“I can hear you,” I snarled.
“Guess I better get back out there,” Cheese said, stepping toward the exit. “Prospects don’t know their asses from their elbows.”
“You were a prospect not even six months ago,” Gray said with a laugh.
I grasped Shelly’s hand and pulled her to the stairs. We got up to the third floor and I could hear the sound of laughter and conversation coming from Joni’s room. Colt’s sister was perched on the bed, leaning against the wall, a cup in her hands. Darcy, Rachel, and Allison had taken pillows and set them on the floor and were sitting in a circle, the bottle of tequila and the bowl of lime wedges in the center.
“There you are!” Darcy said with a grin. “Hi!” She looked at Shelly. “I’m Darcy.” The other women chirped their names.
“Would you like a drink?” Rachel asked Shelly.
“Sure.” She set her purse in the corner. “What are we drinking?”
“Tequila shots,” Joni announced.
“Oh, then I definitely want a drink.” Shelly winked.
Those who could drink alcohol did a round of shots. When Shelly spit out her lime, she looked at me and said, “You never did tell me why the party got cancelled.”
“The party got cancelled because my house caught on fire. I wasn’t feeling very celebratory after that.”
“Holy fuck. How did that happen?”
I met Joni’s gaze and then my head swiveled to Darcy’s. Both of them had blank expressions and I knew what I had to say.
“The fire chief thinks it was something with faulty electric. I won’t know until he calls. And I don’t know the extent of the damage yet.”
“You weren’t home, right?”
“No. I was at Colt’s.”
“Thank God. I’m so sorry about your house. That’s like—I can’t—why does shit keep happening to you?”
“I told you I’m a beacon for trouble,” I quipped, but my lip wobbled.
She squeezed my arm. “Okay, let me finally get a good look at your tattoo.”
I gave her my back and pulled my braid to the side so she could uncover the bandage.
My best friend whistled. “This is gorgeous.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Whoever did your tattoo did a stellar job.” She covered it back up.
“Roman over at Three Kings did it,” I said.
“I’m trying to convince Mark that we should get matching ink. He’s not having it.”
“Who’s Mark?” Rachel asked.
“My fiancé.”
“You’re engaged!” Allison squealed. “Show us the ring!”
Shelly whipped her hand out to present her classy, elegant diamond.
“When’s the wedding?” Joni asked.