Red Lipstick
Keturah turned out to be one of Icaro and Vodingo’s cousins and she was a riot. If Zorah held any misgivings about the woman before she’d come into the room, she swiftly and completely put them at ease.
Laughing and teasing Keturah was regaling them with stories of all the men in the family who were, in her opinion, quite useless.
“Honestly, if it weren’t for the women in this family, the men would be left scrambling to learn how to scratch their own balls.”
Sidonia howled with laughter while Zorah made wide eyes behind Keturah’s back at her boldness.
Keturah put Sidonia in a black and gold mini dress and then insisted Sidonia put her hair up in a high sleek blonde ponytail. Sidonia who rarely wore a stitch of makeup was then talked into a dark lined eye and a bright red lipstick.
For Zorah, she’d insisted the wife of Icaro The Beast Lucchesi needed to dress the part and she’d put her in a deep red dress which Zorah was convinced was really a silky nightdress. It had spaghetti straps which were dotted with gemstones. Then Keturah used a flat iron and made Zorah’s hair sleek and shiny.
“Are you girls almost done in there?” Icaro banged his fist on the bathroom door. “It’s been an hour.”
“Two minutes!” Keturah smacked her own palm on the door in response. “These girls have fought me on every step of the way. They’re wearing my longest dresses, and your wife removed the lipstick I put on her. I’m reapplying it.”
“She doesn’t need lipstick. She’s perfect as she is.”
“Icaro, shut up.” Keturah called back before grimacing at Zorah. “Zorah, I agree with your plan to dance with many, many sexy men tonight to show that fool in the next room why it is wrong for him to have slept with so many women. Wear the red lipstick. It will drive the men wild.”
“I do not like the shade of red. It’s too much for my complexion.”
“Fine, try this one,” she pulled a second one out of the bag and held it out. “It’s called blood of the beast. It’s very fitting.”
Zorah put it on and tried valiantly to avoid getting it on her teeth. “It’s too much. I’m not comfortable with it.”
“It’s just enough. Let’s go!” Keturah yanked the door open and dragged the women out.
Vodingo dropped his glass of drink on the floor and pointed at Sidonia, “I do not think you need dance lessons in a club. Let’s go back to our room and I will show the way lovers dance.”
“Absolutely not.” Sidonia ducked behind Keturah. “We’re going dancing! In a club. Where walruses live.”
Vodingo looked at Icaro who appeared to be stunned into silence. “If the Walrus comes near my wife, I will shoot him.”
Keturah snickered, “he is definitely going to make a play for both women.”
Icaro walked slowly towards Zorah and lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently, “you are stunning. I am grateful tonight when the night is over, you are coming home with me. I will be the luckiest man in the club.” He then leaned forward and kissed her cheek gently. “Absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s how you do it Vodingo,” Keturah smacked her cousin. “Tell your wife she is beautiful so we can go dancing.”
“I’d rather show her. Seriously Sid. Let’s go back to our room. We’ll catch up with these guys later at the club.” He looked at Keturah, “give her that lipstick. She needs to wear it whenever we’re –”
“Okay!” Keturah cut him off as he grinned like the devil. “Disgusting animal.”
After leaving the hotel suite, Zorah was aware of how gently and reverently Icaro was treating her as they entered the elevator and then exited to the lobby. His hand was softly pressed to her low back. His gaze constantly on her and he was wordless.
The crowd of people waiting for them was shocking to Zorah as all the men who’d been on the plane and then several more and women who must be their wives or girlfriends, were all ready to pile into cars to take them to the venue. Yet while every whooped and hollered, Icaro was quiet, standing at her side with a calm demeanor.
“You’re kind of freaking me out,” she whispered as they were ushered into one of the cars.
“Why, amoré?” he questioned with a frown.
“Usually you are over the top, talking a mile a minute and very crass. I was expecting commentary about my dress or chest or something.” She was very confused as he stared into her eyes.
“You look exquisite. I told you this upstairs.”
“Oh, okay,” she turned her head to look out the window. Vodingo and Sidonia were in the same car and Vodingo kept trying to get Sidonia to sit on his lap and trying to kiss her. Meanwhile Icaro wasn’t even holding her hand. She clasped her fingers together on her lap and watched the city at night pass them by.
In the glass of the window, she caught Icaro’s gaze on her and she met his eyes and wondered what he was thinking.
“You look different, Zorah.” He said suddenly and quietly. “You are beautiful, do not get me wrong. You are stunning and every head is going to turn when we enter the club, men, and women alike. You will be the most beautiful woman there.” His chin rested on her shoulder from behind her while he spoke softly in her ear still watching her in the reflection.
“But.”
“But this doesn’t look like my Zorah. You are glamourous and gorgeous like this and trust me when I say I am fighting a raging hard on for you,” he winked as her lips twisted, “but this doesn’t feel like the real Zorah to me. Promise me, no matter what tonight, you stay true to who you feel you are. Dance like you want to dance. Drink like you want drink. Party like you want to party. However, promise me you will do it all the way you want and not the way someone else forces you to do it. Tonight, is about you, my love and not anyone else’s version of what you should be or do. You could never disappoint me, Zorah. Not ever.”
She turned her head a fraction and kissed his cheek, leaving a smear of lipstick she wiped off with her thumb. “Thank you Icaro.”
“Also,” he whispered in her ear again, “I can’t wait to dance with you. Make sure you save me at least one dirty dance.”
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