He wouldn’t remember exactly how that hug happened, but he would remember hugging her back. He would remember her saying, “I have been around a very long time, Wade. I have seen war many, many times. I may well be the worst counselor in the world, but should you wish to talk, I am here, and I am your friend.”
Wade held her in the darkness and nodded his head. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
* * *
“She needs a little more persuasion in her drink if you know what I mean,” Tucker winked as he leaned against the bar in the kitchen.
“I got’choo, bro,” Drew winked. He took the red plastic cup from the other young man. “Lemme fix this up. She won’t even taste it in there.”
“Alright, thanks man,” Tucker nodded. He slapped his hand into Drew’s, leaving behind a five-dollar bill before walking away.
Drew looked at the green likeness of Abraham Lincoln with a mixture of amused surprise and indignation. “The fuck…?” he mumbled.
“You have a fan,” Lorelei grinned.
“Yeah, I guess,” Drew said, nodding to acknowledge her return. He flicked the fiver onto the back counter of the kitchen. With any luck, the hostess of the party would find it before anyone else did.
“A bartender shouldn’t be so quick to turn down tips.”
“Bartender’s supposed to be a little older than I am, too,” Drew chuckled. He turned to fixing the drink for whichever Britney it was that Tucker had brought to the party, smoothly ensuring that it was fruitier and less alcoholic than the weakest wine cooler.
“You could be good at that,” Lorelei offered. They had no “customers” in the kitchen at the moment. She busied herself throwing out empty bottles and cups. “Or do you have other career plans?”
“I always figured I’d probably just go into bouncin’,” he mused. “Not sure I want to work behind a desk all my life. I’m basically nocturnal, too. And I’d like to go all the way with college, but none of the majors I’d be interested in lead to real jobs, know what I’m sayin’?”
“I do,” she nodded.
“You know I got this, right? If you wanna go chill with Alex, I’m okay.”
Lorelei smiled. “We’ve been together since last night. He could use a little space. I rather like your company. And being back here with you makes for fewer hopeful suitors.”
Considering this, Drew nodded. “I got you.”
“I am also very grateful to you,” she said quietly, not wanting passing partiers to hear, “for standing with Alex the way you did. For being his friend. And for being so kind to me, given what you now know.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that at first. Drew mumbled with a shrug of his thick shoulders, “You ain’t gotta be grateful. He’s my boy. They’re all my boys. You be good to him, I’ll be good to you.”
“How did the two of you become friends?”
“That’s…heh. Nobody ever asks me that. I was the new kid in grade school. Alex just decided we were gonna be friends and that was basically it. I mean, we’re interested in totally different things. He’s always been into all that star stuff. Star Trek, Stargate, Star Search,” Drew grinned as he handed Britney’s drink to a passing Tucker. “But yeah, I was the new kid, and he was just like, ‘Hey, I’ll show you around at lunch or whatever,’ and I thought, ‘Cool.’ I was literally the token black at that school at first. Like, literally. An’ little kids can be shitty even when they don’t mean it, but Alex was cool. Then we turned out to be livin’ nearby each other and pretty soon we were always at each other’s houses.”
“I thought you were a year ahead of the others in school?”
Drew nodded. “Yeah, but they did this whole reading group thing in elementary where they mixed kids up. I was in the top group for my grade, but that nerd was in it, too, and he was a year younger.”
“So you simply decided to be friends,” Lorelei observed.
“He did, yeah. Me, too, I guess. I got pretty popular as we got older, and he didn’t exactly fit in with that crowd, but I never let anyone shut him out. An’ it’s not like he had no social skills or somethin’, just…he was different. Hell, sometimes it was like he was just older than everyone else. More mature. Didn’t wanna do the same stupid high school drama shit as everybody else. Made him a drag to be with in a few situations, but I kinda had to grow up fast, too, so got where he was comin’ from. An’ just, you know…different interests. Different hobbies.”
“I suspect you have at least one hobby in common at this point,” Lorelei suggested with a wink.
“Well, I don’t wanna sound disrespectful, but I’m clearly glad the boy’s finally getting’ a little booty. Clearly. Just sayin’.”
Lorelei nodded. “It’s been difficult to get him to let go and have a good time.”
“Yeah. He’s like that. Always been waitin’ for the other shoe to drop. Probably part of why he’s never had anyone before you. Alex seems to always expect things to fall apart. It’s kinda nice to see him get some real confidence after all that’s gone down this week.”
Hearing the note of appreciation for her in his voice, Lorelei smiled. Then the self-consciousness faded. “You do alright for yourself, I imagine?”
“I do. I do at that,” Drew agreed. She was staring. He liked it, of course, but he wasn’t entirely comfortable with her looking at him like that. For all Drew’s social acumen, even he could be put at a loss for words.
He couldn’t know that Lorelei placed them both under her power of her concealment. They were still visible, but for the moment no one would notice them.
“If I flirt with you, it is because I enjoy it and am being friendly,” Lorelei said in a husky voice as she slid up against the well-built, well-dressed young man. “You need never worry that I will betray your friend, or your friendship with him. But I am your friend as well,” she added before drawing him into a long, deep, lusty kiss.
“Forget this moment,” she breathed across his lips. “Forget my touch. Forget these words. Do not burden yourself with desire for me. You will find your own treasures.”
* * *
“We’re not supposed to be upstairs,” Alex noted.
“I’m not supposed to do a lot of things,” Jocelyn said. She closed the bedroom door behind him. The lights were on a dimmer knob, which Jocelyn used to create just enough light for them to see by. It also turned out that Jocelyn knew how to lock the door.
“This is Sherri’s room?”
“Yeah,” Jocelyn nodded, stepping closer to him. “Had a quick talk with her while you were in the bathroom.” She slid one hand up along his chest, curling her fingers over his shoulder and leaning into him. Her big brown eyes looked up into his. “I’m kinda used to guys being a little more aggressive.”
“I can’t imagine a guy ever honestly thinking he was in charge while he’s with you,” Alex said. A year ago, he’d have been overjoyed that Jocelyn was even talking to him. He’d have probably ruined it, too. Now he drew a thrill just from feeling so relaxed about this.
“I like to let a guy have his illusions. But it’s good that you know where we stand,” Jocelyn grinned meaningfully. “So, as long as we understand each other…I’m not gonna have to make everything happen here, right?”
At that, Alex pulled her against him. His kiss was aggressive, but not rough.
The kiss broke off only long enough for Alex to unbutton her blouse. Jocelyn hummed a note of appreciation, which soon turned to a gasp of pleasure as his hands slid over her belly and her sides. He kissed her again. His hands slid lower against her skin. The noises from Jocelyn became less appreciative and more pleading.
She was used to having a little more control than this.
* * *
“So how long have you been with that boyfriend? What’s his name? Alex Carlisle?”