Chapter 34

The four of us continued to go out a couple of times a week. After a few months, I was settled into my job and felt fairly comfortable around town.

McKayla and I became close friends; I never got the feeling that she was hitting on me, but nor could I ignore the fact that there always seemed to be a sort of tension between us.

When our eyes would meet, for the briefest second there was just the two of us; the rest of the world faded away. She would smile at me, as if she knew something I didn't. Then I'd blink and look away, embarrassed.

This went on for a month or so until my birthday, which happened to fall on a Saturday night.

I was turning 23 and the girls took me out for an all-night bender. It started at my place when they came to pick me up. One of the advantages of working for a liquor distributor is that there is never a shortage of booze. Somehow, the inventory is always off by a bottle or two and no one ever seems to know where it went...

Bretlynn and I were hanging out trying to decide if we wanted to party with our friend Jose or our other friend The Captain when Allyson and McKayla showed up. After some friendly discussion, someone opened the Cuervo and the night began.

Things were fine for the first two hours and then my memory gets blurry. We went to dinner at P.F. Chang's. There was some more liquor involved, followed by dinner and some singing by the servers. Then we went out to the clubs. Allyson, Bretlynn and I got pretty hammered while McKayla took lots of incriminating pictures and babysat us. Someone needed to be our designated driver, after all.

In the midst of the tequila-induced haze, I have one lucid memory of that night.

We were at one of our favourite places. I was humping and grinding on anything that moved. Apparently it made me very popular with the guys there (and a couple of the girls, too).

Allyson had her backside stuck out and was shaking it suggestively towards me. I was making a big show out of smacking her playfully for everyone to see.

Turning over my shoulder, I saw McKayla dancing near us with an amused smile on her face. I don't know what came over me, but I reached out and pulled her to me.

Before she could react, I stuck my tongue into her mouth. I'm sure it was wonderful for her. Here I was—drunk out of my mind, smelling of smoke and too much perfume, tasting of tequila and God only knows what else—trying to make out with her.

Very romantic, don't you think?

I remember her eyes getting real big for just a second, then she pulled back and, for the first time I could recall, McKayla appeared to be at a loss for words or what to do.

With a drunken laugh, I turned back to Allyson and we continued to dance, but I remember McKayla standing there for a long moment, as if she was wondering what signal I was sending.

The girls later told me the night ended when the bars closed. I have to take their word for it. The next morning was ugly. I hadn't had a night like that since college. Granted that wasn't too long ago, but still, you'd think that I'd have learned my lesson after the last time. Or two.