riptide_asylum (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
riptide_asylum) wrote2012-07-22 11:42 am
riptide_asylum) wrote2012-07-22 11:42 am
"Boat Dance" (Sunfish, 1985)
Title: Boat Dance
Rating: PG
Summary: With the Contessa's girls, sometimes looks can be deceiving.
"C'mon, Nick, it'll be fun! How can you say no to a chance to party with the Contessa girls?"
Nick thought of a half-dozen reasons, one after the other, but he knew when he was licked. "Okay, Cody, you made your point. We'll go to the barbecue. But just for a couple hours, okay?"
Now, three hours later, Nick was manning the punch bowl idly listening to Mindy (or maybe it was Lindy) tell him all about the sorority she planned to rush at Redondo State that fall. The event room at Straightaways was packed with tanned and smiling Contessans and men falling all over themselves for a chance at a cruise -- or anything else. Cody was outside on the patio, two buxom brunettes in matching blue bikini tops and sarongs at his elbows. Cody kept looking from one to the other and back again, so much so Nick was surprised he hadn’t gotten dizzy and fallen down.
“--So I really think Omega Phi’s my best option, you know? For like, moving into a pre-professional sorority?”
“Uh huh. You bet,” Nick answered. “Beats me why anyone’d go anyplace else.” He watched as Cody’s new friends each took a wrist and dragged him toward the dance-floor.
“You’re not even listening.”
Nick fell back into himself with a jolt. “I’m sorry, Lindy. But I think I just saw the president of Zeta Mu come in through the back entrance. You know, so as not to make a scene?”
“Really!?” Lindy spun in the direction of the kitchen and stood on her toes, craning to see over the partygoers.
Nick took the opportunity to escape, slipping through the crowd, making a beeline for the doors leading out to the parking lot and freedom.
“Not so fast, Nick.”
Nick froze, then turned in resignation. “Hey Max. Swell party you got goin’ on here.”
Max exuded good cheer in a brightly colored maxi-dress enhanced by a pair of dangling hot pink earrings the size of saucers. “Well I’m glad you approve. I see Cody’s enjoying himself as well.”
“Yeah.” Nick didn’t feel like talking about Cody right now. “Listen, if you run into him, could you just tell him I headed back to the boat? I’m not feelin’ so hot.”
“Oh, I could tell that from across the room. You’ve been looking a little under the weather all evening. Why’d you come if you were sick, anyway, Nick? It’s s’posed to be a party.”
Nick could see Cody gyrating out on the dance-floor, still managing to split his attention equally between his two new friends. He didn’t notice Nick staring. “Yeah, well, Max, I thought a little partying might make me feel better, but you know, I think I’m coming down with something after all.”
“Coming down with something, huh? Is that what they call it nowadays? Back in my day we just called it ‘being in love and too chicken-shit to do anything about it’.”
Nick tore his gaze away from Cody and regarded Max narrowly. He hadn’t seen that one coming. “‘Back in your day’? What’s that s’posed to mean? Max, we’re practically the same age.”
“Sure, in some ways. In others, well... And don’t go changing the subject.” Max’s eyes glittered with good humor.
Nick glowered. “I’m not changing the subject, because there was no subject to change in the first place.” He rubbed his stomach for effect. “I think maybe I had a bad paella or something.”
“A bad paella. Mm-hm. Okay then Nick, you better head back to the boat before you liven this party up to unsafe levels. I’ll be sure to tell Cody where you went.”
Nick refused to look back over at the dance-floor. Cody was a big boy. He made his own decisions and Nick could accept whatever he decided. He smiled wryly and gave the hostess’ shoulder a brief squeeze. “Thanks, Max. I owe you one. It’s a swell party, it really is.”
“Oh I know that. And I know something else, too, might make you feel better.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Those two girls Cody’s attempting to dance with? In blue?”
“Yeah?” Nick asked warily.
“Ella and Marie, we have a kind of arrangement, you might say. They enjoy a good party as much as anybody, but see, they arrived with me and I can guarantee it: they’re goin’ home with me, too.” She winked over at the dance floor, then sipped at her beverage in a ladylike manner. “Hope you feel better soon, Nick.” With that, she disappeared into the crowd.
Nick spent a moment looking after her, then let his eyes find Cody out on the patio, under the flashing lights. He let himself believe, for a moment, that the two girls were spending more time looking at each other than Cody, despite Cody’s efforts at keeping time with the pulsating disco music. Nick drank in the sight of his best friend in all the world, happy and playful and completely misguided; a small, quiet seed of hope continued to rest in Nick, and as he stared, Cody caught his eye across the room, looking guilty and pleased and almost hopeful himself.
Max was right: he did feel better.
Nick smirked and gave Cody a brief salute before turning and heading for the parking lot and the cool night air. On land this close to L.A. it was hard to make out anything but one big bank of glowing orange light pollution, but Nick knew the stars were up there somewhere. He waited a slow count of thirty, then began ambling back down toward their slip and home.
