Despite the late night, the next morning Elaine felt energised and bounced out of bed in a good mood. A long hot shower was in order, and she indulged herself. Emerging with wet hair, a smile, and wrapped in a soft towel, Elaine made coffee while her roommates slept. She hadn’t even heard them come in, and it didn’t bother her one bit. She felt like she was walking on air!

What’s wrong with me? she wondered, giggling quietly. Carrying her coffee to the lounge room, she postponed getting dressed, instead slipping her favourite U2 Live DVD into the machine, resisting the temptation to crank it up. As Bono serenaded her, Elaine relaxed into the couch, cradling the mug of coffee in her hands and closing her eyes.

 

She could hardly wipe the smile from her face. Crossing her legs only enhanced the feeling of being ‘well fucked’. Her pussy was warm and swollen. Muscles ached that she’d never used before. She was exhausted. And yet her skin tingled and her mind was doing somersaults!

 

She had almost heard his voice, telling her what to do. Where did her ability to construct such things come from? She knew she had a fertile fantasy world from which to draw, and she knew that postponement of her orgasm would raise its intensity, but her willingness to blindly follow her own suggestions, albeit imagined as Gary’s, made her shake her head and blush.

 

Would it be like that? she wondered.

 

If I don’t meet him, I’ll never know.

 

Sighing softly, she buried herself deeper into the sofa. God I love U2, she thought. It was almost like she’d grown up with them, like they’d shared everything that had happened to her. And in a way, they had. They’d been there through every traumatic moment in her life. Bono was a surrogate father, helping to fortify her moral backbone, giving her a vision of how things might be. Edge was her unbridled passion, her soaring hopes and dreams. And Adam, with the amazingly perfect biceps; he was her heartbeat, her rhythm, her grounding.

 

Opening her eyes and smiling at her thoughts, out loud she wondered, “So where does Gary fit in?”

 

“Huh?” asked Chelsea, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight streaming in the window above the stereo. She collapsed on the other end of the sofa, crossing her arms and yawning. “Who’s Gary?”

 

“Just... someone I met.”

 

“You met someone?” Chelsea asked, feigning astonishment and sitting up straighter. “I can’t believe it.”

 

Elaine didn’t feel like sharing Gary with Chelsea, at least not while she was in a teasing mood. Instead she rolled her eyes and asked Chelsea if she wanted a coffee.

 

“Yeah. Thanks. Don’t worry about Kendra, though. She’s not here.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“She went to a party with some friends from school. I didn’t see her after about two-thirty. Actually, I couldn’t see much of anything after about two-thirty. She’ll drag her sorry ass in sometime today. Don’t worry about her.”

 

“All right. I’ll get you that coffee,” said Elaine, heading for the kitchen. “Do you want some toast? I’m making some. It’s no trouble.”

 

Chelsea said, “You’re an angel.” That made Elaine smile.

 

When she returned with coffee and a plate of toast, Elaine noticed Chelsea was rolling a marihuana cigarette. “What are you doing?” Elaine asked. “It’s not even half past nine!”

 

“Coffee and a joint. Breakfast of champions.”

 

Elaine laughed as she sat down. “I didn’t realise they gave out medals for the most brain cells destroyed in a semester.”

 

“If they did...” Chelsea said, picking up a piece of toast. “Kendra would win hands down.”

 

“Well, congratulations on getting the silver,” said Elaine, sipping from her coffee and grinning.

 

“No one ever remembers who came second.”

 

“No one ever remembers anything in this contest.”

 

Now it was Chelsea’s turn to laugh. “That’s true.” When she’d finished munching through her second piece of toast, she sat back with her coffee and lit the joint. “So who is this guy?”

 

Elaine figured Chelsea was in a better mood. “His name’s Gary. I’m trying to decide if I should meet him or not.”

 

“You haven’t met him? Don’t tell me it’s through a dating agency.”

 

“No, nothing like that. I met him in a chat room and-“

 

“You met him in a chat room? Are you crazy?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, this Gary guy could be anyone. Chat rooms are supposed to be worse than dating agencies. He might be a rapist or an axe murderer.” Chelsea had moved to the edge of the couch.

 

“I don’t think I’d disagree with that, but he’s not.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“I checked.”

 

“How?”

 

“He gave me the number of someone who could tell me about him. A friend. A woman.”

