A Reunion (Close For Lotus_Maiden)

[LucianDevine]

Cory Riley let out an audible sigh as he looked at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Unlike most people, though, he wasn't looking a the clock because he was looking forward to something coming. He was looking at the clock because he couldn't wait for something to end. He'd come home for his own reasons, not because of his high school reunion, which was unfortunately going on downstairs.

It would have been so much easier for Cory if the organizer of the reunion had forgotten to invite him, chosen not to, or any of a hundred different things. As it was, though, he had been specifically called and invited. It wasn't because of anything he'd done back in high school, though. No, sadly he been specifically called because of much more recent events. He was an up and coming music star that had put out his own album not long ago. His record had already hit gold, and was well on it's way to platinum. As such, he was the kind of person that the organizer of the reunion REALLY wanted to come. He dreaded the thought of going downstairs for so many reasons, not the least of which was because it would completely ruin the reason he'd left the big city in the first place.

Everybody always envied famous people, wishing that they could be recognized and well-received wherever they went. For those that were famous, though, it was often quite the opposite. While the famous people often used the paparazzi and vice versa there were times when they just wanted to be alone, especially when they were being pressured by their publicist to work on and hopefully put out another album.

It was this pressure that had led Corey to leave New York and come back home for a bit. Nobody except his publicist knew where he had gone, and they'd gone to great lengths to ensure that. He did his best work when he was alone, and it was impossible to be alone with your thoughts when the paparazzi was always around, not to mention the plethora of fans that naturally followed the flashing cameras.

When at last Corey couldn't stand it any more, he took his headphones off and set them down on the table that he had all of his computer equipment on. He stepped out onto the balcony and just let out another soft sigh as the cool breeze blew over him. It would be so much easier for him if he could write and sing the kind of music he'd done in high school. Life had been simpler then when they could just play whatever stuff came to mind without a care in the world about who heard it and what they thought. He'd dyed his normally light brown hair black, kept it a bit longer than was society preferred, and even used red contact lenses to really sell the image. They hadn't really been all that successful, but successful enough to have some fan girls and a fair few groupies.

Corey let his mind drift off then, once again remembering the past that had sort of helped lead him down this path. With him being so new to the scene, even with a spark of success, he couldn't be nearly so bold as that, but it was impossible not to long for that kind of simplicity. It was thoughts of the old band that got him thinking about the last time he'd been in this hotel. His eyes closed as he remembered that night, and the events that had led up to it. Chris literally had to beg him to go to the prom with Crystal's friend. It ended up for the best, though, as Corey actually had more fun than he'd expected, even before he and Grace had ended upstairs in a hotel room...

Corey finally just shook his head, unbuttoned his shirt, and headed for the shower. He was already cursing himself as he cleaned himself up and started getting dressed to head downstairs. He could already hear his publicist's voice in his ear telling how stupid he was, all for some girl he hadn't seen in ten years. Despite that, though, his mind was already made up. He had no idea if Grace was going to be here, if she was still available, or even interested in him, but with his mind so distracted, he wasn't going to get any work done anyway. So, with one final look at himself in the mirror, he brushed his short brown hair straight, adjusted his tuxedo jacket just so before buttoning the middle button, and headed for the door.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

“Come on, Grace. You have to go,” Crystal’s voice blared on the speaker phone.

“Why? It’s not like I’ll be missed. I was only there for one year. I only knew like five people,” whined Grace. Her fingers tapped away on the keyboard, trying to finish a work report and to fend off her persistent friend.

“And it was your most memorable year! You met me; your best of the best-est bud, ever. Besides, we need to spend more time together. Isn’t that why you moved back to town? And with Rand away on a business trip, you’ve nothing better to do this weekend. It’ll be fun. It’ll be like old times. You. Me. Against the whole Lincoln High School. Come on, Grace. You’re my bestie.”

Grace sighed. “And you’re mine. But I really need this weekend to catch up on work. I have a rep---.”

Crystal cut her off with, “Grace middle-name-I-can’t-never-pronounce Chan. You need to stop being a workaholic. Let your hair down. It’s only one night! Come to the reunion with me then I’ll never bother you ever again.”

“Ha! Where have I heard that before?” Grace retorted.

“I need your now just like I needed you on senior prom, Grace."

