“No problem. It’s good practice.”
We say our goodnights, and they leave. Then, I turn to look at my lady. Her glasses are gone, and her eyes are so bright. I want to call it a night myself and take her to my room, but Heather dances up to us.
“Did Maddie go home with the Knights?” she asks, looking all around.
“Yeah, I’ll need you to pick her up tomorrow. We’re hitting the road early.”
“I’ll pick her up.” Gina puts her hand in the crook of my arm. “We’re closer.”
“If you don’t mind?”
“I don’t.” Her nose wrinkles, and I notice my sister is holding a crystal bowl of shiny dark chocolates. “What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s special chocolate Meredith’s boyfriend brought from Russia.”
“Russian chocolate?” Gina’s eyes widen. “They’re so pretty. What do they taste like?”
She takes a few squares and pops them into her mouth. Heather’s jaw drops, and she holds up a hand. “Wait…”
“I’ll try some.” I take a few squares as well, popping them into my mouth.
“No!” Heather catches my wrist, but I’ve already eaten the small squares.
“They taste odd.” My nose wrinkles, and I try to make out the flavor. “It’s like chocolate, but what is that? Dirt?”
“I think it tastes like…” Gina’s brow furrows as well. “You’re right. That’s definitely dirt. What kind of chocolate is this?”
My sister’s face is lined with worry. She doesn’t answer right away, instead, she takes a square and eats it.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I glance at Gina, and her eyes go wide.
“Oh, no…” Gina puts her hands over her mouth. “Was that…?”
Heather presses her lips together, nodding slowly. “I tried to stop you.”
“Stop us from what?” I look from one to the other. “What is it?”
“It’s psychedelic mushroom chocolate,” Heather shouts over the song ‘Brick House.’ “I was trying to warn you, but you beat me to it.”
“How much did I take?” I look at the dish she’s holding, feeling queasy.
“It’s about a gram and a half per square. How many did you eat?”
“Two.” Gina and I both say at the same time.
“That’s not so bad.” Heather puts the bowl in a drawerand closes it. “You’re going to feel it, though. Maybe you should go to your room until it wears off?”
“How long will that take?”
“Four hours.” Her nose wrinkles, and she gives me a resigned smile. “Just go with it. Relax. Don’t fight it.”
“What’s going to happen?” I look around the room of guests all dancing like we’re in Studio 54. “Am I going to jump off the roof?”
“It’s not acid,” Heather laughs. “The lights will be more vivid… colors more colorful. It’s a pretty harmless trip, although sometimes people have visions. I’ll keep an eye on you.”
“How soon does it start?”
“You’ll know when it starts. You’ll feel really relaxed and happy.”
