time they got close to setting a specific date he got cold feet. He was a great guy, a child star but a mediocre actor who made it big not only because of looks but being wise. Starting at the ground floor in an action packed franchise that hit pay dirt with an international cult following he never looked back.

After her first fiancee, a gold-digger, she found that out in a very public humiliating way. He admitted his interest was her money and family connections. After leaking a provocative video that went viral before the word existed ...sex tape. Years later, enters Preston larger than life even when she put him through her paces he persevered. Elle recounted in great detail the day she witnessed the love of her life, her golden pony, a trained race car driver, helplessly trapped hopefully unconscious in a burning car so its understandable she's shied away from model Dave.

Angela takes her friend's hand "I know, but you have to live again without Preston its been a long time. There's no way we'd steer you to a guy that's bad for you. But we like him and Jamie does too. Look just give him a go, see what happens. Why don't you both come to dinner?"

"A go? When you start talking like that? You've been hanging around his English ass my own best friends flipped, you're all on his side. I can't believe it and you? Cooking dinner?"

Angie explains, "I can cook Elle, besides I've spent time with him and he's not as he appears, he's humble ... grateful."

"And conceited, you're not wrong about that one," pipes in Melanie, "but he's got it honest, just look at him."

Elle does just that with the young blond pop star, "Maybe its too late already; I've been pretty mean; I don't know how to fix it."

"Just be the real you, not this angry uptight wild woman you've been, let him see what we see it'll fix itself."

Elle's not backing down, "I figured it would be a bad idea to come out tonight. I've done nothing but spoil your big evening with Truth's' important event. I knew from the start going out on a Preston day wouldn't work .....I'm no where near ready for this....I gotta go."

Rio says to Angie and Mel, "maybe orchestrating this to pull her out her shell behind that brick wall she's put around herself wasn't such a good idea, it was working up until whenever she sees Dave now look at her, she's a mess."

Elle is in a tailspin like no other since Preston's death, and she isn't ready to admit the real reason, she's jealous of Model Dave with his blond piece of fluff. She plants herself at the back bar when a man slides on the stool next to her, "hey little mama how bout I buy you a drink?"

Elle hunched over nursing Martell's Gordon Blu slowly turns towards the voice of a man who looks like an unmade bed. "I'm drinking one but thanks anyway; besides we get complimentary."

"Ahhhh... you a VIP too."

Elle nods takes the last swig then motions the bartender for a bottled water.

"You got nice hair," he touches a tip that lays on her shoulder.

"Thanks," she yanks it from his fingers.

Unscathed by her coolness since defeat is not his style he carries on afterall he's a player use to getting his way, "long too ...Is this your real color?"

Without looking at him directly, "What the fuck is that suppose to mean?"

"Aw I didn't mean nothin by it just a interesting color that's all. I use own part of this place, but sold out my share, the name is Tommy, Tommy Eagan, and you are...?" Elle looks at him as if he's just exited a space ship. Not waiting for an answer he takes out a wad of bills from his pocket throws them on the table, "so hows about we get out of here have some fun."

"I'm having fun can't you tell? Lets save us both a lot of time and cut to the chase," looking over to Model Dave and his babe dujour, "one, I'm not in the least bit attracted to you and two I'm not a prostitute. I'm a real rich bitch so take your little stacks and ease on down the road son."

Tommy has a well I'll be damn expression, "How about we hook up sometime? You know dinner or something."

"I don't mean to be rude but that's how I roll. I'm going through something right now so dating is out."

"Oh, I get it, so I'm not your type."

Damn he's obtuse, "Duh, I think that's been well established," she meets him eye to eye.

Elle glances over at Dave with the blond who can't be a day over twenty-five. She's decided to take her best friends advice to heart but does she have the patience for another high profile relationship. One was a nightmare that not only publicly embarrassed her but her family as well putting out a video after that the bad romance. Even with Preston it wasn't a slam dunk ... being followed around by fans and paparazzi just staying out of his spotlight turned into a full time job.

The tragic circumstance that she'll never recover. Her body yearns for her soulmate, the man she still wakes up reaching for wanting to make love to gone in a blink, its been three years but she's just as angry and confused as the day she saw it happen... trapped ... she still smell the smells of their flesh caught afire.

Elle begins to cry in her drink, a monogrammed handkerchief is in front of her... when her vision clears the unmade bed is gone and there he is DJG dapper Dave. Her red rimmed green eyes are puffy, "you've been right all along I am attracted to you." She takes his kerchief, perfectly folded.

"I know."

She frowns.

He cuts in before she hurls an expletive, "and you've been right all along, I am a conceited bloke but I'm working on it."

She gives as close to a smile as she can muster at the moment, "well the first step is to admit you have a problem."

She points to her drink for a refill the bartender is right on que, pouring in her sifter.
Dave goes on not knowing what to expect, "its the anniversary of his death, its hard, so you're getting pissed."