The slender fingers stopped typing as the ten years old memory flashed before her. Similarly to this phone conversation, Crystal had begged her to go to prom. Crystal had a dress and a date; Chris, an outcast senior who was a bass player of a teenage, emo, garage band. However, her father wouldn’t allow her to go on one-on-one with a boy; some twisted, weird, unexplainable ‘religious by-law.’ So Crystal begged and begged Grace to tag along. She even found Grace a date at the 11th hours, paid for the dress, and pre-planned the whole night’s itinerary. She was very, very persistence. Grace was very annoyed. In the end, she agreed to help her one and only best friend in the whole Lincoln High School.

Her date turned out to be Chris band’s vocalist. He was cute and had this cool vibe about him. Grace was the shy new, nerdy, tomboy-ish girl. She had never wear make-up and was usually in jeans or shorts. That night, she was dolled up with an up-do, black hair pulled back and curled, and full airbrushed flawless make-up that accentuate her brown eyes and heart-shape jaw line. She was in a black, short, princess cut cocktail dress and bright red heels making her temporarily 5’5”, 3 inches taller. She felt awfully awkward but looked like a beauty queen.

That night was the typical high school prom night. They dressed up, exchanged corsage and boutonniere, went to a fancy dinner, and then headed to the hotel ballroom. There was live DJ, strobe lights, disco ball, teenage awkward dance moves, and of course, secretly spiked punch. It wasn’t long before Grace loosened up and enjoyed the festivity… maybe a little too much. That night she lost her virginity to---

“---ace. Grace? Grace!” Crystal’s voice pulled Grace away from memory lane. “So, you’ll go. Right?”

Grace intentionally made an extra loud sigh over the mouthpiece. “Fine! I’ll go.”

“AWESOME! You’re the bestest! I’ll meet you at seven. You’re the bestest, Gracie.” Crystal sent her a kiss. “Oh hey, remember to put a beauty mask on tonight. You’re 29, don’t need to be looking like 39. Love ya!”

With that the ladies hung up.

“Thirty nine? What the hell. No I don’t.” Grace looked at herself with the phone’s front camera. Besides the barely there dark circles under her eyes, she looked very much like she was in high school. Grace aged, well, graciously. “Stupid,” she cursed and then threw the phone onto the bed, closed the laptop, strutted into the bathroom, returned to the bedroom with a white hydration mask on her face before plopping onto the bed.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fl5cmwe-mo0/V3XC5mgpRkI/AAAAAAAAHbY/hcNzbYE3o7g7PZudRG8xEqD7PcOtnRkFgCHM/s800/236469.jpg


Saturday came by quickly, too quickly. Before Grace knew it, Crystal showed up with dresses, shoes, and make-up bags. Although it took them the whole afternoon to get ready, they mostly chatted about old times with some wine. Though they stayed in touch and visited one another time and again, they still had a lot to catch up. Grace moved away from Lincoln City during the summer after graduation for college. After her degrees, she got a job in Washington State and met Rand. She temporarily moved back to Lincoln only a couple months ago.

They had finished a whole bottle of wine by the time they were ready. They used Lyft. It didn’t take long for them to get to the hotel. The Reunion was in the same ballroom as the senior prom. Although it was refurbished, the decors were the same. Same color scheme, streamers, font on the banner, music, etc. Grace, at one point, wondered if they had the same DJ.

As suspected, Grace hardly recognized anyone but she could tell some really kept their physique while a lot let themselves go.

“Get your name tag,” Crystal instructed as she searched the sea of “Hello My Name Is…” on the table.

Grace scanned the table for her names. After a few seconds, she found hers as well as a surprising name: Corey Riley. Before she could ask the Class President who was manning the table if he RSVP’d, Crystal dragged her away and straight to the bar. Grace was barely able to pin the sticky "Grace Chan" tag on her silky, deep cut and short white with silver trimming sequence dress. It stuck unevenly above her left breast.

After two shots, they were on the dance floor and having a good time. A few men joined them shortly after. Grace didn’t recognize any nor care to while Crystal enjoyed the attention. They danced, took a few more Jaeger bombs, and then danced some more. Grace wasn’t sure how long it has been; only knew that her feet were killing her. The black stiletto was making the back of her heels raw from constant rubbing.

