WE HAVE APRIL 19th
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN !
When they came home, they spoke about the evening.
"It was not so bad, Padmé, in the beginning, definitely, until the surprise wore off and the thrill subsided, but we expected that. Do you now feel better?"
"Yes, and I truly hope it does. I hope it stays that way. Obviously, nothing will ever be the same again because we are all shaped by the past, but at least we have removed the worst. Are we going to sleep or do we have other things on our agenda?"
"The very last." He picked her up, slung her over his shoulder into the bedroom.
"Now I like white linens as well."
They slept in later the next morning but still had to get ready for their friends' lunch.
Steakhouse The restaurant in Midtown NYC was pricey, but Padme and Anakin didn't want to cut corners, they wanted to celebrate with their friends.
To wait for their friends, they arrived at the restaurant at 12:15 p.m. Anakin wore grey trousers, a white shirt with a tie, a dark blue blazer, black oxfords, and coat from last night completed his outfit. Padmé's entire outfit: dress, coat, shoes, and even the bag was bright blue. Like the last evening, she was just wearing diamond earrings and was keeping the ring hidden in her bag to show up before dessert.
Satine and Ben came first, followed by Sabé and Dormé, with whom they exchanged warm greetings.
"You look amazing, girlfriend, and you look younger than you were 10 years ago, Skywalker." That fit the Dormé style.
"We're off campus, you can call me Anakin, I'm a man now."
"Oh ! OK., tell me, Missy can he fuck better now that he's a man than he was when he was twenty?"
"Oh my gosh Dormé, you always say the perfect thing at the right time." Satine had to answer since she nearly always did in response to the teasing.
"Since when have all of you been so stiff, absolutely no sense of humor. I can't speak about fuck any longer since you, Ben, grow a beard and already have a few gray hairs. Although having children isn't always enjoyable but you're not eighty.
"Speaking of fucking, who are you fucking with right now… since we're at it? You know, I have to adapt to your style." Satine's grin provoked her husband to give her a critical look.
"I'm still weighing the advantages of young and old, and I've learned that right now, I prefer the 40-somethings."
"Dormé, you have always been so refreshing."
"I appreciate it, Anakin. How about you, Sabé?"
"I've been in an on-off relationship for a year and I think it's going to end in an off, shit."
Rex and Cody, NFL stars, arrived after a brief delay. Since his accident, Anakin hadn't seen them for a very long time. It had been a long time since then six years. They simply had a phone conversation with one of them, but the two of them had grown up and had developed into really strong men.
"Hey Skywalker, you look terrific. We thought that you had gained weight since you had quit playing, but you still have a look of youth."
"Yes, Rex, just a few extra wrinkles on the face."
"Lines of trouble...uh, sorry...shit, but all is right with the world, isn't it. Hi Padmé, you are beautiful more than ever, no wonder Skywalker is breathing again. He walked like a zombie for years."
Padme was held by the upper arms by Rex and Cody, who then kissed her cheeks on either side.
"She's mine..." Anakin playfully argued ".. so get your claws off."
"We won't take her from you so soon once you get her back, we promise."
After giving special embraces to Sabé and Dormé, who they were knew were still singles, they hugged Satine and Ben.
"It should be an honor for us to be seated at the same table with such famous and attractive men. Why do you remain single? Women must chase after you in droves."
"Well, Dormé, they're running after us, without exception because of the money. We don't need anything like that, but how about two of us, we've always been so good at... dancing together?"
"Oh yeah Cody, like always at Finch." Dorme winken on Cody.
"...and later as well." When Anakin made a remark, everyone laughed.
"You were always a sharp observer as a quarterback. Do you think we're going to dance later, Dormé?"
"Is that flirting now?" The question made Satine's eyes to widen.
"Those are advances, in my opinion." Padmé made a comment "...but jokes aside, we could really go out to a club tonight, have a drink, and dance, you are invited. Right about now, we want to get an aperitif. We order off the menu and pick what to eat."
"Do you have a good reason for being so kind today?"
"Isn't the fact that Anakin and I are back together, Sabé, sufficient cause?"
"Point accepted, girlfriend. Where do we wish to go?
"42 d'Or or Club Cache, a little bit of Latin feeling, rumba, samba, tango, salsa?"
"42 d'Or...everybody agree?" Cody questioned.
"You can put a little more pressure on Dormé." Anakin gave Cody a wink.
"I can't wait, Skywalker."
"I still need to find baby sitter for Serena."
"Your mother or, possibly, uncle Walter?"
"Oh yes, he owes me one."
"I'm not sure why, but I always feel like you two owe each other something." Dormé laughed.
"Because it is, otherwise, we wouldn't have known where Padmé was when she was...shit, sorry Padmé."
"It's already fine. Satine,I came through...and now I make a reservation at 42 d'Or. Have we already made up our minds on what to eat?"
Everyone nodded before placing the order. Anakin said everyone should order what they want. The meal passed in pleasant conversation about the time together, memories of what everyone has done in recent years, what they want to do and when dessert was on the table, Padmé reached for her bag, slipped the engagement ring over her finger, took the invitation cards, set them in the center of the table, and put her hand on them. Everyone looked at it.
"Yes, this is my engagement ring, Anakin and I are getting married on February 14th. You are all invited, and here are the official invitation cards."
She handed them out and everyone stood up to congratulate. Satine cried.
"Why are you crying Satine?" Rex had to know.
Then Anakin told about the evening in February 2016.
"WOW, really Padmé, a call boy? How come? Surely all your fellow students must have been after you, right?"
