glass around. “I’m so happy you’ve found someone. I know you’ve been down since your mom died. Which sucks. So this will be good for you. You should seriously just jump him. What have you got to lose? Apart from your new hymen. Honestly, that shit must have grown back by now. How long has it been?” she asked, then laughed at her own witticism.
The end had turned slightly catty, as was Anna’s way, but the overall message did set Jenny to thinking. It was hard to tell if she only thought it was a good idea because she was slightly intoxicated, though not nearly as drunk as her friends, or if it was a serious case of en vino veritas . But, hey, she and Asher were already keeping so many other things secret from the club. Why not add a quick tumble, just to take the edge off? Her dad would never have to know.
Anastasia sat her glass on the kitchen island, turned, and began drunkenly pawing through her purse, dumping handfuls of stuff on the counter as she muttered.
“What are you looking for?”
“My keys.”
“Oh no! You’re in no shape to be driving home. I’ll call you a cab.”
“I don’t need no fucking cab. I drive like this all the time.”
“Yeah. And what happened the last time?”
“It was just a little fender-bender!”
“Uh-huh.” Jenny spun her laptop around and punched up a list of cab companies on the internet. Five minutes later, having liberated Anastasia’s keys from her, she had a cab on the way. “You can leave your car and come back for it in the morning.”
“You can be a real bitch, you know that?”
“Yeah. You’re welcome.”
They struggled to get the softly snoring Chrysta on her feet, but after failing that, Jenny opened the door. As expected, Asher was there, sitting in the floor with his back against the wall. “Can you give us a hand?”
“With what?”
“Chrysta. She’s such a lush.”
Asher followed Jenny into the apartment and none too gently patted Chrysta on the face. He was still working on her when the security guard buzzed that her cab was there.
“Fuck it,” Asher muttered before picking Chrysta up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “If she pukes on me, I’m taking it out on your ass,” he warned Jenny gravely, as he turned toward the door.
As she shut the door behind Asher and the gently weaving Anna, Jenny settled back onto the sofa with a glass of water to wait for his return. It wasn’t long before he was back.
“Did she throw up on you?”
“No. But that other one, she invited me back to her place. Told me she needed me to carry her to her bedroom.”
“Why didn’t you go?”
“Because she was drunk off her ass, and because I have a job to do.”
“That the only reason?”
“No. But it’s enough.” He looked around the apartment. Two empty wine bottles and a nearly empty third, along with three glasses, was the only sign that anything had been going on. He had expected a much bigger mess, considering the state of Jenny’s friends. She had clearly imbibed, but she wasn’t nearly as shit-faced as her two friends.
She looked up and smiled, as he surveyed the room, patting the cushion beside her, indicating he take a seat. “How was your evening?” she asked him, pouring him a glass of wine from the nearly dead bottle.
“It was fine. The chick across the hall found out she was pregnant and her boyfriend or husband was none too happy about it. Sitting in halls is my favorite way to spend a Friday evening.” He accepted the drink with a nod. A beer would be better, but this beat nothing.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t have to sit out there. Why didn’t you go to the clubhouse or something?”
“I can’t protect you from the clubhouse.”
“What did you think was going to happen? I’ve known Anna and Chrysta for a couple of years and they haven’t tried to kill me