He nods. Very talkative, this one.
I can see Molly now, swaying in time to the music while Paul holds her waist with both hands. There’s still room for Jesus between them, but I hate how close they are anyway. He leans forward to shout something into her ear. She swats his chest and blushes.
“Hey, Cole?”
He grunts.
“You see thatmecwith the man-bun?”
Another grunt.
“My bun is bigger than his, right?”
I look over and find he has his signature ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’ expression on.
“I’m just saying—like, if you had to pick which one is bigger, it’s clearly mine, right?”
He drains his Rickard’s and then adjusts the strap of his ‘double bass.’ “Did you come over here for advice?”
My whole costume lifts up and down when I shrug.
“That guy looks like a drunk asshole, and that girl looks like she could do better. I take it you’re hoping ‘better’ is you?”
“Ben, I wouldn’t say no to it being me...”
His stares me down over the top of his glasses, silently telling me to cut the shit.
“Okay, I like her. I hate seeing her with that guy, and I don’t know how much longer I can take it.”
He sets his empty bottle down on a desk beside him. “Look, man. It’s Halloween, and we’re at a party. Tonight’s not the night to get all dramatic and shit. As much as it sucks, I think you should just play it cool. Trust her to make her own decisions, and trust that if she wants to be with you, in the end, she will.”
I notice he’s not staring at the dance floor anymore, and I follow his gaze to where Roxanne is talking to Kay by the beer pile.
Of fucking course.Dude can’t go two minutes without thinking about Roxy.
Still, Cole rarely speaks more than two sentences in a row, so when he does, you know you should pay attention to that shit.
“Play it cool,” I repeat. “Got it. Ice cold. Thanks, man. I’m gonna go get a beer.”
I thump him on the shoulder and take off towards the pile. I joke around with Kay and Roxanne as I sip what I realize is my first beer of the night. We all end up dancing together, and for awhile I just get lost in the flow of the party, shouting along to the blaring music as I take turns spinning the girls around.
Then I see Paul let himself into the storage room. Alone.
Leave it, I tell myself.Play it cool.
I can’t, though. If he’s going to have his jazz hands all over Molly tonight, I need to know he’s not in there sniffing bath salts or popping roofies into her drink.
I line dance my way off the floor and walk up to the storage room. The door didn’t close properly, and everyone else is too busy to pay attention as I shuffle closer and nudge it open a few more inches with my foot.
At first I can’t figure out where Paul went. I look harder and finally spot his legs slung over the edge of a box, the rest of him hidden behind a shelving unit. I can hear him saying something and decide he must be on the phone, but I can’t make the words out.
I check the party again. Everyone is still keeping busy. If I open the door wide enough for my costume, Paul will know someone’s here, but I manage to stick my head past the door and pick up on most of what he’s saying.
“I’m calling because I’m too drunk to fucking text, man, and you won’t leave me the fuck alone. I’m not coming back to the party, okay? I’m with Molly.” He pauses. “Actually yeah, Iwillbe getting my dick wet tonight. You should see her outfit. It’s super slutty. She’s practically begging me for it.” Another pause. “Well if she’s still a virgin like I think she is, it will be worth the wait. You’ve never even popped one before, and I’ll have done it three times. Even if she’s not, she’s still got an ass like—”
The storage room door slams so hard into the wall I’m pretty sure the handle leaves a dent.
“Dis ?a encore.”