She excused herself and found a bench outside the ballroom. She still could see into the dance floor and kept an eye on her drunken crazy friend. She took her shoes off, pulled her long wavy locks over to her right shoulder, and enjoyed the breeze between her bossom. Her eyes found a Grandfather’s clock nearby and noticed its half past ten, which meant there’s at least another hour before closing time. Crystal was not the type to leave before the lights come on.

Grace sighed and just savored the welcoming break.

 

[LucianDevine]

It took Corey a couple of minutes just to reach the elevator, due mostly to the fact that he turned back several times before his body finally managed to convince his brain that this was a good idea. Even as the elevator sounded off with each floor he descended, he was thinking of how easy it would be to just push one more button, hop off, and head right back up. He felt so damn stupid and was chastising himself in his head over and over. When the elevator sounded off to alert him that he'd reached his destination he took one more final breath before stepping out. He walked around the corner and started to head towards the table that was the class president from back in the day was standing behind. After just a couple of steps, though, he turned away, unable to force himself to do it just yet. He sat down one one of the benches aligning the walls of the large lobby, and when he saw a new couple enter and head for the table he got an idea.

Corey let the couple get a little ways ahead of him before he took one final breath and started walking. He used the most purposeful stride he could just then, and when the couple introduced themselves to the woman, and she was looking over her list to mark them off, he quickly walked past them into the ballroom.

Even as he entered the ballroom, Corey knew exactly what he needed before he dared to do anything else, and that was a drink! Nothing gave somebody more courage than a healthy does of alcohol. He stepped up to the bar and signaled to the bartender. When they stepped towards him, he simply said "Rum and coke, heavy on the rum." After that, he turned his back to the bar, letting his eyes scan the room, trying to see if he could see Grace. He gave up after a couple minutes and just sighed. How would he even know what she looked like at this point? She could have dyed her hair, started to wear glasses, or been covered in piercings for all he knew...

When his drink was ready, Corey paid in cash, complete with a generous tip before grabbing the glass and heading straight for the door. He had resigned himself to giving up and heading back upstairs after he finished his drink, but he didn't want to do so in such a crowded place. All it took was one person to recognize him, post on social media who and where he was, and his cover would be blown. He silently shook his head, internally chastising himself once more as he stepped out into the lobby and moved to one of the benches along the far wall. As he sat down, he saw a woman next to him with a name tag on. It was stuck on just above her left breast and crooked, making it hard for him to make out, not that he tried all that hard.

"Are you part of the reunion, or a plus one?" Corey asked the woman before taking a slow sip of his drink.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

If her feet could speak, they would be thanking her profusely. Without shoe’s constriction, they felt good. The cool floor sent a refreshing sensation through the bottom of her soles. Now she was no longer being surrounded by human shields, the open space felt slightly chilly. Though her body was still hot and her cheeks flushed from all the dancing and alcohol.

While Grace waited, she constantly glanced over at the sign-in table. Although the rush had come, there were a few late timers sneaking in now and then again. A trio strutted in like they were Charles’ Angels. A group of guys, who were probably football players, loudly made their presence known. A couple talked up a storm with the Class President as a guy in a tux snuck pass them. She didn’t get a good look at him, just his profile and back sides. Then again, even if she did see all their faces, would she have recognized any of them? Though she did hope to at least identify one; one that she hadn’t seen for ten years and some months now.

That one face she had waking up next to him with her head on his chest and his arm around her after the senior prom. They were both butt naked under the thin white sheet. It took her a full minute to recall what happened the night before. It was this bed and this guy that she let go, lost herself, and became a woman. She remembered their sloppy wet kisses; the arousing sensation when he groped her breasts and pinched her nipples; and her awkward squirm when he slipped off her panties and then ran his finger between her mounds. She remembered her body responding with both fear and enjoyment. It was her first time going this far with anyone after all. Before she took in all these new feelings, he entered her. His burning hard member stretched her lips and probed ever slowly deeper. She was on her back with him between her spread legs. He took his time and stopped mid-way, letting her feel and adjust to the pain.

Grace had cried. It hurt but felt addictively good. His forehead rested on hers. Their eyes locked. His lips found hers. While she bit down on his bottom lip, he forced and nested all of his length in one swift rough push. She whimpered and breathed, “Cor---.”

A real voice overlaid her memory thought, “---reunion, or a plus one?”