 

“And you called her?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I still say you’re crazy.”

 

Elaine sighed. “You could be right.”

 

After taking a long draw on the joint, Chelsea offered it to Elaine. “Join me. I don’t like getting high on my own.”

 

“Pusher. Oh, all right.” Elaine took a small toke and held it out for Chelsea to take back.

 

“If you get high on that, I’ll wear my panties on my head for a week,” she said, nodding at the joint. “Have a proper go at it.”

 

Elaine giggled at the thought. She took a longer draw and held it in for a few seconds. “Better?” she choked out, blowing blue smoke.

 

“Lightweight,” Chelsea said, winking and taking back the joint and sinking into the sofa. “So you’re going to meet him?”

 

“I think so,” replied Elaine, enjoying her coffee.

 

“Where?”

 

“I don’t know yet. Somewhere public. Nearby.”

 

“When?”

 

“I don’t know that either. I’ll have to talk to him. Letting him decide is appealing.”

 

“Do you know anything about him? What does he do? What does he look like?”

 

“We’ve been chatting online for a while. He owns a business and he’s doing okay.” Elaine wasn’t sure whether she was prepared to show Gary’s picture to Chelsea. But unless she lied, she didn’t know how she could conceal it. “He looks good. I’ve seen his picture.”

 

“He sent it to you?”

 

“Yeah.” Damn.

 

“Do you still have it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well? Let’s take a look, you ninny. You’re harder to get blood out of than a stone, Elaine. What are you hiding? What’s wrong with him?”

 

“Nothing.” It was a matter of pride now. “Come on. It’s on the computer.”

 

“Cool,” said Chelsea, picking up her own coffee and following Elaine down to her bedroom. Once the machine was booted up and Elaine had produced Gary’s photo, full screen and in living colour, Chelsea hesitated and stared for a moment. “Um, sorry. Did you say he had a brother?”

 

Elaine laughed nervously. “I don’t think so. Maybe. There’s a lot we haven’t talked about.”

 

Chelsea was still staring. “He has weird eyes. They kind of see into you. Jesus, Elaine. He’s hot. He’s a bit older though isn’t he?”

 

“Yeah. Thirty-four.”

 

“Jeez. Well he looks pretty good for thirty-four.”

 

“C’mon Chelsea, he looks like a frigging model. I feel a bit intimidated actually.”

 

“Has he seen your picture?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And?”

 

“He’s interested.”

 

“So what’s stopping you?”

 

Elaine wasn’t sure. “I don’t know.”

 

“I’m getting the munchies,” Chelsea said. “Let’s finish the toast.” Elaine nodded and they headed back out to the lounge room. When they were settled again, Chelsea said, “Well, if you don’t want to meet him, I will. I’d park my slippers under his bed anytime.”

 

“So you think I should?” Elaine could feel herself blushing.

 

“Let’s see. He likes me. I like him. I’ve checked up on him and he isn’t an axe murderer. And he’s hot. Yeah. I’d meet him in a minute.”

 

“But what if I don’t like him?”

 

“Then you leave. Jeez, Elaine. You said you’d meet him in a public place. It’s not like he could blindfold you, tie you up, and throw you in the boot.”

 

Maybe not throw me in the boot , thought Elaine, blushing harder and suppressing a giggle. “You’re right.”

 

“Cool. So you’re going to make a date?”

 

“I guess. I’ll wait until the time is right. I’m going to need a favour, though.”

 

“You want me to come too? I’d love to meet him. Maybe I could steal him from you.” Chelsea winked.

 

Elaine wasn’t so sure Chelsea was kidding. But she wasn’t worried. She was pretty sure Chelsea wouldn’t impress Gary at all. Kendra even less so! Still, the idea was perversely attractive, just to see what would happen. “I don’t think so. Not the first time. But I do want someone to call me on my cell phone in the middle of our meeting and ask how things are going.”

 

“I could do that.”

 

“I’d really appreciate it.”

 

“What if he’s holding a knife to your throat? How would I know?”

 

“I’ll call you ‘Chelse’, instead of Chelsea.”

 

“And then what?”

 

“Call the place where we were supposed to meet. If I’m not there, call the police.”

 

“Okay. I can do that. You’ve thought this over, haven’t you?”

 

“Yeah. I’m just trying to be cautious.”

