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"I want to speak with you in private."
He wanted to lecture her. Without thinking, she picked up a napkin and began dabbing at water rings. It had taken all her courage to come in here alone tonight, and she wasn't up to being yelled at. She shook her head.
His voice grew harder. "Now, Kristy."
"No."
"Fuck off, asshole."
Andy's roommate had spoken, and Kristy stared at him, shocked. Nobody talked to Ethan like that. And then she remembered that Jason was from Charlotte and didn't know who Ethan was.
Andy punched his friend in the arm. "Uh—sorry about that, Pastor Ethan. Jason's not from around here."
Ethan gave them both a stare that threatened eternal damnation, then turned his Elmer Gantry eyes back on her. "Kristina, come with me immediately."
The jukebox launched into "You Don't Own Me."
Kristy's stomach curled with nervousness. She gathered up a crumpled cocktail napkin, cellophane from a package of cigarettes, and moved the beer pitcher closer to the center of the table so everyone could reach it more easily.
He leaned over and spoke so softly only she could hear. "If you don't do as I say, I'm going to pick you up and carry you out of here."
He didn't look like Pastor Ethan, everybody's friend, and belatedly Kristy remembered that he had a temper. He didn't display it often, and he was always remorseful afterward, but this wasn't afterward, this was now, and she decided not to take any chances.
Rising with as much dignity as she could muster, she nodded. "Very well. I suppose I can spare you a few minutes."
Ethan was not gracious in victory. "Darned right you can."
He took her arm in a firm grasp, but as she stepped forward, she found her nervousness easing. A fuzzy pink cloud had settled over her, bringing with it a feeling of well-being. She wasn't used to drinking, and although she'd barely finished two beers, she realized it had been enough to make her a bit giddy. It felt wonderful, and she decided that Ethan could preach at her all he wanted, and it wouldn't bother her one bit.
Ethan led her toward his car. As they approached, he used his free hand—the one that wasn't fastened to her arm—to pat the left pocket of his jeans. Not finding what he wanted, he tried the opposite one, then reached around to explore the back pockets.
He'd forgotten his keys again. They were undoubtedly lying on the table inside, which was why she always kept a spare set in her purse.
She automatically reached for it, then realized she wasn't carrying her old purse of many pockets, but a trendy little quilted number on a gold chain. She also remembered that Rachel had told her to stop mothering him.
"I left my keys inside." He held out his hand. "I need the spare set."
Good old reliable Kristy Brown. His absolute certainty that she would be carrying his spare keys—even though she no longer worked for him—poked a large hole in her fuzzy pink cloud, and she realized she wasn't nearly as drunk as she wanted to be. "That's unfortunate."
He released her arm. Giving her an irritated look, he hooked the purse by its chain and drew it off her shoulder. She watched in silence as he riffled through its contents.
"They're not here."
"I don't work for you anymore, remember? I don't have to carry around your keys."
"Of course you still work for—" He froze. Slowly his hand emerged from her purse holding a small square foil packet. "What is this?"
She was mortified. Her skin flushed, and that embarrassed her even more, until she realized it was too dark in the parking lot for him to see. She took a deep breath and struggled to speak calmly. "It's a condom, Ethan. I'm surprised you've never seen one."
"Of course I've seen one!"
"Then why are you asking?"
"Because I want to know what it's doing in your purse."
Her embarrassment faded, replaced by anger. "That's none of your business." She snatched it away from him, slipped it back into her purse, and returned the strap to her shoulder.
Two couples, one of whom belonged to Ethan's congregation, came out of the Mountaineer. Ethan grabbed her arm again and pulled her toward his car only to come to a stop as he remembered he couldn't get in. He glanced toward the couples, who were just beginning to move off the porch, and she knew he wanted to get away before he was spotted.
