people.”
“Trolls.”
“What if Gloria’s there?”
“That’s her problem.”
“Dammit.”
“We’re not going back in there,” Dave said. “I don’t care what you say.”
“Let’s go.”
“No.”
“To my place.”
“Are you sure?”
“I want to get out of here. Right now.”
But she kept herself clenched to Dave, and didn’t move.
“Couple of real chickens, aren’t we?” she said after a while.
“Kentucky fried.”
“It’s not as if they could’ve hurt us or anything. I mean, we’re armed.”
“And you’re Kung Fu City.”
“Could’ve choppy-sockied them all over the place.”
“On the other hand, who’s to say they don’t have weapons of their own?”
“That’s a pleasant thought.”
“Did you mean it about leaving?” Dave asked.
“I meant it. Let’s go.”
Twenty-seven
“I’d just as soon get going,” Shiner said.
“It’s early, it’s still early.” Jeremy’s voice sounded slightly muffled to him, as if his ears were plugged. Can booze do that to you? he wondered.
Shiner squeezed his arm and shook him gently. “Come on. Everybody’s polluted. Including you.”
“I’m fine,” Jeremy said. “Can’t we stay a little longer?”
“If you really want to. But just a few more minutes, okay?”
He looked down at the glass in his hand and saw that it was empty. He decided against getting a refill just now. Shiner wouldn’t like it. She really didn’t seem to be enjoying herself much. She should’ve been drinking like the rest of them. After her first glass of spiked punch, right after Nate left, she’d switched to Pepsi.
“Wanna dance?” Jeremy asked.
“Not much. I’m all danced out. And they keep playing that crap. I hate that crap.”
“It’s the Beastie Boys.”
“Whoopie.”
Only Karen was still dancing. A few minutes ago she’d stripped down to her bra and panties. She was writhing and shaking, her hair flying, her breasts bobbing wildly, as if the bra wasn’t even there. Her skin was glossy with moisture. Her eyes were fixed on Tanya.
Tanya didn’t seem interested. She was staring at her drink and paying no attention to Karen. She’d been dancing herself a little earlier. But she’d kept her clothes on, and kept a glass of punch in one hand. Now she was slumped on the sofa with her bare feet resting on top of the table in front of her. Randy was stretched out, his head on her lap, one arm hanging down toward the floor. He appeared to be asleep.
Passed out is more like it, Jeremy thought.
Randy’d been guzzling the punch. He’d acted pretty funny for a while, giggling and doing his “famous impressions of dead presidents” such as Chester A. Arthur and Thomas Jefferson, and giggling a lot and wearing his glasses upside down. Then he’d collapsed onto the sofa.
Jeremy wished he could be the one on the sofa with Tanya.
Only not zonked out. Wide-awake.
He imagined himself with her, but not lying there the way Randy was. Sitting up, Tanya straddling his lap the way Liz was on Cowboy in the recliner across the room. They’d been like that for a long time. Jeremy suspected that Cowboy’s hands were up inside her sweater.
“Are you ready to go yet?” Shiner asked.
“What time is it?”
“Ten-fifteen. But you said we could leave early. Nothing’s going on anyway.”
“Coupla minutes?”
“What’re you waiting for? Think Karen’s going to take off the rest?”
“I don’ even like her,” Jeremy protested.
“You sure like looking at her. Personally, I happen to find it repulsive. You do know what she’s doing, don’t you?”
“Dancing.”
“Trying to get Tanya turned on.”
“Tanya’s no lesbo.”
“Oh, you’re an expert?”
“She was Nate’s girl.”
“Yeah, and Nate’s out of the picture and she’s really depressed. Maybe Karen’ll get lucky.”
“Nah.”
“Maybe one of the guys’ll get lucky.” Shiner looked at Jeremy and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you. Is that what you’re hoping for?”
He felt heat rush to his face. “No!”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Honest.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Then prove it. Let’s leave right now.”
Oh, God, Jeremy thought. What’ll I do? What if I say no? This could be my big chance.
“Okay,” he said. “We can leave.”
Shiner’s lips formed a narrow line. She gazed into his eyes and nodded. “Good.” Her hand found his, and she squeezed it gently.
“I gotta use the john, though.”
“Hardly surprising.” She smiled. “You’ll have to wait for Heather to get out. That’ll give you a while longer to ogle Karen.”
He pushed himself away from the paneled wall. The bathroom door was shut, all right. Determined not to ogle Karen, he turned his eyes to Shiner.
She really is beautiful, he thought.
He wondered what would happen in the car. It was still early. She didn’t have to be home until midnight, so they’d have a long time if they parked somewhere.
Heather stepped out of the bathroom. She looked saggy.