1.5

Christ, girl. You ask the most f*cked up questions.

Alright.

I was in NYC on business about... 5 years ago. I had just broken up with my girlfriend. Why? Shit. I guess it was because she wanted to get married, have kids. No, I have nothing against marriage. I AM married now. Two kids. Thanks. But back then... it just wasn't the right time.

So a buddy of mine and his wife were going to a cocktail party and they made me come along. Yes, I suppose she was trying to set me up with someone - she introduced me to every single woman there.

What? It was fine, the women were attractive enough.

My friend's wife is a violinist and so there were a lot of musicians at this party. Great apartment. Piano in the living room. They had a bar set up in the dining room and had hired a bartender. It was classy.

I was talking to this one woman when someone started singing. I looked over at the piano and there was this girl standing there, singing in Italian. She couldn't have been more than 23, tops.

This was the f*cked up thing, she was singing and it was f*cking beautiful and no one was paying any attention to her.

Was she pretty? Yes, she was pretty. Now are you going to let me tell this or not?

The woman who was talking to me saw me looking at the girl and told me she was the trophy wife of the guy hosting the party. She was sort of a bitch about it, but that's New York women for you. Are you? Well, that explains a lot.

I needed a smoke so I went downstairs and stood outside the building. I guess I was out there for awhile. My friend's wife called me and told me to get my ass back upstairs. I was just turning around again when the doorman opened the door and the girl came out.

I could tell she recognized me, so I said hello and told her that the party was great. She sort of laughed and told me that she didn't really know any of the people there, that they were all friends of her husband. I told her the couple I came with. She told me that my friend's wife had always been nice to her. My friend's wife - such a pain in the ass - has his balls for breakfast everyday, but I've never seen her be mean to anyone. I guess he did well for himself.

I took out another smoke and she asked for one too. I made some comment about how I didn't realize that singing and smoking mixed. She blushed. Long time since I saw a woman blush. But she was just a girl. She told me that she was postponing having to go back in. So I gave her a smoke.

We talked for awhile. About what? Nothing, we just talked.

She finished the cigarette that she wasn't really inhaling anyway. We were heading back when I took her hand and led her away from the door until we were out of sight. Then I kissed her. And she kissed me back.

What the hell kind of question is that? Yes, I do remember. She tasted of champagne and the cigarette she just smoked.

What? Well, this is the story I'm telling you, isn't it. Yes, it was. It is.

She went back in alone and I stood out there a while longer until my friend and his wife came back down. He went into the street to hail a cab. My friend's wife stared at me a moment before wiping lipstick from the corner of my mouth. I thought she'd give me shit, but she never said a word about it.

No, never saw the girl again.