“You don’t have to do this, you know?” Drew said as they pulled up to the stop light.
“I want to.” Charlee looked up from her phone’s navigation screen. “According to this, we’re a block away.”
“Do you even know what a keg party is?”
“Hello!” Charlee tried desperately to sound chipper. “A party involving many or one keg of beer. Everyone pays at the door per cup or for a bracelet.
Drew smirked. “You had to look it up, didn’t you?”
Charlee couldn’t help but smirk. Damn. Did she have to memorize verbatim? “It was pretty self-explanatory, but, okay, I looked it up just to confirm.
“You don’t even like beer, Charlee.”
“I never said I didn’t like it. I prefer wine coolers, but I can do beer just fine.”
“I was wrong, okay. I admit it. He’s a sweet-talking jerk, who obviously can’t get his fill of girls.” Drew said as they slowed because of all the cars cruising by the party. “But you don’t have to go to one of these stupid parties if you’re not feeling it. You have nothing to prove.”
Suddenly Charlee felt bad. If anyone wasn’t feeling it, it was Drew. She sounded just awful. “I’m not trying to prove anything.” She reached over and touched Drew’s leg. “But if you’re not feeling well, let’s just go home.”
Drew turned to her. “I’m fine, Charlee. I just want to make sure you are too.” Drew pulled into a parking space at the end of the block, several homes away from the one where the party was. “I would like nothing more than for you to go into that party and enjoy yourself. Dance a little. Maybe even exchange numbers with someone, but I know you. You’re holding it all in. It’s okay to be disappointed.”
Charlee frowned, glancing out her window at some of the people walking toward the party. As much as she’d been playing it off that she didn’t buy Drew’s sixth-sense crap about Hector, of course, she was secretly hoping Drew had been right. Of course, she was once again completely disheartened when she’d seen him with yet another pair of girls. But she was really done this time. She was only happy that Drew had witnessed the whole thing with her: his eyeballing the girl before he reached her then hugging her before escorting her and her friend to sit with him in the front row.
There was no way Drew could argue with her now. The guy’s wasn’t changing his colors for any one girl, not even Charlee, who Drew seemed convinced Hector looked at so differently than all the others. As mad as she wanted to be at herself for beginning to believe it too, she wouldn’t be. It was true Hector was a sweet talker. It wasn’t just what he said but how he went about it. He didn’t have to apologize yesterday. What had happened between them was water under the bridge now—or should’ve been anyway. Yet he’d gone out of his way to tell her that he really meant it when he’d told her she was different. There was such sweetness about the way he spoke to her—looked at her—when he said it too not just yesterday but the first time he’d told her that. Obviously she wasn’t different enough.
Now she was determined to wash her mind of him. This would be a good start. She could go to this party, let her hair down, maybe meet someone, and possibly even let someone new kiss her so she could finally stop obsessing about the only guy who ever had. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t stop. She’d come to that conclusion earlier. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for people like Hector, who had so many experiences to compare, to easily move on to their next conquest.
It was so not like her, but she was certain a little alcohol could do the trick. Truth was she wanted nothing more than to go straight home, get into her jammies, and crawl in bed. But she knew what would happen then. The tears would inevitably start, and she refused to do that again.
She sat up, turning back to Drew. “If you’re feeling well enough, I’m up for this.” No, she’d be honest and admit it. “I need to do this.”
The familiar bright smile Charlee was so used to seeing on Drew was back. Red nose and all, she actually looked excited. “Good! But I won’t be doing any drinking just so you know. I finally caved and took medicine for this damn cold.” Drew sniffled and reached for a tissue from the glove compartment then blew her nose.
“Are you sure you’re feeling well enough, Drew? I can always do this another time.”
Drew shook her head adamantly, opening her door. “I’m fine, and you are not putting this off even one more day. We’re doing this tonight. I’m just doing it minus the booze.” Charlee got out of her side nervously then looked over at Drew across her car’s roof. “But you, my dear,” Drew lifted her brow with a smirk, “will hang loose and enjoy yourself tonight. This night will not be a waste if I have anything to do with it.”
Refusing to give into her natural instinct to tell Drew that just being out of the car and hearing the music coming from the party she was already having second thoughts, Charlee remained calm. She continued walking alongside of her best friend ready to do this. Even though she wasn’t quite sure what this would consist of exactly.
Once inside the packed backyard, Drew wasted no time filling both their cups with beer. She said it would save them the time having to stand back in line to get Charlee’s next cupful. She also reminded Charlee to not sip so slowly because the beer in the cup Drew would be holding for her would get warm.
“I don’t care what you say, Charlee. You don’t like beer, and there is nothing worse than warm beer. So drink fast.”
“I’ll give you that warm beer is bad, but I’m telling you I don’t have a problem with beer,” Charlee sipped from her cup, wiping the foam from her top lip. “See?” She smiled.
It really wasn’t bad at all. She actually liked the taste. She sipped an even bigger drink for good measure then placed her hand over her mouth and burped. Now she remembered what she didn’t like about beer. Drew laughed, making Charlee laugh too.
