I was using my phone, sipping a milkshake and half-listening to Diana ramble on about her father when the text came in.
It was an address but that wasn't what my mind was focused on. She'd texted me.
She texted me.
After her perfunctory reply last night I was pretty sure I'd blown my chance sky-high. I mean when a woman refers to you — not once, or twice — as a serial killer/stalker you kinda know you're not making any good headway with her.
She followed it with a ‘don't be late’ and a rainbow emoji that made me smile. I knew I was going to be late because I was all the way in Tuscany but I was going to go. Even though it was clearly a party and people would be there.
“And you know we're twins, so why on earth does he prefer her over me?” Diana asked skipping through the racks of clothing that'd been rolled into her room.
“God only knows,” I replied half-heartedly as I texted Hulio, my pilot to get the jet ready to fly back to Florida.
“And we're named after the same freaking goddess,” I saw her throw her hands up.
“Yep,” was all I said.
The next thing I knew my phone was yanked out of my hand and tossed through a window. The sound of shattering glass filled my ears.
I looked up at Diana's angry black eyes and took the last sip from my milkshake.
“You're not going to say anything?” Her left eyelid twitched.
I shrugged. “I needed a new phone anyways. That wasn't the newest model.”
Diana threw her hands up again and plopped her tall self into a couch.
I sighed and discarded my milkshake cup. Placing myself beside her I rested my head on her fur jacket. Despite not going anywhere important Diana insisted on dressing up. Which explained the boots, tights and miniskirt that wrapped around her tall frame.
“What am I doing with my life, Carson? Stuck in rehab while my sister lives the good life and my good for nothing father spoils her rotten. I should be doing so much more.”
“Hey,” I stopped her and sat up. “You are doing much more. You're straightening your life up and you're making good progress every day. Do not let yourself believe that's not worth acknowledging.”
She sniffed and her pointy chin — the only thing that set her apart from her identical twin — shook as she nodded.
“Look at you,” she cleaned her nose with the back of her hand. “Cheering me up. I guess this means you have to go.”
I nodded and smoothed back her black hair.
“Have fun. And say hi to her for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You owe me a new phone.”
I left Di with a promise to call as soon as I arranged for a new phone.
Throughout the plane ride I made up my mind to show Butterfly that I wasn't the werido she thought I was. And if I actually was a weirdo it was her doing that to me.
Maybe you'd wanna leave the last part out.
When we touched ground I rushed home and changed into an all black suit. I left the top buttons open and grabbed the keys to my convertible.
When I eventually got to the party it turned out to be an outdoor thing with lots of fairy lights that almost made me puke. The music was low enough that I could hear some of the conversations going on but the DJ stand in front was empty.
I didn't bother talking to anyone and set up my vantage point at the food table. Picking a glass of something pink the waitress walked by with I downed it in one gulp and eagerly awaited the buzz the alcohol would give me.
I was devouring a shrimp cocktail when a colorful person was spit out from the middle of a group.
“Wow, that poor, poor crustacean. What'd it ever do to you?”
I swallowed but I didn't say anything. I couldn't even if I'd wanted to because I couldn't believe she was actually standing before me.
Even though she wore more color than I would've liked and had half of her face covered by one of her signature red masks I was still enthralled by her mere presence. Still drawn like a moth to a flame.
Before I could answer she looked around and suddenly asked, “How's your dancing?”
And pretty soon I was yanked from my place at the table and set in the middle of the dance floor that had a handful of twirling couples.
I chuckled as Butterfly set herself in front of me and placed one soft, warm hand in mine. We started swaying to the low music.
“You know most ladies like to be asked to dance,” I whispered in her ear.
She pulled her head back and twisted her shiny, pink lips into a smile I would no doubt see in my dreams. “Well, lucky for you, I'm not most ladies.”
I returned the smile — lately it seemed like I could do that without even thinking about it — and we kept dancing. Or swaying.
She looked sad as we danced and occasionally I caught a small sigh from her.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I remembered last night and wondered if anybody had tried to hurt her again.
“Are you ok?” I asked, trying to dilute the concern I felt for her.
She looked at me. “Yeah, I'm fine, why?”
“Usually you'd have teased me about how many other people I stalked today, I was just worried you're getting comfortable with me.”
Her face was so serious I wondered if she got I was joking.
“You're stalking other people?” There was an accusatory tone to her words.
“No. Of course not.”
“Good, cos I'd have gotten unbelievably jealous.”
We then simultaneously burst into a laughter that attracted snide glares from the older couple beside us.
I was about to tell them to go to hell when Butterfly spoke up.
