Because of you, I'm home

Chapter 6 - With friends like these...

"Hey cutie! Do you come head often?"

Claire let out a snort of laughter, as she grabbed onto the hands that rest on her hips. "Honestly Laura!" She giggled. Yes, giggled. It was safe to say that the two women had consumed more than fair share of 'Old Fashioneds' – essentially whisky and dry ginger ale.

Claire wasn't drunk, or at least she didn't think she was 'drunk'. Tipsy perhaps, but certainly not drunk. She'd found a happy, fuzzy place that felt like being wrapped up in the softest, warmest yet completely impenetrable casing of armour. She felt free and alive.

"Where'd you sneak off to?" The blonde beamed as she spun her friend on the makeshift dance floor.

"Oh, you know. Just getting reacquainted." Laura gave Claire a sly wink as she moved to the beat of Bruno Mars' '24K Magic'. Brown eyes wide, Claire got the distinct impression that the brunettes version of reacquainted went above and beyond the exchange of pleasantries.

"Well that's lovely, but tonight you're my date. So those 'acquaintances' will have to enjoy your playing hard to get." Bopping and shifting her feet to the rhythm of the music, Claire blew her beautiful friend a kiss.

Truthfully, she didn't mind if Laura wanted to go and explore her 'options' – the party, as it happened, was for her after all. The long awaited return of wild-child Laura Combs, liver and breather of a good time.

"Miss Claire, is that jealously I detect?" Grey orbs playfully mocked the blonde, while a tapered bronze finger trailed her jawline. "Sorry babe. I'm all yours."

Claire burst out laughing, slapping Laura's hand away. "Shoo, shoo!" She chastised. "Go have your fun you crazy girl".

The two girls continued to dance, joke and laugh with each other for much of the night. Claire honestly enjoyed every minute of the experience, from the atmosphere to the company. Festoon lights draped from the stalls of, what appeared to be, a newly built Eastern White Pine stable-barn while tables lined the walls with food and drink coolers galore. People danced to pop-music while others drank and 'chewed the fat' – so to speak.

Eventually Claire had to excuse herself though. The two girls had drank and danced for the better part of three and a half hours. She needed air, to cool off and more than likely to sober up a little. Not that she would admit to intoxication, she felt 'ok' for the most part. Just a little slow, like there was a slight delay between her brain and her actions.

Leaving Laura with one of her 'friends' – looking a little more than that in the way there bodies moved together – Claire made for a set of opened double doors that led out to an improvised parking-lot and darkened paddocks just beyond.

The air hit her like a bucket of cold water as soon as her fair skin hit the crisp outdoors. The body heat and warm burn of alcohol had kept her comfortably numb to the elements inside, but freed from the bubble of festivities she was exposed and a shiver ran through her body despite the little denim jacket she wore.

Just past the lines of trucks and cars sat a small group of people, beers in hand, and soaking up the warmth of a small fire. Normally Claire would have been apprehensive in approaching strangers at a party, but liquid courage pushed her forward without so much as a second thought.

Her rear met with a tactically placed stump of wood with her hands out stretched to soak up the heat emanating from the fire pit. The heat making the blonde shutter again as warmth spread from her fingertips to her arms, and circulated through the rest of her chilled body. It was the most pleasant feeling, her eyes closing with an appreciative groan leaver her soft lips. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings, oblivious to her company, and oblivious to the scorching blue eyes that roved over her fairness.