They began their stroll around the backyard. Charlee couldn’t get over how blatant the guys were about checking her and Drew out as they walked past them. Their leering smiles as their elevator eyes took them in before stopping at their faces were almost comical. Almost. As ridiculous as they looked doing it, Charlee couldn’t help feeling a bit unnerved by it all. She was so not used to any of this.
Drew leaned into Charlee after one good-looking and well-built guy in particular stopped talking to the group he was in and stared at them. “He’s not bad,” Drew whispered. “Not bad at all. Even looks a little like someone we’re not talking about tonight.”
Charlee finished the last of her beer as she glanced in the guy’s direction. He smiled as soon as their eyes met. No, he wasn’t bad at all. The vest over a t-shirt with jeans look was sexy and he wore it well. And, yes, he did look a little like Hector because he was tall with dark hair and somewhat of a buff guy, but that’s where the resemblance ended. Still, Charlee wasn’t here looking for someone just like Hector. In fact, she should be looking for someone totally different. She reminded herself the whole point of being here tonight was to get over the guy already.
One thing was for sure. Charlee would need more beer if she was going to get the nerve to hang loose like she’d come here to do. Already she felt like spinning around, bolting through the crowd, and running back to the safety of Drew’s car.
Absentmindedly, because she needed any reason to look away from the guy staring at her, she glanced around for a trash can and found one. She started toward it, but she felt Drew’s hand her arm. “Where you going?”
“Trash can,” Charlee responded.
“No! We paid for these cups, remember? It’s what we’re going to use to refill all night.” Drew traded cups with Charlee. “Here you go. Drink up, buttercup. We’ll go refill when you’re done.”
The second cup went down a little smoother than the first, but then Charlee remembered the other reason why she didn’t like beer. “Maybe I should’ve thought this out a little better.”
Drew looked at her a bit exasperated. “What? Don’t tell my you’re changing your mind already.”
“Sort of,” Charlee admitted, but seeing the beginning of a reprimanding glare from Drew, she added quickly. “Not the having fun part, but I forgot beer makes me pee like crazy.”
Ironically, the only other time Charlee had drank enough beer to have her running to and from the ladies’ room was last summer at a party similar to this one where Danny first approached her. She hoped this wasn’t an omen.
“Not a problem,” Drew said, taking her by the hand. “The guy we paid to get the cups said only girls get to go inside to use the restroom.”
Charlee followed her through the crowd to the backdoor of the house. Not surprising, there was a line for the restroom, but it wasn’t as long as she expected. After getting her turn to use it but before she left the small room, she reflected on tonight’s turn of events: the smile Hector had given her and how the stupid lump in her throat hadn’t allowed her to so much as lift a corner of her lips in response. This was the first time she’d had a moment alone since seeing him with that girl.
She hated to even think about it, but she couldn’t help wondering exactly what he was doing at that very moment. Was he kissing that girl the way he’d kissed her? Were they somewhere very possibly doing more? Was he telling that girl that she was different too? She shook her head roughly, willing the tears that were beginning to well in her eyes away.
Standing in line before she’d gotten into the restroom, she’d overheard some of the other girls in line talking about their ex-boyfriends, guys they’d gone on vacations with even. One of them even talked about her baby’s father who apparently was seeing someone new now. They all spoke so casually of these guys whom they’d clearly had much longer and deeper connections with than Charlee had with Hector. There was no hurt in their words, no mention of not being able to move on, no stupid tears. Here Charlee had shared a few kisses with this guy who had said few nice things to her, and she’d already been a mess over the guy more than once.
These girls would not only think her a wimp but a total joke that here she was at a party, trying to get over something that never even was. So what if he looked deep in her eyes and made her heart stand still. Hector obviously knew what and how to say things to girls. And, of course, she’d fallen for every bit of it instantly because that sort of interaction with guys, especially a guy like Hector, was so foreign to her.
Even more determined now to snap the hell out of it, she made sure when they got back to the party to not look away from any guy she found attractive; in fact, she would smile. Within minutes of smiling at that same tall guy Drew had mentioned resembled Hector earlier, he and a friend began walking toward them.
“Here we go,” Drew said through her smile as she glanced at the guys coming toward them.
Charlee took an extra-long drink of her beer. She needed liquid courage right now if she was going to do this. She wasn’t sure if it was maybe too big of a drink or her nerves, but for a quick moment there, she felt completely nauseous. Thankfully, it was fleeting, and by the time the guys made it to them, she was just absolutely nervous but no longer nauseous.
“Hello,” the tall guy said as soon as he reached them. “I’m Raul.” He motioned to his friend who was just a few inches shorter than he was with wavy hair and a small piercing on his lip. “This is Joseph.” Raul smiled at Drew but then turned to Charlee and smiled even bigger. “I apologize for staring, but it’s not often someone catches my eye the way you did tonight. You’re breathtaking, and that’s not a line, I promise.”
Joseph laughed. “Yeah, Raul doesn’t do lines.” He assured Charlee.
