Page 2 of Twins for the Bratva

Before I could decide, the Tequila shots had arrived. It looked very fancy and interesting. It was served in small glasses. The rim on each was covered in what looked like salt, and a wedge of lemon rested on top. They were accompanied by a bowl of lemon wedges and five small salt pots.

“Right,” Anucha said as she handed each of us one and a saltshaker. I took it and could only hope the drink wouldn’t be too strong.

As she continued to explain, she stared at me. I felt sure the others had done this before. Her explanation was purely for me. “Now you lick the salt from your hand, swallow the content of the glass in one go and then suck on the lemon.”

Nodding, I glanced at the others. They were all waiting for me. Deciding there was no turning back, I licked the salt, tipped the contents of the glass into my mouth, and swallowed the hot burning liquid. Instantly, I started coughing as I drank. But I didn’t want to look like I didn’t belong, so I stuck the lemon wedge into my mouth, hoping the burning would subdue.

It eased a little, but my face disagreed with my choice. I felt all the muscles in my face pulling in all directions. Dropping the lemon into the glass, I took a deep breath and wiped my mouth. The girls around the table laughed.

“Alright,” Anucha shouted as she rose and gently slapped my shoulder. “Let’s get down, girl,” she added.

Smiling up at her, I felt a small sting in my stomach. The waitress placed another tray down. This one was filled with a variety of colorful drinks in glasses of different sizes.

“These are cocktails,” Anucha said, placing them before me. “These are beers,” she added, placing two long glasses down. One was a light color, and the other one was dark.

On the tray were four more glasses. Lifting my hand, showing her to stop, I spoke up. “Wait, let me first taste these before you add them.”

Anucha shook her head. The girls all sat staring at me, waiting for me to taste the drinks. I started with the two tall glasses of beer. One was very bitter, and I almost spat it out. The other one had a lighter taste, but it wasn’t something I would drink.

Moving them to the middle of the table, I shook my head as I spoke. “No, I don’t like beer.”

Smiling, Mary and Sophia each took a glass. “No worries, we prefer beer,” they added, clinking the glasses before sipping.

The cocktails, as Anucha called them, were much better. The one with the olives was quite strong with a slightly sweet herbal taste. After taking a sip, I moved it to the middle of the table, shaking my head.

Next was the dark red one. This one tasted stronger than the other one, with a bitter aftertaste. “Nope,” I said, placing it in the middle of the table.

Picking up the last cocktail, I could feel a buzzying in my head. This one tasted much better. It was sweet with a hint oftanginess. Placing it down before me, I nodded at Anucha. “I’ll have this one, thanks.”

Grinning at me, she placed the other four drinks before me as she spoke. “Right, but you still have to taste these as well.”

I wanted to attest, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Moving the cocktail to the side, I looked at the four drinks. One looked like orange juice and tasted sweet. “Yes, this one can also do,” I said, shaking my head as I placed it down.

The next one was in a small, thick glass. It appeared quite interesting. It had a sweet, woody taste but was way too strong for me. Couching a little, I placed the glass in the center of the table, shaking my head.

Once again, the girls laughed, but it was a friendly laugh. Catching my breath, I looked at Anucha as I spoke. “Do I have to continue?” My throat felt like it was on fire and then cold, I wasn’t sure why, but my head also felt light.

“Yes,” she said excitedly. “You have to try them. This way, you will know what you like if you go out by yourself.”

The last one was in a short, fat glass again. It had a soft, spicy taste, which was interesting. Placing the glass down, I shook my head in agreement. “I might drink this as well,” I said, glancing at the others.

“Excellent,” Anucha stated as she and her cousin took the other drinks from the middle of the table. “Now we can get down to drinking.”

They shook their heads, screaming excitedly as they clicked their glasses. They seemed to be connected. Grinning at them, I hoped to become part of their circle. I had spent so much time studying and working, I had never connected to them socially.

Yet, I was determined to change that. Looking around as more and more people arrived, I wondered what they were thinking as we appeared to be out of control. We had another couple of shooters. These were called a Jagerbomb or something in that line. It tasted quite horrible but made me feel more relaxed.

“How many guys have you slept with?” Mary asked out of the blue.

Glancing at Anusha, I felt my cheeks heating. “None,” I replied softly.

I heard the astonishment in the other three’s voices as they spoke almost like one. “What, never?”

“Nope, I was focused on my studies, there wasn’t time,” I replied.

“Not even first base?” Sophia asked.

“In high school, there was this one boy,” I replied. “We kissed once under the bleachers.”

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