You Deserve Nothing - Alexander Maksik [8]
“O.K., I’ll see you,” Marie said, raising her eyes to mine.
Waiting for Mia in front of the building, the wind was whipping the leaves around. It felt more like October than June. Looking up I could see people leaning over the balcony smoking cigarettes, their voices floating out. I was taken with the same kind of euphoria I’d felt repeatedly over the last few weeks—that sense of being precisely where I wanted to be, of having made it through. The wind rushing harder and harder up the river seemed to lift me and I was overcome with a sort of impatience that was only loosely connected to the night.
Someone on the balcony called down to me, “What up, Mr. S.? Shouldn’t you be asleep, man? Little late for you.”
I made an exaggerated bow and they laughed. Mia and a group of kids came out the door.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked.
“It’ll be fun. Anyway, I’ve told them we’re going.”
She turned to the group standing in front of the building.
“We’ll see you there.”
“Oh my God, you’re coming, Silver?”
“Looks that way, Molly. Looks that way.”
Mia and I caught a taxi. It had begun to rain. The driver flicked on the windshield wipers and turned up rue St. Jacques. I thought about getting out of the cab and walking home.
I closed my eyes and listened to the blades sweeping back and forth across the glass, the droning engine, the soft voice of the Radio Nova DJ.
Up the hill toward the Pantheon they were standing beneath a blue awning adorned with a single star.
“I’m not going in there,” I whispered.
“Just walk.”
Inside were stone stairs descending into the belly of the place, where it was crowded with students.
Mia and I found a place at the bar.
“It’s mostly underclassmen here,” she said, looking worried.
“I noticed that.”
“It doesn’t feel right. Maybe we should leave.”
“Hey, you wanted to come and there’s no way I’m leaving before I have a beer.”
She looked around uncomfortably.
“Oh my God, I’m so buying you guys drinks.” Molly, drunk and laughing, looked over our heads to catch the bartender’s eye.
Leaning just past my ear, she called out, “Henri! Trois Screaming Orgasms, trois.”
“This is so cool,” she said giggling. “I can’t believe I’m partying with you guys. It’s totally, full on, surreal.”
Mia, looking flushed, said, “I’m not sure this is the best idea, Molly.”
“Ms. Keller, I graduated. I’m not even a student at the school. What’s the big deal?” she asked reaching across the bar for the milky shots. With hers in hand, she said, “To the future.” She smiled and raised her glass. “To all our futures. Totally.”
* * *
The music got louder. Someone took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. We were packed tight. I began to dance, people passed in front of me, faces I recognized, shadows, light and dark and each student’s face a subtle jolt, until they all became people in a bar.
I danced with Mia, and the drunker she became, the more determined she seemed to contain me. I spun away. Ariel appeared moving close, pressing her breasts against my chest, leaning her head back, smiling, turning away and returning.
I moved toward the bar where I drank a beer and watched the crowd.
I stood in the bathroom and pressed my head against the cold tile wall.
I pushed back onto the dance floor searching for Mia and found Ariel’s friend. I couldn’t remember her name. She smiled without hesitation, without artifice or experiment.
Marie.
She danced and I followed her into the center of the room, surrounded by what felt like thousands of people. She pushed tight against my cock, which hardened immediately. When she felt it against her, she pushed with more force, bent her knees and slowly, expertly glided her ass against me.
“Do you know who you’re dancing with?” I asked.
She turned to face me, “Yes, Mr. Silver. Do you know who you’re dancing with?”
I nodded.
“Congratulations,” I said.
“For what?”
“Graduation. For graduating.”
“Oh I didn’t graduate, Mr. Silver. I’ll be a senior next year. Same class as Ariel.”
“Jesus Christ.”
She took a step closer, pressing her breasts