Five days. She could last five days.
***
She lasted two days.
***
The squad social was at a pub near college, most of the men’s and women’s Blues squads packed into a function room upstairs, wine and beer chilling on a side table along with a distinctly budget selection of finger food, the club secretary’s playlist coming out of the speakers and, mercifully, no sign of any speeches. The temperature of the room rose steadily as the night went on. By ten the windows were running with condensation, the floor was sticky, and somebody had knocked over a glass that nobody had quite got round to clearing up.
Sarah had been drinking carefully, conscious that she had a supervision in the morning… not that she wasn’t averse to turning up a little hungover, but she’d turned up to a couple of them in her first year with raging, world ending hangovers and it hadn’t been pretty. She’d been across the room from Jess for most of the evening, by accident at first and then by design, because every time she let herself look, Jess was doing something that made her heart race just that little bit faster. Laughing at something the goalkeeper had said. Wearing jeansand a tight black top with the sleeves pushed up. Hair down for once that dialled up theshe’s hotto stratospheric levels.
Sarah was talking to Beth and Imogen, second years like herself though at different colleges, when Jess came over.
“So… after party,” Jess said without preamble. “They’re chucking us out at eleven. The night’s still young.”
“I’m game,” Imogen replied. “Just point me wherever.”
“Me too,” Beth added.
Sarah smiled apologetically. “I’ll pass… last supervision of term in the morning.”
All three women protested at once.
“It’s the Christmas social…”
“You can’t just go to bed…”
“You practically have to do the last supervision of term hungover…”
It was good natured, but Sarah knew they weren’t going to let her slip away without trying their hardest to stop her.
“Quite a few people are planning to go to that new club, the one on the corner,” Jess added. She rested her hand lightly on Sarah’s shoulder, a friendly gesture that did something funny to Sarah’s insides, particularly when accompanied by the way Jess looked deep into Sarah’s eyes. “One drink won’t hurt.”
“It’s not the one drink that I’m worried about,” Sarah grinned. “It’s the round of shots that follows it, then the dancing, then the next round of shots, then it’s two in the morning and I’m regretting my life decisions.”
Jess pursed her lips, then looked at the other two. “I’ve got gin back at my room…”
Imogen was nodding. “That would work. And then we don’t have any of the guys trying to hit on us on a dance floor.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Ted absolutely is going to make a move on me later, and I’d rather swerve that.”
Sarah looked around at all three women. She could feel the trap closing but gave it one last shot. “I don’t really need any more to drink…”
“Then just have water, it can’t hurt to hang out a bit longer. And when you want to go to bed you’re literally two minutes' walk from your room.”
“I…” Sarah hesitated, but she knew that she had no counter. If it had been just her and Jess she’d have probably said no still, simply so that she could avoid anything awkward before the Christmas holidays. But four of them, it would be fun. She grinned and shrugged. “You’ve got me. Just one drink though.”
Beth laughed. “We’ll see about that…”
***
Jess made a very good gin and tonic.
Just the right balance between strong without being too much, you knew you were having a drink but it actually tasted nice. Imogen and Beth took the two armchairs while Sarah and Jess sat on her bed, backs against the wall, and they talked about not a lot, mainly gossip from the night and reminiscing about the season so far.
Sarah kept to her one drink while the other three had a second, then before they knew it the time was getting on for half midnight.
Imogen stood and stretched. “I’m going to call it a night I think… I’m out again tomorrow.” She glanced at her watch and laughed. “Today I guess.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Beth said, standing as well.
