Page 24 of Now & Forever
Kathryn was the only one not falling over in grief when she put her empty shot glass down. Her prim and proper stance as she indulged in a drinking game was what separated her from Gwen, who flopped backward as if someone had punched her in the face and knocked her out. “Kinda woody, isn’t it?”
“I know it killed my woody,” Ian muttered.
“Give it five seconds. I’m sure you’ll resurrect it.”
Gwen felt the alcohol before anyone else did. Then again, her vision was so blurry, that everyone else could have thrown up their dinners and she would be none the wiser. “There’s two more rounds of this shit coming?”
“God willing!”
The server returned with the second round. Ian was the first one up. Gwen was the last.Not sure I can survive another one.No matter how much she shook out her head, it felt impossible to down another shot of… whatever that was.
“Thought we were playing a game,” James said. “God knows I need a reason to subject myself to this.”
Ian sniffed the shot and almost put it back down again. Kathryn remained the only one completely nonplussed by the contents of her glass. “Before you take a drink,” Ian said, glancing at his beloved in the sparkly white body-con dress, “you have to say what you love the most about your significant other.”
“Now Iamgonna gag,” James said.
“I’ll go first,” Kathryn announced. To Ian, she said through pursed lips, “I love that you’re not threatened by what a badass I am.”
She downed her shot. Ian put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and with a curt nod, replied, “I’m very threatened. Every day, your badassery threatens to emasculate me, and for some reason I find that super-hot.”
“Take the shot, Ian.”
James laughed as his friend dumped the shot down his throat. Gwen slowly shook her head.These two are almost as ridiculous as James and I used to be.
Used to be. She hated admitting that.
“Your turn,” Ian said, gesturing to James. “Tell us how much you love that Gwen isn’t afraid to stick a dildo up your ass.”
“Thatwason the tip of my tongue,” James admitted. He grabbed Gwen’s hand and picked up one of the remaining shot glasses. “Like this demon piss is about to be.”
“Told you,” Gwen said.
Her partner held the glass between their faces. “I love that she puts up withallllmy bullshit.” The dark blown liquid was soon out of the glass and in James’s stomach.
“Can only imagine how much bullshit swims in your gut, James.”
“Somuch!”
The alcohol was hitting everyone hard, and they hadn’t drunk their third round yet. Gwen supposed it was time to join her friends in the revelry. Too bad she struggled to think of something to say.
Oh, there were many things she loved about James, but none of them were appropriate in the moment. The others had talked about what their lovers gave them, or put up with. It wasn’t aboutthem,specifically.What is it about James that I love… and is something I don’t expect from anyone else?
Her partner swayed with a silly grin on his face. His expectant demeanor was enough to make Gwen snort in amusement. “I love that you understand all the reservations that I have.”
James stopped smiling. Gwen hadn’t spoken loudly enough for Kathryn and Ian to hear.
“Reservations, huh?”
Gwen continued to grin. Even after the disgusting drink was in her mouth, she smiled as if James should have absolutely understood what she said.
Before he could ask any questions, however, the third and final round of drinks arrived. After that, it was a free-for-all, because everyone was too tipsy and too battered by befouled drinks to think up a game to play.
The alcohol hit Gwen’s head five minutes later. By then, it was too late to stop drinking, because the second and third drink she already imbibed was like a giant tank to the brain. She slumped against the couch. James had never looked so enticing to curl around.
Perhaps that had been part of the plan.
“Look at ‘em, Gwenny.” James brought her into his embrace while referencing the couple on the other couch. “Aren’t they disgusting?”
