Rocky Mountain Mayhem (9 page)

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Lucy huffed.

They continued to get ready, primping,
straightening, perfuming. Vivian put her final touches of lipstick
on and looked at her ears.
Earrings
. She picked through her
jewelry satchel for the silver and turquoise dangle earrings Kate
had bought her in Playa Del Carmen. They went perfectly with her
black and turquoise, tight, v-neck wrap shirt and blue jean
mini-skirt, but they didn’t go so well with her bumblebee pendant.
Craig had given her the necklace for their three month anniversary
and in honor of Audrey starting school next year as a Libby B.
Staten Bumblebee. Though she didn’t care for costume jewelry, or
really any jewelry other than earrings, she had taken to wearing
the piece often.

“Y’all about ready?” Lucy asked. “I’m
hungry.” She buckled her red, sling-back FMPs that provided the
perfect accent to her clingy black, scoop-neck dress.

Wendy and Kate were both wearing jeans. Kate
had ironed a crisp white cotton blouse, and Wendy sported a
sleeveless black silk blouse with hints of deep purple and
teal.

Vivian heard sirens and walked toward the
window overlooking the main street. Two police cars, a fire truck
and ambulance screeched to a stop in front of the hotel about the
same time.

“What the hell’s going on?” Lucy asked,
joining Vivian at the window.

Wendy and Kate walked over too.

“Dunno. Fire alarm isn’t going off. Probably
some medical emergency.”

They gathered their purses, Wendy grabbed a
wrap, and off they went.

The hotel’s front entrance was blocked off,
so they walked to the concierge.

“What the heck’s going on?” Kate asked.

“There’s been an accident out front. You’ll
need to exit through the rear, I can show you if you like.”

As they walked, Lucy asked for dinner
recommendations. He suggested Moose Crossing, modern American
cuisine with Colorado flair, within walking distance and happy hour
for the next 45 minutes. Sold!

They passed Club Bighorn on the way, and Kate
pointed out the flyer in the window announcing service industry
night. “This is where Viv’ll be committing SIN later tonight. I
can’t wait to watch this!”

This got a round of woo-hoos.

A black cat darted across the street in front
of them. Vivian hoped Kate wouldn’t notice.

She did.

“We have to turn around and go the other way
around the block.”

“What? Why?”

“The black cat crossing is bad luck. We can’t
continue on our current path.”

“Doesn’t that rule only apply if you’re in a
car?” Lucy asked.

“Don’t encourage her,” Wendy said.

“This goes back to way before cars were
invented,” Kate defended. “Remember what happened after you broke
that mirror in Mexico?”

“Fine, we can work up even more of an
appetite,” Vivian said. “Let’s do it, make her happy.”

They took the long route around the block,
window shopping along the way.

When Lucy pulled the door open to Moose
Crossing, the girls entered a timber wonderland of wooden chairs,
tables, walls, lamps. The only things not made of wood were the
taxidermy animals perched here and there, looking ready to
attack.

The girls were seated next to the large stone
fireplace complete with mounted moose head.

“I hear y’all have happy hour,” Lucy said to
the waitress.

“We do. Moosehead Lager pints are on special.
It’s from Canada. I like it because it’s not too heavy.”

“I dunno, I’m a Dos Equis girl,” Vivian
said.

“Let’s just get a bottle of wine,” Wendy
said.

The waitress gave her a wine list, and she
chose a Sequoia Grove cabernet. “One of my favorites.”

“They serve weird animals here,” Vivian said,
looking over the menu. “Elk, venison, buffalo, rabbit. Poor little
Thumper and Bambi.”

“It’s not weird, Viv, it’s exotic,” Kate
said. “Branch out.”

“I’m having a salad.”

“Let’s get a few different things and share.
Viv, you have to at least try it. Expand your taste buds.”

The waitress appeared with the wine and
poured Wendy a taste. She approved so the waitress poured each of
them a glass, except Kate who had water.

Lucy ordered the Rocky Mountain elk loin,
Wendy the rabbit-rattlesnake sausage (Vivian made a gagging sound),
Kate the wild boar ribs and Vivian a Caesar salad.

As the waitress left to turn in the order,
Kate offered a toast. “To our second girls’ trip and expanding our
taste in food and wine.”

“And men,” Vivian threw in.

“Cheers!”

Clink.

“So how are you handling single mom-dom?”
Kate asked.

