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The elevator doors open, letting a grinning Darwin and harried-looking Edie out first, followed by every out-of-town guest over the age of fifty-seven.
“I can’t believe I never knew how instrumental this quarry was to the war effort,” Darwin says, keeping close to the tour guide as Edie stalks to our table and lifts a shot glass.
“Oh, Eed, I wouldn’t—” I say, reaching for it, but she tilts it into her mouth, swallowing it all and places the glass down. Then she reaches for another, her eyes hard and practically daring someone to stop her. She shoots another glass of the disgustingly sweet liquor and wipes her mouth. I pass her a bottle of water and she demurely sips it, and then stares at Eric until he wordlessly passes her another shot glass of the shit.
“Damn, Edie,” Tate says. “Will you marry me?”
She arches an eyebrow and knocks the third shot back, eliciting a little shiver, and now I can see the color return to her cheeks.
“This place is terrible,” Edie says as Dar slowly approaches.
He has far too much swagger for a guy who is hosting a party in an underground industrial site.
“This place is epic,” Dar says, wrapping his arms around Edie and pressing a kiss to her neck.
She moves a little too fluidly as he rocks her and lets out a little giggle. The booze is hitting her hard and fast, as she’d expected.
“She’s not into frozen granite quarries?” Zeke asks.
“Claustrophobic,” I say and he snorts into my shoulder.
“I love you Beedie,” Dar says into her hair, and her face softens in a smile.
“You do?” she trills.
“Oh!” Gwen squeals at the same time Hadley says, “It’s drunk Edie!”
Dar stares down at her with an appraising look, and then nods. “I can see what my mission is, and I choose to accept it. Time to go!” He hoists her over his shoulder and carries a giggling Edie back toward the elevator.
“Don’t leave us here!” Gwen wails, grabbing her purse and chasing after them.
“Gwen, I don’t think they’re—” But she’s gone, and they’re gone, and everyone starts taking bets over how long before Gwen realizes they’re just finding a dark corner for a quickie, not actually leaving.
“Don’t take a bet you can’t actually cash in on,” Tate says.
“Oh, come on. She’s not that dumb. She’ll be back in less than ten minutes,” Liza says.
“Hey, she’s not that judgey,” Hadley says. “And your brother’s di—”
“Is nothing we are ever talking about, ever,” Liza snaps, sipping on the sickly whiskey.
“Oh come on, we’ve all seen it. Right, Faye?” Hadley says.
Zeke tenses behind me.
“No comment.” There may have been one time I came face to face with his nether regions, but it was pure accident when I fell asleep in Edie’s bed.
“Oh come on, who hasn’t seen it?” Andrew says.
“I can’t say I have,” Zeke mumbles, taking a drink from our shared water bottle. And before anyone can say anything else, “And I have no interest. Unless…” He leans in, cupping his hand over my ear and blowing into my ear. His hot breath hits me just right, and I giggle as my walls clench, aching for him.
“Stop it,” I squeal as he tickles me.
“Oh, you two,” Hadley says as Liza groans louder.
“So, what’s your deal?” Eric says.
“What do you mean?” Zeke says.