"Yes, they did, but when I recovered somewhat from my...attempted suicide...I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let any more men into my life. I didn't want to get hurt anymore and...I never stopped loving Anakin. Since you all continued to cary about us and maintain touch with us even during our worst times, I'm telling you this because you are true friends."
"Angel..." Anakin looked into her glassy eyes before kissing her hand.
"You're so quiet, Kenobi." Cody commented.
"The days that followed the incident were hard for me, although not as horrible as they were for Anakin. I don't like to think about it."
"Now enough. We're here to have fun. Look at how great we are, we are all happy, successful, and well off . What could possibly be better?"
"Dorme, you never know…" Cody gave her a kind grin and wrapped her shoulders.
"I already know a little more because I know my twin brother well."
"Out of your mouth, into God's ear." Sabé said.
They agreed to meet up at the 42 d'Or till 9:30 p.m. after Anakin paid the huge $2,400 bill and gave a big tip to the waiter.
Everyone took a taxi, went home and looked forward to meeting again that evening.
Getting home, Padmé set up an eight-person reservation at the 42 d'Or.
"Like previously, but yet different as before, it was a wonderful get-together. Nevertheless, I found it to be really nice. I'm not sure whether Ben and Satine have issues...with one other or if she is frustrated with herself for not working because Ben has been so quiet all of the time. Will you ask him to take on as your best man?"
"Yes, I will when we are alone."
"I have to search for appropriate clothing. What do you think about the Louboutin shoes and short, sleeveless black dress with a high collar?"
"Perhaps the red dress is a better choice."
"Anakin, we're going dancing at a club, not to the theater."
"You want to look sexy, huh?"
"For you. What are you wearing?"
"Boss suit and blue shirt without tie."
"Perfect. Should I let my hair down."
"Yeah, I like that...my fingers in your hair like at Finch I used to do."
"I'm excited for tonight. You know, the last time I danced with Bradley that night, so it's been a while."
Quickly approaching her, Anakin gave her a bear embrace.
"But tonight, and throughout the night, you're going to dance with me."
Padmé was still on the phone with Sola, Anakin with his mother, they still watched the news, showered and got dressed.
"New York is traffic jams personified—an hour by taxi."
"Okay. You call a taxi at nine, one will arrive shortly."
They put their jackets on and immediately walked downstairs. Despite the fact that a taxi was already waiting, no traffic was moving. However, they were able to arrive first at five minutes befor nine. In front of the club, they were waiting for their friends. First came Satine and Ben, and Anakin winked at Padmé to let it be known that he wanted to be alone with Ben. So as to ask about Serena, Padmé drew Satine aside. "How is she, and can we see her?"
"You come during the week, but it's difficult. She's always sick, Padme. I don't know what to do. We've considered moving out of Manhattan."
"Maybe that's not a bad idea, it's just that Ben will need more time to work."
"He will accept that."
While the friends were talking, Anakin asked his friend what he was up to. "Ben, you've been my best friend for a very long time, you stood by me when I went through the worst of my life, will you stand by me at my happiest moment, will you be my bestman."
Ben laughed. "WOW Anakin, so theatrical, yes sure, it will be an honor." And hugged his friend.
As soon as they saw Sabè, Dormè, Rex, and Cody, they all went to the club. For ears that haven't been to such locations in a while or very frequently, it was deafening. They left their coats at the entrance and went to the bar before heading downstairs. Having assured the bartender that all eight drinks belonged to him, Anakin wanted to double-check.
"Do all of our beautiful females drink Cosmopolitan?"
"Good memory Skywalker, and men?"
"If you haven't gone down the wrong path in Miami, you're still drinking Whiskey on the Rocks."
"Do you remember which whiskey it was?"
"Mhm...Bulletin of course."
"You are good, Skywalker."
"And you're a show-off. Oh man, it only needs you to be tattooed. Look at that expensive suit, shirt, and shoes in black, along with the big gold dog chain around your neck.
"There won't be sex with you if you have a tattoo."
"Noooo, Dormé, I don't have a tattoo."
"So when I take off the expensive outfit, I'll be extra careful."
"Can we go right away, Skywalker?"
"No, Cody, you have to dance until 1:00am."
"Uff, come on Dormé, we'll dance this tango, classic, tight, intertwined, my legs between yours..."
"Shit Cody, you're driving me crazy."
"Like before when we..."
"...fucked."
"I never fucked you, Dormé. I don't know how you felt about it, but for me it's always been comfortable sex that feels good, sex with someone you love."
"Yes…..it was like that for me too."
"I haven't seen you since your last spring break, I've missed you Dormé."
"Liar !"
"I'm not lying, ask Rex how many times I've talked about you."
"Cody, dammit, you're holding me too tight and I can feel your erection against me."
"I can't control it when I hold you so tight, sorry...can you imagine… tonight… you and me..."
"I'm not a whore..."
"Of course not, and I wouldn't want a whore, I want you Dormé...and I know you want me too...like before, look at me Dormé..."
Dormé looked at him, mesmerized.
"I'm going to kiss you now, then we'll dance a few more dances and then we'll go. Say yes to me Dormé."
"Yes, Cody."
They stopped on the dance floor and kissed.
"Oh shit... what's your brother doing?"
"He has fallen. I know what he does when he wants to sleep with a woman, but this looks very different."
"But that Dormé can fall at all?"
"All in good time, Padmé. And now I want to dance with Sabé. Sabé, may I ask for this dance."
"And I want to dance with my husband-to-be, Anakin, hold me."
"All night, my Angel."
Satine and Ben were already on the dance floor. Satine called out, "Nice rumba, like the Finch."
The night was long, but not so for Dormé and Cody. They had left earlier to remember something or to discover something new.
.
Best regards from Germany