CC Chapter 3
"Okay, okay, okay and one more ladies and man… OKAY." Denise stood at the so called head of the round table surrounded by her tribe.
"This meeting is called to order?" Roxy asked as Denise poured another round of Tequila shots.
"Yes. This meeting is called to order. First order of business I kissed… wait wait wait," She downed the shot so fast everyone sat there watching her. "Later." She smiled.
"OHHH no you don't, you kissed what who when where and HOW?" Pamela pounded her fist on the table with each word.
"Nope, my meeting, my rules." Denise laughed and set her body to motion to the music coming from the jukebox.
"What the hell?" Roxy asked as they watched Denise.
Denise was dancing in place and suddenly stopped as she turned to the sound of the door chime. "Dammit."
The tribe all turned to watch the direction Denise was watching. Getty stood in place watching them watch him. He had a smile on his face that explained the whole situation. He nodded to some friends at the bar and headed towards them, casually glancing back to Denise.
"OHHHH, how lovely. Is that the source of this meeting?" Roxy asked as she whipped her head back around to Denise. She grabbed the tequila bottle and poured Denise another shot knowing her friend was in desperate need of it.
"Denise." Roland started.
"Don't Roland. Okay? Just Don't. I cant." She responded as she downed the shot and turned back to dancing in place.
"Denise?" Getty asked as he approached the group.
"Getty, how are you tonight, why are you here, go away now." Denise said quickly as Pamela and Roxy burst into laughter.
"I'm good, I was invited out by friends and why?" He answered and asked.
"My meeting. You are not in it. Now go back to your little world. You're not in mine right now." She shooed him away with a swish of her hand as he smiled and nodded to the others.
"See ya later." He joined his group at the bar.
"You kissed that?" Roxy asked with a wicked sound.
"Can I have more?" Denise held out her shot glass.
"Nope. Spill it then maybe you can." Pamela grabbed the bottle just as Denise reached for it.
"Now that doesn't make sense you know." Denise smiled knowing they wouldn't fall for the sidetrack attempt.
"DENISE." They all yelled at the same time.
Denise flung herself down on the stool and buried her head in her arms on the table. "Why am I here, why did I do it, why am I married and why do I have feelings for another man, why isn't my husband here, why, Why, WHY? She mumbled into the table.
"Ok that deserves another shot." Roxy reached for the bottle in front of Pamela.
"No it certainly does not. Denise, DENISE. Get a grip. You are just mixed up right now. Roxy put that bottle down, she's had enough. Someone is going to be driving her home and its NOT that man sitting over there at the bar looking this way and smiling. See hes thinking that he IS driving her home. Stop it, ill be driving you all home apparently." Claudia Joys silence finally erupted as she grabbed the bottle away from Roxy.
"So… what would your point be Claudia Joy?" Roxy asked as she drained the last drop from her glass.
"You actually kissed him Denise?" Claudia Joy asked.
"In the storage closet, then when I ran away I was leaning against the door and he opened it. I fell on him. In front of a lot of nurses." Denise now cradled her head in her hands with her elbows on the table.
"You kissed him?" CJ asked again.
"Did I not make that clear? Did I slur? Can I have more?"
"Yes, NO you can't have more. Here Sarah, take this back to the bar and bring coffee please." Claudia Joy handed the waitress the bottle as a round of grumbling hit her ears.
"It's my meeting." Denise stated as The Veronicas Take me on the floor song came on. She jumped from her seat and swayed a bit as Roxy jumped to her side. "Let's dance Rox."
"I'm taking over this meeting. You can't be drunk and lead a meeting." CJ held up her hand and smiled at her friends as they blew her kisses and joined the group on the dance floor.
"Uh oh." Roland pointed to the man making his way to their friends on the dance floor.
"Push him away D, push him away. Don't get on that train. Crap." CJ shook her head.
"Hi, I'm Roxy. This is my place, don't touch her." She poked a finger in Getty's chest as he moved around behind Denise.
