Balloon Animals (Girl Power Series)

Chapter 16 - Roaring 20's

The insistent knock on the door wakes me up. I clean the trail of drool on my cheek and sit groggily on the couch. I didn't even make it past the living room after the events we experienced last night.

I hear a muffled loud curse and the jingle of keys, and a few moments later, Tony enters my apartment. He looks at me and his eyes widen.

"Are you sick? What is that thing on your cheek?" he places a coffee tray and a plastic bag on the kitchen island then rushes to check my face.

"A small bruise. I'm okay. Only tired. We had a rough one last night,"

"Again? Weren't the destroyer kids of a week ago enough? What the hell is wrong with the world? Fucking birthdays!"

I stand up from the couch and walk straight to the coffee tray. I can't deal with a Tony rant without caffeine first. He continues to grumble while tidying the room.

"What happened now? Stuff your mouth with a cannoli first and tell me all about it," he commands.

I could protest but the pastries of his uncle Gio are heavenly, and part of the reason of my extra weight.

"It started fine," I begin while licking cream fingers. "A Roaring 20's themed birthday for about sixteen teenage girls. It was quite cool I must admit. Tania went all Great Gatsby for this one. The guy from Morgan Stationery made black invitations with golden foil letters and this lasered paper sleeve I've never seen before. We made centerpieces out of wine bottles that we painted golden and used crazy-big black ostrich feathers. In other places we used glass vases filled with Christmas ornaments. We made a photo booth with props and the sweets display was out of this world. Everything edible in gold and beige was there. I rented a projector and had some black and white movies showing on a wall. We made a canopy of white Christmas lights and it was beautiful!"

"When did you turn gay? Not even I get that excited over a new makeup product," Tony laughs. "You really like this shit,"

I smile at my bro. "I do. It's creative work and doesn't get me in trouble,"

"I bet it is. Since you left the production house, the movies haven't been the same. They went from your book adaptations to the boring raunchy pizza delivery guy, cable technician, gym trainer. So cliched. I must admit that I found your erotic suggestions a bit odd at times, but now I see the beauty in them. Who said porn couldn't be classy and romantic? You made it that way,"

"Thanks, I guess. They won't win me an Oscar anytime soon, but for the genre, they were as decent as I could make them,"

"Little Devin," Tony pats my cheek. "Bookworm, prude porn star,"

"Ex star, and I think you remember well the reason why,"

Tony's face turns sad as he occupies himself cleaning the crumbs on my kitchen. "How can I forget. I thought I lost you,"

"Well, you didn't and I'm here," I give him a half hug.

"Now, tell me. What was so terrible about last night?"

After Tania and I had decorated the room, we went to change clothes. I used a black tie suit I used once for an adult film gala, and she used her great sewing skills to make herself a sexy flapper dress. We often joke that dressing up feels as if we celebrate Halloween each week.

I positioned myself behind a little bar and got entertained making alcohol-free cocktails for a group of precocious ladies who flirted shamelessly with me.

Tania took the photographs at the photo booth while the rest of the girls had fun trying outfits and playing with the props. It was a relaxed atmosphere until trouble knocked at the door.