The Class of 1979 Twenty-Year Reunion was a collection of middle-aged regrets, some trying to fit back into their varsity jackets and others kicking themselves for not saying or claiming things they should have when they were still young. But there still was enough booze, a solid funk band playing good music, and enough catching up to do that nobody in the room was holding their breath—there was a good ‘vibe’ in the gymnasium. Then a wave of choked and stunned whispers came from the entrance to the gym and moved toward the stage—walking through were Charlie and Clara. Their surreal appearance hit the room like a physical act. They possessed a sharp, albeit pale attractiveness that felt almost like seduction to look at—a stunning, sharp-edged sexuality stripped entirely of any human warmth. Charlie ambled in like the sleek kingpin of real estate he truly was, but his skin, normally always a nice California tan brown, had an unusual translucence to it, making his dark suit look that much darker. And even under the low glare of the colored party lights, his frame seemed unnaturally lighter, younger than people had seen him in years. Beside him, Clara was a stunning vision of pure, pitiless eroticism. She walked through the middle of the court, now a dance floor, like some visage of a dark Madonna—a moving, if not breathing, portrait of seduction. To the staring crowd of aging quarterbacks and former cheerleaders, she was an impossibly intoxicating anomaly. She hadn't aged an hour since graduation night. Her dense, silken raven hair cascaded over her shoulders, catching the low light. The short, tailored jacket hung ever so slightly open over bare breasts and flawless porcelain skin that didn't sweat—the spotlights of the stage only accentuated the tight curves of her hips as her black leather skirt seemed to drink the light. Clara lapped it all up, drinking in the envious, bitter glares of the wives and the sudden, predatory lust of their past-prime husbands. For those in the room who weren't married, the effect was even more devastating—an intoxicating, paralyzing pull that left them completely defenseless… soon they would all be dead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markusmachado.substack.com
