Before I can stop myself, the new fire settles in my stomach and drawing my brows together, “You drink snakes?”
The woman’s chuckles become more uncontrollable, completely unaware of my rapid descent into panic.
“Oh, you're a sweetie.” Her smile is bright. “Is this your first drink?”
What’s a sweetie? I have to bite my tongue to keep from asking. What the fuck is in this drink? I squint into it as though it'll tell me the answer. I’d seenpeople go for drinks in movies and it always looked so fun…
Alas, it was another lie.
She takes the glass back from me, barely managing to stop her laughter, “That’s just how they’re named sometimes, silly. To make it more fun.”
New rule.
No drinking.
“I’m Lucia.” The woman holds her other hand out for a formal handshake, “Lucia Ambrose. Camille’s plus one.”
The name is barely familiar after hearing it only once, but I'm able to put two and two together enough to shake her hand, “Christian.”
“Camille told me you might want some company.”
A small smile touches my lips, “I'm sorry to tell you, but Camille’s real mission might've been to rescue Tobias.”
Lucia's eyes widen with visible horror, “She said that?”
“No, just Reuben.”
Lucia flushes even as she glares, “Tobias hasn't turned me away outright just yet. I can keep trying until I get a for sure red light.”
“Are you trying to convince me?” My smile is growing.
She’s practically pink with embarrassment, “Why—Why would I convince you?”
She's trying to play it cool but to me she just looks like an anxious cat, with all its hairs on end.
A small sound bubbles up in my throat, and it takes me a while to realize I'm chuckling. Her eyes widen slightly at the sound before her shoulders relax and a small smile touches her lips.
And it's a strange feeling in my chest.
A new feeling.
“How long have you known Camille?” I ask, but I’m stepping away to continue my rounds just in case Reuben appears out of nowhere like before. And Lucia comes into step right beside me without question.
And I lose track of time as she accompanies me like that. I'm not sure why she stays with me, but I don't mind it. The company is... nice. Genuinely nice.
She and Camille met a few years ago at an art gallery. Their lives are so busy they don't get to see each other often but they are very good friends; her eyes brighten noticeably when she talks about her.
But the moment I step towards the east side of the boat, towards the pool and across from the bar, Lucia grabs hold of my arm with a strange light in her eyes.
“Um, Christian, I think I need another drink,” her voice wavers slightly and I can't help but pause.
The change in her is almost... visceral. A sudden tension in her shoulders, an awkwardness to her smile… but I’ve never been known for tact. Failed to blend in because of it, actually.
“What's wrong?” I’m alert as I scan her for obvious signs of distress. Maybe her tall shoes have finally started to hurt and she needs to sit down.
She tries to relax her smile but it only comes off forced and we know it. I don't think she's aware of how tightly she's gripping my sleeve, or how much deeper she's suddenly stepped into my space…
She can’t help it, she’s so flustered that her eyes dart behind me, and I turn to follow her gaze.
