When Love’s In Fashion

“I just…I wanted to thank you for all this. For this opportunity. I don’t think I did that before.”

 He waved a hand, “Elmira, please don’t start that. It wasn’t a favor. We got you because you had what we needed. You’re doing us a favor being here. Don’t even get it twisted, okay?”

“Are you supposed to tell me that?” Elmira asked with a laugh. “Pretty sure you’re supposed to let me feel all beholden to you.”

Sven sighed…then, he told her, “Elmira, I came here because I wanted to. I don’t want you to feel like you’re obligated to be here.”

“…All right.”

At that moment, the waitress arrived with their orders.

“Here you are!” she chirped. “Enjoy!”

“Thank you.” Elmira smiled.

“Thanks,” was all Sven told the waitress.

Elmira began to drink her latte while Sven got a frappe. The latter took a sip of his caffeinated beverage.

“Not bad.” he commented.

Elmira smiled.

“What?” Sven asked.

“Oh, nothing.” answered Elmira.

Sven smiled…then, he looked out through the window. He watched the people walking outside in the street.

“This is nice.” he spoke up.

“It is.” Elmira added with a smile.

She took another sip of her latte. A bit of cream was on her lip as she pulled her cup away and Sven blushed.

“Something wrong, Sven?” she asked.

A pause…then, Sven kissed Elmira on the lips, catching her off guard.

“Mmph…!”

Sven moaned as he ground her mouth hungrily…before pulling away and licking his lips.

“Sven now is hardly the time, nor the place…!” Elmira told him. “We’re in a coffee shop!”

“And that’s your only objection? You seemed pissed that I wasn’t paying attention to you so I thought I’d remedy that,” Sven smirked, causing Elmira to blush.

She sighed.

“That’s…I mean, no of course I wasn’t-” she muttered before exhorting herself to stop talking.

Yet…she smiled a bit.

“Anyway,” she started. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yes.” answered Sven.

”Great. I still gotta…” Elmira indicated her iPad.

“Yeah you go ahead. I got some emails to answer anyway.”

They sat quietly, eyes on their electronic devices while they drank their coffees. Elmira finished her thoughts on the Carl Marefield show and then saved it before looking through her pictures. She’d captured some really good shots of the dresses and a few socialites wearing the brand. She could do some good with those. She looked up at Sven.

“Okay then. I’m done.” She said.

“Wanna head back to your hotel?”

“Yes.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, they paid for their drinks and drove her back to the Highline. She half expected that he would come up with her but he just helped her out of his vehicle, bowed to her and took off. She stood there watching him go before she shook her head and went to get ready for the next show.

*****

Elmira Olivette polished off her fourth dry martini at the CHANTYXPUMA party, since Sven asked the bartender to stop serving her vodka on the rocks, twenty minutes ago. Smiling at the man who was paying more attention to her bre*sts than to what he was actually serving her, she slipped him an extra fifty dollar bill.

“Keep `em coming hot stuff,” she said in between sips. The bartender paused as if reconsidering how many more he would send her way than glanced longingly at her ample cleavage, pocketed the fifty dollar bill and shrugged to himself before moving off to serve another patron. Smirking to herself as she covertly adjusted her stance to give the bartender a better view; she twirled the stem of her martini glass between her thumb and index finger before turning around to gaze out onto the crowded dance floor. As she leaned back against the bar she heard a familiar voice mumbling almost incoherently.

“Stupid women. Stupid bi*ch. Who does she think she is anyway? She came here with me and now little Mr. sl*tty sl*t is all over her.” Sascha slurred as she hailed the bartender and ordered a Midori Sour.

“Oh honey, what’s the matter?” Elmira asked, walking down to where Sascha was standing.

“It’s Imam, she’s just…she’s an ass. One look at that skanky…skanky…designer guy and she’s following his overactive dick wherever it leads her. Directly to his STD laden crotch! Look at them,” she gestured wildly to a dark corner of the dance floor, “they’re practically doing it up against those speakers!”

“There, there, let mommy take care of you. Now, how many of those fruity little darlins have you had tonight?”

Sascha looked down at her glass, chewed her lip, tilted her head to one side and looked back at Elmira.

“Four, well…three plus this.” She said as she raised her glass for another sip.

“I think I may have just the ticket sweetie, gimmie a second.” Elmira swilled the remnants of her latest martini and began digging through her purse. After a few glances at Sascha out of the corner of her eyes and reading the labels of three or four bottles, she shook out two pills and held them out to Sascha. “Here, you’ll forget all about her royal bi*chliness once I…once these get done with you.”

They were actually pain pills for the monumental headache Sascha was gonna have in the morning if she didn’t take it now and maybe about five gallons of water. She signaled to her bartender to pass her the largest bottle which she gave to Sascha along with the pills.

“You could use some of that yourself,” the bartender said, making her narrow her eyes at him.

Some people should mind their own business.

*****

Sven confronted them at the door as they were waiting for their car. He put his hands on Elmira’s shoulder, squeezing gently.

“Hey. Leaving already?”

Elmira said nothing just cut her eyes to her drooping friend.

“Oh, uh you need some help?”

“No. I’m just gonna take her home.”

“How about I take you both home in the tour bus we’re rocking today and then after you drop off your very drunk friend, you can come over to my place for the after, after party?”

Elmira snorted a laugh.

“Really? Are you a rapper?”

“I can drop some barz if it helps. Come on, you don’t want the night to end do you?”

Elmira just shrugged.

*****

Elmira didn’t remember much of the ride to Sven’s place, didn’t remember where she sat in the car, who sat next to her, or what they may have said to each other. She remembered laughter, the beer in her hand, someone’s fingers in her hair. She remembered colors.

There were a few of them left, the ones who still felt like partying – but it was not much of a party anymore. There was a movie playing: Columbiana, starring Sven’s latest celebrity crush, Zoe Saldana. The TV cast an eerie light over the living room, sometimes leaving it dark completely.

The others had gathered around Sven’s kitchen table, playing a game of strip poker, being awfully noisy but so lethargic it was mostly funny and nothing more.

Elmira wasn’t really following them, though.

She was pretending to watch the movie, lying on top of Sven on the couch curiously comfortable in her drunkenness, her cheek resting against Sven’s chest, her hands somewhere close to Sven’s neck and hair. The back of the couch protected them from prying eyes, but otherwise they were out in the open. Anyone could walk by them, could come ask something. It was partly the threat of exposure that made this moment something special. Not that they were doing anything wrong. Just watching a movie.

Elmira knew she was drunk and apparently lost inhibitions meant teasing Sven. It was her way of testing her own appeal, of finding out what she could do to Sven, maybe even her way of complimenting Sven. Or it was just something alcohol did to her blood. But sometimes, she was a tease, and Sven wasn’t pushing her away.

Elmira hoped he wasn’t going to do it at all.

They had been on the couch for over half an hour, watching, pretending, breathing in each other’s scents. She knew Sven was as aware of her as she was of Sven. Most days, she could hide nothing from anyone who had eyes to see. It was said she had a glass face. This, she didn’t even want to hide.