Page 102 of Sparks
“Oh.” I tried to bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling, but cheesiness won over.
“That makes you happy?”
“Kind of.” I lightly twisted back and forth at the waist, unable to stay still under the warmth of his grin. I sucked down the rest of my drink and set it on the bar, then grabbed Silas’s wrist. “Come on, let’s dance.” He let me pull him out to the dance floor where all my roommates threw their hands up and cheered as we joined them. And despite whatever weirdness was between Silas and me, it was good to have him there, part of my friend group. Though he wasn’t gay, that night he was the “safe male” that all of us could have our way with—dancing-wise—and he took it like a champ. Willa’s rump bumping, Syd rubbing her boobs on his back as she swayed, Beth slithering her front down his front. Even Macy twerked her way around him. I tried to behave, not wanting to blur those lines again. Cheryl sort of danced on her own beside us, her skirts twirling, now and then flinging her hair. She sidled up next to me.
“You need to finish what you started.”
I didn’t think I heard her right. “What?”
“You heard me,” she said against my ear. I shook my head adamantly and she nodded hers with a Cheshire grin on her face.
Nope. Not going to ruin our friendship again. I danced and ignored Cheryl’s knowing smile, but her stupid words stayed with me all night, making me keep my distance from Silas more than I would have otherwise.
Everything was okay until people bought me shots at the end of the night. Insert cringing.
I was a drunkie skunkie on the subway, leaning my head back on the window with my eyes closed. Things were spinning a little. I cracked my eyes to see Holly pull an airplane puke bag from her clutch. Silas took it and sat beside me. Without thinking, I hugged his arm and curled up against him, pulling my legs up. I ran my nose up his arm, sniffing deeply and letting out a kitty cat moan. Somewhere far away I heard my friends giggle.
Silas turned his head just enough to lower his eyes and look at me. “You okay down there?”
“You shmell yummy. I meanshmell.” I separated my lips from my teeth to force the sounds out. “Sss-mmm-ellll.”
“Okay.” He patted my hand.
“My friend,” I whispered. “My shuper sexy shamazing friend wif perfect penis.”
His throat cleared, and my friends’ titters got louder. Willa was practically falling over as she held onto the pole. I wondered what they were laughing at.
“I know lotsa words for penis,” I said.
Silas cleared his throat. “You’re a woman of many talents.”
My friends died. Like legit falling over, unable to breathe.
“Wassafuck’nfunnay,” I asked.
Those bishes were telling jokes without me. Silas reached his hand over and pulled my head to his arm, making a “shhh” sound. I let myself rest against him. But uuugh, his arm was so muscular and smelled like my whole night time snacky.
“I wannna fuck thish arm.” I rubbed my torso against it, knowing I was hot shit right then.
I felt Silas’s body lightly bounce as he chuckled. Somewhere far away Willa was gasping and saying, “I can’t! I can’t!”
“I funny,” I said.
“Yes, you are.” Silas stroked my cheek.
That’s all I remember. Happy birthday to me.
My mouth tasted like cold, dry death. I blinked against the dim, fall sunlight and when I rolled over my stomach continued to roll as a sharp pain blasted my head.
The events of last night slowly came back to me, although the subway trip home was a blur, and I don’t remember getting to our stop. Did my friends have to carry me? Had I puked in a cab? Oh, lordy, I hoped not.
I trudged my way out to the living room where Willa, Holly, and Beth sat drinking their coffee. I guessed everyone else had gone to work.
“There she is,” Beth teased. “Want some coffee?”
“No, definitely not.” I could never drink coffee when I was hungover. “But I would kill for some fries and a coke.” Fuzzy pieces of last night started to clarify and I remembered holding Silas’s arm on the subway. I frowned, trying to piece everything together.
“You remember trying to fight us last night?” Willa asked, amusement in her voice.
