Sun & Moon

Twisting her hips to the music, Catalina came out of her bedroom. There were a handful of people in her apartment, all of them dressed well and ready to go out for the twins birthday. Catalina had just finished making her brown hair volumous and silky and she wanted one of Erin’s favorite cupcakes, dancing across the room to a Rihanna song. She could imagine Erin was twisting her face in disgust at the music coming out of Catalina’s iPod, but she didn’t care.

Sean, Heath and the very attractive man that Sean was seeing were all sitting on the couches, discussing something that was being shown on ESPN. The attractive man was named Sebastian and the minute he walked in the door, Catalina felt instant jealousy towards Sean. Not only was he stunning with hair dark as the night and with eyes darker still, he had a face with features that Catalina could only attribute to astonishing genes. He was also from Barcelona, Spain, which made talking to him all the better.

Erin, Taylor and a girl named Willow who was good friends with Taylor were standing in the kitchen. Taylor was fixing one of Erin’s pieces of hair that had fallen out of her clip when Catalina swept into the kitchen, grabbing a cupcake off of the tray where many had already been taken and swiping her tongue through the icing.

“Cat,” Erin asked, not looking at her as Taylor fixed her hair. “Do you still have that white clutch- oh my god did you leave the rest of that dress in your closet?”

Catalina rolled her eyes, biting into the cupcake. She savored the chocolate. Erin made the best cupcakes around and it was a well-known fact. Catalina continued to eat her cupcake, leaning on the counter. She stretched her legs out, the straps of her heels making her ankles look elegant and the short length of her dress making her tan legs look longer than they really were.

“I did not,” Catalina answered, batting her long lashes. “I have just the right amount of dress on in hopes that I’ll have the right amount of dress off later.”

“Like you couldn’t manage that with a longer dress?”

“It’s harder.”

“You just want to be ogled at.”

Catalina grinned at Erin, who wasn’t really scolding her as much as teasing her anymore. The dress was dangerously short in the sense that it could offer a wardrobe malfunction at any time. But Catalina was elegant and practiced in short dresses, knowing how to handle herself modestly in them. It clung to her body and showed the curve of her hips, and it had thin sleeves so she didn’t get over heated when they went out. She paired it with dark eyes and dark heels, intending on looking particularly like a vixen.

Sean and Tyler had insisted on going somewhere extremely popular for the night, and told everyone to invite a friend. Catalina’s friend, Forrest, from the corner store would meet them there- no way was she having him come mingle with her friends at her house- and she was looking forward to it.

Washing the cupcake down with a sip of whiskey and coke, Catalina straightened, tossing the finished wrapper in the trash. “I want to be ogled at by one person, and when you see him, you will understand why.”

“I am quite sure.”

When everyone had decided they were ready to go out, they called a cab, hanging out in the kitchen and waiting for the cab. Catalina busied herself talking to Sebastian in and out of Spanish, and she could see instantly why Sean liked him. Sean was extremely intelligent and spoke with a certain elegance of someone whose mind worked on a high setting. Sebastian was that sort of intelligent, seeing the world through a very focused lens and approaching ideas open-mindedly.

Everyone squeezed into a large cab with rows of seating, Catalina fixing herself between Erin and Taylor. Catalina bumped Erin’s elbow to get her attention, the girl’s green eyes drawing to her. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing, just looking out the window.”

Catalina smiled. “Kind of disappointed they're on a road trip?”

“No, we aren’t dating.”

“No,” Catalina agreed. “But you would have liked to invite him out. It would have been nice, right?” Erin nodded, a small smile. “There are always other nights. Plus, if they win and come back, maybe he’ll take you on another fancy date.”

“Not about that.”

“No, but I like food and I like fancy.”

“Which is why you suggested Vertigo Sky Lounge?”

Catalina nodded. Taylor had distinctly said that she wanted to go somewhere somewhat upscale and amazing. So Catalina had suggested the Vertigo Sky Lounge, a bar that went inside and outside and happened to have an amazing interior. Catalina had seen it once online and her coworkers had spoken about it. A birthday was the perfect opportunity to see it herself.

When the cab brought them there, everyone fished out money and paid him. Catalina slipped out onto the sidewalk, her dress staying exactly where it was on her thigh. She wasn’t worried about it riding up unless she was bending down or dancing. Tossing her curtain of dark hair over her shoulder, she linked her arm with Erin, who had linked her arm with Willow, continuing the chain to Taylor.

Instantly Catalina felt like she had suggested the right place. Inside, music pulsed some club version of a popular song from the radio. People filled every corner of the room, spilling outside where lights and fire pits were surrounded by people who were fighting off the night chill. Catalina hadn’t bothered with a jacket despite the cold, knowing she wasn’t going to feel it inside or near the heaters.

Squeezing towards the bar took forever. The amount of people inside made the hair stick to the back of Catalina’s neck and making her way to the bar to order a drink was almost impossible. She also had to try twice to get the attention of one of the three bartenders, flashing an apologetic smile to the woman who seemed rushed before ordering and handing her credit card over, telling her to open a tab.

Drink in hand, Catalina made her way where Taylor was trying to snatch a portion of a couch outside. She was sitting on the edge, eyeing the guys behind her and trying to assert her dominance- successfully, for the most part- over the couch. Catalina found her way there, her red straw between her lips as she scanned the rooftop.