Vivian picked up her glass and took a long
drink. “It’s not been easy. I’ve tried to make everything as
seamless as possible for the kids, but it’s so hard. Working full
time, keeping Audrey and Lauren in dance classes, and my god, the
laundry. It’s never-ending. And now…” Her voice broke.

They all were quiet. Wendy got out a packet
of tissues and gave Vivian one.

“With them married, she shows up to
everything. It feels so forced. She never looks like she’s having a
good time. Or even cares about the kids. It’s like it’s all for
show.”

“I just don’t see why he decided to marry
her,” Lucy said. “Do you think it was to save face? Like, to say to
the world, ‘Yes, I left my wife and four kids, but look, I married
the other woman so I did it for a good reason?’ ”

Vivian took another tissue. “I don’t know. He
keeps making bad decision after bad decision. Every time I talk to
him he sounds about ready to jump off a bridge.”

“Let’s hope if he does he makes it look like
an accident so you can collect the insurance,” Wendy said, half
joking.

Kate reached for the bottle and refilled
Vivian’s glass, emptying the wine bottle. “He is officially the
world’s biggest cow turd.”

“First-class douche bag,” Wendy added.

“A dipshit of mega magnitude,” Lucy said.

“Y’all are making me feel better,” Vivian
said, cracking a smile.

Wendy ordered a second bottle of wine that
arrived with their dinner. Kate made Vivian a plate that had mostly
salad but also some of everything.

“Expand your horizons, Viv.”

Vivian did and, once finished, offered an
opinion. “Not bad. The elk loin is pretty good, but the wild boar
ribs don’t taste like any pig I’ve ever had. The rabbit-rattlesnake
sausage just tastes like sausage. That I can handle.”

“You’re crackin’ me up,” Lucy said. “You and
your critique.”

“I’m forced to watch Food Network while I get
my pedicure.”

The waitress cleared the table and came back
with a dessert tray. “Can I interest you in a dessert tonight?” She
went through her spiel, and the girls decided on the molten lava
cake with drunken berries and a banana pudding.

Lucy poured the remainder of the wine into
each of their glasses.

“Oh my god, is that George Clooney over
there?” Kate asked.

“No…is it?” Vivian craned her neck.

“It does kinda look like him from the side,”
Wendy said.

Lucy picked up both of the wine bottles and
stuck the openings to her eyes.* “Where? Where’s George? I don’t
see him.”

“Oh god, she’s doin’ the wine goggles,”
Vivian said. “What’s next?”

“If you could meet any celebrity, who would
it be?” Lucy asked, setting down the bottles. “Mine would be
Beyoncé.” She did the “Single Ladies” hand wave.

“You’re not single,” Vivian pointed out.

Lucy shrugged and resumed seeing the world
through her wine goggles.

“It’s a good song and good choice,” Kate
said. “But I’d love to meet Ron Paul. He’s the only one playing for
a different team.”

Vivian slapped the table. “Matthew
McConaughey. He’s sexy.”

“Yes, but he’s married now,” Kate pointed
out.

“The question was meet, not marry.”

“I love the way Matthew talks, he has the
best drawl.” Wendy took a sip of wine before continuing. “I’d love
to meet Ellen DeGeneres. I watch her show every day and she cracks
me up.”

“She does a lot of good for a lot of people,”
Vivian said. “I like that about her and I’d like to meet her,
too.”

The waitress placed the lava cake and banana
pudding in the center of the table, then added four forks and
spoons next to them.

Lucy tilted her wine goggles up to the
waitress. “Is that George Clooney over there?”

The waitress laughed and said, “No, but it
does look a lot like him.”

“Damn, he’s hot. I was ready to get looney
for Clooney.”

The girls laughed at her and with her, then
dug in on dessert.

Wendy took a bite of the cake, scooping up a
raspberry. “I think Lucy’s as drunk as this berry.”

“I’m on vaca and I’m not drivin’,” Lucy
said.

They clinked wine glasses to that, then
slowly finished off the desserts.

“About time to head over to Club Bighorn,”
Kate said, scooting her chair and rubbing her tummy. “Can someone
carry me?”

“I’ll carry you now if you carry me later,”
Vivian said.

“I think Eric’s gonna carry you later,” Wendy
smirked.

“You gonna find out if he hazza big horn
tonight?” Lucy slurred.

Vivian tilted her wine glass up and finished
off the last bit. “Big horns do make me happy.”

