Ch 13 Clueless Daisy

"Hey babe, I'm home," Marcus declared loudly.

Erica jumped at the sound of his voice and went to the nearest mirror to get herself together.  After going directly to work following the whole Kent incident, the first thing she did when she got back to Marc's place was plop on the living room couch and let out all her pent up frustration, which was a mess of crying, analyzing, and falling asleep.  Unfortunately for her she still had the couch cushion imprint left on her face.  Lovely.

"What are you doing?" Marcus demanded annoyed only a couple of rooms away now.

"Oh, just fixing myself up for you," Erica replied wetting her finger and wiping her smudged eye liner off.

"There you are!"

Erica stopped what she was doing when she saw his reflection join hers in the mirror.  "Hi honey, how are you?" she greeted wearily and with a peck on the lips.

"I'm good, is something wrong?"

"Not at all," Erica forced a fake smile.  "Why?"

"Well you just look tired is all."

Thanks a*****e, is what she wanted to say, but he was probably right anyhow.  "Yeah I know, long day at the office."

"Again?  I think they've been working you too hard," Marcus's arm slithered around her waist and roughly up her back, forcing her closer to him.  "Well I've actually got some good news to take your mind off of work."

"Really?  What is it?" Erica said while trying to subtly squirm away. She was so not in the mood.

"One of my, well soon to be our close family friends is having a party.  It's going to be 1920's themed.  I think it's supposed to be like The Great Gatsby, pretty stupid if you ask me."

The Great Gatsby was seriously the only book Erica actually enjoyed in high school.  She of course loved the glamorous yet clueless Daisy and the wealthy handsome, yet tragic Mr. Gatsby.  It was a true story of substance paired with style, and going to a party celebrating it sounded great, then she quickly recalled the first part of the news.  A family friend?  Better not be a certain f*****g family friend, if he even was that anymore to Marcus.

"Who is throwing the party?"

"Why?" Marcus frowned suspiciously.  He already called out Kent for liking her, and ever since Erica's loyal stay at the hospital with Kent, Marcus had been unsure whether or not Erica had reciprocating feelings.  Seeing them kiss was of course still imprinted in his mind, but he had a feeling Kent manipulated the whole thing with his sickness and possibility of dying.

"No reason, I was just curious who it would be."

"Why?  You want to slap me again for Kent getting hurt from not knowing how to use a surfboard?"

"No!  Of course not.  I should have known you didn't do that to him.  And frankly I don't give a damn what happens to him.  I know he's your best friend, but he's a-," her voice trailed off trying to think of the right words.  Fake, arrogant, dual personality circus sideshow worthy freak came to mind, but she realized they all insinuated something happened between them, and she herself was trying to forget about it, even though it had only happened yesterday.

"He's a what?"

"A royal pain in my a*s," Erica finally decided, feeling like a b***h the second the words came out.

"Yeah, you were a saint to stay with him in the hospital."

"Well I just felt bad," Erica shrugged.

"He's a big boy, he can handle it."

Erica chuckled in response.  He wasn't a big boy, he loved being referred to as Superman and even wore a kids Superman watch from decades ago.  Well he would have worn it if the thing still fit him.  Instead he had given it to her as a gift, back when he was sweet and normal.  That foolish, wonderful, peppermint kiss they shared in her flat rushed back to mind.  She wondered if he'd come back for his watch.  After being such a prick she considered pawning the thing, it must have been worth thousands, but she knew she could never go through with it.

"And no, Kent isn't having the party.  It is this girl I've known since first grade, Leilani Burke.  Her parents and mine are great great friends, we all go way back."

"Hm, exotic name.  She sounds hot," Erica accused.

"Oh she is," Marcus blurted without thinking.  Way to go.  "But uh-, not compared to you of course!"

"Yeah that's better," Erica teased.

"Plus she has a boyfriend, so theres nothing to worry about," Marcus reassured, then slid his fingers back up Erica's spine, creating a chill up and down her arms.  He effortlessly united the knot on the back of her blouse, causing it to fall around her shoulders, and her stolen La Perla bra to be fully exposed.  As if he wasn't in the mood already.

"I'm not really up for it," Erica admitted, backing away not so subtly this time.

Marc glared in disbelief, obviously insulted.  "And you expect me not to think about hot girls when I'm not getting any from my own?"

"No," Erica sighed.  "I just meant that I need a few minutes, you know to freshen up some more."

"Yeah.  That's what I thought."

Erica obediently went to the back bathroom so that she would keep her mouth shut in wanting to tell him he was a b*****d, like every other rich brat in Malibu.  She tried to focus on the faces that kept her here, the faces that she was doing all of this for.  She had to do what he said so she could marry rich and then that part of her life could be at peace.  So far it was just eating her away, exhausting her, and taking all of her moral values, swallowing them whole, and regurgitating them into a person she was truly starting to hate:  A gold digger.  As much as she tried to convince herself that it wasn't selfish, that she was doing it for other reasons than herself, she was aware at how much pleasure she took in getting to stay in this nice condo, in getting to buy new things every now and then, and designer things at that, stuff she only dreamed of.  Yep, she was enjoying the rich life, and she was afraid that getting hooked to it would become as deleterious as getting hooked on drugs might be.  And even now she was hooked on stealing, it was actually becoming addictive to shoplift and get away with it.  She shook her head at herself in the vanity mirror.

She closed her eyes, and made a promise to herself that for this little 1920's party that she wouldn't steal anything for it, even though it was the first "rich" get together that didn't sound boring.  And at least Kent wouldn't be there, thank God.  She hated herself for wondering if his fever had gone down or got worse.  He was so stupid not to take the time and care for himself, so hopefully one of those s***s took over.  Whatever.

"Are you ready yet?"  Marcus yelled boisterously across the condo.

"What choice do I have?" Erica muttered to herself.   Oh well, it was better than having to face herself in the mirror anymore, and in a few days she could get wasted at the Great Gatsby get together and become as clueless as the beautiful Daisy.  That's the spirit become someone else so you never have to face yourself again, it's much easy until it catches up with you.

"Coming sweetheart."

 

 

 

Reviews

[ape domenigoni]

I hope Erica realizes that money isn't everything. I wish I could say I relate to her need of money, but I don't. Not that I'm rich, I just don't care about it. If I were here I would have dumped Marcus and went with Kent, but that's me, always searching for true love. Haha. I'm still intriqued and still want to read more, so you're doing your job. Great stuff.

[Bud]

I'm not a grammar Nazi...so I'll leave that to better qualified persons. LOL! I think you have a fine premise for a story, and though this is a rough draft...I think it will be an excellent write when polished and complete. Great work! Keep on writing! : >)

[Aj]

hmm...it was very well written, i enjoy erica's character because it shows how superficial some women are...especially in my age..of course you've got your grammar mistakes and errors, but the chapter itself piqued my interest...which to be honest was odd..lol...