The Hottest Party in Town
"I'm glad you made it." Nicky said as he greeted me at the door. "Did you have any problems finding a parking spot?" "No, I took a cab. I learned my lesson from last year."
Nicky's annual party was legendary on the west coast. Those lucky enough to be invited, would eagerly await for their card in the mail. I was fortunate that this would be my third straight year to cross his hallowed threshold.
"So, what's it looking like in there my brother?" "You know, a lot of the same people talking the same trash, but things are really heating up since the band started playing." There would usually be two or three of the hottest bands in town performing throughout the day and late into the night.
Nicky spared no expense on entertaining his guests. He hired the best chefs and stocked the place with enough booze to get the entire naval service smashed for a week. It took a full day for the local liquor stores to cart it all there. Bartenders would definitely earn their money by night's end.
Once in, you knew this wasn't going to be your typical kegger. The living room was already packed with dozens of people looking to get their drink on. Some were milling about, while others made their way outside to the pool and patio area to hear the band or grab a bite to eat at the bar and grill; that was located to the left of the pool.
The pool itself was monsterous and had a huge cave at the outer perimeter. It contained some quiet nooks for those seeking a little privacy. Some of the activities going on in there were considered, For Adult Content Only. To the right of the pool, was the grandstand and dance floor, which was already jammed to capacity. Anyone needing to cool their Keds after bustin a move, had a short trip to take for a dunk in the water.
The women that showed up were all bikini clad and looking like runway models. Nicky loved surrounding himself with the unending supply of beautiful babes that grew locally. I was a big fan myself and always brought some of my best lines to impress the gals. I didn't need a drink to get light headed, the perfume that wafted in the crowd did the job. But, right now, I needed to feed the machine.
Who am I? Oh, sorry folks. I'm Dave. Davey Boy to my friends. I had met Nicky years back at his wedding to his now ex-wife, Kimberly. Back then, Nicky had a real bad drinking problem. He would go on week long benders that landed him in some strange situations and even stranger locations. He inherited his thirst, along with his fortune; from dear old dad, the King of Bourbon Street.
Kim got fed up with his routine and split six months later, along with a big chunk of change she got in the divorce. Last I heard, she had hooked up with a proctologist from Santa Ana. Ah, the winds of change blow freely. These days, he doesn't touch anything harder than apple cider, after several stints in rehab.
Nicky's house was nestled amongst some of the most affluent residents in the hills of Los Altos. There were buisiness tycoons, tech giants, and the cream of the crop from Hollywood. You know who I mean, the rich and shameless; and they all wanted a ticket to the ball too. But, Nicky preferred stocking his parties with, what he called; the Common Clave.
I made my way through the crowd to the chow lounge just as a couple got up to venture back into the party. As soon as I got seated, a very cute and well dressed woman sat down next to me. Did I say cute? Puppies are cute. My dimples are cute. She was beyond cute and cuddly. She radiated a glow of confidence and sophistication not normally found at one of Nicky's shindigz.
Instead of a bikini, she wore an elegant evening dress, tailored to perfection. The diamond ring on her hand appeared to be at least two karats. Hmmm, her right hand. Things were looking up. I have a strict policy of only flirting with single women. The married ones could get you pulverized or shot by a jealous husband and I didn't need that kind of drama.
So, when I saw the twinkle twinkle on her well manicured hands, I thought I'd try to open the conversation with some of my usual wit. The funny thing though, she looked real familiar. I don't mean like, "Hey, didn't we meet at Gold's Gym a couple weeks ago?" No she looked a little like...Oh my God, it was Lacy Clark.
For those of you who don't know, Lacy Clark was one of the biggest and most successful divorce lawyers in Hollywood. She handled more stars than the Milky Way and was a bit of a celebrity herself. You'd see her on TV or in the tabloids with a big grin because she just won her case. What she was doing here and sitting next to me, was a mystery only Charlie Chan could solve. After I realized who she was, I felt I better open up with a sly bit of chit-chat.
"Well hello Miss Clark, I wasn't aware it was Oscar night. Who's going to bring home that little golden statue this year?" She turned her attention from the menu she was perusing to glance at me. The look on her face was that of mild disdain. "Meryl Streep is usually a pretty good bet, but I'm only here because I heard the food was good. What would you recommend, the shark steak?"
Ouch, kitty cat's got claws. I probably deserved that. My juvenile sense of humor wasn't going to work on someone with her intellect. No bimbo banter allowed here. "Sorry, I just recognized you from the news and thought I'd start the conversation with some wit. Yeah, more like nit-wit.
To her credit, she let me off the hook and asked, "How did you get an invitation?" I explained how Nicky and I had hit it off at his wedding. He enjoyed my rapier-like dialogue a little more than she did. That's how I continued to get my R.S.V.P. every year.
She just smiled and said, "Well, now I know why you're here, but I still don't know your name." "Oh, of course. Hi, I'm Dave." The words no sooner left my mouth, when a siren began to blare. It wasn't coming from an ambulance or police car. This was the unmistakable shriek of warning that meant only one thing in California...FIRE!
Moments after it started, smoke made its way into the party like an uninvited guest searching for the tapper. The crowd began panicking and started running towards the house to seek refuge or flee to their vehicles to escape.
Without hesitation, I grabbed Lacy by the hand and headed in the opposite direction from the rest, towards the pool. Specifically to the cave, for I knew it would be the quickest and safest place to take shelter. She must have realized my intentions, for she never tried to free herself from my grip. She returned mine with so much force, my fingers began to tingle. As I glanced back at her, I could see the fear in her eyes, which matched everyone elses; including mine.
Ten yards from the edge of the pool, we were knocked off our feet by the terror filled crowd. We became human speed bumps as they ran over us. Down, but not out; we began crawling like mad, as we were being trampled.
Once we made it to the pool, we hit the water together and started swimming like Johnny Weissmuller trying to out pace the crocodiles hot on his tail. Just as we crossed into the shadow of the cave, I looked back just as Nicky's house burst into flames.
To my horror, I saw people ignite like roman candles, as they pushed their way in. The screams became deafening as they echoed in our chamber. The loudest came from Lacy herself, for she was witnessing the same spectacle as I was. Tears streamed down her face as well as mine. Mine, because I knew one of those screams, belonged to Nicky.
The heat and smoke soon became unbearable, so we had to duck under to avoid it's intrusion. When our lungs demanded, we resurfaced just long enough to gulp in what air we could, before submerging again. I don't how long this game of hide and seek went on, but it finally ended with the same ferocity it began with. Then...SILENCE!
You know, time's a funny thing. One minute, you're starting a conversation with a woman most men would kill just to be near, the next; you weren't sure either of you were going to survive the day. If time's taught me anything, it's this; tomorrow is granted to no one.
But, in time, I awoke in our bed. The hand that I had clutched so tightly, was gently cupped in mine. As I listened to the soft murmur as she slept, the diamond ring was still on the right hand...her left.
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