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“Layna is making us watch a professional poker championship,” Violet explained, waving at the TV.
“Which is as fun as it sounds,” Hope grumbled.
“They’ve taken to drinking each time someone exhibits a tell,” Danny explained, waving at the shot glasses lined up on the coffee table around the pizza box. “As you can imagine, they’re all sloshed.”
“You’ve had just as much,” Layna accused, shooting Danny small eyes.
“But I, unlike you lot, can hold my liquor,” Danny said, shooting me a wink.
“You want to catch up?” Layna asked, pouring another shot.
“Why not?” I said.
It had been a hell of a day. I deserved a drink.
Or five.
And that was how many deep I was in when the doorbell rang.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
The girls all noticed. How could they not? But no one said a thing as Ferryn got up and walked toward the door.
I noticed her reaching into her shirt for something, but the motion stopped when a voice called through the door.
“Come on! This is heavy!”
Ferryn yanked the door open, and there was Gracie, her arms full of big brown bags sitting inside plastic bags. The universal look of to-go Chinese food.
Gracie was very blonde and very pretty, her wavy hair spilling over her shoulders. She was dressed in cut-off shorts and a flowing white peasant top that kept falling off one shoulder to expose her red bathing suit.
“Oh, hey!” she said, beaming at me like we were the oldest of friends. “I’m Gracie. And I have to ask… are you okay?” she asked, pressing a hand to her chest. “Not because of your attack,” she clarified, lips twitching. “But from having to deal with this group for the past several hours.”
“Hey!” Layna objected. “I reject being lumped in with these sour pusses.”
“Second only to her poker playing skills, Layna is clearly most well known for her humility,” Gracie said, all smiles. “Oh, God. You’re all drinking?” she asked.
“We’ll make the prospects drive us home later,” Violet said as she reached for another shot and held it out toward Gracie.
“I shouldn’t,” she said, looking at it.
“And, yet, you’re going to,” Layna insisted.
Gracie was a complete pushover, but was probably the most fun of all of the girls when she got a little tipsy.
It wasn’t long until the laughter that had woken me up was joined with my own.
The way they interacted was almost exactly how my sister and I did. I guess that was the perk of growing up in and around the club. You had dozens of people who were like sisters and brothers to you. People you shared your entire history with, so there was no awkwardness or guards up.
Suddenly, I could see myself as part of this group, not just an outsider looking for acceptance.
And while, no, I was never going to be anyone’s social butterfly, I had to admit that I wouldn’t mind more nights like this, with these girls. Some of the others, too.
“We should bring her to the range!” Layna said, eyes widening. “She can meet Mr. Sex-On-A-Stick.”
“She means Amos,” Gracie said, batting her lashes. “He is dreamy.”
“If we drag her, we should drag Luna. When’s the last time anyone saw her?” Layna asked.
“She was at the party for the twins,” Ferryn said.
“What? Where?” Layna asked.
“In a corner. With a book. I don’t think she talked to anyone,” I said.
“She didn’t. Then she snuck out the second she thought no one would notice,” Ferryn confirmed.
“Oh, my God!” Layna exclaimed, whacking Gracie on the chest as she said it, making Gracie rub the spot.
“What?” she asked.
“What do one sexy range watcher dude and our reclusive cousin have in common?” she asked, then burst out before anyone could even try to respond, “Books! We should hook them up.”
“Oh, God,” Danny grumbled. “Leave the poor girl alone. She likes her books.”
“She likes super-steamy guys inside of books,” Layna said.
“Yeah, but… when are real-life men ever that hot?” Vi asked, then looked around at Ferryn, Danny, Hope, and I, who were all thinking about our own super hot real-life men. “Ugh,” she grumbled.
“It’s okay,” Layna said, patting Violet’s leg. “I see where you’re coming from. But all that sexy man reading has got to be causing some insane pent-up sexual frustration. I’m not saying she has to marry Amos. Just that, you know, maybe she should take a ride on the Amos train. That’s all I’m saying.”
The next few hours were more of the same.
But as we got drunker, we got louder and sillier. Even the very reserved Ferryn was loosening up.
I couldn’t tell you when or why the deck of cards came out. Yet they did.
We were on our fourth hand when the door opened, and in walked Finn.
“Great fucking security,” he grumbled, looking right at his sister.
“Oh, please, I heard the bike pull up. And your stomping footsteps. I grew up with you. I can hear you from a mile away,” Ferryn said waving over her head at him.