 

“I’d say we’ve got him covered.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

For a moment they sipped from their cups and stared at the T.V. screen. Bono was mesmerising as he tore into an oldie, ‘Electric Co.’ “Thanks for asking me,” Chelsea muttered, taking a dig at Kendra in her absence.

 

“I couldn’t have asked Kendra,” Elaine replied with a grin. “I wouldn’t have known how to shorten her name.”

 

“How about ‘Bitch’?”

 

They looked at each other and cracked up hysterically. Elaine laughed so hard she spilt coffee on the towel that was still wrapped around her body. She was completely taken aback by the fact that she was still in just a towel after being up for over an hour. “Um, I better get changed.”

 

“You’ve already changed.”

 

Elaine stopped climbing out of the chair. “What do you mean?”

 

“I dunno. You just seem to have changed lately. You seem more... three dimensional.”

 

“Really?” Elaine smiled warily. It was a strange thing for Chelsea to have said.

 

“Yeah. Like, you hardly talked to us for the first half of semester. Even though the past week has been weird, I feel like I know you better. I mean, look at you sitting there in a towel while you have your coffee. You wouldn’t have done that two weeks ago.”

 

“I guess I feel like I know you guys better too. Maybe it’s because we’ve seen each other’s cunts.” They burst out laughing again and Elaine took off for her bedroom before she embarrassed herself any further.

 

Of course she hadn’t been in her room for five seconds before she noticed Gary’s picture on her computer screen. Once she’d changed into shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, she plonked into the chair and stared at him.

 

Who are you?  

Are you real?  

Elaine booted up the Internet and logged onto Messenger, feeling strangely relieved that Gary wasn’t online. At least he doesn’t spend all his spare time sitting on the computer, she thought, biting her lip. Taking the shortcut to her email account, she found there was an email from him in her mailbox, titled ‘Explanation of Queries’. She clicked on it and sent it to the back. She also found her copy of the BDSM checklist and opened it up, also sending it to the back. She planned to take a look at them in a minute.

 

Elaine took a deep breath. Bringing up a new email, she typed and pressed ‘send’ before she could change her mind.

 

Dear Gary,

 

I want to meet with you.

 

‘Mario’s Coffee House’.

 

Tell me when.

 

Elaine  

She stared at the ‘sent message confirmation’ page, her heart thumping.

 

Tap. Tap. Tap. “Um, sorry,” Chelsea said, pushing open Elaine’s bedroom door. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

 

“It’s okay,” said Elaine. “I was just thinking about how crazy I must be.”

 

“You mailed him?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Then I’d say ‘certifiable’.” Chelsea winked. “Just kidding. I’m going to do the shopping. Do you want anything special?”

 

“No. But hang on. I’ll give you some money.”

 

A minute later Elaine heard the front door close. She tried not to think about the fact that Messenger was still open as she brought Gary’s email to the front and read it. As she expected, he had given concise explanations of the terms she hadn’t been sure about.

 

She worked through her checklist, filling in the blanks and getting more nervous by the minute. As she reread her answers, images and feelings inundated her. Staring at the hundreds of answers she’d given, she had a thought.

 

I should send this to him.

 

The next thought didn’t take long in coming.

 

Wait until after you’ve met. ‘Take your time’. Remember?  

With her chest thumping, she lay down on her bed and wondered what she was getting into. Elaine placed her left hand over her heart, feeling it pound, while her hardened nipple pulsed against the inside of her wrist.

 

It took her a little by surprise to feel her nipple so stiff, and she raised her right hand to the other one to see if it was the same.

Running her fingers lightly over it confirmed the fact, making her breath catch in her chest. In one move, she raised her knees and separated them, her feet flat on the bed. The shorts she’d chosen tightened and she brushed her fingers over the material that now outlined her pussy. Her eyes fluttered closed.

 

“Mmmmmmm,” she moaned softly.

 

Her eyes shot open at the sound of the front door opening and closing. Glancing at her bedroom door, she noticed it was open and quickly sat up and got herself together as footsteps approached down the hallway.

 

“Are you here?” Kendra asked, tapping on Elaine’s door.

 

“Yeah,” Elaine said, a little out of breath. “Sure. Come in.”

 

Kendra had a big smile on her face as she bounced into Elaine’s room and sat on her computer chair, swivelling to face her. “Can you believe last night? I can’t believe I did that.”

 

“No! I can’t!” For once Elaine was glad Kendra was self-absorbed.

