A Nicole Weekend

About Nicole
I had forgotten to mention last time that Nicole had called me Wednesday and we went last minute Christmas shopping. It seems relevant to mention that Nicole does not have a drivers licence, and while she contacts me every day now, I'm not sure what her intentions are. Almost certainly they are not to make me her boy friend. She describes her life as complicated, but I can only speculate what this means. She is also leaving Champaign, Illinois for Atlanta, Georgia on the 11th for nine months. This seems an odd amount of time, and she tells me she's not pregnant. I think she said something about the reason, but It wasn't an in depth explanation. I think she has family in both areas, so perhaps this is just the way she lives her life.

This is getting a little off track, but let's shorten this by saying I'm not sure Nicole is interested in me, or just having someone to give rides, buy drinks, buy presents, and give the occasional small pocket money. Nicole works in a Nursing Home as a CNA. I would assume she makes a living wage, but she smokes and likes expensive liquor when she drinks. She drinks often and to excess in my presence, but I don't know for sure that she is an alcoholic. I'm sure by many definitions she is, but she is not an out of control nonfunctional variety. During the day and at her job she seems alert, professional, and sober. But I am no expert on alcoholism.

Friday
Nicole calls and wants to go dancing. We start at the Legion, but the Legion is slow, then again we have arrived early, and for the time business is relatively good. We dance, but are practically the only ones to do so. After an hour or so it becomes apparent the crowd isn't getting any larger, in fact it's getting smaller, so we decide to head to club Xtreme. We dance, and I see some familiar faces, but it is a rather uneventful night. Much as I hate the uncertainty of not knowing whether I will have someone to dance with or even meet and talk to, I guess it gives a certain air of adventure to an evening as well. Gambling would be boring if you always won. The outing also gives me an excuse to bump into the cute hostess again, who I learn is named Jade and claims to be a part owner in Club Xtreme and is recently divorced. I restrain myself for asking for her number here and now out of some kind of respect for Nicole and because I don't want to appear to be too big a dog. I'm sure I will see Jade again soon.

After dancing is done I take Nicole home, and offer to walk her to her door, but she assures me she is fine. I wait in the car long enough to be sure she gets inside OK and head home. I'm not sure how to feel about Nicole. We don't seem to be getting closer, but staying on some kind of warm simmer interrupted by brief infrequent stirrings.

Saturday
There was no promise of going out again Saturday, but Nicole calls about 9pm and wants to go catch Xtreme's early Salsa program which goes from 8pm to 11pm. It turns out Main Two's Salsa DJ has taken his Friday Salsa show to Club Xtreme. I'm not dressed for an evening out, but dress quickly and pick Nicole up. She wants to hook up with her cousins, so we drive over to there uncle's and wait in the car for them to arrive. Her uncle comes out to say hi. He seems a friendly enough man, but has a certain overly familiar, affable, distracted air that I associate with alcoholism. He also proclaims proudly that its his birthday. I would peg his age at anywhere from forty to fifty, and muse that perhaps he is younger than me, though he gives of an older worn down with life vibe. Half of what he says I can't really follow, but he complements me several times for taking good care of his niece Nicole. He asks Nicole if he can come dancing with us to celebrate his birthday. She doesn't say no, but I wouldn't say she encouraged it either. He then disappears into his house to ask his wife for permission. In the mean time Nicole is getting bored waiting for her cousins to show, so suggests we go to Piccadilly a local (national?) liquor store chain. She asks me to buy a bottle of Rhemy. The week has already been expensive in gifts and drinks and admissions, so I balk at buying another $50 bottle of liquor, but she pulls out her own money without argument or rancor and says she just wants a fifth. I'm not familiar with how much a fifth is, so I go in with the twenty she presses into my hand. It turns out a fifth is the size bottle I normal buy, so I get the cheaper brand of Rhemy for $35 and put in the difference. When I get the car she is surprised at the size of the bottle, she hadn't known the size of a fifth either and had really wanted a half pint. I take the bottle back and get a half pint and a refund. A half pint of Rhemy is ten bucks, I give her back her change.

We go back to her uncle's to wait in the car some more and she pours a small glass of Rhemy for herself. She offers me some, but I decline. Not so much because I am driving, though that's a good reason, but because straight cognac is too strong for me, I dislike the burning sensation on the way down. Finally a sharply dressed man knocks on the window, gray suite, red shirt, red shoes. I assume it is one of her cousins but it turns out to be her uncle again, who has cleaned up rather nicely from his dirty ball cap, rumbled flannel, and jeans. Her uncle works on cars at his home, and I think it is implied this his only living, and he had probably been tinkering with something in the garage when we first met.

Finally her other cousins arrive and we make our way to Club Xtreme. On the way in her uncle Charles pulls me to the side to ask for some money, so as not to be embarrassed at the door by having someone else pay for him. I press five dollars into his hand, but I'm getting a bad feeling about the whole outing.

With all the waiting around there isn't much time left for Salsa. The Salsa crowd is pretty small in any event and the few dancing are not cutting a rug with quite the expertise the Salsa crowd at Two Main had when Two Main still had dance. It turns out Club Xtreme has recently hired the Salsa DJ that had worked Two Main, but the Salsa crowd hasn't found its way to CX yet. Nicole's uncle Charles pulls me to the side again, explaining he would like to get some drinks for the ladies, but he wants to be able to pay for himself. He also doesn't want Nicole and her other cousins to see me giving him the money so he asks me to follow him to the bathroom. I dislike following Charles to the back bathroom, but I'd rather give him some money than make a big stink. I try not to follow directly on Charles heals, but I can't help but feel the whole thing looks like I'm following some pusher to get a fix. There are a couple of guys using the urinals and Charles pulls me into the one stall. Nothing suspicious looking about two guys entering a toilet stall together I think to myself grimly. I'm sweet on Jade and I'm negotiating to DJ with Dave one of the other owners; it wouldn't pay to have either of them think I'm into shady dealings. I press twenty into Charles' hand, and he promises to hook me up with some fine ladies. "Stick with him and we'll both do real good," he tells me. I can't help but think about how I am on a date with Charles' niece and he's promising to ply me with women in exchange for a sawbuck or two. I also think how ironic Charles needs his wife's permission to go catting about. No doubt she expects Nicole to keep him in line somewhat, or thinks him too pathetic or broke to attract other women.

