2020 (Greenville, South Carolina)
30 December 2019
9:02 PM
31 December 2019
Gringo’s Cantina
Greenville, South Carolina
I stood at the bar ordering Valentina a margarita and my usual Red Bull Vodka. We found a tall table near the back with three chairs. Gringo’s was already busy. Teeming with people. There were already drunks and midnight was still two hours and some change away.
The bartender dropped my drink on the bar. I passed my credit card. “Run a tab?” she asked.
“Yes please.” And I scooped up the drinks and pushed through the crowd.
Valentina looked incredibly beautiful wearing her black and gray body fitting dress. Her fingers were playing with the curls in her hair. “God that took forever,” Valentina said smiling.
“You know it’s going to be a good night when you start drinking right away.”
She waved me away with her hand. “Hey perv, it doesn’t mean you are going to get lucky.”
I put my glass up for a toast after I sat down. She clinked hers against mine.
“Doesn’t mean I won’t either.” And I gave a sideways smile.
Valentina rolled her eyes. But then she took the straw and drank quickly. She then looked around the room. “I can’t believe I am doing this.”
“Babe, how many people have a New Year’s Eve that they won’t ever forget?”
“You know this could go wrong in so many ways. You know I have had dreams about doing this. One where I woke up crying. One where I left you for her. And one where your penis was cut off. And god, the blood!”
“Wow, babe you are really selling it.”
She laughed and pulled from her straw again. “What are you getting out of this?”
“Well this isn’t my first rodeo. I have done this before.”
Valentina nodded. “Okay, okay. I know you are a slut.” She sucked on her straw again. “But why are you wanting this to happen?”
I felt the cold of the vodka rolling down my throat. And then I slightly shrugged. “I love building secrets. Especially with people I love.”
“You love Elizabeth?”
“You mean Dr. Blackwell?”
“Yes, Dr. Blackwell.” And Valentina looked serious.
I starred at her before I answered and then suddenly smirked. “No babe. We just met. And yes, this is crazy.” I paused and took another sip of my vodka Red Bull. “She and I were having a perfectly normal conversation about my work. Her work at the college. And she flirted. Days pass. And suddenly, I was texting her about a threesome while also coordinating about the work I will be doing at the college. Fucking crazy.”
Valentina spoke under her breath. “Yes fucking crazy.” But then Valentina unexpectedly felt herself go wet.
That’s when a tall brunette in a form fitting skirt and blouse stood behind Valentina. “Happy New Year!” She smiled and blushed.
Valentina turned and saw my description of Elizabeth was correct. Dr. Blackwell was taller than both of us, beautiful and nervous as hell. Just like we both were.
--
7:59 PM
31 December 2019
Wade Hampton Boulevard
Greenville, South Carolina
Elizabeth picked up the babysitter with her mind racing. She thought, “What am I doing? I don’t know this guy? I don’t, what’s her name – oh right… Valentina…”
Jason, a good looking 19 year old, mixed kid saw her mind was busy. “You okay Dr. Blackwell?”
Elizabeth looked over. “How many times have I told you not to call me Dr. Blackwell?” She smiled.
“Okay Elizabeth.” He paused while looking out the front of the car as she drove. “Looks like you got a lot of your mind. What could you be thinking about? It’s New Years Eve!”
“Well that’s what I was thinking about…” And she trailed off.
“You got a hot date?” He asked shifting in his seat.
Elizabeth laughed out loud. “You could say that.” And she blushed.
“Do you like him?” Jason asked.
She thought for a second and then waved it off. “No, it’s not like that. I am just meeting with friends. One is going to be a future co-worker.”
“Well your brain looked like it was smoking.” Jason added and then he pulled out his phone that was vibrating. He then unlocked it with his face and began typing.
“I hope I am not stopping you from your New Years plans.”
Jason shook his head. “No. Anything for you Dr., er, I mean Elizabeth. And besides I love Justin. He is like my little brother.”
“He loves you too.” Elizabeth added and put on the blinker. And as the music played softly on the radio, the two sat in silence. Then Elizabeth just blurted out, “Have you ever been afraid of doing something?”
Jason stopped typing and looked over. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, have you ever been scared of going through with something?”
He looked her over. “Are you going to do something illegal tonight?”
Elizabeth burst out laughing. “God no!” But then she wanted to add, “Not in this country anyway.”
“Usually you are the one that is giving me advice,” Jason said.
“I know. But us adults don’t have all the answers. Not all the time.”
“Fake it till you make it.” He put out there.
“Sometimes.”
“So have I ever been afraid of doing something?” He didn’t have to think too long. “This. Being apart of the program. So the answer is yes. I was afraid I would let all of you down. That I would build up my hopes and then fail.” He put his phone back in his back pocket. “Disappointing my parents wasn’t really a thing. They don’t care either way. But meeting you. Being apart of the program. Actually graduating high school. Going to college. That’s where I was afraid of doing something.”