 

“It gave me such a charge. And guess what?”

 

“What?”

 

“My phone’s been ringing off the hook. I’ve got dates with three different guys next week!”

 

Elaine giggled. “Slut!”

 

“I knowww... But it’s so fun.” Kendra grinned.

 

“Did you um... Oh, never mind.”

 

“Tell me. Ask me anything.”

 

“I was just going to ask, did you like it? Being naked in front of all those people...”

 

“Scary and exhilarating. That’s what I’d call it. I always dreamed of doing something like that. I can’t believe I actually did it.”

 

Elaine nodded, silently comparing Kendra’s feelings to her own. “I know what you mean.”

 

“What are you thinking about? You look like you’re a million miles away.”

 

“Well,” said Elaine, figuring Chelsea would tell Kendra anyway. “There’s this guy. I met him on the net and I’ve decided to meet with him in person.”

 

Kendra looked at Elaine a moment. “I don’t imagine you’d take any chances. You’re sure you’ll be safe?”

 

“I’m pretty sure.”

 

“You could meet him here.”

 

“I’d rather meet him at Mario’s, in case I don’t like him.”

 

“Yeah, good idea. And it’s always busy there.”

 

“That’s what I thought.”

 

“I’ll come with you if you want.”

 

Elaine looked at Kendra, searching her face for a hint of sarcasm... or anything. Finding nothing, she said, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Okay. Well, if you change your mind...”

 

“Thanks, Kendra.”

 

“You’re welcome. You need to get out more. I don’t understand the fascination with the ‘net, but we were talking about it in a tutorial the other day. Lot’s of people meet others that way, apparently. You have to be careful though. Where did you meet him?”

 

The conversation was veering back onto ground that Elaine wasn’t comfortable sharing. “In a chat room. So, did you have a good time last night? Where did you end up?”

 

“Oh, God. I tell you, I didn’t even feel human until an hour ago. I think I’m still half-trashed,” Kendra said, a goofy smile crossing her face. “I got fucked in the ass, too. First time.”

 

“No way,” said Elaine, shocked at Kendra’s sudden and frank admission. She blushed uncontrollably, wishing she’d never asked her anything!

 

“Yes! It still feels like I have a ball of air up there,” said Kendra, chuckling and shaking her head.

Elaine wasn’t sure what to say. Talking to Kendra like they were best friends was almost as weird as her chosen topic of conversation. A whole bunch of questions occurred to her, like whether it hurt or whether she’d do it again. But she couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth and ask.

 

“It wasn’t too bad, really. I was glad I was toasted though. Doing it when I’m straight might not be as much fun. Anyway, are you hungry? I’m going to make a sandwich. You want one?” she said as she rose to her feet.

 

“That would be good,” Elaine replied as Kendra made for the door. “Chelsea should be home soon. She went grocery shopping.”

 

“Cool. Hey if you want to come to Spotlight with us tonight, it might be fun.”

 

“Maybe. We’ll see.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The door closed at almost exactly the same time an email ‘bonged’ from the computer. Glancing at the door, Elaine ran over and sat in the chair, bringing it up. It was from Gary. She read it and her heart began to race.

 

I am SO pleased. Meet me at Mario’s at three P.M.

 

Today.

 

Yes, today.

 

Gary

 

Elaine looked at her watch. Two hours. Mechanically she picked up her towel and headed to the bathroom. Remembering the sandwiches, she called to Kendra from the bathroom doorway. “I’m going to take a shower, I’ll be there in a minute.”

 

“Okay!” Kendra replied from the kitchen.

 

Stripping off her clothes, Elaine appraised herself in the mirror. Leaning closer, she studied her face and frowned at a small pinkish spot just below the corner of her mouth.

 

Trust me to have a pimple.

 

She’d wear a little makeup to cover it. Something told her Gary wouldn’t want her to wear much. Glancing lower in the mirror, she noted her nipples were already hard.

 

I should wear a bra too.

 

Or should I let him see what all this does to me?

 

Damn it...

 

Elaine turned on the water and stepped into the shower.

 

She didn’t think Gary would be flirting with her. She tried to imagine how Gary might act... Or what he might want... Or how she might impress him...