Charlee felt her face warm instantly but smiled despite the discomfort she felt about being the center of attention even in this small group. “Thank you,” she smiled but for the life of her couldn’t think of a single thing else to say.
“So let me guess,” he said. “I’ve been trying to figure out what your name could be.” He put his fist against his lips and stared at her for a moment, and, of course, Charlee made a note of how it felt nothing like when Hector stared at her. “Scarlet?”
Drew laughed and Charlee knew exactly why. Charlee had lost count of all the times people had told Charlee she looked like any name that remotely suggested the color red.
“Am I right?” Raul asked, bright-eyed.
“Nope,” Charlee said, taking another big swig of her beer. “Not even close.”
“Cherry?” Joseph offered.
“Ooh, close.” Charlee said, lifting her cup at him and sipping again, glad that she was starting to feel a little more relaxed.
“Sherry,” Raul said quickly.
“No, you’re getting cold now,” Charlee smiled, glancing at Drew, who winked at her. She knew that meant she was doing well, and for the first time that evening, she felt somewhat at ease. Maybe coming here had been a good idea after all.
Both Raul and Joseph looked stumped. “I’ll give you a hint,” Charlee said, feeling silly. “It starts with C H and it rhymes with Bob Marley.”
Of course, the line about her name rhyming with Bob Marley was compliments of her pot smoking stepdad.
“Charlie?” Joseph asked, looking at her weirdly.
She knew he was thinking what everyone always thought. That’s a boy’s name. So she clarified. “Actually, it’s Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlee, and I spell it with a double e not an ie at the end like the male version.”
Annoyingly, thoughts of Hector were instantly in her head again. The thought of him calling her Charlotte and the look in those intense eyes of his when he said it were enough to make her down the rest of her beer.
A few beers later and a couple of more trips to the restroom where the line seemed to get longer every time, Charlee decided she’d had enough beer. She was already feeling very tipsy though she assured Drew she was still fine enough to hang out as long as she stopped drinking.
Charlee and Drew had already danced with Joseph and Raul a few times, and Charlee was glad the guys had stuck with them the whole time. She didn’t have to go through the whole introduction thing again with any new guys. All she wanted to do now is dance and have a good time, and Raul would do just fine for that.
The area where everyone was dancing was so crowded Charlee kept losing Drew. She glanced around and spotted her dancing with Joseph a few yards away. Charlee and Raul were supposed to be dancing apart, but because it was so crowded, even though they didn’t have their arms around each other, their bodies kept touching. At some point, Charlee began to notice he purposely rubbed his body up against hers. She tried, but because of the tight space, she couldn’t back up much.
“Where’s your cup?” Raul asked, leaning in against her ear.
“I’m done.” She responded, stretching her neck to speak against his ear.
“Really? Why?” She felt his lips graze her ear, so she took advantage of needing to stretch to speak in his ear to pull away from his lips.
“I’ve had enough. Plus, it makes me have to keep going to the bathroom, and the lines are ginormous now.”
Feeling his hand against her lower back, Raul leaned into her ear again. “Try some of this then.”
She pulled away to see him pointing at his own cup, and she stared at it quizzically. That whole time she’d assumed he was drinking beer like everyone else. He pointed toward the area where the kegs were. “They also have soda over there for the non-drinkers and for those of us who prefer the hard stuff.” He lifted the flap of his vest open to reveal a flask. “Meet Jack.”
Charlee’s drinking experiences were few and far between: the party last year where she drank some beer, but not nearly as much as she drank tonight; wine coolers with Drew every now and then; and a handful of other times Drew had dragged her to parties, but she never actually drank hard stuff.
“Try it,” Raul said, handing her the cup. She took the cup, smelling the contents, and he laughed. “It’s just Jack and Coke.” She took a sip. It wasn’t bad, so she nodded, handing it back. “Drink more than that.” He said, refusing the cup. Charlee took it back and took a longer drink. It tasted mostly like soda, but it did have a slight aftertaste. Otherwise, it wasn’t half bad. “Best thing about it is,” he said, his lip grazing her ear again, but she didn’t pull away this time letting him finish, “you won’t be running to and from the bathroom.”
She handed the cup back, nodding. “Good to know,” she began to say against his ear but froze when she felt his lips on her neck. She jerked her head back when she felt his tongue on her neck.
“I’m sorry,” he smiled. “But after the second or third time of having your neck this close, I couldn’t hold back anymore.” He pulled her closer to him and whispered. “It tastes as sweet as I thought it would.”
Charlee gulped, staring at him. Nothing. It felt nothing like when Hector’s lips had been on her neck. Hector working his mouth down her neck had made her warm and ache in places she never imagined would have any connection with that part of her body. Feeling Raul’s on it had made her shiver, but not in a good way. Stop comparing!
“Thank you,” was once again the only two words she could think of, but she did think of something else that would help her get through this instead of running for her life.
She reached her hand out for his cup, and his satisfied smile made her smile too. Already, she could feel the difference in the buzz this was giving her compared to the beer. It was faster, but it was also numbing, and she liked that. Tonight she needed numb.