"How long?"
"What?"
"How long have you two been together?"
"A few months, I guess. We started a few months ago, but I guess we didn't get together 'together' until yesterday?"
"Yesterday?" Emily gulped and reared back. "I thought you didn't come back until today. You went to see him first?"
"I…" …had no idea what to say now.
Kates appeared with a tray of drinks in hand. She pushed her purse onto my lap and shoved the tray on the table at the same moment. Then she scooted next to me on a stool. "I forgot how grabby guys can be. I've been spending too much time with stiffs. One guy had his hand down my pants before I could knee him in the balls."
A look of hurt flared in Emily's eyes before she grinned and looked down. As she did, I met Kates' knowing look and knew she had come back at the right time.
I no longer wanted to be there.
"I would recommend no one going to the bathroom without me." Brown returned and pulled up a stool on the other side of Emily. "I have sanitizer with me and you'll want it. I think people were having sex in the stall beside me. And I think a girl was puking in the other stall."
Kates choked back a laugh. "Something tells me you're a magnet for fun."
"Fun for you maybe, but not me." Brown reached for a drink and downed it in two swallows. Then she reached for another.
Kates laughed and pulled the tray out of reach before she pointed at Emily. "This girl was wasted the last time we went out. Davy took care of her and so that means it's my turn to take care of the drunk. I don't want to have to take care of you."
"Oh, that's okay. It takes a lot for me to get drunk." Brown tipped her head back and finished the second drink.
"There are seven shots in each of these."
The glass fell to the table from Brown's hand, but Kates' caught it. Her grab was lightning fast and Brown's eyes went wide.
As Kates placed the glass on the table, Emily let out a ragged breath. "Oh wow. That was, that was fast."
Brown had new emotion in her eyes as she watched Kates. "You're really fast, like crazy fast. Oh my—"
Emily grabbed the witch's hand and dragged her off the stool. "I'm going to take her to the dance floor before she goes into too much shock."
"Did you see how fast she was?" We heard Brown ask Emily before they were out of earshot.
Kates turned to me. "So what'd the roommate have to say?"
I shook my head and reached for a glass. "I don't want to go over it."
"It was about Roane?"
"Yeah." Then I took a sip and wrinkled my nose. "This is awful, Kates."
"I know." Kates shook her head. "And that says a lot about the witch. The girl isn't normal. What are you doing hanging out with her?"
I tried another sip, but it tasted too horrible. "I thought you liked her?"
"I do, but she's off. I can't get a good read on her and that makes me nervous. What read do you have on her?"
What read did I have on her? That she was going to be a very powerful witch and sooner than I had thought. But I wasn't going to tell Kates that so I smiled. "She's a good person. I trust her."
"Okay." She lifted her glass and saluted me. "Here's to you and who you pick to surround yourself. I shouldn't complain. You're still talking to me."
"Very true."