“Easy, killer. Remember I sign your paychecks now.” I joke.
“I am taking it easy, actually. You should hear what’s going on inside my head.”
“Enlighten me.” I dare, knowing that I haven’t got much to fear, since Jinny doesn’t drink.
“Well, you’re a pussy for not going after Bowie, and you know it.”
“Who said I wasn’t going after her.” I comment.
“You’re not over there talking to her, for one. She’s still sleeping in my fucking guest quarters, for two.”
“I just got here. And are you suggesting that I ask her to move in with me? Because even I’m sure that’s not what she wants.”
“And yet you’re standing here talking to us.”
“Axl invited me over.” I point out nonchalantly, grabbing an hors d’oeuvre off the plate being offered to me by a server dressed in a black and white tuxedo. The guy looks like a fucking penguin. Only Stevie’s sense of humor can explain that.
When I see my brothers Halen and Rush approach the DJ’s area, I roll my eyes. The microphone is set up and the music stops. When Stevie scurries up, I look down at the floor, knowing full well that her intentions are to embarrass the shit out of me. “Hello, everyone.” Stevie says in a singsong voice, dressed in a flaming red pleather frock with matching six-inch patent leather heels. My sister is not much for modesty. We are complete opposites. “Thanks for coming tonight.” That’s when she spots me. “Jagger, do you want to come up here and join me?”
“No, actually.” I say, intentionally loud enough for everyone to hear. But what I don’t know is that while my sister and brothers were making their trek up to the microphone, Bowie was approaching me from behind. And here she is, pushing me up to my sister.
Once I get up there, Stevie looks at me and says. “He’s my polar opposite, in case anyone here didn’t know that.”
Mom calls out from off to the side, where her and dad are watching. “You’d never know that the two of you shared a womb.”
Laughter.
Yes, Stevie and I are fraternal twins. We are nothing alike, and I can’t explain it, nor have I ever tried to.
“Anyway, Happy Birthday, brother.” She says, giving me a hug. I hug her back, ever so reluctantly, even though I love her to bits. And I reciprocate, just not into the microphone. Then she releases me and shouts into the microphone. “Let’s party!”
The music starts up again, and I plot my escape, quickly scouting out the nearest exit. But I can hear heels clicking from behind me, and I know that Bowie is following me. “Are you trying to escape?”
“That was the plan, yes. I don’t know if you remember this, but I hate parties, especially birthday parties, especially ones that my sister planned.”
She chuckles and takes my hand, surprising me. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Really? You know that I hate surprises.”
“I also know that it’syourbirthday today, and here you are, all thinking that I forgot, but I remember.”
“I do give you credit for that. But my sister is the type that doesn’t let anyone forget. That’s part of the reason why I hate sharing a birthday with her.”
We walk down the hall, to the front of the venue, and then around to the side, and finally to the back, where we stop, just before an exit door. Bowie stuffs her hand down her cleavage, and I can’t help but watch as she pulls what looks like a fabric headband, out of there. “That was kind of hot.”
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing else in there.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I’m going to blindfold you, okay?”
“Kinky.”
She gently places the thing over my eyes and then slaps me playfully. “Pig.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
She snorts a laugh, and then she takes my hand again, and I hear her open the door. “Follow me.”
