We all paused to consider half a dozen women posing in front of the DIY photo booth, wearing cocktail attire and silly hats, their drinks in a small cluster on the floor.
“Anyway,” Ethan said. “You know what would really take this party to the next level? If we could get drunk in a different section of the house from the adults.”
“Noted,” Tyler said. “This way.”
He led a dozen of the older teens at the party up to his room, which I took in surreptitiously. It was neat in name only, as though his parents had told him to straighten up before the party. Several pairs of shoes poked out from under the bed, and scarves had been flung over an armchair. The walls were sage green, the bedspread white, and three framed ink prints hung above thebed—a map of Nantucket, a ship, and a whale. Both books and small, pretty things stuffed the shelves: gleaming stone paperweights and shells and decorative stones.
The group of us settled on the floor, leaning against the bed and the walls, lying on the dark-green rug. We’d brought wine, Cisco beer, and a handle of vodka. Ethan idly spun a dreidel he’d brought from home.
Tyler nodded at it. “Shira and I meant to play a dreidel drinking game the other night. Could be fun.”
Ethan stuck a finger in Tyler’s direction. “Excellent plan, Nelson.”
“We don’t actually know any dreidel drinking games,” I said.
“Google does,” David said, pulling out his phone. “Aha!”
Abby and Noah exchanged their own set of glances. He raised his brows; she shrugged and nodded.
“There are literally a million results,” Ethan said. He read for a minute, then started snickering. “Fatal Dreidel!”
Uh-oh.
The rules were simple: Nun, no drink. Shin, you drink. Hey, you chose someone else to drink. Gimel, everyone drank.
“Who starts?” I asked.
“Me, obviously,” Ethan said, spinning the top. It toppled on shin. “Aw, man.” He took a shot.
It was easy to play, easier to get drunk. By the time I landed on my first hey, twenty minutes in, I could already feel the effectsof my earlier champagne and the vodka. I raised my cup to Isaac. “Hey, Isaac.”
Next to me, Tyler scoffed. I ignored him and focused on Isaac. Amazing how when you were tipsy, it became immediately easier to hold eye contact.
Isaac lifted his cup to me, and we drank.
“So, Isaac,” Tyler said as the dreidel continued around the circle. “What’s your deal?”
I stiffened but didn’t see how to stop Tyler without Isaac seeing me run interference.
“I’m interning for their great-uncle,” Isaac said, as though the question was completely banal.
Tyler tilted his head. “Isn’t it weird for someone to bring their intern on a family vacation?”
Isaac shrugged. “Arnold and my grandparents are family friends.”
“So you got the internship because of nepotism.”
“Tyler,” I said sharply.
Isaac didn’t look overly bothered. “The introduction didn’t hurt.”
“Yeah, I’m sure vacay with his family doesn’t, either.”
Pretending to be placing my hand behind my back, I gave Tyler a quick pinch and was rewarded by his intake of breath.
The game continued. I was aware of Tyler’s knee against mine, blazing hot, even through his pants and my tights. His turn cameand he spun, the dreidel toppling to hey. I looked up at him, expecting his gaze to find mine.
Instead, it slid past, and latched on a girl on the other side of the circle. “Hey, Amy.”
