...“Not a friend of yours?” Chalmers pulled his cigarette case from his pocket and offered her one. She took one with a grateful smile and waited for him to light it before answering.
“No, he’s Leon’s cousin.” Her nose scrunched with the same note of distaste. “He’s visiting from California and Leon thought it would be rude if we didn’t invite him. Personally, I think his very presence is an act of rudeness toward the other guests, but you know how Leon is.”
Loyal, unlike his lovely wife. A cruel thing to think, perhaps, but Chalmers knew Morgana better than anybody, and she was too pragmatic to be loyal. She loved her family, her husband, and her friends, but there wasn’t a single one she wouldn’t sell out if it benefited her to do so. She not only would snub her family, she had. On numerous occasions. It must have been killing her to have that weird, exotic creature fluttering around her party, attracting attention and enjoying himself just a little too much.
“What’s his name?”
“Julian,” she said with a small sneer. “He tells the most inappropriate stories.”
“He looks pretty popular to me.” Chalmers hid his smile as her face twisted into another sneer.
“They’re only being polite to him.”
“Too bad they don’t realize social manners aren’t required at your parties.”
Morgana sniffed, her feelings on that summed up in a short, elegant gesture. “Have another drink, Chalmers. And please, go rescue poor Mrs. Daniels from that…Julian’s grasp.”
“Consider me a knight in shining armor.” He obeyed her order to take another champagne, promising himself that he’d nurse this one, as the bubbles went straight to his head. Julian’s braying laugh pierced the party again, and Chalmers followed the sound to the small group he was regaling with one of his “inappropriate stories.”
“So there I was with James Dean, and he’s drunk as a skunk, and he keeps saying he wants to go out and find some action. But it’s already after two and he’s got an early call at five, so I know I’ve got to find a way to… Oh, hello, I’m Julian.” He extended his hand as soon as he noticed Chalmers, looking at him with dancing blue eyes so dark they were almost purple and framed by the longest lashes Chalmers had ever seen.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Julian. I’m Chalmers. Please, continue your story. It sounds fascinating.”
“Fascinating?” Julian chuckled. “More like…dirty. Some might say inappropriate.” He held Chalmers’s hand for a beat too long, their gazes locked together, and what? Did he actually hear Morgana say he was inappropriate? Did he have ears like a bat?
“I love a good inappropriate story.” The same waiter cycled by and Julian grabbed two drinks, passing one over to Chalmers. He took it with a surprised look at his now empty glass. When had he finished it? And why did champagne have to taste so good? There were other drinks at the bar, and he could have requested anything he wanted, but he loved the bubbles, tickling his tongue and his nose, making him feel warm, making him smile...