Best Part Of Breaking Up (eBook)

CHAPTER ONE

Danny Stevenson walked into the little club on the south shore of Long Island riding high. He had already eaten a “biscuit”, “da boys” slang for a quaalude, during the car ride from Brooklyn. He checked himself out in a shiny metallic panel near the men’s room and he was pleased with what he saw. Mr. Franco had just worked his magic on Danny’s unruly, long brown hair. He had a pair of tan linen pants with a web belt, a gold sweater with brown, maroon and white horizontal stripes. On his feet, were his pride and joy – his real white leather Capezios which he had spent 45 minutes cleaning and polishing.

It was only 11:00 PM and the place was still empty. He went to the bar and got a Budweiser. He took out his pack of Marlboros and fished out his other half of a quaalude which was buried in the bottom of the cigarette box. He swallowed it with a healthy slug of beer and lit a cigarette.

The club was nothing special. It had a small dance floor which accommodated twenty people uncomfortably. In the middle of the club, there was a circular sitting area with three round tables. The tables were small, and each was accompanied by three metallic chairs. The sitting area was surrounded by a wooden beehive railing, three feet high, with a gapped space, so one could enter and exit the enclave. Danny thought that in a previous life this was a place where live bands had performed.

Only one table in the sitting area was occupied. There were three attractive young ladies seated at the table which was furthest from the entrance. Danny moved closer for a better view. The tallest girl was thin with dark brown, curly hair. She could have been a model, but she was not Danny’s type. Even though Danny was six feet two inches tall, he preferred shorter girls. The ringleader of the group was very attractive with beautiful straight brown hair and a perfect face. Danny pegged her as being very self-confident and full of herself. He figured that she would like nothing better than to turn Danny down if he asked her for a dance or to buy her a drink. She was not a good percentage play and Danny did not want to get turned down with his friends all around. He set his sights on a young lady seated the furthest from the entrance with curly light brown hair with pink ribbons and plastic pink framed glasses. She would love to be the one approached of the three and her glasses were not a problem for Danny. She was pretty and looked sweet as sugar. Danny liked what he saw. He liked it a lot.

Danny finished his Bud and started his approach. He had already mapped out in his mind the way he would walk towards her and how he would angle his body. There could be no doubt that she was his first choice. As he neared the table, the ringleader noticed him coming. She turned her head away from him. Danny viewed this as tell-tale sign that he was right. He was at their table with his body unmistakably angled in front of his pink–ribboned princess. “Would you like to dance?” he asked softly but audibly. “Me? Are you talking to me?” She was not faking her uncertainty. He hesitated a split second. “I’m looking into your beautiful green eyes”, he responded not knowing how those words came out of his mouth. He winced and turned away for a second. He thought his comeback was corny and awkward. When he turned back to her, she was smiling, and her green eyes were sparkling and moist with tears. Danny had not struck out. He had not hit a home run. He just won Game Seven of the World Series in the bottom of the ninth with two outs with a grand slam.

He reached his hand across the table with his palm up. She accepted his offer by placing her hand into his while maintaining steady eye contact. She floated up off her chair and stood with her hand still in his and their eyes still glued to each other. He slowly scanned down from her face to check out her other features. She was wearing a lavender and purple blouse which flattered her ample chest. Her pants were tight, crushed purple velvet with a designer logo on the pocket. He spent way too much time gazing at her body. After he realized his breach of social etiquette, he looked back into her eyes and flashed an embarrassed smile and unconsciously licked his lips and his teeth like a hungry lion. She was a little embarrassed by his behavior. It was an embarrassment she had waited her whole life to suffer. Danny kept hold of her hand as he circled the table. She had no idea what he was doing but he did not let her hand go and something told her not to drop his. He circumnavigated the table walking sideways while keeping hold of her hand. When he reached her, he finally dropped her hand and put his right arm around her shoulder with his elbow bent so that the bottom portion of his arm dangled like a hook around her neck. It was masculine and very Brooklyn. She slid her left arm around his waist, and they proceeded to leave the sitting area and head to the dance floor. He was very pleased with her left arm placement. Danny never even looked at the other girls.

