I turn and find gorgeous blue eyes and a suggestive smirk. The person is wearing loose jeans and a boxy T-shirt with their hair pulled up in a small bun, showing off the fade beneath it. I home in on a gold eyebrow piercing, and suddenly things are looking up.
“Hi, I’m Sawyer.”
“I’m Taylor,” they reply, licking their lips.
“Tay, come on. We’re up!”
My new friend’s face flashes with disappointment. With a groan, they hike a thumb over their shoulder toward the beer pong room. “Duty calls. Save me a dance later, Sawyer?”
My cheeks heat. “Absolutely.”
As eager as I am to dance, I’m thinking I just want to grab a drink and watch a few rounds of beer pong.
I shoulder through the crowd lingering in the long hallway, officially on a mission. I’m nearly to what I think is the kitchen, eager to see what’s on offer, when hands land on my shoulders, the pressure stopping me in my tracks.
“Bitch! You’re here!”
“Keira.” Smiling, I turn around and hug her. “You made it! How was the drive?”
She grins at me, her hazel eyes glassy and unfocused. She’s dressed in a shiny red body con dress, her tits practically spilling out the top. Her eye makeup is dark and heavy, her lips painted crimson. Her raven black hair has been straightened and is so long it almost reaches her waist. She looks gorgeous.
“JD was a mess until we got across the border. He didn’t chill the fuck out until halfway through New York. But now we’re here.”
I look past her, searching for her boyfriend. It seems risky as fuck to cross an international border to push product. But JD’s always been careless. Keira has a reckless streak, too.
When I don’t spot JD right away, I assume he’s working the crowds and focus back on my old friend again. Her features are sharper than when I last saw her. But the twinkle of mischief in her eye is the same as it’s always been.
“How are you?”
Her grin grows wider. “Amazing now that you’re here.” She drags her eyes up and down my body, the assessment so salacious it sends a shiver up my spine. “You look so good, girl. Damn.”
Warmth creeps up my chest and into my cheeks. I’m too drunk to decipher whether she’s complimenting me as a friend or flirting. With Keira, it could honestly be either. Or both. We’ve never hooked up before, but she’s always been the touchy-feely type, and she’s extra affectionate when she’s drunk.
“Have you found the kitchen yet? What are we drinking tonight?” I ask, tipping my chin toward the orange plastic cup in her hand.
She snorts. “Who cares what we’re drinking? The real question is what are we taking?” With an impish smile, she pulls out a tiny baggie and holds it up between us.
“Has JD got you pushing product too?” I jibe, inspecting the two capsules sealed in plastic.
“No, bitch.” She huffs. “I’m here for pleasure, not business. Speaking of pleasure…” She hands me her cup, carefully opens the baggie, and shakes the two capsules into her palm. “I brought you a little present. One for you and one for me. It’s molly, because I know you’re a snob about E.”
She’s right. MDMA is my go-to at parties like this, but I’m way too cautious to take tablets because of the possibility of unknown fillers.
A capsule would usually give me pause, too.
Tonight, I honestly don’t care.
Keira pops one pill into her mouth, takes her cup back, and uses the contents to wash it down.
“Open,” she whispers, holding the light blue capsule between her pointer finger and thumb and inching closer.
For a moment, alarm bells sound in my mind. But I quickly shut them down and shake off the hesitation.
This is what I came for. To bury the hurt. To chase away the sadness, if only for this night.
With an eagerness that borders on desperation, I push down the last of the niggling concern and open my mouth.
She places the pill on my tongue, one finger tracing my bottom lip. Then she pulls back, grinning, and brings her cup to my lips. When she tips it back slightly, I let the liquid pour into my mouth and swallow the capsule.
