Different Circles

“Hey, Fly Girl,” Celia’s voice said in her ear. “Still awake?”

“You know it,” she replied.

“Were you able to score?”

“Was there ever any doubt?” she returned.

Celia chuckled a little. “It’s still raining outside, but a good part of my balcony is covered. You up for a little smoke in the rain?”

“Sounds like fun,” Suzie said. “What room are you in?”

“Fourteen-oh-two,” she said. “Bring a sweater.”

“I’ll be there in a few. Should I bring a cigar for Teach?”

“No,” Celia said. “She has ... you know ... something else to occupy her time tonight.”

“Ohhhh, I see,” Suzie said with a smile. It was one of those nights for Jake Kingsley’s wife. It seemed like they were getting a little more frequent of late.

“I’m actually a little bit jealous of her,” Celia said. “She was pretty cute. Has braces.”

“Braces, huh?”

“Yeah,” Celia said dreamily. “Braces. Is it bad that I find that kind of hot?”

“Uh ... no,” Suzie said. “Not at all.”

“That’s good,” Celia’s voice said. “Now hurry up here and let’s get this thing started.”

“Right,” she said slowly. “Get it started.” Had there been perhaps of hint of something in Celia’s tone? Or was it wishful thinking?

She hung up the phone, thinking it was probably the latter. Though the two of them shared a flirtatious relationship, Celia had never made any attempt to advance that relationship any further. Well ... except for that one time, after the last flight of the last tour, when Celia had kissed her, and in more than a friendly manner.

“I just wanted to see what it could be like,” had been her explanation.

Suzie had hoped that maybe the beautiful singer would decide to try a little experimentation after her breakup with Greg, had been highly anticipating such a thing, in fact, but so far ... nothing. Just the normal flirtation and innuendo.

She pulled a sweater out of her travel bag and put it on. She then pulled two of the Montecristos out of the cigar box. She picked up her room key and walked out the door. The elevator was only a few steps away, just past the door to Njord’s room. She pushed the button. When the door opened, she stepped inside and pushed the number 14. Ninety seconds later, she was knocking on the door to Room 1402.

The door opened and there stood Celia. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a button-up burgundy sweater. Her hair was down and she had no makeup on. And she was absolutely beautiful, Suzie thought. It was apparent by the way her breasts jiggled when she moved that she was not wearing her bra currently. Interesting. And unusual for their get-togethers.

“Come in,” Celia said brightly, standing aside to let her enter.

Suzie came in. Celia’s suite was quite opulent. It had a large sitting room and a bar. The window looked out to the east, to the high rises of downtown and Lake Michigan beyond them, though they could not see the lake currently because of the darkness and the rain.

“What can I get you to drink?” Celia asked.

“Just a bottle of water,” she replied.

“I have some of that fancy French water with the bubbles in it.”

“That will work,” Suzie said.

Celia grabbed one of the green bottles and then pulled down a highball glass for herself. She quickly mixed herself a gin and tonic, squeezing a little lime juice into it.

“How was the show tonight?” Suzie asked.

“We nailed it, like always,” she said. “Left them wanting more.”

“And that’s the rule, right?”

“Right,” Celia said, carrying the drinks over. “Shall we retire to the smoking area?”

“We shall,” Suzie said, noticing that Celia was wearing some kind of perfume. It smelled like vanilla.

They walked out on the balcony and closed the sliding door behind them. As she had mentioned, the portion closest to the door had an awning over it, keeping out the rain. There was a table and a few chairs here and they sat down. The temperature was in the forties still, so it was a bit brisk, but the wind was still coming from the north and was not able to reach them. Suzie prepped the two cigars with her cutting tool and then handed one of them to Celia. She then flicked her Bic lighter and held the flame to Celia’s smoke.

“Mmm,” Celia said after the primary ignition sequence was complete. She blew out a stream of fragrant smoke into the night air. “Best thing I’ve had in my mouth in a while.”

“Is that a fact?” Suzie asked, lighting her own smoke.

“A cold, hard fact,” she said, taking another puff.

“Just so I’m clear,” Suzie said. “Are you making allusions to your companion from last night?”

“You could say that,” she said sourly.

“You did not enjoy the experience?”

She laughed, a strong tone of bitterness in it. “No,” she said. “I did not.”

“What happened?”

She leaned back in her chair a little and took a large sip from her drink. “Well ... we went up to my room after we got back to the hotel. We sat down on the couch. I asked him if he wanted to see my tits. He told me that he did. So ... I took my shirt off. And then I took off my bra. And he just stared at them like they were exhibits in an art museum or something. He couldn’t form a coherent sentence.”