Damage

Chapter 28

"Hey, Clifford, where's the fucking real alcohol?" Lance shouts from the kitchen above the sound of our laughter.

Michael stops mid-sentence with his hand resting on the couch behind my back and leans forward. "There's vodka in the fridge and there should be tequila and Captain Morgan in one of the cabinets."

We all hear the sound of opening cabinets and clinking glasses and after a moment of silence, Lance comes out grinning like the Cheshire cat holding the vodka and the shot glasses in his hands.

"I knew we were friends for a reason," Lance smirks and Michael laughs as he sets the bottle down and then lines up the shot glasses. Five of them, one for everyone except for me - Michael, Lance who I just met an hour ago, Emily, Will and Hutch.

"Ooh, and it's citrus vodka, too! Didn't know Michael was so fucking classy," Emily laughs, pouring the vodka out into the shot glasses.

They all take it straight down and abruptly set the glasses down on the wooden coffee table before Will pours the vodka out again.

"Hutch, do you remember that time you did 10 shots in a row for your 21st?" Will smirks.

"Don't fucking remind me."

"I'm so pissed I wasn't there to see you pass out after 5 seconds," Michael says, leaning forward as they all take their second shot.

"Hutch, I thought you were Mr. Tough guy?" I say and a chorus of 'oohs' and laughs erupts around Michael's living room.

"Et tu, Brute? What happened to the nice, sweet, Mia?" Hutch acts offended, a glint of humor in his eye.

"Oh, she's still here. But it'd be difficult for anyone not to make fun of that, Mr. Circle-scarf," Michael comments, getting laughs from everyone.

Hutch groans, rolling his eyes. "Come on! It was one time!"

Emily lowers her voice, imitating a defensive Hutch. "I can pull off a scarf!"

"Obama wore a fucking scarf and looked good." Hutch pouts, as

Lance takes a swig of vodka straight from the bottle.

"Mate, not an aquamarine circle scarf. And he's Obama, he can pull it off," Michael says.

"Fuck you guys. I regret the goddamn circle-scarf, fine." Hutch takes another shot before clearing his throat. "Let's move on."

Michael's hands trail along my back as he moves it off the couch, getting ready to get up.

"I'm gonna go for a smoke and some more liquor."

"What the hell do you mean, 'go for a smoke?'" Lance scoffs, his green eyes narrowing. "You can just smoke inside."

Michael shrugs on his coat before coming back to the couch and armrest. "Well, the reason for leaving is for more liquor, since the vodka bottle is almost empty from last time anyway and the beer you brought is shit. But if I smoke on the walk to the store, I kill two birds with one stone."

"Plus, Mia doesn't like smoke," Emily explains.

Not true, exactly. I softly pipe in, "No, it's not that. I don't mind at all if we're outside or anything, it's just -"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be back in 20 minutes." Michael says, tilting my face up with his index finger and leaning down to kiss me quickly, the stubble on his face lightly brushing against my cheek. "Do you want me to get something for you?"

"No, I'm okay."

After grabbing his wallet and keys, Michael closes the door to his studio apartment behind him. Lance's mouth is practically agape when I look back at him and start getting up to go get another glass of water.