The Good Life

Chapter 23

Bruno kissed her back, caught off guard by her surprise kiss. The Marla he knew would have waited to kiss him that way until they were alone, not in a backstage room where people could freely enter and exit at their own will. He was honestly shocked by her ability to sustain the kiss through his smoky mouth – he had just had a cigarette after his shot. The smell even bothered him. She let go of his hair and shirt after catching her breath and then coughed.

“Oh shit. I don’t think I can do that again. That tasted horrible.” She made a grossed out face and turned around.

He laughed so hard that he almost rolled off the couch where they were sitting.

“Look at what happens when I try to be spontaneous! I get a mouth full of Bruno smoke! It was the worst idea ever!” she whined.

“I’m sorry!” he hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

“But not my hair! Oh not my hair!” she screamed. She got up from the couch and threw him a big pack of Big Red.

“You don’t touch me until you put at least one of those in your mouth, Bruno Mars.”

“And what if I don’t?”

“I’m leaving!” she said loudly.

“Then I guess I’ll see you later, Marla.” he started flirting with her. He walked toward her with the pack of gum in his hand. He whirled it around in his hand, but never pulled out any gum.

“Don’t touch me! You’re so grossss!” she yelled at him.

“But only because I like you, Marla!” he got even closer to her stretching his arms above her shoulders. She crouched underneath his arms to get away from him. She ran into an open dressing room.

“Oh my god! Get away from me!” she yelled at him as Phred stared at the encounter.

“Grab her, dude.” Bruno instructed his musical director.

“I’m sorry, Marla. I’ve gotta do it. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m afraid he’s going to win.”

“Damnit.” she whispered as Phred put his arms around her, picked her up and handed her over to Bruno.

Bruno showed her the gum packet with two empty spaces.

“Nope, Phred. I won this round.” she responded. She grabbed him and kissed him the same way she had kissed him earlier in the evening, this time – in front of more people than she had ever wanted to kiss in front of in her life. She felt her face get red as they pulled away from each other.

“Thank you all! Good nigggght!” Bruno announced as he took her hand and ran out of the room.

**

“Where are we going?” Marla asked him.

“Ha, nowhere. We’re all going to Backstage like we always do. I didn’t have anything fancy planned.” Bruno was .lying through his teeth.

“Oh. Okay.” she couldn’t hide the disappointment in his lack of planning anything fabulous that evening.

“Don’t be sad…” he sniffed and gave her a sad face.

“I’m not.” she said taking his hand walking toward the group.

They all ended up at the after party. Bruno danced and showed off for about an hour. Marla and Fiona mingled with the VIP section. Fiona enjoyed meeting her new friends and told them all about her endeavors. She invited all of them to her future gallery opening and encouraged them to come to her art show…in December.

After that hour he came up behind Marla and grabbed her skirt. “Give your keys to Fiona. Come home with me.”

“What are you talking about?” she wondered out loud. He was slightly buzzed, but still sober and still completely hers. She didn’t drink after having the seizure the night before. She remembered the whole evening.

“Please?” he looked at her with his dark brown eyes and fedora falling down on his head. She took his hat from his head and put it on hers, tilting it sideways.

“You’re not going to tell me what we’re doing, are you?” she asked him.

“Of course not…” he replied taking her hand leading her down the stairs. The lights of the club were so bright that Marla’s head almost started spinning.

“Can we walk a little faster? My head already hurts.” she asked him in a regular voice. Her regular voice could hardly be heard over all the music. He heard her, though, grasping her hand tighter and walking faster. He had to get to her before he lost her that night.

“I don’t know if or who is out there, Marla, but just look down, okay? Cover your eyes with my hat.” he rubbed her back as they walked toward his car. She nodded and looked down at her feet. A handful of flashes went off as he held her hand tightly. No one asked any questions that night. She didn’t look at anyone.

She slid in the car and glanced at the clock. “Dios, it’s 2 in the morning? I have to be at work at 9!” she exclaimed.

“You’ll be fine, Marla.” he told her. 

Bruno! You call me crazy and we’re awake at 2 in the morning on a Tuesday.”

“Welcome to the other side, Marla.”

She yawned as she leaned her head.