She leans closer staring intently into the girl’s eyes saying, “- get you off.” She leers at the poor girl who practically does a backflip.
“What? Uh, I get off at two.” Her face lit with anticipation.
“Great, I’ll be back at two and you can take me home and have your way with me, or vice versa, whichever gets you off.” A sly smile forms on her lips. Her voice is husky and low. “Here’s my cell number in case they let you leave early. I can’t wait to see what’s under all those clothes.” Gliding her finger down the girl’s arm and handing her a slip of paper, Sally turns to us, “Ladies? Let’s head over to Mulligan’s.”
Sally towers over the poor girl, as she looks down, rubbing her thumb lightly across Natalie’s plump lips. “Such full lips…I look forward to feeling them all over my body.” The waitress’ breath hitches, and her face breaks into a smile. Sally’s lips part as she murmurs, “So sweet. I’ll see you at two.”
Thank God, Mulligan’s is close by. Karen is staggering and swaying, but she’s a blast when she gets drunk. The two blocks to Mulligan’s consist of Karen making jokes and imitating our professor. We laugh the whole way.
The bar is full, but not so full it feels like you’re in a mosh pit or something. Scanning the room, I see the same group of soccer guys from the quad. “There they are. Let’s be casual. There’s a table a couple over from theirs. Let’s grab it.”
As we sit down, Sally says, “I guess you’ll have the room to yourself on Saturday.” She winks with a leering grin.
“I know. Whatever will I do?” I laugh.
Turning to Karen, she says, “The secret to being noticed is looking hot. And, you are looking mighty fine tonight I must say, so check that off the list.” She runs her eyes up and down Karen’s body, garnering an instant blush from Karen. Leaning in, she says, “Confidence is almost more important. You look hot. Own it. Now, go walk to the bathroom right past that table of guys and do not look at anyone, keep your eyes straight and on the bathroom. Don’t acknowledge anyone unless they say something to you. Say hi politely, but absolutely no gushing. If no one speaks, walk back over here.” Sally straightens her back, her nose pointing faintly upward. “You don’t care if any of them say hi or not.”
Karen rises, unsteady on her feet. She says, “Ok, I’m going in.”
Sally says to me, “Don’t watch her. Turn your head and look off in the distance and watch her out of the corner of your eye.” We both stare apathetically at the room, sipping on our drinks, and chatting as Karen walks past the first table. As she nears the table, she wobbles. I hold my breath. Shit, she’s goin’ down. As she loses her balance, a guy jumps from his seat, catching her in his arms. He sets her right on her feet, smiling down at her. He doesn’t release her right away but eventually she walks on to the bathroom. Once Karen is on her way again, I notice Bobby is at the table.
After a few minutes, Karen makes her way back to the table. As she passes the guys’ table, Bobby says something with a smile, and she giggles.
Karen rejoins us and slides into her chair. “Did I forget to mention you should stay upright?” Sally says, “I didn’t think I needed to say that.”
Karen’s shy smile was touching. She says in a hushed tone, “That’s ok. He caught me.” Her giggle barely audible as she whispers, “Did it look real?”
“What? You fell on purpose?” I ask.
“Yeah, silly. I may not be confident around boys, but I can certainly manage walking.”
“That was a risk. What if you had landed right on your ass?” Sally asks.
Karen shrugs. “Then he would have been the jerk that let me fall, or the sweetheart who helped me up.” Her face is impassive but a touch annoyed.
The band takes the stage, and we order a round of lemon drop martinis in honor of my poor bartending skills.
“How are classes going for you, Sally?” Karen asks.
I slap her arm gently. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you study.”
“My parents don’t care about my grades,” she says with sheesh, “I have to get a degree. It’s not like they expect me to use it to get an actual job.”
“That’s your parents,” Karen