"Hi, I won't touch her." He smiled and raised his hands in the air as he watched the woman in front of him move to the beat of the music.
Denise could care less at that moment who was behind her. All she knew was that she was totally feeling the effects of those shots and feeling FINE. Fine as any drunken woman would feel on the dance floor with her friends and a gorgeous man standing so close behind her she could feel the heat of his body and smell the aftershave he wore. He was intoxicating. He was luring. She moved her body and swayed a little too far. As she took a step backwards, she felt herself collide with him and felt his hands land lightly on her hips, moving with her and the music.
"HEY, You're touching her." Roxy yelled over the music.
"She was about to fall, I had to catch her." Getty laughed but didn't release his hold.
"Well she's not falling now. So let go. NOW."
"She might though. She seems to be swaying an awful lot." Getty answered with a smile on his lips.
Denise just laughed and continued to dance feeling Getty move with her. As she glanced at the door she saw a familiar man step into the bar. The gorgeous Harley man from before. He seemed to look directly at her and she caught a flash in his eye. He smiled and waved as he made his way to the bar. Denise shook her head quickly as if to clear her head. Why were all these men looking at her now she wondered? The music ended and Roxy grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Getty's claws.
"I have her now. You can go away." Roxy told him as she pulled Denise back to the table. "Don't dance with him, he thinks you want him." She scolded Denise.
"YOU DO WANT HIM." Pamela yelled when Denise scrunched her face up.
"See that guy over there?" Denise pointed to the bar filled with men.
"The one you kissed or the one that wants to take you home and take you on the floor? OH WAIT, that's the same person isn't it" Roxy asked as Claudia Joy hit her in the arm.
"Denise, it's time to go home." Roland laughed.
"No, no, no. The one that has the black leather jacket on. I saw him today. What do you mean take me home and take me on the floor?" She frowned.
"The song D. HELOOO." Pamela responded and slapped Denise in the forehead.
"What song?" She asked as she rubbed her now aching head.
"Oh My GOD DENISE. Never mind. Okay, now its time to narrow this down. Look at me. You will not sleep with him, you will not kiss him, you are married, STOP IT." Pamela ordered.
"Wait, which one?" Denise asked with a ornery smirk.
"ALL OF THEM." The tribe all joined it together with the answer.
"Fine. But…" She started…
"NO." Claudia Joy replied. "Now you need to go home, lets go. Play time is over, back to reality."
"And to an empty house." Denise answered.
"Just bring her to my house. She tends to stray if left alone these days." Roxy laughed.
"No, im fine, take me home. I need my bed." Denise ordered as she grabbed her purse and linked arms with Pamela.
An hour after Claudia Joy had left her at her door; Denise sat on the couch with a cup of hot tea. She sat in silence with a pounding over thought head and stared blankly at the dark fireplace in front of her. As she leaned forward to place her cup on the table, she heard a light tapping at the door. She rose on unsteady legs and closed the distance to the door. As she opened the door a crack, she frowned and sighed at the sight before her.
"Getty. Go home." She ordered as she opened the door further.
"I come in peace. With flowers." He held them up and smiled.
"Getty." She started but was interrupted when his arm circled her waist, bringing her body flush with his and his lips to hers.
She sighed at the feeling of his lips once again on hers. She felt her toes tingle and her head throb as she realized she could not be doing this. But it felt so good. No, NO "NO." She moved her arms up and pushed him backward down the step away from her.
"Denise." He pleaded.
"I need time Getty, just please go away." She turned quickly and shut the door behind her. "CRAP."
As she leaned against the door and tried to gather her bearings, the sharp shrill of her cell phone broke the silence of the room. She snatched it off the table and answered sharply.
"NO, just go away." She yelled.
"Denise?"
"FRANK. Oh.. Hi." She stammered.
"Baby are you okay?" He asked.
"Yes. No. I don't know. I can't do this anymore." She broke into tears and closed the phone, dropping her body to the floor beside the door. "I cant do this anymore."