In the Basement, In the Sky

Eighteen

"Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots!"

Funshine and Smartypants slam their hands on the table in time with the chant, and you down one, two, three shots in as many quick movements. When you finally get a moment to breathe, you hold up the last shot glass, empty except for a few drops of bright red alcohol, and your friends throw their hands up and cheer.

Maybe this is a bad idea, but you lost your filter about five drinks ago.

The three of you got kicked out of the restaurant a couple hours back for being too rowdy, so Funshine gathered you all up in the car and drove you back downtown, so you could get home easily, after all's said and done. The bars in Boystown play better music, but whatever. Alcohol is alcohol, no matter how you pour it.

Your server -- Devin? Daniel? you're too drunk to remember for certain and he doesn't have a nametag -- slides a layered glass topped with whipped cream in front of you. You're drunk, but not drunk enough to forget you're lactose intolerant.

You turn back to your server and open your mouth, but instead of walking away, he leans in and says, "From the lady with the short brown hair over at the corner table." He gestures over and you follow his hand. There is, indeed, a woman sitting there, and she's gorgeous, hair in a pixie cut and a pale blue tank top that shows off her shoulders and arms, covered in bright floral tattoos.

She smiles shyly and waves. You can see her flush from here.

You grin back and gesture her over. She sits up straight and looks around at her friends, who jostle her from either side, revving her up to approach you. She laughs -- you can even hear it all the way over hear, bright and melodious -- and she grabs the wrists of one of the other women at her table and drags her over.

Funshine and Smartypants lean over each other to peer out into the club, watching the two women weave through the dancing crowd toward you. They both turn back toward you and Funshine grins wolfishly.

"They! are! hot! Which one?"

"Pixie Cut bought me the drink. There's milk in here though."

Smartypants laughs and shakes his head. "Of all the drinks she could have picked, right?"

The woman and her friend finally stop at the edge of your table. You scoot across the booth seat to the wall and pat the spot next to you.

"I just wanted to thank you!" you shout over the music. "I'm lactose intolerant, though, so I'm gonna give it to my friends! I wanted you to know I wasn't turning you down!"

Pixie Cut plops down next to you, purse and jacket in her lap. Oh, so she's planning on staying a while!

Her friend sits down beside her and Pixie Cut jostles against your shoulder, not entirely accidentally.

"I'm so sorry!" she laughs over the music. "I should have asked what you were drinking, I guess, but a Blowjob seemed like a good opener."

Funshine tilts her head back and roars with laughter.

"I'm Jen!" You manage to clear the noise and fog in your head long enough to introduce yourself. "This is Funshine and Smarty."

They wave in turn as you gesture to each of them.

"I'm Natalie!" the woman laughs. She points to her friend, a tall, heavyset white woman with long hair the same bright yellow as Funshine's. "This is Sunny!"

Funshine lights up and pounds her fists on the table. "Secret twins! Secret twins!"

"I hope it's not weird to bring a friend," Natalie says, "but you can never be too careful these days, right?"