“Happy Halloween, fuckers!” Marco called out, holding up his shot.
They all drank.
Brooke snagged the arm of one of the girls nearby. She didn’t know her name. Didn’t matter. She was too drunk to care. “Hey, can you take a picture of all of us.” She handed the girl her phone and turned to her friends. “Group pic. Now!”
Mindy Sue pulled Marco close and kissed his cheek, his hand on her lower belly, indecently close to being right over her girl bits. Julie snuggled up to the side of her football player. His name was Mike. Maybe Mark. Something with an M. Brooke was two shots and two beers in, so it was hard to remember, let alone hear anything above the din of the party. Anyway…she somehow ended up lying across the laps of Adam, Jeremiah, and Simon on her side while they held their hands up like they didn’t know if they were allowed to touch her. She was smiling and laughing as the girl with her phone said, “Cheese,” and snapped the pic.
Brooke tried to figure out how to get off of the three guys without shoving her ass into Simon’s crotch, kicking Jeremiah, or gripping Adam’s thigh, and ended up belly flopping on the floor in a fit of giggles.
Some guy in a toga rushed over, took her hand to help her up, then kissed her right on the lips, surprising her and sobering her up a little.
He grinned with glazed eyes. “If you kiss a fallen angel, she has to grant you a wish.”
She was working without a filter thanks to the alcohol. Knowing what guys could be like at these parties, she answered with, “Let me guess, you want me to fuck you.”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. “Oh, I definitely want you to take me to heaven.”
She couldn’t help it, she cracked up. And so did everyone around them. It was a joke. He was being silly. The moment passed with that seriously cheesy line. Though in that moment she’d thought of the one man who made her feel like being with him would be heaven and it killed her mood.
The girl who took the picture handed back her phone. “I hope you like it.”
“Let me see,” toga guy said.
She pulled up the picture and loved it. It showed them all having fun as a group. They’d gotten together a few times because Marco brought his friends, so Mindy Sue brought hers. It worked. It was fun when they all got together.
She posted the pic.
Toga guy was still next to her. “Want to get a drink?”
She shook her head. “I’ve had enough. Thank you though.” She turned to Mindy Sue. “I’m ready to head home.”
“I’ll walk you,” toga guy said, holding out his hand again.
She hesitated.
Mindy Sue leaned in. “Marco and I are ready to go.”
Toga guy raised a brow, silently asking her again if he could walk her home.
She shrugged and said, “Why not,” because Mindy Sue and Marco would be with her.
They said goodbye to Julie, her new friend, and the three guys, who promised to look out for Julie.
She walked out with toga guy, blissfully happy to be out in the open air and quiet after the din of the party. “So, what’s your name?”
“Rob. And you’re Brooke.”
“How’d you know?” She slurred most of those words.
“I heard your friends call you that.”
Mindy Sue and Marco walked just a few paces ahead of them. Mindy Sue kept looking back and grinning at her.
Rob bumped her shoulder with his. “Listen, I’m sorry if I came on too strong back there with the kiss and that line. I was just having fun.”
“It’s fine. I get it.”
He asked about her major, her classes. She asked about his. It was nice. Normal. But she just wasn’t interested.