“I'm sorry,” she started. “I've just had a shitty day and I came here hoping to relax and loosen up doing what I love most but that hasn't happened yet and I'm just sad it never will. At least not tonight.”
I strangely started thinking of ways to cheer her up but seeing as I knew next to nothing about her the only thing I could come up with were music and ice cream.
She gave a long sigh and stopped dancing. “I'm really sorry for being such a downer tonight, Carson.”
“It must've been one hell of a day.”
She nodded and trapped one plump pink lip between her white teeth. It was a small, thoughtless action but immediately I wanted to tug it out and see how it felt between my teeth. And cue my inner serial killer.
“Why don't you wait for me by the food? I'll go get my things.”
I nodded and watched her walk off. Sticking my hands into my pockets I tried not to be disappointed at how this night was going.
I didn't know what I wanted to happen but it wasn't that she leave after just one conversation.
When she appeared again it was toting her pink backpack with the rainbow stickers.
“Well, I guess this is good night,” I tried to stem the disappointment from showing in my voice.
“Yeah, well . . . I was kinda hoping you'd drive me,” she raised a shoulder sheepishly. “I didn't bring Baby.”
I didn't think that any particular four word combination could make my heart leap with joy but those four did.
“Sure. I'd be happy to.”
“Ok, but,” she brought up a finger in warning. “Today would be a really bad day to kill me and dispose of my body in the ocean.”
I leaned towards her. “There's the real Butterfly. Did I say how much I missed you?”
The night air was pleasant as it whipped through my hair. Through the aviators on my face I could see that Butterfly was finally perking up. Her loose hair was flying in all directions and some of it was slapping me in the face but I didn't mind.
The fact that she was here in my car filling it with her scent and color was enough for me.
“So where am I headed?”
She looked at me and scratched her tiny nose. “You know, I don't have to go home now. We could do something fun.”
“Like what?” I tried not to show my happiness.
She shrugged. “I don't know, you pick. But no dive bars. Or strip clubs. Or dive bars with strip clubs.”
I chuckled. “I got it. Don't worry, I know just the place.”
I pushed down on the accelerator and the beast of a car leapt forward.
Butterfly turned on the radio and soon started belting out the lyrics to a song. I didn't know the song but it was something about last Friday night.
She sang with so much abandon that I wished my eyes were video cameras so I could record this moment. She looked so free and so fucking beautiful.
Ok dude, take a deep breath and put your damn eyes back on the fucking road.
I did as I told myself and for the rest of the trip I tried to focus on not getting distracted and killing us both.
I killed the engine in front of our destination, removed my sunglasses and stuck them in my pocket before I turned to her.
“Has anyone told you you have a beautiful voice?”
She wasn't listening to me. Instead she was staring up at the neon lights that spelled out Miller Inc.
“What are we doing here?” Her voice shook with something I couldn't identify.
“I wanted to show you something. Come on.”
I opened the door and got out. I wanted to be a gentleman and open her door for her but Butterfly had already gotten out.
I put my hand out for her to take it. She eyed me but put her hand into mine.
All I could think of as I led her through the lobby of the empty but brightly lit building to the elevator was how she was finally starting to trust me.
“So where are we going?” She asked as we entered the glass-walled elevator.
“You'll see,” I pressed the ‘11’ button twice and stepped back as the doors slid closed.
When I looked at Butterfly she looked confused under the elevator light.
“I'm no professional but I'm pretty sure this building doesn't have a one thousand one hundred and one floor.”
I smirked. Tonight might just be shaping up to be my favorite night of all my adult life.
I stood in front of her and only then did I notice how tall she really was. I was 6 feet 2 inches and in her heels she stopped just at my jaw. Tall girls weren't really my type but I was prepared to make an exception.
“Don't you trust me?” I asked her feeling the air between us slowly change.
“What if I don't?” She took a step back.
“Well that's a shame,” I took a step forward. “What's not to like about me?”
“You seriously don't want the answer to that,” she took another step back and collided with the wall.
I saw her let a breath out as she realized she was trapped.
My smirk deepened as I reduced the space between us.
The white light made her mask brighter and brought out the pink in her eyes. I scanned her face and ended up on her lips. They were so invitingly pink and if I'd dipped my head a little bit I could've finally tasted her.
Her breath hitched and I realized that she was feeling whatever this was between us.
I decided to take advantage of this.
“May I?” I asked as I raised my hand to her cheek. I didn't know why I was asking but after last night the last thing I wanted was to ever make her think I would hurt her.
She nodded and I finally settled my hand on the creamy skin of her face.