THE girls paid their tab and made their way
out of the restaurant. Lucy secretly posed behind “George” while
Vivian snapped her picture. George was none the wiser, and the
girls cracked up about on their way to SIN.

Club Bighorn wasn’t what Vivian expected. She
figured another dead animal type of place, but instead it was
trendy modern. Across the lounge spanned a cantilevered polished
concrete bar and oversized chairs and couches with ottomans shaped
like marshmallows. In the club, a large disco ball veiled in a
chandelier glittered above the dance floor, and the ceiling was
punched with a thousand pinpoint LED lights that randomly changed
colors in a mesmerizing rhythm. Occasional laser lights shot around
the dance floor and a DJ played tunes from a booth in a corner.

“Anyone see Eric?” Kate asked.

Vivian looked around the 20 or so people in
the club. “Not yet. He’s probably wrapping things up at Tree Bark.
He’ll be here.”

“Time for shots!” Lucy said, heading to the
bar in the lounge.

“Hey, there, y’all got any specials?” Wendy
asked the bartender.

He smiled, showing off the dimple in his left
cheek. “Bighorn bombers, my specialty.”

“Let’s have ’em!”

He flipped bottles, shook up the concoction
in a tin, and poured out five shots. He handed them to the girls
and held one up himself. “Bombs away!”

“Bombs away!” they cheered.

Lucy plopped down across an ottoman and hung
her head off the edge. “Take my picture!”

“Look at you, being sexy showing off your
cleavage,” Kate said as she snapped the camera. “You need to send
this to Steve. He’ll like that.”

“One would think,” Lucy replied.

“Let’s go dance,” Wendy said. “I gotta burn
off some of that lava cake.”

“Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” by Michael
Jackson played, and Lucy moonwalked her way to the middle of the
dance floor. She spun around, doing her best MJ impersonation.
Wendy did the knee, foot-shake thing, and Kate went “Wooo,” rising
onto her toes, and grabbed her crotch. Vivian laughed and pulled
out the snap move.

The DJ played great song after great song.
“When Doves Cry,” “Groove is in the Heart,” “Can’t Touch This.” The
girls danced and danced until Eric came up behind Vivian and put
his hands around her waist.

She turned around and smiled at him. “Hey,
you.”

“Mmm, you look good,” he said and moved his
hands lower down her back, just above her ass. “I like the way you
dance, too.”

Vivian shook her hips with a little more
enthusiasm. “I used to take belly dancing.”

“Damn, that’s sexy. Did you wear one of those
veil things?”

“Nah, but I do have a sexy little bangled
scarf that makes fun noises. But I only break it out for special
occasions, and since I wasn’t anticipating any special occasions, I
didn’t bring it.”

“That’s unfortunate. Tonight will be
classified as a special occasion.”

Vivian giggled.
Yeah, baby
!

They danced to the end of the song, then Eric
asked if anyone wanted anything to drink. Time for more cocktails.
The group ambled to the bar, and Eric shook hands with the
bartender. “Hey, Lorenzo. How ’bout a round of bombers?”

The bartender got right to it, tossing the
bottles with flair.

“And how about a round of waters, too?”
Wendy, the walking pharmacy, ordered.

Shots were served, and Eric offered a toast.
“To special girls and special occasions.” He flashed a sexy smile
at Vivian and drank his shot.

Vivian hummed with anticipation and smiled
her sexiest smile back. Flirting was definitely coming easier these
days.

A couple of guys with long-sleeved white
shirts and black slacks walked in. One of them clapped Eric on the
back. “Hey, bro, how’s it going? What the hell happened at The
Aspen tonight?”

“Man, some guy did a header off the 6th
floor. It was crazy. Police everywhere.”

“Alcohol’s a depressant, dude. You gotta quit
over-serving your guests.”

“Yeah, yeah. Here, let me introduce you to
some lovely ladies.” He made the introductions, saying the guys
worked at the tapas bar a few blocks over. They talked shop until
three girls walked in wearing similar uniforms. The bar started to
fill up and Eric said hello to almost everyone, never taking his
hand off Vivian’s waist and occasionally brushing it across her
butt.

Wendy, Kate and Lucy headed back to the dance
floor, which was now packed. Eric and Vivian joined them for a
song, then headed back to the bar and had another shot. As they
were served, Vivian ran her hand down Eric’s chest. “When does the
special occasion of this evening begin?”