STAND 34

“Smile” Howard says
I pout.
“Smile, it’s not hard, you just have to move your lips, like that” and stretches my mouth to its sides using his index fingers.
“Stop it… maybe it was not a great idea”
He circles my waist and kisses my cheek “don’t worry. I’ll be always by your side”
“I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about you. Promise me whatever happens tonight you will not, and I repeat, you will not, hit Jason”
He smirks “I promise I won’t hit Jason tonight”
“Nice try. I mean never”
“Never it’s a long time”
“Howard!”
“All right, you win, as always. Besides there will be a million people tonight. Gary’s idea of celebrating his birthday with family and friends means he invited all the people listed in the UK phone books! How do I look?” and smirks.
“Old”
“Oi! Well, if you think so you better remember where you placed the extra duvet because this old body is not going to cuddle and keep you warm tonight”
I try to hug him but he keeps a very straight face “I said no way. I’m hurt and you need to learn your lesson. That’s how we deal with spoiled brat in the Donald family.”
I giggle “can you ring the bell daddy?”
“Not paying any attention to your pathetic sexual innuendos”
“Still need you to ring the bell” and bite my lower lip.
He does it and we hear the door opening.
I look at him, “Howard?”
“Uh?” doesn’t even look at me, holding the champagne bottle.
“I’m wearing no underwear” I tell him in a very casual tone.
He turns to me, wide eyed and Lara says “welcome guys!” and hugs me.
“Howard you look pale, what happened?” she asks him.
“I live with Mrs. Evil…” but we don’t pay attention and we walk into the house.
“We have so many things to celebrate tonight! Gary’s birthday, I mean belated birthday but we’ve been so busy, and Maddi’s pregnancy...” Lara says.
“Is Jason here already?” I ask shyly. I haven’t seen him since the day I went to pick up my stuff at his house.
“Yes he is. I talked to him, and so did Mark and Gary. We thought better to keep Maddi and Howard away from him” and laughs “so we agreed he’ll stay away from you, you do the same and we will be a large, happy family, for one night at least”
I sigh “Ok, let’s do this”, and I enter the living room. There must be at least 100 people. No kids in sight, lots of food and drinks being served by impeccable waiters. Soft music feels the air. I spot Mark and I walk to him “Hello daddy! How are you?”
He hugs me “I’m happy happy, I’m gonna be a father! Need to celebrate!” and hands me a glass of champagne. “We have already started the name madness. We receive an average of 12 emails a day from our families’ members suggesting the most random names. Do you want to join the madness?”
“Of course! I wrote a long list of medieval yet extremely peculiar names, so to have a fair mix of baby Owen’s English and German roots”
and I laugh at his scared expression. “Something like Isolde, or Cosima, or Gertrud. Don’t look at me like that, Maddi and I established it’s going to be a baby girl”.
“We’ll talk about that… we still have time, don’t we?” he mumbles and I’m sure he’s thinking ‘no freaking way’.
Howard joins us. “We’re talking about baby names” I tell him. He places and arm around my waist, “Judging from the expression on your face she shared her medieval insanity with you. Don’t worry. They’ll come back to their senses mate. Now if you’ll excuse us, I need to have a word with my Italian lady” and takes me away.
“What’s going on Mr. Donald?”
“Is it true?”
“What?” *playing dumb is very very important*
“You know”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I…”
He kisses my lips laughing “you lied. You are one big, Latin lair. There’s no way in hell you left the house without your panties on”
I stick my finger between the buttons of his black shirt teasing his skin with my nail and raise my eyebrow “if you say so…” I can feel his hands brushing my lower back when Maddi appears behind him. I look at her “ciao mommy!”
Howard doesn’t even turn to greet her “yeah, ciao mommy. We’re busy. Call back later”
I smack his head “Howard!”
He giggles, “the fact she’s pregnant doesn’t mean she has the right to ruin my plans”
“Plans? You said I had to look for the extra duvet…”
He places his mouth on my ear “do you have any idea how horny I am?”
Maddi pats his shoulder “hold on to your horses cowboy! Need to talk to her”
I kiss his jaw “sorry babe, you heard her, mommy called!” I free myself from his embrace and walk to the terrace.
“Tell me you didn’t forget the phone number of your masseuse. My back is killing me already” she asks me.
