Paula had rapidly pounded on the door probably 20 times before it swung open to reveal Peter and his what the fuck expression. She threw herself forward with outstretched arms, calling out as she grasped him about the neck and kissed his cheek with wet lips, "There he is! My bestest buddy in all the whole wide world!"
She was obviously toasted, but then it was almost midnight on a Friday and that wasn't uncommon for Paula. Behind her, Robert laughed and shook his head as he explained, "She and Carmen had already finished off two bottles of wine by the time I got to their place."
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Paula said as she forcibly turned Peter away from the front door and toward his bedroom door. "We're going out, dancing, right now, so, go put on something that'll make women wet for you. Hurry! Rush, rush, before my buzz begins to fail!"
Paula entered the bedroom right behind Peter, then laughed and backed out as she teased, "Best not I be in here while you strip, or we might not leave here at all."
She closed the door, still laughing. Robert took her hand and led her to a chair, instructing, "Sit down before you fall down."
Then, toward the closed bedroom door, Robert called out, "Sorry about this, Peter. I know you probably don't want to go out this late, but Carmen heard about this new club that migrates around from location to location, and this is the first time we've actually known where it was in time to hit it. She's sittin' behind the wheel of the car out front, so she doesn't have to park and the doorman won't have her towed, so, we do need to hurry."
He looked to Paula, who was dancing in her chair to music she could only hear in her own head. He couldn't help but laugh while also wanting to cry a bit: the history between the four friends was a long and sometimes tragic one, which was probably the reason Paula had gotten tanked before suggesting they come over to get Peter for a night of dancing.
The four of them -- Paula Greer, Robert Hansen, Carmen Riviera, and Peter Quinn -- had been friends since junior high school. They'd gone to the same University, though for different fields, and now worked in buildings on the same downtown block, though, each of them for a different company, of course. Robert and Carmen had been on again, off again lovers since they were 16; for the past few months, they'd been on yet again.
But the relationship between Peter and Paula hadn't been nearly as personal. They'd tried dating their sophomore year for a couple of months, but that had been blown to hell when Paula had mistakenly believed Peter was cheating on her. They'd remained friends, though, and in their freshman year of college there was talk of surrendering their virginities to one another, only for Paula to have to admit that she hadn't been a virgin since Senior Year Prom. Robert didn't know the specifics of the conversation, but he gathered that Peter had felt lied to all that time, though, Robert would have better described it as an omission of the truth on Paula's part.
Since then, the two of them -- usually with Robert and Carmen in tow -- had spent more time together than many married couples did, going to parties or taking Robert's ski boat out on the lake or throwing parties at one or the other's homes or apartments. And in all that time, Peter and Paula still hadn't hooked up.
Most people simply thought it was the history behind them -- the long, close friendship -- that was preventing the pair from taking it to that ultimate step of sex. Carmen was the only one who truly understood what was keeping Paula from ripping Peter's clothes off one night and mauling him in his bed: she simply didn't find him attractive as a bed mate. Sure, Peter was handsome and fit, had a good personality, and made a decent living at a job he enjoyed (or at least claimed he did maybe?).
But Paula was practically a Goddess physically, and combining that with her own good personality and smarts, she had long thought and still did think today that she could find someone much better than her long time friend. There was never a shortage of well-off and uber-handsome men crawling over one another to get a date with Paula, and -- to be totally honest -- she very much liked the attention and expected that one day soon it would result in her finding the man of her dreams.
But for now, there was Peter who she so very much loved without being in love. So, with two bottles shared between her and Carmen, Paula was ready to instead hit the town and dance like a fool with her bestest buddy and any number of other men who just might be Mister Right.
She was obviously toasted, but then it was almost midnight on a Friday and that wasn't uncommon for Paula. Behind her, Robert laughed and shook his head as he explained, "She and Carmen had already finished off two bottles of wine by the time I got to their place."
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Paula said as she forcibly turned Peter away from the front door and toward his bedroom door. "We're going out, dancing, right now, so, go put on something that'll make women wet for you. Hurry! Rush, rush, before my buzz begins to fail!"
Paula entered the bedroom right behind Peter, then laughed and backed out as she teased, "Best not I be in here while you strip, or we might not leave here at all."
She closed the door, still laughing. Robert took her hand and led her to a chair, instructing, "Sit down before you fall down."
Then, toward the closed bedroom door, Robert called out, "Sorry about this, Peter. I know you probably don't want to go out this late, but Carmen heard about this new club that migrates around from location to location, and this is the first time we've actually known where it was in time to hit it. She's sittin' behind the wheel of the car out front, so she doesn't have to park and the doorman won't have her towed, so, we do need to hurry."
He looked to Paula, who was dancing in her chair to music she could only hear in her own head. He couldn't help but laugh while also wanting to cry a bit: the history between the four friends was a long and sometimes tragic one, which was probably the reason Paula had gotten tanked before suggesting they come over to get Peter for a night of dancing.
The four of them -- Paula Greer, Robert Hansen, Carmen Riviera, and Peter Quinn -- had been friends since junior high school. They'd gone to the same University, though for different fields, and now worked in buildings on the same downtown block, though, each of them for a different company, of course. Robert and Carmen had been on again, off again lovers since they were 16; for the past few months, they'd been on yet again.
But the relationship between Peter and Paula hadn't been nearly as personal. They'd tried dating their sophomore year for a couple of months, but that had been blown to hell when Paula had mistakenly believed Peter was cheating on her. They'd remained friends, though, and in their freshman year of college there was talk of surrendering their virginities to one another, only for Paula to have to admit that she hadn't been a virgin since Senior Year Prom. Robert didn't know the specifics of the conversation, but he gathered that Peter had felt lied to all that time, though, Robert would have better described it as an omission of the truth on Paula's part.
Since then, the two of them -- usually with Robert and Carmen in tow -- had spent more time together than many married couples did, going to parties or taking Robert's ski boat out on the lake or throwing parties at one or the other's homes or apartments. And in all that time, Peter and Paula still hadn't hooked up.
Most people simply thought it was the history behind them -- the long, close friendship -- that was preventing the pair from taking it to that ultimate step of sex. Carmen was the only one who truly understood what was keeping Paula from ripping Peter's clothes off one night and mauling him in his bed: she simply didn't find him attractive as a bed mate. Sure, Peter was handsome and fit, had a good personality, and made a decent living at a job he enjoyed (or at least claimed he did maybe?).
But Paula was practically a Goddess physically, and combining that with her own good personality and smarts, she had long thought and still did think today that she could find someone much better than her long time friend. There was never a shortage of well-off and uber-handsome men crawling over one another to get a date with Paula, and -- to be totally honest -- she very much liked the attention and expected that one day soon it would result in her finding the man of her dreams.
But for now, there was Peter who she so very much loved without being in love. So, with two bottles shared between her and Carmen, Paula was ready to instead hit the town and dance like a fool with her bestest buddy and any number of other men who just might be Mister Right.