 

He’ll probably be quite cool toward me until I decide what I want to do. Maybe I should dress business-like. Noooo... That’s stupid. It’s Saturday afternoon. Smart-casual? That makes more sense. Not too relaxed. I could wear my jeans. He’ll probably be in jeans and a t-shirt. Okay, that’s what I’ll wear. And scuffs. He’ll probably wear runners. Or maybe boots. If he wears cowboy boots I’ll just die.

 

She giggled then coughed when water went up her nose.

 

Back in her room, Elaine was sorting through her clothes when there was a tap on the door. She’d slipped on her black thong but was otherwise naked. “Come in,” she said, forgetting she was half dressed.

 

“These are getting dry-“ began Kendra, a plate of sandwiches in her hands.

 

“Oops!” Elaine gasped as she realised, picking up her jeans and holding them in front of her chest.

 

“Hehe. Going somewhere?”

 

“Um, yeah. And ah, I don’t think I could hold anything down.”

 

“Why?” Kendra asked, smirking. She wasn’t leaving.

 

“I’ve got a date. Well, not a date really. A meeting. Today.” She looked at her watch. “In an hour and a half!”

 

“You might need your strength,” Kendra said, walking across the room to put the plate on Elaine’s bed. She noticed the jeans and pointed at them. “You’re not wearing those, are you?”

 

“I thought I would.”

 

“Why don’t you wear something that shows off your legs? You have good legs.”

 

Elaine looked down. “I need a tan though. Do you think I should?”

 

“I would. I’d wear something sexy. I guess the jeans are pretty tight. They show off your ass nicely.”

 

Elaine swallowed. “We’ll just be talking.”

 

“What if you hit it off? Or what if you would have hit it off if you wore something sexier? You’d never know.”

 

“I think I know what he’s expecting.”

 

“Don’t worry about what he’s expecting. Wear what you want to wear.”

 

It wasn’t bad advice and Elaine was momentarily tongue-tied. Kendra was right. “Thanks. I think I will. And thanks for the sandwiches.”

 

Kendra headed for the doorway and turned around. She was about to say something when the front door opened and closed behind her. She glanced toward it then turned back to Elaine. “Chelsea’s home. I bet she’ll agree with me,” she said, then looked over her shoulder again. “Chelsea? What do you think Elaine should wear on her date?”

 

“It’s not a date,” Elaine said, as she heard Chelsea dump the groceries in the entranceway and walk down the hall. Kendra pushed Elaine’s door wide open. Elaine still stood there holding her jeans against her chest, riveted to the spot as Chelsea stepped into the doorway.

 

“Give the poor girl some privacy, jeez, Kendra. Come and help me with the groceries. I’m beat after all those steps.”

 

“You could have called up,” Kendra said, lingering. “You usually do.”

 

“I thought I could make it.” Then to Elaine, she said, “Just make your choices and come model for us.”

 

“Thanks, Chelsea.” Elaine could feel how hot her cheeks were. She was getting wet too, but her thighs were together tightly and she was confident they couldn’t tell. Still, the thought made her even wetter. She took a deep breath and let it out as the door closed behind them. Her body shuddered with bottled tension as she laid her jeans on the bed and sat beside them.

 

“Maybe I should wear makeup,” she thought aloud, then bit her lip.

 

What the hell am I doing?

 

She looked at her computer. Gary’s email was right there on the screen.

 

It’s only Mario’s, for God’s sake...

 

She took a few deep breaths.

 

I’ll be okay. And he wouldn’t enjoy me making a spectacle. Kendra was right about one thing. I’ll just be myself.

 

Smart-casual , Elaine thought as she looked in the mirror, then twisted and checked out her ass. The jeans were snug, but with a thong it was much more comfortable than when she’d gone without. Just the thought of that day was enough to make her tingle, which didn’t help. She smoothed over her ass with the palms of her hands and lingered. The best part about wearing tight jeans with a thong was how her ass looked. Facing the mirror again, she was glad she put her nice little white bra on. It adequately camouflaged her hard nipples, thought they weren’t completely concealed. The black and red Mr. Bungle t-shirt was pretty tight and, happy with the look, she put on her white small heeled scuffs and went to model for the girls.

 

“That’s you,” said Chelsea, when Elaine stood in front of the stereo and pirouetted.

 

“She should wear a skirt,” said Kendra.

 

“I don’t want to play games,” said Elaine, hands on hips.