"You're close, his birthday .. my beautiful golden pony would be forty years old today but he's thirty-seven forever, instead of holed up thinking of him like I usually do; I thought I'd try something different...I'm out here getting hammered, well pissed as you English say."

She looks at him with teary eyes, "and, I'm sitting here trying to suppress the urge of wanting to fuck you in half just like nearly every woman in this room." She decided to take Jamie's advice, he's a man he oughta know. Finally fessing up, she starts giggling, "tell the truth in Truth...get it?"

"I do and you're drunk," he nods to the bartender, to cut her off.

"Yep thats exactly what I am."

"Come with me, I'm taking you home."

"Is that a statementh or a questhon?" Even in an inebriated state she realizes she's slurring words, sounding like Elmer Fudd. In a moment of clarity she gathers her wits, "why would you do that, be bothered with some drunk older lady when you got that young..."

"Come on drunk old lady lets go."

"Wait... I'm not that old." She gets some her of her feisty back he's pulling her chair trying to get her up, "What about the blond bimbette?"

"Don't be concerned .. come on".

She wrestles her arm free, "look David, I've embarrassed myself on more than one occasion, but I can no longer deny there is some connection between us. Maybe its just sex I don't even know if I could go through with ... if I can complete the task. I haven't even tried to have...a... an encounter ... an appropriate response to sexual advances.

He shifts his stance, "Task? Making love with me won't be a task Elizabeth there will be nothing appropriate when I make love with you, you'll respond ...even now your panties are halfway down your thighs. I've been in love with you since you operated on my foot"

"I was only there to assist; I'm not an Orthopedic surgeon since you have a heart murmur ... What did you just say? That's almost two years ago... maybe...."

He bathes her in bolts of blue shakes his head, "not maybe, not possibly, not someday. But here, right now, tonight. "That's the difference between you and nearly every woman in this room. Now do you get me?"

"Get the fuck out of here."

He smiles, "well I wasn't quite expecting that response saying I love you then again...you're you. We don't have to do a bloody thing. Just let me take you home, let me hold your hand we'll start there. You don't want to be alone tonight I don't want you alone on a night like this. Getting pissed won't cure loneliness. I'll make a cup of tea."

"You English and a cup of fucking tea, don't tell me, Earl Grey."

He raises a well arched brow, "round and round we go I don't want to have a row with you."

"Then don't play me, you're sex on a stick and you trying to sell you're taking me home to hold my hand and make tea. What do I look like an idiot?"

"Well I..."

Her emotions are all over the place, she changes course her past feelings colliding with present feelings. "Will that give me life again your cup of tea?   I wasn't like this ... before .. the accident. I was a happy person..I'm tired of feeling sad all the time being in this empty place."

For the first time he finally gets it, feels her pain, "so am I Elizabeth."

"I'm not fucking you on Preston's birthday."

"I'm not looking for a shag Elizabeth but as you Americans say, Ok."

"How can you be in love with someone you've never had sex with? Maybe we aren't compatible in the sack some people don't fit ... maybe..."

"It'll work out."

She takes his hand, "you look really good in this outfit .. I mean it makes you look so nice. And I never knew you did all these things ..until tonight ... giving part of the proceeds of your underwear to charities... and..."

"Then you are impressed?" He asks. "I'm just a poser, but its given me opportunities to branch out into other things. So let's call a truce....Agreed?"

She looks up to sincere eyes, he could be bullshitting but this time she doesn't say that, Angela is right "its time to turn the page" and Jamie too, "go with the flow."

"Agreed. But why do this, its banging here don't you want to stay instead of being in sad company. I .. it could be ... depressing. Besides, I'm alone on his days...the day he was born...the day he died...the day he proposed... the day we...."

"I shall handle it," he picks up her hand, "you still wear his ring to thwart getting close to anyone again I suppose." He takes out the piece of paper Angela slid across a table from his wallet then reads to her,

"I'm not setting myself up to be hurt again
This is the last time
I'm the Ice Princess
All that's soft, warm and loving is now frozen solid
Never again."

"So my very best friend gave you my inner most thoughts. You certainly have Angela wrapped around your finger."

He looks down into fiery green eyes, "don't be cross Elizabeth ... please... it wasn't easy but I convinced the barrister I'm in love with you she actually believes me."

Elle hesitates then a long sigh, "Nooooo, I'm not just so tired of being cross..angry all the time. I want my life back."

"I have one too,

Grief is the last act of love we have to give to those we loved. Where there is deep grief, there was great love."

"That's a more pleasant way to look at what I've been through. I'm sober enough we get a ride home by Truth you really don't have to bother with ..."

"Have you heard what I've said? I want to be with you tonight."

"David."

"Yes Elizabeth?"

"I'm not wearing panties."

He smiles widely, "lets get out of here," he pushes her toward the exit door."

"Not on the day Preston was born."