“Drama queen! And of course I didn’t forget it. You texted me a hundred times today. it’s right here…” I open my Louis Vuitton Onatah pochette “not it’s not… in the pocket of my coat! I put it there. I’ll go get it. Be right back”
“I’d come with you but they’ll serve the quiche in a few minutes”
“God forbid you miss some first quality fat honey” and I blow her a kiss.
I walk back into the guestroom, where we all left our coats. I find mine and I start checking my pockets. I have my back to the door when I feel someone walking in and closing the door. I smile to myself. Soft footsteps move over the precious Persian carpet and I feel a firm hand groping my ass. I giggle “I knew you would follow me here. Curiosity killed the cat honey”. I want to turn but his hands keep me still. I know the game and I’m willing to play it.
He begins to gently rub over the soft fabric of my skirt making small circles on my thighs. I arch my back “Howard…” I moan. While he slowly edges the hem of the skirt up my legs he gently pushes them a little further apart with his left knee.“Oh yes” it’s all I can mutter. He starts rubbing my skin directly with his fingers now. The contact on my skin makes me jump. I open my eyes wide, my blood freezes in my veins. It’s like he can see me. His hands grab my tights keeping me still and he places a wet, lazy kiss on my lace panties. “Naughty naughty naughty…it took you an awfully long time to realize I’m not him. I’m sure Doug won’t be pleased…”

I put my skirt back down with a sudden move and step away from him. My heart beats so fast it almost aches.
“What…why…” I can’t think. I look at Jason, smiling like what just happened is the most natural thing in the world, and then at the door. It’s closed *did I hear him locking it? I can’t remember, can’t focus, I thought it was Howard, I thought I was safe*
He stretches his long arms. “I saw you coming in here and I couldn’t resist. That was so much fun. We should do it again sometimes” he mocks me “unless you want me to finish what I started. You were so close…”
I can’t speak, I just move backwards until I hit the wall.
He moves toward me “or maybe we could just forget about it. It was nothing, really. Just two old friends getting together, for old time’s sake…”
And we hear a knock on the door. I jump, he winks at me “if it’s my lucky day, and it has been so far… your Doug is standing behind the door. What do you reckon? Should we check? You know him, he’s so rational. He will understand there’s nothing going on here. And no, it’s not locked. Which means you could have left anytime you wanted to… that could be harder to explain…but I’m sure you can do it.”
I shake my head.
“What was that love?” he asks me sarcastic
“Don’t. Please. Don’t. Don’t”
“Don’t don’t don’t! Few weeks with chatty Donald and you’re already babbling. So what do you say? Should I open the door?”
“Jason please don’t open it” I feel a lump in my throat but I cannot cry. I need to think.
“Nah! What if someone needs his coat? We’re not rude, aren’t we? Now you walk all the way there and you open it”
I shake my head.
He’s by me with one step only, places his mouth by my ear “maybe I didn’t make myself clear. You move your ass to the door and you open it with your bigger smile on or…”
I don’t want to know, I push him aside and do what he asked me.
“There you are! I’ve been knocking at every single door. This place is the size of Buckingham Palace! Don’t look at me like that. I know I know I’m late. This is an official rescue mission though. We’re about to make a toast. My brother wants you back but we could not send him up here. God knows what you and Doug would be end up doing?”. Sam is standing in front of me giggling.
She notices the look on my face.
“Titti what’s wrong?”
But before I can answer Jason circles my waist and kisses my neck lazily “Nothing’s wrong. We were just catching up. Too bad you’re not Howard. I guess his sister’s just the same. You’re probably the person who knows him best around here. Do you think he would believe this is not what it seems?”
I take his hands into mine and I try to break free “Jason please…”
He doesn’t move. I look at Sam, she looks back at me and kicks him, real hard, hitting his shin. “Jason! She said PLEASE! Let her go”
He’s jumping on one foot and holding his shin “fuck Sam, why did you do that for? It’s none of your business!”
“Jason listen to me, if you go downstairs and I see you simply looking at my brother I’m gonna share our little secret with him. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
He nods.
“Good” and takes my arm “let’s go and see what we can do to make you presentable” I’m shivering and find it hard to walk.
“I thought it was Howard, I thought it was your brother…” I keep mumbling.
We step into one of the restrooms and she locks the door behind us. “Sam…I swear…nothing happened…I didn’t know…”
“I don’t need to know more than I already do. Listen to me. You need to calm down now”
I shake my head “can’t. Your brother won’t believe me this time. He simply won’t”.
