Page 13 of Unsupervised
“Car’s here!” Zara shouts, and I quickly grab my phone, bank card, and driver’s license, shoving them into my pocket. I don’t want to keep track of a purse all night and I have a bad habit of losing things when I drink.
The apartment complex where the party is being held is across town, about twenty minutes away. Serena starts filling me in on the guys who live there.
“Owen is the goofy one. He’s nice, but a total clown. Marty will absolutely hit on you. Don’t fall for it. He hits on anything with a wet spot. He’s fun and nice and everything, but a total man whore. Graham is the boring one.”
“You mean the responsible one,” Remee interjects.
“He’s the dad of the group,” Zara clarifies. “All of the guys are great, though. They’re sure to have a houseful. It’s a good opportunity to meet some guys and see if there’s anyone you’re interested in.”
“Don’t feel pressured,” Remee says. “You don’t have to find Prince Charming at your first house party. Just have fun.”
Fun. Right. I can do that.
As soon as the door to the apartment is thrown open, I hear my name. “Kelly!”
It’s Owen from Adulting Club. The guy who kept joking with Mr. Aldrich. I should’ve made that connection when I heard his name. “Hey.”
All three girls’ heads swivel to look at me. “He’s in my after school club. I didn’t realize it was the same Owen.”
“What club?” Remee asks as we step inside.
“Oh, uh, it’s a club that teaches life skills like how to change a tire, stuff like that.”
The loud music when we enter kills the conversation, and I glance around the apartment. There aren’t as many people as I thought there might be, but enough to make me feel out of place and a little nervous. Some mill around, drinks in hand, while others gather around the couch, watching two guys play a video game.
Zara grabs my arm and pulls me along to the kitchen with them. “Come on, let’s grab a drink.”
It’s not quite as loud in here and there’s more than enough alcohol to choose from. Bottles cover the small counter. Zara has to shift around bottles of beer and wine in the fridge to add the drinks we brought.
With a grin, she turns back around and hands me a tiny plastic cup. “Jell-O shots!”
“Grab me one,” Owen calls to her, and hops up to sit on the kitchen counter. The guy standing beside him smiles at me.
“Hi, I’m Graham.”
“Kelly. Nice to meet you.”
We all take the shot and once I swallow, I notice Owen staring at me. “Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged you for a partier.”
“I’m not, really.”
Graham shakes his head at Serena, a smile on his face. “Are you corrupting her?”
She points at him while handing me another shot. “Don’t start with me. I’m not a bad influence.”
Owen snorts. “Says the chick who works at a breastaurant.”
“Where I make more money than you,” Serena says in a syrupy sweet voice.
“Where’s Marty?” Zara asks. “I didn’t see any guy nipples on our way in.”
“He went to get ice.”
Zara grins at the questioning look I throw her. “Any time there’s an attractive woman in the vicinity, off comes Marty’s shirt.”
“Serena’s here, though. He’ll probably keep it on,” Graham says.
Serena leans against the table, straightening her back. The corner of her mouth twitches when Graham’s eyes jump to her boobs for a split second, like they have a mind of their own. “This thing you have for me really isn’t healthy, Graham. At some point, you have to accept I’m out of your league.”