Andrea's touch

4: Lake Party

When Andrea tried to slip on a pair of jeans, Jenna scolded her, saying that the party was not that casual. That's how she ended up wearing the emergency little black dress she kept hanging in the far reaches of her closet. It had been hanging there unused for so long that it smelt of dust and the wood used to make the closet. By Jenna's instruction, Andrea was forced to iron the dress for at least half an hour.

Jenna was a model, and so she boasted an impressive wardrobe, from which she pulled out a fiery little red dress that she wore like it was made for her. Perhaps it was...

It was already decided that Andrea would be the designated driver because Jenna was determined to be the designated drinker. So, Andrea drove to Wilburg with Jenna as her passenger princess. As per usual, Jenna kept the conversation going with grandiose tales of her exploits in the modelling world. Each tale scandalous enough to make front page news of tabloid magazine, considering that her stories always involved a celebrity.

When they drove onto Lakelair avenue, a familiar chill crept up Andrea's spine, reminding her of what she'd seen. Instead of driving to the end of the Avenue, Andrea parked her car behind the last car in a long line of vehicles nestled into the edge of the woods on the side of the dirt road.

"We're here," Jenna tucked one of her blond curls behind her ears, her fiery eyes full of determination.

Sensing that her roommate was up to something, Andrea remarked, "You look like a woman on a mission."

Jenna grave a crooked smile and winked at her. "So do you."

Jenna came off as bubbly, extroverted, and slightly reckless by nature. However, every time Andrea let her guard down, Jenna would surprise her with a comment that revealed how intuitive she really was. How did Jenna quests that she was on a mission of her own?

4 Lakelair Avenue wasn't as large as it's neighbour but was no less outstanding. It was a two storey industrial mansion filled with bare concrete and supported by weathered steel beams. It stuck out like a like a sore thumb in the avenue of .

The pair pushed open the heavy steel door and were immediately enveloped by the vibrations of the loud music, and the steaming mixture of perfume and hookah pipes. On the edge of the LED dance floor, the DJ was fully immersed in playing his tracks, bopping one of his arms to the rhythm. Girls in skin-tight latex cat suits, encased in plastic tubes writhed their toned bodies to the music, entrancing the men and women around them with every suggestive thrust of their hips. People in cocktail uniforms walked around the room, allowing guests to take their pick from ornate silver platters of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The party was overwhelming for a normal person, let alone Andrea with her ability. The lowered inhibitions of the guests meant that their thoughts and desires were leaking out and surging towards Andrea at a dizzying pace. Steadying herself, the influx of vibrations gradually calmed down. After years of practice, she could finally filter out the noise. Although she had to be careful not to touch anyone, skin on skin contact was her kryptonite.

Outside on the dock, a small quartet was strumming their instruments, letting their classical music float over the water, serenading the outdoor guests who preferred that kind of atmosphere.

Jenna squeezed Andrea's shoulder, pointing at the party's host, Harvey Golding, "I'll catch up to you later."

With a wink, Jenna sauntered off. A moment later, her thin arms were slinked around Harvey's neck. His head was tilted down, smirking at her.

Andrea made a show of circling around the dance floor a few times, briefly engaging in small talk before heading outside. Although the glass windows were soundproofed, the club music was leaking out. However, the quartet was doing a good job of not letting that distract them.