An empty feeling creeps into my stomach, but I also feel lighter. I couldn’t keep doing that to him, I should have never explored the idea to begin with, but it’s Dominic.
That took quicker than I’d planned, so I decide to call my mom and check in with her. She picks up on the third ring.
“Hey mom, how are you doing?”
“He sweetie, I’m good. When are you coming to see us?”
“Real soon, I promise.” I really should go to see my mom; it’s exactly what I need.
“Dad bought a new pool, so you’ll have to come and try it out.”
I laugh. “Dad’s always buying new things.”
“I better go, Mom. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
“I love you, darling.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
Hearing her voice is exactly what I need. Moms are angels sent from God, I don’t know what I’d do without mine. I walk into the kitchen and pull out a bottle of wine. I’m eager to start this night with a bang. I feel free but slightly nauseated with the thought of Ade going balls deep into one of his skanks. I don’t understand men. The saying is right, ‘Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.’
I’m pouring my third glass when the door opens and in walks my life.
“Sorry, I sort of started without you,” I say smiling up at them all.
“Well, fuck. I’ll need shots to catch up then,” Vicky states casually.
You would think becoming a mother calmed her, nope, not at all. She’s just more discreet now, doesn’t drink around Pipper at all.
“Shots! Yes,” I say. Opening up the top cupboard in our kitchen, I unleash my friend.
“Absinthe?” Alaina says, looking at me in shock.
I nod my head. “Yes, I received it from…I can’t remember who it was. But he gave it to me after I danced for him.”
Vicky raises her eyebrows and laughs. “Girl, Ade has really worked one on you.”
I shake my head in innocence. “I don’t know what it is that you speak, child.”
She snatches the clear liquid bottle of goodness out of my hand. “I thought Absinthe was green?”
I shrug. “He said this one is the ‘real shit.’ Whatever that means.”
She pops it open, taking the first swig. “Mmm, that’s good. It tastes, different.”
I snatch it out of her hands and swallow some down. “It tastes like my next mistake.”
They all start laughing and Alaina comes up behind me while everyone takes their drinks, making their way to the living room.
“Are you okay? I never got around to asking you. Zane and I, we’ve been dealing with it little bits at a time,” she whispers.
I swallow my drink and wipe my mouth. “I’ve been seeing someone, she’s been really helpful. I’ve been getting memory flashes during my sleep too,” I say looking at her sympathetically.
She shakes her head and smiles a fake smile at me. “I’m okay. We’re dealing with it.”
I nod my head and pull her in for a hug. “I love you, you know that?”
She squeezes me back. “I love you, too.”
Vicky comes walking in. “That shit is amazing if I’m already getting to see some girl on girl action,” she says smirking at us. I shove her shoulders and Alaina flips her off.
“Right,” I say walking into the living room with every alcoholic beverage I can find, and a deck of cards. “We are playing thirty-one. Everyone know how to play?” I ask around the circle of Vicky, Alaina, Phoebe, and Carter. Carter and Phoebe shake their heads while Alaina and Vicky know how. Surprise, surprise.
“Okay, so it’s sort of like Black Jack. Aces are eleven, all face cards are ten points, and all other cards are face value. The object of the game is to get as close to thirty-one points in your hand without going over. Each player is dealt three cards—one face-up and two face-down. Like in Blackjack, the play rotates for additional cards. At any point in the game, when you think your hand is high enough, say twenty-eight points or so, you can knock, which means everyone else has one last draw to add to their hand. All the hands are then laid down, and the person with the lowest point total has to drink a shot of Absinthe. If the person who knocked has the lowest point total, that player must also drink an additional penalty shot for poor play. At any time a player has a total of thirty-one in their hand, they immediately place their cards down and everyone else has a shot of Absinthe. Kapesh?” I look around at everyone and they all laugh.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get me drunk,” Vicky laughs.
I look back at her and narrow my eyes. “Yeah, been there, done that.”