He hadn’t gone more than a couple hundred feet before he heard the door to Straightaways fly open, then quick light steps dashing after him.
Rating: PG
Summary: With the Contessa's girls, sometimes looks can be deceiving.
"C'mon, Nick, it'll be fun! How can you say no to a chance to party with the Contessa girls?"
Nick thought of a half-dozen reasons, one after the other, but he knew when he was licked. "Okay, Cody, you made your point. We'll go to the barbecue. But just for a couple hours, okay?"
Now, three hours later, Nick was manning the punch bowl idly listening to Mindy (or maybe it was Lindy) tell him all about the sorority she planned to rush at Redondo State that fall. The event room at Straightaways was packed with tanned and smiling Contessans and men falling all over themselves for a chance at a cruise -- or anything else. Cody was outside on the patio, two buxom brunettes in matching blue bikini tops and sarongs at his elbows. Cody kept looking from one to the other and back again, so much so Nick was surprised he hadn’t gotten dizzy and fallen down.
“--So I really think Omega Phi’s my best option, you know? For like, moving into a pre-professional sorority?”
“Uh huh. You bet,” Nick answered. “Beats me why anyone’d go anyplace else.” He watched as Cody’s new friends each took a wrist and dragged him toward the dance-floor.
“You’re not even listening.”
Nick fell back into himself with a jolt. “I’m sorry, Lindy. But I think I just saw the president of Zeta Mu come in through the back entrance. You know, so as not to make a scene?”
“Really!?” Lindy spun in the direction of the kitchen and stood on her toes, craning to see over the partygoers.
Nick took the opportunity to escape, slipping through the crowd, making a beeline for the doors leading out to the parking lot and freedom.
“Not so fast, Nick.”
Nick froze, then turned in resignation. “Hey Max. Swell party you got goin’ on here.”
Max exuded good cheer in a brightly colored maxi-dress enhanced by a pair of dangling hot pink earrings the size of saucers. “Well I’m glad you approve. I see Cody’s enjoying himself as well.”
“Yeah.” Nick didn’t feel like talking about Cody right now. “Listen, if you run into him, could you just tell him I headed back to the boat? I’m not feelin’ so hot.”
“Oh, I could tell that from across the room. You’ve been looking a little under the weather all evening. Why’d you come if you were sick, anyway, Nick? It’s s’posed to be a party.”
Nick could see Cody gyrating out on the dance-floor, still managing to split his attention equally between his two new friends. He didn’t notice Nick staring. “Yeah, well, Max, I thought a little partying might make me feel better, but you know, I think I’m coming down with something after all.”
“Coming down with something, huh? Is that what they call it nowadays? Back in my day we just called it ‘being in love and too chicken-shit to do anything about it’.”
Nick tore his gaze away from Cody and regarded Max narrowly. He hadn’t seen that one coming. “‘Back in your day’? What’s that s’posed to mean? Max, we’re practically the same age.”
“Sure, in some ways. In others, well... And don’t go changing the subject.” Max’s eyes glittered with good humor.
Nick glowered. “I’m not changing the subject, because there was no subject to change in the first place.” He rubbed his stomach for effect. “I think maybe I had a bad paella or something.”
“A bad paella. Mm-hm. Okay then Nick, you better head back to the boat before you liven this party up to unsafe levels. I’ll be sure to tell Cody where you went.”
Nick refused to look back over at the dance-floor. Cody was a big boy. He made his own decisions and Nick could accept whatever he decided. He smiled wryly and gave the hostess’ shoulder a brief squeeze. “Thanks, Max. I owe you one. It’s a swell party, it really is.”
“Oh I know that. And I know something else, too, might make you feel better.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Those two girls Cody’s attempting to dance with? In blue?”
“Yeah?” Nick asked warily.
“Ella and Marie, we have a kind of arrangement, you might say. They enjoy a good party as much as anybody, but see, they arrived with me and I can guarantee it: they’re goin’ home with me, too.” She winked over at the dance floor, then sipped at her beverage in a ladylike manner. “Hope you feel better soon, Nick.” With that, she disappeared into the crowd.
Nick spent a moment looking after her, then let his eyes find Cody out on the patio, under the flashing lights. He let himself believe, for a moment, that the two girls were spending more time looking at each other than Cody, despite Cody’s efforts at keeping time with the pulsating disco music. Nick drank in the sight of his best friend in all the world, happy and playful and completely misguided; a small, quiet seed of hope continued to rest in Nick, and as he stared, Cody caught his eye across the room, looking guilty and pleased and almost hopeful himself.
Max was right: he did feel better.
Nick smirked and gave Cody a brief salute before turning and heading for the parking lot and the cool night air. On land this close to L.A. it was hard to make out anything but one big bank of glowing orange light pollution, but Nick knew the stars were up there somewhere. He waited a slow count of thirty, then began ambling back down toward their slip and home.
He hadn’t gone more than a couple hundred feet before he heard the door to Straightaways fly open, then quick light steps dashing after him.