19-Genuine Love and Affection

When the doorbell rang at 8:03pm, Nicky answered it. When she saw Larry and me at the door, she didn’t say a word. Instead, she walked closer to me, and touched my hair, like I was a pet monkey at the zoo.

“Your hair, it looks so gorgeous,” Nicky said. “Turn around. I love it.”

I had straightened my hair for this evening. I also had on makeup, something even my closest friends had rarely seen me wear. I was always artistic with my clothes, which meant sometimes, people didn’t get or understand my style. But tonight, I wore a classic form-fitting brown dress with a revealing slit that went all the way up my leg. Larry wore designer jeans and a white button-up shirt with a dark blue sports coat. It made him look casual and dressed, perfect for any night in the city.

I walked into the hallway and shut the door.

“William, Nicky, Mary- I’d like you to meet Larry,” I said.

Mary walked in from the kitchen to greet Larry. But before he had a chance to shake their hands, the doorbell rang again.

Nicky opened the door. This time it was Charlie.

He walked in, followed by a perky blonde who was probably a size zero. She looked like she was no older than 20-years-old, and standing next to Charlie, their age difference looked more drastic. The girl was about ten inches shorter than Charlie. She was chewing gum, wearing a tight denim jean mini-skirt. Her form-fitting black sweater had cleavage, which showed off her voluptuous curves. A cross necklace pendant hung on the outside of her sweater. The girl had beautiful lips that were painted with bright, red lipstick. Her hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail.

Charlie gave Mary and Nicky a kiss on the cheek and called out to William, who was sitting at his computer on the other side of the room. The girl waited for introductions.

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Lyndsay,” Charlie said.

Lyndsay had big, brown eyes and white teeth that had probably never tasted coffee. She had on loop earrings and comfortable flats. William got off the computer when he got a glimpse of Lyndsay.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” I said. “I love those earrings.”

“Oh these things?” Lyndsay played with the earring on her left ear. “I just got them at Forever 21. They were only eight bucks. The stuff you can find there. It’s so cheap.”

Lyndsay played with the cross pendant around her neck as she talked. Her gum chewing was annoying.

“Hi, I’m William. Welcome to our modest home. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Charlie has said so many charming things about you.”

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” she said.

Lyndsay gave William a hug. William, in an uncomfortable manner, hugged she back.

“I feel like I already know you guys,” Lyndsay said. “I mean, Charlie’s told me so much about you, like how you all went to college together, and you were all the bestest of friends, and you all moved to New York City together at the same time, and it reminds me so much of the O-C.”

“The O-C? What’s that?” Mary asked.

“The O-C,” Charlie said. “You know, Ocean County, the show on MTV. It’s in reruns?”

Charlie even talked liked the young girl.

“Let me guess. Don’t tell me. Let me guess,” Lyndsay walked closer to Mary, then she walked up to Nicky. “You must be Mary.

And you must be, Nicky.”

She correctly pointed out each person.

“The girl had a fifty-fifty chance, and she got it right,” Nicky said, rolling her eyes. “Take her to Vegas, Charlie.”

Lyndsay laughed.

“I’m still best friends with all my best friends from high school,” Lyndsay said. She talked with a little bit of a twang accent.

Nicky got closer to Lyndsay, and looked down at her. Lyndsay stood her ground.

“Are you still in high school?” Nicky asked.

“Oh no, I graduated two years ago,” Lyndsay said smiling.

Mary and Nicky looked at Charlie with piercing eyes. Charlie shrugged his shoulders at them.

“That is so cool. So you’re still in college?” William asked.

“Calm down there, frat boy,” Mary said.

“No, I’m not in college,” Lyndsay said. “I’m working on my acting career right now. But for now, I’m working at Sports Authority. That’s where me and Charlie met. I’m the manager there. Well, actually, the assistant-associate-deputy manager, but I am the youngest woman to ever hold that position. Go-girl.”

Lyndsay put her fist in the air, smiling at Mary and Nicky.

She went on.

“Actually, they started me with that title because the manager said he could tell I was a great people-person. He was such a nice guy to work for, but they fired him for sexual harassment. Oh, but he never did anything bad to me. Don’t read into that.”

Nicky stepped forward again.

“Are we going to be able to take you to a bar tonight? Are you even legal?” Nicky asked.

Lyndsay laughed.

“Don’t worry girlfriend. I have a fake ID.”

Lyndsay reached into her purse and pulled out a drivers license from Alaska. She showed it to Nicky.

“I didn’t know you weren’t 21,” Charlie said. He looked at Mary and Nicky. “Seriously guys, I didn’t know.”

William was smiling at Lyndsay the entire time. He listened attentively until Mary stepped in front of him, obstructing his view.