Somewhere in my clouded brain I heard the elevator ding but I wasn't concerned with that. I was currently busy exploring her perfect oval face.
My hand played over her cheek and trailed downward before stopping at her pulse. My favorite pastime was slowly starting to become touching her.
I felt her blood pump for a while before trailing down, slowly being hypnotized by her slightly freckled skin. I liked that she didn't do anything to try and get rid of them like most women would.
“We should probably go,” her voice was hoarse as she laid her hand over mine. The warmth sent unexpected thrills through my nerves.
“I guess we should,” somehow, through my foggy brain I was able to answer.
She smiled and I took my hand back.
“Ladies first,” I gestured for her to precede me.
She chuckled and walked into the other side of the elevator.
We'd stepped into a tastefully furnished living room with a fully functional fireplace. One wall was entirely glass and offered a stunning view of the Miami nightscape.
“Where are we?” Butterfly stared in awe.
“Welcome to my little oasis in the desert.”
I turned a few lights on to brighten the room.
Butterfly gravitated to the glass wall and stared out. I walked over to her and stuck my hands in my pockets.
“I've never brought anyone here before,” I told her.
“Well, who'd ever guess you had a freaking condo on top of your office? Only you could pull it off, Carson Miller.” She shot me this look that made my insides combust. “I'm gonna quickly put this out there, but just so you know, I am not sleeping with you.”
Usually when women said this to me it was a challenge but strangely I was more amused and slightly happy that I didn't have to pull anything from my bag of tricks.
“Ever? Or just not tonight?” I asked and she shook her head.
I smiled and ushered her to a seat. Walking over to the bar I asked her what she'd take as I prepared a glass of whisky.
“Oh, nothing for me, thanks.”
“Why not?” I pried the top of the decanter off and poured a glass of the amber liquid.
I took the glass and walked back to her. Sinking beside her I took a gulp and waited for her to talk.
“I don't drink. It's poison, remember.”
I dropped my drink on the table. “Ok, what would you like? I've got a fully stocked kitchen we could raid.”
“I'm fine. Thanks for worrying.”
Then she did something I'd never expected. She booped my nose.
It was so playful and so innocent that I was stunned immobile for a minute.
“So why do you have this place anyway?” She asked and proceeded to take off her heels.
“I'll tell you if you tell me something about you, tit for tat.”
“What?” She stopped and kicked off the last shoe.
“You know, reciprocating.”
“Oh! That's what it means.”
Why is she so freaking adorable, dear baby Jesus?
“I don't know anything about you, Butterfly. And I want to change that.”
She looked away and started twidling her thumbs.
Seeing as she wasn't going to say anything I decided to go first.
“Fine. I'll start. When I was little I kinda, sorta, had a crush on Lisa Simpson.”
That got her attention and her head snapped to me.
“Wait, like . . . From The Simpsons?”
I shrugged. “I don't know. It was weird and that's why I've never told anyone.”
She started laughing and I felt slightly embarrassed.
“It's weird.”
“No,” she stopped laughing. “I think it's so unique and random. And cute.”
We were silent for a while before I asked, “So now will you tell me something about you?”
She stared at me before reaching into her pocket and retrieving her phone.
“I know I signed something . . .”
She cut me off with a finger to her lips and a ‘shh’.
From her other pocket she took out a pair of white ear buds and after connecting it to her phone stuck one part in her ear. Before I knew what was happening, the other part went in my own ear and soon it was filled with sounds of a guitar and a low, sonorous voice that sounded like the owner was in pain.
“Kermit the Frog frightens me. Like seriously frightens me. If you bring that Muppet anywhere near me I will have a heart attack.”
I laughed, it was so unexpected.
She continued. “I have no allergies or anything of the sort but once to seem cool in high school, I told my friends I was lactose intolerant. Ended up giving ice cream up for a year. Worst year of my entire life.”
“How does being lactose intolerant make you cool?” I couldn't grasp the logic behind that.
“I don't know,” she said between laughs. “Teenagers are weird.”
I loved seeing her like this and I wished this night would go on forever.
“My turn,” I said. “My favorite part of a pizza is the crust.”
Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Me too!” she exclaimed. “Oh my God! That is so random,” she cackled.
“I know right.”
“So what else do you wanna know? Tonight I'm in the mood to talk and you shall finally get the opportunity to know me a little.”
She leaned closer while the man in our ears continued with his guitar.
“What do want to know?”
I was slowly becoming lost in her bright rainbow eyes that seemed to glow with their own light.
The temptation to reach up and tug the mask off overcame me but I succeeded in quelling it.
“Everything.”