“Take it easy,” Emma whispered in her ear. When Alicia turned, her cheeks were flushed pink and her hair had fallen down out of its ponytail and around her shoulders. She looked unusually pretty. “I don’t want you puking,” Emma said, tucking her hair behind her ear for her.
Alicia howled at this. “Me neither!”
Emma kept an eye out for Sully. A few times she spied him talking to others, and once she spotted him through the window, on the deck. Whenever he looked her way, she made sure to act like she was having a great time, paying special attention to the guys playing cards. It was lame, she knew. But the beer was making her feel floaty and silly. Someone had turned the music up even louder. Amanda and some of her friends were dancing on the deck. And that’s when Emma saw Chet.
He was with his friend Taylor, outside, on the deck. Taylor came in first. She elbowed Alicia.
Alicia’s head jerked toward the door. “Tay-loooooor!” she shouted, and then she tried to stand up.
Emma put her hand out. “Easy, there.”
When Chet heard Alicia’s voice, he looked their way. The look on his face was not a good sign, but Emma couldn’t help it; she started to laugh. In fact, she couldn’t stop. Beside her Alicia was already doubled over.
Chet did not find any of this as funny as they did. He pulled both of them up off the couch and out to the deck, where Alicia tried to join in the dancing. “What the hell is going on?” Chet barked as he watched his sister stumbling around.
“She really liked the margaritas,” Emma stammered. “I tried to tell her to take it easy.” She felt bad. Chet had shown up as they’d asked, but she’d let him down.
Chet put a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “How many did you have?”
Alicia held up three fingers. “Four!”
“Jesus.” Chet looked around uneasily. “I should take her home.”
“No!” both girls said in unison.
“Well, she can’t stay here like this,” Chet said.
Emma couldn’t let them go. The night was just starting to get good. “Tell you what, how about I get her some water and sit with her? You guys hang out a little while and have fun.”
Taylor had his eye on the activity inside, and he seemed to want to stay.
But Chet didn’t look so sure.
“I’ll take care of her, I promise,” Emma added.
“Like you have been?”
It stung, but she didn’t blame Chet. If she didn’t think fast, he was going to take them both home. Across the deck, Emma locked eyes with Sully. She motioned him over.
“Chet, do you know Sully?” she asked. To her relief, Sully took over.
“Hey buddy, good to see you!” Sully held up his beer. “Can I get you one?”
Emma watched gratefully as Chet allowed Sully to get them drinks. But he kept his eye on Alicia.
“I’m afraid my sister is having a little too much fun,” Chet said. Again, he glared at Emma.
“Let me get her a chair,” Sully offered. He returned with a deck chair he’d talked a girl out of and a bottle of water.A magician, Emma thought.
“She didn’t have that many, man,” Sully said for good measure. “I just don’t think she’s used to it.”
“She’s not,” Chet grumbled.
Obligingly, Alicia sipped her water and seemed to settle down a bit. She glanced around at all the faces watching her. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “I just needed some air.”
Emma could feel the night being salvaged. “See? She’s feeling better. Why don’t you make the rounds, and then we can go.” She could feel Sully’s eyes on her, and she knew he was wondering at the way she was speaking to Chet.
To her relief, Chet finally agreed. By then, Taylor was already long gone. “Okay, but call me if she doesn’t feel well. I mean it.”