“I can understand if you thought I was older Charlie,” Lyndsay said. “I know I carry myself a lot more maturer. I was the
only child growing up, so I know how to communicate good with adults.”

“Well, where do we want to go tonight?” Mary asked.

“How about Chuck E. Cheese?” Nicky said.
Lyndsay picked a pillow off the couch and threw it at Nicky.

“I think you are so funny, Nicky,” Lyndsay said. “You remind me so much of my Mom.”

Everyone laughed, except Nicky.

“Well, shall we go?” Charlie asked. “How about we start at Jakes for an early cocktail?”

We all agreed, and headed out the door.

Jake’s was one of our favorite neighborhood hangouts. The bar was familiar and comfortable, and we all knew the bartenders and waitresses by name. It was a place with no pretension. You ordered cheap drinks at the bar and sat on tall wooden stools around tables that were nailed into the ground. When we walked in, the fireplace was burning and Elton John was playing over the stereo. We grabbed an open table near the fireplace when our friendly, familiar waitress walked over.

“Hi guys,” the waitress said. “What can I get you?”

We went around the table with our drink orders. Charlie and William asked for Coronas. Larry and I both ordered Absolute Tonics. Mary asked for a Rum and Coke. Then the waitress looked at Nicky and Lyndsay, who were sitting next to each other.
“I’ll have a Pinot and can you bring our girlfriend a Ginger Ale?” Nicky nodded towards Lyndsay.

“Oh, I don’t want a Ginger Ale,” Lyndsay said. “Can you bring me a Bud Light please?”

“Can I see some ID?” the waitress asked.

Nicky put her hands over her mouth and nervously tapped her left foot on the floor. She looked at the door, while Lyndsay dug through her purse, looking for her ID. When Lyndsay found the ID, she handed it to the waitress, and smiled. The waitress looked it over carefully.

“You live in Alaska?” The waitress asked.

Lyndsay shook her head yes.

“Anchorage, Alaska” Lyndsay said.

“And you’re five-eleven?” The waitress looked Lyndsay up and down, who sitting down, was the shortest person at the table.

“In high heels I am close to it,” Lyndsay said.

“And you’re black?”

“In the summer, I get really dark,” Lyndsay said.

The waitress looked at Charlie for reassurance. He smiled and shook his head yes.

“Okay, I’ll be back with your orders,” she said.

After two cocktails, everyone was in a jovial mood. Lyndsay drank faster than everyone else, so she was the first to need the restroom. She excused herself from our group and was barely out of earshot when Nicky let loose.

“What are you thinking Charlie?” Nicky hit Charlie in the arm as she talked. “Are you ever going to grow up and date girls your own age?”

“What? I didn’t know she was 20,” he said.

“Oh, like you thought she was 29 or 30? I could see how that could happen. Why don’t men date women their own age?”

Charlie stood up off the stool.

“I’ll tell you why,” he said. “Guys like me don’t date girls my age because girls your age only want rich guys. And I hate to break it to you Nick, but I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, like some of us.”
Nicky grabbed the Tiffany pendant around her neck.

“I can’t believe you just said that? I’m so hurt. You think I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth? Just because my Daddy worked hard to start his own business and my Mom was a lawyer doesn’t mean I didn’t have struggles in life like everyone else.”

William got up from his stool and walked over to Charlie.

“Nicky, cut Charlie some slack,” William said, with his arm around Charlie. “So she’s a little younger than the rest of us. He’s allowed. He’s single. Leave him alone.”

“What? Cut him some slack?” Mary pounded her cocktail on the table. The sound echoed in the bar. “He’s dating someone who could be my intern. Wait, no. She’s not even old enough to be my intern because if she was in college, she wouldn’t even be a junior yet.”

William walked over to Mary and put his arm around her.

“My wife is right. I have to agree with her.”

“Guys, she’s a cute girl,” Charlie said. “I asked her out for drinks. It’s not like we’re getting married. Give me a break.”

“I beg your pardon,” Nicky said. Now, she was standing.

“Shall I quote you? ‘I think this could be the one. We’re, what’s that word, connected?’” Nicky imitated Charlie’s voice. “So tell us, what are you going to do, string her along? Sleep with her three, five, eight times, then ask for space? Then what are you going to do Charlie? Move onto an 18-year-old? The only thing you men are good for is semen.”

“Why are you making war with me?” Charlie asked.

“Because you are the male species,” Nicky said. “Answer me, why are women your own age not good enough for you? Why do you keep hitting on younger and younger girls the older you get?”

“You don’t understand,” Charlie said.

“Oh yes, I do understand. Now that you’ve hit your mid-thirties, suddenly women your own age aren’t good enough for you.”