Just as they were exiting the sitting area, he stopped her.

“I am Danny by the way.”

“Naomi”, she responded.

“Naomi, I’m afraid I am going to have to insist you pay a toll before dancing with me” he said in a stern tone. He stood in front of her blocking her exit. They were face to face. Danny was standing on the club floor. She was still standing in the sitting area which was about eight inches raised from the floor.

“Oh really,” she said. She was on to him. She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. He became woozy like an old-time cartoon character that had just fallen victim to a female’s charms. He laughed to himself when he realized that the ludes may have enhanced that effect. Danny and Naomi entered the dance floor and were the only two people on it. Danny could not dance at all. He imitated moves and gestures that his friends made but he had no rhythm. Naomi was a natural. The sound system was blasting “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” by the SOS band. It was one of Danny’s favorite disco songs, but he was a rock guy. As Danny danced like a fish who had just been reeled in from the water, Naomi was Ginger Rogers. For some reason, she kept moving further and further from Danny. He finally cornered her and lead her off the dance floor with the same crooked arm he had taken her onto it with.

“Is everything ok?’ she asked.

“Yes, of course,” he replied. “I’m just a bit tired and thirsty. Can I get you a drink?”

“A sea-breeze, thank you,” she replied. He looked around for a cocktail waitress. Fredo Corleone must have been at the club because there were none to be found. He escorted her to the bar in the manner which she was accustomed…she was hooked and he had no intention of letting go.

He went to his favorite bartender who Danny and his friends called Mark Spitz because he resembled the Olympic swimmer. Mark Spitz nodded his approval to Danny on his choice of Naomi. It earned him an extra dollar tip. While Danny and Naomi were sipping their drinks at the bar, Danny’s good friend Richie came over. He did not even notice Danny with his arm around Naomi. Danny knew that Richie had to have eaten at least three “biscuits”. Danny gestured to Mark Spitz to come over. He did not even know Mark Spitz’s real name.

“Bartender, will you please get Sir Richard the Lionhearted a Bacardi and Coke”. Danny had given Richie the moniker “Sir Richard the Lionhearted” based upon his competitiveness and unwillingness to quit in any sport he played. It was an attribute that both young men shared. Richie turned his glazed eyes to Danny and Naomi.

“Danny Boy, I see that thou hast captured a fair maiden”. Danny smiled. With most of his friends, Danny would be concerned with what they would say to a girl like Naomi, especially after they had eaten three. Richie was different…a real solid guy who was “simpatico” with Danny.

“Richie this is Naomi. Naomi, Richie.” Daniel tightened his grip on Naomi and turned to kiss her on the cheek. Instead, Naomi kissed him on the lips much to Danny’s delight. Richie turned and looked into Naomi’s eyes.

“Danny is the nicest guy you will ever meet. A stand-up guy and a great friend. He is the smartest guy I know. The world is playing checkers and Danny is playing three-dimensional chess with Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Don’t hold it against him that he needs some work on his basketball game”.

Danny laughed. “I pay him to say that stuff about me…all except that basketball remark” he said as he turned towards Naomi. Richie reached into his pack of Parliaments and pulled out a neatly rolled joint.

“Here is a nice taste of the Hawaiian Islands for you kids” he said as he handed the “bone” to Danny. Danny saw Naomi’s beautiful green eyes open as wide as flying saucers. She was not shocked. She was interested in indulging. The boys shook hands in the way they always did. The shake ended with their thumb and pointer finger extended like a gun and their hands tilted slightly upward. As Danny and Naomi walked away, Danny turned to Richie and in a soft voice whispered.

“Richie, I’m crazy about this girl”. It was barely audible to Naomi, so he knew she would hear what he had said. Danny took Naomi to a side entrance to the club near where there once was a kitchen. There was a dilapidated old couch in the area which was almost always occupado. Danny was still on a hot streak. It was unoccupied. The couple sat and smoked the exotic weed. When...