We get back and Nicole pulls me to the dance floor. I'm no Pedro Gomez, but I manage to pick up and put down my feet to the beat of the music. Still I'm a bit uncomfortable and clumsier dancing than usual, I always am with Nicole. Nicole always leads, and while her moves are smooth, I just can't seem to find a natural way to follow, which always throws off whatever natural rhythm and grace I have.

Salsa ends and Hip-Hop starts up. The club is now starting to come alive and filling up quickly. I buy Nicole and one of her cousins a drink. When I get back someone is try to press his attentions on Nicole. I hang back, but strike a firm pose that I have arrived back with the drinks. He looks over, and shakes his head. The music is loud but I'm pretty certain I hear him say "Ah, sister, don't go there..." then sulks away. This is a phrase I've heard more than once in the past. Nicole thanks me, and seems genuinely thankful I was there to stop some unwanted advances. She complains especially that before I had gotten back he had touched her hair.

Between dances with Nicole, I try to avoid Charles annoying attempts to ingratiate himself with me, even as he panhandles me for money. To be fair he is asking me for loans, but I don't know Charles, don't expect to see Charles again anytime soon, and don't expect to get repaid. While Nicole dances with a couple of other men, I excuse myself to go talk to the owner about my upcoming possible DJing gig. This is actually a lie, as I really want to feel out Jade the hostess for if she is interested in me, but the more pressing motivation is to just get away from Charles. I feel a bit like a two-timer, but I know Nicole is not going to be my girlfriend, she's leaving to live in Atlanta early in January, I'm unsure whether she is only interested in me for my wallet, and her family, well a least Charles, are not people I want to get to know. It's easy to rationalize my borderline sleazy behavior.

I push my way toward the front of the club and Jade greets me with an easy smile. We quickly slip into conversation. Jade not only claims to be a part owner in the club, but tells me her and her ex-husband (who are still on good terms) are into a number of business together, including a chain of Gyro restaurants. I give her my business card. She makes to give me hers, but is interrupted by a fresh stream of customers at the door. She asks if I'll be around till closing, and seems to want to talk more and or I assume give me her number in kind.

I rejoin Nicole, her friends, cousins and uncle. Charles is agitated. He says he has lost the twenty I gave him, and his wife has arrived, and he wants to buy his wife a drink on this his birthday. I give him another twenty, and he thanks me with a little too much sincerity, and promises me a drink with the fresh twenty, I ask for a miller lite. He disappears for a time, and then I see him on the dance floor. Soon someone is motioning in our direction, it's Dave, and he has some drinks. It would seem Charles should see him, but he doesn't come over. I sigh, and motion for Dave to let me pay for the drinks.

I don't remember buying Nicole many drinks, but she had had some Rhemy in the car and by 1am she is staggering a bit. Her cousins suggest I take her home, and get her home safe. I see it as an escape of sorts, and quickly make for the exit with Nicole. While we had given a ride to Charles, I assume he will be riding home with his wife, though what mood they will all be in by the end of the evening is a mystery to me. Though Nicole is obviously a little loaded, I can't help but wonder if the early exit has been more orchestrated to save me from Charles.

On the way out the front door Nicole pauses to lean over and have a rather long conversation with Jade, as Jade writes something down on the back of a business card. Nicole has confessed to me that she likes women, so I have no doubt she is making a play for Jade, who she has commented looks quite attractive to her earlier in the evening. I'm not sure if this is good or bad, the thought of a possible future threesome flashes through my mind if I play my cards right. The irony of us both hitting on Jade hits me also, and the possibility that Jade will see me in diminished lights if she is not into Nicole's advances. The future will unfold as the future will unfold. I don't worry about it and am still thankful for the early retreat.

When I get Nicole home she asks me if I had a good time. I tell her not really, but that it wasn't her fault, mostly that her uncle was really wearing on my nerves, though I leave out his panhandling as I tell her this. I have to steady her to get the door, once inside I help her take off her coat. She gives me a hug, and then somehow things change. We kiss and Nicole leads me back to her bedroom. We both begin to get undressed, but before the cloths come off completely she turns off the lights. All the lights. With the door closed it is pitch black. Again I will not get into very graphic details, but the love making seems to be good for both of us. I think sex is better for Nicole if she has a little buzz on. It takes me a little work, but we make love three times. I wish for the body of a younger man to more enjoy Nicole's surprising lust. Once it is over, I can't help but wonder if part of it is to apologize for her uncle Charles behavior. I also wonder whether the sex is better for her with the lights off. Perhaps she is fantasizing I am Jade. Maybe she is uncomfortable with her own looks, which would be silly because she is very attractive, and perhaps of a little too much importance to me, quite thin.

I dress and make to go, we hug a little, and she purrs some promises for us to get together again soon and will call tomorrow.

Sunday. Nicole does call, but I miss the call, my phone on low ring for some reason. I return her call but she is already busy with something. Just as well I think to myself, the weekend was expensive enough and I am tired enough, that I look forward to just lounging around my apartment and watching some more episodes of OZ on DVD.

Another weekend come and gone, the last one of 2003.