Jason looked out the window. “It was doing something.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Doing nothing is a lot easier.”
Elizabeth felt incredibly proud. “Yes you did something. And you are doing something.”
“I am not in college yet.”
Elizabeth turned and winked at him. “You will be.”
He looked forward and repeated what she said aloud, “Yes, I will be.” And then Jason moved again in the seat. “So what are you afraid of?”
“Afraid of doing something out of my comfort zone, I guess.” She was turning the steering to get into the left lane. The road to her house was one light away. “When I was married, I was told I was boring. Not exciting. Or I felt that way anyway….” What she didn’t say, “Maybe that’s why he cheated.”
Jason interrupted, “That guy was an asshole.”
“Yes. He. Was.” Elizabeth agreed.
“You are exciting. You are not boring. And you should hear the stories that Justin says about you. You are like a super hero in his eyes.”
Elizabeth’s eyes began to tear. “Yeah.”
Jason looked over at her. “When all else fails remember, YOLO.”
“You only live once.”
“That’s right. And maybe something seems crazy. But fuck it. Just do it. "It's easy to know the right thing to do after something has happened, but it's hard to predict the future."
.”
Elizabeth remembered the text from yesterday, “If you join Valentina and I, you will never forget 2020.” Then she said aloud: “Yes hindsight is 20/20.” And she giggled. Then pulled the car into her driveway.
--
11:15 PM
31 December 2019
DT’s Tavern
Greenville, South Carolina
Valentina looked at him. She looked at Elizabeth. Yes, she was beautiful. Smart. Funny. Definitely taller than both of them. He was right that she and Valentina would get along. That regardless of what happened tonight, they would be friends.
But she watched him.
Was he using her to fuck Elizabeth? He didn’t have to do that.
He could fuck her on his own.
“Does he love me? If he does, am I enough for him? What do I have to offer?”
Just then in the throng of the gay and straight crowd, Elizabeth came and grabbed Valentina’s hand. “Come and dance with us.” The tequila shots were giving her energy.
Valentina smiled and held her hand as they danced on the floor. The music blared.
He danced next to them both but didn’t try to touch. He just moved with the stupidest grin on his face. He then leaned into her and whispered into Valentina’s ear, “You look amazing.”
She felt a tingle.
“Am I doing this for him or for me?” Valentina asked herself. “What will I do if I see him kiss her? What will she do if she sees him kiss me?” Valentina moved to the music.
Regardless of the thoughts that kept bombarding her, Valentina felt beautiful. She felt sexy. She felt Elizabeth moving next to her. Elizabeth’s hips bumping into her.
“How will Elizabeth feel when I sit on his face as she watches?” she asked herself. Valentina then imagined while she squeezed her breasts together as the pleasure surged upward from between her thighs – that she would open her eyes and see Elizabeth’s eyes wide, her mouth open in expectation. Just then Valentina would lean forward to kiss her. Feel her tongue. “Isn’t this what he wants me to do? Kiss her?”
Valentina then came back to reality.
All three of them were buzzing from the tequila shots and the music. Moving. He was dancing like he always does – feeling the music – and he went behind her resting his hands on the line on her her back. Around her waist. His palms moving down and flat on her thighs.
Valentina could see Elizabeth felt out of the circle. Alone on the dance floor. “I want her to know he is mine.” Valentina said to herself.
She could see Elizabeth slowly inch away.
Valentina could feel him behind her. He was poking through his slacks.
“Is she a good kisser? Does she know I have never tasted a woman before? I don’t even know if I could do that…” Valentina’s thoughts were racing. She saw Elizabeth put her hands down her body as she closed her eyes to the music.
“Will she stay the night? Will she think less of me because I cum so easily?” And the questions came faster and faster. “He said I am the boss. He has to ask my permission. His cock is my cock. My pussy is his pussy.” And she pulled away from him behind her.
Just then Elizabeth opened her eyes, eyes wide, her mouth open in expectation. Valentina and Elizabeth locked glances. Elizabeth leaned into Valentina. “You look amazing.” Valentina felt her breath on her earlobe.
The throng of party goers was pulsing around them. The DJ came on the speakers. “30 minutes. 30 minutes to 2020!” The crowd went wild.
Valentina squeezed her hand and pulled Elizabeth to her. “Let’s get out of here.”
--
7:12 PM
30 December 2019
Somewhere on I-40
Asheville, North Carolina
I was driving when I saw my phone hanging on the front window pop up with several messages. I took the exit towards Candler, North Carolina. At the red light I pulled off the phone and had my face unlock it.
It was a message from Elizabeth, “I don’t want to sound like I am a prude. But I think I am going to pass on tomorrow. I mean it sounds like fun but I am a little selfish. I want one on one attention. Sharing you is not an option. So if that’s the only choice. I think I will need to pass. I hope you are not mad.”
I smiled and mouthed a “No.” And looked up and saw the red light was green. Someone blew their horn behind me. I threw my phone into my passenger seat and drove through.