It really was warm, despite the temperature out. The bodies pressed in and the fire burning in the pits fought off the wind, which made it nice. Catalina’s finger tapped on her class to the beat of the music as she listened to Sean telling Sebastian that Erin was teacher. Sebastian was genuinely interested in that, discussing how his younger brother was having difficulty in school with the language barrier as well as struggling in general with reading and writing. It turned out that his brother was the same age as Sean’s younger brother, which Catalina thought was convenient.

“I see that beer isn’t the only thing you drink.”

Catalina was pulled out of her trance, blinking and turning to look at the speaker. Forrest was smirking at her, and Catalina couldn’t help but smirk back at him, eyes grazing over him once before she shrugged. “I’m a woman who likes a variation of things.” She gestured to his glass. “Scotch? Typical.”

“I’m a thoroughbred American, it’s in my blood.”

Catalina did think he was thoroughbred, but not because the scotch- which, really wasn’t all that American. He was dressed in dark jeans and a simple, black Henley shirt, one that left much desired. She could see the shape of his arms and chest, and the dark color of the sure made his eyes even darker, something she loved. His hair was styled perfectly and once again Catalina was reminded that he was extremely beautiful- maybe more than she remembered.

Forrest gestured to her with his freehand, looking her up and down and shaking her head. She let her tongue pull in the thin red straw between her red lips, watching him while smirking around the straw. “You’re a vision.”

“You’re easy on the eyes yourself. Tell me: model or writer. You have to be one.”

He grinned. “I like your guessing skills. I actually do model work in New York but I’ve been here for the last three months. My sisters husband just passed and they owned an independent bookstore together so I moved here to help her.”

Catalina let out a sympathetic noise. “Wow, I’m sorry for her loss. And independent bookstore, though? It sounds nice.”

“It is. I get to read books all day. Who wouldn’t want to read books all day?”

“You really do need to learn how to have fun. How about I introduce you to a few people and get you a few shots?”

Forrest grinned and Catalina swooned inside. All she did on the surface was smirk and turn to her friends, introducing them to Forrest. Erin was giving her a look that made Catalina feel like she had grown three heads, but Catalina was aware of just why Erin’s face looked so shocked. When Catalina had said, ‘yeah, he’s attractive’ she hadn’t described just how attractive he was. It was that kind that grabbed your attention and stayed your hands. And it was working on several people in the Sky Lounge, people pausing to look at Forrest as he walked by them, his hand on the small of Catalina’s back, warming her through the fabric of her dress.

Leaning against the bar so Forrest could examine the length of her- not impressively long- legs, Catalina flagged down a bartender. She order a round of several shots for the people at their table, and the bartender nodded, adding it to Catalina’s opened tab and telling her someone would come over with a tray. Catalina let a lazy smile cross her face as she turned to Forrest, who finished his drink and set it on the bar.

“So what is it you do?” Forrest ventured, walking with her closely back to Catalina’s party. He was much taller than her and Catalina had to look up at him, which wasn’t a bad vantage point. Erin managed to make room on the seats for both of them to see, Catalina’s back pressed against Erin’s and her legs pressed against Forrest’s. “Surely you don’t always run to a corner store dressed for summer when winter is almost in full swing.”

“Surely.” Catalina crossed her legs, careful not to let the hem of her dress slide up. “I’m in the Public Relations department for the Chicago Blackhawks. Crisis relations. If there’s something on fire- metaphorically, of course- I have to put it out.”

“That is a lot more important than my job.”

“Oh please. I get to run around all day yelling at media networks while you get to drink coffee, read books and look like you can recite poetry.”

“Though she be but little,” he lilted with a curve of a smile, “she be fierce.”

Tilting her head, Catalina smiled at him. She had been right; he was definitely someone who read poetry and memorized it because he liked the way he rolled off of his tongue. Catalina thought that the only thing better sounded off of his tongue would be her name, and she would have that.

A server came over with a round of shots, the golden tequila filled to the very top of the shot glasses. The tray was covered in them and would cost Catalina a hefty amount of money, but she didn’t care right then. The waiter set down the shots as everyone cheered, pointing at Catalina who bowed her head.

Everyone took a shot glass- except Erin. Catalina gave her a severe look and pointed at the three glasses in the middle that were filled with clear vodka. Erin gave a breath of relief and took one of the clear glasses, smiling at Catalina knowingly. Not everyone was okay with tequila, and Catalina wouldn’t force it on Erin of all people.

Holding up her shot glass, Catalina announced, “To having amazing friends.” She paused, looking at Forrest coyly, a smile playing her lips. “And to making new ones.”

“To friends!”

Tequila didn’t taste good. It lit a fire in Catalina’s chest as she swallowed it, taking a deep breath as she tried not to make a face. She felt it burn it’s way down her throat like a fire. It burned differently than vodka, but it was just as vicious, everyone around the group making faces.

Setting down the empty shot glass, Catalina looked at the two others that were meant for her. She had ordered enough for a round of three each. She didn’t often buy everyone rounds of shots, but she was in a good mood, and her body was buzzing. She wanted to dance- especially with the man next to her. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, to twist her hips and tangle their bodies like fading wisps of smoke.

Catalina always got what she wanted.