“The kegs?”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, Ace. The kegs. How else do you think we’re going to have enough supply for a thousand people?”
I gulp. “A thousand people?”
“What’s with the shock-and-awe act?” he asks, getting frustrated with me. “You told me to throw a party. A rager. To create chaos, did you not? What did you expect? A group of old ladies knitting?”
“No. Fuck. I just didn’t think you’d invite our fucking dentist.”
He laughs. “Dr. Bunnfield can get down.”
“God help the profession of dentistry. God help us all.”
Our elevator dings open, and an onslaught of girls in tiny dresses disembarks, right into the apartment like it’s their own. They give Gunnar air kisses on the cheek, promptly steal cans ofwine spritzers from the coolers the two hulky guys are loading and retreat to the patio. Within three minutes, two more cartfuls arrive, and the noise level in our previously quiet penthouse ticks up ten decibels.
When a fifth cart of people shows up and makes themselves at home, I finally find Gunnar again and ask another question. “How are all these people just getting up here without you escorting them?”
“I gave out the elevator code in the text.”
“You… Did you set a new one?”
He laughs. “No. I just gave the code.”
“Fuck me, Gunnar.” A deep sigh escapes my lungs. “Mom and Dad are going to kill us.”
“You. They’re going to killyou. Because one, I don’t care enough to be killed. And two, you’re the catalyst for this little soiree. I was happy watching my doc about the space station.” He shrugs. “Just think, if you’d just had the balls to tell Julia you didn’t want her on some date with some other dude, you could have avoided all this trouble.”
“Screw you.”
Gunnar laughs and wiggles his fingers. “Toodle-oo! Have a good night!”
“Toodle-oo?Toodle-oo?Where the hell are you going? Gunnar? Gunnar!” I yell as he officially disappears.
I am so, so fucked.
Within ten minutes, the entire 12,000 square feet of living space of my parents’ Central-Park-adjacent penthouse is teeming with people. People I know, people I don’t, and people I’m fairly certain found their way in off the street.
Gunnar’s violin teacher from six years ago dances in the corner with a group of women I’ve never seen before, and the man—boy—who set it all in motion is still missing.
I have three missed calls from Kline Brooks, ten from GeorgiaBrooks, and I just got a text from Julia that sheandwhatshisface will be here any minute. Apparently,his cargot stuck in traffic on their way uptown.
My ears buzz, and my throat is thick with danger. I don’t know how I’m going to get myself out of this one, and she’s not even coming by herself.
Gunnar is right in one way—this was not a good plan.
I need a new plan. One that has fewer outside factors and more Ace factor. One I’m in complete control of. It’ll be a grand plan. The best plan.
I just don’t know what that is yet or how I’m going to put it into action with all these fucking people inside my parents’ penthouse.
But surely I’ll figure something out. I hope. I pray.
Succumbing slightly to the error of my ways, I head for the kitchen and fill a cup from the kegs that arrived right when Gunnar said they would. I haven’t seen him since he disappeared, but I have seen a blind woman, a stripper with a peg leg, and a man with a fortune-telling goat. I’ve been too busy, you know,freaking the fuck outto let him read me yet, but he seems to be a big hit with all the ladies in attendance.
When the elevator opens and reveals Julia, I set my cup down on the counter, smooth my hands down my shirt, and rush over to her. Crusty McJockface follows her like a poodle on a fucking leash, his big, beefy hand at the small of her back. I see red and blue and green and every other color of the damn rainbow as I try to keep my tongue in my mouth and my brain from exploding.
“Oh my God, Ace. This is…insane. We were downstairs waiting for a turn in the elevator for, like, ten minutes before Drew forced our way into this one.”
My teeth clench. “It’s fucking Ripley’s Believe It or Not in here tonight, Lia. There’s a man with a goat somewhere, and if I’m not mistaken, I saw our middle school principal coming out of the bathroom before. Gunnar invited his entire contact list—including your parents.”