“Breath in, breath out. If don’t calm down you’re gonna have a stroke”.
I do as she says.
“You won’t lose Howard but you can’t tell him. I know him. You know him. So you keep your mouth shout”
“We agreed no more secrets”
“Those are retarded things you say when you’re 13 and you think you really have a chance of marrying Han Solo”
I wash my face with cold water “I can’t lie to him”
“Yes you can, you take a deep breath and you smile and you avoid telling the truth”.
I rest my forehead on the sink “this is so bad…oh God….” I’m about to hyperventilate
“Cut the crap, it’s only my brother we’re talking about.”
I look at her amazed. Now I understand why their bond is so strong. They’re so similar. I smile at her.
“What you’re laughing at?” she asks me starting to take the piss
“I like you very much Sam”
She rolls her eyes “I feel better already. I bet I’ll be able to sleep like a baby tonight” and shakes her head, I have the slight feeling she might pity me at the moment “I’m going to get your purse so you can fix your make-up”

We walk downstairs, Jason is talking to Kicca, smiling like nothing happened, and he sees me and winks. I spot Howard talking to Maddi “Sam I can’t do that”.
“Yes you can” and she pushes me forward. Howard sees me and walk to me “is everything alright? It took you forever to come back”.
“It’s all my fault” Sam says “she was about to come down but I had to tell her something important, about James”
He rolls his eyes “Sam, I told you already, there’s no need to talk about Jack, he won’t last and I don’t like to waste my energies”
She looks hurt.
“Howard don’t treat your sister like that” I tell him with a very low voice.
“Don’t worry love, she doesn’t mind”
I squeeze his hand. He looks at me concerned and whispers into my ears “what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
I feel his cheek on mine, I breathe in his smell “take me home, now” I beg. I need to lean on him, my knees are going weak.
The music stops and Gary jumps on top of a piano, ready to make a toast. Howard looks at me “let’s go”. He makes a gesture to one of the waiters who runs fetching our coats. Sam looks at me and shakes her head ‘wimp’ she mouths.
We step out of the house and the cold air slaps my face making me shiver, Howard places his arm around my shoulders kissing my hair. We get to the car and he opens my door. Then he sees my eyes watering a bit, my hands shaking.
He cups my face “what’s wrong love?” he breathes deep, his hands shake lightly the moment he realizes what might have happened. “WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?”
“Howard don’t yell at me, please, don’t”
He places small kisses on my eyelids his voice returning to a softer tone “I’m not yelling at you, I’m not, tell me what happened”
“You promised me…”
I can feel his hands on my face tremble more “tell me” he commands.
I do it and I expect him to get into the car and leave me there. I grab his coat, keeping him as close as possible.
“He didn’t hurt me. I don’t care he touched me. The only thing I could think of was you. What if you were to open that door? I could have screamed, I could have hit him. I did nothing. Nothing. Howard say something. I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t leave me”
He slides his hands under my coat and holds me tight. “It’s all my fault, I should have never left you alone. Now I want you to get into the car, before you freeze to death. I’ll be right back”
I tighten my grip on his coat “no, you promised”
He looks into my eyes “I know. I just need to talk to him. I promise. I’ll be right back”
“I told you the truth”
“I know that too. I won’t let him get in between us” and he takes my hands off his coat.
I see him walking back into the house. Lara welcomes him “Doug you’re back! What happened?”
“Where’s Jason?” he’s livid.
She grabs his arm “Howard, please, not here and not now”
“Watch me” and spot him talking to Mark. He marches his direction. They’re standing face to face.
“Hello Howard! You’re back. Where’s your precious lady?” He asks him in a casual tone.
Howard breathes deep, struggling to keep control, Mark notices it. “Hey mate, maybe we should all go outside”
He raises his hand as to shut him up “no need to, it’s gonna take me a second. I’m glad you’re here Markie, so just in case he needs to replay the scene he can always call you”
“What’s wrong Howard? Is there something upsetting you?”
“Don’t fucking push it Jay. I’m gonna say it once so pay attention. You’re still standing on your feet just because I promised her I wouldn’t touch you. But if I have the impression you’re looking at her, talking to her or thinking about her I’m gonna fucking kill you. I’m not kidding. Touch her once again and you’ll regret it forever”
He looks at Howard surprise “Mate, I would never hurt her…you know that don’t you? It was meant to be a joke”
“Do I look like I’m laughing?”
“Doug…”
“Fuck you Jason” and leaves.