 

“I think she looks good,” Chelsea retorted. “The shoes bring attention to her legs, making someone wonder, without giving anything away. Her t-shirt says something about her choice in music though. Do you know what kind he likes?”

 

“I know he doesn’t go to line-dancing bars. He’s not into ‘Country and Western’.   Led Zeppelin he mentioned. Um, that’s all I know. Do you think I should change it?”

 

Kendra asked, “What’s wrong with Country and Western?”

 

Chelsea rolled her eyes and addressed Elaine. “I’d leave it. You feel comfortable, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah,” Elaine replied, twisting and showing her ass. “These are getting a bit tight.”

 

“Leave those. God,” said Kendra.

 

“Are you trying to be helpful?” Chelsea asked Kendra.

 

“Oh, come on. You’d think she was going on a date with the Pope. Why isn’t she showing some skin?”

 

“Because it’s not a date,” said Chelsea. “It’s a pre-date meeting, and since she’s meeting someone from online, I think it’s a fucking good idea not to act too sexy.”

 

Kendra thought for a moment and said, “You’re right. Sorry. You don’t know anything about this guy for sure, do you?”

 

“Only what he’s told me,” said Elaine. “And what one other person said.”

 

“One other person?”

 

“He gave me the number of someone who could vouch for him. I called her.”

 

“Okay, okay,” Kendra decided. “You look fine then.”

 

“I agree,” said Chelsea.

 

“Where are you meeting him?” asked Kendra.

 

“Mario’s. In an hour!”

 

Chelsea asked, “Do you want me to do your makeup?”

 

“Oh, let me!” squealed Kendra.

 

“Not on your life,” Elaine said to Kendra. Turning to Chelsea, she said, “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to do my eyes and maybe some lippy.”

 

“Sounds good,” Chelsea said. “I’ll drive you if you want.”

 

Elaine could hardly believe all the support she was getting, half expecting it all to turn into a joke at any minute. “It’s all right, I feel like walking.”

 

“Okay,” said Chelsea with a nod, holding Elaine’s gaze. The nod told Elaine that Chelsea remembered their conversation, but Elaine was going to check. She decided to do so after she’d done her makeup. “Go on then. You have shit to do,” said Chelsea, apparently reading her mind.

 

“I still say she’d look better in a skirt,” said Kendra, crossing her arms.

 

“Maybe next time,” Elaine said, smiling and heading to her room.

 

She had to roll the computer chair over and sit sidesaddle in front of the mirror to do her makeup. Working on her eyes first, she applied mascara and light eyeliner. She looked at herself and puckered her lips. Glancing at her hair, she decided on a plan. Elaine picked up her light pink lipstick and applied it. After working a bit of gel into her hair, she dug around in the dresser for her white headband.

Taking one last look, Elaine thought she was ready.

 

Let’s do this , she said to herself, glancing at the bedside clock. She was right on time.

 

“Let’s do a shot,” said Kendra, jumping to her feet as Elaine entered the living room, joining her roommates.

 

“I don’t think so,” Elaine said, checking her watch again. Kendra was heading for the kitchen to get the bottle and glasses anyway. At least it gave Elaine time to talk to Chelsea. “You’ve got my number, right?”

 

“You gave it to me ages ago.”

 

“Okay. Can you call at three-thirty?”

 

“Yeah. ‘Chelsea’ means everything is fine. ‘Chelse’ means something is wrong.”

 

“That’s right. Thanks.”

 

“Welcome. And call if you want to bail on him. You have my number too, right?”

 

“Yeah, from last night. It’s in my phone. You’ll hear from me if I need you.”

 

“All right.”

 

Kendra sat down with the bottle of JD and glasses and set them up. “Just one to settle your nerves, okay?”

 

“Oh, okay. I’ll still have to brush my teeth anyway.”

 

“Just one,” echoed Chelsea, picking up her shot glass.

 

Elaine gave the girls a glance, hesitating before she took her shot. “Are you guys going out? Um, and at what time?” She giggled.

 

Kendra and Chelsea looked at each other. Chelsea spoke up. “Not until nine-thirty or so I don’t think.”

 

“If you’re not back before we leave, I’ll be worried,” said Kendra, taking her shot.

 

“Agreed,” Elaine said, picking up her glass and toasting. They all banged their glasses on the table at the same time.

 

For a moment silence reigned.

 

Finally Elaine spoke up. “Okay. Now I’m scared.”