Grace stammered, “Oh. Um, plus one.” Since she hadn’t RSVP’d, she came as Crystal’s date.

She stared at him, thinking he looked familiar. Clean cut. Brown hair. Mesmerizing eyes. No name tag. Then it hit her as he took a sip of his drink.

“Oh. I recognize you. I saw you sneaking in earlier. Was it for the free booze?” she teased.

 

[LucianDevine]

Corey couldn't help but chuckle with the woman's joke. "So you saw that did you?" He asked with a smile. "Well, better you than her." He continued with a nod of his head towards their former class president. He took another sip of his drink as he considered his next words. "But nah, I paid for my drink, call it liquid courage if you will. I'm supposed to be in there with them, but I'm having a hard time forcing myself to do it."

Corey let his words hang in the air for a second before continuing. "I mean really, who likes these sorts of things, y'know? Getting together with people you haven't seen in ten years, knowing well enough that you only care about a handful of them. Then, to even find that handful of people, you need to wade your way through hundreds of people who are there just so that they can brag about their job, car, sports team, trophy wife, or kids."

Though he wasn't sure if his little speech had had much of an impact on the woman beside him, it was doing a number on making him reconsider being down here once again. Still, he couldn't help but smile at the woman beside him. She looked good in her white dress, and the silver trim did a fine job of accentuating the curve of her shoulder and breasts, especially with the deep V cut neckline that nestled it's way between her breasts...

Corey shook his head and forced himself to his feet. "Well, I guess it's that time isn't it miss..." It wasn't until just then that he realized that the two of them hadn't even exchanged names yet. "Miss..." He repeated, trying to sound as natural as possible as he cocked his head to the side to try and read the crooked name tag pinned on her chest. "Grace Chan..." He said at last. It took him a moment then, with his tipsy gaze still locked on that name tag to realize that she was the person that he'd come here to see.

"I...um, my name is Corey..." Corey stammered at last as he forced himself to tear his gaze away from her name tag and almost collapse back onto the bench once more. "I...I don't know if you remember me...but...we went to prom together..." He was at a complete loss of what to say now, especially now that he had stumbled onto her out here in the lobby.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

Grace chuckled at his comment about liquid courage. She was very familiar with this remedy; used it many times both personally and professionally. She wasn’t an alcoholic, but relied on it to calm her nerves or be less awkward from time to time.*

“Yeah, I’m supposed to be in there too,” confessed Grace. She glanced over to the ballroom. She didn’t look away until she found the Crystal’s small groupie. They jumped and pumped along to a 90s punk song.*

Grace turned her attention back to the man next to her. Her head bobbed as he made a speech on the soap box. “I know right? People pretend like they remember you. And you have to pretend like you care about their bragging elevator speech. All so pretentious,” added Grace with an eye-roll.

She watched him standing up and bidding his farewell. She contemplated if it’s too weird to ask him to stay. He was the most down-to-Earth guy thus far. She not only didn’t have to listen to a boasting rant, but also was glad he hates this event as much as she does.

When he said ‘miss’ a second time, Grace offered her hand up toward him. “Grace,” she said shaking his hand. Her hand nested inside his as he introduced himself.

Her eyes widened and stared up at him. As she mentally imagined him in an emo hairstyle and color contacts, she could see the resemblance now. He was indeed Corey… her prom date. He was the one and only person she looked and hoped to run into tonight. Now she found him, she didn’t know what she should do.

As if her body had a mind of its own, she stood up while gasped in disbelieve, “Oh my god. Corey!” She finally let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him. She was on her toes since he was at least a good foot taller than her. “It’s so good to see you.”

 

[LucianDevine]

Corey was still shocked at the realization of who he'd been talking to, and god only knows how long he would have stood there stammering if not for her wrapping her arms around him. Her actions snapped him out of his stupor, and he wrapped his arms around her in return. The feel of her small body nestled in his arms and against his chest made him think of the events of the last time they were in this hotel, and he couldn't help but inhale deeply, taking in the unique scent of her hair as he buried his face in it for just a moment before finally forcing himself to let go of her and step back.

"God..." Corey started, his mind drawing a complete blank on what to say for several seconds. "I mean shit, what have you been doing all these years?" It was a cop out question, even he knew that, but this conversation had to start somewhere.