“That’s low Nicky. I’m only 32.”

“Can I say something?” William raised his hand.

“No, you can’t,” Mary said.

William brought his hand down.

“All women don’t want rich and powerful men,” Nicky said. “They just want someone who’s responsible and not sleeping on a futon.”

“I don’t have a futon,” Charlie said.

“You might as well because you still act like you’re in college.” Nicky put her Pinot on the table and walked away from the group without excusing herself. Charlie looked at the empty beer in his hand. He put it down, and picked up Nicky’s wine glass after she walked away. He lifted his pinky as he drank from her glass.

“Maybe she’s right,” he said. “She is kind of young. But she’s got so much spunk.”

Charlie looked at Lyndsay. She was now flirting with a handsome bartender and a young college student at the bar.

I put my hand on Charlie’s wrist.

“You know why she’s got so much spunk?” I asked.

“Why?”

“Because she hasn’t been hurt yet,” I said. “Once she opens her heart and gives it freely and experiences all the pain of rejection, her soul will change. It doesn’t mean it will change for the worse, it will just evolve to a different level.”

“You really know how to kill a good buzz, don’t you, Elsa?” Charlie said, putting down Nicky’s glass of wine.

“It’s the truth Charlie,” Mary said. “And sooner or later, women aren’t going to see you the same. You will age too, just like the rest of us.”

Charlie looked at his reflection in the mirror across the bar. He pulled his hair back to see if he had a receding hairline. His hair was still thick.

“But I’m looking for love too,” Charlie started opening up. “You guys all think just because I’m dating all of these girls, I’m happy? I’m not. I’m sleeping with all of these different girls and it’s still empty. I want something that lasts. I want to find a girl I can share my heart with, someone I can trust and grow old with.”

Everyone listened.

“The only reason I keep dating all these girls is because I’m trying to find my soul mate, just like you,” Charlie said. “I want what Elsa has.”

Charlie pointed to Larry and me. We were holding hands the entire time at the table.

“We are all waiting for that,” Mary said.

“What do you mean ‘we all are waiting?’ You have me,” William said.

“I know, I’m talking about others at this table,” Mary said, rubbing William’s back for reassurance.

Lyndsay walked up to the table, carrying a Bud Light, interrupting their conversation. The college student from the bar was next to her.

“Do you guys want to go to another party with Matt and his friends?” Lyndsay asked, energetically. “It’s a dorm party at NYU.”

“We’ll pass,” Charlie said. He put his hand gently on Lyndsay’s shoulder. “But if you want to go with them, it’s okay. I totally understand.”

Lyndsay smiled at Charlie. She blushed with his touch.

“Are you sure?” Lyndsay asked. She looked at everyone at the table for reassurance. We all shook our heads yes.

“Sure, go, have fun,” Charlie said. “And thanks for the discount on the shoes.”

Lyndsay stood on her toes, and gave Charlie a kiss on the cheek. Nicky returned to the table just as Lyndsay was leaving the bar with a group of young guys.

“What happened to your future wife?” Nicky was holding a whiskey on the rocks.

“Okay, okay, I made a mistake. It happens to everyone. But you have to realize, Nicky, you do the same thing.”

Nicky corrected her posture, and lifted up her index finger.

“I do not. I have never, ever dated a younger man than me,” she said.

“Or shorter, or poorer, or not as good-looking, or not as successful,” Charlie said. He rolled the descriptions off his finger. “Nick, you have to look on the inside, too. Just remember, it’s a two-way mirror here.”

Nicky looked at the same mirror Charlie looked at earlier. She checked her hair and brushed it with her fingers, just like Charlie had done.

“Okay, so maybe sometimes I am a little into myself,” Nicky said. She talked to herself in the mirror.

William shook his head yes.

“What are you doing?” Mary asked.

“I’m trying to support her,” William said.

“You don’t support a woman when she’s pointing out her flaws.” Mary said. “I swear, you guys need a male version of Cosmo. It’s like you don’t know the rules.”

“There is a male version of Cosmo,” Charlie said. “It’s called Maxim.”

We all laughed.

Larry squeezed my hand on the table. I looked at him laughing with his mouth open. He had laugh lines around his expressive eyes. I felt like I could see his soul by looking through them. I lifted my drink with my other hand.

“You guys, this is what we’re all here for,” I said. “We’re here to inspire and aspire each other to be better. We have our flaws, but thank God, we have each other to help us work on them. You guys are my family, and I love you.”

I put my arms around Nicky and Charlie. Charlie put his arms around Mary, and William put his arm around Larry.

“This my friends, is true love,” Larry said. “You have something special here.”