Beyond Denver

Chapter 27

His dark eyes contain the vigor of an everlasting night. For a moment, there is an awkwardness in the air when he sits next to me on the top of the stairs. I'm not sure how to stop the shiver traveling up my spine, his warm smile rescuing me from my own shadows.

The house is crowded with college kids, drunk people dancing in the middle of the living room by the big library shelf. The couch has three people sitting as if they are about to have a threesome. One guy and three girls.

"There is a fire pit in the backyard. Wanna go?" Denver invites me, brushing his hands on mine.

The backyard is decorated with fire torches. There are a few chairs, but most of them are all taken, of course. Danika gets a beach towel from her bag and handles it to Denver so that we both can sit down next to each other. I can recognize that smile when she looks straight into his eyes. Amaya is with her, drinking a bottle of wine. "Malbec. That's my favorite," she brags. She has a different color of bandana today and a different hairstyle that matches her hippie clothes.

The music stops, and Meggie begins the talk, "Cassidy and Denver witnessed a man dying of an overdose at work today."

"No kidding," Danika's expression is of pure horror. Everyone stares at me in awe.

"He didn't die," I explain. "He was taken to the hospital."

"Is that what happened there?" Danika raises an eyebrow, "Is that why Scarlet is so pissed off then?"

"What do you mean she is pissed off?" I can see my blood boiling into my veins, with Danika mentioning Scarlet's name.

"She texted me to tell me an incident happened at Sophie's and that you and the other coworker closed the place." She rolls her eyes, "She wanted me to call her back to talk about this, but, honestly, I didn't. I know she would keep my hours on the phone."

I wonder how in the world Danika became friends with Scarlet. I remember Danika mentioning on one occasion that she used to work at Sophie's before I was hired but quit the job for reasons I don't even know. I know that Scarlet calls her from time to time, but I guess it is more to vent her own problems.

"I'm getting a fruit punch with Danika. Wanna come?" Meggie's slurred speech came into the air. Amaya and Meggie are drinking the entire bottle.

"I will stay here. Bring me some punch," I politely ask her. As Meggie takes the steps to the kitchen, Mike's face shows up. The same girl sitting in his passenger's seat on Sunday afternoon appears to be with him. I notice Meggie's expression changes right away when she sees him.

They don't seem to greet each other, of course, and Mike comes straight to the fire to where I am sitting with Denver on the beach towel. They take hold of the empty chairs—Meggie and Danika's chair. I can stop but feel sorry for this girl despite her snobbish expression. My blood boils inside the veins, "You know this is Meggie's chair, right?"

"I thought this was the co-op chair," he replies.

"But she is sitting here."

"Well, I don't see her here now." He says without showing any signs of emotion. He then looks at the girl next to him, "Do you see anyone here?" she shakes her head no and rolls her eyes at me.

"I'm sure she won't mind. Meggie is good at sharing, right, Griffin?" he places a sarcastic smile. Denver looks back at him as if he is about to punch him in the face, "Leave Meggie alone, Mike. You have no right to mistreat her."

The girl, dressed like a model, places her arms around Mike and doesn't say anything. 

"Just ignore him," Denver suggests, and I don't say anything else. Mike is a wasting of time. When Meggie comes back from the kitchen with Amaya, Danika, and fruit punches in their hands, she is even more surprised Mike is sitting on her chair with the new flavor of the season. Danika is the first one to approach the chick, "This is my chair. Get out."