draped along the walls and lit up with Christmas lights. A fake disco ball was strung up in the middle and spun every time someone tall enough went by and slapped it. The place smelled like weed, spilled beer, and sweat.
Either it was too early or the entire crowd was in the back, but the front room was fairly empty except for a few people loitering around the windows.
A table set up at the end blocked the path to the rooms beyond. It was full of small shot glasses filled with amber liquid. A guy wearing a T-shirt that read“ FCK” in big letters waived us over. As I neared, I could see that the small print read“ All that’s missing is ‘U.’”
“$2 a shot for the guys. Free for the girls. Beer’s free back there.” He gestured behind him. I rolled my eyes. The Forest house was apparently a party house where the members tried to make money by charging for liquor. The freebies for the girls were to entice the guys to come and spend generously.
I wanted to wait for Noah out front, and I turned to head back out when Amy grabbed my arm. “Let’s do a shot,” she said. I nodded agreement. I hated whiskey but maybe a little liquid courage would help me in bed. I’d have fewer inhibitions. I wouldn’t be so embarrassed at being naked.
“Is that whiskey?” I asked.
He nodded, “Jack.”
“Please,” Amy pleaded. Maybe she needed some liquid courage to hit on Bo, too.
“You should wait until Noah gets here,” Bo suggested, which set off Lana.
“She needs permission from Noah to drink now?” Lana marched up to the table and laid down a ten-dollar bill. “Three shots. This can be your tip.”
Shot guy wordlessly picked up the $10, stuck it in his pocket, and pushed three shot glasses forward. I took one of the shots and drained it. As the Jack burned down my throat, I coughed and wiped at my watering eyes.
“Come on, ladies, do a shot with us.” Tim and Eric, the guys from Noah’s gym, come forward to do their own shots. Bo looked to protest again, but Lana held up her hand. He remained silent but brooding. We all did another shot while Bo looked on like a discontented father. This one went down far easier, as if the first one burned away any resistance. I felt better already.
Tim and Eric wanted us to do another shot with them, but by that time Noah and Finn had walked in. Noah looked unhappy to see us crowded around the shot table.
“Did you have to park really far away?” I asked him.
He laced his fingers through mine and pulled me close to him, placing a quick kiss against my forehead. “No, why?”
“You look unhappy.”
“I tried to stop them, brother, but no go,” Bo said, clapping a hand on Noah’s shoulder. He turned to the shot man, with sarcasm heavily weighting his words, “Did we pay a sufficient toll?”
Shot guy merely held up his arms. “Go on through.”
Noah led the way, pulling me behind him. This room had tubs of glass-bottled beer, a luxurious drinking item for college students. Noah stopped and bought drinks for everyone. I tried to remember the rhyme. Was it liquor first and then beer or reverse?
“You look perplexed,” Noah said, leaning down to speak into my ear. His breath tickled my lobe and thoughts of our activities in the bar made me squeeze my legs together slightly. Thank god I was a girl. The shots were doing their job. I wondered if there were some dark corners I could take him into.
“I’m trying to remember if I should just keep drinking shots or if it’s okay to have beer.”
“Liquor first. You’re good to go,” Noah said and then sighed.
“Do you want to go?” First the glower and then the sigh.
“No, it’s all good,” he replied, squeezing my hand.
We wandered through to the back deck that was very crowded. There were two kegs out here and dozens of plastic cups already discarded on the ground like abandoned toys.
“Walk through the crowd with me,” Lana demanded. I turned to Noah and informed him of our plans.
“I’ll be right back,” I reassured him.
He nodded and went to hold up a piece of railing with Bo while the other guys delved into the crowd. Amy looked at Lana and me and then back at Bo. “Go forth, young pilgrim,” Lana said, winking at Amy.
We began a slow circuit through the crowd,