expense, embarrassed by her reaction to a little spider on the wall. But while her eyes displayed mirth, she also worried her bottom lip between her teeth. A liar knows a lie when he sees it, and that little tell always gave her away.
I quickly tried to remember if I had thoroughly cleaned the hand mirror. Had I put it back where it was supposed to go? Was it possible she had found the half-empty bag of cocaine, taped securely to the top of the medicine cabinet? I didn't think so, but still, after leading her back to bed, I told her I needed to pee and quickly returned to the bathroom to make sure. Just to be safe. And as luck would have it, nothing had been touched. The mirror shined pristinely without a trace of white and the bag was where I'd left it. I didn't even see how she could've reached it without a step stool, and what reason would she have had to find it in the first place, without knowing to look?
I gripped the edge of the porcelain sink and stared deep into the reflection of my eyes. I didn't appear strung out and I wasn't high anymore, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I was rattled from the secrecy, from going back on my pledge to remain forever sober. But ... it had done the job, hadn't it? I'd gotten myself through until Andy got back. I had gotten a good night’s sleep, and with that refreshed burst of energy, I had satisfied her thoroughly with a handful of orgasms that had left her shaking and gasping for air. So, if a one-off hit of coke could accomplish that, then where was the harm, really? And why the hell did I feel so guilty about it?
“Chill,” I muttered through gritted teeth. “It's all good, man. Just chill.”
But even though I'd given the order, I couldn't chill, as I went back to the bedroom to find Andy wide awake and waiting. I saw the trepidation in her eyes and her bitten bottom lip. I hated to admit it, but I was scared. She knew something, or at the very least sensed something, and I was terrified that this, who we were at this very moment, was the beginning of the end.
***
“Why are you so nervous?” she asked, as I stomped on the half-smoked cigarette.
“I'm not nervous,” I insisted, grinding my heel against the asphalt.
“Vinnie,” she cocked her head, with a knowing glint in her eye, “that's the third time you've smoked since we got off the train.”
“Smoking's got nothin' to do with my nerves,” I said, telling only half of the truth. “And besides, you'd be smoking too if you were about to willingly jump into the lion's den.”
I peered up the steps to the large, wrap-around porch. The big and beautiful stained glass doors were a gorgeous disguise for this lair of mean-spirited, judgmental women and a guy who couldn't wrap his head around the concept of not having a drink.
“Oh, stop,” Andy hissed. “Come on, we gotta get inside. Oh, and pick that up,” she pointed at the crushed cigarette butt, “before my dad sees it.”
Sighing, I bent over and snatched it up, stuffing it into the pocket of my slacks.
“We do have garbage cans, you know,” Andy said, her tone edging on a giggle.
I feigned a gasp, clapping a hand over my chest. “Garbage cans? Really? I've never seen one of those before!”
She groaned, shaking her head as she took my hand. “Come on.”
“Where I come from, we just dump our trash in the streets,” I went on, forcing an air of amazement. I gripped her hand with both of mine and jumped excitedly. “Tell me, miss, do you have indoor plumbing, too? Golly, it sure would be swell to use a toilet for the first time!”
“Oh, my God,” Andy grumbled, her lips twitching. “I hate you.”
I laughed, allowing her to lead me up the steps to that big, solid, mahogany door. “No, you don't. You fuckin' love me.”
“Yeah, well,” she dug her keys from her purse, “I'm starting to wonder why.”
“Oh, I know why,” I said coyly, and when she looked up at me expectantly, I added, “It's the earth-shattering orgasms, isn't it?”
Andy quickly glanced toward the door, eyes wide at the muffled sounds of voices inside. “Vinnie, they'll hear you—”
“Come on, sweetheart,” I said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You're tellin' me you don't want your family to know about